New Projects Near and Dear

With the return to regular routines that the beginning of school brings, I returned to my studio in September with again more ideas of what to paint than time or energy allowed. The scattered approach of painting whatever I feel like (or am commissioned to do) is hugely satisfying as I am never bored or locked in to a theme the grows tired or dull. But painting puppies and children-playing doesn't really convey the message I want or know I could. So with this new (to us) house, new neighborhood, new studio - this fall seemed like a good time to start a new series of paintings: one with a theme that connects my two worlds.

This is a very happy development for me as I have been wanting to merge space and science with art for some time. The periodic table of elements paintings were a successful first stab at that, but now that I have decided to focus on a science theme with my paintings there is so much to explore! I am now simultaneously working on seven space-related paintings and some 3 dimensional works as well. Though, I am very much in the experimental phase of this new collection, so we will have to wait to see what comes out of it.

With this new theme, I am also trying on some new painting techniques in an effort to minimize the adverse health risks with painting (it can be rather toxic). So bring on the palette knife (to reduce the need to clean the oil paint of my brushes in mineral spirits that fills my studio with fumes), and some attempts at using acrylic paints instead of oils. It is not an easy switch. 

I have no pictures for this post, as all pieces are still in-progress. But know that I am having a mostly-glorious though sometimes frustrated-what-am-I-doing time in my studio and I look forward to sharing my efforts soon.

The Season of Moving

Summer is often the season for moving. Our family regularly moves to new adventures following my husband's job; friends move nearer or farther or to new places we will visit; neighbors move in and out, changing the dynamics of the neighborhood. Having had twelve different addresses since graduating from undergrad in 2000, moving is nothing new- a part of me looks forward to the adventure, and a part of me longs for the day we will finally settle-in, find a home and plant a garden and get to know our neighbors without having it all change again in a few years.

For now we must continue with our "goodbyes." Even when it is just "goodbye for now," it is still hard. And saying goodbye to the children of neighbors and friends is sometimes the most difficult. I've watched them grow in the time that our lives have overlapped. Our families have shared adventures. They have played with my son and taught him important lessons in friendship, sportsmanship, tree climbing, minecraft, and other aspects of life. Sure, our families will keep in touch, but they will change much more (and I will miss seeing it happen) than their parents. It is hard and a part of me grieves.

This year it seems like nearly everyone moved, ourselves included. So I used a little painting therapy to help me through. If I could have painted a picture of every child that I will miss seeing outside my window or playing in my living room, I would have. But moving means months of disruption and chaos and little or no time behind my easel. Fortunately, two very important paintings were finished this spring before I packed up my studio.

The three Mitchell kids are picking apples - one of the many adventures we shared with them in Virginia over the past three years. I love these kids and saying goodbye was so difficult!

Climbing Trees is an acrylic on canvas painting of our wonderful neighbors, the Crooks, climbing the maple tree out front with my son, Calvin. These kids were outside with Calvin nearly every day, running and climbing (stone walls and trees), and were a big part of our lives - they opened their hearts and doors to us from the moment we moved in. They will bring warmth and friendship wherever they live.

Moving season is winding down for us. We are settled into our new address in Herndon, VA, getting to know the area and slowing meeting neighbors and making new friends. My studio is mostly unpacked, though I have not yet found my way back in. I will soon enough, with new projects to work on.

Happy adventures to all who find themselves moving this summer. I wish you the best! 

Periodic at 475

Periodic at 475: a painting of the periodic table of the elements using color that corresponds to the electromagnetic spectrum of light centered on about 475 nm (blue).

Periodic at 475, oil on canvas, 24"x36"

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall

Ahhh, summer is coming to a close and I am eagerly waiting for more time in my studio. I love having the freedom and flexibility to stay home during the summer with my 6 year old, but I do miss my time behind the canvas. Goodbye summer, hello fall!

