Little Sketches or MarygailSketchbook is on its way!

Sketches both unleash my creativity and support my spiritual life. I bring a sense of non-judgement to sketching.  That fresh, casual attitude comes through in this newest work.  

For the last month I've been finishing small paintings every day.  I started by working through my inventory finishing a number of oil paintings and getting rid of some that will never work.  I also went back to doing watercolor sketches.  They are a fun way to warm up my artistic brain and capture my first impression of a subject.

"Washed" Watercolor and Ink apx. 6"x9"

The first day I did a tree.  The next, a pinecone.  The heat wave we've had this week inspired some seashell paintings.  It's been like unleashing a dam!  I've done an average of two paintings a day for the last week.  They've been consistent in theme and look and are ready for sale.  

"Tossled"  Watercolor and Ink apx. 6"x9"

I've decided to start an online store specifically for these daily sketches.  They are very different from the typical work that I do and I am making sure they fit in properly with my current and future offerings.  These make my original art available for entry level collectors.

I love these sketches and have gotten enthusiastic responses from friends, family and collectors.  I know many of you have wanted to purchase some of my work but have not made the investment in a large piece.  This makes it easy.  Check it out!

marygailSketchbook

The name I'm considering is MarygailkingSketchbook.  Including my name should make it fairly easy to find.  I come up high on Google and Bing searches with it.  At the moment all I have to do is make sure the photography is good and calculate shipping costs.  Once I finish that I will be up and running by early next week.  (Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest)  In the meantime be sure to contact me if you like one of these or have seen something you like on my FB page.  I'll need lots of support getting the word out so I'll keep you posted.  In the meantime, you can "like" my FB page to stay up with the latest news.  Mary-Gail's Facebook page

Living With Passion or What Do We Really Want?

My daughter, She's one of my finest legacies.

On a recent walk it struck me.  What drives my life is passion.

It's the reason I'm an artist and why I choose both the art I create and the life that fuels it.  When people are attracted to my art I believe it's because of the unique way that I express that passion.  It appeals because they see part of themselves in the most basic expression of what I do.  I reveal my inner life ruthlessly.  At the center of this art is the most fundamental need we have of being human.  We survive and we pass our physical, spiritual and mental selves on to the next generations.  We are attracted to pleasure and run from pain.

Healing surfaced many years ago.    

The Dragon Who Gave Birth to the Moon, Mixed Media

My childhood was a combination of free spirited fun and abuse.  My adulthood has been shaped by nurturing the one and healing the other.  I've crafted a powerful, sensitive way of being because even while I'm sometimes afraid I dive into my sensations.  I revel in the sweetness and joy I find and slog my way through the challenges.  As I say these things so many specific images swirl around in my mind.  The words to describe them seem infinite.  I can capture the sensations so much more fully in my art.

I see the moon and the moon sees me.

God bless the moon and God bless me.  

Irish lullaby

Fly was inspired in part by years of 

watching Laura refine her butterfly stroke 

as a competitive swimmer.

I led the rather linear life of much of my generation and I've always had a playful, free little girl inside of me, I did what any good girl would.  I went to school, worked, married, had children.  I was somewhat confused having grown up during the feminist revolution by the fact that I longed for the peace and security of a traditional life but had been trained academically and professionally for a life more like a traditional man.  Weird.  It's an 80's problem.

I remember when I first got married being a little lost inside my new "role."  I started to feel steamrollered by societal expectations of wifedom and motherhood.  I didn't know who I was when I couldn't tell a person I met somewhere like a party that I was a sales rep for Proctor and Gamble.  I became Larry's wife, Andy and Laura's mom, the basket lady, PFO President, fundraiser extrordinaire.  I combined my life as a primary caregiver and entrepreneur successfully but sacrificed at least some of my identity because of the career path I chose.

Images of the musicians and one of the paintings on exhibit tomorrow.

