My current adventure is the Durham Storefront Project.
This is a project to fill the empty –or not- storefronts in Downtown Durham with art.
I got together with two women friends that were in my workshop, Uncovering the Artist Within, who were interested in creating proposals.  (Thanks again Laura for telling us about this project and Meranie, thanks for the Rue Cler breakfast!) 

This is important to know, because here I was, on line to practice what I preach.
Well, not so hard, a small window or two, I could do that.
Then I saw the beautiful historic building on the corner of Magnum and Parrish.  The windows were like big picture frames and suddenly, I was caught because I could “see” just what should be in not just one or two windows but ALL the lower level windows. 
Gulp.
I had an artist friend/mentor in Cleveland and we made it a rule: ”If you can see it, you must create it”  So with both a sinking feeling and an exalted feeling –all at the same time- I entered the arena.
What I propose is to fill most of the windows, some I will leave empty for effect- with stylistic paintings of past Durham residents.  Trace some of the history of Durham through its people. The North Carolina Collection at the Durham Library has old photos that I am able to paint from, with the proper paperwork that will protect me from infringing on copyright laws.

Here are some pictures so you can visualize what I am thinking about.
Early next week they will be letting the artists know who will be asked to participate in this spring’s Storefront Project.  I am keeping my fingers crossed.

     Last Saturday a group of us from the Triangle Sketch Crawl met in Hillsborough, NC to sketch.  After meeting up at Cup of Joe's, a small coffee shop downtown, we fanned out to find something  to draw.  I stayed put at the coffee shop. There was a large, many paned window in front and the light streaming through each pane really caught my eye.  At the table in front of the window a couple were sitting and chatting.  I managed to capture the young woman, but the young man was more restless and kept moving.  Finally he got up and left and I gave up and drew the picture without him. 
     It all turned out well because I started to look past the people as subjects to find what lay outside the window.  Since I was using charcoal and pencil I started to explore the contrast of the painterly charcoal smudges with the fine, sensitive line I could get from the pencil.  I was pleased with the result and with the fact that I was able to complete the sketch that afternoon.
     My favorite part of the Sketch Crawl is meeting up with everyone after we have drawn to share our work.  It was fun to see what each person captured and the style they did it in.  If you'd like to see all the sketches from that day go to: http://www.meetup.com/Triangle-Sketch-Crawl/photos

I worked for several hours yesterday on this painting. The colors are beginning to sing and yet I am feeling this
press inside me for something more. In searching for my own true voice I need to
paint one stroke at a time and one painting at a time until I find it....and then press beyond even that.   All I want to do is pour paint, make great slashes and blotches of color.  I need to channel Helen Frankenthaler.  I was reading about her in Art in America-a new one has arrived-and they described her like this: "Frankenthaler, an inveterate risk taker in the studio, constantly explored new abstract configurations and an astonishing variety of mediums."  God bless you, Helen.

Last September I took a hand building clay class at Claymakers in Durham.  I had always wanted to learn to work with clay, the glazes especially called to me.  During that time I was introduced to a book by Paulus Berensohn called Finding One's Way With Clay.  He had such a free way of working, letting his fingers mold the clay, pinching out clay bowls based from his center,  his own experience of self.  He let the clay lead the way. 

What a delightful idea and one that I decided fit the way that I want to paint.  I like the idea of listening deeply and then letting my wise hand work the brush, watching attentively as it stokes color and carves shapes and patterns onto the canvas.   This blog is a tracing of that journey into color and shape.

Here is the painting that I talk about in the article.  The painting on the right is slowly coming together with color.