Sometimes when life is full of worries and stresses, it's a good thing to just set it all aside and escape to a beautiful place to paint.   That is what I did when I painted this scene.   I dropped off my guy at school and headed straight out to the beach.  I just went alone as I wasn't sure what the day had in store and whether I would have to return suddenly or not.  Although I like to paint with friends, I didn't want to worry about inconveniencing a friend.  And I enjoy being alone sometimes.

I decided to go to El Matador State Beach Park in Malibu.   I figured that walking down and then back up the hideously steep cliff with my paint pack on my back would be great exercise.   At the top of the cliff I was a bit worried because the wind was blowing and blowing wind and sand does NOT make for a great painting.   However, by the time I hiked to the beach and walked all around the wonderful rocky outcroppings to choose my spot, I found the place sheltered enough to enjoy a picture perfect day.   The sky was clear except for a few wispy clouds, and it wasn't too cool.  The beach was gorgeous.

I found the time just flew by as I tried to weave the magic before me into the painting.  I am so glad I was there.

	You've Got A Little Smudge © Marian Fortunati 4"x6" Oil on Hardboard
	Watching Out © Marian Fortunati 7"x5" Oil on Hardboard
	Washing Up © Marian Fortunati 4"x6" Oil on Hardboard

Kingfisher © Marian Fortunati 4"x6" Oil on Hardboard
Out For A Walk © Marian Fortunati 4"x6" Oil on Hardboard
Winging It © Marian Fortunati 4"x6" Oil on Hardboard

Kingfisher is one of 25 small format paintings created as party favors to help celebrate during the baby shower my daughter's upcoming new baby boy.

Painting these funny little gifts has been rather enjoyable and has helped keep me focused on happy events in the future.  Life has marched on and many less happy issues seem to derail my plans, but at least I am beginning to see the light on finishing this party favor project. 

Family worries and many exciting upcoming opportunities for showing my work have pulled me emotionally and time-wise from the heights to the depths.  It is hard to keep focused.  I am doing my best to be where I am meant to be... on many levels.

Happily, I only have 5 of these party favors left to complete to reach my goal and I may paint a few extras to give the party guests a better chance to choose a painting they like.

I wonder... Which one would you choose?

The Central California Coastline is a heavenly masterpiece that is one of California's gemlike attractions.   The weather changes and the mood changes, but it is always beautiful.    Garrapata Coastline is one of two paintings I created in the hopes that it would be accepted into the California Art Club's show at the Altadena Town And Country Club.   The smaller one was sold before the show opened and this painting will be hanging alongside the paintings of some wonderful artists.   I'm so pleased.

Perhaps if you are in the area, you'd enjoy coming to the reception on

Sunday, January 29, 2012 between 4 and 6 p.m.  -- I hope so... I'd love to get a chance to talk with you!

Iconic California   Opening Reception Sunday, January 29, 2012 4:00 - 6:00 pm Altadena Town & Country Club    Chris Zambon, Old Los Angeles, Oil on canvas  10''x10''  WHERE            Altadena Town & Country Club                          2290 Country Club Drive                          Altadena, CA 91001                          (626) 794-7163    WHEN              Sunday, January 29, 2012          4:00 - 6:00 pm   EVENT             Reception with the Artists COST               Free AUDIENCE        All CAC members and friends   DETAILS          Please join us for the opening reception                         of the exhibition, Iconic California, this Sunday.                                                 Featuring works by California Art Club Associate Artist Members                          Nanette Biers, Thomas Breeden, Linda Brown, Roxana Caffaratto,                           Nancy Ellington, Michelle Filice, Marian Fortunati, Susan Hall,                           Micaiah Hardison, Nita Harper, Robin Haskell, John Hunzicker,                         Desdy Kellogg, Lynn Mehta, Lisa Mozzini-McDill, Joseph Napolitano,                         Rita Pacheco, Terumi Paganini, Lori Robinson, Marilyn Rose,                           Ariana Saigh, Tara Sood, Marc Traudes, Laura Wambsgans,                         Sharon Weaver, John White, Esther Williams, James Wisnowski,                         and Chris Zambon.      The exhibition continues through May 15, 2012. Nanette Biers, Sonoma Evening, Oil on canvas   12"x16''     Santa Monica Sunset © Marian Fortunati SOLD California Art Club, est. 1909 | 75 South Grand Avenue | Pasadena | CA | 91105

Party Favors

These are a few of the series of small party favors I am painting for my daughter's baby shower.

