New Painting

Summer is flying by. I was in Boston, Massachusetts for 3 days, great city. We took the ferry to Provincetown located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod for 1 day. Here's a new painting I just finished in the nick of time for a grant proposal.

Fenland, oil on canvas, 36 x 60 inches

It reminds me of the marshland in Provincetown where the ocean meets the land.

I'm preparing to teach my first ever Summer Art Program in my home studio. I'm so excited. I'll be teaching kids some fun, easy printmaking projects that you don't need a printing press for.

Art in the Open Exhibition

River, Acrylic on Plexiglas, 10 x 8 inches

Violet, Red Oxide, Acrylic on Plexiglas, 10 x 8 inches


These 2 small Plexiglas paintings of mine will be included in the group exhibition for Art in the Open at the Independence Seaport Museum, in Philadelphia, PA. The opening is this Thursday June 14th, 6-8 pm and goes through September 9th, 2012.

The paintings are done on 2 separate pieces of Plexiglass held together at the top and bottom with space between to let light through and hopefully cast a little color on the gallery wall.

I can't wait to see the other artist's work all together. I haven't had a chance to go through the museum yet but it looks pretty cool if you are looking for something to do with the kids this summer. It's the kind of place my father would have loved, there's even supposed to be a Richardson boat like the one I spent my summers on as a kid there. They build boats and run summer camps for kids too. My Dad would have been so proud that my work is being shown there. Makes me smile.

Art in the Open, Philadelphia 2012

I'm still digging paint out from under my nails and recovering from the 1,800 times I crouched and stood up while working. The weather was beautiful. I was in the sun but it didn't bother me because I was talking or working the entire time. My paint tarps were saturated and I had to hang them out to dry when I got home. I worked in fluid acrylics mixed with pouring medium and water, thanks to support from an opportunity grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts.

My work is about my connection to nature. The combination of the environment and my process were successful in drawing observers attention to the river and their own relationship to nature. People enjoyed watching the thinned down paint run and form natural patterns and commented on how it reminded them of rivers, tree branches and their own veins. This was especially true of the paintings on Plexiglass as they are reminiscent of microcosms on slides. I enjoyed hearing peoples thoughts, feelings and impressions of the process and the work as it evolved over the 3 days. I met so many nice people and look forward to seeing the other participating artists at the exhibition opening on June 14th at the Independence Seaport Museum.

Some of the finished work...

I photographed these quickly in my studio for the curator of the show. I'm still working on how the Plexiglas pieces will be displayed.

Art in the Open, Philadelphia 2012

I've been selected to participate in Art in the Open Philadelphia, May 18 - 20, 2012 along the Schuylkill River Banks. Art in the Open (AiO) is a citywide event that celebrates artists, their inspirations for creating art, and their relationships with the urban environment. The above picture was taken on the Schuylkill River Trail, near 23rd and Race a few weeks ago.

What is this event exactly? Well it's not an art fair. I'm not selling my work this weekend I'm creating the work. It's in the tradition of en plein air painting a French expression which means "in the open air", and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors. I'll be working in acrylic paint, watercolor and colored inks for the convenience of their quick drying qualities. With the support of an opportunity grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts I purchased fluid acrylics, pouring medium, wood panels and some large pieces of Plexiglas to paint on. I'll also bring some primed and unprimed stretched canvases and watercolor paper.

My work is about nature and the connection between man and nature. It seems fitting to make my work outside on location en plein air. My process is pouring thinned paint, allowing it to run and puddle like liquids in nature. The result is patterns similar to waterways. There is a correlation between these imaginary waterways and our own circulatory system, illustrating the connection between earth and mankind. I usually work in a climate-controlled studio so I’m interested in taking on the challenge of working outdoors. This will push my work forward as I embrace chance and make nature my muse and partner. I will invite whatever effect wind, sun, and rain have on the work. That's what I wrote for my proposal anyway but it looks like it's going to be beautiful weather those 3 days.

I'm really looking forward to this opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone and see what happens. The finished work will be exhibited at the Independence Seaport Museum, Philadelphia, June 14 - September 9, 2012.

