willo + me

ok bare with me, i'm a little shy on camera... but i love my friend willo and we always have the best conversations while hiking, biking and at LIDL our design league, that i gave a taped interview a whirl. willo and her team did a great job putting it together!

here's the trailer:

go here for the whole one with SNEAK PEEKS of my book cover in progress!!!

much love,

mati rose

Dream Lab with Mondo Beyondo & Brene Brown

I'm writing this quickly all fuzzy with an ear ache... because I truly believe this class is going to be incredible and potentially life changing, actually most likely it will change your life for the better.

Both Mondo Beyondo and Brene have absolutely changed mine. I took the first class of MB over a year ago and so many of my big fat scary dreams have come true with doing the dream work.

Brene's book "The Gifts of Imperfection" is a must read.

Listen to her Ted talk too, so good....

It starts tomorrow! Sign up for the class with me! Click on Dream Lab 2011!!!!

hbd fanny!!

i want to wish my intern turned assistant crafty fanny a super happy birthday!!! here she is super cute in her bike dress on my back porch in her sweet red sandals that i have too :-)



Can you see my meyer lemon tree behind her? Totally in love with it as well as CF.

And here's another shot of cutie Fanny behind the scenes making the magic happen.



xoxoxo
Mati

hula's show at arkay workshop!

i'm so excited to spread the word of andrea corrona jenkins' solo show entitled "built like this" opening this friday at arkay workshop!!

i am such a big fan of andrea aka hula and hot damn, it's about time she had a san francisco show! i've been helping behind the scenes to organize this! hope you can come out friday. it's gonna be really good. think art, good people, music, cupcakes and vino.

there's a nice write-up and preview on poppytalk :)

xxxx
mati

It's What You See that Matters

Hey guys!

My good friend Lisa Congdon is teaching a 3 day painting class in the mountains of Oregon... swoon! I would so love to be part of her class. Lisa is someone who I've admired from day one for her generousness, talent, passion, color and fashion sense and big smile & heart.. aww. I love her and her art and cannot sing enough praises for her person and how phenomenal this class will be!! You will learn so much! There are only a few spots left-- hope you can be the lucky one :-)



San Francisco mixed media artist Lisa Congdon is teaching a three day painting workshop in the Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon! Sponsored by ACE CAMPS, this workshop is a once in a lifetime experience! Lisa will work with you to explore how to create their own paintings of the natural world—as you see it—through your own distinct vantage point. Lisa will lead the group in exercises designed both to help you see the idiosyncrasies in the natural world and to draw and paint them in your own unique ways. Participants will learn to recognize and honor their own personal perspectives and translate them into their paintings and drawings. Environment will be easy going, enjoyable and safe! Delicious meals and time built in to relax and enjoy the woods are part of the whole deal.

Lisa’s daily sessions will include walks in the woods, observations, discussions, and exercises in painting and drawing.

Artists of all levels, from beginner to experienced are encouraged to participate.

Space is limited, so sign up today!

From Orchards, Fields and Gardens

artwork above by Oona Ratcliffe, Jill Bliss, Gwen Shlichta and Sarah Rubens

Over the weekend I got a sneak peek of my friend Shash's new book and it is stunning, simply breathtaking:
From Orchards, Fields, and Gardens: Art and rememberings celebrating sustainable agriculture and good food

Chock full of beautiful art and stories on gardens and food. I can't wait to pour over the pages with my own copy! It's thick too! It features over 11 authors and photos and illustrations from over 21 artists (I contributed both an illustration and photos!) with 84 pages printed on recycled paper.

Shash wrote about the project on her own blog these words:
I've been working on this thing for ten months. I often feel that I lack faith that things will work out ok, and this lack of faith makes me not take risks. I worry. And I envy people who believe there's a greater, loving force out there. They must feel more secure. Making this book has tested my (non-religious) faith. But I think it has also generated faith, because each step in the process yielded positive responses. Two friends encouraged me from the start. People I asked to contribute to the book agreed to do so—amazing! When I suggested edits, people didn't seem to think I was a meanie! When I asked (via snail mail because he doesn't do computers) Wendell Berry if one of the contributors could include stanzas from one of Berry's poems, he promptly wrote back, and he agreed! When I asked a long ago ex for help with a final edit, she agreed! When I asked for printer recommendations (after not feeling confident about the one I'd planned on using), a friend sent me to a helpful, flexible, fair, green, family-run press. This project has forced me to ask for help and to let go/not put so much pressure on myself when I can't meet deadlines. I still feel quite nervous about the final product (wondering if I made good design choices, etc.), but I'm also very excited and grateful. Thank you book contributors and friends!

Her words and hard work are such a testament to what can happen when you go fourth to pursue your creative dreams! I'm seriously so happy for Shash. I remember one day when she came over and we drew mind maps of creative ideas... and now hers has become a reality.

