Shari Beaubien

New Year's Wishes

I just wanted to pop in this morning to wish everyone a Happy New Year...

But when I turned on my computer, my heart became oh-so-heavy.  The headlines, as I'm sure you're no doubt aware, announce the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.  Why?!?!?  Why does there need to be so much bloodshed?  Why can we not just accept our differences... no - CELEBRATE our differences and learn to live in peace?  Just last week, Bhutto met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to support one another in their desire to end terrorism across their borders.  Now, I'm not a particularly political person by any means, but the world has lost one of the good ones today.  I'm sad about that.

Perhaps as this season of Christmas ends and we go into our bright and shiny 2008, we can take a moment to give thanks.  Thanks to those incredible souls out there giving SO MUCH to make this world a better place.  If others are willing to lay down their lives, then maybe... just maybe... in 2008 we can resolve to find some way to love ALL of mankind.

Happy New Year, everyone.

A Bit of Holiday Cheer

...warm wishes, from me to you,
for a Christmas filled with wonder, love, and joy...

Rushing, Rushing, Rushing...

Boy, has this been a busy week!  I suspect I'm not alone in feeling that way either.  It seems everyone is in a rush to go everywhere.  I don't know about you, but I'm looking so forward to the quiet and calm that Christmas always brings with it.

Thank you so much to everyone who posted comments and emailed me privately about my latest piece!  The way you shared so deeply with me really floored me.  I love hearing that kind of reaction to something I've painted.  Whether good or bad, it just moves me to know that I've been able to touch some chord inside of you in some way.  Thank you for such wonderful feedback.

I've been struggling as of late with an issue that always seems to plague me: 
B-A-L-A-N-C-E.  I worry that my attention is divided among so many different things that painting is no longer a priority.  I don't want to go days at a time without painting.  Yet that is right where I find myself lately.  The New Year is the season for making changes, is it not?  I think that issue will be at the top of my resolution list this year.

These words are just not flowing for me this morning.  Do you ever have mornings or days like that?  It just doesn't feel right to keep on typing, so I think I'll stop here for now.  Happy Thursday, everyone!

The Latest in My Soul Sketches Series...

"When a Petal Falls"
aka: "Deep Down"
12" x 16"

This piece has two titles.  I just couldn't decide.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on what it means to you...

A HUGE thank you to everyone who came out to the Barnsdall show this weekend.  We had so much fun!  And we couldn't have asked for a better day - perfect Southern California weather - 75 degrees and sunny with just the slightest breeze.  It was glorious.  Today it's raining.  Thank goodness that storm system was slow to arrive!

Come See Me!

I'll be at the Barnsdall Arts Market
this Sunday in Hollywood from 11am to 5pm.
Come say hello if you're in the area.
(More information can be found by clicking the link in my left sidebar.)

Some Purchases and Salvador Dali

Here's a painting I picked up from an adorable little gallery on Polk Street in San Francisco.

The gallery is called simply "Studio" and their website is here.  Apparently every year they have a show called "Tiny".  More than 120 Bay area artists contribute and every piece of artwork is no bigger than 6" x 6".  I love that concept... makes owning an original piece of artwork affordable and accessible to the public.  The piece above is 5"x5" and is called "How Do I Look?"  The artist, Mike Dutton, created an entire series of birds wearing different Venetian-style bird masks and beaks.  An owl was sporting a harlequin Toucan beak, another bird was decked out in a cat mask.  Every piece was so whimsical and fun, I just had to bring one home.

And this precious little snow angel is no bigger than two inches tall.  Isn't she adorable?  She's from a store, also on Polk Street, called Place du Soleil.  It's a wonderful little store, filled with sparkly french-inspired goodies.

And I almost forgot to tell you all about the Salvador Dali exhibit at the LA County Museum of Art!  Oh my gosh people, if you can get to the museum, then GO!  This exhibit is PHE-nomenal!  ...Stunning on so many levels.  They have such an amazing gathering of Dali's work.  Perhaps one of the best things about it though, was the work that the people of LACMA did in hanging it.  In all honesty, whenever I usually go to an art exhibit, the artwork is just on the walls and I don't think much about how it got there.  But the folks at LACMA outdid themselves.  They've assimilated paintings, film, and other odds and ends in such a way that the experience is multi-sensory and total.  It is, by far, the best job I've ever seen by any gallery/museum anywhere.  And Dali's thought-provoking and complex artwork only serves to heighten the experience.  Again, if you're anywhere remotely near Los Angeles, do treat yourselves to a few hours of Salvador Dali.  If you're at all drawn to his work, you'll be so glad you made the effort.  (Call ahead for tickets because time slots sell out pretty regularly.)

