christmas on credit

as i walk through the downtown streets, with barely enough time to think about christmas, i watch these strange beings standing in line to make sure the love (for their loved ones, or colleagues, or distant relatives) is validated by gifts and ceremony.

i pause to wonder-- have i become jaded or have i grown wiser?

while i love the lights and festivities and spirit of giving, i question the swirl of commercialism and expectation. is this what the holidays have become?

i feel pressure and the need to be with all those whom i love, but this pressure causes me stress, which in turn makes me rebelliously social, or conversely, recoil.

i watch people borrow from their futures to buy christmas now.
i find myself borrowing time from my christmas to pay for my life now.

before the tow

return to paint

after a brief hiatus to do the "work thing" and explore some personal explorations, i'm back to the paint. i've missed it and it's a tough road to get warmed up again. the lesson is you can't stay away long from the things you love...





above's titled either "searching" or "pockets"

(*note 3-18-08: sadly, this has been painted over...)
-------------

dream of greater wishes,v.2

working title: "bouleversement"

bouleversement \bool-vair-suh-MAWN\, noun:
Complete overthrow; a reversal; a turning upside down.
(definition from Dictionary.com)

octoberwish_WIP

as part of the ongoing "wish" series,
"october wish" is a work in progress.

"all fired up" santa clara, reception '07

casualty

First Berth before delivery

pastelsnwash

"All Fired Up" invitation

I've got a couple of pieces in this show. Please join us for the festivities.

Here's the official invitation from the venue itself:

You are cordially invited to visit the City of Santa Clara's “All Fired Up”
Sculpture Exhibition, featuring artwork formed or produced using heat.
The show will be up Oct. 2007 - Feb. 2008

Opening Reception:
Sunday October 28 from 2 to 4 pm
Awards presentation: 3 pm
Santa Clara City Hall
1500 Warburton Avenue
across from the Triton Museum of Art
Festivities include: Live Music, Refreshments, Children's Art Activities


Opening Reception and Sculpture Exhibition are Free.

Please join use in acknowledging some of the finest artists in the Bay Area. Sponsored by the City of Santa Clara Cultural Advisory Commission.

For more information, call 408.615.2219 or email culturalcommission@ci.santa-clara.ca.us

"View from the Top"

another mixed media piece...

"amazing grace" 2007

"wish beyond"

"wish beyond"
is another painting on found wood; also part of the new series.

last wish

my dear friend ana maria marcus
is losing her fight with lymphoma.

this painting is in honor of her fight and zest for life.
a fellow swimmer (& my diving buddy),
she's someone who continues to touch many lives with her smile.
sending love to her husband, klaus, and her family.

the gift

"The Gift"
from my new "wish" series...

apples and trees

someone once said, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
what about the tree from the apple?
mom and me (sept. 2007)

Pinch me: Artweek, Sept. 2007

My first published review of my art:

Colin Berry wrote, "Tami Sloan Tsark's 'This Side Up', painted on discarded wood, was simply flawless."
Artweek magazine, Sept. 2007

I'm humbled by such kind words, and quite grateful for his generosity.

MMOCA 2007, reception photos

Some photos from the
Art League of Northern California's
2007 National Juried Show, Novato California:
















More photos at:
MMOCA 2007
http://www.flickr.com/photos/56207787@N00/sets/72157601842508849

Get Well Quick, Sherie!

Couple of weeks ago, Sherie Pollock, a wonderful animator and director, was in a terrible car accident. Hit head on by a guy who crossed the median on Sepulveda at 75 mph. Her airbag deployed and bashed her sternum but she's okay! We are all very thankful! Here's to your quick(er) recovery, Sherie!