Cupcakes.

I've recently begun eating normal (read: solid) foods since I had a wisdom tooth extracted a week and a half ago... in the meantime, it had been a struggle painting this painting with its yummy cupcakes. Mmmm, cupcakes...

let them eat cake, 2009, oil on printed fabric, 16"x20", by me, Diane Feissel

Where's Waldo?

Funny news - there was a recent profile in February's issue of San Francisco Magazine on SF interior designer Ken Fulk. Unfortunately you can't see all of the photos in the online version of the story, accessible here, but in the print copy there are some lovely pictures of his home and office building in SOMA, and if you squint your eyes and enlist the aid of a microscope, you can make out a couple of my paintings in there... he also has a painting by my super-awesome former studiomate from San Francisco, Michael Schoenig, and it also appears he has a painting by this great Finnish artist named Tiina Heiska, whose work is shown through Galerie Susan Nielsen in Paris. So... suffice it to say, I approve of Mr. Fulk's taste in art! Haha.

Anyway, if you're in the SF Bay Area, pick up a copy and take a look... it's the issue with Barack Obama on the cover (like every other magazine these days, I suppose).

Here's the painting that can be seen most clearly, 100 points for you if you can find it in the spread:

untitled, oil on canvas, 24"x24", done in 2003 by me, Diane Feissel.

Exposing.

Ok. So, it looks as though a painting of mine got into this year’s Raleigh Fine Arts Society exhibition, which was juried by Kimerly Rorschach of the Nasher Museum (at Duke University – see this post). Sweeet. Unfortunately only one of the two paintings I submitted was accepted, which always makes me wonder what they saw in one as opposed to the other one. Ah well. If you’re in NC, check it out at the Progress Energy Center starting March 1.

Anyway, here’s the painting that was selected:

the Celtic tiger at rest, oil on printed fabric, 10"x10", 2008, by me, Diane Feissel.

No more Whiz Bang!

Just got the sad news the other day that a cute little fabric store I discovered on my last stay in San Francisco will be going out of business. Dammit! Probably another victim of the crappy economy, I suppose. Sigh. Anyway, they had a great selection of fabrics, gorgeous patterns and such. I stocked up while I was there for painting projects, here's one of them (still slightly in-progress) on Amy Butler fabric that I'll be showing at Morning Times in March:

duck duck duck duck duck duck duck GOOSE, oil on printed fabric, 24"x30" by me, Diane Feissel

Wobbly.

This has been a weird two weeks, and right at this moment I'm feeling especially weird in the physical sense because I took too many extra-strength aspirins to try and kill a low-grade headache I've had for the past 5 days. They're making a small dent in the headache but an even bigger dent in my ability to function, as I feel all woozy and wobbly and such. Yuck.

Despite this, I'm going to try to make it over to Visual Art Exchange for a bit tonight to check out their "Punchline" show (before we go to see Art Garfunkel, yay!!!!) - a painting of mine is in this month's show, here it is:

French Suite #1: No Exit - oil on printed fabric, 10"x10", by me, Diane Feissel.

If you hadn't heard of it, this is a reference to Jean-Paul Sartre and his experiments with hallucinogens (mescaline, I believe). The lingering after-effect of this experimentation left him with a recurring paranoia about being pursued by... a lobster. Yes, a lobster. Not sure what's up with that. I am pretty sure, however, that the takeaway message from all of this is: DRUGS. DON'T DO THEM.

Surprise good news.

Apparently one of my paintings - which will be in the annual fundraising auction for Visual Art Exchange - has won a third place award for this event. Groovy! Check it out here.

Here's the painting, btw:

chaos theory 2, oil on canvas, 12"x12", by me (Diane Feissel)

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So easely.

So I've been spending a lot of time painting lately, hanging out with the ole easel... I realized recently just how awesome this easel has been, and how great it is that it's hung in there with me for the last 14-15 years or so. With props to Greg, who got it for me to begin with, I can say that it's lasted me through several residences and studios, not to mention of course hundreds of paintings over the years (many of them just terrible - no fault of the easel, of course).Let's see, it's lasted through moves through the following locations:

apt. on 12th (Philadelphia)
apt. on Passyunk
apt. on Pine
apt. on 17th
room on 63rd (Oakland)
apt. on Lenox
apt. on Bush St. (San Francisco)
apt. on Green St.
art studio at Art Explosion
condo on Pearl St. (Oakland)
art studio at 1890 Bryant Street (San Francisco)
apt. on Oakland Ave. (Oakland)
apt. on Vernon
condo on Sandlin (Raleigh)
art studio at 311 West Martin
That's a lot of locations... and this easel has been with me in all of them. In honor of 3 states' and 15 years' worth of solid service, I give you... easel haiku:

always standing there
tireless and paint-covered
my devoted friend.

Yay easel!