Finding Inspiration

The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

Today we ventured out in search of artistic inspiration. My husband the photographer, and me the artist. What inspires us? Color, texture, pattern, unique shapes, to start. Even though we are looking at the world through slightly different lenses, we are often drawn to the same images. I point things out to Doug that I want him to shoot for me (how great is it to have your own blog photographer?) and sometimes he ends up shooting it for his own purposes. He tells me I have a good eye, but he's got a better sense of composition. 

Artistic and incredibly smooth coffee with a hint of chocolate. Image courtesy of fancy iPhone

At the The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market we were drawn to the stalls offering fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, greens and jam. We sampled Asian pears, oranges, and stood in line for 20-min to see just what the draw was for a cup of Blue Bottle Coffee. And let me just tell you, it was worth the wait.

For a complete album of Doug's Farmer's Market images, check out this album on his Photography Facebook Page.

Chinatown 

Art and Fashion, two parts of my trifecta of favorites, that's what we found in Chintatown today. San Francisco's Chinatown is the largest outside of Asia as well as the oldest Chinatown in North America. We hopped the bus (we've really mastered the MUNI) and the cable car to the most colorful neighborhood in town. I started to take out my fancy iPhone camera for blog photos, then I watched Doug shooting and changing lenses and was like, "why bother?" "Can you send me those?" 

My new look, I love the color palette. Image courtesy of fancy iPhone

Fashion first, I had to have one of these jackets! I could just see myself pairing it with something unconventional and wearing it to an opening or dinner. Anyone who knows me, knows I love fashion and especially creating my own look of clashing patterns and styles. This piece will really offer me some interesting contrast to anything else I own. 

I came to Chinatown primarily for the color. What an amazing display of brilliant hues, between the lanterns strewn across the street, to the fabrics on sidewalk racks, blowing in the wind. Looking up, I saw more colorful architecture juxtaposed against the cloud free blue sky, than anywhere else in town. 

I also came for the paper. "I must find a newspaper while we are here" I said to Doug as we wandered about, all the while looking up.

I scored a couple of newspapers Image courtesy of fancy iPhone

We ended our inspired day at 49 Geary Art Galleries in the financial district. Five floors of independent galleries offering an array of paintings, assemblage, photography, and sculpture. The work there got us thinking, a lot. Doug and I found ourselves in Starbucks afterward, spilling out ideas for collage and photography at the coffee bar. It's at this point, when the inspiration starts making my creative brain churn, that I have to reel myself in from checking out of reality completely and retreating into my own head. This is why I have some of my best ideas in that space between asleep and awake around 3am. 

I'll be interested to see what I dream about tonight and tomorrow morning, after so much sensory input today. 

Thanks for being a part of my art journey. 

Elizabeth

A Day of Reflection on Alcatraz Island

An inmate cell at Alcatraz prison featuring paintings, art supplies, a bed and a toilet. Proof that tight quarters are no match for an artistic spirit. ©DouglasNelsonPhotography

Today I spent a good part of the day on Alcatraz Island visiting this historic prison site and National Park. Alcatraz was probably the most famous federal prison in US history, it housed some of America's most notorious offenders from 1934 to 1963. Alcatraz offered a virtually escape-proof environment on a rocky island in the middle of San Francisco Bay. 

Inmates of Alcatraz had access to a library of 15,00 books and 75 popular magazine subscriptions. They could do artwork, write letters, and play stringed instruments in their cells. There was even an inmate band. There were several talented artists, including James Widner and John Paul Chase. 

Alcatraz Island as seen from Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco Bay ©DouglasNelsonPhotography

As I walked around the cell block, I noticed some amazing photographic opportunities as well as some very artistic architectural touches. This made me think that current styles in art and design have always had an influence on every day life. My Art History professor Michael Sickler at Syracuse University would be proud. :)

A very nice art deco style spiral staircase served as a way for the officers to access three floors of cell blocks inside the cell house ©DouglasNelsonPhotography

This simple but beautiful spiral staircase was how officers and staff accessed the three floors of prison cells within the Alcatraz cell house. The black color of the stairs offerers a total contrast to everything else in the building which was painted white, cream or neutral. 

