Work published in 1,000 Dog Portraits

1,000 Dog Portraits by Robynne Raye, Quarto Publishing Group 
has published my stitched portrait of Sadie the Lady, beagle and 6 more of my dog portraits.
You can purchase the book  here for all the dog lovers in your life.

Sadie, Kevan Lunney, 8 x 10" fabric and stitch

Sadie, Kevan Lunney, detail

Interview On East Brunswick TV, How Do you develop a new idea, and how does that idea become a new piece?

See the interview here  at minute 5:37
Thanks for watching!

Top Award given by Audubon Artists for Mixed Media

AudubonArtists.org has a long and prestigious history in New York since 1942. Their list of notable members includes Andrew and N.C. Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish and many others.

      I am pleased to announce that I have received  The Jeffrey Berman Director Award in Collage & Mixed Media  in the 71st ANNUAL JURIED NATIONAL EXHIBITION ONLINE 
The two jurors were, Meghan Melvin, Sharf, Curator of Design at Museum of Fine Arts Boston, MA and Patrick Murphy, Poorvu Curatorial Research Fellow, also at the  Museum of Fine Arts Boston, MA . 

To see  the Awards page click  here 

Kevan Lunney Archeology #24 A Time to Rest 56 x 64"
linen, stitch, paint, metal leaf

In 2012, I was awarded the Marquis Who's Who in American Art award  for Archeology #14 Enso in the same competition. See the Awards page   here

New video!

A video promoting KevanArt is now available to view on my website. It came about because of a request to supply promotional materials to the Sculptural Object and Functional Art Fair (SOFA) in Chicago at the Navy Pier, October 31  through November 3, 2013, where I will be exhibiting with MEK Gallery.

My son, Christopher Lunney produced, filmed, edited and composed the music. He recently graduated from Parsons in NYC with a degree in Design Technology. Which means he loves to make and mix music, make and mix visuals for projection and create spectacles using these media for events, either to promote a company or to be the main attraction. It's visual and audible art.

Making the video was a completely new and exciting experience for me. I was in awe seeing a different creative process, of which the filming is only a small part. Surprisingly, the experience has made me more aware while viewing TV and movies even though I have been viewing them, well, forever!
I know that anyone who designs clothes or sews professionally can spot a snagged hem or stay stitched coat vent at 50 paces, so I can only imagine what video professionals may see in our production but I am extremely  proud, and not expecting any acting awards soon! I hope you enjoy it, and learn a little bit about what I do. Please leave a comment! Thanks!

 You can see it here on my  website. 

KevanArt in a nutshell published on Artsy Shark

Click here to see the post to the Artsy Shark email list about my work with lots of pictures!
ArtsyShark.com is a wonderful resource which supports artists to build better businesses. It is managed by Caorlyn  Edlund.

Kevan Lunney, Health and Wholeness, 12 x 12" linen, thread, paint. 2012

The Trip from Solitude to On Exhibit

Hours of creative problem solving in the light flooded studio. The hum of my sewing machine plays steady  backdrop to the crisp melody of birdsong coming in with the breeze through an open window....this is slightly idyllic, but not that far afield from my experience. 

Hours of creating can become days of being alone. I recharge when I'm alone but sometimes it can be too much of a good thing!

 The other side of this coin is attending an opening reception for an art show. Getting out of the studio,  meeting new people, catching up with friends and seeing what other artists are creating is very rewarding.
If you are unfamiliar, this is the artist's reception you read about on postcards advertising shows. Its a bash, usually with music, food, press and public.

You may not realize the efforts expended to make these two planes intersect.
Joining artists organizations and societies is a good way to connect to opportunities. They publish calls to artists in magazines, emails and websites. These lists are where I find shows to enter.

I can read for hours only to find their requirements don't match mine. For example, they only want artists from a state or region other that where I live, or those with a certain experience or they only accept a media different than mine, or the show requires the artists presence or it is for outdoor tent sales. But I persevere, because letting my work stack up in the basement doesn't feel right. I want it to be seen and I love it when it sells!

After I choose shows that are a good fit,  I must make sure that I have work available which meets the criteria set by that show. Shows often restrict entries to work created after a certain date, or a specific size range or media. Some shows do not allow nudes, some only accept two dimensional, framed wall pieces. 
Next I must make sure that the work I plan to submit does not overlap another show planned on the calendar. Whether it is accepted or not, I cannot risk a scheduling conflict.
Now if any of you know an artist, you may know that we are not typically astute at the time, rate, distance problems of life. This involves calendars and excel sheets and cross referencing, but as the saying goes, if it was easy, everyone would do it!

Sometimes my efforts to enter shows are rewarded. Two pieces were accepted to the Noyes Museum in Oceanville, NJ to their show titled Dendrology, they were titled, Archeology Fragment Leadwood Tree and The Pod. You can see Leadwood Tree in the cover shot of this video. The Pod is the large green vegetable form on a pedestal. 







During the reception, the President of the Audubon Society of Artists approached me about their online show and invited me to enter in their new category of mixed media. He was unfamiliar with fiber art, so we had a nice conversation. I entered and was awarded a prize! The Marquise Who's Who of American Art  prize,  which included a copy of the huge book, by the same name, which I have not seen since I was in high school at  the library. The 2014 publication will  list my name and biography!  I also received another huge book cataloging all the art museums and galleries in America, and a certificate and an inscribed brass plaque for the cover of the book.
It is great fun to have a real, in my hand, prize instead of an emailed letter. I must admit, that I can't wait to stick the brass plaque on my Who's Who book. 
It is also wonderful to have a reminder that the work done in solitude has its rewards.

3! Naked in New Hope

Join me for the opening reception  for 

Naked in New Hope 

at the New Hope Sidetracks Art Gallery. 

Three of my works will be on exhibit in this  petite gallery along the railroad tracks which border this fantastic gallery and restaurant  town. I hope to see my friends there. Come for dinner in Lambertville, NJ or New Hope, PA and an evening stroll across the historic bridge over the Delaware river. Joel and I will be celebrating 27 years of marriage, come share a toast! 

September 7, 2013 6-9 PM

2A Stockton Avenue

New Hope, PA 18938

www.sidetracksart.com

215.862.4586