Happy Friday!

Do you ever read the Missed Connections section of your paper? I do. So does artist, Sophie Blackball. She finds her favorites and makes illustrations to match. Here is the message printed in Time Out New York magazine that inspired her illustration above:

"You were wearing an average office suit with an admirably messy haircut. I was the girl with brown curly hair and a blouse with horses on it. We did that awkward back-and-forth shuffle of two strangers trying to pass each other on the street; then you grabbed me and gently swirled me in a mini waltz in the middle of the lunchtime shoppers and angry passersby. I would understand that moment if it happened now – two people sharing a delicate second in a day that hadn't gone to plan. But no, when it happened I was in my awkward early-twenties, so I just frowned, trudged away and hoped no one had noticed. Thanks for making my day."

Happy Friday, Friends! I hope that this weekend brings you your own sweet stories.

Discriminating Taste

The squirrels around here dine strictly on pizza...

...and art supplies.

Ahhh...the finer things in life!

Because I Love You

OK Friends, I am aware that most people find Valentine's Day to be unbelievably sappy and commercialized, but I happen to be one of those fools who adores all the kitsch and glitter! So in honor of the Day of Love, I am giving one lucky reader a pack of my cityscape greeting cards! (Keep them for yourself or send them to your Valentines.)

This is what the packs of five cards and five envelopes look like, although the label for this pack reads "i heart dc."

If you are already a follower of my blog, simply comment below for your chance to win. If you pop over every once in a while or are reading for the first time, just click the "join this site" icon and comment below to be entered into the drawing. I will announce the winner on Valentine's Day!

(You can see clearer examples of the cityscapes included in the pack by clicking this link.)

A BIG THANK YOU

to the Washington Project for the Arts

and the generous donor who selected me for a complimentary membership!

I am extremely honored and excited to start participating in all of the benefits that this amazing organization offers!!

Happy Lucky Weekend!

Happy Friday, Friends! I hope that this weekend surprises you with just as much luck as David Choe!"Always double down on 11."

On the Go

image via

Have you ever found yourself stopped at a traffic light next to someone who's job is to attract customers into a certain store by wearing a ridiculous costume and twirling a sign? I suppose they must bring companies business given the number of men and women dressed in cow and statue of liberty costumes on medians these days. Side-stepping the issue of the mild humiliation associated with this practice, it is interesting to consider how motion attracts our attention, and how seeing something out of context allows us to consider it from a fresh prospective.

The idea reminds me of Camper Contemporary, which is literally a camper outfitted as an art gallery.

 It's residency programs offer "an experiment in creating new forms of curation." A small group of selected artists takes a trip to an unknown destination together, and then spends the following week creating art about the adventure to be displayed in the camper. I had a chance to see one of these exhibits, and the experience was very different from a typical gallery visit. Viewing art in that unexpected, almost casual setting allowed me to relax a little and see the work itself rather than the idea of a Really Important Piece of Art hanging in a GALLERY.

 The Moving Gallery commission took the concept of approachable art a step further.

The project took place in Greenwich, London, choreographed by Ragnhild Olsen. Wow! I am so intrigued by the idea of interactive art, meeting you in the middle of your day. 

From the Studio: Anatomy of a Commission

I usually do not repeat cityscape scenes, but when someone sweetly requested this one as a gift for her son's 21st birthday, I couldn't refuse. Here's a sneak peak at the process:

First, I toned the canvas with a bright gold to set the stage for a crisp winter scene.

Then, I started blocking in the storefronts.

Next, I firmed up a few areas of the painting with cleaner lines.

At the last minute, I decided to play up those lines with the spindly quality of the trees and shadows. My first painting of this scene was done in the hazy late summer, so it was a real treat to revisit the place in the cold, definite light of winter!