changing of the seasons

I am really enjoying the time here in the valley, noticing on a daily basis the dramatic changes that the landscape, specifically the vineyards take through the high and low temperatures of napa valley. Of course, in California, the temperatures are what I would call temperate- nothing particularly extreme compared to winters had in other parts of the country, but in this area, the climate so affects the vineyards and specifically the colors of the vineyards. Oh and that sky....cool, grey, quiet.

knock, knock

Opportunity that is, in the form of art receptions. Two coming up. Same day, different times.
Nothing like art, viewing art, talking about art and drinking wine, talking about wine, about art and wine and yes, wine and art.
You get the picture. . If you're in the neighborhood, come by!

open Studios Weekend two

Back again...weekend two was as well a success as I met my personal goal of achieving enough in sales that I am officially moved out of my home studio and into G studio- So now I have my own artists space in the same location as open studio which is loft type space shared with four other artists of a variety of disciplines. Can't even express how happy I am about this- which has also allowed me to convert the "loft" in our house back to it's intended residential use, that is to say a playroom, family room of sorts (t.v., books, games, couch )
pics of weekend two............

Open Studios Weekend One

Overall, I feel like I've taken a long plane trip and still have jet-lag combined with being part of a wedding party and having to stand, talking, smiling, for 7 hours. But, it's all good. Made some very good contacts, sold paintings and overall was a positive experience. My ultimate goal here, because I don't think I've articulated it, is to move my home studio into the studio location where I had open studios this year. It's a terrific, light filled space shared with several other artists and has enough open space to have classes, workshops, what have you.
The small detail of course, is that in order to move into fabulous location, I have to support it (duh) and I need to sell art in order to do just that. So onward to weekend two- good sales and good luck.

Feelin' good

I do feel good. Granted, I had a few moments this week where I was experiencing the stress/freak-out anxiety of an art show coupled with getting new paintings ready for a gallery in Burlingame.
When it rains, it pours. Just when things were rolling along for open studio and I had a definite plan of what paintings were to be in the show and what I needed to produce to round out the show, I'm contacted by Marilyn Jaeger as well as Art and Soul Gallery asking for new work. (I've had paiintings hanging in both locations for a while now) So, I had to clear out all of my intended paintings for open studio to deliver to M.J. then pull a few more and paint more for the Gallery. Back to the beginning for open studio. I've been in crunch mode for a few weeks, but looking around at what goes where, I'm feeling very good about O.S. and feel prepared and positive.
At the studio in Napa: painting hanging panels that divide the space into sections for each artist- the owner of g Studio clearing all the space, everything goes away and the whole space is masterfully transformed into studio/gallery exhibition space. Already looks terrific. I'll post photos here so you can see the space and show- those of you unable to make it.
bye for now, off to make my fortune in Napa Valley...
k

Four stars

Last night was the Mumm winery reception up on the Silverado Trail. A terrific event and I continue to be impressed by the organization and support of the arts council of Napa Valley- a relaxed, organized and good humored group of people.
Besides being involved as an artist and having a painting there with the other open studio artists, I was assigned the task of volunteer coordinator. I was told a few weeks ago that the event is "mobbed" and very popular. Boy, were they right- About two hours, half spent just trying to excuse me please through the gallery space.
So, my participation with Open Studios has officially begun- in two weeks begins the studio tours and yes, I will be accepting credit cards...

this and that

Just sharing really- Feeling pretty good about time spent in the studio. I finished two more bird paintings, started 2 vineyard paintings and worked on some blossom paintings in various stages of completion. The heat here is really working for me. I've got deadlines right now and it's really helping that 24 hours after a painting is started, the paint isn't dry necessarily but rather "set" as in, I can proceed, many times painting more, on top of what I've already started. Which is very helpful when one is trying to work on quite a few things at once.
Art and Soul gallery emailed and wants to switch out paintings to freshen up her inventory, which is always good and I can provide her with smaller works that clients buy more easily than the larger works. Need to pick up paintings from Bistro Yoffi in San Francisco as they are closing. It's been a long run with them: 5 years or so.
Any dropping off to Raymond vineyard a painting this week as they are my partner winery for open studios.
http://www.raymondvineyards.com/ is there link, and you can see my open studios listing plus 71 other selected napa valley artists here- http://www.nvopenstudios.com/

top 10

10. took boys to kung fu class
9. painted p's room "san francisco blue"
8. painted q's room "fruit punch" (orange, if you must ask)
7. drop off car full of goodwill donations
6. school orientation for P
5. Meet with folks at Raymond Vineyard about winery/artist pairing
4. go to open studio meeting at G studio in Napa
3. get floor estimate for repair
2. watch restoration management men rip up my hardwood floor
1. flood laundry room

Yes, in order of appearance. I suppose backwards. And a little off, but basically ending with a bang, don't you think?

