my new hero

Today I was struggling with my solar powered sculpture project. It's coming together but there have been some technical areas I just didn't know how to make work. The art/techy types I emailed weren't responding...despair was beginning to set in. Finally, today I called, yes just got on the phone with, Therese who I had been referred to by Tony and she sent me to Guy. Guy is the guy I would be in an alternate universe. Look at his website. He has designed all kinds of amazing stuff. Created his own art and collaborated with other artists. He's built a solar hot water system. He lives in gorgeous Maine and to top it off he answered his phone and gave me several easy answers to problems I could not solve in my brain at 4 am! I heart Guy!

art for sale

I just dropped off a bunch of art for the sfmoma 15th annual warehouse sale.

Here are the details:

The event begins with a grand opening reception that features complimentary wine and live music, and it closes with an afternoon of live jazz. Throughout the sale, the gallery offers special extended hours. The gallery restocks sale works daily, but visitors are encouraged to attend early for the best selection. The event is free and open to the public. On opening night, a limited number of reserved parking spaces will be offered in the Fort Mason parking lot. Free parking is available outside the gates in the Marina Green.

15th Annual Artists Warehouse Sale Opening Night
Wednesday, May 07, 2008, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Special Sale Hours
Thursday, May 08 and Friday, May 09, 2008, noon - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 10, 2008, noon - 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 11, 2008, noon - 4:00 p.m

the artist and her model

We went to Ano Nuevo this weekend to see the elephant seals. Due to a variety of factors we didn't make it onto the official tour but down on the beach we saw three elephant seals. Ava instantly started drawing them in the sand. She has just started drawing people and animals in the last few months and this artist/mama felt so awed by her instant desire to translate her experience into art.

sketch book

I'm thinking this year about, how do I put it, noticing, noticing my creative actions. The gestures I make that make me feel alive and like I'm really seeing the world. This is often not the work I show anyone...Lynda Barry said in an interview I read that she makes art all the time and some of it she chooses to share with others. I felt so freed by that.

In my current state as artist, writer, mom, teacher etc etc my creative moments may occur during a staff meeting as this drawing of the molding and shadow on the wall of the meeting room did....

nostalgia

The new year brings a feeling of nostalgia, pronounced in the Italian way, nos-tal-jee-uh. It has a different feeling than the English word... a deep longing for past places and people, maybe a longing for the person one was then. My sister sent me links to youtubes of songs that were popular when we lived in Italy 30 years ago. The one that brought tears to my eyes was this one by Lucio Dalla. It's a song about the new year and when I was 15 I knew all the words. Hearing it again they all came back.

Yesterday I dashed to San Francisco in the rain to see the Joseph Cornell show before it closed. It fit perfectly with this mood of longing. His sensitive worlds of collage and assemblage were breathtaking. So much collage can turn into pastiche and sentimentality whereas his are exquisite portals into the imagination. One thing I was particularly struck by was how he allowed each element plenty of space to breathe and relied on the juxtaposition to create the the magic. Ineffable, lovely nostalgia.

divine caroline

One of the cool things that happened on Parking Day was being interviewed by Amanda Coggin. I just found the story she wrote about us on Divine Caroline . I like her story and she also talks about an artist knitting plastic bags...hmmm I want to try that!