And so I continue my weekly excursions to the studio. I recently revisited a piece that I had not been happy with when I completed it.

And then I learned of my friend’s child and their struggles with restrictive cardio-myopathy. Her son is three years old. And the only “cure” is a heart transplant. For a three year old. For the rest of his life. The news hit hard. And then I knew how I could deal with my shock; I went back to this painting. It suddenly had a purpose.

The gallery looked fabulous. A huge thank you to Ben Pink, who provided the venue and the awesome lighting. His efforts really made the place glow. To Sara McCormick, thank you for your day-to-day efforts as we worked together to get the show installed. Another shout out to Jennifer Porter of Chroma, LLP for securing the opportunity to show in this fabulous location. And congratulations to my co-artist, Rio Wrenn, on her amazing installation and works. Dan Ness enhanced the ambience with some choice tunes, to make the evening complete.

And to my friend, Shelli, to whom I’m forever indebted for her generosity. She opened the doors to her home (and her refrigerator!) during my stay in Portland. And the recommendation to use Elephants Delicatessen to provide the meat tray was spot on. My tummy thanks you.

And to everyone  who came out to see what else it is that I do, thank you! I loved seeing you, and look forward to seeing you again soon.

I made it to the gallery in good time, however, and promptly unloaded my works. I transported 10 pieces, 8 of which are now neatly hung in their spots, awaiting an adoring crowd. Rio continued to work diligently on her installation as Nick, our high school intern, hung her smaller works nearby. Jennifer and Sara worked as a team to get my stuff laid out and organized in a coherent narrative.  The largest, “Arch”, has its own wall and is finally properly lit. I am so excited to have this one in a public setting where there is finally room to take it all in. I can’t wait to eavesdrop on the comments their efforts elicit.

We completed our tasks one day ahead of schedule, and I thought I would be spending today leisurely selecting my contribution to the reception. My iPhone navigation took me to the deli’s distribution warehouse, rather than the deli itself however. This resulted in a cross-town, cross-the-river excursion up the other side of Portland to get to the right location. As it turned out, I recognized that portion of town as a place my dad used to take us for the best hot dogs in the area; sadly it’s now a Walgreens.

Having completed arrangements at the deli, I decided to stop in at one of the Powell’s locations as I attempted to get back to my temporary lodgings. I’m now $40 lighter having run into a luscious display of my favorite art books. And then I answered my phone.

Work tasks followed me to town, so now I sit attempting to wrangle reporting on free wi-fi, wearing a permanent indentation in the bench. I’m savoring the anticipation of tomorrow’s activities all the more. Hope to see you there!

Launch Pad Gallery
“Suspended” Show: New works from Rio Wrenn and from Dari Stolzoff
534 SE Oak Street
6 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Music by Dan Ness

I started by picking up my piece from the juried art show that just closed at Collective Visions Gallery in Bremerton, WA. My schedule was tight, since I’d planned to use Washington’s ferry system to get me there and back. And then the pickup times changed, blowing all those plans to bits. It worked out well in the end to stay with the in-laws in Federal Way, shortening the drive considerably. So I drove in, and took the ferry back into Seattle because….

My next stop was the studio in Georgetown. I had to make emergency repairs to my Arch piece earlier in the week, and this would be the only time I could spare to pick it up, if I intended to install it in Portland this week. I didn’t even test to ensure the repair “stuck”. Instead, I got it mostly prepared it for hanging before I rolled it up and threw it in the back of my car. Can you tell I’ve been more than a little frustrated with this one?

And then I drove north to my mom’s house to pick up some excellent smoked salmon to share with the in-laws who would be traveling to our house for our own Oscar viewing party. And because 520 was closed, I drove further north, “around the horn” to get home.

I noticed at several points along this journey that gas had gone to $4.15 per gallon….

I have two days at work to get preparations completed so the world can go on without my butt in the seat at the office. I’ve confirmed various arrangements with my cohorts in the Launch Pad Gallery show. I need to purchase some hanging wire and a strut. I must compile my packing list so that I don’t forget anything, at the top of which is ‘get gas for car’ which I’m not looking forward to. (Have I already mentioned that gas is OVER $4/gallon?)

There’s so much more to get done, I guess I’d better get started.

It’s almost here! My first show in the Portland area opens Friday, March 2 with a reception beginning at 6 p.m. I am so excited to finally be showing my works in my hometown. See the official Suspended press release.

The reception was held at the Norm Dicks Government Center. It’s a really nice facility, though the layout of the catering left a lot to be desired. There weren’t enough seats in the meeting chamber so a lot of folks were left standing wherever they could fit. My husband and I snagged chairs in the very first row as they appeared unclaimed. Only after the presentation was underway did we realize we had taken the chairs of the various dignataries who were in attendance. Oh well.

Kathleen Moles from MoNA presented a terrific summary on her experience of jurying the show and the challenges she encountered as a result of doing so all online. I remember specifically including a description of my work, and my husband is convinced it clinched the selection of my work in the show. Ms. Moles specifically mentioned the value provided by the addition of these comments as she reviewed the submissions. (I guess I have my work cut out for me as I prepare for my upcoming show at LaunchPad Gallery!) Later I was fortunate to speak with her about my piece specifically.

After the presentations (I didn’t win), we walked back to the gallery. I did not realize that the gallery covers two floors at the time I dropped off my work. It was nicely laid out, though I prefer a bit more room between works. It was crowded, as to be expected on opening night. I sought Ms. Moles for more dialog about my piece, and she graciously engaged me in a brief conversation about the inspiration for the painting. I wish I had had more time to talk, but we wanted to make the 8 p.m. boat back to Seattle. Which we did, but only just – I sprinted the entire way back in 3″ heels. I don’t recommend such activity.

We finished our evening with a leisurely late dinner at RN74 where the bartenders kept us suitably liquored.

When I returned to work the following week, I was greeted by a very gracious comment left on this site by a member of the gallery. His comments and observations are greatly appreciated.

As promised, here’s a link to the recently published piece where my upcoming event is mentioned. If you are a subscriber to the Walla Walla Union Bulletin, the article was published in the Etc. section. Enjoy!

I did get two nibbles and will post links to those results soon.