For pure pleasure and with no particular idea of plan in mind, Max and I did a little action painting that only took a few minutes but the satisfaction lasts for weeks on the fridge gallery…

The recipe is simple: drop puddles of paint onto your paper and aim the end of a drinking straw to blow them flying into different directions. It would be lovely to make this translate into a silk dress or scarf with some fabric paint.  I love the freeing feeling of not being concerned about “making art” but just sitting down and identifying a clean space and beautifying it – or just seeing what happens in the process.

+ Someone asked me a brilliant question about where the bravery comes from in expressing my art.  Here is my answer.

I have some new paintings to show you, let’s start with this little 10″ x 10″ touched with gold.  It reminds me of driving late at night to a favorite song.  Maybe because I made it in the middle of the night to a favorite song?  Both make me happy.

p.s. I bought a ukulele!

These Christian Louboutin Miss Clinchy boots completely fascinate me.  Probably because I can’t get through my day on anything higher than a two and a half inch heel, and even if I could, they aren’t really my style… but still, I can’t stop looking at them. I had an issue of Flare that I picked up while in Canada spread out in front of me the other night when I was painting landscapes and somehow ended up painting these too.  I mean – - – Ponyhair. Leopard. Print.  So outrageously high and sculptural and insane, they look like an object d’art to me.  Can one use a shoe as a vase?  Oh well, If you can’t wear ‘em, paint ‘em. (The other boot is just out of my imagination, but more my style.)

My sister and her repose, captured on film, at the Everett Street Bistro in Portland…

My sister and her luminous smile, captured loosely in paint, from a memory on the beach…

Even though we are a decade apart, we are close at heart.

Whew. Things are so strange these days.  One thing that I’ve decided is to only allow for things in my day that will have an immediate return of bliss to help me move along on my recovery way… like sharing some art. Who knew that a quick blog post would boost the spirits?

So I was unloading some pictures from my camera of baby Eli (the shutter won’t stop, he’s just too cute!) and I came across some loosely done paintings I made ages ago.  There’s definitely nothing remarkable about them, but the memories I have associated with them are what make them special.  I remember this day because I was feeling nostalgic leaving my home for the first time in my life to go to school on east coast and knew that I would miss so many things, one of them being my little brother Sam.  I knew he would change and grow up without me being there to see a lot of it.  This particular day we drew pictures on our driveway with chalk, blew bubbles, played four square and laid in the grass looking at clouds, just the two of us.  I took pictures of him making goofy faces in a new roll of film that would stay in my camera and come with me so that when I had them developed in my new city they would be a nice reminder of home.  My little brother who is not-so-little anymore…

A series of my 10 X 10 paintings are now for sale at HER studio, one of which was featured at the Sixth Street Gallery last fall for the Decay show in Vancouver. Here are some detail photos…

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For those of you in the Las Vegas area…

The public is invited to view the National Invitational Postcard Exhibit, which opens on April 24, at the Bridge Gallery in Las Vegas City Hall, located at 400 Stewart Ave.

This exhibit was organized by inviting artists from across the country to create a postcard image about the state or city in which they live. Artists were also asked to recommend one or two artists in states other then their own.

The artists have a diverse approach to creating their postcard image both in medium and concept. Some have made images of their natural surroundings, while others looked below the surface to convey certain social and local issues. The wide variety of two-dimensional mediums in the exhibit includes photography, collage, metal leafing, painting, printmaking, digital prints, ink and various other drawing mediums.

The participating artists are: Sarah Marshall-Alabama; Peggy Fagerstrom-Alaska; Cerese Vaden-Arizona; Brad Cushman-Arkansas; AnChi Chen- California; Jean Gumpper-Colorado; Lisa Kereszi- Connecticut; Francine Fox-Delaware; Joelle Dietrick- Florida; Radka Pulliam-Georgia; Maria Lee-Hawaii; Dan Scott-Idaho; Katie Waters-Indiana; Michael Kienzle-Iowa; King Cormack-Illinois; Amy Schmierbach-Kansas; Lisa Kriner-Kentucky; Jesse Royston-Louisiana; Renee Conklin-Maine; Jacqueline Wille-Maryland; Ben Donaldson-Massachusetts; Jennifer Gill-Michigan; Andrew Holmquist-Minnesota; Sheri Rieth-Mississippi; Erika Hamlett-Missouri; Sukha Worob-Montana; Maranda Allbritten-Nebraska; Justin Favela-Nevada; Martha Phinney-New Hampshire; Nancy Sutor-New Mexico; Mike Froio-New Jersey; Harvey Weiss-New York; Brandon Sanderson-North Carolina; Kim Fink-North Dakota; Jeremy Cody-Ohio; Sarah Hearn-Oklahoma; Betsy Walton-Oregon; Michael Penn-Pennsylvania; Michael Kachanis-Rhode Island; Jon Goebel-South Carolina; Johntimothy Pizzuto-South Dakota; Annette Fournet-Tennessee; Deirdre Pope-Texas; Marcus Alan Vincent-Utah; Jason Baldwin-Vermont; Lauren Soffe-Virginia; Jenny Vorwaller-Washington; Brent Thomas-West Virginia; Bob Erickson-Wisconsin; Mark Ritchie-Wyoming             

The exhibit runs through July 2, and is presented by the city of Las Vegas Office of Cultural Affairs. The Bridge Gallery is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. This exhibit is free and open to the public. Call (702) 229-1012 for more information.

Pictures forthcoming…

untitled watercolor

Today I’m the featured interview at the great new website The Tools Artists Use. I’m among great company with artists of all types of backgrounds and talent. Thanks Bill!