Festivals and flowers

At long last, hot desert temperatures seem to have arrived.   Many will despair at this news, but I am a hot weather freak, and I am happy to finally not be cold.  It has been a long, cool, windy spring.  The cooler temps have provided us with an extended spring bloom, and that is something one must not complain about.  The surrounding desert looks as lush as I have seen it in our short few years living here.  Even as busy as I have been, I do take a moment every day to look out the window and admire the beauty.

The desert willow has just begun to bloom.  This deciduous native is a favorite, with its orchid-like flowers and long narrow leaves.  Chilopsis linearis is not actually a member of the willow family, as its name suggests, but is a member of the Bignonia family.

I spent the weekend at JTAG, the collective gallery I am a proud new member of.  It was a good weekend for the gallery, with many admirers and good sales.  The collection of recent Joshua Tree paintings I had displayed for the month of June were a hit, and I am delighted to say that I sold several of them, including this one.

 

Here is a photograph of the interior of the gallery the day we installed the show for May.  Now, most of the artists in the collective, myself included, have brought new art for the month of June.  The artists take turns sitting in the gallery, and it is normally open from 10 to 3 on the weekends.  You can also make an appointment to see it by emailing me.  (karine@karineswenson.com)

I am preparing to take art to the Sunnyvale Art and Wine Festival this weekend.  The festival is right downtown in Sunnyvale, California.  It is a big festival, and if you are nearby and would like to see me there, let me know so I can guide you to my booth.  (I won't know my location until we arrive Saturday morning.)  The festival lasts from 9 to 6 both Saturday and Sunday. 

The Desert Willow and a painting

I finally got some non-blurry photos of the desert willow blossoms. They really are wonderful. This is from the walk and run this morning. I write "walk and run" because I run, but I am not much of a runner, so then I walk. I alternate. That way, I get my cardio workout, but it is still bearable. Of course, it would be really hard to take photos of things while running!

I also have another abstract oil painting to show you. This one was also done from the little watercolor studies I did earlier this summer. I changed it slightly. I wanted a little more contrast, and I was having difficulties getting the blue to look the same. I do like it so far. It is now sitting in the spare room, drying and letting me look and contemplate it. This is called "Summertime" and it measures 24 x 30 x 2.5 inches.

Life Drawing

I am accustomed to a weekly four hour session of drawing from a live model. So far, in our new digs I have only been able to find a group that meets for two hours. I have been attending, but it just doesn't seem like enough drawing for me. I decided to organize a four hour session. This afternoon will be the second four hour session I have organized. I am looking forward to it, especially since I did attend the two hour session last night. I should be warmed up to draw today. If I get something I like, I promise to post it for you.

The photo at the top is the desert willow. It is a native shrub/small tree. It is one of my favorites, because the blooms are beautiful. I had a photo of the blossoms, but it is blurry, so I will try to take another one tomorrow. Usually, it can be found in the washes, where it gets a little more water than it would out on the flats. I am hoping to buy one to plant on the south side of our house.

I better get going to draw. Have a good weekend, and enjoy the cottontail I did the same day as those two jackrabbits I posted earlier.