Kelly's Studio

Art and other sparkly things.

Serendipity Gallery

Posted on | September 23, 2013 | Comments Off on Serendipity Gallery

I got back late last night from St. Louis, and (DRUMROLL!) the grand opening of Serendipity Gallery. What an incredible weekend! And Serendipity sure knows how to throw a party. On Saturday night, it felt like most of St. Louis was, at some point, either inside the gallery or waiting on the sidewalk to get in. The place was packed with art collectors, artists, friends, family, and I was beyond thrilled to be part of it.

I’m working on a longer post about the weekend,  but in the meantime, please check out some photos of the gallery that were taken by the incredibly talented Neil R. Brown. And if you’re in St. Louis, please stop by the gallery! It’s in the Delmar Loop, right next to The Pageant.

Heart Art

Posted on | February 19, 2013 | Comments Off on Heart Art

The boy and I did our first watercolor painting project in honor of Valentine’s Day.

I traced heart shaped cookie cutters onto watercolor paper, laid down a shower curtain liner on the table, and let him go to town with the brushes and primary paint colors.

Fortunately, he didn’t discover the *joy* of flicking watercolor paint around the kitchen until he had finished painting all the hearts.

I let the painted sheets of paper dry, cut out the hearts, and then glue-sticked the hearts to white note cards.

Pretty, no?

Next up: Valentines

Posted on | February 4, 2013 | Comments Off on Next up: Valentines

My artsy action since my last post has been to gather the supplies we need and start drawing hearts so I can make some valentines with the kiddo. This is not exactly what I initially had in mind when I wrote my last post, but I guess I hadn’t realized how soon Valentine’s Day would be upon us.

I’ve got some watercolor paper, some brushes, some watercolors, heart-shaped cookie cutters, crayons, scissors, and glue sticks. I’ve pre-drawn the hearts on the watercolor paper, and I think we’ll break out the paints tomorrow…

Firing Up Creativity

Posted on | January 30, 2013 | Comments Off on Firing Up Creativity

I’ve got several unfinished paintings sitting around, and they’ve been sitting in the same unfinished state for so long that I hardly even notice them anymore. Maybe I need to start them over. Or maybe I need to push on. I haven’t been able to decide. But either way, I think I’m to the point where I need to stop thinking and just take action, even if I am not sure what I want the outcome to be.

I think I need some creative fuel, or to devote some free time, or impose some discipline, or maybe some of all of those things to get my creativity boiler going again.

What do you do to fuel your creativity?

 

 

 

A Break in the Action

Posted on | January 23, 2013 | Comments Off on A Break in the Action

So last week, I took my first full weekend trip away since the boy was born almost two years ago. I met some college girlfriends in Las Vegas, and it was a great time. We had all become grownups but remained very much ourselves, which I found interesting and comforting. Long friendships are wonderful.

I was pretty anxious before I left, but once I was in the cab, thanks no doubt to my incredible husband and awesome babysitter, I let it all go. Relief! But then my mind of course settled into my lifelong departure routine of going over all the possible things I might have forgotten to pack.

I couldn’t think of anything I had forgotten. But I couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out why I also couldn’t let the “what did I forget” obsession go. Finally, while buying water at my departure gate, I figured it out. I wasn’t carrying three extra bags full of kid stuff, both of my hands were free, and I only had to inquire of myself whether I needed to use the bathroom. How liberating! I bought water and opted for a magazine called “Scientific American Mind” because the cover story led me to believe I’d be able to train myself to be more optimistic. So far I can confirm that being more optimistic would indeed be better for me and everyone around me. (Surprise!) And I’m confident I’ll be able to change my mindset. (See? Like that? I’m already working on it.)

I got back into town on Sunday morning, and we spent the evening with incredible friends (again, long friendships are awesome) who were visiting from Los Angeles.

This week has been a lot of catching up (on stuff and sleep), but this morning, I drafted a couple of blog posts for SFWA, and I decided that I’d be remiss to neglect my own blog (even though I obviously don’t have much to say on the topic of art right now).

So I leave you with the only picture I took while I was gone. Everyone else was doing such a good job chronicling the trip, I just held off until I was back at the airport.

 

 

Wandering Wednesday

Posted on | January 9, 2013 | Comments Off on Wandering Wednesday

As you may have guessed, I don’t get out as much as I used to, and when I do, I am rarely by myself. My outings to shops these days are usually very targeted (as in, get in and get out!) with the youngster in the hiking backpack, unable to wreak havoc explore shop displays.

But this morning, I had some time to burn after a quick trip to the Genius Bar to replace my iPhone 5. (Last Saturday evening, with no warning at all, my phone took a vow of silence, and aside from a few clicks in a text message last night, I never heard from it again. I’m hoping for better luck with its successor.)

