Water is the driving force of all nature.
–Leonardo Da Vinci

This is only a small portion of the destruction in my home from Hurricane Ida.

My basement filled up with a foot of water during hurricane Ida. I lost all my vinyl and thousands of CDs and boxed sets. A lovely leather sleeper sofa, one vintage guitar, so many clothes, my father's tools, and many pairs of Peter Fox shoes found their way to a dumpster.

It's all just stuff. No one was hurt and, we never lost power. But it was utterly overwhelming, and I am still cleaning up the mess. My dear friends, John and John, came to my rescue and invited me to join them on a trip to Provincetown, Massachusetts. It was exactly what I needed.

I love oysters. I’ve been taking pictures of them for years. I am going to start working on “The World is Your Oyster” Series for Spring of 2022. It’s going to be juicy!

The weather was glorious the entire time. We went out on a large boat that took us out of the harbor and into the ocean, and we saw seven very active whales and two schools of giant sunfish. The water was beautiful and calm as a lake. One day we went to a vineyard, and another day we went to the beach. Wellfleet oysters were local, so I made sure to eat at least a dozen a day. We strolled through town and visited many of the fine art galleries. I enjoyed good food, good friends, and tons of fun.

This commission is in progress. I’m so grateful for my wonderful collectors and the opportunity to cultivate joy with them and for them.

After almost a week in Glocca Morra, I returned to Tobacco Road. Surprisingly no one cleaned up the mess while I was away. So now I'm back to mucking out the basement. I'm also meditating, painting, playing my guitar, going for long walks, and practicing gratitude. Work is exciting and busy with commissions and planning the SOMA Studio Tour on November 6th and 7th. Life is always going to be throwing us curve balls. We can let them sink us or learn to navigate the storms. It’s much more fun when we learn how to ride the waves. The sun always finds its way back to us if we are looking for it. I'm wearing my sunglasses in anticipation.

Happy Autumn.
Love,
Leslie

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."
– Helen Keller

This was one of my tables during the 2020 SOMA Studio Tour outside set up last year.

The eighteenth annual SOMA Studio Tour planning is underway. It’s an eagerly anticipated event that provides a vibrant and exciting view into the artists' atelier. With any luck, it'll take place as planned, on the first weekend in November with nearly 75 other artists in South Orange and Maplewood. In 2020 the Tour was outside on front lawns, driveways, and sidewalks. And then, the election results came out, and people were so happy they were dancing in the streets.

Here is a view of the cork wall inside my studio. You can see my trusty cuckoo clock on the right. It helps to keep me focused!

This year I hope to be participating from inside my studio and sharing where the actual magic happens. When you walk through the door, the party starts. Right away, you can tell the Wild Cherry Art studio is a happy place. It's bright, colorful, and fun. The vibe is always high, the artwork is eye-popping, and I'm a hoot! I love gabbing with collectors old and new and sharing a personal connection.

I look forward to welcoming you into my creative sanctuary!

The South Orange Director of Cultural Affairs managed and executed most of the studio tour tasks. Surprisingly, two years ago, the town eliminated this position and, with it, all support for the Studio Tour. As a result, the 2020 tour was accomplished by 100% volunteers and one leadership role. This year, unfortunately, we have no leader and no support. We are a small handful of artists, and we need your help with:

planning and organizing
publicizing
graphic design
fundraising
artist relations
town relations
website maintenance and troubleshooting;
and a few other items.

If you or anyone you know can help, please contact me. You’ll be a hero!

This was the set up, inside, two years ago during the Studio Tour. You can see where the drums were set up for the band’s performance.

In connection with the Tour, I'll be hosting a private party for my collectors the week before. Because you're on the Wild Cherry Art A-List, you can make an appointment to see the studio and put dibs on any piece of artwork before the tour dates by setting up an appointment.

volunteer or make a studio appointment

Have a safe and wonderful Labor Day weekend. Have lotsa fun!

Love,
Leslie