“Cutting Girl” was accepted into the 30th Annual Arizona Aqueous XXX Watercolor exhibit at the Tubac Center of the Arts.  The show is January 29th – March 15th, 2016 in Tubac, AZ.

yea!

Come see our group show from our Autobody Art Gallery and Studio Bridge program.  February 6-19, 2016.  Artist reception is Saturday, February 6, 6-9 pm.

I worked on a series of new paintings in acrylic.

Classes are beginning next week, but there’s still time to sign-up.  I’m teaching watercolor and medium exploration classes.

For the past three months I’ve been working in a program with other professional artists to create a new body of work.  We’d meet once a week at the Autobody Fine Art studio in Alameda, California.  My goal was to complete a new painting each week in a more loose, more alla prima style.  I didn’t quite finish one painting each week, but I finished one every two weeks, which for me was successful.  It was an exercise to just get started in front of the blank canvas and just ending … knowing when it was time to just move on.  It was inspiring to work with four other artists; all very talented; all very different. We had critique and instruction and opinion.   It was an exercise in painting in “public” and hearing criticism of my work… some helpful, some just commentary, but all good training.  Here are some of the pieces.

Old and Young, acrylic, 36 in x 48 in

Jimmy, acrylic, 36 in x 48 in

Marcy, acrylic, 36 in x 48 in

Re-do of “Connie”, acrylic, 36 in x 48 in

I’m still working on this one, but putting aside for a little bit.  It’s of my friend Connie.

I’ve joined a group of artists all trying to create a new body of work… to get out of my rut and just get on with it.  I want to loosen up and be more productive and get that art out there.  Here’s a couple of my latest.  This one is of my Emily.

I sit in front of my blank canvas with a zillion ideas in my head.  I freeze.  With watercolor it’s always a bit scary to begin since it’s so hard to correct a mistake.  But I have to remember what one of my professors said one time “It may not be your masterpiece, so just start.”  They tell writers this… just start writing.  Do a brain dump.  Things will start presenting itself.

My newest painting.   It’s a mixed media piece of watercolor, ink, fabric and wax on paper.  Measures 22 in x 27 in.

“Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.”   ~ Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880 French)

I just returned from Fort Worth where I attended Nancy Lamb’s opening of her retrospective show “The Gang’s All Here” at ArtSpace111.  It’s a wonderful show of some of Nancy’s large-scale social scene paintings and walls of candid resource photos she has printed on metal.

I first met Nancy through Susan Morrell who is a friend of my family in Fort Worth.  Susan is an Interior Designer at Wright at Home and a long time old friend and “handler” for Nancy Lamb ;). From the first moment Susan introduced me to Nancy in her studio a few years ago, she was warm and affable.  Unlike a lot of artists, she’s so willing to share herself, her process and life.  She’s warm and authentic and exhaustingly curious about you and everything around her.  

To see some of Nancy’s on-going efforts, ‘Like’ her Facebook page at Nancy Lamb Artist.

Here’s Nancy with L-R me, Dr. Sarah Matches and Susan Morrell.

Here’s an article that was published today about that show… Social Butterfly with Bite

Latest painting.

The painting is somewhat of a relief collage with 140 lb cold press watercolor paper layered with foamboard to give it depth and sculpture.

I painted this from one of my photographs of a young barrel racer at a Cowgirl Hall of Fame event in Utopia Texas in 2006   The event was part of their Cowgirl University program.

“Dreamin” 2015, Acrylic on paper and foamboard, 19″ x 27″

Finished the portrait of Colten “Hulk” Guerra.  Little Colten is 4 years old and suffering right now with neurblastoma cancer.  He is being treated at the wonderful UCSF Benioff Children’s hospital in San Francisco.  His family has set up a couple of sites you can donate toward Colten’s effort.  Team Hulken GoFundMe and Facebook.

My connection to Colten is his aunt is my horse trainer Kristy Santos and his grandmother is my riding trainer Maureen McGlathery of Marsh Creek Stables in Brentwood.

There’s nothing like finishing one painting and starting something new.  It’s not typically that linear, but the feeling is still there.  I’m working on a portrait of little Colin, grandson of my riding coach, Maureen McGlathery.  Finished the drawing today

and started the washes

My friend and wonderful artist, Jacqueline Cooper, is showing her work at the Inferno Gallery in Oakland until mid November.  (The gallery is in sort of a scary neighborhood and a bit hard to find at night, but well worth the visit.)

Jacqueline and I first met in her Autobody Art Gallery in Alameda about 5 years ago.  It was Open Studios weekend.  Jacqueline was hosting the gallery, greeting guests.  She was warm and engaging; hilariously funny with her British accent putting me instantly at ease.  I asked her about Autobody letting me host my own show at the gallery the following year.  We talked about the details while I walked around the gallery.  I had no idea the large installation of pornographic paintings in the next room was Jacqueline’s.  She talked about her job working in a tax accountant office!   She “suddenly” pushed up her sleeves showing her full-arm tattoos. Then on closer look, I saw her wonderful tattoo art all over her legs, too.

Anyway, back to her work … Her pieces are done in oil on large, scrolled watercolor paper of body piercing images.  You don’t notice the subject matter at first because you’re focusing on the quality of Jacqueline’s realistic drawings.  But then, there it is, you notice.  The images made me laugh at first out of surprise and then you just love them.  Her soft style gives you a nicer experience with the light-touch of the brush and color.  

Here is a photo of Jacqueline in front of one of her currenbt pieces.  (Why can I NOT take good photographs. Her eyes are closed!  She’s beautiful and her eyes are closed!)

Scene from the Opening yesterday.

Another featured artist was Amy Pullman.  Here are her whimsical Twinkie sculptures 😉 

“Art makes life bearable.  It isn’t a luxury – like our capacity for understanding and our experience of love.  It is a vitally important part of life.”  ~ Gillian Pederson Krag

I’ve been working as a full-time artist now for 21 days.  21 days working my artist business plan.  21 days working every day, every hour on my plan.  I’m amped.  I’m excited about finally doing this.  Doing something I’ve thought about doing for decades.  I took the leap.  I’m working every day as hard at it that I worked everyday in technology.  Really harder than I worked in technology.  But, like technology, I’m behind the plan.  I’m working on a commissioned piece I’ve targeted to complete in 2 weeks.  I mean, my gosh, that’s a potentional 178 possible work hours only taking time to sleep and eat and occasionally shop for goods.  Some days I don’t even always shower or get out of my pajamas.  Need to take some time out to adjust the plan.

Ok, this is fundamentally great. This man is a blessing to his children and also to us.