a painting life

In the Studio

2011-04-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

In the Studio

2011-03-07T12:51:00.000-08:00

Here are some works in progress in the studio today...

New Painting

2011-02-16T13:55:00.000-08:00

Mama Monster

2010-07-11T21:54:00.000-07:00

This painting may or may not still be in progress, but I like the current sort of desolate, quiet state. It inadvertently took on a mother/child composition with a surprising tenderness that I quite like. The legs were accidental paint drips, which is always the beauty of watercolor. And the little figure took on a playful quality when I added the red lines. I'm thinking as an ode to my desire to get back to my more minimalist roots, I will not let myself do anything more to this painting.

Wish You Were Here

2010-06-05T14:27:00.001-07:00

I will have this painting on exhibit at AIR Gallery in Brooklyn, NY. The show titled, "Wish You Were Here" includes highlighted artist Kiki Smith. The opening reception is this Thursday, June 24, 6-8PM. The show will also be part of the Dumbo Gallery Artwalk the evening of July 1st. If you're in the Brooklyn area check it out!

New American Paintings

2010-03-03T23:19:00.001-08:00

I am a featured artist in the NAP 15th Anniversary edition. Just got the books in the mail!

In the Studio...

2010-02-13T22:04:00.001-08:00

new paintings

2010-01-21T15:54:00.000-08:00

thinking about trees in my new series... love this vintage poster, wish I had it for my studio!

2009 update

2009-12-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

We welcomed our beautiful baby boy, Leo Rothko Briggs, into the world this Fall 2009.

in the studio...

2009-10-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

2009-09-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

Postcard Show - Brooklyn

2009-06-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

I will have this small painting in a show at the A.I.R. Gallery in Brooklyn, NY. Opening Reception is Wednesday, June 24, 6-8PM. And also for the DUMBO 1st Thursdays Gallery Walk on Thursday, July 9 from 6-8PM. If you're in the area you should check it out! Show is up thru July 18.

New Paintings

2009-05-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

You can view them larger here.

Blog Post: Contrasting elements

2009-02-02T11:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much to Wolfie and Sneak for the lovely blog post today!

wolfie and the sneak: Contrasting elements

small works

2009-01-22T15:15:00.000-08:00

some small paintings in my studio I've decided to resurrect...

Good Mountain

2009-01-21T22:17:00.000-08:00

2009-01-13T10:01:00.000-08:00

my work blogged here.

2009-01-05T22:25:00.000-08:00

process

2008-12-30T00:51:00.000-08:00

The process of painting for me is also a process of thinking. I've just returned from visiting family for the holidays, with a certain painting on my mind for the past 2 weeks. I'm excited to return to my studio tomorrow and see how my thoughts materialize into painting. I didn't do any thumbnails for it, because my ideas are too abstract, it's not something I can really draw. It's going to be a layering process, of memory, recollection, and unconscious pattern-painting. The ideas I have are for a new piece I started just before I left (shown above & below,) and it's the one I'm most interested in diving back into. However, I do have 4 others I'm eager to finish. Especially the one I call "Monster-scape" as I am literally moments away from finishing it. Hopefully I can tackle these in the last few days of 2008 {or the first few of '09!}

fini

2008-11-30T18:17:00.001-08:00

I have finally finished this painting! It's been a long time coming... I started this painting many, many months ago... it took many twists and turns, and as many of my paintings do, ended up in quite a different place than I had imagined. But hooray, its evolution is complete.

Still working on the one below...

studio WEDNESDAY

2008-11-19T21:46:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty excited to be in the studio on a weekday! That pretty much never happens! These are my works in progress...

...pursuit of happiness

2008-11-16T15:46:00.000-08:00

Letha of the blog "...pursuit of happiness" gave me a lovely post:
...pursuit of happiness: Christin Ciaccio Briggs

It is a great kickoff to my upcoming time off from work that I plan to spend in my studio!

inspiration

2008-11-16T15:42:00.001-08:00

Looking for some inspiration before going to my studio today. I love this coat at Mina Perhonen. I like to think of the dark triangular shapes as tiny mountains.

in the studio...

