Lazy Vacation

The trick with going on vacation is that it's darned hard to sketch while socializing with family and friends! Despite a whole week in California, I only got a chance to pick up the sketchbook twice. * ¡Lo difícil de ir de vacaciones es que es muy difícil dibujar cuando estoy enfocada en socilizar con familia y amigos! Pasé una semana entera en California, y solo tuve la oportunidad de dibujar dos veces. 

The first chance was when we stopped at my parent's house. Their kitties are not offended when I skip the conversation in favor of the paints! * La primera vez fue cuando nos paramos en la casa de mis padres. ¡Los gatos no son ofendidos si agarro las acuarelas en vez de conversar!

Later, I took a few quiet moments to sketch while I watched my husband and his mom play a strategy game. * Después, encontré algunos momentos pacificos para dibujar mientras observaba un juego de estrategia entre mi esposo y su mamá.

But I don't mean to complain--I had a lovely time seeing folks, and it was very relaxing all around. Plus, my little 3-year-old niece got a chance to do some serious painting with my watercolors while we waited for dinner! It's a delight to see how much she seemed to learn with each stroke of the brush. Inspiring. * Pero no debo quejarme--era un gran placer visitar con todos, y me relajé mucho. Ademas, ¡mi nieta de 3 años tuvo la oportunidad de hacer un serie de pinturas con mis acuarelas mientras esperamos la cena en un restaurante! Me encanta ver cuánto ella aprendió con cada paso del pincel--qué inspiración.

Perspective

Lois Reynolds Mead, one of my wonderful aunties, just installed an art exhibit in her hometown of Orinda, California. The show features not only Lois' wide range of lovely artwork--ceramics, bookmaking, photography, collage--but also a sampling of drawings and paintings by my grandfather, Chang Reynolds.

Collages and travel journal by Lois Reynolds Mead.

Now, I need to confess something--I can get frustrated with my old artwork. Sometimes I just want to take all my old drawings and paintings that are stuffed into boxes and folders all over the house, and just chuck them out the window. Why they heck do I keep this stuff around?

Sketchbook by Chang Reynolds. Photo by Lois Reynolds Mead.

But looking through Lois' photos of her art show reminded me that preserving my old work really is a wonderful investment. Even if I am not working in a certain medium any more. Even if I'm not convinced that it turned out quite how I wanted it too. Despite any doubts that I may have, being able to lay out decades of adventures in art and see how it all builds on itself is a magical process. And the way I'm reacting to these photos--"Man, I just LOVE that!"--may well be how other folks react to some of my stuff, too. (It's hard to remember that, sometimes.)

Photo by Lois Reynolds Mead

I also realized that seeing artwork that is done by family members has a unique layer of wonderfulness built into it. It's not just a question of thinking, "That is beautiful." There is also the thrilling additional dynamic of thinking, "That is part of who I am."

Sketchbook by Chang Reynolds. Photo by Lois Reynolds Mead.

Big thanks to Aunt Lois for putting this show together, and being a delightful inspiration in so many ways. If you're in the Bay Area, I'd encourage you to swing by the Orinda Public Library and see the show in person! It's up through the end of January 2013, and the artist’s reception is on Sunday, January 27, 2013, from 2:00-4:00.

Piedras Blancas

I thought that I'd posted all the drawings from my visit to San Luis Obispo this summer, but it turns out there are two more to share. At the end of June, my family and I drove to a beach near Hearst Castle to see the elephant seals. These enormous beasts spend a lot of time studiously napping, but then they can leap into pretty ferocious wrestling matches to impress the ladies. They're quite impressive. 

Pensé que había terminado con los dibujos de mi visita a San Luis Obispo, pero ya descubro que todavía faltan dos bosquejos más. A fines de junio, mi familia y yo conducimos a una playa cerca de Hearst Castle, para ver los elefantes marinos--animales gigantescos que vacilan entre una siesta enfocada y batallas feroces para establecer dominancia. Son increíbles.

It was a very windy afternoon, so I went back to the car with my grandma and from there I painted the "Piedras Blancas" rocks which rise out of the water just past the elephant seal beach. The fun thing is that I discovered a painting of the exact same rocks hanging on the wall of my grandmother's house that afternoon--my grandpa had painted it years before. His version was a stormier day, more muted colors, painted in oils...but it was a fun to find that link nonetheless! 

Como había mucho viento en el momento de visitar, regresé al auto con mi abuela, y yo pinté la vista de la Piedras Blancas que salen del océano en este lugar. Lo divertido es que, al regresar a la casa de mi abuela, descubrí una pintura de las mismas piedras que mi abuelo había hecho, desde hace varios años. El lo había pintado en óleo, en un día del invierno con el cielo más gris con las nubes, pero todavía era divertido encontrar esta conexión.  

Visiting Family

My brother and his family came to visit during the kid's spring break. Some quick doodles I did while we were all gathered in the kitchen, playing board games and reading books.

The younger nephew was really eager to pose when he saw that I was drawing folks; the older nephew was trying to focus on the board game, and only occasionally glanced over to let me keep drawing. I was amused by that dynamic.