Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy Chinese New Year!

Today, the two week Chinese New Year period ends. Time to put away the lovely decorations and hope the Tiger treats us well this coming year. I saw a wonderful movie, Sea Horse Sleuth, at the Ocean Film Festival on Feb. 7th.

Sea Horse Sleuth video

I'm inspired by the nuanced colors of seahorses and have been painting them avidly for a few months.

I took down my art show from the Tomate Cafe - thanks to all of you who dropped by to see it. I'll be in a group show in April at Autobody Fine Art in Alameda in April. My next solo show will be in August at the LightRoom in Berkeley. I'll post the details as I get them.

My son is getting married in a month; I've been excited and somewhat distracted from painting. I'm grateful my weekly art (MICA)classes keep me focused.

On January 9, I signed a lease on a studio ( 200 sq. ft.) with huge south facing windows at the Art Explosion ,a multi-studio former warehouse on 17th & Potrero. I imagined using it as a gallery space for Open Studios in the Spring and Fall- Big Time Art Star . Then I didn't want to give up my 140 sq. ft. studio in the Noe Valley Ministry, 10 minutes walk from my house,which seemed bigger after I moved room divider screens and finished artwork to the new place. (The Church will be closing for renovation in November). Last Friday, hanging my large watercolors on the walls at Art Explosion, I realized the sun would hit them and bleach them out. So I decided to cut my losses and give notice. I want to get paintings reproduced/gicleed,framed and out in various venues. I need a storage unit and a smaller work table at the Ministry studio to create more space. I could move out of my apartment and use it as an art studio- what would my cat make of that ? Life in the storage unit or at the Plaza with Eloise ? Tune in for the sequel.

December

Since October, I've made giclee prints of three subjects and sold a small( 5"x7")one of each. I've lined up two shows for April and August of 2010. I've stated working on a new series on larger sized paper. The subject this week is two male parrotfish fighting. The neon pink markings around the eyes contrast with the deep ultramarine bodies in a most satisfying way. I've had my latest paintings professionally photographed to add to the the website . The photographer recommended the Edith Caldwell Gallery in Sausalito as a possible venue for my work- she moved to Rockport, Maine in October ! The guidance of my intuition will indicate the next step.

I sold a pufferfish painting today from my recent show at the Noe Valley Ministry.Then I visited my other pufferfish, painted on commission several years ago for Melissa Smith and David Saslav of Renditions Music Services. Their haunted music studio party evoked great hilarity - spiders,skeletons, potions everywhere and zany piano student "torture" administered by the demented Dr. Flaustenbach and his assistant Eye-Gore reduced young guests to squirming, giggling protoplasm. Later on, the cauldron bubbled with networking and art marketing ideas.A very satisfying day.