My Painting in a Day

Well, here it is...

"A Long Journey Home"
10" x 10"

I challenged myself yesterday to create a painting in one day.  (Or rather, Steve challenged me and I accepted.)  Here's what I came up with.  What do you all think?

In all fairness, I gessoed the day before and this canvas still requires the sides to be painted and a few coats of varnish.  But the actual artwork was finished in one day.  This was a terrific exercise in letting go of my perfectionism, that's for sure.  I think the time constraint really forced me to stop over-thinking each little step and just move on.  That's worth the price of admission right there.

But on the downside, I worked my tail off in order to get this piece done.  It was definitely too grueling to be something I'd want to conquer every day.  However, perhaps once a month it would serve to shake things up a bit.  We'll have to see...

I'm interested to know how all of you view the "painting a day" movement and whether you've ever tried anything similar?  In any medium whatsoever?  Let me know your thoughts...

P.S.  I"ll post my two little San Francisco purchases tomorrow.

Thank You, Pilar

When I returned home from San Francisco, these lovely little gifts were waiting for me...

They're from my dear friend Pilar.  She's been quite busy in the kitchen as of late and her jams are simply OUT OF THIS WORLD!  Thank you, Pilar, for thinking of me.  And isn't her collage wonderful?  I love how it matches the jam!

While Steve and I were in San Francisco, we visited a lot of galleries.  I noticed time and time again that I was always drawn to the artwork that looked more painterly.  I complained to him that my own style wasn't that loose and that I wish it could be.  He came up with a pretty good challenge.  He suggested, "When we get home, why don't you completely finish a painting in one day?  That will force you to be more loose.  If it's bad, you can always paint over it, but you should at least see what you get when you try."

Now, I realize the "painting-a-day" movement is hardly new.  But to my knowledge, Steve has never heard of it.  And in all honestly, I'd only ever considered that to apply to works that are quite small and manageable.  I'm going to tackle something larger - in the mid-range, I think.

Steve has kept on me since we've returned to life in SoCal, too.  What a good husband, huh?  I love that he's so invested in my process.  He asks gently, "When is the day you'll finish a piece in one day?"  I told him this weekend it would be on Tuesday.  So... today it is!  He permitted me a nice coat of gesso yesterday, so the canvas is prepped.  I'll let you know what I come up with!

The City by the Bay and More...

What's worse than your cat barfing on your bed?

Your cat barfing on your bed while you're still in it!  Ugh.  It wasn't pretty, people.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped me advertise my ebay auctions.  Your willingness to help really speaks to me about friendship.  Without further ado, the winner of the fibers is... Diane Moser!  CONGRATULATIONS!  Email me privately with your mailing address, Diane.

Now onto a recap of our trip to San Francisco.  It was sheer heaven!  We were all over that city, I swear!  I didn't take a ton of photos, but I do have a few to share.

The highlight of my trip was visiting this building at 716 Montgomery street.  It's where Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lived when they came to San Francisco so many years ago.  Frida has been a huge inspiration to me - both artistically and personally.  I admire her courage and her authenticity.  She was never afraid to be exactly who she was.  She painted on her terms and she lived life on her terms.  I think that kind of strength is rare.  It was tremendously special for me to linger in the doorway I know she must have crossed a thousand times.  I felt an energy - a palpable vibration - rising from the ground and pulsing through me.  I kid you not.

Here's a little plaque they have just inside the door frame, acknowledging the history of this site.  Pretty cool.

This is the beautiful Christmas tree in Union Square, sponsored by Macy's.  It was gorgeous at night.

Here's a shot of Macy's with the giant tree behind me.  Every window has a wreath which also lights up at night.  I love the guy yawing on the bench.  Holidays in the city can tire anyone out!

