Tag Archives: art

Please Stand By

In my last post I was getting ready for the ARTic Expedition drive-thru art show and promising to post about it on social media. But instead of ARTic Expedition, we got Icepocalypse.

On the day I was supposed to install my artwork, it never got above freezing. There was already ice on the roads and much more in the forecast. So, we canceled the event and everyone hunkered down for the storm (which ended up being a pretty traumatic experience for a lot of people). I consider myself one of the fortunate ones even though I lost power and water for days and had to keep a fire going just to keep my apartment above freezing.

It was so cold for so long that one of the pools at my apartment complex actually froze over.


Even with the minimal damage to my apartment, it took a few weeks to recover. But I’m happy to say that I’m now back to my usual routines. And I have some good news: ARTic Expedition is back on! It’s been rescheduled for April 2–4, which should mean beautiful weather and blooming wildflowers.

Speaking of wildflowers, this Saturday, March 13th, I’ll be at the opening reception for the Hope For Spring art exhibition at the Neill-Cochran House Museum. Join me for this free outdoor event from 5:30-7pm, with cocktails provided by Still Austin Whiskey Co. All the art will celebrate bluebonnets, the State Flower of Texas. You can also view the exhibition through April 11 with admission to the museum. Hope to see you there!

LINKS I’M LIKING

I’m currently watching every episode of Every Frame A Painting and so far my favorite is this one about Chuck Jones, the famed animator of Looney Tunes.

I’ve been watching tons of live music videos to uplift my mood. I’m especially loving this cover of You And Me by Techno Marching Band MEUTE.

Meditation has become a near-daily practice for me and I found this playlist of free 10 minute guided meditation that have been really helpful. I resisted meditation for most of my life but am a complete convert – it really can change your life. No special skills or equipment required!

ARTic Expedition

You might remember that in late November I was awarded an art grant to make a light-up sculptural art pyramid. One of the requirements of the grant was to debut the art piece at a new kind of drive-thru event:

ARTic Expedition will be taking place February 12-14 on Valkyrie Ranch in Paige (about an hour drive from Austin). You can find more information and purchase tickets at https://articexpedition.org/

This is an experimental event (we are hoping to learn from this smaller event so that we can do better, larger ones in the future). What that means is that there are only a small number of art projects participating. This says nothing about the quality of the work, and I expect there will be some really fun stuff, there just won’t be a lot of it.

If you don’t mind the drive to Paige, this could be a fun way to get out of the house and support the local arts community. But, if you’d rather not make the drive this time, don’t worry because I’m sure we’ll do this again and it will be even better!

There will be some effigies that will be burned at the end of the event on Sunday night, but without an in-person audience. Instead, they will be live-streaming the burn for free (no ticket required). I don’t have a link for that yet but I expect they’ll post it on the Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/12UPUVXEq

I will be sharing photos of the event after installation on Thursday, February 11, so watch my Facebook and Instagram accounts to get a virtual tour of the art (no drive required!).
🙂

Freedom Through Routine

It’s that time of year when we pause to take stock of the past and make plans for the future. This year feels heaping with struggles and triumphs. When I look back over my schedule I get dizzy. And when I look at the biggest lessons I’ve learned, one thing stands out: this was a year of STRESS.

Learning how to manage and live with stress on a daily basis was my biggest, longest challenge this year. And my number one goal for next year is to keep stress management as a top priority. I’ve watched myself on days when it felt like my thoughts were racing and realized that my ability to focus and make good decision is impaired…and so is my self-awareness.

If I’m chronically stressed, I’m more likely to have trouble planning, make poor decisions, unconsciously seek comfort or escape (hello, wine and chocolate!), and I’m not even aware I’m doing this because I’m stressed. The worst part is that people are really good at rationalizing our actions, so, after eating all the chocolate and drinking all the wine, I might tell myself “I deserved it” or “just wanted to relax”, which is fine sometimes, but could prevent me from confronting the stress that drove me there and finding healthier ways to deal with it.

If 2020 was a year of stress, 2021 will be a year of routine.

I’ve found that regularly scheduling stress-reducing activities into my week keeps me from getting to that spun-out place. The bonus is that most of these are things I wanted to do already (exercise, meditate, go for walks, take a long bath), I’m just encouraging myself to do them regularly by prioritizing and scheduling them.

Everyone has their own list of things that relax them; I challenge you to write yours down and pick one or two that you want to make a habit of. Write it down, make a plan, set an alarm – make time to connect with and care for yourself.

