studiomargo

Oregon margO

2012-01-22T22:14:00.000-08:00

We are gearing up for our first adventure to Portland, Oregon! I have the opportunity to get cozy with the Northwest at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. Below are the four encaustic paintings that are currently showing at the PCPA until mid March.I am excited to check out Portland and I hope you are as well. I know that the 'robots' have been taking the front stage in the studio for the last year or so however, I am excited to have the minimal and abstract work meet 2012. I will be curious to see what the art scene is like in Portland. I have heard so many great things about Portland and the art scene there. Feburary 2nd from 5 to 9pm I will be at PCPA talking art. Will you?

So to Portland or Bust! I have just received some of my postcards and business cards I created for our journey. Just below are two finished paintings I showed you (in process) last week. Take a gander.

I had a dream last month. I was walking out side a typical suburbia home in California and I saw a huge crack in the driveway. I walked over to check it out. As I saw this deep crack I got down on my hands and knees, peering even further into the cracked driveway which reveal a golden and Godly light to another place. All of a sudden I saw all these little coffee beans on the driveway next to my hands. I looked at them. Right before my eyes all the little tiny coffee beans started morphing into little rhinos. As the coffee beans magically turned into rhinos they ran away into the heavenly light. I woke up and one month later painted my friend rhino with her ever faithful bird by her side.

Expanding

2012-01-14T12:12:00.000-08:00

The first post for January and we are already 14 days into the new year. This is the 5th year of blogging! The last few weeks I have been working on expanding the robot series. I am excited for the new life they are starting to live. Go ahead, check them out.

Whalebot 4x12in

This is a portrait of Anne. I met Anne a few weeks ago. When I would walk into her home with her two loyal dogs, I heard the most beautiful music that had every cell in my body dancing. Anne rides her bike every where she goes. So here is a painting I did of her and her...dogbots.

Here is an 'owlbot'. I have been reading, "The Five Love Languages" by Dr. Chapman, this book discusses about how we all have a "love tank" inside of us. As I was working on this little creature I started to think about its "love tank" as it flies around the redwood forest in Bonny Doon.

These two minis are the smallest paintings I have ever created, that is a quarter picture with the work. Below is the continuation of expanding the robots. Fish, monsters, robots in submarines, it is endless. I am happy that I have the love and patience to develop these robots. Since they are so graphic I am working on adding a lot of depth to the work.

Above is the work living in the Santa Cruz studio. Below are two paintings in process. I have been having dreams with rhinos and seeing rhinos everywhere I go. So, here, I am letting rhino live here.

O love birds! If you are in California, stay cool and for you people who actually are getting snow, stay warm! I am gearing up for a group show I am exhibiting in Portland, OR. I will be there the beginning of Feburary.

Listen Up Students!

2011-12-29T10:19:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow will be my last day teaching art in Soquel, CA at the Susun Gallery Art School. I will be finishing up my 2nd week of teaching at this fun little art school in Santa Cruz County. I have defiantly been learning just as much as the kids have. Instead of learning how to make flip books or create a mural, I am learning how to "be an adult". I am teaching kids from the ages of 3 to 12 in class sizes from 3 kids to 12 kids, so being quick on my toes and flexible is a must all while having fun and helping the class stay focused on the task at hand. I think that this is a wonderful way for me to end my 2011 and begin a new chapter in my ever changing life. Happy New Year to you all!

Swimming Around

2011-12-23T09:28:00.000-08:00

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming!

The Learning Experience

2011-12-12T13:15:00.000-08:00

December 4th was the 17th Ave Studios Winter Show. This was my first showing experience in this artists collective. I was eager to see what was entailed and how this group operates when working together. I have been a part of different artist collectives for several years. With that said, my experience has been, when putting together a show, the group of artists work together to create a cohesive look and feel in the space. This would be my first time to experience a group show where everyone receives their own 6ft space and creates whatever they want. So I went with the 'less is more' approach, small pieces for small prices. I was the first artist that had all my work up the night before in the community space. It looked great in the space, in the empty space. That morning and a few hours before the event was open to the public was when the other work came in like a storm. The show opened at 11am and people from Santa Cruz, were, crusin' about looking around seeing friends and eating cookies. After about two hours, I had never felt so invisible in my life. I was ready to go but I stayed the whole time realizing that, in this case that it is not 'less is more' is was 'bigger is better'. In August I had the best selling show with the robots at Cruzio and this was the exact opposite. Once I realized people were purchasing $25.00 prints and jewelry, that maybe this wasn't the show for me. If I wasn't making any sales, I at least wanted to make an impact with my work, which also didn't seem to happen. The feeling of being invisible was not on my radar and was a new feeling to me, however the feeling of wanting to consume Vodka Crans at a fast rate was pumping through my Irish body. I wanted to have my life size robots come into the show and whisk me away on a boat and feed me plumbs laced with laughter.

I stayed sober another day and chalked it up to experience.

Winter Show 17th Ave Studios :: Santa Cruz

2011-11-28T21:13:00.001-08:00

December 4th from 11am to 5pm the 17th Ave Studios will be showing their newest work. I just happen to have a new studio there and I will be showing my newest robot paintings along side some of my encaustic sea creatures. We each get a 6ft space to do what we please. So come on into Live Oak in Santa Cruz County get your fill of Margo and the robots. Don't forget to check out, Soquel and Morriessy, the home of 'Robot Love'!

Here is my work in progress with the new, "Best Friends" completed in the 17th. Below is the finished painting, 12x16in.

Below is another sailing painting. The last one went so fast and so did the first round of prints. So, here is a different one. I just completed a small painting with a robot and a giraffebot in a sail boat. It is so sweet. These little paintings have morphed into something all their own. I paint them from my life experiences. I paint them because they want to live.

See you December 4th at the 17th!

Same Sun

2011-11-15T09:15:00.001-08:00

Sofia and Hennessy, who we have been following, have finished their first public art piece and I was lucky enough to have been there for the 'unveiling' of the mural. The appreciation ceremony that Sofia and Hennessy put together was as warm as the, sun shining down on us that day. My photos dont give this piece the space it needs to shine, so check out the sites below to get the full vision of the piece. I am so happy and proud of Sofia and Hennessy and the City of Davis! Way to go! Public Art connects community, opens up a dialogue and improves the visual landscape. This water tank, "Same Sun" does all of that and you learn some Latin along the way.

Yes, a small, yet big, cake of the water tank.

These two muralists made it on to the Lost At E Minor website: http://www.lostateminor.com/2011/11/12/water-tank-transformed-into-360%C2%B0-kinetic-art/

http://www.lcmuralanddesign.com/watertank/watertankhome.html

If you are every traveling in Northern California and find your way in Davis, CA, go to Mace Blvd, and check it out!

Rogelio Manzo :: New Work

2011-11-11T18:07:00.001-08:00

Rogelio Manzo is showing his new work at the Skinner Howard Gallery in Sacramento, CA. Rogelio has been working non stop since we last caught up with him in the studio visit. While I was at the opening I could not keep my eyes off of these two particular paintings. I am so intrigued by these two women. I love their fashion, their pose, their body language. These pictures obviously don't do them justice, this work is bone chilling and strong. One of the women seems like the life of the party and I want to know more about her but maybe I just love that little peek into her cleavage which seems to be oozing self confidence and sexuality.