Oops, one more:
1. worked in studio and painted. I did do that.
trying diligently to research information on taking credit cards and the many options. Of course, I'm trying to find the option of paying very little for the simplest and easiest service.

Did feel good this week about painting- got about 4 paintings started and now about 6 being worked on almost simultaneously in the newly moved studio.
1. moved my entire studio upstairs to another room in order to move P and Q into seperate bedrooms.
Almost forgot. That was big.
But a good change because now the studio is better situated with MUCH better light for a longer period.
I believe I'll have about 10 to 15 paintings to show for open studio, besides the work I hang at Mumm for the reception and Raymond Vineyard as part of the winery/artist partnership.

Q starts preschool 3 days a week on monday.
Thank you God.

a little something...

this is one of the smaller paintings that I'm working on in the studio these days. I'm completely immersed in the use of the metalic leaf as it's very fun to experiment. And since my work tends to focus these days on horticultural themes: trees, fruit, branches, vineyards, orchards, whom should I find perched there? Birds of course.

just checking in...

I don't want to succumb to what might be known as some type of bloggers block, so I thought I'd just write with a few updates.
The hand has been to p.t. a few times now. Or rather I've taken the hand to p.t. where I am likely to experience in no particular order: ultrasound, massage, pushing/pulling some type of playdough like substance, time in a tank (just the hand) with some hot air and ground up corn husks. There's more but already this sounds weird as I write it so I'm going to move on from here.
Does my hand feel better? Short answer, no. It feels like it felt before surgery. But I accept the fact that it is healing and healing takes time. I just have a habit of wanting things now. Don't we all.

It's a good thing

people needing paintings, that is. Well, actually it's all good, but I'll stay on message and just speak of my painting.
Everyone knows by now that I'm getting ready for the much anticipated open studios here in Napa valley. I'm a fairly organized person, so I've got it in my head weeks ago what I'd be showing, what still needed to be painted to "round out" what I'm showing with an eye toward a good assortment. ie; easy to buy and put in one's trunk, yes?
Things are going along just fine (ok, with a diversion to surgery on my hand) and then I get an email from an account of mine in SF who needs some older paintings of mine swapped out for new. Great account, absolutely will bring you the paintings you'd like and by the way, will have very few left for open studios.
But this is a good thing, is it not? I remember my grandmother saying "crying all the way to the bank"
So, I'll clean out my inventory, and start anew for the show- which will likely turn out to be the best thing, as I've already got some good ideas in my head of what other work I'd like to do and show that I'd otherwise not gotten to by September.
Onward!

did I say no painting this week?

I just had to come back and post that i not only did paint, I painted for about 45 minutes. I even experimented like
Renoir did in his later days with strapping a brush to his hand and forearm, but alas, I was able to hold a brush in my hand, albeit clumsily and not with any type of confidence of brush stroke but just used the moment for some loose brush work and more mental therapy than anything.
Just took my bandage off to let myself see the frankenstein like cut in my hand and stitches and all the green yellow purple bruising that goes with it. sometimes it's necessary to look at something or face it head on and not baby it so much.
really glad i painted today.
k

it's cuz I love ya...

yep, 5 days post surgery on my hand and here I am blogging as best I can because believe it or not, I do have a small (ok, itty-bitty) following of peeps that do find it helpful to keep track of me through this blog.
Ok, here's the freekish thing:
we all know i"ve got a website in which I show my art, right? and we all know what my last name is right and that it has the word "friend" in it, right?
well, here's what everybody wants: I'm getting hits on my site from people all over the world that are looking for a friend. Yes and it's not the kind of friend ya want, ya know? Oh, brother. When I back track on their searches it's for googles like
"dating, girl, friend", "find,friend, girl", and my favorite, "poem, girl, friend".
Oyvey people. These are not the hits that me wants on me site.

