Susan Landor Keegin - A Little Painting Every Day

The Point

2012-02-01T17:36:00.000-08:00

The Point

Oil on Wood

15"X7"

The point? There isn't an actual point. And around each point is another. And that's the point. That there isn't any. Except being, seeing, and making the most of it.

Last night I watched a documentary about the portrait artist, Alice Neel.

What a life. More loss than any one should have to bear. And yet. She survived and created art all her own. And eventually gained recognition. Same old lesson. Believe, have courage, and persevere.

Bloomberg Magazine Stack

2012-01-30T14:23:00.000-08:00

Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine Stack

Oil on Wood

8"X6"

Last night I stumbled on Art 21's video segment on the artist, Vilja Celmins. I have always loved her paintings. But hearing her talk while "building a painting," in the most honest, intimate, unadorned way was a revelation. In the middle of night, I woke up, and imagined her night sky. Soothing. Reassuring. Inspiring. Once again, to do what I do. Just that. With deep conviction. Just that. Do that. And the rest will follow.

At Sea

2012-01-25T15:17:00.000-08:00

At Sea

Oil on Wood

10"X10"

To be at sea. Bobbing around. Unnerving. But necessary now and then. Letting go and going with the waves. Not sure where I'm headed nor even where I've been.

Doing what I do and hoping I'll find my way ashore.

After the Rain

2012-01-24T16:09:00.000-08:00

After the Rain

Oil on Wood

18"X24"

The skies have cleared. But the mood remains somber. January is a brooding time. Or is it the feeling of beginning all over again that feels heavy? Carol Diehl's Art Vent article, "Emerson and Enthusiasm" couldn't have come my way at a more opportune time. An eloquent reminder to do your own thing with gusto and to persevere despite the circuitous route and illusive nature of progress. She quotes Emerson as saying, "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."

Stirring up some of that very thing with paint and light and memory and song. The Wailin' Jennys "Bright Morning Stars."

Light Rain

2012-01-20T14:30:00.000-08:00

Light Rain

Oil on Wood

18"X18"

Welcoming the rain.

Making Waves

2012-01-11T14:45:00.000-08:00

Making Waves

Oil on Wood

10"X10"

My mother used to call it, "making significance." The urge to make a mark, leave a trace, do something meaningful. I don't need to rock the boat, but creating ripples would be good. Making waves and adding a little beauty to the world could occupy me for a good long while.

Rose In My Window

2012-01-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

Rose in My Window

6"X6"

Oil on Wood
For the last several months a single rose has been blooming just outside our dining room window. The plant came to us in a tiny pot as a party favor at a young friend's wedding many years ago.
I planted it in a large pot where it has lived ever since. Now. This simple, single flower that just keeps blooming. A testament to something, I don't know what. Nature? Beauty? Life? Tenacity? Takes my breath away.

Beside The Point

2012-01-06T10:40:00.000-08:00

Beside the Point

Oil on Wood

12"X12"

Almost everything qualifies as being beside the point. Except maybe old friends and family. My new year's resolution if I had one would be to be in the presence of the ones I love, early and often. Off to a good start.

Black, White, and Red

2012-01-04T13:55:00.000-08:00

Black, White, and Red

Oil on Wood

6"X8"

Just back from New York where I spent first thing in the morning taking in de Kooning at MOMA.

Then I lost myself and my way in the permanent collection where the art is ever so enhanced by the parade of people flowing through. Humbling and inspiring to be surrounded by the magnificence of great human endeavor. And always enchanting to watch the figures dance amidst the art.

After that one might expect an ambitious New Year's resolution involving the creation of bigger and better art. But here I am, happily back in the studio, just seeing what happens next.

Mid-Tide

2011-12-12T19:27:00.000-08:00

Mid-Tide

Oil on Canvas

18"X24"

Light on the Horizon

2011-12-08T14:39:00.000-08:00

Light on the Horizon

Oil on Wood

7"X15"

SOLD

Ebb Tide

2011-11-30T11:13:00.000-08:00

Ebb Tide

Oil on Canvas

18"X36"

"Ebb tide - the period between high water and the succeeding low water."