Along the way somehow I discovered myself

through my art.  It was a circuitous path that required retreating from the world.  After "finishing" the job of getting my children to adulthood I've turned to the next chapter.  You are witnessing whatever that is!  And I see you becoming as well.

Andy Climbing

In the meantime I continue to paint and create a life filled with passion.  I'm sharing a little bit of the expression of my passion tomorrow in my studio.  I hope you join me.  Sunday, September 28, 2014 1-4PM Studio R1 at 

Studio Channel Islands Art Center 

Here are links to some wonderful experiences.  It will take a little while to cull through this but you can consider it a library of inspiration from some of the people I've worked with over the years.  Enjoy!

Untitled as of yet and on exhibit tomorrow

What attracts people to art is that the best of it exemplifies passion.

Explorer/ Adventurers:

Andy King Mountain Man & Laura King World Explorer

Musicians:

Matthew Zeltzer Young Conquistador

Ebony Ann Blaze Chicago Blue

Don Harper  Composer/ Musician/ Camarillo Recording Studio

Visual Artists: 

Mary-Gail King

Sigrid Orlet  Visual and Installation Artist Extrordinaire

Marian Fortunati Plein Air Artist

Pamela Price Klebaum Glass Art

Art Center:

Studio Channel Islands Art Center and Blackboard Gallery

Day 19 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

  Here's a caveat to non-painters.  This may bore you to tears. It's a little technical. For painters I'm not overediting so read at your own peril. The secret to loose paint is focus on design and irreverence towards the outcome.  

The 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge has been a great exercise for me. Finishing small work each day has allowed me to focus on working out design issues and I've been able to play with different approaches to the paint (brushwork) and new color combos. Those themes are actually a good thing to home in on for the rest of the month. 

Yesterday I spent the day painting at the Santa Barbara Courthouse with my friend Steve Richardson.  As you can see he is a master of plein air and he's fun to paint with. We always laugh and that joy comes through in the paint. 

Getting back to plein air always recharges my batteries!  It was good to get back to architecture and use it to explore some simple graphic designs. With the first piece I discovered I need a much larger canvas to work on for the subject. I felt very cramped on the 5x7s I brought with me. That's when I decided to look at a small area of the building and lay in the shapes you see here. Then I threw on the paint.  

With the second piece I decided to return to my watercolor roots and build a soft atmospheric piece with negative shapes working from light to dark.  There were no shadows so this was a good approach.  I laid in a light, premixed wash and blotted it with a paper towel to cover the whole canvas. As an oil painter I HAD to do that. No raw canvas for me.  I then carved out the simple negative shape of an archway and softened the facade around it to reflect the shadowless, atmospheric light of a Santa Barbara day with the fog burnoff that takes place in the late morning or early afternoon.

That's when I got comfortable. This is what happens in my zone. I tossed that panel aside to start a new one. It flipped wrong side up. I righted it and went back to the next piece. I stepped on the same piece that had flipped while working....that irreverence when working outdoors is something I like to teach when working with anyone who has a fear of white, uninterrupted painting surfaces. Lay in your design, paint, don't worry about the outcome until later. That may be on location or later the same day. Begin again- quickly. Rest, talk, get coffee, work quickly! Be yourself. 

There.   Secrets revealed. 

Day 9 of the 30 day Challenge

I had an acrylic class today. Here's the demo...I'll be doing another in oil. I like wandering the Studio Channel Islands campus looking for still life inspiration. 

The Creative Impulse and the Sketchbook/ Day 8

I love seeing other artists' sketches and have never judged anyone else's work as harshly as I judge my own. I aspire to model some of the finest artists the world has known. I'm aiming high and must say I won't ever paint like these men BUT I will work to achieve what I admire most in them. They have complete confidence in their skills and clear, authentic voices. 