2008-10-27T20:51:00.001-07:00

My paintings have been getting so crazy, so much happening it makes me dizzy and I sometimes can't make sense of them. Funny though how I look back at my previous paintings and feel like they are too spare, empty somehow. I think all the chaos is representative of my life. So many things going on at once, not sure what to focus on. I latch onto one thing and then have to drop it for another. My life has too much speed.

studio sunday

2008-10-19T22:53:00.001-07:00

good mountain... stay tuned...

featured on Etsy!

2008-10-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

It was such a nice surprise to see one of my mountain paintings featured on Etsy today!

i heart my studio

2008-09-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

I'm getting closer to finishing these two paintings...

studio sunday

2008-08-17T22:29:00.000-07:00

sneak peek... monster painting in progress

Cy Twombly

2008-08-04T13:56:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, Cy Twombly is, for me, one of the most significant contemporary painters of our time, and one who has inspired my work for years.

I love how he looks like the quintessential grandpa, yet he's standing before this awesomely powerful painting.

Top Image is a photo of Cy Twombly by Michael Stravato for the NY Times
Bottom Image: Cy Twombly’s "Bacchus" at Gagosian Gallery

red painting

2008-08-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

this is phase 1 of this painting. this is the one I spent the most time with this weekend in my studio... it's undergone a surprising transformation... here is phase 2:

For inspiration, I put an image of one of my favorite paintings by Cy Twombly on my easel. I love the energy and forcefulness of his painting. I can feel his strength and speed on the canvas, like it's alive. I hope to infuse that kind of energy into my work.

You can see more of my paintings in progress here.

who is rocket johnson?

2008-07-15T16:46:00.001-07:00

My husband spent the last 7 months putting together this amazing book, a graphic novel anthology featuring 24 artists in the animation and comic book industry. The book is a limited edition run that is exclusively available this month at Comic-Con in San Diego.

This is his foray into book editing (along with being a full-time story artist for Disney!) and I am so proud of this incredible book!

Click here to learn more about who is rocket johnson.

*Left image is by Mike Gabriel, Right image is by Sam Levine

new studio

2008-06-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

I'm ecstatic to have landed a new studio! It is an industrial space tucked in an alleyway behind a donut shop that is literally 1 & 1/2 blocks from my house! I move in in a week. I will be sharing with two other artists. It's got really high ceilings, lots of light, cement floors, and a little courtyard in the back. You can view a slideshow of my new studio here.

safe ship

2008-06-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

at last... fini.

green and greener

2008-06-04T11:45:00.000-07:00

I will have this painting on exhibit in a green-themed show at Green & Greener, LA's first eco-living "general-store" whose grand opening is next week.

I submitted this piece, titled "Inhabitants," because the inspiration for the flowers and colors comes from textiles I remember in my grandmother's home. Referencing family photo albums, I "recycled" patterns from pillow cases, curtains, and bedspreads in her home and repurposed them in this series of paintings.

This painting will be for sale at the shop during the month of June, please stop by to check it out!

Get location info here.

saturday painting

2008-05-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

Finished a painting after a surge of inspiration from the book, and coincidentally a new studio on the horizon! I was presented with an opportunity to move into a space with other artists in July! The most amazing part is, it's within walking distance from my house... literally 2 blocks away! I can't wait to move in...

2008-05-12T23:47:00.000-07:00

studio visit magazine

2008-04-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

It finally arrived after months of waiting! New American Paintings just premiered a new publication titled Studio Visit Magazine, and I am one of the artists featured in it. I love New American Paintings, so I was really excited to see how this new book turned out.

diane christiansen

2008-04-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

I first discovered Diane Christiansen's work back in 2002 in New American Paintings. I've followed her work ever since. Her paintings always seem so dead-on to me. Flawless in their own way. I love the weightlessness of the way she lays on the paint, and the contrast of the figures and how they anchor the canvases.

2008-04-23T17:23:00.000-07:00

Just got back from Nashville, TN... and stumbled upon Hatch Show Print, one of the greatest letterpress print shops in the country, and whose work I've admired for years! I bought a really great poster and some deluxe postcards. Nashville was a great city, and really took me back to my Texas roots... which I have only started to connect with in recent years. Everyone we met along the way was such a character, people were really friendly and proud of the architecture, legacy and music that Nashville is so famous for.

