Happy Holidays 2012

There is a Contrast show going on tonight and tomorrow that I have work in (some new). The Barb Wire Dolls will be playing tomorrow night. If you're a fan of punk, you should try to make this show: November 30 and December 1st, 6pm-1am. 320W 37th Street, 14th Floor. New York, NY
I won't be there because I will be packing and moving. I finally found a new studio that has adequate living and work space on a freelance budget. Luck to anyone trying to do that alone in this city, it was very hard to find (and don't go to the south Bronx).
My new series is still in the early phases. I have to get caught up on some back work (always). My life has been consumed with my effort to improve it, but I am very excited to get back into the groove. I will also need to attend to my online presence and update everything. I'm considering starting a new blog for the new body. I wish I could purge the internet of my old work. I wouldn't delete this blog before redirecting, so you will be informed.
I will be getting settled and busy with the holidays. When I unpack my camera I'll upload some stuff from 2012. I hope to share my new series with you in the beginning of the new year and start participating in shows again.
Looking forward to 2013.
Stay safe, and have a great Holiday season.

signs of life

I am alive. Recovering and creating.

I'm still dealing with a lot of health issues.
I haven't updated my shows or any work. I did manage to sell the majority of my oil paintings this summer from a few NYC shows.
Right now I'm in the process of getting a new studio space and working on a new body of work. I'm not ready to show any of the progress. I'm thinking of presenting it as whole, in it's entirety as a series.
I haven't gone through my e-mails in months. I'm sorry if I haven't gotten back to you.

Social Networking and Work note

I've deleted my personal facebook account, and with it went my fan page. Currently, anything found under the name Chelsea Greene Lewyta (or some combination of the name) on facebook is not published by me.
I'm listed on google+, but I don't use it. If I haven't responded to requests, please don't be offended. I'm stepping away from social networking right now.
I've also been receiving a lot of e-mails asking me about my experiences as an artist or illustrator which I haven't responded to at all. I apologize, but I can't seem to formulate a response.
So here is a general one...
I've been dealing with health issues prior to graduation and I've been struggling with nearly everything. I do not think I am a good candidate to answer questions about the field. I'm not doing and I haven't done much illustration work. Most the work floating around out there as my "illustrations" are works that I did for classes at Pratt. Post graduation, I've really just been creating work for work's sake, and whatever project came along that I thought I could do, I would do. I got invited to show my work internationally prior to graduating and I just kind of ran with it without really knowing about that side of the art business. I'm learning as I go, truth be told, I should probably be sending out some advice asking e-mails myself. I was more interested in doing personal or themed work for shows, than illustrating. A lot of my work is also unpublished, commissions by individuals, not associated with a company. I don't really know what you would define me as, besides the vague term of "artist", I'm still finding my niche. I only began painting traditionally in the Summer of 2009, with just a few traditional art clases under my belt. I have A LOT to learn. What I'm working on isn't really what I studied for, at least the business and practical side of it.
Conclusion: I'm still finding myself as an artist.

I have a bunch of projects I'm working on, but my health is really what I'm focusing on right now. I've been neglecting it for far too long. I'll keep this blog updated with work and show information. Two of my upcoming group shows are themed, one is skate decks- profits go to skateparks, and one is small works on paper.
I'm not taking any new projects on at the moment. I have a handful of commissions to catch up on, a donation piece, work for above listed shows, and lots of clinic appointments.

Take care.

Beautiful Beasts

Interpretation of Beauty and the Beast. This is for Wayward Fairy Tales. I'll be prepping canvases this weekend. I have to finish painting these my the end of February.
(Edit: 2/11: Cleaned up the beast and added some details.

Mirrored... 

Rotten Demon Skull

This is a commission from a bit ago. I'm catching up on all the projects I fell behind on. I'll be finishing it digitally for a 3x3 foot poster.

Poster for The Contrast Art Show. This February. 

Boots and Modern Eden: Wayward Fairytales

Boots (working title), 28x18" drawing for board.

I finished this piece today. The concept is roughly based on Puss in Boots. It's not part of the wayward fairy tale show, just inspired.


*Edit 2/3/12:
One of the concepts for this piece revolved around the leopard's spots being an intricate man made design. The drawing looked too busy, so I erased it. And now that I'm looking at the pattern I laid in photoshop, it looks too flat. I think I'll save this idea for another piece and resolve his pattern when I paint. The rest of the piece gained a lot of detail and story as I worked on it, adding substantial weight to the big cat would disrupt the flow.

Coming up this month is a another Contrast art Show at 320 studios in Manhattan. This March, in San Francisco, at Modern Eden will be the group show, Wayward fairytales. 

More soon.

New Drawing

In the spring I am participating in a themed group show at Modern Eden. I'm really excited about it. This is one drawing for half of a diptych. The theme is fairy tales. You can't tell which it is now, you'll have to wait for the second piece.

I'm a little behind though. Both my drawings should be done and I should be painting by now. Not that I can't finish it in time, I usually finish things last minute, but I want to take my time and try to make a masterful piece for once.

One of my goals this year is to produce and finish more (personal/show) work.

The online store isn't up yet. I haven't worked on it much. I'm overloaded with commissions, upcoming shows, the sick urge to do my own additional work on top of it, and various things I can't mention.

Expect more work soon. Take care.

Fabled Nature

Opening Friday the 13th, 2012 in the West Village: Fabled Nature 

Artworks by Chelsea Greene Lewyta and Änka Lavriv-Fragomeni.

The music starts at 7 pm. It is located at Bardot Heights, 432a 2nd Floor, 6th Ave. New York, NY. 

....

I finally finished this painting. I've accumulated so much unfinished work... bah.