Shari Beaubien

My Latest Creation...

"Portrait of the Non-Believers"
16" x 20"

Here's a piece I just finished.  I don't think it needs any further explanation beyond the title.  It's another in my Soul Sketches series and is really special to me.  I hope you like it!

Steve and I are off to San Francisco tomorrow and I just can't wait!!  We'll see the Joseph Cornell exhibit while we're there at the SF Museum of Modern Art.  Beyond that, there are a few art stores I want to hit, but it should be largely rest and relaxation.  Macy's decorates this GIGANTIC tree in the middle of Union Square and it's a great place to be for holiday cheer.

I won't be back online until Wednesday though.  So if you're interested in the ebay auctions I mentioned yesterday (one starting every day next week), here are the links:

Giant Lot of Art & Craft Supplies #1 - Monday, Dec. 3
Giant Lot of Art & Craft Supplies #2 - Tuesday, Dec. 4
Giant Lot of Art & Craft Supplies #3 - Wednesday, Dec. 5
Giant Lot of Art & Craft Supplies #4 - Thursday, Dec. 6
Giant Lot of Fabric - Friday, Dec. 7

All of the auctions are scheduled to begin at 7:30 pm.  I'm thinking I'm going to have a little contest/give-away for help with getting the word out, so check back next week for more details!

Here's a photo of a necklace given to me
by my friend Allegra Smith...

Isn't it beautiful?  She surprised me with it in the mail and I cherish it.  (Incidentally, I also really like this photograph for some reason...  Maybe the colors?)  To learn more about Allegra and her work, check her out here.  Thank you, Allegra!!

I worked for hours yesterday and got *ALL* of my ebay auctions loaded into the computer!  I'll have one new auction every single day next week - Monday through Friday.   There are four giant lots of art supplies plus a really nice box of fabric.  For kicks, here's a sneak peak below.  (When the auctions are live you'll be able to see close-up photos of everything plus read a written description of each item.)  I'll be posting the links to the auctions next week, so be sure to check back!

My New Crow Journal

This is a journal I purchased from the lovely Carol Kemp at the Queen of Arts Show earlier this month.  Isn't it great?  You can see more of Carol's work here.

I spent a HUGE chunk of yesterday working on my ebay auctions.  I took photos of everything over the weekend.  Then yesterday I inventoried each piece in each lot, describing things as best as I could.  Finally, each supply was carefully wrapped for shipment.  Today the plan is to begin getting all of this information into the ebay listings on the computer.  When the auctions do go live, I'll be sure to provide a link here.

I Hope You All Had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving!

Can you believe it's Monday again already?  Geez!  Where has this year been going?  These holidays certainly snuck up on me in 2007, and they seem to be continuing to fly by at breakneck speed.

Sometimes I hesitate to make a blog post if I don't have photographs to go along with it.  But I decided you'd all understand and keep reading anyway.  I hope so, at any rate.

We had a lovely weekend.  Steve and I have made a bit of a tradition out of going to this restaurant about a mile from here for dinner.  They do an excellent job with the turkey and fixins' and it's perfect for just the two of us. 

We tried to go to the Salvador Dali exhibit at the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art, but it was sold out!  So, we bought tickets and plan to return in two weeks.  I can't wait.  I think it's going to be a really incredible show.

We completely finished "winterizing" the yard.  I'm not sure if that's even a term, but to me it means "make ready for winter".  We weeded, pruned, trimmed the hedges, mowed and edged, cut back the wisteria, and raked leaves.  Living in SoCal, this winterizing will last for approximately two months, but we'll take any reprieve we can get.  It feels tremendously good to have everything finished.

Steve and I took Bentley to the dog park yesterday and he actually moved!  (That's Bentley I'm speaking of, not Steve.  Hubby is pretty mobile.)  Usually Bentley won't leave our side - in part because he's shy and in part because he thinks he's a cat.  But there were a few times that he outright ran.  We're going to have to do this more often.  After that we had a nice lunch at an outdoor cafe and did a little house-hunting in the Burbank area.  After Malibu caught fire yet again this past weekend, I'm more convinced than ever that I need to be OUT of the fire danger area.  It's too much stress.

I snuck in a bit of work-stuff as well - I finished two new pieces in my Soul Sketches series, which I hope to share with you shortly.  And remember when I moved my studio and did the giant purge?  Well, I have four giant lots of art materials that I'm going to be placing on ebay.  I took the photographs this weekend.  And last but not least, I'm working on a new twist to one of my existing classes.  I'm excited about the results.  Stay tuned for all of this!

If you're still with me, thanks for reading.  I hope you all had lovely, relaxing, fun weekends as well.  I promise to have a photo to share with you tomorrow!!   

