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.
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"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.
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This coming weekend should be fun. In addition to it being a 3 day holiday, the 4th of July is my birthday! No big whoop there but there’s always fireworks! Locally though, we have our first Saturday of the month’s Arts Alive and this month there’s a new gallery opening featuring some of the best of Humboldt’s artists. Located in a LARGE space previously occupied by our beloved Plaza Design which relocated to G Street. Jack Sewell, a local sculptor has taken over the space and along with his wife Amy they have done the leg work and homework needed to become not so small business owners in the form of this great new gallery. There was a soft, soft opening last Friday for the artists where we all gave kudos to the Sewells for taking on this commitment to the art community, drank wine, ate great food prepared by John Sallizoni and basically shmoozed and saw folks we hadn’t seen in a while. Here’s a link to an article in our local North Coast Journal about Jack and the opening of the gallery. The inaugural exhibition begins in July and I will have a few pastels to show including this new landscape.
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.
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