Chickens in a Barrel was my first drawing. It is all done with a dip pen and India ink. I added some brown and red line work.
This lovely Kat was next. I would have liked to do some more linework, but ran out of time.
A video of me at work - filmed by Anna Podris.
I am super excited to be a part of this new project through the City of Raleigh Arts Commission. The city picked a handful artists to paint some wooden pedestals for installation of Hillsborough St. For my piece, I decided to do a montage of flying fish, flying pigs and flying owls.
Mine is right down from the Sub-concious. You can see it in the background of this photo.
I designed it to be very bold and graphic so it stands out when you drive by.
The Friday before last I drove to Penland School of Crafts in the mountains of North Carolina. Located near the Blue Ridge Parkway, between Asheville and Boone, the campus is made up of a collection of historic and newer architecture. It's an arts and crafts school that provides onsite dorms and cabins as well as awesome food in the cafeteria. Everything on campus is within walking distance, so once you get there you can park you car. Literally all you have to think about or do is make your art. I have been hearing about this place since I started working at the Pullen Arts Center about 15 years ago. Everyone always said how great it was so I thought it was high time that I checked it out for myself. They offer printmaking, painting, bookmaking, clay, metals, textiles, hot glass, woodworking and specialty workshops like building a boat or a guitar.
We studied screen printing multiple colors on paper. I created three original screen prints - Cosmic Vibrations, Pig Nixon and Lincoln Squirrel. They are all limited edition prints and are now available on my website!
Penland's campus. This is a view from the Pines Dining hall. The first building is the kiln area, the red roof building is the ceramic studio - upper and lower and next to that is the metal studio. The potters this session renamed it enlightened clay for upper clay and deeper clay for lower clay. The road by the old house on the right is the main road through campus.
The printmaking studio. This is a modern building that has been recently constructed. Designed by Susan Cannon. I usually don't like modern buildings that much, but this was and spectacular screen printing studio. It consists of two classrooms, with a wash out sink, darkroom and offices located in the middle of the building.
This is my first print and I am working on printing the first color - the squiggly yellow shape in the background. We were using QTX emulsion, which is pink but looks orange on the yellow screen.
Racking them up...
Some in-progress owl prints. They had a massive drying rack.
Class work in the Printmaking studio. I was fun seeing everyones different approaches to the medium.
The screen print class. We had a great group of people - I will miss you guys!
Seriously cool campus!
Tonja doing a demonstration. I learned so much from Tonya about registration, printing on paper, screen cleaning etc. She was a wealth of information - I can't say enough good things about her.
The Pines Dining hall. I was staying on the top floor. During my work-study I was washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen. Work study was a great way to meet everyone and get stuck in at Penland.
Rubylith overlay on my Pig Nixon piece. You can burn a screen with Rubylith and the red part reads as black on the screen.
Some in-progress owl prints on the drying rack.
Finished prints in the art show. I managed to complete 14 Cosmic Vibrations owl prints, 9 Pig Nixon prints and 8 Lincoln Squirrel prints. The ideas for the pieces came from sketches in my sketchbook. I did the Pig Nixon and Lincoln Squirrel sketches a couple of years ago.
Some Penland friends in the Pines!
This is a house from the 1840's that I used to hand out on the porch and watch the clouds roll over the mountain. Inside is empty on the first floor with momento mori items on the second floor.
At the art show with some Pullen Arts Center friends - Emily Malpass and Bill Schmitz. Bill has moved to Tennessee last year - it was a treat to run into him at Penland.
At Show and Tell - the art opening at the end of the week.
My friend Justin at the show.
Penland is a one of the coolest places. What makes it so great is the people there. Doing work study I got to meet more people and make a deeper connection because we were working together outside of class. It is like going to college for a week. Everyone was following their own path, working toward a common goal and it was brilliant to be with so many like minded artists. I'll be back!
Here is a listing of all the camps I am teaching this summer. Click the venue name to be connected to their site to register!
NCMA- elementary school ages-
July 24-28- Color your World
August 7-11 ArtBots
Artspace- June 26-30 Mural painting- Comics extravaganza! ages 11-16 During this interactive class, students will be immersed in the styles and techniques of mural painting. Working as team, the class will create a collaborative mural based on comic book characters, classic and created! Make new friends and paint an imaginative scene that will be visible to the public!
Wild at Art- July 10- 24- Big Animal Sculpture ages 6-12 Imagine creating your own wild animal, pet or farm animal sculpture. We will build our own animals out of newspaper, cardboard, masking tape and wire. Then cover with paster and paint, adding details and personality. Add accessories or a baby animal to go with.
Artspace- July 17-21- Creative Character sculptures ages 7-10. Bring the characters of your imagination to life! Students will build large scale creature sculptures using newspaper, masking tape, cardboard, plaster and acrylic paint.
Artspace- July 31- August 4- Painting- Animal Personalities. ages 7-10. Join us as we make a series of small paintings using animal personalities as subject matter. Explore acrylic, watercolor, collage, pen and ink and mixed media as we focus on finishing a painting each day. We will experiment with sketching ideas, color mixing and applications to add personality to your pieces.
Wild at Art- August 21-25. Comic Book Art ages 6-12. Using comics as inspiration, we will create our own characters to use for comics, sketchbooks, and paintings. Learn the art of pen and ink on paper, then make a large acrylic painting based on preparatory drawings.
I was excited to be included in Zenith Gallery's 38th Anniversary Show.
