Illustration Friday--Boundaries

"Boundaries," 2011. 9 x 9" Mixed media on paper. By Lea Keohane, All Rights Reserved.

Solo show this Thursday!

I am so excited to announce my upcoming show at A MOOD CHANGE, this Thursday as part of the 1st Thursday Art Walk in NW Portland.

I have been drawing and painting my heart out to create this new series furthering my personal exploration of inner and outer beauty, growth, spirituality and feminine strength. This is my first serious use of mixed media in my work--I have combined elements of collage, drawing with various types of pencils, watercolor, acrylic paint, and a couple of other mediums--all done on wood reclaimed from sources from old cabinet doors to the Willamette River.

Starting at 6pm at 618 NW Flanders. See you there!

And when you're finished, head across the river to the Olympic Mills Building (107 SE Washington) for the opening of "Journey," the visual arts piece of the Siren Nation Fest, where you'll find two of my paintings alongside the works of 50 other Portland artists.

First Thursday Fun!

So....the show was great last night! Here's a great big giant thank you to everyone that made it, not to mention the musicians, volunteers, and Melissa Sillitoe herself for hosting! Thank you! Here are a few photos from the evening:

This is the initial view of the gallery wall--the 1st 6 paintings are my new teeny-tiny 5" ones!


Peeps!

Heather & Elijah checking it out.

Luke Lefler & Melissa Sillitoe!

Singer/songwriter Laura Chase


People checking out the hip-hop stylings of Incre:mentals. The awesome painting on the middle post of the room was done by the spectacular Chris Haberman.

No art-show night is complete without John and Amy! Check out John's stunning photography this month at Urban Wine Works (407 NW 16th Ave, Portland, OR)!

First Thursday @ the Show & Tell Gallery!

"Indulgence," by Lea Keohane 2009. Acrylic on Canvas.

First Thursday: February 5, 2009
"Introspection"
New Paintings by Lea Keohane
Show & Tell Gallery
Everett Station Lofts, 625 NW Everett #231
6-9 pm

With music by Inkre:mentals from 7-9 pm

Itty-bitty teeny-tiny

"Dream," "Hope," "Vision," by Lea Keohane 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Often times I like to paint on pieces of masonite board. Whenever I do this, I have to pull out my hacksaw (some day I will have a bigger studio & electric saws!), and cut up a bunch of 1"x 2" boards to build a frame on the back of the masonite. This way I can add screw eyes and a wire so that it will hang nicely on the wall when it's finished.

Every time I build a "canvas" in this way, I end up with little wooden blocks, and I just can't seem to part with them. I have been meaning to paint on or do some creative project with them literally for years! They have been sitting there, on the shelf above my drawing table looking very cute and enticing but I somehow resisted their pull. Until a few days ago, when they finally got the sanding and layers of gesso that would turn them into little pieces of affordable art, just like they have always deserved :)

For more information, close-up photos, and purchasing info, just click on the photo above or the title of each painting!

Gift Certificates!

I have been meaning to do this for a long time, but I kept forgetting. Then I saw this Storque article and remembered. Yay!

Just in time for those very last-minute gifts (you KNOW you're not done shopping yet!), a LeaKArts gift certificate. The one I have listed is for $20, but I am happy to make you your very own for any amount you wish.

LeaKArts Ladies--a Coloring Book!

I am so incredibly thrilled to introduce my newest creation--LeaK Arts Ladies, A Coloring Book for All Ages!

This loose-leaf coloring book comes in a clear protective sleeve. I decided to leave it un-bound so that when you finish coloring a page, you can display it without having to rip the pages. How fun is that? In addition, each page has a border that you can embellish to your heart's content. Personally, I LOVE coloring, which is why I chose and created images that are suitable for kids but fun for grownups too :)

This project has been in the work for a couple of months now. For the first 5 pages, I created 5 brand new, original drawings just for this coloring book. And with the combination of very low-tech (tracing paper and a sharpie) and high-tech (a scanner, Photoshop, and a very knowledgeable friend, not to mention my work-horse of a printer), I transformed 5 of my original drawings and paintings into coloring pages as well. My love has gone into each and every page and I hope it shows!

I also have brand new sticker packs which I will be listing later today, so keep your eyes peeled!

Annual Autumn Post

"Swing" 2008 by Lea Keohane. All Rights Reserved.

Every Fall I seem to find myself writing about my absolute love for this season. This year, however, I think this drawing says it all. Sold yesterday to a lovely friend, but I will certainly be offering prints in the near future. Enjoy!

Oh! Before I go, I must send you over to Indie Parade, where one of my little pendants is being featured today.

First Friday SE Artwalk--come see a great show!

"Antiquated," 2008 by Lea Keohane. All Rights Reserved.

Several months ago I answered a call for artists by Yelp and Adrienne Fritze of Working Artists Network. The idea was to take phone books and create art with them. The artists involved created a wide range of very interesting pieces, from clothing to paintings and more!

For my own contribution, I decoupaged pieces of a phone book onto a masonite board, then created a stencil of a 1920's telephone and stenciled it on. I wanted to incorporated one of my female characters, but I wasn't sure at first how to make her an important part of the piece. So, inspired by my friend Cara's brilliant Art Nouveau paintings, I decided to put her in a great flapper costume. The idea behind this painting is that, in the age of computers, phone books are a thing of the past. Which they certainly are in my own household! I get a pang of guilt every time new ones show up at my doorstep, as they go straight to the recycle bin.

The phone book mashup project, in conjunction with rdEVOLUTION, a project in which artists explored inter-species survival, will be on display for two months, with an opening tomorrow, Friday September 5th, at the Olympic Mills Commerce Center, at 107 SE Washington St., from
6-8 pm. If you are in Portland, this is a must-see event with new work from over 20 amazing Portland artists!