Special Preview of Friday's Show!

stitched words on fabric. (borrowed from hemingway). there will be a number of these stitched word pieces sprinkled throughout the show. some are quotes, some are my own writing, and some are just words or phrases.


a simple rain scene (in progress). 9" x 12" on canvas paper.


announcing the title of the show: "salt of the earth". this is the handmade "poster" for the show. stitched words on fabric with paper backing. duplicates will be available on various fabrics in limited quantities, all handmade. about 8.5" x 11". $10 each. email me to reserve one for yourself.


pin-cushion soft sculpture made with quilt piecing and red yarn. about 4" x 4" x 3".


new LARGE tree painting. (i think it is finished.) not yet named or priced. it's a big one at 48" x 72". i'm lovin this one.


well, sadly, that concludes the preview for now. stay tuned as i may get the urge to post a few more pieces before friday (depending on how many all-nighters i'm using to pull this whole circus together). let me know what you think so far. i'm ancy for your feedback. and overall girlishly excited about the opening. thanks for checking in!

your artist in residence,
rebecca

Day 22 in Hot Springs

A little glimpse into the studio (I took this pic just a few hours ago) after about 3 weeks of daily work. (looks a little different from that first shot). Lots of projects in progress, with one week left to pull it all together. I'm sailing along, and very excited about the range of media that I've been able to put into this show. Stay tuned for the final result. Show opens one week from today! Sadly, this begins my final week in Hot Springs (I depart on Oct.5, headed back to New Orleans). Before I leave: more hiking for sure, another round of thrift stores and maybe another soak at the bath house.


Another great sign. this one is an old hand-painted building facade.

southern fried music

On Tuesday night I went to see a local musician, Brian Martin, play at a local bar, Maxine's. I was told he had a blues folk style, and being one of the artists playing at my show opening on Oct. 3 at Low Key Arts, I couldn't pass up the weeknight show. I was so impressed with his southern-fried style of toe-tapping, waits-like wailin, strummin, and harmonica-squealin... creepin right down between your bones, with some homestyle folk pop apple pie for anyone to cut a rug on... I swear to you. for your own good... go see this guy. He plays solo round arkansas and north louisiana and also with a band and with guest artists... he's an arkansas native, never straying far from home, as far as I can tell. keeping his roots firmly in tact. i told him there's some people in new orleans who would feel at home hearing him sing. said he'd consider it. Can anyone in new orleans get this guy set up with a gig? ok. i'm done preachin. don't go to his website, don't go to his myspace... just go see him wail. (ok, here's his myspace, and here's his website)
enjoy the very unprofessional video i shot on my camera.

Dinner at the Studio

Concept photo. Empty slab at the top of a grand staircase up from the street.


a little lovely

Happy Hollow
Hot Springs (hence the name), has these great public-access spring water spouts round town. You are free to bring your own jugs and fill em up... take as much as you want. My fave is Happy Hollow, which comes out cold instead of hot, and has the faintest sweetness to it. This is a sign with the breakdown of mineral content. I love seeing the locals at the spring, with all their mismatch bottles they've collected over the years, loading up the whole truck with fresh water. :)


Thrift

Hot Springs must have the largest concentration of thrift stores in one little town! It's incredible. Without venturing too far from the studio for too long, I have managed to find some gems in the mashup. Here's a pic of a great quilt I found at the above shop. I then used it to make these market totes, and then sold a few at the farmer's market on Saturday morning. :)

Garland County Fair

Some fun pics from the county fair! I admit, I'm a sucker for the bright lights and whirling rides, cotton candy, candied apples, popcorn and bad prizes. While at this fair, I realized I had never been to a real county fair before... the kind with lots of big blue ribbons for the best: sheep, goats, cows, pigs, chickens, quilts, preserves, pralines, pie, upholstery, latch-hook, crochet, hot sauce, chili, salsa, peppers, pickles.... you name it, they've got a category for it! and a winner! someone from good ole Garland county! its so wholesome i could cry. :) makes me want to get a farm and make goats milk!

Art-Preview

It may be a little difficult to see all the sweet detail in this picture, but this new piece is a drawing made with tiny stitches and a little paint, on a piece of an old floral pillowcase, with the embroidery hoop as frame. Small darling of a piece at about 7" x 7". I'm doing a special pre-release of this piece. Soggy Pillow, stitching on fabric in hoop, 7" x 7", $200

A Bit of Sweet Press

Click here to read the write-up about me in Arkansas Vibe Magazine, promoting my solo show on Oct. 3.

Power Out = Rebecca Outside

Last night's storm brought a power outage that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. With no lights in the studio, I hauled the paints and canvas out onto the porch for a little daylight painting. It was so refreshing. The weather here today was perfectly hopeful: cool and brisk with that nudge toward fall, makes me want to skip down the street in a sweater holding hands. :)

Rebecca

Rainy Day pictures on Central Ave.

Hot Springs is one of those small towns with great old signage. I can't help but take some pictures. I snapped these pics from inside my car while in an unusual bit of traffic on their "main st.", Central Ave. It was calm even in traffic, the way the water blurred on the glass.

Fall Newsletter

I am happy to announce that I am an artist in residence for the month of September in Hot Springs, AR - graciously hosted by Bill and Shea Childs of the young uber-hip multi-disciplinary arts center Low Key Arts. I have just recently arrived in Hot Springs and set up studio in their 3,000 square foot warehouse space where I'll be making it rain until my solo show opens on October 3. Get to know Low Key Arts on myspace. Check out the musical acts that will be performing as well, and stay tuned right here for my...


Get a peek inside my studio and share in my daily experiences here in Hot Springs as a guest artist. Be the first to preview (and pre-purchase) a selection of artworks before the show opens, and be my connection to the outside world by leaving comments! (yes, I do read them.)


Many of you have contacted me about work that is available now. I'm happy to provide an update of available prints and originals which you can purchase right here on my Etsy Shop. Any purchases made this month will do extra work in funding my residency, and I thank you for that. Merci!


A final word for my New Orleanians,
I have missed seeing ya'll at the art markets and have sorely missed being around our beloved city. I am happy to see that nola-shaped light that is ahead for me and looking forward to spending my fall/winter in the city. My art career so far has been plentiful with blessings and my many-thanks go to my new orleans community of friends, family, and supporters. I'm so proud of myself right now and I hope you are too! Ya'll come on out to say hello in October.

Down-home,
Rebecca



Recent Articles: Rare Magazine , Evacuation , Thank You Jackson Hole
Recent Press: MYNLA Blog , Rare Magazine
Shop: My Etsy Shop , My Website
Contact: rebecca@rebeccarebouche.com

Evacuation

Due to the arrival of Gustav in the Gulf, along with my fellow New Orleanians, I had to gather all important belongings and evacuate last Saturday. I went to a house in the country of North Louisiana where there was no cable tv, no internet, and very little cell phone reception. Now that I'm sure my fair city faired well, here are some pics from the evacuation.Storm-tracking on the i-phone.
Borrowed games.
Walking down to the Red River in the rain.
Great old country house spotted on a drive.

I have since left North Louisiana, and said my grace for the spared crescent city. More on my wear-abouts in an upcoming post. Stay tuned.

My sincerest thanks to everyone who tried to contact me during the storm. and my heart for those in areas that were hit hard.

Rebecca