Celebration!

"Mom's Roses"
8"x6" Oil on RayMar Canvas Panel  SOLD

$100   Please contact me HERE if you are interested in owning this painting.

My husband has been gone for almost three weeks (he's been working on a house up on Bainbridge Island near Seattle) and he came back today.  I am so happy to have him back.  I figured he'd be tired and want to stay home.. But off he went to the office to "try to catch up"!

I was a bit disappointed not to be with him, but decided to see if I could paint a little painting while he was at work.  This painting is the result.  I know I have mentioned before that I like small format paintings because they generally don't take up your life with planning and sketching and painting like the larger ones do.   I usually stew over those bigger ones... The small format paintings are just fun.

I have some roses in the front yard that are really pretty.  A friend gave them to me and I call them "Mom's Roses".  - Soft and beautiful.  I decided to paint them.

*********************

Also... Good news came my way Monday.   I know you have read my blog where I wonder in writing WHY I enter juried shows.  After all... they cost money and hey... sadly sometimes I get rejected.   But I entered an exhibit called "Four Faces Of VIVA" at our local gallery, VIVA, which the sponsors host for their four founding clubs.  Man... I thought to myself... I'm really asking for trouble...  It's hard enough when you only have ONE club competing for wall space, but when there are four clubs ... well... Let's just say that when I went back in the afternoon to see if I had to pick up my work, there was a VERY LONG line and lots of people were leaving with one and two paintings.  (You are only allowed to enter two.)   Happily BOTH of my paintings were juried in!!  YIPPEEE.  

Come by the show at VIVA Art Center in Sherman Oaks, CA.   Wed-Sat  11:00-4:00.   The show opened today and runs until July 24th.    If you can't come by, these are the paintings that were juried in by juror Carol Bishop:

Nexus

Sun Kissed

Click the "LIKE" button next to the image if you like them... ( :oD )

****************************

We're having our annual party to celebrate Independence Day this weekend.  It's always lots of fun and a nice chance to see people I often don't see the whole rest of the year.   I'm guessing I won't have much painting time between now and then because we'll be trying to get ready (ya gotta clean the house SOMETIME, right? ...or at least throw all the junk in a drawer...   LOL)

I hope all of you have a great Fourth Of July holiday with friends and family as well.  

Beauty Within The City Of Angels

Mulholland's Legacy by Marian Fortunati

 "Mulholland's Legacy"
14"x18" Oil on RayMar Panel

Can you believe that this is my 300th post on my Blogspot blog????.... I started even earlier on my on my FASO blog!!!

WOW....  It IS kind of a nice marriage, though...  I like writing..  I like painting... so blogging is a good way to go.   I enjoy sharing my thoughts and my painting and I love it when people read the blog, make comments or when they buy my paintings.

If you have read the last few posts you know that I became interested in the story of William Mulholland and his efforts to bring water to the Southland.   As I mentioned, my Dad, Jim Beach,  had researched and had created an award winning video about Mulholland.   The cascades where water comes into the Los Angeles area from the aqueduct was right near the home I lived in for 19 years so for years I have taken that gift of water for granted. 

After the post on the St. Francis Dam disaster, one of the people who commented, wondered if the William Mulholland whose vision resulted in the St. Francis Dam was the same one whose name is on the famous Mulholland Dr.  Hollywood has apparently made Mulholland Dr. known around the world as this particular blogger friend is from South Africa!   Anyhow, because I was still interested in finding more information, I Googled Mulholland's name and came up with the Mulholland Dam and Lake Hollywood which are not too far from where I live now. 

I had a morning this week when Tyler was busy so I took a drive over to the Hollywood Hills and did a little exploring.   I found Lake Hollywood which is a reservoir created by the construction of the Mulholland Dam.   Completed in 1924, the dam holds 2.5 billion gallons of water.  In 1928, after the Saint Francis Dam collapsed, killing over 500 people, the Mulholland Dam's face was reinforced by earth to further protect the homes and city of Hollywood below the dam.   Although fenced off, I could walk through the fenced area across the top of the dam and around the lake.  It was really quite lovely and I am hoping I was able to convey the sense of light and peace I found while being on top of the dam looking across the lake to the even more famous Hollywood sign.  I hope you like it!

This is the view of the dam looking in the opposite direction.  I'll probably go back another day and see if I can paint THIS view.

