Spring Awakening

And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.
~ Percy Bysshe Shelley, "The Sensitive Plant"

The crocus have blossomed, the daffodils are in bud, tulips are blooming and it is a blustery grey day. Today it feels right for a lyrical quote by an English Romantic poet to accompany my painting "Faith", acrylic on plywood.

A Healthy Contribution

My gouache painting “Blue Birds” above will be featured in a fund-raising auction tomorrow night benefiting the children of Nepal in support of the non-profit Nepal Cleft & Burn Center. The theme of this painting is one I continue to explore, with the flying birds expressing liberation, freedom and a letting go of something inside, intertwined with the figure of a woman. This medical center is part of a larger health care complex in Kathmandu and was organized by a group of U.S.-based Tibetan rug importers, including the Tibet Rug Company for whom I created several rug designs in the past. It is a pleasure to be a part of this event for such a worthy cause. It is being held in a beautiful rug gallery, Foothill Oriental Rugs in Salt Lake City, and I am especially excited to hear the live sitar music.

Feeling Buzzed

Spring has arrived and I was excited to see a few honey bees buzzing around the crocus blooms in our front yard. I use honey every day and truly appreciate the people who keep our honey bees healthy and safe. This image was originally inspired by a sketch I did after a visit to our local Farmers Market. I find it amazing that a small creature like the honey bee has such power in nature. Almost everything that grows needs pollination and thanks to the honey bee we not only can sweeten our tea but eat a crisp apple in the shade of a tree. Do you want to help save the honey bees and beekeepers in the U.S.? In the U.K. you can help save the honey bees by adopting a hive. Why doesn't somebody do that here?

Showing My Feminine Side

I was recently interviewed about my thoughts on being a "woman artist". It was interesting to think about and consider the questions put forth by Jay Heuman the Curator of Education at the Salt Lake Art Center. Since this month is the 30th anniversary of National Women’s History Month, it is the perfect opportunity to contemplate the contribution of woman artists throughout time. A random few of my favorites are Georgia O'Keeffe, Tamara de Lempicka, Sonia Delaunay, Vanessa Bell, illustrators Jody Hewgill, and Anita Kunz, and book artist Julie Chen. You can read the article in the Artists of Utah ezine "15 Bytes".
Above is my gouache painting "Lute" 30 x 22 1/2 inches.