Portrait of A Day

Childhood Inspiration

2011-10-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

I woke up dreaming about the images from movies that effected me so much as a child.

The first vivid one, that I remember being almost too young to understand, was the end of "Doctor Doolittle" when they sail off across the ocean inside of the giant snail. Unfortunately I couldn't find a picture of that exact scene, but the color inside the snail was absolutely luminous. It was a glowing coral orange that shimmered with iridescence. Light was coming through from the outside making the shell glow translucently in places. I remembered always searching for that color and feeling it gave me, not being able to remember the movie that I'd seen it in.

The second and maybe most important was the sidewalk scene in "Mary Poppins" where they jump inside of the chalk pictures.

The colors were dazzling to me even as a young child. Not to mention the idea that you could jump into an imaginary space and dance around completely blew my 5 year old mind.

I distinctly remember thinking, "I want to do that!"

And 40 years later, I think that's exactly what I'm doing--in a way I couldn't have predicted and in landscapes of my own imagination.

In Loving Memory

2011-03-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

Lucas Valley 2010 Oil on Panel 18 x 24 inches

Of Robbie Engelmann

Just a few days ago I found out about the sudden death in January of this year of a bright light in this world, Robbie Engelmann. I knew Robbie for far too short a time and ironically, I had been out of touch with her for six months because I was doing exactly what she told me to do--I was getting a life in California--working on my artwork, finding a fabulous teaching positions and developing deeper relationships.

Robbie counselled my partner Adrian and last year when our relationship felt a little like new shoes we had to figure out how to wear. I'll always remember the warmth of her creek-side office in Terra Linda, with it's basket of woolen blankets you could wrap yourself in and the little fake fireplace heater that flickered with LED flames. She started and ended each session with a giant bear hug-- never an ounce of judgement in her body. She was full up with acceptance and love.

In short order, Robbie became my biggest fan. She gushed over my paintings, cried with me when I told her my story of 9/11 survival, and artfully redirected me every time I tried to blame others/environment for any of my discomfort.

I guess I just thought she'd always be there whenever I needed to check in with her. There's so much I wanted to share with her--so much good news, so much about how supported and loved I felt by her--typified by the painting above that I made during the time we saw her consistently. I often use painting as a way to process experiences that are emotionally loaded and made this painting of the hills surrounding her Lucas Valley Road office. The little red square in the lower right is the office itself: hot and pregnant with power. Secrets were revealed there and the unspeakable was spoken.

The only thing I can take from the shock of her passing is that I would like to be more conscious of those people in the world who I love and value so deeply just so that I don't miss a moment with them. Because you just never know.

The painting will be shown in the Marin Open Studios Preview Show at the MAC Gallery 906 Fourth Street San Rafael from 4/28-5/21.

Proceeds from the potential sale of this painting will be made to the scholarship fund for young women created in Robbie's name through Tutor Corps foundation:

http://www.tutorcorpsfoundation.org/donate.html

Robbie's gentle and wonderful cd "From the Heart of Forgiveness" can be downloaded on her website:

http://robbieengelmann.com/

Kathy

An awareness of death enables us to live each day—each moment—filled with appreciation for the unique opportunity we have to create something of our time on Earth. I believe that in order to enjoy true happiness, we should live each moment as if it were our last. Today will never return. We may speak of the past or of the future, but the only reality we have is that of this present instant. And confronting the reality of death actually enables us to bring unlimited creativity, courage and joy into each instant of our lives.

Daisaku Ikeda

President, SGI (Soka Gakkai International)

Getting ready for the spring...

2011-02-17T21:41:00.000-08:00

I've been teaching Kindergarteners through second graders nearby in San Anselmo--so wonderful to be back teaching. Also working hard in the studio to get ready for Marin Open Studios, related group shows in May and a solo show at the San Geronimo Valley Community Center in June! Busy, busy--feels so good! Thinking a lot about what my professor in college, Harold Bruder, used to say about painting the air, the temperature, the way the rain feels--not just the way things look. I didn't understand that at 20 but I feel like I'm beginning to strive for it now! Thanks, Harold wherever you are.

Resources

2010-05-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

Been thinking so much this month about the resources we need to survive as I plant a vegetable garden and watch it squander in the unseasonably cool and cloudy Northern California weather, and as we attempt to haul 3 cords of firewood being given to us by and incredibly generous Freecyle member. I know the wood will last us several winters, and as we hauled it up the steep slope just a few logs at a time in order to dump it into the pickup truck I had lots of time to think about how, instead of money I was trading my labor for warmth during the winter months--how money might not be the only way to get the goods and services we need! Similarly, the heartbreak of my first vegetable garden, and all the hopes riding on it's being able to keep us at least partially from the expensive farmer's markets this summer, is weighing on me as it doesn't seem possible at this point as seedlings stagnate for weeks only to be eaten by pests as they just begin to grow a few vulnerable little leaves.