*****

If any of you are interested in receiving my free monthly email newsletter (and you don't already receive it), please take a moment to sign up by clicking this link HERE.

Surf's Up!

"The Wedge"
12"x9"  Oil on RayMar Linen Panel

If you would like to own this painting of a slice of California life, please contact me by clicking this link.

Now that Tyler is out of school and hasn't yet started any time at summer camp, I'm pretty much attached to the house.  Either Tyler will have a play date or he's trying to arrange one... either way I'm home.  

I wanted to paint so I tried to figure out a scene to inspire me ... although I have a few more New York scenes in mind, I really wanted to paint something that shouts "California"!   What could be more essentially California than surfing -- more specifically body surfing at The Wedge.   I had some references and decided to celebrate surfing and the beautiful colors of the water.

I wanted this body surfer to look like he was just screaming down the face of one of those huge sand pounding waves at The Wedge.  (Can you BELIEVE that people actually  enjoy doing that???)  I put in the other figures sort of behind the water in the wave to balance the main figure in the composition.  Did it work??  Do you want to run out to the beach and catch the first wave?

Just in case you want to see real board surfers, body surfers and boogie boards at the Wedge, here is one of many videos from U-Tube.

Kind Words and Encouragement

I got a surprise phone call from a wonderful artist that I greatly admire.  It's funny... sometimes a kind word and a bit of encouragement can just make your month.... your year!  

 "Sun Catchers"
6"x8" Oil on RayMar panel
Please contact me if you'd like to own this little painting.

For a while, now, I've wondered why I keep entering my work in shows.  I mean, really, what's the point?  Okay, let's say a painting gets accepted.  If the venue is out of town, I need to ship it.  Jury fees, shipping fees, framing, ---   It all adds up.   Sometimes the painting sells, but sometimes it doesn't.   So WHY do I do it...?    I can still paint without the exhibitions, but really ..why???..... I guess it is because I LIKE to share my work.  I really enjoy it when other people appreciate my efforts.  That's also one of the reasons I blog.   I like to write, AND I like to share my work and blogging allows me to do both of those things.

This surprise caller apparently reads my blog and enjoys it enough to actually pick up the phone and call me to tell me!    We chatted about  art and "moving ahead" in art.  We talked about shows and other people's work.  We chatted about a whole lot of things.  We discussed various sources of inspiration and different ways to approach our work.   It was so nice to know that there is somebody who cared.   The caller is a private person and has never left any comments on my blog but it was sure nice to get that phone call!   It made me feel good to know that when I share my work and my thoughts it affects others positively... even those I look up to!

I've been trying to find some inspiration for some paintings to submit for some upcoming shows (all the while wondering "WHY bother") and although I may not have found "the perfect" subject,  I still was encouraged enough to paint today.   I worked on a few paintings that I had started previously.  Then because I've been loving seeing all the beautiful yucca in bloom, I decided to do this small format study of yucca.  I saw them up near St. Francis Dam and I also saw them at El Matador Beach.   Gosh, this is a fabulously beautiful year.  It's fun to try to capture it in paint, ... and yes... it's fun to share it.

Maybe this post will encourage you to reach out and "touch" someone by letting them know you appreciate them.

CAC Monthly Paint Out - El Matador State Beach Park

Matador Rocks
SOLD

Each month George Malone organizes a paint out or the Ventura / Malibu Chapter of the California Art Club.  Originally the club had quarterly chapter paint outs but several people expressed an interest in participating in more frequent paint-outs during the work week.   George stepped up to the plate after much urging from CAC Chapter Chairperson, Sharon Kaiser, and has organized and led them now for almost a year.

When he first started there weren't too many people who joined the group but now there are quite a few artists who get together to celebrate our beautiful landscape in paint.  If you're interested in joining the group, check out the California Art Club calendar of events... They are always posted there.  We go to different locations all over the Malibu / Ventura County area.

It's fun to paint together and to chat with one another during lunch.  This time  Sharon Burkett Kaiser ,  CAC Signature Artist Member and Ventura / Malibu Chapter Chairperson, who organizes the quarterly paint outs for the chapter joined us and offered to critique the paintings of anyone who wanted to offer their work.    There were many painters there on Wednesday and I was happy that I already knew many of them.  Sharon has the amazing and wonderful ability to remember people and their names...  It's a delightful gift that helps everyone feel welcome and special.