Links to sketches by three of my favorites. Two are known for their oils, one for his magnificent sculptures. These are all watercolors.  The thing I admire most in all of these is the immediacy of the paintings. They are impulses straight from the heart of each artist.  You can feel the passion and sense of connection each of them has with his subject. 

John Singer Sargent was a master artist in every way.  Refined and sophisticated his paints were never far from his side. A master draftsman, his ability to capture the spirit of places or people is legendary and some of what he did was even shocking at the time. Bold, direct and filled with energy, my favorite paintings are from his travels in Africa. 

Rodin

Rodin was an earthy, sexual, powerful man who could capture mass in watercolor, one of the most ephemeral of mediums. His work hits me in the gut and leaves me amazed at what an artist can say in the simplest stroke.

Turner is an inspiration because I imagine him tromping the fields of England with his sketchbooks, eating his lunch and using the breadcrumbs (among other things) to achieve  dreamlike effects that confounded many of his contemporaries.

The intimacy of an artist's sketchbook is a window into their day to day life. I often hesitate to share mine because when I let someone look at what I'm doing it feels a bit like being caught naked for just a moment. I'm usually exploring and finding my way as I sketch. I use it to slow down, enter flow, begin to move ephemeral thoughts into the physical world. 

These particular sketches were done quickly from (omg) photos just to get them done and meet my commitment to paint for the day. I hate work done from photos mostly because I'm separated from the full experience of being with my subject. I may not get the chance to do much today because of the administrative work I need to do, but here's the artistic equivalent of a 20 minute maintenance walk in my execise regimine.  

Day 7 of the 30 Day Challenge

I had an amazingly lazy day. I stayed inside most of the day reading and thought about just painting two pieces tomorrow.  When the moon came up I couldn't resist an evening stroll with my trusty watercolors. I ended up doing a number of sketches while sitting in the field fight across from my place looking east into the mountains. Here are one of the sketches, a photo of the view and my little set up complete with a Mason jar of water (aka moonshine;) Run outside and look tonight!  It's the last supermoon of 2014. 

30 paintings day 5! I've got this!

It feels so good to have a serious time limit to get this done and meet all of my commitments. This morning I had an hour to do my painting for day 5 so I dove into my pile of unfinished paintings. Here's today's piece ready to go.

I spent a week goofing off with a bouquet I bought last month and tossed painting by unfinished painting to the side. I have two I'd like to finish today so I can take Sunday off. Tomorrow I'll be doing demos in the studio so I'll be ahead of the game.  I'll also have TONS of sunflower paintings!!! Join me!  

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More on the 30 Day Challenge

Day 4- Playing with Photoshop....

Day 4, Sunflower Chain, digital file

As a painter I know the rudimentaries of Photoshop.  Basically I can follow directions to submit photos of my original work for competitions and I can edit photos to appear as close to the originals as possible.  

As a member of a large enclave of independent studio artists I work side by side with artists of most disciplines in the field of fine art.  I have learned SOOOO much from the fine art photographers.  Carol Henry of Carmel Visual Arts, Candace Biggerstaff of Biggerstaff Photography, and Sherron Sheppard have been the most influential.  It would take more time than I've allocated today to list all of the amazing things I've learned from these women, but first and foremost is that there is an amazing art to photography.  I will never wield a stylus as well as I do a brush, BUT, the computer is a fantastic tool to use as a new way of seeing.  

Yesterday after spending some time in Christine Leong's studio I was envisioning painted silk fabric as the canvas for a modification of one of my sunflower paintings.  I have no idea if this will ever be manifested in the world, but play like this is what often opens up new design ideas.  Rhythm and pattern are the elements I've focused on developing in today's virtual painting.  I'm so glad this month long journey is giving me permission to play every day with this.  Getting my head around a new design using a different tool is a great way to break through new creative layers!

Funny, in looking at the thumbnail above I see a fantasy sunflower person!

Here's a link to Leslie Saeta's blog to see more about the Challenge:  Sweet!

