Author: Jen

Dissolving the line between art and gift

I started doing farmers markets and holiday shows for the first time this year, and I’m really enjoying the thrill of it, particularly meeting so many wonderful people. I learned very quickly that people are craving a more artful life – and they get excited by more than just art that hangs on the wall. So in an effort to make my art more accessible to more people, I’ve spent the last several months expanding my line of handmade or hand painted giftable treasures.

I’m finally developing an Etsy page, but that will take some time.  Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about what is available.

Under $20
Sacred Geometry Key Rings – Heart of Metatron or Seed of Life patterns $15
Zodiac Constellation Magnets – with hand inked metallic stars! $12
Sacred Geometry Puzzle 6″ wood block painted gold with an alignment of nails and a packet of rubber bands to create balanced patterns $20
All Art is Fine poster –  limited edition! Now only $7
Sacred Geometry Magnets -Heart of Metatron, Seed of Life, or Vesica Piscis patterns $7 / $11

Under $50
Zodiac Constellation Prints – 6×8″ in frame with hand inked metallic stars! $45
Paper Pyramid Luminaries – box includes a battery operated votive $30
Mystery Gifts – each gift includes an original mini artwork, a found treasure, a sticker and more! $30
20 Questions – box set of 20 hand inked/painted philosophical questions $30
Mini Artworks –  sacred geometry inspired, hand painted symbols in a 4″ square frame $20 / $30
Sacred Geometry Jewelry -Heart of Metatron, Seed of Life, or Vesica Piscis patterns $27 / $38

Under $100
Curated Journeys for the Creative Mind – each mysterious box includes a curated 6-piece collection of artworks and artifacts that tie together to tell a story $85
Sacred Geometry Jewelry – Hand painted paper pyramids with dangling sparkling beadwork $65

 

The Underground Planetarium


A few months back, a good friend Leigh Medeiros asked me if there were no limits at all, what my creative fantasy would be.  I took some time to think, and then began to imagine a multimedia art installation with sound and imagery that merges scenes from outer space with sacred geometry symbols and visual interpretations of sound waves. At the time it all seems so elaborate and fanciful. It seemed like a wild playful fantasy.

But then I thought…. hmmmm.  What’s stopping me from trying?

I am so privileged to be part of the Hotpoint Emporium artist co-op in Bristol RI, which allowed me to allocate a very unique space in their Underground Gallery to build this creative experiment of mine. I’ve spent months developing my Planetary Hybrid series of metal prints, and for the Planetarium project I went BIG. Shimmering metallic artworks span three walls of a dark cave-like environment, illuminated almost as if by the light of the stars themselves. There is a soundscape of outer space recordings from NASA and even a stool for sitting in contemplation. And visitors to what I like to call the Underground Planetarium can even take piece of it home with them! Artworks are available as small as 4×6″ and as large as 16×24″.  Prices starting at $25.

Is it out of this world?  You’ll have to come see for yourself, but for me it is beyond my wildest dreams!

Hotpoint EmporiumPlanetarium located in the Underground Gallery
39 State Street • Bristol RI
open 7 days

  

Day 47: JenCharleson.com

JenCharleson.com
fully functional website!

No small undertaking, this website. And while there is no such thing as “finished,” I finally feel ready enough to call it a website and go public!

Day 46: somersaults

Somersaults
Digital imaging

I’ve been in kind of a weird space the last few weeks, sort of incubating I suppose. Sometimes it’s like making bread, need to give things time to rest or rise before putting more work in. So I’ve decided to make a list of things I can use my daily practice for when perhaps “creativity” isn’t as accessible. One of the things I find beneficial is to push the edges and cross boundaries into territories I might normally find unpalatable. Take bigger risks, be sloppier, experiment, experiment, experiment. Today’s experiment is the artistic version of mixing metaphors to the point of incomprehensibility. It’s a ‘hybrid’ that features both a planetary surface and a galaxy cluster; and it blends in three different artworks, each offering another layer of abstraction.

I’m not sure I’d go so far as to call it a finished work and send it to print, but I do love what I’m seeing here.

Learn more about: 48 Days of Creative Devotion

Day 45: Vocalise

Vocalise
5×7” mixed media with pen and ink

Was craving a little more control over fine lines and details (and I don’t mean age related, lol) so I decided to put the brush away and see what my quill pen might accomplish. I really like it, and look forward to much dexterity practice to see what other expressions I might come up with. There are more than a couple of happy accidents here; my favorite being the accidental “reflection” caused by attempting to set it up for pressing before the gold dot was dry.

The title is a musical reference. This started as an abbreviated visual representation of the ratio of wave frequencies in a major triad.

Learn more about: 48 Days of Creative Devotion