Radical Beauty...

Tonight, 6.30 pm, opening reception at Malibu City Hall. Group show of art created by local artists inspired to create after the fires. I will have 18 watercolor and ink portraits in this collective, please see below. "The Face of Malibu Rebuilds" was featuring weekly in The Malibu Times during the early months. The collective show runs for three months at City Hall. 

Lazy Hazy Days of Summer?

Recently, between my portrait commissions, I have been painting some new figurative pieces of kids at the beach, inspired by my own kids' childhoods, growing up at the beach.

It is a theme that I find gives me a lot of joy. I love to play with color especially.  I admire the painters of sunshine like Sorolla, Potthast, Sargent , Azaro, to name a few. It's not so easy to capture sunshine at the  beach. Here's to more!

I am happy to say two have already sold. You can find more at the Daily Paintworks site, link top right on my sidebar. I paint these fairly fast so I am able to make my daily paintings affordable for all art collectors' budgets.

"Bucket List"
By Johanna Spinks
9x12"
Oil on panel via palette knife
Available.

"Ice-cream Sunday"
By Johanna Spinks
Oil on panel via palette knife
9x12"
SOLD

"Paddling Day"
By Johanna Spinks
5x7"
Oil on board via palette knife
SOLD

Winnie The Pooh

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." Winnie The Pooh.

An especially poignant life sitting this week via my palette knife. Art helped me through a very sad week.

"It All Comes Of Liking Honey So Much..."
By Johanna Spinks
12 x 12"
Oil on canvas

Surf's Up!

Dare I say, there is something 'kinda' rad about being asked to put your portrait 'technique' onto a surfboard. I wasn't entirely sure how to proceed as I hadn't done this before but I sure worked it out. It was something I really enjoyed the challenge of working out how surfboards work; how to de wax them, prepare the ground for paint, and then get that paint to stick. The client loves them, a gift for her avid surfer husband on a favorite board of his that broke.  So hang loose y'all. You can do anything you set your mind to. 

Portrait Commissions on Reclaimed Surfboards
By Johanna Spinks

The Face of Malibu Rebuilds

Don't forget folks as you go about your 'day to day', people are still displaced, working out how to rebuild their homes and lives in Califorinia including these 17 brave people who allowed me to interview and sketch them over the last few months for my "Face of Malibu Rebuild" series withThe Malibu Times,  started in the early days of the devastating fire aftermath.

I too was displaced for four months, not in the best of spirits, and meeting this brave people was extraordinary and an experience I will never forget. The series is taking a breather now for a few months. 


Be grateful and I will too. Never think tragedy like this can't happen to you. Check you home insurance. Enjoy your possessions, security of life and home.

By Johanna Spinks

2018 Dolphin Awards...Honored!!!!

So  honored...thank you to The Malibu Dophin Charitable Foundation, The Malibu Times and those that nominated me. Congrats to the other nominees. 

You Tube Link

Seeing Dots...Calfornia Art Club 108th Gold Medal Show Opening.

Seeing dots today. 

Loving my custom somewhat daring "Paris chic" contemporary clear frame for this painting of mine "Visitor From Paris" for upcoming opening this weekend, The California Art Club's 108th Annual Gold Medal Exhibtion, March 3 -29, 2019. Details below and LINK to purchase Artist's Gala Reception tickets. 

Lots of events going on around this great show. Honored to be in such fine painting company and thank you to The CAC for all it does for us artists. TY to Malibu Gallery too for always being amazing. And, yes, this painting will be for sale at the show with it's dotty contemporay frame.



GohereforGoldshow

Opennig Weekend
Former Pasadena Museum of Modern Art
Thank you to The CAC for all it does.

The Visitor From Paris
by Johanna Spinks
via palette knife
9x12"
Oil on Linen
Available for purchase at CAC Gold Show

Green Renewal of The Fires

Chris Dali - "Renewal"
By Johanna Spinks
36 x 36", via palette knife

The Face of Malibu Rebuilds
By Johanna Spinks
A series of interviews and sketches by Spinks appearing weekly in The Malibu Times featuring the rebuild of people who have lost everything. 

Green renewal on the fire torn mountains - and within me. This portrait of Chris Dali, relative of the great surrealist painter Salvador Dali, was started the day of the Malibu wildfires that took 600 homes and two-thirds of my neighborhood. Yet alone, the rest of the destruction through California.

