Lane Gallery

This is fun and I have some news.  I met with Gila Lane at Lane Gallery and Studio today, and brought in some labyrinth and snowmen paintings.  She had already seen them on my website, but it is always better to see them "in person."  She liked them and we agreed that a show in December would be fun.  So, I will have a show at Lane Gallery--with my name on the wall and all that.  More on that later.  Lane Gallery and Studios is on SE Clinton Street, near 26th.  It's a nice little neighborhood!  Thanks to Celeste Bergin and to Susan LeMaster for helping me get this going.  

New Sketch Book

Many years ago, I got a beautiful hand-tooled leather sketchbook cover.  Somehow, over time, it got pushed aside and replaced by my favorite  "Aquabee Sketchbooks."  I recently re-surfaced it and decided to start using it again.  It is so pretty!  I did a little on-line research and the company, Oberon, is still in business and making these: http://www.oberondesign.com/Journal.php  Mine is in the 6" x 9" size, and I think I got it in the 1980s.   The designs are a little different, and they also do covers for Kindles, iPads and all sorts of things.  Beautiful!

I bought a new refill and now will be using it regularly.  I decided to take the lead from my friend Carrie and do a front page. I'm not posting that page here because I'm not happy with it.  I did it in dim light at O'Connor's Vault in Multnomah Village while watching a band.  I may re-work it, but for now I just need to get the sketching started.

Here's one:  the lead guitar player for the Jack McMahon Band.

I haven't been sketching much and need the practice.  That was a fun way to get it, and I'll do it again.

An eagle kite!!!

I am sad to say that I totally fell behind in my Christmas thank you notes and the project of making a little watercolor painting of the gift on a card that becomes the thank you note.  Since it is getting to be late March, now, I am just going to admit that I had a lot of great gifts and felt very well-loved.  Having all my daughters here was a special treat.

About a month and a half ago, though, I started to paint a card from an eagle kite that Catherine gave me.  I love the kite and I liked the design of the card....showing just the head in profile and part of the body and wings.  The "flashes" of red are fun.  So, I finished it and here it is.

Catherine, thanks again for that special kite to add to my collection.  You know how much I also loved the white flower petals for the bath.  They recall the fortune-teller in Cuba who had told me to bathe with white flowers, not soap.  I can fantasize every once in awhile that I am following that romantic advice....even though the petals have soap in them and I'm not really ready to give up soap anyway...even for fragrant flowers!

A portrait of Jenifer

I finally completed this painting of my daughter Jenifer.  It began it several years ago, after I took a workshop with Ted Nuttal.  I struggled with it and finally got some advice last week from my good friend and mentor, Kitty Wallis---she said don't be afraid to go darker.  I did as she suggested, and I like the result.  Kitty might say to go even darker than this, but it is enough for me.  Jen likes it, too...so it's done.  BTW, she's still just as pretty as that great day we enjoyed in the Columbia River Gorge when I took the photo I used as a reference.

Cavalia!!!!

January and February kind of flew by for me, and now it is March and I am still working on my Christmas thank yous.  No, I didn't get a horse....thank goodness, really.  I think my life is busy enough without that responsibility.  What I got (from Louisa and Peter) was a ticket to see the show, "Cavalia."  It was truly amazing.  It's a cross between Cirque de Soliel and a very classy horse show.  There were acrobats as well as horses and it was all very beautiful.   The thing I liked the best was a woman straddling two horses and controlling another pair!  Four all together.  Very fast and smooth.  Thanks you, Louisa and Peter.  It was an amazing show.

Carrie Gave Me Some Wild Socks!!!

They are really a lot of fun.  I decided I wanted to paint the pattern of the socks, not the socks.  And, it was exciting because they have sparklies and it gave me an opportunity to paint sparklies.  I didn't capture the intensity of the magenta.  They are truly something that "shows" when I where them.  Thanks, Carrie, for giving me something to celebrate the fun side.  

Flowers from Virginia---again!!!

Well,  it can never be too often.  Just in time for my holiday festivities.  I got this beautiful candlelit arrangement from Virginia.  It really added to the warmth of a great time with a houseful of daughters, grandchildren, my brother, sons in law, and a Japanese exchange student.  It was a lot of fun and, as readers of this blog know, we also assembled a family art show.

Virginia also gave a "little extra" to help with art supplies.  Well, she always says it's for whatever I want, but I know I will spend it on art supplies!  I already bought a dvd that goes with a book I already had about Expressive Figure Painting.  Very inspirational!!!  Having fresh flowers always is, too.  I did this a week or so ago, but am behind on my blogposts.  I'll send this card to her with a thank you note.