Knowing that Rogelio has been painting non stop, working on shows across the globe I couldn't help to wonder if all the constant painting would cause for unimpressive work. Much to my delight it is the opposite. Not only does Rogelio bring a consistently strong color palette and satisfying brush work throughout the show, but he starts to give us more of a view. Hand gestures and more torso are creeping into this new work. Along with the physical "more" to see, Rogelio uses different fabric that is eye catching and full of fashion while layering and layering, never muddying up his surface. Maybe it is his mixture of clean lines, painterly brush work and fashion are really what is making me hot, not just the peek-a-boo cleavage.

One of Rogelio's largest paintings has perfectly paired a mustard yellow with a muted blue (shown above) which has a great amount of depth. Rogelio's 8x10in paintings start at $1500.00. Rogelio's gallery information is listed here at his website: http://manzoartworks.com/

17th Ave Studiomargo

2011-11-07T11:03:00.000-08:00

Since my move into the 17th Ave Studios in Santa Cruz the robots are in full force. I'm set up and organized in the 11x12ft studio space that over looks train tracks.

Here is the entrance of my studio. Continued with a few shots of the space with my books and supplies.

Here is the first painting created in the studio.

Here is a shot for scale. "Let's Fly Away" is the title of this piece. This year I have been working on my relationships with friends and my family. I feel so grateful for the people in my life. "Let's Fly Away" is about relationships, partnerships that we form as humans. I was once isolated and surrounded only by the creatures I created. I am now surrounded by love of my family and friends. These 'robots' were created out of pain and longing for important relationships with people and now they are taking me on journeys that are pouring with love and pure bliss. I know I will always have these creatures with me, but it is so amazing to know that I also have love and support from my network.

I am in process of labeling and wrapping my work and storing it, here is one of my ink drawings on clayboard from Bonny Doon, titled, well, I think you might be able to gather what the title is, or make one up that is pretty close to the real thing.

Stirring It Up

2011-10-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a busy last few weeks. I have officially moved into a collective art studio in Santa Cruz. I have a new cozy studio space inside the 17th Ave Studios, sharing a warehouse with about 30 other artists. I am setting up my studio and starting to get cozy and more importantly meeting more artists. Painting is what I do, however painting alone, day after day, month after month, is really quite lonely. So the next few weeks I will be organizing, making an art storage rack and settling into the space, which happens to be right next to train tracks which adds a special ambiance to the studio. If my work starts to resemble abstract trains, you know why. Chooo-choooo!

So, there is your sneak peak of that and we are moving on to the work that I have be creating.

I have mainly thought of myself as large scale painter. In 2008 I started utilizing a medium that would allow me to speak in a way I never dreamed of, I found a new language. In 2009 I create my largest painting which is 12x6ft and it would show at the National Steinbeck Center for the Steinbeck Festival. In 2010 I spent just about everyday learning the skill set of trompe l'oeil. I had not painted realistic work since high school. For some reason I had an urge to paint realistic that year and trompe l'oeil was a good skill set for me to learn. Nearing the end of my trompe l'oeil journey I started to become depressed in the studio. When I woke up I knew exactly what I was going to be painting and how I was painting it. The mystery and magic that I cherish so much in my studio work and practice was no where to be found. I respect trompe l'oeil painters all over the world. However, for me, there is nothing more magical and mysterious that of a large abstraction, you just don't know what's going to happen. Once you have been fooled by the trompe l'oeil trickery once, you will not be fooled again. You know it is a trick. It looses its magic. However if you see an abstract painting once, or funny creatures like the robots, humans will usually find something engaging or an emotional connection. The traffic box I created for Santa Cruz allows people to giggle time and time again. Every time you go by that public art piece you can not help but to feel something. Feeling something, that is what I would like you to get out of my work (is that to vague?). Ideally I would like for you to feel, for lack of a bigger word, happy. This series I am working on below is created with thoughts of actions, people and emotions that make me feel like I am on cloud 9. I am capturing a passionate moment full of thankfulness, appreciation, admiration, imagination several feelings that just make my eyes tear with joy. That is what is going on in this developing series. I want to create something that is drastically different from any of my other work and create a space for you to feel a smile, to feel wonderful in. With all of the 'things' that are going on in the world today and in the USA, I want to be able to create a place of love. I want you all to feel my love.

This is a series in progress but I would like for you to see what is going on in the studio.

Most of these paintings have changed since the photographs. I am excited about where this work will led me.

Stay warm, and happy fall!

Studio Visit :: Rogelio Manzo

2011-09-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

I first met Rogelio Manzo in January 2011, at a painting in the Skinner-Howard Contemporary Art Gallery in Sacramento, CA. We introduced ourselves, shook hands, and I asked him if he is an artist. He said, yes, and pointed to the large painting you see below. The blog entry from that showing here.

I saw Rogelio again in February to check out two new pieces.

Photo courtesy of Rogelio Manzo

From the first moment I saw Rogelio's work my jaw dropped and I could not help but to fall in love with the beautifully scary work. I have not seen work like Rogelio's in person. I have seen work that is scary, but there is something magical, there is a beautiful energy that I can feel when I engage myself into one of Rogelio's paintings. He has a unique process in creating his work. I was able to score some intimate studio time with Manzo himself while he works. Below are images from the visit.

Above, a small scale work in progress.

Above, a framed piece ready to be shipped.

Above, a cropped shot of one of Rogelio's newest pieces, getting ready to be shipped.

Rogelio's work is strong in both small and large scale. He has great juxtaposition of the painterly and graphic techniques. We talk about the age old question of inspiration and just what makes him tick as an artist. For Rogelio it is not just about people or portraits but it is about life and the interactions we as humans have in this world. It is about experiencing this life inside the human body and expressing those human emotions in a visual format. He tells me, you know you are alive because you are here, we are experiencing life. Rogelio reflects what he knows and understands of life through his work.

Rogelio is just painting the truth. Many people ask him this question, "Are these people dead or alive?" For Rogelio what he sees is movement. The portrait is showing the basics of the face but you need to go beyond the cosmetics of these portraits to listen to the stories they are telling you. Rogelio's work sends an emotional rush through my body. That is one of the reasons why I think his work is so strong. Rogelio's work is not work that I generally gravitate towards, however the technique and extreme beauty of the painter's decisions, my body can not ignore.

Rogelio shows me some of his early work from 2002. It is always great to see the visual time line of an artist and might I add, Rogelio can paint. Since that time Rogelio has learned new skills which is apparent in the current body of work. Keeping the attention of humans in this age of technology is challenging, however with Rogelio's combination of the transfer, it gives the work that digital quality but pairing it with a painterly touch keeps it human.

There is a lot of cruelty in the world. Rogelio used a simple analogy of humans squashing cockroaches and swatting flies. As humans we have this feeling, a right almost to squash bugs and animals that are smaller than us. Why? Is it because we are humans and we think we are superior than all other living things on this land? What is the bug doing? It is just trying to survive, just like you, and just like me.