Heading West

2011-11-08T14:33:00.000-08:00

Heading West

Oil on Wood

10"X10"

If you or anyone you know has left his or her heart in San Francisco, this series is for you.

http://susanlandorkeegin.blogspot.com/search/label/san%20francisco%20bay
Small and intimate, they are inspired by a lifetime of living by the Bay.
Come see them for yourself this Saturday, November 12. Open Studio. 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
26 Miller Ave. • Sausalito.

Patrick Made Bread

2011-10-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

Patrick Made Bread

Oil on Wood

10"X10"

New Lonestar

2011-10-27T17:43:00.000-07:00

New Lonestar

Oil on Wood

6"X8"

Last night I found myself at Fort Mason wandering around the San Francisco Fall Antiques Show Preview Gala thanks to Gallery Lefebvre for whom our daughter is working. The place was teeming with beautiful people and things and art and food to consume. Just outside evening was quietly unfolding on San Francisco Bay where freighters headed in and out through the Golden Gate in silent splendor, filling me up to overflowing, my own private art extravaganza.

Golden Energy

2011-10-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

Golden Energy

Oil on Wood

6"X8"

Freighters, sailboats, coming and going, Angel Island, and Alcatraz. My backyard is San Francisco Bay. Enchanting and changing. Every minute of every day.

On San Francisco Bay 2

2011-10-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

On San Francisco Bay 2

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

On San Francisco Bay

2011-10-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

On San francisco Bay

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

Earlier this week I heard Dan Buettner on NPR talking about his book, "Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way." (hint: Work less, make more friends, live in a beautiful place near where you work, enjoy the arts, and spend time out of doors.)

It just so happens, I've been doing just that. Being with friends in this beautiful place we live and getting outside in the warm October air. Sure enough. Feels pretty darn good. The stuff that Art is made of.

Sunday on San Francisco Bay

2011-10-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

Sunday on San Francisco Bay

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

And Then There Was None

2011-10-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

And Then There Was None

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

Amazingly, after weeks under the lights and weekends in the refrigerator, this pear was sweet and juicy, and everything a pear should be. I ate it all. Grateful for its goodness and beauty and inspiration.
The ultimate exercise in paring down.

And Then There Was One

2011-10-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

And Then There Was One

Oil on Wood

8"X8"

Turns out pears last a long time when refrigerated.

Pears 9

2011-10-11T15:04:00.000-07:00

Pears 9

Oil on Wood

17"X5.5"

The pears go marching on.

Pears 8

2011-10-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

Pears 8

Oil on Wood

8"X6"

Pears 7

2011-10-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

Pears 7

Oil on Wood

8"X6"

Pears seem positively mundane compared to the art of Charlotte Salomon at the Contemporary Jewish Museum. Intense. Emotional. Obsessively she created 1300 paintings about her life and times bearing witness to the Holocaust which ultimately took her life at 26. Sad and poignant and horrifying. Her creative spirit defiantly fills the room. A powerful reminder that lodges deep in the heart.

It's Fleet Week in San Francisco, a celebration of Naval Aviation. I left the museum to find aircraft carriers in the Bay and sailors on every corner. Old timey planes flying by in formation. It felt like a time warp. As I write it is a golden October afternoon, everyone is out enjoying the sunshine and the week's end. People watch in awe as the Blue Angels fly overhead. Their power and precision both beautiful and disturbing. A reminder that lodges in the heart.

For the moment I'm sticking with pears. Beautiful in their simplicity.

Pears 6

2011-10-06T16:32:00.000-07:00

Pears 6

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

Pears 5

2011-10-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

Pears 5

Oil on Wood

8"X6"

Pears 4

2011-10-04T16:14:00.000-07:00

Pears 4

Oil on Wood

8"X8"

These pears won't last forever. My studio smells sweet. I want to eat one. But. When they are gone, that will be the end of this series. And although I could go to the market and find some commercially grown who knows where, it wouldn't be the same as finding a few freshly picked from Schoppert's crop left on the kitchen counter.

