False Advertising?

Picture 001, originally uploaded by Anessa.

Ummmm. Yeah.
I think so.

Show Almost Over!

Through Dec. 31

‘une boite d’os (a box of bones)’

Everyone has a little “une boite d’os” lying around. Or, as Tim Faulkner says, “a more poetic description is simply ‘a collection of things.’”

This collection celebrates his gallery’s first anniversary. The group exhibition features artists who have shown in the gallery during 2008: Anessa Arehart, Ashley Brossart, Lisa Frye, Jen Goodell, Erik Orr, Quincy Owens, Taylor Anne Smith and Terry Tapp, as well as Faulkner.

“In our first 11 months, the gallery was able to move spaces within the same building and more than double in size,” Faulkner says. “No question this year was tough, but much can be accomplished when you refuse to roll over and play dead. Art is still alive; it’s just that sometimes you might need to scream a little louder. Bravo to all of you with a voice!” —Jo Anne Triplett

Tim Faulkner Gallery

815 E. Market St.

381-1314

www.timfaulknergallery.com

Planet Unicorn, Heeeeyyyy~

Ha ha~ Thanks, Marla!

Sleeveface.

THIS is awesome!
Thanks, Carrick for the link.

LEO Staff Pix Blurb, Thanks to Jo Anne Triplett!

Through Nov. 30
New works by Anessa Arehart

Anessa Arehart and The Nitty Gritty are perfect for each other. Arehart’s paintings usually have a retro feel, ideal for a location that carries 1970s platform shoes and rhinestone jewelry. Her latest exhibit is titled “Elizabeth Fell in Love with a Carney.”

“This series of seven paintings is a slight evolution and temporary departure from what has become recognized as my standard ‘beauty paintings,’” Arehart says. “(They are) based on a common fantasy of otherwise well-behaved girls that dream of breaking all the rules and running away with the carnival in search of new life of freedom, adventure, mysterious characters, jailhouse tattoos, bent rules and blinking lights, all played out to a soundtrack of AC/DC, naturally.”

The acrylic, spray-paint and chalk-on-canvas paintings represent what she calls “a little walk on the wide side.” And lookin’ good doing it. —Jo Anne Triplett
The Nitty Gritty
996 Barret Ave.
583-3377
www.nittygrittyvintage.com
More LEO goodness @ www.leoweekly.com

Another visit from the Unicorn Fairy!

This sweet boy was on my stoop this week!

So glad my fairy finally found me~ I feel so special!

New Show Up at Actors Theatre through December.

The Unicorn Fairy Found Me~~

These 5 little cuties were waiting on my doorstep when I got home from dinner yesterday!
Yay!
: )

Art Opening and Slackshop CD Release PARTY!

Here's a link to the band: Slackshop.
And here's a link to the most fabulous Nitty Gritty!

Best Art Gallery

Hey! How about this: The shop I manage just got voted as best art gallery by WLKY CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RESULTS.
*

Maybe it's time to ask for a raise?

*Also, regarding the photo above; we have green grass now.

Erin Keane is quite awesome...

Etiquette and glamour maven?
hee hee... WOW, Thanks Erin! Big thanks for coming to the show, too!

Friday Night 5-10 pm.

I'm having an artist's reception for my show "Daredevil Etiquette" at Tim Faulkner Gallery this Friday evening from 5-10pm and my new friend Michelle Jones gave a nice little shout out on her very cool blog;
Consuming Louisville.

CLICK HERE for the link to her site.

This could be the last time I will showing several of these paintings in Louisville. If you have had your eye on one, you might wanna add it to your art collection while you can! If not, well.... How about just stopping in and saying hi? Summer is almost over and this will give you a good excuse to get out of the house and enjoy the evening.

My next show, "Elizabeth Fell in Love with a Carney", will be in October at Nitty Gritty.......Then Actor's Theatre in November-December for a 3-person group show with Brook White and Susie Slabaugh Whitem glass artists and co-owners of Flame Run Hot Glass Studio and Gallery.

Women Unwined.

