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.

January Passing Storm

January Passing Storm installed in its new home in Santa Barbara. It’s always wonderful to see work placed in such beautiful environments. The paintings sing in a new way when they move from the studio into living spaces.

Sundance Catalog - Winter 2021

The Sundance “Winter’s Thaw 2021” catalog is in the post with a couple beautiful rooms, including of few of my paintings. See all availalbe work ONLINE.

Left: Watering Hole 12x12” oil on birch panel

Right: Nestling 12x12” oil on birch panel

Bare Limbs Painting at Sundance

Signs of winter are showing today, the trees are dropping the last of their leaves as the wind blows through the emptying branches and big clouds from the passing storm linger in the blue sky.

Bare Limbs Painting 29.5 x 19.5” oil on birch panel at Sundance

Bare Limbs painting now at Sundance