Pears 3

2011-10-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

Pears 3

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

Actual rain is falling. It feels like Fall.

Looking and Being Seen

2011-09-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

Looking and Being Seen

Oil on Wood

8"X6"

It turned cold and grey this morning. No more sitting outside pretending it's still summer. So I took myself to the de Young Museum to look at some of my favorite paintings in one of my favorite places, and to look at people looking at paintings which is one of my favorite things to do. I saw the Picasso show first as I had been urged to do by friends. It was vast and varied and certainly worth the trip. But as usual, the prize was hanging around my old favorites and watching people coming and going and sometimes stopping and looking and seeing and being seen. David Park's "Couple" is particularly enlivened by the presence of a person. Art augments Life augments Art.

Schoppert's Pears 2

2011-09-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

Schoppert's Pears 2

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

Schoppert's Pears

2011-09-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

Schoppert's Pears

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

You know it's Fall when the Schoppert's pears show up on our kitchen counter. Each one perfectly formed, the skin a rich tapestry of red/ochre/orange/green. One bite, and an entire summer of sweetness bursts back into being. Beautiful, delicious, and bountiful. The fruit of their labor. This one's for them.

At the Gate

2011-09-26T16:59:00.000-07:00

At the Gate

Oil on Wood

4"X4"

Boats on San Francisco Bay 2

2011-09-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

Boats on San Francisco Bay 2

Oil on Wood

4"X4"

It took all morning to upload files for a new business card. Nothing like conquering a tech feat to make one feel all kinds of powerful.

I'm liking these old timey colors I happened upon painting the Boats on the Bay series. A new wave for me so to speak? We'll see where it takes me. For now, it's the weekend. Warm and well earned after the morning's challenge.

Boats on San Francisco Bay

2011-09-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

Boats on San Francisco Bay

Oil on Wood

4"X4"

I seem to have started a series of little paintings from the week of Big Boats racing on San Francisco Bay. Little because it's that time of year. (Monterey Museum of Art Miniatures, November 17, Bolinas Museum Mini Show November 19, Studio Gallery SF Tiny Show November 3.) Boats on the Bay because it's the backdrop of my life. The Bay, Alcatraz, the City, the Bridge, monuments all. Boats and big ships enlivening the seascape in the same way cows make Sonoma hillsides come alive.

We'll see what happens.

Big Boats Racing on San Francisco Bay

2011-09-19T15:31:00.000-07:00

Big Boats Racing on San Francisco Bay

Oil on Wood

10"X10"

Big boats, big bridge, big bay, Winning combination. I wonder if the sailors know how beautiful they look on the water, like dancers choreographed by the wind. And if they would care less about winning or losing if they knew how much they contribute to the beauty of the landscape just by being there.

Yesterday I read every page of The New York Times Magazine "What if the Secret to Success is Failure?" Especially thought provoking, "The Character Test" and "Back in the Ol' Hippie Hothouse" about the resurrection of Antioch College, my alma mater. ("Antioch College, No Football Team Since 1929." Yes, that Antioch College.) But most of all, if you want to get inspired to some good in the world, don't miss "The Educational Experiences that Change a Life." Various people of note remember pivotal teachers and educational experiences that influenced the individuals they became. Oh my. To teach and change a life! If only I could do that. Just once even. Horace Mann, the first president of Antioch College beseeched graduates to "...Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity." I better get crackin'.

Summer is Slipping Away

2011-09-07T16:17:00.000-07:00

Hanging Out

Oil on Wood

8"X6"

Summer is slipping away. I am hanging on to long days, warm nights, breezy afternoons, and all that goes with it. Friends. Family. Books. And staring at the sea. If you want permission to stare, read Ann Patchett's, "What Now." And if you need permission to learn in unconvential ways listen to Philip Schultz talk about "My Dyslexia." Bottom line. Transition. It never ends.

Laundry Left Behind

2011-09-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

Laundry Left Behind

Oil on Wood

10"X8"

Labor Day is all about leaving. Being left. And what is left behind. I am looking forward to a weekend of warmth and reflection. Of all the Love we gathered up from June to September filling us up to overflowing for all the months to come.

