Curvilinear as the texture of folk art.

October 17, 2009 the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society begins the annual show. This year the theme is, "Linear Visions." It is a large show with over 110 participants. For a well-attended, community event, come to the reception on Sunday, October 25, 2009 from 1-4pm. The SCVWS does have great food and wine for the announcement of awards. This year the juror is Christopher Schink an artist well-known as a consummate professional.

The address is the Rose Shenson Gallery on the grounds of the Triton Museum

1550 Warburton Avenue

Santa Clara, CA 95050

The show is open every day from 11-5pm

Linear Visions closes November 17, 2009

This painting, which is a reference to folk-art, is called "Curvilinear". There are quilters in South America that make molas with fabulous, colorful stitching that twists and turns on the women's blouses. I chose to make the wavy lines and details in a similar manner and that is the entry for "Linear Vision." I hope you can come to the show.

Ghirardelli

Just finished a painting of Ghirardelli Square, the former chocolate factory. I think the tourism there has diminished somewhat from the days in the 1980s, but it is close to Fishermen's Wharf and still draws people. The painting is acrylic and collage so we call it a "mixed media." You can see it as a playful painting with the balloons and bright colors of yellow and orange.

The weekend of October 23-24, 2009, I will be with 8 artists showing at Open Studios at :

Art People Gallery
50 Post Street, 2nd level #41
San Francisco, CA 94104
www.artpeople.net

I hope to see some of you there as it is a really good way to see such a variety of art in one venue and reasonable prices too.

This has been a while since I wrote a blog. I was wondering if any others of you have discovered the two different shopping websites I discovered. One is Etsy which as hand-made jewelry and gifts and the other is Haute Look, which has high-end apparel and jewelry discounted and ordered directly from the manufacturer. It is fun to see what each site contains. You need to register to order on either one.

Again the hand-made or vintage site is Etsy http://www.etsy.com and Haute Look http://www.hautelook.com

I just entered a new show for me. It is put on by the Arts of the Covenant art group. The show is, "Angels, Artists Imagine the Invisible". It will run through the month of November, 2009 at the Sanchez Art Center, 1220 Linda Mar Avenue, Pacifica. A gala reception (with heraldic trumpets) will be on October 30, 2009 from 7-9 pm.

The show will then travel to West Valley Presbyterian Church, 6191 Bollinger Road, Cupertino from December 7, 2009-January 7, 20010. A family-friendly reception will take place on Friday, December 11, 2009 from 7-9pm.

Correction on date for Reception in Palo Also

The Elizabeth Norton Gallery
668 Ramona Street
Palo Alto, Ca
Reception held August 7th, Friday, from 6-9 pm
Show runs through August 29, 2009
Times: Monday-Friday, 9-5
Sat. 10-4
Closed Sunday


This show is "Anything Goes" and those of us who paint in watercolor may surprise you with what other media we work with. My previous blog said, Thursday, which is wrong. I hope this doesn't inconvenience anyone. Sorry

Here is the painting of two famous landmarks in San Francisco. It is a watercolor but on canvas. I call it, "Iconic Duo" Hope to see you there.

Abstracting Technology

Once and a while it is fun to do abstracted work that doesn't give the viewer a recognizable landscape. One painting series I have started is of computer-tech-type abstractions such as "The Virus and the Firewall" and also "Bricks or Clicks" which is the image on this blog.

I will be showing both these pieces in the matted work bin in a show called Anything Goes!:
Norton Gallery
688 Ramona Street
Palo Alto, CA
This show runs for the month of August.

The reception is Thursday, August 7, 2009 from 6-9pm.

Check out the SCVWS (Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society) website for more information.
www.scvws.org
Parking is very limited on the street but there is a public parking lot across the street.

Lotus_Flower of Thailand_Symbol of Buddhism

In May we were fortunate to spend time with extended family in Thailand. We were often near rivers or on river boats and saw the beautiful lotus plants that are so prevalent in Thailand.

Lotus in Thai is called "dok bua" and is recognized as not only the country's most common flower but also is the traditional flower of Buddhism. In Buddhist art, the Buddha is sometimes portrayed from birth to enlightenment as walking, sitting, standing and attaining enlightenment on a lotus.

There are four stages of the lotus that correspond to the growth of a human being. When one is uneducated and lacking in wisdom, we are like the seed in the mud. Then we progress to the bud, emerging wisdom and soon to the flower and the completely open bloom as it breaks the surface of the water, it signifies Nirvana.

Coming in the fall there will be a show, "Linear Visions" with the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society, and I hope to have a painting in that show. At present the SCVWS is showing work at the Los Altos Library and in August a show will be at the Norton Gallery in Palo Alto. Look on the SCVWS website for details. www.scvws.org

We took a trip to Zion, Brice and Arches National Monuments a few years ago, and I just now decided to paint a "hoodoo" from Brice. I am trying to perfect the painting of rocks. These "hoodoos" are weathered by wind, water and erosion to form interesting shapes with beautiful, warm colors.

