Preserving Energy

I'd hoped to be a better blogger on this trip than I've been. In the end, I needed all my energy for the jobs at hand and choose to preserve what I had left for myself. I think it was a good choice. I'm tired on my return home, but not exhausted and fairly ready to take up where I'd left off. I don't even think I'll get sick, like I sometimes am apt to do after a period of intense work and travel.

Near our hotel in Leesburg

The workshop in Leesburg was terrific. A great group of engaged students, many of whom are super active in the Pastel Society of Central Florida,(the society that hosted the workshop). It was great fun to get to work with them. It was also the first time that Mike and I have worked together for a entire workshop. Besides being quite the expert in drawing, painting and color, he took care of us, even ordering lunches and bringing in pizza one day. He's a peach. I think I'll keep him!

From Leesburg, we were off to Tampa for the Gasparilla Arts Festival. Tampa is a beautiful city and the site of the show was right in town near their art museum. Only thing was, high winds came in after the first day and took out about 20 or so booths that were located nearest the street. These booths were all on pavement, so they couldn't stake in. Not ever having done this show and not knowing any better, we were at the other end of the show on grass. We knew high winds were forecast, so Mike had staked in and cross tied the booth. Thank you Carla and Dave Fox!! Carla and Dave carefully researched methods of securing your booth, so we knew what to do. I think it made a difference, since our booth was on a corner and could have been vulnerable. It was only a two day show and one day lost out to weather. Sunny, but blustery. Despite some horror stories about load in and load out, we made quick work of our one booth, were scheduled as the first group to load out and sure enough, I think we may have been the first or second booth out of there! Of course not counting the poor folks who left early due to damaged booths. We got off the site and drove to a super little pizza place, grabbed a couple slices to go and headed south. Next stop New Orleans.

 After an interim stop in Tallahasse, we pulled our BDV, (now our acronym for BIG DAMN VAN), right into another perfect parking space in front of our hotel in New Orleans. Just like in Key West! Couldn't have been more perfect! We quickly headed to the French Quarter which is just a couple blocks up from the hotel, knowing we only had the one night. We check out the vibe with the intent of finding oysters. We've been told to go to ACME but the line is just too much, so we find a great spot off Decatur and sit in a quaint oyster bar as the sun sets. Then off to explore Bourbon Street. So interesting from a people watching, architectural and historical point of view. We danced, we ate, we drank and then we slept! Morning brought the obligatory trek to taste cafe ole and beignets. Then we hit the road to make the long slog through Texas.

In front of our hotel in New Orleans

Well, we thought we were doing great by getting all the way through West Texas by 2:00pm. Then wouldn't ya know we hit a big wind storm in Las Cruses New Mexico. Zero visibility on Hwy 10; closed until further notice and no easy work-around. So, we get on the internet with our handy-dandy ipad and look at road closures, weather forecasts and finally resolved to looking at hotels on our corporate lodging account. We settle on a Holiday Inn Express that is a bit pricey, but has a pool and secure parking for the van. Good choice once again. We did laundry, relaxed in their nice indoor pool and jacuzzi and ordered take out. Better than driving in the brown-out!

We leave Las Cruses early and in plenty of time to easily make set-up in Scottsdale around 2pm. When we hit Scottsdale around 1:00 we have time to unload our personal stuff and luggage at the hotel. They had our room ready and in a spot that we could keep track of the van and unload easily. Yippee!! We were happy to feel the sun on our shoulders in Scottsdale. It was familiar. The most familiar place we'd been, so to us we were close to being home. Funny how that works! Scottsdale was good to us. Set-up went smoothly, familiar faces came out to support us and take down was ererily easy. We were super efficient, knowing exactly how to stack things as we took things apart and how things would then get loaded into the van. As we were pulling the van off the site we kinda looked at each other both thinking that we have this down a little too well now. The shows gods were shining on us. A last dinner of sushi and brussel sprouts tops off Scottsdale. Sounds weird, but it was good!

Life has a way of putting you in your place. I flew home to Portland on Monday morning. By Tuesday morning, a little surprise snow! Gotta love it! I'm putting together a slide show of the trip, so look out for that. Thanks to everyone that helped us prepare, helped along the way, watched out for the home-front, purchased art, workshop participants or just kept us in your thoughts. We really appreciate it. Now, back to painting!

Tuesday Morning at home!

