Transporting the Gifting Tree, 2021. Watercolor and ink on Arches, 12 x 9 inches.
Hello and Happy Winter to You All!
How's it going? No, really. How are you? I want to know. How often do people ask others that question and honestly care? It's that time of year when some of us tend to feel a lot of stress. It's a shame because it's supposed to be a time of celebration, but life can sometimes get the best of us. Well, I'm here to remind you that you are loved. I am happy to be your friend and truly wish you a very peaceful season. Love, and more love to you and yours. I mean that.
Year-end Wrap-up
As you might know, I had a big solo show this past fall (THIS LAND) at Craig Krull Gallery in Santa Monica, and it had an excellent turnout. If you missed it, I did make a short video of the installation and posted it on YouTube if you want to see what it all looked like. I was very happy with how it all looked.
There was also an Artist's talk, shot by the gallery and posted on YouTube as well. All three of us artists had our time in the spotlight, and this was hosted by LA WEEKLY's Art Editor, Shana Nys Dambrot. I was second in line to speak and come in here around 35 minutes into the video.
Also, the show's catalog is now available on my website for $27 (signed) and includes free shipping. The 8.5 x 8.5-inch, 36-page book features an essay by yours truly, and full-color images of every piece from the exhibition, even the ones that were kept in the back room.
As I mentioned last time, THIS LAND was to be reviewed by ArtNowLA, and it was! Art writer Zara Kand wrote a complimentary article about the show, which you can read here. Woot!
And I'm so incredibly tickled pink (and all kinds of other pretty colors) to announce that six pieces from the show made it into Conan and Liza O'Brien's art collection. I also met him in person, which was an exceptional treat! He's just as funny in person as he is on TV (and on his podcast). I've always been a big fan.
So What's Happening This Month?
Something interesting is that I set up my drums. I'm telling you, this is a big deal. It's been years! I didn't think I'd find the room for them around here, but I was able to squeeze them into my garage art storage space. Now all I have to do is start practicing again. I'm rusty as all hell.
For the month of December, I'm the featured artist on the Jewish Artists Initiative's website. I've been a member there for many years, and I very much appreciate the attention. (Thank you, thank you!)
I also got one of my poems published on a literary blog called Sad Girl's Club. The poem, called Hiccups, is the first thing I've published since the spring when one of my short fiction pieces was chosen for an anthology about sex workers. That anthology is entitled Slut Vomit from Outcast Press. It's a rather interesting read!
New Work/New Plans
One of the two new bodies of work I mentioned before (loosely based on old family photos) is still underway. I decided to call this series "Discarded Snapshots." The second piece within this series is finally complete, as I'm simultaneously working on the following four. This one is called "Disorderly Conduct." It's a 16 x 20-inch oil on gessoboard. Yes, it's weird. But so am I.
The other four are just now sketched out on the panels and canvases, so I only have the preliminary sketches to show you for now. They might not look like much—they are works in progress and always turn out much differently than the original drawings.
Yet to be titled work in progress, oil on canvas, 16 x 20 inches.
Yet to be titled work in progress, oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches.
Yet to be titled work in progress, oil on gessoboard, 16 x 16 inches.
The last one is a 3-panel birch wood piece (roughly 23 x 30 inches). And these are all very rough sketches, by the way.
While that's been happening, my plans for the abstract series are taking "shape." Though also still in the planning stages, these pieces harken back to my garment pattern paintings, only I'll be using wooden pattern shapes as my canvas. They will hang off the wall about an inch from the back and have a bit of a floating effect. You'll see.
Like my paper patterns, the wooden ones will be hand-cut with smooth, sanded edges, so these will take some time to make. This is a mock-up of one of the compositions I've been working toward, which will be about 25 inches high:
And meanwhile, to get a bit more immediate gratification, I've been working on another batch of trailers on Thomas Bros. Guide book pages of the high desert. Since the last dozen sold out, I decided to make some new ones being they were in such high demand. I also really enjoy making them. They're damn fun!
Pinkish Trailer, 2022. Gouache and ink on Thomas Bros. map, 8 x 9 inches.
2023
Other than working on all the above (in a lackadaisical kinda way), I don't have much coming up on my schedule. I will be in a group show in the summer at the Torrance Art Museum, but that's far into the future.
I plan to work slowly and leisurely this coming year, and I even considered taking a bit of a hiatus, to be honest. I'm pretty tired and have decided to slow down.
Over the last several months, I've been applying for a few artist residencies, and if I get into any of them, I look forward to spending my time on a retreat like that. Otherwise, an artistic staycation will have to do, which is all good with me.
Well, that's it from the newsroom. I hope everyone has a very happy, healthy new year. Don't forget how much I appreciate you! Thank you so much for all your incredible support!
See you in the spring!
Yours always,
Ayin
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