Strasburg Studio Archives
Strasburg Studio Archives: Time Machine. Climbing into the way-back machine, this month of May, is where we find the paintings for this month's spotlight. 154 Sky 01 & 02, 24x24” oil paintings on birch panel by Nicole Strasburg. Both are images of the Santa Ynez Mountain range in Santa Barbara County.
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Thank you for joining me on this monthly trip through the archives of my studio.
Winter Pools, 36x48”, oil on birch panel, 2008
As I write, the rain continues pattering outside my window. Despite the forecast of sun another storm looms, arriving later in the week. The coastline remains littered with the debris from the heavy rains and there is no sign of the sand returning to cover the shale on one of my favorite walks to Campus Point.
It has been another wonderfully wet winter on the west coast and it is spilling into a soggy spring. I won’t complain, I love the full reservoirs, the running creeks, monster tide pools and the ever-changing shoreline.
“Winter Pools” captures the stark transformation of the coastline, where winter tides relentlessly tug at the sand, pulling it out to sea, just beyond the waves.
On rare days, like the one depicted, the clouds part, casting reflections of the sky upon the tranquil surface of tide pools. In this transient beauty lies the deeper truth about spring’s capricious nature, promising the fleeting moments when sunlight peeks through the clouds.
This painting first traveled to Solona Beach, San Diego in 2008 to be included in the exhibition "Surroundings" at Susan Street Fine Art. It returned to Santa Barbara after watching its siblings find homes and it remains a star in my studio, showcased these last few years over my sofa.
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DID YOU KNOW? From 1870 to 1890, Goleta Point was used as a whaling camp, with Italian and Portuguese crews situated at the locale.
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I look forward to sharing the hidden gems in my studio in this monthly series.
Feel free to forward to other treasure seekers and art lovers.
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With the conclusion of my exhibition SURFACING at Sullivan Goss last September, and before returning to my brushes, the task of replacing the flooring in my workspace became the chore du jour.
My workshop, thoughtfully designed by my husband to support my artistic journey, became my haven in 2005. Eighteen years of work and five dogs battered the carpet leaving myriad stains and tracks, plus paintbrush debacles and plenty of tea spillage.
The time had arrived to say goodbye to the old flooring. We embarked on this seemingly herculean task, every last item had to be either moved out or moved aside before we could begin.
One of the great discoveries that emerged, while relocating the years of paintings, drawings and prints, from one end of the shop to the other, were the hidden gems tucked away and archived in drawers, storage bins and stacks. Some of these treasures in my inventory have weathered the passage of time, gracing exhibitions before finding their way back to the place they were born.
In the act of touching each piece, an idea blossomed, a monthly trip down memory lane, uncovering hidden treasures, those biding their time in drawers and stacks, excited to share their story, and waiting for another moment in the sun.
