I'm back from a weekend in NYC.   It's the first time in about 40 years that I've been there during the holidays.  

Purple yam cake from Red Ribbon Bake Shop in Queens.

Graffiti cat on the Lower East Side.

Bushwick graffiti.  Balloon hat and more cats. 

A food truck parking lot in Bushwick.

Sunday morning brunch at Court Square Diner in Long Island City next to the MoMA PS1.  You can get a $9.95 brunch that includes your food, coffee and a bloody mary or mimosa.  And it's quite good!

Taken from inside PS1.

I splurged today.  Serious splurge.   An iPad Mini.  Slowly learning my way around it and it's a little frustrating, but I'll get there.  I've been thinking about an iPad for over a year...waiting until I felt I actually needed the portability.  It's time.   

Hopping a 7am bus to NYC tomorrow for the weekend and looking forward to seeing friends. 

Photo taken at a new friend's home while dropping off a book and getting a studio tour. 

I so scored today!  

This morning I completed a portion of a project at the little community center where I'm temping. The ED said he wouldn't have anything else for me for another 2.5 hours. So I told him I'd be happy to get off the clock and return later which allowed me just enough time to get to the studio, lay grounds on three canvases and even begin two painting studies of the new series. Super jazzed.

Here is one of the two pieces.  It's 11"x14", acrylic on canvas.  Based on a photo I took at one of Sarah's gigs at Rockwood Music Hall in the lower east side.

When I have to paint…I have to paint.

because i need to be working on different paintings at the same time, i was super excited to begin a new series today.  i worked a few sketches over the weekend before the open studios and was aching…aching to hold a brush.  

today was supposed to be the day.  but my one day temp job has turned into three days.  so unless I can complete this work project early, painting needs to wait until thursday.  

anticipation.

another new fence painting from the beach series.  this one is larger…36"x18", oil on canvas.

open studio this weekend was amazing, with lovely conversations and a magical moment with a final visitor that brought me to tears.  thank you all who came by.

on another note, i was planning on a fairly slow travel month but last night i found myself with 3 trips to nyc within the span of 10 days.  it's gonna be a crazy few weeks.

life is unexpected.

It's World AIDS Day. Thinking of everyone I loved who I've either lost or are currently living with AIDS/HIV. In the studio and decked my little tree today with red ribbons for all who are in my heart.

I don't have enough ribbons.

Little painting I did for this weekend's holiday open studio.

"Edgartown" - 14"x11", oil on canvas.

Yesterday's painting music:  Manner Effect, Meklit Hadero, Miles Davis, Nina Simone and Odetta.   Note this playlist on my Nano was not on shuffle.

It was good studio time.

This was the yesterday sun about 7:30 am when I arrived at the studio.  It then quickly disappeared into a "want to snow" sky.   The reason I could actually be out of the house that early is because for the last two days, I've actually slept 7-8 solid, deep hours.  That hasn't happened in over a year.  Not only getting into the studio early but doing it with rested energy has been a joy.  No fuzzy head!   #sometimesmenopausesucks.

some more ornaments from my studio tree...

this one I purchased last year in honor of all the life drawing classes I took in college.  Note I also have a disco ball ornament.

I love my little flamingo.  I've had that ornament since the late '80's, to remind me of a friend who snuck two pink flamingos on my front lawn in the middle of the night.  They even had name tags:  Pierre and Cleo.

Of course I had to pick up a little Seattle ferry ornament.  I totally love ferry boats.  And my old studio was right across the street from the ferry terminal.

My little whale ornament is from the early '90's.  I heart it too.

While on vacation with Mark and Eric in Southport Island, ME this past summer, I found this pretty awesome lobster.  And its body is bells!

From my little tree...

...yes, pigs can fly. 

I'm having a holiday open studio!

If in the area, come celebrate the season, say hello, revel in the little pink tree and look at my new work!  

There will be food, beverages and many works under $100.

Saturday, Dec 1 & Sunday, Dec 2

11 am - 4 pm

address of studio (not my mailing address)

The Mills  

545 Pawtucket Ave

Pawtucket, RI 02860

at the fork of N. Main and Pawtucket Ave on the border of Providence/Pawtucket.

cheers!

www.mariegagnon.com

Back in Providence.

Thanksgiving consisted of two parents, two sisters, two brothers, two sisters-in-law, two brothers-in-law, a niece, a buttload of nephews, a few friends and a my pretty pony.

After dinner, because it was a warm day, there were a rousing few games of touch football.  And S's boyfriend then sat at the piano and we had much boogie woogie playing in the house.  I even had the opportunity to play a duet with him which was loads of fun because it was the first time I attempted jazz on the piano.

It was a good day.

I've been in western MA since yesterday...returning to Providence Friday evening.  Spending the holiday with my family.   It's been a restful and lovely time.  I haven't even taken any photos.   So here is another from my recent Seattle trip.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I am super-stoked about this painting and am quite impatient because I really can't wait to work on it again. But I have to. Have been seriously thinking of swapping to acrylics so I can work faster on the ptgs...without the wait time for a little drying. But I really hate working in acrylics except for a few rare cases.

