Some people travel to relax on a beach, to try famous restaurants, or to ski and hike. I travel for inspiration. The best trips stimulate both my brain and my creative juices. It seems I need this kind of travel to be able to paint. This past year, we experienced Havana, London and the Greek island […]
Preparing for the opening reception of an art exhibit requires basic project management skills. You have to consider lead times for production (postcard invitations, flyers and ads, the actual paintings), logistics (photographing, framing and schlepping the art) and supplies (labels, picture hooks or putty, brochures, cocktail napkins.) You have to address human resources (help with hors d'oeuvres, bar-tending, […]
Witnessing the recent bizarre attack on a multimillion dollar Gainsborough painting in London's National Gallery has haunted my thoughts. You may have missed the story, as it was overshadowed a few days later by the terrorist attack down the street, near Parliament. My first inkling was the shouting, though my husband insists he heard a slashing sound. […]
Nope, this isn't a philosophical discussion about race, but a brief explanation of why I never use those colors in my paintings. Mostly because they aren't really colors. Black is the absence of color or light. This is the opposite of what I hope to convey in my art, where I want to show energy through […]
Most everybody has their "what I want to be/do/have when I grow up" thing. Some are lucky enough to live it from the start, many come to it much later, and a few poor souls can't or won't dream. I wanted to be an artist, but settled initially for being very connected to the art world […]
Light and color can change mood, soothe and heal. A recent article in Pastel Journal reminded me of the documented therapeutic effects of visual art. It can change brain wave activity, improve immune response, or shift you from fear and stress to calm and relaxation. That, in turn, made me recall a consulting client who had developed […]
Last week's vacation cruising Canal du Midi in southern France started with two days in Barcelona before taking a train to find our boat. That proved challenging, given the rail strike in France – more on that in blogs to come. Since we spent our honeymoon in Spain, we were excited about getting back to Barcelona. Its architecture is […]
Birds of a feather is a trite way to say it, but I am truly blessed to have some amazingly creative, community-minded, high energy friends. Better yet, they are willing to share their skills, connections, time and knowledge with me, inspiring me to greater heights. Recently, I had dinner with a friend who has a corporate […]
Maybe it's because artists tend to look more carefully than others do, or maybe it's because my art is about sharing how exciting it felt to be somewhere. For whatever reason, I seem to play tour guide and economic development booster more than most people (unless they get paid to do it.) It would be […]
Not to sound too New Age-y, but sometimes you just have to put the intention out there and then watch carefully for the universe to respond with an opportunity. After devoting a lot of time in the last few years to volunteer board work, I recently decided to focus on my art business. At a farmers market in March, I noticed […]
