Sunday Afternoon

I have spent the weekend taking my turn sitting at the Joshua Tree Art Gallery, the collective gallery where my art proudly hangs in downtown Joshua Tree.  I would always prefer to be in the studio, but I do realize the importance of getting feedback, and meeting people who are interested in my art.  JTAG will most likely close down for the summer at the end of this month, but we will be re-opening once more in September.  If you haven't been in the gallery yet, and you live nearby, it is definitely worth the visit.  We are generally only open on the weekend, from 10 to 3 pm, but you can also call or email one of the artists (like me!) for an appointment. 

I have been working on the new series with some miniature paintings this past week.  I am trying to paint the music I listen to.  Here are three of them. 

Eye of the beholder.  Oil on canvas board, 12 x 9 inches.

Sight and Sound.  Oil on canvas board, 12 x 9 inches.

Sensation.  Oil on canvas board, 12 x 9 inches.  This third one may need a little work, still.  You may not know this, but when I was a child, I played piano and violin.  My sisters also played instruments (viola and cello), and the three of us used to play together as a trio for church.  My father usually arranged the music we played, and he sometimes accompanied us with piano or guitar.  When I went off to college, I switched from music to art.  For me, it did not seem like a big leap.  Art just became the way I wanted to explore and express myself.  This new series of paintings is a way for me to bridge the gap between past and present - childhood and adulthood. 

As the desert is slowly beginning to warm up, the flowers fade.  I do have a few things in my yard that are still blooming, but I wanted to show you this obscene flowering cactus from a few weeks ago.  It amazes me that the flowers seem to be bigger than the cactus. 

I kept thinking that at any moment, the poor cactus would topple under the glory of those fragrant pink blooms.  But it managed to hold them up for the single day of their magnificent lives. 

Next weekend, M and I will be loading up the Gordita once again to head off for La Jolla.  This will be my last festival for a couple of months, and I am looking forward to withdrawing back into the studio once again.