Oh yeah, It's available for pre-order here and get $4 off the regular price!

xxx

excerpts from "....simple list"

1. it's really simple really, to paint is to trust to believe in our instincts; to become.
2. painting is an investigation of being.
4. painting is an act of devotion. a practiced witnessing of the human spirit.
5. paintings are about: paint, observation & thought.
10. light is the true home of painting.
13. painting, like water takes form. paint is a film of pigment on a plane. it is not real in a way gravity bound sculpture is real. it is however real. painting comes to reality through illustion which allows us to make a leap of faith; to believe. to believe in a blue which can be a wing of a bug or a thought. it makes our invisible visible.

by squeak

found scrawled onto notes of mine so pardon punctuation and lack of accuracy to the source.

new england artists

While I was back east I had the privilege of hanging out with some talented folks! I love getting a window into other artists worlds and inspiration.

Susy Pilgrim Waters (also repped by Lilla) graciously hosted me in Boston after Surtex in her beautiful & color filled artist home. I love this picture below taken in her studio...

Susy took me to some great spots. A sweet shop in Brookline called pod and out for lunch at her dear friend's restaurant Matt Murphy's (YUM!) where she had beautiful bunny paintings up. Susy also has paintings up next door at Pomodoro (run by the same owner & i highly recommend both if you live in the boston area) and seen on her blog! Thank you Susy for so much fun!!

Later on in our vacation Hugh & I met up with another sweet & super talented artist friend Lisa De John (repped by Lilla too). We stayed with Lisa & her also super talented artist husband Scott to ring in 2010. Like Susy, Lisa & Scott's home is gorgeous and filled with lots of art & mid-century modern style. Lisa gifted us this awesome owl which available in her etsy shop along with other treats!

While in Maine we popped over the bridge to Portsmouth, NH to Nahcotta one of my favorite shops to see the amazingly supportive & wicked inspiring owner Deb. I just read her mission statement on the shop blog. So good and inspiring me to write one!

We believe a sense of humor, compassion, art, integrity and pets are integral parts of a happy life. We believe in the importance of being inspired. We believe that the things that make you feel are just as important as the things that make you think. We believe in connecting - with our neighbors next door and across the world. We strive to make art accessible to anyone and everyone because things of beauty enrich our lives in ineffable ways. We love what we do.

Isn't that good??! Half the reason I'm writing in this blog right now!

I also wanted to mention that Hugh and I bought these awesome placemats at Nahcotta illustrated by Jen Judd-McGee and another by Matte Stephens as a housewarming gift from my mom. Thanks, Mom! They are so cool-- you can even color on them with markers :) Perfect for when our nieces & nephews come over, but really we too are such kids at heart.

One night Deb and I drove up to Portland, ME to have dinner with the aforementioned Jen Judd-McGee & Betsy Thompson (fellow ETA show pals too!). I loved hanging out with all of them and what an easy connection you can have with folks you never see, but admire their work so.

I love the simplicity, color and composition of Betsy's collage work. I can totally see a kid's book in her future. This print available in her etsy shop is especially humorous: Sardines with Confucius

Jen's work continues to amaze me with the intricacy and pattern and continual growth. She's now illustrating maps for the beautiful Maine magazine now too. Go Jen! A while back I bought this print from Jen that frequently inspires me in my studio. Available in her etsy shop along with so many other beauties!

Last but not least, we hung out with my artist relatives Jamie & Marty and their incredibly talented daughter Daisy (she's already seriously surpassing me in the drawing department at age 13!). Jamie gifted us this image of Hugh & I walking together after our wedding... in the Navarro river up in Philo, CA. Honored to have this hanging in our home.


Okay that's a pretty good wrap of the artist friends we hung out with on our vacation back east!
xoxoox

Hope & Joy for Haiti

Myriam and the moon photo by Andrea Scher

When the earthquake happened in Haiti many of us waited to hear from our friend Myriam about her family there. She wrote:

My uncle Victor and Tante Mado both separately support two schools in Haiti, both have been demolished, many dead.. My uncle is housing as many children from the school as he can, all are disconnected from their own families. The shortage of water and food is chaotic and the trauma experienced is only just beginning to be understood.

My Tante Mado has 52 school girls without homes, living at the remains of their school. Another aunt, continues to wait for communication with her sister whom she was on the phone with when the quake started. It's very confusing what the best help is right now as it seems nothing is enough. Communication is so difficult, we are getting reports of deaths without any real confirmations. My heart just aches and aches, while my head spins with thoughts of how to empower myself and use all of my resources.

In speaking with family, funding is the most vital. Some are thinking beyond the disaster recovery to rebuilding homes, schools and churches.

