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I have always loved the fall season. The back to school energy feels like a fresh start. The abundance of apples and garden vegies makes me appreciate the generosity of nature. The summer fog of Muir Beach gives way to crisp bright sunshine. I feel sharper and brighter myself.
It's a wonderful time of year to open my studio, and so I will be hosting an Open Studio in Muir Beach on Saturday, October 5 from 10-4. There will be a wide assortment of my mixed media art from photographs bottled in mineral oil to layered collages and more, plus postcards & notecards for sale. There will also be art activities for kids and tea & treats, and my neighbors, Wendy Johnson & Peter Rudnick, will be opening their home garden and nursery too. Please see details below, and contact me with any questions. If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, it would be lovely to have you stop by!
MUIR BEACH OPEN STUDIO & GARDEN SALE
hosted by Mary Daniel Hobson, Wendy Johnson & Peter Rudnick
Saturday, October 5th from 10am-4pm
1795 & 1815 Shoreline Hwy, Muir Beach, CA
Image Above: Sanctuary #9, archival pigment print, 16.5 x 11", ©marydanielhobson
I am gearing up for my first art show of the new year - wrapping up art today and creating inventory lists to send off a number of pieces from the Sanctuary and Bottle Dreams series for a group photography exhibit at the newly-opened Stinson Beach Gallery. I will be at the reception on Saturday, February 11, and I will even be giving a short presentation about my work at 4pm that same day. It would be wonderful to have you come to see the show if you are in the Bay Area.Here are the details...
Earth Air Fire Water
A group photography exhibit
February 9 - March 25, 2012Opening Reception: February 11, 2-5
Artist Talk by Mary Daniel Hobson: February 11, 4pm
Stinson Beach Gallery
3445 Shoreline Hwy, Stinson Beach
www.stinsonbeachgallery.com
Artists: Mary Daniel Hobson, Ron Jones, Virginia Felch,
David D. Livingston, Nick Allen, Andrew George, and Marty Knapp
I am delighted to share that I have new solo show at Cavallo Point in Sausalito, CA - both in their art gallery (pictured here) and in their healing center. This lodge at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge has a unique art program. In addition to the gallery, each guest room features original fine art work on extended loans by wonderful local artists including Linda Connor, Judith & Richard Lang, Candace Gaudiani and many more.
I was thrilled when curator Anne Veh contacted me last fall about showing my work there. I have to say I hesitated though when she told me the dates because the show was to open January 5 - just two days before the due date of my second child. Fortunately Anne was open to creative solutions, so in mid-December when I was very round with pregnancy, we met in my studio and selected all the work, wrapped it up, and she took it with her and stored it at her home until she installed the show a few weeks later. I had to really let go in a way that I don't usually with an exhibit and let Anne truly "curate" - a word whose etymology means "to take care of." She has attended to all the myriad details of the show beautifully.
One of my favorite parts of this exhibit is the spirit of generosity that is present. 10% of all sales proceeds go to the non-profit of my choice. I selected Lily Yeh's outstanding organization Barefoot Artists which "works with poor communities around the globe using art to bring healing, self-empowerment and social change." And then at Anne's suggestion, we created a give-away for every visitor. In the center of the gallery is a wooden bowl filled with rolled scrolls tied with ribbon, and inside each is one of my favorite quotes about the creative process. There are 11 different quotes, so each visitor can intuitively pick the best one for him or her. As you can see from the photo above, the bowl was empty the day I visited as these have been so popular that it has been hard to keep up with the demand, but I have been assured that the bowl is replenished often. If you are unable to attend the show, but would still like the creative inspiration, please email me and I will send you a pdf of the quotes.
One of the quotes is George Braque: "Art is a wound turned into light." Anne as a curator really understood right away the healing inherent in my creative process, and chose to emphasize this aspect in the show. She selected a very nice group of over 40 pieces from 5 different series including Mapping the Body, Milagros, Evocations, and Sanctuary (pictured in the photo above). I do hope if you are in the Bay Area that you will get a chance to see the show and/or hear my artist talk on March 22.
