Charcoal Drawing Daydreaming Nude Woman

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Back in January my friend Dana and I hired a model that I knew to pose for us. Jessica is a Sicilian artist based in Florence, Italy, where I met her while street painting. She has that dark, dramatic Mediterranean beauty. Over the course of several months, Dana and I drew Jessica every chance we could pin her down for a modeling session.

I took my unfinished drawing back to my studio in central Texas and finished the other, non-figurative compositional elements there. Originally I was thinking of the title “Rectangles and Circles,” but each time I looked at the drawn expression of the model, I kept thinking that I caught her lost in her own thoughts.

So, I present to you:

“Daydreaming of Yesterday”
Charcoal with Pastel
Roma-brand Italian paper
46 x 64 cm (approx. 18” x 25”)
$1950




“Happy Thanksgiving” to all Americans and their friends and anyone else who appreciates the idea of gratitude. Be well.

Diverse Art Austin Texas

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I write as I am preparing for the last weekend of E.A.S.T. (East Austin Studio Tour). I am a guest artist at Schoen Sculpture Studio, 1406 Smith Road, Austin, Texas. And I have the coolest artists in my building, including one working with holograms, another with Tesla coils, glass pulling, concrete, mosaic, paintings in many media, soaps, and of course: sculpture! Join us ??

Enjoy the images of my colleagues:
Marci Robinson serves up some of Tito’s Hand-made vodka.

Nubian Queen Lola and Lisa Marie Mitchell serve up Homemade Cajun Cooking – Crawfish Etouffee and Gumbo with cornbread. All proceeds go to feeding the homeless.








Paintings by Jan Knox.

A recording studio: Sweatbox exhibiting works by their clients

RC Hot Glass with guest artists on exhibit

Flo Vazquez with one of her glass bowls (East by Southeast Studios)

Visitor Kimberly Watson-Hemphill pulls on the gooey glass while RC Hot Glass staff member Morgan Graff supports the glass on a metal rod.

Love these scissors! I must say that I am not crazy about the lack of safety gear during this project. Guests are given glasses, but . . . maybe I am just too cautious, but I would be wearing more and require others to do so as well.

Holograms by Sally Weber

And Craig Newswanger (right) shows off a Tesla coil recently used by the Austin-based, but world-traveled band ArcAttack in a free concert at the Smith Road Art Complex.

ArcAttack then gave a free concert last Wednesday evening in front of the UT (Univ. of Texas) Tower. Very cool, I wish that my photo could convey the atmosphere. Hanging out with physics people can be quite fun!


Per the catalog, here is a list of artists at the Smith Road address (in catalog order):
Glenda Kronke – kiln-formed glass sculpture
Flo Vazquez – kiln-formed glass
Ruth Heffron – oil painting
Rebecca Cole – RC Hot Glass
Craig Newswanger – Resonance Studio (computer controlled music)
Sally Weber – holography, photography, light and sound
Germaine Keller – conceptual art
Gladys Poorte – painting
Jim Sipowicz – photography and art printing
Judy Jensen – reverse painting and drawing on glass
Rino Pizzi – metal sculpture
Faith Schexmayder – foam sculpture, mosaics, fabricating
Lisa Linbrugger – jewelry design and metalsmithing
(Beth) Schoen Sculpture Studio – portrait sculpture and classes
Rebecca Bennett – abstract ethereal oil painting
House 11 Studio – concrete
Suzanne Stewart – oil painting
Valerie Walden – original interpretive oil and pastel paintings of nature
Etsy Austin – collaboration of artists utilizing various mediums
Kelly Borsheim – figurative stone carving, bronze, paintings, and drawings
Jan Knox – paintings, acrylic, collage
Nepenthe’s Bathtime – artisan soap and bath products
Kreeger Pottery – ceramics

And this is only one location of E.A.S.T. !
Will you not join us all this Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm each day. (Ok, you may visit only part of that time, if you wish ;-)

Faith Schexmayder Flatfork Studio

Faith Schexmayder Flatfork Studio

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I was attempting to have only one blog post to show you the wide variety of art that is in the building that I am exhibiting in during East Austin Studio Tour (E.A.S.T.). However, my new friend Faith Schexmayder is doing something too cool to have only one photo about. Faith is the artist behind Flatfork Studio and is a staple (read also landlady) at 1406 Smith Road in Austin, Texas.

Faith created mosaic quilts among other sculptures. I am including some images I asked her if I could take of her display during E.A.S.T. In an effort to simplify a rather involved process, let me sum it up by saying that she starts her sculptures with an armature of foam, sometimes supported with metal (see the dog later). She has to cut the foam much smaller to account for the thickness of the materials she will add to the art.

Then she starts to apply the cement and mosaic tile pieces. When satisfied, she will then grout the mosaic. So, this constructed quilt on a bench that you see here is truly a unique work of art!








Faith also created this whirling composition in paintbrushes. There are uses for almost anything in the hands of a fertile imagination!

Come check out the art of Faith Schexmayder this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm both days. And say hello to me too, I will be up near the front of Faith’s building. And artists – she is renting additional spaces to more cool people.

E.A.S.T. - East Austin Studio Tour (Texas)
1406 Smith Road, Suite E
Austin, Texas 78721
Tel. 512.389.5000
Web site: www.eastaustinstudiotour.com

East Austin Studio Tour Texas

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

You Are Invited!

