Which One?

The Springville Salon is coming up. I plan to enter 'Mortal Reincarnation' (see earlier post) and one other painting. I cannot decide between these 3 that I just finished. It is a prestigious show that is quite hard to get into, and I want to enter the best one. So let's do a vote! Vote on the poll to your right for:  Red Dress, Green Lace, or Pink Dress. The entries are due by next Saturday. I will enter the one that gets the most votes, unless I change my mind.....joking.

Norah's Tutu

This is a little commission I just finished, but haven't sent off yet. (Tempted to keep it). I have never met little Norah, but I love and miss her very cool parents Melinda and Ryan, both artists. They are 2 of my very favorite "old" friends from my time as a midwesterner. I am honored that they asked me to do this. I hope they love it forever. Miss you guys, come snowboard on the slopes of Utah, please!

In Progress

I have been working on this painting for a week or so, and I thought I was almost done. The husband thinks (in his weekly critique that I make him give me) that it is too busy. Should I take out the pattern behind the  mannequin? or take out the pictures behind the fabric and just make the background the black fabric? I am not sure what to do......He usually is right even though I never think so at first. Anyone...anyone...?

"Mortal Reincarnation"

This painting is pretty large, 36" x 36". I had high hopes for it, and I think it turned out. It is such a mystery when i start a painting if I will be able to get it to the point it is imagined in my head. Once in a while (not very often) it actually surpasses my intentions. This is one that I had to put away for a few weeks and figure out if I needed to add anything to it. Then I cut out and added the paper birds nailed to the wall and pinned on the lapel. I think I will revisit the paper birds in other paintings. I actually got really excited about that prospect.

The title came out of my thoughts about raising my 3 girls. They are experiencing so much and processing so much at their young ages. I know that a lot of what I knock myself out to show them and teach them they will never remember. So, am I doing it for them or am I really doing it for myself and to bring joy to myself?  (i.e. disneyland...) If they are not going to remember it, then why do it? It occurred to me that I don't have very many memories of when I was 6. So I am actually re-experiencing my childhood by being around them. I am literally seeing and experiencing what it is like to be a 6 year old little girl, a sort of reincarnation. It hit me one day as I was watching muse #2 gathering pinecones and leaves to make a nest for the birds that I could be watching myself and it felt a little "out-of-body". So if that makes any sense to you, I feel like I am being given the gift of seeing my own childhood in a way. What a gift.

Magazine Article

The article in Southwest magazine is here. I was mostly happy with it. Not that i thought it would be a negative article, it is not a critique. I just hoped the article would honestly portray how I feel about my work. It is a personal thing for me, but Bonnie (the writer) really got it. I think she really got how I feel about what I do. So, I am proud of it. Here is the link (or if you are a true blue fan you can buy the magazine...)  http://www.southwestart.com/article/1590

Bird in the Hand

I have had this dress set-up for months just waiting for the time and the motivation to do it. And every time I get dressed up I wish I had those necklaces to wear. I think this is 18 x 24" and I had intended it for a backup for the Springville show in April. I set it aside to look at it later and when I came back a few days later I realized it was done. I might add a little more color in the scarf. It was really fun to paint. The dress is satin with a velvet collar and one of my goals is to try to make the fabric look like what it really is. I think it works here....I have painted that scarf in probably 20 different paintings and I still am intrigued with it.

Baby Love

Yes, I have been painting. Yesterday I logged 5 hours and still made dinner. And by made, I mean I heated something up and husband made pancakes....More paintings to come I promise. I have been working on a large one and made some good headway yesterday. I crossed the really frustrating part of the painting when you want to give up and throw it against a wall. It happens with nearly every painting, but when you trudge through it and come out the other side it is so rewarding. So I passed that yesterday afternoon and the momentum has come back. I am excited about it and it is hopefully going to be for the big Springville show this year. Here is a sneak peek, just don't forget that it is not finished.

This is the reason I have not been working as much as I should. I want to play with her all day long.....Are they more fun when you wait forever to get another? 

Mummified Cat

So I found this creepy little thing on ksl.com. Yes, a mummy cat. The seller had no real information except that he spent weeks making a brand new box for her. Seriously. What is this world coming to? I couldn't finish my dinner. Note to self: do not eat and peruse classifieds .

PS....She is for sale.

Love this painting!

