September 2021
I'm home after a road trip through the southwest with my husband. Our main destination was New Mexico, and Santa Fe.
I'd always wanted to go to the SWAIA Indian Market held in August each year. Last year it went online. It was fun to attend this outdoor market and see the finely made work by many artists there. This includes fashion design, basketry, weaving, fine art and jewelry. These are some of the finest and innovative contemporary artists working today, in my opinion.
I had been reading a biography of Georgia O'Keeffe before we left on our trip, and continued to read it as we traveled along. In Santa Fe we visited the O'Keeffe museum which was a real treat, especially while immersed in the book. The book is "A Life: Georgia O'Keeffe" by Roxana Robinson. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Later in our trip we visited her home and studio in Abiquiu and also the Ghost Ranch that had inspired her so much. I loved being at the Abiquiu place, seeing her garden and rock collection, her kitchen and studio space with it's view of the hills and the winding road.
The last night of our trip we were in Zion National Park, and we sat out on the balcony of our room watching bats, dragonflies and hummingbirds dancing around grabbing bugs. A beautiful dance.
Back at home we were confronted by the in-progress remodel of our home in Ojai. It's a thorough, dusty, noisy remodel with windows and doors and gates coming off and on again.
Anxious to get back to work, I wondered where I could go and bring my two small dogs along with me. Due to the kindness of a neighbor I am now set up to work in her kitchen near our house. There I have been able to get back to work, and have finished a painting that was started before we left on our trip. It's called "Epiphyllum & Parasol". At 15x12, it's a bit larger than the size I usually work in. I had lots of fun making it, and now I've already begun work on my next one which is about artichokes and hollyhocks.
I'm thrilled to say that one of my paintings will be exhibited at the Santa Paula Art Museum in the Working from Home show. That show will be up through January of '22. I've just entered their Art from Ag show that will be displayed in the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula. Fingers crossed that one or more of my two entries will be accepted.
In the meantime, I'll be in my remote location studio, which I am calling Fitz Studio or F Studio, with my two little dogs, working and waiting for the remodel to be finished.
Painting shown here is "Strawberry Lemonade", a 14x14 artwork, that I entered in the Art about Ag show.
Thanks for stopping in, I'll be back here next month.
Lisa Skyheart Marshall