30 Paintings in 30 Days!

This is the first time I've taken part in any type of challenge where I'm creating a new habit as part of  a group.  I'm a bit of an independent type but have learned over time that groups can help me achieve even more than I would alone!  

Sunshine and Cloudless Skies, 16x20 Oil

Lesley Seata is an artist and blogger with a radio show and a large following of other artists she encourages to become better at what we do.  This is the fourth time she's put this challenge together.  I have a number of friends who have participated and really enjoyed it.  I'll link you to their sites later on as I get into some daily posting.  Yikes!  Daily, not weekly.  I won't keep that up after September because I prefer blog posts that are a bit more reflective but here goes!

The biggest benefit to the challenge is that I'll finish a painting a day no matter what.  No perfecting it, no putting off painting due to administrative work, travel, sleep, eating ;) I can play a little catch up and I'm personally not one to beat myself up about missing a day, but I'm not likely to miss any days either.  I'm a type A artist. 

Rock Study, Moro Rock, Sequoia National Forest, 6x6 oil

Nuff said.  I have to figure out how to upload the photos to Leslie's blog now.  I've missed the deadline for day one but will post it here.  It's the rock painting inspired by my recent trek up Moro Rock in Sequoia National Forest.

"Later today"
I finished the sunflowers below and it's a really nice little painting.  I like it.  It's very satisfying.  I've made what I think of as making a run for finishing something larger to post tomorrow but that's not going to happen.  I'll just work on another small one.  I've already noticed some interesting benefits.
1.  I'm even more focused on painting each day since I'm holding myself accountable to someone else!
2.  No diddling around with a painting.
3.  Each one is a very real stepping stone to the next.
4.  I'm thinking strategically about finishing small pieces and still getting time to work on the biggies. It's great for production!  Thinking ahead for the holidays!

"Indian Summer"  9x12Day 3, I'm obivously enjoying the
warm, golden palette of September.  Wait till we hit October!
I call it the Golden Month here in Cali.

I was showing my friend Christine Leong the pieces I've done so far on my iPad.  Playing with cropping we saw all kinds of interesting areas I can develop.  Christine is a traditional Chinese painter, so her work is very different from mine.  She does a lot of painting on silk. (Love her wearables, check them out!)  Anyway, being in her studio turned my mind to using more stylized work.  In looking at the sunflower pieces, Sunshine and Cloudless Skies in particular, I can see some interesting patterns embeded in the design.  I'm going to print out some photos and start playing with the design to see what patterns emerge.  I see twirling vines and a lot of mystery hidden in the painting.  It will be fun to explore what's there...

The beauty of nature stuns me

The beauty of nature stuns me.   

Detail of Moro Rock aka Inspriation 

Being an artist starts with the heart.  When I look at something I'm not looking for the surface.  I may think of mixing paints and moving brushes and I do so intuitively, but mostly I look for vibration, sensation and essence.  In order to reconnect with my heart I often turn to nature.

When I'm connected to it, harmonies of color caress my eyes.  Sunlight on stone turns it to hammered silver.  Starlight mixes with treetops...  It's all so fleeting.  The moments last forever; the sum of them passes in the blink of an eye.  I'm grateful for the glimpses of eternity I've just seen in the mountains and ancient trees.  I'm grateful for the glimpse of the speed of time as my family morphs yet again into another form.   People are the other thing I turn to for inspiration.  Without my relationships to the people I love my life would be rather empty.

I didn't realize just how experienced I am at camping in the high Sierras until I got this note today from my mom.  I love hearing bits and pieces of memories I don't recall....

Sequoia

"You were too young to remember, but probably remember the stories. (I don't.)  Your first camping trip was when you were just under two and Patrick (my brother) was eight months.  We started out in CA, crossed the high Sierras, camped outside Salt Lake City, through Denver.  Stopped in Ohio where your Green Grandparents were living while your Grandfather built a dam.  On to Newport RI.  Spent about a month on the road.  Quite a trip.  You had a 1/2 size sleeping bag & a tennis net for a playpen.  Patrick had a car bed. So you are a very experienced camper.  Lots of stories about that trip..............in a VW, pulling a trailer for the luggage because it was also a cross country move. The lights went out, etc. etc."   

