Strasburg Studio Archives: New Beginnings

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Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

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N E W B E G I N N I N G S
 

APRIL SPOTLIGHT : "Shape of a Pocket"
48 x 24", oil on birch panel, 2023.

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Shape of a Pocket, 48 x 24”, oil on birch panel, 2023.

With the arrival of spring comes a flurry of energy—windows flung open, the stale quiet of winter finally breaking as light and air rush back in. There’s a particular kind of magic that only spring can bring. It’s more than just a change of season; it’s a shift in the spirit. Possibility lingers in the air like the scent of blossoms. Trees stretch out tentative green fingers, new buds unfurling after months of hibernation. Grasses, in our typically semi-arid landscape, glow with a sudden and unexpected green, a color so vivid it startles the eye. It’s a reminder that even the driest seasons give way to growth. The transformation is powerful enough to lift even the heaviest hearts, striking a match of joy in even the most steadfast pessimist.

This month’s spotlight painting, Shape of a Pocket, which is now on view in the Spring Salon at Sullivan Goss, seems to belong to that spirit of renewal. Though not an older work, it’s one that, perhaps did not get the time it deserved in the spotlight. Created in 2023 for the solo exhibition SURFacing at Sullivan Goss, this piece was part of a broader dialogue—one that began with my 2021 show SEA CHANGE. Both exhibitions explored the local shoreline — the places where land meets sky and sea, where boundaries blur and freedom feels just within reach.

In these works, the horizon became both metaphor and invitation. At the time, we were all still processing the claustrophobia of Covid-era isolation, yearning for openness, for expanse, for breath. The ocean became my muse and mirror—offering reflection, rhythm, and the reminder that change, like the tide, is constant and inevitable.

Through it all—pandemic, political unrest, climate anxiety, personal highs and lows—there’s always been one reliable anchor: gratitude. I’m endlessly thankful for my health, for the work I’m privileged to create, for the love that surrounds me in countless forms. And always, always, for the land. It continues to speak to me, to inspire me, to center me. The muse doesn’t need to shout; often, it just quietly waits, like a tidepool at low tide, full of treasures if we only pause and look closely enough.

Shape of a Pocket, in many ways, captures that. It’s a small gesture, a held space, a gentle offering of beauty and hope—something we can all carry with us into this new season of light.

Images from SURFacing. 2023 exhibition at Sullivan Goss, Santa Barbarra.

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You can find my work with gallery Ocotillo at the San Francisco Art Fair next week.
The show runs Thursday evening April 17 through Sunday April 20, 2025
at the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion.

SURGE, 35.5 x 35.5", oil on birch panel, 2021

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 Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

 One treasure. One story. Once a month.

I look forward to sharing the hidden gems in my studio in this monthly series.
Feel free to forward to other treasure seekers and art lovers.

Strasburg Studio Archives: SPRING GREENS

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Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

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S P R I N G G R E E N S
 

MARCH SPOTLIGHT : "Spring Greens & Trickster"
each image 4 x 4", gouache on Arches board, 2018.

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Spring Grees, 4 x 4”, gouache on arches board.

Well, spring has arrived. Sorry Punxsutawney Phil. California has not been experiencing your predicted extra six weeks of winter. I dreamed of more wonderfully wet, rainy days filling the house with smells of bubbling soup on the stove and fresh baked bread, coupled with hours in the studio tucked away from the elements with the dog happily snoozing nearby.

Sigh. If only…

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we don’t have freezing temperatures with feet of snow piling outside or days on end of grey skies with rain that just won’t let up. But there’s something to be said for the slow, quiet rhythm of winter—the kind of days that invite you to stay in, to let time linger and stretch. The kind of days where the world outside feels a little farther away, and you can lose yourself in the simple pleasures of creation.

My March spotlight, Spring Greens & Trickster, are small gouache paintings on Arches board. I spend many happy hours at my drawing table creating these small paintings. Sometimes, they begin as studies for larger projects, and other times, they’re simply born from the pure pleasure of a brush gliding across the surface.

