Earth, Fire, Wind & Water

I'm finally writing about my new art series titled Earth, Fire, Wind & Water.  The series is in oil paints on canvas with feathers and rocks incorporated into the paint.  I think I've put off writing about this series because the inspiration is a painful one for me and very personal.  I also kind of hate saying that because I really enjoy getting others interpretations of the pieces without influencing them on why I actually painted them.  But here it goes...

As of now the series is 4 paintings, my intention wasn't to name them after the 4 elements, that just fell into place.  Let me start from the beginning.  It's kind of a sad fact that artist are often inspired by turmoil or pain that comes from life, this series was inspired by my last breakup.  With that pain these images flooded into my mind, at the time I was still healing and couldn't bring myself to paint so I sketched them out quickly so that I wouldn't forget them.  Once I got past the actual pain that inspired these pieces I was able to begin painting them, which is a healing process in itself.  These are all self portraits, again, making this series is very personal, and I wanted to do something different, something expressive so I decided to use oils which I haven't done since art school.

Why the feathers and the rocks?  I love feathers, I have collected them for years.  This was putting another piece of myself into these paintings, possibly a piece of hope in all this pain.  The rocks are beautiful but hard, part of the earth, solid, expressing a different part of myself, the rough raged, hard sharp surface of my pain.  However these rocks also sparkle and shine like the stars, no matter how dark things may seem, there is always a light to be found, sometimes you just have to look.

As I painted these images the elements then came into place.  I was looking at all 4 paintings laid out before me and it just hit me, I love nature and the elements, I've painted them in various different ways, it's another part of me. These images are different parts of myself and each image expressed a different side of nature, it was obvious... Earth, Fire, Wind & Water.

So as you can see, this series is very personal to me so it wasn't easy displaying it for the first time in an art show for all to see, which you can read about here.  But I did it and it was a great experience, it turned out people enjoyed my new series and not only that but some of them saw power, joy, strength and much more that I didn't expect in these images.  What do you see?

Wind

Fire

P.S. There is more to come to this series, this isn't the end.

2014

For the past four years I have developed a tradition for myself to create a list of goals and resolutions for the New Year and reflect on what major events have happened in my life during the last year.  It started on myspace, then went to facebook and now I’m bringing it to my blog.
2013 was a rough year, I didn’t reach as many goals as I would have liked but I did reach some and will roll over the one’s I didn’t reach in 2013 to 2014.

The not so good: At the beginning of 2013 my boyfriend and I of two years broke up, so this has been a year of healing my heart and trying to get myself back out into the dating world.  Which let me tell you, isn’t an easy world but I’m trying to stay positive.
One of the Hipline (where I work) locations closed, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just a transition with growing pains along the way.  The commute is longer for me and it’s been an adjustment but it’s getting easier.  My eye finally stopped twitching about 2 months into the change, happens when I’m stressed.

The good: I got a new roommate and she’s awesome! Super sweet, responsible and just a cool considerate person and I’m grateful to have found her on craiglist, so seeing as she was a complete stranger that could have gone a completely different way!
I got a raise! ;)
The goals I achieved from 2013 were do a detox, I felt great after and want to do it again soon.
I tried out different studios and found a new addiction, acroyoga!  I plan on doing more in 2014.
 I started a new art series and have 4 more to go to finish it.
I did another 5k which was the Neon Fun Run which was a blast and glad to have experienced it with some great friends!
I donated my time to the SPCA to work with their doggies which was a great experience.  It got hard going into the city every week so I had to stop but I plan on doing it again, perhaps when they finish construction on the Oakland SPCA.

Goals for 2014

Make January a self love month. Every day I will do something for myself, such as:

-Good for my body: Dance, workout, acroyoga, a massage, a mani padi…

-Good for my mind: Read a book, learn something new…

-Good for my heart: Spend more time with friends, take myself out on dates, focus on something positive about myself and nurture that…

-Good for my soul: Get out into nature more, write more, work on art…

Get a new used bike
Find love and join match.com – so if you know anyone I’m looking ;)
Do game nights with friends at my place once a month
Focus more on developing my art in different ways
Do another detox
Attend a workshop outside of Hipline (I will do this eventually!)
Try out other dance studios and get better at acroyoga
Make a costume
Cut back on sugar
Eat more veggies and fruit
Work toward making changes for the better in every part of my life and think more positively
Continue looking and having art shows
Finish my newest art series
Spend less money and save more

I’ve found making a list instead of just having one goal puts much less stress pressure on myself throughout the year to do that one goal.  Some people have a grand goal and if they don’t succeed they feel down or guilty about it.  However with multiple goals there’s a better chance you’ll succeed at at least a few and you’ll feel better and more accomplished by the end of the year and then just add the one’s you didn’t get to to next year.  So if you’re like me I recommend coming up with your own list and having fun with it.  Good luck to everyone on reaching your goals this year!  Make 2014 the biggest and best year yet! :)

Women in my life

This blog is dedicated to the amazing women in my life.  I was going to write about my new series but that will have to wait until next week as it's just not what I need to write about today.  Today I have immense love for the women in my life, I am blessed to have the love and support of these women.