The work of Rogelio Manzo is exactly opposite from what you might assume. For Rogelio it is about letting something go from inside of him and sharing that with you. If the viewer chooses to look inside the painting, they will find a piece of themselves in the work. In his current series, it is not about death, but about life, about human feelings.

Rogelio did state that he loves to be scared. I giggled and told him I really do not like to be scared, but I find such beauty in this work that I can not help to look and be fascinated by the story of each portrait. The reaction from some people is that of disgust, but they too can not help to love his work either.

Here are a some of Rogelio's paintings. Photography provided by Rogelio Manzo.

Donaciano, 24x30

Eliodoro, 24x24

Justino, 40x40

Ralulca, 10x8

Rogelio is being represented by the following galleries around the world. He is currently working on two solo exhibitions each one on opposite sides of the USA. The first one for the Skinner Howard Gallery in Sacramento, CA in November 2011 and one for Muriel Guepin in Brooklyn, NY in January 2012. Keep your eyes out for Rogelio, he is someone to watch. If you are interested in learning more about his work, check out a gallery near you and visit his site : Manzoartworks.com and if you FB, you can see him there too (here).

Jack Fischer Gallery
49 Geary St., suite 418
San Francisco, CA 94108
415.956.1178
info@jackfischergallery.com www.jackfischergallery.com

Muriel Guepin Gallery
47 Bergen street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-858-4535
contact@MurielGuepinGallery.com
www.murielguepingallery.com

Patrajdas Contemporary Art
Chicago, IL
312-226-3444
aeh@patrajdas.com
www.patrajdas.com

Cube Gallery
Perry Road
Bristol, UK BS1 5BG
T + 44 (0)117 3771470
info@cube gallery.co.uk
www.cube-gallery.co.uk

The Christopher Hill Gallery
1235 Main St.
St. Helena, CA 94574
707.963.0272
styrianhill@yahoo.com
www.chgallery.com

Skinner-Howard Contemporary Art
723 S Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
916.446.1786
info@skinnerhowardart.com www.skinnerhowardart.com

ArtBox
217 West 10th St. suite 125.
Indianapolis, IN46202
317. 955.2450
www.artboxindy.com

Bask @ the Alternative

2011-09-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

This Saturday I was able to check out the much talked about Bask showing at the Alternative Cafe located at 1230 Fremont Blvd. Seaside, CA. The show is curated by Andrew Jackson. Texture and color are every where you look. Take a gander for yourself. It is great to see so many of those red dots. If you are in the area, go check out the show. To purchase the work, click, (here). The artist flew all the way from Florida to attend the show. To read up on the curating Andrew Jackson check out the story by Walter Ryce about the Shepard Fairey show, currently on display in Sand City. Dare I say, it is happening...

Chalkin' It Up in Sacramento

2011-09-04T22:40:00.000-07:00

This Labor Day weekend I was chalkin' it up in Sacramento for the 21st Annual Chalk It Up event which raises money for children's arts programs in Sacramento county. I was representing Sacramento365.com which is the go-to website in Sacramento for events all year round. Sacramento365.com sponsored two squares each with a different artist.

This was my first time creating anything in chalk, since I was a young girl. My first try at it was on a morning news spot in Sacramento at KCRA Channel 3 News. My chalkbot and I accompanied a youthful band, with the youngest member being 8 years old and the oldest I believe 14, Failed To Resolve, you can listen to them here. Here is a clip of me working in chalk, making, what else, chalkbots (the clip). You will find me about 1 minute into the clip. Below are some photos from the spot.

Onward to the event. Here we are at the registration table where I will receive my t-shirt, bag, Spare the Air pen and lip balm.

Here is my square! I am #8, O how exciting! Let's get to chalkin'!

Above is the end of day one.

The finished Chalkbots! It was a great experience and of course it was fun to hear what people had to say. My favorite response from an on-looker with his children was, O look, love monsters! I love that people young and 'old', left brain and right brain, locals and travelers can all connect to the simple fact that we as humans all want to be loved. Humans want to find a special connection to someone and love them back, to feel like they belong. It is about finding that special bond bringing people together. A young man came up to my square and told me his girlfriend and his favorite colors are orange and purple, and hey, they are in love! Awesome!

Painting Inside San Francisco

2011-08-31T22:05:00.000-07:00

I have found the real hang out in San Francisco. The Financial District, during the weekend. I have never been to a part of San Francisco that was so empty before. This past weekend I worked with painter, illustrator, and graphic designer, Pamela Francisco. Yes, Pamela Francisco, in San Francisco! Pamela designed the work you are about to feast your eyes on below for Teachscape. I had such an amazing time helping to create a change in a work space community. This project was all about the masking technique.

There are a total of four walls with the dot pattern. So while one wall was dying it gave us ample time to keep working. From one wall to the next Pamela created a system and away we went. We were in and out, working over the weekend. It was ready Monday morning for the community of Teachscape!

YouTubeMargo

2011-08-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

The time has come to get into the medium of video. During the painting of "Robot Love" I recorded about 2 hours of video. I took the 2 hours and narrowed it down to just about one minute. Pat Watson magically edited the video. Thank you Pat! I equipped myself with a head and chest mount for this project. It was fun and exciting to work and record my work differently. However editing video is daunting. If you have yet to get your robot love, click the play button below and get some bot!

The video has made it on the Santa Cruz Public Art website as well.

Davis, CA :: Sofia & Hennessy

2011-08-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

It has been a little over a month since we last saw, the Davis Water Tank, which is being created by Hennessy and Sofia. I caught these two female public artists nearing the end of a heat filled day. As I approach the painters, in the valley heat, I start to wonder if they fantasize about swimming inside the giant water tank they spend most of their summer with it. They are laying down the color and filling the water tank with positive energy. Enjoy!

Bringing the Muralists Inside :: Santa Cruz, CA

2011-08-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

'Bringing the Muralists Inside' is the title of the current show up at Cruzio located at 877 Cedar Street in Santa Cruz, CA. Cruzio is expanding, as they should, they have a very cool thing going on. They have spaces from rent for people who don't want to work in the house all alone, or in the house with the personal zoo. This space feels great inside and you are close to so many unique business in Santa Cruz.
Marvin Plummer and I are both Graphic Traffic artists and brought our creations from the outside, in. Known for his animal portraits, Marvin Plummer has also created murals for the City of Santa Cruz. Here is a video of his most recent mural Jazz Alley (here). Marvin has such a wonderful disposition about him, I was so excited when I first learned that I was going to be showing with him at Cruzio. I love his traffic box "Woodrow" located on Laurel. So have some fun and check out the pictures below. For those of you who are in the Central Coast is it worth your time to go check out the Cruzio space and work by two Santa Cruz muralist.

This is the first time I am showing my Bonny Doon series. It is unique for me to show my two very different styles and mediums on the same wall. My Bonny Doon series is opening dialogues of many topics, abstractions being one, but forest fires and communication being a few others. I am able to start to talk about California forest fires with the viewers this night. This Bonny Doon series is created from burnt trees from the Martin Fire in Bonny Doon, which took place about 4 or 5 years ago. Many people tell me that the Bonny Doon paintings looks like braille, I reply with, well I believe the trees are trying to tell you something. Are you going to listen?