	Capuchan Cutie 4"x6" Oil on Hardboard
	Butts Up 4"x6" Oil on Hardboard
	Can I Have A Hug? 4"x6" Oil on Hardboard

I have now finished 15 little paintings for a shower which is scheduled for mid-February.  I'm running behind.   Life has gotten in the way again.   I'm sure all of you are familiar with the pulls that happen when a loved one is sick.   The current worry is my Dad.  He has done very well and has reached 93 wonderful years, but right now there seems to be a bump in his road.  I'm sure it will be alright, but I'm here in the hospital with him just because.   For those of you who read my FASO blog, you know he likes to comment fairly regularly so he's a pretty good Dad, friend and supporter.   When he is feeling bad, I feel bad.

California Art Club Weekend Symposium

I feel fortunate to have spent the weekend up in San Francisco for the California Art Club's fabulous weekend symposium.    I thoroughly enjoyed the first day's panel discussion  about the future of art.  The panelists were Eric Rhoads from Streamline Publishing, Thomas Reynolds who owns the Thomas Reynolds gallery and CAC President, Peter Adams.  Many different opinions were expressed but there was definate consensus on the need to educate the younger generations and the public in general about all forms of art. 

This was followed by a very stimulating marketing talk by Eric Rhoads called "How to Transform Your Art Career".   I enjoyed his realistic and humor filled talk and took copious notes.  This is a man who enjoys people and enjoys what he does.  I hold him high on my list of people to admire because I adore his Plein Air Magazine, one of three magazines his company publishes.  The afternoon was filled with fascinating demonstrations.

After the lunch break, we all spent the afternoon cycling between three excellent painting demos, offered by Nancy Seamons Crookston (a portrait in oil), David Gallup (three quick studies in oil) and  Kim Lordier (landscape in pastel).  People could move from artist to artist or stay in one spot for the entire demonstration.   I have long admired the work of Kim Lordier and although I don't paint in pastel, I found her process fascinating.   Even though I have studied with David Gallup for over a year, I never tire of listening to his stories, learning from his wonderful store of knowledge and watching the ballet of movement as he creates fascinating paintings.  Each artist had something interesting to share and we learned from all of them.

A brisk walk to the hotel, then a rest and my friend Diane Nelson-Gold and I went out for a nice dinner together.

The second day was started by a terrifically motivational speech by Joseph Paquet.  He was well prepared and inspiring.  An artist whose blog I follow was also there and her blog has some wonderful notes.  Check out her post right here:  Susan Fox.  Following Paquet's presentation was an interesting art critique session and then Joe Paquet did a painting demonstration of painting a landscape using his memory and imagination.

All in all it was a great symposium and I thank the Northern California CAC artists who organized and planned this event.  I hope they do it again next year.

I paint fairly often at Leo Carrillo Beach State Park.   It is a beautiful beach on the north end of the Malibu coastline in Southern California.

The weather changes.  The seas are sometimes stormy and sometimes calm and the rock formations are varied so that wherever you decide to paint, there is a different scene to create.

One time after I had been painting at Leo Carrillo, my father called me up to tell me that Hewell Houser was doing a program about Leo Carrillo Beach State Park.  Apparently Carrillo was the set of many old movies... (Many giant mutated crabs attacked the world over those coastal rocks!)  I also learned by watching Hewell Houser's program that below where I had generally been painting, there are a series of caves that are referred to as the pirate caves.   So on this day, I went in search of them....  And found the caves and the cove beyond.