Simple Gifts

2011-08-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

Simple Gifts

Oil on Wood

6"X8"

Feeling the LOVE. Under the old oak tree.

Sullivan's Library

2011-08-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

Sullivan's Library

Oil on Wood

14"X11"

Favorite summer memory. Being at the Sullivans. Always fun. Always festive. Always an occasion for celebration.

Heading Home

2011-08-13T06:56:00.000-07:00

Heading Home

Oil on Wood

6"X8"

There's always a little melancholy associated with leaving the island. The window boxes we planted in June are in full bloom and everything that was broken has been repaired. Little annoyances that loomed large at the beginning of the summer seem insignificant in the end. The air is fresher, the beach more pristine, and the mountains even more majestic than ever. It's time to pack up the paints and the dog and head for home. One last day to soak it all in. And then we're off.

Dark Turn of Mind

2011-08-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

Dark Turn of Mind

Oil on Wood

12"X12"

Among other things, my sister and I share the same taste in music. In June she sent me her newest find, Gillian Welch's new CD, "The Harrow & The Harvest." Gray, sultry and soulful it has been my studio sound track all summer. Listening over and over to Welch's humid voice I heard something new each time. The words, the music, and the even the titles, all perfect little works of art. This is the music that inspired me and will forever sum up my summer. "Dark Turn of Mind" is the title of the second track which I played over many times while making this painting. I love the song and am grateful to Welch for her work. And to my sister who has known me longer and better than anyone else on earth.http://www.npr.org/2011/07/18/137823880/the-fresh-air-interview-gillian-welch-david-rawlings?sc=emaf

Fog 3

2011-08-04T13:29:00.000-07:00

Fog 3

Oil on Wood

12"X12"
SOLD
The wind has shifted East and a light drizzle has been falling all day. The sailor says, "nothing good ever comes out of the East." But that depends what your definition of "good" is. I could wander around in the grayness of it all for a long time happily, finally having found a way to soften the color without everything turning to mush. Am going to continue on in this vein. Until the sun comes out.

Fog 2

2011-08-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

Fog 2

Oil on Wood

12"X12"
SOLD
The light couldn't be more beautiful. Warm grays, everything soft and dreamy. Suits my quiet mood but I am sorry for the sailors who are out somewhere wishing for a raucous wind.

Fog

2011-08-02T15:31:00.000-07:00

Fog

Oil on Wood

12"X12"
SOLD

August Afternoon

2011-08-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

August Afternoon

Oil on Wood

8"X6"

August is here. The sailors set off for another week of sailing on a warm afternoon with the gentlest breeze sending them West. Now the island is covered with fog and I am in the studio listening to Bach piano music and savoring the solitude.

The Breeze is Back

2011-07-26T15:28:00.000-07:00

The Breeze is Back

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

Last week was hot. Too hot to do much of anything other than dip feet in the cold sea and hope for rain.

What a difference a cool breeze makes. Yesterday laundry was hanging again and it felt like what our family calls "a typical Maine day," the hallmark of which is bright, blue, and breezy. It's a joke, of course, because it so rarely what we get. But in the midst of winter when we dream of Maine, it is always a "typical Maine day."

Not much is how we imagine it to be. In the studio I have been trying again to loosen up, try new things, not worry about making mistakes. Not much is getting finished, but it feels like progress. We'll see.

Jan's Blue Vase

2011-07-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

Jan's Blue Vase

Oil on Wood

8"X6"

So here is how things work on the island. We invite Jan, who is a master gardener, to join us for dinner. She brings two bags of home grown lettuce for a delicious salad and a red, pink, and purple flower bouquet in a blue vase, whose handle is broken off. The vase was headed for the rocks on the beach to some day come back to us as sea glass. But for now, it is the perfect vessel for Jan's flowers which along with the left over lettuce are reminders of the great evening we shared earlier in the week. When the flowers are finished blooming I will get to break the vase on the rocks and if I'm lucky, will be the one to harvest the sea glass some day down the road when it is ready.

