a must see: The Dust Bowl by Ken Burns

My family and I will be tuning in this weekend to watch the latest film by renowned director Ken Burns and PBS: The Dust Bowl. As you know, this subject matter is near and dear to me and at the heart of my 2011 stories on canvas: Dust Bowl Glimpses. I'm so very proud of the work because it gives a voice to the impoverished people who endured merciless conditions of a record-breaking 10-year drought in the 1930s. Please join me.

My Dust Bowl Glimpses series:

 

                                Open publication - Free publishing - More 1930s america

a bit of whimsy at red cheeks factory

chewing gummmm

We could all use a little whimsy in our lives, right? Well, you'll certainly get your fix when you visit Red Cheeks Factory!

I recently came across the brilliant works of artist Nelleke Verhoeff and instantly fell in love with all the whimsy. I believe you'll agree. Go ahead, take a peek! Enjoy!

cooperation

extra, extra....read all about my AMAZING ART SALE

 photo via Shorpy

Don't you just love this photograph?! Those faces, those clothes! I think its the perfect image to announce my 40% off sale.

Why am I having this HUGE SALE? Because I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who's hung in there and supported my work along the way. I'm definitely still creating art, it's just that I'm in a slow period since I am helping my mom through some serious health issues. My energies have also been focused on settling into the new school year, new school community, and part-time work. Thank you for not giving up on me!
 

For one week only everything my Etsy shop will be 40% off. Just be sure to enter the coupon code THANKYOU40 at checkout to receive your discount. Sale ends midnight Pacific time Friday, October 19th. Happy shopping!

vivienne's gifts

A sweet friend and fellow artist, Vivienne Strauss, recently sent me photos of a mural inside her local post office in Peterborough, NH. Knowing that my heart beats fast for art of this nature, Vivienne wanted to share her experience with me. Incredibly generous, right? Yes! Thank you Vivienne for these gifts!

 

The mural was completed in 1927 by Marguerite Zorach, an American fauvist painter, textile artist, and graphic designer who won the 1920 Logan Medal of the Arts. I encourage you to read more about her here. and here.  

Isn't the mural gorgeous?!

Speaking of gorgeous, if you aren't familiar with Vivienne's work, I highly recommend browsing her amazing body of work here, here and here. Additionally, the folks over at House of Fifty recently featured Vivienne's story on page 108. Check it out!

I'll leave you with one of my all-time favorite paintings of Vivienne's:

Candy Woods and the girls of the Peppermint Lounge, 1962 - Vivienne Strauss

muy bueno cookbook

I've sorely missed working in the studio...and blogging. I've been adjusting to our back-to-school routines, caring for my mom, and starting a part-time job handling social media for Full Slate appointment scheduling software (more on that development in a later post). But tonight, I have a free hour and I'm going to seize it to share some exciting news about a new cookbook, the Muy Bueno Cookbook. 

Muy Bueno
Nearly two years ago I discovered an amazing food blog chock full of authentic, mouth-watering Mexican recipes. Everything I was reading (and seeing) reminded me of my own childhood growing up in Denver in a Hispanic household. Weekends were spent at my grandmother's home devouring homemade tortillas, chili, and tamales (it was her cooking that inspired this painting and this painting).

 

I immediately reached out to Yvette to share my story and my admiration for the work she, her sister, and her mother were doing to preserve generations of treasured recipes. I've enjoyed watching their blog evolve and attract fans from all over, including none other than Michelle Obama. I'm thrilled to say they've just published their first cookbook and it's available for purchase on Amazon.com. (you'd better believe my copy will be here soon).  

Congratulations ladies!


Next up...
More details about Full Slate and the gifts from my friend, the über-talented artist Vivienne Strauss.

Stackpole's mural at Coit Tower

                              

Industries of California by Ralph Stackpole

Last month I had the privilege of seeing the work of WPA artists, including Ralph Stackpole, at San Francisco's Coit Tower. My family and I stumbled upon this monument on a morning walk from our hotel at Fisherman's Wharf.

Once inside, we were treated to a series of murals commissioned by the Public Works of Art Project under the New Deal federal government program in 1933. Perhaps Stackpole's mural stood out to me because of my fondness of old factories and images of laborers. There is immense beauty in these images.

The entire experience took my breath away. I imagined the artists working alongside each other. I thought about their conversations, collaborations, and debates. I could have stayed all day.

Industries of California by Ralph Stackpole

Industries of California by Ralph Stackpole

Here Comes the Sun

It's an absolute thrill to be featured alongside all the talented artists and artisans in Poppytalk's newest "Here Comes the Sun" Zine. It showcases all the splendor of summer happening right now at Poppytalk Handmade.

To celebrate, I'm offering FREE SHIPPING on all items in my Etsy shop for the duration of this Poppytalk Handmade market. Simply enter "BUYHANDMADE" at checkout.

So go ahead...dive on in! Cheers, Mandy

Open publication - Free publishing - More diy