No, I didn’t forget about the blog 🙂 I’ve just been busy unpacking from our move, celebrating the holidays with family and entertaining friends and fellow artists. Our new home was ‘party central’ for a month or so, with kids home from college and their friends (old & new), family here for the holidays, book club, critique group, everyone curious to see our new place.

I’ve been cooking, cleaning, unpacking to beat the band and it finally feels like things are getting back to ‘normal’. Even though my studio is still a wreck, I’ve started back working, which feels great! I’m going to love having all the new space to roll around in… Still need to install better lighting and get rid of boxes & clutter. But one of the greatest pleasures of moving has been finding new display areas for some of my favorite art pieces. I felt so lucky when I saw all the things piled in one room during the move. And just putting them in different places helps me to notice them more and others to see them often for the first time!

Vicki Hammond's Beautiful Assemblage

This piece by Vicki Hammond, which used to give me great inspiration in my studio, now provides a great mood on my bathroom vanity. If you haven’t moved your artwork around lately, try it! A fresh look for the New Year!

I wish I had photos to post of my newest artwork, but I was working on it until the last minute before I delivered it! Deadlines are a powerful motivator!!!! My most recent piece was for the 100 Artists show at Mary Lou Zeek Gallery in Salem. This year’s show is called “Nourish & Sustain” and will benefit the Marion-Polk Food Share. If you’ve seen these shows in the past, you’ll know what an honor it is to be invited to participate. Artists from all over the country (and places even farther) work together to accomplish good things in our community. It is always amazing how different the art pieces are, each artist beginning with the same challenge: an item sent through the mail.

This year the item was a tin can, pictured below.

The show runs February 2-27 at Mary Lou Zeek Gallery, 335 State Street, Salem, Oregon. If you are out of state, you can usually view the work online. Bids on the artwork begin at $50 and go up in $5 increments. The competition can be fierce!  The artist’s reception on February 3 promises to be thrilling! Hope to see you there!

Mary Lou has posted one great example of William Skripps’ piece on her blog: http://marylouzeekgallery.blogspot.com/2010/01/100-artists-show.html Check it out!