In the Studio Today... Marin Open Studios

May 7 & 8  and... May 14 & 15, 2011

The weather was just perfect for Marin Open Studios this weekend.  I participated this year and had my art out in the backyard/driveway and painted on an easel on Mother's Day.  It was lovely.  I had 20 visitors on Mother's Day, and they were truly a terrific bunch.
     For more information on the 285 artist studios that are open this weekend, please visit marinarts.org and download the Tour Guide and Maps.  It is open next weekend as well, May 14 & 15.  Most of the artists also have a "preview piece" in the Gallery at 906 Fourth Street in Downtown San Rafael, right next to Crepevine.  Best way to visit Open Studios is to stop at Marin Arts Gallery, pick up a Tour Guide (or download one online) and then look at one piece by each of the artists, and plan which studios you wish to visit with the Tour Guide in hand.

 

BJ Snyder purchased the first piece of art this Saturday- "View of White's Hill from Pine Mt."- a plein air piece I created in 2007, just before I received the Wendy Gruber award.  This piece has significance to me as well, in that I painted it under the pine trees at the top of Pine Mt. Fire Road, with my border collies, Quest and Mesa.  Quest passed away in 2008, and the pine trees were cut down by MMWD in 2010.  Two great losses, but a lovely day and painting to commemorate their glory days.

Colleen Proppé working on "Riding through Tree Shadows", Deer Park, Fairfax

I was happy to work on this painting my second day of Open Studios.  It's coming along.  I love the dappled light from the trees as you exit the fire road from Deer Park hiking/biking trails.  This painting seeks to capture that joy.

Lollipops, Tiny Cow Painting and Flowers... Great floral arrangement by Kate Peper, friend and artist.  Thank you, Kate!

My family shipped this large painting from Connecticut.  I painted it there last summer, and I wanted it present at my Open Studios.  I really love this painting.  I hope it goes to a good home soon.

In the Studio Today... Environmental Art FUNraiser!

April 18 - May 5th, 2011 Earth Day Week

Beach Plastic Art: Pelican by 3rd Graders, originally uploaded by cproppe.

April and May are the busiest months ever with both Marin Arts, and my sons' end of year school projects all pending start and completion... This past two weeks, I managed to get over to visit Judith Selby Lang and Richard Lang's studio, with the boys and dog in tow.

Aidan, checking out Beach Plastic treasures at Judith and Richard Lang's.

Boys LOVED the Langs old barn studio in West Marin, with the bags of old toothbrushes, bubble blower sticks and a tray of fishing lures collected from Kehoe Beach, Pt. Reyes National Seashore.

Judith and Richard have been collecting Beach Plastic there for 12 years, and have their work in SFMOMA right now. The prints they create from the collected trash inspired us to do this project with the kids for their yearly fundraiser that pays for the Arts in their public school district.

Blake, looking at recently collected, unsorted Beach Plastic.

40 third graders at Wade Thomas School participated in the project. Groups of 4 children picked a sea animal and arranged the plastic in the shape of that creature. The results are whimsical and priceless. Special thanks to Terri Baker, Fairfax Photographer, for her assistance with this project.  We have sold over $700. of notecards, all proceeds going to YES Foundation at yestokids.org  To view the 9 different sea animals the kids created, click here to visit the set on Flickr.

Art cards, designed by 3rd graders for their fundraiser.

Photographer, Terri Baker, hard at work... or play?

For more information on Beach Plastic, please read my previous post from February on the work of Judith Selby Lang and Richard Lang.