cedar’s blog

Cedar September 25th, 2008

Awakening

36 x 42″ Acrylic on Canvas

This is a painting of the first breath of morning–the threshold between today and tomorrow.  I like how the light and darkness are separated–which one is in the foreground?  Is the darkness opening up to reveal a window of sunlight?  Or is the sunlight seeping over the darkness, like a poured liquid?

My goal was to depict the simple happiness of waking up to a new day full of promise.

The light of the not-quite-risen sun stretches its fingers across the sky, in between the delicate swirls of moonlight.

The sun is about to rise behind a young leafy tree, and there is a small flock of birds flying on the horizon.

But the night has not yet released its hold–the sky high above is still full of millions of tiny sparkling stars.

Like all of my recent paintings, this is painted on a gallery-wrapped canvas, meaning the painting continues onto the edges, where the canvas is stretched around the underlying frame, which I built out of wood.  The edges are 1.5″ deep.

What it looks like in a room:

And of course, I made a video for this one.  (I’m on a roll!)

The YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKTV3c4Cf-s

The timing of this painting is perfect, because today is a happy new day indeed!

Last year, you may recall, I told you about my aunt and uncle who live in Italy who were about to adopt a little girl from Africa.  Sadly, that adoption fell through because of lack of communication and international bureaucracy.  They were heartbroken–our whole family mourned with them, as we had already thought of this little girl as one of ours.

But they decided to start the process all over again and were placed with another child.  This time it is truly happening for real!  They arrived in Bamako, Mali today and by now have probably already met their new son, Ichiaka!  (Pronounced “ee-SHA-ka.”)  He is about a year and a half old and he is healthy and beautiful–I’m so happy for my aunt and uncle, who have waited so long for this, and I can’t wait to meet my new cousin!

One more thing and then I’ve got to get back to work–

I have a recommendation.  If you love food (mmm, who doesn’t?) and you are looking for a good read that also makes you think, read this book!  I’m not even halfway through with it and it’s already impacting my life.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver.

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Cedar September 22nd, 2008

There are now 2 options for Art By Cedar wall calendars in 2009!

Cats & Dogs (8.5 x 11″)

Or Trees! (17 x 11″)

Like the Cats & Dogs calendar, each month of the Trees calendar features a painting accompanied by an inspiring quote.

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Cedar September 19th, 2008

Fiery Sky
40 x 46″ Acrylic on Canvas

Details:

In this painting, the sun’s fiery heat and sheer enormity are taking over the whole sky, setting the landscape ablaze in a wash of white light. The moon’s light, in the form of soft blue tendrils, gracefully retreats into the darkness in the face of the overwhelming sun.

Once again I am symbolically exploring epic themes: Yin and Yang, the balance of the universe, the great unfolding of time and space, the eternal beauty and mysterious workings of the cosmos.

What this painting looks like in a room:

You can watch me painting it here:

The YouTube link, should you choose to pass it on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZDTmAUMrO0

This weekend we’re having some friends over to celebrate the Autumnal Equinox (which officially falls on Monday.) We’re going to sit around a campfire in the backyard and sip hot apple cider. And this Saturday is the 11-year anniversary of the day I met my husband. I am lucky to have shared this much of my life with him–together we have come a long way.

I just got my copy of my 2009 Cats & Dogs Calendar in the mail! It looks SO GOOD! The pages are thick and glossy, and I like the layout better than last year’s.

My new dog Blake is now officially enrolled as a student in Puppy Obedience School. We start next week–wish us luck.

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Cedar September 10th, 2008

I have 4 delicious new sunflower paintings, all with delicious names!

All are 16″ x 16″, oil on wood panels, with 1.5″ deep wooden edges.  The titles are based on the actual names of the different sunflower varieties.  (There are so many!)

Mardi Gras

Ring of Fire

Italian White II

Lemon Eclair

There are many options for how to display the paintings in this series. You can mix and match them with any of the other sunflower paintings, hang them alone, or grouped in a row or a grid.

I am loving all these juicy colors. Which one is your favorite?

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Cedar September 9th, 2008

This month I have a small art show on display at the Irvine Nature Center.

Irvine Nature Center is the only private, non-profit nature center in the region, and has a reputation for providing impactful, high-quality environmental education programs for Baltimore-area schools and the public.  The Center has a museum, a nature store, and a walking trail.

