Well this summer has definitely flown by! I've been far busier than I ever anticipated, so all of the projects I had hoped to have under my belt by now, are languishing.

I did manage to get started on one a couple of them, however. I signed up for A Prompt A Day journaling project run by Kelly Kilmer to do with my daughter. I thought it would be a great way to spend some time together doing an activity we both love.

We were able to set aside one day to start the project, and when we return from Florida, I hope to make it a weekly event.



My page. The text reads,

"i wear my flesh like life
like identity
like the bloom of who
i will become"

Sendra's book cover (complete with googly eyes!) and her first journal entry. :) She had a great time!

Inspiration of the Month!

I've been a huge admirer of Angie Reed Garner's for years! I am the proud owner of three of her paintings, and I have the pleasure of seeing them every day in the spaces I find the most comfort in. Her work is vibrant, luscious, all of them have a compelling story to tell.



What are your main inspirations in art?

My most recent series was influenced by Hundertwasser, his pulsating lines, refusal of right angles and humanist ideas about art.

I read a lot of nonfiction and I'm trying to carry over things I admire, to challenge myself to be as clear and direct in my work as possible. That does not necessarily make for simple, accessible images. Sometimes things are complicated! If you try to simplify them, you lose too much truth.

What is your art background? (education, experience, etc)

My degree is in Classics. I've been painting full time since 1995.



What is your process for creating your work?

I seem to see one symbol at a time. When I don't know what comes next, I have to set the painting aside rather than force a resolution. It may take six hours or six weeks for the next symbol that comes, depending how much I resist the process and content of the painting. I'm not in control, but I do trust that if you put in the hours, the work comes.

With this last series I made a long-awaited transition to working bigger (the works are
64" wide) and at that size, there is a lot of room for me to develop a story! Sometimes I begin the painting with a question or a problem and spend the rest of the painting reflecting on it.



What is the single most important thing you want to communicate with your work?

Life is big, but don't be so afraid.

What are your career goals?

To continue showing, as long as I can find people who will give me some wall.

What one object has been the most instrumental in helping you achieve what you have so far?

My camera. It lets me see work fresh without having to put it away for six months.



Tell me three random things about you.

• Through showing my art, I found out that if you tell the truth about your life, in fact the world does not end. And people even thank you for it. It's amazing.
  
• I can paint without a dog in my studio, but it doesn't make for a balanced day.
  
• I'm reading Michael Taussig's _What Color Is The Sacred_ and so far I'm just thrilled. He's addressing why we feel about color as we do, and how color has come to mean what it does.