Wexford Girl

The Beast

Once again, my paintings are on display at Canvas Gallery. I installed them on Wednesday. It's great to see them on the wall, but not quite as thrilling as my first time. here they are with the blue painters tape still up before the wall tags were made:

Last Sunday at Open Studios, our friend Eric Thomas got my motorcycle started for me. I hadn't been able to start it in a while. So when I got it going, I rode around a little bit, and then to keep it limber I rode it all week, even to work two days. I am loving it. I admit I was apprehensive when Eric got this machine for me for my birthday, and I rode it quite gingerly at first, but now I am splitting lanes, increasing speed, and leaning into curves, safely of course.

I rode it over the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time on Friday, to a work offsite in the Marin Headlands (which was a lot of fun), and it stopped on the bridge. It just cut out and I coasted to a stop, with nowhere to pull over. I had to tuck myself against the edge, hold out the choke and keep trying to start it. Pretty scary. Eventually it started again and it hasn't happened since. Hopefully it was just a gremlin and it's all better now, because I want to take it on the freeway to stretch a little, perhaps to visit Deedee in Campbell and Brenda in Sacramento to begin with.

It took a while but I am comfortable on this beast now.

Open Studios

What an amazing weekend. Saturday was glorious and hot, and Sunday was cold and foggy, but the atmosphere inside our studio/garage was always perfect.

We had a large turnout, with friends from all parts of San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Campbell, Marin, and even Minneapolis. I sold a lot of paintings. The paintings on the Russian paper were quite popular, the wrestlers of course, and some floral ones. I also sold a couple of 49 Mile Drive ones. Eric and Amy also made sales. Last year, Eric and I bought a Viking stove with our Open Studio proceeds, so we'll think of something special to do with this year's earnings.

On Saturday we ordered pizza for the hungry art crowd, and on Sunday Eric grilled up some delicious bratwursts and served them in crusty rolls. Needless to say, there was also plenty of wine and champagne flowing.

It was such a wonderful time, and it was great to have Amy participate. We'll do it again next year. I think this will be a yearly thing for us.

Here is Eric's take on the event. He posted a lot of pictures too.

Minneapolis

I'm off to freezing cold Minneapolis tomorrow to visit my friend Paddy. Deedee and I are taking the trip together. This is going to be a lot of fun. We haven't hung out together for several days in a row since we were all single and in love with the Mac lipstick shade "Del Rio." Yeay, I get to break out the Uggs and gloves in October. Bitchin'!

Not for Sale

This isn't for sale, because I love it. It's the cover of the Russian book (the cover was the reason I bought it.) I painted the tree and the girl on it. Is she involved in some kind of espionage, or is she running from the KGB?

Perhaps she's on her way to deliver, to a dashing American, documents she thinks are meaningless. She will drink icy vodka with him. When she wakes up, he is gone.

Tiny Suitcases

More paintings on that old Russian book. (I'm doing something very cool with the cover too.)

I am IN LOVE with the little suitcases. I don't know why I'm so delighted with them.

New Paintings

I had a very productive painting weekend. I really only have one weekend to get ready for Open Studios left, because I'll be in Minneapolis visiting my friend Paddy the weekend of the 14th October. But I enjoyed getting stuck in over the last few days. The only bad moment was a spectacular crash involving a full glass of wine and my elbow. I got wine splatters on a few paintings and on the cover of my Margaret Kilgallen book.