Another new painting

I was asked to participate in a show in April at the Kennedy Gallery Art Center, how could I refuse, it's all about flowers! I have always wanted to do a red poppy so I thought this was my chance! So, here is Red Poppy, acrylic on 20x20 gallery wrap canvas. And a close up... does it make you want to sneeze??? :) Be creative! Tj.

Haight Ashbury

I finished the Haight Ashbury painting that I started a while ago. It was originally for the February Virtual Paintout challenge, but... I didn't finish it. Well until now and it's no longer February!

Anyway... I went back to the YMCA for my water aerobics class today and it felt great! It has been one month since I've gone, that was my flu, cough, cracked rib, era... ! I have been starting to feel like a slug... not having been for so long and I had been attending 4 or 5 times a week! Hopefully it won't take me long to recover!!!

Next on the easel, for the Bee show in May!!

Be well! Tj.

I do love spring! And I love flowers… particularly daisies and sunflowers. I have not shared any of my art for a while so I thought I'd post some I've painted over the years, below.

I currently have one piece on my easel, it is of the corner of Haight and Ashbury in San Francisco. Coming along nicely and should be able to finish it this weekend, at least I hope so because I have other projects I need to work on.

I took off work yesterday afternoon and took a glass fusing class with 3 of my cousins. It was really fun to spend time with them and interesting learning about the process, and putting together a project! When we left we all had pieces in the kiln, firing away! I can not wait to see the end results.

Future artistic endeavors… I am participating in a show in May, a Bee show. It is a benefit for Honey Bee research at the University of Davis. I hope they get a big crowd and we sell much art. After all, without the Honey Bee we would all bee in trouble! Ha! Bee in trouble… I've been coming up with all kinds of affirmations since I signed up… Bee happy! Bee extraordinary. Bee yourself! Bee inspired! Bee brave… ok you get the idea. I might do some cards or small works of art to take also and incorporate them. We will see!

The other project I am working on is my largest to date! My very good friend Carolee and her husband took a wonderful trip to Italy last fall. The photos they took while there are just beautiful, they were quite taken with it all. Carolee has commissioned me to do a painting for them based on some of their photos. The big blank canvas is 5' by 3'. Biggest canvas I have every attempted but I feel really ready to jump in! I've done some sketches for them, and am almost ready to start slinging paint!

More to come, for now Bee well!! HA! Tj.

Happy Spring!

Yes spring is in the air! Here are a few photos I took today in my backyard and down at SouthSide Park... Happy Spring!!!

Happy St. Patricks Day!!

More photos

Second Saturday was fun. Spent time with family and friends, great art, and interesting moments! But I'm really tired today! Here are some more photos to share. Local wildlife, and some sunsets! Enjoy!!! Tj.

What??

I took myself to the doctor yesterday. I didn't know this was even something that can happen but... I still have a cough lingering from the flu and because of the cough, I cracked a rib! You can crack a rib coughing??? Did anyone know that? The doctor said it is much more common than you would think. Bla. Am I ever going to get back to the YMCA and my water aerobics classes?? YES I AM!!! I really miss it.

Today I helped (and I used that word very loosely here) hang the show at the Marco Fuoco Gallery. So ok with my sore ribs didn't really help. My friends Carol and Sue did all the real work, I can't sling a hammer right now. But I did use my left hand to fill holes, and I also secured sculptures to pedestals. The place looks great, I am excited about this show. My very first photography show and my photos and my cousin Louise's photos are hanging right next to each other! Speaking of photos, here are a few sunsets that I captured! The last one tell me what is that blue light? Aliens? Ha ha ha ha... be well... Tj.

Second Saturday!

This month is a little different. No painting, I'm getting back into photography. I will have 5 photos hanging at the Marco Fuoco Gallery. Here is the postcard. The flower photo is one of my cousin Louise's photos! Just beautiful.

The series of photos I will be showing, (in my post below), were taken in the quaint little historic town of Locke CA. Locke was founded in 1915 after a fire broke out in the Chinese section of nearby town of Walnut Grove. The Chinese who lived in that area decided that it was time to establish a town of their own. A committee of Chinese merchants who approached land owner George Locke and inquired if they could build on his land. An agreement was reached. The town was laid out by Chinese architects and industrious building ensued. The founding of Lockeport, later 'Locke', was a reality. By 1920 Locke stood essentially as it is today. In the 1940's restaurants, bakeries, herb shops, fish markets, gambling halls, boarding houses, brothels, grocery stores, a school, clothing stores, and the Star Theatre lined the bustling streets of Locke. Today it is mostly art galleries, museums, gift stores and a couple of bars and restaurants. The whole main street is about 2 city blocks long. On August 2, 1970, Locke was added to the registry of national historical places because of its unique status as the only town in the United States built exclusively by the Chinese for the Chinese.

