Work related to art

"California Cuisine"

The business of art is keeping me busy the last few days. I am in the process of preparing for the Silicon Valley Open Studios in May. I will be hosting 5 other artist at my home on the weekend of May 9 and 10. "California Cuisine" is one of my pieces that I feature on the SVOS website. You can check out artists here: http://www.svos.org/search.php

Yesterday I went through my artwork to select pieces that I want to mat and frame. Some pieces I will simply bag as is or bag with mat and backing. Actually the process is rather fun. I squirrel away much of what I paint, and it's pleasing to get out everything and look at the body of work and select the strongest pieces. I also spent some time lining up Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society workshops for 2012. Can you believe that we've filled 2010, 2011, and much of 2012? I love talking with the excellent artists we engage. You can check out upcoming workshops here: http://www.scvws.org/workshops/wkshp2009.php and http://www.scvws.org/workshops/20010.php

I created "California Cuisine" as part of the series I did during a Mike Bailey workshop. Mike just pulls out all the stops on himself and the participants. This is one of 20 full-sheet paintings that evolved from a simple still life that featured a bottle of olive oil, a bowl, a spatula, an egg, and a jar. Those elements are in this piece with some embellishments. I love California Poppies. They conjure up warm sunshine, fresh air, garden smells, still-green hillsides, and spring in Santa Clara Valley.