Your SLO County Art Guide for October…

I’m opening my studio along with many other artists in San Luis Obispo county. Come see my recent artwork and the source material behind those paintings. A little hint…dead branches and macarons. This 24th Annual Open Studios Art Tour is hosted by SLO County Arts Council. I am only participating on the following dates:

  • Saturday, October 15 and Sunday, October 16

  • 10:00am to 5:00pm both days with a closing party from 3:00pm to 5:00pm on Sunday

  • Catalog Studio #4, 1921 Vine St., Paso Robles

It gets better. I was selected to be one of the twenty-one artists to participate in the “preview show” at Hotel SLO (877 Palm St.) on Friday, October 7 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm for Art After Dark. I’ll be there so please swing by and say hello.

Many people have asked about the image at the bottom of the Contact Page of my website. Initially, I wanted to paint this message on the OUTside of my garage to remind me and others every day of the impact of art. I thought better of that idea so I painted this Martin Heidegger quote inside of my studio garage door. I’m grateful for Martin Heidegger’s wise words. He argues that “art is not only a way of expressing the element of truth in a culture, but the means of creating it and providing a springboard from which "that which is" can be revealed.” Pithy words…both statements are worth re-reading again and again. See for yourself during the studio visit.

One last thing while you’re exploring art. Be sure to check out Alyssa Monks: Be Perfectly Still, A Retrospective that continues at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (1010 Broad Street, San Luis Obispo) through November 13. It’s not to be missed. Her attention to detail, light and water is truly remarkable. And be sure to walk around the corner from the museum and visit Edna Contemporary Fine Art (583 Dana Street, San Luis Obispo.)

In Good Company...

Found a New Home

I’m happy to report Untitled #1 (blue) found a new home, and the fun thing is this work of art is hanging in a wine cellar with other complementary art. The inspiration for this piece is the point off of San Simeon Bluffs. The owners like to hike so perhaps the next time they do that trail, they will see what moved me.

Covid on the Eiffel Tower

When I was 21 and in Paris, I was probably traveling on $10 per day. I don’t recall but I was either short on money or my quads were burning from climbing the stairs. Regardless, I never went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. On my recent trip to Bordeaux and Paris this summer, I was determined to “complete” this experience by taking the elevator to the top. And of course, the views are remarkable. Upon my return, I tested positive for Covid and fortunately, I only experienced a runny nose. By isolating at home, I had plenty of time to sort through the images. There is a lot of source material to consider for future paintings. I like the wall of bricks, shapes and colors of the macarons, the gradation of color from the cognac bottles and the outline of buildings.

Start, Stop, Start, Stop

The last few months my life seems to be full of starting a painting, stopping, starting and stopping. This is also true for this blog post. I have started it a number of times and then something comes up that requires my attention. When I come back to the painting or blog post it seems irrelevant. Is it simply me or is anyone else experiencing this phenomenon? More importantly, how do you manage it? I would love to hear. I tend to schedule studio time or social media in my calendar and yet, a particular situation arises, like a hot day or emergency, which seems more important or is a distraction. I’m not particularly fond of the word “seems” because the word “seems” to be a false statement or possibly a backhanded politeness. For example, “he seems to be busy…” or “she seems to be pleased…”

I brought up this topic with my fellow art friends and they shared two tips and they are:

  • leave the studio with something exciting happening on a piece

  • play with a sketch or write using the less dominant hand

Try these tips and let me know how it goes. And please share your own tip(s) by clicking on the comments area at the bottom of this blog post.

Back to scheduling our calendars; let’s not miss

Up until August 22, 2022 at Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, CA Alternate Realities: Altoon, Diebenkorn, Lobdell, Woelffer. These are some of my favorite and most influential artists. I love Frank Lobdell.

Up until September 2, 2022 at Brand Library and Art Center is a group exhibition called Abstract Los Angeles: Four Generations. Abstract art thrives. This show explores the continued dialog between artists over a period that spans roughly 80 years.

One of my all-time favorite artists is Carlos Almaraz. His work captures the essence of Los Angeles. The great news is The Cheech opened in June at the Riverside Art Museum and could possibly be the first museum in the U.S. dedicated to showcasing Chicano art. This is an A-list of artists ranging from Carlos Almaraz to Frank Romero and Patssi Valdez. Be sure to check out this center.