On my little neighborhood wander today, I visited two stores. The first store is one I had been meaning to check out. Olive This Olive That sells olive oils and balsamic vinegars, several of which I tried, alone and in combination, and they were delicious. The second shop is one I hadn’t really noticed before, Loft1513 Boutique, but I will surely visit again. It sells unique clothing and accessories from over 40 local designers. There were some great shoes, some interesting dresses, beautiful accessories, and a few weird items, including expensive fascinators (tiny hats). I asked if people actually bought the hats, and apparently they just *fly* out of the store. Or at least they did during the time of the most recent Royal Wedding. Anyway, fascinators aside, my visit got me thinking about the consignment store business model plus sewing lessons (which is apparently that shop’s model) , versus how the SFWA gallery is doing things. Maybe we should do lessons. Or just let more people sell stuff.

It also got me thinking that I know how to do a lot of creative things, but I am not particularly expert at any of them. I’d like to be more expert at one–or more!–of them. The “or more,” of course is where I get into trouble. I’m really lousy at pruning interests and projects. The 5 (or more) knitting and crochet projects that are lurking in bags around the house tell that story very nicely. The projects are so unfinished that I can’t even remember where I stopped in the patterns.

The part I liked about talking with the people at both of these shops was that it made me consider my creative focus and realize that I want it back. So I’m going to get on that …

 

 

Happy New Year!

Posted on | January 2, 2013 | Comments Off on Happy New Year!

I hope 2013 is off to a great start for you! It is for me. My plan is to fill 2013 full of awesome and amazing everything.

Too general you say? You are probably right. But this plan has tons of positive wiggle room in it, and I like it. I spent two whole hours today brainstorming ideas for new art, blog posts, and other writing projects. Now I just have to remember to keep track of that wee notebook . . .

 

 

 

Head to Toe Reception

Posted on | October 17, 2012 | Comments Off on Head to Toe Reception

At long last, here are a few photos from the reception for SFWA’s show, “Head to Toe.” It was a lively crowd at the reception! I met fellow artists, loyal patrons, and I enjoyed some lovely conversation en français with local antique and fine art dealer, Monique Arnon.

In the end, none of my paintings found a new home.  Maybe next time…

Head To Toe

Posted on | September 10, 2012 | Comments Off on Head To Toe

Guess what? I joined a gallery.

I’m a new member of the San Francisco Women Artists. The gallery is in a lovely little spot in San Francisco’s Laurel Village. I know very little about galleries, but I can’t wait to learn. I’m looking forward to meeting all the talented women who are also members and to volunteering my time to help to make this gallery wildly successful. And I now have a great incentive to create new work and a fun new way to help get it out into the world. So far, so perfect!

Yesterday, we had judging for our upcoming show, “Head To Toe.” I submitted three paintings for the juror’s consideration, and to my delight, she accepted all three. I can’t think of how this gallery relationship could have gotten off to a better start!

The opening reception is on Thursday evening, September 13, from 5:30-7:00 pm. The gallery is located at 3489 Sacramento Street. Come by and check it out!

Underwater Trees

Posted on | June 7, 2012 | 1 Comment

Somehow it has been almost a year since I posted here. I have been busy. Busy with the baby raising. Busy with the cooking. So much cooking! I was also busy knitting a couple of hats during the winter and re-starting, for the third time, a sweater from yarn I bought 5 years ago. Once again, I made very little progress on it. I have also been busy working out. On Tuesday, I deadlifted 135 pounds no problem. And I have been busy catching up on last year’s movies that are now finally coming out on DVD, and just watching television. Girls, Veep, The Killing, and of course Madmen. I have been very busy avoiding painting. I blame the trio of paintings I have been working on (stare at, hate, redo, repeat) since last summer. I just can’t seem to get them to look the way I want. They involve the birch tree that I can see from our kitchen window, and at this point, I’m sort of resigned to the idea that the concept is good, even though those paintings may never be.

I have been spending a LOT of time this past year looking at trees and plants. The kid loves them–looking at them, touching them, pointing at them, smiling at them, and looking for birds and insects in them. We have been taking lots of walks to look at them, and these city-meets-nature-walks were getting pretty tedious from my perspective. Same plants, same trees, more pigeons, you get the idea.  But recently, I saddled up with the kid in the backpack as usual to go for a walk and I happened to bring my camera with me. It turned out to be a great way to find some patience with the walk and to notice a bunch of things that I had never seen before. I snapped this picture,  and it got me thinking about landscapes in a whole new way.

It looks almost watery! I’m now obsessed (or obsessed as time permits) with the idea of above-water trees and plants that look like they could be part of an underwater seascape. I have started some new paintings inspired by this idea. My progress is slower than it used to be, but I am really hoping they turn out well. I’d love to find a new direction to pursue. I wonder if this will be it.

 

 

 

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