Sky, Earth and Sea and Some Tuesday Ramblings

I am shipping this original drawing/painting to Melbourne, Australia today and it got me thinking about how grateful I am to be an artist today. Yeah, I had to get used to spending time on social media and yeah, it also means spending a lot of time in front of a screen. The good far outweighs the bad in that I have been able to ship my art internationally and across the US because of the internet. If you asked me if I would be doing this when I finished art school, I would not have believed it. Of course, none of it would be possible if these lovely people out there weren't interested enough to buy my work. I am very grateful for those who have supported me. 

A little about this piece: Sky, Earth and Sea is an ink drawing on paper with watercolor accents. It was drawn intuitively, without pencils or a plan and all in one sitting. It is dear to me in that sense. One day in the studio, I created three drawings in a row after closing my eyes for some time. I opened my eyes and this was one of the drawings that came out. It was a pretty magical feeling and one I always aspire to when making art. Often I overthink things or try to plan too much. 

Now as far as my art goes, I am in a state of flux, as I am planning for my art residency in Cadiz, Spain while also cleaning up and filling up my online stores for the time before I leave. I have to ship supplies to Spain soon, which kind of stresses me out because I'm not quite sure what to bring. Or, more like I don't want to forget anything. Still, nothing to fret over since Spain is a civilized country with art stores. 

In all this planning and work, I decided I will be having an art sale prior to leaving for Spain. It will be happening around the middle of October. I will be trying to clear my studio so when I return before the new year, I will have a fresh studio! There will be art prints, some textiles, sketches and a few larger pieces available. Details to come! 

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Black and White Mood

Have you noticed that I've been in a black and white mood lately? If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you may have seen a lot of black and white art in the making. I have been working with Sumi ink and paper a lot in the last few years, but it wasn't until I hung my drawing wall at my Lay Low show at Seeing Things Gallery that I saw just how much I was using this medium.

Keeping it simple with Sumi ink, a rag, brushes and a palette

A few months ago, I was approached to do a show called Shelter. This dual exhibition was to take place at two galleries. The first show at Works Gallery opened last weekend and the second show at The Citadel Gallery opens this Saturday night, April 12th. For the Works show I submit a drawing, titled Buried History. It shows a living room underground, the living room of my childhood. It shows my dad's records, mom's books and my grandmother's black floral loveseat. We had to get rid of all this furniture due to financial circumstances and moving when I was young. It's actually one that I almost wanted to keep, but it sold so I will let it go.

For The Citadel show, each artist explored the idea of sanctuary and creativity. The initial idea was to create an installation that shows your creative space. At first, it seemed too easy. I have lots of interesting things in my studio, including my paint-covered studio desk, little vintage nicknacks and natural objects like driftwood and rocks. At some point I came up with the idea to draw my studio instead. It was for a mix of reasons. For one, I thought about how I could live without my desk in my studio for a whole month? I've been wanting to do an installation for awhile now. I also loosely had an idea to draw my show at Seeing Things Gallery, but decided against it. I am so happy I finally made it happen with my piece We Have Overcomplicated Things. The title comes from the drive I have to simplify my life and minimize this past few months. I am in the process of cleaning my studio and plan on having a much more calm and clear workspace, much like this art installation.

We also got a lot of rain in the Bay Area recently, so maybe these overcast skies had something to do with all this black and white too!

This has been quite the project. It was all painted freehand. Mistakes were made. They were erased, covered up, left. I definitely planned some things in advance but a lot of it was carried out intuitively and spontaneously. Very satisfying to not have any pressure but from myself. It’s been a test of my patience and a will to roll with mistakes. This little installation shows how I feel when I am in my creative space. Everything feels expansive, good, simple.

You can see the show at The Citadel Gallery. Opening reception is April 12th from 7-11pm. Can't make the show? I will post an image of the work on the day of the show.

Spring Cleaning Cliche

Some cliches exist for a reason and I definitely think spring cleaning is one of them. Every year, I dedicate some time to minimizing and cleaning up after myself. It's weird though, I never consciously think of it as spring cleaning, but a few months into the new year and right before taxes are due I always seem to purge myself of junk I don't need.

The before!

I don't know what it is, but I can be so nostalgic about things. For example, I just found an article on Bill Callahan from 1999. Why? Yes, it is nice to look at these things and remember a time. Yes, it is nice to have every art supply known to man, but do I use all of it? No. Do I need to save art materials for a future date? No!

As I get ready for some new things in the coming months, I am so happy that I will have yet again less stuff. I used to think having endless art supplies and keeping random stuff around was necessary, but no way. I'm over that now. I can't wait to show you when I'm done in a few weeks! After taxes, of course:)

Iceland Travel Art

I was thrilled to be working on this commission of an Iceland trip. The client sent me photos of various locations that meant something to her and her husband and I chose how to lay out the scenes. I can't wait to post the final in the next few weeks. I will be offering travel paintings like these in my Etsy shop. They are perfect for the trip of a lifetime, honeymoon keepsake or other adventures. Paintings will be offered in 8x10 and 11x14 sizes. I will be making an announcement about this new offering in the next few weeks!

An initial sketch for an Iceland trip commission.

New Campfire Art Print Available

I'm a little sad it's been so warm here in California. I like to camp in the winter when it's cold and there are less people, but I have a feeling we are skipping winter with the drought and warm weather we are experiencing. Still, I will be camping in a few weeks and I thought it fitting to post my art Firewater, which is now available as a print in my Etsy shop. I hope you have a serene weekend.

Firewater, available here