From Irvine’s website: “It is only because of the generosity of many forward thinking and environmentally minded people that we are able to offer our programs at low to no cost to participating schools in the Baltimore region.”

If you would like to support this organization as well as me and my work, 20% of the proceeds of any artwork you purchase from the show this month will go towards Irvine Nature Center and all the good things they are doing.

I am the first artist to display my work in their brand new facility in Owings Mills, MD.  The official opening of the new facility is this weekend, and all are invited to attend.  If you live in the area, go check it out!

WEEKEND FESTIVAL
Saturday, September 13
10 am - 4 pm
Sunday, September 14
noon - 4 pm
On Saturday and Sunday, bring the whole family for two days of free festivities and fun. Experience our new interactive exhibit hall; catch a puppet show; try your hand at traditional Native American games; meet our resident animals; take a guided nature walk; or head over to the main stage to sing and dance with award-winning musical acts. And don’t forget the food! Local and organic treats will abound, prepared by vendors who respect Irvine’s zero-waste goals. With so much more to explore, why would you ever want to leave?
Free and open to the public!

Irvine Nature Center is located at: 11201 Garrison Forest Road, Owings Mills, MD  21117

Other news:

My dog Clara is doing much better!  Thank you so much for all of your caring and compassionate letters when she was so sick.  Click here to read an update on her health.

I am happy to report that Clara has also gotten a new baby brother.  He is 8 weeks old, half lab and half springer spaniel.  His name is Blake Fanghoff and his antics are hilarious.

This past week has been spent chasing this little guy around, making sure he doesn’t eat houseplants or tubes of paint, and working on potty-training, which involves taking him outside at all hours of the day and night until he’s big enough to hold it for longer.  It is an exercise in patience and devotion.  The repetitious, often frustrating task of raising a puppy is so rewarding in the long run.  Every day I am a little bit more enamored of him (which is saying a lot, since for me, it was love at first sight the day we adopted him.)

My life is so good lately.

Many of my paintings have sold this summer–both to new and repeat collectors.  I am so grateful for this steady income that has been allowing me to pay the bills and to continue making my art.  My work is selling in galleries.  People are finding my website.  People are asking about commissions.  Sometimes I can’t believe that I am really making this happen–my “art career.”  But I’m doing it!

All this and I’ve hardly been in the studio since mid-July.  There have been many adventures.

I attended Sugar Hill 2008, my first contra dance weekend, with one of my oldest friends and also lots of new friends, all of whom are thoroughly charming.  The whole thing was marvelous beyond all expectations.  It included canoeing and swimming all day, delicious food, and dancing all night–literally all night.  I danced till 4:30 am.

I went to Cincinnati and visited several art galleries.  There’s one that I really like there, and my art would totally fit in, but I can’t even think about taking on another gallery until I make enough new art to keep up with the galleries that already represent me.  But it’s a good possibility to keep in mind for the future.

Then, I went white water rafting in the New River Gorge, which I did last year and just had to do again.  This time we opted for the “High Adventure” option, and I fell out of the raft several times, which was very exciting.  We even capsized completely, twice.  (Only once on purpose.)

I’ve ordered my copy of my 2009 Calendar, and I can’t wait to see it.  A friend of mine wants to sell them in the pet supply store where he works!

And, I have several new paintings done that you’ll see as soon as they’re photographed.  And, I’m working on building several large canvases–the plans for several spectacular large paintings are currently percolating in my mind.

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Cedar August 28th, 2008

Tree of Life

Acrylic on Canvas 24 x 30″

This painting was commissioned by a wife as an anniversary gift for her husband.  All she requested was that the painting should depict a Tree of Life, which they used as a symbol at their wedding.

So I began reading about the Tree of Life and what it is–virtually every culture in the history of the world mentions a “Tree of Life,” and the specific meanings of this symbol vary quite a bit.  Some of the consistent themes include life and death, birth and rebirth, and eternity.  So it’s a very spiritual and thought-provoking symbol.

In Chinese mythology, depictions of the Tree of Life often include images of dragons and phoenixes.

