studio then and now

Many readers here will remember that my studio has always been home based, from the time that my children were small and before. Once I came to Maryland I carved out some space for me in the apartment, and was very happy with my dedicated home studio. Eventually it became clear that it was time to look for a larger space, and I didn't have to look far to find just the place.

a finished painting, a photo field trip, and a tremendous coincidence

Yesterday I needed a change of scenery desperately (stircrazy!!!) after being home all day Sunday, and I wanted to take some new reference images for more paintings. I invited Virginia to go along to our local Behnke's Nursery, and a drive in the country was just the thing.

I got some images there and wanted to drive on to check on the sunflower field at McKee Besher to see how the sunflowers were coming along, and was surprised to see photographers' cars lined up there already. The flowers are a little more than four feet tall (and they will hopefully get bigger depending on rainfall amounts) and lots of photographers were there shooting and talking about "the one that got away".

I took a few reference images of the field and noted one couple with a lot of equipment that looked and felt arty.... we all tend to recognize one another in a crowd I guess.... and just went on taking pictures without interacting with anyone. I found Virginia and we went on to the large Behnke's near College Park to wander and take more images in the hot sun before heading home to drop off some potted plants, and then on to pick up some lunch before heading to the studio.

We walked into the lobby of the art center and got on the elevator, and there was the couple from the sunflower field right there on the elevator...... to say that I was stunned to see them again was an understatement. The sunflower field was MILES away, and we had done a lot of other things before arriving at the studio... and yet here they were.

We marveled at the coincidence, and I showed them my sunflower painting in the studio.... reference images captured last summer in the same field they had just been to.... and they collected my postcards and bookmarks and went on to see the art center. I am kicking myself now that I did not get contact information, and wonder if somehow we will all cross paths again.... and sunflower people, if you are reading this, stay in touch! That was just too amazing a coincidence for words! A little more painting in the studio and the 7 Sisters was completed and ready for signing.

And now I am on to the next thing!

if you drink water - read this.... fracking and the new natural gas

Drilling for natural gas has become big business where we come from in Northern Pennsylvania and across the country. Some time ago we started hearing about offers being made to local residents in Northern PA to lease mineral rights to their land..... offers of quite a bit of money in these tough economic times in a very depressed region of the country.

Then we planned to visit, and I remember being shocked at the hotel rates in these little towns in the middle of the mountains. It turns out that these companies have come into town and have pretty well taken over all available lodging. Then we started hearing stories about how the men were told to keep to themselves, keep a low profile, and not make any trouble with the locals in the towns they were in... and it was true... at out hotel at the end of the day you could not even get these men to meet your eyes in the hotel lobby.

Since then we have heard more and more about the swarms of workers and the details of how natural gas is now being extracted.... and it is enough to give you nightmares.

Watch The documentary GASLAND on HBO through 9/7/10, 2010 SunDance Film Festival Award-Winner

Read the article in Vanity Fair


Marcellus Shale
The Times Tribune
The New York Times
The Halliburton Loophole 2005 Energy Act
Source Watch
Voice of America
Splashdown!

a new painting almost complete

I spent yesterday in the studio and Virginia came along to work on a new slideshow of my work for the website and PR purposes. We had a lot of visitors to the artists concourse and it was a good day for everyone to relax and explore town center and all Rockville has to offer. The 7 Sisters painting is almost done now, with a little more color adjustment to go before I call it done. Happy fourth of July, and Happy Birthday to a resident artist friend!

a new personal best

Virginia and I rose at 3 am yesterday... and were out the door by 4 am to drive to Delaware and our remoted beaches there. We beat all the traffic to the bridge and were on my favorite beach by about 7:45 am.

We beach-combed and put three straggler horseshoe crabs back in the water, and sat on the sand and drank in the cerulean sky and the wind in the grasses. I picked up Cape May diamonds and bits of fossilized coral, and some sea glass for my collection.

My soul needed this day and the white clouds looked like dinner plates stacked along the horizon and all was well in that place in that moment. We spent five hours solid on that remote beach, with not one person in sight, and I healed a bit from the bruising that my world dishes out, til my mind calmed and stilled, and all the tasks that need my attention were pushed to the background.

It was a perfect day, one of the best I ever remember there with a gentle breeze blowing and the perfect temperature to be outside under a perfect blue dome of sky. With red-winged blackbirds trilling, and insects buzzing, the tide coming in in a wavy rush to get back to the pebbled beach, my glass was once again full to overflowing.

These days, of visual and sensory splendor are like money in the bank for me. The sights and sounds come back later when I am working in the studio on a painting, or putting the pieces of a collage together, and these memories pour into my work and art.

I am truly the luckiest person in the world.

a playful mixed media box to... well... play with

This box came along with one of two books I bought about Joseph Cornell, a fantastic mixed media artist that you MUST know more about if you do not already. The box came with a few basic things in it, intended to let someone add a few things to it to make something like Joseph Cornell made...... let's just say that gave someone a very good start at a mixed media box... and if you haven't made one before this would be a wonderful way to start.

I decided to add items to it and place it on my studio table so that kids or adults could play with the contents and re-arrange them to build relationships and think about art. Already it is working and people have been fascinated poking around in it.

There is more than one way to provide arts education!

Joseph Cornell

and more

and more

celebrating summer

After the winter we endured here last year I am enjoying this summer.... probably more than I ever have. I want to soak in every second and celebrate the season in my painting and art. The sunflower painting is now almost done... tweaks and adjustments now until I am satisfied. There are never enough minutes to do all that I want to do:) I'll show you more of what is on my studio table tomorrow.