Pandora's Box

Yesterday was my last day to hang out with Mari at her Polk Street studio. Unfortunately, I had worked night shift beforehand and had gone straight from work to Jury Duty and straight from Jury Duty to her studio, so I hadn't slept for over 27 hours straight (except for the five minutes I totally crashed in the waiting room of the courthouse).

I was hoping to finish my painting of the city scape outside her studio window. I got all of the essential details done, but the painting isn't finished yet. Sleep deprivation made my body too inert to pick up a paintbrush. And my mind too numb to comprehend the significance of the moment. My last time in that studio with Mari.

Now that I've slept, I'm completely melancholy. I just hope that day that I barely experienced will not have been as significantly a pivotal moment as I now fear.

Mari gave me one of her extra easels. Am I now to paint in my apartment alone? The time spent with Mari was even more significant than any of the paintings I produced. But the two together - time with Mari and painting - was like heaven.

Now I should have put this information at the beginning of this post, because it is most important, so please pay attention. Save this date: July 22.

That is when Mari will be showing her Broken Heart series. These paintings have absolutely blown me away. The Nautical-themed paintings, such as "road map to my broken heart," were paintings done on found windows with mixed media/collage backgrounds. The website doesn't do them justice, as the details, such as the actual letters from ex-lovers collaged in the background of one of the pieces can't be deciphered nearly as well on-line. You must see them in person to get their full-effect. And this will be the first time they'll be viewed by the public, and possibly the last as I fear they will all get sold. I am too broke to buy them myself, so I fear I may never see them again!

So if you're in San Francisco on July 22, BE THERE! To see Mari's amazing work and to provide moral support to me as these pieces disappear into stranger's hands instead of mine!