I have some exciting news to share. I’ve been given a gallery show in March to show my Groundbreaking Girls series. Since January, I’ve painted well over 100 ladies…that’s at least ten a month. I wasn’t sure where they would all end up, but I kept up the discipline, and so I’m thrilled that they’ll be in a Gallery. This is a very special place in San Clemente, filled not only with local artists but also many works of my abstract expressionist heroes. When the gallery owner was testing my work on the walls, he actually took down a Joseph Alber’s print in order to make space for my relatively small paintings. The moment was not lost on me, obviously.  I thought perhaps it was Joseph’s way of thanking me for painting his wife, Anni on National Widow’s Day last year.  I also brought another painting (which has sold since) along…“Marisol,” who was also an artist. In her day, she had been pop-art friends with Andy Warhol, so I brought her into the gallery room with his soup-cans and silkscreened prints. With my girls on hand, it was like I was in the company of old friends. A truly remarkable experience…especially when I was offered the show.

It will be in March, with is Women’s History Month, and I will be showing at least 25 of my paintings. It sounds far away still, but there is much work to do as far as framing and preparation. And of course, there are more women to paint! I’m so grateful and excited for the opportunity. On top of that, the gallery owner is suggesting the idea that I can be the ‘portrait painter’ for the gallery, as I’m the only portraitist who is represented at this point.

Back in September, my friend Nicole signed me up for two-weekend workshop in LA, called “How to Get Hung,” given by a long-standing and well known dealer and gallery owner in LA and New York. It was great, we met some other artists and learned a lot from the teacher. I had the intention of showing my abstract work, but she thought my paintings of ladies were more ready…it’s true, there is a large body already available. I did introduce myself at a couple of LA galleries that were recommended as a fit, but at the same time, I met the owner of the OC Contemporary Gallery, who seemed to ‘get’ what I was doing with my Groundbreaking Girls series. So I’m thrilled! I expect it to be a very special event. I’ll keep you posted.

In Early December, I’ll be showing more of my work at my parent’s annual home-gallery show. I believe that will be the first weekend in December, but I’ll come back with an official invite for that too, if anyone wants to drop by.  I think I’ll be showing some abstracts there.  Oooh, so much to do!

Check out more histories and paintings (there is a small show there now too!) at GroundbreakingGirls…and see what else I’ve been up to. 🙂 Thanks!