Reflect and Renew
1/1/2025

                         “Quantity produces quality. 
         Theorizing is death.  You need to move to be  proactive.”
    -Summarized by Ian Brown from The Clay Pots story in Art and Fear   
                                by Bayles and Orland.**


                       
                                           My Studio 1/1/2025

As we start the New Year, I see this as a time for reflection and renewal. For me, 2024 was a year of creative strengthening. Two online classes reawakened my interest in drawing and mark-making, sparking new directions in my mixed media and collage work. While I didn’t produce much exhibit-ready art, I gained many challenging and exciting experiments. The volume of drawing and collage work—some successful, some not—led to a few finished pieces I’m proud of and ideas I’m eager to explore further.

What was 2024 like for your artistic growth? Did you experiment with new materials, take a class, or perhaps solidify your ideas into works addressing social or political concerns? Maybe you started teaching or took your work in a bold new direction. How do you think these experiences will shape your work in 2025?

Last year, I wrote about the difference between New Year’s Resolutions and Intentions. How did you fare with yours? I followed through on my intention to keep a journal and write more often. However, by June, I fell back into scribbling notes on scraps of paper instead of committing them to my journal. Some scraps eventually made it into the journal, but others were lost—including potential titles and concepts for future work. This year, I’ll rededicate myself to keeping my journal close at hand.

The New Year is an ideal time to clean, organize, and reassess your studio. Does your space need rearranging? Are there materials you no longer use that you could let go of? Or are you drawn to try something new? Setting up a dedicated area for a new process—like gelli plate printing—can encourage you to explore it fully. Personally, I’ve long wanted to attach a large sheet of paper to a wall and work on it freely over time, layering marks, paint, and collage. This year, I’ll make that a reality: the paper is ready, and so am I.

Do you have rituals that influence your creative process? Some artists begin their day with quick sketches or small collages like these:
                           
                                                        
                          
Others set specific studio hours or start with breathing exercises or music to establish the right mindset. Rituals can help overcome procrastination and set your creative day in motion. Simply getting into your studio space is often the hardest—but essential—step. No art can happen if you’re not there.
And don’t stress if you don’t always fulfill your intentions. That’s the beauty of intentions versus resolutions—you can always start again. Mondays, like New Year’s Day, offer a fresh chance to redefine your goals, reassess your work, and move forward. Start over or keep going—either way, just begin.

                              Until next time, keep mixing it up!
                                                  Clare

                          Here is where you can find me in 2025:  
Teaching
at Valley Art Center, Chagrin Falls Ohio
Hand Stitched Paper Collage  Sat. Jan. 25, 2025.  10:00am - 1:00pm  SOLD OUT!
Bookmaking Basics    6 Tuesdays:  February 25- April 1, 2025 Register here.
Accordion Spine Workshop    Sat. March 1, 2025.   1:30-1:00   Register here.

Teaching at Fairmount Center for the Arts,  Novelty Ohio
Landscape Collage     Sat. March 15, 2025    10-12 noon. Register here.

Exhibiting at Massillon Museum in Massillon Ohio. Stark County Artists Exhibit
                   until January 15, 2025.
Exhibiting at Peg's Gallery in Hudson Ohio.  Timeline: A Retrospective until 2/7/25.
Exhibiting at Valley Art Center in Chagrin Falls.  Student/Faculty Art Exhibit  
                   January 24- March 6, 2025


Check out my SHOP for small works for sale from $50 to $66 with Free Shipping!
So affordable!  

                                      MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
 If you know someone who would enjoy the Newsletter please forward it to them. They can get on my list by clicking this link:
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Holiday Musings
12/15/2024

                            
                    Bright lights in the kitchen are a favorite part of my holidays.

Do you find it hard to get into your studio or keep up your journalling or art practice during the holidays?  That time between Thanksgiving and Christmas often seems like a different kind of time and space.  I feel like I should be able to keep up with my studio work, yet all of the extra demands of the holidays really makes that kind of impossible.  Baking, decorating, shopping (even if it is done online), wrapping, and spending time with family and friends can put my daily art pratice on the back burner.  So...what to do?

I don't want to totally abandon my artmaking, but I know I cannot make headway on that big painting at this time of the year.  So I compromise.  I make a pledge to do SOMETHING every day towards my artwork.  Some days it is attention to my journaling or planning.  Other days it is a commitment of time, even if it is just a half hour devoted to sketching or markmaking. 

                              
                       
Sometimes, I find it helpful to "clean up my palette" by working in only black and white.  It can offer a new perspective on the way you work with color.  These pieces were worked on a black background instead of white, which offered a new starting point for the work.  
                         
I often use this time to tidy up (meaning really cleaning!) my studio and spend time looking over the drawings in my sketchbooks.  There are often insights in these sketches that I meant to develop further or expand upon.  Sometimes these sketches have notes on them about those developments.
                         