* I forgot my camera so photo is from virtual tourist.com

2008-04-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

nyc: chests of drawers at flea market, artist self promo on side of bus stop

nyc spring

2008-04-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

I was in NY this week for work again, and was ecstatic to race over to the Whitney to see the Bienniel. Much to my dismay, the Whitney and the MOMA, as it turns out, are closed on Mondays & Tuesdays! All was not lost though, as I went across the street from the MOMA and saw an embroidery show called "Pricked" at the Museum of Arts and Design.

An artist whose worked I've liked for years, Ghada Amer, had some pieces in the show (her artwork is above, middle canvas.) I had never seen her work in person before, so that was exciting. There was some really great work in the show, most artists whose work I had never seen before, so it was a pleasant surprise.

Artwork above: 1.Nava Lubelski 2.Ghada Amer 3.Tilleke Schwarz

ship is sailing

2008-04-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

My initial inspiration for this blog was to have a platform in which I could articulate ideas, brainstorm, share the progress in my studio and post images of my paintings. The name of my blog: "a painting life" signifies for me the central focus of my life as an artist... even though I don't have the luxury of devoting all my time toward my painting career... it is the part of my life that I feel the most connected to.

As of late I feel I should start another blog, "a working life." Unfortunately, the past year my days/nights/weekends have been eaten up by my day job-which has become much much more than a day job. I packed up my studio last spring and moved all my paintings back home again... where they have sat collecting dust for many months now. It breaks my heart to feel like my ship is sailing away, but alas I feel like I need to be a responsible adult and save for my future/our future. When I pass by my stacks of paintings, sometimes I don't even see them... they just blend into the background. Other times I feel a sharp pang, a longing sadness to be with them again.

I feel now that I'm floating away from my painting life, getting further and further away from the shore, veiled in fog and mist. Hopefully the wind will send me back soon.

2008-02-18T20:11:00.001-08:00

Hooray for President's Day! Paul and I went to the park and set ourselves up at a picnic table to draw this afternoon. I've never been much of a sketchbook person, but I do like to draw thumbnails of ideas for paintings. These are a few ideas for my imaginary landscapes...

wacky/wonky-scapes

2008-02-03T20:43:00.000-08:00

I finished these two paintings this weekend, now for sale in my etsy shop.

inspiration...

2008-01-27T15:09:00.000-08:00

I was struck by this image by Japanese design-house, Mina Perhonen. The bands of color reminded me of a mountain-scape. It prompted me to draw a really simple thumbnail for a painting (I drew this while sitting in a meeting at work!) below...

And then I rushed home and started this painting:

And this one:

They seem to be talking with each other a bit and developing nicely as a duo...

paintings in progress

2008-01-20T20:58:00.001-08:00

trunkt

2007-12-12T14:23:00.000-08:00

You can now view my work on Trunkt of NYC! It's a juried showcase featuring independent artists and designers. It's like a concentrated version of Etsy... which has grown so much it's easy to get lost in the shuffle. Come on over and check it out! Trunkt.org

autumn painting

2007-11-25T09:56:00.000-08:00

I painted this over our Thanksgiving holiday up in the mountains at Big Bear Lake. We rented a cabin in the woods, and I sat at the kitchen table for hours and painted some small landscapes. I titled this one "serene-scape."

i love nyc

2007-10-10T15:36:00.001-07:00

I lucked out and got to go to NY twice in the past month, and even though I didn't have much time to venture out into the city, (I was there for work,) I did get to do a couple of inspiring things. In September, I was ecstatic to be able to go to the Whitney to see the Summer of Love show. For the past year, I've been referencing 60's-70's psychedelic art in my paintings, and this show had an over-abundance of posters, video footage, laser light show installations... two whole floors of the Whitney filled with psychedelic love! It was awesome.

I was in Manhattan again last week for another work trip (and coincidentally on my birthday,) but I did manage to squeeze in a relaxing walk in Central Park, and we got to eat at some YUMMY places in the Meatpacking district. Even on our marathon 48 hr trips, NYC never disappoints!

new website

2007-09-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

there's nothing like a deadline to motivate me to do something I've been meaning to do for years! I've just launched my new website here. I'm going to be featured in an art magazine in March and they needed all my info, so I finally decided to branch out from the site I share with my husband and put together my own. I designed a Grete Prytz Kittelsen-inspired stamp for the upper left corner that seems to compliment my paintings well. Websites are tricky, I wanted it to reflect the style of my work and not look too stock.

gallery opening tonight

2007-07-21T14:37:00.000-07:00

some paintings from my 2002-2003 mermaid series are making a special "re-appearance" tonight in eagle rock at the cactus gallery.

i like these...

