Closing Reception for 20-20 Show!

This Friday night from 4-7, we'll be having our closing reception at the Kennedy Gallery!  There are still many paintings left to be had; all artists did extra paintings to replace ones that have sold.  You'll have no problem finding something for yourself or for a gift; small, delightful pieces of ORIGINAL art, all priced below $200!  Come celebrate the art and the artists with us!  Here's one of my pieces that you might have missed at the opening reception.

Gem N I Jewelry Gallery Today

I wrapped my art in plastic to protect it from the rain and took it to Gem N I Jewelry Gallery today, and worked with Gloria getting it organized and hung.  They look great in her space; I love the warm wood walls!  Gloria is so hospitable and helpful, too; I enjoyed working with her.  She makes jewelry, repairs jewelry, strings pearls, replaces gemstones, re-sizes rings, etc!  Her store has a great variety of things in it, from jewelry to scarves and hats, glass art, paintings, and more!  It's got a warm, welcoming feeling to it too, probably because of Gloria herself.

Sweet Charlotte

So, my model, who is also my sister, was here tonight, we frosted a cake together.  It was very fun; we laughed alot.  I love spending time with her.  I took photos of her frosting the cake, really.  Memories of our Mom when were kids.  This will be the next painting, other than the custom piece I started just before the 20-20 project.  I can work on them at the same time; I'm usually working on at least three.

I'm not really sure I want to call my "Memory" paintings a "series".  It's the direction I'm taking my work, my art, my art world.  I think my custom piece, named "Sweet Charlotte" is sweet, truly.  Talk about a memory to treasure!  Heres a photo of her in progress.

Gem N I Jewelry Gallery

Wednesday I'll be taking some art down to Sutter Street; Gem N I Jewelry Gallery, at 815 Sutter Street, will be hosting me for the Folsom 2nd Saturday Art Walk in June, and she has a perfect place to put my art that is already in need of filling!  My paintings and prints will be in the hallway.  I'm looking forward to seeing Gloria again, and love that she called to invite me!  It's been a while since my shoe pieces from the "Going For The Look" series have been in Folsom - I think I'll bring a set, along with some other nice pieces, like a print of Making Apple Pie, Wine and Grapes, The Queen of the Bouquet, and who knows what else!  I haven't had a chance to check it out yet, so I'll just bring a bunch of art!

The Shoes

Then again, I guess I shouldn't cringe when I'm called The Shoe Lady.  After all, if my goal of giving pleasure with my art is to be believed and the shoes make people smile, (which they do!), I HAVE attained my goal!  But that doesn't mean that I want to paint only shoes!  It was actually a gallery-owner's idea that I paint the shoes as a series.  The MEMORIES series is MY idea.  Maybe that's the difference.  This is what makes ME smile, as I said before.

Painting Memories

I think I'm at a crossroads in my art.  So far, I've been kind of all over the place in my subject matter, styles; I guess I've been experimenting for 15 years.  I used to just want to paint whatever I was in the mood for, and once I began selling my work, I thought that having the variety would be a good thing.  In some ways, it's been good.  I've gotten pretty good at making nice paintings.  I'm not a master, by any means, but I do all right. 

Still, when I look at what really successful artists do, and hear what some say, I know I'm at the point where I need to decide what I like to paint the most.  I've been asked that by quite a few people, and my answer was that I didn't know.  That's true; I didn't know. 

I've been thinking about that a lot lately.  The shoes are cool and fun, but I really don't want to be known just as "the shoe lady".  I sort of cringe a little when someone calls me that.  I try to do a good job on the shoes; they ARE fun to do!  My goal with them has been to try to give each one it's own story, to make the viewer be reminded of something, or imagine something.  I try to make them "fine art".  Still they're sort of between fine art and pop art (fine pop), and that's the nature of the subject-matter.

When I painted "The 1959 Gibson L5, in Repose" and "Making Apple Pie", my hope was to create the feeling you get when you remember something in your life that made you feel good.  I've finally figured it outt!  THAT'S WHAT I LIKE PAINTING THE MOST!   I felt good while was creating them, because they made ME smile!   So, I've decide to concentrate on painting memories - either my memories (such as "Making Apple Pie"), or a story told to me (such as "The Gibson L5....).

