August 11 & 12, 2016 Something Feminine Opening Reception

Virginia, 16"x20" oil on canvas

Dear Art Friends,

Join me for the opening reception of Something Feminine at Art Tradtion Gallery. As the Guest Artist, you will be able to view 5 of my oil paintings.

Other great local artist exhibiting their work for this show are Olga Tenyakova, TGiina K. Smith, Kotinca Palma, Brad Kaskin, Tim Cline and Darrel McPherson.

Light refreshments and wine will be served during opening reception and also on August 12, 2016, same hours, for 2nd Saturday Art Walk. Art Tradition Gallery is located at 321 East Grand Avenue, in Escondido.

You may view this art show until the end of September.

With Love,
Glad











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2016 Panache Event

Gladys at Panache, Escondido

Dear Beautiful Art Friends,

The Escondido Municipal Art Gallery will have it's annual fundraising event on March 19, 2016.
I will be at there from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, as I need to leave early to go to another art reception.

I had the privilege of being invited to participate in Panache 2016 as only award-winning artist are invited to donate to artwork for this upscale event. I donated my mixed media painting "Giverny". The event is from 5:30pm to 9:00pm. 

You may also preview the artwalk during the 2nd Saturday artwork on March 12, 2016 from 5:30 - 8:00 pm. If you are local, this is a great venue to get great art at auction prices.

With Love,

Glad

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Failed!

Photo by Gladys Jimenez, Tallahassee FL

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly". — Robert Kennedy


Hello Beautiful Art Friends,

I began a new painting based on the photograph above, which I took while in Tallahassee FL. I was so excited about capturing it's essence but I failed. You may not believe this but this is the first time I attempted to do a painting that I just couldn't get it to work. In the past I had talked to other artist who used to say their painting was not working and I couldn't understand what they meant but now I do.  Perhaps I was not challenging myself enough.

I worked on this painting for three days using oil on canvas and today I just wiped the entire canvas, smudging all the paint I had applied on it for the last three days. I was just not working. Too many trees and detailed branches, so much texture to capture and I just couldn't really see the entire image.  For some strange reason it didn't click for me. You see, usually I see an image and it's like jigsaw puzzle in my mind, I know which piece I'm going to paint first and then the next one, until it all falls into place, but I couldn't see the pieces on this photograph. One of my art teachers used to comment on how I see things because my paintings were always different than the rest of the class. But this is how I did and continue to see things.

I did learn during the process, and though I failed at my first attempt on an 18"x24" canvas, I am not giving up.  I am going to attempt doing it on an 8"x10" canvas tomorrow. You are probably thinking that it will be harder on a smaller canvas but I'm going to work with the shapes first, then the details, the  way I was taught in school where you cut in the dark, medium, and light shapes first.

So I'm off to the art supply store to get gesso so I can gesso the entire canvas I originally used for this painting and this way I can use it for another painting. Or may be even the same painting, after I do the smaller version.

And what if I can't make it work still? Well, at least I took a photograph that I absolutely love, that captured the essence of the place :)


With Love,
Glad

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Loads of Fun

Art From The Heart Opening Reception

Hello Beautiful Art Friends,

Had so much fun at the opening reception of Art From The Heart. It was good to see good friends and to make new friends. People seemed to enjoy themselves and the artwork. I love hearing feedback from people on my art and asking them which piece was their favorite and why. See video of event here: http://gladsart.com/videos.php.

I noticed that for my abstract featured artist reception last year, it was a younger crowd between 22 and 32 and for my realistic artwork, it was people more my age or older.  While both receptions were fun and I sold artwork in both, I found it fascinating to see such difference in the group. Even in the amount of wine and food consumed and how they connected to my work.

I'm currently in L.A. but can't wait to go back home and finish my current painting of Torrey Pines and begin one based on La Jolla for an upcoming show by the La Jolla Library. Excited to participate in that show so I have to do some photo shooting of La Jolla because I want my painting to be creative.

I hope your Valentine's day was lovely.

Until next time...

With Love,
Glad


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Challenge and Installation Complete!

Bob and I installing Art for the Heart show

Dear Beautiful Art Friends,

Last time I posted I had finished updating my website, well so I thought. After giving it a final check I changed a lot of things and now I do think it's perfect! If you have a chance take a look at it, I would appreciate your feedback.

Installation for Art from the Heart show is all complete. It took us almost three hours! It was very hard to level the painting because of the wiring system they use. There are tricks to it though, so next time it should be faster.  

You can go to the Riford Center in La Jolla and enjoy the exhibit now, and though I'm the featured artist for March, there are many other artists exhibiting their artwork, so worth the stop. Better yet, come to the opening reception Feb 13, 2016 at 4:30 pm. I will be there until 7:00 pm.

The 30 paintings in 30 days challenge is over. Gives me a tad of more time to create more of the art I want to create. I ended up the challenge with several Valentine's day paintings which started selling pretty well. I still have a few left and I'm planning to take them to my art reception, which is what I intended to do with them in the first place. You can see them at my website, under Whimsical Paintings.

