Under The Wisteria

Invitations

2010-09-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

A Peace Project update...

Attached are both the Los Angeles and New York party invites. Yay!!!

Lisa Schultz of the Whole 9 artist community is now currently in Sierra Leone launching the Peace Wall and you can read her updates at

The human parade blog

she is trying to get enough of an internet connection to post!

Entry selection Announcement!

2010-09-07T16:34:00.000-07:00

Exciting News!

I found out right before labor day that I had been included in the selection process but was asked to keep the news quiet until now while the final judging took place. The committee said that:

Judging was based on relevance to peace, originality of concept, composition, level of technical skill and ability to evoke emotion. Click through the entries & you'll see the stories that people worldwide have shared are simple & complex, sad & funny, hopeful & beautiful.

Final 150 selected entries for Peace Project exhibit & book

Through the participation of the community we can positively raise funds and awareness and significantly impact the lives of 5,000 people in Sierra Leone -- that's the equivalent of a village! But the goal is greater than that.

Hopefully through peaceful art making we can practically make a difference, lend a hand, & it will ripple outward.

EXHIBITION SITES

Los Angeles -- Opening Saturday, September 25, 5:30pm - 10:00pm (runs through November 6)

Gallery 9

6101 Washington Blvd.

Culver City, CA 90232

San Francisco -- One Night Only, Tuesday, November 9, 6:00pm - 10:00pm

Meridian Gallery

535 Powell Street

San Francisco, CA 94108

New York
September 30th (one night only)

Max Lang Gallery
237 Lafyette Street
New York, NY 10012

The Peace Project

2010-07-31T08:47:00.000-07:00

There is a wonderful community of artists coming together and creating a bi-coastal and online show right now that's pretty exciting!
Submissions are still open and I encourage everyone who's interested to try it out. My piece "Together" is up and I'm happy to have gotten a nice little response so quickly. It's "in the running" at this stage for the shows so all the support it can get is terrific!!! Go take a gander and help it along:

www.thewhole9.com/thepeaceproject

THE COMPETITION & EXHIBITION

"The Peace Project from The Whole 9, an international collaborative art competition and exhibition created to connect peace-minded individuals everywhere. Artists from around the world, working in diverse mediums, are invited to submit their creative interpretations of peace. This collective vision will be unveiled September 21, 2010 at a press event at Gallery 9 in Los Angeles, followed by an opening reception on Saturday, September 25. The exhibit will subsequently travel to San Francisco and New York in conjunction with a simultaneous online exhibition."

THE MOSAIC
An exhibit will be created using 100-200 pieces of the selected artwork, reproduced on 1 foot x 1 foot panels (30.5cm x 30.5cm), arranged in mosaic fashion to underscore the multicultural implications of global peace, and to reinforce the notion that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

"The Peace Project aims to refute the notion that peace is no longer possible in an increasingly contentious world. More importantly, it seeks to inspire in people the belief that they can make a contribution towards achieving
universal peace."

Here Comes The Sun

2010-07-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

The Washington area has continued to spread itself thick with heat wave upon heat wave. Somehow instead of melting I have been industrious the last few days. Perhaps it is that I have simply forgotten what a median level of temperate weather is; and am not as bothered as I would have been at the beginning of the 100 degree days. Strawberry and Vanilla Bean ice cream helps as does being in water.

Last weekend I harvested the first large batch of Basil and made it into some surprisingly zesty Pesto. Because it was so fresh it was a bit spicy! Served it over nested linguini along with pretzel baguette, and a cucumber walnut salad. I'd been recommended a white Honey Moon Viognier to try and it was very summery and nice with the meal.

These are the sunflowers from the table and the 3 equally vibrantly hued squashes Michael found nestling out back under their prickly leaves after dinner. I stowed them in the veggie drawer all week

until today when I picked a handful more basil to all go in another savory quiche for my mother and I this time. Had to take their formal portrait before grating them up.

This photo is a before shot that I took to show the bare bones charcoal under drawing for the (now in progress) painting.

I have been galvanizing my forces

for another auction deadline, trying to make ready all the forms and the art work itself. I'll write more about this as it develops. After making a run on AC Moore and doing a little art supply restoration shop today, I organized the studio, and threw away dead brushes, and a whole bag of detritus. It was exhausting but terrific. It feels great to have my most used brushes organized by type and at the ready. I can't wait to get in the studio tomorrow now!