Big White Van

Ok, excuse the language, but it is a big damn van! When we pulled into one of the hotels where we stayed, a guy said to us, "Wow, that's a big damn van!" Mike replied, "Well, yes it is." It wasn't too fun to drive in Miami. Boy, do those folks drive fast and there are a lot of 'em too! The show was fine, made some nice sales and got the first response to the new interior figurative pieces. That was great and interesting. Seeing the work through others peoples eyes a bit and hearing some reactions is always informative.

We had lovely neighbors all around at the show which makes all the difference when you're in such close quarters for three whole long days. All went smoothly taking down the show on the last day. On Tuesday we headed to Key West. Not another place in the country farther from home! We stayed at the Westin Hotel there which was a late birthday treat. The valet guys decided not to move our truck and just put a couple cones around it. Funny and fine with us, since we really didn't want them driving it!

Valet Parking the Sprinter, ha, ha!

Tired but satisfied!

Tons of street performers. This guy juggled big knives!

Perfect picture sunset from our room!

We were in Key West on Fat Tuesday and while people didn't need much excuse to party, there, they seemed like they were using it as an excuse to up it a notch or two. Can't say we minded...we enjoyed the street performers, a couple galleries, an awesome sunset view from our room...Thanks to the folks at Westin for a sweet upgrade to a corner ocean view!!

From Key West we headed back North and are enjoying a bit of a break, catching up on computer work, sleep and doing a bit of plein air painting of some Florida scenery. So different from home! I'm looking forward to teaching for the Central Florida Pastel Society on Tuesday thru Thursday.

Meanwhile I'll be practicing my oyster eating technique....

Leaving Things Behind

I'd meant to paint today...but I found myself wandering around my studio, cleaning up and preparing to leave and at the same time, preparing to return. Things are left undone. Things are left alone, incomplete. Never before have I felt such a deep commitment, obligation to my work. I leave, sorry that things are not finished, but excited that they'll be ready, waiting for my return, like sentinels. I locked the doors, shut the blinds, unplugged the heaters and I stood at my doorway and read the quotation that I have hanging on my door:

This is a place

 where you can simply experience

and bring forth what you are and what you 

might be. this is the place of creative

incubation. At first you might find that

 nothing happens there.

But if you have a sacred place and use it,

something eventually will happen....Your

 sacred space is where you find yourself again and again.

-Joseph Campbell

I so look forward to returning to mine. It holds me and nurtures me. Is my private space to muse and contemplate, to paint and draw, to dance, to cry or to simply be my most authentic self. I'm so grateful so have the warm loving embrace of such a space. When I return to it, I will let out a deep grateful breath and be home.

I wish for all of you a sacred space, whether you are seeking one, nurturing one, or settling deeply into one....

A Couple Things Before I Hit the Road!

 Just a couple thoughts before I head out on my humungous road trip:

Numero Uno; a couple tips on organizing your pastels (for my workshop peeps);

1.Try to have all the wrappers removed from your pastels. That way you can best take advantage of what each stick has to offer.

2. Next try to have them arranged roughly by hue, value and intensity. I have a section of neutrals. See the attached photo of my  travel box. When going about this task, remove all the duplicates or very, very near duplicates to make room for more. I also snap my sticks in half to make more room. Snapping works better than cutting.

3. Clean them up. Hard to make good choices when you can't see what color the sticks are! I use a tupperware container filled with cornmeal to clean the really dirty ones. Also a dusting with a feather duster can work, (use a mask and do this outdoors).


Numero dos: I've decided to offer two workshops in the fall.

#1 "Just Nuts and Bolts" a one day materials workshop dealing with the "how to's" of toning paper, making your own ground, organizing your box etc., etc.

#2 "Embracing Your Slippery Stream" a two day exploration of intuitive pastel painting.
 
Dates TBD, but will be in November/December at my West Linn Studio. I'll make these back to back so you can come to one or both. If you're interested let me know and I'll put you on a list!

Camping on Steroids!

So, we are headed to three shows in Florida, a 3-day workshop in FL, ending with a show in Scottsdale, AZ. We'll be leaving the household in good, capable hands, but for us this has been a big undertaking. By Tuesday, our full sized Sprinter van will be completely full! Friends often ask if we sleep in the vehicle or camp on our trips. I chuckle, 'cause camping is the very LAST thing I'd want to do at the end of a long day at an art festival. Doing the shows, hauling the gear and the art and setting everything up is like camping, only on steroids without also sleeping in the truck, thank you very much! I look forward to a warm hotel room and nice hot shower. I don't think it's too much of an indulgence!