Island Church

2011-07-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

Island Church

Oil on Wood

8"X6"

It was a sultry Sunday evening when the island gathered at the church to hear Randy Miller and James Prendergast play fiddle and guitar. The warm air swirled around carrying soulful sounds of the past while everyone tapped a foot or finger in time to the music. The church is dark inside, with its wood wains coating and well worn pews. But the intense yellow light that pours in through the tall stained glass windows reflects the goodness that gathers there and spreads through the community. This was one of those times when we felt the past in the present and were just glad to be here.

Squall at Sundown

2011-07-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

Squall at Sundown

Oil on Wood

10"X10"

The last two evenings have brought squalls just as the sun was setting.

Weekend Race

2011-07-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

Weekend Race

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

The weekend was warm and sunny and everyone was out soaking it in. We sat around a lot. Sailboat races put on a good show both days, and we watched with relish from our deck. No wind one minute, blowing 20 the next. I certainly do like watching weather come and go from the comfort of home. Right now it is pouring down rain. The sun is shining through a wall of grey on its way to setting. I am inside watching the show. And there is nowhere I would rather be.

The Sailors Set Sail

2011-07-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

The Sailors Set Sail

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

It was sunny and just enough breeze to set sail right from the mooring yesterday when the sailors headed West for the week. I have been painting ever since. Except when I rode my bike to the end of the island and stopped to talk to friends along the way and picked up the mail and bought ice cream at the store. Rosie is here. She gets walked and talked. It's hot and all the doors are open. A little coolness is wafting this way. Just about perfect.

From the Studio

2011-07-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

From the Studio

Oil on Wood

10"X8"

There is an osprey that often sits at the top of an old dead tree outside my studio. I suspect he is one of a pair that have a nest on the spindle around the point and I wonder if he comes here to take time off from all the hubbub at home. It has been hard to tear myself away from all the goings on around my house too. Things to fix, walks to take, people to see, boats coming and going on the water, and summer sun to soak in. But once I get here and start painting, I feel so good, I think, "what took you so long?" Sometimes you just have to get away to get back to who you are.

July 5th

2011-07-07T18:17:00.000-07:00

July 5th

Oil on Wood

10"X8"

There's a certain sadness when the July 4th weekend ends and friends leave the island. Back to real life that hasn't actually started yet. There are still things to fix and work routines haven't taken hold. Summer is about starting and stopping. And not knowing the plan. Seeing Sam's laundry blowing the breeze set a good course for getting a little something done. Finally.

Wedding in Paris

2011-07-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

Wedding in Paris

Oil on Wood

8"X6"

Morning in June

2011-06-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

Morning in June

Oil on Wood

10"X10"

Just getting started. More to come next week.

Lily and the Man

2011-06-09T14:41:00.000-07:00

Lily and the Man

Oil on Wood

8"X6"

I waited a good long time for this man to come along to stand in awe of the two ever so still lives on this wall just as you enter the SF MOMA Permanent Collection. The Marsden Hartley "Still Life (The Lily)" on the left as well as the Giorgio Morandi "Still Life" that you can't see is on its right. They stopped me in my tracks when I first entered the space. Quiet, simple, small. And color that is deep and rich and earthy. A parade of people came and went, few stopping even for a moment here. But when this man walked in and found his spot, I knew he was the one. Tall and straight. Wearing the colors of the paintings and firmly planted right in front. Big man. Small paintings. Simple shapes all in sync. Worth waiting for.

Ashley Bryan Books

2011-06-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

Ashley Bryan Books

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

A colorful array of words and pictures waiting to teach and delight.

Double Take

2011-06-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

Double Take

Oil on Wood

8"X6"

The sculpture is Manuel Neri's, "Mary and Julia." The painting is just a little corner of Joan Brown's, "Noel in the Kitchen," one of my all time favorites. The passer-by is soaking it all in. As was I after seeing "The Steins Collect Mastisse, Picasso, and the Parisian Avant Guard" at S.F. MOMA on a rainy day at the end of last week. The show was wonderful. Full of light and discovery. Nothing pompous or dark. I left recommitted to do with gusto whatever it is that I do, which is in essence what the artists and collectors of the show were all about. I couldn't leave without perusing the permanent collection where I could move freely, photograph, and take in the flow of figures filing past cherished artworks. A never ending revelation and source of inspiration.

