Reviewing photos from opening receptions for my two recent exhibits, in Avon and Simsbury, CT, caused me to reflect. They reminded me how lucky I am to have a large circle of very creative friends whose energy reinforces and encourages mine. Included in the photos were graphic designers, a former dancer, an architect and a […]
Contrary to popular belief, getting emotional is not a bad thing. Which emotion, and, more importantly, what label you put on it when your brain decides what you are feeling, is what matters. The ability to identify, harness and express those feelings at the appropriate time, in the appropriate amount, to the appropriate person, constitutes […]
My paintings are normally quite vivid, in keeping with my preference for a high energy, colorful life and my desire to share that with others. Sometimes, however, a place to rest the eye, and a sense of wonder about life's smaller gems, is needed. That's perhaps particularly true in these turbulent, stressful times. So I found myself […]
Art does not reproduce the visible, it makes visible. When my husband and I were dating, he gave me that quote from artist Paul Klee to hang on my wall because I am adamant about not trying to copy from my photographs when I paint. The fact is that our eyes can discern much more color […]
Apples to oranges, you might say? Book clubs have nothing to do with painting? Not true for someone like me, who loves reading as much as she does art and who never seems to have an idle hour. Fortunately, both activities can serve similar purposes. Reading a novel puts me into another world. I get […]
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 […]
Sane people were horrified by the recent carnage in Nice, when a murderer deliberately drove a truck through a crowd. My mental image of the French Riviera city of Nice, and specifically of the Promenade des Anglais, is far more pleasant. Completing some paintings of southern France became art therapy for me, helping to erase the news stories from my […]
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 […]
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 […]
