wearable art

While waiting for glazes to dry on the big canvas on my worktable, I went over to Zazzle & designed something new. This time a ladies' t-shirt with one of my favorite works on it. Looking for something different to wear? Why not get one...

sketching archives

Did a couple new sketches the other day & discovered some in my sketch book that I had never scanned or posted yet, either, so I'm posting them now. The plan is that they will all make their way into final artworks at some point in time...

This first one is actually in a piece already, part of a coastal series I'm planning in the near future (after Tree Stories is up & showing.)

Then there are some I've started to accompany a Yosemite series... I've got a fair amount of Yosemite images, too, so I guess that comes after the coastal series! (I'm not so sure about my mammals, but I'm working on them, and I won't get better if I don't practice.)

Then the couple I did just the other day, a sparrow because sparrows are special to me...

And a little junco because they're a lot like sparrows & they're another Yosemite species.

getting organized...

I've got this big Tree Stories show coming and all the wall space I'll have to fill was making me a little nervous, so I inventoried what I have done, what I'm working on & what I've got planned (which usually just stays in my head in a fuzzy way.) I got it all on paper, including the production schedule I need to keep & I'm feeling much better - maybe even be able to squeeze out a little more, who knows - thought I'd post it here to share & keep myself accountable (not that I really need that right now.)


A quick & dirty shot of "With Eager Hope" - it's hanging in my midtown studio, with a sign that lets viewers know they have to wait to get their hands on it until April in the Blue Wing Gallery.


Production schedule for
Tree Stories “Chapter Two” - 2.15.10

Completed canvases:
1. 24x24 - Beckoning Path
2. 24x24 - Remembering
3. 24x24 - Her Self
4. 24x24 - True Love
5. 24x36 - With Eager Hope
6. 30x30 - Reunion
7. 30x24 - Under the Shade
8. 36x24 - Longing for the Wind’s Embrace
9. 36x36 - Late Afternoon
10. 36x24 - Meditations
11. 24x18 - Endless Battle

In process
12. 60x36 (Life Story)

Planned
wk 2.22
13. 30x30 - Jacob’s Ladder
14. 36x24 - Heaven
wk 3.1
15. 60x36 - The Taller Tree
wk 3.8
16. 30x30 - Still Singing
17. 24x24 - Castle in the Sky
wk 3.15
18. 24x24 - Things We Cannot See
19. 24x24 - Cast & Reel
wk 3.22
20. 24x12 - palms
21. 24x12 - orchards
22. ?


Tree Stories “Chapter One” - framed & completed
1. 24x20 - The Mustard Tree
2. 20x24 - They Speak of Angels
3. 20x24 - And Trees Caught Fire
4. 20x24 - Jack and the Redwood
5. 24x20 - Teletype
6. 20x24 - Honduran Mist


Total pieces for show:

20's x 4 = 7'
24's x 13 = 26'
30's x 4 = 10'
36's x 4 = 12'
60's x 2 = 10'

As planned about 105' wall space

ArtisTree 2010 is tomorrow!

If you've looked at my artwork much at all, you've probably figured out that I have a thing for trees - and I spent a serious amount of time for a while learning to identify 150-200 species of trees to then be able to map trees in the city of Davis for an organization there called Tree Davis. Tree Davis is one of those very cool groups of people that work to plant trees, teach people how to take care of their trees and generally support the urban forest.

ArtisTree, Artists Celebrating Trees is the annual major fundraiser for Tree Davis and wouldn't you know, I'm involved. The big event is tomorrow, and I'll be helping set up all the artwork for the event and of course, I'm donating to the cause myself. Five of my pieces will be up for silent auction and if you're in the area, I hope you can come celebrate trees with us. (See their website for details.)

Here are my artworks you can bid on tomorrow night:


"City of Trees #22"


"City of Trees #5"


"Breath" (Photo taken at the Davis Cememtery.)


"Tree Lovers"


"Renewal" (Photo taken at the Davis Cemetery.)

postcard art

I'm proud to participate in the Kennedy Gallery Art Center's "Art With Heart" fundraiser next month with Tree Lovers themed postcard art...

All of these will be available on Saturday Feb 13th at the Kennedy Gallery in Sacramento.

If you're interested in participating, here is the call for art:

Kennedy Gallery Art Center believes in the "pay it forward model" and is proud to sponsor this year's "Art With Heart" fundraiser. We are accepting artwork for the annual "Art With Heart" exhibit on February 13th, 2010. "Art With Heart" is an exhibit that features artwork fitting a postcard size of 4" by 6" inches of any medium and all subject matters with the exception of illicit/graphic subject matter not suitable for children. We accept photography, mixed media, paintings, drawings, etc. as long as it fits within the size parameters. All donated artwork will be of the same size and priced equally. One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit C.A.R.E.S., the Center for AIDS Research Education and Support, and the Matthew Sheppard Foundation.

