I'm still here - After an 8 year hiatus...
Hard to believe I hadn’t had an art opening since 2016! A lot has happened on my grief healing journey. Much has been spent on my career and raising my daughter. Solo parenting while career woman takes a toll on your body, mind and creativity. After a challenging few years as the Director of the statewide California Complete Count Census 2020 campaign, I retired in July 2021. I was enjoying retirement for a whole month, teaching yoga and then was pulled into consulting where I could travel at the same time. In August 2021, my daughter and I went to Croatia before she returned for her last year doing the International Baccaulareate. I went to Europe in February of 2022 to see my daughter in The Netherlands and then spent a wonderful month working on the organic farm at Esalen and practicing yoga, ecstatic dance and chanting. Finally, I un-retired, landing my dream gig in Washington DC, serving the President. After settling into un-retirement in a new place, I fell in love with our little neighborhood of Del Ray in Alexandria. It took my friend Elaine coming down from Maryland to show me this wonderful creative community within walking distance of my new home. I also have started teaching yoga and meditation again, right next door at the local YMCA. And finally, painting again.
This small 12”x12” diamond shaped painting was a study for a larger 48”x48” painting that I will post next because that has already been accepted in another bigger art show in Old Town Alexandria. I volunteered at the gallery the evening before the Art Opening reception and saw that my painting had already SOLD!!! How exciting that was to first have a painting up and then to have it sell!
275 year Anniversary 4/27/24 for Alexandria, VA and big opportunity to show at a beautiful gallery on the river
Karma is a Map (DMV)
Riding this creativity wave, I returned to my larger format canvases. The earlier “study” was Karma DMV #1 and helped me get this vision out of my head and manifested on canvas. Arriving to the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) area in July 2022, my daughter and I did a lot of driving around, exploring and getting lost. We embraced the “beginners’ mind” as we would drive in circles, even with the help of Siri, and we would listen to her playlists consisting mainly of Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Phoebe Bridgers. But after retiring in California, needing a break from the “mean girls” - the lyrics in the song resonated with me. Click onto the link to read more about this new painting that will be showing from 4/27-6/30 at the Canal Center. Opening is on Saturday, April 27 from 11 am-7 pm - 11 Canal Center Plaza, Alexandria. #grievingthruglee.com
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