April 2015 Wrap Up Post

1. Balance
9" x 12" acrylic on wc paper-available

2. Behind The Scenes
10" x 13" acrylic on wc paper-available

3. Refuge
12" x 16" acrylic on wc paper-available

4. Span
11" x 14" acrylic on wc paper-available

5. The New Normal
10" x 13" acrylic on wc paper-available

6. Time on the Putah
10" x 13" acrylic on wc paper-available

Where did the month of April go to? It honestly just flew by! It's been a good month in my studio. Here is the rundown:

1. Balance: There are times when ideas sort of just happen! While trying to get to sleep one night I imagined a rock in the middle of the water. The rock was trying to somehow "balance" itself. I made a quick sketch on a Post It note the next morning. I gave the rock some "friends" and a sort of setting inspired by my time at Lake Hogan. Happy to have gotten this idea off the ground.

2. Behind the Scenes:  Last summer I took several trips to Lake Alpine. Those trips have inspired many pieces including the one above. For a portion of the trail around the lake, you are walking alongside huge boulders of granite. While aware of the lake on the other side of those boulders, it's possible to feel like you are "behind the scenes" of something. It's definitely an interesting feeling!

3. Refuge: Another piece inspired by my time at Lake Alpine. Any kind of shoreline is of interest to me. On this day I sat on the shore and ate my lunch, making some sketches afterwards. This painting came from those sketches.

4. Span: I originally wrote about the origin of this piece in my blog post here. I have done several paintings of bridges over the years. This particular bridge crosses the Putah Creek at the UC Davis campus. Earlier this month I attended a seminar at the school and enjoyed my time walking around the arboretum. What a beautiful setting!  How could I not make a painting?

5. The New Normal: This idea came to me as I was sitting in that seminar I mentioned above. The speaker was talking about the popularity of having a traditional lawn, how that desire could eventually go away, and how having no lawn might be considered the "new normal."  I imagined rows of identical homes where the ratio of dirt to lawn had shifted. 

6. Time on the Putah: Good thing I made that trip to Davis! The third piece inspired by my time walking around that creek depicts a larger portion of the creek which is actually a little lake. What a beautiful setting it was, with lots of people just strolling along. Definitely a nice afternoon.

Upcoming:

*** Starting Tuesday May 5th, I will be offering a class at the Arts Council located in San Andreas (cost $20.00). Students will learn a few key points about using color, about how to sort their many tubes of paint according to those principles, and how to make a personal color wheel. The class will be offered on may 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 10-1. Please sign up with Mary Jane or send me an email. This should be a good time.

          * I will also be teaching this class on June 5th and 19th out at the Town Hall Arts Gallery in Copperopolis. Please sign up with Larry.  

***I have two entries in the Calaveras County Fair this year. The fair runs from May 14-17th and should be a good time for all.

Thank you to everyone who supports my art making through reading these newsletters and by viewing and buying my art. My web site is up to date and can be found here. I have also started a new blog called Just a Moment: Seeking God's Presence in the Everyday. It isn't art related but for those interested please take a look.

Thank you again,

Libby