I’ve added new collage paintings to my etsy store: jmculver.etsy.com. I’m updating the etsy store daily with new artwork.
Romancing the Nude I – oil and mixed media on board, 8.5″ x 10.5″
Romancing the Nude II – oil and mixed media on board, 8.5″ x 10.5″
Romancing the Nude III – oil and mixed media on board, 8.5″ x 10.5″
My work is in three exhibitions right now: SSCA – Anatomy: Creation, Existence, and Decomposition, MCAD Gallery – Paradigm Shift, and Grain Belt Gallery – Art Ache.
Anatomy: Creation, Existence, and Decomposition
January 31 – February 22
Stevens Square Center for the Arts
1905 3rd Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55404
612.879.0200
Gallery Hours: Friday thru Sunday, 1:00 – 5:00 pm
Anatomy, featuring work by the following artists:
- J.M. Culver
- Trish Brock
- Sally Eckhoff
- Gina Germ
- Jason Gillman
- Melissa Grant
- Cris t Halverson
- Angela Maki Jones
- Curt Lund
- Richard Strohmeyer
- John Vasiliou
Paradigm Shift
MCAD Alumni & Friends Honor Kinji Akagawa
January 16th – February 22
MCAD Gallery
2501 Stevens Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Presented by the MCAD Alumni Association
Featuring work by more than 150 MCAD Alumni artists from across the nation, “Paradigm Shift” pays homage to Professor Kinji Akagawa ’68, a teacher for more than 30 years and respected public arts advocate and sculptor.
Art Ache
A Free Multi-media event featuring resident and guest artists working in film, music, performance art, painting, sculpture and photography.
Grain Belt Bottling House
79 13th St. NE
Minneapolis, MN
612.465.0234
I have two pieces, one large drawing and an oil painting in the Grain Belt Artists Holiday Gala exhibition this weekend. There are 38 artists showing work at this juried event. Several artists will have open studios to the public. The gallery space is two stories and is really spacious. There will be wine and free food. This event is free to the public.
It’s a multimedia event featuring film, music, performance art, painting, sculpture, drawing, and photography. Music by Peter Lochner, Eliza Blue, Acoustic Death Orchestra & The Vicious Alive.
Opening Reception
Friday, December 5th, 6 – 10pm
Open Saturday December 6th, 12 – 8pm
Open Sunday December 7th, 12 – 4pm
The Grain Belt Bottling House
79 13th Ave
Ne Minneapolis, MN 55413
Hope you can make it! I’ll be at the Opening from 6 to 10pm. 
-Jessica
I thought I had sprained my ankle two months ago, but didn’t have any insurance to go to the doctor to have x-rays taken. I finally have insurance and was able to go to the doctor today. My ankle is actually broken and I’ve been walking on it for two months now. So it hasn’t healed properly. I have to go to a specialist on Monday and will most likely have it re-broken, reset, and put in a cast. It’s going to be a long recovery process. The doctor said that I broke it in the worst spot.
I was standing on my feet for up to 10 hours last week painting. It’s hard to believe I was doing that on a broken ankle. It was painful but I was determined to get my paintings done. I’ve been disappointed that I wasn’t able to complete 25 new paintings for the deadline, but I was able to complete 14 new paintings on a broken ankle – so I don’t feel so bad anymore.
I will have to work on smaller paintings until my ankle heals and I am able to stand again. I’m also going to work on some jewelry pieces and continue to work in my visual journals. My leg may be immobile for a while, but I still have my arms…and I will paint, paint, paint!
I have 14 new pieces completed for the MCAD Art Sale this year. I’ve also included some of my recent work from the last year as well. I have 25 pieces total in the sale this year. I’ve taken photos of everything, but haven’t had the chance to upload them yet. I’ll post some of the new work this week.
MCAD Annual Art Sale 2008
November 21st and November 22nd.