The beauty of working in a smaller format is the freedom it offers—the chance to explore new ideas, to test out different compositions, or to play with unexpected color combinations. These little experiments become stepping stones, guiding me toward what might eventually find its way onto a much larger canvas. And on those winter afternoons, when the fading light seems to pull the day into an early dusk, they offer me a way to keep moving, to keep creating. Each brushstroke is a connection, a thread to the next day’s work, to the endless possibilities that lie just beyond the horizon of my studio.

Trickster, 4 x 4”, gouache on arches board.

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Both, Spring Greens & Trickster, were paintings created for the exhibition The River's Journey: A Wider View hosted by Sullivan Goss in Ocotber of 2018. You can watch the fabulous video narrated by Susan Bush and view some of the collection from the show HERE. The image size is 4 x 4" and both pieces are framed with an 8ply matboard in a brushed florentine silver frame, finished size 13 x 11". 

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 Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

 One treasure. One story. Once a month.

I look forward to sharing the hidden gems in my studio in this monthly series.
Feel free to forward to other treasure seekers and art lovers.

Strasburg Studio Archives: K O Y A A N I S Q A T S I

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Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

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K O Y A A N I S Q A T S I
( L i f e  o u t  o f  B a l a n c e )
 

FEBRUARY SPOTLIGHT : "IN THE BALANCE"
48 x 24", oil on birch panel, 2018.

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Thank you for joining me on this monthly trip through the archives of my studio. 

In the Balance, 48 x 24”, oil on birch panel.

January wrapped itself in a heavy fug. Here it is at its close and I scramble to get this archive post written. The holidays came and went, leaving me with little energy to welcome the new year. Deciding to merge the January and February newsletters, I hoped that somewhere in the mix, I’d find the spark to ignite 2025.

Alas, each day’s news cycle drains me and the great loss suffered by our southern neighbors in the Los Angeles fires made a sobering start to this year.

February’s spotlight, In the Balance, reflects my state of mind right now; so much that we hold dear feels like it’s teetering on the edge.

I wouldn’t call myself an activist, but I do consider myself a deeply sensitive observer of the world around me—keenly aware of the toll humanity is taking on the natural world. In In the Balance, I wanted to capture not just the majesty of the polar bear, but also the fragility of its existence in a rapidly changing world.

As these magnificent creatures struggle to adapt to the loss of their icy habitat, they’ve become more than symbols of the Arctic; they’re like the canaries in the coal mine, warning us of the delicate balance at stake.

The message grows stronger with each passing year: as the ice caps melt and the polar bear’s future grows more uncertain, we are reminded of the impact of our actions. We humans can be greedy creatures whose aspirations often overshadow the needs of the earth’s other inhabitants. But these bears aren’t alone in watching their homes disappear, we too are now feeling the effects.

As the year unfolds, the weight of all that feels fragile and fleeting and continues to press on me. But perhaps it’s this very fragility that makes our connection to the earth—and to each other—more vital than ever. In the Balance isn’t just a reflection on what’s at stake, but also a reminder of how much beauty is still worth fighting for.

Looking toward the months ahead, I’m trying to hold onto that hope—hoping that, in some small way, we can all contribute to a future where the beauty of the land, the animals, and the people are still in harmony. Is it still possible that 2025 can be a year where we choose balance over destruction and awareness over apathy?

My fascination with painting these majestic creatures began with small gouache studies. They are wee 4x6" paintings on Arches watercolor board and a collection of them hung alongside the oils in an exhibit titled Bear Area Artists hosted by Sullivan Goss in 2018. In the Balance was one of a trio of larger oils that manifested from these smaller studies. Some of the bears' faces were modeled after my red-headed Border Collie, Molly, so they remain near and dear to me. 

(gouache left: Nanuk 13 - center: Nanuk 10 - right: Nanuk 11)

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 Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

 One treasure. One story. Once a month.

I look forward to sharing the hidden gems in my studio in this monthly series.
Feel free to forward to other treasure seekers and art lovers.