I apologize (only slightly) for the repeat about the East Austin Studio Tour here in central Texas. We had a pretty good opening weekend last Saturday and Sunday. I was delighted to see old friends that I have not seen in too many years (including Marjorie who came all the way from The Netherlands!). I also met a lot of cool people, including a local painter named Will Klemm.


Anyway, I include here a group of images of my host Schoen Sculpture Studio, featuring the sculptural portraits by Beth Schoen, lovely paintings by Suzanne Stewart (my favorite being the fishing boy), first-time exhibitor Lauri Randall with her bronze figurative sculptures, and my drawings, sculptures, giclées, and framed photographs from Italy and New Orleans. [The photos are 50% off to make room in my studio for my drawing papers and supplies. So, check ‘em out!]

Join us and see more art from holograms to soap to mosaic quilts and glass blowing. This is an eclectic bunch and I am thrilled to be meeting so many cool people! This Saturday and Sunday are the last days of the East Austin Studio Tour this year.




There are catalogs and maps available to all of the art studios and art-related events. There are more than 150 studios to see this year! Check out the E.A.S.T. Web site (link below) for catalog locations.

21-22 November
(Sat & Sun)
10:00 am - 5 p.m.

E.A.S.T. - East Austin Studio Tour (Texas)
Kelly Borsheim is a Guest Artist Both Weekends
Schoen Sculpture Studio: Sculptor Beth Schoen
1406 Smith Road, Suite E
Austin, Texas 78721
Tel. 512.389.5000
Web site: www.eastaustinstudiotour.com



Above: Kelly Borsheim, Beth Schoen, and Suzanne Stewart

East Austin Studio Tour Texas

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

You Are Invited!

Free tours of art studios based in East Austin, Texas, feature the regular artist inhabitants, as well as many, many guest artists, including myself (Kelly Borsheim is a guest of Schoen Sculpture Studio). Please come see my drawings, sculpture in marble or bronze. I will also have giclées available from two of my most popular paintings AND a great sale on some of my framed photographs from Italy.

There are catalogs and maps available to all of the art studios and art-related events. There are more than 150 studios to see this year! Check out the E.A.S.T. Web site (link below) for catalog locations.

14-15 November
21-22 November
(Sat & Sun)
10:00 am - 5 p.m.

E.A.S.T. - East Austin Studio Tour (Texas)
Kelly Borsheim is a Guest Artist Both Weekends
Schoen Sculpture Studio: Sculptor Beth Schoen
1406 Smith Road, Suite E
Austin, Texas 78721
Tel. 512.389.5000
Web site: www.eastaustinstudiotour.com

Indianapolis and Chicago

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I recently returned from my visit to Indianapolis for two art events at the Franklin Barry Gallery. I was charmed to meet my formerly only-through-Facebook friend and fellow artist Travis Little. Travis also has some of his mixed media figurative works at the gallery. He not only supplied the digital projector for my presentation of “My Life as On of the Madonnari (Italian street painters)”, but he also showed me around downtown Indy a bit whenever we found time away from business. I am afraid I teased him about being a groupie because he was so friendly and supportive, as well as complimentary of my work. I am honored to have made his acquaintance for real.


I hope you enjoy this self-portrait I took on a timer of Travis and me showing off some of our artwork in the gallery while owner Don Elliott was busy choosing frames and taking care of the details for the upcoming exhibit. I wanted to share this cool story: that morning I had a minor “ironing incident” with some olive oil and my skirt and Don ended up pulling some of his mother’s dresses from a closet. So, this may have been the first time I have ever worn orange before! [Don gave me this dress and the vintage slip that went with it before I left his home. How cool was that?!]


I love seeing how Don and his assistant Chuck frame my drawings and paintings. I was delighted that Don chose a thin metallic magenta frame for the oil painting “Insatiable.” I do not have an eye for framing, but this choice made this painting even more colorful and fun. For November, Don has featured this colorful large sensuous mouth in the front window of the Franklin Barry Gallery aka The Frame Shop. He also exhibits several of my series of “Lips” stone carvings. See them if you can!


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The morning after the First Friday Gallery Walk in Indy, I headed to Chicago to see the family of my late friend and mentor Vasily Fedorouk.. Vasily’s wife Dilbara and I enjoyed our time together and spoke a lot about ways in which we can keep alive the memory of Vasily and his art. I was thrilled to see my friend’s latest marble sculpture, but so sad to realize this was also his last. Although I am tempted to share images of this composition with you, I defer to his family on this point. Instead, I hope you enjoy this image of a vine growing in their back yard. Can you tell me what plant this is? I have never seen one like it before.

Male Nude Art Drawing

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Perhaps you remember some of the copies I have created of famous artworks. Today I want to share with you a copy I made of one of my own figure drawings. I had done a pencil sketch in Florence, Italy, of a model named Gianni (Johnny) on 20 February 2009. It was only a 40-minute sketch (two 20-minutes poses), but I rather liked him.



So recently I decided to redraw the art onto some crème Italian Umbria paper using charcoal and white pastel. These materials give me a greater range of tone to play with than pencil and I was happy that I was able to improve upon my original drawing.



“Gianni 2009”
18” x 8”
Charcoal and Pastel
Umbria paper


If interested in the figure drawing “Gianni 2009” please contact:

The Franklin Barry Gallery in Indianapolis.
617 Massachusetts Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
Tel. 317.822.8455

Contact: Don Elliott