February 2021

February 28, 2021

February 2021

This month FLEW by! I can’t believe it’s already March. So much has happened. I’ll do my best to wrap it all up ....

I worked on these Manet Tulips and finally completed the painting this month. Let me count the reasons why I love this painting ... first of all, I *love* Manet’s floral and still life paintings. They have been an inspiration to me for years. He’s also fascinating as an artist and figure in art history. He was a scoundrel, a rebel and fearless. I also love paintings tulips and I’m a fan of blue and white vases. So, there you have it ... a trifecta of favorites in one painting. I’m submitting this to a Booth Museum Artist Guild call for art. Fingers crossed.

Scott and I are still participating in abstract classes on Saturdays. The exercises have been very helpful, however, I’ve been quite frustrated by my recent attempts to create a finished piece. Abstract paintings look so simple, but they are complicated and frustrating. I’ve read so many artist biographies and there’s a school of thought that goes like this ... if you can’t see the artist’s frustration in the painting, it’s not successful. Nevertheless, I continue to sling paint and put myself through the torture. I’ve gone back and reworked a few old abstracts, and maybe it’s paying off? Ruby Woo 3 made the cut for the Atlanta Artists Center’s upcoming show, “East Meets West.” The bad news is that the other 2 abstracts I submitted were rejected. Oh well :)

And yet there’s more good news for Ruby Woo. Ruby was selected by an Ikebana floral designer as inspiration for an upcoming floral design. This is part of the Art in Bloom portion of the East Meets West exhibition. I’m excited to see the floral design that is paired with Ruby!! I’ll post photos.

There’s a new show going up at Colony Square in Midtown. “Spring Fling” will be on view from March 8 thru early June. I submitted 3 paintings and 2 were accepted:

More paintings I worked on this month:

Work in progress

ROSWELL SQUARE GALLERY

Some exciting news! This weekend I moved into a gallery space at Roswell Square Gallery in Roswell, just north of Atlanta. It’s such a cute little spot, right on the square in historic Roswell. There are about a dozen artists who formed a collective. Several of the artists paint on site. I plan to do that, too. Scott and I drove up on Sunday, set up a new easel and hung some of my paintings. I can’t wait for the weather to be nice, open up the gallery doors, paint and talk to the gallery’s visitors. Hopefully I can sell a few things!

And last but not least, I’ve been busy with volunteer work at Mercedes Benz stadium.

We arrive around 8:30 and work until around 4pm. The work varies from day to day, but I’ve helped outside the stadium, checking wristbands and appointments. I’ve also helped patients in wheelchairs move from inside to outside where their caretakers pick them up curbside. Inside the stadium I’ve helped with managing traffic flow, completing consent forms and vaccine cards and scheduling second appointments. Time passes very quickly. It feels so good to finally be in a position to help with this mess we’re all in. Fortunately I was able to get my first vaccine as a result of my volunteer work. I’m beyond grateful, and I look forward to going back in March to continue my volunteer support.

READING

I’m reading two books right now: Grit by Angela Duckworth and The Art of Rivalry by Sebastian Smee. I read The Art of Rivalry a while back, but I’m going back and re-reading the section on Manet and Degas. I’m also still listening to You Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins on Audible.

OTIS and JULIUS

The boys are doing great. I don’t think Otis loves that I’m gone all day on volunteer days. They’ve been hunkered down in our guest bedroom lately, sometimes snuggling together. We’ve noticed that JuJu has had a little bit of trouble focusing his eyes. He’s definitely the more cross-eyed of the two. He can find food, no question about that, but sometimes he misses the little treats in my hand. Otis never misses. We’ve read that this is common for Siamese cats, so we’re not too worried.