Marin Open Studios 2022

Hope to see you!

Marin Open Studios April 30 & May 1 May 7 & 8, 11 am – 6 pm

This 36 x 36″ acrylic painting on linen is currently unfinished, but close. Steve has been working on this painting as part of his current inspiration to bring the outside in. Enjoying the garden out the back door of his studio, looking across from inside a home on Bolinas Lagoon, or anytime inspiration comes from the wilderness through the studio doors. Kathleen & Steve will be participating both weekends of Marin Open Studios. They each have a painting in the Marin Open Studio Gallery in the Corte Madera Town Center and have hung a lot of recent work throughout their home & studio. From 11 am to 6 pm. 38 San Francisco Blvd., San Anselmo

Marin Open Studios

Kathleen & Steve will be participating both weekends of the 2022 Marin Open Studios, April 30 & May 1, May 7 & 8, from 11 am – 6 pm. This image is a detail of one of Steve’s paintings-in-progress. A stroll through the garden before entering the home, gallery & studio, is a unique experience.

Garden blooms ahead of Marin Open Studios.

Kathleen & Steve will be participating both weekends of this year’s Marin Open Studios, April 30 & May 1 and May 7 & 8. There will be additional information on this event soon, but the garden is beautiful now, if anyone would like to see art &/or the garden before then. Please call, (415) 453-3648.

Steve has three paintings in the Bolinas Museum’s “Hardly Strictly Mini” exhibit.

“These pieces began as variations on the graphs new to our daily lives. I stuck to the format, but not the science in these. I invented curves, without a thought to flattening them. I used bright colors without regard to whether they might represent good, or bad, just as long as they worked with each other. The last one above, I tilted 90 degrees, and liked it even better.”

The exhibit at the Bolinas Museum lasts through the month of December.

Annual Open Studio-November 26, 27 & 28

Kathleen & Steve are holding an Open Studio the Friday, Saturday & Sunday after Thanksgiving, from 11 am to 4 pm, at their home & studio, 38 San Francisco Blvd. in San Anselmo.

Steve’s “Sense of Place”

The organization that produces Marin Open Studio is attempting to stay relevant in these lock-down times by offering artists opportunities to participate in online, juried shows. The current theme is “A Sense of Place”, inspired by the recent passing of San Geronimo Valley artist, Connie Smith Siegel. Connie’s trust also contributed an award. Steve received an Honorable Mention and is featured in the short film of the prize winners.
Steve has a long connection with this show title, going back to his college days at UCSC. “While an art student, I had a class with Alan Gussow, from the Hudson River Valley in New York, an artist and activist who had run for Congress. He took our class down to the French-intensive Farm Project to paint & teach the lessons of the importance of land use and landscape. His many paintings of his own garden, compost and harvest were personal and reflected in his unique language of paint. He had written a book, and made a film, “A Sense of Place”, featuring artists in “their” place, throughout the U.S.. It was a slice of artists engaged with the light in those locations, their uniqueness and the artist’s relationship within these varied landscapes. When their work was seen over time, the elements varied, but not their connection, their immersion & love of, and for, their place. The smells, the temperature, the humidity, the light, the land usage, were all part of the language of these artists. 

 Steve entered a painting which he felt best represented a place in the Sierra he has considered home since 1958. He returns each year to fully engage in every part of this intimate, but glacial-sculpted stretch of stream. During the ’80’s Connie and several other artist friends joined Steve & Kathleen, so this place also brought back the spirit of Connie. There is a great photo of Connie sliding down one of the longer granite slides, a look of horror & thrill on her face! Steve’s painting was this same particular granite slide.“ We returned this year, a week before the Creek Fire exploded in flame, burning everything surrounding this place, but not this stretch of creek and the fire continued to burn into the canyon we backpacked into last year. I chose to enter this piece for these personal, emotional reasons, but also for the “sense” or “sensation”, of sitting at the top of this slide. As a kid, you wiggle your butt to get some slickness on your sliders, then look down, anticipating all that compels one to even attempt this: the cold, deep pool at the end, the possibility of missing the turn, the excitement, the thrill, the fear.”

“To start this painting, I took a photo of the top of this slide and I worked on a 3 x 3′ canvas, a larger size for me. As I worked from the photo, I was an observer of a place, but not a participant in the place. So, I tried placing myself at the top, as a kid, and who I am now, with the same sensations, and the painting changed in this direction. The vertigo inducing concentric circles evolved to better plunge over the edge. Remnants of the realism remain, but all else was a search for that overwhelming sense of that very seat. As an artist, I was extremely satisfied with the result. It was a total immersion of,  and in, that place. 

Understandably, not many have sat at the top of a natural water slide, experienced this fluid and active sense of place, recognizing the intent, or execution of something  both intimate & universal. Hopefully, this gives insight into this painting and what inspires Steve’s Sense of Place.

A Creative Spring

The oil painting above, “Mt. Tamalpais from Richardson Bay”, 30 x 25″, was created with the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival poster in mind. Stay tuned for details.                                                                                                               We’ve been busy painting & gardening and usually look forward to sharing our art & garden during May Open Studios, now canceled. We’d still love to see you, one or two at a time, if you’re interested in seeing what’s new in the garden or on our walls. Please email or call, (415) 453-3648, for an appointment. We’ll respect all social distancing rules. Wishing you a safe and healthy spring as we care for one another.

 

Kathleen & Steve continue to show their artwork by appointment through December.

Those who missed our recent open studio, have out-of-town family or friends, shopping for yourself or others, all are welcome to call for an appointment to see all our artwork in our home gallery & studio. Please don’t hesitate to call! There’s no obligation and we love showing our work. (415) 453-3648. Evenings and weekends are fine, too!

41st annual autumn open studio

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, November 29, 30 & December 1, from 10 am – 5 pm. 38 San Francisco Blvd. San Anselmo, CA. (415)453-3648