Now when I go to my name on these searches, it sounds like I'm running a dating service. Trust me when I say I'm not.

Picked up a paint brush with my left hand, put it in paint and attempted to work on a piece that I just started. No... don't think so, at least not this week. More work on the physical therapy before I can get back to art for now.
your FRIEND,
k

ouch!

I said to Dr. B as he zapped, yes with electricity and everything. About 15 of those zaps into my hand, three needles into my hand so as to make actual contact with nerve. Geez, aren't we all under the impression that modern medicine has advanced just a teeny bit more than this torture-fest is? Dr. Jekyl, uh I mean Dr. B is enjoying this quite so much.
Seriously, it HURT. Like more than just the italics would do, I had to go all the way to caps.

Then as he's studying his computer screen, looking at my flatlined nerve readings (there are supposed to be blips, like a heart beat) here I am, getting hot, hot hotter still. Betcha don't know I'm a fainter. Yes, it's true. Luckily, he's got me reclining on the exam table and getting me a glass of water before I can say "thud" . Whew. Don't care for the faint if R's not around to catch me, you know?

Ok, official- severe carpal tunnel. Surg's tomorrow a.m. Four days with hand bandaged and elevated as if to be in a constant state of inquiry. "uh, I have a question..." Monday stitches out. Four weeks of 2x week p.t.

In the meantime of course, I've been trying to get as much done on painting as humanly possible. Leaving odd stuff like papering the backs of paintings for later- when I'm less able, I suppose. Just trying to plow through what I know are the beginnings of paintings so that I've at least got a jump forward.
That sure blows all the myths about artists and all this creative energy that is channeled at exactly the perfect moment to put the paint brush on the canvas and create masterpieces. I'm in there, pushing pushing. Creative energy? whatever. I've got to get this done!
love to all of you, wish me a fast recovery, won't you?
K

Back to art already

Nothing like a impending surgery to get one motivated to complete a few tasks, say, in the studio? I'm in the final crunch on time before my hand gets cut open, so I'm really getting some canvases ready for their next steps and it has made an already efficient painter (me) even more so. the studio looks even more what my friend D once called an "art factory" as I have about 20 paintings leaning against any available surface, all in some form of doneness.
I must also say that when one starts blogging about patios on their blog, the blog begins to be littered with patio ads. Yuk.
So, I can't type that P word anymore, dearies.
If you recall from previous posts, before I became obsessed with a P, I'm actually a working artist, so I'm going to get back to business and put the business of my hand on the back burner as it were.
In preparation of said surgery, I've been practicing using my left hand in various tasks, some more successfully than others.
Eating, check.
brushing teeth, check.
.....ok, the list isn't that long, but I can eat and brush my teeth. Oh boy. Still working on the other stuff, like writing and painting.
Recovery time is about 4 weeks, the first one to two the most critical so of course typing on the computer isn't going to be any picnic. The horror!
Stay tuned for my "left hand" period of art. Who knows, maybe I'll tap into a part of my brain unused and find a new "voice" to paint by.

but what about the patio??

Forget the hand, what about the haze on the patio? No luck, people. I hate to break it to J, the rep that came back with a gallon of concentrated paver cleaner: Makes up to 7 gallons, I mixed out a proportion of about 4 so it would be concentrated. No difference.
Used it straight out of the container: sorry.
This part of the project is officially over. The next move is a visit to the landscaping supply and getting sealer which claims to impart a finish over the top of the paver which can be anywhere from matte to high gloss, or a wet look.
Sounds good to me.