Mary Daniel Hobson, Creativity: A Journey of Transformation
Cavallo Point Art Gallery & Healing Center, Sausalito, CA
January 5-April 3, 2011
Special Program & Artist Talk on Tuesday evening, March 22, 2011
For directions & more information, please see www.cavallopoint.com or call 415-339-4740.
A good friend and collector sent me this photo from her iPhone last week. I was touched to see how she has arranged on her mantle postcards of my art with the three collages she owns. Pictured here left to right are two small-scale collages from the Milagros series, a postcard of Creative Fire Within, the collage In Memory from Mapping the Body, and postcards of Flight, Evocation #001, and Sanctuary #1.
This photo was such a great reminder that my work exists and lives beyond me. It is easy to forget when I am working away alone in the studio that my art is out there enriching the experiences of others. I am so grateful to Nell for the gift of seeing how my work is installed in such a graceful and beautiful way in her home.
Anna helped me deliver my piece, Sanctuary #2 (in the center of this photo), to the annual San Francisco Open Studios exhibition at SOMArts Main Gallery. This show features work by all the artists participating the in the city-wide annual open studios event sponsored by Artspan. Each weekend is dedicated to different neighborhoods where artists open their doors to the public and share their art and process.
I am getting my studio ready for the weekend of October 16-18. This time in addition to a wide assortment of my work from the past ten years, there will also be trade edition books by my father, Charles Hobson, and a chance to view recent publications that include my work, like The Map As Art and Mapping the Journey. If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area it would be great to have you stop by.
OPEN STUDIO
Reception: Friday, October 16, 5-7pm
Saturday & Sunday, October 17-18, open 11am-6pm
3069 Washington Street (at Baker), San Francisco, CA
The studio is now a mess of bits and pieces of cardboard, tape, and bubble wrap. I just packed and wrapped artwork for transit. Sanctuary #4 is headed to a collector in New York. And five Bottle Dreams pieces are on their way to the Houston Center for Photography for their upcoming show called Human Nature. Curated by HCP director Madeline Yale, the show “raises questions about the current state of our relationship to the natural environment.” It includes the work of 9 artists and I was delighted to see Paula McCartney’s name on the list, as I really love the cleverness and subtle beauty of her series, Bird Watching. I recently purchased a print of hers on the affordable art site, 20x200. The show at HCP will open with a reception on April 3 and will be up until May 11 with lots of great public programs in between emphasizing environmental concerns like the slow food movement and tree planting.
The photo here shows an installation of five Bottle Dreams pieces at the Bolinas Museum in 2007. A similar installation will happen at HCP, but the five bottles there will have no trace of mankind – no buoys, no ships, etc – so as to emphasize the tension between pristine nature and man’s desire to control and preserve it. If you are in the Houston area, I hope you will get a chance to see the show.
It is that time of year again - time for the Bolinas Museum Miniatures Exhibition. I spent the day framing some diminuitive prints made exclusively this size for this show - Sanctuary #8, Sanctuary #6, and Sanctuary #4 (pictured in this order here). It felt so good to be working with my tools in hand - rulers, cutting knife, framing tape, and more. As someone who has always loved small things, I really enjoy this exhibition. All work must be 6 x 6 x 6 inches or smaller, and 50% of all sales go to the support the Museum. The show opens next week with a reception on Saturday, November 22 from 3-5pm at 48 Wharf Road in Bolinas, CA, and it will be up through December. While cutting and framing today, I kept myself inspired by listening to the Creative Mom Podcast. I just discovered it this week by doing a search in iTunes for "artist mom" - seeking resources on how to balance art and motherhood. You don't need to be a mom to appreciate Amy's insights about the creative process. Today I listened to the 9/14/08 episode called "Slippage" - which was a great reminder to be gentle with oneself and give oneself a break. Nice words for me to hug close as I worked today.