It was started the day of the fires, from a three hour life sitting with Chris, and survived an absolute inferno blazing around my studio, home and neighborhood in a way that is hard to describe and  nothing short of a miracle that my home, studio, and this painting and other paintings didn't burn. The fire came right up to my kitchen back door and studio front door but decided to go, unfortunately, to my neighbors. We have some big repairs but nothing compared to others. 

I did lose quite a few commissioned portraits in Malibu homes that burned to the ground. I am so sad for these familes who have lost everything. It is going to be a long re-build. As some of you know,  I been painting "The Face of Malibu- Rebuilds" with The Malibu Times, donating my time sketching, interviewing and writing about people who have lost everything  in the fires while still being displaced myself. So far about 11 people have been featured. The interviews are painful and tears on both sides are often shed. 

The green portrait of Chris has been sitting on my easel for three months, waiting for me to get back to it, defying me not to finish it after all it has been through with nature. The journey home and back to life has been slow. It was three and a half weeks before we could legally get to our home with roads opening, yet alone live there. We managed to hard-hike in once and it was just devastating to see the destruction and not be able to immediately protect your home from incoming rats and terrible smoke damage with broken windows. Nothing happens until those roads open! Now, friends' burned homes are being bulldozed to the ground. Humbling. Shattering. Something life doesn't prepare you for, to watch. 

Three months later, I am feeling so grateful I got to finish this portrait of Chris. It will aways be a special painting for me, as will the new series and the very brave people I am also grateful to have met.

I also show the "Face of Malibu Rebuild" sitters who I have met so far. The series continues weekly.

Thanks
Johanna

Love is in the air...still.

Love is in the air this week- especially for this couple, married almost 40 years, who face the prospect of rebuilding their lost Malibu home fortunately very much in love. Thank you to Carolyn Carradine and her hubby Chris for sitting for my "Face of Malibu Rebuild" series this week ongoing with The Malibu Times.. Article link below. This is a volunteer project for me sketching, interviewing and writing the pieces to highlight what people in my community are going through.

Article click here

Carolyn and Chris Carradine
The Face of Malibu Rebuilds By Johanna Spinks

Rebuilding After The Califorina Fires...

A lot of hours are going into my Face of Malibu Rebuild series. with The Malibu Times.

 I wish to remind people that life has not gone back to 'normal' for the thousands of people who lost everything in the recent California Wildfires. 

This week's sitter  is Jill Greenberg, the sketch and interview donated by me to The Malibu Times hoping to keep the community's awareness going of what this rebuild is looking like fore people who are suffering such great losses. 

Here is a link to the article in this week's Malibu Times.

http://www.malibutimes.com/malibu_life/article_

Jill Greeberg by Johanna Spinks
For The Face of Malibu Rebuilds
With the Malibu Times

Golden Times - 108 Years Worth!

Honored this artwork has been selected for The California Art Club's 108th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition. 

Titled “Visitor From Paris", I painted this young Parisian in a single sitting via my palette knife, while she was on a short trip here from Paris. 

Show runs March 3 -29, 2019 at the former Pasadena Museum of California Art, a beautiful venue I am lucky enough to have exhibited at before. Stay tuned.

Incredible this show has been running this long! It's always a great one and I am in some fine painting company.  Thank you to The CAC for all it does.

Visitor From Paris
By Johanna Spinks
Via palette knife
For sale at CAC Gold show.

Losing Everything...Malibu Fires

Katie Gorak is a 17-year-old senior at Malibu High School, on the water polo team, and in the normally difficult process of waiting to hear back from college applications. Under normal circumstances, Katie would also be mentally preparing to leave home—but the Woolsey fire took her family residence in the Malibu Highland mountain area and Katie’s expected way forward.  Wise beyond her years, she normally loves going to movies, collecting things and listening to music. She was out of school this important senior year for 21 days due to the fire.  In an emotional interview with me,  at her temporary rental home, she spoke about the sudden loss of the home and foundation she loved so much.

To read the full article featured in The Malibu Times
Go Here

Katie Gorak

Special to The Malibu Times
"The Face of Malibu Rebuilds By Johanna Spinks'

Historic Defeat, Prime Minister Theresa May -

A historic defeat  today for The Right Honorable Theresa May today in Britian. I am a bit confused by Brexit , living out of Britain,   but I do know the Prime Minister likes shoes, and therefore I like her. I also feel bad for anyone having such a rough day.

I painted this via my palette knife.

"Brexit Means Brexit - The Rt. Hon. Theresa May"
By Johanna Spinks
Via Palette Knife