September News & Musings

September 16, 2020

Thank goodness for my dogs.

Otherwise I’d never leave my apartment, which means I’d never see that leaves are starting to turn colors and drop off of trees. That means Fall is coming, right? That’s what it used to mean, anyway. I’m not sure of anything anymore.

Fall always inspires and excites me, the colors, the crisp air, the insatiable amount of squirrels running around tormenting my sweet Fiona.

In the Studio

I’ve got cool breezes coming thru my one little studio window about 3 feet from the easel and I’m channeling all my political anxiety into my art.

I have a new direction within a direction (very Matrix of me). I’m taking my fan favorite, Bergen Rooftops, and trying to use the simplicity and graphic nature of that canvas and apply it to other cities or towns. Bergen originally spoke to me because the rooftops were so uniform and geometric. It seemed a perfect vehicle for the cloisonne style I wanted to explore. Will other cityscapes lend themselves to what I call Contemporary Folk Art?

First up is Paris.

With Santorini just getting started.

I think I like this direction! What do you think?

On occasion I look at a painting I did months ago and say “Why? Why didn’t this baby get more love from the public (meaning the handful of people who regularly comment on my Instagram posts)”

This happened recently with my Painting “Norwegian Island”. I loved this little guy. I thought it was moody and mysterious and I loved the pop of red in the green forest. But when I looked at it with fresh eyes I saw an opportunity to create a stronger narrative. I wanted to answer the question “Who lives there?” And I wanted there to be a dog. And now there is. The end.

Chilly 5/2020

What I do with my hands while watching TV...I have a waiting list of embroidery portraits! Yes, my love/hate relationship with textile art continues as I have accepted four dog commissions for the upcoming months. I am limiting work sessions to 2 hours per day and I have my neuromuscular therapist on speed dial (DM if you want to know what that is). For those who didn’t suffer through my “Embroidery Induced Heart Attack” (just a little exaggeration) years ago I am here to say that “Embroidery Kills. Use it with restraint.”

Anyhooo, these dogs are all super adorable and super important to their humans and I’m super excited to create them in thread!

I’m also working on a few new gouaches. Such a happy little medium! Such pure color with so little effort!

I did a desert scene I was really happy with and then my daughter, who's become obsessed with succulents and small plants in her Brooklyn apartment saw it and claimed it for her own and I couldn’t say no because I’m so flattered she wants one of my paintings when she’s an artist herself and well, anyway, I’ll just have to make another version sometime soon. Damn kids.

I hope to show work locally IRL through my involvement with Evanston Made in the coming months. I’ll let you know whenever things are firmed up!

Keeping my website up to date so be sure to visit while you're surfing the net (do they still say that?) at three in the morning. Oh, you’re asleep at three in the morning? Wow. Well, good for you.

Thanks again for reading this tome. Especially if you're not related to me.