Spring Painting

I sold two paintings in February. One to an well-known area collector, the other to a newlywed couple buying their first piece of real art. It is a sweet feeling. I am moving forward in my painting. I just ordered supplies to start oil painting. I have very little experience in oil paints. A still-life class in college and two paintings of hammers I did in high school. Yes, hammers. Don't ask. My mom worked in hardware store. Up until now, I have been experimenting with latex and ceramic paints. They were free and readily available to me, so I was using them to see if painting was something I wanted to pursue and if I had any affinity for it. When I started I thought I'd be doing some abstract landscapes. I had no idea I would do mainly "people pictures" that tended toward large-textured realism. Actually, I don't know what style you'd call them. Realistic expressionism? The point is that I am now seriously into my painting. Working with the paints has awaken something inside of me. Now, I am not only painting, I am showing and selling work. I am ready to take the next step.
I want to set up a studio space. (Here again, I have been working out of my friend's house where the free paints reside.) I must admit, that I looked up oil painting online to get some advice as to what supplies to get. I even bough an introductory book. I am hoping to stick to my proven subject matter and even replicate my palette as I get used to the new properties of the paint, but I am on my way!

Afraid of the dark

I cheated. I posted yesterday's post this morning. We had a power outage for 5 hours last night that made it impossible to log on and post. I was running around all day yesterday. First was my 7 hour trip to New Hope and back. I got to share nachos with a friend of mine. We caught up about jobs and families as we sat in the empty Mexican restaurant. Later she accompanied me to the gallery and boosted my confidence by being there. I came home and was off again to my daughter's dance class. We got home from that, and I was making dinner when the power went out. The turkey BLT's were done, but the broccoli soup was still in its ice cube form. We ate our sandwiches by the light of 20 candles. Then, we went out to look at the stars, unobstructed by the lights from neighboring houses. After that, I tried to read, but I must have been allergic to one of the candles, because I had an allergy attack. Took medicine and went to bed. But alas, I don't know if was my active day or the allergy meds, but my mind was racing in that high-octane anxiety kind of way. Most of the anxiety was aimed the fact that I am going to have to paint under pressure. I have never done that before. It was like a boogeyman in the dark. Luckily for me, my daytime mind is not quite as anxious as my nighttime mind. I'm going to work out some ideas for paintings this week and start fresh on Monday. As my friend Marsha says, "Not fearful news--but exciting news."

I love fall

I love October. I think it may be my favorite month. It got me thinking about other things I love in the fall:

1. Pumpkin spice coffee. I usually drink dark roasts with a touch of cream, but I make an exception here. Add a maple walnut scone and you have perfection.

2. New York City. For some reason I've been making a fall pilgrimage here that last couple of years. Don't have one in the books for this year, yet. Maybe I better get on the ball.

3. Caramel apple with nuts. Not a candied apple. Ask my husband what the difference is. Thirteen years ago on the very day I gave birth to our son, he brought me the wrong kind from the street fair in the town where we lived. For some reason this story this story gets retold every year on my son's birthday.

4. The tree-covered hills near my house. I take note of their color change every day on my walk/run.

5. Soup. All kinds. Here at the Wood house, we have Survivor Soup Thursdays. I am not a huge Survivor fan, but it is something we watch as a family. This week we are having a double header: Pumpkin Chowder on Thursday and African Chicken Peanut Soup on Friday (when we are, for some inexplicable reason, going to watch Spaceballs.)

6. First frost and the end of allergy season. Self-explanatory.

7. Thanksgiving. My favorite holiday. I love that there is a holiday all about being grateful.

8. Back-to-school. It feels like a fresh start--more so than New Year's. Plus the kids are back in school, and I can get more work done.

9. Fall colors. If you've seen my paintings, you'll see that my palette is a fall palette. Good thing that my first exhibit is in October.

10. My grandmothers. Not to be morbid here: they both died in the fall. And combined with All Soul's Day on November 1st, I find myself feeling their spirits about me. It's a warm, comforting feeling.