One way I practiced self-care this month was by making a reservation to visit The Blanton’s Expanding Abstraction exhibit.
Hiking is a long-time favorite way for me to get exercise, relax, and clear my head. Here, I’m soaking up the sun on the Barton Creek Greenbelt.
Some fall colors along Turkey Creek Trail in Emma Long Metropolitan Park.
Allen Park’s short but sweet loop trail.
Magical springs along the Little Fern section of the River Place Nature Trail.

MORE GOOD STUFF

In November, I was one of over four hundred artists who participated in The Austin Studio Tour. This was the first time the annual tour went virtual and I was really impressed with the quality and quantity of videos produced by the community. Check out art studio tours, demonstrations, and interviews with artists online at austinstudiotour.org for at least another week. (I’m hoping they keep the site up past the end of the year, but we’ll see.)

“Pink Prickly Pear” – Acrylic On Canvas – 12″x24″, painted as part of The Austin Studio Tour.
“Among The Hoodoos” – Acrylic On Canvas – 20″x24″, finished during the studio tour. Based on a photo I took of Bryce Canyon National Park in 2014. I think I started painting this because I’ve been feeling some serious wanderlust after spending so much time at home.

In late November I received a grant to build a sculptural art piece that’s inspired by and created from optical illusions, color theory, and color-changing light. It’ll be part of a drive-through art event just outside of Austin on January 15th and 16th. Tickets haven’t been released yet, but you can follow the event on Facebook to stay up to date.

As I mentioned in my last post, I’m loving Elizabeth Gilbert’s take on the creative process and found a short version if you don’t want to read her book. Check it out:

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for letting me share my art with you! Your support means the world to me.

Wishing you stress-free holidays and a safe and happy new year!

Art Shows & Lake Travis Adventures

Good news! I finally have some dates for my first-ever-solo-art-show that was originally scheduled for May: my Iconic Texas series will be on display during May, 2021 at the Dougherty Arts Center!

Of course, we don’t know exactly what the exhibition will look like in terms of group gatherings, but we will figure out a way to safely enjoy the art together, in person. I’m thrilled to have this opportunity and the support of the Dougherty. Check out this amazing video they created for my show:

And coming up a little sooner: the Austin Studio Tour is kicking off in November! It’s a virtual event and I’ve been busy adding art to my online gallery, prints to my shop, and videos to my YouTube channel.

Find out more about my art by checking out the newly expanded tour website at AustinStudioTour.org starting November 14.

The Studio Tour is my go-to for holiday gifts and I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone has been creating.

All this planning for the future made me realize that we’re heading toward cooler weather and my swimming days are numbered. So I grabbed my tube and headed out to a couple Travis County parks along the Colorado River.

Tubing near the cliffs at Tom Hughes Park on Lake Travis.
Watching sailboat races from Bob Wentz Park on Lake Travis.

I had no idea these parks existed until just a few weeks ago! After seeing all the new-to-me places on the Travis County Parks website, I’m challenging myself to explore them all.


MORE GOOD STUFF

If you live in Austin, check out Dear Diary Coffeehouse on Chicon Street, they’re helping out the local art community by turning their indoor seating area into a gallery and gift shop! You can browse stickers, prints, and much more when you pick up your coffee and you can even order art delivered to you when you place an order online. Check out the “Local Artists” menu to see photos of the art.

I’m currently re-reading Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. It’s an easy, fun, inspiring journey through the inner lives of creatives. It’s on the list of books that have changed my life and I recommend it to everyone.

I’ve been getting in the Halloween spirit by watching horror movies by A24 Films and decorating my apartment with crafty cute little bats made by reusing paper towel or toilet paper rolls.

Catty and I wish you a wonderfully spooky and happy Halloween!

Stay At Home Adventures

It’s summer and I want to be outside.

Swimming, hiking, camping, road-tripping.

But the coronavirus infection rates in Texas have dramatically increased since Memorial Day and I want to protect myself and others. So, I’m staying in…or at least, close to home.

To satisfy my wanderlust, I’ve been going on solo hikes and walks around my new neighborhood. It’s a small neighborhood, only a few winding streets, but it’s on top of one of the tallest hills in Austin and has great views. It also happens to be a few miles from a big city park that offers swimming, camping, and miles of trails.

So, maybe I can plan a great stay-cation?

Looking out over Lake Travis, on a trail near my home.
Someone is leaving these adorable painted rocks around my neighborhood.

I originally planned to take a week off in June to relax and prepare for work on my next series of paintings. But like so many other items penciled into my planner, that vacation time was erased by the pandemic.

I’ve worked hard to adapt to the new reality of life while distancing. My art show was canceled and shopping feels safer when it’s online, so I’ve been taking online classes to gain the skills I need to run a better business and build a better website. It’s still a work-in-progress, but I have some art prints available in my online shop and the Art For The People Gallery has added my stickers to their website.

