ARTapalooza!

Greetings Dreamcicles!

For the past few weeks I have been busy designing and launching my new website and creating my Facebook fan page. Check out my new site at http://marcellanordbeck.com/ and “like” me at http://bit.ly/dBECT4.

But life hasn’t been all work and no play. Last weekend I crawled out from under my rock long enough to check out the Cherry Creek Art Festival in Denver where I caught up with the artist Nemo. I am proud to say I am now the owner of a Nemo original! To learn more about him and his art visit http://www.artbynemo.com/.

Marcella with fellow artist Nemo

This past weekend was an ARTapalooza! I kicked it off Friday night at Russell Wilbar’s opening reception for his show Construction/Deconstruction. Russell is a “green” mixed media artist whose reconstructed and painted salvaged doors and floors practically float off the wall. Check out Wilbar’s show at Sync Gallery in the Santa Fe art district in Denver through August 16. Visit http://www.russellwilbar.com/ to learn more.

Marcella with fellow artist Russell Wilbar and Wilbar's art piece "Out of Mind"

Saturday night I saw the play “The Underpants” at Miners Alley Playhouse in Golden with fellow writer Janet Roots. It’s a hoot a half! Written by Carl Sternheim, adapted by Steve Martin, and directed by Rick Bernstein, I nearly peed my pants I laughed so hard. Visit http://www.minersalley.com/ for show times.

Marcella with fellow writer Janet Roots

Janet serves on the Playhouse board and asked me to assist her with organizing and curating the “It’s Not Black & White” juried art show. It will hang in the Playhouse lobby in September and October during the six week run of the Tony Award winning play “Art.” Visit http://www.minersalley.com/SpecialEvents.shtml for the call for entry details. To learn more about Janet’s writing services visit http://www.rootswrites.com/.

A view of the drive to Poncha Springs, Colorado

I wrapped up the weekend driving down to Poncha Springs for the Art of the Rockies art show at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds. Three of my paintings were accepted into this juried exhibition, but “A Moment of Suspense” received an Honorable Mention ribbon in the Advanced oil/acrylic category. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a nod from the judge as my abstracts were a minority in a sea of landscapes, horses, and cowboys.

Marcella with "A Moment of Suspense"

That’s all for now folks. I’ve got to put the blinders back on and refocus. I’m working on a new painting for the upcoming Yin/Yang show at Mile Hi Church, I’m on deadline to finish writing my book proposal for Hay House, and I’m working on a new series of abstract/mixed media paintings inspired by my recent trip through the Caribbean and my love for the ocean. The new series will be revealed at my next solo art exhibition at Strings restaurant in Denver in November. Details to come…

But before I go, let me remind you to save the date! In August I will add published author to my resume! My essay “I Find Myself Painting” is being published in the anthology “Speaking Your Truth: Courageous Stories by Inspiring Women.” The book will be available for purchase on amazon August 25.

Keep following your bliss! The rest will follow.

Peace, Love, and Art,
Marcella

The Artist's Way - Week Six

"Melting into Blue" 2010

Acrylic & Mixed Media on Wood, 15x30"

Eureka! I’m painting again! Six weeks into The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron’s 12-week course for “discovering and recovering your creative self,” and I’m painting! I developed a sketch and test boards for the commissioned piece I’m working on, made progress on my painting for the HOPE Ball auction, finished a painting titled, “Melting into Blue,” the first from a new series I started in November, and decided I’m going to submit a piece into the next juried art show at Mile Hi Church.

This productivity has come at a cost. To make time to paint around my full-time day job I slaked off writing my three daily pages (only writing three out seven mornings), I didn’t do the suggested exercises, and I didn’t even schedule a solo artist date with myself – my favorite aspect of The Artist’s Way. As I read chapter six on, “Recovering a Sense of Abundance,” it seems it is not financial abundance I struggle with, but rather the abundance of time, or my perception of a lack of time. Or worse, my fear that time might be running out.

Perhaps it is my pending biopsy this coming Tuesday that has shifted my perception and use of time. Whatever it is, this past week I had an insatiable hunger to tune out the world and just paint, so that’s what I did. As I count down the days until I take a test that will tell me if abnormal cells are, dare I say the word - cancer – I’ve spent my “free” time doing the one thing that brings me more joy than anything else in my life: painting.

Telling my parnter not take my picture while I paint.

Photo courtesy of Sean Richardson

When I wasn’t sequestered in my home office/art studio painting – or viewing a home screening of the documentary Who Does She Think She Is? at “Cinema Night”, a monthly event I co-host with artist Anita Larson and writer Janet Roots – I spent every waking moment (as well as every sleeping, napping, spooning moment) with my beloved. Instead of going out, both Friday and Saturday night we stayed in, made dinner together, and watched movies. And from the moment we woke up on Sunday morning until I sat down in the evening to write this blog, we spent every minute of the day together. Whether unloading and loading the dishwasher, folding laundry, grocery shopping, or preparing meals, we haven’t left each other’s side.

My favorite spot to sit in the kitchen

after juicing while dinner cooks.

Photo courtesy of Sean Richardson

It’s entirely possible the biopsy will come back benign and no further medical intervention need be taken. But it seems to me that my partner and I are both aware, even if we choose not to speak the words out loud, that these are precious moments we’re spending together. And we best not take them for granted.

Check in with me next week as I embark on chapter seven of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way and “Recover a Sense of Connection.”