"The Gibson L5 in Repose" was originally going to be in a musical instrument series that I had planned to name "Art and Soul", but I've decided to change my plan.  It's now in my new series, that I'm calling "Memories" or something like that; I'll have to think on that a little more to decide for sure.  So, here are the first two in the series, just in case you haven't seen them before.  I'll be starting the next one in the series this week; I have the idea in my head, and my model coming over Tuesday.

I'm pretty excited about it - the decision has been made; I have a goal and a plan;I have so many ideas in my head I'm going to have to start making notes!  I'm going to work very hard to make these paintings not just "pretty good", but REALLY good.  Practice and more practice, that's what it will take; I know that.  What a horrible thing, practicing my painting!  LOL!  This is going to be great fun!  That's one of the things I love about painting; I will NEVER be as good as I want to be, so it is a life-time challenge!

What do you think?  I encourage comments!

20-20 Show Closing Reception

There will be a closing reception for the 20-20 Show; we're hoping to get most of the artists back to the gallery for the event.  It will be Friday, June 3rd, from 4-7.  Come celebrate our art with us!  All of the artists deserve kudos for being willing to take on the challenge of doing so many pieces with so little time!  It takes dedication and commitment to do a project like this!

By the way, here's one you haven't seen yet!

Kennedy Gallery/20-20 Show

Nice day at the Kennedy Gallery today.  Quite a few people came in; some to see the 20-20 show, and some were walking by and came in to check us out.  There are still lots of pieces to choose from, though we sell some daily, so if you have your eye on a particular piece, you'll need to call the gallery to purchase, or go in.  The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11-6; the phone number there is 916-446-1522.

Synthesis

The Synthesis Show at Northern California Dance Conservatory was very nice!  I have never been so close to performers before like this; modern dancers, ballet dancers, and a quartet!  I'm so glad I was able to be there to share in this event!

Tomorrow I'll be at Kennedy Gallery; I want to take something in to paint, but don't have anything ready, so we'll see.  I don't have to work at the shop tomorrow, so I might just have time to put something together!

The last 10 months!

I know it's been 10 months and much  has happened in that time!  The last post is about being at American Visions Gallery; that's not the case now.  American Visions Gallery moved across the street from their original location on Sutter Street in Folsom, and in the down-sizing process, requested that I take my work out.  I appreciate still the efforts  of Giovanna Stark, the gallery owner, on my behalf.

At this point, I was free to seek other avenues through which to show my work, and decided to just do a Google-search.  I searched for "best art gallery in Sacramento", and the Kennedy Gallery came up.  They were voted "Best Art Gallery in Sacramento" last year.  I looked up the site, emailed a letter and some images of my work to Michael Kennedy, the gallery owner.  Long story short - I ended up joining the Kennedy Gallery Art Center as of February of this year.  I love being a part of such a vibrant gallery, teeming with wonderful artists, and art-lovers.  The April Flowers show motivated me to paint three more florals, and the 20-20 show paintings (26 in all) were so fun to do!  The show will be on the walls until June 4th.

Here's a photo of my son visiting the gallery; standing beside one of my new floral paintings.

I'm back!

I've decided to get back to blogging!  I've been so busy for the last year!  I'm now working part time in our store (OK Tires in Folsom), doing the books.  I'm usually finished there sometime between 11 and 1, so there's usually plenty of time for painting and events, although this month is very busy with my art!  The Kennedy Gallery, where I've become one of the resident artists, is having the 20-20 show, the Folsom Arts Association's Members Show is at the 3 Stages Folsom Lake College, Northern California Dance Conservatory's Synthesis show is this weekend, and I'll be displaying some pieces in the hallway, hosted by Gemini Jewelry Gallery in Folsom starting Wednesday!  Whew!

Here's a photo of my display at Kennedy Gallery for the 20-20 Show.