Feminine Energy Power!

Artist's Self- Portrait, Mixed Media on canvas

Dear Beautiful Art Friends,

Happy to announce that my painting “Artist's Self-Portrait” was juried into The Power of Feminine Energy group show. Exhibition Curator: Leticia Gomez Franco.

I will be at the art reception at the Centro Cultural De La Raza, located at  2004 Park Blvd, San Diego, California 92101, on March 19, 2016. The reception starts at 6:00pm but due to the fact that I have another art reception on that same date I will be there from 8:0 to 10:00 pm.

Show will end April 3, 2016. Hope to see you there.

With Love,
Glad

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Sold the House and Moved!

My old studio




Dear Friends,

This month was really tough. I moved...yeap, long hours of packing, having 3 garage sales, donating things, and even storing some things, as I down sized. How I had accumulated so much stuff that I don't need is hard to understand. I intend to change this from now on.

It took a lot of physical work, time, and help from friends, but glad it's over.  New changes I'm still adapting too, as well as our dog Oliver, seem to be for the better.

Didn't have much time to paint at all in a month, until today. I missed it so much and found it kind of hard to get back into the level of skill I had before I went on vacation and then the move. But the joy of painting is still there, regardless of the results from my painting.  That is a reassuring feeling.

In keeping with the spirit of down sizing and not keeping anything in my new place that I don't absolutely need, I am participating in the Escondido Art Association Starving Artist Sale.  All the small artwork from my art school studies for the last year will be on sale there, about 23 pieces, from July 29-August 3, 2013.  Get this...are you ready...All original artwork will be priced at $50.00 or less!!!!  If you appreciate art as I do and would like to start or add to your collection, you don't want to miss this event. I'll be at the Gallery most of the day August 3, 2012 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Stop by and say hello.

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer.

With Love,
Glad

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What a Ride!

Yosemite by Gladys Jimenez



Dear Friends,

I hope July finds you well.  Looking back at June all I have to say is "What a Ride!".

I began the month by traveling to Yosemite.  My favorite place on Earth. I was hoping to take many photographs so I could do several studies for my oil paintings of this magnificent place but I was just caught up in the beauty of it instead. Participating in several hikes, the most difficult for me being Vernal Falls, but the most rewarding as well. You just can't beat that constant rainbow and view from the top :)

My daughter also graduated from Stanford. Very proud of her and the things she has accomplished, but mainly of who she has become.  

No time for art competitions this month.  I did meet with two art directors this month, one in Laguan Beach and the other in San Clemente (I just fell in love with this town!). It was interesting to see what they are looking for in art but couldn't shake the feeling that art galleries are not for me.  My collectors like unique different art, and I'm happy to provide them with my art in a more organic way, through my website, Facebook, and through them getting to know me, as I them.

Many changes ahead, for one, I'm not taking any art classes this fall. Time to build up my own body of artwork for my collectors and new fans.  Stay tune, as much is happening :)

Love,
Glad

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Plein Air Painting

I'm the one on the left

Hello Friends

Today I joined the Escondido Art Association Plein Air Painting group at Felicita Park, in Escondido. I have painted landscapes before but this was my first plein air outing.

All I can say is that I was not prepared for plein air painting. I had to do my painting really fast because the light and shadows do change fast.  I had to hold the canvas on one hand, painting with the other while fighting off the bugs climbing on me and my art supplies, as well as the stuff that would fall on my painting and paint from the trees. It was not easy to reach my supplies and the sun was hot.

Next time I will take a TV tray table to put my art supplies on, a stool would be helpful to sit on (instead of a rock), and bug spray.  Hopefully area won't be too far from facilities. I guess I'm a city gal, although I love nature and taking long hikes and even camping, when it comes to painting, I prefer my studio.

Although it took me about 30 minutes to do this artwork, I was going for the impressionist style, I like my little painting under the circumstances it was painted on. My first oil landscape in years :)

I was surprised to see fake trees a long the park. The fake trees are used to cover up cell phone towers at the park. It's my understanding they are all over the place now. It was a beautiful day outdoors and so happy I got to experience plein air painting, as it was something I wanted to do for a long time.

With Love,
Glad

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Our Beloved Cat Chance

Our Cat Chance

Dear Friends,

Chance, our cat, passed away today, April 6, 2013. She was with us for a bit over 10 years as well. She walked into our home one thanksgiving morning in 2003, while we were cooking bacon and we had to open the door to let the smoke out. We gave her some bacon and she never left. Even when we took her outside that night, the following day she was still there by our door.

