Correction to Announcement

Oops- got the time wrong for the opening on the 9th.  The time is 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.  (see below)

Hope to see you there!

Chaos and Riches

A little pre-show chaos in my studio:

I’ve been working, working, working, trying to finish up some things before Saturday. I’ve got paintings waiting in line for embroidery, almost finished…

Eventually, most of my work finds other homes, but I love the feeling of having a lot of finished work piling up. It’s like putting up jam for the winter…it feels abundant and delicious. I kind of gather it all around me, hoard it in my home, and enjoy my temporary riches. Maybe like a magpie with her secret treasures. I especially enjoy it before I’ve really shown it to very many people. I wonder why that is? It feels like it’s totally mine, and then, by degree, it goes out into the world, and is experienced by other people, and it becomes less mine, and more the world’s. 

Good thing that creating is truly one of those inexhaustible things.

And life, too, just keeps on delivering.  I visited my sister a few weeks ago, and she gave me a nest she found in her yard.  It is a wonderful nest- an urban bird’s masterpiece. It has dryer lint, part of a dusting cloth, colored string, rose petals, and part of someone’s window screen woven into it, among other things. It had a shoelace, too, that fell out before she had a chance to give it to me! If this bird could have fit a hub cap in there, it would have.

Here it is with a dress I found in an antique shop the same weekend. I love the way the scrappy little nest contrasts with the delicate thin cotton of the dress.

That’s all I’ve got for now- time for me to go wire some paintings and print some postcards!

Birds and Bees at Enso in Half Moon Bay

::  Enso Gallery

::  131 Kelley Ave., Half Moon Bay, CA

::  August 3 – August 30, 2008

::  Opening:  August 9, 4:00 – 6:00 P.M.

::  ”Birds and Bees”, a show of Encaustic paintings on panels, and Acrylic paintings on canvas.

::  For gallery hours, check the Enso website- the gallery is open for viewing before and after yoga classes,     and other events.

For all of you locals, I’d love to see you at the opening.  Enso is a nice little space to hang work, and I’m excited to be able to share what I’ve been working on for the past 4 months or so.  So come on by, and take a look!

New Work #6: Encaustic

More new work coming out of the studio…

I know I’ve written before about working so small (these are just 8 x 8″), but I just have to say it again- working on these little paintings has been such a pleasure.  They are intimate and direct, and let me try out new ideas relatively quickly. I’ve been enjoying it so much that I am thinking of taking it a step further and trying out some variation on the painting a day theme. Perhaps after I am finished hanging my up-coming show.  These paintings are still too intricate and the process takes too much time for me to do them that quickly, but I am thinking of setting a one hour time limit, and seeing what comes of it.  Something new and different, I hazard to guess.  And I’m nothing if not curious.  

Back into the studio today to work on some acrylic paintings in progress… enjoy your Sunday!

Work In Progress #5: Encaustic

A peek into my studio, and a look at what’s been coming out of it…

Getting ready for a show here in Half Moon Bay at Enso…

Some work, newly finished…

And now, I’m off to play some hookey with my friend, Chandra… camping with the kids for a few nights. Looking forward to some campfires, grilled pizza, swimming, and SUN! Bye-bye fog! (for a few days, anyway)

Another new work update soon!

Summer Love

Summer is a rollin’, and my poor blog has been neglected! Sorry about the scarcity of posts. There has not, however, been a scarcity of things going on around here. Just quickly, because, well, I have to run off again, a rundown of things I’ve been doing and enjoying…

The Translucent show in San Francisco. So much good work.  If you are anywhere near, you must go. Nice gallery, a lot of variety in the encaustic work. Here’s the link

Strawberries. Lots and lots of strawberies.

The beach.  I finally, after 3 years of talk but no action, bought myself a wetsuit. A 40th birthday present to myself, and where we live, an absolute necessity if you want to go in the water. 

Warm days in the studio.  I love it when the days warm up, because it seems like my wax flows so much smoother.  I’ll be back soon with a new work post. No photos right now… but some good stuff happening in the studio!

Thrifting with my teenage daughter and her friends. Oh, and bubble tea. Mmmmmm.

Dusk bunny-spotting bike rides along our coastal trail on my cruiser.

My CSA box, brimming with dark green and crunchy goodness. Veggies and herbs so fresh you can smell them. I look forward to my CSA boxes like a little kid going to the candy store. 

New work by Emily Clawson, who I met at the Translucent opening. Hoping to do a little studio visit swap soon. Her work is hanging next to mine in the SF show, and absolutely glows. I think we share a love of natural history and nature, and I’m looking forward to talking to her more about her process.

Seeing family. Spending some time with my nephews and sister and brother in law, who I hardly ever see, and my parents, who are in the process of moving (too far) away to their retirement home in Northern California. So bittersweet to see them moving their things, bit by bit, and fixing up my childhood home to sell, eventually. I’m happy for them, and a little sad.

Summer reading. Right now, it’s Barbara Kingsolver’s “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” , which is fabulous- a perfect blend of informative non-fiction and funny, touching storytelling. Perhaps my favorite kind of book.  I’m so inspired- maybe a local only diet challenge in my future? Hmmm…

Here’s to summer. I’ll be back soon with some pictures, I promise.

Translucent Show in San Francisco

Show information, as promised.  I am very excited to go and see this show.  It looks like it will be diverse and interesting.  A few of these names are familiar to me, from looking around the internet, so it will be great to see the work on the wall, rather than on a digital screen.  I know that my own work looks so different on the computer.  It is difficult to photograph the quality of a beeswax painting, truly.  They never look as alluring on the computer or in a slide as they do ten inches from your nose.  I always find myself, bobbing around, looking close, then stepping back a few feet, going close, squinting. They are just fun to look at, and often have a mystery about them. Maybe I’ll see you at the opening!

Back again, mostly

Well. Thailand certainly does have it’s moments.  Like climbing endless stairs, lotus flowers in hand, to visit a buddhist temple with thousands of Thai students. Like chaotic tuk-tuk rides, careening around corners like a wind-up toy gone awry. Like the night markets with their endless lit stalls. Like the street food everywhere, with it’s myriad smells and textures (mmmm…fried banana). Like the lethargic dogs, their panting bodies draped over the sidewalks of Bankok, sleeping in the heat.  Like incense burning in front of the spirit houses in the morning. Like the high hum of cicadas at night, near the Burmese border. Like seeing a white lotus flower as big as my head. Like the sudden afternoon downpour after a muggy, 100 degree morning. Like sipping many, many iced teas with my sweetie.  Like chasing hundreds of toads around outside our bungalow at night. Don’t even get me started on the curries.

 

spirit house

Now, if only I could get back into the swing of things here.  I arrived home a week ago, but it seems as if pieces of my self are still arriving, like little packages to be unpacked. Slowly, slowly, I’ve been coming back to earth, back to my routines. Yesterday I spent some time in my studio, preparing some new panels for painting. The day after I got back from my trip, I delivered some pieces to a gallery in San Francisco for a group encaustic show there.  I’ll have the info for you all very soon…..

And now, I’m off for some 4th of July and birthday celebrations with my family. Happy 4th to you all.