The gallery, located at 1429 Iris St NW in Washington DC features a sculpture garden. Margery represents a wide variety of artists and mediums, from painters to mixed media artists and sculptors. Though I just started showing with Zenith last summer, I was able to meet artists who have been there since the beginning. It was cool talking with them and getting an idea of the history of the art scene in DC, in which Zenith has played a crucial role.
My daughter got a kick out of the gallery. From humorous sculptures to amazing mixed media works, she was very inquisitive. There was a lot for her to take in!
Keith and Zenith Gallery owner, Margery Goldberg
Margery discusses the show and the artists work.
Ingrid, Keith Norval, Hadrian Mendoza
Ingrid, Anna Podris, Keith, gallery manager Erika SittingUp
Ingrid with a sculpture
Mirror selfie.
Recently my work has been featured in a book from Schiffer Publishing called Stars and Stripes: The American Flag in Contemporary Art by E. Ashley Rooney and Stephanie Standish . Once the book came out Zenith Gallery in Washington DC decided to have a show featuring artist from the book and their own artists for their Stars and Stripes show.
DC is a city of architectural beauty and cultural richness. I always enjoy spending time here, wether looking at art or walking around my favorite parts of town- Adams Morgan and Logan Circle.
Got my falafel! If you like falafels, Amsterdam Falafel Shop show is a must. Excellent crisp falafels and lots of topping choices.
Outside Zenith Gallery. Founded in 1978, Zenith is a favorite among locals.
Selfie with Harry Wingo, President and CEO of the DC Chamber of Commerce. The show had two openings - once at Zenith Gallery and once at the DC Chamber of Commerce.
My pieces - "Here, Use My Brain" and "Freedom Owl" next to Fabiano Amin's America series. His work is also featured in the book.
Artists Laura Taylor and Scott Royston with Harry Wingo.
Artists at the opening outside Zenith Gallery.
The second opening was held in the DC Chamber of Commerce.
This is the next block over from the Chamber of Commerce. I quite like the window detail on these historic buildings. I also like the date of construction on the front of the building so you don't have to wonder how old it is! I find the juxtaposition between old and new quite interesting and well thought out in DC.
Harry Wingo, Marcelo Novo and Keith Norval. Marcelo's piece is right next to mine.
Fellow artist, Hadrian Mendoza, and me. Hadrian currently has a show of his pottery with the Zenith Gallery.
Art appreciators at the opening.
As an immigrant from Zimbabwe, I was proud to be included in this show.
See the Voice of America news clip about the show:
http://www.voanews.com/content/artists-interpret-american-flag/2874378.html
I am very excited to announce that I have been included in a show at the Zenith Gallery in Washington DC. I have recently been included in the book Stars and Stripes: The American Flag in Contemporary Art by E. Ashley Rooney and Stephanie Standish
Located at 1429 Iris St, NW, Washington, DC 20012-1409
Opening Reception is July 9, 5 - 8PM
I will be there for the opening and book signing, so come out if you are in DC!
The show runs from July 9 - September 5, 2015
Zenith Gallery.
This photo if of me and Margery Goldberg, the owner of the gallery, with one of my pieces for the show. This pieces is titled "Here, Use My Brain."
The show has two locations. The Zenith Gallery and DC Chamber of Commerce.
Below are the four paintings that are included in the show.
This piece is "Freedom Owl", 22 x 27", Oil and Acrylic on Canvas
"These Colors Don't Run," Oil and Acrylic on Canvas
Patriot Cat, Oil and Acrylic on Canvas, 22 x 27"
Here, Use My Brain, Oi on Canvas, 22 x 27"
Throughout the years I have managed to do quite a bit of sculpture. My grandmother was a potter in Zimbabwe and she let me make a few pieces out of clay. Her studio was at the bottom of the garden and the kiln opening was quite the event. During middle school and high school I was very productive making clay pieces. My current 3-d work involves clay sculpture and also my poly-resin rhino sculpture.
This cat, Louie, is my most recent piece. He is a commissioned sculpture made for the outdoors. He is meant as a memorial piece to a couple who lost their beloved pet.
I was very excited with how the eyes turned out.
Some rhino sculptures at the studio. These Rhinos are manufactured to my specifications. Some come factory painted, and some are handprinted by me. On the left are the rhinos that await being hand-painted.
This is a painted rock that is installed in the garden. It came out of a kid's class I taught at Wild at Art.
An early clay mask from my middle schools days. Harkens back to my African childhood.
Little bunny completed a few years ago.
Another very early sculpture. This one used to have a duck sitting on the back wall. The man needs to be glued upright and the pig has lost an arm, but I think it shows some indication of the direction I took with art.
Plaster sculptures by myself and students. Two gryphons and a dragon.
Gearing up for the
Sprout
Show at Adam Peele's gallery on Capital Blvd.
This will be a group show of the Slow Boil art group that I am a member of.
Lots of new smaller works.
Some familiar themes.
Old roots, new growth is a slogan from one of the NC county signs.
I felt it was appropriate.
Black rhino, pink elephant, the return of the t-Rex, square dog and angry squirrel.
These are a few of my favorite things.
Work space, art space.
Art materials - close up.
The Great Wall of paint.
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The commission I'm working on- tidying up the house a bit, I mixed a new awesome yellow. I'm mainly trying to get the cat right now, his face is smiling in this picture but ultimately he'll have a more serious expression. 
