Creative Musings

Yesterday, after I drove down to the De Young museum in San Francisco to see Rose B. Simpson give a talk and inaugurate the exhibit of her two Lowrider cars, “Maria” and “Bosque.” Just before going there, I’d spent hours receiving art for the next exhibit at Petaluma Arts Center, “Xicano Community Narratives.” I’m co-curating that show along with Anabell Nuñez, Juan Roman, and Vicky Kumpfer. So, I was already filled up with beautiful images that express stories of Chicano and Indigenous...

I recently took on a part-time gig as Program Manager of Petaluma Arts Center. It's turning out to be even more fun than I imagined. Today, I went to a lowrider car show to promote our next exhibit, which I'm co-curating, titled "Xicano Community Narratives." We're having our own lowrider festival as part of the exhibit. Another task is to gather local artists to paint empty wine barrels for an upcoming fundraiser. Over the last few days, I maneuvered and lifted over 25 of these giant things....

Oscar Wilde famously said, "When bankers get together for dinner, they discuss art. When artists get together for dinner, they discuss money." Some prefer to see artists as spiritual ambassadors floating above material concerns. They plug into the zeitgeist and brilliance flows out of them and patrons flood in. Or perhaps the artist should not have money, and should instead toil in poverty like Van Gogh, feverishly painting until they die from suicide or lack of self-care. "The Peace of the...

I’m teaching an in-person class at Petaluma Arts Center on Sunday, September 7—“From Mess to Masterpiece.” It’s a catchy name for a simple concept: any failed artwork can be saved and transformed. Every artist has experienced the frustration of a piece going awry. I’ve overworked and messed up my share of paintings! As long as I’m willing to let go of what I want it to look like, I can let it become something new. Click here to read more about the workshop. I first learned how to take risks...

When the world seems to be falling apart, making art can feel useless. What’s the point of painting, or writing a novel, or creating a song, when the government is doing what it’s doing, and the glaciers are melting, and the forests are burning, and we’re worried about money and health and loved ones? There are plenty of abstract answers: creativity is our human birthright, it’s a voice of hope in the darkness, etc. I can get intellectual and quote the studies on how art creates...

This week, I had the pleasure of visiting the studio of Franklin Williams. I’d only recently learned about his work. As it so happens, he lives just minutes from my house. It’s hard to describe what I experienced as I walked through the home he shares with Carol, his wife/partner/manager/best friend of 60+ years. It was like walking inside a work of art. Pieces were hung from floor to ceiling in a cacophony of color and pattern. The furniture was equally busy but complemented the art...

(Happy Birthday, Mom!) I just got my 4th tattoo completed. And like every tattoo, it tells a good story. The recent tattoo is named "Grace." It's the fourth "aspect" of my inner world that appeared when I was sorting out my fragmented parts. It's the part of me that forms a protective circle around the other three--Love, Faith, and Hope. The Monterrey cypress represents my move to (and love for) Northern California, and some of my scars form the branches. Grace is written on the blade because...

What is creativity? I like Eric Maisel’s definition: “Creativity is the fruit of deciding that you and your efforts matter. Once you decide to matter, you enter into a certain sort of generative self-relationship. Out of that self-relationship, a particular awareness state naturally arises, ideas are born, and the work of elaborating those ideas begins. “ For me, creativity comes from a deep need to be seen and heard. To be real, like the Velveteen Rabbit. And to interact with actual people...

A student of mine recently pointed out that I paint a lot of wings. And you know what, I’d never noticed it before! Birds, angels, butterflies, dragons. Wings are everywhere. "Bird Man," oil and digital painting Even my commercial work is full of them. Over the years I’ve designed a Pegasus-themed carousel; a hedge maze with a sphinx, phoenix, and griffin; a dragon rollercoaster. I’ve illustrated tons of birds and fairies. One of 27 book covers I've illustrated for Donna Andrews I often dream...