Strasburg Studio Archives: Multiplicity

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Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

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M U L T I P L I C I T Y

DECEMBER SPOTLIGHT : A grid for every occasion.
Sea & Sky images 14 x14" (x4) completed 2023
Forest & Meadow images 12 x 12" (x4) completed 2018
oil on cradled birch panels.

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Thank you for joining me on this monthly trip through the archives of my studio. 

From top right to left: Thin Blue Line, Uprush, A Bit of Perspective, Aloha Skies, 14x14” oil on cradled birch panel.

During the holidays, a time of celebration and joy, we are often surrounded by family. "Family" is such a rich and meaningful word, encompassing countless forms and connections. Artists often group their work in families to explore and express a single idea or experience, coming together to tell a story of both nature and time.

For December’s spotlight, I’m sharing two families of images: one collection capturing the vastness of sky and sea, another reflecting time spent in the national forest.

Each painting in a family is a fragment—a single piece of a larger, ever-evolving whole. On their own, each offers a glimpse, a moment frozen in time. But when viewed together, they form a bigger picture—one that is richer and more complex. Just as individual experiences, moments, and memories come together to shape our understanding of a place, these smaller works work in tandem to create a deeper, more layered narrative.

In the same way a single brushstroke may seem simple but contributes to the full composition, each fragment of the landscape—the shifting light, the changing colors, the patterns of the land—adds its voice to the larger story. It’s in the relationships between these pieces, the way they echo and contrast with one another, that the true feeling of a place emerges.

The fragments, when brought together, reveal something more than any one piece could alone, reminding us that the whole can often be greater than the sum of its parts. Through this process, I’m able to explore the depth and complexity of nature, offering a fuller, richer experience for both myself as the creator and for you, the viewer.

With this ninth installment of the archives newsletter, I want to thank you all for taking the time to read and respond. I wish you great joy and laughter this holiday season and a very happy start to the new year. xo

From top left to right: Cold Snap, Spring Thaw, Fall Hike, Sunlit Meadow - 12x12”, oil on birch panel.

The selection of ocean/sky images (14x14" each) were completed for my most recent solo show "Surfacing" at Sullivan Goss in Santa Barbara 2023. I love the new larger size for the grid and continue to add to this collection of sea worthy images.

The selection of mountain images (12x12" each) were completed in late 2018. I was in the process of building a new exhibit for Sullivan Goss at that time but life got in the way and when I returned to my easel my heart had turned back to the sea. This good size collection from the Los Padres Forest still resides in my studio growing in size. One day there will be a spectacular display of this congregation of trees amassing in my studio.

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 Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

 One treasure. One story. Once a month.

I look forward to sharing the hidden gems in my studio in this monthly series.
Feel free to forward to other treasure seekers and art lovers.

Strasburg Studio Archives: Falling Quiet

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Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

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F A L L I N G Q U I E T

OCTOBER SPOTLIGHT: "KELP TIDE"
48 x 36", oil on birch panel, 2009.

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Thank you for joining me on this monthly trip through the archives of my studio. 

Kelp Tide, 48 x 36”, oil on birch panel.

I found my inspiration for this month’s spotlight, Kelp Tide, while wandering a favorite shoreline. Mesmerized by the gentle push of the tide against the large swath of seaweed in the tidepool, I felt myself lulled by the swaying kelp and captivated by the colors and layers of transparency in the fog-filled morning tide.

The title of this edition of studio archives, Falling Quiet, was meant to reflect my intention of discussing the coming time change, the retreating light and my perennial desire to hibernate through the darkening months. However, a recent gift from a friend - a book titled “Unquiet Landscape”, a collection of essays about ideas in twentieth century British painting - shifted my focus to the broader questions of creativity and process.   

In the opening few pages, headed “The Landscape as Emotion” the author, Christopher Neve, states:

“The painter goes through the land and sees what nobody else has seen because landscape comes from inside not out. It depends on entirely who he is…. It finds its way into his imagination via all his senses; it becomes part of his spirit, and then, with great care and sensitivity, it may be brought back again by hand into the visible world and somehow recognized.” 

“Inside not out”, perfection.