With Fall comes art festivals! I am participating in three events this year (up from zero last year, woo hoo) and am excited to get out and talk to people about my art. The first event is the Burke Centre Festival (6060 Burke Centre Parkway, Burke, VA) on September 10 and 11. This will be a new experience for me as I have not attended this festival in years past. It looks like it will be a fun, family-friendly event with a large arts and crafts show, amusement rides, pony rides, live music, puppet and wildlife shows, and much more. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we will get some cooler temperatures than what we have endured this summer. My mom and dad will be out to help me with my art tent, so if you are local stop by and say hello! 9:30am - 5pm on Saturday, 11am - 5pm on Sunday.

The following weekend will be the Kingstowne Area Artists Art Show and Sale (Snyder Center, 6450 South Van Dorn St, Kingstowne, VA). This will be a small indoor event, and a great opportunity to meet and talk with local artists. We will be there on Saturday the 17th from 11am to 5pm and on Sunday the 18th from noon to 5pm - stop by if you are in the area, I would love to chat!

Finally (and in my opinion, most exciting) is the Art on the Avenue Multicultural Arts and Music Festival in Del Ray, Alexandria, VA on Saturday October 1 (10am to 6pm). I participated in this festival for the first time a couple of years ago soon after moving to Virginia and had a great time! This year I am back (happily with improved tent walls that wont wobble in the breeze) and ready for another great festival. Don't miss this one-day art event in beautiful Del Ray! Oh, and it is metro accessible - just take the Dash bus from the Braddock Rd metro station on the blue line. See you there!

Drew, Mo, and Hank

A friend recently asked me to paint her three pets, two cats and a dog. Having known this family for years, but now separated from them by half the country, I was delighted to take on this project as it gave me a chance to "spend some time" with these animals. Drew, Mo, and Hank - your paintings have kept me company this winter/spring and I was a little sad to send them on their way. What fun they were to create!

Drew, oil on canvas, 6"x6"

Mo, oil on canvas, 6"x6"

Hank, oil on canvas, 6"x6"

A New Series: Life on the Farm

Last month I took a week-long painting workshop with artist Diane Tesler in which we all painted whatever we wanted but with the intention of creating (or beginning) a body of work. For that week, I decided to work on additional tractor paintings, with the thought of creating a Life on the Farm series (from scenes back home in Missouri, mostly). The workshop was held in an empty historic building in Old Town Alexandria that the Art League of Alexandria rented for the week. The space itself was amazing, and being back in Old Town for the week was awesome. Working with Diane Tesler was really cool - she had great advice and stories, and is a really interesting and talented artist. Here are two of my tractor paintings from that workshop.

Old Blue, oil on canvas, 20"x24"

Big Boy, oil on canvas, 24"x30"

Patient Pedro

I love this painting of our sweet Pedro that I created this past February. This was inspired by a photo taken several years ago when living in Denver, CO. Both Pedro and Deuce were lying together on the couch (as they often did then), looking out of the front window at birds or neighbors or whatever was passing by. This painting captures Pedro well, and I really like using blue for the highlights on his black fur. Pedro was always one of the grownups (whereas Deuce acted like a kid, even as a really old man), and I called him our nanny-dog when Calvin was a baby as he would always be the first to respond to any of Calvin's cries, sniffing and nudging and licking as needed to help take care of his little "puppy". I think this painting shows his serious, old soul, quietly watching, attentive but calm personality.

Pedro, oil on canvas, 9"x12"

New Studio Space

In an effort to improve the quality of my creating space, I moved my home studio from the cold, dark dungeon-like basement to what was previously known as the guest room. Guests now enjoy an entire floor to themselves (aka the cold, dark dungeon-like basement, lucky you), while I get a warm, bright happy room with a door and a south facing window. This switch took about a week, many hundreds of thousands of stairs (okay, maybe not quite that many), and one blizzard to complete. It instantly improved my productivity, and I find myself wandering into the upstairs studio during non-painting hours with ideas to be written down, scraps of inspiration for filing, and an indulgent desire to check on my latest creation. I really like my new studio.