In the meantime, my hand feels horrible. I need to take a few chapters from Margie's story and suck it up already but this is my blog so hence, my pity party.
Boo Hoo.

where to go with this??

first off, the pictures below are irrelevant to the blog. had to use this site to host posting pictures on another site.
Disregard-

Back to me:
Hand specialist yesterday due to what I now call "patio hand". I'm sure that term will me a new entry into medical textbooks.
Here's the diagnosis, followed by a side of surgery: "advanced carpal tunnel syndrome"

Many thoughts about this, I can barely get my head together, but I'll try here. Here's the top ten list of why this is so wrong:

10. That I didn't stop when I was in so much pain building a retaining wall and then a patio
9. The way I was brought up, our message we heard was always to "just do it" or "push through the pain" It's always been that way in our family- Yes, this comment smacks of blaming it all on the parents, and we're a hard working people, but I'm just tossing it out there. I'm so this way.
8.If we'd just hired someone to do it, they'd be having surgery not me
7. I'll never, ever take on a project like this again. Ever.
6. This throws a real wrench into my tight painting schedule for Napa Valley Open studios event. I absolutely won't cancel it, but I'm feeling a bit challenged right now on how to accomplish some of the goals I have.
5. the world is not set up for a mom with a toddler to be dragging him into medical appointments: 8 follow up physical therapy appointments post surgery. Are they kidding?
4. Now realizing what dead weight my other hand is. When I'm practicing getting used to using it for a while, all I can think is,
"what the hell have you been doing my whole life, just hanging there??" I need to work on getting lefty into fighting shape.
3. I'm seriously thinking about teaching myself to write and paint left handed
2. I can't wait to see what my left hand can paint. Oh boy
1. What a shame: a very preventable injury, but I had to learn the hard way

did I say "done"?

Ever heard of Polymeric Sand? I didn't think so. Neither did I until a few weeks ago. Sure, I get the whole poly=plastic, sand = sand thing. This is the latest thing in the patio paver stone world for working into the joints once all of the pavers have been put down. Why? cause the poly part, once moistened, with no less than four "mistings", acts like a glue mixed with the sand, so that the joint sand hardens and acts to help the patio become the more solid as a rock surface that I'd like.

Isn't there an expression out there about finishing a project and then there's always something else?
So, I emailed the company (that invented this thing), and was contacted via email by several (really) people, all concerned about what happened after I used the polymeric sand. What happened? The polymeric imparted a white haze to my pavers, thats what.
So, the patio now has an inconsistent white-wash look to it. Not caring for it at all. Supposed to be done with this. Have things to do. (like get back to my life)

Rep from company came over to see said haze, bringing a gallon of same company paver cleaner. Tried small area in corner. MMMM..... ok, I guess. Still doesn't look like what my pavers once were and what my pavers look like say, over in that corner.
(you get that there is a lot of inconsistent "hazing" going on?)

Spent next day with gallon of paver cleaner, following directions, kicking out my toddler from the project. Hmmmm. Not great.
Really, folks, want this to work- badly.

emailed said rep. telling him of inconsistent and not particularly satisfactory results. Need a couple more gallons, don't you think.
I'll keep this blog posted as to the progress.
This projects been going on for weeks and weeks, I've got three lovely pots to plant, a patio set I'd like to relax in and like I said, a life (mainly painting) I'd like to get back to.

all pau!

Ok, "pau" means done or complete in Hawaiian.

What's all pau? The patio of course. It is what I have been essentially obsessed with for the last 10 weeks or so. What a lot of work. Physically so taxing and once a person gets started on such a project, even with injury (yes) one cannot stop. I had no intention of dragging this along and into the 100 plus degree heat of the summer.
By the numbers:
8 loads of foundation gravel
3 loads of sand
2,457 pavers
10 yards of soil (I am being generous describing the clay around here as "soil")
one wheel barrow
2 shovels
1 large jar of motrin
uncountable number of hours my son Q was with his new babysitter Spongbob Squarepants so that he wouldn't "help" My apologies to all parents out there that think this is a great developmental experience for a toddler. It aint. And if you say it is, you're lying.
1 doctors appointment next week to find out what's wrong with my right (painting) hand.


I think you get the picture: Oyvey

In the meantime, what's happening in the world of art? (take lofty tone here...) The Napa Valley open studios, of course!
I was recently juried in, as here in the valley, it's a juried event. (say: ooooooh!)
The last two weekends of september, I'll be pretending that I have a studio in Napa, shared in a warehouse with about 10 other artists, but will be a terrific venue as it's centrally located, shared space and lots of parking. I'm a former city dweller, so that is always on my mind when it comes to making it easy for clients to visit.

So, I'm under the assumption that my hand will make a full recovery and I'll be painting happily from now till august, at which time 2 dozen or so highly sought after paintings will be drying and being prepared to make their debut into the world of Napa Valley art, by way of open studios.