Above is my display of my book, postcards, magazine article from Coastal Grower and three of my encaustic paintings with sea glass. Below is an image of one of the musicians, what a wonderful sound, flamenco guitarist!

Margo Mullen and Marvin Plummer at Cruzio in Santa Cruz.

Two viewers looking so closely to my Bonny Doon series. One of my favorite moments is when people walk into the space and they see the robots and then, a huge smile is plastered on their face.

Above I am discussing my Bonny Doon series and telling her about my process. Below I have a 'touch me' piece we are rubbing and smelling and of course, laughing.

This was a successful night. I sold six paintings and my first print. O yes, I have prints now which start at $35.00. It has been a little over a year and a half since my last showing. I can tell I have grown so much as an artist and a women. I think the time away served me well and I am so excited for the future and I am so happy to be a part of Santa Cruz. The show will be up for the month and maybe longer.

Launching Sacramento Style

2011-07-24T17:17:00.000-07:00

This was my first year attending Launch in Sacramento, CA. "Launch is a multi-disciplinary audio/visual festival that connects people with art, music, fashion, and design." I do not believe I have been to anything quite like this. As one of the featured artist (June) on Sacramento365.com, my work was featured in room M, how appropriate. So, take a peek if you were unable to make it to Launch. This event was exciting and had so many different high quality local goodies to feast my eyes on for several hours. I have been a part of festivals and events, however there was something about taking over a hotel that gave this event a real sense of community, which I love. So whether you were swimmin' in the pool, hoppin' from fashion to fashion or listenin' to the beats, you were able to tour your new community for the night and meet some characters along the way.

Up the stairs we go, to room M.

Rachael and her team from Sacramento365.com in a room full of art.

Above is the work of Micah Crandall-Bear. Micah is full of energy and a passionate painter. He is currently showing at the Beatnik in Sacramento. Check his work out (here). Micah is also a featured artist of Sacramento365.com and here is his page (here).

Above is the work of Terrance Martin. Here is his Featured Artist profile on Sacramento365.com and here is his website. He is also working with LandC Murals for the Davis Water Tank. LandC are also part of the featured artist group (here).

Wait for it, as the Sun goes to sleep the people come alive in the valley heat.

The token shot of the robots with their painting friend.

Next up is painter Jeff Musser, who is the January 2011 Featured artist of Sacramento365.com. You can check out his profile page (here) and his website (here). Jeff is quite the fun character and a very disciplined painter.

And that's all folks! For a complete list of the music, fashion, artist, and architecture check out the Launch website and maybe, just maybe you will come next year.

The Museum of Monterey

2011-07-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

Last Monday I attended the New Members night at the Museum of Monterey. They released the new plans for the much anticipated second floor. Below is an image of the future plans. If you are interested in becoming a member or learning more about the museum you can visit their website, here. Enjoy and I hope if you are in the area you are able to check out the work and go inside the fabulously made over store.

Public Art in Davis, CA

2011-07-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

Last month I stepped "Outside the Box" with the City of Santa Cruz and the Graphic Traffic Boxes Program. This month I take a look at how two of my painting peers are also stepping outside the box. Sofia Lacin and Hennessy Christophel are working on an extremely large water tank in Davis, CA. These two painters have started the second coat. With some of the mathematics, new tool learning and adjusting to their new home out of the way LandC are ready to turn it up with some music and Davis heat.

I'm very excited for Sofia and Hennessy I think the best part about large/new projects are all of the hands on learning that occurs. I did not comment on any of the specifics for example how they broke the tank up into 13 different squares, for specifics like that you can go (HERE) for all things tankie.

We will be checking in on the progress in a few weeks, so ladies, we wish you well. Stay Hydrated!

Santa Cruz :: Michelle Stitz

2011-07-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

The first Friday of every month here in Santa Cruz, is appropriately named and shows off work of many artist here. I went to see the new work of Michelle Stitz she is currently showing at Felix Kulpa Gallery off of Elm Street near my one of my favorite coffee spots (which also serves beer). Here is the write up of the show, (here) and here is Michelle's website (here) and below are photographs I took of the event as well as professional photographs from R.R. Jones and Michelle Stitz woven into this blog. This showing also had a performance with one of Michelle's wearable art pieces, it even has wheels at the bottom, just so fun!

Photograph courtesy of R.R. Jones

Photograph courtesy of Michelle Stitz

Photograph courtesy of R.R. Jones

Photograph courtesy of Michelle Stitz

The first time I saw Michelle's work was about 5 years ago. She creates quality work with depth and a dream like feeling which I truly enjoy. If you are in the area, go check her work out!

Electrical Box Robots :: Santa Cruz :: Margo

2011-06-23T17:32:00.000-07:00

Santa Cruz officially has their first Margo! I painted a total of 26 hours in four days. Two three hour days and two ten hour days. I received two sandwiches and one soda from the community. I heard countless "Thank You's, Awesome's, and Way To Go's" from people in cars, on foot, and riding their bicycles on Soquel and Morrissey. All I can say is Thank You Santa Cruz!

The most asked question I believe was "Did you design that?" "Yes, I did". The second was "How do you get a job like that?" "Well, you apply." I applied, just like the other 150 artists did. This project is through the City of Santa Cruz. The four other artists that were selected this time are: Doug Ross (Ocean and Morrissey) Bruce Harman (Ocean and Water) Anna Oneglia (Riverside and 3rd) Demian Bartholomew-Keller (Front and Soquel).

Here are some photographs of the process. I will be working on putting together a video documenting the whole process. I will post it on my website.

The busy bees of Soquel and Morrissey.

If you are ever in Santa Cruz, walk, bike, or skip to Soquel and Morrissey and take your photograph with the robots and get yourself some robot!

Prepping for Santa Cruz Robot Box

2011-06-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

The second to last post was about the Santa Cruz "Outside the Box" public art project. Below are some images. I will be out painting on my box this week.

The side view of my box.

I have been prepping for the Santa Cruz's "Outside the Box" Graphic Traffic public art. I created two studies so that I have an understanding of what needs to happen on a painterly level as well as creating the pre-mixed color palette. Having the color palette ready for the on-site work is crucial for keeping this outside work on schedule.

I feel so much gratitude working on this project. The robots were born here in Santa Cruz and I feel so happy that the first public art piece with the robots is going to be here, in Santa Cruz. I am so excited.

So stayed tuned, the robots are coming.

Art From the Start

2011-06-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

Sacramento365.com is the go to website to keep up on everything going on in Sacramento, California, the state capitol. I am the featured June Artist and here is the link to check out the article http://sacramento365.com/page/June2011_Artist

Self Portrait, ink on paper, 2010

Can you see me? I am on the top on the fifth flight of scaffolding. Working late in Grass Valley, CA on the Del Oro Theater, 2010.

My first encaustic skate deck showing at the Monterey Museum of Art.

Boony Doon Series, encaustic and found objects on wood panel, 2010

Point Arena Series, encaustic and found sea glass on wood panel 2010.

My first showing in Atlanta, GA at the Jack Art Gallery.

