I'm Back in the Saddle Again

Song - "Back in The Saddle Again"

I am heading to San Luis Obispo to spend a few days with my son Jon to celebrate his upcoming birthday.  He will be 26 on the 28th of February - Yipes!  Just when did he grow up so quickly?

But before I leave, I wanted to ponder how funny people are.....well, I guess....me.  I want to ponder how funny I am (at times).

I am painting again after spending the last few weeks "crafting".



I found all sorts of important things to make and do.  Origami hearts for book marks, button wreaths that are heart shaped, cards made from stamps, a new greeting card insert, fake Lily of the Valley glued onto wire to hang from the door, a new playlist of songs for Mr. B's new car, etc.

From "A Life Reclaimed"

All of which were kind of fun to create but not very useful or fulfilling. 

After spending some time licking my wounds (a recent tough commission), I began to paint and grow and learn.  Now after being thrown by that horse, I have dusted off my jeans and am back in the saddle again!

I have signed up for a workshop with Peggi Kroll Roberts next month.  She does incredible, fun figurative work.

Peggi Kroll Roberts

Peggi's YouTube Video

Jeanette Le Grue

And I am still heading over to Tomales every Friday morning to paint still life and learn from the very talented Jeanette Le Grue.









But my main support is a little group of painters (Bay Area Studio Artists) that I paint with every Thursday and my mentor Marcy Wheeler who had guided me on a journey of finding my voice though my painting.

Marcy Wheeler Self Portrait

Marcy in Yosemite

I also have two fellow artists who get together at my home most Wednesdays.  We take turns setting up a weekly still life.  Someone brings a bottle of wine and there is always some great chocolate. We visit and paint and laugh.....isn't laughter just wonderful?  Thank you Wanda Kemper and Kistler Osborne for bringing sunshine into my life every week.

Wanda Kemper

Kistler Osborne

Please check out all of these wonderful, talented artists!

YeeHaw.....r o a d   t r i p !

 "Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."  -- Thomas Merton

Soul Surfing

This morning I got up early and drove to Tomales for my painting class with Jeanette Le Grue. I hesitated about going because lately I have been in a painting slump.....of sorts.

But I pushed myself out of the door while the sun was still asleep and the moon was out.

The beauty of the pink sky just before dawn almost made me drive off the road!  Then came the orange sun that turned the golden hills a lovely shade of copper.

OK.

I was nervous.  Anxious.

High drama.

Would I ever be able to paint again?????


I made a deal with myself.  I won't drink too much caffeine on the drive there so I won't get too high strung in class and I can focus on painting.

I can do this.

Good deal.

Jeanette Le Grue's home & gallery

Right?



I'll be calm and just absorb all of this wonderful knowledge that is being shown to me.  Jeanette is an incredibly gifted teacher and sweet as can be.

The day was frosty and beautiful. The little yellow school buses were just returning from their morning drive when I pulled up in front of the studio.

The Studio

The old water tower now used as a workshop and guest house

After Jeanette's demo we began to set up our easels and painting supplies.  During class I heard several other painters letting out deep sighs as they tried to tackle today's project. One painter was ready to give up painting for life because it just wasn't coming to her "fast enough"!

Why then did this please me?

My guess is that I just needed to know that I was not alone, wallowing in my pity party.

I perked up instantly.

My painting began to improve immediately.

I was even humming (in my head).

After class I was so thrilled with the painting.....and with myself.....well, just because!

I drove to Dillon beach afterwards to take a long walk along the water.

It was warm and there were lot's of people on the beach as well as surfers enjoying the waves.

 On the ride home I drove through the countryside and what do you think I saw on Friday the Thirteenth? 

 A Highland Cow?

Yup!

Gracie - Jeanette's guardian in the studio?

Yup!

A Camel?

Mmmmm.......?

YES....there is a camel in the Tomales countryside!

Enjoy your Saturday and I hope you find lot's of little treasures in this wonderful,

funny world we live in!!

Today I have two quotes for you because.....well..... because today I just "stayed" with my insecurities and fear.  They didn't gobble me up.

“A further sign of health is that we don't become undone by fear and trembling, but we take it as a message that it's time to stop struggling and look directly at what's threatening us. ”  - Pema Chodron

“Surfing expresses ... a pure yearning for visceral, physical contact with the natural world.” -- Matt Warshaw, Maverick's: The Story of Big-Wave Surfing

Value Studies



"Promises" by Jeanette Le Grue


Yesterday I took a painting class from Jeanette Le Grue at her studio in Tomales, CA.  It's a quaint little town just a few miles inland from the ocean and a beautiful drive from my home in Walnut Creek.  There are farms nearby and we could hear the cows "moo" while we were painting.  Jeanette had us work on a three color value study from a still life set up.  It is interesting how intense that can be when you need to break down all of the colors that you see into only three values.  It is a good lesson as it helps you to see how important it is to simplify your painting and to tie your darks together.  Next week we will move to color.  Jeanette Le Grue is a gifted teacher and wonderful artist.  If you would like to see her work, check out her website or head on over to Tomales Fine Art Gallery.

Jeanette Le Grue's website - http://www.legrue.com/ 

"Still - in a way - nobody sees a flower - really - it is so small - we haven't time - and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time." ~ Georgia O'Keeffe