Snail Mail Me

US Mail box at San Francisco City Hall

Letter writing is a dying art form. I call it that, an art form, because of the beauty and individuality of hand writing. Penmanship is something that isn't even taught in school anymore. Did you know that? Sad. Even e-mail is going away in favor of texting! At least I could apply a fancy font and print an email. Not the same, but ...

Over the last few years I have been purchasing old letters from a man in Greece. He sends me these letters, envelopes and all, and I use them in my collage work. Sometimes the letters are done with ink dip pens, the variation in value within the handwriting is lovely. Sometimes the letters are in a foreign language, like German, this is extra special.

Handwriting makes wonderful texture, pattern, and a very unique line.

Send me a note

I'm asking you to write me a letter, that I can use in a collage. Yes! how fun would that be to have hand writing from you, my followers and fans, in my work. Be sure to put some positivity into your note, good thoughts and affirmations. Say something nice about yourself, what kind of day you are having, or some details of your own art journey. Positive vibes have a way of making the art extra special.

Send me your grocery list, send me a doodle, or write me a note! I promise it will find its way into my work. Use an ink that won't smear, so that when I add glue it does not disappear. Some permanent writing material suggestions are:

• crayon
• pencil
• ball point pen
• permanent fine point marker (Faber Castell or something that says "fade proof")

Any of these will do, and a variety would be wonderful! Big letters, small letters, fancy letters, printing, whatever you like. I'll even take a note from your child or grand child, they have the best printing, even if they don't teach them cursive.

Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson
362 W Hornbeam Dr
Longwood, FL 32779

I look forward to hearing from you, and then to tearing up your correspondence into teeny tiny pieces.

Thank you for being a part of my art journey.
Elizabeth

Faith in Humanity

"You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."
--Mahatma Gandhi

After the events that played out in Boston over the past week, I got to thinking about not how terrible people can be to one another, but how good. This week I auctioned off a piece of artwork to benefit the American Red Cross of Eastern Mass. I'm donating 100% of the profit in memory of those who lost their lives in the Boston Marathon bombing. 

"Home" 12x12 collage on wood panel

I can't thank you ALL enough for supporting my auction, for sharing the link, and for bidding. Ultimately the high bidder was Nancy Hall, a collector of my work who has become quite a friend. Any time an artist has a collector, she has support both financially and professionally in the fact that that person appreciates her work so much, they have to have more. That's a good feeling. Validation.

Thank you Nancy for supporting me, and for being so generous.

We spent a lot of time on public transport this week

This week in San Francisco has truly been a confirmation of just how good people can be. I cannot tell you how many people on the streets and on the bus have stopped to help us find our way, to let us know what stop to get off, to point us in the right direction. Some folks just asked us where we were from and what we had seen in San Francisco that we liked.

On the bus yesterday, I noticed there were some quotes about love, compassion and kindness, in lieu of advertising. As we exited on Van Ness St. to change buses I looked up to see this one:

"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." --Martin Luther King, Jr.

This was just after I watched a man get up from his seat across from me, in order to go to the back of the bus and see why a woman was yelling at a man in his seat. "You're sitting on my transfer ticket!" She kept yelling "Get up! Get up!" The man across from me asked the man if he spoke English, he did not. The helpful man explained the situation in Spanish, the sitting man got up, smiling.

People taking the time to do things for one another, to look out for one another, to lend a hand. It's inspiring. And reminds me that a few dirty drops do not pollute the ocean.

And hats off to the amazing people and public servants of Boston for coming together and looking out for one another. Proud to say I'm from MA and reminded of it with all the Boston shirts and caps I've seen on the street (and the bus) this week.

Thank you for being a part of my art journey.
Elizabeth

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.