It's been a phenomenally busy couple days. Rich. Productive. Social.

I began in the studio before 8 am, and one thing led to another, including time with Bill in Volunteer Park and then we met up with Kerry...and Daniel joined us for dinner.

Late afternoon is a bewitching time in the Volunteer Park Conservatory.

Home for a break before returning to the studio. This morning again had beautiful light. Flowers have much beauty in their death. It's the final week of my sabbatical and I am just now beginning to relax. If I could I'd extend it two more weeks. But the end of our fiscal year and our annual audit means I need to return next week.

New painting begun last night... 28"x22", oil on canvas. I am limiting my palette over this sabbatical using only black, white, burnt umber, and yellow ochre. And in this piece, a little cadmium red.

Last evening at 22 with Craig.

When I returned home I had the overwhelming feeling I needed to be in the studio...and so rushed down. I work better in the morning or afternoon, and not so well at night. But every time I've heeded the rare bellowing call...it has never disappointed. Something special always bursts forth. It's such a different experience although for me, just as critical as the need to work when tired, terrified, disillusioned or not inspired.

Last night we checked out the Nick Cave exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum....as well as wandered through various rooms. It's a wonderful and thought-provoking exhibit.

Today we'll be prepping a canvas for hanging. At least one viaduct painting will be hanging at Coastal Kitchen until the end of June. The manager wanted my largest one... 60"x36". And he asked me to bring others because if there's room, he wanted to hang more of them. And on April 1st, I'll have some of the Bleeding Vessels hanging at the Hopvine for a month. Both of these places are on 15th Ave E, a couple blocks from my home.

It's been a busy time for the art.

I have a good friend from out of town staying with me which is just the kind of thing I need to clean my little place. So...I finally took photos...

I've been meaning to link to a great project and kept forgetting…until now.

My niece, the jazz vocalist and composer, is involved with a few bands. One of them, Manner Effect, is in the process of putting out a cd and a dvd. They created a page on Kickstarter.com which is an awesome site where you can pledge to fund projects and the money doesn't get charged to your credit card unless they meet their goal.

On their Kickstarter homepage you can watch a music video they created featuring one of Sarah's original compositions. (it begins with a very short intro about the project)

See video here.

And here is Manner Effect's homepage where there are links at the bottom left to listen to five more works.

Yesterday was an incredibly full non-stop day, beginning early with many errands and appointments. On my way down to the studio I noticed the light was delicate and rich at the same time. When I stepped in the studio at 8:30 am I was struck by the magic hitting the wall. It provided a sweet atmosphere to work on a few paintings.

Today on the bus...

It's been an interesting time in the studio. From the middle of last week until now...including today, everything has been hard. Exceptionally difficult. I feel lost. Uninspired. Not sure where I'm going. But again, I'm trusting it's simply part of the cycle and so continue to push myself to work.

These 4 are examples of where I was going at the beginning of my sabbatical. I haven't been able to return to further explorations is this fashion since early last week.


24"x36", oil on canvas




16"x20", acrylic on canvas




11"x14", acrylic on paper




18"x24", acrylic on canvas

still life of worktable...

I'm trying to take daily studio photos wondering what else can I see in that space that's new and different.


Since Feb 28, the first day of my sabbatical, I've painted every day except one. Thursday was a no work day. I purchased more paint and canvases, then headed to West Seattle to pick up paintings that had been hanging for two month and did bring everything to the studio. So it was work but not painting work. I was tired and needed a break.

Today, I'll be in there by 8:30 am because I have a photo shoot at 1pm. Someone saw the few photos I shot of friend's puppies and hired me to take photos of their dog. Hopefully the weather breaks because we plan on doing this at the park. From there I go home and chill for a few hours before heading to a dungeon warming party. It's been a busy party month and the month isn't even half over.

Thursday evening was Capitol Hill Art Walk. Instead of hitting the galleries I headed over to the Women's Tattoo Forum art show and fundraiser at Sole Repair to meet a few friends. It was an easy evening of good vibes and once again saw another aspect of my life come full circle as I was introduced to a couple who 12 years ago was recommended as being possible teachers for me. The reason we never met is because I was then introduced to the wonderful man who would become my teacher.