Art show

My first solo art show is up! I have never had a solo exhibit before. I don't think I have ever had a body of work like this before. It showcases about a year's worth of art: 17 pieces. I wanted to try to crank out a few more pieces but I found that I couldn't paint under pressure. What I do is more about process than product. Now that the show is in place, I am sure the flow will return. The exhibit space at Moon Dancer winery is perfect for my first venture. The atmosphere is casual, and the gold walls make my artwork pop. My canvases are finished and look complete. I am sure the addition of frames would help the work seem more "done" but at this point it is an investment just in my time and materials. I am not sure frames would help to sell the work. Buyers tend to have pieces reframed anyway when they get them into their homes. I do miss having my paintings around me. It seems odd that they have a life outside this house.

Mark asked me what my goals are for the show. Certainly I hope to sell some of the pieces. Moon Dancer winery, like most exhibit spaces, is taking their cut of the sales. I'll have to get used to that fact. I also hope to make some contacts from having my work exhibited. The winery is allowing me to have a book signing in conjunction with my art opening, so drawing new readers to my book is a goal as well.

The show will be up for October. After that, I am taking my work around to gallery owners who have expressed interest. So far, the feedback has been good. I am happy that the work is being seen as mature. It isn't as if I haven't been doing artwork my whole life, but this venture is new. As far as the industry is concerned, I am a newbie. It is scary to put myself on the line again. It feels like I just did that with my book. But with both endeavors, I have been honest with what I wanted to do. I work for myself, first and foremost. And I am pleased with the result. The artist reception is in two weeks. It is something I am going to enjoy. Whatever else, I am making connections with the outside world.

Spiral theory and practice

"My new Hypothesis: If we're built from Spirals while living in a giant Spiral, then is it possible that everything we put our hands to is infused with the Spiral?" -- Max Cohen in the motion picture Pi.

This weekend we watched the movie Pi: Faith in Chaos. It was about one mathematician's search for order out of chaos, such as finding code in the numbers of the NYSE. I thoroughly enjoyed it. In the movie the main character referenced spirals, specifically the golden spiral which comes out of relationship with the golden rectangle, which, when a square section is removed, the remainder is another golden rectangle. The resultant and infinite removal of squares leads to the golden spiral.

I have long been fascinated with spirals. I believe that the first time I had a conscious encounter with them was a documentary I watched while a student at PA Governor's School of the Arts which showed patterns and shapes in nature and mathematics which were relevant to the worlds of art and music. I was 17 at the time. It was probably a few more years and encounters before I started to incorporate them into my artwork. I was an art history minor, so I began to see spirals in art from prehistoric to Renaissance and beyond. As a woman who has ventured into the meaning of the divine feminine mythology, I have found particular meaning in the triskele or triple spiral which can be interpreted as a representation of the triple aspect of the goddess: maiden, mother, crone; a representation of the nine month gestation of a human pregnancy; or a symbol of the goddess Brigid who is briefly referenced in my book Summers at Blue Lake. Brigid has been a touchstone for me because she is the goddess of writers, healers, and craftspeople--specifically metalsmiths (as I was in college, and as is my protagonist in Summers).

Another point along my spiraling path has been my interest in labyrinths. (A labyrinth is unicursal path which winds around. Unlike mazes which have many path options, labyrinths only have one way in and one way out.) Labyrinths have been used in countless cultures: storytelling in Greek Mythology (Theseus and Ariadne) and in cathedrals as part of worship (Chartres) are two examples. Some cathedral labyrinths form the shape of a rose which is the symbol for Mary, mother of Jesus. Labyrinths tell the story of a pilgrimage. They tell the story of birth. Letting go, entering center, filling up... as a cycle.

My artwork, particularly my flower paintings, explores spirals and the meaning they have had for me. I suspect my writing does, too, in the way my stories tend to wind back onto themselves. On my nightstand, I have a small spiral shell that my daughter gave me. I am reminded every morning, that I am on, above all, my journey to find center.

