Sketching in preparation for first solo show at Marin Coffee Roasters!

Happy, excited, scared, confident, up, down, sideways!  That describes my reaction after being invited to do my first ever solo show... and of course I have no actual paintings to show and the opportunity is in just a couple weeks.  But I said yes after getting some encouragement from friends and a wonderful former painting teacher.  And you know, it's just art and a coffee shop and other humans, so hey, there's really no way to go wrong.  Right?

Then I also realized that I have several days of vacation coming and my boss was very open to letting me take a few.  So paint, paint, paint!

I decided to focus on "Bolinas dogs" and just enjoy myself.   And then hopefully that enjoyment will show up in the paintings - and sketches.  I think I might take some of my beach dog photos and do some acrylic gel transfers too.  Luckily I have some gallery-wrap canvasses sitting around, since I absolutely can't afford to buy even one frame.

I did some sketching last night based on some of those photos and am so happy with the results, but then (and perhaps fellow artists, this happens to you too?) I had a total panic that I could never do anything like that ever ever again.  Oh that gremlin.  Shutten zee uppen, gremlin.

Here are more sketches.

The reception will probably be Friday February 5 at the Marin Coffee Roasters in San Anselmo.  More deets to follow.

Wish me luck!