Some painters painted the scene from the top of the cliff, some from the mid point and others from various posts along the rocks and sand.  My favorite painting of the day was done by Rich Brimer, whom I had met one day when I took a day workshop with David Gallup.  Rich REALLY learned well.  He added what David had taught him (he took the class for 3 days) and extended his already wonderful skills.  Take a look at his painting HERE. 

I enjoyed myself.  I had decided to paint some of the wonderful rock formations from the beach.  I knew that I had to paint fast because the tide was coming in but it almost capsized my easel when it rushed in while I was chatting with Rich.   I was going to move, but Rich suggested that I just take off my socks and roll up my jeans.  ... So I did.   It was just an absolutely GORGEOUS day in Southern California.  Perfect clear and cool beach weather!!  

When I finished and Sharon critiqued my painting she pointed out that my darks were too dark.   I tried to fix it up a bit after I got home.  

You can see my painting "Matador Rocks" in the image on top.    It's an 8" x 10" linen panel.   Contact me if you're interested by clicking HERE.

The Collapse of the St. Francis Dam

Over the weekend as I listened to the continuing depressing news of the gulf disaster and then heard about the flash flooding in Arkansas which killed so many, it reminded me about a video my Dad had made about ten years ago called "Triumph and Tragedy". 

My Dad (James Beach) is a retired Lockheed aircraft engineer.  After he retired, he took up several fabulous artistic hobbies, one of which was videography.  In this film, he decided to briefly depict the many successes and the one colossal failure in the life of William Mulholland - a man whose endeavors have contributed to our California life as we know it today.    Essentially, Mulholland's vision and leadership brought water to Southern California without which the southern part of the state couldn't grow and thrive.   The California aqueduct was his baby and his crews built a series of dams and reservoirs.   The many wars over water have continued ever since.

One of those dams in Mulholland's chain was the St. Francis Dam which was built in 1926 in San Francisquito Canyon near Canyon Country north of Los Angeles,  and here is a bit of history about it.

St. Francis Dam

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 / 34.54694; -118.5125

St. Francis Dam colorized photo c.1926 When Daddy had done the research for the video, he took video from the water source areas near Lee Vining all the way to the water's entrance to the San Fernando Valley.  In telling his story he even donned a fake mustache and acted as if he were William Mulholland telling the story.  It was a great documentary and he received several awards from local and international clubs for it. Dad's 91 but after we watched it again at dinner he told me he'd like to go back and see it again. All in all it was an interesting day, "Beneath The St. Francis Dam" 11" x 14" Oil on RayMar Canvas If you are interested in owning this painting, please contact me.

The St. Francis Dam was a concrete gravity-arch dam, designed to create a reservoir as a storage point of the Los Angeles Aqueduct. It was located 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Los Angeles, California, near the present city of Santa Clarita.

The dam was built between 1924 and 1926 under the supervision of William Mulholland, chief engineer and general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, then called the Bureau of Water Works and Supply. Three minutes before midnight on March 12, 1928, the dam catastrophically failed, and the resulting flood killed more than 450 people. The collapse of the St. Francis Dam is one of the worst American civil engineering failures of the 20th century and remains the second-greatest loss of life in California's history, after the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and fire. The disaster marked the end of Mulholland's career.

Highs and Lows

Home a few days and down with cough and cold.  Yuck!!   So I sort of took it easy... well not really, but I didn't go outside to paint. Oh well, I'm getting better and trying to figure out my adventures for the upcoming week.

I had a fabulous weekend even though I was stuffy and coughing.  I had volunteered to help out at the California Art Club's Gold Medal Show.  There was a Collector's preview on Friday.  It was quite a gala event!  The good news was that even while we volunteers were helping out, we had plenty of time to enjoy all of the fabulous artwork on display.  Sales seemed to go pretty well, too, which I'm sure made both the artists, the club and the collectors enjoy it all the more.  I so enjoyed being there.  There were collectors and some of the artists were there as well.  I saw many artworks from artists I know personally, artists I don't know whose work I admire, and I discovered some lovely work by artists I hadn't previously heard about.   What a treat!

"Good Times In Times Square"

                              10"x8" Oil on RayMar Canvas
                              

     If you would like to own this painting, please contact me for information or click on the Pay Pal button.

