I’ve not been one to daily or weekly blog, maybe one day, but when I saw that I hadn’t put anything here since January of 2013 my own dropped. Life does intervene in many ways that do not lend themselves to all aspects of an artist’s life and I suppose that is what has been happening here. I am still here however and so happily blessed to have the support of my wonderful collectors, my trusted gallery reps and friends and family who keep me grounded. 2013 was what I would call a challenging time. In retrospect the ups were sweet and the downs trying. The passing of my dear dad at just shy of 96 was bittersweet. I am finding myself talking with him every day – he’s so much more accessible now that he is solidly in my heart and mind, not 700 miles away from me. I’ll write more about him later. I’ve lots to write about so maybe this year will be the year of the weekly blog for me. I have a backlog of essays in my swimming brain on issues such as a recent award from Pastel Journal Magazine, inclusion in a coffee table book by E. Ashley Rooney, arts advocacy, dealing with galleries, staying hopeful while physically impaired and the journey through the second half of my life as an artist.
For now its about a current show at Robert Allen – one of my favorite art dealers and gallery owners I’ve ever had the privilege of working with. I have a selection of abstract pastels in a group show there through March. Robert has a beautiful gallery there – slightly off the main track where most tourists devote time. He is also an approachable, personable guy who believes deeply in his artists. If you are in Sausalito, his gallery is a must!
Until next time! Thanks for reading!
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For the last 6 weeks I have been working on a series of commissioned paintings for new collectors in San Francisco. With the 3 paintings successfully completed, approved and now being framed I am now in the preparation stage for the next commission. My San Francisco patrons have been wonderful to work with and the process has gone as smoothly as I could possibly hope for. I promised them at the onset that working with me to have their fine art dreams realized would be a rewarding adventure and I did not want to disappoint. When creating paintings for clients I try to zero in on just exactly what it was that drew them to my work in the first place. Was it the sense of color, mood, the texture of pastel, a particular composition, the dramatic use of light, a sense of stillness in a particular painting or was it simply all of it. Understanding what evokes and inspires an individual or a couple about my work is very important when I am given the opportunity to create something new for them. My San Francisco collectors, as a couple had different points of view and likes about the direction to take with the series. My job as an artist was to stick to my own vision while being conscious of my client’s wishes. Many artists find this idea daunting. I myself, love the challenge of delivering something beautiful and special to the people who entrust me to create for them. Commissions are a specialty of mine and I have been doing them for my entire 2 and a half decade career. Here are two of the paintings for the San Francisco commission. These garden paintings will be featured in their dining room . I am also including a picture of one of the walls the paintings will appear on as well as the framing choice. We are using a distressed silver moulding from Max Moulding with an umber wash (that warms it up.) Linen wrapped mats with hand painted bevels will set off the paintings. Custom framing will be completed at Art Brokers Inc. in Sausalito, CA.
"French Garden"
"Tangled Up in Blue"
Dining Room Wall
Max Moulding 923S
Thank you to everyone to came to the opening of my show at Art Brokers a few weeks ago. The show looks great and everyone at AB did a wonderful job in every aspect of putting this show together. I managed to get a few pictures when we arrived…..or I should say my husband Bruce did. That’s him inspecting his favorite painting. The show will be up officially through the end of April and unofficially through mid-May so if you haven’t been to see it yet drop in.
Now its back to the studio to work on new work. I have new pastels in progress and plan on returning to oils next week. I’ll have new images to post soon.
"Winter Wildflowers" 23x31
Artists have been drawn to images of water, with its aesthetic and evocative qualities since the early cave man drawings. There is a soothing quality to water…and evidenced based studies have shown that images of water create a calming, restful environment in healthcare settings.
I was drawn to this composition because of the strong blue sky reflection in this closed in waterway near my home in Eureka. The winter brush and spent wildflowers had an amazing depth of color to play with. This is one of the paintings that will be featured in my upcoming show at Art Brokers in Sausalito. I will post additional images from the show in upcoming days.
I’ve wondered why I rarely paint seascapes since I’ve lived on the Pacific coast for the past 7 years. I think I should make that be one of my challenges…
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