Caerus Art Picnic Images

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art journal, caerus, creativity, inspiration, mixed media, photo sketchbook, photography, picnic. Spring Lake, plein air painting, Plein air sketching, sketch picnic, sketchbook project

(On a personal note: I invite all to attend my open studio at The Studio Santa Rosa this weekend  November 3rd & 4th — along with 16 other artists in my building, located at 3849 Finely Avenue, Santa Rosa.  — Karina Nishi Marcus)

Here are photos from the Caeerus Art Picnic!

Please be sure and read the blog post by Susan Cornelis for her creative impressions of the picnic!

The calmness of the water reflecting the clearness of the sky — photo by Robert Marcus

The autumn light was dappled but bright — photo by Robert Marcus

The area surrounding our picnic at Spring Lake — photo by Robert Marcus

Creativity extends to picnic food preparation — photo by Suzanne Edminster

These scary Halloween deviled eggs are also infused with gummy worms — photo by Suzanne Edminster

Spooky Spider Eggs — photo by Suzanne Edminster

These were delicious — photo by Suzanne Edminster

Process of a creative day — photo by Suzanne Edminster

An artist’s sketchbook –photo by Suzanne Edminster

Capturing the beauty of autumnal nature — photo by Suzanne Edminster

Artists posed for portraits by other artists — photo by Suzanne Edminster

Exciting to see other artists’ work in process — photo by Suzanne Edminster

Bea Tate-Endert drawing — photo by Robert Marcus

A herd of deer leaped and flashed by on either side of this table while the artists were sitting and sketching — photo by Robert Marcus

The Caerus gathering — photo by Robert Marcus

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art journal, creativity, inspiration, plein air painting, Plein air sketching, sketch picnic

We thought Susan Cornelis’ superb post was so evocative of the picnic that we wanted to share it with you. We’re so lucky to have Susan as a friend of Caerus!

Pentel Brush Pen and watercolor in 9 X 12″ Canson Mix Media sketchbook

This is my Four Hands Painting partner, Suzanne Edminster, who along with Karina Nishi Marcus (next sketch), invited me to an artist gathering at Spring Lake park yesterday. We lunched under the oaks there on this glorious autumn day, then sat around and sketched and painted.  I haven’t done any plein aire painting in ages, and with so many wonderful and cooperative subjects I focused mainly on quick sketches, 5-10 minute ones that wouldn’t tie up anyone’s time for very long.  I also posed a bit myself. It was fun to try out my Pentel Brush Pen, but also I learned that you can use the Uni-ball Vision Elite on wet paper, which you’ll see in the next sketch, of Karina.

Uni-ball pen on wet watercolor wash in 6 X 10″ Arches Travel Book

Pentel Brush Pen…

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Invitation to Caerus Fall Sketch Picnic, Sat. Oct. 27, 12- 4 PM

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art and emotion, art process, creativity, inspiration, plein air painting, sketch picnic, travel sketching

Emile Claus, Picnic

You’re cordially invited to join us at noon at Spring Lake Regional Park in Santa Rosa for the first Caerus Sketch Picnic.  Your hostess is Karina Nishi Marcus and Caerus Artist Residency. Bring your notebook, travel art materials, or plein air setup, a dish to share, and a beverage.  The Claus painting above could even be Spring Lake!

Claud Monet, Picnic

Wear one elegant accesory to spice up the arty aspect of life!  And food can be pretty too.

Maurise Predergast, Picnic by the Sea

We can even paint each other if we want. Have you wanted to try out your Fauve Landscape skills on the spot?  Bring on the red tree trunks and lime sky, or work on your abstract design skills.

Juarez Machado, unknown title

In case of rain, the picnic will be moved to the studio of Karina Nishi Marcus at the Barracks. Karina will send you details on the meeting places  in a Caerus gmail, and keep you up to date on the Caerus Artist Facebook Group.  Artists, feel free to bring another art friend or partner who might enjoy the day.  RSVP here in the blog comments. You can also use the Facebook page, or shoot an email to caerusartresidency@gmail.com.

I’m shifting studio this week from the Barracks to South of A Street, SOFA.  I’ll be moving Sunday after the picnic.   If you feel like helping out, or previewing the new spot before the Winterblast Studio Warming Party, let me know.  My email is saltworkstudio@gmail.com.

