“Marching Forth”
As you might already know, I relocated to Astoria, Oregon recently. This move has been a jolt, wonderfully charged with change and renewal. These first few months in a new town and home has taken me more inward and away from my normal daily engagement with social media. What has become known in our social media driven world as “content creation” has been replaced by long adventurous walks with my dog Willomina and her sister Reba - discovering our new town and remote beaches, gazing up at stars now more visible, and carefully curating the build outand staging of my new basement studio. I am seeing how being in a new environment has changed my habits and created in me a greater degree of contentment which, much to my surprise, has brought me away from social media. This is a good thing!
I appreciate you taking the time to read this blog, I often feel due to my decreased “presence” on social media, as though I have disappeared. Most days I have been fully focused on the logistical needs to get the studio in place with looming March deadlines. This has been a physical feat for me doing much of it myself, as I have in the past. I am happy that I am able bodied along with some very good friends here in Astoria whom have helped every step the way.
New Studio Update
Photo collage featuring students and works created during my 2022 Guanajuato, Mexico art retreat. Look for information on art retreats in 2024, coming soon!
Since returning from teaching in Mexico January 21, it is remarkable how much has been done, the basement got a wall constructed and was painted white, the flat files were moved in, a utility sink installed, all furniture painted white, paper dispensers installed and two work tables await a stainless tops. Finally, the press was moved in, its table with only 1/16” to spare through the doorway! The gearbox and crank from my press was shipped to Takach Press Co. for recalibration, its crank is being replaced by its newly arrived Captains Wheel crank, something I have always wanted - it saves space and is better for the back. Gone will be the crank handle that I kept hitting my head on when reaching for my paper! Next, I created pegboard storage for tools and hardware, painted my oil painting cart and put that below, created a new “wax central”, organized my supplies and installed lighting. I am enjoying the organizing part the most! While some of the boxes I unpacked had random combinations of things lovingly packed by my friends in Portland, the way my previous studio was organized really helped to sift through things and everything is finding its right place.
While a lot of work is going into the details, I am finding it necessary for staging and paving the way to work at the highest level possible. The assembly of the new wax cart was next followed by installing ventilation for which the new house gifted a pre-drilled exterior hole in the most perfect spot! White oak “Luxury vinyl” (oxymoron?) flooring will follow, luckily everything is on wheels so this should be a pretty easy and fast job. It is all going exactly as I envisioned! This transition has brought me away from creating art and I have had to keep reminding myself it is all part of the creative process. During this time, I am capturing and storing visually my new surroundings, writing and having vivid dreams. I look forward to seeing what comes out as a result of this when I’m finally working in there which is almost on the immediate horizon!
Follow me on Instagram to stay up to date with the studio progress!
A Legacy Continues
My Portland home and studio has officially sold! The reason I share this is that my house was situated in a highly developable area so, there was the potential it would be leveled for another apartment building with no parking. BUT, much to the relief of my neighbors, that didn’t happen!
It was so important to me and, albeit, a totally romantic notion, that an artist buy the house to pass on the legacy and feed off of all the energy that was left there by so many of you, my workshops, friends, pets and my creative life there. Well, that is exactly what happened! Within four days on the market, a first time home buyer relocating to take a position at Artist’s Repertory Theatre purchased the house with the specific intent of continuing the creative legacy that existed there. Yay!
Congratulations to the new owner of this very special place that I will forever hold in my heart.
Rebuilt Red Bessie
February saw the departure of my beloved 1998 Volvo, a.k.a. Rebuilt Red Bessie RRB.I loved that car and all 232,000 miles of her. I donated RRB to the local North Coast radio station here; KMUN, which I listen to all the time. I especially love listening to The Ship Report with a cup of hot coffee on Winter mornings while gazing at the ships and water from my window. The time had come to get a newer version of the Wag Wax Wagon. I found a newer model with extra cargo space for the pups and paintings, she came all the way from New Paltz, NY where my Aunt Louise used to live. I’m calling her Pearl of Astoria and looking forward to many road trips and maybe even one to see my mom Rose during her 95th year that she Marches Forth into TODAY! Happy Birthday Mom!
Happy 95th Birthday to my Mom, Rose!
Photo: My sister, Lynn, Mom, and me wearing my art.