 As artists and makers, we serve as both conduits and filters, absorbing the world and refining our vision through our unique perspectives. For as long as I can remember, I have sought peace, quiet, and balance. As a small child, I found this calm in the back of closet, away from the bustle of a busy house and as I grew older the outdoors filled this need for quiet connection. Painting later became the physical manifestation of these personal experiences.

How does all this come back to a clump of seaweed in a tidepool? For me, it embodies the feeling of interconnectedness found in the hushed sound of the waves, the silent sway of kelp in water; it is the moment of recognizing the beauty in the mundane and celebrating the extraordinary in the ordinary.

As we transition into this season of retreating light, I invite you to join me in reflecting on your own landscapes—both external and internal. By embracing the stillness of the coming darkness, perhaps we can mute the noise of the holiday season, discovering connection in the small moments and inspiration in the gifts these moments offer.

Kelp Tide initially started with drawings of the seaweed mass encountered at the tidepool. I did a lot of printmaking at the time and had every intention of making the images into etchings. I loved the composition so much I decide first to make a painting.

Kelp Tide made its debut in 2009 in an exhibition titled Air I Earth I Fire I Water at Sullivan Goss in Santa Barbara. I can't recall if this beloved painting ever made another showing on a gallery wall. It is definitely pulled out often to show in my studio but has yet to find its rightful place in the world. I did eventually make etchings but my heart is still warmed by the painting.

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 Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

 One treasure. One story. Once a month.

I look forward to sharing the hidden gems in my studio in this monthly series.
Feel free to forward to other treasure seekers and art lovers.

Strasburg Studio Archives: Fall Pine-ing

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Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

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F A L L P I N E - I N G

OCTOBER SPOTLIGHT: "Fall Mountain Lake"
14 x 36", oil on birch panel, 2022 - 2024.

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Thank you for joining me on this monthly trip through the archives of my studio. 

Fall Mountain Lake, 14 x 36”, oil on birch panel.

Recently, a friend sent me a link to an “art bot” which will churn out a description of a selected artwork when you upload an image. For this month’s spotlight, I thought I would enlist the help of the AI generated analysis. It’s weird and fun and unnerving all at the same time.

“This artwork is an evocative landscape painting capturing a serene natural scene dominated by rich greens and yellows. The composition features a foreground of reflective water, with a lush middle ground of trees in the peak of their autumnal glory, characterized by vibrant yellow leaves

The use of color in this piece is particularly striking. The artist has masterfully employed a range of greens and yellows to convey the season's warmth and the lushness of the foliage. The reflections in the water are rendered with particular finesse, subtly capturing the mirrored image of the trees and adding depth to the scene. The brushstrokes are deliberate yet fluid, indicating a proficient control of technique that brings a sense of movement and life to the painting.

One of the strengths of this artwork lies in its ability to evoke a serene and contemplative mood. The choice of an autumnal color scheme imbues the scene with a sense of nostalgia and tranquility, inviting the viewer to pause and reflect as though they are standing by the water's edge themselves.”

The bot offers a surprisingly accurate description and even manages to touch the deeper nuances of mood, movement, and atmosphere within the work. Yet, what it can’t know is my motivation for painting this image or what my personal connection is to this place and time.  

Fall in the mountains was always a miraculous experience. Our property had myriad tree species that put on a stunning color parade from late September through early December. The sugar pine, with its coral glory, was the first to change, followed by a small grove of aspen that transitioned from limey green to rich golden fluttery leaves. Blue spruce trees mingled with the warm foliage, and a red pin oak capped off the season with fiery crimson leaves. 

Autumn is a much quieter affair on the coast of California, which is why I find myself missing our mountain retreat more each year. Still, I revisit the glorious moments of our tenure in the mountains when recreating that breathtaking landscape.

And while the art bot can mimic analysis, it can never truly convey the warmth of the sun filtering through those golden leaves or the crispness of the mountain air. Each brushstroke is a reminder of home, an invitation to hold onto those fleeting moments, and a way to keep the spirit of those autumn days alive in my heart.

