Morro Bay, Tiny Sketches

It's so important to keep the inspiration coming as an artist. Travel and painting outdoors keep me going.  I'm sure my Channel Islands friends understand. I continued my kayak painting tradition and did these on my trip to Morro Bay.

Dunes in Morro Bay

Dorian Hiking Back from The Rock

I had my sketch box in a baggie complete with Sharpie and brush.  When I got my trusty pad of paper out I realized I had some practice sketches on the front of the postcards.  I had to flip them over and used only 1/2 of the back due to all the pre-printed info there.  These are really tiny (apx 3"x4")and actually quite charming.  The little set will look nice framed together.  

The Rock

Morro Bay Sea Lions

The Big Guy (He didn't have the smile; that was a wild mark of the pen I managed to include in the composition:)

Thanks for the ride and the very special birthday Dorian!

Just a quick update

The romantic site of my latest oil

I've been up to several things and going at warp speed but thought I'd slow down for a second to update here.  I did a workshop for Studio Channel Islands Art Center last week which was written up in our local paper.   Ventura County Star Article on Gifted Students program.

I'm also continuing my work in oil still life in the studio.  Carol Henry, a fellow artist in residence at SCIART, had this set up in her studio last week.  I enjoyed every minute of painting that afternoon.

In my work I like to pretty much evenly split my time between teaching and painting.  I can't imagine letting go of either one.  The continuous cycle of creating and sharing works so well for me. I love confirmation that I've chosen the right path for myself and my career.  Here's to many more years!

The warm glow (sweat!) is from painting on a hot afternoon.
It translated well into the colors of my palette!

What a gorgeous day to paint...

I arrived at the studio today in a bit of a funk.  I wasn't motivated to paint so I went and bought a  door.  You see I looove to paint big pieces and I haven't indulged myself in a long time.  I'm still working towards those golden fields and between a door and a luscious, newly stretched piece of Arches watercolor paper how could I stay in a bad mood?  My favorite part is painting with a broom in the sunshine.  Theres a reason my studio is larger than my apartment!  I'd rather use housekeeping tools to paint than clean!  Happy Friday!

The beginning

What in the world do I do with my time?

I'm a planner; I work very hard; I take care of myself; I love my friends and family and I remind myself every day to embrace the time I have here.

On the Conception last month at Santa Cruz Island

I read Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People years ago and apply those principles to my time management decades later.  When I plan I like to divide my time into the largest blocks I can.  I do this because I want to get lost in whatever it is I'm doing.  As a painter for example, I'm just getting warmed up after six hours in the studio.  Hours slip by when I'm working on the computer or on a walk.  I want to enjoy as much of my journey as I can.  If I'm traveling too fast I'll never see what's whizzing by my window.

I jot down a list of commitments I have for the next year/month/ week/ day.  I prioritize and plug in commitments and preserve as much open space as I can for the things that feed my life: work, relationships, self-care, etc. I keep a clear idea of my long-term goals and dreams and try to remember that there are many possible pathways to get there.  And while I can't be over-indulgent it's just as bad to live a stingy life.

The water clears my head!  Here I am in one of the world's most beautiful cities.

The blogging world is funny.  I can write things like this down and sometimes people will stop by to read it.  I'll certainly lose some people's attention because I do ramble and I probably sound very ordinary.  Many artists use their blogs exclusively to showcase their art.  I see my blog as something a little different.  While I am primarily a painter I have a deep seated belief in empowering people creatively.  To me, that's more than painting.  It means I live a life that is rich with possibility and if I give glimpses into how I explore my time here in the world maybe I'll give someone else the idea that a creative life is a real possibility.  After all, if this very ordinary woman can live this way anyone can!  It takes guts and resource management (time and money- see my blog A Room of One's Own, January 14, 2011 post).  It also takes having a good support system to take care of things at home if you're not as unencumbered as I am.

San Francisco Chinatown

One of the things I've committed to doing with my life is to travel.  Right now I'm taking baby steps and have stuck to the US and primarily the west coast.  The next time I go to visit my daughter in Seattle I'll take my passport and take the wild ride to Vancouver so Canada will be the first foreign country on my runaway list.

Over the last several years I've taught myself how to "run away from home."  Here's what I do:  

1.  Because I work out regularly I often have a gym bag with an extra set of clothes in the back of my car.  

2.  As a painter I keep some kind of paint and paper or canvas handy.  

3.  I like to keep a full tank of gas in my Prius and 

4.  have a small fund put aside to use as mad money.  

5.  I live in a turn-key apartment. 

6.  I have no animals or small children and low-maintenance plants.
7.  I've explored ways to travel inexpensively ie with groups and using discounts for travel.

The last time I ran away to Santa Barbara I had a weekend available and as I drove up the PCH (CA Hwy 1) and saw the sign to San Francisco I wondered why I wasn't going further afield.  I've had the good fortune to spend the last ten years going up to SB and it's a bit of a second home so it's very comfortable.  I needed to get a little bit uncomfortable and go further.

This past weekend I did.  I also realized that I have become a little bit of an adventurer.  I've always thought of myself as quite tame and I am, but I do like to try new things!  The last two months I've obviously had a good time.  I've been cooped up in the studio so much I was running out of material and needed to get some fresh inspiration/ material to paint.