Myriam has made the goal of raising 30,000 to help her family and the children of Haiti. You can read all about her story right here and donate below. I feel so grateful to be able to give money directly to a friend and to know how it will be used. Myriam hopes to return to bring the money personally to Haiti to document the process. Please also spread the word and blog about Joy for Haiti too if you feel moved to!

collab-orations!

when writing my list of 34 good things a theme emerged of artistic collaborations. it seems like 2010 has even more in store!

starting with this great collab with my talented pal jen of sprout studios! i'm january's necklace of the month artist edition. jen is featuring two of my art pieces~ a feather power girl and "show the world your magic" manifesto elaborated on here. see more deets & purchase them to wear here!

Art Sustains Us Auction

I wanted to let folks know about this incredible auction to help a woman named Anandi who has cancer and is in need. You can read about the auction here and have a look and bid on some of the great handmade work available.

I contributed this stacked circus print on a wooden gallery block so it's ready to hang or stand on a shelf. Some of my favorite artists and friends~ Lisa Congdon, Eric Rewitzer, Annie Galvin, Amy Ruppel and Diana Fayt among many others have listed work to bid on for this excellent cause.

Kendra's Persimmon Pudding (reposted)

Is really like a moist cake. I'm reposting this because it's persimmon season again!

I saved an email from my friend Kendra (dated xmas eve, 2000 when i frantically emailed her for the recipe for my family's holiday party) and tucked it in my little mish-mash cookbook of faves... and pulled it out today after posting this pic. Kendra's a native northern Californian and plucks persimmons of of her folks trees. such a treat! in SF persimmons are in season and can be found at any little neighborhood stand, at least in the mission. Kendra is an amazing cook, organic farmer and one of my culinary role models (she made 1/2 the appetizers for our wedding!). Thanks lady!

here ya go-

Ingredients:flour, sugar, baking powder & soda, salt, cinnamon (plus nutmeg or ginger or anything else you want to add), vanilla, milk, persimmons, egg, butter, raisins(optional)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Sift 1c flour with 1c sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon.

Beat together 1 egg, 1c squished persimmon pulp, 1/4 cup milk, 1tsp vanilla, 1Tbs melted butter.

Combine the two mixtures and beat well. Add raisins, and/or nuts if you wish (I prefer pecans or walnuts to raisins), and pour into a greased baking dish. Bake at 300 for 1 hour, and server with lemon sauce (recipe following) and/or whipped cream with plenty of vanilla.

Lemon Sauce:
Ingredients: sugar, corn starch, water, 2 lemons, butter

Mix 1c sugar, 3/4 Tbs cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a heavy saucepan. Add 1c water slowly, stirring constantly. Boil 5 min until clear, add grated rind of 1 lemon (I add a little extra), cook another min. Remove from heat and add juice of 2 lemons plus 1Tbs butter.

Enjoy!

Mati (& implicitly Kendra)

I just noticed the formatting for this repost is cutting off some of the measurements... so here's the original post if you want to make it!

bluegrass, er, rocks

this weekend we managed to catch some good music at the free bluegrass fest in golden gate park. every year it gets bigger, but somehow we still manage to run into our friends. these photos were taken by bob lake (the awesome mister of jenifer). they nearly stepped on us as they walked through the crowds with their doggie dixie... hey, we know you we said, have a seat. i love the top photo and the line of white turbans, the sun and the crowd shot to the stage as we watched ms neko case. i feel like i'm there again. i've never seen someone more inspired and better with the i-phone camera than bob. he's a talented photographer all around.

my fave song of neko's is that "teenage feeling"... i like this video i found on youtube and the textiles:

i also found this sweet illustrated video of hers... the artist looks like julie morstad, but i'm not sure?:

happy listening,
m

*hugh*

it feels overkill to say this, as it seems so obvious, but i am really really extremely proud and inspired on a daily basis by my husband hugh and his artistic vision. yes, i get annoyed with him for all the typical domestic things like.... leaving every cupboard door open for example and not ever taking out the trash. but today let's put all that aside and celebrate hugh not just for being my sweet husband, but for being an awesome artist!

here's a recent photo i snapped with my i-phone of hugh's art in our neighborhood! and here's his recent blog post about some great projects he's been working on. i really love seeing his process/sketches, don't you?
xxx
mati

georgia o

last night i had a dream i met georgia o and she was quasi homeless and no one else recognized her. i had the most fascinating conversation with her about art and life and staying true to self. my friend donna pointed me to this footage of 92 year old o'keeffe. i think, perhaps, regardless of your feeling towards her art it is interesting to listen to her talk. i greatly admire georgia for paving the way for future female artists. i read her bio a couple years ago and was struck by what a drastically different time and how her strong willed persistence pioneered the way for us.

i also am a big fan of new mexico, so that piles on the love! last year my friend jessie and i took a road trip to one of georgia's beloved homes and walked mesas and her paintings resonated anew.

