For the Love of It

"What motivates you to paint?" Someone asked me that question last week at the opening reception of Visual Arts Alliance 40th Juried Membership Exhibition at Redbud Arts Center. One of the things I've been working on is how to talk about my art in the moment, but this seemed like a much bigger question. It was loud at the opening reception, as it often is at such events, and questions about motivation seem better suited to a conversation one might have at say, a quiet cafe over a cup of coffee. I did my best to answer, rather unsatisfactorily, and have continued to mull over the question for the last several days. 

There's a phrase in an old John Denver song, "...coming home to a place I'd never been before." On the best of days, when standing at my easel completely absorbed in the process of transfering ideas from globs of mixed paint on my palette to a no longer blank canvas, my heart, soul, and fingers feel both energized and at peace, if that makes any sense. It is akin to coming home. And the place I've never been before? That was me, 20 years ago, the first time I held a paintbrush in front of a canvas on an easel and started transferring visions and ideas to a two dimensional surface. 

Which seems like a lot of words to say that I LOVE painting and especially love painting portraits. The above painting is my second portrait painting in this small size. (I just now realized that I neglected to blog about the other painting. Oops. I did post about it on Instagram, but not the same thing as blogging about it.) In case anyone is interested in commissioning a portrait, please contact me. Become one of my many happy patrons and let me immortalize your loved one on canvas. 

Deux Shows -- July 13 & July 17

It's a wonderfully busy summer in my little art world. My most recent painting of the Amazing Reese and our grandson, Theodore, was accepted into Archway Gallery's Sixteenth Annual Juried Exhibition, the opening reception for which will be on July 13th, from 5-8pm, with juror remarks and awards at 6:30pm. Internationally recognized artist, Lydia Bodnar-Balahutrak is the juror for this show. It's always a priveledge to have my work seen and chosen by people so well regarded in the art world. 

As we were driving to a friend's house for supper last night, we drove past the gallery, and I popped in for a quick look at the exhibit. As you enter the front door, my painting is the first painting on the left on the wall to the left of the front door. Does that make sense?

Archway Gallery is air conditioned, which is an important detail to mention, especially because so many Houstonians are still without power after Hurricane Beryl, which even though the weather people said that it was only a category 1 hurricane, as someone who lived through it, and has lived through other hurricanes in Houston over the past 40-ish years, it felt much more violent than just a category 1. Sadly, our house is still without power, but, happily, some of our dear friends have invited us to use their gloriously air conditioned home while they are out of town. Yay for air conditioning! 

And, here's a reminder that the opening reception for the Visual Arts Alliance 40th Juried Membership Exhibition is on July 17th, at Redbud Arts Center from 6-8pm. At the Bus Stop will be on view there, along with 46 other works in the show.  

Reese and I will be in attendance at both events. Come say hi!

Archway Gallery's address is 2305 Dunlavy, Houston, TX 77006

Redbud Arts Center's address is 303 East 11th Street, Houston, TX 77008