Thank You All For, "Stepping Out"

Wow,
I thank you all for coming out to support me at my “Stepping Out” fine art exhibit. This was the first time that I have had a one-person show and was able to see all my work hanging together.  I was so happy to be able to share this experience with all of you, and Kevin’s music filled the space beautifully. 

While setting up the show I wasn’t sure that anyone was going to come that night.  I said to myself, “It is all right. I know people will come tomorrow,” and before we were done getting everything ready, people came.  I was so flattered that as the evening progressed, more and more people that I had not seen in years or that didn’t think they could make it, showed up ,and the following day the same glory was shared.  I was beside my self with joy.

It was so flattering that so many people purchased art.  For me there is a story of creation behind each piece of art - work, so each one becomes a friend.  It is exciting to think that my work will be hanging in so many peoples’ homes.  And, yet at the end of the show while Jose was wrapping the purchased art, within the joy of such an amazing experience, there was also the sadness of letting go of so many friends.

I have to say a special thank you to the Angels (Angel Sr. and Angel II) and Myla for helping me hang the whole show in 3 and a half hours, and Roz who came early and set the food up, and Fumilio for making special healthy food for us to sample, and a surprise guest, Jennifer, a well known videographer who came back the second day with camera and has offered to create a video (yahhh) and Jose who lovingly wrapped and labeled everyone’s art at the end. I also thank my co collaborator in creation, the musician, Kevin Nathaniel Hylton, and my father Gys B. Kooy, and my lover in life,Leonore Gordon, for their faith in me and their loving support of the arts.

Follow the link below to a slide show of "STEPPING OUT"
https://picasaweb.google.com/leonorebklyn/MyraKooySSoloArtAtTrestleGallery420421?feat=email#slideshow/5869716661502725874

Please join this my blog for up dates about the arts.  Thank you all again for your support.
Wishing You All Many Joy Filled Moments!
Myra Kooy
www.myrasight.com

Loving Encaustic!

This is an Encaustic painting 

- the use of hot wax and pigment - 

it is very new for me. 

A fellow artist from The Brooklyn Art Space gave me a one-day class in this medium, 

and I fell in love with 

the smell and application process, 

both together reminding me of the 

fluidity and beauty in nature.  

"STEPPING OUT"

By Myra Kooy

Ten Years: 2003 - 2013

A One Woman Show

presented by

TRESTLE GALLERY

168 7th St. 3rd Floor

Brooklyn, NY 11215

April 20th 7pm to 9pm / 21 12pm to 5pm / 2013

Myrasight.com 

"A Sunny City Day"

This is one of five new mixed-media works

that stand as a personal reaction to the South Slope of

Brooklyn NY where I am working with in Brooklyn Art Space.

Marriage Equality Profile Image

Lincoln Center Fall Festival

Painting on 

Old Vintage

Windows

Lincoln Center NYC 

October 13 and 14 2012

Great Group of Arts and Craft

Artists

I'll also show leather shopping bags,

belt bags and more!

Alternative Art Exhibition

Assemblage of JOY

Some art lovers studying Anthony's Contemporary Abstract Paintings 

The Paterson Art Walk, was a great day. 

Anthony, Me, Donata and Friend standing in front of 

my 'Grandma Huggin Door,' Portrait and book.

I have to thank the Paterson Art Council and Donata for such a well-organized event and David the property owner that donated beautiful old well-kept silk factory spaces.  

David and Anthony posing in front of his painting that was designed with historical facts of Paterson written onto the surface of this painting.  And because of the massive pigeon population one will find dug from this bird gracing the surface.  I'm not sure if he was thinking that it is like an arial view and pigeons fly in the sky and their dug would fall, hence on the painting - either way the composition really works.  

Me, Mayor Jeffery Jones and Anthony

I also thank the Paterson Mayor for stopping by and bring a smiling face. 

  

I thank all the artists and art lovers for sharing your personal stories and insight with Anthony and myself around the works of art.   Please, take a look at Anthony Boone’s abstracts at http://www.ennerbeauty.com/.  I am proud to share a space with him.  His abstract paintings go beyond the safe and yet remain very harmonious.  Through layers and layers of paint you may see the glowing of orange in the uniformed cracks of an almost all black and green canvas or the swirling of a well orchestrated group of colors and the dare is that Anthony will introduce an unexpected color and it works.  A person just has to love those that are willing to push the envelope.  

This assemblage's head was crafted out of plaster mix-medium, dirt and concrete.  The head also bobs for some reason I thought  heads rarely ever are still so I constructed a wirer structure that would allow some motion.  And I left space with in the head with a beautiful night sky back drop for us the viewers to fill in the space.

This is a self portrait that changes every once in a while.  The most recent change was the addition of a lock in the front.  I thought it might help me not talk so much, but really! no such luck there.

There are so many more pieces of art work in this exhibit it really is a must see.  I'll keep you all in the know for the closing party.

Paterson Art Walk

I got a last minute invitation to the Paterson art walk.  I wasn't sure that I had the time but when introduced to a huge warehouse space with one wall of windows, I wished they had invited me a month earlier, and not a week earlier.  There were brick pillars between the windows that invited a flood of sun light to cascade onto the opposite wall.  A dream place to create a gallery.

Yesterday my gallery roommate Anthony Boonie and I finished transforming the empty warehouse into an amazing gallery.  Anthony creates amazing abstract pantings with an organic surface that seems to be in  motion when one looks at them.

On the opposite wall between the windows I created organic assemblage sculptures from found wood, branches and stumps.

I also have incorporated paintings and mixed - medium sculptures.  This exhibit is a continuation of my nature and nurture work.

We are located in the Miesch Mill building #18 on the Map: 468 Totowa, third floor - please feel free to call 551-804-7262 and there should be balloons to help guide the way.