Just a quick post to share a few photographs from my exhibition at Modern Book Gallery in Palo Alto, CA. This two-woman show includes new works from my three series - Evocations, Sanctuary, and Bottle Dreams - as well as some very interesting 3-D pieces by Claudia Kunin from her series, Myth. A frame-junkee myself, I was entranced by Claudia's intricate frames and enjoyed the interactive feature of putting the 3-D glasses to my eyes that made each mythogical scene seem to pop off the wall. Mark, Bryan, and Niniane at Modern Book did the installation, and it's always fun to see my work in a new context. I particularly enjoy the way they clustered different pedestals together to showcase the Bottle Dreams work - see the first picture here. This show is up until June 3, and Modern Book keeps nice long hours - open daily from 11am into the evening at 494 University Street in Palo Alto, CA. If you are in the area, I hope you will get to see the show.
Photos below show my work, the second to last image shows some of Claudia Kunin's work, and the last photo shows the artists with the Modern Book crew - from left to right: me, Mark, Niniane, Danny, Bryan, and Claudia.
My husband and I are heading south today to Carmel, CA. My exhibition of Mapping the Body and Milagros at the Center for Photographic Art opens there tomorrow evening, Friday, March 14 with a gallery talk at 5pm followed by a reception from 6-8pm.
On the way down, we will stop in Palo Alto at Modern Book Gallery to drop off over 30 pieces for my exhibit opening there on April 4. This show includes Evocations, some Bottle Dreams, and also work from Sanctuary including new prints like this one here of Sanctuary #5 which I just picked up from the framer yesterday.
It is rich, full time for exhibiting for me right now. It is exciting to think that work from five of my major series will be up and on display all at once. If you are in the area, I hope you will get a chance to see these exhibits. If not, you can always see the work online at www.marydanielhobson.com.
I spent several days this past week absorbed in the computer, prepping files for printing new images in the Sanctuary series (like this one here). There was something so absorbing and meditative about the process of spotting out dust and light reflections. And there was also the overwhelm of the infinite choices one has to make working in Photoshop - the marvels of technology open the door to so many, many options. In the end, it is the accumulation of all these myriad choices that create the artwork - which image to bottle, which bottle piece to photograph, which digital file to print, which light flecks to leave, which to spot, which degree of color shift to make.... In the end, it is really about releasing perfectionism and trusting instinct - until that magic moment when the piece coalesces and becomes Sanctuary for me.
I spent the morning prepping my pieces for the Bolinas Museum Miniatures Exhibition, an annual fundraiser benefiting the Museum. All work in the show must be 6 x 6 x 6 inches or smaller, so I printed some maquette versions of three pieces from the Sanctuary series (pictured here) and fit them into 5 x 3.5 inch frames. I am always charmed by small scale things, so this show is really fun for me to participate in. The Mini Show opens with a reception on Saturday, November 17 from 3-5pm. To learn more, visit www.bolinasmuseum.org.I have also donated regular sized prints from the Sanctuary series – 16.5 x 11 inches – to two photography non-profits for their annual auctions. Sanctuary #2 will be auctioned off tomorrow night, November 3, in Carmel to benefit the Center for Photographic Art. You could see the nice range of work donated by artists for this cause by clicking here. I also have donated Sanctuary #1 to SF Camerawork for their annual photography auction which will be held in San Francisco on December 1. Learn more by visiting their web site at www.sfcamerawork.org.The secret about these art auctions is that most work sells much below its regular retail value, so it can be a great place to begin collecting art or add a treasure to your already existing collection. Usually 100% of the sale goes directly to support the nonprofit. As an artist, I can only afford to make a certain number of donations each year. It depletes my inventory, and under current tax law, artists cannot deduct the retail value of their work when they donate - only the material costs. The organizations that I do donate to are ones that I truly value and am honored to support in this way. I invite you to support them too by bidding on or buying a piece at one of these events.