	George, Maria, Annette and Diane getting ready for lunch.

The Malibu / Ventura Chapter of the California Art Club held its monthly paint out at Leo Carrillo on Wednesday.   I was eager to go so I could enjoy winter along California's beautiful coastline.   Although the forecasters and predicted cold weather and clouds, it was moderate and clear.  -- Actually it was quite beautiful.   There weren't a lot of painters at the event this time... they probably thought it would be too cold but we all enjoyed ourselves anyway.

I decided to find the pirate caves.   I climbed over large mounds of built up seaweed and lots of rocks and found the caves.   Then I went through a big one and emerged on the other side to find a beautiful little cove where the wet sand was reflecting the cliffs beyond.  My heart did that little pitter patter thing that happens when a painter finds "the spot".   I knew I had to paint it.

While I was busy painting, I left my salad which was in a bag in a plastic container next to a thick jacket on a rock (before the seaweed piles and rocks and the cave.   It's the seagulls that were the pirates!!   They pecked through the plastic container and stole all of the chicken out of my salad.   -- No worries...  I had lots of cabbage and lettuce to eat with my friends when we all broke for lunch.

Bathing Beauty © Marian Fortunati 5"x7" Oil on Hardboard
Can We Play, Dad? © Marian Fortunati 5"x7" Oil on Hardboard

By now I imagine you're finding these little paintings are getting weary.   I am too. 

	I'll Race You To The Trees © Marian Fortunati 5"x7" Oil on Hardboard
	Necking © Marian Fortunati 5"x7" Oil on Hardboard

I'm not quite halfway to my goal of 25 paintings and I am looking forward to Wednesday when I can take a break from these little critters and get out to do some plein air painting with my California Art Club Pals.   I'll probably blog about the paint out on the next post although several paint outs have gone by without me posting anything.  We'll see.  Hopefully the weather will be beautiful by Wednesday.

These little paintings are part of a series of 25 that I'm doing as party favors for my daughter's baby shower.

***********************************

2012 Goals

I've been thinking a lot about my art, my life and what is important to me.   I believe in setting goals which serve as guides to help me improve my work which in reality is my long-term goal.   I want to enjoy my art and letting life drive my art rather than letting art drive my life.   We'll see how that works out.

• Continual painting daily. I enjoy it... so keep it up.
  
• Sign up again to study regularly with a high level plein air and studio artist so that am better able to create larger better studio pieces from my plein air studies.
• Paint en plein air AT LEAST three times a month.
• Sketch or draw at least weekly.  (Didn't achieve this regularly last year.  Hope to do better this year.)
  
• Continue exhibiting.  Seek other appropriate venues to exhibit -- Amass a body of work which will attract buyers and gallery owners.
• Stage a one woman show and seek gallery representation.
• investigate the possibility of participating in an artist's studio tour or open studio event.
  
• Expand my collector base and use it to seek other collectors.
• Sell 50% more paintings (and make more $) than in 2011.  (I didn't reach this goal last year but will try for it this year.)
  
  The above goals are not a lot different than those I set last year, but I think they are reasonable and will help me continue on my artistic path.
  

I'm trying to create a series of party favors for my daughter's upcoming baby shower.   I guess the surprise to me was how much time these little paintings take to create-- despite the fact that they are really tiny!

	Do I HAVE To Get Up? © Marian Fortunati 4"x6" Oil on Hardboard
	Back When I Was Your Age © Marian Fortunati 5"x7" Oil on Hardboard

 Between searching for images I like, sketching out the little animal on the board and painting them, I am NOT keeping up with my schedule.

I had planned to paint a couple yesterday, but ended up trying to get my finance in order.  (What was I thinking??)  Today is another day... perhaps I'll create some more.