Fun little video made at Jennica's Wine Bar on Market Street with Jen Simpson, Me, Teneia Sanders and Rebecca Simpson.
Jen and Rebecca are super cool sisters that own Jenicca's and they are a b-l-a-s-t!
Teneia is a very talented local musican and also very fun to hang out with. (We went out on the town together after the shoot!) Was a very fun night~
I had a great time and learned a bit about wine, too!

Opening August 1st at Tim Faulkner Gallery

Come see my show at Tim Faulkner's Gallery on Market Street CLICK HERE for his web site!

Neat little piece about Flame Run

On Michelle Jones website:
CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE SITE and READ THE ARTICLE.
Very kind of her and what a nice person.
So glad we got to have her in shop one afternoon and spend some time with her.
Thanks Michelle!

pARTy~ in Lexington next weekend!

Host: Isle of You, Fashion & Gift Emporium
Type: Party - Benefit
Date: Saturday, June 21, 2008
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: The Boutique on the Sunnyside of the Street!
Street: Corner of Jefferson & Short Streets
City: Lexington, KY
Phone: 859.254.3024
Email: info@isleofyou.com www.isleofyou.com


Join us at Isle of You on Saturday, June 21st for our Summer Solstice Celebration. We'll feature recent paintings by Louisville artist Anessa Arehart and handmade jewelry by Anna Cox from Nicholasville.

We'll have free hot dogs, lemonade, and other summertime fare, as well as great music: The JoyBombs, one of our favorite local bands, will also be on hand to entertain us. And our neighbors are getting in on the fun, too: Stella's Kentucky Deli will re-open from 5 to 7 pm so you can enjoy an afternoon beer on their patio. All merchandise will
be 10% off, and we will be donating 10% of all proceeds to The WRFL "Boost the Tower Campaign."



When: Saturday, June 21
5pm-8pm

Where: Isle of You
591 West Short Street
Lexington, KY 40507
254.3024

Separated at Birth?

Looks strangely like Dana Carvey these days, eh?

Lena would FREAK!

Kinda funny...I have been meaning to share this little thing with you...
I got chosen as a stylish woman in a local publication.
If only they saw what I wore to the grocery store tonight...
Are these sort of things revocable? Is revocable a word?



Here's a link to the magazine: Today's Woman Magazine.
and the article: here.

I'm flattered, especially considering that many people think I dress like a weirdo.
Thanks, Kristin for thinking otherwise.

My painting on the front of Underwired Magazine!

My painting on the front of Underwired Magazine!, originally uploaded by Anessa.

Here's a link to their website: Underwired Magazine
Published and edited by my new favorite woman, Laura Grinstead, this magazine ROCKS!
Also, I should mention, you can see this fine painting and 4 others hanging at Nancy's Bagel Grounds on Frankfort Avenue all this month.
And, why yes....they ARE for sale!

My Show at Jenicca's is Almost Over!

One more week to view my super fun solo show on Market Street.
I'm proud of it~~~
Check it out.

People be CRAZY.

Ha ha...
How weird/funny is this?

An interview with me by Percy Trout from Lexington, Ky.

Click HERE to read it!
I am flattered that he asked. His blog is really cool, and he is a fabulous artist, to boot!
You may wanna surf around a bit while you are there.
Thanks Percy Trout. You made my day.

Part Biker, All Fox.

Biker Fox Movie Trailer Bicycle Race

Add to My Profile | More Videos
Oh. My. God.
What a freaking trip this guy is...
The name says it all.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this weirdo!!!!

(Thanks Rubo for sending me the link.)

Seasons Greetings, Y'all!

Well, I'm sorry it has been so long since I last posted... You will be happy to know that things are very good in this neck of the woods.
So... I thought I'd give you a quickie update on what I have been up to.

First and foremost, I must mention that the UNICORN FAIRY has visited me in person (as opposed to things arriving in the mail) twice this month.

One time my U.F.F. (Unicorn Fairy Friend) sneaked up my drive way and left these sweet unicorn Band-Aids in the drivers seat of my car. **SNEAKY!!** (U.F.F. must know how clumsy I am!)