Something that lent the cell house to some wonderful photographic images was the presence of natural light. ©DouglasNelsonPhotography

The cell house offered an amazing amount of natural light. The windows in the ceiling allowed daylight to flow into the building and illuminate it completely without lamp lighting at all today. Doug's photos came out amazing and he said that the lighting was just perfect. How important is natural light to us as painters? When I used to paint in the solitary confinement of my garage, I never really knew what I was missing. Now that I have an art studio with plentiful natural light (especially northern light) I truly appreciate the difference it makes. 

Light filters into the prisoner dining area and illuminates the floor. ©DouglasNelsonPhotography 

The dining hall was a very cool wide open space in comparison to the individual prison cells. Alcatraz was knows as a "maximum security, minimum privilege" prison. Food and medical care, however, were not considered privileges. They were necessities provided to all inmates. The food was prepared by inmate workers, under the supervision of correctional officers trained in food service management. I'd say that natural light was also a privilege for these inmates.

Yours Truly standing in a solitary confinement cell, demonstrating just how small each prisoner's space actually was. This cell had an additional door that closed over the front, making it completely black and devoid of light.  ©DouglasNelsonPhotography 

Even the solitary confinement cell was larger than the studio space I had in my garage when I first started painting. I was so excited to have my own space, with AC and a door that closed my mess off from the rest of the house, that size and lack of natural light didn't matter. I produced a LOT of work in the garage studio. 

An artistic photographic impression of me considering what it must have been like to be confined to such a small space for so long. ©DouglasNelsonPhotography 

I can't imagine living and working in such small quarters, even though I can collage on my seat back tray table in flight. I do know a local Orlando artist who rents a storage locker to paint in, no kidding. She has no AC, no heat, no running water there BUT she does have an overhead door, that lets in a LOT of natural light. Fern Matthews creates amazing and beautiful artwork in her storage space because she is passionate, and her desire to create art over rules any limitation her physical surroundings offer. 

The fire inside us as an artists cannot be put out by physical surroundings or limitations. Many artists I know don't even have a studio space they can call their own. Many mornings my brain races with thoughts, ideas, and visuals that cannot be contained, I'm up and out of bed by 4:30 or 5:00am in order to execute new ideas. Even the soft, comfortable, warm bed cannot envelope my creativity. 

What do you have to be artistically thankful for?

For more amazing photos of Alcatraz, visit Doug Nelson Photography's Facebook Page

Boston Marathon Benefit Auction Art

12x12 "Home" nest collage on flat birch panel

finished in flight from Orlando to San Francisco today

The art is finished! 

The art is finished and the bidding is on. Bidding stops at 8pm EST on Friday night. Please share this with anyone you know.
100% of proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross of Eastern MA (Boston) in memory of those who lost their lives at the Boston Marathon this week.

Being from Western MA, born in Boston, with most of my family still residing there, this is near and dear to me. My sister is a marathon runner and I am a triathlete.

Please bid high on my Facebook Fan Page! retail value on this 12x12 piece is $395

Boston Marathon Benefit Auction

12x12 Nest titled "Home" to be completed this week

100% of Proceeds donated to 

American Red Cross of Eastern Massachusetts

I couldn't watch it yesterday, I got the news via text and was told what was happening, but I couldn't bring myself to turn on the TV. A close friend texted me to say "are you ok?" and that meant the world to me to hear. 

I am from Massachusetts, my entire family still lives there.  My sister is a marathon runner, I am a triathlete. The athletes in Boston yesterday should have been celebrating a milestone, a huge accomplishment. Not only to have finished, but even to have qualified to race in the first place! A long time in the making, to get to the Boston Marathon, only to have it marked by tragedy. 

I am super sensitive to the issue of bombings and acts of terror. Too many memories for me that are too close, just under the surface. Rather than watch the news, I decided to help in my own way. (Thank you artist Kimberly Kelly Santini for the suggestion).

This auction is live now and on my Facebook Fan Page. Please share this information with a friend, forward it, post it on your wall. This piece is in progress, as it comes together in the magic of collage, images will be added to the Facebook Album. 

Please put all bids in the main comment field that appears on the fan page under the original album entry. At the time of this publishing we are up to $150 to be donated to the American Red Cross of Eastern MA

Book Giveaway!

