2010 in a Nutshell: A so-so year in review

2010, what can I say...not my best year, but not my worst either.

Good things that happened: I had a successful solo show. I went whale watching in Mexico and got to touch whales, even a baby one! Both my kids graduated. My daughter got into the art college of her dreams. My son started high school and is still there. I (nervously) did an overhead presentation of drawings about my life. I made some rocking mosaics. I started teaching again. I'm still married, and better yet, I still really love my husband. I got 6 more chickens. I rode a horse for the first time after being afraid to my whole life. I'm healthy. I started baking (big time). I made some new friends. I drove by myself from Portland to San Jose (this is kind of a major one, I used to be afraid to drive in unknown territory and I don't really like cars). I'm still making art, everyday.

Bad things that happened: My dad passed away. I got a little bit fat. My daughter moved away to go to college. I got bi-focals. I started teaching again.

So the good outweighs the bad, mostly, except for the dad part. I hope they're right about the whatever doesn't kill you, business.

What I hope to accomplish in 2011: Overcome another fear (snakes, public restrooms, knitting?), make more clay art, learn again to throw pots, start my illustrated novel (really, its about love, revenge and PTSD), sell enough art so I don't have to teach much, get rid of my little bit of fatness, grow lots of things, smile more, be patient and don't fight with others, love, make creme brulee, sleep 8 hours a night, actually write my blog every now and then.

Upcoming Shows (more on this soon):

"The Bird Show "
January 8 - February 6
Cactus Gallery
4534 Eagle Rock Blvd.
Eagle Rock, CA 90041 - 323.256.6117

"Love Crazy"
Jan. 24th to Feb. 15th
Psycho Donuts in Campbell.
reception: Sat. Feb. 5th from 10AM to 3PM.

Image above: "I'll Rip Your Head Off (Bitch)" 2010

Happy May Day!

May 1st always reminds me of May Day in Catholic School when we danced around the statue of Virgin Mary with ribbons and flowers. I still dig Mary, all sweetness and light, none of that gruesome Catholic stuff. May is beautiful, my garden is going off, there are hummingbirds aplenty, its time to plant our summer veggies and a couple of my chickens even laid 2 eggs apiece this morning! That's Little Tina Turner up there hanging out in my studio.

Here's some info on a couple of upcoming shows I'll be in this month. I'm making some pieces for "Nurses and Donuts and Art, OH My," at Psycho Donuts, set to open on May 15...see details below. If you haven't been to Psycho Donuts in Campbell, it's a trip! Come to the opening...my daughter Ivy Atoms will be doing live drawing along with Christine Benjamin. Also adorable artist Trina Merry will be doing some live body painting. And of course there's "Delicious" at Studio gallery in SF, opening May 9th.

If you don't already have it on your calendar, solo show June 4th at Kaleid Gallery, San Jose, hope you can be there! If you'd like to receive my monthly newsletter with noteworthy events please email me at murphyadams@sbcglobal.net.
Thanks!
Murph

Delicious Exhibits Coming Up in SJ and SF

artwork by Lacey Bryant

Donuts and Nurses and Art, Oh My! at Psycho Donuts in Campbell

Reception: Saturday, May 15th 10AM to 3PM
Show runs from April 27th to June 6th 2010

Psycho artists are working around the clock, driving themselves crazy - in preparation for "Donuts and Nurses and Art, Oh My!" Check out original affordable artwork by local artists - like Christine Benjamin, Lacey Bryant, Michael Foley, Sheri DeBow, Eric Joyner, Simon Salas, Murphy Adams, Nic Caesar, Michael Borja, John Hageman, Michelle Waters and more.

Artist Trina Merry will entertain audiences with her live body painting and artists Christine Benjamin and Ivy Atoms will be on sight painting some cool creatures on canvas!

Come for one of the world's best donuts, and "Psycho Killer" coffee; stay for the art!

Psycho Donuts
2006 S. Winchester Blvd.
Campbell, CA 95008
408-378-4540

HOURS
Monday - Thursday 6am-9pm
Friday 6am-11pm | Saturday 7am-11pm | Sunday 7am-9pm

-----------------

art work by Christine Benjamin

Delicious Show Work Inspired by Food & Drink at STUDIO Gallery in San Francisco

Reception: Sunday, May 9th, 2-6 pm
Show runs from May 5th - June 6th 2010

The Bay Area's twin passions, Food and Art, come together in Delicious, our annual show of work inspired by food and drink. This year's show--our sixth!--is bigger and better than ever: over 100 local artists bring their talents to the party. There's something for every appetite: lovely views of farms and Wine Country vineyards, terrific still lifes, scenes of local eateries and bars, plus a bit of retro flair. Each year there are themes that emerge: this year there's a lot of red, a lot of smaller, affordable pieces, fewer vegetables and more junk food. But if pressed, we would have to dub 2010 The Year of Bacon: the show has a number of witty depictions of that favorite cured meat product.

STUDIO
1815 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
415.931.3130

HOURS
Wednesday - Friday, 11am-8pm
Saturday + Sunday, 11am-6pm
Closed Monday + Tuesday, except by appointment

Away we go!

"I'll Show You Mine," currently at Psycho Donuts.

Just got back from a great turnout at Psycho Donuts...big thanks to Christine Benjamin for all of her hard work putting this fantastic show together. Tons of really great pieces and things seemed to be flying off the walls during the opening!

I'll be gone this week on a whale watching trip in San Ignacio, Mexico...but bringing a sketchbook! Hopefully I'll come up with some great new ideas for paintings involving complicated relationships with whales or scientific research types (of which I am married)or who knows what.