I left the drippy fog of Muir Beach this morning to drive to sunny San Rafael to drop off art at two venues. My first stop was the Donna Seager Gallery to swap out inventory. Donna has been displaying some of my Bottle Dreams pieces with her rich selection of artists books. Today, I brought her three of my new, single bottles, each layered with photos, texts, and maps sealed in mineral oil. I was delighted to hear from Ama, her gallery assistant, that the September show, called “Women’s Work,” will feature one of my favorite local artists, Lisa Kokin, as well as two other mixed media artists, Laura Kimpton and Nancy Youdelman. And in her artist book gallery will be a show curated by Macy Chadwick called “Narrative Thread,” that will include one of my father’s books, “red thread, two women." It's nice to look forward to this.Then I traveled a few blocks up the hill to the Falkirk Cultural Center to drop off a Sanctuary piece for a group show called “Photographic Narratives.” Curated by Beth Goldberg, this show features several other artists I know, including Beth Moon, Michael Rauner, Judith and Richard Lang, and Susan Hyde, as well as plenty of artists new to me. This show is a nice long one – after its opening reception on September 7, it will stay up until the end of December. The Falkirk is a wonderfully unusual venue. As you can see from the photo I took today, it is an historic building with great architectural detail – inside the wood paneled walls and stained glass make you feel like you have stepped back in time into a 19th Century parlor.In the parking lot, while leaving I ran into artist Mary Wagstaff, who complimented me on my blog, which is always so nice, because I often write here unsure that anyone is listening. It’s heartening to hear that people are tuning in regularly. Thanks to all of you who make up my audience - whether by seeing my shows or reading my blog - it's nice to know I am connecting.
I am frequently asked "How did you make that?" - especially when it comes to my series, Sanctuary. Many speculate that I did the whole process in Photoshop. But no, my PS skills are not nearly sophisticated enough for that, and frankly, I love the tactility of composing art with my hands. So I start by photographing a spot in nature that is a "sanctuary" or refuge for me – most often a place within five miles of my home. Then I print the photo and bottle it in mineral oil layering it with old maps and handwritten texts - essentially building a sculpture. It is this piece that I then place on black velvet and re-photograph with my digital SLR, a Canon 30D (as pictured here). Then after some minor adjustments in PS, I have them printed with the help of Kris at Electric Works in San Francisco. It is a bit labor intensive, but a multi-layered process seems to come with the territory of creating multi-layered art.
Last night I participated in Sausalito Art Walk – a monthly event celebrating the arts with live music in the streets, and galleries and businesses staying open late. Prints from Evocations and Sanctuary were on display at Sausalito Picture Framing at 310 Caledonia Street, and they will be up all month until July 9. Bob Woodrum just opened Sausalito Picture Framing a few months ago, and he did a great job on all my framing for the Bolinas Museum show. It is a pleasure to have my work displayed in his very professional shop with crisp white walls and great lighting. I also love that my work is in the company of all of his molding samples since I am such a frame junkee (as witnessed in my series Mapping the Body).
I took this photo above through the front window. It seemed fitting somehow to photograph a piece from Evocations through the distortion of the glass storefront window as it mimics the distortion already happening in the photograph, which was shot through a glass bottle. In the background you can see additional pieces from the series that are more clearly displayed in the photo below.
While working away on the computer the other day, I heard a strange popping noise and looked out my window to see flames licking the sky. Jesse, a local volunteer fireman, had ignited the neighborhood burn pile. A little voice inside me said – get your camera. So I dropped my work mid-sentence, and headed across the dirt driveway to the empty lot where three households gather our garden debris for burning. This year, the fire burned so clean with minimal smoke and bright orange explosions of flame. I shot frame after frame. I still am not certain what I will do with these images – maybe they will be incorporated into the Sanctuary series or maybe they will become something else. All I know is that when I hear that little voice giving me directions and I act on it, there is a sense of deep creative satisfaction.
