 This is cause for celebration: My first SOLD OUT in-person workshop at the University of Utah's Lifelong Learning Program in over one year! The world has changed. We are all slowly adapting to a new normal. What hasn't changed is that there is a special kind of "magic" in connecting as a community of artists, and I am so incredibly grateful to serve my community in this capacity. Check out my next DIY Acrylic Mediums & Texture Workshop on June 26, 2021  No Mud, No Lotus. Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hahn (one of my favorite teacher & mentor) says that suffering and joy are intrinsically connected and one cannot exist without the other. The beauty of the lotus is found in its determination to rise out of the mud to meet the sun, transformed  Your painting is your message. I didn’t always know this, I didn’t always believe this, but I have found this to be true.  In short, my father's death expedited my bucket list. I realized in a very personal, very intense sort of way that none of us know how much time we have left, and life could slip away quite unexpectedly at any moment. As a result, I decided to do some serious soul searching, make a list, and channel all of my energy into accomplishing my life's unique purpose with newfound vigor, focus and intensity. Creating a series of sculptural paintings is one of those goals. Peeling back the layers. Seeing deeper into ourselves. Sculptural paintings made with plaster, newspaper and repurposed paint. Each painting is imbued with a mantra for mindfulness.  BIG. AMAZING. WONDERFUL things are happening at Workshop SLC and I am so happy to be a part of it! Here is a short story about contrast: Renting an art studio is a big deal. I am extremely cognizant that we become (whether we like it or not!) the people we spend the majority of our time with.  Painting is communion & community. COMMUNION because we get the chance to connect with Source to channel and manifest creativity through form, and COMMUNITY because painting is so much fun when it's a team sport. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have taught a 2-day ZOOM workshop last weekend. My fear in resisting ZOOM as a viable platform for teaching and learning were completely unfounded. We were able to get so close, so deep, so fast! This photo represents our paintings in progress after our first day together. Thank you to everyone who participated. Thank you Healdsburg Art Center in California for creating the opportunity. Join us for my next ZOOM workshop April 24 & 25 through Arts Benica, CA. For more information & to register: https://artsbenicia.org/distressed-mixed-media/  My most challenging commission panting to date! How else are we to grow if we remain within the preconceived boundaries we have created for ourselves? We miss 100% of the shots we don’t take. |
