Bidding on work from Art For the People ends today at noon! 

To make an offer email beth@bethmeadows.com with the title of the piece and your offer.

I'm taking any offers for this work. There is no minimum bid. The highest offer at noon today will win! 

Thank you!

I was featured in the Knoxville News Sentinel for their Artist Spotlight a couple of Sundays ago. Not only is this exciting but also pretty emotional for me, for lack of a better word.

When money is tight and I feel like I'm working too much, something like this goes a long way.

I loved the timing of the article, too. It came out a couple of days before my show at Old City Java and my group show at the Birdhouse with 17th Street Studios.

 I had been toying around with the idea to have the show Art For the People at OC Java where anyone could bid on my work. While it's important for me to support myself financially to continue down this road, I want to learn at the same time how to make my artwork accessible to people. I want people to understand it and also feel like it's something they could take home with them. 

Art For the People at Old City Java. Photo by Matt Higginbotham

 My work at Old City Java is still up and I'm still taking offers on it. To learn more about this, go here. I REALLY want this work to be yours!

The show Amalgam Volume 2 also just opened last weekend. This was a wonderful experience for me. I've been managing 17th Street Studios for about three years now and am finally feeling like we are hitting a stride. I'm so impressed with the artists I share my work space with and their work. I'm grateful to be a part of this space and group of people.

Amalgam Volume 2: A 17th St Studios Member Exhibition at The Birdhouse

 If you want to check out either show, Art for the People will be up until October 28 at Old City Java in Knoxville and Amalgam Volume 2 will be up until October 27 at the Birdhouse. I also have artwork showing at Fido in Nashville until the end of the month. 

 *JIC you didn't know, this title is supposed to be funny.

My art show began today at Old City Java in Knoxville, and it's a little bit different.

I've been showing artwork in Knoxville for over 10 years. As a way to say thank you to the city (and anyone else) who has encouraged me along the way, I present:

Art for the People!

I will take the best price for these pieces, so don't be shy and make me an offer by emailing me at beth@bethmeadows.com. You may make an offer up to noon on Thursday, October 31.

$5, $10, $50, $1,000,0... anything!

And if you LOVE a piece and have to have it, ask me for the buy It now  price, and it can be yours!

Your support and encouragement mean SO much to me! Thank you!!

If you'd like to see the titles, materials, and sizes for each of these pieces, go here. 

 Old City Java // 109 S Central Street // Knoxville, TN 37901

Last week I was busy making drawings for a Knox Heritage fundraiser called the Scruffy City Soiree. Last year, I painted mason jars on slate tiles for their table's centerpieces. This year, I drew historic Knoxville buildings, and they were really fun to make.

Most are about 4 x 6", drawn on two sides of a piece of acetate and layered on top of fabric. Then they are placed in vintage frames.

There is a bumper sticker I've seen that reads "Historic Preservation is the Ultimate Recycling." These drawings of historic homes and buildings are made using mostly recycled materials- the frames, acetate, and fabric are from thrift stores or have been given to me. It's one of my favorite things to do with art- take discarded items and make them something precious again. 

5th Ave Motel- SOLD

Crescent Bend

Custom House

Ramsey House

Cal Johnson Building- Sold

Ramsey House- Sold

Cal Johnson Building

Patrick Sullivan's

Blount Mansion

The Bijou Theater- Sold

501 Arthur

JFG Coffee Sign- SOLD

Patrick Sullivan's- Sold

Crescent Bend

5th Avenue Motel on Gold

JFG Coffee Sign on Lace- SOLD

Church on Lace

Bijou Theater on Gold

Mabry Hazen House- SOLD

I hope one day I'll be able to do the same with a beautiful old building. That could be the ultimate work of art.  

At this moment, I haven't listed any of the remaining drawings from the event online to sell, but if you are interested in purchasing one, please contact me. Through the end of October, partial proceeds will benefit Knox Heritage. They will be hanging at Old City Java beginning Wednesday, October 2, but please contact me if you'd like to see them before then.

I'd also be very interested to make new ones with the building, house, and fabric of your choice, just let me know!

My show at Fido in Nashville started last Tuesday and will be up through October 29. I hope you'll stop in if you're in the area. 