Two of the windows at Tiffany's.  I loved their displays... small yet so powerful in design.  LOL... sort of like their product, I guess!

The Joseph Cornell exhibit at SFMOMA was really worth seeing from a historical perspective.  He is, after all, credited with being the father of assemblage.  The museum did an amazing job of showcasing nearly 200 of his works.  But to be completely honest, I found his minimalistic style to be a bit plain.  Let's just say that while I'm tremendously glad I went, he isn't one of my personal sources of inspiration.  And that's okay.  What works for one doesn't necessarily work for all, right?

I snapped this shot right outside our hotel.  Don't know why, but I love it.  A guy, his Starbucks, and his pigeons.  What more does one need?

And last but certainly not least, I was able to spend a FANTASTIC morning with my dear friend Debbie Lewis.  It was such a treat!  We did take a photo together, buy my ego won't permit me to post it.  (Oh, the horrors!)  I will, however, be happy to show you the lovely gifts she surprised me with.   There's a hand-sewn little art quilt and a tissue holder.  Aren't they sweet?  I cherish them, Deb, thank you so, so much.

When not engaging in the above activities, we were busy walking, hopping on buses and trains, and taking cabs to virtually every corner of the city.  We popped in and out of a ton of galleries and ate some incredible meals.  I bought a sweet little painting which I'll share with you later this week.

Now I'm pooped and just happy to be home.  I enjoy traveling, but there's something comforting and secure about being back where you belong...

A Contest!

Here's what's up for grabs...

I'm giving away a box FULL of fun fibers.  This will be a delight for anyone into art quilts, knitting, or someone who just revels in a sumptuous tactile experience.  Some fiber pieces are just bits and tastes.  Others are more substantial.  The dark pinkish ball on the far right cost me fifty bucks in the yarn store.  I don't remember the name of it, but it's comprised of a lot of complimentary yarns all tied together to make one long strand.  Two of the other balls come from a store in San Francisco called ArtFibers.  They produce their own fibers themselves and sell them exclusively.  You can't get them anywhere else.

Have I tempted you enough?  Here's how to enter to win...

I'm trying to get the word out about my current ebay auctions.  Just copy and paste the information below along with a brief explanation in your own words to any art-related group you belong to.  (Think Yahoo Groups, your own blog, an art organization with an online presence, etc.)  Leave me a comment to this post telling me who you told, and I'll enter you in the drawing to win the box of fibers.  If you belong to several groups and are inclined to share with them all, I'll enter your name in the drawing once for each group you've told.  The deadline to leave your comments to me will be Sunday at midnight.

A word of warning:  Please be considerate of the groups you belong to.  If they only allow postings or "COMM's" on certain days, then abide by those rules.  In addition, if someone has already made the announcement once, then don't bombard the group's mail by repeating it. 

Here's the pertinent information to copy and paste (in red):

I've trimmed down my art stash just in time for the holidays.  And lucky for you, I have one new FANTASTIC auction starting every day this week!  Here are the details:

Giant Lot of Art & Craft Supplies #1: 
Search ebay for item # 250192673324
(auction begins Monday, December 3)
http://tinyurl.com/33zvth

Giant Lot of Art & Craft Supplies #2:
Search ebay for item #250192679632
(auction begins Tuesday, December 4)
http://tinyurl.com/3yargs

Giant Lot of Art & Craft Supplies #3: 
Search ebay for item #250192685445
(auction begins Wednesday, December 5)
http://tinyurl.com/2om5yv

Giant Lot of Art & Craft Supplies #4: 
Search ebay for item #250192690207
(auction begins Thursday, December 6)
http://tinyurl.com/yvyljc

Giant Lot of Fabric:
Search ebay for item #250192817570
(auction begins Friday, December 7)
http://tinyurl.com/2y7uuf

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If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me.  Thanks for your help, everyone!

Home

We got back last night, and what a delightful time we had!  I'm afraid I'm in a bit of an overwhelm mode this morning, so this won't be much of a post.  I have a lot of appointments today and the pile is looming larger than normal.  Bear with me, if you can.  I still plan to make a more coherent post... it just won't be until later on this afternoon.  Do check back though because I'll be announcing that contest I mentioned...