Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Island Road, on being "Lucky" in Kauai

6"x12" oil painting titled "Island Road", awaiting a new home...
Painting can be purchased for $185 plus $6 s/h: from the artist, Jenny Floravita

I've just returned from an intense three week hiatus from my studio. For the middle two weeks of March I was lucky enough to be able to travel to Kauai. "Lucky" is really the word that I used most often when counting my blessings, along with "fortunate" and also "hard working". Those words were spoken a lot when I realized that there weren't a lot of other people in the age range my husband and I are in or younger touring the island without their parents checkbooks visibly paying for the trip. What this means is that our generation just isn't enjoying the luxury of Kauai right now due to the times. We also didn't see very many families with children. And though we are not immune from what is going on, we are in fact directly effected as Itwrite, I felt thankful for what we could experience.

While in Kauai we noticed that a few of our favorite dining spots including a 20-year established Thai restaurant and a lovely and elegant lunch place with a breath taking view of Bali Hai had gone out of business or were slated to close. We also noticed that the Guava Kai Plantation closed. As we drove around the island hoping to stop in familiar haunts we soon began to wonder which establishments were also closed. Other businesses that we frequented had moved or consolidated. A favorite breakfast joint (which was closed for lunch) teamed up with a dinner place that was closed for breakfast. Now the two businesses could share the rent more efficiently.

Last year I was "lucky, fortunate, hard-working" enough to be on Oahu a couple times so it's actually been two years since we had visited Kauai. So many stark changes in terms of business but the island will persist in it's beauty and Aloha no matter what. The people will re-build their businesses in new times to come and many will prosper soon if they aren't prosperous right now.

And this isn't to say that the island is in tough times because many still do well, I just couldn't help but be moved by the visible changes that I saw when we hoped to visit restaurants, shops and businesses that we looked forward to. Behind each one of those businesses are working people and that's my main point.

My time in the islands is essential to my life's work. It re-connects me to the subjects that inspire my paintings and I look forward to being a patron of the island as a way of thanks for the inspiration it provides for my work. Traveling to the islands is not a vacation but a journey that takes me to my next body of work as an artist. Now that I am back in California, I am preparing for my spring and summer festivals where I will hear countless professionals in lucrative careers tell me that I am so "lucky and fortunite" to be able to do what I do. Some will also understand that "hard working" is also a factor in my success as an artist.

To see more, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com
and www.floravita.com

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Path to the Beach


6"x12" oil painting titled "Path to the Beach", awaiting a new home...
Painting can be purchased for $185 plus $6 s/h: from the artist, Jenny Floravita

I am hoping to wake up happily Friday morning to this beach path in Kauai. It leads to one of my favorite beaches. I'm looking forward to a little down time and a bit more exercise as well. A good swim in the ocean would be so refreshing...or perhaps sipping cocktails by the pool on the beach would be nice. A bit of a re-charge before my wave of summer shows and commissions hit.

Right now my day is far from that tranquil moment on the beach but I am getting there. I am preparing for my next show. Always so much to do and so little time. An artist is always creating and our life's work is never finished and that can pose some problems if we let our mind's get wrapped up in the mountain of work that we have set for ourselves. We often think of the next set of paintings before we're even close to finishing what we are currently working on. As a business woman, I am also filled with ideas on how to show my work to art enthusiasts. I'm always excited about my next set of shows as well. Between these two very distinct jobs lies an endless amount of work.

Because packing and prepping for a show is a somewhat slow and laborious job for me, I'm able to reflect on they "why" aspects of my life's work. One thing that I realize is that it's not always possible to always finish every single ambitious project that I lay out. Honestly, over the last few months I've remained focused and have worked steadily towards on my current body of work and for my upcoming spring shows. I am happy to say that this has lead me to accomplish a lot and that is always a good feeling. I have given it my best and my best is what will have to do!

Next show: San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, March 24-28, 2010 at the San Mateo Event Center, BOOTH # 649. More info here: http://www.sfgardenshow.com

To see more, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com
and www.floravita.com

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Life In Hawaii


6"x12" oil painting titled "Life In Hawaii", awaiting a new home...
Painting can be purchased for $185 plus $6 s/h: from the artist, Jenny Floravita

This is a "new" size painting, being 6"x12". It allows me to create contemporary shaped scenes on a small scale. Those of you who regularly follow my work know that I enjoy creating paintings in contemporary shapes.

This is a short blog entry today as I'm preparing for my next trip to Kauai...as well as preparing for my next show for when I return.

Next show: San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, March 24-28, 2010 at the San Mateo Event Center, BOOTH # 649. More info here: http://www.sfgardenshow.com

To see more, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com
and www.floravita.com