Just like that, it’s Open Studio season again.

This time, Sonoma County Art Trails 2024.

The main opening reception at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts is on the 28th of this month, with Open Studio days following in mid/late October, in Petaluma (Studio #145).

But this first preview reception is already upon me, tomorrow evening at Corrick’s & My Daughter the Framer in downtown Santa Rosa.

I spent the much of July traveling internationally with a Brompton bicycle – the trip involved city riding, country riding, air travel, rail travel – but no automobiles.

This was much easier than I anticipated.

In response to some queries about riding and some of my kit, here’s a recap of the days and the gear: bicycle, luggage, camera, and rambling reflections on riding along the farms, the sheep, the coast, and in two European capitals: Amsterdam and London.

What worked, what could be better?

Once again:

"Art does not reproduce the visible. Rather, it makes visible." - Paul Klee

Rembrandt knew.

Illustration detail from Forgotten Signs: "Year of the Journey"

Answering some questions about my experience in the Art at the Source 2024 exhibition and open studio events.

Would I Do It Again?

Yes, I’m already signed-up and now preparing for Art Trails 2024 in October. This was my plan all along, really: do both a spring and autumn event, the first one as a complete naif and the next one as a nearly-complete naif.

During Art at the Source, I learned… many things. About people, about my art, about expectations and gratitude.

The exhibition space for Art Trails will be different: in Petaluma, not Sebastopol, larger, more controllable, and not in a shared space. Some learnings from Art at the Source will apply, some won’t. Some of those learnings were expected, some were surprises:

After the Final Weekend, Before the Post-Mortem

The pace of the final days of preparation and weekends for Art at the Source 2024 kept me away from these entries, so now, in the final days before the artists and administrators gather for a final assessment for 2024, here are some reflections and ramblings on the experience at Studio 16B in Sebastopol.

It will come in two posts: this one that just covers the direct goings-on and tasks, and a second post to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and how to apply it looking forward.

After the Opening Reception, But Still a Week and a Half Before Open Studio

The Art at the Source 2024 opening reception at Sebastopol Center for the Arts has already occured, and the show continues into June – you can see the work in the SebArts Gallery daily. But the studio visits at Studio 16B in Sebastopol don’t begin until the first of June.

Today, the last of the art materials needed for Art at the Source have arrived: an updated resupply of Graffiti Generations, a batch of letter-sized matte board from Archival Concepts, several boxes of Canson Baryta paper from B&H, and after a short drive, a stack of cut mats (two sizes) from Redimat. Yesterday, a package of clear bags from clearbags.com. All tested, verified fits for all books, cards, and more than a few prints…

Above: Display test in the kitchen.

Three Weeks to Go in the Fuzzy Front End

Today is the official gallery reception at Sebastopol Center for the Arts.

This isn’t the first: last Saturday there was also a preview reception at Gallery One in Petaluma. Instead of a hard start, there’s a fuzzy front end to the schedule of Art at the Source, composed of mixed deadlines and promotion sub-events.

More on both receptions (and other events) below:

Five weeks to Go, or Today?

Back in Sonoma County, land of butter and eggs and Butter & Egg Day Parades.

Events stacking up: besides parades and chick contests (above), in the past week See See and I have shot several video interviews for other Art at the Source 2024 artists – this was a great opportunity, because their own open-studio schedules are identical with ours – we wouldn’t otherwise have had a chance to explore and discuss the work of artists Tom Ballard, Cheryl and Mikio of Nichibei Potters, of James Reynolds, Jeremy Calnan, or Jenny Helbraun Abramson – happily I also shot yet more video for my Sebastopol studio host Barbara Harris. The videos produced will be circulating during the show… still editing the 45GB of footage.

But that’s just part of it…

Popular for 2024? This photo, “Anchor,” has appeared in public again – this time in Shots Magazine 163: Dreams.

Eight Weeks to Go, or Maybe Two

Cherry blossom season: this post is largely written on the 1PM ferry between Tsawassen below Vancouver to Swartz Bay above Victoria.

This is the week I’m away from my usual computers, studio, and so forth. The previous week, therefore, was a rush of activity, much of it expended on finalizing (some) book designs for Art at the Source 2024.

Ten Weeks to Go

Already Spring?

Ten weeks now remain until the Sebastopol Center for the Arts-organized Art at the Source 2024. In the days since the last post, a number of tools have been added, books reviewed and designs thrown out, rooms and doors have been measured, gallery ID numbers distributed (16B!), data storage and analytics have been changed, ads were designed, print budgets budgeted, and a picture I’d loved but nearly forgotten has been recovered and is sure to make an appearance.

Five or six years ago, I found a simple way to squash social-media addiction, one that I haven’t seen among the many 240+ page self-help books offering paths to escape from the modern internet Attention Machine.

My method didn’t require erasing, cancelling, or closing my various accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or the rest. The de-FOMO method is quite simple:

Make it a chore, and schedule it.