Thanks to my mom who took time away from her conference to hang a painting in Hartford, CT this weekend!
We also took a short trip to Wisconsin this weekend and I hung two paintings – one in Wauwatosa and one just down the road but in Milwaukee. A new art space opened there last year called Bloom Gallery and Creative Ground, so I had to hang a painting out front. It is a beautiful, inspiring space so if you’re in the area, be sure to check it out. I have a few paintings and prints there, too.
Today was going great, as I was happily working on a newly commissioned work. But then, it became even better when my phone alerted me that someone posted on Instragram and my studio facebook page about finding a painting that I hung last Friday. They wrote about finding the painting after attending a gong bath, which is something I’ve been curious about trying. Their post might just inspire me to go give it a try, so thank you!
Yesterday was one of those rare days where I had a quiet house to myself. I got so much work done in the studio! It was a gorgeous day for a run, too. I went back to the trail later that afternoon to hang a couple of paintings. I’ve been thinking about hanging paintings there every time I run and was happy to finally put them up. I also spent a little time in Edgebrook at my favorite consignment shop and hung some paintings around there, too. I so appreciated the quiet, productive, relaxing Sunday Studio Day!
Today I got to celebrate a friend’s upcoming wedding with a day at one of my favorite places to relax – King Spa – and then we had a delicious dinner at a tiny Indian restaurant in Rogers Park. Before dinner I hung two paintings and afterward only one was left. Yay!
Also, since I have magical powers I was in Michigan hanging more paintings at the same time….OR I had some friends offer to hang paintings in a third state – Michigan (you may determine which version is true).
We just returned from a camping trip in Wisconsin where I had the opportunity to hang my first painting in another state. It was nice to be semi-unplugged for a couple of days and even though we are covered in mosquito bites and barely slept, there was also some great campfire time, a lot of bike riding, and a luxurious day of relaxing on the beach of a small lake – a calm, clear, cool lake with soft, warm sand. I hung a painting near this lake and then went off to find my phone to take a photo. Diverted by children needing sunscreen and snacks and an audience for their under water flips, it wasn’t until we were leaving that I headed over with my phone to capture the sunset-inspired painting hanging on a tree by the lake. By that time someone had already found it and taken it down. I wish I could share a photo, but it did make me so happy to know that someone was taking it home.
A friend recently shared this link – New Rules of Public Art - and I especially like Rule No. 06, which sums up part of my inspiration for The Found Painting Project.
“Rule No. 06: DEMAND MORE THAN FIREWORKS.
Believe in the quiet, unexpected encounter as much as the magic of the mass spectacle. It’s often in the silence of a solitary moment, or in a shared moment of recognition, rather than the exhilaration of whizzes and bangs, that transformation occurs.”
I hope everyone enjoys the large firework displays that mark the Fourth of July as well as the small sparks that mark meaningful moments in every day life.
Yesterday I hung three paintings – near the Nature Center, in front of my studio, and on lake shore path near Foster beach. I’m not sure about the first one and the studio painting is still up, but sometime during our time at the beach that last painting was taken. Yay! I hope that discovery makes someone at least half as happy as I am when I see the empty tree.
Hammer? Check. Nails? Check. Paintings? Check. But shoes? Well, one of my four year-old assistants somehow made it into the car without shoes today and I didn’t notice until we got to Andersonville. Luckily, it turns out that shoes are not necessary for hanging paintings! Between hammer duties and an ice cream break, it was a fun afternoon walking around our beloved old neighborhood.
I hope those paintings get found soon because there is a severe thunderstorm happening out there tonight. If not, it will be a great opportunity to find out if the plastic bags provide enough protection from the elements. Fingers crossed!
Maybe I’m over-caffeinated, maybe it’s all that vitamin D that I’m finally soaking in, or maybe I just love making paintings, but whatever it is, I am soooo excited to start The Found Painting Project. Soon I will hang the first paintings and hope they find a good life for themselves, brightening up someone’s day.
Check out the About page for more about the Project and follow me on twitter and facebook to find out where we’ve been and where we’re headed.