If you are thinking about coming out this weekend there will be 17 other artists working in a variety of styles and fun, family art activities scheduled throughout the event. Check the Art in the Open website for dates, times and locations. I will be doing real time updates on my location and progress on my Linda Celestian Artist Facebook page. Follow the link and "Like" my page.

Star Island Conference on the Arts

I'm so excited to announce that I will be teaching this summer on Star Island at the Star Arts Conference, June 16 - 23, 2012.

"Star Arts is a week-long creative arts conference set on beautiful Star Island, ten miles off the coast of New Hampshire. Whether you are a beginner or professional, an active participant or interested observer, Arts offers a chance to express your artistry and celebrate your uniqueness in a breathtaking and supportive environment.

Join us. Make new friends. Discover hidden talents. Create a masterpiece or just enjoy the extraordinary beauty of this magical island. Star Arts offers an unforgettable opportunity to experience creativity, a sense of community and individual spirituality." excerpted from the website.

I will be teaching Expressive Painting, helping participants to understand and achieve their goals for self expression. Working with painting, printmaking and collage techniques we will explore line, shape, form, space, color and texture in regards to communicating in a visual language. Inspiration will be found in nature and personal stories.

I will be bringing inexpensive bulk supplies for planned activities, so those who wish can simply pay a materials fee of $15 per person and save your good materials for serious application. This will cover the paper, acrylic paint and the painting tools. However, participants may want to bring their own supplies for the last day to apply what they've learned in their chosen medium.

Workshops are in the mornings leaving the afternoons free to relax, explore the island or work on art projects. Evening activities include performances and chapel. It's camp for adults. I can't wait!

Creativity Workshop

Happy New Year! 2012 is going to be a great year. I've picked a date for the next Creativity Workshop, Sat. February 11, 2012, 11-5pm, at the Buzz Ware Village Center in Arden.. The time is 11-5 so that everyone can take Kerry Orr's yoga class first. I highly recommend Kerry's class on Saturday's normally 10-11:30, but on Feb. 11th it will be 9-10:30 so as not to conflict with my workshop. Thanks Kerry.

Here's the details about the workshop and a video that describes the musician Goyte's creative process.

Through guided exercises in creative writing, movement, painting and mixed media collage open up to fearlessly enter new territory and discover your authentic self-expression. Walk away reenergized and inspired to tackle your projects and life more creatively.
No experience required.
$65.00 All supplies provided.

The Buzz Ware Village Center
2119 The Highway Arden, DE
Feb. 11, 2012, 11-5 pm

www.lindacelestian.com to read testimonials
Register at 302-478-1329
or email linda@lindacelestian.com
If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

This is a cool video I stumbled upon. The musician Gotye talks about the making of his recent album and his process sounds like what I teach in my workshop. An artist doesn't arrive at a finished masterpiece just one day after their morning coffee. It's a process of collecting bits and pieces, playing around with them, discovering new things about them and arranging them anew. To do this you need to welcome this process into your everyday life. The results will amaze and surprise you.

Making Making Mirrors - a short documentary from Gotye on Vimeo.

Here's a very cool music video of his using stop motion animation.

Inspiring Artist

I caught a show of Pat Steir's paintings in November at the Locks Gallery. I've been aware of work for years but it was a pleasure to see it in person. Her paintings are similar to mine because they are made with thinned down oil paint that is poured.

The scale of some of them alone was impressive.

This one titled Forest in Snow is 127 x 109 inches.

Interestingly her approach is very different from mine in that she sets a course for the painting in the beginning deciding what order the colors will be added and how many layers and then executes it. She says it's removing herself from the role as the grand creator and leaving some things up to chance.

Double White on Black, 84 x 84 inches

I on the other hand try to strike a balance between allowing and controlling in the making of my work. I really struggle with this, wondering how much to force my ideas onto a piece and how much to leave up to chance. It leads me to question how this applies to life. Is it an illusion that we are in control of our destiny? When we are fighting for control is it beneficial to loosen the reigns a little and see where things fall?

