Making it!

Surrender (Installation)
blanket, clothing, dirt, flowers

Surrender (Installation)

Paintings in progress

My new favorite piece of furniture-all hand made little drawers that are turquoise with red metal frame

Why I love tulips so much-as they die they dance a twirling ballet

Sunny's sculpture yesterday

The cool mouse house I found in my art supply's, the mouse harvested much of my husbands hair, lol!!!

First exciting news: I WON A GRANT!!!! That's in big letters because its a big deal-each of these victory's are hugely exciting for me! This is a small grant from NYFA (New York Foundation For The Arts) its called a SOS Grant, which is specific to fund opportunities that will benefit the growth and development of NY state artists. This money was awarded to me to help towards the costs of the Iceland residency. (I still need to raise quite a bit of money for this opportunity and have some fundraising ideas cooking-but if you have any cool thoughts please send me your ideas!)
Second exciting news: I set up my studio today and yesterday I put together an installation in the studio...so much fun! (Even though I jumped the gun and began painting last week before the studio was set up) Now its officially fabulous! I am in love-completely in love! I've decided to try to keep the studio really minimal-no table or shelves, just 3 pieces on wheels with small materials. The rest (the ugly stuff) is in the adjoining crack shack. This way I can have the studio itself be a canvas for ideas, installations, exhibits, disco dance parties, etc.
Whooooo-Hooooooo!!!!!!

Springing in to

My Magnolia is Blooming, Spring has Sprung

My NEW backyard studio!!!! Stay tuned for an inaugural celebration (June or July)

Already working on new paintings before I'm set up...so excited and so eager to paint again!

The energy of the spring is full of new possibility, ripe with birth. The energy is intoxicating and exhilarating for me, I just want to jump into NEW, NOW!!!! It has been almost a month since my last post. A month full of making preparations for new work, by completing older and ongoing projects. The one thread that persisted through the month was discipline. In order to feel more open to whats ahead I knew I needed to bring my ongoing projects to a resting place if not complete them. I have to say that sticking to these longer projects is challenging for me, patience is slightly an underdeveloped muscle. I think even the traditional oil painting class helped me with this. I did not really enjoy painting in that manner-full of technical and craft decisions-rights and wrongs, somewhat boring still life's on small canvas's....but there was the discipline of showing up weekly because I committed, there was staying with the focus for 3.5hrs this strengthened me. It was in a way a meditation, to really slow down enough to see all the colors, to take the time to mix them before applying, to follow a slow and steady rhythm. I gained some discipline. I also gained a freedom because I am no longer afraid of the medium, so in turn I am little more liberated!
The reward of seeing out the bigger visions of these works is strengthening my scope of possibility. I suppose its giving me more courage, because I am learning that I can trust my willingness to go the distance.
Below are some images of the ongoing projects of 2010 and 2011, some of which I have not even mentioned in this blog because they were just seeds-now some are seedlings, flowering, or re-seeding-all of which I am very proud of.

Projects:

1.cre·a·tiv·i·ty-I developed an ongoing workshop series that I will begin facilitating later this season, for an Adult Drug & Alcohol Rehab Facility.

2. Running Still -A short film I wrote and have been working collaboratively with my dear and very talented friend Claudia Frank (Director/Producer/Co-Editor) We are very close to finishing it! YAH!!!!!!

3. Garbage Girl -A modern fairytale I wrote and have been illustrating. This book has been shelved for the time being and will most likely resume this fall after Iceland. I would like to turn this in to a crossover book-a book that is an 'artist' book, children's book and coffee table book.
4. Sunny -My sunshine.

Work in Progress

New Work In Progress.......

A series of monopints done in Deer Isle, that I was able to hang as one piece in the studio...

Just an update on works in progress, slowly I'm getting there. Today I got a little closer to being ready to paint and draw in my glorious space, its heart breaking every minute I'm not there. Its been so bittersweet because every "free" minute has been occupied with friends from far away....but I did actually begin something today, on a huge white wall and it felt like I was pouring some healing liquid into my anxious soul.