What A Wonderful World

2011-06-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

What A Wonderful World

Ashley Bryan Books

Oil on Wood

6"X8"

Ashley Bryan books beckon, brimming with optimism.

Dark Sumatra in Maine

2011-05-26T15:09:00.000-07:00

Dark Sumatra in Maine

Oil on Cigar Box

7.5"X10"

"Dark Sumatra" conjures up something dark, rich, exotic. Not exactly the words I would use to describe an island in Maine. An escape of a different sort. But dreamy and desirable all the same.

Connecticut Reserve

2011-05-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

Connecticut Reserve

Oil on Cigar Box

6"X8.5"

I let the blond wood of this cigar box dictate the painting. Warm and light, calm and quiet. That has summer written all over it.

Charlie

2011-05-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

Charlie

Oil on Cigar Box

7.5"X8.5"

For Alice, on her 65th birthday. "Charlie." Built to last. Like the friendship it spawned.

Water

2011-05-19T15:59:00.000-07:00

Water

Oil on Wood

6"X8"

Looking forward to being on, in, and surrounded by water.

Gina's Point

2011-05-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

Gina's Point

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

On the Horizon

2011-05-11T15:10:00.000-07:00

On the Horizon

Oil on Wood

4"X4"

Saturday brought a steady stream of people through my studio. I enjoyed seeing each and every one and I have been reveling in their attention and appreciation of what I do. It took some days to mess up my space again. There are gaps on the walls where paintings once hung, and unfinished business is piling up as I turn my attention to Maine on the horizon.

Kitchen Window

2011-05-05T18:08:00.000-07:00

Kitchen Window

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

Oh the roses! They're everywhere. Blooming with abandon. It's warm and they are fragrant and seeing them on window sill brings me no end of enjoyment.

Open Studio

2011-05-05T16:14:00.000-07:00

Open Studio

This Saturday - May 7

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

My little space is filled with paintings.

Cool Young Crowd

2011-04-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

The Thrill is Not Gone

2011-04-26T16:12:00.001-07:00

The Thrill is Not Gone

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

Obama Embraces the Crowd

2011-04-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

Obama Embraces the Crowd

Oil on Wood

6"X8"

I'm not over it yet. The goodness the joy. Lovely Lillian Litzsey in electric blue sitting next to us. With the Hayward South County Chapter of Black Women Organized for Political Action, she had a word with the President. The more I paint it, the more I get to have the experience again.

Obama Comes to Town

2011-04-22T14:50:00.001-07:00

Obama Comes to Town

Oil on Wood

6"X6"
SOLD

As our friend, Eric Van Dusen put it, "He was so great, so human, so real. He even made fun of himself. For all the doubters out there, just go see him live and he'll lift you up." Not only that, but he brought all of us together for a moment, in pursuit of the positive, the anything is possible, the we can rise above the petty, the angry, and the ugly. I left there with my better self back in charge.

Downtown

2011-04-19T16:18:00.001-07:00

Downtown

Oil on Wood

10"X8"

SOLD

I spent the morning with painting friends, Kristen and Ellis. We went to see Raimonds Strapans' paintings at Hackett/Mill Gallery in downtown San Francisco. Big, bold, beautiful. We all got excited about his use of color, especially orange, and as usual, I felt like a beginner. Opposite the elevator was this office that looked like a stage set. Not sure what they do there, but it thrilled me every bit as much as the art.

The White House Lawn

2011-04-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

The White House Lawn

Oil on Wood

6"X8"

Maybe I'll go on making paintings of The White House forever. The experience of being there is still with me and I don't want to give it up. Connected to the past, part of the present, and hopeful for the future.

The White House

2011-04-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

The White House

Oil on Wood

8"X6"

Awesome.

