June is just around the corner and to say “time flies” is cliche’, but we all know this to be true. My pace has been fast and also rewarding on so many levels thus I’m sharing snippets of the last few months and opportunities for which I am extremely grateful! This might also sound cliche’ but tis also the the truth. The “fitness” of the my spirit is alive and well.
February - Hunstville, AL
Late February, a combo of 7 painters and writers from our Chateau Orquevaux residency met in Huntsville, Alabama for a reunion, which was 100% planned by Sara Fair.
Surrounded by the wooded area of Monte Sano State Park, we hiked, shared thoughts & ideas, and challenged ourselves - but all while having fun.
Sara’s cottage studio oozed inspiration and charm. With true southern hospitality & generosity she opened her home, the guest house and her studio to all of us. Part of my weekend productivity in the studio cottage!
(My new boyfriend in Huntsville, Huck!)
March -
If I’m honest, March was a blur. Too much of my time was spent getting xrays, MRI, this and that scans, PT, chiropractor and blah blah blah for my decrepit neck. It’s a work in progress and won't slow me down. (at least that’s my plan!! Wink wink)
Jack’s Steakhouse in Lone Tree, CO has opened and the building is architecturally stunning, as are the views of the Rockies. Commissioned art work of mine now hangs in the foyer, a lively cocktail painting titled “Let the Good Times Roll.”
As always, having family home is wonderfully chaotic and we ALL know that JJ DIXON is running the show!!!
April - San Diego, CA
Study by Claudia Rilling
Early April, I attended a four day workshop in San Diego with artist, Claudia Rilling.
Sarah Smith, also an artist friend from the Château met me there for an art workshop full of challenges that knocked us both way out of our comfort zone. This indelible experience was based on vintage family photos (mine being from slides my dad took in the 40’s & 50’s). In unexpected ways, nostalgia stirred emotions deep in my soul. Photos taken long before I was born are still poignant. After value studies and power points, I landed on a family baptism photo that was my older sister and a 1st cousin, both nine years older than me. Apparently they were baptized on the same day. Was my painting successful? On some level I think so. Was this a valuable learning experience? Oh heck yes!
Kudos to Claudia for her brilliance as not only an artist, but also as an instructor. And check out Woodward Contemporary, an art gallery in San Diego, for other workshops. They were fantastic!
My tonal studies
May - Bruges, Belgium
Now it is the middle of May, and I am perched in a window seat overlooking a canal in Bruges, Belgium. Medieval architecture, the balance, intensity and tranquility of Flemish art, plus chocolate, +waffles +Belgian beer +seafood +good wine… Never disappoints.
Bruges was never bombed by Hitler due to his fondness for the magical pristine city. Historical trivia that I now fully understand. My sister, Jenny Moss, is here with me and my daughter, Kaki, flew in from NYC today.
Remember the jingle from grade school “in fourteen hundred ninety two Columbus sailed the ocean blue"? Well, we are lucky enough to be staying in an incredibly stately house (understatement) as our home away from home for the week. Circa 1030 to 1100. That’s right, do the math! It’s truly hard to comprehend. Inspiration abounds from the interiors to landscapes to food and many points in between.
All of this will hit my canvas when I return to Colorado.
Let's Review My Acronym:
F.A.I.T.H.
FOOD: Belgian chocolate, and the best mussels & fish pan (stew) I’ve ever had: Poules Moules
ART: Jan Van Eyck & Hans Memling are faves. Especially the triptychs that were created as a box that opened, however, when the box closed, the backside of the two outer doors were also painted. Making a triptych into five paintings, front and back. Brilliant!
Check out: Museum of Saint John's Hospital & Groeningemuseum (yes...all one word)
Inspiration: Can I be inspired by croissants and pastries? (oink). Strolling the street just after daybreak, before the world wakes up, is one of my favorite meditative moments. Can’t seem to wake up every day but if I do, it’s a special time.
Travel: A trip across the pond is always worthy. Especially traveling and spending time with family.
Humor: Now…….THIS far surpassed any expectation on DAY ONE! If it’s true that things happen in groups of “ 3 is a charm“ we are now on at least 6. We’ve never laughed so hard at ourselves over slap stick silly human nature jet lag errors and blunders. Nuf said
In the words of my sister “ Arrived at our destination 2 hours from the Brussels airport only to discover I had the wrong blue suitcase, my hearing aids batteries expired & the spare pair are in the missing suitcase. Sherpa sister Amy found the suitcase owner…..in Brussels…hit the train & we are now friends”.