As I just wrote to a friend, maybe it's character building.  It's really tough to be so excited and not be able to continue because the paint is too wet.   It's extended foreplay.     

24"x12", oil on canvas.

Photo taken in Ptown in June.   This is food for part of a women series I've been slowly working on for the last few years.

From last month's trip to NYC:

this morning after working many little paintings for the upcoming holiday open studios, i began something i haven't done in many years:  this little painting.  it's going to need more work and although challenging, there is something i find incredibly restful in painting metal and glass.

In Seattle my fave theaters were the Egyptian and the Harvard Exit. I feared I wouldn't find anything as cool in Prov. But here, they are the Cable Car Cinema and the Avon. This evening I saw a film I've been excited to see. It did not disappoint. At the end I was left with tears, sadness and gentle hope. So very moved. Even now. 

Beautiful, beautiful film. And the acting, especially the main character and the priest...sublime.

While at my mailbox place to ship a painting to Seattle for a Dec. show, a man walks up to the counter to ship a package to Spokane.  We began talking and I found out he too was from Seattle and is now living in Providence.

Yesterday our landlord for our studios held a "get to know your neighbor" progressive open studio for the tenants.  With a half hour on each floor, as a group we went from studio to studio, ending in the main office where he provided munchies, beer and wine.  It was great getting to meet other artists and I met someone in the building who moved here from Seattle in May.

I've met quite a few people with Seattle connections over the last few months.

I think Providence and Seattle ought to become sister cities.

I worked some more on a painting I began a couple weeks ago.   Later this afternoon, our grey, very cold, feelin' like snow kind of day changed when the sun broke through.  I captured the photo while heading out for coffee during a studio break.

It wasn't until I was uploading photos where I noticed similarities between what I was painting and then what I photographed.

I think I've become too old to do red eye flights.  Yesterday I was a zombie and seeing I can't sleep during the day, could not wait until night to dive into bed.

For the first time in a long time I slept a solid eight hours.  Woke and then fell asleep for another two.  

Yes, it was bliss.

As was today when I stepped into the studio to get back to work.

It's been a fun-filled, profitable, and enriching Seattle visit filled with laughs, love, kindness and lots of joy.

And...it's been an incredibly whirlwind ride.  I am thoroughly exhausted.   I apologize to all of those I didn't have the time to see.  4 days is not enough time.  My flight leaves in an hour and am looking forward to crashing in my bed and more importantly, returning to the studio.   My being is overflowing with paintings waiting to be born.

Seattle will always be a big part of my heart.  I love all of you and am planning on returning at the end of April.  Until then, goodbye my beloved Seattle.

It's my first snow in New England in about 15 years.

A little snow on the stalk.

Although I miss the ease of the WA State mail in ballot, I was invigorated, moved and honored to be standing in line with such a cross section of folks, all waiting for our right to make our voice heard.   And I got a cool sticker!   The painting behind me is one I've been working on for a few weeks...of Malala who was willing to risk her 14 year old life because she would not be silenced.

Election Day 2012

Please Vote!!!!

Death and Rebirth - 

Here are some before and after photos from this past week's post-Sandy painting frenzy.  See the next entry down for a little back story.

On Thursday I reworked my Jill painting which I loved because of the light, the idea...and was totally infatuated with how the big cat was painted.  It's 30"x40".  Oil on canvas.

On Friday I took the plunge and went into my Sophia Room painting.  It was a was very emotional experience.  That space was my solace and my home.  The painting is 60"x30".  Oil on canvas.

On Saturday I touched a painting that had been featured almost full page in the March 2011 issue of Seattle Magazine.  Again, I loved the light and the geometry.  But it was time.  This painting is 36"x36".  Oil on canvas.

Now they all need to dry for a few weeks before I can go into them again. 

I have been reading up on all the devastation Sandy left in her wake.  So many stories.  

Some of the stories that struck me involved artists…not only the damage to all the galleries, but more importantly, the studios and therefore years of work destroyed.

It begged the question "what if it happened to me?"  I realized that it would hurt more to lose my creations than my personal belongings such as clothes, furniture, books, camera, etc.   

A common theme in my life, but one especially brought to the forefront by the recent storm, probably because of my proximity to affected areas, is impermanence.

I always have paintings that I hold onto because of emotional attachment.   They may not all be successful work but there are moments that keep me connected such as subject, color or paint handling.  But when I would look at them, I believed they would be wonderful grounds for new paintings yet didn't have the heart to touch them.

Sandy demonstrated to me that it is crazy to hold on to something that I know can evolve into something greater. 

So what have I been doing this week?

Painting over paintings I never thought I'd touch.  It feels good.

I'll share them in a later before and after entry.

The photo was taken on the first really cold day in the studio.  I just had to pull out my super baggy, extra comfy, paint-stained sweatshirt.

This evening's light on my way home from the studio.