And today (which would be X-Mas Day) I came home to find this magical creature in my front door:
Isn't she beautiful????

I sure wish everyone could have a Unicorn Fairy. I feel I don't deserve to have such a special friend... One that makes me feel so loved and reminds me that it's not only perfectly fine to believe in magic, but also reminds me that unicorns are FR-eaking AWESOME!
Magical AND awesome AND beautiful.
AND I want to sincerely thank my fairies for their very thoughtful and wonderful gifts which I loved so very much.

Also I have been busy painting both portraits and beauty paintings for the past few months.

Here are two new portraits for you:

This one is finsihed and delivered and I am very happy with the way it turned out. (I hope the family likes it, too.)
And this one is almost done. Hopefully I will be delivering it tomorrow:
It has changed quite a bit since I took this photo, but you can get a good idea of where it is headed.

I also participated in my second annual Good Folk Fest, where I sold 4 paintings.
Here's a glimpse of me in my booth:

It's a rather ridiculous photo, but well.... You know me.

In other news:
We got our kitchen, bathroom and Mark's office skim-coated and are finally getting ready to paint them, attended a very fun 80's Christmas Dance Party..

Um, yeah...
I think I'll end on that note.
Love and PEACE on Earth (and all the other planets).

Dang, Double Tagged!

Both my blogging (and real life) friends in Paducah tagged me this morning!
Thanks to Aynex and Donna Maria, who I really enjoy calling friends,
I have decided I should be a good girl and join in on the fun.
Especially since Seth tagged me about a month ago and I still haven't gotten around to doing that one.
(Um, I'm really sorry about that, Seth...)

So...enough chit chat.

Here are the rules:
Link to the tagger and post these rules on your blog. Share five facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. Tag five people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

________________________________________________

1. I believe that if you wish for something out loud, and can picture yourself doing it, having it, or being it....and you really mean it with all your heart... At THAT VERY SAME MOMENT the universe starts sliding doors into place to present you with opportunities and people that can help you make your wish come true.

2. Hot pink is my favorite color, but only because leopard print isn't a color.

3. I believe that a little lipstick really CAN make things better.

4. I dream very colorful, vivid, lengthy, movie-like dreams almost every night and if my husband would listen to me recite them in the mornings, I'm pretty sure I could recall the whole adventure, as disjointed as it may have been.

5. Chocolate, beer, pad thai and Graeter's Ice cream are my preferred 4 food groups.

_________________________________________________

I'm gonna tag Mags and Seth and anyone else that feels like participating.
2 outta 5 is better than zero, right?

Let me know if you play along!

It is finshed.

I can never seem to get good shots of my paintings., originally uploaded by Anessa.

And delivered....
And my client said she loved it.
Yahoo and **whew**.
That was quite a project!

Now I am gearing up for Good Folk Fest #2.
December 1st and 2nd at Mellwood Art Center, here in Louisville.
It's so much fun and so many fun artist and musicians and collectors attend. I will be cranking out the chair painting over the next few weeks, so if there are any special requests let me know.

More information on Good Folk Fest CLICKEY RAT CHEER.

Good Folk Fest Dec. 1st and 2nd....

Mark your calendars!

You don't wanna miss out on THIS kind of art!

Or miss hearing some of these amazing musicians!

I't's the place to be!

Almost Done.

I would say it's about 90something% finished.
Not such a great photo- but it helps me to see my paintings on the computer and in a different context.
Sometimes I look at them so long I can't see them anymore.
It's a weird thing.
I already can see several small adjustments that need to be made that will make a big difference.
I'll repost when it's really done.
Here's how big it is:

Holy Mother of LSD.

This is the just about the bestest kind of freak show that ever was:



I wanna be a member of the Unicorn Kingdom Club! Where do I sign?
Big thanks to Kenny for sending me the link.

PS: Kenny, Leigh....kids....It's time...Y'all come home.

Unicorn Fairy, I love you.

Unicorn Fairy, I love you., originally uploaded by Anessa.