I just spent five days in Portland at a portfolio review event called Photo Lucida. Every other year, more than 100 photographers and 60 photo-professionals (curators, gallerists, publishers, etc.) gather at the Benson Hotel to network and dialogue. Over the course of four days, each photographer has eighteen 20-minute, one-on-one reviews with various photo-professionals. This year, the reviews were held in the chandelier-lit room pictured here – the reviewer on one side of a white linen-covered table and the photographer on the other.
I gain so much from attending these events…First, I get organized. I prepare my resume, handouts, and my prints and mixed media work for presentation.Second, I get new words. This time I was sharing my current work in progress – Evocations and Sanctuary –
and it was so helpful to get the keen insights of people who are skilled at looking and talking about photographs. Some of my new favorite words I collected are "herbarium" and "forensic."Third, I get good questions – ones to take home and mull over. For example, what is the role of beauty in my art?Fourth, I get diverse feedback – some people love certain images while others love different ones, maybe even somebody else’s least favorite image. In the end, I leave with the affirmation that I simply need to make the work I feel most called to make.Fifth, I get opportunities and possibilities. Many of the people I met will consider my work for future shows and publications. For example, Jim Casper offered to publish Evocations in an upcoming issue of Lens Culture.Sixth, I get so inspired by the talent and commitment of my fellow photographers there. Some of the work that knocked my sox off is Heidi Kirkpatrick’s mixed media pieces and Jessica Hines’ in-camera collages.Seventh - and this is the main reason I go - I get connected. Spending four days with almost 200 people who value the creation of new photography-based work makes me feel - even after the event is over - that I am part a larger community of accomplished image makers from around the country. Now, back here in the studio all by myself, I feel profoundly that I am not alone.
“What I am looking for are sites that evoke a feeling of inner peacefulness, some quality of contemplation. I don’t always get it, and I don’t always translate it, but I certainly know when the feeling comes over me and that’s what keeps me going.” -Lynn Davis, New York Times, Sunday, April 8, 2007This past Sunday found me with bagels, eggs and coffee, perusing the Arts & Leisure section of the New York Times where I was struck by an article about the photographs of Lynn Davis, called “Travels Abroad Lead to Journeys Within.” Lynn has an exhibit that just opened at the Rubin Museum in New York City – a show which Charles Melcher describes as “taking Lynn out of the white box of the traditional gallery and placing her in a museum that feels more like a temple.” I love that image.
When I read Lynn's quote above, I felt as if she was speaking directly to me. "Evoking a feeling of inner peacefulness, some quality of contemplation" is what I am after in my Sanctuary series (pictured here). I want these images to speak of internal refuge – a resting place for the mind. These days, I am photographing, bottling, then re-photographing, then printing, editing, and re-printing – building this series from the three currently completed pieces into a larger collection. Lynn's words remind me to trust my inner instincts about what has that “feeling” and belongs in the series, and what does not.
A huge sense of relief flooded me after leaving Trillium the other day. Located in Brisbane, CA, Trillium (aka The Land of Yes) specializes in fine art printing - everything from lithography to digital media. I have been experimenting with the latter with the excellent help of imaging specialist Kris Shapiro. She is a whiz with Photoshop, and although my knowledge of PS is expanding, it was nice to be able to have Kris make edits quickly for me that would have taken much trial and error for me to figure out. Sometimes it’s just really nice to have someone hold your hand, especially with a deadline fast approaching.
My Bolinas Museum show will be installed in two weeks, and I am happy to say with a huge sigh that the work is almost complete. I have a dozen new pieces from Bottle Dreams, and digital prints from two new series, Evocations and Sanctuary. Pictured here are some of my prints, all curly from coming straight off the press. I owe much gratitude to the Epson printer in the back left, named Scratch, and, of course, to Kris.