Here's a photo of a vineyard where I painted on the way home Sunday.  I'll have to go back up to Santa Inez or another place a little closer to home for a day trip this month.  I need some time with the fields in the golden month of October...I'll keep you posted. 

Stillwaters Vineyard, Paso Robles, CA  I spent the day painting here on Sunday to research some areas for a large commission I'm painting.  I have sketches and color notes but am a looong way from being finished.

When the late Nadine Stair of Louisville, Kentucky, was 85 years old, she was asked what she would do if she had her life to live over again.

"I'd make more mistakes next time," she said. "I'd relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been on this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.

"You see, I'm one of those people who live sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I've had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, and a raincoat. If I had to do it over again, I would travel lighter than I have.  I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds and I would pick more daisies."

Kayak Painting and Exploration

I have my legs tangled up in kelp here to keep from drifting away as I paint some sea lion bulls.  My painting kit is a small box I put together with some hardware that keeps either an 8x10 or 10x10 canvas panel in place.  There's a tiny mixing palette.  This setup is for oils.  They're bulkier than my watercolors but respond  better when splashed with salt water! The paintings are a sweet reminder of a wonderful experience!

The sea lions who posed for us.  Thanks for all of the photos Marian!  See her blog by going to Musings of a Painter listed under Blogs I Follow.  She has many detailed posts about painting on the trip.

Putting on makeup or painting?
I think this is where I was doing the waterfall piece.

I adore this shot!  My friends Tanya Radik and Diane Nelson Gold look like early American explorers in 21st century attire.  I'm just hanging out in my own little world happy as the proverbial clam.  Thanks again to Marian Fortunati for the photos.

David Gallup showing me the sea cliffs up close and personal.  I was afraid of being crashed into the walls by uncontrollable forces (lol) before this trip.  This kind of kayaking is sooo tame but still took a little courage when I first tried it last year.  It was worth conquering my fears for the adventure.  I hope I can do this kind of thing for YEARS!  I plan on taking good care of myself just for that:)  White water rafting would be fantastic...

I'm back!

Mary-Gail King and David Gallup at Santa Cruz

Here's a snapshot from the Channel Islands trip I just took.  I'm still getting my land-legs back and my tripod has sand in it but what fun!  This photo is from our second day on Santa Cruz Island where I painted from the deck of the boat Conception.  The Painted Cave is the largest sea cave in the world and has become an old friend.

You'll notice that I'm painting in oils in the photo.  David teaches oil exclusively and I took up oils to study with him in his Masters Class.  I've learned lots of color theory and refined my philosophy and sense of design with him.  That with solid business coaching has made him an invaluable mentor.

Now to my first love...Here are some small watercolor sketches I did from my kayak.

I find that taking just five minutes to sketch an immediate response to wherever I find myself is like taking a deep breath of fresh air.  Here are a couple of gulps I took from my kayak...It was tricky keeping the salt water off of them as they dried but worth the extra juggling in the kayak.

For those of you unfamiliar with watercolor salt causes granulation of the paint when applied to watercolors.  In the waterfall painting the sides of the cliff show this effect.

Small Waterfall on Santa Cruz

Caves Painted from my Kayak

 I took a photo of my travel kit as well.  It's small enough to fit in a pocket or small fanny pack.  That and the cap from a water bottle are all that's needed for a portable studio.  I've painted all over the world with these tools and the little postcard sketches are both charming and engaging

Dreaming...

:) I just went through my "old" posts and found this one. It's worth publishing just to remind myself that the little things become the big things. I've been a little anxious about making progress on my latest BIG DREAM. This entry is from a time of great happiness and contentment when I knew I was doing all of the right things. Reminder to self,"Trust yourself, be kind."

No posts for a while... It's funny that I say that.  I used to beat myself up about not doing something "perfectly" every single day.  Then I started noticing some things.  I've kept journals of some kind since I was about 15.  I'd write the first ones at night in a spiral bound notebook and talk about things like my latest crush and what I was doing for homework.  I'd write for a few days or weeks, then take an unplanned break because of school, a social life or a general lack of motivation and come back to SLAM myself about not writing in my journal.

When I consolidated years of writing a couple of years ago I had two bank box files filled with them!  I destroyed some of the old high school books.  It wasn't because they were incriminating.  They were just boring and redundant. When re-reading them I did notice I was much happier in high school than I remembered. That was good.  It was nice to have the old me talk to the current me and share that.

I enjoyed peeks into my everyday life as a young business professional and then mother.  I saw my journey into a progressively more creative life.  It's the little things I chose to do every day (or most days) that have helped me to grow and develop into a healthy, well rested, active, happy, etc, person.  Those little things are what have made my life so special.  The big things come.  Recognition, a giant painting or exhibit, fitting into a gorgeous new dress, finishing a marathon.  All of those things are built from the little choices I make every day.  When I get up and do something different it's good to just enjoy that and keep looking at my goals.  I'll get there.  I always do!

Master Class

The other thing I learned from my past selves was that I need to be gentler with myself.  Over time I'm VERY consistent.  Thirty-five years of journaling can testify to that.  I'm glad I didn't do it every day!  I'd never be able to go through them all.
So, in spite of missed posts I know what I put in here is sufficient.  In the meantime I stay busy.  I've started filling my classes for fall!  My commissions are plugging along; I continue my Master's Classes with David Gallup; spend time with my friends; take road trips...