"No one's on the streets We moved it all online as of March"

In March last year I took a four month long break from the studio. I still could have driven there, and even found parking. But I would have felt like a hypocrite doing that while at the same time appreciating the clean air so much. And in the early days we didn't even know if we were safe walking down the street.

I had thought I couldn't be happy without painting and going to the studio every day, but it turned out to be OK. I sewed a lot, cooked up a storm, caught up on stuff that went neglected for years, and even gardened a little. It was actually a relief not to do open studios, after 21 consecutive years. 

Started going to the studio once, then twice, now three or four times a week. Even though sales have continued on UGallery, I really lost my mojo. Gallery 30 South's Coaster Show gave me a much-needed boost - I admire the curator Matt Kennedy's work (I was in La Luz de Jesus' Everything but the Kitschen Sync once), knew about the Coaster Show, and wanted to give it a try. I did four paintings in oil on coaster (Fort Point Beer Co. round coasters from the Rite Spot Cafe, thank you)! They were so much fun to do. You can see the whole show at https://gallery30south.com/coaster-show-2021/

Netflix and podcasts have been an education and connection to the world. I've been listening to No Dogs in Space for a post-bac in post punk, That Record Got Me High (title of this post is a lyric from the Arctic Monkeys album they covered; I don't even listen to them but it was a fascinating discussion), A Matter of Life and Debt about student debt, and Social Distance which sadly is over, even though I for one continue to socially distance.

20th Year!

Many Links

Tiny caravans (4x 6 in., 7 x 5 in. and 6 x 6 in. oil on canvas)

I've been working on lots of small paintings and a few large ones. My Open Studios is next weekend, November 11 and 12! There's also the grand ArtSpan Open Studios exhibition, featuring hundreds of participating artists. This year a couple of my tiny caravans are in the Tiny show at Studio Gallery, and I am continuing to exhibit on UGallery.com, rotating in new pieces as sales are made.

Open Studios
Saturday and Sunday November 11 and 12, 2017 11am - 6pm

2169 Folsom Street #S-107
San Francisco CA 94110
Also at this location: Miju E. Han


SF Open Studios Exhibition
SOMArts Gallery
934 Brannan Street
San Francisco CA 94103

October 12 - November 12, 2017
Tuesdays - Fridays noon - 7
Saturdays 11 - 5
Sundays 11 - 3


Studio Gallery 
1641 Pacific Avenue
San Francisco CA 94109

tiny - small pieces
November 10 - December 23, 2017
Opening reception: Sunday November 12th, 1 - 6pm
Anniversary party: Sunday December 3rd, 1 - 6pm

Monday, Thursday and Friday 11 - 7

Saturday and Sunday 11 - 6

Tuesday and Wednesday by appointment

415.931.3130

UGallery


Be sure to follow me on Instagram too.

Online and Real Life

I have select paintings available on an online gallery called UGallery:
UGallery: Meet Our Newest Artists

And in real life, I have a collection of paintings up at the beautiful Royale, 800 Post St. at Leavenworth in San Francisco through September 30. With panoramic San Francisco photographs by Sean Vallely.

Three Ring Circus of art

I'll be in another three person exhibition at San Francisco's fabulous, beloved Glama-Rama!
This time it's three painters:  Kytha Gernatt, Wendy Marlatt and me.
Kytha paints intense landscape and travel-inspired squares in mainly primary colors, reminiscent of the Fauves; Wendy studies from life and also draws and paints surreal figures combining the human and animal; and I'll be showing my framed canvatex paintings of women and some large, colorful, musical scenes.

304 Valencia near 14th St.
Open 10am - 7pm Tues. - Sun.
The show runs through June 11

This painting will appear at. . .

Moonlight Tent oil on canvas 7 x 9 in.

“SNAP!” Bay Area Juried Exhibition & Off-The-Wall Sale

​Snap, Crackle, Pop! Let’s start the New Year right. Snap! is a quick turnaround show filled with bright, delicious artwork hung salon-style and ready to be snapped up by Bay Area art lovers.

Pick your piece and take it home - all works $199

OPENING RECEPTION: January 27th, 7-10PM
SECOND CHANCE SALE: January 28th, 12-3PM

snap! at arc-sf.com

Open Studios 2016 this weekend

Open Studios at the Allied Box Factory next weekend, November 5 & 6; 11am - 6pm!

2169 Folsom Street between 17th & 18th

Our beautiful complex will have five very varied artists:


Celine Germain

Tide and Tied jewelry

https://www.instagram.com/tideandtied/

Miju E. Han
babysnake, ink and neural networks

instagram.com/hallucinationsanddreams/

Hadley Northrop

paintings

hadleynorthrop.com

Jeff Petersen

paintings, prints and carvings

jeffpetersen-art.com

Sean Vallely 

photography

flickr.com/seanvallely

In some shows again

Here's my wall at Blackbird Bar, where three artists are showing through San Francisco Open Studios this year.
I've also dropped off my painting at SOMArts Gallery for the ArtSpan Open Studios Exhibition. That's work by hundreds of artists, and a good way to pick up a guide and figure out who you want to visit by seeing one piece in person by each participating artist. The show is open Tues. - Fri. noon - 7pm, Sat. 11am - 5pm, and Sun. 11am - 3pm through November 6. The Dia de los Muertos exhibition is concurrent with ArtSpan until November 5, right next door. See the link for information. I hope to see you next month!

Blackbird

I'm really pleased to be included in this show at Blackbird, a beautiful bar on Market Street. You know I love my beautiful bars, especially if they have good snacks. A Hub Exhibition means it's a neighborhood space highlighting ArtSpan Open Studios artists, and will be up through Open Studios, so until about November 7. 