According to Wikipedia,

A phoenix is a mythical bird with a tail of beautiful gold and red plumage (or purple and blue, by some sources. It has a 1,000 year life-cycle, and near the end the phoenix builds itself a nest of cinnamon twigs that it then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises. The new phoenix is destined to live, usually, as long as the old one. In some stories, the new phoenix embalms the ashes of the old phoenix in an egg made of myrrh and deposits it in the Egypt city of Heliopolis (sun city in Greek). The bird was also said to regenerate when hurt or wounded by a foe, thus being almost immortal and invincible — it is also said that it can heal a person with a tear from its eyes and give him/her temporary immortality; a symbol of fire and divinity.

The phoenix is a beautiful metaphor for how we live on in our children.  (The couple in question is about to have their second.)  Also, the fire theme brings to mind romantic love and passion.  So I added two phoenixes to the painting–to represent the two people that are joined by the life they have created together.

Details:

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Cedar August 15th, 2008

What an honor!  I have been selected by a fellow artist, Dean H., for this award!  This is very much like Tag. It helps us to become familiar with previously undiscovered blogs.

The rules are that if the person receiving the award decides to participate, he or she must:
1 - Put the logo on their blog
2 - Add a link to the person who gave them the award
3 - Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4 - Add links to those blogs on yours
5 - Leave a message on each of the blogs nominated.

My nominees are:

1. Morgan aka The Paint Eater

2. Karen Yee

3. Heather Brown Truman of Bad! Kitty Art Studio

4. Corrine aka Jafabrit

5. Melissa Fallon

6. Varvara Harmon

7. Lauren Mitchell (a food blog, not an art blog, but I had to include this one!)

Thank you, Deano, for the honor!  It is always so nice to connect in this way with other artists–to be recognized by others and also show my support for others.

No new work to show you just yet.  But I’m working on a painting I’m really excited about, and have lots of plans for new artwork.  My constant traveling this summer is really making a dent in my productivity.  I promise I’ll make up for it in September.

Speaking of which, I have a show coming up next month at Irvine Nature Center in Owings Mills, MD.  Details are forthcoming.

My garden, as always, continues to amaze me.

The only other big thing that’s going on with me right now is that my sweet 3-year-old black lab, Clara, is very very sick, and I’m having a hard time with it.  Click here to read more.

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Cedar July 29th, 2008

This year, most of my collectors have purchased my work online, so I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting most of them in person, or seeing their homes and offices where the art will hang.  I have a constant, unsatisfied curiosity about where all my sold paintings end up.

So it’s always nice when local collectors buy my work.  This couple recently became collectors of my work, and I was lucky enough to get some photos of them with my art in their home.  Natalie & Scott–I hope you enjoy these paintings for many years.

My garden is going full-force, and we are now producing quite a bit of our own food.  It’s a good thing we like to eat vegetables around here.  In addition to edibles, we also have a variety of flowers in full bloom–my yard seems to be the most colorful one in the neighborhood.  Click here to see some pictures.

My family’s reunion in Tennessee was a smashing success.  The vacation involved a lot of hanging out, games, adventures, discussions, good food and laughter.

Now I’m back in the studio for about a week before I leave town again, this time to house-sit for my parents and get in some hiking time to gather reference material for future paintings.

Speaking of which, it is about the time of year when I try to switch into “fall mode” with my landscapes and tree paintings.  So you can expect more fall colors and themes in my artwork over the next couple of months.  Right now I’m working on some ideas and sketches.  Stay tuned…

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Cedar July 13th, 2008

I am squeezing in one last update before I leave for my vacation in the beautiful mountains of Tennessee.

I just want to share this 3-panel painting that I’ve finally finished.  I wanted to do something that would be part of the Lotus Series, but with multiple panels.  I love how it turned out!

This is acrylic on canvas.  Each panel is 20″ x 16″

Lotus Pond

I couldn’t resist adding a little frog and some dragonflies.

The strength, elegance, and symbolic power of the lotus flower continue to fascinate me.

The whole piece, if you include about an inch of space between each panel, is 20″ x 50″–the perfect size to go above a sofa or a mantle.

I’ll be delivering this painting with a few other new ones to my Baltimore gallery this week before we depart on our adventurous voyage. You’ll probably hear from me next at the end of July.

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Cedar July 9th, 2008

Enjoy!

And the YouTube link, if you wish to email it to people: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCXO-dMdbvE

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