We posted flyers and no one claimed her. We took her to the vet and we found out she had Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and the vet said she should be kept indoors. She was about seven years old per vet. She was not like other cats I had in the past. She was her own self and if you petted her for more then a few strokes she would bite you, or sometimes you would just be passing by and she would scratch you. People who visited knew this and tended to stay away from her. 

A year after she lived with us, we found out that she belonged to our neighbors next door that had recently moved back then into our neighborhood. The owner came over one day and recognized her, but she didn't want her back as she confessed she never really liked her. She was shocked that Chance was living under the same roof with a dog (Buddy). Yeah, Chance gave our dogs a hard time too. They too stayed away from her.

Two years ago my son also went away to college (my daughter had left in Fall of 2009). Chance and I developed a different relationship. Chance seemed to wait to demand petting from me when I was the most tired or when I was concentrating on a painting. If I ignored her, as sometimes I did, she would do her business in the area I painted. At first I thought it was strange, since cats usually go to their litter box and don't have accidents like that, but I read that cats behave like that when they are angry at you. Well, she made me angry too by her actions, but with time, I learned to pet her even when I didn't feel like it. 

One time while my daughter was visiting from college I told her that Chance was sent by God to remind me how to love. After all, it was so easy to love Buddy, he loved you unconditionally, behaved well, and always happy and content with you. But it was much harder to love someone who would bite you, scratch you and pooped on your art supplies for no reason. Someone who demanded love at the most inconvenient times. But it happened. Over the last two years we developed a bond. I could now pet her for a long time, carry her (as Chance hated her tummy touched), trim her hair and even give her a bath without a scratch! And while it had become a habit to complaint about her grouchyness, deep inside I somehow saw myself in her, and loved her.

It all happened rather quickly. Thursday night she awoke me at 3 am. She was in the living room rolling from side to side trying to get up. I picked her up and it quickly became clear that she was paralyzed from her left side. I placed her on the couch and I thought she was seeing something I couldn't see by the way she was moving her eyes, but I soon realized that she was not able to see. I had to help her when she needed to use the litter box and hand fed her. I wanted to make her feel better by giving her her favorite food (tuna fish) but it was apparent that her sense of smell was gone too. Although she started to walk again slowly within a day of her stroke, her heart started to give out, pumping really fast and making it hard for her to breath. The vet said it was due to the FIV decease she had, which tends to cause clots, and things would only get worse. 

I was with her till the end. She didn't do any of the things the vet said cats tend to do when they go. She was at peace, even her heart slowed down a bit when she heard my daughter 's voice on the phone, talking to her. 

The vet said I was her angel because cats don't live as long as Chance did with FIV and with the quality of life she had up to the last two days of her life. The vet didn't know that Chance was my best teacher yet. Wherever Chance is now, she is only taking a break from teaching humans how to love. I'm sure we will meet again.

With Love,

Glad

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Why Do I Bother to Create

Bottle, 12"x12" oil on canvas

Dear Friends,


A friend who is very analytical and not creative at all, once asked me what was the use of creating so much artwork, as I have been creating. I had to respond with my reasons for creating art.

I create because it feeds my soul...I am following my soul's desire and it's not something I can stop doing without feeling I'm starving my soul, and possibly depression of not being able to express myself (I have experienced a dark night of the soul after I took a period of two years of not creating)..., quite simply, it is my destiny.

An artist never paints for just money, that would be in insult to the creator that gave us this gift, and the artist that only creates for money even if their skills are perfect, the artwork lacks feeling and energy. I am not saying you should not commercialize your artwork, yes, we must sell our artwork as we artist also have bills to pay, food to buy and a mortgage to pay...but I am saying if it's just something you do for money, as any other career that you can do just for money, then you are missing out on living your call.  When you do what you love, it doesn't feel like work at all.

To an artist, painting or creating is as essential as food if not more. We are willing to sacrifice everything for our art, including financial gains, relationships (as our art takes most of our time), anything that will get in the way of us creating.  We are a strange breed, but I know of no other activity that makes me feel so grateful and thankful to be alive than when I am painting.  I enter the BLISS zone when I paint and am just so lucky to be able to do so on a regular basis.

With Love,
Gladys

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Fundraising, Art Classes and Events

Art by the Inch, my creation

Dear Friends,

This month I participated in the Artful Inches event at the Escondido Municipal Art Gallery. It was part of a fundraiser where artist came together to create beautiful art, which would be sold by the art gallery by the inch. All funds went to help high school students to exhibit their artwork.

