"Farmhouse Evening" - Private Collection Installation -Christmas 2011

Christmas was sweet this year.   The kids came home and they’re both doing so well this year that our biggest wish in life has already manifested.

Now comes that distracting week where I really want to be back in the studio. Here’s hoping I get my wish by tomorrow.   I’ve got some big shows to plan for including the La Quinta Arts Festival in March and a feature show at Sewell Gallery in April.  I also have lots of paintings in my head that want to come out, two of which were started before the holidays.   The truth is, the artist just wants to make art!

Thank you Lindy and Rob for sending me this beautiful pic of your mantle all dressed up with “Farmhouse Evening.”    xxooo!

Then it was five days of decompressing at my wonderful sister Kitty and brother in law Jim’s house at the beach.  As creative as some of you think I am as an artist, my dear sister is as accomplished and talented in the kitchen.   Check out this work of art she spun out one morning – made it look as easy as making toast.    She is seriously masterful and cooks all day like I paint.   Of course we didn’t want to take her away

My Sister Kitty's Apple Joulis

from her normal activities and we were treated to such brilliant offerings as pork roast wrapped in pancetta with a roasted butternut squash and arugula salad and a version of potatoes anna with bay leaf that knocked our socks off.   Daily walks to the beach were invigorating and life affirming.   But there is nothing like laughing with my sister.    She is an epic treasure.

One of the highlights of our stay was getting a historic walking tour of Coronado led by my brother in law Jim’s mother Lois.   Lois is a tireless worker in local groups and has been leading tours for years.    Included in the tour was a map of Navy Aviator homes with corresponding signs distinguishing them.   Most were from World War II though there are some more contemporary aviators who had lived on or still do live on Coronado island.    My husband, a World War II history buff was particularly thrilled to see where Admiral William Halsey had once lived.

Lois On our Walking Tour

This trip was capped off with an evening of early bird over indulgence, pedestrian style.   We all went out with our twenty somethings niece, her fiance, my nephew,   on what I guess was a type of “bar crawl.”   As fun as it was,  I managed to make it back to the beach house by 9:30, with a headache.   That’s how I fly these days!

Me and Kitty

Onward up the coast to Solana Beach to drop off some paintings at Susan Street Fine Art’s new digs.  A lovely, light filled space in an enclave of creative businesses.   Susan and I worked together in decades past and reacquainted last year on a project for UCSD Thornton Hospital.   Wish I had installation shots of that!

A stop off for lunch with my dad in Orange County.   He’s going strong at 94 and it was a precious visit. xo

Breezed through L.A. and then it was onto my old friend, author Claudia Hoag McGarry’s house in Santa Barbara.    This was such a treat.   Claudia and I got our first apartment together at age 18 and have known each other for 40 years.    She’s the same.   Smart, funny, cute and married to the sweetest man. Paul McGarry.  They live at the beach – apparently everyone on this trip does!  They both are college teachers and there house is filled with papers being graded in overstuffed furniture in a cozy vaulted living room that looks out on a So Cal version of a Eucalyptus forest.    We took a short walk through the reserve and found ourselves looking over the ocean at this last peek of the  sunset.

   This visit was years in the making and now we can’t wait to do it again.     Claudia’s second novel was recently released.   Her first one, “My Scorpio Soul” really put her on the map and is a great thriller of a read,  along with witty and relatable references for any boomer.    Her second, “My Aries Secrets” continues the series – this one I still have to read!      The next morning our timeline was shortened and we had to be in San Luis Obispo that evening.    Missed seeing my sister and her family at her incredible spanish bungalow in Santa Barbara after going by two times!!!   We promise to return soon.    My sister Sue’s creative gift is in renovating interiors.   Can’t wait to see what she has been up to inside this gem. I want to do a painting of that house!   And by the way, Santa Barbara rocks.

Who wouldn't love this?

Paul and Claudia McGarry

On to Avila Beach near San Luis Obispo and I feel like I have entered a Disneylandesque (due to its newness and shininess) beach town.   I found out later that Avila Beach had been subject to some sort of oil spill under the town and was subject to a massive cleanup and reengineering of the entire town.   It rose from the ashes so to speak and is now a thriving little beach town.   I can say after staying one night (midweek Autumn rates were quite low) this is a nice town to take a family and the resort is perfect for same.   With vineyards nearby and the absolute beautiful beaches, its really quite nice and lovely to see businesses doing well.

