productivemargo

Productivity is everything. Well, Balance is everything and then productivity, which should always be at the top of the list. Production is key. That is just my opinion. My knee and hip feels so much better and I am able to hop and skip around like the little rambunctious painter I am. The last few days have taken me on a fun ride all the while keeping it studiomargo.

This painting is of me as a little girl planting with my Grandma. My Grandma was many things during her life. I remember her the most as a farmer. My siblings and I would plant in her front and back yards. I remember planting lots of garlic. O how Grandma loved her garlic and butter.


Fine Art Base had a lecture series that I and three other members of the Octopi Collective attended. Michele Muennig was the artist who spoke. It was great to talk with her and get to discuss her work.



And away we go! It was time for my opening reception at the Kathleen McMahon Fine Art Gallery in the Mission. All artist showing sold work that night. It was a great night for the gallery. The building that the gallery is in had an open studio night so I went to check out the work and say hi to some of the artists. Katja Leibenath and Mark Powers are great artists with studios in the building. I always like to drop by and say hello when Im in the City.






So like I said in the beginning of this post, production is key. To the studio! I spent some time at the local beaches soaking up inspiration and thinking of the grid. The work below is for sale at KMFA. This was the first time I created a diptych in my Asilomar series.





O and here is a photo of my assistants they are dancin' to the studio music. My assistants keep me in line and clean my brushes. With that said, after a few days in the studio making sweet artistic love, we packed up the art and went back to the city.



There is nothing quite like a wind whirlin' roof-top lunch in the city. It is amazing what happens in life, when you just let it. I found myself at a cool art event. The music was awesome the food was great and the conversation was inspiring. Kellen Sullivan was showing and here are a few images of her work that spaned over 15 years of creating.












Now off for a walk around to check out the Coit Tower.





It was all fun and very educational. :) Now it is back to the magical Monterey for me. It is time for the opening of Christel Dillbohner opening at the Winfield Gallery in Carmel. It is a great show and if you have a chance to check it out, You and your friends really should.









I am gearing up for my group opening at the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek. That is this Wednesday from 5 to 7. I am going to be showing two pieces for the exhibiton, 'Working in Wax.' I am so jazzed about it. First showing in Walnut Creek. I will be in some amazing company and I cant wait to show you all the pictures from the event. Have a great week and happy creations to you!

Adventurous Monterey Margo

I was juried into the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek for a 'Working in Wax' exhibition showing from May 3 to June 12, 2009. The opening reception is Wednesday May 6th from 5 to 7pm. I will be there with many of my waxy counterparts. It will be an awesome showing, no doubt about that.

So off I go, to WC to drop of two paintings that are going to be showing in this nationally juried waxy exhibition. I then met up with encaustic painter and fiber goddess, Daniella Woolf. I met her about a year and a half ago. She is an amazing spirit and her work is wonderful.



Onward! After the art-dropping-off day it was time for a purely octopi moment. We are gearing up for our big exhibition at the National Steinbeck Center. So we had a pot luck, critique meeting, which we all love some much! This group of young artists never gets boring. I am thankful to be able to share my stories with the Collective and more importantly listen to theirs. One of our members, Michelle, just got back from a long stay in Texas, and it was great to hear what she had encountered and experienced there. Nic was out shooting the Sea Otter Classic and saw the most rad bikes and talked about that experience. Taylor is being commissioned for a few large pieces and also got into Pilchuck Glass school. So everyone is growing and progressing in their work. I just love it! Next meeting we will be at the Steinbeck Center to get more in depth about the project and be in the space.









One of our newest members, Nick Leonoff, a glass blower, had a reception out in Carmel at the Crossroads. Here are a few images from the reception. The sun was setting and the light danced so nicely with his work.






After his opening, it was time for 'Confections' at the Alternative Cafe's Gallery. It was a very cool showing of all things tasty. Maya Freedman curated the showing and did a wonderful job picking out work for the show. Everything was designed to the 'T' for this showing, even the cupcakes matched the walls. Way to go Maya! The exhibition is still running and they are donating a portion of the proceeds to The Keep A Breast Foundation to increase awareness and help eradicate breast cancer by exposing young people to methods of prevention, early detection and support. Click here to check the work.







The opening was fun and I meet new people and saw new art. All'n'all a great night.

Now, I am switching gears here.

You see, the adventure never really stops. Life goes on. People live, and people die. There have been many deaths in my family in 2009 from the very young to the very old. It has made me think differently about life and feel emotions I haven't felt in a long time. In my life I want to make a difference with my work to my local and international communities.

So with this whole living life to the fullest mantra in full practice and new appreciation of the human emotion. I am currently recovering from a massive dose of indulgence. I took advantage of the amazing Monterey climate and I went for a bike ride. There I was, riding in the sun, listening to some energetic music, after my 40 mins of lap swimming. Something happened. The world seemed to stop and everything slowed down to seconds, I just got lost in feeling unbalanced. I remember watching the bike wheels spinning in a way, I haven't seen before, but i loved it. It was great! However that feeling only lasted a few seconds. Back to reality. Ouch.




So after my crash and burn. I rode on. Picked myself up, dusted myself off thinking of mom. I started to think about childhood and how no matter what physically happened to me as a child, my mom always made it better. I will cherish that feeling forever. I love my mom :)

And so the story continues. I was not going to let my crash and burn steer me away from the beach. So I went out with a few friends. I caught the orange sunset and took a few shots.




I am going to be taking it easy for the next few days, no rock climbing or jumping out of planes. I think a nice walk with the lupine will be fine.







I am sure i will feel better by Friday, and hope so, as i am going to be at my art reception in SF at the Kathleen McMahon Fine Art Gallery in the Mission District from 5 to 9pm. So you have a chance to see my wounds and check out my new Asilomar encaustic series. :)

Momentum in Monterey

The past few days have been such a great experience. I was able to go see Suzka's Opening at Wave Street Studios in Monterey. Suzka is a Sand City based artist. She has such an amazing spirit and is always stylin'. The work Suzka had at Wave Street Studios is so amazing. It filled the room Here are a few images of the events. Way to go Suzka!






At times like these, I feel the need and want for reflection. I took some time out and hung out with Mother Nature. I feel such a deep connection with the Monterey Peninsula. Here are a few images from my reflection and meditation of my life in Monterey.

Engaging Encaustics

I have been working on an series inspired by my everyday surroundings. Living on the Monterey Bay Coastline is a constant source of inspiration. The people in my community are amazing, the sea life is a continuous source of education and the color palette that inhabits this land is indescribable. I have been working on an encaustic series that embodies these feelings and emotions. Below are the images of the work which are all currently showing at the Kathleen McMahon Fine Art Gallery in San Francisco during April. Here is the link to purchase my work online. Have a PayPal account? Great, because purchasing a piece of 'Margo' has never been easier! Click here for the link and check out the gallerey online.