“Fall Mountain Lake” is part of a small collection of paintings depicting the watering hole across the street from our former cabin.  I sketched these out several years ago and return to them regularly, finally finishing two paintings of the four seasons. They have yet to be seen in a gallery setting but remain beloved in my own home until the time they fly the nest to reside elsewhere.

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 Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

 One treasure. One story. Once a month.

I look forward to sharing the hidden gems in my studio in this monthly series.
Feel free to forward to other treasure seekers and art lovers.

Strasburg Studio Archives: City Hall & Beyond

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Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

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C I T Y H A L L & B E Y O N D

SEPTEMBER SPOTLIGHT: "Side Street, NYC"
12 x 48", oil on birch panel, 1999? - 2024.

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Thank you for joining me on this monthly trip through the archives of my studio. 

Side Street, NYC, 12 x 48”, oil on birch panel.

I’m presenting a unique landscape for the September spotlight: a view from New York City.
 
This painting carries with it a rich and somewhat tangled history, one marked by its persistent state of incompletion. The inspiration photo was taken with a small, plastic disposable panorama camera sometime in the 1990’s (honestly I can’t remember the date). Same goes for the painting, when I started it, I don’t know. I pull it out to work on between shows or when I’m waiting for that next spark of inspiration.

Side Street, NYC, detail

This year I decided it was time. Time to finish, if only for the auspicious occasion of my 20th wedding anniversary.
 
On the first day of Fall, twenty years ago, husband Bill and I eloped while vacationing in New York. We shared the news with only a couple friends before leaving town and waited to announce it until after we said “I do” at City Hall. Afterwards, we walked the Brooklyn Bridge calling family to share our news. It was perfection.

For me, Fall has always been a time of adventure. It’s my way of dispelling the melancholy that often accompanies the transition from summer to autumn, from the long, bright days to the encroaching darkness of winter. My solution has always been to travel—escaping when kids are back in school, before the holiday rush takes over, and while the tourists have retreated for the season.

As the days grow shorter and the light shifts, the studio becomes a place of reflection as I chase the dwindling sunlight, savoring each fleeting moment before the winter sets in. This painting, a culmination of countless returns to the easel, now stands as a testament to both my creative journey and the personal milestones that have marked my life.

So, as we embrace this new season, I’m reminded of the enduring connection between art, memory, and the passage of time. It’s a celebration of moments both big and small, and a reminder that every brushstroke is part of a larger, ever-unfolding story.

Side Street, NYC, detail

“Side Street, NYC” has lived in two studios over the past couple of decades. Being that it was always in transition, it never had an opportunity to be on the wall, in a gallery. It’s funny that I’ve made other paintings of New York, polished and living out in the world, yet this one remained incomplete. I have one other such painting of the Paris skyline that has eluded a finish. Perhaps it will be next on the easel.  Stay tuned.

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 Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

 One treasure. One story. Once a month.

I look forward to sharing the hidden gems in my studio in this monthly series.
Feel free to forward to other treasure seekers and art lovers.

Strasburg Studio Archives: Forest Bathing

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Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

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P I N E  D R E A M S

AUGUST SPOTLIGHT: "Forest Bathing"
19.5 x 29.5", oil on birch panel, 2023.

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This installment of Studio Archives is slightly delayed due to an unrelenting summer cold.
Thank you for joining me on this monthly trip through the archives of my studio. 

Forest Bathing, 19.5 x 29.5”, oil on birch panel.

Recently reviewing the archive essays, I’m noticing the distinctive running theme of weather. It makes sense to be weather obsessed as a landscape painter.
 
The changing patterns outside determine the light illuminating my beloved subjects of grass, trees, land and water. The intensity of color on a sunlit backdrop or the moodiness of a storm cloud laden sky are elements that inspire and excite.

This month’s spotlight, Forest Bathing, represents one of my favorite walks in the Los Padres National Forest, near Mount Pinos, where my husband and I once owned a cabin. For years, we would abandon the coastline for higher altitudes to wander along nearby riparian corridors flanked by Jeffrey Pines emanating their intoxicating butterscotch scent in the heat of the summer.