Kelp Forest, encaustic and acrylic on wood panel. Currently showing at Stream Life in Monterey, CA.

Friends, 2010, acrylic on canvas.

Self Portrait, 2011, acrylic on canvas.

That is a bit of an overview. I am very excited for the future and I look forward to what ever comes my way.

Santa Cruz Awaits Their First Margo

2011-06-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is true! I have received my first solo public art project for the city of Santa Cruz. I am very excited and I know you are too. The project will be at Soquel and Morissey. Below is the concept and painted sketch. 150 artists applied, five artists were chosen.

The robots are coming. I will be painting this project during the month of June!

Before & After Miripolsky

2011-05-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

It has been a few weeks since the completion of "Urban Waves" located at the Museum of Monterey at the Custom House Plaza near Fisherman's Warf in Monterey California, created by Andre Miripolsky. This mural has been receiving many thumbs up from the bicyclist and joggers, locals and visitors from around the globe that come by the newly painted wall. I feel so honored to be a part of this project and to be, making waves in Monterey. Take a peek at the photographs I have taken.

Here are the before and after shots. This is the longest mural I have worked on thus far in my artistic career and capturing all of the 275ft Urban Wave with one photograph, like I am more familiar with just will not cut it, but enjoy these two images and I hope where ever you are you will one day venture to Monterey, where many of California's 'firsts' happened. As they say in Monterey, "California was started here" and as Andre Miripolsky would say to keep the energy alive with the painting crew, "Monterey, Ole!"

The Wave Crew, photo above courtesy of Nic Coury.

People have already been using the mural as a backdrop for their photographs.

Andre Miripolsky and Curator of Collections Exhibitions of the Museum of Monterey, Cristiano Colantoni.

Miripolsky Movin' Monterey

2011-04-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

Here are the progression shots of the mural. Tomorrow will probably be the last day we are painting with the blue. It is going to be a second coat kind of day. Today marks day 9 of painting. I feel an overwhelming amount of joy as I paint all day in my favorite hue, in one of my favorite towns, receiving wonderful comments from locals and visitors. One of my favorite parts about public art is that it can make a town talk. I have heard mostly positive comments. I did have a conversation with a local who was hesitant about the change when he first engages me in conversation. By the end of the conversation, he changed. Walking away with a smile on his face, stating he is happy to see something different. One local that walks by claps his hands and gives a thumbs up. I truly love the dialogue public art creates, even if it is not all happy and sweet, just that people are talking and connecting with the art, is what I love. Families that walk by ask each other about the mural, the parents ask their children what are the people doing, why do you think they are doing it, what is it of, what do you think about it.

The last mural I created in Monterey was the Kelp Forest mural at CSU, Monterey Bay. I have longed for another mural project in Monterey, there are so many naked walls in this town that could use a good coat. I feel so happy to be a part of this project and I hope that this mural will be the catalyst for investing in innovative public art.

Muraling Monterey with Andre Miripolsky

2011-04-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

I am currently muraling in Monterey with Los Angeles artist, Andre Miripolsky. It is just the beginning. It feels so wonderful to be a part of this change in Monterey. I will have more later. Not much time to write or email, lots of painting and sleeping in between the sandwich eating.

Happy Painting!

Progression

2011-04-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

Balance, harmony, and progression. I have spent several weeks working on RFQs and RFPs for public art opportunities all over the USA. I continue to do my work inside and outside of the studio. This balancing act is easier said than done. Anyways, here is the current status of the work in the studio.

What's Next

2011-03-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

We last left off in San Francisco, California but all the buzz is about the public art project for Merced, California. When I last posted about the project I wrote that I would find out about the project on March 7th. Here is the official schedule of the process given in the RFP :

February 18th, deadline for submittals
March 7th Finalist chosen by committee
March 14th-April 4th Public display of submittals
May 11th Approval by Design Review Commission
May 31st Final selection by Committee
June 20th City Council contract approval
June 27th Artist starts work
November 18th Artist completes work

March 7th is when finalist were chosen from one of the review committees. The applicants (like myself) will go through another round of reviews. It will be in this process that the highlighted or 'finalist' artists will be recommended to the Design Review Committee as one of the top choices. After the committee reviews all of the submitted proposals that came in from all over the U.S.A. they have a few options on choosing an artist(s). The project was broken up in two parts. The artist or artist team could bid on either the two pedestrian walkways which scale to 45x4.5ft each or bid on the four roadway panels which have two 45x6.5ft and two 45x7ft panels/space to work with OR the artist or artist team could bid on all six panels, like I did. Depending on what the committee chooses to do they can break it up and have one artist complete one section and another artist complete the other section or they could have one artist create all the work for the G Street Underpass.

Below are two studies for the Merced project at 24x8inches I created to gain a better understanding of the pieces in terms of the color and rendering of the images.

So that is what is going on in that realm. Dare I ask, what is next. I feel like a mother-to-be waiting for May 31st come, the only difference is that I may or may not have a public art baby to create. So I must move on. What IS next?! I have been working on self portraits and proposals. Here is the work.

I do not know why I feel so complied to paint self portraits right now, but I do. So, I am.

Nicholas Coley & Kristen van Diggelen :: The Cottage Industry Painting Salon

2011-03-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night was the opening reception for Nicholas Coley's "Earthenworks" at the Cottage Industry Salon which is located at 2326 Fillmore Street (btw Clay and Washington) San Francisco, CA. This is a unique space which was quickly filled with San Franciscans of all kinds that fluttered into the CIP Salon. From art collectors and artists to astrologers and realtors people were discussing about Coley's color palette and the landscapes they call home.

The next four photographs are paintings that are created by Kristen van Diggelen.

Below is Nicholas Coley discussing his work.

While walking in the hallway I hear Nick's voice say, some of his best work is in the bathroom and that we should go check it out! So there we were. Kristen van Diggelen who runs the space came walking by as I was fitting so snugly into the art filled bathroom looking at the work.

The opening was a smash. Coley always brings in a crowd. If you are in the area I would advise to go check out his work, you will not be disappointed. I met Coley about a year ago and I have been to several of his openings in various buildings in San Francisco. I enjoy the development of Coley as a painter. I will continue to watch him paint.

Public Art :: Merced RFP

2011-02-21T23:47:00.000-08:00

No time to waste here. Each year I am making huge strides in my goals as an artist and especially a public artist. This last year was such an amazing learning experience in all aspects of being a business women, artist, friend, and a family member. I have taken more time to be with family, friends, and start new relationships inside and outside of my artistic community in California. The New Years resolution for myself is Balance and Harmony.

So, let's hop to it, no time to waste, right? Merced, California had a national call to public artists. I found out about the opportunity within about a week of the deadline. Excitement and nervousness rushed my well fed body, this would be the time I would take everything that I learned over the last year and apply it, studiomargo style, for my first solo RFP. Merced gave the artists three themes to work within, the history of Merced, Yosemite/Central Valley, and Merced culture. So right away I hopped onto the Yosemite train. I started to gather images and started my research. After one day of that I started to thinking to myself that this is about Merced, MERCED, not what lies past Merced, or the gateway into something, this is about Merced, the community, the people, the life and culture that makes Merced what it is. So I started to research Merced and started dialogues with Merced County residences. I come from a long line of family farmers so conversations about the USDA, agricultural this, 4-H Club that, and discussion about the landscape were buzzing around and starting to make their way into studiomargo. Keeping in the theme of utilizing my last year in every way possible for this project I started to become so happy when the ideas started to spill out of my brain and onto the paper. All of a sudden, the bees, the chickens, flowers, the small farm lifestyle I led for a few months in the SC mountains started to pop up and it felt so right. My grandmother's profile, who was a farmer and my friends childrens' all found their way into the murals. This concept was created with love and family moments.

