A Narrow Fellow in the Grass /  by Debbie Slowey Raguso

We can finely get outside and enjoy a more reasonable temperature.

As I was cleaning up some bird netting, no longer needed for containing my older less active chickens, I saw a troubled snake caught in plastic netting. I recalled it was the type that is very beneficial; an Indigo and immediately went into action to save this special snake; a type of snake that kills Rattlers and other venomous snakes.

I freed in a bit of surgery -with an exacto and gloves to cut the the netting. Placed inside in the bathtub the last 3 plastic strands of webbing were tightly entangled. The snake was cooperative and seemed trusting.

Never trust a snake.

I believed the snake knew, as the pieces came off, that I was helping it. The gloves were not thick enough and the snake stuck it’s little fangs into me. It is back in the garden, but I was shocked and in wonder how I did not think to swat it or fight back and how it could bit me while I was saving it.

It was a snake.  

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As the Octopus of my Dream Floats Along the Ocean Current. /  by Debbie Slowey Raguso

I came across an interesting program for artist business development called the Clark Hulings Fund that hopefully can teach me how better to get my artwork out to the world so that I can self sustain by doing what I love to do. I will be signing up for their seminar program. So if you are an artist that wants a good business boost, please check them out.

CHF

I have finished a series on Octopus.

The octopus is a magical creature.T

Tame and inquisitive when met at an aquarium.

Here I celebrate the freely floating fallinf in the currents of the seas. A oil painting (36 x 36 inches &(($3700)) and a series of colors in woodcut print edition 36 x 24 inches @ $250.

With the woodcut, I attempted a bit of how to video, as shown in my last posts. Printing in black did not do the octopus a good turn so I thought of it’s nature of camouflage, and did color; I have 4 sets with the purple not yet photographed. They are done on beautiful rice paper

. email me debslowey@gmail.com. or can be directly purchased on the link in this website to my store called Buy Art From Me ! Includes tax and shipping.

  I have fascination with Octopus. It’s ability to color change skin, in times of emotion, celebrates a sense of awe in the power of color. The body, supple and freely flowing, alludes to a summary of the gift that’s been my life’s journey.

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Octopus Woodblock /  by Debbie Slowey Raguso

Editioning this is going to be a lot of muscle work today but I enjoy so much pulling off the block the newly created creature. I am waiting for some colored inks to arrive for a little experimentation and beautiful oriental papers, which I find work so well with woodblock printmaking. The toughness of the paper hold well against the baren when it reaches to hard edges of the woodcut shape. Blessings and with luck !

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Exhibiting- sent off package to China /  by Debbie Slowey Raguso

I understand that there will be tribulations with USA and China trade but the amount of people that really want to see, understand and collect western art in China is enormous. 

I sent off two prints to the Printmaking Museum as asked to do by the director. My great friend Jenny travels home each year and made an introduction.

I sent them as printed material as they actually are "printed material". Postage cost only 23 usd. If it was declared as a product would have been cost prohibitive....  Let's see if our US and China trade relations get better for the artist. Soon we will call to make sure they arrived.

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Year of the Horse and Year of the Tiger. Reduction linocut and silkscreen respectively.

My Store is OPEN Buy Art From Me /  by Debbie Slowey Raguso

This month I have been building a shopify store to sell my works on paper.  These and other items are not be able to be sold at galleries because of the low price point people put on drawings, pastel and watercolor studies and hand pulled printmaking... but they are from the same mental "stuff" and should therefore be collected to be enjoyed too!

I open by invitation through my facebook with very low prices. This is where I have friends that I know or want to know better and want to have my artworks. 

Here's the link-  Buy Art From Me   from theartistnetwork.net (also owned by me)

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Puppies ! 11 weeks and 15 weeks. Cassidy and Queene ! /  by Debbie Slowey Raguso

Queene and Cassidy have come into our lives ! 

They play so well together- very entertaining. I see a loyal friendship in the future. 

The sweetest Standard Poodles.... sisters from another mutt-er (and father too).

It will be a work training but it will get me outside early in the morning as well as a bit of exercise; both good and important things.

 

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The Chestnut Justify is the 13th Horse to win the Triple Crown /  by Debbie Slowey Raguso

Justify's beauty running down the track at Belmont was made even more beautiful by the Jockey, Mike Smith. He gave testament to a faith of being everything we can be with gracious humility; giving credit to God.

