Where Do Your Colors Come From?

 Was thinking about color and inspiration today and decided to go on a little photo adventure around my home. Partially because a certain Dove asked ... but also probably because this third day of being snow bound has me seeing my home in a new light - a snow-melt quality of light. Just loving and appreciating all of my little collections and I'm beginning to notice just how many of their colors have ended up influencing my paintings. So it really is true - an artist's studio environment can be pretty poignant!

Also - in other snow-bound news I've been watching this and plan to indulge in the last episode tonight. Been loving all the details in their sets - the studios, the sketches and each artist's personal disarray. Got to love the BBC for really doing their homework!

Step Inside and Stay Awhile

 There is something about filling your home with several of your dear friends that suddenly makes it all REAL.
Welcome to my home dear friends. Come on in and stay awhile, won't you?

I'm still pinching myself over this room. A workshop? Really truly?

For all the blessings of luck, love and friendship - cheers!

3 Days, 3 Shows, 300 Miles

With a full carload of paintings I traveled from Olympia to Seattle...
and then back again because the carload, even though full, wasn't quite complete *ahem*. Ya think you're totally organized and then... ah well =)

I delivered three large paintings for Confluence Gallery in the Methow Valley to a drop-off location in adorable downtown Bothell, then headed right on over to Ballard to meet up with some artist friends at the Conor Byrne. Our little group show between James Caudle, Jim Pirie and myself came out rather well I must say:

Saturday's art walk at Habitude was one of the more pleasurable show experiences I've had. The folks at Habitude truly know how to host a nice art walk! They were super attentive to all the details such as snacks, yummy chocolate, wine and teas AND the lovely massuese Larra (who I enjoyed meeting and talking with) was on hand to offer complimentary 5 minute chair massages at the start of the evening. My work fits perfectly and looks fantastic in the space. A couple of friends who I hadn't seen in ages came out for the event despite the rain and I had a wonderful time chatting with everyone.

Thanks Habitude!

After all that fun I unfortunately took a turn for the worse with a cough I'd been battling and spent the last couple days recuperating. Today found the cough settling down and I was feeling well enough to bask in the sunshine. Donned my face-mask and power sander to prep some new painting panels and already have a sketch developing. These doodling digits don't sit idle for long these days!

Or perhaps it had more to do with wanting to spend as much time as possible outside enjoying this oasis that is my new home.

If THIS was out your studio window... wouldn't you? How could you resist?
















Oh Blessed happy beautiful days!

Vermont Studio Center Tour

My first video! I wanted so badly to take you on a tour of the amazing space I was working in this past month that I couldn't help but try. Not too shabby ; ) Enjoy!

Housewarmed

Done! Housewarmed!
Want to take a tour with me?

I am so much in love with my new space that it feels like I've always been here. From the view from my window onto 1st Ave people watching to the studio workspace itself where everything fits just so. I've already got several pieces in progress - at the SAME time. Having space to spread out and work is totally priceless.

To the living room space with a wall of bookshelf that makes the large, open room feel cozy and homelike.

With the finale of a bedroom nook wall painted a color that makes my heart sing.

Whether I stay here 6 months or 6 years I am so SO happy to be here right now. This place fits me just right and I feel so lucky and blessed to be here.

Now I just need to honor the space by getting to work!

Sprouts in Progress

Remember all that excitement I had over getting to play in the studio? I think I must have pent up the muse a little too much before letting her loose because the outcome was an all out art explosion! I went wild playing with acrylic wood staining techniques on a piece of alley found wood. Luscious!

I'm looking forward to continuing work on this piece tonight. Along with starting an new piece on fabric - one of my firsts in over a year. I will be participating in the City of Hope Benefit where artists were encouraged to decorate a slip or a corset to be auctioned off on September 11th at Stylus in Belltown. And my muse is actually looking forward to it!

Speaking of great events - I was able to attend one this past weekend. I was blessed with a ticket and some friends to join in the very first Seattle Sprout dinner! Sprout's website describes the event perfectly:

Sprout: Sustaining Emerging Artists is a locally sourced, community dinner that funds emerging Seattle artists with a vote.

Participants will pay a sliding-scale entrance fee for which they will receive a home-made dinner and a ballot. Diners will vote on a variety of proposed artist projects. At the end of dinner, the artist whose proposal receives the most votes will be awarded funds collected at the door. The work will then be presented during the next SPROUT. Artistic genres of all kinds are accepted and are encouraged to be works that are sustainable, local and forward-thinking. 

The food was delightfully donated by local businesses and P-Patches and they even had a gluten free dinner option on hand which had me quite impressed! My friend Grace Willard was one of the presenters and she did an amazing job sharing her work. (She also shares an excellent blog post covering the evening here) Grace was beat out for the $1000 raised though by a pretty amazing community service project for Women's dance. “Central District Women’s Community Dance Classes” was presented by Whitney Aguirre who did a demo dance performance for the class. Her proposal for the funding would have benefited the most people by not only supporting the continuation of the classes but the $ from the classes goes on to help fund REST that helps sexually exploited women. Kind of hard to argue with. 

It was a tough vote though because all of the project proposals were incredibly interesting. It was yet another moment of truly feeling blessed to be a part of Seattle's varied and diversely rich art scene. 

With so much inspiration going on all the time what else is a girl to do but have an art explosion in her studio?