A Glorious afternoon with Art Journalist Tamarie Bitgood

Today, Wednesday July 8, I had the good fortune to spend a couple of hours with two delightful artists, Victoria Meade, a watercolorist and Tamarie Bitgood an immensely gifted Art Journalist. Tammy shared her portfolio of art works and the cards she had made from them. This is the second time I have had the pleasure of seeing Tammy's work; the first time was a year ago when we met at the Station, Eiland Arts in Merchantville, NJ. I had some work in the show and Tammy joined me there for lunch and to show me her Art Journal.

Tammy's work is hard for me to describe. It is abstract design work where she works from an impulse into a pattern. It is very precise and detailed, kind of Mandala-like in its hypnotic appeal.

I was so inspired by Tammy's work that I bought an Art Journal but my work turned out to be completely different from hers and very much like me - narrative, realistic, illustrtion-like. I tried her technique of free association, but I always veered into a story. We are what we are. Fish don't fly and birds don't swim. I do think there was a period, early in my art school experience where I was more drawn into a design format. I had a series of pages in an old sketch journal that were devoted to things in circles, like the Aztec Calendar, a half of an apple, the inside of a cataloupe, and so on. There was a time I was influenced by Celtic illuminated Manuscripts too. The knotted patterns fascinated me but I was not diligent enought to master even the simplest ones. Gave me a whole new respect for the monks in the scriptoria monasteries.

Victoria is a watercolorist who had work in the show up at SJAC last month, the members show. Like me, she is a member o SJAC (South Jersey Artists Collective) and last month was the members' show. This month is a whole new show, Foundlings, Chris Hillman. I will put a photo from the work here on a side panel.

What a gift I have been given to have a gallery and a group on the grounds of my Friends Meeting in Woodbury, 122 Broad Street. This allows me to view new art all the time and spend time with other artists! I am so lucky!

Happy Trails!

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