Vicki Zahand, Abstract Artist

A few new 12" pieces on wood panels that I'm pretty happy with. Collage, gel print, and painting all coming together. Feels good to do some work that I'm happy with right away. 😁

So many different "works in progress" and the promise that one or more may touch my heart ... The UBER messy work table gives me anxiety, but at least it means I'm busy creating ... I've reached that "don't rush it" stage today. I need to have the patience to let things dry PROPERLY before moving on ... praying I don't lose the momentum of the ideas in my head for these projects ... that's been a real problem for me recently. 😕 Going to put little notes next to each one before I leave with my thoughts on next steps ... hopefully that will work for me. 🤞🏼

I'll be at the studio creating again today ... {sigh} ... to be fully transparent here, I've been in a huge slump lately ... Well that's not completely true. I've been creating ... all kinds of different things, from collage to gel plate prints to small works and even a couple of paintings. But I haven't truly fallen in love with anything I've made in a very long time ... 😢 ... and it feels awful. The trauma of being out of my studio for more than 10 months was harder on me than I realized and I feel as if I have regressed 5-10 years in my art practice. UGH! My amazing fellow artists (some of whom are experiencing similar issues) are encouraging me and saying it's a growing phase ... I'm sure it is and that ultimately my new work will be something wonderful 🌈🦄... But right now I'm in that awkward teenage uncomfortable part. But I'm doing the thing! Make something every day. Keep working. Keep practicing. The muse and the magic will come ... it always does ... it's just apparently on an extended sabbatical right now.

IT'S OFFICIAL! is the LARGEST Creative Campus in the NATION! So proud to be a part of it! And is where it all began ... waaaay back in 2005.

Great Second Saturday yesterday! I was so excited to be visited by Carol Swanson, all the way from my hometown of State College, Pennsylvania, who was in town for a wedding and made the time to come see my studio. We graduated from high school together a million years ago and our birthdays are 6 days apart. 😁 It was great to catch up!

ART RAMBLE IS TODAY 12-7 p.m.! Winter Street Studio A-125 is ready and waiting to greet you with wine, water, munchies and some great art for your last minute Mother's Day gift buying! Come see me!

Whew! These motivational statements really hit home for me right now! Not only am I about to leave town for 4 days (to spend some much-anticipated time with family), but I have a medical issue that has reared its ugly head and knocked me on my keister. I have SO MANY IDEAS and projects in progress in the studio ... but I physically cannot last more than about 10 minutes in the studio right now. 😕 SO, I'm going to take a little bit of time to rest and get myself back together, but I'll be back on my feet in time for the Art Ramble on May 11th! See you there!

I'm HONORED to announce that I will be included in the forthcoming book "50 Artists Houston 2025." 😲 I haven't even seen the full list of who all will be included, but am humbled to be included in the company of such talent. As noted in my official invitation, this is "an art book that represents a time capsule of the Houston visual arts scene in 2024. ... Each artist will have an 8-page layout that features their story and their artwork. Your artwork and your presence in the art community has been noticed and appreciated." This will be a coffee-table style book of more than 400 pages. I'll be sure to keep you posted on when it will be available for pre-order!

Come hang out this evening and watch me paint!

Whew! I got the fix done on my website! You can now purchase there with ease. 😁 Thanks for your patience!

Yeah for NEW WORK!! These little beauties just went up on my website today on the Gallery page. They're 12"x12" on gallery wrapped canvas ready to hang. $300 each will make them yours. DM me to purchase or come see me on Saturday at my Winter Street studio A125 from 12-4 p.m.

What the what?!? Found out this morning (from an amazing collector - THANK YOU!) that my website is not allowing you to make payments for purchases. 😣 UGH! I can't fix it from my phone (I'm at the studio), but will get it fixed by this evening! I can see a bunch of you have been in there looking around and may have run across this problem. I'M SO SORRY! If you were trying to purchase something and had problems, PLEASE try again this evening. I should have it working by then. THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE!
Technology is great ... Until it's not ... 🤦

JOIN ME on Saturday April 13th for two great events! First is Second Saturday on World Art Day! There will be lots of cool interactive art activities going on all over campus for YOU too! I'll be in my studio from 12:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., I'll be closing up my studio a tad early, because the *Brewery Crawl* starts at 5:00 p.m. and I'll be **LIVE PAINTING** at Holler Brewing from 5:00 p.m. until at least 8:00 p.m.! Come say hi, buy some art, and hang out! See you Saturday!

BIG NEWS! I'll be LIVE PAINTING at Holler Brewery on Saturday Night, April 13th, 5-9 p.m.! That's right! ME! It's a first for me but I'm really excited! Come hang out with me and watch me paint!

Thanks for having me as the Featured Artist in the latest Newsletter! I'm proud to be one of the .

