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The Aurora Art Scene

hand painted puzzle with owls on a branch and a rainbow behind

It saddens me to think people are going to associate the art that was displayed during the 2018 Fox River Arts Ramble at the Aurora Public Library with other artists in Aurora or the art scene here in general.  The art at Aurora Public Library is in no way representative of the art scene or artists in Aurora.  One of the reasons why I like living in Aurora is because it is diverse.  The art community reflects that diversity.  If you want a truer representation of the art scene here, come visit the Art Bar at Two Brother’s Roundhouse every First Friday, go to Gallery 1904, the grassroots Alley Art Fest the last weekend in August, the Aurora Public Art Commission gallery, etc…

I am not going to pretend I’ve never created provocative art that has been censored in a public place (in college regarding FGM).  However, it saddens me to think one of the hijab-wearing girls who walk to school past our house saw the poem on display at the Aurora Public Library and felt scared.  While there may be a place for provocative art, and certainly a place and time for thoughtul discourse, that place is NOT in the lobby of a public library or on the public Facebook page.

Here I am next to Fisk Creations doing live art during a First Friday event hosted by If These Walls Could Talk Custom Framing and Gallery.

inclusive diverse artist community aurora illinois art scene public art display
Live Art in Aurora, Illinois @Fiskcreations and @LauraLynneArt (upper left)

Check out the many artists in Aurora on Instagram.  I’m not going to list them all, but @the_artbar is a great place to start.

“Thoughts lead to words lead to actions” is what I learned from Kim Schwartz in my yoga teacher training.  Let’s be kind.

 

 

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16 Free-ish Ways to Support the Artist in your life

If you want to support an artist, me, for example, but don’t need or can’t afford any art, then consider this list of FREE to low-cost ways to support the artists in your life:

  • Follow on social media
    • Instagram
      • Follow
      • Comment on the posts
      • Tag and hashtag (For example, @LauraLynneArt and #LauraLynneArt)
    • Facebook
      • Like the page
      • Follow the page
      • Like the posts
      • Comment on the posts
      • Post to the page
      • Share the posts
      • Tag photos of your art
  • Comment on blogs.
  • Favorite Etsy Listings
  • Favorite Etsy shops
  • Please share, share, share everywhere (with tags, links and credits please)
    • Share on Pinterest
  • Write a PR article and send it to your paper.
  • Feature art on your blog with the artist’s permission, of course.
  • Write a blog about art.  (Let’s trade!  Please contact me.)
  • Tell your favorite interior designer about your favorite art.
  • Tell your favorite gallery about your favorite art.
  • Sign up for my email list to receive a newsletter.
  • Write a grant.
  • Pin business cards on a community boards.
  • Exhibit and/or sell art at your high-traffic restaurant or business.
  • Attend an art fair (free to minimal entry fee).  View my schedule.

Do you know any other free ways to support the artist in your life?  I’d love to read your comments.

(Of course, there are ways to support your artist without taking up more wall space…  Want a beautiful painted calendar page printable each month?  Sign up for a Laura Lynne Art membership here:  www.patreon.com/lauralynneart.  Depending on your level of membership, you will get exclusive members only content, discounts on art, yearly art packages, etc…)

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8-21-17 Total Solar Eclipse Art

On Monday, August 21st 2017, our family had a little solar eclipse party.  But, first I spent a little time creating the eclipse art below by using the computer to merge two of my original collages.

Blue and Orange Total Solar Eclipse Paper Collage Art Print by Laura Lynne Art
Dark Star, Digitally Altered Paper Collage, 2017

We had read online about some fun, silly things to do during the eclipse, bought some paper viewing glasses and got our mason jars of water ready to get infused with eclipse light.  My husband turned on a Dark Star compilation by Grateful Dead and drank Moon Man beer.  We watched the eclipse and talked about our goals for the year.  I’m so grateful to have this fun family and for all we have created!  Happy Eclipse Day, USA!

Here is another version of the eclipse sans butterflies:

Total Solar Eclipse of the Sun paper collage art by Laura Lynne with planets stars and galaxies and moons
Dark Star III, Digitally Altered Paper Collage, 2017

Did anyone else see this through their eclipse glasses?  No?  Hmmm…  😉

To purchase prints, please go to my shop.

 

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Musky Fishing Story and Illustration

A child loves their parent, a teen pushes them away, and an adult… well, I can look back on it all.  Sometimes I wonder what my Dad was thinking and sometimes I look back, smile and think, “Wow! He taught me that.”  Story telling and jokes are some of the areas where my dad excelled.  He has a way of bringing his stories to life, especially the ones about animals.

One of the stories my dad told us growing up was about a man who got his toe bitten off by a musky while fishing in Wisconsin.  It’s partially a true story, although his toe didn’t get bitten off completely.  It was good enough to scare my sister and I.  We swam in a musky fishing lake daily in the summer, living only a block away from Pewaukee Lake in Wisconsin.  Sometimes when I would swim, I would wonder about the big fish with teeth swimming around in the lake next to, or below me.  In reality, they were scared of me, but the story was always in the back of my mind.  This print is based on that story and the beautiful sunsets we would see that seemed to turn the lake and the sky completely orange.

hunter orange musky fishing nursery art illustration
Orange Musky Illustration

The muskellunge is very large compared to the small fishing boat.  It reminds me of going fishing and wondering if I’d catch that huge fish this time.

Thank you, Dad, for your story telling, exaggerating, and teaching me about the great outdoors!

To buy a print of this hunter orange musky fishing art illustration, please visit my shop.