Saturday at the Shorey's

2011-04-12T14:27:00.001-07:00

Saturday at the Shorey's

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

White House West Wing

2011-04-11T16:40:00.001-07:00

West Wing

Oil on Wood

6"X6"
SOLD

Yes the White House Garden was wonderful. Stunning. Spacious and Beautiful. Magnolias and cherry blossoms spraying pink petals everywhere. Tulips planted with restraint. And history alive and well, thriving along side the Obama's inspired vegetable garden and cool basketball court. It felt mighty good to be there yesterday with friends and family and people from all over soaking up Spring and a moment of American optimism. Thanks, Pikes and Nelsons. We owe you big time.

Sand Beach

2011-04-05T14:19:00.000-07:00

Sand Beach

Oil on Wood

12"X12"

This is and isn't Sand Beach. Started last year sometime it has crossed the country twice and had quite a makeover in recent weeks. More than anything, it's a memory of summer in Maine. The kind we dream about. Without rain and mosquitoes. Warm and enveloping and a step away from the worries of the real world.

Speaking of the real world, last night I watched "Pressure Cooker," a documentary about a Philadelphia high school course in culinary arts. What it's really about is committed, caring, teaching and motivated, resilient young people. It makes you just want to go out and do some good in the world.

Breakthrough

2011-03-31T16:53:00.002-07:00

Uncharted Waters

Oil on Canvas

24"X30"
SOLD

Finally. I made progress this afternoon. With Mozart filling the room. The sun shining a little too bright. After yet another trusted artist friend suggested more paint, as others have said how many times before. With art books (Diebenkorn, Porter, Thiebaud, Raimonds Staprans) open on the floor. After watching wonderful, creative, song-a-day Jonathan Mann's Kickstarter video. In the throws of a migrane. Finally. I just mixed up a big batch of paint and without hesitation, applied it in a big way. This painting was started in Maine in September. It's come a long way. If you had seen it this morning, you wouldn't recognize it now. I'm not saying it's finished. But something snapped. I let go. And let's hope I will remember how in the morning.

More Ant and Bee

2011-03-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

More Ant and Bee

Oil on Wood

6"X8"

It isn't that I haven't been painting lately. I have. On large canvases. It will be awhile before any of them turn up here, but whatever happens, I think it has pushed me to try new things which trickle down to small paintings so all isn't lost. I certainly have missed doing daily little paintings and posting them and the immediacy of that discipline, not to mention hearing from people who see them.

It's been a dark time. It rained most of the month and gray was the color that dominated my palate. The world is embroiled in staggering death and destruction making my struggle with putting paint on canvas seem mighty insignificant. Now that the sun is shining, I see glimmers of light and am hoping to get back to my more positive self.

At the Museum with Mary

2011-03-21T13:24:00.001-07:00

At the Museum with Mary

Oil on Wood

8"X8"

SOLD

Friday morning in yet another rain storm my neighbor, Mary, and I fled to the Legion of Honor to see the fabulous paper art of Isabelle de Borchgrave. Amazing and fun and beautiful and anything but gray, it was a good antidote to everything going on in and around my studio. I am still struggling with painting large. After taking a few days off from that endeavor, and then relishing the process of painting this little moment with my friend at the museum, I wonder why I don't just stick with what I love.

City Shore March, 2011

2011-03-08T10:56:00.001-08:00

City Shore March, 2011

Oil on Wood

12"X12"

Weather Moving Through

2011-03-03T14:42:00.000-08:00

Weather Moving Through

Oil on Wood

10"X10"

Seeing so many wonderful people in one place at one time at Tuesday night's "Out of Print" show at the Mill Valley Library filled me up to over flowing. I am still recovering.

In the meantime, the weather has been putting on quite a show. Fast moving clouds and a vast array of grays have caught my attention. I just might concentrate on this for awhile. But you never know.

Show Time

2011-02-28T17:18:00.000-08:00

I spent all day at the Mill Valley Library hanging and re-hanging paintings of books. A beautiful, peaceful place filled with books and people enjoying them. The show looks

great, if I may say so myself. I knew I would love seeing the paintings amidst a sea of books. Tomorrow I will take photographs and post them here. Remember, Reception at the Mill valley Library from 6-8p.m.