Reading Barbara Kingsolver's book right now, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle which is helping to put all of these thoughts about food and sustenance into perspective for me.

It's amazing to be given this opportunity to slow life down and be much more connected to the resources we're consuming--food, water, heat are all things we're trying very hard to conserve, create for ourselves or barter for. I'm proud of our efforts but can see how much of what we do is dependent on the weather, a lot of elbow grease, and a large portion of pure luck!

cherries from our cherry tree!
california poppies blooming everywhere

2010-05-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

My painting "Fire Road" is up at the San Geronimo Valley Community Center for one more week--till 5/16. Loving the community of artists out here--had the best time at the art opening on Friday night. And not just cause it was my birthday!

Check out the community center's website here: www.sgvcc.org/

2010-04-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted in so long but this is what's been going on in the studio, when I get a break from gardening and working for the census. Had a dream about a painting where the hills were full of color--just about color and trying to actualize it now. Here's my etsy area too, where new painted switchplates and knobs are being born--a great break from the paintings which are sometimes emotional to make.

and images of spring in the garden...there'll be much more of these as the vegetables get put in and everything starts growing! So incredible to have this time and space to plant things, nurture them, and watch them grow. What a metaphor for almost everything in life.

Getting ready for the Spring Art Show in the San Geronimo Valley--my first group show in California opens at the community center on my birthday May 7!

http://www.kathleenpiscioneri.com

"Breakwater" mentioned in Kelly Callahan's Blog

2010-01-19T13:58:00.001-08:00

One of my small acrylic sketches was mentioned in a lovely art blog by

artist/blogger Kelly Callahan...check it out!

http://kellyjcallahan.wordpress.com/2010/01/18/so-many-isms-part-2/

www.kathleenpiscioneri.com

2009-12-31T10:21:00.000-08:00

Here are two new small paintings (just listed for sale on Etsy) that are part of a series of 4 or 5 small works. They have taking a turn towards a very bright, bold and expressionist direction that I'm just following-at least for the time being.

It's incredible to be working in my new workshop space behind my house. Really the most amazing studio I've ever had because of it's utilitarian design (pegboard on the walls, painted plywood floor) and it's location near the creek in my backyard that I can hear gurgling along while I work!

Absolute paradise.

www.kathleenpiscioneri.com

2009-11-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

Met a wonderful photographer named Ann Brooks at the Artworks Downtown Galleries in San Rafael this weekend. Her work was absolutely lovely and she was such a generous spirit. We spoke about Etsy and how we might further are causes out there in Etsyland! Check out her website at www.annbrooks.net

So inspired by the workspaces the I saw at Artworks Downtown open studios--amazing to see how people organize themselves (or not!). You can find out more about them at:

http://www.artworksdowntown.org

http://www.kathleenpiscioneri.com

2009-11-05T23:13:00.000-08:00

Just thinking about the way that reflections occur on the water and how on days when the creek is full you can even see the light reflecting into the house-- as you sit in the livingroom there's the play of light on the walls that's the sun on the creek water reflecting around the room, through the windows and the skylight. Incredible!

Kathleen Piscioneri

2009-10-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

Second Day

OK so obviously these 'days' of these posts aren't going to exactly be as frequent as I would have liked! After a heavy rainstorm the creek out back is running regularly and making me think so much of the light and sound of water. You can see the reflection of the water when you sit in our living room--it reflects off the tree trunks as well as the window glass itself.

Makes me think how fascinating the light on water is becoming--exemplified by the few small paintings done when I first got here that were trying to capture a moment swimming when the sensation of being so surrounded by water stayed with me for weeks! It's amazing how something I've done a thousand times before can suddenly be such a sensoral experience.

first day

2009-09-19T17:20:00.000-07:00

Just recently saw the Georgia O'Keefe/Ansel Adams show at the SFMoMa and was so taken by a simple painting of a tree she had entitled "Portrait of a Day". I'd never seen the painting before and wondered what her process was exactly? This is the first time in such a long time that I've had this amount of time to contemplate art--what I'd like to be making, what others have made, what images inspire me throughout my day.

My life has changed so radically in the last two months from living in semi-urban Brooklyn to the Marin hills where cows and their calves graze as close to me now as the endless stream of screaming fire engines use to be.

The future's so wide open that it's scary--I just want to leave it that way and see what fills the space.