Andy, He's 6'1" so you can get a sense of the
size of the tree with that to scale it. 

I introduced my children to the Sierras and the Smoky Mountains but I don't know the mountains as well as they do.  My son has hiked a decent portion of the Pacific Crest Trail.  My daughter's intimacy is with the Himalayas as well as the mountains of the West Coast of North America.  Laura's friend Hannah, who joined us on our trip, worked for the National Park Service in the Santa Monica National Forest.  They've got creds.  I was in good hands.  I'm not sure when these "kids" grew up.    It was a right of passage for me to have them do so much on this trip.  

I was impressed at how well we managed to make our adventure work with little drama. (I shouldn't be with the above resumes though.)  Things could have gotten bad when we realized we left two of our four sleeping bags behind after rearranging the car numerous times to fit everyone's gear. (Prius, no extra stowage on top and four people.) 

Laura, You should see her eyes light up when she spots
a flat place to do a yoga pose in. 

We didn't want to run down the mountain to get bags once we'd realized our (well, probably my) mistake. We couldn't find blankets at any of the park markets so Andy slept under car mats and extra sarongs with every bit of clothing he'd brought.  Laura and Hannah shared a sleeping bag and spread an assortment of soft things on the ground and I slept in the car.  They did all have tents!

My tent was made to go over the back of of the car, so I was glamping to begin with.  Just for the record, I offered to share with Andy but he wanted to use his new tent. Probably didn't want to spend the night with his mom either....Little old for that and apparently not cold enough to go there! (oh I should and do feel really guilty) I used his sleeping bag.  It was in the upper 40's our first night.  We'll never forget essentials like that again. 

Every turn was more beautiful than the last.

The list of stories goes on.  We chased the sun around the panoramic rim of the park late the second day braking to stop at almost every turnout and joking about what fine American tourists we were.  Chased the sun up Moro Rock the third night and managed the ride home without permanent damage to any of our cramped limbs.  

You can't begin to know how I clung to the edges of the

 rockshere!  I had no idea this rock was here so it 

was a remarkable surprise!

We'll enjoy looking back at this short adventure but, for me, it was a glimpse into what our lives will be as they move forward.  Our roles are shifting.  I don't have to do everything.  THANK GOD. I used to try and it's a great relief to realize my days of being super woman are done.  I have a loving family community and I'm only a part of it.  I look forward to more adventures with them and the friends we've each gathered into our lives.  I'm sure many of you are reading this now.  

5x7 oil sketch done at our campsit 

Hannah Garcia, Mary-Gail King, Laura King, Andy King  

There are so many times I've forgone things like this thinking time and money were too limited but all I can say is I'm glad we all managed to pull it together.  I'm so fortunate (again, still) to have a life where I am able to do these things.  I do it on a budget with a make it happen attitude, little time, and a lot of teamwork.  

Two big lessons.  

1.  Have a checklist and check it twice.  

2.  Know each other's skills and support each person in using them for the good of the group. 

Laura, my professional packer 

I will definately do this again.  I've learned a lot about what to do to make things more comfortable.  I've learned not to take beans. (No one ate them.  I just got a hard time for bringing about six cans.)  I loved adding someone to the "family" and will do that again at every opportunity.  Let's put it this way.  Life is too short not to do a little something with someone you love any chance you get.  

You may not have the Sierras in your back yard but if you're in the US there are 59 National parks and  6,624 state parks.  There are nominal fees (much cheaper than a theme park) and your getaway will require nothing but gas and a picnic.  

