Change is afoot

Blogging is not as easy as it sounds...amazing how busy life can be! I thought I should do a little update as there are big things happening in my life and for my art. Mainly, I've decided to leave the beautiful but sleepy little town of Santa Fe and try my luck in the modern energetic city of Los Angeles! 

Now, many of you are probably shaking your heads...why! Why would you leave Santa Fe?! Well, I've been here almost 7 years now and while I have learned a lot, I'm ready for a change. This is not a place for the young and single. It's been a great education in the business of art and galleries, as well as a great notch on my resume. Now it's time to take those lessons and build on them and learn something new. The Los Angeles art scene is more contemporary and I'd like to work in a more abstract market that may even reach overseas to the European art scene. Adventure! I crave adventure! That and riding my Harley up the Pacific Coast Highway while watching the sun set over the ocean.

As for my art, I will continue to do my cloudscapes as best as I can without the amazing New Mexico sky as my daily inspiration, but I have been wanting to focus more on color fields and some abstractions based on meditations, color and transitions. I also want to paint on a very, very large scale...like wall size, maybe even looking into business markets who need large scale works for offices and lobbies. 

At the same time, after talking to my boss and discussing my exit strategy, they decided to close Gallery 822, which means I'm out of a job either way! What a great kick in the butt, don't you think? Go, Sara, get out there and find something/somewhere new! I couldn't change my mind if I wanted to. 

As of right now, the plan is to leave Santa Fe on December 29th and stop in Vegas for a few days to celebrate the new year. From there I head to LA where I will stay at a nice cheap AirBNB in West Hollywood while I find the cheapest/nicest studio apartment I can find. I'll also be looking for a job at a gallery or something in sales (don't worry mom, I have a lot of friends and contacts!). Speaking of, you reading this, if you have any connections in LA involving gallery work or living spaces, call me!

So that's my plan. I am busy cleaning out my stuff and downsizing, painting commissions for friends before I go, and looking for someone who can take care of my kitties while I'm apartment hunting. And feel free to peruse www.sarashawger.com if you're interested in purchasing any of my art, I'll need every penny for my big move! 

I promise to keep you updated here and on my Facebook, but for now I'll leave you with this LA cat...

Drawing

 Carried Away, 10x10, pastel/graphite on paper

I've been feeling my pastels lately, I love creating the smooth transitions of sky and playing with all the different shades and varieties of blue that I can find.  That subtle shift right at the horizon where it can be green or pink, grey or even white.  When I work on my paintings I stand tall (well, as tall as my five foot two inches can go!) and paint with constant action and energy.  My drawings are more intimate, I sit at my drawing desk, close, hunched over the paper, a lamp hanging precariously over my head.  The pastel gets everywhere and I'm constantly wiping my fingers on my shirt or pants and blowing the dust from the surface.  I make a total mess, surprisingly moreso than when I'm painting I think.  

Storm on the Mesa, 4x6, pastel/graphite on paper

I think my favorite part is when I finish the color and I start my outline with the pencil, all the forms take a bold shape and pop off the paper.  Drawings feed my paintings, paintings feed my drawings, when I'm doing one I'm excited to return to the other.  I have these pieces put under a mat and wrapped so clients can frame them as they choose.  

Teach Me to Know, 6x5x8, pastel/graphite on paper