Blog

Some experiences in an artist’s career come full circle in ways you never could have planned. Looking back at three photographs with some of Washington, DC’s most celebrated chefs, I’m reminded of how my love of food and painting has opened doors to wonderful people, unexpected opportunities, and memorable experiences. Carla Hall: Women Chefs at Strathmore, 2015 In September 2015, I participated in Women Chefs at Strathmore, an event celebrating the talents of women in the culinary world and the artists inspired by their work. Each artist was paired with a chef, and I was fortunate to be matched with the talented and inspiring [...]

I had the most lovely night last night at BlueBird Sky Yoga in Washington, DC.  Four times a year they invite artists to display artworks in their beautiful light filled studio.  Each artist gets their own gallery space to curate a mini show.   With each seasonal show, the studio organizes an Art & Wine Reception and invites the community.  They ask Wardman Wines, a local Brookland DC neighborhood business, to view the art and choose a wine to pair with each artists collection of works.  They take this very seriously and give a special description of why they choose each wine.   During the reception [...]

Can an artist also be a curator?   I was recently asked to be part of the Fall Art Show at Bluebird Sky Yoga in Washington, DC's Brookland neighborhood.   I did not know much about the space going in, besides hearing great things about the space and community, I am an avid yogi, so I thought it was a great fit and a new audience for my work.   The one thing I did not fully comprehend was that I would not only be the artist of the exhibit, but also the curator!  At first I was a bit nervous, but I ended up realizing [...]

Have you heard about the Affordable Art Fair?  It takes place all over the world and in New York City twice a year (Spring and Fall). The Affordable Art Fair NYC returns to the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea from March 22 – 26, 2023 with 1000’s of contemporary artworks from local, national and international galleries. You’ll be welcomed, along with galleries, artists and other guests to enjoy the exciting showcase of original artworks ranging from $100 to $12,000!   A series of m macaron stacks will be shown by Alida Anderson Art Projects in booth D10!   Want complementary tickets to the fair?  Send me an [...]

This morning I had the honor of judging the Potomac Valley Watercolorists St Andrew's Show and Sale. A difficult, yet fun task. Highly recommend stopping by this high quality show tomorrow (last day). My Judge's Statement: It has been an honor to judge this year’s Potomac Valley Watercolorists' St. Andrews Show and Sale. Judging this show was a challenging task, as the artwork was outstanding; however, as I was asked to award prizes, I used the following criteria: quality of artistic rendering, uniqueness, emotional response, in that order. While I am not formally a watercolor artist, I have been an artist and art student [...]

Work in process!  Sneak peak into one of my paintings for my upcoming solo show at Glave Kocen Gallery online.  Show opens September 7, 2022. For more sneak peaks - follow me on Instagram @ jkb.art [...]

Artists enter art shows for many different reasons.  Some reasons include sales, accolades, resume building, hopes of getting discovered, connecting with a particular judge, feedback, and even emotional connections.     Emotional connections?  Yes, you read that correctly. Emotional connections are want to expand on, as the rest are pretty straight forward.   For me, showing at certain venues is solely to tell my past self I did it.  These places typically include very personal, meaningful places from my history, places my past self would not believe I would show my artwork.   I got married in 2005 at the Glenview Mansion in Rockville, MD.  For those [...]

I had the best time Saturday at DC's Art All Night in Tenleytown.  It was so fun to be out in public with other art lovers.  Despite Covid fears, I felt very safe and everyone was very respectful wearing their masks and keeping space.   Aside from the actual show, which was a blast to watch the public interact with my artwork (especially my more fantastical pieces like "Growing Macarons" where macarons are growing out of flowers), I learned a bit more about myself and my own interests.   While the show was fun, I think I had the best time getting ready for the [...]