Rainy day sunshine

It rained yesterday. The sky opened up and let us have it. I love the rain. For some reason it seems to recharge me. Must be the ions in the water or the fact that I'm a Pisces. Who am I to question such things? I had a great rainy day yesterday. I met with the owner of Radiance in Lancaster. We came up with a schedule for some deep journaling classes that I will facilitate this fall. (As soon as I finish this blog, I'll update the news section of my webpage.) From there, I walked in the rain to an art gallery on gallery row to talk with the manager. She loved my work--particularly my portraits. I've always loved them, too. They are what I enjoy doing because they are so personal to me. I thought that they might be too personal to have universal appeal, so I tried other subjects. Those, too, were well-received, but my portraits were the standout, for this gallery manager and others I have surveyed. I also got some guidelines on pricing, which will help me set up for my show at Moon Dancer Winery in October. I felt very good about my meeting. I guess I needed evidence that, although I think of myself as an artist, others take me seriously as well. I am hoping for a show in 2009 from the gallery I visited. This means I'll have to decide what I should do in the interim. What is my plan for 2008. HMM?

My final stop of the day was to the home of Sally Watkins, my 12th grade English teacher. Sally invited me to join her book club as my book was their featured selection for the month. (Thank you Linda Hilton for choosing the book.) I do have appearances scheduled at other book clubs, but this was my first. More than discussing the book, the women were interested in the writing process. I enjoyed sharing my insights and getting feedback. I've said it before: when you write a book, you are looking to engage others in a conversation. So for me, this was the biggest payoff. I've admired Sally as a teacher (you'll find her name in the acknowledgements), so it was a great privilege to be invited into the realm of her book club.

All in all, it was a great day for the ego. As an artist, you really need to soak these day into your being. Being an artist is a struggle. Being a writer is a struggle. It isn't about the angst like people suspect. At least not for me. I don't have days of torture-- thinking deep thoughts about the origins of creativity. But I do struggle with self-doubt. I struggle with the feeling that I work ten times as hard for one/tenth the payoff. You have to really love what you are doing. So rainy days--days filled with ego gratification--are gifts from the heavens.

Triathlon

Over the weekend, our friend Jeff competed in a triathlon. He's done them before, but this was the first at this length (mile swim, 20 mile ride, 10K run). And he did well, too. I could never do a triathlon. First of all, I don't swim. My sister-in-law and I ran in the Chicago marathon 4 years ago. That was a once and done thing. As women who gave birth sans drugs, we didn't feel the need to use the marathon experience as a springboard for other forms of physical torture. So no triathlons in my future.

But I am thinking of Jeff as I begin my day. This morning, I am going to meet with a woman who owns a business in Lancaster about giving journaling workshops in her store. (Workshops--event 1) Then I am taking my paintings to a gallery manager to have a frank discussion about my work and the business of selling fine art. (Painting--event 2). Then for the final event of the evening, I am attending a book club in the capacity of the author of the club selection. This book club happens to be hosted by my 12th grade honors English teacher, whom I haven't seen in 20 years. (Writing--event 3).
So, here I am, my triple-threat self (HA!). Trying to decide if cross-training is a good thing, something greater than the sum of the parts, or if I am spreading myself too thin. I'll probably be able to better answer that riddle tomorrow.

Back in the groove

I cannot tell you what a revitalizing effect that painting and writing has for me. A real difference exists for me on the days when I get work done and days that I don't. On Friday, I was doing a little happy dance. Words and paint strokes were flowing in tandem for the first time since the kids went back to school. I was just disappointed that it was the weekend, because I wanted to keep the streak alive. I tried to write on Saturday while my husband and close friends were yelling wildly at the Big Ten Network. (Darn that DirectTV!) But it is Monday, and I am once again in the flow. I finished another painting and am well into the writing of a novel which I am not really supposed to be writing, but I am. (If my agent is reading this--we'll talk soon, I promise!)