Sleeping in my Prius was surprisingly comfortable. I bought a great tent that attaches to it, but the only thing you really need is a nice, thick sleeping pad and a sleeping bag or blankets to get started on your camping adventure.  I thought sarongs draped over the windows in an assortment of colors was nice for privacy and bling.  They came in handy for more essential purposes though!  

So pack your car and hit the highway.  It was so refreshing and has been the perfect way to recharge my creative battery.  I was running out of shapes to paint....

Road Trip! or My Children's Backs

The car will have the Habitent on the back and be 
wrappedlike this:  to protect it from marmots.

As I prep for the first road trip I've had in way too long, it's been fun to think about some history. Time is rather plastic.  It compresses and expands depending on what I'm thinking about.  Not unlike what happens when I meditate, my mind darts around looking at different experiences before focusing. Since one of my favorite indulgences is to allow my mind to wander before I focus here goes....

Growing up I moved around. I went to ten different schools vs. the four most people attend before going to college.  I have no idea how many miles my family of six logged as we traveled the southern perimiter of the country (VA-FL-CA) and went up the middle (TX-OK-KA-MO-NE-IA-MN) but I got good at entertaining myself, keeping arguments to a minimum, being prepared or suffering the consequences....

Raising my own children they somehow became incredible adventurers. I have no idea (seriously) where it came from.  I like a good road trip but they are professionals.

Andy King: Andy's Adventures

Laura King: Adventures in My Shoes Travel Video

Nothing is particularly easy in life for anyone; security is an illusion and being commited to a life of magic is worth the blood, sweat and tears.  Being financially solvent and wisely managing personal resources is critical, but making good choices and living simply (and well) make adventure possible.  Be sure to check out Laura's video & blog and Andy's blog for some intense inspiration.  They show me what's possible and I adore spending time with them.  We're going on a road trip next week which is incredibly tame by their standards but that's not the point...  I'm ready for glamping with my Habitent and paint and am now  scouring the internet for tips on avoiding marauding bears and car eating marmots (really!) I'm not sure how the hiking will work out but we're a good team and I like to stop and paint the flowers so it should work out fine.

No idea where it came from;)

Getting My Mojo Back: Summer, Growth Spurts, Playing in Water & Family

I'm not sure where I am but these are my people.  This
is my place.  (There is actually a hand in that cookie jar!)

It's been too long since I've blogged.   I've thought of all of the deep, meaningful things I could write, but rather than overthink it I'll jump right in and ramble a bit about summer memories.

I've talked about my extended family here before. My family has always had its toes in the water, lakes, rivers and the ocean.  If it was wet my Florida cousins and I were in it.  Several of us were from further afield but somehow managed to make it back when we could.  I love this photo of some of us taken at a cousin's.  I'm not in the photo but this exemplefies "us."  My sister is the Renoir model on the far left, Grandma behind her, multiple cousins and Aunt Gail to the right glowing in the bright red shirt.  Man she was fun. We all were.  The Coke, sun tea and Jiff as "unhealthy" as they "are" kept us fueled for all of the physical fun we had and make me smile.  After all, food made with love feeds both the body and the soul.  I can imagine watching Grandma, Aunt Gail and Reggie piling a grocery cart high with treats.   My brothers, sister and I managed to lose our shoes in June and would have to buy new ones in September.  Running around barefoot seemed to make our feet grow.

Summer games and family...

I'm sure at least some of you have noticed the same wonderful thing I have about summer.  My mind turns towards tossing off those tennis shoes, grabbing sunscreen and a hat, swimsuit and shorts. (That swimsuit is waiting at the door as I write.)  I revel in  giving myself freedom to grow and relax, choosing to fill life with what I really want to do.

I am so grateful for summer!  I haven't had a pool in a few years,  and was walking and doing a little bit of surfing for my aerobic exercise last year.  As my knee started to seize up this year I gradually stopped that, stopped my 2-3 times a week of dancing and even easing off of yoga with predictable effects on my body.  I do great as a rule, but  became rather depressed, lonely (I spend a lot of time with those people) mushy, just not generally happy in my body.  Summer and the water have healed me....