First let me write to you about this project. Since I am a muralist, this project has the potential of 6 different murals, the sizes are: (2) 45'x4.5', (2) 45'x6.5', and (2)45'x7'. Yes, that is a wonderful amount of painting surface, indeed! Now, let me take you back to about 2004 or so when I was a webmaster for the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, which is where I was introduced to, Transportation Art! Ah yes. So I brushed up on it again and repetition is one of the keys to having transportation art work well. It was the repetition that sparked my idea for the landscape. I wanted to have all of the panels/murals linked in some way but without being overly repetitive. So four of the murals I kept the Merced landscape an anchor while utilizing farm based creatures and family moments as a strong staple to the piece. For the other two murals that will be roadway panels 4 and 5 I took produce grown in Merced for my inspiration.

This is the current stage of the G Street Underpass in Merced (Photo and drawing courtesy of the Merced Redevelopment Agency). Below that is the final design and where the panels will go for the project.

My Statement:
Statement for Merced G Street Underpass
The concept for the six panels are based on the culture of Merced. From livestock to community to crops to 4H clubs Merced places a high importance on the land, nature, and development of the future. In this concept is a fruitful, passionate, community based visual. Coming from a long line of family farmers has instilled a high importance of the land and food and cattle production in me.
The pedestrian panels will be more detailed, having a range of farm animals and community members while keeping the landscape a main staple throughout the entire G Street Underpass, much like it is in Merced. The four roadway panels utilize repetition and a simple but sophisticated color palette. This will keep the driver focused on the road but enjoying the colors. Merced produces a diverse range of agricultural produce from tomatoes, berries, grains, melons, potatoes, cotton, milk, cheese, poultry, and cattle. This concept is taking the Merced agriculture production and using it directly in the murals. All panels are family friendly and in fact this concept places a high importance on community and working together not only as a family but also as an agricultural community. Keeping an interesting perspective and dynamic angles with a strong composition will create a fresh yet timeless energy to the space and this piece.

Below are the final line drawings.

The artistically organized list for the complete information for the RFP.

Mounted final line drawings ready for a final painted sketch.

I can not remember if that is 8:20 in the morning or the night, I was pulling those long studio sessions again, where Sun setting and Sun rising are something that happens in the middle of your working 'day'.

The painting station, where I sat for the next two days painting the maquette murals. As I was painting these little murals the thought of painting them on 45 feet of material was so exciting, I mean, those are some big berries!

The final painted sketches ready for delivery.

Creating the final studiomargo package.

March 7th is when the finalist are announced.

From Awards to the Studio to the Galleries

2011-02-12T13:04:00.000-08:00

These past few weeks I have been hopping around Northern and Central California. Scoping out potential mural projects, finishing my second book, releasing my new website :: studiomargo.com :: checking out First Friday in Santa Cruz, and continuing my studio practice in between the butterflies in my stomach.

Potential mural wall, Sand City, CA.

Artistic Adventures, my second book, which discusses my travels and art during 2010.

Brian Goggin, public artist, discussing about his experience and the new work that will be created for a Natomas fire station. He is currently seeking donations of bike frames from the Sacramento community for this project.

Pinnacles

Working on self portraits.

Above the work of Russell Brutsché

Below is my favorite candid shot of all the women honored by the National League of American Pen Women. I was honored along side the daughter of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Judy for her poetry work.

Back in the studio. I am working in acrylic.

Here we are at the Howard Skinner Gallery in Sacramento for the love day inspired exhibition.

Above the work of Rogeilo Manzo. If you are in Sacramento, go by the gallery.

The New Crocker Art Museum

2011-01-26T15:40:00.000-08:00

I made it. I am the NEW Crocker. The Crocker Art Museum has added a new wing to the museum. As a young girl growing up in Sacramento meant you and your classmates went to the Crocker. I remember walking up the stairs and through the doors, entering another world. The moment my little sneakers entered the museum it was visual overload. The decor was like nothing I had seen in real life. From the tiles to the stairs to the carved wood to the high ceilings my young eyes were feasting on new shapes, colors, patterns and histories.

Sacramento is becoming quite the metropolitan city. I left Sacramento in 2002, swearing never to return. Well, you know what that usually means and here I am, hoovering over this valley city scoping out the scene and pleasantly surprised at where Sacramento is with their dedication to public art. Looks like I came into Sacramento at the right time. There is much excitement about public art here. In fact I will be going to a lecture at the North Natomas Library to listen to Brian Goggin speak about his future public art piece for the North Natomas Fire Station as well as his experience as a public artist.

Let's get back to the New Crocker, that is off the rocker. I absolutely love the new space that the Crocker family has created for the community of Sacramento. One of my favorite parts is that you are still able to experience the old part of the museum, which I think is so important. I enjoy that juxtaposition of the original Crocker with the new contemporary space with skylights and clean architecture that shows the work off in a superb manner.

The Crocker is a must see.

Sacramento's 2nd Saturdays

2011-01-15T12:35:00.000-08:00

This was my first time going to one of Sacramento's Second Saturdays. Events like this can always be hit and miss. For me, this time, was a miss. Below are a few images of hopping around the different galleries in Sacramento. One of the galleries had live painting going on, which was cool to see, but extremely traditional. I was craving something more exciting and energetic. So away I went to midtown to see what was brewing. There was a good crowd out, some live music here and there accompanied by mediocre art. The work that I was most drawn to was at the B. Sakata Garo Gallery. I have already seen the artist, Terry Thompson's work about 10 months ago in San Fransisco at ArtZone 461 Gallery, but good work none the less.

Out of the work I have seen thus far in Sacramento, the Skinner Howard Gallery is by far the strongest gallery that shows unique and challenging work.

Skinner Howard Gallery

2011-01-08T15:45:00.000-08:00

The Skinner Howard Gallery (located at 723 S Street in Sacramento, CA) had an open reception this past week. I was invited by showing artist Micah Crandall-Bear to come and check out the work. This group showing is anchored by Kendall LeCompte's ceramic teapot collection. There are 69 teapots showing, each with their own story and identity and imagination flowing from their unique spouts. Below is a description from the artist.

"Let's say you're sitting in a nice chair, you have a hot cup of tea in hand, and you're enjoying Christopher Logue's delightful WAR MUSIC. He's writing modern poetry that does not translate, but rather grows from the Iliad. You are transfixed by Logue and in a second of distraction, spill a bit of tea on yourself, shifting your thoughts to tea for that moment. In that second when Homer and tea cross paths in your mind.... Well, 100 teapots later that second has matured.

