life is drawing: 2013

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Finished Painting for Maple Lake "Schoolseum"

Daddy Long Legs and Dragonfly on Coneflower, Acrylic on Masonite, 44" x 94"

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Still Working

Continuing to work on the "Schoolseum" painting...

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Large Scale Painting - Maple Lake School

My current project is a large scale painting that will be put into the Maple Lake "Schoolseum"
Background is done...

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Large Scale Painting - Maple Lake School

My current project is a large scale painting that will be put into the Maple Lake "Schoolseum"
An hour and a half in with vine charcoal...

Sunday, May 5, 2013

My most recent "Tree Cookies" are featured in this post. I have been working on these again this spring with a little extra free time outside of teaching. Iron Wood slices are used for my canvas, which are all cut from down trees on our property. I have been either burning designs into the wood surface, or applying fabrics and paints. All of the Iron Wood pieces are layered in clear coats of stain for preservation. I drill holes to attach jump rings, necessary hardware, and leather cord.

DIY Button Bobby Pins, burnt Iron Wood bracelet "Iron Wood Tree", and burnt Iron Wood earrings "Waxing Moons"

Fabric adhered to Iron Wood - "Frog"

Fabric adhered to Iron Wood - "Snow White"

Tree Cookies, wood burnt roses and acrylic on iron wood

Vintage fabric adhered to Iron Wood - "Branch and Bird" (front of bracelet)

Vintage fabric adhered to Iron Wood - "Branch and Bird" (back of bracelet)

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Lately, I've been crocheting.

A letter from Bruce Anderson...

I must be doing okay if he noticed me.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Game Camera Series

The first to my series titled Game Camera...

Game Camera #1
Mixed media on 18"x 24" paper

Friday, January 4, 2013

Wright County Journal-Press Article and Photos

Woodland murals at Ney Park

By Ed DuBois
Growing up in a wooded area by Eagle Lake just southwest of Monticello, Jillian Alberg was well acquainted with the woodland critters she painted in murals on the walls inside the Nature Center at Ney Park last summer.
Alberg, a new art teacher at the Buffalo Community Middle School, recently hosted an open house at the Nature Center to show the murals and other artworks, as well as conduct a wildlife art workshop for children.
She said her dad, Steve Alberg, enjoys art and the outdoors. Jillian and her dad had visited Ney Park in past and enjoyed its trails and scenery. They have done some skiing on the trails in the park, which is located just north of Maple Lake off CSAH 8.
Jillian recalled that her dad had suggested she should look into the possibility of painting wildlife scenes inside the Nature Center. He passed on the suggestion to Wright County Parks Department representatives, as well.
“Dad’s excited about getting my name out there,” Jillian commented.

Summer project
Eventually, some talks took place between Jillian and Marc Mattice, the county parks administrator, and that led to Jillian spending a good part of last July and August painting inside the Nature Center.
She estimated she worked on the project 4-6 hours a day during a 4-week period.
Programs at the Nature Center mostly take place in the wintertime, so it was relatively quiet whenever Alberg was painting.
“I was usually undisturbed, so I could just paint all I wanted. I loved it,” she said.
Every so often, she took a break and walked the trails.

Images children would like
The murals are all winter scenes. Alberg explained that winter scenes were requested since the wintertime is when the Nature Center is visited most often. She was asked to create images that children would like.
Mattice stopped in a few times while Alberg was working. She remembers he said, “I don’t know much about it, but I like it.”
During one conversation, Mattice wondered if Alberg would be interested in conducting a winter program at the Nature Center, and that’s how an open house and a children’s wildlife art workshop came about on Dec. 30.
An exhibition of wildlife art was scheduled from noon to 4 p.m., and the art workshop was planned from 2-3 p.m.

Nature and scenery
The wooded areas in Ney Park are similar to those where Alberg grew up just a few miles to the northeast. After she graduated from Monticello High School in 2007, she studied art education at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where her interest in drawing wildlife was enhanced.
“I like to draw nature, animals and scenery. I like to show the relationship between nature and man,” she said.
Alberg was hired at the Buffalo Community Middle School last spring when a position became available, and she teaches sixth grade and eighth grade art. She has just under 200 students altogether.

Art classes
Many of the students seem to look forward to their art classes, which makes their teacher’s job more fun.
“I love my job. The kids are great. Sometimes they say the funniest things,” Alberg said.
She enjoys displaying some of her students’ artworks in the lunch area, the library and hallways. It gives the young artists an esteem boost.
“They like walking by to see their drawings. They feel connected, and it raises their confidence,” Alberg said.

Seen for years to come
Since she grew up just a few miles from Buffalo, she has a connection with the community, and that connection now extends to the Nature Center in Ney Park, where her murals will be seen by visitors for many years to come.
Look among the trees in the murals, and you will find a multitude of critters, from squirrels to deer to a coyote, a pheasant, woodpeckers, a blue jay, a beaver, an otter, and more.
Come and have a look sometime … and enjoy.

Ney Park Nature Center Exhibition 12/30/12

At Ney Park in Maple Lake, myself, Steve Alberg (my dad), and Judy Potter, exhibited artwork on December 30th. I also taught a hour long session on wildlife drawing for beginners. The following are some photos from the experience, including postings from local news sources.