Donna Rossi

December 2011 Greetings from Donna Rossi Studio

2011-12-11T09:56:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone — It has been a year and a month since my last blog entry, but it's just because I've been busy working on lots of new and interesting projects. I present to you my book which I've recently self-published. It's been a long time coming, but now I can share it with everyone.

My thoughts about this project…

I originally wrote and illustrated "Papa" in my junior year of college. The project was a response to an illustration class assignment: to write and illustrate a short story. As an artist I have always responded to these types of assignments from an emotional and spiritual viewpoint. The most important thoughts to me at that time in my life – what came up foremost as a topic – was my father's death when I was four years old, and my grandfather's death around the time of this assignment. These major events in my life impacted me very deeply. I became "in search of" my father at that very early age, and then other loved ones later on in life. I struggled to answer questions for myself like "Where did they go?" "Why did they go?" This became a major influence for me to seek out spiritual answers for myself growing up. And so the culmination of my artwork, from about age five to my Junior year of college and to present, has been a body of work that responds to my inner emotions and ever-changing spiritual tides of life. These events basically forced me to look inwardly to find my own answers and then express them outwardly through my art – simply because I was in deep pain and anxiety from grief. So this book became an actual tool for my own use to help me through my personal grieving process.

In the last ten years I've revamped the pages with new illustrations and put together what is now a 32 page book. Generally I've always been a mixed media painter, working mostly in aqueous media, incorporating various mediums and surfaces into my paintings and projects. However this book is purely an illustration project – originally created in pen & ink with prismacolor pencil on smooth Bristol paper.

I firmly believe that the Universe nudges one to follow something through if it is meant to be of assistance to others in this life. I've always had a strong nudge to publish my book since the time that I had originally created it. But through the years life happened and that nudge was put on hold until after my son, Matthew, was about 5 years old. I was then able to address that nudge again, as it resurfaced very strongly. And so I've been determined to follow this project through to completion. My book reaches out to all ages, yet is child-friendly. It is simply meant to ease the grieving process that many people experience from loss of any kind. It is not meant to be a standpoint on any religious belief, nor does it profess to be an expert opinion as to the mysterious workings of life and death. It simply seeks to be what it can for anyone who can relate to it – and encourages one to look inwardly to seek their own answers to questions they may have regarding the loss of a loved one…

Here are a few sample pages from my book for you to peruse...

I want to thank the many special people in my life – Family & Friends – who have helped me and guided me through this process of getting my book self-published. I could not have accomplished this goal without all your love and support. Words cannot express my gratitude for each and every one of you...

The book is available on

Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.

You can also order through this link:

https://www1.search-it-buy-it.com/sibi/BuyBook.aspx?vId=004&BcFB9wxh4O8GuKSrKrhXTB0bfnLf/O+BHODxP8w1XCDH1M1cZIby9D5Mx0Gk3WAZ

Thank you all so much for visiting my blog. I wish you a beautiful holiday season and a new year with all your wishes fulfilled.

Love & Light,

Donna Rossi

November 2010 greetings from Donna Rossi Studio

2010-11-16T09:11:00.000-08:00

I hope this finds everyone in good health and spirits as we approach another winter season. I haven't updated my artblog since May of this year. But that is always an indication of life moving at its normal speed of sound pace. I've managed to squeeze out a few new pieces under a new series entitled "Comfort Food." They are small sketches from my sketchbook done in Prismacolor pencil. Here are a few of them. Let me know what you think so far...

This one is titled "Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese":

This one is titled "Blackberry Pie with a Dollop":

This one is titled "Bacon Egg & Cheese Sandwich":

I am still adding to this series so stay tuned for more to come.

You can purchase prints of these drawings at my gallery site

donnarossistudio.com

Here is a direct link to that gallery page:

http://www.yessy.com/donnarossistudio/food.html

Thank you for visiting my blog!

Happy Holidays

2010 Hudson Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Expo

2010-05-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Chris Marra, Director of Economic Development for the City of Peekskill, artists that live and/or work in that community were given the very generous opportunity to participate in the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce 2010 Business Expo. About ten of us were lucky enough to be a part of it on Saturday, April 10th at Colonial Terrace in Cortlandt Manor, NY. Each of us set up a display table of our work so that Expo visitors could come and peruse a colorful and varied gallery of artwork for the day. It was a great way to connect Peekskill Artists with the local business community. Great networking, great exposure and a fun day! Many thanks to Chris Marra and Bill Powers, Acting President of the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce.

Nathan's Cupcake

2010-05-12T12:57:00.000-07:00

My nephew Nathan is four years old and has a special love for cupcakes. He doesn't eat them, he just loves to carry them around and look at them. I was pondering that one day and decided to really study the essence of a cupcake to see just what Nathan was talking about… and for me, in order to connect with the essence of anything, I really need to paint it. So I painted a cupcake, and then I ate it. It was a very gratifying experience to say the least. I managed to do two of my favorite things: paint & eat. Nice. I actually painted this for Nathan so that he wouldn't have to carry around a cupcake all the time - he could just look at one on the wall when needed. But maybe I wasn't getting the whole essence of that experience. Maybe he needed to actually carry it around with him in order to connect with it. Maybe as adults we should observe children creating experiences in order to discover their own world. We could really re-learn the art of observation from all children, especially under age five…

Come Visit Us Dec. 5th & 6th...

2009-11-21T14:14:00.000-08:00

If you are in the area,

stop by and visit the artists at

Brown St. Studios in Peekskill

on Dec. 5th & 6th

Some of the artists will have their studios open that weekend,

so come and enjoy viewing some great art and great gift ideas!