The Paterson art walk can be found at this link
http://www.patersonartscouncil.org/paterson-art-walk.html

A Poetic Image and Words

She's Seen

If I could capture your thoughts

Your eyes would

Take up your face &

Your mouth would 

Fall off the page

Creating a sound new to ears

Grow

 Your mouth to match your sight

Pound on the nail heads that close your coffin door

Only you know the

Rich soil that nurtures fruit

 If planted

Grow

  Your mouth to match your eyes

Speak

Spring Craftboston Show

Thank You

Spring Craft Boston

&

The Society of Arts and Crafts

 &

Thank You 

to All the 

People that 

Stopped By 

My Both 

and Shared!

A Story

"Astory"

Is a series of images painted

over time, inviting the viewer

to engage in storytelling.

NYC Designers Market

One Step Back, Two Steps . . 

Going to a show is always a gamble, but lessening the possible blows through calculated risk is the way to go.  Even with all this fabulous wisdom and over twenty years of selling creative creations, I still haven’t figured out all the ins and outs.  The NY Market of Young Designers had the feel of a NYC flea market; many amazing jewelers and clothes designers, and some unwelcome buy-and-sell vendors.  I felt nostalgic recalling over 25 years ago setting up my hand-made suspenders stall in a small artist / designer Market in Soho.  Back then, two things fueled me: one, the possible financial gain, and two, meeting people who could help / educate me about the craft business. A third motivation I didn’t acknowledge at the time was the adrenalin rush of the process of finding materials, creating products and selling them to customers.  Every stage had a plateau, a sense of pride in accomplishment, and a spark to move to the next step.  Back then I didn’t know that this process was going to feed me as an artist; the little nuggets of joy from step to step providing me the fuel to move forward.  Stepping back sometimes informs one about the eternal threads that lead us to where we are going.

I meet a beautiful Barbados milliner this weekend, Cynthia Hunte’s Chapeaux.   We exchanged our different methods used in creation.  I got fuel from the passion in her words and her hats were exquisitely finished.  She had the old school touch of perfection with flair to transcend time.  She shared, “One day while I was working it came to me I had been creating since I was 5 years old.  My mother would give me a tablespoon of cod liver oil every morning and a wedge of lemon to get the taste out of my mouth.  On my way out to school I would turn the skin in side out, shape it into a Cloche style hat and place it in the sun to dry.  When I came home it was hard.  I gathered wild flowers and decorated the hats to match my rag dolls’ outfits.”  Throughout the event she continued to share, about how the local seamstress would save her scraps for her, how one of the trees had long thin leaves she'd use to lace up her shoes and protect her legs, and how the wet tar from the road got attached to the heels of shoes to assist in making a high heel sound.  She said, "Although I’ve spent many years at Chase Bank, I have always been a designer."  I think she is right.

Over this weekend I met many creative artist/designers who were excited about sharing their process.  Although the dollars were not flowing as much as much as I'd hoped, there was a lot of communication around the creative process.  So, for anyone looking for more than just a bargain, for a hand made item filled with care and a story, please support the artist/craft designers.  I believe it is truly special to wear something that has been made with loving caring and has a story. 

The market NYC

Hi All

This Weekend I am joining

A group of NYC local designers in the

The Market NYC

328 W 14^th Street

( between 8th & 9th)

www.themarketnyc.com

This is a group of serious minded group of young designers and I am glad to join them during this holiday season.

Friday – 11am – 7pm

Saturday – 11am – 7pm

Sunday – 11am – 12pm

Monday – 9am – 7pm

I hope to see You there!

The Contemporary Art Fair: What a Wonderful Surprise!

~I Loved Meeting You All~

Set-up was a dream.  I am used to creating a playful environment by myself, and this time I had not one set of helping hands, but two, and they both liked making jokes. Time flew and the booth reflected the fun we had in creating it!

“Thank you, Guys!”

When I got home after the first day I had a call.  A woman who was wearing a beautiful woven scarf left me a message, “ Myra, I am so excited about the many ways I have figured out to wear your bag, around the neck, across the body and over my shoulder.”  She said she’d send me photos.  I went to sleep smiling.  One of the best things when I create something is that it really can touch someone.

Over the next two days, there was a dance performance right next to my booth - just beautiful!

People who shared their love of art with me: a beader, a writer, a knitter of dog wear and many others. I thank all of them for saying, “I love your wine sacks,” “Just beautiful,” & “Love the bags!”

And I thank those who played with my art, purchased my art bags, and made me laugh out loud. 

I loved meeting you all and look forward to keeping in touch and sharing

My New Livable Art!  

Thanks To All!

"The Family Tree of Life"

Thanks to all!

I  have a very interesting life in art.

I thank my family

And all those who have shared their support, and there are a lot of you.

Thank you All for seeing a branch, stick, log or what ever and sending it my way,

Thank you All for sharing your knowledge,

Thank you All for sharing your resources,

Thank you All for knowing I’m a little crazy and still inviting me to Thanksgiving.

And thank God for giving me art and you All.

Fall Gifts

Living among trees in the fall imprints floating masses of colors that seem to be interwoven with dark linear figures on my brain.  Sunday came and the sun was playing hard from way up high in the sky with the clouds, to way down low reflecting off the grasses.  “Paint out side! Paint out side!” Home alone, it was clearly me calling me.  So I listened. Above is an image of my efforts.

"A Gift" Reach out for more information. 

Last Fall I was Gifted amazing buttons (the closure of these bags and the embellishments on the straps). Well, really, these were wooden disks that I drilled holes into and which now are buttons.  Layering the leather into landscapes and adding these buttons seemed to bring the outdoors right into these creations.

"Rise" Reach out for more information.