I have worked my way back slowly from the malaise.   It's taken the support of my community of fellow "movers," a major attitude shift that required a tremendous power of mind and willpower,  a good holistic chiropractor, knowledge about food and mind-body connections but I'm back!

LAST year.  Still haven't gotten out although that will
change by the end of the month.  Almost there!

The key to moving again for me was swimming.  I felt like a bug pinned to a display board, nervous and stuck until I found my way out, in part to my friend Maria Bucaro, a thought leader in positive approaches to women's body image and experiences.  Maria invited me to go swimming with her a couple of months ago with her and another friend.  For the record, we hadn't met much in person.  We just had an immediate connection when we did meet in person and stayed in touch with the magic of Facebook. I make that point just to affirm the real life value of FB as a tool to connect and stay in touch with friends and to make new ones.  I am a huge fan of social networking for just that reason.

When Maria saw a post on FB about my dilema re. exercise she invited me to go swimming in Ventura at an amazing aquatic center.  When I first jumped into the water I went with a floatation device because I was worried about my stamina (OMG) but rediscovered my love of a good pool when I realized that the pool was filled with salt water!

It was inspiring to be with Maria because she is so good at enjoying the physical pleasure of being in her body.  When she finished her laps she flipped to her back and floated in the sunshine soaking up the pleasure of being in her body.  It helped me enjoy the experience more to be with her!  I've even made a couple of other new friends who are helping me stay motivated to go.  I like social exercise and have a hard time keeping up whatever it is without personal connections.

So I'm getting my mojo back!  I'm back to ballroom dance (quick step for the last several weeks), swimming, some power yoga, soon I'll be walking, climbing and practicing NIA.  All of this moving about is getting my mind back to a positive set point, helping me focus and keeping me more efficient due to higher energy levels. THANK GOD!

It has taken money for good health care, determination, support from my friends and community and a love of living in my healthy body to get this back.  As a result I'm painting better and more than ever, have made new friends including a very nice one who continues to reach out at the pool.  Thank you Angela Rocket, you've kept me coming when I want to skip!  I especially appreciate the fact that all of this is a gift.  Not everyone has my mobility, lack of pain, tools, skills or good health.  I am so fortunate.  I love my body and I love my life!

Here are a few of the resources I've used to support me over the years along with tags describing how they've helped.  There are countless others, but these powerful resources are readily available and easy to find online.   Many have free or inexpensive ways to get started with their work too.  Let me know if you'd like help connecting:

Peak Potentials, business education, personal development, motivation, networking
Depak Chopra Center , holistic medicine education, detox, meditation and meditation instructor training
Robert Allen, mentor, coach, writing and marketing education
The Artist's Way, writing, self discovery, learning to play, artful life
Maria Bucaro, Author of Love Your Body Now, she's a life coach and facilitator of a free private FB group that I'm loving called Love Your Body Now.  I can add you to that group any time.

Evolution of a Sunset or Pure, Unadulterated, Juicy, Delicious Paint.

This is all about pure, unadulterated, juicy, delicious paint.  

Requiem                                                                                 36"x36" oil 

Oh, I just started in one corner and
kept going. Phase 1

Phase 2

I've noticed something insidious lately.  I have been sneaking sable (!) brushes from my watercolor stash and putting them in with my oil brushes.  I have palettes set up in long rows in the studio as I work on at least 6 paintings.  It looks like a case of oil paints exploded in there.  I used to clean up for special events and classes but it's gotten too difficult to rearrange the furniture every time something new is happening.  So I don't.  The result is that I make my process very visible.  It feels a little vulnerable.  It's kind of like facing the world without makeup.