Here is Justify with a crown of glory as a Unicorn. 

This is one of 7 original, signed, reduction lino block prints 8" x 10". 

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Thanks to SCORE and Co-starters a Store is on it's way! /  by Debbie Slowey Raguso

Storefront- works on paper

Works on paper still display the same unique emotions of paintings. They can more easily be put into collections because of a lower price works on paper generally have.

For these TheArtistNetwork.net is being created.

I have a gallery now that wants to show and sell my original paintings.

They need to leave out studies and works on paper because it does not make financial sense for my gallery.     

  I want only the best relationship with my gallery as they begin my promotion, so in order to free up more time for painting, I am  making an online gallery to sell my inexpensive original works on paper and studies online. Instead of taking all the time to bring them to boutiques and other "shopping" venues I will be working in my studio ! 

Many paintings have studies made before production or as an artwork progresses, before committing to a larger canvas..

Many are beautiful in their own right.

Drafting skills can be exercised and drawings sometimes turn into paintings. These artworks should not pile up in the "flat files" they are longing to come out and be seen and collected.

 

Logo under consideration at US trademark

Logo under consideration at US trademark

All originals -Pastels, watercolors, drawings, etchings are a great gift too. People that are finding "art" at  decoration furnishing stores, to fill their walls, will soon tire of them. Those pictures do not have the Life that went into them, as an original does.  A work of art that comes off of the artist's hand, shows touch, an human element we appreciate. The  emotional connection can grow as time goes on.

Just as more buzz occurs at a group art show, than a solo, I may eventually include other Artist's that I believe in and are not in competition aesthetically.... thus the Artist Network . net

 

Washington DC /  by Debbie Slowey Raguso

In pursuit of an interesting and more international attention I applied and was accepted at gallery Kyo in DC....so I made a trip up to that beautiful city and was part of all the excitement at their grand opening. I had a great time meeting other international artists, checking out the local seen at the Torpedo artist studios and of course days spent at the National gallery of art.

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KYO Gallery Grand Opening- see Video - press the arrow.

White Cube Gallery Spaces here I come! /  by Debbie Slowey Raguso

Ever since I was a teen starting art school I was impressed with and dreamed about the display of my Art in large clean white well lighted spaces of museums.

I attended the opening at the Chihuly Museum early to be in the space to grab a pic of myself with my painting in this beautiful space.

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A work in progress post /  by Debbie Slowey Raguso

The Bob Blockburn Printmaking Workshop in NYC gave me such a great foundation in  the collaborative process  to learn fine art printmaking. I love to be among artists making prints and it is with joy I will  re visit the experience by sharing with the world a PMW of my own in Bob's tradition. Beginning with China, I built a website for a school that I hope will honor Bob by reaching out for World Peace  by this artist spirit of a printmaking workshop. The details are being worked out with help from my team especially Jenny who is in Asia at this time seeing if we can bring students here.  If you are curious, please take a look at the new website  here  https://artsundance.com/   

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2 paintings a month /  by Debbie Slowey Raguso

This is Diana, the Huntress. She is to give strength to the young woman of our society. She is strong and confident, accompanied by her hunting hound (my neighbors German Shepard, "Ranger"). The house across the lake (Lake Hiawatha in Syracuse NY) is 113 Elosie Terrace where I lived my childhood. Behind the park is "the Back Park" a place of freedom where I was allowed to walk, dream and be a child among the magic of the place. 

Very happy and grateful to be taking the co starters class for Artists trough a collaboration between TEc Garage at St Pete College and Creative Pinellus. I  have a goal of consistency in my production and even have come to terms with the fact that I am creating a product that has a specific costumer.  Canvases are the same size 36" x 36". created with an awareness of the amount of hours each has taken . 

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Mindmeister /  by Debbie Slowey Raguso

The projects don't end .... on to another.

The Team I have been forming is working hard along side me to promote my artwork. 

It's not that I haven't tried, I just get sidetracked back into my paintings and the fun part of an art career- making creative art.

I am using this image as the 1st one to ask my focus group to give their input onto in the mind meister software. I now have a writer by my side that can compile the thoughts into beautiful explanations. I have tried stories and copy of all sorts but feel this new effort will be very fruitful.

Here is the picture I chose because I is one that will be in a show in a professional art gallery in Washington DC in May.  

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