These two women are an amazing couple. Very old school in the sense of character and values and it's a big part of what I cherish most...depth, privacy, a unique substance, a desire to sacrifice and a willingness to invest much time, sweat, tears and blood...in something deemed worthy. It is about compassion. And an integrity that filters into all aspects of life. It's not a commercial venture yet one of soul and love. Spending even that little bit of time with them was a strong contrast to what we see today. It warmed my heart.

This year is evolving into a year of sweet and poetic completion.

The trash bag was in the studio's storage loft. Tossed a used lunch napkin and immediately became so captivated by the red of the napkin against all the blue that I had to pull the bag out of the loft/closet and move it in the large space with brighter lighting so I could shoot it.

Daffodils abound..!


Today begins the second week of my sabbatical. I'm focused on slowing down and spending longer stretches in the studio. I decided that this sabbatical would be like a low impact artist residency. I've yet to take a day off from painting...but may go home in the middle for an hour or two to split up my day. My goal is to spend the entire day in the studio without having to touch my home base.

For art walk I purchased three bunches of daffodils. Bright yellow flowers. I grabbed the many bottles in storage and placed one daffodil in each bottle...and a few in the pitcher. They filled the work table during First Thursday. A studio garden. On Friday I lined them up on the window sill...and a few on the coffee table, the drawing table and left the pitcher on the work table. When you walk in the studio it looks like spring.

I've been exploring something different and working in acrylic instead of oils. Here's an example of one of the pieces. It's small. The image is about 5"x7", acrylic on paper.

Yesterday afternoon in the studio...

It it spring and the sun it out. Walking back from the coffee shop early this morning, I heard happy birds. The warmth against my face felt so good. Today will be a studio day and tonight a friends night.

10"x10", oil on canvas...

Photo from yesterday...

And...new painting begun yesterday - 18"x24", oil on canvas

A quieter, more restful day today. Laundry in the morning. Watched two movies on Netflix streaming: The Desk Set with Tracy/Hepburn and Camp.

I hopped the bus to the studio, stopping at a copy place to cheaply print out viaduct photos on my flashdrive for new paintings. Dropped everything off and needed to go home. Was too spent to paint. I haven't hugely slowed down after work ended and today was the day.

But being a Capricorn, a Yankee and the oldest child, I had to do something.

There was some writing that needed to be completed and so I ended up at the place around the corner from my home for a delicious 1/2 price burger, a couple glasses of red, and a killer vanilla bean panecotta with a pomegranate balsamic puree all the while using their wifi to get some art writing done. The panecotta comes with two thinly sliced apple pieces stuck into the top. They look like sharks swimming near the surface. And it's seriously tasty. The burger I ate without most of the bread. Nor did I touch the fries but opted for the dessert. It's a little portion which gives me enough of a taste without feeling like I've eaten too much. I've finally been losing some weight and don't want to fuck that up.

Our weather has been unseasonably cold and I'm trying not to get cranky about it. March is my favorite month in Seattle because the cherry trees, the dogwoods and magnolias are in bloom. My neighborhood is saturated with blossoms. I looked forward to being immersed in this during most of my sabbatical and hope the cold snap doesn't delay the flowering.

Today is the 10th anniversary of the Nisqually earthquake in Seattle. I vividly remember where I was. Having just stepped out the shower, I was sitting on the corner of my bed, head dropped…blowing drying my hair. At the time it was down to the middle of my back.

I then felt shaking. The bed was moving back and forth. I wondered if it was my blood sugar dropping but continued drying my hair while quite puzzled.

Then I walked out the house and saw a few construction guys near my apartment.

"Did we just have an earthquake?" I asked them.

"Yup."

"Huh."

I returned inside and looked around. All my bottles on my window sill were still intact. Nothing seemed to have shifted.

I called a friend and it was once again confirmed that we had experienced an earthquake. It seemed minor but I was shook up because it was my first quake. My friend and I decided we needed tequila. It took me over an hour to make the 15 minute drive to pick him up. The destruction was scattered. Pioneer Square, where my studio is, was hit pretty hard. We got off easy… not like New Zealand or Haiti but the Square suffered the worst damage in the city.

Here's a photo from the Seattle PI archives of an artist painting some of the destruction on March 1, 2001, the day after the quake.

