March Madness

...and boy, has it been! We're nearing the end of the month, but March is still roaring over here. Below is my pathetic short list of excuses why I haven't been typing my heart out to you this month:

• I took an interesting freelance writing assignment for a trade magazine. Traveled around, conducted interviews, wrote the articles, and added on a few pounds in the process  -- all in the name of research, of course. 
• You'd be surprised at the amount of homework first graders get (at least at my daughter's school!)
• I haven't figured out how to clone myself yet. Advice is welcome.
• Volunteer commitments on my calendar seem to multiply faster than my laundry pile.
• I've been painting. Of course, I also accidentally painted my new cat turquoise while he was sleeping in the chair in my studio. (Good thing he doesn't mind water.)

This month, I decided to take a different approach to some new paintings in the Graffiti Reef series, by making them three-dimensional. I really wanted to play with the levels in these collage paintings, and used old Scrabble tiles and wooden pieces to make some of the collage pieces stand out. 

Merengue Marinade, 10x10 3D graffiti fusion collage painting on wood panel

In the Lion's Den, 10x10 3D graffiti fusion collage painting on wood panel. The lionfish is one of the 3D elements here. The lavender and red-orange "coral" is made from light molding paste.

Both paintings were featured in the March Madness exhibit, hosted by the Target Gallery at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA.  

Proceeds from all sales from the exhibit benefited the Target Gallery's 2011 outreach programming and the March of Dimes. 

More than 200 artists created work on 10x10 wood panels for the exhibit, which ran from March 17th through the 27th. The fundraiser helped raise money and awareness for the March of Dimes, and raise funds for the Target Gallery's community outreach programming. The Torpedo Factory sponsored an art activity on March 19th for children whose families benefited from the March of Dimes. This event helped raise awareness for the charity's annual March for Babies walk, to be held in May.

The Torpedo Factory also threw a March Madness Art Party on the 27th in the main hall outside the gallery, complete with games, a wing-off, DJ, prizes, and a live broadcast of the NCAA basketball game. What a great night!