Author Mary O'Connor interviewed me for her recent book Life is Full of Sweet Spots; An Exploration of Joy quite some time ago. We talked about how my artwork brought me happiness and how a day in the studio was truly joyful. It takes a long time to write, edit and publish a book. So this week I was thrilled to receive my copies!

Trevor Turtle starts the chapter on wonder and imagination

Wonder and Imagination

As I flipped through the book, my turtle artwork peered out at me from the chapter on wonder and imagination. I read my "Case in Point" See Beyond the Surface Image where I talk about my best way to experience joy being to learn and do something new:

If you ever have an opportunity, you can take a workshop and just kind of explore and play with new material. See if it might be fun to learn something new. Go in with no expectations and don't feel that you have to come out with a masterpiece. Give yourself permission to throw it out and just enjoy the process. What's most important is that you enjoy doing it; you shouldn't let someone else's opinion stop you from enjoying and doing what you love to do. 

Wonder as an Instigator of Joy

"Wonder, in its own breathless, fantastical way, is far from ordinary when it comes to the senses. In the hierarchy of things, wonder is an emotion—and a most important one at that. We might think of it as an engine that fuels our ability to make the most of our five primary natural senses. It's tempting to call it our sixth sense.

But call it what you will—a sense, an emotion, a mindset—one way or another, wonder opens the door to the delights of imagination, of curiosity, creativity, intellectual discovery. " -- Mary O'Connor


After speaking with Mary at length, I realized that it was the imagination and creativity that she saw in my work that led her to me as a potential interviewee for her book on joy. Becoming lost in a state of wonder, imatination, creativity, is so often a door opener to joy.

my autographed samples arrived this week!

Win A Signed Copy!

Respond in the comment field below (or on the Facebook post) with how you go about finding (and keeping) joy in your life. 

The top two winners will be selected by Mary and myself to receive and autographed copy (both of us will sign) of Life is Full of Sweet Spots.

This is a feel good book full of ways to find joy and happiness in simple things.  We could all use a little bit more of that.

Cherie's Progress

Cherie, up and supporting much of her own weight, with the PT

It's been a while since I did a post on Cherie. I've been visiting her pretty regularly in Vero Beach and she's been making a lot of progress! She's working really hard with all of her weekly therapies and her dedication shows! 

Cherie has started her own amazing blog that tells her story of the accident and the following days, weeks, months of her life. She's an AMAZING writer and she has an incredible story to tell. If you ever wanted to be thankful for being able to scratch your nose, or if you ever felt down on yourself, Cherie's story will make you sit up and take notice of all you have to appreciate in life. 

She sent out this update today, things are looking amazingly positive:

Hello All, 

Just a quickie here… I am gaining so much, so fast that we have actually had to start keeping a journal wherein we write progress incidents almost daily. With the use of the standing frame every week I seem to improve all the more rapidly. Not only am I gaining in muscle tone in my legs but I am also gaining sensation off and on. My level of injury dictates initially, paralysis from the shoulders down. Obviously this isn't true any longer. But the interesting thing is that true sensation does seem to follow the path of the injury from the top down. So now I am feeling hot water, texture from bath towels and more touch specifically along my upper back and upper chest. My cold receptors turned on first which of course is ridiculously uncomfortable when you know it's 80° outside! Now I am getting more warm receptors and hopefully one day my thermostat will level out!

Anyway long and short of it, too much to say and try and condense an update. My hope is that I can transfer from the updates to the blog. I will catch my blog up to present day. And anyone who wishes to keep tabs can sign up to receive updates via e-mail. I have just posted page 7 of my blog. Anyone can comment, anyone can read. I want to be able to help people with the things I share. And just a word of caution if it hasn't already been obvious, I'm not going to sugarcoat what's difficult. On the other hand I am not going to allow the painful parts to dampen or suppress "me" my spirit or my forward motion.

Love you guys, for everything every one of you has contributed past present or ever after. There's a saying "It Takes a Village". Perhaps in some existential way, you are my village! Big hugs!

Cherie

http://castannard.blogspot.com/

Fabulous AND Flawed

"fortune" from the Dove Chocolate that came with our 

Sushi from Minami Japanese Restaurant

Who can honestly claim to be perfect? Certainly not me.