A Painting a Day (sort of)

I finally did it and started an Instagram for my paintings. I put out a painting a day, and in return I get to see beautiful photos of delicious food in fancy restaurants, or that one of the coolest couples in rock and roll was in my neighborhood and I just missed them. Please follow me at https://www.instagram.com/hadley_northrop_art/

Print

Countdown to Open Studios! Less than three months to go, if you can believe it. Postcard done (thanks to the Modern Postcard summer sale), ArtSpan guide ad sent in (no Velvet Underground style this time), and now to do the online banner ad and our Christmas card. Then maybe, if there's time before November, a magnet! None of this would be possible without Sean's incredible graphic design and Mac skills, because I'm stuck in the 19th Century. What's a computer?

Girls

Work in Progress 30 x 30 in.

I took some time off from the studio because I got a puppy! She came in with me a few times because I had to finish a project, but mostly we stayed at home and took naps on the floor. My long walks, daily work momentum and energy level have been seriously disrupted. Today it felt great to begin a large new painting with a thick brush and new Gamsol thinners.

Made in USA

There's nothing like getting a new container to organize your stuff! I deserved this - I kept my paints in the same Plano tackle box since college. It finally gave out and I got a nice, clean new one. It was made in the USA, too.

And I love foxes

Almost finished: Bolinas and Mercey

Still obsessed with my studio - all I want to do is paint - and pressing forward with many slow pieces approaching the finish line together.

I had the idea to paint a fox for a new vegan restaurant that was supposed to open near my studio called Citizen Fox. Before I could even start or talk to them, and after three years of sporadic construction, the project was called off and they're closing their two pop-up locations. I don't know what to think. This neighborhood doesn't need any more fancy restaurants, bars or cafes, but it definitely needs more vegetarian places. They feel like a refuge to many of my friends and me. You always know they're going to be kind of groovy there!

Quagmires

Pond in the Woods oil on canvas 9 x 12 in.

Pro: I love walking to my studio

Con: I have a sore ankle and wrists (the "Mommy Thumb" probably from carrying shopping bags home)

Pro: When I paint I feel no pain

Con: The chemicals I paint with could be making me sick

Pro: Soon I will be finishing a dozen paintings all around the same time, and after that I can switch solvents

Con: I don't have any shows this year besides Open Studios

Pro: I do have commissions and they're going well. 

Numbers and cartoons

Dog on Rug oil on canvas 28 x 20 in.

Lately I have been working on over fifteen paintings at once, which was getting a little overwhelming - seven or eight is more normal for me and feels more manageable. So I assigned the paintings numbers 1 - 15. I keep a log where each day I write my hours and what I worked on, and the number system makes it easier to scan back over and cycle through, so for example if I work on two paintings a day for a week, I've put in time on 14 paintings and can start at the beginning again on a piece that's had time to dry enough to not go muddy. It's still as slow going as ever, but I feel like I'm getting somewhere.

Another thing that makes me feel like I know where I'm going is black lines. I've been told to avoid them in paintings, but after years of taking that advice, I'm kind of letting myself throw it out the window. Anyway if someone asks me to describe my art, I've often said it's like a cross between Impressionism and comics! A black outline feels so definite and right. 

Was about to donate a loyal hound to a fundraiser when I noticed they required items created in the last three years. Wow, this one is from 2000. OK, never mind.

Scones and Mojo

I found a British program called Portrait Artist of the Year on Ovation TV and am amazed not just by the enduring fascination with portraiture, but that there could be such thoughtful discussion of painting on television! I hear that's the appeal of the Great British Baking Show:  no drama, just appreciation for the craft and the quiet concentration of those who do it well.

Past 3 person show at Glama-Rama

Happy to say I have done some curating, putting together three artists who will show at Glama-Rama Salon & Gallery early next year. Each artist's work is so distinct, so personal, and yet I think they'll be magic together and in that space. I'll keep you posted on this matchmaking venture and their colorful and surreal adventures!

Stars

Starlight Caravan oil on canvas 7 x 5 in.

Happy New Year - well, not very happy, as this is now a world without David Bowie. I don't think it's completely sunk in yet.
We also lost Chicago musician Kevin Junior, who was only 46 (my age). I always used to look forward to his band the Chamber Strings playing San Francisco, and how he'd look so cool I'd think, too late, "that would make a good painting!"

Winter's here

Moonlight Caravan oil on canvas 4 x 6 in.

Thank you, everyone who came to Open Studios last month! It was great having six artists onsite, the most ever at the Allied Box Factory, and seeing all our friends. Special thanks to our Gallery Girls for helping it run smoothly. The weekend was a big success. I've continued to paint since then, even though the days are short and it's getting colder. 

This Very Weekend

Box Factory artists in the SOMArts Open Studios Exhibition:  Kytha Gernatt, Mark Seely, Christine Meuris, Sean Vallely and me (and someone else who's not at our studio. But their work looks good with ours anyway)

We were just in Scotland for three weeks. Revisited the sandy white beaches of the Outer Hebrides, and even the campsite and lone caravan that were the inspiration for many paintings. We saw the Northern Lights over a quiet loch, and the Fairy Pools with a steady queue of tourists. In my beloved Glasgow, we visited Kelvingrove Art Gallery and the Glasgow School of Art (still under repair following last year's tragic fire), and took a day trip by train to Edinburgh, where we were lucky enough to see the BP Portrait Award at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. It's a popular and fascinating show, and so inspirational for anyone who loves painting people. I feel I must follow my heart back to that area of work. Maybe someday I could even apply for that prize.

Here's a link so you can check out all of the artists who will be participating in Open Studios this weekend:
Box Factory 2015