Friday, January 29, 2010

New Greeting Cards




Two of my favorite images, Sky Hole and Creek Grove, are being made into greeting cards. You will be able to find them in my shop by the end of next week.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

New Prints on Etsy

It was an experiment. Four years ago I was asked to participate in a show focusing on the California missions. I was reluctant to agree and then thought that perhaps through printmaking I could make something more interesting, more graphic, a suggestion of the mission styling without overly romanticizing the heavily touristed landmarks of our state.

I was assigned La Purisima, Santa Ines and San Fernando Rey, none of which I had visited in years. It was a project to research, kind of left brain which is kind of like printmaking, problem solving mixed with some creativity. I had a good time trying although still given a choice it's not a subject matter I would generally lean towards. But I can embrace architecture and the printing process is never without it's rewards no matter how hard one flails in it's processes.

I've decided that these images have been too long in my drawers and it's time they are respected as part of my creative repertoire. Somehow there is still a nagging feeling that they would be better on a Tshirt, but that's just me.

These are now listed in my Etsy shop... who knows maybe the Tshirts won't be far behind!

Mission San Fernando Rey doorway image 6x4.5" matted to 15x12 3/8"


Mission San Fernando Rey fountain/collonade image 8x5" matted to 16x12"

Monday, January 18, 2010

New Year Kick Start

Afternoon Refuge 18x36, soon to be featured at Sundance

My idea was to be in the studio building a new body of work at the beginning of the new decade. I dreamed of painting and more painting now that my nursing duties were sadly at an end. Instead I have been at my desk trying unbury myself from the stacks of papers and marketing ideas and bookkeeping that piled up in the two months before the holiday kerfuffle.

There are no committed dates to shows as of yet in this new year but I have plenty of good leads that one would think could be a serious motivator. Alas, I'm pushing paper. Well, perhaps I'm not painting yet but the paintings collected from the most recent show at Sullivan Goss are readying for their launch into the bigger world.

I visited UPS today to ship off new paintings to Sundance. Hooray. I am told that they will be revisiting their old ways of running the catalog... meaning to me that they will be focusing once again on art and artisans, craft people and fine hand made articles. I'm thrilled if that is truly their new direction. I miss that about the catalog, it has been rather slick in the recent past years. It would be wonderful to see it return to it's original charm.

It's usually 4-6 months to get the images loaded onto the website and launch the new work. Afternoon Refuge and Wilcox Property are a preview of a couple pieces to be included.

Wilcox Property 24x48, soon to be featured at Sundance

It is yet back to paperwork for me. More end of the year numbers, projections for the new year and getting ready for tax season. Painting is still rolling around in my brain and ideas are piling at my fingertips. It's only a matter of time....

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Thanks Mr. Hockney

Last month there were myriad of articles on David Hockney and his new show at Pace/Wildenstein in New York City. One of the articles in the NY Times showed this photograph of him working in his studio.

I love the picture but what struck me was the system with which to hang his multi-paneled paintings. Of course I forwarded the picture to my engineer minded husband who then came up with an idea for my own studio. He modified the hanging pieces, making them out of a cut up dowel. Here he is installing them in two rows spaced to match the most common sizes of panel that I work on.



Now I can paint on diptychs, triptychs, quads... maybe even a six paneled panorama without having to rotate the paintings as I work. Not only this, with the paintings flush on the wall instead of leaning on everything the studio feels that much more roomy.

Thanks to David Hockney for the inspiration and, as always, thanks to Bill for making it work in my own space! A good start to the new year in the studio.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Good-bye and hello


Good-bye to 2009.
Good-bye to the first decade in this new century.
And a tearful good-bye to our beloved pooch, Athena.
A sweetness that will be missed in the transition to the new decade.

While cleaning my studio to purge 2009, I couldn't help thinking back over the past 10 years. A rich decade full of change, change in the world, change in my personal surroundings and plenty of growth.

The year:
2000 I celebrated my first year in business as a painter
2001 I went through the WEV 12 week self employment training setting a new course for my business and cannot not mention the fall of the World Trade Center
2002 Re-met Bill who would become my husband
2003 Celebrated 10 years at 30 Arlington with a postcard show of 120 images
2004 Eloped with Bill in New York City, PACIFIC my first solo show with Sullivan Goss, cover artist for the July issue of the Sundance Catalog
2005 Built a new workspace in the backyard of my new home and moved my studio out of the city
2006 Celebrated turning 40 with exhibition 40+40@40 at Sullivan Goss
2007 Second cover with the Sundance Catalog
2008 Signed with a new gallery in San Diego
2009 Celebrated 10 years living solely by my brush, five years married, Air Earth Fire Water at Sullivan Goss, and a fond farewell to my dearest companion

It certainly has been a seriously busy decade without even mentioning the financial or political climate... which I am choosing to avoid discussing. We all know what has been happening and it is my wish to prosper and flourish despite it.

Hello to 2010. Here is to the beginning of a new and wonderful decade. Blessings and good cheer, peace and joy-filled studio days with a good helping of love and kindness.
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