Don't forget the Sketchbook show at Kaleid is coming up Friday March 5th in downtown San Jose, curated by the incredible Lacey Bryant.

Oh and Happy Valentine's Day!

Tainted Love at Psycho Donuts - February 14

I Gave YOu My Heart

If Valentine's Day had an evil twin, it would have been conceived at Psycho Donuts! We have so much killer stuff going on, it'll be positively demented! Mark your calendar now for Sunday, Feb 14 - for TAINTED LOVE at Psycho Donuts! That's right - none of this stodgy, lovey-dovey, romantic, everyone's-in-love Day... our Valentine's Day is rooted not the real world, but in the surreal world!

Want a seriously memorable Valentine's Day? You gotta be at Psycho Donuts. Here's what's going wrong at Psycho Donuts on Feb 14, beginning at 10:00am:

Tainted Love Donuts. You've never seen donuts like these on Valentine's Day. Sure, we'll have some heart shaped donuts - but that's sooooo expected, right? Let's face it - any donut shop can make a heart-shaped donut, and they probably will. So let's get to the heart of the matter... Love takes work, and so does the creation of monstrosities like our "Aphrodisiac Donut," and "The Abstinance Holes." That's right, let your imagination wander... it's ok, The Department of Homeland Security has not implented thought monitoring yet.


Tainted Art. Not your typical love paintings - but original local works from artists who understand that love comes at a cost. Check out whack art from Christine Benjamin, Nic Caesar, Murphy Adams, Skip Crank, Sid Enck Jr., Michelle Waters, Lacey Bryant, Michael Foley, Sherwin Viray, Denice Vaughn, Tamiko Boiko, Carlos Villez,Keith Bowers and Deborah Barba! Let's admit it - real love encompasses psychotic pain - we are out to expose the truth this Valentines Day... channeling art as our medium. Purchase a piece of original art for your Psycho Valentine, starting as low as $35!
If I Could Only Sleep with My Cat



Tainted Songs. If you've not been to Psycho Donuts for Psycho Karaoke, you are missing out on some scarious loopy fun. Join us with our fearless Karaoke ringleader, Korkaraoke. Our standing offer applies - sing a song, get a free donut! Check out Batman singing karaoke last December, and Nurse Dylan killin' it this past weekend! Check out Psycho Karaoke, and you'll know why The Metro voted Psycho Donuts the Weirdest Place to see a Live Show (oh, and Best Donut Shop too...).

Show runs form Feb. 5th to March 14th, 2010
Store Hours:
Monday - Thursday 6am-5pm
Friday 6am-11pm
Saturday 7am-11pm
Sunday 7am-5pm

Psycho Donuts
2006 S. Winchester Blvd
Campbell, CA 9500
408-378-4540
http://www.psycho-donuts.com/

Looking forward to some Psycho times together on Valentine's Day!

Happy Twenty Ten!

"Sneaking a Beer" mixed media on wood 2010

Happy 2010?
You're not serious, January is just about over and I'm just getting started on the new year? Well, yeah. I guess I needed a few weeks to catch up on old 2010, think about what's up for me this year and even make a few resolutions. For one, stop procrastinating, get on the ball Murph! Like this blog for example, writing it was supposed to be fun, but it's become a chore like the ding dang dishes. All that is going to change I tell you! New blog posts galore in 2010! Number two, I need to get outta my pj's before noon...or four, a shower would be a good idea as well, and scrubbing the paint out of my fingernails and off my elbows might be a nice change. Numero three, just because I'm an artist doesn't mean I have to have a messy house. I'll attempt to keep the art in the studio and not on every flat surface in the house. I'm purdy lucky to make art for a living, sure beats other jobs that I've had like teaching comedy traffic school or my one day stint as a 1-900 phone "actress"...so it's time to get with the program!

New Stuff:

I'm now showing at Azuca Gallery in Los Gatos, there's a nice little window display of my work happening now..thanks Amy! The address is 11 1/2 Santa Cruz Ave in downtown Los Gatos. Check out the brand new originals and prints there!


"Be Mine" mixed media on paper 2010

There's a Valentine show at Psycho Donuts called "Tainted Love," that I'm currently working on new pieces for. Bring your sweetie out for a donut and some art Valentine's morning for a cool little reception to start your day. Check out the event on their blog The Psycho Buzz: http://psychodonuts.blogspot.com/

Upcoming in March is the Sketchbook show at Kaleid Gallery, you'll get a chance to peruse through my sketchbook along with I think 30 other artists, and see some killer art...more on that later. I will also be participating in the "Food" show at Studio Gallery in San Francisco, I'm thinking bacon and borscht.

I'm still working with Lizard Skin Studios on a public art piece in Milpitas, where we've erected a 20 foot steel tree and are hanging strands of recycled objects from it. We're still looking for CDs and bottle-caps, give me a holler if you have any! I'm also busy making clay forms for some new projects in the works for Sacramento and one in Poland!

Thats all for now...off to work, work, work!

See What all The Hub Bub's About at Psycho Donuts!

You may have read about Psycho Donuts in the newspaper or seen a story about them on the tv. Psycho Donuts is a small donut shop/art gallery who is getting some pretty controversial attention because of their name and the theme of their shop. Donuts have names such as Bipolar Disorder and Massive Head Trauma, there's a small padded cell where you can don a straight jacket and have your photo taken, and there's lots and lots of wild and crazy art. You see there are some in the mental health arena that feel that Psycho Donuts have gone a bit too far. As an occasional mental health patient myself, I feel that Psycho Donuts brings positive attention to the issue of mental health and through their efforts greater acceptance. Go check it out on Campbell Ave and Winchester in downtown Campbell. Take a peek at their blog at http://psychodonuts.blogspot.com/