Playing around with little watercolor figures in my sketchbook today. Sometimes all your motivation will let you do is play ... That's okay. Playing is learning and getting better ... finding new things to incorporate into my work. I must say, wouldn't we all love to have that big fluffy pink coat that lady is wearing?!? 🤣🤣
Back to more playing ... and maybe starting a new piece or two. Don't forget to come see me for Second Saturday on March 9th!! Canvases are 50% OFF and I have so many new small pieces to show you at very affordable prices! Winter Street Studios A-125!

SOLD! Thank you so much to for continuing to add my work to your collection. I very much enjoyed the tour of your beautiful collection and seeing Happy XIII over your fireplace. She will be thrilled to enter the "rotation" there. 😁 I neglected to tell you that you are now my largest collector, with FIVE of my pieces. I loved seeing some of my favorite Houston artist friends included with multiple pieces in your collection.

Sawyer Yards

BEFORE AND AFTER of cutting process. This was an old (2019?) 18"x24" piece on skinny canvas (I think those should always be framed and never framed this one). I had never ever given it a name. 🤷🏼 It is now two 8x10/11x14's and six 4x6/5x7's. They look great and will be very affordable too! Bonus, in their mats, they fit standard size frames, so their new owners will be easily able to just go get their favorite frame to match it and their taste. 😁

Spent some time making some gel plate prints today. Needing some nice collage papers for some upcoming projects. Some are pretty as they are, others will show their beauty in the final work.
Kinda like us when we get up first thing in the morning ... Some days it takes a little work to make ourselves "presentable." That's okay ... I can work with that.

Working on my pitiful drawing skills this year. Kinda pleased with how this quick sketch came out this morning. Daily sketch practice will be the key.

I did a thing today ... for the first time. Once again I'm venturing into new things ... new avenues of my creativity ... more things I researched during my 10 months of studio exile. My work these days is evolving ... finding its own path. There are days I wish it would provide me a map. 😕 There are others I revel in the adventure.
Today is paper making! I'm proud of this first venture and learned a LOT already. I used newsprint-based grocery flyers for the most part as my base, and the many colors there are what causes the paper pulp to be a grayish color (as all the colors mix into gray/brown.) You can see the traces of the pulp's "previous life" in the close up pic. 🥰 If I had used straight black and white newspaper, it would likely be much lighter. (Can't wait to try it and confirm!) They're still VERY wet. I'm excited to see what they look like tomorrow when they're completely dry.
Once they're dry, I'll be using them to paint on, collage with, or otherwise make new, beautiful artwork with.
What do you think?

FINALLY! New work that I'm willing to share! I fully admit that it's been a slow slog getting back to work since getting back in the studio last October. I haven't created any large works that were worth a darn ... Just a lot of practice and mess making. 😕
I hadn't fully realized the depth of the trauma of the Winter Street fire on my ability to create a canvas painting. But I'm happy with this one!
I'm thinking of calling it "Fireworks in the Night Sky" unless someone suggests a more appropriate title. I've included some detail pics, as the full pic doesn't do it justice.
Please comment and let me know what you think!

Santa spoiled this artist with a 62 piece Posca Pen set and a 26 piece Marabu Art Crayon set! Holy cow can I do a lot of mark making with these! 😍 I also got a new studio stool from my kids. I'm going to be busy in 2024!

Finished painting this little toddler armchair. Isn't it sweet?!? 🥰 It's available in my studio today at Second Saturday Open Studio. Don't forget that everything that is for sale in my studio is 40% OFF TODAY at my studio until 5pm! This toddler armchair is currently a one-of-a-kind and when it's gone it's gone, but I can take commissions to make more. It's about 19" high at the top of the back and about 12" seat height. It's perfect for ages ~1-4 years. It's VERY durable and cleanable too, Moms!

Hope you're making your plans for Saturday afternoon to come to Second Saturday at Winter Street Studios! A little rain won't bother this indoor event. And I'm having a HUGE studio-wide clearance sale! Help make this last Open Studio Event of the year a great one! SEE YOU THERE!

Hmmm ... So this is a new thing I'm trying. I was right. My new work (post-fire) is changing. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. This stage of this new piece is gonna take a hot minute, but I hope to have it ready for Second Saturday on 12/9. Should be interesting!

Come see me and get those one-of-a-kind gifts! I'll be in the studio today from 10am until 5pm. Don't forget I have my new prints available, as well as the small painted stools! SEE YOU THERE!

Come shop with me THIS SUNDAY for Artist's Sunday from 10am-5pm at Winter Street Studios A-125. See my work, buy original and unique gifts for Christmas! My prints and stools will be available too! Plus plenty of other affordable gift options. SEE YOU SUNDAY!