First Solo Art Exhibit...Check!

What a weekend! It sure was hot, and I sure was busy, but it was fun! 

Last Friday was the finally the time for my solo exhibit for the DeLand 4th Friday Art Walk! Mother nature decided I had to work extra hard for it, so it was inching toward 100°F around time for the festivities with no rain in sight. Thank goodness for wonderful friends and family, too, or I would have never gotten things set up in time!

My adopted family, Deanna and Mary, came all the way from Savannah to help set up for the show. I hope they know that meant the world to me, too. And, my adorable husband gave 110% getting things just right once we got everything set up. If you came by, you probably met him on the street, shaking hands and handing out cards like a mad man. (Thanks, baby!)

Thank you to everyone who stopped by for a visit. I appreciate you coming out in the heat to share my work. I really enjoyed talking techniques and answering questions about my process. I didn't know what to expect for my first solo exhibit, but in all I think I greeted about 50 people!

For those of you who weren't able to make it, here are the new pieces I debuted at the show!

Wander is a 4x12 inch mixed media on canvas. It's one of my favorite quotes! It never fails to motive and inspire me. Leave it to Tolkien to inspire, right? I enjoyed this a lot,

I Want to Ride My Bicycle was inspired by a local contest. I didn't make the deadline to enter, but I still loved my finished piece! The journaling is the lyrics of the chorus to the famous Queen song!

Happier  is sort of self explanatory. Who doesn't love a french fry? I loved this little quote when I saw it on Pinterest, and I just had to put it on canvas!

And, last but not least, Sacred Centers was inspired by my yoga practice and spiritual path. I've really felt the creativity flowing since discovering chakra meditation. This piece is what I imagine my creativity looking like from my soul's perspective.

Thanks again for all the support, and to everyone who came out for the 4th Friday Art Walk! I hope this is just the first of many shows! If you're interested in purchasing prints of my work (originals aren't available just yet so I can get prints made of everything) please visit my shop, Mixed Media Art by Melissa Sherbon!

DeLand 4th Friday Art Walk: Three Days to Go!

Love my supplies!

Wow! I can't believe the time has flown by so fast! It seems like yesterday when I was asked to participate as an exhibiting artist in the DeLand 4th Friday Art Walk...but it's been five weeks! The good news? I've gotten a lot of work done in those few short weeks and there will be five never-before-seen pieces to display! There's nothing like a looming deadline to get the juices flowing, is there?

excerpt of Wander, mixed media on canvas

Deadlines aren't my only inspiration, of course. I like finding inspiration in anything and everything. Some of my favorite muses are quotes. I follow a bevy of inspirational quote pages on Facebook, so I always have something passing through to read and get me thinking. I even keep a notebook close by to jot down my favorites!

One of my all time favorite quotes comes to us courtesy of J.R.R. Tolkien: Not all who wander are lost. I love to wander, so it's always encouraging to be reminded that sometimes, the detours I take might be a better path than the one I was following in the first place. In honor of this wonderful quote, I had to put it on canvas! Here's a sneak peek before Friday's exhibit. You'll have to come out to DeLand Friday evening to see the rest for now. Don't worry, if you aren't able to make it, I'll be posting pictures from the show as soon as I can. I promise!

I also get inspiration from contests. I was so excited about one local art contest, then I didn't get things finished in time to enter...but that doesn't mean I can't share the piece with you! A local art gallery in New Smyrna Beach held the contest. The theme was Bicycles and I had a blast coming up with this piece. OK, I'll give you a sneak peek...

excerpt of I Want to Ride My Bicycle, mixed media on canvas

Another wonderfully addictive source for inspiration is Pinterest. LORD, the hours I have spent pinning! It's shameful and there should really be a 12 step program... Yeah, it's that addictive.

Anyway, Happier is a piece inspired by a quote floating around on Pinterest: "Today, I will be happier than a bird with a french fry." Every time I hear or read that line, my heart smiles! Who hasn't been lucky enough to see a little bird discover a french fry he gets to have all to himself? It's the definition on happy!

excerpts of Happier, mixed media on canvas

My yoga practice also greatly inspires me, so there will me a few pieces on display any yogis in the crowd might appreciate. Sacred Centers is one of them...

excerpt of Sacred Centers, mixed media on vintage book page

These are just some of the pieces I'll have on display this weekend at the 4th Friday Art Walk in DeLand! I hope this has whet your appetite a little. By the way, I'm not the only artist, either! Make sure you plan to visit DeLand if you are in the Daytona Beach or Orlando areas this weekend because DeLand truly loves their Artist Community! My work will be on exhibit from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Got Knots on New York Avenue. (Get more info about the event here!) Come by and visit, sign up to win a free massage from the amazing Got Knots, then hit the Artist Alley for loads more awesome art and culture. You'll be glad you did!