Looking for opportunities to exhibit, my friend and I participated in The National Arts Drive , a drive-by art show created to support artists who have lost the ability to share their craft.

It’s been good to stay motivated and busy. Having goals to focus on has helped keep me positive. But it’s been a difficult time for everyone, and even my free time can feel like work.

As much as we may try to keep it light, conversations with friends and family are pulled toward current events. We grapple with the new normal, grasp for actionable steps, and strive to understand different points of view and incorporate, tolerate, or fight against them.

It’s been a lot of work, all of this new information, new perspectives, new challenges, moving into a new home. I think it’s time I took a break to process it all, so that I can integrate it into a new life.

Like a butterfly in its cocoon, I need to rest so that I can transform.

Taking time to get outside and out of my head is vital for maintaining my mental health.
I regularly hike on the Barton Creek Greenbelt and recently discovered the Lost Creek portion, with its impressive cliffs and flowing water.
On one of our hikes, my friends and I found this obviously hungry and lonely cat meowing around the trash cans. He is now healthy and happy in his new home.
Scenic drives are a great way to get out of the house while socially distancing. Earlier this year, some friends and I did a convoy tour of Willow City Loop, which is a perfect day trip from Austin.
Just going for a walk can have huge rewards! I discovered this cactus in bloom along the side of the road, in a neighbor’s yard.




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WHAT’S KEEPING ME BUSY

Weekly free professional development classes for creatives, online at CreativeLive.

Improving my art-photography skills after watching this amazing instructional video.

Finally getting a cute, washable face mask by Carly Weaver.

Talking about the invisible privilege inherent in not knowing about historical events like the Tulsa Race Massacre.

Listening to The Happiness Lab podcast, with tons of tips for improving your mood.

Working on some cute sticker designs and a painting commission which I’ll be able to share soon!

Reframe & Reset

One of the first thoughts I had when the new coronavirus struck was how everyone on earth would be simultaneously dealing with canceled plans. The things we’ve been building, working toward, and dreaming of would be gone. Normally, when this happens in life, we can turn to our friends for support. But now we find ourselves in a situation where everyone is struggling, mourning the loss of their freedom, hopes, and dreams.

But from the ashes of our previously-laid plans, sprout new hopes. This is a time to be creative. History shows how good we are at adapting to a changing environment, and the news is becoming permeated with stories of people fighting their way through the crisis, making positive changes in the world for themselves and the people around them.

This is a time when I can see how important we are to each other. Helping others brings meaning and joy to our lives.

I’ve often found peace of mind in nature and have been going on lots of walks, hikes, and runs to curb my anxiety.
I’ve often found peace of mind in nature and have been going on lots of walks, hikes, and runs to curb my anxiety.

So, today I’m feeling optimistic, which is a good thing because I just found out that my first solo art show has been canceled, perhaps postponed until May, 2021.

I’ve decided to view this challenge as an opportunity. I can feel extra-prepared for the show when it comes. I can keep painting. I can keep working and growing my skills. I can adapt.

We are tenacious survivors and we will get through this together. We will help each other, because that is part of what makes us human.

I'd ordered 500 flyers to promote my art show before the virus hit. After mourning the loss of the show for a few days I realized that the flyers still have value and I'm happily sending them to whoever wants them.
I’d ordered 500 flyers to promote my art show before the virus hit. After mourning the loss of the show for a few days I realized that the flyers still have value and I’m happily sending them to whoever wants them.

Since I can’t have an exhibition or party to celebrate the paintings I created for my Iconic Texas series, which were scheduled to be on display next month, I will be posting photos on my Instagram and Facebook pages throughout May. Please follow me there to see all the art.

Thanks to everyone for your support and good luck to you on your journey toward your goals, however twisting and turning it might be!

A Growing Series

I’ve been busy adding to my Iconic Texas series with larger acrylic paintings based on my experiences traveling The Lone Star State.

Here’s a couple of my newest paintings, to be included in the upcoming exhibition:

"Echo Canyon" - Acrylic On Canvas - 30"x24" - $975
“Echo Canyon” – Acrylic On Canvas – 30″x24″ – Enchanted Rock State Park

West Texas Highway – Acrylic On Canvas – 20″x30″ – Somewhere between Texas and New Mexico

I’m currently working on an armadillo painting, because how could I have a Texas-themed art show without including the official State Small Mammal?

Iconic Texas will be at the Julia C. Butridge Gallery from May 2 – June 6, 2020 with a reception and art talk during the West Austin Studio Tour.

Until then, I’ll be continuing to paint my favorite Texas icons.