With all that the above statement brings to mind in the way of sheer glamour, I am off to take the trash bins in from the curb.
Kisses,
k

patio as art

Yep, I'm channeling Goldsworthy with each and every paver, shovel of dirt and cubic yard of gravel I haul into and out of my backyard. Now intimately familiar with the properties (complex) and attitudes (bad) of clay of which Napa Valley (unbeknownst to me) is famous for growing vines that grow grapes, that make wines that win awards (and taste good too, but that's someone else's blog), we've hauled so much clay out of here, I truly wonder why anyone does this professionally and why they don't charge about ten times their cost to cover this type of labor. If and when my hands and fingers recover from this amount of dirt moving, I will be so thrilled to get back to my painting.

In the meantime, I have not been idle in my artistic pursuits, lest you think I've forgotten one of my callings here in Happy Valley.
(did I say that?) I did submit for a juried space for the open studios here. I suspect that there is something highly politically sensitive with this as up until this year, open studios was not a juried event, but open to any artist with the desire to share their art and their presumably private work space with the public for a couple of weekends.( and plunk down a few hundred dollars for the honor) But, alas, this year it has become a juried event and I've submitted on time and with positive attitude. My studio space is most inappropriate for a client to see and access, so my next big push will be to find shared space with other artists whom also lack appropriate, "client friendly" studios.

One step at a time, right?
End of April is the target for the completion of the art piece, uh, patio that I mentioned. Stay tuned: I may just post a picture.

are we kidding?

oh, brother... 

I've got to post more on this at a later date due to the fact that I can't sit here and post right now. 

as usual, as I can't get up to the studio. As usual.

notice a  trend?

Is it always the truth that when we throw, both literally and figuratively,  all of the contents of our lives up into the air, keep them turning, suspended and a bit off kilter, that when they do come down, they won't necessarily be in the shape and form of our liking? Some things even, a little dented, mussed. Some things better. Shinier, prettier, more to our liking.

But about those things that crash down harder. 

What to do then?

really I am

trying to work that is. 

As I write this my son P is playing with my youngest Q who it seems is losing his diaper.

I really am trying to get into the studio. I've started a canvas, "Mustard rising" inspired by all of the vineyards surrounding my new digs- not that I live surrounded by vineyards, but rather when I drive around, there are myriad vineyards in the Napa Valley and they are blanketed with said mustard flowers currently. 

The first 5 weeks here, nothing but rain. I spent a lot of time in the car, up valley/down valley.

(do I sound like a local?) In the light of the days of rain and overcast, the mustard plants (flowers?) are neon yellow against the black/brown of the dormant vines and the icey-cool of the grey/blue skies. lovely.

So, I began a canvas, rather large because it was the available canvas in my studio and I have a large wall on the landing going upstairs that needs a large "statement" painting. 

Layed in the bright yellow ground with which  I start most every painting. Onto the amazing, changing, cool january sky (that I frankly was growing tired of due to the amount of rain we've had) and then onto the brown black vines that are  cut back for the winter, dormant but sleeping as they should. Being drenched, day after day with the cold, January rain I can only speculate is a good thing. It's the freaky-global warming rains of off months that cause problems for the vines.

Onward my painting... I will get back to it and soon. The time that I have spent on it this last week or so was very satisfying. I can definitely not abandon my work. That is to say, not be an artist. 

k

life is what happens...

when you're making other plans, right?

So, the plan is/was to be painting small "postcard" (that's the current vernacular as per the painting a day trend) sized paintings.  Great idea, challenging for the large scale driven artist like myself.  What's on my easel right now?  Coming in at 5 by 6 FEET.  I've got walls to fill people and the itty bitty sized canvas just doesn't do it for me (or at least the walls that I am looking at every day) I generally paint for myself, use my home as gallery space and sell "off my wall" 

Of course, I also farm out work to various gallery space, salon and the like, but by and large in such a word of mouth occupation, my walls tend to be an effective display surface.

That said, I am still determined to see this postcard challenge through and apply it to my work. 

My current direction of  "not what it seems" group of paintings in a postcard size? Sure. Or maybe a tad larger: 12x12 inches?  Got to be shippable, packable, easy to "deal" 

Stay tuned: I'll do it, I know me.

k

back in the saddle again....

