Dearest First name / love, You're receiving this because you signed up for my {love}letters, either in person, via linktree, over on Insta, at alanagarrigues.com or at my previous site, ofloveandlight. Thank you for welcoming me into your inbox, and for supporting the work that I do in this world: noticing moments, playing with words, making art, fostering community, imagining true intersectional justice. *** Hellooooo love! It's been a minute, and I'm so very happy to be here, visiting you in words and pictures. Since we last were in touch via these love letters, I've moved across the country to Central Massachusetts. We're settling in. I have a dedicated studio in my home, completely devoted to writing and painting and art community. It overlooks a wooded area behind our house. Perfect for pondering the lives of trees, and watching light and shadow do their thing. At the moment, I am looking outside at several inches of snow, with another 10-20 inches expected tomorrow. I imagine many of you in the northern hemisphere have already seen the first buds of spring… my indicators of spring so far have been the return of chipmunks running across the snow, and a few melodies of birdsong out the window. The foliage is not so ready to commit to warmer weather quite yet. *** Lots to catch up on, but I don't want to overwhelm you all at once, so I'll aim to keep some of my newsy updates and invites for the next love letter too. The image at the top of this email is meeting your eyes first!!! (…in deep gratitude for inviting my love letters into your life…) It's just finished, brand new work on paper, 22 x 22 inches, on Arches 300 lb/640 gsm hot press, with rings built up and carved into the paper, and some special textile elements, acrylic ink, graphite, watercolor, and more. It's drying at the moment, freshly varnished, getting ready to travel to Astoria, Oregon for a curated, small group show called “Divine Beacons” in April. If you're in the area, be sure to check it out at the AVA Gallery. I'll send more details next newsletter, but I wanted to make sure you know. The show opens April 8 and runs through May 6. This is one of two large pieces, and 18 total pieces that will be on display and available for sale, alongside the work of other fabulous artists who ponder the earth and its elements. I can't wait. It promises to be so very beautiful. I love the story, too, of how this latest body of work came to be. This is me, below, alllll the way back in March of last year, at the “Reverent Trees” show at The Hoffman Gallery in Manzanita, OR. |
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The last time I wrote a love letter, believe it or not, was a month or two before the show… “Reverent Trees” was an incredible exhibit to participate in. There were three of us in the show… a sculptor, a cabinet maker, and a painter. I exhibited 16 pieces in the show, and sold six. The show was featured in Oregon ArtsWatch, and picked up by several local papers along the coast. *** I was also able to teach a one-day workshop during the gallery show called Artistry and Poetry of Trees, which was absolutely gorgeous. It was the first time many of us had shared physical space with ‘strangers’ since the pandemic began, outside of shopping and errands, and it was the most special landing space… to speak of trees and nature and stories of beloved friends, to write poetry, and to paint small tree rings together. I gave workshop attendees little baggies filled with my favorite tree painting materials: a fancy brush, good watercolors, acrylic inks, charcoal, Micron pens, and more, and together we created so much beauty. *** Because of my participation in that show, Agnes, the curator of this upcoming show at AVA Gallery, reached out to invite me to “Divine Beacons.” Both shows have been so carefully, thoughtfully, and lovingly curated, with incredible conversations with the curators about how to honor the space, the artwork, the relationship between each artist's work. I feel incredibly blessed for my art to be seen and held in this way. It makes me recognize the power of physical space, and the wonder of collaboration. *** Although I am an Oregon human through-and-through, in heart and foliage home, since I now live in New England, we agreed that my work on reclaimed plywood would be too hefty to ship for the exhibit. And so… new possibilities were born, with larger work on paper! It has been a joy to explore this type of creating, and I'm pleased that it will give art lovers and collectors another way to purchase my work… lighter weight and with a few less coins. While the artwork itself is similar in size to the work on reclaimed plywood, collectors will also be able to work with their framers to create any desired impact, thin frame or thick, matted or not, allowing for so much flexibility. *** I have more to share… including some work you can visit locally in my new home state of Massachussetts and current projects involving artist community, questions, appearances, and more… (it has been a year after all!… a lot can happen in a year!… a lot can happen in a moment!…) but I'll sign off for now and save something for later. In the meantime, I wish you moments of quiet noticing and joyous belly aches of raucus laughter. Thank you, once again, for your support, for your eyes, for your time, and for your enthusiasm. It means the world. |
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Sending you so much love, |
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www.alanagarrigues.com instagram.com/alanaofloveandlight |
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PS: I'm aiming send out an email for your creative spirit 1-2x/month. Messages may include stories from my life and my studio, insight from the {within} artist collective that I run, images of my artwork, shop alerts, coupons, little gifts, invites to gatherings, and more. Feel free to unsubscribe below if you no longer wish to receive these as I send them. No hard feelings… I love to know that the letters I send are received with love, just as they are sent. If you're not feeling it anymore, if your inbox is stuffed, it's okay. Come and go to the {love}letters as it feels right to you. xoxox |
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