Fly Girl of the Week

Dig!

I was chosen as this week's Fly Girl by Andrea at Fly.



I know, right?

Fly! I'm so excited. :o) Thank you, Andrea!

I was interviewed!

Last week, I was contacted by Natalie, a photographer/crafter in LA who likes to feature Etsy sellers on her blog every so often. She chose me for her latest feature! How cool is that?

My Interview

It was a lot of fun to do, and gave me a great opportunity to talk about my art and why I create it in the first place. 10 full questions about me! (hehe) She even asked me about Acres of Love, which I'm always thrilled to talk about.


In totally unrelated news - if you still don't believe me about Blingo, I won another 50 bucks, thanks to Kev. (I know, you wish Kevin was your friend. Ha.)

Check me out!

Yesterday morning, I was selected for the Etsy homepage! I woke up to over 1000 views on that painting. It's a beautiful collection of art, I feel honored to be chosen. I also received many emails from people regarding my work, who discovered me from the front page. It was a fun morning, for sure!

Image is courtesy of Mandy Budan, who originally turned me on to Etsy in the first place. Isn't her work beautiful?

Embracing new ideas...

So, in my mad, frenzied painting schedule lately, I've come to realize that I'd like to start trying some new ideas soon. I've had a few interesting ones pop up, and I feel sort of drawn to test new waters. I'm sure to everyone but me, it won't end up looking different at all. After I've completed my current obligations, I'll see what I feel like painting then.

I'm envisioning imagery and colors that are distinct from my usual leanings. Nothing terribly drastic (like a series of brown & red triangles) but the colors I'm seeing in my head just feel new to me.

I get bored very easily, and need change in my schedule in order to find it interesting. I certainly wouldn't want my paintings to look the same for all eternity either. Personally, I'm embracing any new inspiration I have, as it's a sign of growth and maturity. I'm excited to see what it will turn into, and I hope my art continues to evolve and change throughout my entire career. I feel fortunate that I've been painting enough to even move into a (slightly) new phase. It shows I've been working.

I don't intend to go all wacky-experimental on you, but ya never know. I'm wily.

Perpetual Twilight . 4ft x 5ft . 2007

1. normal lighting
2. normal and uv lighting combined
3. uv lighting only
4. no light (glow)

Ingredients: acrylic paint, beach sand, water & light

I think I have sort of a love affair with this concept. There are maybe 2 designs I've done in the last few years that I feel I could explore over and over again, forever. This is one of them.

There's something about the color of the light in that time after the sun sets, when a smattering of stars begin to light up the sky. It's just beautiful. The transition of time, I guess. Watching new stars appear is magical, like being suddenly surrounded by distant fireflies, twinkling at you from a few heavens away. During the day, our vision tends to be very earth based, with all things on the ground and ocean lit up by the brightness of the sun. At night, our perspectives naturally lean towards the heavens. The time in between is profound. To me, this is the color of Evening.

While creating it, I purposefully allowed myself to love it. I wanted to love the colors, love the paint, love the evening. The best part about exploring concepts I've painted before is that I am free to be passionate about what I'm doing. Often when I get too wrapped up in a new design or technique, I lose that deep, internal need to express the emotion I feel. I have to remind myself what inspired me to create it in the first place.

I have been using beach sand in my paint occasionally. I like the idea of using a material so intrinsically earth-based as an element for creating paintings that are usually ethereal in concept. Maybe that's just the artist in me talking, but I'm telling you, I find it truly exciting.

I enjoyed every moment of this. This painting is my favorite color.

Wisdom . 48"x24" . 2007

I have nothing to say.

Promotional Postcard for May/June/July

This will be mailed out to various places. (front and back shown.)





In case you wanted to know the dates and locations of my upcoming shows. :o) The phone number goes to my business manager, Becky Parrott.

As you can see, I am henceforth referring to my art as "Light Reactive Paintings," which I feel is a more encompassing description than "uv reactive" and "glow in the dark," since that doesn't at all convey the way each painting changes and morphs throughout the day, depending on the outside light. The colors look different in the morning than in the evening, in the shade or near a window, in addition to the uv and glow effects.

In other words, they are light-reactive.

I like it. :o)

(plug: Interrupt Design)

Blingo. BLINGO!!!

Okay, I originally wasn't going to make a big deal about this when I first signed up for Blingo. Mostly, I wasn't sure if it even worked.

It does.



Let me back up. Blingo is a sub-site of Google, started by Google, working with Publishers Clearing House. Or maybe it's owned by Publishers Clearing House, working with Google. Or maybe it has nothing to do with Google, it's just using Google power. I'm not sure. But it's like Google and Publishers Clearing House had a baby.

When you do searches through Blingo (instead of Google) you have a chance to win prizes! Everything from Amazon gift certificates to cash to trips to new cars. And they DO NOT send you any spam whatsoever. And it's FREEEEE!

The best part is, if you sign up through me, when you win a prize, I win a prize! The same prize! Even if it's a brand new car. So when you get people to sign up through you, you also win the same prize as any of the people you signed up! I LOVE Pyramid Schemes! (Kidding. I think.)

Last month, my friend Kevin won a Fandango movie ticket, so I won a Fandango movie ticket. YAY! Last night, my husband WON A THOUSAND DOLLARS! And yes, he DID sign up through me!

I heart Blingo. :o)

Is that not convincing? If you still don't believe me, click this button. It's really easy to sign up, and it shows you exactly what I've won. You won't regret this. At the very least, it's way more fun to use than regular ol' Google. Every search I make is somewhat more exciting now. Technology rocks.

Shindigs

I know it's hard to tell sometimes, but secretly, I'm actually rather shy.





