Moving Studios!
As we have decided to cancel our move to Palo Alto (husband’s new office was shut down during pandemic and he is quite liking working here from home!) I’ve been on the hunt for studio space.
If you have been following me for a while you know I’ve predominantly worked out of my home, except for a brief period in 2019 right before we got our puppy (...and then I was too busy with him to justify renting the room!)
I love working from home.
I love waking up and stumbling down the stairs to get coffee and sit in my studio. It’s my favorite room in the house.
But.
I really need more space for the ideas I want to work with and the projects I’m currently working on.
So, now that we are 100% for sure staying in Ann Arbor - I’ve begun the process of checking out office spaces and artist areas for rent.
Here’s what I am hoping to find in no particular order;
Natural light. (I have my own lighting kit for photos)
Within my budget. Needs to make sense financially.
Dog friendly. Chew won’t be with me everyday, but the ability to bring him along occasionally is really important.
Easily accessible water/not a fancy sink. ( This seems like a silly list item, but I’ve toured some places with shared bathrooms WAAAAAAAY down the hall - too far to lug jars/brushes as often as I need to. Also if the only sink is a fancy one, I’ll be spending just as much time cleaning the sink as I am cleaning brushes. Laundry tub is ideal.)
Moderate temperature control. I’m ok with underpowered ACs/heat - but I can’t have super high humidity when I’m working/storing paper.
Ability to host events, bring collectors in for tours.
How pretty is this space!? A serious contender.
I’ve got a few more tours lined up for the weekend, fingers crossed for something to pan out soon-ish. I’ve got a lot of big ideas ready to go.
Updating my Photobook
The last time I updated this book was before a show in summer 2019. (Thanks Covid….)
So, it’s safe to say a lot needs to be adjusted before the opening of my show on June 11th: Sold work taken out, new gallery pieces and contact info added, and of course, an updated CV.
This book comes with me to shows (space allowing) so anyone can flip through the pages and see additional work that may not have fit for the show, paintings that are currently in galleries and photos of commissions. For previous shows I had these up on a laptop/ipad, but I feel like there is something slightly more personal about leafing through an actual book. (And, on a number of occasions after the show I’d discover open tabs to people’s personal emails…. That was always an odd moment.) Archaic, analog book it is!
I use a sturdy binder with a slim profile. I love big, bold Leslie-Knope-styled binders for personal record keeping, but wanted something a tad smaller for the show setting.
I rotate out photos and info, making sure that what’s between the covers presents as a cohesive collection and not just a hodge-podge of work.
If there are fun texture moments or interesting process photos I’ll include one or two - but the emphasis is on full shots of the work in various settings. Currently I would say it’s more akin to a ‘lookbook’ rather than a ‘portfolio’. I have a website for that. (and you’re on it!)
This book (in it’s final stage!) will be with me for my upcoming solo show, Color & Contour.
The show opens on June11th at 6pm, with an RSVP-only digital preview at 530. Follow this link for more info and maybe see the book (and work…) in person!
PARHELION; Thoughts behind the work.
This week one of my favorite paintings found a new home.
par·he·li·on
/pärˈhēlēən/
noun
a bright spot in the sky appearing on either side of the sun, formed by refraction of sunlight through ice crystals high in the earth's atmosphere.
Parhelion began from a series of sketches that explored tones from the sky above my little studio. You wouldn’t think of Michigan as a great place for sunsets/sunrises, but I regularly find myself looking up in awe at the colors above.
It sat, unnamed, water-soluble pastel on canvas in the form of a color study as I debated what to add to be able to call it complete. It was one of those pieces that I really enjoyed in the state that it was in, so I didn’t feel a huge rush to “finish” it.
Several months later, while in the car - watching a sundog (and having just started adding acrylic over top water soluble pastel paintings) I had my answer.
A few layers of titan buff later and a title - and Parhelion came to be.
Announcing: Color & Contour, a 2 day solo show!
I’m so excited to announce that my 2 day solo show; Color & Contour will be opening on June 11th at StudioStudio!
The opening party on Friday will start at 6 pm for the general public, with a live digital preview for my email list, gallery friends and collectors at 5:30. RSVP here to make sure you get the link!
I’ll have more information about available work, the inspiration behind the pieces and the general plan for the weekend soon, so stay tuned.
What’s Inspiring me/ Nurturing me Right Now
I feel like I am waking up from a deep hibernation. Slowly stepping out of the caves (still masked, please and thank you!) and feeling a new warmth in the sunlight has been reinvigorating for both myself and my work.
A little lighter hand, a little lighter spirit. (And two weeks away from being fully vaccinated!!)
Here are a few other things that are inspiring/nurturing me right now;
LOOK AT THESE BUDS:
Everything is new and smells so good. Walking around our neighborhood has been a multi-sensory experience lately.
I will never not feel like painting after looking at Magnolia/cherry blooms. Even the puppy is getting in on the sniffing action.
Midweek ‘Cheese’ plates:
I’ve been making little ‘cheese’ plates every so often - olives, this really good vegan feta and crackers. Sitting outside at like 5pm with one of these bad boys has been the perfect selfcare.
Books:
I’m currently reading The Curators Handbook and Dog is Love. The first has been a great dive into the world of curation - something I know little about but would like to know more. The latter book has been a really neat look into the minds of our canine friends, both domesticated and non-domesticated. If either of these subjects interests you I highly recommend checking them out.
Hope you are all doing well and staying safe. I’ll have a more art-focused post next time.
<3