❥ the dice of fate

this week in outsider art features reneesha mccoy on how motherhood reinvigorated her artwork, david zeldis, a spider bowl, quilts and a folkartwork exhibit unboxing

Oct 06, 2024

THIS WEEK IN OUTSIDER ART

for daily postings of outsider art visit folkartwork.art or follow on Instagram

**DAVID ZELDIS** Dice of Fate (about 1983–84) // Colored pencil on paper, 6 inches x 7 inches via *Hirschl and Adler*

**SARAH MARY TAYLOR** Figures Quilt (c. 1979-1983) // Cotton and polyester; running stitch; 6 feet 9 inches × 6 feet 3 inches (205.7 × 190.5 cm) via *Philadelphia Museum of Art*

**UNKNOWN** Spider Bowl (c. 250 BCE - 50 CE; Nazca) // Ceramic and slip paints; 5.08 × 13.34 × 12.7 cm via *Dallas Museum of Art*

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**RENATA BERDES** Wheelchair (2018) via *The Arts of Life*

**DINAH HANSON-CARRILLO** South Pasadena Schadenfreude (2023) // Print on matte paper, signed by the artist; unframed and measures 11 inches by 14 inches -- *prints of this work and more available for purchase via the artist in the FolkArtwork Collective shop*

**KAY LE SEELLEUR ARA** The Two Amazettes and their Six Levitating Cats (c. 2024) via *the artist*

Catch Des Moines: "Faces In The Crowd" Art Exhibit Opening Reception

**JAKE MCCORD** Snake (1996) // Paint on wood; 25½ h × 48 w in (65 × 122 cm) via *Toomey and Co*

Gravestone of the ingenious mathematician and printer, Mr. John Foster // Dorchester, Massachusetts -- courtesy *American Antiquarian Society*

**MIKE COMBS** Creep #3 (c. 2020-2024) // Spray paint, house paint, and acrylic paint on upcycled panels from husked corn crates — *available for purchase via the artist in the FolkArtwork Collective shop*

Des Moines Register: Things To Do // "Faces In The Crowd" Art Exhibit

Scarecrows in Mary T. Smith's yard via *Souls Grown Deep Foundation* // Photo: Tom Rankin, 1985)

**SYLVETTE DAVID** Blackbird Song (2000) // Oil on board; 14 × 17 1/4 in. (35.56 × 43.82 cm) via *Milwaukee Art Museum*

**AMÉLIE MONDIN** Untitled (date unknown) // Paint; 21.9 x 27.8 x 1 cm via *Musée LaM*

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FEATURED ARTIST OF THE WEEK

**M. TURNER** Landscape / Portrait (2024) // Acrylic on canvas; 66 cm x 51 cm courtesy *the artist*

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WATCHING AND READING

Here are a few things I’ve been watching this past week:

Here are a few things I’ve been reading this past week:

OH WORD?

» Reneesha Mccoy on How Motherhood Reinvigorated Her Art «

*Reneesha Mccoy in her home studio in North Carolina via the artist’s website*

I'm impressed with people who can find the time and energy to create artwork constantly. I'm even more impressed that people with children find the time to do anything productive other than feeding them, dressing them, and getting them to bed! The amount of work that Reneesha Mccoy outputs is awe-inspiring.

As a mother of three who lives and works in North Carolina, Reneesha's works are as gorgeous as they are inspiring. Her artistic process involves studying the anatomy of the female form and challenging herself to present her interpretation in new and conceptual ways. Part of the reason this is central to her work is that she is often painting while holding on to or chasing around one of those children of hers.

Reneesha started painting over five years ago, has exhibited work across the country, and continues exploring new mediums, materials, and ways of expressing life as a full-time mother and artist.

As we approach the first-ever FolkArtwork exhibit, 'Faces In The Crowd,' where I am excited to showcase Reneesha Mccoy's work, I had the privilege of catching up with her. This interview is a unique opportunity to hear about the incredible work of an artist who successfully balances motherhood and a full-time artist.

*Original artwork by Reneesha Mccoy via the artist’s website*

Excerpts from my interview with Reneesha Mccoy:

FolkArtwork: You started painting in 2019 and quickly became a full-time artist after that, what led to that decision and how has becoming a mother influenced your artwork?

Reneesha Mccoy: My partner who is also an artist encouraged me to pursue art full time. I knew I wanted to create. I’d known that for years but becoming an artist was not my plan. The idea of sharing something so personal to be judged was very frightening for me.

I have always been creative and tried many different avenues but there was nothing I felt connected to. That connection probably started after my miscarriage. I began to feel an urge to artistically explore my thoughts, my emotions, and the way I felt in my body.

The way becoming a mother has influenced my artwork was like flipping a light switch. Immediately after birth I pulled at my soft loose and empty belly. When I began to nurse there were so many physical changes. I wanted to illustrate that. I felt compelled to. It wasn’t a perfect body but it was beautiful and from there I sketched and scribbled with my oil pastels until I “felt” the imperfect body.

FA: How have you seen your art evolve in the 5 years since you've been doing this as a self-taught artist full-time?

RM: I’ve allowed myself to grow and understand my material. I’ve played around with different mediums. Even specifically my forms and the way I interpret them. I’m always learning and love to learn!

I love to think of new ways to portray the emotions of my figures and that always changes with different life experiences.

Reneesha Mccoys's work can be purchased in the FolkArtwork Collective shop and you can see her work on November 9th at the "Faces In The Crowd" FolkArtwork exhibit in Des Moines, Iowa.

read the full interview here

SHOUT OUT

folkartwork

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Shout out to this little “Faces In The Crowd” FolkArtwork exhibit unboxing to get hyped for the opening reception on November 9th! For the first time since his passing, the works of Self-taught artist James Ash (1950-2021) will be exhibited and able to be seen at the first-ever FolkArtwork exhibit in Des Moines, Iowa.

JAMES ASH Shuffleboard Champs (2011) // Acrylic on Canvas Paper; 15 inches x 20 inches

In 2021, James Ash passed away at the age of seventy-one. Months later, his daughter, singer/songwriter Anna Ash had the task of cleaning out his cabin in the woods and deciding what to do with all of his belongings, including over two dozen large, colorful, surreal, and enigmatic paintings.

It probably would have been pretty easy for Anna to throw them into the dumpster. No one else really wanted them. As she explains in her unpublished telling of her relationship with her father and his paintings, they had an up-and-down relationship throughout his life — as is all too common in families who experience addiction and mental health struggles. But there was something intimate about these paintings, something special that needed to be saved and shared with as many people as possible.

I’m honored to help Anna share these work with the public, and can’t wait continue our journey to get them in front of as many people as possible.

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FROM THE COLLECTIVE

**SARAH LEE** Listen kitty, I live among the creatures of the night, I haven’t got the will to try and fight… (2024) // Giclee fine art prints on 320gsm cotton rag paper; unframed and measuring 11.7 inches by 16.5 inches — *available for purchase via the artist in the FolkArtwork Collective shop*

Sarah is a self-taught Irish artist and illustrator working in London. Working full-time as a nurse and at a charity that runs workshops for people with mental health conditions. When she isn’t working or spending time with her daughter, Sarah paints every chance she gets.

available for purchase

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

» MEET THE COLLECTOR SERIES PART SIXTY-NINE — Adam Oestreich, Iowa «

🌞 faces in the crowd: noel hatfield

October 4, 2024

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