New Artwork!

Head on over to Second Saturday Studio for more details!

Special Thanks to Interior Complex...

for the article featuring my artwork...you rock! Much appreciation to be included with other such fabulous artists and designers...

A New Found Friend...

is Pamela Kelso Craig, artist and owner of Rivertown Gallery in Memphis, TN! Rivertown Gallery
is a small, independent, artist-run gallery located on Mid-America Mall (Main Street) directly across from a trolley stop and one block north of The Orpheum. I am currently working on a new business venture (I will fill you in on the next post!) and she has so graciously shared information and ideas with me after I sent her an email with questions regarding her wonderful place...

You know how it is...some people love to help others...others not so much...I don't know why that is, but I do know that Pam has continued to be in contact with me and I'm grateful...I feel like she is going to be a great friend, even though I have never met her in person...I so look forward to going and seeing her beautiful work in person, along with the other artists currently displaying their work...shown here is a sold piece from Pam entitled "Yellow Afternoon"...I thank my new found friend and if you're Memphis, stop in and see her...

Soaking Up Art in the Rock...

My hubby Rick and I started the day off last Saturday by going to the Arkansas Arts Museum in Little Rock to see the Andy Warhol, 15 Weeks of Fame exhibit...

Warhol was and still is, a pop art artist, international celebrity and cultural icon. Warhol changed the art world's definition of what art truly is. The exhibit features Warhol's paintings, drawings, celebrity silkscreen prints, three-dimensional objects, famous screen tests and his Silver Clouds installation, which we both really loved. This show is the first of its kind in Arkansas and we are lucky to have gotten to see it! The exhibit runs through February 1st, so be sure to go and check it out...

Our next pitstop was to the Cox Museum, simply because it's located in the library parking lot where we usually end up! I love the Cox Museum building and would live in it if I could! Kathy Bay is one of my favorite artists that you will find there...

Next it was on to my favorite gallery, the River Market ArtSpace...I wish I lived closer so I could go in more often! Megan Chapman's current work is available there, so I wanted to see it in person...I've enjoyed her blog and she is also fellow Etsy seller artmaven, so I had to support her in some way! Three of her paintings are shown here and she has a new body of work entitled "Fire and Noise", that will be on display starting February 13th! She is a beautifully talented artist and is very inspiring to me...Debra Wood, the owner of the ArtSpace, has done a fantastic job of bringing the world of art to Little Rock and I appreciate all of her efforts...go by and see her when you are in town and soak up some wonderful art yourself...you will be so glad you did...

Artwork by Megan Chapman

Art For Your Christmas Tree...

...and a shameless plug for my Cafe Press ornaments! Why not brighten up your Christmas holidays with some original art?!? These also make great gifts and stocking stuffers and there are thousands available, not just mine. Most of the designs are available in round or oval and are very colorful! Take a look and may they put you in the holiday spirit!

From a Canvas to...

everyday usable products! It is actually so cool to have something you love to do such as painting, but then to be able to have them added to products to sell without further work and no overhead is awesome...I've received so many wonderful comments on the Circles of Life painting that I did for an upcoming charity auction (see previous post) and several hoping they win the bid! It just makes you feel good...I told them that if for some reason they didn't get it, that there would be prints, etc. available with the design on it...not the same I know, but there can only be one original! These products are all available at my Cafe Press store as well as Zazzle. The tile coasters are my favorite...Zazzle has the most fabulous greeting cards and you can really find anything you need at either place! I'm going to try and work on some Christmas items when I get back from a much needed girl vacation next week! Off to work...I am revisiting some older paintings today...

And a Set of Three...

trees...8x8 acrylic paintings on stretched canvas. I did these 3 after a visit to ArtSpace in River Market and they are entitled White Forest #1-3...when I paint I tend to just keep going! With that being said, I was discussing with a dear friend and fellow artist the other day about what it takes to do an art show and the amount of pieces needed. I've read various different opinions on this and I was thinking around 40-50 when she said 125! I thought, jeez, I'd have to take off work a year to do that and we know that's not going to happen! I did come to the realization though, that in order to have a great show and for people to come to know your work is to be consistent in your paintings...I am the total opposite of that so it's going to require some deep thought on the subject. I do hope you like these pieces...I've had great comments on them so far and will have them on kellyvanhook.etsy.com within the next week...until then, off to varnish...P.S. Excuse the blurry picture!! For some reason I didn't catch it, but will be taking new ones!

Art in the Park for an Important Mission

This past Saturday, I actually did something I've never done before...put my art out for sale to the public (minus hiding behind my etsy storefront!)...now that doesn't sound like a big deal to some, but for me, it was. I've pretty much kept it to myself, in my little room for me to see. I think I had a guilt about actually collecting money for something I did to help myself, for my own mind and well-being and for the pure enjoyment of it. It was an absolute blast! My friend Robin talked me into doing it...and of course, mom thought it was a great idea. Robin is a co-worker of mine at Coldwell Banker Complete and she serves on the Board of Directors of The Robert Elliott Foundation, a foundation whose mission is to educate and be a resource for those suffering from depression and need help. Dr. Robert Elliott is the father of a very dear friend of mine, Mark (in the center of photo of the 3 guys! Along with him is Jimmy Simpson, another friend I love - I've known them both since 9th grade! Keith Pike, family friend is on the left) and father-in-law to Mark's wife Leah, one of the most beautiful and inspiring people you will ever meet on the planet. Dr. Elliott was a wonderful physician and member of our community and has been sorely missed since he passed away. His family and friends strive to help anyone in need from going through what they have and to keep Dr. Elliott's work to help others alive to this day. You can check out the foundation at http://www.robertelliottfdn.com/. I actually sold 5 paintings that day...it was a beautiful day. Lots of sunshine, kids, a 2k and 5k run, a petting zoo with I swear, the ugliest cow on the planet and wonderful laughter. My mom and dad came to see me, along with my grandpa and Aunt Sandy. It was like my coming out party! I will definitely do it again and am glad to finally be getting my name out there...it's a journey all in itself, but one I love going on...the paintings I sold are pictured above and I hope the fantabulous people who made purchases with me enjoy them as much as I did painting them....

Being Spontaneous

I am sitting at my computer with a brain full of ideas and trying to figure out what to do with them......how do people really just do things spontaneously? I usually think way too much about something and then procrastinate about trying it, and then I find I've already moved on to something else. I didn't use to be this way, I guess age is changing me as I knew it would. Fear of failure has always bugged me. I know that if we don't try we've already failed so I am bound and determined to be different in 2008!

On to write up an offer on a property I have listed and then to try a new painting - oh, but first, got to let Trixie out to do her business!

Getting into Blogging!

My mom is such an inspiration to me and alot of others around her - she is the one who has been so hip on getting a blog started, so I thought if my mom is in the year 2008, I'd better get a move on and get into it too! She has encouraged me in doing my artwork which honestly, I just started a few years ago. I have painted as a form of therapy and has it ever worked! Anyway, with that being said, I have all of these paintings I have done and kept in my studio until there is not enough room to move around in anymore so I now have a shop at http://kellyvanhook.etsy.com/ and am having a ball with it! Such a great outlet for all of us and if you are new to etsy and have some feedback or tips, I hope you will share them!

I am in real estate full-time but have the schedule I need to do some other things that are really important to me. I think that is really important to all of us and we need to be able to work it all in somehow during this one shot at life we all get. Thanks for reading!