2007-06-08T23:19:00.001-07:00

More Mat Daly - monoprints.
Publish Post

2007-06-08T22:55:00.000-07:00

Poster designs by Mat Daly.

2007-06-01T15:22:00.001-07:00

To satisfy my craving for 60's psychedelic, I just bought the poster on the left on Ebay for $5. The one on the right is by Steve Harrington.

UPDATE: The poster arrived in a half-crushed tube that I happened to find behind the trash can next to the garage. Did the UPS guy really think that was my back door? Slightly distressed, I pulled the poster out of the tube only to discover it was literally a computer printout on some photo paper, and definitely not a high enough res to be printing as a poster! I e-mailed my disappointment to the seller and he told me that it is a digital print, not a computer printout. What? is there a difference?
Then he refunded my money.

psychedelic

2007-04-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

Above images by Wes Wilson.

my recent interest is in posters from the 60's. I'm referencing imagery from the psychedelic era for the way the compositions at first glance tend to overload you and vibrate out, but when you break them down what is revealed is a picture that is actually very elegantly designed. Moving forward, I'd like to infuse some of these elements into my current series of paintings. I'd like there to be more going on, seemingly more disarray, yet all held together seamlessly with an elegant composition.
Above images by Bonnie MacLean

Above images by David Singer.

I just ordered the catalogue that accompanied this exhibit at the Tate Modern in Liverpool in 2005. I'm sure there will be some amazing imagery to reference.

one year blogging

2007-04-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

wow, I just realized that only a few weeks ago marked the one year anniversary of the start of my blog. Happily I can say it's been a productive year for me. In the Spring of 2006 I was at the end of my rope with the creative block. I was determined to push my work in a new direction, and I decided to move my studio out of my home. After a dedicated 6 months of solid trial and error in my studio (and unimaginable frustration!), my paintings finally started their course in a new direction. By the fall and winter months I had a new body of work on exhibit in Los Angeles, and now that series is evolving to yet another new place all its own. It's amazing how you can think you're truly all out of ideas and you have nothing left to express creatively. But there is always something more. Sometimes it takes months, maybe even years to get that momentum back, but it's worth it. Now I am at another crossroads recovering from an unexpected surgery. I will be fine, but I have a lot of time on my hands to think and plan, which can sometimes be a double-edged sword!

My studio hiatus was partially due to my surgery, and I hope to be working in a new space in June. I have two major deadlines in June for juried shows I'm submitting to, and in the meantime, I hope to squeeze in a few watercolors from my bedside Frida Kahlo style!

Above paintings from last year, Spring 2006, I was in the middle of my creative block. I had some nice things going on aesthetically, but was still searching for my subjects.

Above paintings are from my completed series, exhibited in LA in the Fall/Winter of 06-07.

miss chickpea

2007-03-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

we have a new little one in our life! she's a petite little puppy, an all-white Jack Russell Terrier that we named Chickpea. looks like my studio hiatus was good timing, because this little girl has quickly become the center of attention in our lives!

bye bye studio...

2007-03-02T11:11:00.000-08:00

sadly, my studio-mates and I had our closing show for art studio c on Sunday. we were hoping to find new artists to rent with us so we could keep the space, but the timing just didn't work out. we decided to take a short hiatus so we could focus on our non-studio lives for the next couple of months, then we will find a new space in May or June. stay tuned...

art studio c show & sale

2007-02-20T14:50:00.000-08:00

phase five & phase ones

2007-02-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

here is the progress of my two oil paintings, and phase 1 of a diptych on paper I'm working on. also, some images of textile designs & interiors I'm referencing...

above images are all the amazing interior designs of Wary Meyers

studio update

2007-01-30T11:48:00.000-08:00

top image: watercolor; 4-square: oil on wood panel (painting progression in 4 stages)

got my blog back

2007-01-30T10:35:00.000-08:00

my blog has been offline for a couple of weeks because I accidentally deleted it! beware that with the new blogger, if you delete your google account it will also delete your blog and any other services you have connected with google! anyway, the really nice google people were able to help me retrieve it so I'm back online and will post some images from my studio later today.

