dribs and drabs

Last night was another open house/open studio event at the art center and people came to hang out, listen to music, and spend time with artists in the studios. There was a magician, a jazz guitarist, and a demo by one of the artists, and lots of people spent time in my studio.

It was nice to see so many friends attending once again. With my new green studio theme I put together trays of desserts to go along with the color scheme... mini green cupcakes, cookies, candies... lots of great treats, artfully.

Early yesterday my postcards for the solo show from 4OVER4 had arrived two days early and I was thrilled, both with the postcards and the fact that I could begin to hand them out at last night's event. The design is gorgeous and 4OVER4 did a marvelous job printing them. At some point I'll get the card scanned in so that I can show it to you.

I found out yesterday that I will have the whole gallery for the solo show next month, and not just half of it.... so I will be even more focused (if that's possible) on getting some fantastic work completed.

white stripes

Last night a photography show opened at the art center and all the photographers crowded into this beautiful space to be together and share time. I saw some good friends and kept my studio open for visitors to visit as I quietly painted stripes on my shell. I took the original nautilus shell painting in to the studio, the one made into prints for Princess Cruise Line, and it was good to see that painting, painted last year in my home studio, in this place of light and color. The studio is filled to bursting with paintings now.

Conversation and laughter bubbled around me in neighboring studios and it was an evening of quiet joy and belonging. Finally at the end of the event I locked my door and said good night to all the other resident artists.... something we all do, checking in with one another and letting each know as we leave, down to the last person, so that the last person knows that they are the last person. Something very welcoming at the end of a long day so that you know when you are indeed the last person on the floor. I am often that person.

I count myself so lucky to be a part of this place, among all these people who are friends of mine... actively creating and actively creating a future.

and my body just said......

... STOP.

I have been working hard non-stop since the day I moved into the new studio space. With two solo shows on the near horizon there is so much to do and new opportunities to explore, and in the middle of the night two nights ago I awoke sneezing and with newly developed sniffles. (Surprise!!!!) I did not sleep well and I cried uncle (aunt) and stayed home to rest and stay warm in solitude with warm fuzzy socks on and my box of tissues nearby. I am feeling a bit better this morning and hopefully the congestion will dissipate and maybe I will start buttoning (wearing) my coat until Spring arrives. (It could happen.)

The postcards for the solo show Snapshots... The Fine Art of Green at the Washington School of Photography are being printed as we speak by 4over4.com and this will be my second run of cards with them. I am impressed by their professionalism and customer service and recommend them highly. I have picked out a presentation book to hold my reference photographs for the show, and hope to complete a few more pieces before the opening in April.

I am working on a new shell painting (remember the nautilus shell painting that I painted for the Princess Cruise Line prints) and enjoy these subjects tremendously. This piece will be able to be hung vertically (as it will probably be hung in the show) or horizontally (I think with the shell openings up)... the gallery director walked by my studio the other day and caught me tilting my head WAAAAYYYYY over to look at the canvas from various perspectives and to see which way would be right-side-up... the silly things we do for art's sake:)

Well, the sun is up and another day starts...... make yours a good one, I will too.

a spring green studio shot

winter wonderland... AND we have power

Always grateful for so many things, the beautiful view out my window, the heater kicking on to warm us, navigating roads safely in horrible weather yesterday. The eastern seaboard got a good snowstorm and this much snow in DC is a rarity. It took a while to dig out and uncover the car yesterday with Virginia's help and the roads were an absolute mess. By the end of the day some sense of normalcy had returned although we heard from people whose roads had still not been plowed.

Photographer friends have been out shooting and the photogenic winter white will be captured in all its glory. It is a BEAUTIFUL day in the neighborhood.

in the stillness

A quiet day in the art center yesterday led to hours of good painting time starting off with a chocolatey Starbucks coffee for a special treat. Many, many hours later the snapdragons were almost complete... I have only to paint around the edges of the canvas now. I am so happy with this painting.

a dusting of snow

Last I heard we are supposed to get four to six inches of snow tonight into tomorrow. How do you spell paralysis? The people of the mid-Atlantic region do not fare well with snow, and my apartment complex at the top of a hill at the end of a street does not seem to get the same city services that everyone else gets. (A coworker now lives in the same complex and she is astonished to discover how difficult it can be to get out of here in weather.) The storm may still miss us and we have hot chocolate and bagels and cream cheese and logs for the fireplace..... in the meantime let's dream of Spring.