No worries.  I'm finding it rather fun and am sure I'll reach the goal of 25 paintings before the date of the shower.....  At least I hope so!!!

My beautiful daughter is wonderfully pregnant and glowing.   She doesn't like how she looks right now, but I think she's gorgeous.  I'd love to get some photos of her that I might be able to paint... somehow pregnant women seem so lovely.   Don't you think so??

Every time I travel to across California, I am filled with a special joy when I see fields of flowers.   This pathway of poppies leads me right into a little bit of heaven.   I hope you will enjoy it the wide splash of color across the grassy field.

I was thrilled to learn that my painting, "Poppy Path" was juried in to the Buenaventura open show.  More than 400 paintings were entered into the show but the juror, Gary Lang, could only choose 80 paintings to hang.

Here is what he wrote after jurying the show:

“To all the artists who submitted artworks to the Buenaventura Gallery invitational it was truly an honor to witness your efforts first hand. Too many unique creative visions to curate into one exhibition. There was no true rejection, rather my attempt to select and reward an edge of the whole. In many cases I would overlook obvious talents in an effort to honor courage, vulnerability and risk as I have learned that none of us can afford to be too comfortable.  Every artist in this competition has merit, and 10 shows could have been curated from the work I looked at. 

Cudos to you all, and thank you for pitching your time honored projects to the public at your own expense. I get it, tip my hat to you all.”

Gary Lang

Perhaps I will see you at the reception if you are in the area.  If you can't make it on Saturday, please try to go by this lovely gallery before the show is over.

Poppy Path      © Marian Fortunati 16"x20" Oil on Canvas Panel

Click on the above link for additional details.    Best of Show, 2011 Open Competition "Coastal" by Laurel Murray-Joleaud 25th Annual Open Competition Buenaventura Gallery January 10 - 28, 2012   Reception & Awards: Saturday, January 14 4 - 7 pm     The Annual Competition brings artists from all over the county competiting for cash prizes and other awards.   700 E. Santa Clara, Ventura, CA 93001 • 805.648.1235   www.buenaventuragallery.org

	Hey! Wait For Me! © Marian Fortunati 5" x 7" Oil on Hardboard

This odd bird is one of 25 small paintings I am creating as party favors for a baby shower. 

Each guest will be able to go home with a small 4"x6" or 5"x7" framed animal painting.

Monkeys, cheetahs, gorillas, giraffes, zebras, hippos and colorful birds will adorn the shower tables and guests will be able to choose which image they want to take home.

Doing these paintings for no other reason than to please my daughter has given me lots of time to think about what I'd like to set as goals for 2012.   I'll be posting those goals in the near future. 

Meanwhile, I've enjoyed reading and learning about how others approach goal setting.

	Give Us A Kiss © Marian Fortunati 4"x6" Oil on Hardboard

I finished up the paintings I was working on for shows and now am free to work on the paintings my daughter asked for.

I was kind of flattered that she asked me to create party favors for her upcoming baby shower.  My daughter, Francesca, is due with her first child in March.   I'm looking forward to the new little fellow's arrival and wanted to help her out with a shower.  However, she lives in Santa Barbara and she didn't want to have a shower in my neck of the woods so she's arranging it all and basically has assigned me and her mother-in-law tasks to help out.   She thought that little paintings of "jungle" animals might make cute favors.  So here I am painting away.  If nothing else, I'm getting a lot of practice in.

Come On Dad! © Marian Fortunati 5"x7" Oil on Hardboard

My husband cut up a big masonite board into small sizes and I'm tackling the paintings.   She thinks there will be 25 guests.   I started on January 1st with the intent of painting one a day until I have enough.  Life and many events have happened and I am now behind.  But I will catch up. 

It is sort of fun trying to paint these as I'm not too concerned about making fabulous art... just in creating a cute little something for the shower.  

I will continue to post the little paintings as I finish them.   Hopefully, they will all be done in time for the shower!!

In the meantime, Happy New Year!