What I'm using for this month's art walk notice...page 131 in the March issue of Seattle Magazine.




I scanned into a pdf and then saved as a jpeg. Sorry for the poor quality.
This is the painting in Seattle Magazine. They are promoting our art walk as a "must see" in their weekly email.

The text on the magazine page says:

The Alaskan Way Viaduct has suffered a great many accusations during its hulking life: It’s an eyesore, it blocks views of the sound, it drops large cement chunks of itself onto sidewalks without notice and, most chillingly, it’s a disaster waiting to happen. But like it or not, the Viaduct has also become integral to the city’s landscape—especially for those working close by, such as the more than 100 artists who work in Pioneer Square’s 619 Western Building, which has served as a creative enclave since 1979. Built in 1910, the building stood nearly a half-century before the Viaduct buddied up to its windows. In the years since, the structures have become pals by proximity—two outdated friends that may be torn apart quite literally when the Viaduct replacement tunnel comes boring in. At press time, the fate of the 619 building was undetermined; it will either be razed or seriously retrofit. Even in the latter case, tenants will be forced to relocate, most likely permanently. In the meantime, artists are becoming more vocal in their appreciation for these historic stomping grounds. Visit 619 at the next First Thursday art walk and do the same. 3/3. 6–10:30 p.m. Free.

Finally cleaned off my drawing table...

Studio day...

I've been working viaduct and still life at the same time which seems to be helping both. And today, I'll be adding another medium to this mix because the longing to work on paper has been getting stronger. It's time to add charcoal and b&w watercolor drawings. There is almost always a great sense of excitement when many different works are evolving simultaneously. That is, except for those moments when doubt creeps in and it becomes dizzying.

Still life in progress, 24"x12", oil on canvas

The little pond in my courtyard. It snowed a specky bit today.

As of three and a half hours ago I am officially on sabbatical until March 28.

My assistant and I went out for drinks after work for an informal check in before her work load increases for a month as well as to just hang out. A good friend also began volunteering this week which truly assists with the transition. I'm blessed to be surrounded by quite a few people who are generous of spirit. (Some of which I don't get to spend as much time with as I'd like and I hope to correct that this month.)

This photo, shot about 4pm today, is of the skylight in bar.

Four weeks to breathe. To rest. And do other stuff.

About 3 weeks ago I received an email from Seattle Magazine. They asked for jpegs of 3 paintings for the magazine. The images chosen were of the viaduct, and painted from the same photo. After being blown away and thrilled to bits by the email, I chuckled. The 1st painting no longer existed because the 3rd painting was painted over it. And the 2nd painting had been shipped to an art collector in NYC 2 days earlier.

So I sent the jpegs and explained that if they wanted higher resolution, only the 3rd painting could be reshot. A week later the magazine sent a photographer to my studio to shoot the piece.

Yesterday I picked up the March 2011 issue of Seattle Magazine and this painting, on page 131 takes up almost the entire page! It's a little blurb about the artists and the viaduct, advertising our 619 Western art walk on First Thursday,


36"x36", oil on canvas

What I thought would be about 5 hours in the office turned into 10, yet in that managed to complete certain tasks. Afterward I wound my way down to the studio. Here is yesterday's late afternoon sun that briefly hit the space. The photo doesn't come close to conveying the magical quality of the light.

"The true democrat is he who with purely nonviolent means defends his liberty and, therefore, his country's and ultimately that of the whole of mankind"
- Mahatma Gandhi


I've been following the updates from the TAA (Teaching Assistants' Association) on facebook for the last three days and have been in awe of the great ability of the tens of thousands of protesters to remain peaceful while at the same time fighting for their lives...all our lives. You can check out their website taa-madison.org here.


The weekend was a slow build up for my 4 weeks of studio time...pushing myself to spend extra hours in the workspace...with simple things such as resting on the little couch, reading up on the paintings of David Park, and figuring out what I'll need to assist with greater productivity. Craig had loaned me a drawing table, which is up against my window. But I'm going to pick up a 4 foot folding table. The extra workspace will be helpful.

Last night was a relaxing evening spent at the Tin Table with two friends, talking and sharing food. I even had the opportunity to sample some elk tartare which was quite tasty.