As you know, or may not know, I'm back in school improving my skills. Taking head drawing, life drawing and figure painting.  I love to create and happy to learn from other talented and well known artist.  As I learn new techniques, and improve, I am starting to feel the need to create in my own style scenes of beaches and places near the beach. I'm lucky to live in Southern California, where the ocean is just a 25 minute drive.  I've been wanting to paint this theme for so long, but no more waiting.  In March I will begin the "Beach" series and I have so many painting in my mind that I want to do, that it may take all of my painting time for the next year or two, so stay tuned.  :)

Much artwork to do, so back to my easel. Enjoy your day.

With Love,
Gladys

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Art Galleries

Lady in Red, 16"x20" oil on canvas


Dear Friends,

First week of the new year I picked up my painting "Lady in Red" from the art gallery.  I was thrilled to hear great feedback from the art gallery staff.  This was the annual Summation 2012 event where poets write poems about the artwork they like.  I hear my artwork made it into the publication again this year...sweet :)

I spent sometime visiting my friend, Darren McPhearson's art gallery. His work and the work of other artists are in display here.  Some beautiful pieces here.

I asked every gallery I visit, if they are open to answering, about art sales. They all tell me that the economy changed and so did their sales. Not as many as there were in the past. Makes me wonder if art galleries in other large cities are having the same experience.  Don't know...have you seen any red dots on the art galleries you have visited recently? Usually art galleries put a red dot by artwork that has sold.

Good thing we artist make art because of our passion and love for it, it's like eating, something we need to do regardless of how much the food cost.  On the other side, it would be great to sell more art :)

I completed two new pieces, Red Barn and Christmas Tree.  Looking forward to exhibiting them in a gallery because in the end, art galleries help you share your love of art with the world around you.

May this new year bring you health, contentment, peace and love.

With Love,
Glad

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Painting Daily, Oh Yeah

e-Motion, 36" x 48" oil on canvas

Dear Friends,

It's hard to believe that in three weeks my Figure Painting class will be over.  I learned much from the critics, and a few more techniques that I can add to my paintings.

For the final painting I was assigned to paint in a style that is the opposite of my own.  To choose an artist and copy their work but replacing the main figure with my own self.  In my case, it would be to learn the style of Degas or Van Gogh. I chose Van Gogh and what a fun exploration it has been, to see how he created short colorful strokes to create movement and depth.

Currently at the Escondido Municipal Art Gallery you can see my painting "eMotion" on display until the first week of next December.  I was happy to receive wonderful feedback from people who stopped by to see it during my short visit at the reception.  It felt great to know that others were moved by it.

Back to the easel, much to work on for my final painting.

May you have a wonderful holiday season.

Much love,
Glad

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Yes, I do Pet Portraits Too

Bonnie, 12"x12" oil on canvas

Hello Friends,

Yesterday I met a friend I had not seen in 6 months.  Her dog had just passed away a few days earlier. Her dog, Bonnie, was in too much pain and the vet told her it was time to let her go.

She called me as she recalled I had taken some photos of Bonnie a while back because I felt the desire to paint Bonnie, and wanted to know if she could have copies of the photographs.

I emailed her the photos and told her I had completed the painting of Bonnie months ago and it was hers. She immediately came over to pick up the painting. Losing a pet is like losing a family member whom you were very close to.  She told me letting her go was the hardest thing she had to do.

When I showed her the painting she started crying. She said I had captured Bonnie's spirit and she would hang the painting in her living room, as an honor to Bonnie.

She then told me how people told her how lucky Bonnie was to have had her as her owner as she took great care of her but people didn't understand that it was her, who was lucky to have had Bonnie in her life. That people had no idea how much love and joy Bonnie gave her.

It's so true! Our pets give us unconditional love no matter what, even when we neglect playing with them or are too busy to really connect with them.  I have painted our three pets and have the paintings in our living room.

I wanted to capture their spirit so I could always remember them, and feel their love, if some day down the road they too depart from my life.

Love,
Glad

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Exhibiting Again

Goddess Collage, Mix media 12" x 12" on canvas


Hello Friends,

In December my artwork "Collage" was on exhibit at the Escondido Municipal Art Gallery. It was the first time I exhibited my work at this gallery.  Previously I had done so at the Escondido Art Association.  I was at the Artist reception and it is always nice to meet other artist, and see their creations.

In January I took sometime off and went to Monterey, CA. I had a wonderful week there. I went to the next town, Carmel, which is full of beautiful art galleries. I visited every single one and saw much beauty. Unfortunately it seems like some of them are going out of business due to the economy, which was surprising to see.

I also went to Pacific Grove, CA, to their Art Association there and met a wonderful photographer, by the name of Jean Brenner. Her photography exhibit on "The Faces of Islam" is wonderful to see. I was lucky that she was there and that she gracefully took time to explain some of the history behind her photos.

I'm looking forward to a year of art :)

Love,
Glad

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