Here is an Interior with Tootsies...

aerie

2010-07-15T16:59:00.000-07:00

I recently (finally) put up shear sea foam colored curtains under an older indian resist died fabric one that I have had for many years. The effect has been a dance whenever the wind blows, and it was warm and windy yesterday, creating ripples and sails ballooning out into the room and than suddenly hushing back in against the screen like a tide.

The room they are in is my little Aerie of a studio which has windows directly facing one another so that the air sucks in and out like a breath. It makes the old house seem part of the elements, and if not quite alive, than at least... involved. Never static.

Happy 14 Juillet!

2010-07-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

Here is Carla Bruni Sarkozy turning old poems into songs. She's a classy, creative lady.

2010-07-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

BREATHLESS

2010-07-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

After watching fireworks spiral over Washington I had my first encounter

with Jean-Luc Godard in his 1960 film

À bout de souffle.
Above is an early scene which was one of my favorites,
where Michel and Patricia first interact onscreen.

Here is a link to a wonderful little trailer narrated by Seberg.

It playfully highlights the iconic elements that you can expect to see.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJFFy3soy9Y&feature=related

This reminds me of a ferris wheel...

It is almost Bastille Day.
I am starting to celebrate early & will

poursuivre ce
thème gaulois demain!

Light sources

2010-07-12T21:20:00.000-07:00

As I watched, the light slowly deepened and streamed through the wooden posts. These were taken in the middle of June while Michael was on the other side of the world.

I would say goodnight to one side of the globe & begin my afternoon here on this one.

My sense of time began to seem a little topsy turvy.

One night/or afternoon? I got to see the sun set over Astana from the little green antique desk in my studio.

It made me think about being in two places at once.

Non-locality,

and armchair traveling,

and all the sunsets I haven't seen yet.

2010-07-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

The key to my kingdom! We had some difficulties and I needed to photograph it. Getting old brass keys fixed /duplicated is not as easy as you would think.

The sun has been gracious to the plants this summer, while we humans are slathering on spf & trying to get relief they flourish. I've discovered watering more frequently at the height of the day is essential. This guy was excellent in fresh salad. Three more are coming along.

Keys to the Kingdom

2010-07-12T16:11:00.000-07:00

Be An Artist

2010-01-07T14:19:00.000-08:00

Sleeping Polar Bear

2010-01-07T14:08:00.000-08:00

Inkiness and perception

2008-04-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

"Fingerprint" sketchbook

4/30/08

I got pretty inky for this one, and then intrigued by the way my stained fingertips looked. I took some photo's, before my camera batteries died completely. The camera's a little grubbier now with identifying whorled marks .

Once it's up and running again I'll see about posting some of that stuff, especially because this picture was the last in the sketchbook project!

It's the very end of MICA now, and it's hard to believe I won't be bopping around the illustration dept. anymore. I'll miss being able to see people's work, and get feedback all the time. This piece reminds me of playing the inkblot game in the senior studios after a long day. You use the dregs of india ink pots ...

Two versions : 1st is to pour some ink on paper and then quickly have someone add some lines to to turn it into an image...

and the 2nd is the rorschach version, where you fold the paper in half and then all say what weird thing it is you see. Endlessly entertaining, and requires very little in terms of being awake.

"Unexpected"Sketchbook

4/24/08

Aha! A wolf in sheep's clothing what else?

Collagen

2008-04-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

"Collagen"

is apparently the foremost connective tissue in animals,

and is one of the earliest sources of glue...

Sketchbook pages

2008-04-10T16:36:00.000-07:00

"Pattern" Sketchbook

I broke out my wonderful, (and sadly underused) Bombay magenta ink for this one.

The "I Found You" sketchbook.

This was a fun one.

"Mechanism" Sketchbook.

"Stacked" Sketchbook.

I went for blocks rather than busty girls here, as you can see. Sorry folks.

2008-04-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

I am participating in a themed rotating sketchbook project, which has been fun. Each book has been named and when the book comes around you can add a piece riffing off of the word.

This one is "Sugar."