recipes for color

2007-01-17T13:49:00.000-08:00

In my new series of paintings, I'm focusing particularly on pushing color. loving buttercream: (naples hue, hint of cad yellow & flake white,) a sort of toasty banana yellow: (cad & lemon yellow, with lots of ochre and...my new favorite thing is to knock the color down w/ a hint of mars black. I call it "color stopper." it gives an earthiness to the color, dirties it up just barely so it looks a tiny bit muted.) and of course raw umber, my continuous color staple. Bordering on the garish side, I'm also enjoying juxtaposing a true banana yellow with softer/muted yellows. Pushing the garish colors is always a challenge, but I find lemon yellow usually does the trick. it gives greens and browns that pungent, acidic pitch that really bites. Hopefully I've painted a visual picture for you! I'll be back soon to upload images of my recent work...

fairy tale forest

2006-12-12T15:36:00.000-08:00

Our anniversary getaway to Big Bear this weekend offered up lots of inspiration for my new fairy tale forest series. And I even got to make a snow man! You can see more of my photos here.

gallery openings

2006-11-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

Our opening at Art Studio C Friday night went really well. You can view photos of my painting installation here. We also had a great time at the reception for the show I was in at Black Maria Gallery Saturday night. You can check out more photos of that show here.

upcoming shows

2006-11-13T15:23:00.000-08:00

Our bi-annual show at our Studio opens this Friday, Nov. 17. I will have an installaton of my new work in the front space of the gallery, which integrates my paintings with vinyl color fields and fake flowers. If you're in the LA area, please join us for the opening reception from 7-9PM.

Also this weekend I'm in a group show at Black Maria Gallery, the opening reception is Saturday, Nov. 18. Click on the links for all the details!

mushroom

2006-10-30T14:41:00.000-08:00

In light of my recent paintings being heavily inspired by 70s textiles and wallpaper patterns, I just couldn't resist doing at least one painting with a mushroom. This painting is for sale in my Etsy shop.

artists interview artists

2006-10-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

I recently participated in a project in which artists interview each other about their work. You can read my interview here.

in progress

2006-10-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

sunday paintings

2006-10-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

Miraculously, I am finished with two paintings! I scanned them in tonight because I have to submit images for the showcard for our November exhibition. You can see these paintings in their earlier stages in the images below.

paintings in progress

2006-10-06T16:54:00.000-07:00

you can view the latest from my studio here.

flower growths

2006-10-02T11:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I did some quick mini-installations, taking the flowers outside of the context of my studio and placing them in various parts of my back yard. I have plans to continue this "back yard series" later this month, when I will be traveling to visit my parents in my hometown. I plan to do more elaborate work with the flowers, and will be installing them in different parts of my childhood home where I grew up. I will be documenting this series and posting the photos online.

wall flowers

2006-09-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

I am beginning to experiment with ideas for my installation. I'm working with fake flowers, and applying them directly to the wall, planning to integrate them with a group of my works on paper. I'm also looking at whether or not I want to incorporate the terrariums into the piece, I might install small shelves for them to sit on amongst the paintings. My plan is to paint the wall(s) with either one large color field or various color "islands" that will act as backdrops to unify my paintings. I'm leaning toward the separate color islands as I really like the way the flowers look on the sterile white wall. So, I'll just have to see how things evolve...

bloom

2006-09-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

In my online search for artists working with flowers, I came across this artist's installation, her name is Anna Schuleit. The project was titled Bloom, and she filled an abandoned mental institution with wall-to-wall flowers, lined the walkways with sod, and piped in recorded sounds from when the institution was up and running. I'm sure to experience this exhibit would have been very eerie and surreal. The pictures are striking, almost hauntedly so (above & below:)

I love how she fills the space with a sea of flowers, and on her site she touches on the way we send flowers to the ill as a commonplace ritual. The act of giving flowers can take on so many different meanings. Flowers can feel somber if placed on a gravesite, romantic on Valentine's day, and soothing for the ill. I am interested in the ritual behind them.

flowers

2006-09-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

{Above sculpture by Roberley Bell}

I just bought 2 vintage terrariums on Ebay, and I'm working with them now, thinking of ways to incorporate them into my wall installation in my upcoming show:

I've been experimenting with fake flowers, inspired by bouquets I remember all over my grandmother's home. These also tie in with the flower forms in my paintings, which have also cropped up as representations of an interior "landscape" from my childhood.