The photo series was all done in the Dai Loy museum, the former gambling house of Locke. The first is called Pai Gow Tiles, the next I called Lucky Numbers, both of them the photo is 10x8 matted and framed in 14x11 frame. The 3rd image is called Chinese Lottery Balls, this photo is 14x11 matted and framed in 20x14 frame. The 4th image I called Lottery Box, it is 10x8 photo matted and framed in 14x11 frame. And the 5th image is called Lottery room view, this photo is 14x11 matted and framed in 20x14 frame and I think my favorite of the series, might be because I know my hubby is in the background! See him through the cage window? All mats are white and are archival quality, all frames are black wood. Makes for a nice contrast! I am very please with this first photo series that I've done, I hope the crowd who attend the gallery show do to!.

I have always really been into taking photos. As a young child I remember we had one of those Kodak Duaflex cameras that the view finder was in the top and you had to look down into the camera to see what you were shooting. Then I received a Kodak instamatic camera for a birthday I think. It was a back loader with the film in a cartridge so you couldn't really mess up the film, I found this old ad for the very camera! To load it is to love it! HA!!

In the early 70's I moved on to a Kodak pocket instamatic, with the spining cube flash bulbs. 4 flashes in one! It was quite the thing, small easy to carry around in your purse or pocket! I think I used that for quite a while. Look at this photo, I even remember it had the red button! Around that time my cousin Louise was really into photography. She even had a dark room that I loved to go in. I thought she was so cool, she really got me into photography! I got a used 35mm camera that I really didn't understand and it seemed so hard to use and complicated. But I tried! Then my mon got a Polaroid! Wow instant photos, who knew! My first real artistic photo experiences didn't start until the early 80's when I got my Pentax K-1000. With that camera I did lots of creative things. I even had a little side business for a while, I called it "Take a picture it will last longer" Photos by Tj. I had the privilege to photograph weddings, events, bands and even a birth! I had that camera for years but then came the digital age. My very first digital camera sucked, it was really bad. Not good images, not good lighting, things were grainy. I don't even remember what it was but I wasn't very happy with it.
Within a few months I decided to splurge. I bought a very nice very expensive Sony Cybershot with a Carl Zeiss Lens. Just like this! It was a great camera that served me well for about 9 years. But, it was wearing out and I knew I needed a new one. Then it was stolen! So, now I've got my new Cannon Rebel Ti1, digital SLR and I love it! I am retraining myself on how to use an SLR, it's been a long time since I had my Pentax which was an SLR film camera, but I'm remembering! And I'm really enjoying getting back into photography again. I don't think I'll ever photo weddings again, that was so much work, but I am going to get creative and do some artsy fartsy things with it! I love my new camera and will be ever grateful to my fabulous in-laws for such a wonderful gift! Be well… be creative! Tj.

Photography

My hubby and I took my new camera out today on a small road trip! We took a drive down to the little historic delta town of Locke. The town was founded in 1915 after fire destroyed a Chinese neighborhood of a nearby town. To learn more go to the Locke website.

I took a bunch of photos, we went there so I could get specifically the Dai Loy Museum the former gambling house. It is really cool, almost can hear and smell history! I think these photos are the ones I am going to show at the Marco Fuoco Gallery for the March show. No painting in this show only Photos, 3-D art and video art. I wanted to do something different... I think this works!

I have not yet finished the Haight Ashbury painting, I hope to soon. Next? Well my very best friend Carolee has comissioned me to do a very large painging for her. A compilation from their trip to Italy, I can't wait to get started! It's huge! 60x36. Ok, until next time... be well. Tj

Where have I been???

Just checking in… I've been sick. The Flu decided to invade, last Wednesday, like a vast little phlegm army marching in 10 x 10 and overtaking me like some foreign country. I woke up achy and my chest felt like someone was sitting on it. Wheezy, coughing, fever… bla. Today is the first day I left the house and I am feeling much better… not healthy yet, but so much better! The last 5 days I did much of nothing but sleep. Thank goodness for my hubby and daughter or I might have starved or drowned... Weeks from now you would have heard "Woman rescued from a pool of her own snot, news at 10..." I just hope they don't get invaded too, my thanks to you both, love you! So geeze aren't you glad you tuned in today! Sorry for the graphics…

I intended to finish a painting I started a couple of weeks ago for the Virtual Paint Out challenge. It was for the February challenge in San Francisco and I LOVE SF! But, it was due no later than yesterday. Well, I did paint yesterday but did not have the energy to complete it. Oh well, it's going to be a good painting, just not part of that challenge.

This is a photo of the google map image that I chose for this challenge, it is the corner of Haight and Ashbury. Please do check out the Virtual Paint Out blog, some great SF scenes by some wonderful artists! I'll post mine to my blog when it's done. Such is life sometimes huh… you just have to give in, rest and get better when it hits. But I missed life! Good to be back!!!

I hope you are all well! Now go create!!! Tj.