The next morning we met with Maridel Salisbury at Salisbury Vineyards.   Maridel has been an art dealer like her sister, Susan Street, for decades.   The vineyard has a tasting room and gallery in a renovated schoolhouse in Avila Valley.    They did a phenomenal job restoring the building and keeping the integrity of the space intact.   I was elated to start working with Maridel and to leave her with one of my paintings, “Fall Rain”  to formally introduce the central coast to my work.

From there we meandered home, the empty nesters.    This is something I am still getting used to.   I’m loving it but after two months of not seeing my daughter I missed her terribly.   She came home last weekend and I got my kid fix.    And she used all the gas in the car, left a big mess and went back to school.   I love her so.

Back to the studio………I’ve got some paintings in me that are just waiting to get out!   Stay tuned….

Busy time continues and I’ve been holed up in my studio for the past few weeks working away.    Sometimes the business of being an artist means juggling deadlines, details and most importantly, showing up.     In addition to a large commission, which thank goodness I have a few months to complete,  I have gallery shows and another art festival this opening this weekend.   This pastel is for a group  show at Studio Seven Fine Arts in Pleasanton, California through October.

This weekend is also the LaJolla Art and Wine Festival where I will be showing new work.   This is the last festival of the season and the year.   I’m looking forward to spending some time on the Southern California coast, visiting friends and family and taking a much needed break with my sweet husband.     I did a series of small paintings revisting my ocean series.   The beach is where I go to clear my mind and refresh my creative juices and it just seemed fitting to return to this imagery after a work filled season.    This was a long summer and I’m ready for fall.    Bring on the autumn color!

See you on the other side.

"Summer House" Pastel Victoria Ryan

After a week living out of a suitcase at The Four Points Sheraton and preceded by weeks and months of annual preparation for my biggest event of the year The Sausalito Art Festival, we are finally, and happily, home.    I’m sitting in my office, Barack Obama is addressing Congress in the background…..hmmm, I’m not big on politicians right now, even the ones I voted for.   I’m incredulous to all of the rhetoric but let’s see how he does.   I need to be inspired right now.

This time of year is historically the end and beginning of the work season  for me.   I just sent my daughter off to college and my dear husband and I are now empty nesters.   Its a strange feeling but one I am embracing for the sake of my psyche and my art.  I look forward to working with abandon in my studio late at night, taking the occasional trip to gather inspiration without having to concern myself with school schedules and the fear of my child driving at night.   No car for this freshman and the dorm is right on campus.   Somewhere there is an R.A. who is going to get a nice Christmas card from me.  I wonder if they make sure the kids eat their vegetables?

Back to current events….. Sausalito was a bittersweet blast.  Its always fun and crowded and I’m by now a show veteran along with my other peers in Row 600 on the tennis courts.  This year’s “gala” was a tad ill conceived but our spirits were not deterred come opening morning.

My work looked great and I placed quite a few originals in the hands of new collectors and added to the collections of more.    I love this show more than any other and its always sad when its over.   So many friends and laughs and good times.    But its so nice to be home.

In a little over two weeks we take off again for San Diego.    A little show in LaJolla that has the benefit of having Joseph Lillis on board.   He is the mastermind that turned the Sausalito Art Festival into a blockbuster event for artists and patrons and is hoping to do something similar in other venues.    Till then I’ll be back in the studio in earnest.   I have paintings to paint including a big hospital commission.    Hope to come up for air soon.

Bay Area Friends:   if you would like a private showing of anything you saw at the Sausalito Art Festival I will be in the Bay Area at the end of the month.  Please let me know and I’ll come by and show you work in your home/office!

Barack is still talking.   Lots of clapping.   Seems to be going quite well.   I’m actually inspired!  Awesome.

And then fireworks!  Have a Happy and Safe 4th!

"Into the Hills" 12x12" Pastel

I just wrapped up my annual open studio as part of  Humboldt County’s North Coast Open Studios.   I have a home based business so I’m opening my home as well as my studio.  This is the 8th year I have participated in the event and by now, my husband, daughter and I have our system down to a well oiled machine.   My daughter is graduating from high school in a few weeks and Saturday was senior prom so I didn’t expect to have her around to help – she has a job now and  a lot of freedom to come and go so when I saw that she was up and preparing the food for the guests it warmed my heart.    Taking prom pictures at 5;00 while wrapping up paintings that had sold was not easy….I had to pull in one of my neighbors who was visiting  to help with my daughter’s date’s boutonniere (thank you Sue!)  All in all the weekend was a success and we had a steady stream of visitors and placed a surprising amount of paintings with the locals, most of which were new collectors of my work.    THANK YOU HUMBOLDT COUNTY!

