Summer's over

Haven't had a lot of time in the studio since Saturday. We had to pack up my oldest daughter for her second year at college. What an undertaking, why did I think that it would be easier the second time around. We still had the mad rush to Wal-mart for those little things that we forgot to get, even though we have had lists going for weeks now. Anyway, I am so glad that she is at a school that she really likes and is inspired to excel this year. She's a smart cookie and has a bright future ahead of her, as a parent, its really exciting to watch. Of course the leaving was emotional, and the 5 hour drive home seemed to take forever, but I am secure with the fact that she is where she is suppose to be, so I am missing her but not sad, which is good.

Her 2 sisters started high school today. They were up at the crack of dawn to do their hair, make up and make sure that they had the right outfit on. It was fun to watch. I know that they will be exhausted when they get home, so to give them a boost I will make the proverbial chocolate chip cookies, something that I have not been able to do for the past 5 years since I usually start teaching the same day they start school. Since I don't even start meetings for another week I will have time do a little baking and finish the last of the paintings for my show.

I am excited for my show and the new school year. Its like a brand new start for the whole family, there is an energy around the house that is refreshing and exhilarating.

MINE: images of descent, again

Yesterday I made many attempts at publishing the information about my upcoming show, but had major technical difficulties. So this is basically a contiuation of the previous entry.

The title of my show is:
MINE: images of descent
new works by Shari Jamieson and Mary Weimer Green
September 9 - October 1, 2006
True Art Gallery
410 East 156th
Cleveland, Ohio 44110
Opening reception is Sept. 9th 6:00-10:00

All are welcome, it should be a really good time. The owners, Joanie and Jim, are great and I know we will have a wonderful opening.

I am really happy with the way this series of work has been coming out. For this show Mary Green and I decided to focus on a word that has many meanings and connotations and then create work from our interpretations. The word that we chose was MINE. Mary's work reflects her spirituality. She took the word as a challenge to what is it that she truly owns? what can she really call "mine"? She realized that it is only her beliefs, her faith, that she can control, she can call her own.



The above print is one of Mary's from 2003. I am really looking forward to seeing her new work. We are good friends and have shown our work together before at the Boot Gallery in Little Italy. We had a great show then, and an incredible opening. Its going to be great to do it again.

For my work I chose to focus on the literal meaning of the word MINE. My mother grew up in a Port Carbon, a small coal mining town in Pennsylvania. As a child my family visited there at least once a year, and I visited regularly once I was on my own. I always enjoyed the visits, seeing my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. I have a lot of family in that area. Two years ago my grandmother passed away and on a summer visit the family had to clean out my grandparents house to sell it. We spent one last night in the living room, going through boxes of pictures and wearing my Mam's hats. It was hard to let go, it was the house that we gathered in for so many years. It seemed to be the anchor for my family. It was from this experience that I drew my inspiration for my work. I asked myself, how did mining effect the towns that grew up around them, like Port Carbon? How did mining effect the people that lived in these towns, like my grandparents, and their descendants, me? These coal mines that seem so distant from my everyday life have had an impact on who I am. This is where my inspiration began.

Mine: images of descent

untitled, acrylic on canvas, 24x48

I have only 4 canvases to finish and I am completely ready for my show.

Riding High

I've been pretty busy lately figuring some things out. One is why did this birthday, and not any others, get to me? Well, I realized that for the past 10 years I have been extremely busy, raising the 5 kids, the divorce, going back to school and getting my degree, starting my artistic career, starting teaching, going back to school again......Every other birthday I've had has been so busy that I didn't feel as though I was aging, just improving. So, with this in mind I decided that the reason I was feeling so bad is because I haven't been improving my life, just running around in circles.

This summer has been hectic with sports, music lessons, taking kids back and forth to work. The only time that I have had for myself is in the studio, and even there is has been stressful trying to get ready for my show in September. Don't get me wrong, I am fortunate to have a studio space in my home, and I love the work and I love being home with my children, its just painting and running the kids around is all I have been doing. A change was much needed so...

My 14 year old asked me if she could start biking. She is my only child that has not been involved with sports, so I though this is a great idea for her to get her active. Five years ago, my sister and I took a biking tour around the Umbrian region of Italy. I loved every minute of it and wanted to start biking when I got home. Well, life got busy and I never followed up on that interest, until now.



This is a picture of the bicycle that I bought for myself and my daughter (no we haven't gotten any spandex shorts). We have been biking and having a great time. We have started out on the biking trails of our local park district, less chance of being seen by anyone until we really know what we are doing, and can pull off wearing those shorts. Its been great, not to many sore muscles and some good conversations with my daughter. Since she is starting high school in a couple of weeks we made a deal, she keeps her grades up and for graduation we could bike around Italy. I even went out and got some language cd's and have been trying to learn Italian on my drives back and forth from picking up and dropping off. So now when things are getting crazy, my daughter and I hop on our bikes and ride away, arrivederci!!!