A strange phenomenon

My work at Union Gallery

The opening of "The Colour Purple" exhibition last Saturday at Union Gallery in Edinburgh was a lovely way to spend an evening. The space looked wonderful as the light streamed in through the windows illuminating the art while friendly chat was enjoyed.

I am so pleased to have these seven paintings on the main floor as part of this exhibition. It is always wonderful to see the work out of the studio and on a gallery wall. For me, it is always like seeing the work for the first time. It is a strange sensation to know the paintings intimately and to have spent such time with them and then to see them in an entirely new light. They become something else once they are in the gallery or on a patron's wall. It's a delightfully strange phenomenon that I will never get used to.

My work at the Walker-Stone House.
Photo credit: Mayor Lioneld Jordan

Also, last Saturday and at the exact time, but 4,000 miles away in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the Fenix and Friends exhibition was opening its doors at the Walker-Stone house. I was able to see photos of the exhibition from friends and on the city's promotional social media pages. What a wonderful light filled space, the exhibition looks grand, a perfect place for my Reconstruction series. I wish I could have been in both places as once, but at least my art was.

In other news, I decided to introduce a new weekly feature over on my facebook art page. I created a quick check in video chat from my studio. For me, the point of this is to have more immediate interaction with my peers and patrons. Nothing slick or filtered just a quick hello and sharing of my studio space and what I am working on, inspired by and thinking about, in hopes of creating a deeper connection with folks. I need the private dreamy time of creation but I also need the community aspect of conversing about the alchemy of art making. I don't want to be just words and still images on a glowing screen but instead, someone that viewers can get to know. If you haven't seen my studio video chat already, you can view it here.

The Art Scotland interview is getting promoted here and there on social media and I love how they are teasing out the quotes from the piece.

In the meantime, I am still promoting my Distillation Prints from my Etsy shop all the while unexpected abstracted portraits have been popping up in the studio lately when I work. I think they are mostly to entertain myself and for me to just keep moving in between series.

Thanks to a recommendation from one of my friends on facebook art page, I watched a brilliant Joan Mitchell documentary this week. I highly recommend it. Here's a quick phone grab of one my favorite scenes from the film.

It's been a good week of being present in the art world of my making. I hope you are well, wherever you are. The world needs you and your art.