Silicon Valley Open Studios

Wow.

This is what happens when the craziness that is my life takes over. Long story short: House hunting, found a house, played please take our money and accept the paperwork already with the lender for a while, got the house, contractor work, major sadness and heartbreaking loss in the family that felt like a suckerpunch to the gut (still tearing up here), and finally move in.

The only painting I have done in the past 2 months has been on my house. Not on canvas :( Which hits a HUGE sour note. I have been itching to get back to painting but by the time the work day is done, I am back at home working well into the night on house stuff, the last thing I want to do is fight traffic back to my studio.

Not complaining about buying a home. ;) It's just time consuming. Haha.

Anyways, I wanted to let you know that I am here.

And, if you are still here (THANK YOU!!!), here is some news:

Please view PDF here.

I am participating in the Silicon Valley Open Studios!!! I mentioned in my last and only post of this year so far, but basically, for the entire month of May (weekends only) artists are opening up their studios to the public. The first weekend May 5th and 6th is MY weekend for opening.

My studio will be open from 11am to 5pm Saturday (May 5th) and Sunday (May 6th).

I deeply apologize for my lack of posting on this blog and springing this up on you. But, if you are able to attend, please do and please check out http://www.svos.org/ for even more artists showing this weekend!

I know there is a studio at Mission College (near me) and several near downtown Santa Clara. For other artists and cities showing this weekend (remember, the weekends in May) please visit http://www.svos.org/.

I will be showing ALL of my past work which includes all art shown here on the blog, that hasn't been sold already. And I will be showing NEW work and works in progress.

You can come on by, see how I amazingly get covered in paint from head to toe, and what works are in the chute right now.

The address to my studio is 401 Nelo Street Santa Clara, CA 95054.

Closest cross streets are 101 Freeway, De La Cruz Blvd, Trimble, Aldo, Lafayette, Montague Expwy and First Street.

I am located just north the San Jose Airport, East of 101 Freeway, west if First Street and the Guadakup River (actually right next to it).  

Look for the SVOS YELLOW signs when you come near. Black and yellow balloons will be posted when you are getting closer to the studio, and I will have balloons marking the studio space.

It is in an industrial area. My studio is based out of an old tiny office in my father's machine shop. (Thanks Papa! [yes, I call him Papa. <3])

*********Also, 10% of all sales or commissions for animal portraits made this weekend will be going to the local Humane Society. *********

Food (snacks) and drinks (even some 21+) will be provided.

Please please please spread the word about SVOS. Tell your friends, family, co-workers, people you see on the street. Anyone who likes art.

All are welcome.

Come out enjoy Silicon Valley artists and support the community. Thank you so much!!

Week Recap

 It's been one crazy busy week for me. And when there is craziness in my life, little accidents happen.

In example. I was painting at my desk, rotated the canvas and accidentally smacked myself in the lip. Blood was spilled.

I survived the wound and got back to work on painting. Whoops, I didn't mean to flip the camera off.

This past week, while at work, I had company managing my painting routine.  My puppy Lando joined me for work since he could be trusted at home by himself. He destroyed and partially ate Elizabethan Collar  #1. He tried working on Collar #2, but I kept an eye on him so he couldn't do much damage.

Don't worry, he wasn't in his kennel the entire time. He managed to run around the office causing usual puppy havoc and mischief.

 I had also started on this painting.

And then decided to work on this one as well at the same time. 

I have no sense of time management skills. :P

But each painting progressed very well. Even though two of my other paintings got put on hold.  When I have an image in my head beating to come out, I have to oblige.

 

Below is the scene of chaos that is my temporary studio.

The two paintings that need work are the Parade and the Pinata Party. I lost my focus on them, becoming too overwhelmed by the volume of what I need to accomplish within the painting.

Whoops.

Friday I spent preparing for the Salinas Food and Wine Festival.I made new/more prints, contacting officials of the festival to ask questions for my family (there was a little confusion of the event was free or not. it was)  loaded up my parents van with my new grates Hubby and his family gave to me as my birthday present (heavy!!) and made my way down to Salinas with my Mom who was going to help me at the Festival.

We stayed at mi Abuela's house.

She likes elephants :D

I woke up around 5:30 the day of the Festival and couldn't get back to sleep. I was quite nervous and excited at the same time. Like a child on the night before Christmas, waiting for Santa to appear. Well, instead of dreaming about eight tiny reindeer carrying a big guy in a red suit all I could think about was setting up my booth.