New Work

Grounded, 48 x 46 inches

I've finished three of the large paintings. One still alludes me.
Oh and I might still work on the green one. One area is still bothering
ing me, ugh. I should have listened to Drew and left it alone when he told me to. I wish there was a back button in painting.

In the Beginning, 48 x 46 inches

Somewhere Only We Know, 36 x 60 inches

Creativity Workshop Update

The word Creativity might take on different meanings for different people. Here are some meanings that we came up with on Saturday and I few others I pulled from a previous workshop, passion, fun, joy, intangible, unknown, our true nature, movement, new, expression of self, ability to stand alone, open, growth, flow, journey, ever present, recognizing that we are collaborators, part of creation, transcendence, release, surprise, discovery, inspiration, freedom, risk taking, and insight.

In the workshop we wrote, we laughed, we moved to music, we painted, we shared, we collaged and exchanged ideas. Then we were exhausted!

These are the only photos I remembered to take. I didn't get any of the final collages which is fine since I actually think it's more about process than finished product. It's so important to enjoy the process and understand that you're not going to love everything that you make. You are always learning something new that helps you the next time around. The creative process is a lot like life, you can't be worried about making mistakes. If you were you'd never leave the house and what fun would that be?

Thanks Keri, Kevin, Suzanne, Toby, Nicole and Liz for allowing me to bring you on a creative journey to the land of possibility.

If you are interested in participating in this workshop the next time I teach it please drop me an email and I'll add you to my email notification list.

LGTripp Gallery

I'll be showing 2 paintings in a group show at the LGTripp Gallery in Philadelphia.

July 15 – August 20, 2011

Artists Reception, July 16, 4 – 6:30 pm

First Friday, August 5, 6 – 8:30 pm


The gallery director Luella Tripp, has put a lot of time and effort into the curation of her upcoming show, traveling to each artist's studio and hand picking the pieces to be included.

"The work is diverse (all within the parameters of abstraction) as well as the demographics of this group of artists as it relates to age, race, gender, education and experience. My goal is to make art the unifying factor. Often art by the more experienced artist does reveal a level of maturity and sophistication, and rightly so. However, there are times when the merging of all these factors creates an extraordinary and memorable experience. I believe this will be true of our summer show." Luella Tripp

I'll be attending the Artist's Reception on July 16th. If you are in need of a break from the heat, please stop in, LGTripp Gallery 47 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA.

Upcoming Show

I'm busy preparing for my show. Here's a preview of 2 new paintings that will be on display in July at the Delaware Division of the Arts, Mezzanine Gallery, in Wilmington, DE. The opening is July 8th 5-8pm.

Underwater, oil on canvas, 24 x 24 inches

Deluge, oil on canvas, 48 x 46 inches

I've titled the show Outpouring which means, an exaggerated expression of emotion. I can't think of any better way to describe my work.

Waterways Exhibition

This week I'll be installing my solo show Waterways at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts in Wilmington, DE. I'm so excited to see this group of paintings together in the white cube. Here's an excerpt from my press release and one of the pieces included in the show.

Spilling Over, 24 x 24 inches

The title of the show Waterways refers to the intrinsic qualities of water that are the subject matter for Celestian’s oil paintings.

She depicts the movement and energy observed in nature with layered spills, pours and splatters of thinned oil paint. The paint in its liquid form is allowed to run and puddle and form similar patterns to waterways. Linda is interested in portraying the energy and life force of water to elicit an emotional response. She is inspired as much by aerial photography, as by personal observations of the ocean, lakes of her childhood, and the creek in her neighborhood.

There is a correlation between these imaginary waterways and our own circulatory system illustrating the connection between earth and mankind.

If you are in the area stop by the opening on Friday the 4th, from 5:30-9pm. I'm also showing ink paintings on the featured artist wall on the 2nd floor of the studio building and fiber work in process in my studio. I hope to see you there.