We all go through ups and downs in our lives and I've realized no matter what these ladies will be here for me and I for them.  I am never truly alone and that thought gives me strength and confidence.  It also teaches me that the hard times will come but it will pass and I will come out the other side stronger and wiser.  I've also learned that it's okay to feel it, you need to feel it, don't ignore those emotions or else they will eat you up.

I know this blog probably seems kinda random but I hope you take something away from it and I will offer this, when going through something:
1. Feel it, let it wash over you, accept it and then move on.
2. Talk, don't be afraid to talk to those that care about you and about what you're feeling.  If they truly love you they will listen.
3. Learn and grow from the experience.  Sometimes that's all you can do, it may not be what you want but as long as you take some sort of life lesson from it then it's made you a better person.
4. Realize you are love, you are beauty and you are unbelievably special!

I sparkle, I shine!

Wanting - Original Gouache Painting

Wanting from Friends & Strangers Series

New art up on my etsy titled Wanting!  Recently I've been trying to get into the habit of either posting to my etsy shop or posting a blog, so far so good, aren't you proud of me?!

Wanting is part of the Friends & Strangers series, the man in this image is a stranger, at least at the moment.  What inspired this image was my longing for partnership.  Don't get me wrong, I'm about woman empowerment, being a strong independent women, all my single ladies put your hands up!  I love my life, my friends, my family, my job (working with all women), I'm grateful for everything I have but I'm going to be honest here, I do feel that missing something, that wanting for someone special.

So, this is that wanting put into paint, my hope to find love some day.  This is also why the image is cast in shadow, I don't know who he will be or what he will look like but until he comes out from the shadows I will focus on what makes me a happy single lady.

Lets dance to that!

Rising to the Surface

Yes, I am slowly but surely finding my way back up from the depths.  I've been sifting my way through some hard life, for lack of a better word, stuff.  This as well as my newest art series has consumed my time and my drive.  What little drive I had was going toward the new series to finish it in time for my art show.

So, I am working through my stuff and trying to find my light again and I think posting here, in my etsy and searching for positivity and passions (old or new) is helping.  Basically my candle was blown out and I'm trying to relight my flame, easier said than done but one step at a time.

So this blog isn't completely my rambling and devoid of art here is a new adition to my etsy shop!  It is titled "Mel" and is a part of my Friends & Strangers series.  This is a friend, an old roommate of mine actually who I've stayed friends with over time and she's super awesome!

Mel - From Friends & Strangers

  Can you tell what's surrounding her face?  Some people get it right away and some need a little help, can you figure it out? :)

Art Show: Temescal Lanesplitter's

Water and Wind

 Hey all!  I'm back to it, we'll see how long I last this time! Haha!  Any who, this blog is all about my art show at the Oakland Temescal Lanesplitter's Pizza and Pub.  I had my art up for the month of October displaying some of my previous series of work "Friends & Strangers" as well as 4 pieces from my new series "Earth, Fire, Wind & Water".

Earth and Fire

 The art reception went as great as my last Lanesplitter's show, actually even better because the bathrooms didn't flood this time!  There was a great turn out and a good steady flow of my wonderful friends!  The show was supposed to end at 9:30pm but the last of the group didn't leave until 11pm, which was great!  I also sold my "Andrea" portrait from my "Friends & Strangers" series and got a lot of good feedback about my new series.  I really enjoyed getting everyone's point of view. 

 I'm not going to say too much on the new series as I like everyone to interpret it in their own way.  I will say that it is oil paint with feathers and rocks incorporated and they are all self portraits.  Now let your imagination go from there!  I will be posting the new paintings in my etsy shop soon!

Emeryville Market Reception

 The reception went great!  Nicky and I came up with a last minute dark theme as we were shopping for goodies.  As you can see in the pic below it was mainly dark colored treats including chocolate chocolate chip cookies I made, red wine and black plates and napkins.

We got their early to eat, set up and, as I figured, people started showing up about an hour and a half into the beginning of the reception time.  It was nice to have a friend their to chat with until people started to make their way in.  Once people started showing we had a great group.  The reception was spent talking about our art, eating, drinking and just spending time with our friends.  I also auctioned off a small piece of art in which a friend and fellow Hipliner Laura Andel won!

My muse Andrea posing with her portrait

 The market closes at 9pm so we were nicely kicked out a little after that time and a smaller group of us decided to keep the fun going with a few games of pool at a pool hall next door.

What a great group of goofballs!

 All in all it was a great night!  If you haven't stopped by the market yet our art will be up for a few more days, the last day will be either Friday the 2nd or Saturday the 3rd.