As sun-drenched days settle in for their summer residency, August was a particularly wonder-filled month in the mountains. Often thunderheads would blossom over the distant range, the billowing white clouds would build playing peek-a-boo with the sun and throwing long shadows from towering pines onto the landscape.

In the warmth of this particular day, deep into the undergrowth, a sea of hatchling ladybugs filled the air. Layer upon layer of green pine needles and wild sage backlit with August sunlight made for a perfect image to paint. The meandering, flitting bodies of a million ladybugs added magic to a fairy-tale walk in the pines.

Forest Bathing isn't truly an archived image, having been completed in the last year with myriad other tree-themed paintings. Forest Bathing has never ventured beyond the studio and remains with its posse of forest paintings awaiting the just right moment to be exhibited. 

Fond memories of many summers spent in the pines compelled me to highlight my fondness for the mountains which rivals my love for the sea.

Interesting Factoid: At 8847 feet, Mt. Pinos is the tallest peak in the Los Padres National Forest. It is also known to be a dark skies destination for astronomy buffs. It's just 2 hours from Santa Barbara and has some of the best dark sky viewing around. The Perseid meteor shower is one of the best shooting star displays of the year and occurs late-July into mid-August each year. This year the peak will be August 11-12 with the most abundant shower occurring after midnight when the moon sets.
 

Learn more about the Perseids

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 Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

 One treasure. One story. Once a month.

I look forward to sharing the hidden gems in my studio in this monthly series.
Feel free to forward to other treasure seekers and art lovers.

Strasburg Studio Archives: Island Dreaming

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Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

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I S L A N D  D R E A M I N G  

JULY SPOTLIGHT : "Island Hike, Diptych", 19.5 x 59"oil on birch panel, 2005.
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Thank you for joining me on this monthly trip through the archives of my studio. 

Island Hike Diptych, 19.5 x 59”, oil on birch panel, 2005.

HELLO SUMMER! Parched grass and the smell of chapparal, cool sea breezes with hot sand under your feet, and sundried skin smelling of salt all signal the beginning of the warm summer season.
 
This month’s spotlight, Island Hike Diptych, features a view from the trail on the eastern end of Santa Cruz Island where sun bleaches out each winter’s crop of fresh grass and the winds that blow over the island send ripples of undulating golden waves amidst a backdrop of cool blue shades of sky and sea.

For those who dwell on the south coast of California the Santa Barbara Channel Islands are a near faraway place. Sitting just off the coast of Santa Barbara, the islands remain a preserved piece of California history, a vision early settlers must have witnessed arriving on the west coast; dry open grasslands edged by cliffs, dropping onto white sands and a vast ocean-scape stretching before them.
 
Santa Cruz Island is largest in the chain of eight islands making up the Channel Island National Park. The trusty guides at Island Packers, out of Ventura Harbor, take multitudes of interested adventurers out daily on the short boat ride to Scorpion Anchorage on the north side of the island. Here, visitors immerse themselves in the tranquil solitude of a landscape untouched by power lines, cell towers, or city buildings.
 
Island Hike Diptych represents one of many attempts to capture the large swaths of wind shaped island grass. Employing small brushes, I layer shades of white, ochre, sienna and mustard weaving a visual and textured tapestry. The well-trodden path forged by island visitors guides the viewer through the field towards the horizon, where sea and sky blend seamlessly just beyond the next hill.

“Air, Earth, Fire, Water” Sullivan Goss exhibition 2009.

Island Hike made its debut in an exhibition titled “Air, Earth, Fire, Water” at my primary gallery Sullivan Goss in 2009. It has been on and off the walls in summer salons the past few years and has now taken up residence in my studio awaiting its next chance to be exhibited. 

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 Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

 One treasure. One story. Once a month.

I look forward to sharing the hidden gems in my studio in this monthly series.
Feel free to forward to other treasure seekers and art lovers.

Strasburg Studio Archives: JUNE GLOOM

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Strasburg Studio Archives:Rediscovery in the Stacks
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J U N E  G L O O M  

Thank you for joining me on this monthly trip through the archives of my studio. 

June SPOTLIGHT: "Campus Tide 04", 40x40" oil on birch panel, 2005.