I am the luckiest girl.

Every time I feel like I'm sliding into a funky mood, I come home to find something like this from my Unicorn Fairy.

How does she know?

(My mysterious Lexington fairy, that is.....
You see, I am convinced at this point, that I have must have a local and a long distance fairy.)

Does my Lexington Unicorn Fairy know how much these little tokens make me feel loved???

I sure hope so.

'Cause they do.

I hope the Universe does something really sweet for these fairies of mine.

They are a lovely type of soul, indeed.

She Strikes Again!!!!!

The unicorn fairy is back!

This sweet plushy baby was left on my front porch last night...sometime between 12:30am and 10am.
Hmmmmm. I love THIS!
I have no idea who it could be.
Several suspects are outta town this weekend.
I think it might be Christopher and Anne or Mike and Courtney.
I asked Justin if he was responsible. He denied any involvement.
All I know is that I love having a unicorn fairy!

YAY!

New Stuff in my Cafepress Store!

Ch-ch-ch-check it out:
Click H-E-R-E to do a little shopping.

An Interview with Me by Eric Bulter.

Many apologies, but it is now time for a little shameless self promotion..

So it seems, there's a new fan of my Beauty Paintings and I must share the news.
His name is Eric Butler and he even wrote a very nice little article about my artwork in his local art magazine.
Follow this link to read it:

Anessa Arehart, Growing Up Good. New Art Magazine #4.

Even better, it appears that he even named me on his Top Ten list in Bejeezus Zine.
I'm not kidding! Click here and then click on Eric's photo to see for yourself. Isn't that something? Maybe I'm not wasting my time after all.
And doesn't he look like a nice guy?
Well, he IS!
In fact, I liked him so much I sent him home with a small painting the day he visited my studio.
Check out his new venture: Our Art Site.com.

Needless to say, I am feeling very special today.

Also don't y'all forget that Marcy and I have our opening this Friday from 6-9 at Mellwood Art Center.
Come if you can....
We have candy...
And your Mom said it's okay.

New Show Hanging at Mellwood Art Center

Cosmo Girl, by Marcy Werner
Our new show, "Smells Like Candy", is hanging now if you wanna drop by.... but even better, the Opening Reception is June 29th, 6-9pm.
Here's a link with some pix and stuff of the work we'll be showing: Anessa and Marcy's Show.
And and big added bonus if you come opening night: Paul Moeller from the band Digby is going to do an acoustic set from 7-8pm!
He's so very good. And so very kind to do this for us. Here's a little taste of his fine tunes: Clicky here-y.
Hope you can make it!

Thanks Granddad.

I wrote this several years ago. Maybe 2001?



How it all started...

"Anessa, Have you ever drawn a portrait of someone?"

I looked up at my granddad from my then favorite position of laying down on my stomach and drawing , "What's a portrait?" As he started his explanation, (they were usually very long) I went back to my artwork in process, but I was still listening. " A portrait is a drawing or painting of someone in particular. One that tries to capture what special features or personality a person may have." I rose up curiously, impressions of the shag carpet deeply imbedded in my elbows. This actually sounded a little interesting. He finished his explanation....this time I was really paying attention.

Well, enough said! I decided we should try one of these "portraits" right away. He would be the model and I would be the artist. We got started on his personal portrait within 5 minutes of the introduction on the word to my vocabulary.

Granddad and I both decided it should be drawn from the side, because I thought that might be easier, and plus he couldn't watch me while I was drawing-- as that made me a little nervous. I posed him in a chair in front of the sliding glass window so I could really get a good look at him in the sunlight. Wrinkles and all. Who knows how long he sat there, but he was a good model and he sat very still for me. What a patient man.

When I finished my artwork I was pretty darn satisfied with the results. It was decided that he should keep the portrait and he would put it in his office. He had lots of my creations in his office...to him , a gift made by the grandkids was the best present anyone could have ever given him. ( Even if it was only tuna cans with glitter and a polaroid photo on it.)