I have been looking at artists' work that incorporates flowers, grass or other garden forms. I found this woman's work, Roberley Bell, and I really like her sculptures (top image and below:)

These are some other interesting images I found on Flickr:

studio rants

2006-09-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

Lately I have truly felt like a tortured artist. I go to my studio all pumped and ready and I just KNOW I’m going to crank. Then I get there and I start, nothing much happens. My oil paintings stare at me, annoyingly. I hate them, they’re stupid. My top 3 paintings aren’t nearly as great as I thought they were. In fact, now I only have top 2, but secretly I only think one will make it. I really want to submit my work for this important show juried by a top curator. I have to finish at least 3 paintings in the next week to do this! It’s become impossible to for me to finish a painting in the past 6 months. I start them and start them and start them. I like them, then I hit a bump so I start a new one to keep my momentum going, then I go back to the one with the bump and I push it, I get it back. Then the new one I liked so much suddenly becomes the black sheep. I dislike it so much I can’t get it out of my mind, then suddenly it all comes together. It surprises me and then my favorites aren’t my favorites any more. I’m inching along and I feel I haven’t soared in awhile. My process as of late feels like such a slow struggle. I hope, hope, hope this is normal and I’m not finished! Maybe I should have never transitioned into this new territory! Who says growth is good? Does anyone else feel the same way?

works in progress

2006-09-11T13:58:00.000-07:00

I strung a group of my small paintings together as a quick set-up for our 2nd Saturday opening at our studio. I pinned a note to the wall saying most of these were marked NF (not finished.) These mountain forms that have surfaced are representative of me {now in the present time} and reflect my surroundings living in southern California. The flowers continue to propagate as representations of childhood memories and pay homage to family departed.

Installations

2006-09-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

I am doing a wall installation for our show in November. I still find Margaret Kilgallen's wall installations to be the most powerful and most brilliant as far as not over doing it, and beautifully unifying large groups of small works together:

I love how all the paintings have their own visual language, they work with each other and carry on a dialogue with one another. The few paintings that might not have enough information to stand alone work brilliantly as sounding boards for the others. They have a completely natural flow as a grouping.

Clare Rojas's really graphic, very dramatic shifts in scale have a really bold dynamic. Her oversized images of textile patterns are really strong in this installation (below:)
Jim Houser incorporated some really nice moments into this installation, I'm especially drawn to the little potted plants:

Margaret Kilgallen's work makes painting-based installations look so effortless and natural, but this is incredibly difficult to do! There's an amazing sense of elegance in her installations, and I hope to attain this same level of smoothness, of purpose, in the way I choose to present my current work.

mid-week paintings

2006-08-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

I'm submitting these paintings to the Rhys Gallery in Boston for a small works exhibition.

sunday paintings

2006-08-27T17:22:00.000-07:00

Thinking of: birthday cards from my grandparents in the 70s; Easter-colored fake flowers my grandmother used to display all over her home in ceramic planters; contrasting the spareness of the white canvas with the flowers cropping up like growths or little islands, representing memories surfacing from the past.

Stitched & Sewn

2006-08-24T22:22:00.000-07:00

Above wall installation is by Leslie Dill.

Embroidered paintings by Ghada Amer.

More Crochet

2006-08-23T16:05:00.000-07:00

Discovered another artist today whose work I really like, Katie Holten. I especially love how the brightly colored installation looks like a 3 dimensional drawing floating in space. It reminds me of Pae White's installation a couple of years ago at the Hammer Museum.

New Paintings

2006-08-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my paintings I'm working on, shown at different stages of their progress:

My new favorite thing right now (besides my digital camera) is to document the evolution of my paintings. There's always an ebb and flow to the process of painting, and a point in which I feel I could stop painting, but it feels unfinished, or I can push past this point and move the piece into new territory. Sometimes this fails miserably, but ultimately this is all part of the process. In this push I hope that I'll come up with something that evokes the sense of emotion and nostalgia I'm going for. We'll see what happens...

Studio Digs

2006-08-21T22:51:00.000-07:00

I realize that we are the last people on the planet to buy a digital camera. So, here are the studio photos I have promised for months now. Finally people can see where I've been spending all my spare time!

Crochet Delight

2006-08-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

I've just discovered an artist whose work I love. Her name is Ani O'Neill.

