I had the delight a few weeks ago to spend a long overdue day with my mom, without my kids! We had planned for her birthday to take a trip into the city and visit a museum. My mom lives in Easton, PA, so getting her to my place then into the city is not an easy endeavor. We were determined to do it. 

Sadly, the day we picked ended up correlating with my car in need of a new set of tires. This in and of itself shouldn't be a problem. After looking at our schedules, my husband offered to take my car, plus the kids, the morning of my day with my mom, to Costco to have them replaced. Great, I thought! It was one of the only days that we thought we might fit it in, and I can still spend the day with my mom in NYC.

As my mom arrived to our house, my husband texted me: the wait at Costco was 3 hours long! Can you imagine trying to sit there with a toddler and 6-year old? That was the end of my trip to the city. I drove out to Costco to free my husband. Upon my return and the realization that it was almost lunchtime, my mom and I decided to stay instead in NJ.

I was bummed at first, but it turned out to be a perfect day. We ended up in Summit because of a potter that my mom had seen at the Maplewood Art Walk. Her wares were available at MONDO and she couldn't get a particular berry bowl by Laura Hanley out of her head. So we made that our destination and ended up having a delicious lunch down the street at FOOD. We shared a fresh salad and a savory grilled brie and fig sandwich, with a side of sweet potato fries. Loved the food at FOOD, the atmosphere, and delighted that we were given time to enjoy.

After our lunch we stumbled into the Papery, not a short visit for two artistic types. We walked out with papers and gifts, after exploring every nook and cranny.

We were about out of steam, but I really wanted to fit in some art before the day ended. So we drove over to the Visual Arts Center of NJ. I love that place! My work has been included in two of their past International Juried Shows, I've demonstrated materials there on behalf of Jerry's Artist Outlet and Pebeo, and I've attended some of their panel discussions. Sadly, I don't get there very often, but this trip was well-worth it. 

So many exhibits and works to take in! These are gems! First, we encountered the stacked concentric rings of marble, stone, topped with brass horn-like fittings of artist, Don Porcaro's "Talisman Series" in the Sculpture Park. Then we walked through the ceramics studio to see the main exhibit titled, Adhere, which explores works by artists using glues, tapes, and other "sticky" media in unconventional ways to create. After walking down the hallway by the tape installation of grocery store shoppers by Tirtzah Bassel, we encountered the intricate cut-paper collages by Casey Ruble which upon further exploration are more than what meets the eye as they document former "Underground Railroad safe houses, and places where race riots have broken out" around NJ. Lastly, we stopped by the 2nd floor exhibit, featuring the works by VACNJ teaching artist, Anne Kullaf. While we weren't there long, each of the exhibits have left a significant impression on me, whether it be as inspiration for future lessons or how to explore my own work in a different way. 

As an artist, I know it is important to get out and see art that is not your own. As a mother of young kids, who is also trying to maintain a studio, getting out is not always easy. This day was important both for the time with my mom, and for the time in front of other artists' art. 

If you'd like to visit the Visual Arts Center of NJ, the exhibits I viewed are up through January 17th. It's well-worth the trip, as are the food and ephemera. 

Summer art lessons and workshops finished off a few weeks ago with these fruits of my students' labors. I had the fullest teaching schedule I've experienced since closing my Newton studio, enrolling several new students in a part-time summer drawing camp, an after-camp art class, and a watercolor workshop. Since putting my youngest in part-time childcare, I've been able to promote my lessons to a wider audience and offer more sessions. 

These are just the tip of the iceberg from the summer:

• still life watercolor paintings
• watercolor paintings from vacation photos
• observation drawings of eggs done in graphite and in white charcoal
• visual puns of animals to draw texture
• borrowing the structure and values of Whistler's Mother to create their own works
• observation drawings of animals to show texture and value in graphite
• layered studies of students' anatomy using experimental materials

What's even better than this visual eye candy is the experience my students had. None of them wanted the classes to end; my watercolor workshop students couldn't come up with one criticism. I worked with several adults, particularly mothers, who carved out time for themselves for the first time this summer. To see their joy and satisfaction from their work was priceless. And, whether the students were children or adults, the process of making these works was a conduit to growth, learning, and joy (despite occasional frustration). 

Interested in experiencing the joy of creating? Check out my Fall lesson schedule online. I'm offering several small group sessions in my West Orange Studio on the 3rd Floor including after school kids classes, an AM jumpstART for adults, and my signature Saturday teen class, as well as two classes (Painting in Watercolor and Taking Watercolor & Drawing Further) at Work & Play in South Orange. 

Sunday was the well-regarded SOMA Studio Tour held in South Orange and Maplewood, NJ, sponsored by 1978 Arts Center and the Baird, along with many supporters. I exhibited in a beautiful space at JESPY House, a non-profit which aims to house and educate learning and developmentally disabled adults to provide them an opportunity to live independently. 

As you can see from the photos, the space was stunning, the light terrific, and weather sublime. Well over 100 people came by to check out my work, along with artists, Bill Billec and Liz Demaree. I enjoyed meeting so many new people: chatting with students, sharing stories about my work, and talking about the topics of decluttering and collecting with several guests. 

Since closing my gallery space in Newton, I've found it very difficult to get my work in front of people, not for lack of opportunity but time with my kids. This gave me the fix I needed! Plus, I'm pleased that I sold my first set of ARTaments to a woman who will be gifting them for Christmas to relatives that cycle together. Another new customer happened upon one of my giclées of an older Appliance Portrait who came over with such a big smile and told me though she was out of space, this made her so happy she had to buy it! I was over the moon. That makes my art-making worthwhile; touching someone in that way. And, I was able to also to sell one of my favorite Appliance Portraits: Chrome Fabricator of Pasta.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and graced me with your compliments and purchases, or stopped by to say hello! Thank you to the South Orange Department of Recreation and Cultural Affairs and the 1978 Maplewood Art Center for providing this remarkable opportunity! I couldn't have done this show with my fractured foot, without the support of several friends and family, including: friends Meghan and Jeremy for schlepping, friends Sonia and Brooke for taking my kids, and, most importantly, thank you to my husband, Lee, who spent time taking care of the kids, lugging boxes and art from the 3rd floor to the car, to JESPY House, and installing the show. 

My head is swimming with thoughts: reactions to things I've read, ideas for paintings, stuff to do. I have a legal pad for my lists, a separate notebook for personal lists, a sketchbook for art ideas. My trouble is, my studio is on my 3rd floor, my kitchen (where I spend time when I'm not in my studio) is on the 1st floor. Then there are the times I'm away from the house running around getting kids.

I can't seem to get a system going for jotting down everything and keeping track. Something always gets lost. I don't know if this is an isolated problem of being an artist working at home, or it is compounded by the juggling of my time caring for kids and being creative. 

I recently saw a blog post from the Carnegie Museum of Art, about artist, Lenka Clayton's attic studio. She happens to also be a mother and began the Artist's Residency in Motherhood in 2012 after having her first child. In the blog post, she shares a clever tool for keeping track of ideas: using a receipt spike. I think this is quite novel, but doesn't solve my problem of when I'm in another room, or out of the house and lightning strikes.

I do have an iPad and iPhone and occasionally use my reminders / note pad, but I find that the act of physically writing an idea down makes it more important and memorable. So, if you're an artist working from home, or an artist / mom, share your ideas about how you keep your thoughts organized. 

I created a Pinterest board to start sharing our #CreativeIdeaManagement tools. Let's connect and discover what works for each other. Hopefully in the meantime I'll uncover my sketchbook!