LIFE AS A TAPESTRY...

Some people see life as a tapestry, our thoughts and experiences woven day by day into the fabric of our own unique journey. I am one of these people.

"She Walks Between Worlds"  acrylic  24"x30"
One of my very early paintings when I was just starting to
explore the concept of painting in a reductive style.

I started learning about fabric as soon as I could walk and talk. My mother was, and still is, an amazing seamstress and master of all crafts that have anything to do with thread or yarn. She made a lot of our clothes and the most beautiful sweaters and socks in the winter. My personal favorite was the warm flannel nightgowns under the Christmas tree every year. From her I learned how to “read” fabric, not just top/bottom and front/back, but how it moved, where it was yielding and fluid and where it was unyielding and strong. I learned how to choose colors, how to cut into it with respect and intention, and I learned how to fashion it into anything that I could imagine. In essence, my mother taught me how to live my life at choice, weaving the threads of my tapestry with purpose and integrity. She didn't know that this was what I was learning, and I certainly didn't, but fifty years later I can see how these first foundational threads support and inform my life, my choices, and most importantly these days, my art.

"Birth of Dawn"  acrylic  24"x24"
Another one of my earlier paintings, but still one of my favorites.

I have thought a long time about writing a blog but wanted it to be something that would draw me forward as well as have value for those who might join me. It occurred to me a few days ago that the questions I am most often asked by emerging artists (as a mentor and as an working artist) have to do with creating a body of work for a show. From start to finish, how do you make it happen? How do you decide what to do, the theme, the sizes of the paintings, the time it will take, the prices…? The questions are many and the answers not always so straight forward or easy to answer.

"The Dreamer"  acrylic  8"x10"
From the "Ancestors, Promises and Messengers" show
at the Mendocino Art Center, Summer of 2011.

This blog is going to follow the next five months of my life as I prepare for a gallery show in August with another artist, Erika Island. She works in glass and I will be painting. I invite you to join me as I explore images and work through paintings until, in just 5 months, I hang them on the wall in the gallery. I will need between 15 and 20 finished paintings and I am at the very first stages of experimenting with what they will look like. I have been painting for over 8 years so I want to honor my personal style and the color palette that collectors of my work recognize. There are those who own multiple pieces of my work and I would like them to be pleasantly surprised not ambushed by a whole new direction when they come to my show. I also want to explore some new ideas. This is my life after all, and I need to reach creatively to keep it interesting. Hopefully, in the process, you will have some of your questions answered, maybe even get inspired and schedule a show of your own. My first show was in a restaurant and someone got pizza on one of the paintings. Most successful artists start off at the bottom and work their way toward their dreams. I hope some small part of my journey will speak to your journey.

To see more of my paintings, prints, cards, and jewelry, please visit my Etsy shop.