I had a lot of fun! I really appreciate all my big supporters showing up with their support! You guys mean a lot to me. In fact, I love you all.

... & I hope you're all up for repeating such events, because I plan to have many more parties like this in the future! :o)

Thanks again.

Karma Juice Reception This Weekend!

On Sunday, April 22nd from 2pm to 4pm, there will be a reception for me and my art at Karma Juice in Dana Point, California. It is located at :

33621 Del Obispo Suite F
Dana Point, CA 92629


Morning, Artifact, Daydream

These 3 paintings are 10 x 10 inches. They are (of course) uv reactive and glow in the dark. I will be showing these, along with many others through June 15th at Karma Juice.

I'm very excited about this party. I love the environment at Karma Juice, and I feel that my art matches the atmosphere really well. Maybe that's just because its drenched in my favorite incense, and because they sell Sambazon, my favorite purple berry. Either way, it's a nice little bohemian joint that's perfect for a fun afternoon.

Give your karma a boost! Come hang out with us and support art. :o)

Symmetry . 48"x30" . 2007

1. normal lighting
2. normal and uv lighting combined
3. uv lighting only
4. no light (glow)


It would be silly for me to state that I find circles fascinating.

This concept is one I've explored before. Eight circles of exactly the same size come together to form what looks like a flower shape in the center (and ninth) circle of it's size. It was nearly impossible to paint out the circles without disastrous errors. So many tiny dots! I began with the intention of making a very red painting, however, as it progressed, I felt drawn to bring out the deep, rich, merlot-like colors. It just felt more passionate than basic red.

I am most proud of what the painting looks like with no light on it whatsoever. Whoever eventually owns this piece will get to see this any time they pass by it during the night. Sometimes my paintings actually guide my way if I ever get up and walk through the apartment without turning a light on.

This painting proved to be one of the more mind-bending experiences I've had with art. I have completed so many different pieces already this year. I'm enjoying it a lot, don't get me wrong. I just feel like I'm swimming in paint. I'm currently preparing for a summer gallery opening, 2 hangings at small businesses before that, and a few side pieces to sell in between. The next 2 months will be devoted to completing my overall collection of larger pieces to show and sell. It is now mid April, and I have officially begun feeling sensations of "drowning" in my art. I remember wondering what this period would feel like to me.
So, it's interesting that I completed Symmetry when I did. It was more technically difficult than my last big piece, used more paint and materials than I'm used to, and took way more time to complete than I anticipated. I utilized the opportunity to improve my concentration and planning. Painting is always very meditative for me, and this period in my life needed some extra consideration. I enjoyed a very real sense of self-discipline. Who knew that could happen?

A little to the left.

The hanging went well. We began a list of things we ought remember to bring with us the next time we do this. (step-stools, a straight edge, etc.) The wall space there was a tad more massive than I was expecting, so I'm debating about whether or not to fill it better before the party.

Because of delirium and exhaustion that occurred the day I finished everything, our picture-taking session resulted in very few usable images of the paintings that are now hanging. Obviously we should have checked them before heading to Karma Juice. Lesson learned. I have a few, though, which I will attempt to fix and organize.

My gorgeous (and wonderful) husband is hanging Early. I am hanging Tilt, my set of four 12x12s.

You see, it's the earth's tilt that gives us our seasons.

Can I get a karma boost with that?

(thanks Ben)



Today, I'm hanging many of my pieces at Karma Juice. They will be on display and available for sale through June 15th.

The party (which you're all invited to) will be 3 weeks from today, on April 22nd. It will go from 2-4pm, and I'm told that those in attendance will benefit from a nice discount on Karma Juice products!

Karma Juice is located @ 33621 Del Obispo in Dana Point, California. Funny thing, I used to live right down the street from there.

Yes, I will be posting better pictures of the paintings. Later. Until then, some titles: Tilt, Daydream, Orbit, Tao, Morning, Artifact, In Between, Aurora....

Titles. Not nearly as exciting as pictures.

There will also be some paintings available that you've seen before. I'm really happy about the minor improvements I made on Da kine. It looks way better.

Improved working conditions.

I couldn't really keep crouching around on the ground like a monkey forever. Aside from the various injuries I was beginning to suffer in my neck and back, painting large pieces that way was just impractical. I've always tried to stay within my current limitations until it's absolutely necessary to break out of them. In fact, I painted with only house paint on crappy canvases for a long time until I finally felt ready to "graduate" to better materials. That was another handy tip from Ray Friesz, who's advice I realize now was crucial in getting me to paint anything to begin with. If I had purchased fancy paints and fancy equipment at the beginning, they would have sat in a corner until I felt prepared and educated enough to use them, which, of course, would have been never.

Not that I'm saying a piece of plywood set on top of an empty TV box is fancy equipment, mind you. But it's a start. Maybe one day I'll get a lamp too.

Aurora

(combined UV and normal light)

This is a little 12x16 side-project I did at Christmas. It had been so many different things by that point, I couldn't even remember what inspired the design. I was determined to finish it, just so I could stop thinking about it. One day, I decided to paint it black and start a new idea. I'd never done a painting in one day before. I was doing it more as a holiday activity than anything else. I had been reading up on solar flares and the resulting auroras a lot that month, and it was really affecting my wintery visions. (I'm such a science geek.)

One of the strongest mental images I have from that wonderful blizzard in Big Bear I was in a couple of years ago was how bright the night was because of the snow. The whole world for miles around was glowing blue, and the moonlight was nearly blinding. Snow is magical.

Interestingly, my paintings are very bright and colorful right now, and I'm wanting to experiment with more "light." I'm using really bold, contrasting colors. I like experiencing how the season is affecting my inspiration. It makes me feel like an artist.