"Art With Heart" is mirrored from the NY annual fundraiser Postcards from the Edge and has been a great success in supporting their local charities. You may submit more than one piece for the exhibit and it's a great way to add something cool to your portfolio. Last submission date is Tuesday, February 9pm at Kennedy Gallery 1114 20th Street, Sacramento, California.

All artists of any level are welcome to submit a piece and we welcome all patrons to join us on February 13th, 5-10pm for the exhibit and we would like to thank the community for their support.


And I'm participating in another postcard art show in New York hosted by Art House called The Space Between, my entry for that competition is titled, "Hope Sings."



(You can click on the image to see it larger.)

more tree stories progress

So I've been constantly working on pieces for the Tree Stories show in April; recently finished another pair which I won't unveil until the show, but I'll show little details. I'm actually enjoying this process, finding pictures in my pictures...

These first two are details from "Beckoning Path." You can see the story at my Tree Stories blog.

And this is from "Remembering," story also on the Tree Stories blog.




And this is the next canvas I'm tackling - you can click to see it bigger - at 3 feet high and 5 feet wide it's nearly as big as I am. (I can completely hide behind it, for sure...) It's about the life cycle of this tree & I hope to have the story for it soon from a writer friend of mine, which I'll share, of course.

tree stories progress

Working on the next two tree story canvases in tandem -

"Remembering" is about my memories of when my children were younger & the park this tree is at was completely undeveloped.

This tree story is still untitled - I'll have to make sure to get the stories & their titles posted to the "Tree Stories" blog soon - I've just been more focused on production -

tree story #17 finished

Just finished another Tree Story for the big show in March - this was last week in progress:

So I finished it up, and I won't unveil the full image until the actual gallery show but I'll give little detail images just to tease you & bring your attention to little things I like about it.

Part of the text in the story - and highlights off wet varnish.

Actual valley oak leaves, also covered in wet varnish - and one of what are becoming my signature birds:

It took me a little time to decide, the title of this is "Reunion" (Tree Story #17) and I'll post more on the story part some time later on my Tree Stories blog - I've got to hit more canvas now!

tree love

I finished up a new little set of of my ongoing "Tree Lovers" series this week. Each title comes from a simple version of the Bible's "love chapter," 1 Corinthians 13.

"Love is Patient"
(8x8 black & white photo transfer & mixed media on canvas)

"Love is Kind"
(8x8 black & white photo transfer & mixed media on canvas)

"Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs"
(8x8 black & white photo transfer & mixed media on canvas)

"Love Always Protects"
(8x8 black & white photo transfer & mixed media on canvas)

"Love Always Trusts"
(already sold - 8x8 black & white photo transfer & mixed media on canvas)

"Love Always Hopes"
(12x12 black & white photo transfer & mixed media on cradled wood panel)

"Love Always Keeps Trying"
(12x12 black & white photo transfer & mixed media on cradled wood panel)

"Love Never Fails"
(12x12 black & white photo & mixed media on canvas)

another tree in the house

It's Christmas at our house this year and all I remembered to take a photo of was the tree - is that really surprising?

Oh yes, and the little Sparky-dog, too.

Hope yours was merry.

new hope tree story

I got started on the next tree story piece, this one will be on display in my studio at Kennedy Gallery for the month of January where I'll be one of the featured artists and our theme is Inspiration:Hope.

Hope as the inspiration for artwork is one of my personal recurring themes, so I'm happy to be chosen as a featured artist for this. And since this was the next Tree Story that I was going to work on for March's show, it seemed a good fit & a way to preview one of the pieces - you can see more of how hope ties into this work at my Tree Stories blog.

snow in the foothills

We got an unusually cold storm here in Northern California this morning, bringing snow to lower levels than we've seen in many years. Of course this was the morning I was scheduled to go uphill to Auburn and move my artwork from one wall to another... I waited a little to let some roads clear up, which proved to be a good strategy. I got my artwork moved and added a little - you can see more detail by clicking on the image here.




On the way home I had to stop to take a couple pictures:

Noonish
Dec 7, 2009
Newcastle - off of I80
just below 1000 ft

Cold, breaking clouds, snow rapidly melting and falling off the valley oaks in large clumps. I've been dripped on a fair amount but I don't really mind, this snowfall is such a rare sight of beauty this low in the foothills.

back in the studio

Getting back to work again - and back to a previous project - Tree Stories: Chapter Two will be showing in a real-world gallery in March 2010, which means I need to start working on pieces for that show. There will be a couple re-worked images from the first Tree Stories series and several new stories as well. I began studio work on the first of the new stories just last night, collaging, adding texture & even a little pencil work...

Some detail from the new piece, I like how the texture is picked up by the light coming in my studio windows. I'm still deciding if I should preview the new works on my blogs or just leave them for a surprise when I show in March. (I'd post them online then, too, as I know not everyone will be able to make it to Northern California for the show.)