Portfolios-Eclectic Artists and Art at the Elliott

This is the last week to check out the art exhibit at the Elliott Museum.

Portfolios-Eclectic Artists and Art at the Elliott features art in a variety of mediums and styles. 

This invitational exhibit showcases the paintings, photography, jewelry, and sculpture of myself and 13 other local artists.

Located at 825 N.E. Ocean Blvd on Hutchinson Island in Stuart, Florida, the Elliott Museum offers 50,000 sq. feet of socially distanced exhibit enjoyment!

This fabulous exhibit ends on January 3rd, 2021.

 

Free Shipping!

Announcing FREE domestic shipping on every single item in my Etsy store, StudioKWN from October 10th through December 10th. Don't miss out! Visit StudioKWN today.

STUDIO CLEARANCE SALE!!!

I'M CURRENTLY HAVING AN END OF SUMMER STUDIO CLEARANCE SALE!! 

ALL ORIGINAL PAINTINGS ARE 10% OFF UNTIL SEPT. 30th.

USE COUPON CODE: ORIGINALART

CLICK LINK BELOW VIEW MY ORIGINAL PAINTINGS IN MY ETSY STORE:

STUDIOKWN ORIGINAL PAINTINGS

On the move again

It's been six months since our last move and here we are moving yet again. After some rough calculations, I've realized that I've moved about sixteen times in the past fifteen years with the most time spent in one location being just under three years. I suppose I can't really call this blog, Museum Trekker if I don't keep on trekking. I'm hoping this will be my last move for a while because now I'm very tired! It's not easy to constantly pack up and start over in a new place, find a new job, a new place to live and make new friends. Plus, for the first time ever, we finally own this dwelling. An actual house; not a one-bedroom rent-inflated shoebox. We bought a foreclosure which I was really excited about because I love getting my hands dirty and I love fixing things and it had quite a lot of fixing that needed to be done. The picture below is the room I decided to make my art studio. I was probably the first prospective buyer to ever get excited that the flooring had been ripped out. Our realtor looked at me like I was totally insane. I thought it would make the perfect studio because I wouldn't have to worry about making a mess on the floor. 

This closet also has a lot of shelves to hold all of my art supplies.

The previous owner added this tiny office in the living room. It blocked all of the light coming into the house and it also made the room quite small. 

We tore out the office and recycled all of the 2x4's to build a large desk/workbench in my studio as well as shelves in the garage to hold all of my tools and hardware.

We also saved all of the moldings to replace in the areas of the house where the previous owner had ripped them out.

This is a picture of my husband and mom removing the walls.

Taking this room out made a huge difference. 

This is what it looks like now. We now have a large open dining area with lots of sunlight. 

My husband and I made this chandelier for the new dining area. 

My grandfather was a lamp maker and I think he would be very proud.

The color on the walls of my studio was very dark so I picked out some orange paint and my niece and nephew volunteered to help paint. Orange is my favorite color and it also promotes creativity!

We had to buy some extra cans of paint when we realized that the kids were only tall enough to paint the bottom half of the wall!

This is the room with the finished paint job. I added some cheap rubber tile flooring which makes it much more comfortable to work on than the bare concrete floor.

Here's where those 2x4 beams got put to good use from the office we tore down. We even saved and re-used all of the screws. The bench had to be built in two pieces so that it could fit down the hallway and be maneuvered into the room.

Instead of using plywood, I bought masonite for the tabletop so I could have a smooth work surface.

We painted the table white using the left-over paint that we used to touch up the molding in the room.

I was a bit nervous that it wouldn't fit right but the measurements were perfect and it even fit right under the windowsill. Whew! We cut holes behind the computers and printer so that the cords could run neatly underneath the bench to the power supply.

This Anco drafting table in the picture below was a fantastic flea market find. I bought it for a 1/4 of its actual value and it even came with the original drafting machine and lamp. 

Here's a picture of the finished space. I added shelves under the printer to hold all of my paper and envelopes for shipping my prints. I'm surrounded by some of my own art, the art I've collected from my travels and the art of my friends and family which keeps me inspired.

I have to give all the credit to my husband for this one. 

He paved the entire patio with recycled bricks.

I only work with oil paint outside because of the chemicals so now I also have an

 outdoor workspace which I love to use on cool days.

 

Now that I've got my new art studio, shelving for my tools, a workbench in the garage and a beautiful outdoor painting area, I can get back to making art. This truly is an artist's dream come true!

January News

You can now buy my original oil paintings at the Art-Tee-Da Gallery in Historic Downtown Stuart, Florida. 

I'm so thrilled to have my art showing at another fantastic gallery!

Address: 307 Colorado Avenue
               Stuart, FL 34994

Phone: 772-600-5235

Web: art-tee-da.com

email: artteeda@gmail.com

Hours: Monday-Saturday 11am-6pm
           Sunday 11 am-4pm

February News

It has been exactly one year since my husband and I arrived in Hawai'i. We had nothing but a backpack each, we had never been here before, we didn't know a soul, and we had no place to live. When we first got here I had to hitchhike my way around the island and couldn't even get a library card! The librarian told me to come back in six months because people on this island come and go so frequently and she "needed to see more of a commitment."

