The reception to my solo art show “Muse” at Arts Outreach Gallery this Saturday brought a steady stream of both new and familiar faces. I’m grateful that people came to the event, and that they were all fashionably late, as I finally finished prepping the space literally moments before the doors opened! I’m also very appreciative of Luis Ramirez’s expertise and help in installing the show, of Sandie Mullin’s energy and help guiding me through the ropes, and of A Sign By Atto in Solvang for a great looking decal for the title! Because Arts Outreach is a non-profit, the gallery is open on a volunteer basis, and I have decided to paint in the gallery on most Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from noon to 4 pm in order for it to remain open. I will field questions and process any purchases during those times. The gallery’s commission goes directly into funding art programs for kids through Arts Outreach, as the gallery space is donated through Coghlan Vineyard and Jewelers, so this is a terrific place to purchase art, while supporting creative learning all over the region.

On a slightly different note, the 40 Days of Painting and Writing Challenge continues to draw forth many different reactions from me on a daily basis. It commenced with enormous energy and excitement at the opportunity to actualize all lot of the works that had formerly only lived in my head. That was followed by extreme resistance. How to put to practice a new regimen and discipline when there were so few rules and so little structure? I even found that I forgot to paint on one day— the day of my solo art show reception. I’m fairly certain that I wrote at least text messages or emails daily, though I’m equally certain that’s not what I had in mind when I took on this challenge! Consequently, I have realized a need to create structure for myself and write out rules and a schedule for the following days of the challenge. It is my homework for today, along with finishing a small painting I worked on yesterday. Below, a virtual reception for those who couldn’t make it to the show opening night:

Arts Outreach Gallery: 2366 Alamo Pintado Ave., Los Olivos, CA 93441

A view from the back of the gallery.

Ceramics is the subject that I taught through Arts Outreach at Dunn School. As you can see, I like to work on an intimate scale.

Two lovely people who helped me organize the show.

With Rebecca and Allen, artists and thinkers who spark interest in the Santa Ynez Valley’s creative community.

With Terra Jean, a photographer.

With an inspiring creative family from Santa Barbara.

With painter, Gwen Cates.

Six days ago, I decided to take on a challenge to write everyday for forty days. Today, I’ve decided to add painting to the challenge. My friend Kate Graham inspired me by creating this project for writing, and inviting others to join her and benefit from the commitment in their own way. I have chosen to publish my writings in one of four venues daily:

- Here!
- On my Twitter profile
- On my Facebook artist page
- and in my diary. Sorry- no link!

Between having video and photo work in progress for clients and getting myself ready to hang a solo art show this Friday, the timing may seem a bit off. But being that the nature of the assignment is rather open, I’ve decided that there’s nothing like a good challenge to force me to prioritize and fit everything I want into each day. So…

Let the writing and painting begin!

My second cousin, Thomas, was born this morning, much to the utter delight of his close and extended family! As I welcome him into the world, I’ve also grounded eighteen fresh little canvases, blank and ready to unfold, yielding what only time and perseverance can reveal.

I’ve been making some last preparations for a solo show at the Arts Outreach Gallery in Los Olivos, and realized, I haven’t told many people about it! The opening reception is on Saturday, March 3rd, from 4 to 6 pm. The show will remain up until April 8th.

Arts Outreach is a nonprofit community arts organization based in the Santa Ynez Valley. They started, coincidentally, the year I was born, and have since brought arts and crafts to schools all over the region. I have enjoyed teaching ceramics at Dunn School through their outreach program, and now, am happy to support them by exhibiting a show entitled “Muse,” which directly benefits the organization, and me, of course!

Arts Outreach Gallery
2366 Alamo Pintado Ave.
Los Olivos, CA 93441
(805) 693-5039

“Muse” deals with the aspect of performance in daily life. My subjects are all shrouded in the look of harlequins and mimes, and yet are portrayed in moments of respite or solitude. Despite appearances, they are posed, and therefore still performing as models. There’s no escaping that we perform, and this body of work celebrates that. “Muse” is a body of work that blurs the wall of separation between artist, viewer, and subject. Many of the models are artists themselves and are portrayed in the foreground amidst their own work.

I will be participating in this year’s Vino de Sueño (VDS) art and wine charity auction. Tickets are available for purchase on the VDS website. My painting is paired on the label of the Quail Crossing Vineyard‘s 2009 Pinot Grigio. Half of the proceeds go to a charity set up through the nonprofit People Helping People to benefit the vineyard and agricultural workers of the Santa Ynez Valley.

Here are the details:

Date: Saturday, November 12th, 2011
Time: 3:00-6:00 PM
Location: Santa Ynez Valley Marriott Hotel
Cost: $50 including unique wine glass
Dress: Business Casual

The Art From Scrap charity event “A One Night Stand” blew all of my expectations! It was packed with art enthusiasts eager to pluck off the walls of the Brooks Art Institute gallery an original piece of art by one of over 200 talented artists for only $200. These nine inch square works of art were donated by artists to benefit the nonprofit’s continued effort to educate children in art and environmental conservation and provide recycled art and craft supplies. The line for admittance was out the door and down the block because the place was so crowded, it had to be managed for fire safety! The way it was conducted, it was a mystery whether you would get a painting by a well known artist such as Yoko Ono or John Nava or a lesser known artist, as all the artwork was presented without the artists’ name or signature. The names will supposedly be revealed at a later date on an online catalog on the Art From Scrap event website.

With Heather Mattoon, the lovely model for my piece on the top row. Her piece sold so immediately that I didn’t get a chance to see it after waiting in line for admittance.

UPDATE:

Unfortunately, someone took the tag to the painting I submitted early in the evening, but strangely didn’t follow through with purchasing it. Because of this, it was marked as sold for the entire evening and was unavailable to other interested buyers. Although this was disappointing, the painting can be viewed and purchased at another charity art auction this November: Vino de Sueños, (Wine of Dreams), a charity art and wine auction from the nonprofit People Helping People that benefits local agricultural and vineyard workers in the Santa Ynez Valley. It will be available for purchase at the auction, and will be on the label a local vintage of wine produced especially for the event.

Though I was taking an operatic vocal workshop during the Fiesta proceedings in Santa Barbara last weekend, I did manage to participate in a fun and unique way: I helped a fellow artist paint the Santa Barbara Mission’s altar on a float that circulated in the parade on Friday. I mostly worked on the figures. The results are below.

I can’t help but think when I contemplate Old Spanish Days, that although there are many things that I love about Spanish culture, isn’t this holiday really celebrating Spanish colonialism in the Americas? Is this necessarily a good thing? I’m ambivalent given the near extinction of many Native American cultures and people in the history of Spanish colonialism. Aw, if only holidays such as this and Thanksgiving could be simple! But alas, history is anything but that.

On another note, the opera workshop was two and half days, and as much as it got me using my voice again, there are many ways I could improve the two arias I sang. The first was Deh Vieni non Tardar, sung by Susana in Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. The second was one of Händel’s few arias sung in German, Flammende Rose, Zierde der Erden. In the first, Susana is being a bit duplicitous, dressed as the countess, she exclaims her happiness about finally meeting with her true love. The second song extols the virtues and beauty of the rose. Here are links to the arias I sang during the vocal workshop recital: