Back to the Bay

Walnut Grove

A few weeks ago my friend and I decided to take a last-minute trip to the bay. I hadn't been in over two years so I was super excited for this spontaneous trip! We ended up leaving later than planned, but had a great time on the way there. 

We took the back roads and stopped by Walnut Grove, to check out this cute little town. It's one of those towns that if you blink for a second you'll drive right on through.  There honestly wasn't much to see but the old historic buildings and houses, along with the art galleries and views of the river definitely made it a worthwhile stop. 

Pacifica, Cali

Next stop on the trip was to Pacifica, to visit my friend's grandma. On the way to her house we stopped by the beach in Pacifica, which was a first for me as I had never been to Pacifica before. After our time at the beach we got to her grandma's and had dinner. By the time dinner was done it was starting to get late so we headed to the city before it got too dark to enjoy Golden Gate Park.

 Abandoned! 

GGP is a must stop for me every time I go to the city, and although we didn't have much time to spend there, we had a blast nonetheless. I even got a chance to abandon a couple my Mac Dre Egg Carton Relief Prints right in the park, and to my surprise I actually received an email response from the finder of my art, which made it all the better! Such an awesome time! Only wish I would've gotten a chance to meet up with a Nelli, but time just wasn't on our side this trip. Hope to make it out there again soon for some more fun times! :) Thanks Sav for the awesome day! 

Cheers!

<3 Noonie

On Display: HIP HOP ART SHOW

Exhibit announcement...! My work is now on display at Amen Real Estate, located in Downtown Sacramento! My Rappers Series + Mac Dre relief print pieces will be on exhibit in the office for the entire month of September.

Reception will be held on the 2nd Saturday of September 9/12, from 5:30-9 pm. Refreshments + treats will be served! There will also be a free raffle for an original piece of art! 

Please feel free to invite + share with your fellow art lovers! #SupportLocalArt

Cheers!
Noonie

The past SEVEN months...

Hey folks,

It has been about 7 months since my last post [YIKES!], so I figured it was about time to give 'er a go. This has been a crazy year so far
- I got the job of my dreams
- I traveled around California, the East Coast, and Croatia
- I've had 4 different NYers come to stay with us
- Made some new friends
- Changed my diet back to being healthier :)
- and and and....

I'm not even sure where to start, but I guess a good first place is at the beginning.
In February I landed a job as a futurist; I read, research, analyze, write documents pertaining to the future of the built environment, and most importantly I learn every day.
Since I was a young girl one of my favorite things to do was learn; I spent many a recess in the library, I listened to stories from all the grown ups I knew, and I could not wait for the end of summer vacation so I could go back to school [and yes my friends thought I was a weirdo for it]. As an adult, I somehow found a way to spend 8 years pursuing college degrees. Now, since college ended, I have admittedly felt lost. This job marries all of my favorite things: learning + analyzing + spreadsheets + events + constant variation.

One of my favorite bits about this job is that no two days are the same. One day I'm researching future libraries, the next I am looking into 'past futures,' the next I might be hosting a workshop on recycling or looking at innovative siding. Whatever the topic might be, it is always fascinating.

Here is a little glimpse at a few 'futurist photos'

Urban Space

Fun + Funky Rooftop

GPS Shoes

Architectural Installation

Retro Future

P.S. There is a whole world of 'retro futures' out there if you're interested

Livin' the Dream

"UGH" 

Mac Dre Egg Carton Relief Print + 

chain on canvas 

Had a good run at both Cafe Colonial + The Paint Chip...! And now my art is back home with me, minus this piece which sold at The Paint Chip! Always such an awesome feeling to sell a piece...! To know that someone actually likes my work enough to spend their hard earned money on it means the world to me! So thank you Miss lady at The Paint Chip for supporting my dreams! This bad boy is going to be heading to Seattle as the chica who bought it is sending it to her brother as a gift! Super grateful, blessed + stoked! 

Next up...my HIP HOP Art Show! Going down next month at Amen Real Estate, located in Downtown Sacramento. My Rappers Series + Mac Dre relief print pieces will be on display for this solo month long exhibit. Artist reception to be held on 9/12, time to be announced. 

Cali State Fair 2015

One of my all time favorite things to do in the Summer is to head out to the California State Fair, which is held every July here in Sacramento. I missed out on it last year, which made attending this year that much more exciting! It was me and my honey's first time going to the fair together, and of course we had a blast!

The very first thing we did was head to the exhibition buildings to check out the art! Admiring the works from artists all over Cali is my favorite part about the fair! This year was no different! There were so many amazing pieces + inspiration to be seen, here are a few of my favorites....!

After checking out the art we walked the grounds taking it all in. I seriously feel like a kid when I'm at the fair, just ask my honey...! I was pullin him around, so excited to see everything! Definitely an amazing + memorable day at the fair! 

Until next time, Cheers!

<3 Noonie 

The Paint Chip Show!

New exhibit to announce...! Going to be having a solo exhibit at The Paint Chip, an art supply store shop that's located in Davis, Cali. Super stoked for my first show in Davis! I lived there for years when I was growing up, so it holds a lot of great memories. 

Going to be exhibiting some new bright, bold abstracts for this 2 week show! The opening reception is being held on Friday July 10th from 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm. There will be refreshments and a few other goodies to snack on while you check out some art. My opening reception is one of many things happening art wise in Davis that night, as every 2nd Friday Davis holds an artwalk! So there will be lots of art to enjoy :) Hope to see ya there! 

Cheers!

<3 Noonie

P.S. My art is still up at the Cafe Colonial for a little while longer! If you want to see my latest "Rappers Series" pieces + my newest California Flag piece that's the only place you can currently view them, as I haven't shared any pics of them online 😆 

Cafe Colonial Exhibit!

Hey friends! Totally forgot to post this earlier but I have an art exhibit currently going down at Cafe Colonial, which is located here in Sacramento, for another week or so! Super stoked to be showing my work with some awesome local artists, including Mark Fox! An artist I've mentioned a few times here on BSOM! :) Go grab yourself a cold one and check it out! 

Cheers!

<3 Noonie 

Roller Coaster

There are always ups + downs in life, but this past week there were definitely a lot of downs. But let's focus on the positive, shall we? :) I've managed to stick to my 1 post a week goal on here, + I'm pretty proud of myself for doing so, lol. There's just so much going on lately it's been hard to stay focused. 

Got a chance to hang out with my artist friend the other day, we caught up + did some painting. Just what I needed. Like I mentioned last week I haven't done much art in the past month + a 1/2, so it felt really good to pick up a paint brush + do my thang for a minute. Although I haven't done much art lately, I have put my creative juices into experimenting with my Instax Mini camera. Love using this camera as the photos print instantly + the fact that you really never know what the photo is going to turn out like when it does print. Decided to start a new photo series titled Persepctive + Angles, utilizing my Instax + thought I'd share what I've got so far for the series :)  

Until next week, Cheers!

<3 Noonie

Random Life Moments

I've (loosely) made it a goal of mine to try to post at least one blog a week. Like I mentioned a few weeks back life has been hectic for Nelli + I, but don't worry we still love you guys lol. :D

In the past few weeks I've made a couple of new dishes that I'll eventually be sharing on here, Doritos Crusted Chicken Strips + Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Casserole. They were both even tastier than they sound. Look out for one of the recipes next week. 

I haven't done any art for the past month or so due to health crap. But at least I'm FINALLY on the right track + have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. It's not a diagnosis anyone wants to hear, but I'm just glad to finally have a name for all of the crap I've gone through all of these years. I've been educating myself about the disease + have come to a lot of "ah-ha" moments! I haven't spoken much about my health issues on BSOM, mostly because I'm actually a very private person. But this blog kind of serves as a journal of my life, + so I thought I'd just mention it today. Perhaps I will write more about it in the future + use this blog as a forum for others who are struggling with this shitty disease, but for now this is just an idea.

In other news things are finally starting to calm down for me in my personal life. It's been turbulent (to say the least) for the past year or so, so I'm very happy the dust is finally starting to settle + things are looking up for this lady! Hallelujah! lol 

Well that's about it in my world, will try to get some more blogs written up so that I can post more often. Hope all is going well for you in your life!  

Cheers! 

<3 Noonie 

Cheesecake Bites

Simple, delicious, cheesecake bites! I'm such a fan of this cheesecake reciepe because it requires few ingredients, it's easy to make, and it's delicious every time!

Classic Cheesecake Bites

Ingredients:

• 1) 8 oz. Package Cream Cheese

• 1/3 Cup Sugar

• 1/2 t. Lemon Juice

• 1 Egg

• 2 Graham Crackers

• 1 T. Softened Butter

How To: 

• Using a mixer, cream together cream cheese + sugar 

• Add lemon juice + egg, mix until well blended 

• Slowly add butter + mix well

• In a ziplock bag, crush up graham crackers 

• Place cupcake liners in muffin pan, spoon a layer of crushed graham crackers in liners 

• Spoon cheese mix on top of graham crackers 

• Place tin in preheated 375 oven 

• Bake 11-14 mins (it took 17 mins in my oven) 

• Refrigerate + serve chilled

• Top with fresh fruit, chocolate, caramel or whatever your heart desires! 

(I made a strawberry/sugar mix to top mine) 

There's such a nice light balance with the sweetness + slight lemon taste, and the consistency of this dessert is heavenly! Definitely one of my favorite desserts to make, hope you enjoy it as much as I do! 

Until next time friends, cheers!

<3 Noonie

Life Lately...

Yeah, our bad. It's been a minute since Nelli or I have posted. Guess life has just been a bit hectic lately. That and my laptop gave out on me, boo. So let's catch up shall we...? My adventures from the last few months include...

 

A fun date night Downtown...

We started out the night with a surprise. Nelli + I stumbled upon a painting in the Kennedy Gallery downtown randomly a few months back. The painting was dedicated to the memory of my honey's stepdad, I knew he had no idea about it + so the first stop we made on our venture was to that very gallery to see the piece. He obviously loved it + was super surprised. Afterwards we headed over to Pieces, this bomb pizza joint that wasn't too far from the Gallery. I love their pizza + hadn't been in forever so we checked it out, + of course it didn't disappoint!

      

olive + mushroom pizza...my fav! 

After dinner + beer (I had berry ale) we headed to The Crest theater. I had never been before, but they were playing one of my all time favorite movies The Shinning! Not only was the theater gorgeous, it was super cool to see the old movie on the big screen. 

I must say the atmosphere of the theater was very unique + awesome expierence, very different from any movie theater I had ever been to. Such a fun + memorable night! 

A trip to the mountains...!

I'm not one to ever let my dogs run off leash, mostly because they don't listen that well + I'm a nervous wreck when they're running loose. But my honey finally convinced me they'd be just fine, + so we hit the road with the dogettes in tow up to the mountains. There is a very special place we like to go up past Foresthill + that's exactly where we headed. Once we arrived the dogettes were un clipped from their harnesses + away they went! 

To my surprise they actually didn't run off + not come back when called like I thought they would.

Of course they had a blast running around free, smelling all the new smells + playing ball on the beach. Such a great day! 

A new tattoo...!

Pastel diamond on the inside of my ankle (yes it hurt)! lol

New artistic ventures...

Including the clock above + vase below, which I painted for my Candy Series.

Of course I've created a bunch of new paintings as well, but you'll have to check out my Instagram for pics. ;) 

I also had my 2nd exhibition ever..! 

+ it was a solo show! My work was on display for a month at Shine, a very popular local cafe Downtown. Exhibited some new paintings from my Candy Series, my Matisse Inspired Rappers Series + had my Mac Dre Egg Carton Relief Prints on exhibit for the very first time! 

Such a wonderful opportunity + great exposure for my work!  

I made Chicken Stir Fry for the first time...

It was bomb! Well after I tweaked it a bit it was, lol. I originally served the Chicken + vegetable mix on top of noodles, but after one bite I knew I wasn't going to be satisfied. Immediately back into the kitchen I went, + made some teriyaki white rice to eat with the chicken + veggie mix. So much better. I guess that's what happens sometimes when you try to make something new for the first time, trial + error! 

source

A trip to The Crocker...

There was a Taulouse-Lautrec exhibit in town + of course I couldn't miss it! I first fell in love with "the father of commercial posters" work, when I learned about him in an Art History class I took a few years back. It was amazing to actually see his work in person, so inspiring + such a memorable expierence. I also got to see a Mary Cassatt + Manet piece, which was such an unexpected + lovely surprise! So inspired by both of them + admire their place in art history, so to see their works in person was quite the experience! Not to mention the countless other artists work that I got to see, like I said, very inspiring! 

Of course there have been other things going on in my life, + not all of them are pretty. But I've been learning a lot about myself + have come to a lot of realizations, so in the long run it's for the best, although presently it is really hard. Here's to hoping for more good days + a bright future filled with love + happiness.

Until next time, cheers!

<3 Noonie 

Artist Receptions 101

I was rather surprised at the lack of results I got when I searched the net on how to prepare for my very first artist reception. I found bits of useful information here + there, but there wasn't a one stop shop that provided everything I needed to know in order to have a successful artist reception. So I thought I'd taken it upon myself to fill this gap, as I'm sure there are plenty of other artists out there who have experienced this same issue. As you may have read here, my first artist reception was a hit because I was properly prepared, + I want you to experience the same success! Below you'll find my list of things you'll need, along with a few tips...enjoy!

Artist Reception Necessities 101

* Music: You know, to liven up the event!

- Good ol' Pandora on your cell phone + a little speaker works great! Of course an iPod works just fine too! Be sure to remember a charger if you're going this route!

* Promotion: You know, so people are aware of the event!

- This one goes without saying, but I thought I'd better cover it anyways. If you want a good turn out you'll need to let people know about your event! This can be done via social media, a Craigslist ad or other sites where local happenings are posted. Flyers are also a great way to get the word out! Especially if you go pass them out to businesses that are near the reception venue! 

* Display Table: You know for all your little goodies!

- You'll need a table to display your business cards, artist bio or statement, guest list sign in, raffle bowl (if applicable) + any other little things you are selling.You may want to use a table cloth, + you'll definitely want to spruce up your table up a bit with a few decor pieces, like maybe a vase with flowers, or even just a few candles looks great!

* Food + Drink Table: You know for all your little treats n' things!

- You'll definitely want to serve a few little something or others + something to wash it all down with! 'Typical' reception food consists of a cheese, crackers + some kind of meat platter + fruit. But get creative! For my reception I served cheese, crackers + salami, as well as homemade cake pops + these cute little palette cookies. Looking back, I did go a little overboard with the cake pops, but it was my first reception + it was Valentine's Day so I can justify it (lol). To drink I served pink lemonade + sparkling grape juice. Although at a 'typical' reception usually an alcoholic beverage (like wine) is served along with some sort of juice or coffee/tea. 

Of course you'll need a few other things like: plates, napkins, cups, toothpicks, serving trays/plates, drink dispenser, ice bucket, ice, + of course a nice table cloth + a little decor, to tie it all together.

+ Name Tag: You know in case people need to find you!

-  Viewers of your art may have questions for you, the artist, so they need to be able to spot you in a crowded room. I myself wasn't too keen on the whole name tag thing, so in order to avoid having to wear one I just made sure I included a picture of myself on my artist bio; which I had framed + on exhibit on my 'display table'.

Now to take this a step further, go ahead + welcome/approach people who are viewing your art. A simple 'Hi I'm _____, the artist. If you have any questions just let me know' is a great way to connect to your viewers + helps them put a face to the art, without being too pushy.

Well, I think that pretty much sums it all up. I hope this post was of some use to all you artists out there! I will be posting similar blogs sometime in the near future for how to prepare for your first art show + outdoor art sale event, so be on the look out! + If you have any tips or tricks of your own on how to prepare for your first artist reception please comment + share them below!

Until next time friends...Cheers!

<3 Noonie 

Noonie + Savannah Collab!

 My artist friend Savannah + I's first collaboration! 

Sav + I have been good friends for years now. In fact she's my only friend that is an artist herself! We've painted together numerous times over the years, but for some reason we never thought to work on a piece together until just recently! + it turned out marvelous! 

We each painted our own backgrounds using the same color palette + then took turns painting the gold design. After, we switched canvases + started painting each other's pieces! Sav painted the piece on the top + I painted the piece on the bottom. I've never painted anything like this before but I'm totally stoked about how it turned out! It was such a fun process, I definitely can't wait to do it again! Which will hopefully be sooner than later lol.

Until next time friends...Cheers!

<3 Noonie

Noonie's | Lastest Artistic Ventures |

Well, my very first artist reception was a success! :) I had a great time planning + organizing it, + of course had a blast on the night of, which happened to be Valentine's Day! There was a great turn out + lots of positive feedback! Felt great to mingle with my fellow art lovers! :) 

Not only was the art + people pumpin', but the hors d'oeuvres table was a huge hit as well. I served the typical artist reception food which consists of a crackers + a meat + cheese spread, but I also went a little unconventional + served homemade cake pops + 'palette cookies'...too cute! 

To drink we had sparkling red + white grape juice, as well as pink lemonade. What a hit! I truly appreciate all the support + looking forward to my next art event! 

If you'd like more details about future shows + exhibitions go check out my new art website! I just recently finished putting it together, + I'm pretty damn proud of it! :)

 New website!

Also I was recently featured on the awesome art blog Creative Corner, go check out my artist interview + get more insight into my creative process! 

Artist Feature

Once again thank you for your support! 

Can't wait to see where this artistic journey takes me next! :)

Cheers! 

<3 Noonie