Reserve Your Seat. An Art Installation at Saluda Shoals Park.

Reserve Your Seat is an art installation created by Janette Grassi and me and photographed by Kent Porth which will open at Saluda Shoals Park in Columbia, SC, September - October, 2011 in support of Nature's Theater, an upcoming performing arts theater.

Future site of Nature's Theater, Saluda Shoals Park.

Violin. No Strings Attached.

Music has always been an important part of my life. From an early age, I was singing in the school and church choirs. Later, I took piano and singing lessons. Today my love of music is expressed through my support of the performing arts.

Friend and art partner, Janette Grassi and I have participated in four art benefits for the South Carolina Philharmonic and most recently expanded that support to include the Chapin Symphonic Society. Invited by board member, Marguerite Haines, she shared that the Society "helps provide music, performance opportunities, equipment and support to the strings departments of Chapin High School and Chapin Middle School in Chapin, SC."

So, when given our violin, we decided to wrap it in a "new string"…natural jute.

No strings attached, or at least, not enough.

Now it's time to wrap the front side.

Thanks to Kent Porth for photographing our violin. No Strings Attached.

South Carolina Palmetto Hands

Tome:54

Tome: 35

Tome: 34

Three pieces of my new body of work were included in SC Palmetto Hands, an annual juried exhibition at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center & Charleston Area Convention Center Complex. Organized by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, April 29-May 7, 2011.

Joy, joy, joy!

Nothing brings me more joy than being with my family, especially the younger ones! We bundled up and spent the afternoon at Swan Lake in Sumter, SC.

(click to enlarge)

doni jordan:tomes @ USC Sumter

USC Sumter

Signage for tomes: doni jordan

USC Sumter Art Gallery

USC Sumter Anderson Library houses art gallery

Installation day at USC Sumter

National Small Works exhibition, National Association of Women Artists, NYC

Tomes: 16 was selected to be included in the National Small Works juried exhibition, National Association of Women Artists, Inc. at the NAWA Gallery at 80 Fifth Avenue, NYC, NY from February 2-22, 2011.

doni jordan : tomes, solo exhibiton @USC Sumter

I'm so excited to have my first solo exhibition @ USC Sumter February 9 - April 12, 2011. As a friend said to me yesterday, while attending an art talk at the University of South Carolina Rare Books and Special Collection Library by Jeffery Makala, "universities are sacred spaces."

I agree with her and am honored to have my work hang in the University Gallery adjacent to the Anderson Library. Academic galleries have a different meaning to me than commercial galleries. While both are intended to share art with the viewer, academic galleries, not only be their location, but by their mission, seem to offer more of an expanded opportunity for knowledge and exploration.

Additionally, because of the nature of my work, academic galleries seem like a natural fit.

Snowed under.

You know it's getting cold when even the animals snuggle. I captured this yesterday when the temperatures began to drop as the cold front drew nearer.

"My ponies."

Front yard early this morning.

River birch in front yard.

New York, New York!

I don't think there's any better time to be in New York with family than the holidays. I recently enjoyed five days in the city with my sisters and my nine year old niece. We stayed in Times Square and enjoyed all the things I wanted to do in New York at Christmastime…the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, the Nutcracker at Lincoln Center, The Lion King, horse drawn carriage ride in Central Park, Rockefeller Plaza, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, a double decker bus ride, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Although I missed my normal NY stops (MOMA, the Whitney, the Guggenheim, the Jewish Museum of Art and Cooper Hewitt Design Center), it was great to see the city through the eyes of a child. And although I didn't get to make my usual NYC stops, there was inspiration and art everywhere I looked. And my niece now shares my love of the city. When we stepped off the train in Philadelphia at the end of our trip, she exclaimed, "I miss that city already!"

Rockefeller Plaza

Rockefeller Plaza

Rockefeller Plaza

Repetition.

Repetition.

Scale.

Columbus Circle.

Lincoln Center Plaza.

Heading to the Statue of Liberty.

Lady Liberty.

Lady Liberty.

"Give me your tired…"

On to Ellis Island.

Those who have entered through these doors…

And the stories they brought with them…

Longwood Gardens, Delaware

I love to visit public gardens and I did so during a recent trip to Delaware. Longwood Gardens is beautiful anytime of year but it is especially so during the holiday season although the temperature was only 16 degrees. We arrived before sunset so that we could enjoy the park …day and night.

The beauty of texture.

Light and nature.

A garden chandelier.

The conservatory at Longwood Gardens.

Beautiful wreaths were abundant.

An incredible trio.

Incredible cobalt blue holiday lights.

White lights were equally as beautiful.

Lights afire!.