Yep, feeling good about unpacking the studio- nothings ideal of course but we're in our new digs and enjoying it and I finally escaped to the upstairs and  one of the last rooms- my work space.

Should have  been the first maybe, but hey, we had to eat and sleep right?

Unpacking felt great due to having very different places to put nearly everything. So much of my space in my previous house inside the studio was used for some such nonsense storage as saws, ceramic pots and 2x4's. No more. I now have the luxury of a garage. Welcome to suburbia, it is good.

That said, I have worshiped at the alter of fung shui and all things clear of clutter for quite some time, so if anyone comes to visit me in the future in my humble home, you are free to inspect the contents of said garage and if I've taken leave of my senses and begun to pack-rat the contents of my life in there, you have my permission to publicly humiliate me. There. 

Nearly all "moving" flotsam is out of said garage, has at least found a home in some room in the house and will methodically be analyzed as to it's worth, and if not, out it goes.

I digress: back to the studio.

New work, yes, new work.  I got not one but two calls for potential work today- one existing painting in inventory that happens to be farmed out to Marilyn Jaeger and the other for  a commission that I'll be starting.  Very happy that I've not been forgotten just because I moved out of the city and small seeds planted so long ago are beginning to show their little sprouted heads in the form of client contact.  Life is very good indeed.

Back to daydreaming about making art

Friday, January 4: big wind and rain storm in the bay area. As my friends remind me (post move) "you had to pick the worst day in four years to move" Thank you.

Highlights: (lowpoints?) 30 minutes in, the power is out.

the move out is taking much longer than anticipated, it's pouring outside and the movers are slowing (three flights of stairs, go figure) 

they fill the semi to the brim, I say.

We flee the flat at 2:30, only to find out that the golden gate bridge has been closed all day, has just re-opened, but 2 other bridges are closed, so all of our closest commuting friends are joining us on the drive up to napa valley, creating an almost 3 hour drive where it's normally 1.

I almost have a nervous breakdown, but many positives to report: not raining on this painful drive to our new home. When we arrive, the power is on (!!), the house is just plain lovely, so I once again concede to my smart husband R and thank him for convincing me to not buy a fixer upper.  (see nervous breakdown) 

All that to say we are here and for the first time in four weeks, I can get back to  the business of daydreaming about making art and then making it.  That makes me very happy indeed.

Napa Valley

Yes, escrow has closed and we're about to flee this house that contains nothing but cardboard boxes and take same to new digs, where I'll empty those boxes into new space.

Try as I might, I was unsuccessful in tossing a lot as I anticipated as well as holding some grand garage sale to pay for the move- I purge plenty and often and because of this, there wasn't much to toss. Go figure.  I suppose all those fung shui  based books I've read have paid off.

I did have to educate R about the big purse theory: He supposed that in our last move, five years ago, from 1100 sf or so to our current home of about twice the size, we surely did not have as much as we are moving now. So, I launched into my simple, and in my opinion, accurate theory called "the big purse theory" Here it is: you have a small purse, you carry a little bit. Usually just the necessities. The bigger the purse, the more stuff you carry. Simple (the genius theories usually are) So, the bigger the house, the more stuff.  Duh, you say.

Ok, so the new house does have more square footage, yet again.  From around 2200 sf to 2800 plus. I'll tell you right now, I know we'll ultimately have more, because it has a yard.  A yard! And by definition, that requires a certain bit. Lawnmower for instance. I'm a gardener at heart, so it warms me to no end that I'm going to be able to get my own and my children's little mitts in the dirt, as I believe that is just where their little mitts belong. 

I'm sure you may becoming a tad bored with this line of thinking what with my going on about our new digs and how obviously excited about it I am. But, one must not lose sight of the fact that Napa Valley is where I'll be making my fortune with my art, and after all is said and blogged, that is what this blog is about.

P.S. I'm driving the contents of the studio out in the next two days, so wish me luck on it's smooth and eventless transport. I wish I could say that I have some cool concrete space that I can drip paint on with abandon, but alas, I am once again setting up shop in a bedroom. 

You can re-read the last paragraph here, as it explains that I'll be making my art fortune in Napa Valley, so that does imply either an outside studio or building onto our house in some fashion.  Stay tuned

Kate