I'm always drawn to materials that evoke childhood memories or that sensation of deja vu. In my work, my use of wallpaper and textile patterns is meant to spark a flow of memories, and pattern recognition seems to facilitate this sensation for me. Ani's crochet pieces caught my eye because they remind me of my friend Aili's work which also incorporates crochet:

I love Aili's use of the little crochet discs, as they feel so nostalgic and remind me of my grandmother's home. Aili's currently having a show at Raid Projects in L.A. If you're in the area you should check it out! Here are some photos of her installation:

Color Inspiration

2006-08-08T15:55:00.000-07:00

Above paintings are by Aboriginal artist Emily Kngwarreye. My husband thinks the top image looks like a hamburger, but I think not! Paintings below are Willem de Kooning:

Rauschenberg & Hesse at MOCA

2006-08-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

We saw a great show today at the MOCA downtown. I highly recommend it if your looking for some inspiration in your studio. The Rauschenberg show was really great, but even more inspiring to me was the Eva Hesse drawing and sculpture exhibit. She had these amazing graph drawings, they were so simple yet so effective. Her graphs evolved into these scuptures that reminded me of a telephone switchboard:

The wall-piece above has inspired some ideas for me of possibly weaving different color thread around nails either in wood or straight onto the wall. Her drawings/paintings on paper were also really beautiful:

I also liked these paintings by Lecia Dole-Recio:

Although I found them to be much more striking from a distance than they were up close. I was surprised to find they are mixed media cutout collages made with cardboard, butcher paper and other basic materials. Up close they lose the painterly elegance that caught my eye at first glimpse.

Abstract Evolution

2006-07-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

Some more small watercolors from my studio...

Studio Notes

2006-07-24T14:55:00.000-07:00

These are a few of the artists I'm looking at right now:

Philip Guston for his use of color (pinks/red-oranges) and heavy, weighted lines; and his use of personal iconography:

Sara Hughes for her use of patterns and repetition:

Orla Kiely, designer, for color and her shifts in scale in her pattern designs:

Studio Update

2006-07-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

We've completed our studio move and are now set up in our new space! We're open every 2nd Saturday for the Northeast LA Artwalk, so come on by! Art Studio C is now located at 4121 Eagle Rock Blvd. The space is smaller, but has a good vibe. It's a charming space, more intimate and feels like a little house. My abstract pieces continue to evolve...they're not really there yet but these small watercolors are informing my larger oil paintings (in progress.) You can see the ideas I'm working with (above) here (and below:)

These are just vignettes and sketches for larger ideas. However, I'm at a place where I either overdo or underdo and I wish these could stand alone. I prefer to stop than to push forward in these smaller pieces. I use them like flashcards, and I actually hold them up to my larger pieces, trying to figure out which moments I want to incorporate in my oil paintings. This has been my process of painting lately. It's progressing, but it's a slow growth.

Polly Apfelbaum

2006-06-09T15:20:00.000-07:00

Woodblock monoprints and floor installations, aka "Fallen Paintings," by Polly Apfelbaum.

Power In Numbers Show

2006-06-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

This is the piece I painted for the "Power in Numbers Show" at the Nucleus Gallery. This is a fundraising exhibition benefiting the Red Cross. All artwork is 4"x6" and priced at $100. Lots of great artists are participating, so don't miss the opening reception on Saturday, June 17, 7-11PM. We dropped off our pieces at the gallery this weekend, and the owner said he's gotten so many phone calls for pre-order requests that he's had to establish some guidelines for the opening nite! The opening reception may be a little crazy, but it's for a good cause! For details, please visit the Nucleus Gallery site.

2006-06-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

Technorati Profile

Spring Open Studio

2006-05-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

Together with my new studio-mates at Art Studio C, we are having a Spring Open Studios as part of the Northeast LA Art Walk. Please join us Friday, May 12, 7-10PM, for a festive filled evening with live music, artwork, drinks and yummy tamales! Above image is one of my paintings that will be in the show. I will also have a selection of my small works from my ETSY shop available that evening. Art Studio C is located in Highland Park on York Street near the corner of Ave. 52. Please visit our site for more info.

Spring Sale

2006-05-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

Please visit the shop to check out the paintings! I'm determined to do some Spring cleaning in my studio. I've got a great selection of small paintings, all orginal works on paper, some framed but most unframed. Come take a look!

