Hwy Distractions, 12x9

"Hwy Distractions" 12x9" Pastel on sanded paper Sold

On my long journey across California to Montana this past summer, there were many interesting scenes that intrigued me in some way. There is something about the rural areas that have small hints of beauty. As plain and mundane as this little town was, (and I mean mundane because I don't even remember what it's name was), it had some interesting old signage and buildings that seem lost in time. As we travelled, I took many snapshots. This is one of those shots that had a pretty good composition. I beefed up the color in this one and gave it a sexy sky. Still no name for this small Idaho town, but it was one of our many gas-stops along the way. If you recognize the location...pipe up! I'd love to know.

"Turnip Teeth" Artist Statement and Juror news

This entire week I have been pulling teeth from a turnip! Well, that's what it felt like when I was revising my Artist's Statement. Sure, I can paint and make pretty pictures. But when it comes to writing about my work, I fall flat on my face! So I Googled Artist Statement for some much needed hand holding and found Molly Gordon's site that was exceptionally helpful! Besides the help on writing Artist Statements, she also has a plethora of advice on other areas of marketing. I think this is a site that I will be referring to on a regular basis. After I had the meat of what I wanted to say in my Statement, I found the best advice in step 4, and that is to have a trusted friend or professional give feedback on clarity, tone and more. So I called up my painting buddy Gretha and she helped me grind out the rest. Thanks Gretha! So now I am done. So wanna see some Turnip Teeth? You can find it here.

On another note, I was asked by the City of Beaverton to help in the jurying of the city's public art installations. The city has had several citizen artists and business persons, who are interested in this endeavor, meet over the course of the past 2 years to find a "voice" for the city. The goal is to beautify the city by uniting it with a centralized area where people can gather, meet, rest, play, and just hang. The City of Beaverton will be accomplishing this by installing a monumental sculpture. Here are some examples of large scale public art that you may recognize from other US cities:

If you know of the location of any of these pieces, please comment.

Beaverton Showcase entries

"Duet" 6x6" Pastel on sanded paper

"Being Sour Has it's Benefits" 6x6" Pastel on sanded paper

I'm happy to announce that I got a painting (or two) accepted into the 28th Annual Visual Arts Showcase. The Showcase is a regional show that attracts artists from the Northwest area and is held in the beautiful Beaverton City library. This has been an elusive show for me for the past 4 years, and it was all my doing, you see. For one reason or another, my work didn't make the cut because of slide prep, secondary work, or I was too busy to enter and let the submission date pass. It goes to show that I have got to be more organized and on top of things. And I thought I was organized! Augh! Confessions of an artist! Anyway, you may have seen these two in previous posts.

The Showcase artists will be honored at an opening night gala on Saturday, February 6th, 2010 from 6:00 till 9:00 pm. More info can be found in my "Upcoming Events" to the right. I hope to see you "locals" there!

2010 Lake Oswego Chronicle Invitational

The other day, I received an invitation to participate in an Invitational Show. An "Invitational" is when the artists are selected and invited to submit to a special show, this one being the Lake Oswego 2010 Chronicle Invitational. Evidently, they found my name and searched me out. I often wonder where, who, or how they find me with so much competition out there to get recognition. Hmmm.

Anyway, I went out to Lake Oswego and thought I'd take some reference photos of some of the city's landscapes. I've been interested in street scenes...the ordinary, boring, unflattering curbsides of our lives. But of course there are the many beautiful water subjects too to select from. Is there one that you like or would like to see for my entry? Don't be shy! Vote by commenting! Thanks!

Roadside, State Street

Riverview

Picnic View

River view II

Shoreline Shade

Little Lava Lake, 9x12 & Studio Sale update

"Little Lava Lake" 9x12" Pastel on sanded paper

As I was preparing for my Studio Sale/Christmas show, I stumbled across a pile of artwork that was somehow squirreled away in a portfolio in my closet. Now, this either tells me that I'm losing my memory or I'm a pack rat! Maybe someday I will find a stash of exotic treasures hidden away next time I'm preparing for a show! After all, I have been clearing out all my "stuff" and it has proven to be a much needed cleansing.

This one (above) was painted last summer on my trip to the Central Oregon area and had somehow escaped me. Like finding a lost friend, I looked at it with fresh eyes and decided it was a nice piece after all! Always the critic within!

Anyway, I'm glad to announce that my Open Studio went very well! We figured around 5o or so visitors that found homes for 22 pieces of art! To market this event I used Facebook, email, and standard mailers. Interesting enough, the most successful method of promotion was primarily a combination of both email and Facebook. The traditional snail-mail had the least amount of return.

Michele, me and Christine at my Open Studio

I always seem to be "laughing' in every post! Gosh, maybe a shot of me with my mouth closed would be nice, huh? As a testament to my friends, they are a great support and am so glad to have such a great group who support me and my ambitions. And now the new work begins!

Studio Sale & Christmas Party!

This is one of my demos from a lesson on color values.

I have been pretty quiet lately, because I have been on vacation (Disneyland) and have been preparing for a big show...let me explain!

As the Christmas season revs up, I have been re-evaluating my year. Some of you may or may not know about my family loss this past summer, and just how it has taken hold of my overall outlook on life. Well, I have been focusing on clearing out my life and starting anew. This means I have been simplifying, lightening my load, and not waiting for "this" or "that" to happen. I have been weeding through my home and have been clearing out those extras things...and it has finally made it's way into my studio. Wtih the Holiday season upon us, I have decided to have an "End of Year" studio clearance sale and topping it off with some Wine and Cheese. It's Christmas time. and I want others to enjoy the beautiful artwork and so I have been drastically dropping my prices just for this one evening event. Everything is drastically priced to move so I can start anew! I am so excited because I want to make new artwork...but not sure which direction this will take me. Stay tuned for a new post. Who knows where this will take me, but definitely a new leaf has been turned!

Oh, and on more personal note...don't go on the Tower of Terror ride at Disneyland!!!!! It was so scary, that I was crying to get off! Comforted by my husband, I laughed at my knee-jerk reaction to the drastic drops. Here I am trying to smile after the terrifying ride.