Campus Tide 04, 40x40” ©N Strasburg

Oh May, you have been so drizzlingly damp and grey!

This month’s spotlight, Campus Tide 04, aims to inject a bit of summer sunshine into the dense marine layer that has enveloped the south coast for a month.

Traditionally, June rolls into Santa Barbara, fog shrouded, mist covered and dull, only surrendering to the sun late in the day.

 “June Gloom”, as the local forecasters love to pronounce, is a predictable summer staple on the south coast. Students excited about the end of school term have historically been met with cold weather and long stretches of wet soggy mornings, dampening the enthusiasm of summer break.

This year, May rushed in dragging the marine layer with it, leaving us enduring long days without a ray of sunshine capable of cutting through the wall of clouds. Winter seems to have stretched its long fingers into spring, holding on tight.

Campus Tide 04 is not representative of the dull colorless mornings experienced recently on the coast, but is a scene infused with the colors I experienced on my first visit to the Big Island of Hawaii. Everything is full volume in the tropical climate, the smells, the warmth of the air and the vibrancy of the hues that knock you down when stepping off the plane into the glow of island life.

I brought that heat and warmth home with me one winter and painted our local coastline with hints of the island still beaming through my memory. Sunshine radiates off the sand and cool blues remind us of the salty respite from sun drenched days spent at the shore.
 
Let’s hope the sun can soon shake off its heavy cloak of misty marine layer bringing with it warmth on the breeze of the approaching Summer Solstice. 

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Campus Tide 04, along with several of its siblings, were never formally exhibited. They were produced in my former studio/gallery, 30 Arlington, following my first exhibit, PACIFIC, at Sullivan Goss in Santa Barbara in June of 2004.

 October of the same year was my first visit to the Big Island of Hawaii and I arrived home brimming with ideas and salt from the islands still fading on my skin. Many of the paintings from this grouping were sold from the gallery as they were finished. Campus Tide 04 has travelled to outdoor shows with me and spent time on the wall at Susan Street Fine Art in Solana Beach before returning home to the studio.

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Locals Know:  Campus Point, home to UC Santa Barbara students, locals and traveling surfers, sits on the point of the UC Campus. The winter swell draws in hundreds over the surfing season. No matter your skill level or riding style, Campus Point and its surrounding breaks offer some of the best surfing. @ gogoleta.com

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 Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

 One treasure. One story. Once a month.

I look forward to sharing the hidden gems in my studio in this monthly series.
Feel free to forward to other treasure seekers and art lovers.

Strasburg Studio Archives: Time Machine

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Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

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T I M E  M A C H I N E

Thank you for joining me on this monthly trip through the archives of my studio.

May SPOTLIGHT: "154 Sky 01 & 02," 24x24" oil on panel, 2001.

154 Sky 01, 24x24”, oil on birch panel, 2001.

Climbing into the way-back machine is where we find the paintings for this month's spotlight.

In 1999 I left my day job to pursue painting full time. Up to this point, most of my creative work had been done after hours and on the weekends.
 
Fully committed to landscape painting, I dreamt of being that romantic figure out on the cliffside making beautiful renditions of the majestic scenes unfolding before me.
 
The reality of dragging gear out, locating the “just right spot”, setting up and spending hours staring in one direction, proved too much for my enthusiasm when outside.

154 Sky 02, 24x24”, oil on birch panel, 2001.

Wind pushing clouds, sunlight moving across subjects, fighting the elements and impossible places to set up an easel made the act of outdoor painting less than ideal for me.
 
My biggest challenge is I want it all. I want to be present for it all while nature is putting on a show.
 
Parked on the side of Old San Marcos Road, looking up toward Highway 154, I shimmied down an embankment to capture a few quick photos which inspired these two paintings of the Santa Ynez Mountain range. The storm was passing quickly, the wind elbowing the clouds aside and briefly illuminating the hillside before casting it back into a grey stormy tableau. 

These two early works, born from quick snapshots outside and contemplative reflection inside, solidified my resolve and shaped my identity as a studio painter.

