Open Studio

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.

Here are two newly finished nest paintings that I’ve previously shown in earlier stages of development….

Both 24 x 24 inches, mixed media and acrylic on canvas.  I just finished the embroidery on these this morning, while drinking my coffee.  The top image was painted from a nest that my husband’s parents found in their wood pile.  The second, from the nest found outside my studio. I’ve been working so much in encaustic lately that these two poor things have been sitting, forlorn, in a corner, waiting to be finished for a few weeks now.  Sometimes I think I enjoy paintings more after not looking at them for a while.  It was nice to come back to these after a break, and see that they held up.  A little space can be a good thing.

However, sometimes a little space can turn into too much space…. that has been the case lately with my husband traveling for work….. (sigh).  Can you tell that I miss him?  It’s been several weeks, this trip, but I am very happy to say that his company is flying me to spend some time with him in……Thailand.  Yes, that’s where he’s been working, and that’s where I’m going, for two weeks.  I’ve never been to Thailand, but it looks like a lovely, wonderful country, and I’m taking my sketchbook, two blank art journals, and my camera and anticipating lots and lots of inspiration.  Not to mention my sweetie, and our 15th anniversary.  I’m hoping I’ll be able to keep up with my blog while I’m away, and share some of this with you all, so stay tuned!

Okay, so It’s not all beeswax and canvas and painting around here.  My kids and some friends went to an anime convention this weekend in San Jose, and we spent some quality time sculpting with- hairspray!  They dressed up as characters from a favorite video game, in all of their dramatic, weird glory….. we had a lot of fun.  

My daughter, Allie, is devoted to her own drawing, so it was great to visit the “artist’s alley” at the convention, and see artists sketching, and look through the sketchbooks that they often had out on the tables.  I was extremely impressed with some of the work I saw there.  So much talent.  

Ian and I also went to the San Jose Museum of Art and saw the “Robots” show, which I wasn’t expecting to enjoy nearly as much as I did.  I especially enjoyed the work of Thomas Zummer, Michael Mew, and Jeff Soto.  

So, after much over stimulation, we are settling in for an evening of watching Juno in our PJs and eating decompression food- aka ice cream.  mmmmmm……….

So….back from New York.  Took me a few days to recover and feel like myself again. There was not a lot of sleep to be had, and I had many firsts:  Knoedler Gallery opening, Korean food, Karaoke (!), The Strand bookstore, nighttime gallery hopping in Chelsea. I stayed with wonderful friends, and met some great people. Sensory overload!

 I adore the City, but I’m also really glad to be home again.  We are very close to San Francisco here, but I swear you would never know it. 

Winter here is austere and beautiful.  I’ve been walking in the late afternoon with Milo (my dog) since I got back, and it just -anchors- me.  I’ve also spent some time in the studio…

Here is a nest in progress.  I’ve got a xerox drying on there.  I’ll rub the back off to transfer the image, and it will be close to done.  A little tweaking, a little embroidery…I really like this one.  I’ll have to tell you the story of that nest in a future post.

 And, yes, that IS Ian in the background. Ah, the joys of the trampoline!

You can’t do anything around here without tripping over someone being creative.  Here, my son is turning our bedroom window into his canvas, practicing some Japanese characters (instead of doing his math!).   I’ve been busy myself today….finishing up some embroidery on new paintings.                                         I’ll have new work posted soon on my website. I will be disappearing  for a few days while I take a long awaited trip to New York City to see a dear friend’s show,  soak up some attitude, eat too much good food, stay up way too late, subsequently drink way too much coffee, widow shop, and see lots and lots of art. And all this with one seriously fabulous friend! I am feeling deliciously spoiled.  My only regret is leaving my new studio for five whole days.  Ah, well, what do they say?  Absence makes the heart grow fonder….. and I’m sure I’ll come home with a head full of ideas and inspiration.