I thought it might be of interest to post some images from my Open Studio Tour to give you an idea of how I do it.   I showcase the framed originals in my great room and down our main hallway that leads directly to the studio which is located in two sections of our finished five car garage –  a major selling point when we bought our home nearly 10 years ago.   I have a separate “clean room” that is a finished one car garage with a skylight and has a door to the painting room.   The clean room is used for storage, packing and shipping and will soon be divided for use as an oil painting studio as well.    There is direct access to a half bath for cleanup.    The pastel studio is just the right size to keep the dust contained.   There is a nice big window and enough wall space for me to mount my surfaces to the acoustic panels to work on.    I prefer working standing up – I always have.   I think I am more the exception than the rule when it comes to how I work with pastels.   I usually see the easel approach utilized.   I work large sometimes and like to work on more than one piece at a time  and working on the wall makes that possible.   For Open Studios I showcased finished pieces on the studio walls -unframed and sold work  with a discount for framing at Eureka Art and Frame – my favorite framer on the north coast.   Enjoy the studio tour.  Additional photos can be seen on my Facebook page which can be accessed through the tab on the right.     I’m taking today to recuperate after working the last two weeks without a day off.  Would love your comments.

"Blue on Blue" 14"x28" Pastel

Its that time of year again…… Open Studios.   What does that mean?   Among other things it means I have to clean my cluttered studio.     The hardest part is deciding when to stop painting and start cleaning.    I often wonder about other artists’ habits in this regard.   Some people by virtue of their temperment and personality are very organized and tidy.   I do keep a pretty clean home overall and things are for the most part in their place but somehow I do tend to just want to get down to business when I get into my work space while I try to keep it simple – I can see that I could use some downsizing in the area of useless stored materials.     I have promised myself to “get on that” and “deal with the pile” that is taking over valuable real estate that could otherwise be used for secondary painting space.   It could be time to hire an organizer because it just seems to not happen and now my guests will have to gingerly navigate through the junk.   Its really not that bad.   I’d just rather paint up to the last minute!

Open Studios is always lovely because the studio is tidied and presented and paintings are available for exhibition and sale throughout my home and studio space.   I have an “Off the Wall” sale where collectors can negotiate on purchase pastels unframed right off the studio wall complete with a discounted coupon for framing at Eureka Art and Frame.    There is usually a nice flow of visitors throughout the weekend and my family chips in and hosts our guests and gives tours  and offers refreshments.    Living in an arts friendly area is rewarding and always amazes me.      I’ve gotten to know some pretty cool folks over the years in my own home!

If you are in or near Eureka this weekend please do come by Open Studios.    I will be open from 11-5 Saturday and Sunday at 2286 Ralphs Ct., Eureka.   Guidebooks will be available in the paper and around town.    Posted above is a recent local landscape from a day in Loleta.   Winters in Humboldt have their own beauty.   As I was painting, the song “Blue on Blue” kept going through my mind, thus the title.   I guess its an old song but if you’re a boomer it’ll come to you.

I love spring!  I’ve been painting with spring in mind.  I just dropped off a series of new work to Studio 7 Fine Art in Pleasanton, Ca last week and they already sold one of the new vineyard paintings.   I will be exhibiting in their May exhibit titled “Florals and the Feminine Figure” opening May 6.    Be sure to stop by this lovely gallery.

Also continuing through May is a group show of Northern California Landscapes including “moi” at Robert Allen Fine Art in Sausalito, CA.  If you are in the Bay Area this is a beautiful gallery to visit.   Robert has been in the San Francisco gallery business for decades and opened this gorgeous space several years ago.   I am always blown away when I see how aesthetically engaging his exhibitions are presented.    That and his warm and inviting personality make for a positive experience for the gallery browser or serious collector.

Meanwhile, back in the studio, I’ve been continuing with my abstract drawings.   These are wonderful meditations for me to produce and I enjoy the back and forth between the two series and the way they relate to each other.

"Wine Country Afternoon"

Opening on April 7 at Robert Allen Fine Art in Sausalito, California,  is “Northern California Landscapes” consisting of paintings from yours truly and a handful of other regional greats.   Robert Allen has created a beautiful setting in which to showcase his artists and it is definitely worth the visit.

Continuing at Studio 7 Fine Arts in Pleasanton, a series of recent landscapes can be found.   If you are in the Tri Valley Area, this gallery is a must see having one of the largest exhibition spaces in the Bay Area.

Be sure to check the Upcoming Events Section for where to find me in the months to come.