Packing, packing packing...I need artwork for a total of four shows, with three separate bodies of work; figurative interiors, landscape oils (large canvases), and pastel landscapes. Also, two booth set-ups and all the ancillary equipment that goes with that and gear for one 3-day pastel workshop.  Also, we need clothing for different climates across the country for about four weeks; cloths for working, for selling and for playing. Food and supplies. Books to read, computer devices, printer, and all the proper power and connection cords for said electronic devices. Good thing that truck is BIG! And I think I'm now ready!! I don't know how exactly, but I am!! I've just been working away at getting everything prepared and it's all coming together. We'll be posting pictures and stories from our trip. Hope you'll follow us and cheer us on!

The Power of 50

Ok, today is my 50th birthday! I'm so happy to say that I've never felt more powerful, happy, beautiful, capable, fearless than I do today. I'm exploring new pathways and embracing "finding something before you know what you're looking for" as Jesse Reno as aptly puts it in his book. I'm honoring my intuition and manifesting my most heartfelt desires.

Thank you so much to all my friends, family, followers and acquaintances that have taught me all the lessons that have brought me here today. Most of what I am feeling today is a warm, loving hug from the world and I am most grateful!!

Life has never been better!! My art is changing and I am changing, not growing older, but newer, different. I'm finding deeper purpose and a great, powerful love of the process of making art. As I find myself going deeper, I'm also finding a greater desire to connect with other artists and a greater community of creative/ like minded folks. Finding new avenues for this is ahead of me. Also ahead will be new workshop offerings, some with a focus on creativity, some focusing on some of the mixed media techniques I'm using as well as some of my usual offerings.

Food groups are also on my table this morning; the coffee group, the chocolate group and the wine group!! I have a feeling all these are on the menu tonight!

So, thanks for being part of my celebration today, which honestly is one we should have for ourselves and with those around us that we cherish, every single day.... The dance is forever and YOU are the dance!!

Trees/Skies/Water Workshop

As usual, I'm blown away by my students work; how hard they worked and how well they incorporated new ideas into their paintings and what great painters they are! It was a great three days! I forewarned that although the subjects were as the workshop was entitled, we would not be painting trees, but rather "treeness", "skyness" and "waterness"! All painting is the same. We're picking the right values, the right colors and putting them in the right spot. That and the infinitely more complex idea of making poetry while doing so!

We got a good start with trees on the first day. We spent much time discussing the approach of planning for the foliage masses and NOT painting the sky in first across the entire background, as this leads to a less than luminous result. We also talked about the character of trees; their gesture, how they are rooted, the density of their foliage, etc. Here's my yet to be completed demo:

Terracotta Colorfix

On the second day we tackled skies. I did two demos. One with a lighter touch on burgundy Colorfix paper. I chose this color with the idea that I could get the paper color to do some of the work for me by serving as a warm undertone to the sky. The other on white Wallis museum with a watercolor under-painting. I chose the paper according to the "feel" I was after. The first was more of a nuanced sky with many cloud layers and types. The clouds have subtle greys, both warm and cool, so the colorfix which lends itself to a lighter touch and seemed fitting. The second was a more bold and dramatic stormy sky which begged for a bolder approach. So this time I selected the Wallis paper, knowing it would grab the pastels, especially some Terry Ludwig darks which I intended to employ. Not wild about the composition of this one, but think I can work it out!

Burgundy Colorfix paper

Museum Wallis with watercolor under-painting

For the final day of the workshop, we were immersed in water. Get it ;-) Keep it simple was the mantra. Think, reflection, movement, transparency, but try to see it simply, then paint it simply. This day's demo, was on Colorfix paper. I used a piece of reference that was taken in the height of summer green in Wisconsin. Too much green, so I warmed it up a bit.

Leaf Green Colorfix

As usual, I emphasize the great value of mileage in becoming a better painter. I talk about how I go about managing to gain lots of mileage despite the speed of everyday life. Sometimes I succeed, others I don't. But persistence is key. Thank you class for your input per new workshop offerings for next year. I'm on it!

Jacob, Lise and Barbara working away

Wendy and Jacob discussing Wendy's piece

Me realizing I'd put those trees smack on the center line! Do as I say, not as I do!

Group photo! BE HAPPY!!