Unlike confluence, but a happy one for me and unlikely to repeat (though there was an incidence with Marcus Aurelius lately...)

Should these pots catch your eye, I do suggest you go find Logue series - for nothing concerned with my work, merely because it is among the best modern poetry." - Kendall LeCompte

I also met artist Rogelio Manzo. He is a passionate painter and quite funny. Below is one of his paintings on the right.

One of Micah Crandall-Bear's paintings above. Micah's work is bold and strong and textural. He is a long time member of the Sacramento art community. Go to the Skinner Howard Gallery to see Micah's work in person.

I fell in love with a painting by artist Chris Ehlers, titled "Hidden Insight" 58" x 55". You know when you fall in love. There is that...feeling... that humans feel, well, I felt that when I came across "Hidden Insight", everything about the work just felt magical. The composition, the mark making, the color palette, the contrast, the size, everything about it just made me feel like jumping into the painting and rolling all around it in. Isn't that how you are suppose to feel when you are in love, with a painting.

The encaustic painting I found by Marti Somers.

After taking a ten year hiatus from Sacramento I am diving into the art scene here to see what it really is all about. I hear so many different, word choices, about the scene and I am interested to check it out for myself. Sacramento it seems is on an up swing with their midtown life, I even read in the paper they have professional mermaids in bars, who doesn't love that? Perhaps my love of water and magic will finally combine together, I hear they are looking for more mermaids. Watch out Ariel, here comes Margo.

David Molesky @ Rae Douglass

2010-12-17T12:49:00.000-08:00

Artist David Molesky had an opening at the Rae Douglass Galley located in Berkeley, CA.

"Rae Douglass Gallery announces Turbulent Mirror, a solo exhibition of paintings by San Francisco-based painter David Molesky. The exhibition dates are December 11 – January 8, 2010, and the artist reception will be held on Saturday, December 11, from 6 to 9 pm. 15 percent of all sales will be donated to Ocean Voyages Institute/Project Kaisei and their effort to rid the Worlds oceans of plastic debris.

In this series of oil paintings Molesky has moved out of the context of naturalism by depicting waves with a darkly saturated palette that heightens their emotive force. His use of modern synthetic colors not only suggests the oil and plastic present in today!s oceans, but also represents a deep emotional reaction to the environment." - Rae Douglass Gallery

The gallery is located here and if you are in the area you should see the strokes in person:
Rae Douglass Gallery

2911 Claremont Ave.

Berkeley, CA

Here are some images from opening night. It was great fun with lots of laughing. Molesky always puts on a great show! David just published his first book which can be purchased here.

David and Charles Cunningham of epressbooks.

Nicholas Coley and David.

It is always wonderful to meet up with my painting peers and get some fresh air.

Madera Dedication

2010-12-02T15:34:00.000-08:00

About a week ago was the dedication for the Madera Police Station, for "Currents". I came in on this project when it was almost complete, I got to paint what John and I call the haiku trees. This mural has the most people any mural John has painted thus far. The Madera mural, "Currents" is a diptych and discusses about the history of police as well as opening up the discussion of the choices we make as children and teenagers and the impact our choices have on our future.

I wrote about the installation here :: http://studiomargo.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-true-love.html

Here are some images from the dedication. The mural is located at The Madera Police Department Headquarters 330 South C Street, Madera, Ca 93638.

The trees, inside the trees!

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Mural

2010-11-10T11:46:00.000-08:00

After much preparation, this week is the start of a new mural project for the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. This is the very first mural that John and I have created together from the beginning. So here are some images of where we are currently at with the project. We have set the installation for the second week in May, so if you want to check us out while we install, follow the blog around May.

Here are the two sketches of the design.

Above prepping the wall. Below are two rolls of the material prepped and ready to be stretched.

Laying out the material upside down and seaming it together.

Setting up the scaffolding. Laying out the grid. Mapping out the mural.

I am excited to start painting after a few months of office and paper work.

Margo-a-go-go

2010-11-07T11:54:00.000-08:00

It is Sunday morning. I'm sitting at a coffee shop in Los Gatos, CA. The energy is flourishing and the beans smell heavenly.

The past week I have been hopping around from Truckee to Sacramento to Monterey to San Fransisco. I have officially moved out of the forest and living a nomadic lifestyle. The artistic lifestyle is so uncertain. I am continuously working on balance in my lifestyle, which seems almost impossible to me at times. So I am almost set up with yoga and medatation places to practice at as I travel from city to city. My schedule is changing every hour and maintaining peace amidst all the chaos is a challenge.

It is time to go to the Santa Cruz Mountain studio. Today is the start of the lay out of the SC Beach Boardwalk mural. I am looking forward to the start of a new mural for the Santa Cruz community and blocking in some color after we set the perspective.

Transitioning and Preparing

2010-10-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

I have been back in California for 26 days now. The new mural work is taking me around the world, meeting new communities and artists and swimming in problem solving on an hourly basis.

So, out of the forest I go, from living a life of isolation in the studio to painting side by side with another artist in multiple studios in Northern California. There are 8 murals lined up for painting for the next 10 to 12 months. Lompoc, Truckee, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Sacramento, Palo Alto, Saratoga, Pacific Palisades, and Barbados. The two studios are naked and ready for the new stories to unfold. Currently we are in an organizing and preparing mode. We are prepping the non woven media with coats of acrylic that will be seamed together and then taped up onto the wall and ready for painting. I was able to go to Skyline College and get the final shots of the completed mural, the first mural I worked on from cartoon to final mural.

John and artist Don Small from Barbados setting up new roll from QST.

John and I are working on a mural for a Catholic Church in Truckee. They are building a new parish hall and church. The mural we will be creating will have to be removable as the parish hall will be used for the church until the new church is built. This project will be completed in April 2010, right before Easter. Below are images of the progress of the parish hall.

Here is where the wall will be built and the space we are working with. The mural will depict the Blessed Virgin Mary ascending into heaven by the sweet cherubs.

Back to my lists and looking for artists interested in apprenticeships. I will be traveling from Truckee to Santa Cruz, almost weekly at this stage as we start to fill the studio spaces with the new murals. Stay warm!

My First International Installation: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

2010-10-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

Alright, after a few weeks from arriving home from Calgary, I hit the ground running back here in the States and now have carved some time to write about my first international mural installation. I was in Calgary at the amazing Westside Recreation Centre located at 2000 69 St SW, Calgary, AB T3H 4V7, Canada for 22 days. They say Calgary is Denver's sister city. I have never been to Denver, yet. But I soon find out just how much of a Central Coast Gal I have become.

The mural is in the studio and ready for us to roll up, put into a tube and take it on our flights to Calgary. First thing is to pack up supplies, label everything and follow that exciting list! I was excited about packing for my first international mural. Below is a photograph of the taped up paints for touch up. I prepped, packed, and shipped. From Reno to Seattle to Calgary every step of the way we had obstacles big and small to overcome, as a team learning every step of the way. We finally arrive to Canada around midnight.

Above is an image of the mural in studio. Below is an image of the mural just getting off the magical plane ride!

Here is the site! My first time visiting.

