Finishing touches…

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I was just in the studio this Friday morning. It feels great to be home after 1 1/2 weeks in New York. We had an amazing time in Buffalo and NYC. It’s nice to have the day to do as I wish.

This safety pin is part of my “sewing” series and it was also part of my “what the fuck is happening to our County series?!”  People were wearing safety pins to let others know that you are a safe being (to combat the increase in hate crimes since the election). Doing art, reading, and getting a good work out helps me deal with the ugliness in the world.

 

 

 

 

Are your going to Alameda County Fair?

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It was a fun afternoon at the Alameda County Fair – my daughter played bari sax at the horse race stadium with her middle school band. It was such a wonderful year of music at her middle school – I feel so fortunate that we are part of the music community.

Today was a perfectly beautiful day – not too hot! We headed over to the adult art area and found my painting on display. I don’t know if I will ever get use to this experience of seeing my art in some place other than my studio or home.

Overall, it was a beautiful day!

Moving on up…

I am mostly set up in my new art studio. We had to move out of the Downtown Studio space so that the city can develop on that prime location space. Now, I am in this multi-use facility called the Bothwell. I am hoping that I set it up for my best creative possibilities to emerge. Here’s to the possibilities!

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New art studio at the Bothwell

The water rises

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I’ve been unable to get the time to do art this past couple of weeks. The train wreck that is currently going on in our country has me feeling anxious and depressed. It has left me depleted.

I  initially set out to the studio today to throw away some paintings that were not working for me. I felt that I should just get rid of things that are not pleasing to me. Why surround myself with things I do not like? I thought that there’s enough going on in the world (our country) zapping my energy – I don’t need to have that in my art space.

At the last moment, I thought about adding some more paint to cover some of the spots that I did not like. Like magic, I found myself reconnecting and enjoying the piece. It needed to be reworked! I saw a female figure emerging from her water world.

There’s a life lesson here, I know. Sometimes, it is best to get rid of the depleting items in your life. They just take up space and do not serve a purpose. Other times, things can be improved and you can see its possibilities.

Ligature

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Did a quick painting for day 17 of the #30paintingsin30days challenge. “Ligature” is a 8×8 acrylic painting on wood panel. The ligature is an important part of the clarinet – it holds the reed in place on the mouthpiece.

I remember declaring to my painting teacher that I will not paint a reflective surface because I just did not want to deal with the thousands of subtle colors. My teacher was wise and encouraged me to do just that. Face the things that are a challenge – purposely embrace it – stick with it. Great life lessons.