Oct. 5th from 4-7pm at the WHAM Gallery, 16560 N. Dysart Rd., Surprise, AZ 85378
The Mentor and the Protègè Art Show Reception!
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Save the Date! The Mentor and the Protégé Art Show in Surprise, AZ, featuring the paintings of Ron Souza and Penny A. Bragg.
Save the Date
My heart is set on a new endeavor: joining my mentor and fellow artist, Ron Souza, in a two-person art show this fall!
WHEN: October 5th, 2024 – Opening Reception 4-7PM. The show is open to the public and will run for the entire month of October.
WHERE: WHAM Gallery, 16560 N. Dysart Rd. Surprise, AZ 85378. (623) 584-8311
More information to come soon!
Art Show in Surprise, AZ
Thrilled to have three of my first oil paintings in the latest art show at WHAM in Surprise. “Small, but Impressive” opened on August 1st and will run all this month. My piece entitled, “O.J.” earned an Honorable Mention.
Following in My Grandfather’s Footsteps
For years I’ve wanted to follow in my maternal grandfather’s footsteps and learn to oil paint. Guido Ciro Ferraro was a butcher by day and a painter by night. Most of his paintings were lost in a fire many years ago, but this one (above) survived. In 2022-23, I decided it was time to set aside my fears. The learning curve has been steep, but I’m all in. More to come. Soon.
Pieces in the Process
Whether I’m working in paint, pastel, mixed media, or any other medium, I’m always pondering how much the process of creating can mirror life’s experiences; serving as a valuable metaphor. This truth resonates most deeply when I’m working on a mosaic using tiny bits and pieces of glass, tile, and other tesserae. It can be grueling work that takes a great deal of time. When I focus on the hundreds and hundreds of cut and broken pieces, it’s easy to lose focus of the bigger picture. But, I’ve created enough mosaics to know that no matter how it looks as I’m fitting the pieces together hour after hour, once the entire work is grouted it will be a masterpiece.
Take THAT Cancer
Through my journey with breast cancer these last six months, I am learning about all the things this disease takes away. It’s humbling to look in the mirror everyday and see the physical changes. It’s hard to find the energy to complete routine tasks. But, cancer cannot take away my art or the joy of creating. If anything, I hope this illness will actually add to my creativity. God can do that.
Staying Home
One of the blessings that came out of my time at home in this season of COVID-19 was that it gave me the opportunity to work in my studio each day. There, I was able to create various works of art to give away to people in need of comfort. What I didn’t realize at the time was that creating these pieces would bring comfort and joy to my heart as well.
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”. ― Winston S. Churchill.
Learn Something New
I’ve always wanted to learn how to improve my limited painting skills. So, why not do just that? What’s holding me back? Fear of failure? Perhaps. Probably. Okay, yes!
As 2020 dawned, I realized there was no reason to wait any longer or let that fear get the best of me. So, after a bit of thinking, praying, and studio reorganizing, I am on a quest to learn how to “paint dry” with pastel pencils. I am immersing myself in tutorials, practice pieces, books, and anything else that will teach me what I long to learn.
What have you always wanted to learn? Why wait? What’s holding you back?
Artists for Animals
For almost a year now, my sketchpad has been the landing spot for animal illustrations. Two of those drawings will soon make their way onto the walls of the Artists for Animals exhibit, Dec. 6, 2019 – January 17, 2020, at the West Valley Arts Council in Surprise, AZ.
penny a. bragg 