This summer I was lucky enough to attend my first artist residency. High on a hill above the ancient Valle Camonica in the town of Cividate Camuno in Lombardy, surrounded by the majestic embrace of the Italian Alps, stands RUC. This mystical place is an ancestral home where artists from all over the world come to work in and be inspired by nature and history.
Miami Art Week is one of the most attended art events in the world and this year I am headed there to show my work for the very first time! I'm proud to share that my work has been selected by PULSE Art Fair Director, Cristina Salmastrelli as part of The Next Generation exhibit - an initiative designed to showcase the artwork of emerging artists during Miami Art Week.
This month I'm all about that dark olive/hunter green with a touch of brassy peach and of course, lots of depth and texture. Lately I'm using a lot of these tones in my original paintings and in my wardrobe.
Going through a website revamp and redesign is A LOT of work. My previous website launched almost 7 years ago but internet years are like dog years and I was long overdue for a change. Here are four very important lessons I learned when I rebranded and redesigned my website.
Every year I choose a word that becomes a mantra to take me through the next twelve months. As the year goes on I keep turning to the word to guide me. In 2018 I chose the word “present” because I had the goal to live in the moment without always trying to do too much at the same time. I’ve always been a juggler and often times things don’t get done well (or at all) because I constantly try to do too many things; so, some days were really successful and others were a bit of a struggle.
2018 was about growth and that growth was possible because I consistently reminded myself to stay in the moment and to focus on whatever was right in front of me without constantly getting distracted. I grew in my mind by pushing myself, my relationship and bond with my family became stronger than ever, and I grew in my work because I tried with all my might to stay present, not worry about the future (or let’s be honest, to try to control my unrelenting and incessant worry about everything) and to barrel through all the fear and insecurity.
The biggest growth in my art practice began when I participated in my first official studio tour and was shortly followed by the expansion of my studio into a bigger space. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone, got over myself and signed the lease. It felt scary but it felt right. I’m so excited about what’s to come. I have so many plans but I am finally smart enough (kind of) to know that you make plans and work hard and then come the many surprises.
My chosen word for 2019 is Connection. If 2018 was about being present and living in the moment, 2019 will be about taking all that I learned to CONNECT - with myself, with my family and with my work. These are the elements that are most important to me. I’m trying to stop and take note of what I’m doing, connecting in real life, spending less time online and more time with myself, my family, my thoughts, my books and my work. I already started this late last year by introducing my daily visual journal practice and I’ll be talking more about that here soon. I don’t think that it’s enough to simply be present in the moment but to make a connection to whatever you’re doing in that moment is the next step. Being present, and truly connecting with what matters is my intention and all of my goals for the year stem from that ideal.
What about you? Do you set intentions at the beginning of a new year?
The other day at dinner a friend asked me whether I ever imagined that my career would take the turn it has taken. I didn't even hesitate to answer the question. "No. I never imagined this." My path to becoming a working artist has not been straightforward and there have been many forks and twists on the road to where I am now. So it got me thinking about those forks and twists--everyone has a history and I really believe that I had to go through all the changes and turns in my life to get to this spot.
