Cassandra Nguyen Musto

Happy World Bee Day! This petite painting is watercolor on cradled aquabord. The birch frame has been obsessively varnished and sanded by the artist to a satin-smooth surface with 5 layers of a water-based polyurethane coating, and the surface has been protected with 3 layers of archival quality UV and water-resistant polyurethane. You can buzz on by my studio to see this in person or DM me for more information And did you know that a portion of the proceeds from my art bees... goes toward organizations that help raise awareness of the importance of pollinators and the threats they face? I also donate a portion of my art sales proceeds to organizations that advocate for California’s native plants and outdoor spaces. It’s amazing how everything is linked together on this little planet of ours. Yellow-faced Bumblebee in Blue. Transparent watercolor on cradled aquabord 6 X 6 X 1- Available - $195. #worldbeeday #pollinators #savethebees #bee #bumblebee #yellowfacedbumblebee #climatechangeisreal #watercolorart #aquabord #painting #botanicalart #beeart #inspiredbynature #naturalist #natureart #artforsale #womanartist #sacramentoartist #rstreetcorridor #happeningonr #arthouseonr

See you at the ARTHOUSE tomorrow! It will be a fun day with 2 new shows opening tomorrow and artists in residence will open up their studios. I'll have a limited number of my butterfly greeting card sets (8/box) available for Mother's Day gifts as well as an option for "create your own card set". Boxes and pretty ribbons provided.... Looking forward to seeing you! . . . . #sacramentoartshow #artreception #sacramentoartscene #artvibes #watercolorartist #natureartist #rstreetcorridor #arthouseonr

Did you know I also have art cards? This cutie box set of 8 cards includes 4 butterfly species. Swipe right to see all 4. The cards are 4"x6" and are blank inside. I also have cards you can buy as a single or a set of 4. While the worker bees get my website ready for online shopping, you can buy cards from me in person or DM me for a purchase. I'm here at the ARTHOUSE until 6pm if you're in the neighborhood!... . . . #artcards #greetingcards #retailexperience #prettythings #supportsacramentosmallbusiness #natureart #butterfliesofinstagram #pollinatorart #watercolorbutterflies

My life feels like a constant work-in-progress, on-again-off-again self-improvement workshop, just like this painting I started a couple of years ago and still haven't finished. With this piece back in 2018 or so, I'm starting to practice painting on Aquabord. Then it reached its inevitable awkward stage, where I end up hating it. Almost all my paintings reach that, "this looks like shit, and I'm no good at this!" stage. But if I keep going, it will look much better, right? M...y painting has not reached its full potential yet. Because, I'm NOT DONE YET. So remember, when you get stuck, and your project seems too hard, it looks dumb, and you feel like you're just no good, YOU'RE. NOT. DONE. YET. You're life is still baking, friend-friend! If that toothpick comes out with a bit of gooey dough, just pop that oven door back closed and let your goodies bake a little longer. It will come out the way its meant to if you give it more time. PS: I WILL finish this painting and offer it up for sale. A portion of proceeds from its sale will go toward groups that work to preserve California's wild open spaces, fauna, and flora. Did you know that poaching of California's coastal succulents is a big problem? Habitats are being destroyed by greedy poachers who illegally rip these plants out by the hundreds to send back to Asian plant markets. NOT cool!

How is your Self-care Sunday going so far? Here are a few things I'ma try to do today that might try too. I've done 3 things so far. The other two will take a bit longer. And do I feel ready to say "no" to something that no longer serves me? That's a bold move, right there!

I'll be in the office today, so stop by Studio 2 and say "hello!" if you're out and about the R Street Corridor this afternoon! I have some new work I'm developing and I'm also helping with the closing reception for ANIMALIA, our ARTHOUSE main gallery show that we presented this past April. Diana Ormanzhi (@dianaormanzhi) and I co-curated this show, so I think it's pretty awesome. Come check out the wonderfully playful and surrealist work of Julie Clements and Linda Nunes from 12pm to 4pm today before it's gone!

Feeling 55, might delete later! LOLz. I’ve been 55 since March and have just been letting it settle in for a bit. Am I officially middle-aged now? When does that sort of thing happen anyway? When the lady hormones get wonky? When I get unsolicited AARP cards in the mail? When 20 pounds creep up on me and refuse to leave even when I politely ask them to go away while I inhale bánh mì and chocolate cake? When I suddenly become a long-distance caregiver for my mother who was d...isabled with a big stroke last fall? I'm not sure how I expected to feel as a mid-century woman. Maybe like I would have more of my shit together as a superfit, clean-eating yogi, or was living my best creative life near the ocean, or I was superbly handling all my family care duties with the greatest of ease. So I'm not there yet, but I haven't given up. I try to not to see it as having failed in achieving that life; I'm still on my way, right? Riiiiight???? What I try to do as this middle-age human, is find that little spark of joy each day, try to be a slightly better me each day, a little more creative, a little more curious, a little more compassionate, a little more present and mindful. And I try to be more kind to myself, too. All those really high expectations wear on you after a while. Life sends us lots of detours, but I really believe we can use those unexpected directions to map out an adventurous and renewing life, even at 55. At the very least, I'll keep trying! . . . #thisis55 #craftalifeyoulove #mindfullife #becurious #creativelife #dailyjoy #artistlife #caregiverlife #creativewomen

