New year. Renewed energy. Picking up the threads of creation. After I pack away the Christmas lovely clutter, my studio can once again become making-in-motion. I have three areas of activity to return to (good thing I have lots of tables!). One is what I am calling “Following the Thread” series, with collage, watercolor and gouache on paper – using my mother’s saved receipts of a life –  mortgages, bills, statements as an underpinning. So much between the lines that I am painting upon. I am painting from scenes from my volumes of travel sketchbooks, with their preponderance of mountains and waterways. New year, let’s see where creation leads! Back to the garden, yes. The garden of creation.

Heirloom Harvest

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Just getting the studio ready for the open showing was invigorating — we cleaned and organized and cleared and made loveliness out of my ordinary creative chaos. And then having lively celebration and sharing as many people showed up, all throughout the day, was great fun. I loved telling the stories behind the pieces that folks were bringing home with them, talking about the new emerging work, and helping a few people sneak some surprise art shopping in. Deep thanks to all who came. I am happy for the open spaces to fill with new work in the year to come!

Open Studio View of Flowers

Open Studio View of Birds and Urban Landscapes

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If you come to my studio open house (or visit another time!) you will see my current work in progress, which is a little different than what you see on the gallery pages here. I am using old family documents to provide the ground for watercolor and gouache paintings. Subject matter, so far, is from my sketchbooks. Waterways and mountains are a common theme, though I have painted a few still life settings. I am in exploration, and have yet to really know or understand the theme direction completely but it feels very good, and fruitful. I will keep sharing on these pages!

Living on Mountain Time

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Then I took out the ink and brush, right on top of the original pencil drawing. I like to use the brush almost dry for the wider strokes, so that against the texture of the paper I get the lovely ragged edge.

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Pencil is so forgiving. I use it to assess proportion and composition. But sometimes I fall in love with the loose beginnings, and have a hard time moving past the quick pencil. This sketch was captured in the sculpture garden at the de Young Museum at Golden Gate Park in SF. Joe stands in a scatter of apples made of enameled steel. Now that it’s scanned, I can move past the pencil and will finish it as a brush painting.

In the Sculpture Garden

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