After my granddad had passed away many years later, I was tearfully sorting through some books in his library that my Grandmother was trying to give away. I instantly picked up "The Magic Power of Your MIND", a book about how you can accomplish just about anything if you put your mind to it. This was definitely his philosophy (right after learn to listen and be kind to all god's creatures) and it reminded me so strongly of him I had to open the pages. Much to my surprise, right inside the cover was my very first portrait. Kept safely for all those years.

I had always wanted to make a living being an artist and Granddad was always coming up with ideas for me to make this come true, but as I got older it seemed more and more impractical. Luckily, finding that old piece of paper was just about all it took to remind me that I can be ANYTHING I want to be as long as I put my mind to it. Well, at least it got me started. When I picked up my paint brush again it only seemed right that he was the first person I painted.

Thanks Granddad....Each portrait I complete is a gift for you.

Rest in Peace

Rothko, originally uploaded by Anessa.

**Rothko, my sweet old boy...
You will be very missed.**

Yesterday was a heartbreaking day for our household.
Our cat Rothko was put to sleep at 5:00 after suffering from kidney failure over the past several months.

We had been trying to give him IV's for the past 2 months without much success. He hated having to sit still for us and we hated poking him repeatedly. He eventually became so dehydrated and lost so much weight that he was only 6lbs. He normally weighed about 11 lbs. He was skin and bones.
So fragile. It was pitiful.
The last two days of his life he completely quit eating, lost interest in drinking water and couldn't urinate even though he repeatedly tried. The vet said his kidneys had completely quit working and he was suffering.
Yet, through all his bad health and exhaustion, he still enjoyed getting scratched behind the ear. Which I was I was trying to do when we had him euthanized.

I never thought I would choose to put an animal to sleep, but with encouragement from our very kind-hearted vet, and a good hard reality check, I agreed to do it. It was quite peaceful overall. He did let out a loud meow when the needle of Valium was given, but within moments he was completely relaxed. I don't think he felt anything after that. If he did, I pray it was less painful than his recent existence.

I feel very sad and tearful and strange. I feel quite guilty for choosing to end his life,
but also relieved that he is no longer wasting away and feeling awful all the time.
I have cried a lot which seems to help. Today I put stones on his grave.

Rothko was between 2-5 years old when we adopted him. He lived with us 13 years. He was becoming a very old cat these days. 15-18 years is the best we can estimate. I hope his years with us were okay. We loved him very much, although he was the least social of our pets and many of you didn't even know he existed. He preferred being "behind the scenes", so we let him as best we could. I think we were a bit too animated in his opinion.
A nice, quiet spot in a sunny window were all he wanted. And treats. He liked those an awful lot, too.

Last night we buried him in the back yard. I placed him in his bed and snuggled him in a blanket, tucked in a few treats and a little note telling him he was a good cat and he was loved very much.
He now rests about 3 feet underground.
In the shade of a crepe myrtle tree.
I will miss my old boy and my heart is heavy.
Say a prayer that his next life is a good one.

Mystery Gift

Mystery Gift, originally uploaded by Anessa.

Oh boy! This was super fun to receive after work yesterday~
Seems my UNICORN FAIRY has been spending a little time in old Lexington, Kentucky. (My stomping grounds!) If you click on the picture it will take you to my www.flickr.com account where I have made note of certain clues.
Yep, CLUES! and Yep, investigation underway. I have my suspicions.
I think it may be the super cute and way fashionable crew from Isle of You. But I can't say for certain. I know they love some Paul Frank (see the fine print on the button) and they have been known to USE SILVER TISSUE PAPER in their gift wrap hall of fame. Either way, sure did make my day...and if it IS you girls I sure do love you for for being so sweet to me.
Big XO!

New Painting for You.

The original photo:

Cropped and enhanced photo:

Sketch:

Little bit of paint:

Little more paint:

And the finished product:

Just got picked up today!
18"x24" Oil on canvas.
Even got a nice tip... Thanks, Matt!

Wasn't me.

See Unicorns CAN drive!
(Just not very well.)
This is the best story EVER.

Thanks so much Lori Lyn for sending the article my way.