I started a new visual journal, a very personal piece about the past few months. I’d rather not go into more detail concerning the theme. But I have photocopies all my past entries in my previous sketchbooks regarding the theme and pasted them into the new visual journal. I’m using an old medical textbook and collaging/reconstructing the pages. It has about 200 pages and is hard-bound. I’m already on page 30, but need to go back into some of the pages.
It’s so personal that I don’t know if I will ever share it or put it online for viewing. I might scan or take a photo of one or two pages that are more “vague”. There’s only one person that I’d share it with and I don’t even know if I will…..
The last few years I have been creating visual journals specifically for each series of artwork that I’ve been working on – “Visceral Landscapes”, “Conjured Memories”, “Decomposition”, “Transformations”… I’m still adding to these as time goes on. “Transformations” is the most recent, and I am still going through my old sketchbooks and adding information that is relevant to the theme. I should have been photocoping things, but instead I have spent endless hours re-writing everything. So far, it’s probably at least 30 pages of just writing. Alot of my sketchbooks and visual journals have mostly writing and very loose sketches.
The new one is more experimental and isn’t for a particular series of work. It’s just a personal piece, but already it has given way to new ideas for future work. I have a sketch that would make a great painting. I am going to start with a small oil/mixed media study and then do a larger painting of it. Also, I have thought of a great idea for a photography series. I don’t work with photography much, but I think it could be really interesting to pursue this idea.
So, I wish I could share my new visual journal, but I just don’t feel comfortable doing so and don’t know if I ever will. But I just wanted to say that I’m excited that I’ve started it and am finding it cathartic to be working out my emotional turmoil within it’s pages.
Here’s a sneak peak of one of the paintings that will be available for purchase at this year’s MCAD Annual Art Sale, Nov. 21st & 22nd. I’m currently working on 3 more for this series that will also be available.
-Jessica
My studio is finally complete. It now has carpet, new walls, tables, chairs, lights and is ready to go! I’m still going to build a painting drying/storage rack in the next couple of weeks to help with organization. I’ve been working on new paintings and drawings for the upcoming MCAD Art Sale, which is on November 21st and November 22nd. I have to have all work completed by November 9th. I’m going to have 25 pieces available for purchase at the sale this year. I will be taking photographs and posting some of the completed works on the blog soon. I finished some tree/landscape paintings this week and am now working on some experimental/mixed media portraits.
I apologize for not posting on my blog in quite some time. I’ve been on somewhat of a hiatus the past few months where I’ve been trying to get things re-organized in my life. I’ve been working on my finances and setting up a new art studio space. Everything is coming together nicely and my studio space is almost fully set up.
I am building a painting drying rack/storage space and a new adjacent wall in the studio. I’m also adding new light fixtures, carpet, and bringing in some new chairs, stools, and tables to work on. Unfortunately, there was a terrible accident today. One of the old ballister’s exploded brown chemical sludge on top of my new drawings and framed watercolor paintings. The chemical sludge even made its way underneath the glass to the paintings. Several pieces were completely destroyed. At least none of these pieces were from my professional portfolio but they were still very good pieces. I am glad that I had a chance to photograph them before this happened. But I am deeply saddened by this.
I went to Blick Art Supply today and purchased 28 studio gallery wrapped canvas’s at 70% off. It’s so exciting when there is such a great discount on art supplies. I have enough canvas to create new paintings for the upcoming MCAD Art Sale. I’m going to go back to purchase more canvas before the sale is over on October 12th.
I’m starting the new paintings tonight. I will post new artwork as it is completed and will try to keep my blog updated as much as possible since I have everything situated in my life and studio again. So keep your eyes open and check back again soon for new work.
Thank you to everyone that came out to my last opening “Viscera” at Java J’s. There was a nice turnout and appreciate all the support. The solo exhibition will still be on display until March 16th. So there is still plenty of time to check out my paintings.
I am also participating in this year’s Saint Paul Art Crawl in the Rossmor Building. I am not sure of which floor/space I will be showing my work yet, but will post that information as it becomes readily available. This will be my first art crawl, and I am terribly excited.
