My Wing Sailing

One of my favorite places, with a couple of my favorite people, doing what we love to do. My Wing Sailing is now on youtube. I used the music of one of my favorite bands, Air Traffic to accompany this little film. To read a little more see She Dreamed in Verse and Rhyme.

Photos by Stella

400 Plates

Tonight was the first time I've attended the Plates Fundraiser at Art Access. Because this event is so popular and Salt Lake's art patrons are willing to fight for artwork, sale of the plates is now conducted in a more docile, organized manner. First, patrons have one hour to make a map of which artworks they are interested in so they can get right to it. Next they wait for their name to be drawn ($25 for each name) then they can pick one artwork and buy it right then. It's pretty fast and exciting. I watched Kim Brown (lower left hand corner in the photo above) ring her pretty hands and try not to pass out waiting for her name to be called. Dan Barney was one of the first called and he purchased a Mark England painting (photo above Kim). While I waited for my name to be called I got to visit with some collectors who gave my ego a big boost. I'm trying to live what Maya Angelou said, "Don't pick it up and don't put it down." That's hard when people are saying really nice things and when just a few minutes after the sale starts, someone comes in to tell me that my paintings are all sold.
My name was finally called and I bought one I'd had my eye on, by Jason Jones (middle photo). A pink airplane and rainbow...nice! My sister Em also sold all of hers by the time I got in there. My dad had one piece that people could bid on. Waiting in line to pay, this nice couple showed me that they were buying two of mine. It was all very exciting. Thanks to all of the really nice people!

I gessoed my panels today. I like the prep work. It's sort of like I put work into the panel, building a caring, tactile relationship with the surface. That sounds a little strange but if I just painted on whatever I might not approach painting on it with that little bit if reverence.

It's time to paint

The sign on my studio door warns, "Beware of Flying Brushes." Earl Grenville Killeen

I'm holding tightly to my brushes, don't worry. Since Cannon Beach, I'm been a little whirlwind, spinning from one thing to the next until I was too tired to even think about painting...until today. I've spent my time this last week catching up with business and scheduling, gardening and I redecorated my kitten's bedrooms. All of that was great but I can tell when it's time to get back to work and...it's time. Today I worked on paintings that were already in progress. I painted a really cool swan. Ya. I have a list of new paintings that I get to start and it's a big list so now that I'm warmed up, I'm going to gesso tomorrow and get to it. The smell of fresh gesso makes my mouth water and my hands sweaty...delicious. How is a girl to sleep with this much excitment?

Art Theft

I hope I'm so famous one day that people will risk jail time in order to own my artwork. This is the third time this year! Oh James, how would it feel to be you? The story here.

300 Plates

This weekend in Salt Lake City, Art Access will host their annual fundraiser, 300 Plates. It will be part of the gallery stroll on Friday, May 16 but on Thursday, May 15 is the actual event. I've heard that the structure of the event has changes due to bodily injuries from fighting over artwork. This year, every minute there will be five names drawn, entitling those individuals to purchase one plate each. The plates randomly range in price from $65 to $365. It's a good way to own original work from some of Utah's top artists.

The plates are recycled printer's plate, 11" X 10". I really like participating in this event because the money goes to the Art Access and I like painting on the metal. My paintings were all titled, Little Girls in Crimson Dresses.

Stendhal Sydrome

Kate just sent me this. Psychosomatic? I don't think so! I totally have this. I'm going to call my mom right now and try to get some sympathy for my newly discovered condition.


Stendhal syndrome
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For the film, see The Stendhal Syndrome.

The Stendhal syndrome was named after Marie-Henri Beyle (January 23, 1783 – March 23, 1842), better known by his penname Stendhal
Stendhal syndrome or Stendhal's syndrome is a psychosomatic illness that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, confusion and even hallucinations when an individual is exposed to art, usually when the art is particularly 'beautiful' or a large amount of art is in a single place. The term can also be used to describe a similar reaction to a surfeit of choice in other circumstances, e.g. when confronted with immense beauty in the natural world.
It is named after the famous 19th century French author Stendhal (pseudonym of Henri-Marie Beyle), who described his experience with the phenomenon during his 1817 visit to Florence, Italy in his book Naples and Florence: A Journey from Milan to Reggio.
Although there are many descriptions of people becoming dizzy and fainting while taking in Florentine art, especially at the Uffizi, dating from the early 19th century on, the syndrome was only named in 1979, when it was described by Italian psychiatrist Graziella Magherini, who observed and described more than 100 similar cases among tourists and visitors in Florence. The syndrome was first diagnosed in 1982.
The term is often used when describing the reactions of audiences to music of the Romantic period.

Crop Report

Yes indeed, I planted the peanuts this weekend. What? Peanuts come from peanuts? I thought they'd be...seeds. I'm serious, I was so surprised. I am learning so much. I have to say that my neighbors are skeptical. My cute garden is at the side of the house where people passing stop to discuss my crops... often. It's fun. Seems that everybody has something to say about gardening or about me gardening. Some people share wisdom and some just like to mock. I had to extend the garden because I planted to many pumpkins and melons and gourds. I need a farm. I took down a part of the fence and dug up a section of grass. Sheesh! that was hard work. I figure if my pumpkins go wild I'll just toss the vines over the fence into my brother's yard. When is the state fair? I have so much to do!

I love those peanut babies. If this works I'm going to take a peanut to every person who questioned my endeavor. If I get a good crop (that's funny) maybe I'll whip up some peanut butter and make sandwiches and pass them out to the neighbors. Next year I might even want to dig up the rest of the yard to plant more. If I crash and burn...oh well!

Now what is in the picture below? My little tiny peas are growing. I'm about to cry just thinking about it. This is so exciting.