Opening Party...Fabulousness!

LAST NIGHT WAS FABULOUS!!!! Thank you all who came and celebrated, stay tuned for more fun....
Below my opening letter:

“Let the beauty we love be what we do”-Rumi

October 6th, 2007

Thank you for joining me in the christening of my new painting studio and art space. I am tremendously excited about this celebration and am happy to have you all here. Welcome to my studio!

Showing in the space today are some of my new works on paper. They are dynamic expressions of landscapes recently visited.

Many of you know about the fire that consumed twenty-eight of my paintings this spring. At the time of the fire, these works lay waiting at my framer’s workshop in preparation for two gallery exhibitions. These primarily illustrative landscapes were the summation of a year’s worth of consistent, heart-filled daily practice. Over the course of the year I witnessed many ideas, avenues of exploration and characteristics develop in my work.

Although many would perceive the destruction of my paintings as tragic and difficult to reconcile, I interpret their loss as an act of providence. I say provident because this loss gave me the opportunity to move through my feelings of attachment, and into a space of freshness, fluidity and ease. This transformative experience gave me a new perspective on my identity as a painter and impressed on me new insights into the direction of my work. I discovered that I needed to give more of myself to my work. I also found that I wanted to paint on a larger scale and to create a forum for the display of my work to outside viewers. The establishment of the Dawn Breeze Painting Studio is the natural next step in the course of this artistic discovery.

I am excited about the newness of this space. I am thrilled about the creative projects it will foster. I look forward to seeing my work grow in space and form. I am hopeful that the Dawn Breeze Painting Studio can be used as an interactive art experience for the Hudson community to enjoy.

To add yourself to my mailing list please visit my website at dawnbreezepainting.com.

722 WARREN ST. HUDSON NY 12534
www.dawnbreezepainting.com

First Open Studio, PARTY Tommorow!!!! Oct 6 2007

These are photos taken 5min ago, at my new sudio space!
Its all coming together and please, please join me tomorrow from 6-8pm, at Dawn Breeze Painting Studio 722 Warren st. Hudson NY to celebrate opening up this wonderful art space!!!!

Special thanks to Mary Patterson for doing a job today that only a psycho serial freak would do, and for supporting my art every step of the way, for 15yrs. You should check out her blog: www.marybling.blogspot.com she's just posted some of my paintings she's collected, its out of control! Basically any interested buyers have to beat Mary to it, if thats even possible.

Special thanks to Wenonah Webster who stayed up with me tonight and helped fend off drunken loonies as we painted the last bits together.

Thanks to my Artist Way Girls

And thank you all my friends and loved ones, who have been supporting me and my art...dreams are built with strong supports! Yeah and thats my academy speech, and of course thanks to god for it all!!!

Bean Field

Bean Field
Mixed Medium on Paper
36" x 28"

Officially-Unofficial Notice:

My new studio space will be open next weekend...come celebrate with me Sat. October 6, from 6pm-8pm, at 722 Warren st!!!!!

I will probabally mention this again this week..its just too exciting, and I am planning the official opening to perhaps be the first Sat. of November...we shall see....

Dawn Breeze Painting Studio

I have a new fabulous SUPER fabulous painting studio/commercial studio/viewing room/project-dream space/idea room...and more!!!!
It is at 722 Warren st. Hudson NY 12534, with big gallery windows, and space for me and you...and I will have the doors open this Saturday for my first open studio! I cannot wait to move in! I have my own bathroom ( complete w/ a medicine cabinet and window...it makes me very happy!) There is so much goodness in this space I am over wrought with enthusiasm to be playing in this room of my own. Virginia Wolf was quoted for saying every creative woman needs a room of their own, and now I have one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It feels like a canvas...I am bubbling with ideas of what to do with it.
I think my favorite aspect of having had a store was creating space, environments that were interactive...but this is so much cooler because the intention isn't to sell something, its all just going to be fun, and about creating something. Soooooo, with that said I am also really anxious to be in there creating and painting! This is a dream come true:)