Suzanne Edminster

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Directions to Caerus Sketch Picnic — We will be on the Boat Ramp side of the park: Take the Springfield Rd / Hoen entrance — Follow the signs to Spring Lake ( from Hoen turn left on Lucy, then curve around on Newanga until you reach the Park Ranger Station. Directly after that — turn left and go @ a half a mile then turn left at the “Jack Rabbit Parcourse” sign. You will see the restrooms to the left, a bench near the road and a garbage can almost directly on the other side of the road. From that marker (I will put up a sign) there is a very short path (maybe about 25 feet) to a lovely spot with two picnic tables close together. I will arrive ahead of time to get these tables. If that is not possible, there is another picnic table just a tiny bit further.

Turn Left at this sign

The bench and the garbage can on the opposite side of the road — the short path to the picnic site starts here….

The two picnic neighboring picnic tables. The weather for Saturday is predicted to be sun-full in the glory of autumn….

This side of Spring Lake is the remains of a quarry.  There are many cezannesque rock formation amidst the oaks that are alive with movement while projecting a quiet dignity.  With the rains, the lichen and mosses have been awakened to a bejeweled level. There is a formal paved path around the lake — as well as many smaller pathways to explore. The still water of the lake hosts wandering Canadian geese, resident green-necked mallards and puncuation points of white snow egrets. This picnic will also be a feast of nature.

Beauty is everywhere.

Leashed dogs are welcomed in the park.  And there are many animated grey squirrels for entertainment.

Karina Nishi Marcus

3 Open Studio Tips to Fight the Open Studio Blues

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open studio, open studio tips, sketch picnic

Goodbye, old friend. I’m moving from the Barracks.

It’s Art Trails time around Sonoma County, and plenty of artists, including Caerus artists,  are laying it all on the line. It’s a brave thing to do.  You open your studio doors, your soul, and your wine bottles to the public, with no guarantees of financial or other success.  It’s far more work than the public ever sees, it brings you face to face with some very odd characters in your intimate space, and it’s the quickest crash course to increased professionalism that I know.

 I’m not opening my studio this year.  In fact, I’m moving Saltworkstudio from the Barracks to SOFA (South of A Street) Arts District. This brings up my own version of studio blues, and a complete spectrum of many-hued emotions. However, here I offer you my hard-won set of tips for avoiding excess stress around open studios.  They are all based on one idea– visualize the end first, and work from there.  These have saved my open studio mental state more than once.

What do you really need to have an open studio?  Throw out perfectionism.  You need paintings on the walls and a price list.  The dust bunnies or perfect party food can stand aside for a moment.

1. Do not paint (or create) up to the last minute. This is a way of using the artificial adrenalin of a deadline to force yourself to work.  It will burn you out and produce a lingering aftertaste of drama and trauma. You don’t need the pain and you don’t need more paintings.  You already have enough paintings/sculptures/prints/drawings. Stop creating two weeks or more before your open studio date.  Mark it on your calendar and make it a real committment.
2. Do the physical before the mental.  If you find yourself pulled in many pieces by details, do physical work, like cleaning, hanging, and framing,  before agonizing about the publicity you didn’t do or would like to do, or the great idea you had for a new improved painting label, or the need to suddenly completely upgrade your blog/website/tweets/Facebook.   You will have your own versions of these lists.  Choose the physical.  The energy expenditure will, paradoxically, make you calmer and clearer.
3. Hang first! Hang first! Hang first! Hang and arrange your walls before cleaning or working on food.  This is part of the philosophy of going to the end first.  You won’t believe how much more peaceful you will feel once your stock is up and arranged.  It will give you a real charge of positive energy and provide a restful place for your eyes, even if the rest of the task seems overwhelming. Hang as far in advance as possible. Fool around with pesky details later.  As long as a visitor can walk in, you’re set.  Take a deep breath.  Relax and enjoy your own beautiful work for a moment.

Please let me know if any of these tips are of use to you.  Do you have any open studio hints or cautions to share with us?  Where are you right now in your open studio preparations?

Suzanne Edminster

Call to Caerus Artists in Art Trails:  Lauri Luck and Karina Nishi Marcus are both in Art Trails.  Who else is in Art Trails this year?  Please comment below and then send us one image attached to an email with one short paragraph about your current Art Trails focus to caerusartresidency@gmail.com.  On Thursday October 11 we’ll do a Caerus Artists in Art Trails post and feature your work.  Yep, free publicity!

Come join our Caerus Fall Sketch Picnic on Saturday October 27, 12-4 PM!  We are hoping to have a luxurious Impressionist-style lazy day of lounging, sketches, and potluck food and drink on Spring Lake in Santa Rosa. If it rains, we’ll meet in Karina’s studio in Santa Rosa.  Updates to come in October! Please post questions here in the comments section of the blog.