p.s.

this blog will not be going anywhere in cyberspace or beyond, you can still come and enjoy it anytime you like. there just won't be any new posts here any longer (but remember, there will be new posts at my new blogs- see previous post!)
also, the new blogs are still sort of in the construction phase, but should be up and running soon enough, so check in and see how the progress is going and get excited!

new blogs!

Hi everyone (although I think "everyone" is probably only my parents):
I have created two new blogs, and from now on I will be posting only on them and will be retiring "Caravan".  "Caravan" has been a great "trial" blog and I've enjoyed keeping you all (Mom and Dad) updated on my big & little life happenings through it.  But now it's on to bigger and better blogs (aka B&BBB), so here are the new addresses:
sarahanneelek.blogspot.com- a blog devoted to the artwork of- you guessed it- me!
and
theartcaravan.blogspot.com- a blog about art and art history by an artist and art lover, designed to be read and enjoyed by artists and non-artists alike (can I find a way to put another "artist" in that sentence somewhere? there, I did it: artist.)

please read these and enjoy as you have read and enjoyed this blog, and please, please please: COMMENT.

thanks and love, sarah

a foodie evening

it was just a regular wednesday night, but jamey and i chose to make it special by having a "foodie" evening. we set out just to make dinner, and to use some of the things we already had that were ready to go bad, and ended up with a feast that inspired hours-long food comas. jamey makes this amazing maple glazed salmon with chili powder, and that was what we built our meal around. if he's feeling adventurous, he makes a baguette-with-goat-cheese-and-mixed-greens salad to go with it, and since he had mixed greens that were going to waste in the fridge he decided to make it. i had red potatoes from the farmer's market that needed to be made, and a desire to use my rosemary plant before the season is over, so there was our side dish. at the grocery store, i also intended to find some sort of dessert to contribute to the meal, and ended up making devil's food cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and blue crystal sprinkles. at that point, it was official: we were going to spend way too long in my hot kitchen, make lots of dirty dishes, and eat the most awesome meal of the summer. and that's exactly what happened, as the pictures prove!

wiggle your little toe opening

me with my new work at the opening

saturday night was the opening for my new show, wiggle your little toe at art underground studio in hampden. phish was in town, so sadly the opening was not exactly well attended. however, a few friends did make appearances, and there was free beer, so it was not a total loss! i am very happy with how my work looks in the space, and am looking forward to the closing, which will be happening during hampdenfest. hopefully this means that it will be very busy and i will sell lots of work! thanks to those who did attend the opening, and if you haven't been able to get there yet, please make a little trip to hampden and check out my work as well as the work of the other artist on display, debbie manville aka miss dabree! the show will be up through september 12th.

old painting also on display near the door

art underground show/new work

top to bottom: no. 8 and low tide (receding)

tonight is the opening of the show "wiggle your little toe" at art underground studio in hampden, featuring all new work by me and large-scale paintings by new jersey-based artist debbie manville, which will be up through september 12th. i have six new paintings and six new collages, as well as one of my large older paintings, on display in my first post-grad gallery show. very exciting! if you are interested in checking it out, art underground is located at 826 w. 36th street in hampden, and the opening tonight is from 7-10pm. there will be beer and assorted snacks, and hopefully lots of friendly art-folk to chat with. hope to see you there!

(if you want more info on the show, click on the title of this post and you will be directed to the art underground studio blog)

walters summer camp 2009: a medieval journey

Graduation & Commencement Exhibition 2009

so, i graduated from college! i now officially have a bachelors of fine arts in art history, with concentrations in printmaking and curatorial studies. while it has not yet landed me a job, i feel confident that it will. or at least that by getting it, i have achieved one of my dreams and am proud of myself for doing so. mica gave me an amazing education in art, and my four years there were profound, growth-inspiring, and world/art view-broadening. as well as fun, of course!

cityscapes: senior show 2009 sarah elek

i also, naturally, took part in the senior show, aka the commencement exhibition. mica's seniors show their artwork in the galleries as well as the halls-and-classrooms-turned-into-galleries and the entire school becomes one big gallery. my work was in the bunting center, on the back wall by the elevators, and it was great because a) you could see it, straight in front of you, from the front doors and b) i got a lot of space and it was like my own little gallery in itself. i was super psyched to find that people actually like my artwork!- i sold most of it! it was flattering and humbling, and unexpectedly very inspiring. actually selling work makes me feel like going home and making more work, unlike sitting in a classroom and listening to 20 people criticize it, which just makes me want to quit making art and do something a little easier, like answering phones or something (just kidding- being critiqued doesn't make me feel like that, not all the time- but still, enough years doing nothing but taking constructive criticism of your artwork can make you forget why you make art in the first place and that some people out there might actually like it- and even buy it). i was very happy with the show overall, and it was also very exciting to see all my friends' artwork- if i had an extra $300 or so, i would have bought one of hayley's dresses in a heartbeat (my friend and former roommate, hayley griffin, is destined to be a famous designer one day- her screenprinted dresses, with images of lobster fishing in maine and extremely flattering & demure cuts, are deeply desirable).

random lady checking out one of hayley's dresses

so now the saga is over, and i am enjoying life as a post-grad. i am still trying to figure out exactly what i'm doing with my life, but for now i am doing great- i have 3 jobs with which to pay the bills, and i am a working and showing artist. i can't wait till schooltime rolls around, and I DON'T HAVE TO GO!!! YAY!!! that is when it will probably really set in that it really did happen and really is finally over.