My solo show, Skin/Deep is done.  This body of work exploring the concept of concealing and revealing presented 19 allegorical images at Exhibit A Contemporary Art in Corning, NY.  I feel the show was a success.  Happily I sold some work.  The show also generated a really nice article written by Jeff Murray in the Elmira Star Gazette and Binghamton Press Sun Bulletin.  Most importantly, I was able to share the work I've been creating for the past year with the public.  For me, that's the most important part.  When I was a graduate student studying Photography, one of my professors said that showing your work to the public was the part that made it real.  However, she also said that when you show your work it no longer belongs to just you.  When you show your work it belongs to the audience, the public.  I may create work with one thought in mind but when it hangs in a gallery or in a museum, the work is open to whatever interpretation the viewer makes.  I think that idea scares many artists.  There can be a fear that your message doesn't come across.  

For me however, that has always been the most exciting part.  I know what every work means to me, because I was there when it was made.  But in the end that isn't what is important to me.  What is important to me is what the work might mean to you, the viewer.  Which pieces move you?  Which ones provoke thought?  Which works puzzle or confuse you?  Are there works that make you laugh or make you cry?  Are their works that spur you to action or make you consider something in a new and different way?  Are there works that you'd like to live with?  Which works conjure up a story in your mind and what are those stories?

In the end, my hope is that in looking at my work, you can find something in it that moves you, makes you react, affirms you and helps you to feel humanized.  I'm posting a slide show here of the work from the show and I invite your feedback in the form of your thoughts, observations, assumptions, stories or questions.  If nothing else, art should start a conversation. Let's get this conversation started.

I just received confirmation that Soul Mates has been chosen to be a part of the 24th annual Juried Photography Show at the State of the Art Gallery in Ithaca, NY. This show will be open from Wednesday, February 27 through Sunday, March 31, 2013 with an opening reception on Friday, March 1 from 5pm - 8pm.

Soul Mates (edition of 5) is a 24 x 24 inch archival aluminum print that features two mirror image Peruvian Grasshoppers (Lophacris cristata) and was created in 2012 as a part of the Entomos series. It is an image that reflects the idea of having a perfect bond with another being.  It is also a symbol of positive energy.

In China, the grasshopper is a symbol of luck and has long been a symbol associated with longevity, happiness, good health, good luck, wealth, abundance, fertility and virtue. In Ancient Greece the grasshopper is a status symbol. Athenians would adorn themselves with golden grasshopper hair combs and brooches as an indication of nobility. The grasshopper is also a symbol of immortality as we see in Greek myth when Zeus grants immortality to Tithonus, who was later transformed into a grasshopper (who of course, lived forever).  In Native American tribal lore (specifically the Iroquois nation) grasshopper symbolism deals with messages of glad tiding. In this context, the grasshopper is a harbinger of good news. Indeed, when this creature is seen on spirit walks, it is a sign that the seer will receive profoundly joyful news that will benefit the entire community.  As an animal totem, the grasshopper appeals to artists, musicians and dancers. 

I'm honored to be included in the juried SOAG show.  The annual photography show is always filled with high quality work from the best photographers in New York State.  If you are in Ithaca during the show, have a look.  You won't be disappointed.

Sticks and Stones and Bits of Bone

August 20th through September 22nd
Mansfield University:  Loomis Gallery, Allen Hall
Opening Reception:  August 30th 5:00-7:00 PM
Gallery Talk 5:30 PM

Mansfield University Art Department

135 Stadium Drive 

119 Allen Hall

Mansfield, PA 16933

As I said last week, there has been a flurry of activity in my studio.  I have been getting ready for a major solo show at Mansfield University.  Above is all of the information and three of the new images from the Common Valor Series, for the show.  I am excited to have this opportunity and I am feeling positive about the way the body of work has come together.  This show brings together 25 pieces of recent and brand new work.  In conjunction with the show, Exhibit A Contemporary Art (Market Street, Corning) is putting together a "Van-Delinder Art Excursion" to travel to the opening of the show.  Tickets for this fun event are $40 and include some amenities.  You can purchase tickets with a credit card by calling 607-259-1008.  I will be riding the bus back to Corning with you after the opening. I'm sure this will be a fun time for everyone!  Please come out and help me celebrate.

As an artist, many people often tell me that they would like to start buying art and/or start an art collection.  However in the course of the conversation, these same people often confide that they feel too intimidated in a gallery situation to ask questions about buying art. Often when pressed, these otherwise very educated people, express concerns that they don't know enough about art to buy art.  The transformation from art appreciator into the realm of art collector may in fact seem quite scary, but it can be a very exciting and satisfying path.  I have a small, eclectic collection of art by a variety of artists that I have acquired over the past 30 years.  I bought my first piece in college.  My most recent acquisition was made as a supporter of an artist's Kickstarter project. I currently own 36 works by 27 artists.  Each one was acquired slowly and thoughtfully.  This small collection includes paintings, drawings, hand-made paper, photography, sculpture, glass art, ceramics and one of a kind jewelry pieces.  Each piece speaks to me.  Most pieces are small and were very affordable.  Most importantly, each piece has particular meaning to me. Some were purchased while traveling but most were acquired in my own diverse, regional art community.  I acquired them because I loved them and being surrounded by those works brings a certain type of happiness into my life. 

An art collection begins with a single purchase and will grow at its own pace.  Visiting small galleries in your own community can be a great place to begin.  These galleries periodically host art "openings" where you can view the latest exhibitions, meet the artist, hear a short presentation about the work and mingle with other guests over a glass of wine and hors d'oeuvres.  These free social events give those new to art appreciation and art buying a way to learn about works without feeling intimidated.  You will quickly find that one doesn't have to have vast riches to afford art that moves you.  Choose pieces by artists that interest you and pieces that you will enjoy living with.  If you want to know more about the artist of a work you are interested in, ask the gallery owner questions about the artist.  Sometimes the gallery owner can arrange for you to see other works by the same artist or can arrange a studio tour for you.  Many artists, including this one, are happy to answer any questions you have about their work and welcome your curiosity.  If price is what intimidates you, most galleries will also arrange a payment plan so you can make your purchase over time. 

I encourage all of you to consider making that leap from art appreciator to art collector.  In doing so you will open the door to surrounding yourself with objects that hold unique and particular meaning to you.  You will create personality in your living space.  And, by doing so you will also support the arts in a meaningful and purposeful way.