You can see that the colors are awesome in life and offer a lot to paint.

We went to see the Georgia O'Keefe/Ansel Adams exhibit at SFMOMA when we were in SF last Thursday. It is interesting how they became infatuated with the same kind of scenery...Santa Fe, floral, and haunting landscapes. They also were friends even though they were 18 years apart in age. Check this event out at: SFMOMA

I made a plan to paint a bit more of southern California, but I was not creating anything, not even one beach scene. Yesterday I found a reference photo of Point Loma, which is really out at Point Loma, California. This is away from the downtown of San Diego. The fun of painting rocks seemed to be a fascination. Anyway it got me started painting southern California.

The finished painting "Point Loma Tide Pool Site" is simple enough in color with texture defining the rocks.

Some of the paintings I will do will involve a trip to Bryce, Zion and Arches because there are so many rocks and cliffs. Check my Website for more work.

Cabaret in Paris

Recently, I placed a painting in the family room of the "Au Lapin Agile Cabaret" which is still a favorite haunt of Parisian's in Montmatre, Paris. It is the former hot spot for Modigliani and Picasso. It is the logo on the sign of the rabbit carrying a bottle of wine that gives the nightclub the name of the "Nimble Rabbit." It is a large painting of watercolor on yupo paper.

Coming soon to the Los Altos library will be the show from Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Association. The "Interpretations Show" will feature work that depicts poetry. Location:
Los Altos Library
13 S. San Antonio Road
Los Altos, CA 94022
Dates July 1-August 14, 2009
Check library website for hours: http://www.santaclaracountylib.org/losaltos

Thailand: exotic but accessible

The reason I was not writing a blog for a two week period, was I was in Thailand in May, returning May 27th. Although I had been to Thailand before, this was a personal journey with special people, now part of our family. Thailand has so much to offer the tourist with fabulous food, friendly people and exotic sights.

I chose not to photograph very much. Mostly I sketched and jotted notes in a journal. Many artists do this well. I tried this for my first time. I need more practice. Here are two images.

The first is a picture of the "floating market".

The second is a sketch of rambutan and mangosteen. I particularly liked taking the husk off mangosteen to eat the soft, white fruit inside.

This month there is the show at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art. The website: http://www.marinmoca.org/
The address is: 500 Palm Drive, Novato, CA this does not deal with Thailand, but with art that uses "found material." this is a fun show.

Art Scene in Marin

Saturday, May 30, 2009 was the reception for the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, 500 Palm Drive, Novato, CA. It was really fun, and I have to share some of the whimsical and clever wall art and sculptures that were in the show. The theme was "Alchemy, Artfully Reclaimed," with the use of found materials.

My painting, "Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall" was printed with inks using found materials. I used shelf papers and various items even off Andre's work bench. This truly is a curved building, and I have had the pleasure of hearing a concert in L.A. in the hall. Frank Gehry, architect, is known for his unusual buildings.

There was a cool, large piece of sculpture made with at least 100 paper bags folded, and Andre liked finding the pieces made with resisters and capacitors. One other favorite was a picture made of a mauve material, that on closer inspection was dryer lint. Who would have thought all this would make for a richly interesting show. The juror was Ruth Braunstein, who owns a very well-regarded gallery in San Francisco. I was pleased to be included in the show.

The show runs the month of June and ends on July 5th. It's worth a trip and the setting is the old Hamilton Air Force base, in the former Officer's Club. (Just as the Presidio in S.F. uses the former Officer's Club for art exhibitions.)

Docent at the Presidio

I had a great time today, working at the SF Presidio as a docent. It is fun because people are really into the art enough to want to find out about the different paints: acrylic, casein, watercolor, etc. and the different papers, such as Yupo, canvas, panel, 300 lb. paper, etc. The California Watercolor Association 40th National Juried Show ends on May 24, 2009. At least 190 people visit each day. www.californiawatercolor.org

This painting, The Dance of the Delphiniums, is just one of the paintings I did for a solo show in S.F. It is watercolor and acrylic on 300 lb. watercolor paper.

I hope some of you can see my work in person at one of the shows. Soon there is a show at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art. The artist reception is May 30 from 5-7 pm at the museum, 500 Palm Drive, Novato. This is a national juried show with the theme of "Alchemy", found materials used to make the art. The show runs through July 5, 2009

I needed to reload my images for the correct resolution.
The painting on this blog is of Kanas Lake. We visited the northern-most part of China in
August and had a chance to see the remote national park with Kanas Lake. I used crayon-like materials to paint the watercolor. The sticks as they are called, are really pure watercolors but act more like crayons. As you can see the intensity of the color really stands out with these.