Most of this work is from the past year, but there are a couple of new pieces made with fabric and paint. Each piece falls in line with the theme of fashion I've been focusing on over the past year or so. 

Hanging the show 

If you have any questions or comments about any of the work, please don't hesitate to contact me. If you're interested in purchasing anything, you can email me at beth@bethmeadows.com or go here.

 Here is the artist statement for this show: 

My work lately has been inspired by a subscription to Vogue my sister gave me a few summers ago. Most pieces began by tearing out pages from these magazines- photographs of scenes, models, and clothing.

I enjoy looking at fashion photography for aesthetic reasons- colors and patterns, for example- but also like being aware of new trends. I admire designers' innovation and craft, and on a business level, like to see how they market their specific look. 

From a consumer's standpoint, I am intrigued by how much people are willing to invest in good design. I also wonder how important an item's timelessness is to them. 

This work is about design and the market that is out there for it. It explores trends and what it takes for something to be considered a classic.

Fido

1812 21st Ave S

Nashville, TN 37212

A long time ago, I meant to say thank you (from the bottom of my heart) to anyone who voted for me as Best Artist in MetroPulse's Best of Knoxville Reader's Poll. I received Runner Up, a thing that was far off my radar, which made it a very sweet surprise.

A good friend of mine asked what this little victory meant for me, and I'd like to share that response with you:

First, I'm extremely honored. I can easily belittle things like this, considering the size and status of Knoxville, but this where I make art. It means a lot to me to find recognition here, in this place I call home.

As you may know, Knoxville is not a burgeoning mecca for the arts, but there are two main reasons I like being an artist here.

 One, Knoxville is accessible. I can live here affordably and cultural happenings, such as live music, exhibitions, festivals, and community activities, are easily available to anyone. It's easy to get around, it's easy to get tickets to things, and it's easy to do a lot of really wonderful things for free. I assume this is why Knoxville was once called "the couch," and I love my couch.

Secondly, I like the challenge of living in a city that isn't necessarily a strong center for the arts. There is potential here and much work to be done, to allow good art and artists to thrive here. A path has been laid out for me, to make the best work I can, to show it here, and to encourage and support other talented artists to do the same.

I think pursuing art would be a struggle anywhere, but it definitely has been in Knoxville. I've had to learn quickly, things that work and things that don't, but I have learned a lot and that's been extremely valuable to me. I realized a long time ago, though, that no matter what, I will always make art, until I'm physically unable. That was a good realization to have, that while it would be wonderful to make a living through making artwork, that's not necessarily the end goal for me. The end goal is here. The end goal it to make.

 I often wrestle with knowing if I'm in the right place and pursuing the right things, more so in the past, but it still happens. A reassuring thought is when I think of myself being old and gray, I see myself walking in the woods of East Tennessee. That older version of myself reminds me of how grateful I am to be an artist, living and working here now, to be in this place that has been both a challenge and a comfort, a place that has made living out what I want to do possible.

A couple of weeks ago, I finished a commission for someone who wanted me to make a painting of his family farmhouse that was built circa 1841. He had sent me several photos of the house up close, but we decided on a composition that included the land surrounding his house, to give it, what I call, a more folksy feel. He also asked me to add fall colors and his dog, Koda.

Murphy Farm acrylic on panel 18 x 24"

I house and dog sat at Kevin's house a few summers ago. It's a beautiful place that he's refurbished, paying attention to the smallest details. I love going there, especially because Koda is super soft and sweet.

I'm so honored to have had the chance to commemorate his home in this way- such a wonderful place that I know will be around for another 100 years. 

 ***

If you like what you see here and want to discuss a potential commission of your historic home, please email me at beth@bethmeadows.com, or go here. I'd love to hear from you!

Elle/ Marc Jacobs

If you weren't able to make it to my opening at Bliss Home in Market Square last Friday, I hope you'll stop in this month to see it. And when you do, remember that everything's for sale.

I wrote an artist statement for this work, but I've been thinking about it lately and want to share more about the background, things from my life that have led to making these pieces.