New Year, New Work

I have a solo show going up in 3 weeks. So, today I did what any sane, rational person would do, I started a new large painting. My show at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts will be in the Elizabeth Denison Hatch Gallery for the month of February. I'm hoping that crazy winter weather doesn't keep people away for the opening Friday evening February 4th.

New Events

Travel Log, encaustic on board, 6 x 6 inches

I have the above encaustic painting included in the 2010 National Small Works Painting exhibition at The Main Street Gallery in Groton, NY from December 3, through January 2, 2011. I'm happy to say I'm actually going to be able to see this show because it's not far from where I spend Christmas with my family. This show didn't have a theme other than size so I find it ironic that this piece was chosen since it seems to resemble a map of the Finger Lake area in upstate New York where we wander every summer.

I've been working hard in the studio and will be open next Friday evening if you're in the area stop in. Here's more information about what's going on at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts. There's a craft show happening from 5-11 pm so you can get some of your gift buying done while checking out contemporary art. I'll be selling lots of fun things in my studio, new bracelets, painting pendants, a few painted purses and small paintings. I hope to see you there.

Free Flow, oil on canvas, 24 x 24 inches

New Painting

I'm motivated by deadlines. While teaching the kids in Arden 3 hours a day with another hour of prep, I usually just collapse in the afternoons. This year with one of my kids away at camp and the other one spending most of her free time at the pool I was able to get to my studio once or twice a week. I was working on a new large diptych. I didn't know if I could finish it before the Delaware Division of the Arts grant application deadline but that was my goal. I photographed it on Sunday and the deadline was Mon. Here it is.

Running Forth, 48 x 92 inches

It's quite different from my last large diptych done 5 months ago but I think I like it. I'm suspending judgement until I return to the studio full time in a month. It's much more complex than Crash, Hush.. but it feels more expansive. You can really see the aerial photography influence. Here's a close up.

Remember the Ice

I'm in my second week working as the art director at Arden Community Recreation Association, Summer Program here in Arden. Last week we made spin art, dot art, our own art journals and printed leaves on fabric to make into pillows. Wow, and today we started papier mache. I will post pictures soon. I guess after I take some. I usually don't have a break in the art making frenzy to take any photos. At one point today I had to count how many kids were in the room and it was close to twenty. They're hard to count because they move, kind of like the fish in my pond. I came home exhausted today and took a long nap. It's only Monday, God help me!

Since it's been brutally hot lately I thought I'd take a moment to remember the cold winter storm, which I personally loved and thought was beautiful. While I was busy preparing the diptych and sculpture that comprised my June show I also painted 3 smaller canvases. These are 24 x 24 inches and were started on a black acrylic ground. The inspiration was icicles on shale walls that I always see along the highway to Syracuse, NY and some ice I photographed during our winter storm.

Rocky Shore, oil on canvas

Shale and Ice, oil on canvas

Layers, oil on canvas

Meagan Mika, an intern at the DCCA this summer has started a blog about the DCCA. She interviewed me a few weeks back. She wrote a really thoughtful post about my show and other work she saw in my studio, thanks Meagan. She happened to mention these canvases, in particular the one with rust in the composition that I titled, Shale and Ice. She stated that it was quite possibly her favorite piece.

Upcoming Show

It's June and I'm installing my show with Kyle Ripp tomorrow in the Elizabeth Denison Hatch Gallery, at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts. Here's a teaser.

I went back and forth on whether I should paint the wall blue behind it.

I have decided to install it and then decide but I think I'm NOT going to paint the wall. I want it to be viewed from as many angles as the space allows and not just from head on.

I will know when I get it installed whether I've made the right choice. Since this is my first time showing sculpture in a gallery it's been really hard to visualize it. I'm also working on a sound component which will be available for listening on a personal player with headphones, another first for me.


Here is a detail from the painting also included in the show.

Title: "Crash, Hush..." 48 x 92 inches (diptych).

The opening is this Friday, June 4th, 5:30 - 9 pm. I'll be giving an artist's talk starting with the piece I have included in the member's show NEW juried by Roberta Fallon and ending in the Hatch Gallery. The talk will be sometime between 6:30 and 7:00.