On Saturday I attended a reception at a show where I had some of my own work.  I was honored to receive an honorable mention award...... Any award is welcome.  I also got to meet some new people and see some lovely artwork.  Tyler went with me and acted as my photographer.  (That's why the view is looking up my nose... LOL.)

During the rest of the week I've been home trying to get well.  I revisited and, I think, improved two paintings I had completed before I left and I also painted another in my New York "series".      Perhaps you'll like it.

Two Families At The Met

"Two Families At The Met"
8"x6" Oil on RayMar Canvas panel

If you are interested in purchasing this little painting, please contact me or use the easy Pay Pal button here.

Well, I'm back from my fabulous trip with my daughter to Philadelphia and New York.  I took a sketchpad and some watercolors, but did absolutely NO painting or sketching.  My friend, Johanna Spinks, who has challenged herself and all of us to sketch each and every day, would NOT be proud of me.

I did, however have a wonderful time with my daughter and saw so many fabulous things and enjoyed it totally.   Now I'm going to try to paint a few little paintings just to celebrate the time.  My first little painting is from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  I think of all the time I spent in the two places, the time spent in the Met was my favorite... but really everything was super.

Hopefully you'll enjoy the series I'll be creating.  In this first painting, I thought it would be fun to compare today's mother and child with one from Renoir's time.  Renoir's Madame Charpentier and her Children was on the wall while today's mother listened attentively to her daughter.

I have heard that Jackie Kennedy Onassis lived nearby while she raised her children.  What a treat to be able to visit all of the special paintings and world treasures whenever she had a spare moment!

The Met

Probably most of you have already visited the amazing Metropolitan Museum in New York, but since I've never visited the city, this was my first experience at the Met.  If you read my last post you know that my youngest daughter is taking me on this most wonderful trip.    Wow... What an amazing place.  Suffice it to say that it has been a fabulous, inspiring day and that one could spend days and days there and never tire or even see it all.   It's like cities within cities.  .... Here are just a few sample images:

They brought in a BANK FACADE into the museum to depict part of American life!!!

We ate lunch amid the sculpture pieces and overlooking Central Park!  After lunch we went through the modern art section then we took a few tours... One was a highlights tour and another was a tour of the impressionists and post impressionists.  There is SO much more to see.  I want to come back!!

We toured the Impressionist and post-impressionist wings... Here is a Modigliani.

Degas

A huge wall painting of Buddha in the Asian section.

A Tiffany glass window.

A whole Egyptian temple...  brought in from Egypt when they built the Aswan dam!

Cocktails and music in the evening overlooking the main entrance.

A walk through Central Park to the subway and back to our hotel.   It's bed time now...  Sogni D'Oro!!  (golden dreams)

New York, New York!!

"Neighborhood Grace"
14" x 11" Oil on RayMar Canvas

To purchase, use the Pay Pal button or contact the artist.

This MAY be my last post for a week.   I'm off on this morning for a fabulous trip with my youngest daughter to Philadelphia and New York.  I'm really quite excited.  I'm not sure if I'll have time to blog.

My daughter has in-laws who live in Philly.  She has visited her relatives several times and when there, she visited many places she knew I would love to see myself.   So since I've never been to New York OR Philadelphia, she is taking me as my Mother's Day present!!!   WOWEEE!!   What a treat...!  A week with my daughter visiting great museums, seeing wonderful art, fabulous homes and exciting cities!!

One of the museums / homes she most wanted me to see was the Barnes.  Apparently it is closing soon, so she decided to seize the moment.   She said that I just have to see all of the painting while they are still IN the Barnes home.   Adventure awaits.

Yesterday, once I finished packing, I decided to paint.  This beautiful jacaranda tree is just beginning to flower.   It is right down the street from me and every year I look forward to seeing it as the periwinkle flowers begin to spread out and grace our neighborhood.  As the winds blow the petals, then the street and lawns are dusted with purple as well.   This year the weather has been so strange.   Our neighborhood trees are flowering very late!  I remember that when I was in San Miguel de Allende in March of 2009 taking a class from Frank Gardner,  the jacaranda trees were exquisite.  This year in March (when I went back to that beautiful city to take another class from Frank) they weren't blooming.  Now it's June and they're just blooming here.   I wonder when they bloomed in San Miguel this year.

I may work on this further when I get back   Paintings always need to "rest" for a while before we see if they need anything more, don't they?

Big Apple.. here we come.