exhibit and lecture - sonoma academy gallery

I currently have an exhibit of my paintings, both figurative and abstract, up at the Sonoma Academy Gallery, in Santa Rosa - from January 3rd to February 29th, 2012

The lecture will be in the Fitzsimmons Black Box Theatre

February 6th

11:25 am to 11:50 am

sonoma academy

2500 farmers lane

santa rosa, ca

95404

gallery hours

8 am - 4 pm

monday - friday

707 545-1770

girl with red hair

untitled (girl with red hair)

acrylic on panel

new work -julia

julia

acrylic on panel
click to see large

painting auction - benefit for heidi-

my friend heidi has had a terrible tragedy -
in october, her husband passed away a month after being diagnosed with metastatic cancer.
She has tremendous medical expenses, and she and her children are endanger of losing their home.

I'm auctioning off this piece to to try and help a little with the medical bills.
100% of the proceeds go directly to heidi.

I'm auctioning the piece silent auction style -
If you wish to bid on it, just click on "post a comment" in the comment section, and put an amount (higher than the previous bid) with your name.
The auction will end at 7:00pm (pacific time), november 18th. (my birthday!).
The painting will go off to the highest bidder :-)

gallery price would be $1200, I'm starting the auction at $25

(untitled) girl walking

acrylic on panel
9x12
click to see large

(untitled) girl walking
acrylic on panel
9x12
(detail)
click to see large

pictures from the exhibit - tinney gallery, nashville

Here are some photos from my exhibit at Tinney Contemporary Gallery.
The show looks beautiful!

If you are down that way, stop in - the exhibit will be up through September.

You can see more photos on my
Facebook page
and at the
Tinney Contemporary's Facebook page

solo exhibit at Tinney Contemporary - new work

I have a large solo show opening this week at the Tinney Contemporary Gallery, in Nashville.

lost in the night garden - new work by claire b cotts

you can see more about the gallery at their site
Tinney Contemporary

opening reception: august 6th, 6-9 pm
collectors art night and artist talks: august 5th, 7:00 pm

I also garnered a mention in the daily tennessean

100 drops of water
acrylic on canvas
60" x 80"
click to see large

100 drops of water (detail)

acrylic on canvas
60" x 80"
click to see large

100 drops of water (detail)
acrylic on canvas
60" x 80"

click to see large

new work - beneath the sea, untitled

life beneath the sea

acrylic on canvas
72" x 48"
click to see large

untitled

acrylic on canvas
72" x 48"
click to see large

news, sketchcrawl

here are a few articles on my work in the SFMOMA artist gallery blog

telling tales

tenuously balanced blocks.

Sketchcrawl!

SketchCrawl a global drawing marathon: taking a day to journal and draw all that is around you. It was started by artist Enrico Casarosa in the SF Bay area, and has spread all around the world. This sketchcrawl was a special fund raiser for Japan.


In addition to the big contingent meeting to draw in san francisco -I rounded up some of my students to draw at the annual petaluma butter and egg day parade!
Find out how I came to be up on a parade float and waving to the crowd here....

petaluma sketchcrawl

You can see more results of the global day of drawing here.

Petaluma Sketchcrawl 31st World Wide SketchCrawl

new work - everything that rises, untitled (moth/spade)

untitled
(moth/spade)

acrylic on canvas over panel
60" x 80"
click to see large


untitled
(moth/spade)

(detail)
click to see large

everything that rises

acrylic on canvas
72" x 48"
click to see large

everything that rises

(detail)
click to see large

everything that rises

(detail)
click to see large

exhibit and claire in print

There is a beautifully written piece about my work in this month's Nashville Arts Magazine, in a feature they have called "My Favorite Painting". The collector Keith Glanz wrote about my painting "Summer (Sebastopol)", it's a really wonderful piece of writing

Below is a link to the feature in digital format:

Nashille Arts Magazine



I'll have three of my small pieces based on daguerreotypes in an invitational show at the Graton Gallery, just north of sebastopol.
If you've never been, Graton is a really charming little town, one of my favorite places.

http://www.gratongallery.com
The 5th Annual Invitational Art Exhibition
January 18 - February 27, 2011
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 22 | 2-5pm

tiger, tiger

tiger, tiger
collage on paper, mixed media
click to see large

untitled (woman in a polka dot dress)

untitled
(woman in a polka dot dress)
acrylic on panel
click to see large

new work

sebastopol (summer)
acrylic on canvas
diptych 48" x 72"
click to see large

the impetus for this came this summer, taking walks up in sebastapol. There was a field of queen anne's lace and teasel that I walked past every day - that was the beginning seed of the painting, though those images have submerged a bit. Still, I like that it still contains the feeling of warm summer nights, the pulse of night in the country, stars, the sound of frogs and crickets.

untitled (daffodil)

acrylic on canvas
diptych 48" x 72"
click to see large


untitled (woman on a suzani)
acrylic on panel
12" x 16"
click to see large

from a figure drawing session. The model was on a scarlet colored cloth that threw up vivid warm light on her face. I made up an imaginary suzani (an embroidered cloth from central asia) later in my studio

untitled (woman on a suzani) - detail
acrylic on panel

night pond

untitled (night pond)

acrylic on canvas (diptych)
48" x 72"
click to see large

untitled (night pond)

acrylic on canvas (diptych)
48" x 72"
click to see large

inspiration -
pond weeds, lotus, salamander eggs, volvux

nanna

Nanna
acrylic on panel
click to see large

inspired by a detail from an old victorian 'carte de viste',
beautiful woman with a broad face, wearing black silk.

I just re-read (as books on tape) all of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, I loved them growing up, and my mind has been in that era.

I have always been drawn to daguerreotypes of this period, that strange flash and glimpse into another time. I love the weird crinkle and shimmer of the heavy silk, and the sheen on the carefully arranged hair. Especially, I like the posture and bearing of the subject, holding so still, so as not to blur the image.

insomnia

insomnia (night crossword)
acrylic on panel
12 x 16
click to see large


insomnia (night crossword)
detail
acrylic on panel
click to see large

re-painting a day - done

painted the face out, and started over, but now, I'm finally pleased with it.

a portrait from victorian 'carte de visite'

5 x 7 x 1.5
acrylic on panel
click to see large

painting a day - swedish woman

painting a day
a portrait from victorian 'carte de visite'

swedish woman (with slightly crossed eyes)

5 x 7 x 1.5
acrylic on panel
click to see large

new website, painting a day, woman in a brown poplin dress

painting a day

I'll be doing a painting a day (more or less) from now until open studio.
a portrait from victorian 'carte de visite'

woman in a brown poplin dress

5 x 7 x 1.5
click to see large

woman in a brown poplin dress -detail
5 x 7 x 1.5
click to see large

website
ok, finally, it's up -
my brand new website.
I'm still uploading and tweaking, but you can see it in it's rough state, there lot more details of the paintings.
I'll be uploading a bunch of new work in the coming weeks
clairebcotts.com