Lake Erie Psychedelic-Sunsets {and why I'm painting them}

I went camping with my husband Aaron a couple of weeks ago.  We pitched a tent on a Presque-Isle beach in Erie, PA.  We were camped very close to the waves and it was nice to hear them crash against the earth.  Bugs weren't too pesky and we made a fire.  We had plenty of local wine running through our veins which gave us a calming effect.  Enthralled by the unexpected sunset, we forgot how beautiful the sunsets are on Lake Erie?  So this summer I've been painting a series of watercolours and drawing on them with ink. It's been quite therapeutic to say the least.

About a week after the fourth of July, I seem to go through a bout of depression?  It's been going on for a few years.  This year during this time my sister moved to Washington state and one of my best friends moved to San Francisco.

The second anniversary of my mentor's death (Harvey Pekar) happened.  I'm not ashamed to say that I'm still in mourning.  My grandmother (Dorthea Newman) who was my early life coach and artistic mentor passed away on July 22, in 1997.  So I always think of her and miss her during this time as well.

I try to think of things that bring solace.  My children and my husband.  All having good health.  All very happy human beings.  I feel so lucky to have them.  My pug puppy has brought me so much happiness.  Alvin is his name.  He's been so therapeutic, constantly giving me unconditional love and playing with the children.  I love how he idolizes my husband.  It feels good to take care of another little creature.  I'm so used to having babies and carrying them around.  My children are getting older.  They are all in camp during the day and then they will all be attending school in the fall. Sometimes I can get lonely. 

I'm thankful for where I live.  I'm thankful for the natural resources.  Clevelanders like to complain about the weather, "Oh, it's too damn cold, now it's too damn hot."  It's really not that bad and people around here love to complain to each other.  Wintertime is gorgeous during the holidays and then it gets to be a drag in January until March.  I was thinking of getting into snowboarding this year since I already know how to surf. You have to find stuff to keep engaged. It's easy to fall into a funk. 

Cleveland is not Santa Barbara.  Where the weather is 70 degrees all year around and sitting on the ocean. Santa Barbara being a quaint college town mixed with counter cultured people and the moneyed-famed retreating one hundred miles away from LA.  However, it's still beautiful. Nobody knows this. Nobody knows how gorgeous Cleveland really is with the gigantic century-old trees and cliffs. The brick roads and ancient architecture.  The body of fresh water that we sit and feed on.  The ethnic food you can't find anywhere else except maybe New York or Brooklyn.

This could very well be because we are in the Rust Belt.  Guess what?  The Rust Belt is beautiful and it's getting chic. And we don't even want it to. The working-class and their rugged hands matched with big hearts, Industrial spots like Tremont for instance, artists are flocking.  There are so many hungry die-hard artists in this town it is disturbing.  Real artists trying to make it and just trying to survive.  Artists who eat prozac and coffee for lunch.  We're diggin' the pain, it makes good art.  There is something edgy and prickly when you meet an artist/actor/musician from Cleveland. You don't get political smiles and handshakes. You get what you get and if you don't like it, go fuck yourself.  It's tough here and yet there is an intense loving camaraderie.  A clevelander can spot another clevelander in a crowded comic-con in new york, and we'll just smile at each other and nod passing psychic vibes.  Vibes like, "Good luck man, you deserve it. I know where you're coming from, it's unbelievable that we even got this far isn't it? Rock on man, rock on.. "

Bohemians are now gathering at an intense rate on the east side, in the historic Little Italy district. There's an old school house loaded with studios and galleries.  There must be 30 more galleries outside of that in the neighborhood.  I have a gallery above Presti's Bakery.  Come and visit me sometime.  I promise I won't bite your head, I'll even buy you a slice of Presti's incredible pizza.  My artwork is going to be displayed down in the bakery as well!  Good vibes are a happenin' in University Circle with the utmost world-class museums up and crackling.  These things help my mood disorder.  Painting helps my mood disorder.  Hugging helps my mood disorder.  I can't help that I have this.  It's hereditary and I don't give a damn if there is a stigma attached to it.  I also had three children and I've suffered devastating bouts of post-pardum depression.

Well, it feels good to draw and paint something different lately.  I guess I get on a subject and I can't stop.  I love illustrating nature and people.  I feel powerful re-creating and re-designing what the gods have blue printed for us already.  So many people ask me, "How do you find time to create art with three kids?"  This makes me feel guilty, like, am I not spending enough time with my kids? or do they think I don't spend enough time with my kids? Jesus, how does an open-heart surgeon mommy/daddy find time to save lives? Does the President of the United States and first lady find time for their kids? People do what they have to do.  If I don't find time to create, I die.  I won't have the energy to be the loving mother and wife that I am. Women are natural jugglers. It's very primal. It's amazing how much we can get done and do a good job if we put our minds to it. And that goes for both women and men.  I don't like to watch television.  I would rather paint. This summer I had an opportunity to sit at the pool, rot in the sun for six weeks and read my stack of dusty novels, but I didn't.  I decided to paint, draw and open an art gallery. It's a passion and that's the bottom line. 

Claudia who owns Presti's is very happy to have me working up above the bakery. She's been very kind and generous with me helping me with so many things that go into producing an art gallery.  She asked me to help paint a huge mural and she's said to me " Tara I hope you never leave." That kind of stuff means so much.  Little Italy is a great community for artists. The merchants are so crazy about having all the artists and support us. You gotta come down and walk around and see how old world charm is an understatement! Go to the new Murry Hill Market.. I walked into the year 1945 and then went up the steps to the wine section and low and behold there was this little quaint room with a fireplace and the owner talked to me for 15 minutes welcoming me to the neighborhood.. Gotta love Cleveland! Czech out the Algebra Tea House.  Holy, bohemia! This is the real deal of grunge meets worldly middle east vibes and sweet smelling aromas of smokes and teas and algerian rugs (more algerians in Cleveland than anywhere in US) and tapestries draped all over the place on chairs and chaises and art books overflowing mixed with dried goods. Come hang with me! Chances are, you'll get to meet a sweet child o' mine or a puppy or hubby. I'm having an art opening beginning of October, exact date to come. {{Peace & Love—Tara}}