i like in this video if you get far enough she says something like "i tried to paint what i saw. i thought someone could tell me how to paint the landscape, but i found nobody could". i love this sentiment of sitting down and trying and doing it your own way.

thanks georgia o,
mati

tuesday news: collaborative painting article

bigger here

bigger here

there's something so awe inspiring for me still to see my art featured in print. i am completely honored to share my collaborative paintings with kelly in somerset studio's sept/oct issue. kelly's words that accompany the paintings are very dear. thank you kelly + somerset. here's a video from when we were making those very paintings.

xxx
m

artist spotlight: laurel roth

My studio mate Laurel is having a show opening this thursday at the Frey Norris gallery here in SF. Her new work is stunning. I am very proud to share it with you here:

Birds of Paradise
Made from mixed media including fake fingernails, barrettes, false eyelashes, nail polish, jewelry, walnut, swarovski crystal and standing 48 x 50 x 50 inches high.

Biodiversity Reclamation Suits for Urban Pigeons: Carolina Parakeet
crocheted yarn, hand carved pigeon mannequin, walnut stand
8 x 9 x 13 in.


Food #5, Pig
walnut, gold leaf, swarovski crystal
11 x 6 x 7 1/2 in.

I really admire Laurel as a person, her art, her work ethic, her modesty at her brilliance, her dog Fargo, her help building things, and her unexpected use of materials like fake nails painstakingly painted with a range of glittery blue polish. Forever there was a box of 1,000 hair clips in our courtyard and I would walk by and think how incredible that she has turned something so mundane and packaged into such overwhelming jaw dropping beauty like her fighting Birds of Paradise.

Here is an artist essay to get a broader scope of her work. If you're local stop by Laurel's opening this Thursday, September 3rd to see all her work in person!

Congratulations Laurel for your show!

Thanks,
Mati

artist spotlight: squeak carnwath

a few weeks ago... maybe a month even... i was walking post-brunch around lake merrit and noticed signs overhead for squeak carnwath's show at the oakland museum. it felt like a sign meant for me! i dropped all other saturday plans and walked over what seemed like a maze of overpasses and underpasses to find the museum. 

i have admired squeak's work for years, but haven't seen much of it in person. there was a funny older docent whom i initially listened to, but had to give her a rest and just experience the paintings on my own. they were large and all encompassing of the space. it felt a little bit like what i imagine the holiness of church feels to some to see the lush paint up close and mark making.

i love so much about her work. one element was her "scientific" explorations of color and fake graphs that don't really make sense, but play with that idea of science. i also love her willingness to simply play and experiment with the unknown and how through looking at her painting you can follow her messes and how she changed her mind in one corner and painted over or spilled her paint or put her hand print in. her paintings capture moments in time. paintings capture the essence of time and if they were made at any different point in time would  be completely different! like life itself. exactly.

this painting above and concept of a "guilt free zone" in particular rocks! somewhere in the context of the show it was described how squeak had a friend who was diagnosed with cancer and how she wanted to give her friend a "guilt free zone" during that time. i love this.  we should all give ourselves a little guilt free zone, right?

squeak makes me want to paint. big with color and my personal symbols incorporated and writing too.

thank you squeak for inspiring me and for your adorable name.

make new friends, but keep the old

being in Maine last week reminded me filled me with nostalgia. 4 of my best friends from childhood--Kate, Bekah, Lynn and my sister Jesse are my gold and i feel so grateful that they are all part of my life. riding home from the memorial with Jesse, Bekah and i were all seated in the back seat of Bekah's mom's car as she drove, while we looked through a box of old photos and laughed. Then we stopped at DQ and had soft serve and i felt like we were 10 again. it was one of the most healing moments of the trip for me.

these pictures are cracking me up! the first one is of my sister Jesse, Kate and myself. love my beads and bathing suit. Jesse's scrunched nose and how tiny and cute Kate is. the 2nd one is my sister and i... we were "hot stuff". i was especially trying to look cool with my stance and collar up! i LOVED purple. and unicorns. and that slinky bracelet. and the oversized lunch bag. wow.

I also am feeling very grateful for my lovebomb peeps, although i missed the actual retreat, i got kissbombed with photos and added into the group shop. thank you lovebombers... i'm feeling the love rubbed off.

thank you to all of you for supporting the mere idea of my new biz! you guys are the BEST. 

if you have written to me, i have been away for a week and am VERY behind in my emails, but will get back to you soon.

xxxx
m

thomas campbell

for years i've been a huge fan of thomas campbell-- his lettering, paintings, installations, sculptures, photography and movies! man, he is multi-talent. last year i watched his surf movie sprout and i photo-ed images from it that made me swoon. here are several out of the dozens--

tonight his newest film the present premiers in SF and i am so psyched to see it!
xoxo
mati