Welcome to my portfolio, where you can learn about the unusual beginnings of the gallery exhibit, From Azure to Zaffre. Although it can be viewed on mobile devices, a computer will provide the best experience.
Artist Statement
Photo by Christine Tibbetts
After more than thirty years in Early Childhood Education, helping children, college students, and teachers find their creative voices, I finally came to discover my own. Isn’t it funny how that works?
Early experimentation with alcohol inks on tile began in June of 2015, at a time when I thought creating art was something other people did. These friendly and colorful materials welcomed me into the process and changed my mind, and probably my life, forever. I quickly developed a preference for abandoning the traditional tools of painting. When I use alcohol inks my preference is not for brushes or pens. I prefer to move the inks across the tiles using the sheer forces of nature; fire, forced air, gravity, and centrifugal force. I feel a strong synergy with the colors as they lead me. When I do use brushes or other tools, I do so with abandon and curiosity. My favorite pieces have come from places of pure playfulness. Creating visual art is one of the greatest joys of my life, and I feel so blessed to be able to share it with you all. Thank you.
Early experimentation with alcohol inks on tile began in June of 2015, at a time when I thought creating art was something other people did. These friendly and colorful materials welcomed me into the process and changed my mind, and probably my life, forever. I quickly developed a preference for abandoning the traditional tools of painting. When I use alcohol inks my preference is not for brushes or pens. I prefer to move the inks across the tiles using the sheer forces of nature; fire, forced air, gravity, and centrifugal force. I feel a strong synergy with the colors as they lead me. When I do use brushes or other tools, I do so with abandon and curiosity. My favorite pieces have come from places of pure playfulness. Creating visual art is one of the greatest joys of my life, and I feel so blessed to be able to share it with you all. Thank you.
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From Azure to Zaffre
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From Azure to Zaffre - the Story:
First, the Art.
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"There, in the studio, the poppies filled my mind as I imagined Mom laying so far away, dwarfed by a hospital bed surrounded by thingsthat beep and blink and keep track of her on the inside. Could I be with her, I wondered, when I was nowhere near her? In the stillness around me, I felt the answer: Poppies." The rest of the story: Painting Goodbye.
The Art Inspired the Author.
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‘A is for Azure’: Tifton artist works on children’s book.
By Stuart Taylor in The Tifton Gazette, Tifton GA. "The new children’s book, “A is for Azure: the alphabet in colors” takes young readers through the 26 letters of the alphabet while introducing them to a color for each letter. It’s the first book for Tifton artist Donna Falcone, and while it’s not a story book, it still has a story behind it. In many children’s books, the words come first and the pictures follow. But for “A is for Azure,” the book was inspired by the paintings." |
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A is for Azure goes to Kindergarten.
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It was my extreme pleasure to share my experiences as an illustrator with the children from seven kindergarten classrooms on career day.
I told the story of how The Three Ps helped me (Playfulness, Patience, and Persistence).
We closed by blowing a kiss to the Azure Sky, an original song with lots of action.
I told the story of how The Three Ps helped me (Playfulness, Patience, and Persistence).
We closed by blowing a kiss to the Azure Sky, an original song with lots of action.
An exhibit was born.
From Azure to Zaffre
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From Azure to Zaffre opened at the Gallery of the Georgia Museum of Agriculture on September 16, 2018 and closed on January 19, 2019.
The exhibition features all 26 letters of the alphabet expressed in a variety of familiar and novel colors. Each piece of art appears in the children’s book A is for Azure: The Alphabet in Colors. A pronunciation key is on display to help visitors pronounce novel words like xanthic, and zaffre. The pronunciation key is also found on the last page of the book.
Most of the pieces included in the full exhibit are presented in their original form on ceramic tile, canvas, and synthetic paper. There are ten pieces which appear in the book which are no longer in my possession. A team of Georgia artists, Peter Muzyka and Joseph Coggins, were called on to to complete the alphabet for the exhibit. They painstakingly edited nine digital photos of the art and then recreated each on either enhanced matte paper or either stretched canvas. To demonstrate how true the reproductions are to the original work, side by side comparisons are provided below. A tenth image, E is for Emerald, was commercially recreated on ceramic tile as it appears in the book by L.L. Barkat.
The exhibition features all 26 letters of the alphabet expressed in a variety of familiar and novel colors. Each piece of art appears in the children’s book A is for Azure: The Alphabet in Colors. A pronunciation key is on display to help visitors pronounce novel words like xanthic, and zaffre. The pronunciation key is also found on the last page of the book.
Most of the pieces included in the full exhibit are presented in their original form on ceramic tile, canvas, and synthetic paper. There are ten pieces which appear in the book which are no longer in my possession. A team of Georgia artists, Peter Muzyka and Joseph Coggins, were called on to to complete the alphabet for the exhibit. They painstakingly edited nine digital photos of the art and then recreated each on either enhanced matte paper or either stretched canvas. To demonstrate how true the reproductions are to the original work, side by side comparisons are provided below. A tenth image, E is for Emerald, was commercially recreated on ceramic tile as it appears in the book by L.L. Barkat.
Azure Sky
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You Are My Sunshine
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The exhibit incorporates all of the book's text with color coded print to provide valuable literacy practice for children alongside each of the pieces of art which inspired it. Text has been mounted for disply with each piece of art, exactly as it appears in the book. In essence, From Azure to Zaffre is a book visitors can walk inside! As they stroll through the alphabet they will not only see every color, and hear or read beautiful, poetic language, but they will learn words they've probably never even heard before! They will find familiar old friends in the Green rolling hills, imagine the softness of a Red bed for gold, and even say Hello to Yellow. However, they will also make new friends under the Azure sky, in the Brass petaled fields among so many Cranberry swirls! Grown ups learn too! I haven't spoken with one adult who didn't learn a new color word and how to pronounce it.
In addition to the art and text, From Azure to Zaffre provides interactive materials for children to explore light and color, create their own drawings, explore the book and play with alphabet toys.
In addition to the art and text, From Azure to Zaffre provides interactive materials for children to explore light and color, create their own drawings, explore the book and play with alphabet toys.
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Discover more through an
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From Azure to Zaffre
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Other fun events:
On October 4 visitors to the Gallery were treated to a surprise demonstration. It's always fun to show people my favorite techniques!
On October 8 friends came together to just play with ink at St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Tifton.
On October 27 hundreds of ghosts, goblins, superheroes and bumble bees flooded the Historic Village at the GMA, and many stopped by my art table to make wonderful sun-catchers to take home and hang in the window.
On December 9 I joined artists, musicians, and story tellers from far and wide to share our joys at the Ben Hill Cultural Arts Day in Fitzgerald!
On January 12 the first Following the Ink workshop was offered at the Tifton Museum of Arts and Heritage and eight new inkers emerged!
On October 4 visitors to the Gallery were treated to a surprise demonstration. It's always fun to show people my favorite techniques!
On October 8 friends came together to just play with ink at St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Tifton.
On October 27 hundreds of ghosts, goblins, superheroes and bumble bees flooded the Historic Village at the GMA, and many stopped by my art table to make wonderful sun-catchers to take home and hang in the window.
On December 9 I joined artists, musicians, and story tellers from far and wide to share our joys at the Ben Hill Cultural Arts Day in Fitzgerald!
On January 12 the first Following the Ink workshop was offered at the Tifton Museum of Arts and Heritage and eight new inkers emerged!