Wexford Girl

The Show

What a whirlwind the last week has been. The day after I hung the show, we all went to Russian River for five glorious days on the river, canoeing, swimming, eating, playing Apples to Apples, and drinking Eric's brother Bob's awesome margaritas. At night I watched the first season of Grey's Anatomy with Eric's nieces (two of the sweetest teenage girls you could ever meet).

Eric and I drove back to the city on Friday afternoon for the opening of my show. We ate good sushi at Hotei first (too much of a wait at Ebisu), and then walked down to Canvas. I was quite nervous, but I knew that four of the pieces had already sold, so I didn't have to worry about not selling a single thing. When we got there right at 8:00, Larissa (the beautiful and competent Canvas employee I'd been dealing with) was writing an order for another piece, one of my French girls saying "merde." I brought three of those and they all sold.

Brigid from work was there with a friend, and then more and more of our friends started to show up. It was like an Annie and Eric party - but not at our house! There was a huge Laurance contingent, Dave and Margaret and their two girls from Mountain View, Johnny and Kim with baby Norah, and Bob and Megan with even tinier baby Ailish. It got so busy. The DJ was spinning good tunes, and the wine was flowing. The beautiful Brinks girls came, Kate and Biz, and I didn't even get to talk to them, it was so crazy. Erica and Steve with Lili, Suzi and Mark with India, Alisha, Ashli, Des and Rob, Neil and his daughter Sonia, Dan and Michelle, Jake and Jen, several people from work; Craig P. and Jen B. closed the place down with Eric and me.

It was simply a fantastic night. I felt like such a star. Larissa brought me a glass of Champagne at one point and said I was the hit of the show! I know the main reason my sales were brisk is because most of my pieces were under $100. Lisa advised me to price things reasonably, and Sharon from Artspan told me that my pricing was very wise.

One of my favorite moments was meeting the artist Pete Doolittle. He had, a few days previously, bought a couple of my wrestlers, and he came to the opening to meet me. Really talented artist; one of his drawings is on the window of my room at the gallery. I found some pictures online of his recent one-man show at Canvas (I don't know how one person could fill all that space, but he managed it with aplomb.

I think I sold about 20 paintings: all the "merde" girls, many wrestlers, some textile-ish ones, and a 49 Mile Drive. I told Larissa that I could bring more paintings in this week, and she started to let people take them home that night rather than waiting for the show to be over. There are some sold stickers up though and I love the effect they had: People were going, "I love that one but it's sold!" I think I will bring more in to fill the holes but not let all of them leave the building. The show is up for a month! There are some other terrific artists there too, whose works I didn't get much of a chance to peruse. When I bring more paintings in this week I'll take a good look.

What a night! Then, Saturday morning we went back up to Russian River for the rest of the weekend. Just got back last night. Good times!

These photos are taken from outside as we were leaving. That's the Pete Doolittle drawing on the window.

Leviathon

Here is our new piece of art. It's called Lore of the Leviathon, and it's by Sarah Chase. Eric saw some of her work a while ago and fell in love with this one. When I saw it (digitally, online) I did too. So we decided to buy it. She brought it over on Saturdday, and it was the first time either of us had seen it in person. I think it's marvelous. The dragon is the focal point, but the monkey scratching its head is clearly the heart. It's also very local, with the San Francisco skyline and the radio tower in the background.

In other news, congratulations and good luck to my dear friends Erica and Ashli. Erica just got a literary agent for a book she's writing, and Ashli runs her first half iron man in Marin on Sunday. Yeay!

Hanging the Show

Tonight I went to Canvas Gallery and hung my show, with a lot of help from Eric, and his brother Bob and family, visiting from Florida. I'm glad I did it on Tuesday, as I was able to choose from several areas. Originally I brought about 35 paintings, leaving 25 or so at home, but when I saw how much space I had I called Eric and got him to bring the rest. I hung exactly 60 paintings, and they look wonderful. I am very excited. The show opens at 8:00 p.m. this Friday the 28th.

49 Mile Drive

I've been doing copies of this lovely sign for a while now. It's so simple and delightful. I wonder who designed it.

I decided to try one in other colors, and I did a blackbird instead of a gull. I'm not sure how successful it is though.

Project Runway

Last night, it was Project Runway at Alisha's house - with a challenge for the six people who came. We had to bring a Barbie and create an outfit for Beyonce, Gwen Stefani, or Madonna at the Grammys (either an outfit for performing in or a red carpet confection).

This is my entry. It's Madonna (note the Kaballah string) in her "Frozen" video era, when she was all Ringu Japanese-ish (SO ahead of Gwen and her harajuku girls)

Alisha's neighbor Mike (AKA Tokyo) won with his flouncy red skirt and saucy bra top for Gwen (he even made frilly knickers!). He chopped her hair too and she looked very cute.

The men did very well; John made a simple lavender gown with exposed midriff that was VERY Beyonce. It was a lot of fun with snacks and wine and craftiness, but we barely saw the show we were all working so hard.

Check out my new-ish Etsy shop where I'm selling my paintings.

Canvas

I heard today that I was chosen to be in a group art show at Canvas Gallery. This will be my first show ever! I'm excited and a little nervous. It's so girly that I'm thinking more about what I will wear to the opening than what paintings I will hang.

The opening is at 8:00 pm on Friday, July 28th. I don't know how long the paintings will be up.

Brilliant!

This is one of those inventions that's so brilliant it makes me gasp. Twist and Spout (fantastic name) instantly converts any two liter bottle into a serving container or watering can. You just screw on the plastic handle and Bob's your uncle. I love this!

Floored

My friend Carter (AKA Suzi) started a floorcloth business in the early '90s. She had a studio in Sausalito and I used to stop there on my way home from College of Marin 3 or 4 days a week and paint them with her. We painted huge, fantastic pieces for stores and private clients all over the U.S. (all the while trading stories back and forth - the more scandalous the better - making each other double up laughing. We'd give pointers on how to make the stories better: "Ok, you have to tighten up the pace and get to the bit about the dog sooner, and leave out the brother.")

Then, in 1998, I started painting floorcloths again to make some extra money because I was making such a rotten salary at my job that I had to do something. I painted the one below during that time. The most recent one I painted was for my friend Brenda's kitchen in Sacramento a couple of years ago. It's a bit hard on the knees to paint them, but they're a lot of fun.

Two Artists

I love Megan Whitmarsh. In addition to regular illustrations in gouache (I think), she does little works in embroidery thread. I've seen her work in person and it's wonderful - detailed, quirky, and fun, and such a lot of work. This one is called "King Kong Injured."

Liz McGrath does little goth watercolors, as well as fabulous and disturbing 3D work. A little piece would be perect in a dark corner of a house, for a touch of unexpected creepiness.

Father Festus

Our friends Dave and Johnny Laurance's band, Father Festus, is playing tonight at the West Coast finals of Emergenza's Battle of the Bands competition at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.

It's going to be a hot day in the City. Come out after dark and get even hotter dancing to 14 great bands from all over the West Coast. Cheer the loudest for Father Festus and send them to Germany for the international finals.

In the words of Father Festus:
Father Festus won't bore you by claiming to be a cross between Patti Smith and The Cars or any of that amateur rock reviewer bullshit. We play rock music.