I am in awe of this loose painting of a refrigerator door. How in the world do you make such subject matter so beautiful? Only Alex Kanevsky (see artist to look up), or maybe me someday if I can be so lucky! 

Chelsea's Show

My younger sister, Chelsea, is having a 2-woman show with Wendy Chidester at Coda Gallery in Park City, February 27th. She has some really beautiful paintings of sort of abstract landscapes, big and small. This is kind of a new direction for Chelsea but she is so excited about it. They are really nice and I am sure will be well received. Good Luck Chels!

The same night Emily McPhie is showing at Terzian Gallery and I am really excited to see her new work....Wendy, Chelsea, and Emily are all on my "artists to look up" column, so it will be a great night for me and art....I will take some pictures and share it all with you later....you're welcome!

Snow Storm

Seriously, can you stand it? This is the sight I woke up to this week after the prettiest, quietest snow storm through the night. It is the view from our backyard and into the wetlands. I went outside with bedhead and foggy eyes to take a picture and risk my reputation as the put-together artist who always remembers to comb her hair and brush her teeth. I could not believe how breathtaking it was. I was just standing there in awe until I could hear my muses yelling for me to help them get off to school--back to reality. Amazingly, the snow on every branch lasted for about a day and a half.....I was inspired.

New Dress Painting

I have not sat down in my studio and worked on an actual painting for 3 weeks. I am going crazy. I had so many deadlines before Christmas, and of course Christmas itself took everything else out of me. I cleaned my studio really good, did some framing, stretched new canvases, researched some new shows for 2009, which brought me right back to painting.

I have had this still life set up for months waiting for an opportunity to paint it, or I guess I should say to want to paint it. I finally got fired up and it is about half done, maybe 2/3rds done.

I have 2 competitions coming up in the next few months. I should also get many paintings done for all of the galleries that are going to contact me when they see the article about me in 'Southwest Art'. Positive thoughts, remember? If you paint it they will come.

So I am not sure where this painting is going to go, but I am loving painting again. I needed it.

Sock Monkey by Chelsea

My little sister (the painter) made this totally creepy sock monkey for baby muse, which I immediately fell in love with. Surprisingly, she also fell in love with it. How does she even know it is something to be loved? Baby muse drags it around everywhere.  I love how handmade it is and the spooky yellow eyes are perfect...Her first stuffed animal love. Thanks Chels!

What I saw

"Slumdog Millenare (Indian Accent)". The husband spotted this movie on his radar and the title was not attracting me to the theater, so he really had to sell me on it. I went into it somehow thinking it was a true story. Do I live in a cave? I don't know why I thought it was true, but quickly was told I was crazy. It is such a creative tale of rags to riches (not really), but ends with hope and a sweet love story. The first half of the movie I almost couldn't take it anymore watching young children navigate the streets of poor India with no parents. But the second half was a little easier to watch and by the end I was dancing along Bollywood style. By now you have heard of it unless you live in a cave as it received 10 oscar nominations this week. I loved it and was so happy to see it win best picture at the GG's (Golden Globes...again for the cave dwellers). Husband says "good but overrated." Hmmmm. I disagree. I didn't have any expectations because I hadn't heard of it when we saw it, so by now it may be hard to not have high hopes. I would say a definite must see, but know that it starts out painfully. And I am voting for it for best picture at the Academy Awards (because if Brad Pitt's movie gets the award, I will throw up).

Positive Thoughts

It's a new year, with a new attitude, and new goals, and renewed strength.
The Christmas season really did a number on my motivation to paint and my productivity. I haven't painted for a few weeks and I have a bad mood to prove it. My Studio is a disaster and I have no set deadlines. 

I did get a call last week that I would be featured in 'Southwest Art' magazine as the 'Artist to Watch' in March. I am so so excited and completely honored. They are going to print 2 or 3 of my paintings and a short article about me. I had the phone interview last week which was nerve-racking. Trying to sound intelligent while changing and bathing the baby is not an easy task.....Let's cross our fingers that I don't sound like a complete idiot.... 

Anyway, it is perfect timing for me as my Salt Lake gallery has closed and I need another gallery. I would also love to expand to Arizona, Colorado, or California. So if I am lucky, maybe some great gallery will see my work in this magazine....My art goal for the year 2009 is to find a few new galleries. Unfortunately, it is not totally under my control. So, I am determined to clean my studio this week and get re-motivated to start a new series. Positive thoughts sent out into the universe.