The e-mail I received about the event said we could start setting up after 8:30am. I was staring at the clock as if it would burst into flames while I waited for time to move swiftly.

After a  bowl of cereal and have a glass of chilled Starbuck's Mocha (I hardly ever drink coffee) I was jittering in the passenger seat of my  parents van and got to the site within 10 minutes. Though setting up wasn't as easy. There was a line of people in their cars and trucks waiting to find out just where their booths were to be set up!

No one at the entrance knew. Apparently there was only one sheet that revealed all? :\ Even amongst the confusion, people kept their cool and we all managed and finally got directed to spots. Pretty much where ever we got pointed to. Lol. I don't know if I was actually supposed be across the way from a Bratwurst vendor, fruit juice venodr and a cigar vendor, but it all worked out.

Mom and I got help unloading the van, and we began to set up. Eric and his brother Ty usually set up for me and Devon and I direct, but it was just my mom and I so I had to my big girl pants on and get a control on my bubbling freak out.

After only a minor glitch, we set up the booth wonderfully.

 

Ha! Just noticed Hubby peering through from behind the grate.  He came just an hour after set up with Devon and Lando.

The day was HOT. For Salinas. It had to be in the 80s. For the first part of the day we had the sun hitting us directly, but as soon as noon came around we got the shade of the tree behind us, but it was still hot out in the sun.

I walked around once to check out the other vendors. I was eyeballing some very cute looking boots from across the way, but forgot to take a picture of them. I did however get a card.

I also watched a little part of two performances. One was this chica:

 Isn't she cute? She wooed me in with Como la flor, by Selena. I very much enjoy Selena's music and this girl really hit the notes. Talented girl. Anyone know her name?

I LOVED her ranchero dress. I couldn't help but study the designs.

We also had a visitor in the booth.  One of the ladies walking through the festival came by with her little basset hound Sugar. She was simply adorable. Much smaller than Addie, but just as sweet. She was so gentle and friendly.

You bet I will be painting her sweet face.

The other performance I saw was something near and dear to my heart. No, not the belly dancers. Wish, I could have watched them though because I really do enjoy belly dancing. I had to man my booth so I couldn't partake in all the festivities like the wine tasting, performance viewing or food tasting.

But I did catch a bit of these guys as they walked by my booth.

Aztec dancers!

 

I love watching them dance. the beat of the drums, the feathers, the shells and nuts making noise. Love it all. 

All in all I had a great time at the Festival. I'm glad I went. I hope those of you who came out to the festival had a lovely time and if there is one next year, I would see you there again.

To check out more photos from the event, check out this site: Salinas Food and Wine Festival      

The Californian.

I am preparing for another crazy week as I gear up for the Calvary Cemetery show this Saturday. New and old Day of the Dead work will be shown!

West End!

Hi everyone!

Hope you're all having a fun weekend! I am having a great time down here in Monterey County. I am here at the West End event in Sand City.

Yesterday was fun getting everything set up in the morning. I don't have a professional wire stand like many other of the vendors do, but I have some awesome helpers to figure out how to set up the wire grid I got at Orchard Supply Hardware.

Love OSH.

Hubby loves the zip ties. They come in handy.

I have some great family here helping me.....er well, setting up the entire thing while I stress with time and worry if its going to work.

And low and behold.

It did!

This was so much better than last years set up where it was bulky, enclosed and just plain uninviting. Here people are able to come inside, view the paintings and I get to comfortably talk with them! Love it! I also get to see outside where my family was sitting and talk to them through the grid and hung paintings.

Guess who sold towards the end of the day?

Addie!!

I LOVE this painting. I love painting Addie. If you would like to see her she will be out there today, modeling a posing as she usually does.

This one also got quite a bit of attention . . . . 

....enough that I am planning on doing a small series of these two critters. Isis and Target. Family cats :)

 Speaking of felines, check this one out.

Inspired by Chat Noir. Love this piece. It will be sad to part with it, but it is available for sale as all my works are.

I will be posting all new paintings and more photos this week. Also, I will be posting them to Fine Art America where you will be able to buy prints and canvas copies of these paintings for a fraction of the price.


Updates Today:  Commissions page is updated as well as a posting for Dias de los Muertos custom portraits. 

If you are interested in having a portrait of yourself painted with sugar skull motif, check out the commissions page for more info.

Prices are currently same as pet portraits, but will go up on September 21st 2011.


Come check out the booth at West End Today!!