The Present I've Been Present In

Bit by little bit these little illuminations are all coming together. 

Watercolor and carving. Wax and China White weavings.

Collaborations and daydreams.

SOLO EXHIBITION: February 29 to March 31, 2012
CORE Gallery
117 Prefontaine (Tashiro Kaplin Building),
 Seattle, WA
 http://www.coregallery.org

 OPENING:  Thursday, March 1st, 2012, 6-9 pm

Art Binging

Visiting Gallery 206 at Ghost Gallery

 I've been gluttonously art binging. Yes. Three art walks in two days, guerrilla film making a viewing, creative collaboration playing and paint-o-thon-in. Yes oh yes.

Last Friday's Opening of "Pretty, Sexy, Girly, Dirty" at Bherd

Discovery of a new favorite local artist, Sarah Bear

Collaborative Play

And of course, I've been painting.

Even got in some creative collaboration time with some friends including the talented Betsy Schairer. We attacked a panel with a gusto of color and had a marvelous time.

One week until I hang this show and there are still countless pieces "in progress".  I'm buzzing with inspiration and energy - there are ALWAYS so many more pieces that I want to do and so many more ideas that I have during this pre-show crunch time.

It's kind of like going on a major binge - but in an oh-so-good soul-food sorta way!

Will they become artworks in time?

Call and Response

"Call and Response #1"

Funny thing can happen when you line up several commitments one after the next. You can overbook yourself.
Yes - overbook. Did I admit it out-loud? I think I did.
Here is a little artist life lesson story so hopefully you won't repeat my mistake:

I've had the honor of being invited to exhibit in several shows recently. It is truly flattering and a wonderful sense of "being on the right path" when you no longer have to put yourself out there and submit to a gallery. Huzzah, right? Recently, I got so caught up with that nice feeling that I neglected to fully check my calendar dates.

I had my big solo show booked for April, then in May I followed that up with another solo show for Ballard Art walk along with two group shows. I knew I would have plenty of fresh work from the April show to spread out to the following May exhibitions. Perfect!

"Call and Response # 2"

 And then I was invited to show again for Pioneer Square Art walk in June. I mentally calculated my Spring show schedule and said "Sure! I'm available for June." And thus committed to the show.

What I neglected to realize was that the Ballard show does not come down until mid-June. And I needed to deliver pieces to the NW Fine Woodworking show by June 1st.

I realized this grave error approximately 14 days ago.

So - the "Call" was set and I had no choice but to drop everything else and get back in the studio to "Respond". What came out are three brand new works that deepens my exploration with wood carving. I also continued a theme I had started to play with during the "Birds and the Bones". Looking a source verses product. At our environment and resources and how we use them. The life force and then the by product from that life force. Getting rather hippy-dippy but the results sure are nice.

Sometimes it's worth it to push yourself beyond your comfort zone and forge ahead. Things usually have a way of working out.

"Call and Response # 3"

Studio Daze Days

 It's funny. You would think if someone had recently acquired the nearly full-time pursuit of art she would be capable of blogging more often. Right? Well... Now that I CAN paint full time, I'm finding that is exactly what I'm doing. Painting. Each and every day. Longer than "workday" hours Picking up the practice right where I left it off at my residency. And it feels oh so good!

I've broken it up a wee bit with walks at my nearby parks such as the above pictured Madrone up at Priest Point (one of my favorites in the known world and an inspiration) and enjoying the pleasure of cooking good food.

 There have been occasional jaunts out of the studio nest... but not many. Other than two short trips to Seattle - (one for First Thursday and another for seeing good friends) I've been here. Just right here. Painting the days away.

"Ticket" In Progress...

 I'm gearing up towards my next big solo show, The Birds and the Bones which will be at CORE Gallery. But it's more than that. My muse is flowing strong and speaking to me often. I've "seen" far more flashes of full fledged pieces than ever before. The woodworking I've been experimenting with continues to bring me flushes of joy and disappeared hours. And how it's all coming together makes me feel like it is the culmination of the last four years of my work all coming together... not just this one show. Painting the days away indeed. Painting right on into tomorrow.

First star to the right and straight on till morning anyone?