Today is President's Day but I opted to come into work because I have some prep to do before beginning my sabbatical on Friday. I can get much done with no one else in the office.

Such a gorgeous day...and some awesome studio time working a few paintings. This is one from today...painted over a viaduct painting that I've struggled with for 4 months. Oil on canvas, 10"x10".

Painting from a few weeks ago...24" x 12", oil on canvas

Nice studio time last night and spent some quality time on the phone with my parents. I totally heart my mom and dad. I've begun making a list for projects I'd like to tackle while on sabbatical.


-Inventory my studio and begin a numbering system for every painting and drawing. When the state takes possession of our building, they will need an inventory from each artist to assist with value for relocation monies.

-Photograph all my art.

-Fine tune the new system to document sold works.

-Do my taxes.

-Apply for my U.S. passport.

-Begin new drawing ideas for the viaduct.

-Work on mariegagnon.com. Update. Organize.

-Take lots of photos.

-Schedule the photo shoot to take photos of someone's puppy.

-Do much writing.

-And reading.

-Get together with a few friends.

-Paint. Paint. Paint.

-Go exploring.

-Have adventures.

Drawing...about 11" x 14"ish, charcoal on paper

A Shrink Short

I contacted my shrink on Monday to see if I could have an appointment this week. Sitting on the couch I shared events of the last week regarding changed perspective, the surgery, the missing front tooth and letting go of something large that had been an integral part of most of my life. And then we spoke about my art practice and on selling a specific painting.

Near the end of the session-


shrink: no wonder you called for an appointment. the front tooth and the letting go. much loss. great feelings of vulnerability.

me: that's not why i called.

shrink: (puzzled look)

me: i was angsting over whether or not to sell a certain painting.


We both began chuckling because I heard how ludicrous it sounded and yet it was true. It wasn't an internally passive aggressive way to justify an appointment. Over the last 9 years, he and I have built such a relationship that I'm comfortable enough to even call him while in tears for a short phone call. Yes I've been feeling intensely vulnerable but felt it was manageable. What I didn't trust myself to manage was making a healthy decision about a painting.

I've come to a place where I am ready to sell work and have been doing so. But there are a few paintings that I've chosen to keep for my private collection. The reasons are varied, such as I may have hit upon something new with paint handling or I'm emotionally bound to the piece, etc. Over the weekend I discovered an additional dental bill and wondered how prudent it was to hold onto a few paintings I knew were guaranteed to sell when money was dire. I kept waffling in my decision.

Being a Buddhist as well as being a psychotherapist, I thought my shrink would be the perfect ear. I was questioning the importance of attachment to a personal art collection in the face of financial need. He saw both sides and continued to listen. As I rambled to him I realized that the painting I was angsting over was the closest thing to a self-portrait at this time in my life. Therein lay the powerful emotional connection to this particular canvas and so...for now...I continue to build my collection.

Our history is reflected in all our actions. With much work, I continue to strive for a place where my history doesn't control my behavior but instead informs it. In seeing the evolution, especially with the work, I wanted to make sure that I wasn't making the decision to keep the painting from an older wounded place when its sale would be of benefit. Yesterday's session revealed how the emotional benefit of retaining the work would be as great.

In a week and a half I begin my sabbatical. Five years ago in March 2006, I was looking forward to my sabbatical to immerse myself in paint. For the first time in my life, when I had the desire and the time, I became physically frozen and literally could not paint. That sabbatical took a turn when I mentioned it to my shrink and he said "if you can't paint, come in here." So I spent four weeks with a daily therapy appointment.

Something clicked because two months later I began painting with a stubborn drive and haven't stopped. We reminisced about that a little yesterday as I'm approaching four blissful weeks of painting time.

About noontime our office heard horns and voices outside the building. We went out to look and noticed a protest lining the street in front of the Planned Parenthood office. It was in support of PP which was really nice to see. Planned Parenthood supporters were lined up on both sides of the street. So my coworker grabbed the hot pink office feather boa and tied it around the deck rail, draping it down the building in a small quick show of support.

With battles in D.C. to dismantle funding by House Republicans as well as the horrific news coming out of the South Dakota, it's critical to do what we can to protect choice and health funding.

It's sunny outside. Spring is coming soon.