Last night in Sedona, AZ my friend Katie from Michigan and I spent the night at the Lark Art Gallery for the First Friday Gallery Walk. After the gallery walk, we decided to get some sushi for dinner. Last year when I rented a road bike and pedaled the hills of route 179 in Sedona I came across a little unassuming Japanese restaurant just at the edge of Oak Creek Village. I stopped and took some sushi away with me that day, because I was all bike sweaty and stinky and figured I would not expose anyone to that in the dining room. I sat and had a beer at the bar while I watched Yoshi make my tuna rosettes, beautiful.

Sedona offers amazing color in the spring

This trip I decided that Katie and I needed to eat-in at Minami. We really enjoyed talking with Yoshi about being from Okinawa and having been in the US for over 30 years. We met Michelle from the North of Boston who's accent sounded just like half of my family. She said that when she first moved to town folks asked her if she was from Australia. Michelle introduced us to Ian who had hobbled in on crutches sporting a bright green leg cast, Yoshi had to help him through the doorway. Looking over at Katie, who had just had "work" done to her face and was sporting swollen lips and tender upper arms, I realized we are all flawed in one way or another.

Our "fortune" made Katie and I laugh, we where relieved to hear that we were going to be OK.

Yours Truly teaching and talking about my love affair with torn paper

shot by Katie, who knows how to capture my "good side"

Standing up in front of a group was never really a big deal for me, I'm pretty confident when I know the subject matter. But 15 years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter, I contracted Bell's Palsy. This is a compression of the facial nerve, which results in paralysis. 85% of people heal spontaneously and completely within three months. Not me. 

I have been left with permanent nerve damage. Flawed. 

It took me a long time to feel better about this situation. I tried all kinds of miracle cures. I have had biofeedback, facial retraining, vitamin B12 injections, sublingual vitamin B, massage, and Botox. Still flawed. 

Somewhere along the way, my self confidence started to come back. I began to realize that things could be a lot worse, and that you can be Fabulous AND Flawed. Let's see, I have a wonderful family that loves me, I have talent, and I have a great job. I love what I do and I am very lucky to be able to do what I love and be myself on the job. I can have pink hair, a pierced nose, visible tattoos, and not have to answer to anyone but myself. 

How fabulous is that?

These days I'm OK putting my face out there in front of my Paper Paintings Workshop class and talking to people with my crooked smile. I'm ok with it because I know that I am a pretty good teacher, I'm very sensitive to folks who may not be very confident in their artistic ability, and I can usually make you laugh. Typically everyone in my class has a really good time. I'm confident sporting pink, purple, and teal  hair, knowing it will draw attention to my face. To use a popular saying these days, "it is what it is."

Ann came all the way from NYC to take this class with me in Sedona, 

and she looks like she's having a fantastic time!

This is my fourth time teaching at SAC where they welcome me 

with open arms and make me feel at home

This weekend I'm teaching in beautiful Sedona, AZ loving my job

Guess what? Being flawed makes you more empathetic. My heart goes out to others who may be suffering something similar, or worse. It's impossible to hide your face, it's the center of your expression, your emotions and communication, and the window to your soul. I met many people in the early years of my support group who had suffered facial paralysis due to trauma, tumors, Ramsay Hunt Syndrome and more. I learned early on from this group that what I was going through was not really all that uncommon and one of the best things we could do was to reach out to others.

For years I practiced a "controlled smile" (big smiles make my right eye squeeze shut) I still prefer to use the self facing camera to take the photo of the two of us together, rather than let someone else do it. Why? I can see what I look like before I push the button. 

Katie and Yours Truly via the front facing camera

Recently I submitted a wine glass collage to my art licensing agent for reproduction on a wine journal by Target. He called me and said (in his awesome British accent) "Elizabeth, this is lovely but the glass is not symmetrical and you need to fix the one side." What? not symmetrical? Who cares? It's art, it's impressionistic, and I like it just the way it is.

Chardonnay / 9x12 / collage of hand painted papers

"Well Michael, I'll fix the image in photoshop for your purposes, but I'm not changing the original." Is what I told him. Because I think it's fabulous, just the way it is. 

Thank YOU for being a part of my art journey.

Elizabeth