Wallpaper Memories

2006-04-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

Wallpaper, for me, evokes so many memories. It's probably because I was born the 70's, and my parents' house was filled with crazy wallpaper patterns. Our entryway was lined with a drab brown and beige Toile-esque pattern of farmers, chickens and barns. Our kitchen was overly cheery with a tree motif in bright lime greens, blues and red-oranges. I have to admit, I do kind of miss that wallpaper! My parents' bathroom still has the quintessential 50's peach tiles, but the peachy gold-leaf floral wallpaper is a distant memory. My room was the worst, apple green shag carpeting with coordinating green and white bamboo-patterned wallpaper.

The apple green motif would now be chic in a Palm Springs, Jonathan Adler kind of way. Studying in England in the mid-nineties, I lived in a couple of different homes, renting rooms, etc. The wallpaper trend was definitely prominent there. In one of the places I lived, sickly yellow flowers repeated endlessly on an enormous wall next to my bed. It felt very "mental institution."

In another room I rented, the very home-proud owner boasted daily about her 'William Morris' wallpaper. Needless to say, I've found over the years many of these floral wallpaper patterns to be dizzying, restless, jarring. But, at the same time I'm drawn to them. They conjure up so many memories for me. Lying on my bed as a child, staring into the bamboo, getting lost in it. I've incorporated many wallpaper patterns into my work over the past couple of years:

However, my canvases are now transitioning into a less detailed aesthetic. Yet, I want to keep looking at wallpapers and figure out how their patterns might continue to surface in my paintings. Also, I secretly want a room in my house to be covered with some crazy, over-the-top wallpaper. Just for memory's sake...

*most images were found on flickr (totally addictive!) the Production still is from Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette; and the deer head is from Darr * in Brooklyn, (thanks to *design sponge for the tip on Darr!)

Intuitive Landscapes

2006-04-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

I found these paintings by Joseph Yoakum and really like them. They have kind of an underwater feel. The above painting gives me the sensation of swimming along the ocean floor.

Their intuitive quality is really engaging. His landscapes feel very imaginative and accessible, and allow me to step into this world he's created and travel around.

Balancing Act

2006-04-17T17:13:00.000-07:00

Because my work is currently at a crossroads, I am looking at painters whose work walks that fine line of abstraction and expressionism. With my own paintings, I'm attempting to let go of the imagery and symbols I've worked with for years. I want to move into new territory, but it's challenging when you don't have anything to grab onto. I feel like I want to move out of my comfort zone without a safety net.

The above images are Deborah Boardman. I've been looking at her work ever since I spotted her in New American Paintings. She's got a great sensibility. She cleverly compliments her fluid painting style with loose, beautiful, curious drawings.

I especially love these "wolf-man" paintings (above,) they're really quite brilliant!

Diane Christiansen (above) is also another painter whose work I originally spotted in NAP. Her cartoon-like figures exist in these wonderfully intuitive lanscapes. She's managed to incorporate expressive, figurative subjects into works that feel very painterly (below.)
This too, is a uniquely difficult sensibility to achieve; to do this successfully always proves challenging for me, and she exhibits a sense of narrative, without it feeling too deliberate, incredibly well.

Artists' Studios

2006-04-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

Since I'm still basking in the glow of being moved into my new studio, I've been feeling especially appreciative of the intimacy and sacredness of the studio space. I found this image online today of Agnes Martin, standing before her painting in her studio. It inspired me to post images of painters in their studios.

Above photo is of Margaret Kilgallen.

Susan Rothenberg, standing with her dog in her studio. I'd like to document my time in my studio because it's obviously something one doesn't think to do, but I feel like it's just as amazing see an artist at work in their space as it is to see their final paintings. The process that takes place in the studio is so exhilerating.

New Studio

2006-04-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

My biggest news is that I just got a studio! I’m ecstatic. I’ve been feeling so disconnected from my work...so distracted working at home, and isolated since I’m never around other artists. Plus, I haven’t painted in oils in over 6 years so I’m really looking forward to painting on canvas again. I found an amazing space that I share w/ 5 other artists, all painters.

It feels like such a luxury to have a studio again. When I'm there, I feel like I'm in an artist in residence program. It's meditative. And when I leave I feel sad and can't wait to go back! I'll post more pictures once I have them.