A few California poppies to close out California Native Plant Week for you. Did you have a chance to get outside this week and enjoy our beautiful natives IRL? Me neither. But that's ok!! California native beauty can be found 365 days a year all over California! .... . . #californiapoppies #poppiesofinstagram #nativeplantweek #californianativeplantsociety #californianativeplants See more

I've been low-grade anxious since the beginning of this murder trial. Would another sadistic and racist cop get off again? I was so relieved with the verdicts. Guilty on all counts. It's about gotdam time. And make no mistake. This is only the beginning. Justice was not served today, but finally, bare bones accountability was. We all deserve so much more. "You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time."... ~ Angela Davis I'll do my best, Angela. I'll do my best. I know we're tired. I am so tired. I can only imagine how tired my Black brothers and sisters are. That's ok. We've been through too much. Rest, care for yourself, and take a baby step toward radical transformation everyday. #ripgeorgefloyd #blacklivesmatter #chauvinguilty #holdpoliceaccountable #breakthebluewallofsilence #destroywhitesupremacy #radicaltransformation

Latest art news you can use!

It's art time again! I'll be in my studio from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, March 13. Come in, say hello, see the artshow in the main gallery, visit the other ARTHOUSE artist studios, and since it's my birthday weekend, you can make me feel extra special during my 2nd pandemic birthday with good wishes. Sorry, because of the Rona, no birthday cake will be served. I hope next year! Masks are required to enter the building. In my studio, I'll have my window open for fresh air cir...culation, a HEPA air purifier running, and hand wipes. See you this weekend! #artshow #rstreetcorridor #artiststudios #sac365 #visitsacramento #weekendvibes #midtownsacramento #sacramentoartscene #sacramentoartist #sacramentosmallbusiness #womenownedbusinesses #creativewomen

My California Dutchman pipevines (Aristolochia californica) are blooming! They started forming tiny little pipes in mid-February and look at them now! I planted 2 of these in January 2020 and provided support with double-sphered tuteurs I picked up the previous December at Fair Oaks Blvd Nursery. I’ve been having trouble finding the right combination of native plants to grow in these shaded doorway pots the last 10 years I have had them, but it looks like I finally found a wi...nning plant! I guess 2020 was good for something. Fun Fact: This plant is the only host plant for the California pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor) caterpillar. Over the eons, the caterpillar and this plant have evolved together. The pipevine has aristocholic acids that are tolerated only by this caterpillar. The caterpillar eats the plant and is rendered unpalatable to predators like birds. Birds learn very quickly that these caterpillars are not edible and to avoid them. In pre-colonizer days, the Coast Miwok found a way to make a decoction with the pipevine that they used to treat colds. In spring, here in Northern California’s Bay Area and Sacramento Valley, look out for the iridescent black/purple/blue butterflies with bright orange spots hovering among wildflowers in open fields and along the banks of rivers near the rambling vines of wild grape, wild cucumber, California blackberry and rose, and of course, the California Dutchman pipevines. Watch out for poison oak though! I’m taking a lot of photos of my flower babies, so expect to see a painting or two or more coming soon. Photo 1: Mama’s first flower babies! March 2021 Photo 2: Pipevines, double-sphered tuteurs, and large pots flanking door, August 2020 Photo 3: Newly planted pipevines, January 2020 #californiapipevine #californiapipevineswallowtail #californianativeplants #westsacramento #yolocounty #northerncalifornia #californialife #pollinatorgardening #butterflygardening #containergardening #smallspacegardening #tuteur #courtyardgarden #healinggarden #gardensanctuary #landscapedesign #landscapeart #artinspo #natureinspo #naturespirit #curandera #decolonizethegarden #littlejoys

Here are a few colorful close-up details of a work-in-progress. I started this cactus painting in 2017 after I returned from an amazing trip to Anza Borrego Desert State Park to experience my first California Spring Superbloom. For 3-1/2 years, I've just let this painting hang around in my unfinished business stack as I never felt it was really done. I finally decided it needed bees. ... So that's what I'm doing now - I'm in my studio giving it a couple of bees. And of course, not just any ol' bee. I can be a bit OCD about these things. It has to be bees that are specific to this cactus and specific to the California Sonoran Desert where this Engelmann's pricklypear (Opuntia engelmannii) can be found. That bee would be the Diadasia rinconis - obviously. I mean, everybody knows that! LOLZ - I was yesterday years old when I learned about these specialist cactus bees aka chimney bees! Drop me a bee emoji in the comments below if you want me to tell you more about these bees when I post the finished painting. . . . . . #cactus #opuntia #pricklypear #engelmannspricklypear #sonorandesert #superbloom #watercolorcactus #cactusofinstagram #cactusflower #californianativeplants #todayilearned #pollinatorfriendly #savethebees #artworkinprogress #sacramentoartist #smallbiz #arthouseonr #sacramentoartscene

Well, that was a quite a year! So happy to kick 2020 to the curb and get on with a shiny, brand new year. Let's have a much better 2021, shall we? For this year, I wish for you good health, medical insurance, continued employment, and close (and safe) connections with your nearest and dearest. Take care my friends.

This month at the ARTHOUSE ... an artshow with our friends! Come check out the small works from 10am to 4pm, this Saturday, December 12th.

New work! Sort of ...

Check out ARTHOUSE's October show we set up this week!! Steve Moseley's work is quite wry and irreverent. And you get to meet the artist at tomorrow's reception from 12pm to 4pm. I'll be there too as I continue setting up my new studio. Stop by Studio 2 and say hello!