Engaging in walking meditation, absorbing the landscape and reflecting on my experiences became integral to my artistic practice.

In 2001, I still maintained my own studio gallery at 30 Arlington Avenue in Santa Barbara. These paintings began their exhibition tour in Santa Barbara, traveled to two outdoor markets (in Beverly Hills and then Sausalito) ending their show careers in San Diego at Susan Street Fine Art before returning home to the studio shelves.  

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Interesting local factoid:

 DID YOU KNOW? In 1861, a stagecoach route was built across San Marcos Pass by Chinese workers working from both ends of the proposed course. The original stagecoach route started near Kellogg Avenue in Goleta. Later, the route began at the Arlington Hotel in downtown Santa Barbara. In 1892, a new route was built on what is now called Old San Marcos Road. After crossing the summit, the road went down to Cold Spring Tavern. Discovered on www.cahiways.org

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Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

 One treasure. One story. Once a month.

I look forward to sharing the hidden gems in my studio in this monthly series.
Feel free to forward to other treasure seekers and art lovers.

Strasburg Studio Archives: Did spring mislead us?

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Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

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Did spring mislead us?  

Thank you for joining me on this monthly trip through the archives of my studio. 

April SPOTLIGHT: "Winter Pools", 36x48" oil on panel, 2008.
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Winter Pools, 36x48”, oil on birch panel, 2008

As I write, the rain continues pattering outside my window. Despite the forecast of sun another storm looms, arriving later in the week. The coastline remains littered with the debris from the heavy rains and there is no sign of the sand returning to cover the shale on one of my favorite walks to Campus Point.
 
It has been another wonderfully wet winter on the west coast and it is spilling into a soggy spring. I won’t complain, I love the full reservoirs, the running creeks, monster tide pools and the ever-changing shoreline.  

"WINTER POOLS" captures the stark transformation of the coastline in winter.

“Winter Pools” captures the stark transformation of the coastline, where winter tides relentlessly tug at the sand, pulling it out to sea, just beyond the waves.
 
On rare days, like the one depicted, the clouds part, casting reflections of the sky upon the tranquil surface of tide pools. In this transient beauty lies the deeper truth about spring’s capricious nature, promising the fleeting moments when sunlight peeks through the clouds.

This painting first traveled to Solona Beach, San Diego in 2008 to be included in the exhibition "Surroundings" at Susan Street Fine Art. It returned to Santa Barbara after watching its siblings find homes and it remains a star in my studio, showcased these last few years over my sofa.

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Interesting local factoid:

DID YOU KNOW? From 1870 to 1890, Goleta Point was used as a whaling camp, with Italian and Portuguese crews situated at the locale.

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Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks 

One treasure. One story. Once a month. 

I look forward to sharing the hidden gems in my studio in this monthly series.
Feel free to forward to other treasure seekers and art lovers.

 

Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

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Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

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An invitation to uncover hidden treasure. 

With the conclusion of my exhibition SURFACING at Sullivan Goss last September, and before returning to my brushes, the task of replacing the flooring in my workspace became the chore du jour.

My workshop, thoughtfully designed by my husband to support my artistic journey, became my haven in 2005. Eighteen years of work and five dogs battered the carpet leaving myriad stains and tracks, plus paintbrush debacles and plenty of tea spillage.

The time had arrived to say goodbye to the old flooring. We embarked on this seemingly herculean task, every last item had to be either moved out or moved aside before we could begin.

One of the great discoveries that emerged, while relocating the years of paintings, drawings and prints, from one end of the shop to the other, were the hidden gems tucked away and archived in drawers, storage bins and stacks. Some of these treasures in my inventory have weathered the passage of time, gracing exhibitions before finding their way back to the place they were born.
 
In the act of touching each piece, an idea blossomed, a monthly trip down memory lane, uncovering hidden treasures, those biding their time in drawers and stacks, excited to share their story, and waiting for another moment in the sun.  

One treasure. One story. Once a month. 

 I look forward to sharing the hidden gems in my studio in this monthly series. Stay tuned.

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Strasburg Studio Archives: Rediscovery in the Stacks

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