When most people hear that we're living in Hawai'i they think we're on some kind of permanent vacation. Yes, it is a really beautiful and wonderful place to live but it has also been tough starting over with nothing in a completely foreign place. Moving to Maui after living my whole life in New York often feels like I've moved to another planet! It has been quite the adjustment. But I'm not one to give up easily and after a full year of hard work and determination, it makes me appreciate the sweetness so much more to finally have my work represented by a gallery here on Maui. 

                                       

I am so thrilled to share the great news that in addition to Karen Ledbetter Gallery in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, I am now represented on the North Shore of Maui by the wonderful By The Bay Gallery! By the Bay is Located at 90 Hana Highway in Paia, Hawai'i.

And just in case you're wondering, I still do not have a library card.

January News

Happy 2013! 

I'm starting off the year with a quick announcement about some great venues to view my art this month. 

Some of my paintings are currently on display and for sale at the Karen Ledbetter International Galleries in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They will be in the gallery just until the end of March so you don't want to miss it!

Address: 760 NE 44th Street, Oakland Park, FL

Also, once again, I will be part of another fantastic Artisan Fair at Longhi's in Lahaina, Hawaii on January 11th from 5-10pm. 

There will be a cash bar, live music, and complimentary valet and, of course, lots of beautiful and unique art made on Maui. 

Address: 888 Front Street in Lahaina, Hawaii. 

MORE December News!

I'm very excited to announce that my paintings are now on display and for sale at the Karen Ledbetter International Galleries in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

There will be an artists reception next Friday night December 28th at 7:30 pm

Address: 760 NE 44th Street, Oakland Park, FL

Also, on the same night, December 28th, I will be part of another Artisan Fair at Longhi's in Lahaina, Hawaii from 5-10pm. 

There will be a cash bar, live music, and complimentary valet. 

Address: 888 Front Street in Lahaina, Hawaii. 

December News

This Friday Night (December 14th) is Art Night in Lahaina. I will be displaying my work at Longhi's from 5-10pm. Please stop by and say hello!

Longhi's is located at 888 Front Street in Lahaina, Hawaii. There will be a cash bar, live music, and complimentary valet. www.mauifridays.com/lahaina

If you can't make it to Maui, much of my work is also for sale on Etsy. Like Kim Wagner Designs on Facebook to receive 10% off your entire purchase. 

Happy Holidays!

November News

I've got two shows coming up on November 9th in two different time zones! 

I recently wrote a post called, Postcard Revival so I'm very excited to have one of my handmade postcards on display at the One Strange Bird gallery in Chicago. The name of the exhibit is called, Posted! and it will be up for the entire month of November. The opening reception is November 9th from 6-9 pm (Central time)

50% of sales will go to a local charity and 50% will go to the One Strange Bird Art Center. 

Here are some more details:
Address: 2515 W. North Ave,  Chicago, IL 60647    

phone: 773.276.4420   Hours: Tuesday-Friday 12-7 *Saturday 12-6 *Sunday 12-5

And from 5-10 pm (Hawaii Standard time) I will be showcasing and selling my artwork again at the Longhi's Artisan Fair for the "Second Friday Art Night" in Lahaina. 

Longhi's is located at 888 Front Street in Lahaina, Hawaii. There will be a cash bar and complimentary valet. www.mauifridays.com/lahaina

If you can't make it to Chicago or Hawaii you can now purchase my artwork directly from my ETSY store!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/StudioKWN

Artwork now available on Etsy!

If you would like to come to one of my shows but Hawaii is just too far away,
you can now purchase my artwork directly from my Etsy shop!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/StudioKWN

News

Check out my photo, Canoe Club published in the LA Times.com

The New and Improved Kim Wagner Designs

 
If you're wondering why my blog posts have subsided over the past few months, it's because I've been working on giving my website a face lift. I'm pleased to report that I've finally finished and after many hours of hard work Kim Wagner Designs has a whole new look! Please take a few minutes to check out the new and improved www.kimwagnerdesigns.com

Black History Month Exhibit

In honor of Black History Month, I would recommend visiting the African American Museum of Nassau County located in Hempstead, New York. Currently on display is the Weusi Collective.

Weusi, or "blackness" in Swahili, is a group of artists based in Harlem who began working together in the 1960s to focus on bringing Pan-African cultures to Harlem. They have mounted exhibitions, festivals and celebrations that encourage the exchange of ideas among artists. African heritage is a common theme in their work, but unlike some other collectives or movements, their work maintains individual originality and aesthetic diversity.

It features their work from their beginning in the 1960s through the present, covering almost every inch of wall space in the museum. This is one of the most exciting exhibits I have seen at the African American Museum so far.

The show features the paintings and sculptures of Abdullah Aziz, Gaylor Hassan (painting "Three Sisters," shown above), MLJ Johnson, Dindga McCannon, Ademola Olugebefola, Okoe Pyatt, Otto Neals, Emmett Wigglesworth, Kay Brown, James Sepyo and Nii Ahene La Mettle-Nunoo. The exhibit is up from February 1st-April 21st 2008. 

http://aamoflongisland.org