Make Art, Not War

March 2022

I have been painting outdoors much more at the beginning of this year. Part of it is a reaction to being indoors for two years during the worst of the pandemic, but also, trying to maintain a healthy outlook in view of the terrible news on the other side of the world. I am not avoiding reality, just creating a balance. The natural world has always been my refuge. I am hoping you too, are finding time during the day to disconnect from all devices and spend some minutes with your creative self.

Closing Party for Feels Like Home

The closing reception of Feels Like Home will take place on Sunday, March 13, from 12-2 PM. It is free and open to the public!

And if if you haven’t yet visited, gallery visiting hours are: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10am-2pm. There are postcards of the mural at the front desk, with a photo taken by Richmond photographer Robin D. López.

12 Plein Air Artists

The opening reception of 12 Plein Air Painters was very well organized. If you haven’t yet visited the Berkeley Yacht Club, you still have time! I want to give a shoutout to my former student Jeanette Nichols who had two paintings in this show, and who has taken an important step in getting her work seen by the many art lovers living in the East Bay.

1 Seawall Drive, Berkeley. The show runs from February 20 to April 13, 2022. Admission is free.

Photos from the Protest Signs Exhibition

The CAB Gallery at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington is showing these banners we made as part of an Artist Project with the Richmond Art Center. Dr. Travis Williams, a “Black, queer, neurodivergent” sociologist out of UC Santa Cruz, was the juror.

If you are interested, you can hear Dr. Travis Williams’s engaging lecture which incorporates much of Wilmington’s racial history, titled “Protest Signs: Projected Voices in the Community” via this link: https://uncw.edu/cabartgallery/exhibitions/current.html

Fundamental Drawing Class In Person at the RAC

The first of two four-week classes, Part I is for absolute beginners. Each class is a four week module. Learn what materials to use, how to use them, how to create a composition, how to measure the size and proportion of objects, and how to shade. Receive as much or as little feedback as you want and enjoy access to a treasure trove of online resources curated by your instructor. This class is offered by the Richmond Art Center, on Wednesdays from 1-3 pm. March 30 to April 20.

Plein Air Painting In Richmond

Spend May painting au plein air at several East Bay outdoor locations. Whether you are a beginner or a more advanced painting student, you'll enjoy discovering beginner-friendly painting spots, and improving your technique in the company of new friends. You'll receive much or as little feedback as you desire. Use the media of your choice. We'll spend one session at each painting location, so that students can have sufficient time to complete a painting. This class is offered by the Richmond Art Center, on Thursdays, 10-1 pm. May 12 to June 2.

Enter the Gicleé Print Drawing!

I am giving away a 9 x 12” gigleé print from one of my Puerto Rican landscapes. I will choose the winner from among those who respond to this question: What do you want to see in my open studio this year?

Mark Your Calendars

Friday, May 27 is the first day of my one-weekend-only open studio, 11-5 pm. There will be some art hung outside to take advantage of the summer weather. Come hang out in our garden, see my latest work and enjoy the refreshments.

Two Years Ago

Reading the news made me remember how Putin is central to this piece. It was part of a digital drawing that was shown in Right Here Right Now, the Richmond Art Center’s 2019 exhibition of Richmond Artists.