Rickreall Creek,  Oil on Canvas - 2018

I feel lucky to have landed in Tacoma at this stage of my life. The city and community really values artists, and the town is packed with great artists. There is a relaxed energy, friendliness and beauty here, which is inspiring a lot of creative energy in me these days. It is a great place to make paintings, which is really all I have ever wanted to do. Plus I have an amazing little studio. I am super grateful to live where I do...

ANYWAY....October is Tacoma Arts Month, and I am really excited that my studio is going to be part of the Tacoma Studio Tour! Its happening October 13 and 14, and my studio will be open 11 - 5 both Saturday and Sunday.

Click HERE to find out more the tour, location, details etc. My studio is #1 on the map. As you can see on the map, the studio is a little removed from the cluster of other studios, but don't let that scare you. It's really not that far and it is easy to find. Please contact me if you have any questions about getting here.

As a hands on activity, we will be writing and/or making postcards to send to anyone you want. I will provide the stamps, postcards (I have hundreds of old, unused postcards) and clip art. You provide the thoughts, the message and the address. 

I donated a small piece of art for the passport drawing. If you visit 7 studios on the tour, and turn in your passport, you are entered to win a fabulous prize. 

I haven't ever really done anything like this Studio Tour before, because I have never really had a studio before! Not alot of people see my work in progress. I am excited ( and a little nervous, of course) to share it. I absolutely love painting, and being in my studio, and I am interested to see what it will be like to share that with friends and soon-to-be friends. I think it will be a blast.

Come on over! Lets look at old postcards, listen to records and talk about art! 

Since I moved into the studio in December, I have been spending as much time as I possibly can in there. I love it so much in there. It's just a magical place where I can get really quiet, or listen to my music really loud, and just be with all my painting gear, etc. and go deep...... The results of all that time spent in there are a few new completed paintings that I am really happy with, plus the start of a really cool new series project. ( More about that in a later post....) .

Those completed paintings, (along with a couple older ones) are going up at Walter's Cafe in Ballard for the month of August.  Walter's is located at 6408 32nd Ave NW- Seattle, WA 98107. We will be having an opening there on Friday, August 3rd  6-8pm. It's a funky neighborhood place that serves great coffee, ice cream, beer etc. It's tiny, but we can take over the sidewalk, like we did last year. Come on by and say hi! I am really  grateful to have the opportunity to share my work at Walter's again this year. 

Also - Save the date. I will be participating in the Tacoma Studio Tour on 10/13 and 10/14 as part of Tacoma Arts Month. I am really excited, but I don't have too many details yet. I will be posting more, as I learn more. Come out and see my studio, plus many other great artist's studios all over Tacoma. 

Below are progress photos and the finished painting titled 14 Kids. It is acrylic on an old board. 24.5" x 20.5"
​

I  haven't written here since the studio has been finished....because I have been working in there. Come and find me there. If I  am not working at my day job, or sleeping, chances are I am there. Here are some photos...

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to hang my paintings at Rocco’s Lounge in Seattle. They are up there now, and will be up until October 15th. Rocco’s is a great space at 2228 2nd Ave in Belltown. I visited them last night, and the paintings really look fabulous in there. They needed large paintings for their walls, so most of the paintings in this show are older, and have been in shows before. I love being able to see these old friends in this new space. 

This show and space is curated by the Laurie Kearney at Ghost Gallery in Seattle. Most of these paintings are available for sale on their website here:

https://ghostgalleryshop.com/offsite-exhibits/
This page contains 2 other artists. Scroll down, mine are at the bottom of the page.

I am grateful to Jesse Flores, for connecting me with Laurie and Ghost Gallery. We need people like them who love art, encourage artists, and help to get the work out into the community. 

Build a studio. It has been the idea/dream ever since we moved into our tiny house on a big lot in Tacoma in 2011. Russell started building that studio last year. Here is a slide show of his progress. It is 2 minutes long and spans the time he started in early June 2016 through last week.  Russell and some other helpers have done all the work. I have barely lifted a finger, but I give lots of encouragement and take pictures. I mostly stand around, amazed, in giddy anticipation of the day that I will be able to paint in this magnificent studio. 

I haven't written in this space for some time. (about 3.5 years, to be exact~!) Life gets busy, and working at a computer during the day, I am never really excited to sit at the computer when I am at home. But here I am!  I am really excited to be showing my paintings at Walter's Cafe in Ballard for the month of June 2017. The address is 6408 32nd Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107. We will be having an Opening on Friday, June 2nd, 6 - 8pm. The cafe is pretty tiny, but they have great coffee, ice-cream, beer, and of course, ART!  Drop by and say hi! 

At this stage of my life, I am finding so much joy in creating these paintings (after all these years!!). The work is leading to more work, and it really creates a sense of wonder for me. Here are a couple of samples of the new ones. 

Emma Bach - Acrylic on Canvas - 18" x  24"

I have decided to jump back in to the giant world wide web. I hope to continue to share new ideas and paintings as they come in to the world. 
Here is a photo of part of my studio.....

Music and making things......This is what feeds my soul.

---------------------

At this moment: Muggy is warming her paws on the sunny window.