Shari Beaubien

A Break from Our Regularly Scheduled Programming...

I thought you might enjoy a glimpse of some work
by a budding young artist whom I happen to know.

My four-year-old niece Renee created this for me.  (Her teacher helped her spell my name, just in case you're wondering.)  First and foremost, I LOVE the freedom and exuberance depicted here.  Aaahh, to be able to draw and color without inhibition of any kind!  I am also struck by how much thought Renee put into the composition beforehand.  She has rendered Ariel and Prince Eric (from Disney's "The Little Mermaid") floating in a boat on the water, singing together.  The fish surround them, shooting up streams of water in celebration.  There's even a tree on an island... all under a beautiful starry sky.  What a lot of detail in the conception!... especially for an artist so young.  I adore this drawing and it reminds me to always start with joy.  What follows can't help but be magic.

Thank you, Renee!

Half Price Sale!

Goodness, how could I not have noticed this?  Needless to say, I didn't.  I accidentally transposed the words "hopes" & "and" in this painting.  I actually think it's quirky and charming in an "I-DEFINITELY-own-an-original" sort of way.  However, my mistake can be your gain because I've placed this little piece in my Etsy shop at half off.  (Only $30!)  Just wanted to let you know...

Making Progress...

Here's the latest progress on one of the canvases from this post.

And here's my palette, which I think is equally as pretty, don't you?

Now I think I'm going to let these sit for a bit as I work on completing some other backgrounds in different colors.  I'm happy to report that I feel like I've finally hit my stride again with regard to painting, and it feels really good.  I think practicing patience with ourselves is often the hardest lesson to learn.

My Next Show...

Yesterday was the jurying for the next show with my art group Women Painters West:

Women Painters West

March 18 to April 4, 2009

VIVA Gallery
13261 Moorpark Street
Sherman Oaks, CA  91425
(818) 385-0080

Reception:

 Sunday, March 22
2 pm to 4 pm

Guess what!?!?  BOTH of my entries got accepted and this piece, "A Place I Once Lived", won an Honorable Mention award!  Woo hoo!!  That means to much to me, particularly because there's so much of my soul in this one.  I feel really blessed and I think I might be glowing!!

Back in the Swing

Here's what's been on my art table lately...

I'm working on one large 30" x 40" canvas, three smaller canvases, and a strip of watercolor paper.  (Who knows what the watercolor paper will turn into, but I couldn't bear to waste it by tossing it in the trash bin.)  As you can see, I've started with a pale, sunshiney yellow, followed by a few layers of light blue.  My intention is to make these canvases a fairly rich, blue/green.  However, I've learned that I have to start light in laying down color in order to achieve the depth I'm after.  Stay tuned for more progress photos as these develop!

New York City

I apologize for my blogging absence this past week!

I came down with a pretty nasty cold the day I loaded out my solo exhibition from the Creative Arts Center.  Then the next day Steve and I flew to New York City.  It was a bit of a whirlwind brain fog, if that description makes any sense.

Here's a shot of my new favorite airline - Virgin America.  LOVE these guys!  They offer so much that makes life quintessentially easier on the traveler and their rates are really affordable.  I can't say enough good things about them.

Anyway, while in New York we did manage to squeeze in several museum visits (big surprise, huh?)  We went to the Guggenheim, the MET, and the Museum of Modern Art.  This shot was taken by Steve at MOMA...

**  As a disclaimer, all the photos were taken by Steve on his iphone, so I apologize for any that seem fuzzy.  We boycotted bringing along our cameras on purpose - too much to lug around on the subways, we decided.

I love this shot, taken from upstairs at MOMA.  The buildings look like miniatures, don't they?

The purpose of our trip to NYC, however, wasn't just pleasure.  We went to check out the International Art Expo with the idea of possibly participating next year.  Unlike many of the art expos which feature only galleries, the International Art Expo in NY has a "SOLO" portion where artists are able to exhibit without gallery representation.  It's an excellent opportunity to make contacts and show your work to an incredibly wide and varied audience. 

Seeing the expo firsthand was a GREAT learning experience and I'm so glad we made the effort!  After two days spent walking the floors and talking to whomever we could, Steve and I both decided that the logistics involved would just not be feasible for us (primarily due to the fact that we live on the opposite coast).  We will, however, consider the expo's relatively younger sister show in Las Vegas in 2010.  It's a lot smaller than NY, but the fact that we can drive there in just four hours makes it much more attractive.  Plus, I adore Vegas (right, Lisa?).  Give me my sun any day versus the weather these chilly shots represent.

Here are a few more shots after the snowstorm we experienced...

 

Boy was it cold!  But we had a great time.  I just wish I had felt better.  It wasn't until we returned home that I began to feel like myself again.

Now that all the excitement from the start of this year is over, I'm MORE than ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work on some new canvases.  Stay tuned!