July’s Monthly Newsletter

Here’s my monthly Mailing, this time the story of Spool!

Newer work #101

This is on one of the panels I cut when at my friend John Weidenhamer’s place (he has a great workshop) from some upcycled  kitchen panels.

#1431 Chameleon Sky. Mixed Media, on solid panel, 30×15″. $250.
Contains the poem:
Chameleon Sky
Protects us from space’s harm
and colors our souls

Monthly newsletter

Here’s April’s monthly newsletter.  Despite the fact that all shows and classes are cancelled there’s always something to do around the studio!  More spider tomorrow!!!

Spider day 5.

Well, I’m saying spider but I’m actually still on the web.  No pun intended.

Today I had company.  There were two water main breaks in the area.  This was the one I located.

I continued working on the shadow this afternoon.  I’d spent the morning prepping other parts of the house for a lick of paint, sanding and putting in filler.

Can you spot the mistake?  I had to go white it out with Kilz.  Fortunately in the afternoon’s dessicating breeze, I didn’t have to wait long for it to dry.

On two occasions I had an audience as the workers vented the hydrant just outside the corner of my property and created a lake in the street.

The workers wrapped up just when I had finished the shadows for all the spokes, so it seemed like a good time to quit.

More spider!

A little bit of progress on the spider mural today.

Start circling…..

…what a tangled web I’m weaving….

Right down to the details on the wall is a different story.  The surface is really rough and not easy to paint on.

OK, that’s enough for today.

 

Glass Outhouse Gallery – ‘Fleeting Passions’

A few years ago I was introduced to the Glass Outhouse Gallery in Wonder Valley – just east of 29 Palms.  It is in the middle of nowhere, even more than I am, and has a small gallery where Laurel and Howard hold month-long 2-artist shows, and a sculpture garden made of recycled material art, created by Howard.

Four skies in the Glass Outhouse Gallery

I had a show there a few years ago with my Mixed Media work and am scheduled to have another show there with that medium in January 2021.  Yes, artists do plan ahead.

The cart shows that this is a hanging day.

As I have another body of work and enough Mixed Media to run two shows concurrently, I’m on their ‘waitlist’.  A list of artists who, in an emergency can put together a show in a couple days.  Last week I got the call.

The outgoing artist hadn’t picked up her work yet.

I had planned to take my oils and acrylics to the show in Monrovia this weekend, but with a quick call I managed to get that changed and this body of work was available for the month.

Nice little row, the last 4 ‘diamonds’

My fellow artist is Tami Wood.  We both joked that our names are two four-letter words.  Her work is made exclusively of recycled materials.  We’ve called our show ‘Fleeting Passions’ because we both explore ephemeral aspects of our environment.

And room for the bin, that holds paintings I did in or for paint and wine evenings that I’ve taught.

After the show in Newport I brought everything up and hung the show.  Howard will pin up the prices later.

I’m surprised the one on the left hadn’t sold at Newport, it had a lot of interest.

Because of existing commitments (Monrovia), I can’t be at the reception but Tami will handle that and I’ll do my share of gallery sitting during the month.

The painting on the right is one from my house – I’m down to the last few oils and acrylics and am selling at discount prices!

What I didn’t realize until I told another friend in 29 Palms about the late arrangement, I’d scored a show during the Highway 62 Art Tour – three of the four weekends in October, and the Glass Outhouse Gallery is one of the stops.  Wow, I’m sure glad I decided to go for it!

Almost exactly the right amount of space, there was only one suitable painting I didn’t put up!

I feel bless that because of various issues outside of my scope, I now have a show with both bodies of work on the Highway 62 tour – I have Mixed Media work at the High Desert Medical Center!

 

Sunday morning on the front porch

Mary started out as a friend of a friend on facebook and then took my Painting for Absolute Beginner’s class, then became a very close friend.  Shortly after that class, a couple years ago, I helped her create a painting for a friend.  I hadn’t realized that she had not had time since then to pick up the brushes.  A lot of life had happened.  A few weeks ago I went over to help guide her through another painting.  This time she has a new home with a wonderful front porch.  We have to paint out on the front porch because she has cats and I have allergies.

A little cramped on that table but we make it work.

Mary lives quite a way from me so we get our painting stints in sporadically and yesterday morning I was able to swing by for a couple hours before her grandson’s party and my reception for her to make progress on this sunset.

We weren’t able to finish yesterday but hope that we will do in the next session.  She made good progress.  Part of the challenge has been vision issues.  Mary recently had major eye surgery.  She can see colors better now, but the amount of light is difficult for her and towards the end as the sun came over, she had to resort to the shades.

Still needs a little work in the middle, and all the clouds at the bottom need to go in.

 

Catalina Show

Yesterday at Vanguard Gallery in Moreno Valley, I hung the (mostly) plein-air art of four ladies who love to paint scenes around Catalina Island.  Terry d.Chacon, Joan Coffey,  Patricia Rose Ford and Nita Harper.  There was quite a lot of artwork and it was a feat of engineering and organization to get as much of their wonderful work in as possible.  Their reception is on November 10th, 3-6pm.

Pat and Terry.

A very full wall! Lot’s to choose from.

Painting the morning in the night

Last night I guided a small group through a paint and wine class at Vanguard Gallery in Moreno Valley.  One of my students had already taken classes with me, including the Absolute Beginners class and was happy to work through this painting  of winter solstice sunrise across the Salton Sea to hone some of the skills.

We’re doing an underpainting to get rid of the white so in the final painting we’re not strugging with that aspect

We’re painting the sky part of the top coat

It’s easier to paint the bottom of the panel when it’s upside down.

Adding the sun.

All done!

 

Newer work #82

Some of my newer pieces are just flying off the wall.  No, it hasn’t been windy, it’s just that a few are going out at every show, which ends up being before I can post them.  So, before the next show this weekend, here’s one of the new babies.  It’s one of those where the writing is more obvious.  It says “Chance will take you places you would never go alone.”

#1354 “Chance”. Mixed media on panel. Refractured watercolor, acrylic and poetry. 12×9″. $90.