I love working small and with a variety of found materials. The piece here is just 4x4" in a 6x6" frame but so satisfying to make.  It allows me to incorporate items that I find during the clean-up and almost always demands that I stitch on them.  Something I really love to do.

What are you doing this holiday season?  Working small is a great way to satisfy your need to get some work done.  All of these tactics help me to still feel creative and sometimes they spark new ideas and new work.

                             
             Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and a productive 2025!

                                         WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES
                              article artwork image 10
"Bookmaking Basics"  Tuesdays,  February 25 - April 1, 2025   10AM - 1:30PM
Valley Art Center     Register here.

                            article artwork image 11 
"Landscape Collage"  Saturday March 15, 2025      10AM - 12PM
Fairrmount Center for the Arts    Register here. 
   
                                         ARTWORK FOR SALE!
                                                  6' x 6" for $66
                             article artwork image 14 
Need a gift for Christmas?  Make it a gift of art!   These small 6x6" pieces on board are unframed and come with an acrylic easel for display.  The shipping is Free!   What can be better than that?!
There are several sets in different color ranges.  Click here to visit my SHOP.

                                          CURRENT EXHIBITS
"Timeline: A Retrospective"  Oct. 22, 2024-Feb. 7, 2025
Peg's Gallery   Hudson OH

"Stark County Artists Exhibit"  Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025  
Massillon Museum   Massillon OH 

                                       MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
 If you know someone who would enjoy the Newsletter please forward it to them. They can get on my list by clicking this link:
                                             Get the Newsletter!

                                       Until next time, keep mixing it up!
                                                            -Clare

 

Thanksgiving Wishes
11/13/2024

                       Creativity is Intelligence having fun.       -Einstein

                        
                                   "Beyond the Fence"   mixed media
                   On view at Massillon Museum Stark County Artists Exhibit
                                         Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025

I always say, "Thanksgiving is my holiday."  I lean into my favorite flavors and enjoy creating a feast that incorporates items from my garden...carrots and onions, this year, it includes golden beets and Swiss chard.  While I don't grow pumpkins, I always purchase pie pumpkins from a local farmer and make the puree for my pumpkin pies.
Gardening and using the produce is a creative process for me and an extension of my artmaking.  Or perhaps, artmaking is an extension of my gardening! 

I have much to be thankful for and you as readers of my Newsletter are most appreciated.   Thank you for your continued support of my artwork, for taking the classes I offer, for reading the Newsletter, and for taking time to write, comment or email me.

 I am teaching closer to home these days and you can find the classes and workshops I will be offering through Valley Art Canter (Chagrin Falls OH) and Fairmount Center for the Arts (Novelty OH) listed below.  Also listed are my current exhibits and some NEW items for sale in the SHOP on my website.  

                   Thank You so much!  Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
                                                          -Clare

                                        WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES
                           
"Hand Stitched Paper Collage"  Saturday, January 25, 2025     10AM - !:00PM
Valley Art Center   Register here.

                            
"Bookmaking Basics"  Tuesdays,  February 25 - April 1, 2025   10AM - 1:30PM
Valley Art Center     Register here.

                            
"Landscape Collage"  Saturday March 15, 2025      10AM - 12PM
Fairrmount Center for the Arts    Register here. 

                                         ARTWORK FOR SALE!
                                                  6' x 6" for $66
                             
Need a gift for Christmas?  Make it a gift of art!   These small 6x6" pieces on board are unframed and come with an acrylic easel for display.  The shipping is Free!   What can be better than that?!
There are several sets in different color ranges.  Click here to visit my SHOP.

                                          CURRENT EXHIBITS
"Timeline: A Retrospective"  Oct. 22, 2024-Feb. 7, 2025
Peg's Gallery   Hudson OH

"Stark County Artists Exhibit"  Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025  
Massillon Museum   Massillon OH 

                                       MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
 If you know someone who would enjoy the Newsletter please forward it to them. They can get on my list by clicking this link:
                                             Get the Newsletter!

                             
                                       Until next time, keep mixing it up!
                                                              -Clare


 

Searching for Spontaneity
10/2/2024

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so the necessary
may speak."  Han Hoffman




    

     

I spend a lot of time creating small collages.
While collage is my go-to way of expressing myself, in the work you see here I was interested in making collages that were simple vs. those with more complex layering.

It was interesting to see how pieces with simple shapes and lines used the space of the page. There is a certain dynamic that occurs with limited color and the way shapes and lines engage the space.  
These pieces do have some paint but often it is minimal and used to
enhance or extend the already pale surfaces.

In the lower two collages I experimented with ways to use paint on the background or a combination of paint and collaged paper before adding other focal elements.  In some pieces the paint was applied with a brayer leaving a mark different from that of a brush or palette knife.

Mark making became increasingly important as did the mark making tools:
sticks, skewers, brushes, crayons, pens, pencils.
I found myself collaging through-out the processes; I often found that I worked back and forth between collage, paint, mark making, and more collage and paint.

I ultimately wanted a surface that looked spontaneous and effortless.
The work was often neither spontaneous or effortless.
It reminded me of my work in quilt-making where I moved from creating pieces that were made with the rules of traditional quilt making (quarter inch seam allowances, a specifinumber of hand quilting stitches per inch, clean and  neat) to raw edged pieces with a loose and free look.
It all takes time.
It takes a different mind set and a certain willingness to just "go for it!"
Easier said than done.
I am still working toward that truly spontaneous way of working.

To see more work with a spontaneous feel click here.

Until next time, keep mixing it up!
Clare


www.claremurrayadams.com
www.instagram.com/claremurrayadams

EXHIBITS
"Northeastern Ohio Textile Artists (NOTA) Innagural Art Exhibit
Sept. 12-Nov. 16, 2024   Beachwood Community Center.  Beachwood OH

"NewNow 2024"  Sept.12-Oct. 17, 2024   Tri C East Gallery
Highland Hills OH  Reception Sept. 12, 2024   6-7:30 PM

"Tikkanen Painting Prize". Ashtabula Arts Center. October 5-31, 2024.
Public Reception Oct. 5, 2024.  6-9 PM

"Timeline: A Retrospective"  Oct. 22, 2024-Feb. 7, 2025
Peg's Gallery   Hudson OH

"Stark County Artists Exhibit"  Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025  
Massillon Museum   Massillon OH       

                                                 MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
 If you know someone who might like to read the Newsletter please forward it to them and they can get on my list by clicking this link:
                                                      Get the Newsletter!
 

Meanwhile...
9/2/2024

           Art - like love - is an active process of growth and development,
                     not a God-given talent.              -Robert Motherwell  
   
                  
                            I
                                        "With Strings Attached"     18x18"
                                    mixed media acrylic paint with collage
                                   Accepted to Tikkanen Painting Prize Exhibit

It is cool here today as I write my September Newsletter.  I'm loving the coming of cooler weather but know there are still warm days ahead.  August was very busy with company, gardening, canning and freezing produce from the garden, and artmaking.
I will be teaching some classes this fall and have several exhibits coming up which I have noted below. One of these events might be something you'd like to attend.
I'd love to see or meet you in class or at an exhibit!  
Meanwhile... as I work toward returning to a regular studio practice here are some ideas for you and your creative self.
      * Start or maintain a daily art practice.  Remember those New Year's
           Resolutions to keep a sketchbook or journal?   Rededicate yourself now!  
           Art and creativity can't happen and grow if you aren't in the studio regularly.
       *Not feeling inspired?  Clean your studio!  I always come upon materials that
           I collected for projects that I rediscover when I straighten things up.
           It's like getting new supplies that can inspire or remind me of projects or
           processes I wanted to explore.
        *Are you traveling this fall?  Create an altered book travel album.  Buy an
           old hardcover book about the place you are going to and collage your
           photos, drawings, and writings on the pages. Actually, any book will work.
        *Take a trip to the hardware store with art supplies in mind. You never know
           what these unexpected materials might do to your current or new work.
         *Invite a small group of art friends over for an art party.
         *Plan a day to explore the galleries and museums in your area. It is always
           valuable to see what other artists are creating.
     
      Enjoy your art making, art exploring, art discovery no matter what form it takes.
                                          Until next time, keep mixing it up!
                                                              -Clare
  
                                          
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
Join me for a six-week class in Mixed Media Collage at Valley Art Center!    September 10- October 15, 2024. Six Tuesdays from 10 AM-12:30 PM
There are still a few openings in this class.   Click here to register.
                                                          OR
October 29 - December 10, 2024    Six Tuesdays from 10 AM-12:30 PM
Registration is open.  Just click here to register.


Concepts in Collage is a 4 week class offered at Fairmount Art Center in Novelty Ohio.  Concentrating on paper collage and paper techniques this course runs on
Wednesdays October 9- October 30, 2024 from 6:30-8:30 PM. Click here for more information. 

                                                    EXHIBITS
"Climate Change"  Aug 29-Sept. 28, 2024   Coburn Art Gallery   Ashland University   Ashland OH    Reception August 29, 2024.   4:30-6:30 PM

"Northeastern Ohio Textile Artists (NOTA) Innagural Art Exhibit

Sept. 12-Nov. 16, 2024   Beachwood Community Center.  Beachwood OH

"NewNow 2024"  Sept.12-Oct. 17, 2024   Tri C East Gallery
Highland Hills OH  Reception Sept. 12, 2024   6-7:30 PM

"Tikkanen Painting Prize". Ashtabula Arts Center. October 5-31, 2024.
Public Reception Oct. 5, 2024.  6-9 PM

"Timeline: A Retrospective"  Oct. 22, 2024-Feb. 7, 2025
Peg's Gallery   Hudson OH

"Stark County Artists Exhibit"  Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025  
Massillon Museum   Massillon OH 

                                 MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!
 If you know someone who might like to read the Newsletter please forward it to them and they can get on my list by clicking this link:
                                          Get the Newsletter!