I'm a very thrifty person, a scavenger of the unwanted. Most things in my home were free or bought at thrift stores. It's amazing what I've acquired for little to no money. Sometimes I wish I kept a running log, putting a monetary value on these things to see how much I've saved. I'll probably never do this, but it's interesting to think about.

Carolina Herrera

While I (absolutely) love walking the aisles of thrift stores, scouring the shelves of unwanted items, I've started to run into several dilemmas.

My instinct is to think to myself, "I must buy this ceramic cat. If I don't, who will? And all this potential will be lost!"

Possibly 50% of the time, I give into buying this object that's main purpose becomes to collect dust somewhere in my all ready cluttered apartment.

Sidenote One: I buy the ceramic cat because it speaks to me. I think, "This object is special; it draws me in and I should make it mine." I didn't realize until recently that you can be thrifty and materialistic simultaneously.

Sidenote Two: I promise I'm not like those people in hoarding reality TV shows. I have a lot of stuff, but it's not a medical condition. At least not yet. 

But an internal conflict for me has arisen recently, a tension I feel about a) wanting to hunt and gather lots of "stuff" and b) a deep, untapped desire to lead a minimalistic, well-designed, and streamlined life.

Pink Feathers

I moved recently and have been confronted with that amount of things I own, items that I have carted around from one place to the next. I give things to Goodwill almost monthly, and still, it's incredible how much stuff I have.

I have this dream of being able to pack all of my belongings in one car, in case I wanted to up and move somewhere exotic. There is a subconscious weight to the things we surround ourselves with.

I have another internal conflict: c) fighting the urge to buy lot of cheap things that will last a short time in order to buy fewer high quality things that will last, possibly, a lifetime.

Arizona Muse

Growing up, I had everything I needed to survive and more. My dad worked hard and my family was never in want. Maybe you could say my sisters and I were spoiled, but it was mostly in the quality of what we had or the experiences my parents gave us, but not in the quantity. We never had a room full of cheap plastic toys, but we had a wonderful two story playhouse that my grandfather and dad built us. And one Christmas we all got neon Nike jogging suits and a trampoline. We went on some great family vacations, too.

In regard to the things I surrounded myself with as a child supported financially by my parents, I can't say the style I had growing up was my own. I wore and placed around me things my parents gave me. It wasn't until I started driving that I began choosing my own clothes, but it really took years to develop and accept my innate sense of style. While my parents' and my tastes differ greatly, we do have at least one thing in common: an appreciation for good quality, a common ground that is very enjoyable as I grow older.

But now that I'm an adult and finally know that I have exquisite taste (read: expensive), the universe has played a cruel joke on my by giving me a very tight budget.

Celine

While I covet items in magazines, it can be tempting to think if I had more money, I could buy great style, but I know this isn't true. It just takes a little more effort when money is tight.

Being the artistic person I am (this is the reason I give for all my shortcomings), I tend to leave spaces disorderly and am not great at, that funny term, nesting.

It's something I think a lot about as a creative person. Knowing in your head what you want, how you want it to look, but missing the mark because of laziness or a lack of focus or discipline. I know I can make something look how it is in my head with the proper amount of time and effort. More often than I'd like to admit, I've slapped a lot of things together at the last minute, which makes no one happy. With a little time and patience, things will come out the way you imagined them to.

Joie

So this work that I've made for this show is inspired by the most cutting edge trends in fashion and design. I looked through the pages of magazines, found particular images for inspiration, and made these pieces using things around me, from thrift stores, mostly, or things that were free.

I used product packaging- mesh produce bags and plastic newspaper bags-, fabric that was given to me from retired seamstresses, and frames and transparency paper I found at thrift stores.

South by Southwest

In a comical way, I like to think of myself as that kid from American Beauty, having a fit over the  beauty of a plastic grocery bag floating in the air.

I'm not lying. I think there is a vast amount of beauty in an orange plastic newspaper bag.

I'm working more and more to make my surroundings (my home and my studio, even the inside of my car) beautiful in the way I believe they should be. I want to do this without overspending or accumulating too much. Really, having less might do the trick.

With my artwork, I'm taking the things that are accessible to me and giving a nod to the most current ideas in the fashion world today, something I admire greatly from my modest life afar.