Here is Signal Hill in Calgary, which has quite the history. Prior to this Calgary trip I had ventured to Montreal about 5 years ago so it was exciting to get a different perspective and vibe of the Canadian culture. So below are progress shots of the installation. We installed two murals during our 22 days in Calgary. One exterior about 50ft x 32ft titled "Swimming in the Zone" and one interior about 20ft x 9ft titled "The Northern Lights Room".

I was almost over my cold while I traveled to Canada, that I acquire after the Skyline installation. Working in the snappy cold Canadian air was not the most exciting or enticing activity on my mind. So when we were directed to Thai Thai, I was one happy little painter!

O, sweet fortune cookie! Back to the work, here are the swimmers that are ready for some glazes and then we will place them and then paste them.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Snow and I have not spent much time together. This was the first time I saw snow on scaffolding. I cringed as I wear multiple layers and learned about this thing called GORE-TEX. I kept thinking to myself, this is September...September, but the Calgarians told me sometimes it snows every month, I will say that many, if not all the Calgarians apologized for the weather, saying that is the summer that never was. I had to learn to suck it up and weather the Chinook! As I learn more about the area and met many of the people who come to the Westside Recreation Centre to work out, meet friends, play hockey, go swimming, take yoga, climb a wall I see such a sense of community and see just how important the Westside is to many community members in Calgary. I really did enjoy the people in Calgary and it was very awesome to watch the season change.

The scaffolding must come down! The big 10 year anniversary party was the next day. We still had some work to go, so we got a boom lift to finish the project. I prefer scaffolding over anything, but the work must be done. If working with your artist friend all day and living in a condo together isn't enough time together, don't worry, the boom lift provides that extra time together to cultivate new noises, jokes, and annoying habits as we paint elbow to elbow, all day.

Let's Party!

Who knew! I ran into a sweet pal I worked with fours years ago all the way in New Hampshire, the world is small!

I was able to go to Banff National Park and see the extraordinary landscape.

Castle Mountain

Lake Louise

Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks.

The completed interior mural.

The installation continues outside and there was to be Sun for the rest of the week.

Here is an image of the Sun rising, I was so excited to see the colorful show every morning, what a treat! Below is a lesson in expansion joints. Calgary has such extreme temperature differences. A large majority of time was spend on problem solving for the exterior mural. Here are shots of the expansion joints doing what they do best! All I can say is, nature rules, always.

Above: Taping of Laurel the swimmer in preparation to deepen the glass tube with shadows. Below: A before and after where the seams meet and the integration on site.

Above: John racing against the Sun to finish the blends. Below: Images from a day trip to Grassi Lakes

Here is the completed exterior mural. If you are ever in Calgary, check it out at 2000 69 St SW, Calgary, AB T3H 4V7, Canada. So now I have my first international mural installation under my belt right before my 27th birthday! I am excited for the next international mural installation, which will be about 10 months down the line in Barbados. I learned so much in Calgary and was excited about the diversity of the city however I must say, I am very happy to be back on the Central Coast of California.

Installation at Skyline College in San Bruno

2010-09-03T22:35:00.000-07:00

If there is one thing Skyline College is known for it is the cool and foggy weather. The first two days we were at Skyline College in San Bruno, CA there was a heat wave coming through. I was excited about the heat because I got to wear shorts and sunscreen and danced to the music outside while the college students walked around the caution tape. But soon enough, that all changed.

Here I am mixing up the special "goo" to paste the mural to the wall.

On the third day of the installation it seemed as though we were in another town. The fog and the wind nestled right into the landscape of the college. I wore two pairs of pants, two pairs of socks, three sweatshirts, a jacket and a beanie. Yes, it was cold but the wind was the real factor in this installation. There came a point as the Sun was going to sleep my toes were starting to become numb.

It took us four days to complete the installation at Skyline College. We finished about 9pm. I was most excited about getting all warmed up.

Balancing the in Between

2010-08-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

I realize that I tend to write about learning to balance life. Many of my friends who are artist are also workaholics. This past fourth of July I found myself in the studio, painting. On my birthday I am usually always in the studio. Since I have been sober for the last year and a half I have found myself in the studio more than ever before. Learning how to keep life balanced seems it will be a life long practice for myself. I have started to go to meditation about once a week to keep me on track with a more balanced life, going to yoga and getting outside in nature as much as I can are all great moments I can do to keep my life balanced.

So, balancing the in between, huh? Well in between painting and drawing making food and enjoying natures color palette are top priority. John and I are working on the Calgary Canada mural and putting the finishing touches on a mural in San Bruno for Skyline College. Below are some images of some of our process in the studio.

Here is the project for Canada. We are mixing colors for the glass tube. I enjoy this color palette so much! There are images of swimmers that are on the non woven media that we will paste onto the mural once the tube is ready for them. I am excited to learn how to make this tube really look like glass.

Next up is the mural just about ready for installation, Skyline College in San Bruno, CA. This is the first mural I have worked on from cartoon to finish. I am very excited about installing Skyline. This mural is about 15 x 16ft. We will be installing Skyline in about five days from now. One of the wonderful things about working with the non woven media is the ability of being mobile. If you have been following you will note that this mural was once in a different studio. We rolled it up and brought it to the Truckee/Lake Tahoe studio further North of the Santa Cruz mountains. Once Skyline is ready we will roll it up again and take it to its home. Although I am excited about installing the mural, this part of the process is always a high adrenaline rush, being up on scaffolding, rolling out the mural, and working it into its place, where it will live for the next 100 years, or so.

O, hey, let's not forget, this whole, balancing the in between. Here are a few shots from outside the studio, soaking up new inspiration and smelling the sweet California air. I hiked up Squaw Valley, three hours and took the little lift down. It was real different than hiking in Big Sur, which I am most familiar with. I have not skied and going up all the way to the top was real interesting and thinking about what it would look like with snow was, cooling.

This three hour hike, where my patience started to wear out, not knowing where I was going, but I was along for the ride, really was a treat. When I got down from the mountain, I heard amazing soulful music. It was a band from New Orleans, tearin' it up! It was so awesome! I dont know where I got any additional energy, but I just could not stand still, I hopped into the crowd and started to dance with the crowd. It was just such an amazing experience and the icing on the cake!

To the Drawing Board!

2010-08-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

From mural to mural, researching to conceptualizing over the last few months it is time to put the collected images, thoughts and imagination on paper. We are working in about every stage possible in creating public art from starting new projects, initial sketches and ideas, rolling up murals and preparing for installations, shipping paints to the on site location, mid point to final painting and preparing new material for the new projects on the horizon.
I am learning to just roll with it all and stay as calm as possible. Staying up and working until 5:30AM, drawing monkeys and turtles, drinking water and creating interesting dishes to eat in the AM keeps my life, lively.

Below are images of the Pacific Palisades mural, we are creating the final drawing and painting the mini mural.

Below is the meeting in San Bruno at Skyline College. To the left is a to life size template of the mural. The wall is being prepped as I type.

I also played badminton for the first time. I knew if it were anything like tennis, I would have a fun time but I am not that great at land sports and try to stick to the water when I can.

I am always on the look out for interesting looking shapes and colors, I came across this bathroom window at 3AM one night. We took some photographs for fun and called it a night.