I decided a number of months ago to move back into large format paintings.  I've been working on small oils primarily outdoors and doing larger studio work in water media particularly on Yupo.  Check out previous blogs for some of that.  You'll have to check the archives.  

Phase 3

                                                           Anyway, I have been experimenting a lot with brushwork (how I move the paint around on the canvas) and learning about color and luminosity by slathering on the paint.  This particular piece is done from my imagination based on other paintings I've done over the years.  I'm doing dream landscapes and gradually moving to a more and more abstract approach.  

I kept painting on this one even when I could have stopped.  Quite frankly I was obsessed with beautiful paint!   In this painting I couldn't decide on "when" it was  so I captured a sunset over time.  All of these layers are visible to some degree in the finished work so it has movement.

I enjoyed capturing the memory of an ephemeral moment.  I hope you are able to come see it in person when we have Arts Alive at Studio Channel Islands on June 28.  I'll be in my studio and you'll get the chance to buy other artists' work as well. 

This piece is available.  Please contact me if you're interested.  If you REALLY want it we'll figure out a way to make it happen.  Every piece has a home... My friend Diane Hanley once told me that she believes the Universe brings the right person to a painting.  I love that.  

The final work, Requiem 36x36

Fuel for the Creative Fire

I've been immersed in classical music for the last two days.  Friday night I was able to exhibit some of my art in connection with the New West Symphony's current concert Pictures at an Exhibition.  I took a few representative pieces of my plein air work

The particular composition that the concert was named after was written by musician Modest Mussorgsky in response to the death of a dear friend, the Russian artist Victor Hartmann.  Hartmann died very young at 39.  Another of Hartmann's friends, art critic Vladimir Stanssov organized a memorial exhibition of work by Hartmann.  Mussorgsky was so moved by the exhibit and the death of his friend that he wrote the touching piece that gives the concert its name.

Principal Viola
Lauren Chipman

Friday night I set up my work and was able to attend the concert as well.   I was seated next to a woman who was especially excited to be there because she had new hearing aids!  Her experience gave me a deeper appreciation of my own hearing.  I took even more joy from what I heard by sharing the time and space I spent listening next to her.  During intermission she realized that I was one of the guest artists which was my moment of celebrity status. During the second half of the concert she shared her amazing opera glasses with me.  They were heavy and the most optically clear lenses I've ever used.  I could see the spit on the woodwinds and the impeccable makeup of principal viola Lauren Chipman.

I also connected with Sarah Hodges and Andrea Landin who are the director and manager, respectively, of the Symphony's education department.  They are in charge of the VIP Family programs and invited me back to be an art facilitator for the Symphony's VIP Families. I was able to work backstage with the musicians and education staff. I had the children do gestural line drawings to two movements played by symphony members. One was a lyrical piece played by the brass section that elicited curvy, graceful lines. The other was played on viola by Lauren Chipman and was grumpy and discordant. The kids got it! If you're in the area and interested in your family being involved with the symphony check them out here:  VIP Family Club

Andrea Landin, Sarah Hodges and some of the VIPs

Master conductor and Music Director of
New West Symphony,  Marcelo Lehninger

I'm part of a lineage who is passing on our heritage.  You know, the one where we completely experience life through the Arts.  Amazing.  We are such gifts.  Life is so precious.

Multi-sensory experiences bring us more into the present moment and allow us to essentially slide back and forth in our memories.  They can compress and expand time.

 Touching the lives of children plants the seeds for a long term relationship with the arts.  As I left the concert hall last night I overheard one woman refer back to her school days (no doubt 50 years ago) and how she would have loved to be in the brass section last night.  She said the only solo she ever had was Taps!  Too funny, but obviously her early experience left a life long imprint.

Chairman of the Board Karl Klessig,
me, Andrea Landin, Sarah
Hodges

This experience further reinforces my own art philosophy, which is process and experience based.  I'm all about immediate present moment awareness and emotional connection.  Once again my heart is full.