If you know someone interested in watercolors, tell them about the watercolor sticks that can be purchased online from Daniel Smith: http://www.danielsmith.com

Also my website is: http://www.mesart.com/ashleyarts

I am a little late on writing my blog but all the better to tell good news. Yesterday, I opened the website for the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art and found that my name was listed as one of the 55 artists accepted into the show, "Alchemy." This show will feature work done with found materials, reclaimed items and recycled into art. My painting, "Ghery's Walt Disney Concert Hall," is of the L.A. music iconic hall by architect Frank Ghery. I love painting cities and famous buildings, bridges, or special haunts that keep us fascinated. After all, 50% of the world now live in urban areas. We live here in the Bay Area, specifically for me in San Jose, the 10th largest city in the United States. So it seems appropriate that we identify readily with city structures.

The Marin Mueum of Contemproary Art "Alchemy," A National Juried Exhibition, will begin on May 30-July 5, 2009. A public reception with artists will be May 30, 5-7 pm.
500 Palm Drive
Novato, California 94949

Museum Hours:
Tuesday through Sunday
11am to 4pm
Closed Sunday

Outdoor Art

I have a painting done in acrylic on clayboard, and I wonder if it would be weather-resistant. I figure it is worth doing to see the effect. I have wanted to paint outdoor art when some artist friends and I were hosting an outdoor art event. A woman came specifically to see if anything we painted could be placed in a garden setting or around a pool.

Of course, there are mural painters all over the world. I am looking for something portable and easy to transfer to a different place.

The weather for the next few days will vary from rainy to sunny so that would be a good test.

I also used a gel medium on the clayboard to give texture and a gritty, sandy beach look.

Remember the California Watercolor Association 40th National Exhibition is ongoing through May 24, 2009 Check out the CWA website for pictures of the winners and details about the show. www.californiawatercolor.org

This past Sunday we went to the Presidio in San Francisco to see the California Watercolor Association National Exhibition with friends. It is fun to see what varied work and techniques exist within watercolors.


The painting on the right is "Don't Splash Me!" which I won an award in last year's CWA show.

If you go, pick up a catalog for $13 which will also show the prices of the paintings.



www.californiawatercolor.org

The excitement for me is that this is my third acceptance and it means I have achieved Signature Membership in the CWA organization. That means I can use the CWA initials after my name.....alphabet soup, so to speak.

I have been trying to be inspired about painting San Diego. I love to paint cities, but I haven't come up with the right format...yupo paper, or canvas, or clayboard. Clayboard interests me, and I'm going to do a test to see if something painted in acrylic could be okay for outside. I really want to paint on materials that could go outside. By this time next week I hope to have at least 2 paintings done of San
Diego.

We now have the beginning of a painting. This is watercolor on polypropylene and it is perfect for this as we will achieve a lot of texture with this "yupo" paper.

First we have the beginning drops of paint, which sit on the surface as yupo does not absorb paint.





In the second step I use a foam roller, which is a general purpose paint tool for painting a room. I smooth out the background for contrast with the textures of the arrangement.

Next we add the touches of color which are the tulips, freesias and ornamental cabbages.

The final picture shows the finished painting with all the color and texture
because we used the perfect smooth surface to paint on called "yupo."


www.mesart.com/ashleyarts
12w X 14h "Ikebana with Tulips" by Susan Ashley

Photographs of the Flower Show Evolving into Paintings

This past weekend we had a well received Ikebana International Flower Show in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Many people wanted to be in the park after so many days of rain. It turned out to be a beautiful, sunny Saturday and Sunday event.
Here is the first basic step in starting the arrangement. My husband stabilized the birch branch with a wood base,
which was the anchor for the arrangement.
.








Next is the final arrangement with the Chiko School elements of natural materials without fancy vases. There are often artifacts such as small figures, but with the birch branches, I didn't feel that was necessary.

The next step is to paint the textures and colors, possibly using a polypropelyne material called "yupo" paper. It enables the paint to lay on top of the material and gives a strong, color impact. The next blog will feature the progress of painting this arrangement.

There are photographs of the many arrangements soon to be posted on www.ikebana.org/

Find some of my earlier paintings of flowers and ikebana on www.mesart.com/ashleyarts

The Ikebana International Flower Show at the County Fair Building, 9th Avenue and Lincoln Way in Golden Gate Park San Francisco is this weekend, March 7-8, 2009.

I am an artist who also does ikebana arrangements, both in the natural state of flowers and in paint . Here is an image of what one might see at the flower show. It is a painting of the Ohara School of ikebana with pomegranates.

The Chiko School is now the one I actively study and will be painting. Look for new images, especially coming soon on my website.

www.mesart.com/ashleyarts

Ikebana International Show website for directions and times: www.ikebana.org/