A New Work

"The Gift"
22" x 28"
acrylic, ink & mixed media collage on canvas

This is a piece I just finished.  "The Gift" will grace the front of our Christmas cards this year in the form of a postcard.  VistaPrint does a nice job of printing them, and an order of 100 postcards is relatively inexpensive.  I then buy blank cards and envelopes at Michaels.  Next, Steve and I affix the postcard to the front of the card using those corner photo-tabs.  The recipient not only gets a holiday greeting from us, but a removable card they can either keep or send on to a friend.  Pretty good idea, if I do say so myself!

My Afternoon at the Museum

Gosh, I had such a lovely time at the museum on Friday.  If you read my post from that day, you already know I set out to make an artist's date with myself.  It couldn't have been better.

I strolled through the museum first and then settled on a painting by Modigliani.  I've never sketched in public before, mind you... especially not with so many people milling about and able to look over my shoulder at any moment.  I thought I would be more nervous and self-aware.  And there was a bit of that, to be sure.  But for the most part, I simply became absorbed in my subject and the activity of recreating that in my sketchbook.  I sat on one of the museum's benches that run down the center walkway of each aisle and just drew.  It wasn't a masterpiece, and I certainly didn't expect one in 20 minutes time.  But it was an excellent exercise in making a record of line and tone and really just creating a memory.

I moved onto a Van Gogh next and decided to do that one in four minutes or less.  I wanted to capture the seeming frenzy of Van Gogh's brush strokes versus make a tedious, over-worked copy.  This one was for pure spirit alone.

And lastly, I selected a lovely work by Cezanne.  Again, I decided to copy the spirit, or more accurately "the impression" of his work rather than create an accurate, detailed copy.  I think those masters would have heartily approved of this approach.  I took longer than the Van Gogh but still not as long as I had spent on the Modigliani.

All in all it was a fantastic experience.  I hope to do it again.  And I'd like to bring my sketchbook along to record more of my other life experiences while out and about.  The bottom line is that not only is sketching excellent practice, but I'm doing something I love and preserving a memory at the same time.  And I told myself it doesn't matter how good or bad what I've drawn is - those renderings are for my eyes only.  That helps quiet the perfectionist inside and allows me to just start.

I hope you try sketching sometime if you haven't already.   Set aside a special book for this activity and make the time.  You won't be disappointed...

An Artist's Date

Well... yesterday I promised you I was going to grab my new journal bag and go somewhere.  Seeing as how I've also promised myself to only work a half a day on Fridays in an attempt to attain some balance, I'm going to do just that. 

My plan is to spend the afternoon at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena.  I'll lunch at the cafe, like "women who lunch" do, then devote the rest of the time to their lovely collection.  This museum isn't huge, which I like.  But what they lack in size, they more than make up for in artwork.  The Norton Simon has some truly amazing pieces.  The Impressionists are always my favorite.  Another unique thing about this museum is that they allow sketching in dry media.  So, I'm bringing my journal and pencils and erasers and I may just attempt to replicate a Van Gogh.  It should be a wonderful artist's date, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Thank you...

First off, I want to thank each of you for writing to me about yesterday's post "Rejection".  Your words were supportive and full of love and made me feel so much better.  I'm blessed to have such wonderful friends.

And speaking of friends, below is a shot of a journal bag that my dear Kristin Steiner made for me.  It speaks of her style and her palette through and through, and I adore it.  Isn't it just lovely?  Doesn't it inspire you to grab your journal and just go somewhere?  Thank you, Kristen.  Tomorrow I think I'm going to take my "half a day off" and do just that. 

Rejection

I found out while I was away this weekend that I was rejected from the Scottsdale Arts Festival in March.  <BIG sigh...>  Rejections are never easy, but some seem to roll off the back more quickly than others.  Maybe it has something to do with how badly you wanted it.  ...I really wanted this show.

I'm so quick to go to that place of "Does my art just suck?".  It's hard to make sense of it.  I want to come up with a reason - one I can wrap my head around and understand.  Maybe even work on improving.  But they really don't give you much information.  So then I make up reasons for the rejection.  Hence, I inevitably slip into the conclusion that I must make bad art.

I think we, as artists, have it harder than most other professions in this regard.  By definition, our art is personal.  It's our voice and it's (usually) originating from somewhere deep within.  I don't include "painting by heart" under my name because it's cute.  I really feel that way.  So how can we not be hurt when someone says what we've done isn't good enough to make the cut?  It's like saying you're not good enough to make the cut.

Life will go on and I'll continue to apply.  I'm sure my future will always hold a mixture of both rejections and acceptances.  Such is the life of any artist.  I just felt like sharing this morning that this was a particularly disappointing one for me.  Maybe my writing will touch one of you and let you know that if you've ever been rejected, you're not alone.  Or maybe if you've thought about applying but hesitated because of the possibility of rejection, you might just take the plunge - knowing that it happens to the best of us.  In any case, paint on, friends.

Recap

Here are a few shots of my booth display from the Queen of Arts show this weekend in Solvang...