I was invited by the Escondido Municipal Art Gallery to donate a piece of artwork for their Panache Auction event. It's a pretty fancy event. It's an honor to be invited as they only invite artists that have won awards and they feel meets the quality level of good art.  I'm having a hard time choosing which piece to donate but I'm sure I will figure it out by the time it's due.

This is it for today. I need to head over to 57 Degrees in San Diego and pick up my artwork from the last show.

Have fun and if you find any interesting art articles, send me a link.

Love,

Glad

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Back to the Basics

Blender, 16"x20" oil on canvas

Hello Friends,

September came by so fast, and so close to the end of the year.

I have been having fun working on my own paintings.  Due to scheduling of my photography gig, I had to drop the oil painting 2 class, but no worries, I continue to paint the creative ideas I had wanted to do for a long time..

Above is a sample of "Blender", first in a series which I intend to do, called "Reflections".

It has been fun to do something different :)

I haven't participated in any art shows lately. It's my intention to work on new works of art and build a new portfolio for my fans.  Perhaps next summer I can do my own show with all the new paintings that have not sold in the meantime.

I've been having a great summer, a bit too hot lately, but nevertheless, we have been having awesome skies with beautiful fluffy clouds, and the clouds that spread all across the sky like cotton balls, reflecting the sunlight. Beautiful sunrises and sunsets!

Enjoy September.

Love,
Glad

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Here We Go Again...

Greek Lady, my first painting in 1985

16"x20" oil on canvas panel

Dear Friends,

Here we are in the middle of August and I just couldn't stay away from signing up for an oil painting 2 class at the local community college. Class starts next week :)

I had wanted to take a break because I wanted to create my own art, and then I realized what I really wanted to do was take a break from figure painting.

Time to paint other things, like butterflies...yes, I started painting butterflies, and look forward to painting still life paintings, and landscapes, and even more abstracts!  The Butterfly Series will be posted on the website in September. At least the first three :) 

I was in Los Angeles last weekend and went to visit Barnsdale Art Gallery (The gallery I first exhibit my art for the first time in 1985).  I also went to the Rose Bowl Flea Market for the first time!!!  I wanted to see what type of art I could find there but sad to say I was not very impressed.  But sure had fun walking around the flea market and seeing all the wonderful treasures people were selling and seeing what people were buying.

I miss going to the art shows in Escondido on 2nd Saturday, but it's been a busy summer with the photography gig going until the end of November and now the new art class starting next week.

Have fun!

Love,
Glad

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Love My New Place

Butterfly 1, 8"x10" oil on canvas

Dear Friends,

It's been over a month at my new place and I must say, I'm surprised how much I like it here. I used to live in this area before I moved to Escondido, and find myself in awe to find myself so much happier here. 

With my new transition, I applied for a temporary gig as a photographer and I was again nicely surprised to get the gig! A big thank you to those of you I asked for recommendations, as this is my first "Job" after many years, as I have always been self-employed with the exception of my first job after high school.  I was really moved by the letters you wrote and the wonderful things you said about me. I will always be grateful for your kindness.  Feel so lucky to have such wonderful friends :)

I did some photography back in my 20's and actually got a few awards and some photographs printed, but dropped it quickly when I discovered oil painting.  I always enjoyed it and since I feel complete with my art classes for now, and not taking any more classes for a year, I was wondering about taking some photography classes at the local community college but then I thought, what better way to learn than working at a studio and getting paid for it.

I am learning so much already, and feel I can expand to different phases of photography in this company if I so desire, after my gig is up in late November...like Photoshop! Yeap, I only know basic stuff when it comes to editing images and it can be rather useful for my art.

I just finished two paintings. I will upload them next week to the website. I sent one to my mailing list with a special sale offer. If you haven't joined my mailing list, you can do so at my home page, at this website.

I am going to work on smaller artwork for the rest of the year. I will be creating a series of butterfly paintings...they seem to be popping up everywhere I go lately, so I take it as a sign that they need to be painted. Perhaps a symbol of my own transformation as I transition through so many changes this year.  Very exciting!

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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First Place in Visual Arts

Self Portrait, First Place in Visual Arts, Oil on canvas



Hello Friends,

I'm thrilled to announce that this year's Award-Winning Literary Magazine, Bravura, has awarded me the first prize in Visual Arts for the self-portrait I entered in their annual contest.  It comes with a cash prize too :)

I will be attending the Gala reception in San Marcos on May 20, 2013, were I'll receive the award. Looking forward to the publication to be released.

This Saturday is art walk here in Escondido. I'm looking forward to do my regular stops. I start at the Escondido Art Association, then The Escondido Municipal Art Gallery, a quick stop by Distinction Gallery and Traditional Gallery, and the final stop at Michael Steirnagle's art studio.

I've been working on figure painting for a year now, and I'm ready to do some landscaping paintings during the summer. Stay tune for new work.

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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