The Flat Iron Gallery will be open as well for you to browse around!

Download the postcard for details...

Also coming soon:

Entrée to Hope Show Oct. 2-Nov. 16, 2009

2009-10-18T18:06:00.000-07:00

Thank You!

I would like to thank everyone who came to visit us at 121 Restaurant Gallery for the opening reception of the Entrée to Hope Celebration show. Your support and encouragement meant so much to the artists and to Entrée to Hope. Everyone enjoyed great art, by Donna & Linda, great music by Tonya Carmen, and great food — courtesy of 121 Restaurant.

Here are some photos from the event...Photos courtesy of Chris Schwartz, Director of Development, Grace Community Church. Special thanks to Chris Schwartz, Christina Rohatynskyj, Executive Director of Food Bank for Westchester, and James Brown, Manager of 121 Restaurant, for creating the opportunity for Linda and myself to show our work in support of Entrée to Hope. The show will be up until November 16th, so if you are in the area, please stop by and visit us! Have a fabulous lunch or dinner at the restaurant, and enjoy the art on the walls in the gallery.

Artist, Donna Rossi & Photographer Linda Austrian.

Singer/Songwriter Tonya Carmen

It was a great day for art!

Thank you again for making

our day such a great success...

August 8th Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

2009-08-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

I want to thank everyone who came to visit us at Brown Street Studios in Peekskill, NY on Saturday, August 8th for our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony announcing our new signage for the building that houses our artists' studios. It was a great day weather-wise so there was quite a bit of traffic through the building. It's really exciting to be part of such a great group of artists — and now we're "on the map" so to speak.

From left to right (front row): Stephen Mancusi, Mary Foster - Mayor of Peekskill, Susan Weinreich, Ilse Schreiber-Noll, Marcy B. Freedman, Elana Goren, Keren Valentin, Donna Rossi, Michael Lanier. (back row): John Ford, Monique Brideau, Lavinia Wiggins. Our sign is in the above right corner of the picture. Photo courtesy of Mike Slevin.

Our August 8th Ribbon Cutting Ceremony & Open Studios Day was a great success. Our group of artists enjoyed opening their studios to the public and talking about their art.

We featured the very talented singer/songwriter Tonya Carmen for our music entertainment. Visitors strolled through each studio, viewing a wide range of artwork, chatting with the artists and listening to fabulous original music.

Special thanks to Lavinia Wiggins who put together a wonderful spread of food & drink for the artists and our guests in her studio. Note her beautiful paintings!

Here's the North County News write-up announcing the event:

http://www.ncnlocal.com/lifestyles/ncn_mind_body_sprit.asp

I will send out the post-event article soon.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR

HELPING TO MAKE OUR DAY A SUCCESS!

Montauk Series (page 2)

2009-04-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Montauk Hydrangeas

This is one of my fondest views. It is overlooking the ocean from the cottage. It's a beautiful & serene scene that has the amazing power to envelop anyone who is a bundle of stress and worries, in an aura of inner calmness — which most of the time is much needed...

Stay tuned for more of the Montauk Series.

Montauk Series I

2009-04-05T15:59:00.001-07:00

Montauk Beach Path II
The other series that I am currently working on is the Montauk Series. These are pieces that I have been waiting patiently to execute for about a decade. Montauk, NY - which is the tip of Long Island - is one of those places on earth that seems to stay the same throughout time. Beaches and dunes are eroding all over the earth, but even so, the essence of Montauk beauty is untouched. These particular scenes that I am currently painting are views that have been etched into my memory from summers when I was a child up to the present day.
I would walk down the narrow dirt path in anticipation of coming in contact with the majestic ocean. My heart would skip a few beats in excitement. And the walk always seemed really long. I was enveloped in a warm, quiet, still portal awaiting freedom at the end of the path.
And then when I got to the end, I would breathe in a big gust of salty sea air and look out at the magnificent blue vastness. It instantly made my spirit happy. And it still does.

Archways Into the Inner Worlds III

2009-03-07T09:46:00.000-08:00

Some people have commented that one can be looking inwardly or outwardly through the archways. You can be looking inside yourself and you can be observing what is going on outside yourself. I find this interesting because these perspectives indicate where we are focused at any given moment in time. I like to think of these archways as a tool that can assist in stirring up the desire to look inwardly. To make that inner connection with oneself—because this is where our true selves reside.

Archways Into the Inner Worlds II

2009-03-04T18:58:00.001-08:00

These archways invoke distant memories for some viewers. People have commented that it reminds them of somewhere they have been. There is a familiarity to the scene—but it is not necessarily on the physical plane. It is reminding them of a distant, serene, familiar place. Somewhere to which only their inner selves have traveled.

Archways Into the Inner Worlds I

2009-03-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

The series that I am currently working on is called

"Archways Into the Inner Worlds."

These archways symbolize the portals, or entrances, into the innermost self — Soul. Each archway is unique as well as the scenes viewed through them. I receive most of my scene imagery from the dreamstate. I paint from my dreams.

"I dream my paintings,

and then I paint my dreams." — Vincent Van Gogh

I plan to create several archways — just like our infinite dreamscapes, the number of these that I can create is also limitless.

Three of the archways are currently on exhibit at

Rogue Space Gallery in Chelsea, NYC, March 5th-15th.

Rogue Space NYC

508 West 26th Street, 9E

NY, NY 10001

Hours: Tues.-Fri. 12-6pm, Sat. 12-5pm

This piece is sold.