Children's Book Collection

2011-02-23T15:05:00.000-08:00

Children's Book Collection

Oil on Wood

8"X6"

26 years ago today the youngest of ours was born. Seems like yesterday.

Mother Goose and Madeline

2011-02-18T10:59:00.001-08:00

Mother Goose and Madeline

Oil on Wood

8"X6"

SOLD

Mother Goose

2011-02-17T14:50:00.001-08:00

Mother Goose

Oil on Wood

5"X8"

I sure am glad I held on to these books. Just seeing them on the shelf brings back cherished memories.

Ant and Bee

2011-02-16T10:10:00.000-08:00

Ant and Bee
Oil on Wood
6"X6"

SOLD
"The cup made a very nice home," among other things.

Eloise

2011-02-11T10:06:00.001-08:00

Eloise
Oil on Wood
6"X6"

SOLD

Where's Waldo

2011-02-10T10:26:00.001-08:00

Where's Waldo
Oil on Wood
6"X6"
SOLD

Children's Shelf

2011-02-07T18:28:00.000-08:00

Children's Shelf
Oil on Wood
6"X6"
SOLD
Takes me back. Way back. All those books. All those bedtimes.

Gallery Bookshelf 2

2011-02-03T17:31:00.001-08:00

Gallery Bookshelf 2
Oil on Wood
12"X12"
SOLD
The gallery is Paul Thiebaud. The painting on the shelf is by Pam Sheehan. And I wish my world could be as orderly as this. Or even just one shelf.

Library Shelf 2

2011-02-01T14:35:00.001-08:00

Library Shelf 2
Oil on Wood
12"X12"

Shakespeare

2011-01-28T12:24:00.001-08:00

Shakespeare
Oil on Wood
12"X12"
"Such stuff as dreams are made on."

Library Shelf

2011-01-26T16:00:00.001-08:00

Library Shelf
Oil on Wood
12"X12"
Getting ready to show "Out of Print," paintings about books at The Mill Valley Library March 1-30. Lots to do to get ready. Today I spent several hours trying to remember how to print address labels. Finally I resorted to asking Address Book for help, and then I remembered how easy it is. Still struggling with writing a statement, as requested. I don't like reading them and I don't like writing them. The paintings are about books. As objects and as sparks to our imagination. The stories they contain, the memories we have of reading them, and the connection we feel to all who have turned their pages. Maybe that will be it.

Bottom Shelf

2011-01-21T11:55:00.000-08:00

Bottom Shelf
Oil on Wood
12"X12"
I don't know why books are shelved this way in the back rooms of the library, but they are, and I love the way they look.

Citizenship

2011-01-20T17:08:00.000-08:00

Citizenship Cigar Box
Oil on Wood Cigar Box
6"X6"
It was my friend, Yukari's birthday on Monday, Martin Luther King Day. To commemorate her pending U.S. citizenship, I painted this eagle. A little reminder of a momentous occasion that those of us born here too often take for granted. I love that there is a Republica de Cuba stamp on the box. Some day maybe we will all just be citizens of the world which is how I feel a lot of the time. But until then, it's good to be an American.

Shelved

2011-01-13T16:15:00.001-08:00

Shelved
Oil on Wood
10"X10"
Loosening up. And for a special treat, and a dose of inspiration, I went with my artist friend, Kristen to see Catherine Maize's exquisite little paintings at Paul Thiebaud Gallery on this otherwise gray, wet, winter day. Sunshine for the soul.

Heavy Reading

2011-01-12T11:52:00.001-08:00

Heavy Reading
Oil on Wood
12"X12"

SOLD
I have been painting. But mostly I feel like hibernating. With a good book. Or video. Or friend by my side.

Art and Fear

2011-01-06T14:30:00.001-08:00

Art and Fear
Oil on Wood
12"X12"
On the bedside table, "Art and Fear" by David Bayles and Ted Orland. Time to read it again.

Blue Book

2011-01-05T14:59:00.000-08:00

Blue Book
Oil on Wood
12"X12"
SOLD