Shari Beaubien

Passage

Goodness!  I thought I'd never be able to share this new work with you!

Remember it in progress here?

Well, the photography/weather/scheduling gods tried their best to thwart my efforts, but I persevered.  Phew! 

At long last, here is...

"Passage"
  

30" x 40"
acrylic, graphite & collage
on gallery-wrapped canvas

I think you can click on the image to enlarge it but just in case, the text running down the vertical white band reads:  "i watched in silent awe as they marched past.  the steady rhythm of their footfalls seemed as old as time.  majestic, strong, graceful and sure.  i was the only witness to their passage."

The inspiration for this piece came when I visited the Women Impressionists exhibit at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco this summer.  This painting (below) by Mary Cassatt entitled "Young Lady Reading" struck me as soon as I laid eyes on it.  The ochres and oranges against the blue of her dress were simply stunning.  I couldn't forget the combination.  I'm afraid this scanned postcard reproduction falls miserably short of capturing the vibrancy of Cassatt's original painting, but my memories from that day were enough to fuel my fires until "Passage" came to fruition.  This just goes to show you how vital it is for we artists to get out there into the world and replenish the well, as Julia Cameron so eloquently advises.  Inspiration can strike when you least expect it.

I wish you all a...

Happy Hannukah
Merry Christmas
Joyous Kwanzaa
peace and love

and

a Happy New Year!

Check It Out!

The illustrious Jena from Modish has posted
an interview with yours truly on the Modish blog. 

Check it out HERE.

I had a lot of fun gathering photos and crafting responses
to her various questions.

I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks, Jena!!

Nine Shows Down, None to Go!

My warmest thanks to everyone who came out to
Unique Los Angeles this weekend!
Here's a shot of my display...

Just to the right of this photo sits a bank of windows which stretched the entire floor.  What an unexpected treat to have a view of the ENTIRE Los Angeles skyline from 13 floors up!

The show was such a pleasure to be a part of.  It might just have been my favorite of the year for shopping - so many funky and quirky handmade items.  I really enjoyed it.  And my neighboring vendors were THE BEST!

Now I'm looking forward to a couple of weeks of hard-earned and coveted Q-U-I-E-T.  I want to create some sort of "Vision" piece on paper for myself for 2009.  You know... something to keep me inspired AND focused.  I'll keep you updated on how that's progressing.

Other than that, I suspect I'll be busy with taxes, re-vamping my filing system, working on my January newsletter, restocking prints, and recording original inventory.  It's all part of the game, I suppose.  Not the funnest work, but not something I mind right now either.  As the weather turns colder and the year comes to a close, it just feels right to be doing these things.

It's Time!

 

Unique Los Angeles is THIS WEEKEND!  I'll be busy setting up all day on Friday and then we have Vendor Appreciation from 6pm-7pm and a VIP preview party from 7pm-9pm.  It's going to be a long day, but I'm really excited to be a part of it.  Of course, I'll also be there all day Saturday and Sunday.  Thank you to those of you who asked for wristbands and are planning to come.  I'm really looking forward to seeing you.  I will have TONS of fantastic gift items available to help you along with your holiday shopping.

While I'm at it, I thought you might be interested in a couple of ebay auctions I have going on right now as well...

This is a handmade pillow (by moi) using vintage fabric.
The link to the auction is here.

And this auction is for NINE balls of some really fabulous yarn from Switzerland.  Brand new.  I just don't have the time I used to, so I'm paring down my knitting to do list.  My loss is your gain.  The link is here.

Thanks for looking!

Winter Blues (in a good way)

Aaahh, this has been such a peaceful week.  Largely undisturbed by outside commitments and responsibilities, my days have been luxuriously quiet.  My routines have been according to my whims and cherished rituals are beginning to re-establish themselves.  In short, I've been in painting bliss.

Remember my sketch from this post?
Well, here is the triptych as it stands today...

I love the fact that it seems to have a wintry feel, even thought that wasn't intentional.  It never ceases to amaze me how closely your environment - both inner and outer - is tied to what you bring to life creatively.

Check It Out!

I have a feature ad running on the Modish Marketplace for the month of December.  Take a peek here for special bargains in my Etsy store.

Incidentally, I really enjoy keeping up with the Modish blog.  Jena, the author, does a terrific job of sharing her artsy discoveries with her readers.  Through Modish, I have become aware of some really cool artists that I never would have found otherwise.

Happy Holiday Shopping!!