And even though this next one is blurry, I wanted to share it with you.  This is the first time we tackled lighting, and I think we did a pretty darned good job.  The tent looked really magical at night, don't you think?

I made some wonderful new friends - artists and shoppers alike.  In addition, Steve and I got a chance to visit the wonderful Dawn and Patrick at their quilting store The Creation Station.  Folks, if you're ever driving up the 101 near Buelton, you MUST stop!  This store is just the bomb!  They happened to have a quilting retreat going on at the time we visited and we were lucky enough to be given our own private show and tell.  Their creations were all breathtaking.  Dawn and Patrick are truly special people, and you'd better believe we'll be stopping by whenever we pass through.

I want to say a special thank you to my sister-in-law Carol for trekking all the way up from LA to come to the show.  And a GIANT thank you to Syd for putting the whole thing together.  You made me and the rest of the artists feel very cared for, Syd!  And last but not least, thank you to Lori and Brian for going above and beyond in taking care of the kids back home.

It's fun to go away, but there's nothing quite like coming home, you know?  I have a yearning for a peaceful and quiet week this week.  What are the odds, hmmm...?!?!?!

I'm Off!...

I'll leave you with this image of the Queen of Arts postcard again.  We're off early tomorrow morning for the show.  I feel filled to the brim with excitement and hope to see a few of you there.  I'm certain that today will fly by in a flury of packing my clothes, loading the car, checking my lists, vet appointments, finishing up a few last minute art pieces, re-checking my lists, etc. etc.  Steve's just excited because he'll get to sleep in on Saturday and Sunday.  (Sleeping past 6 am NEVER happens in our household thanks to our furry, four-legged alarm clocks.)  So... wish me luck and I'll talk to you on Monday!

More Show Prep.

Here's another piece I finished for Queen of Arts...

The backing was the lid to an old garden stake kit.  I cleaned it up, painted it, and voila - instant frame!  Believe it or not, I had already composed the interior mixed media collage before deciding how to mount it.  It couldn't have worked out more perfectly, I think.  It's a sweet piece and will look nice hanging next to my other larger fabric collages at the show.

Here's a closer shot of one of the ornaments I showed you yesterday.  It's just 2 inches square.  I love these little canvases from Dick Blick.  I might have to get more of them at some point.  And yes, it really is canvas stretched over a pine frame.

A Jumble

That's how my life feels lately... all a jumble.  As I'm sure you're no doubt aware, the upcoming Queen of Arts Show has been consuming all of my time.  Add to that one very sick cat...

 

Poor Montgomery... he had a ruptured abscess of his anal gland.  Suffice it to say - this is not pretty, folks.  Here he is after he's been to the vet and is on the mend...

Much more wide-eyed and alert.  Of course, Bentley and Audrey have been left to keep themselves occupied while I tend to the patient.  I love how the box next to Audrey admonishes that she's "fragile".

 

Never a dull moment, I swear!

At any rate, I did manage to finish nearly all of the Christmas ornaments I've been working on for the show.  Here's a shot of them... 

Most of them are little original artworks under glass in metal frames. The two chunkier looking ones are tiny canvases I got at Dick Blick a while back. To give you some perspective, the smaller pieces are 1.5" square. I think you should be able to click the image to enlarge. At any rate, please excuse the photography... like I said... a jumble! <grin>

At Long Last... Jewelry!!

Well folks, here they are - my pendants...

And a few close-ups...

I ordered sterling silver bezel cups from Rio Grande in various shapes and sizes.  I painted original mini-artworks for each bezel, filled the cups with resin (also from Rio Grande - their doming resin is awesome!), drilled holes, attached a jump ring, and strung them on leather cord.  I don't, by an means, profess to be a jeweler, but I think these are pretty darned cool.  Wearable works of art!  I think I'll post whatever I have left after Queen of Arts in my etsy shop.  Of course, blog readers get first dibs; so if you see something you like, or something you'd like to see in even greater detail, don't hesitate to shoot me an email.

And here are the two sets of earrings I made...

I'm pleased to have this project completed.  Now onto finishing the Christmas ornaments!  Have a great weekend, everyone!

My Friend Gina

I wanted to give a shout out this morning to my new friend Gina.  We met at the Santa Barbara Artwalk and I was lucky enough to catch her at the Beverly Hills show as well.  I was instantly drawn to the organic, soulful nature of her pottery.  And what a bonus to learn that she's an equally delightful person as well!  Here's a shot of a pitcher and a mug that I took home with me from Beverly Hills...

And here are a couple of close-ups in the shade...

Isn't her work beautiful?  I've been happily sipping my morning coffee out of this mug ever since I got it home.  If you'd like to learn more about Gina and her work, check out her website here.  She's having an "Open Studio and Sale" on Sunday, November 11 from 11am to 4pm.  Why not make it an art-filled weekend?  Santa Barbara and Solvang are not that far from one another... you can come to both shows!