A work in progress..: Gearing Up....

For a new year, that is. And in doing so, I'd like to share some new paintings....and some musings about what I'd like to accomplish in 2009.

The Painting below is titled "The Bridge"...... because in 2009 I want to "bridge" the gap between my job as "administrative assistant" (my bread and butter bliss) and that of "the artist" (my weekend bliss). There has to be a way to have the energy to be creative on a work night....to bring my "artist" weekend life into my work week. I'll let you know how this goes, the blending of the two.

For those of you who are also crossing that bridge, check out career coach, Tama Kieves. She is a no nonsense, "you gotta do it!", cheerleader. What a gifted writer she is! She makes making those important life-altering decisions fun, courageous and ultimately essential. I encourage all to read her book "This Time I Dance"....available on Amazon.

The abstract still-life below, of fruit and flowers, reminds me to "see" everyday things with a creative eye. The table clothe in the painting, featuring roses, was one of my inspirations for pursuing my latest venture: hand painting linen table clothes. These clothes are utilitarian, but I like to call them "textile art" because they could also be framed just like a painting can, or they can be used as a wall hanging, or as a sofa throw, etc. There really are so many uses for them. I will be debuting them here on my blog probably sometime in early 2009. In the meantime, I hope you keep an "abstract" eye out for the ordinary things around you...it's really quite phenomenal when you look closely at everyday things and realize how "abstract" they are.

Okay, so, the thing about the pear painting below is that it is somewhat of a self-portrait as I have become quite like a pear lately. For those of you who have known me a long time, I used to be very slender, willowy, even skinny at times. But now I am more like a pear.

I kind of like being like a pear; I like having a dash of "the Marilyn" more than a dose of Popeye's girl, Ms. Olive Oil (although I use enough of the "olive" to be her!). What's cool about a pear is if you look deeply enough into it, you'll see all kinds of lively and interesting things going on. We're all a bit of a pear, aren't we?!

With gusto, here's a few things I'm focusing on as 2009 approaches:

1) A membership to "Curves". That's right, because being a nicely shaped pear is better than being a mushy one.

2) Turn my "tree-house" art studio into a show-case that features my paintings and textiles by appointment....and to quote my good friend, Kristie, "we'll see".

3) Plan that trip to Paris, and go "dammit".

4) Work in my art journal daily.

5) Adopt a doggie, or two, or three, or....

6) Hop on over to Moab this winter to beat the crowds and the heat and see the dusting of snow on the red rock arches.