Ready to get away from the canvas

Painter Patssi Valdez initially gained recognition as part of the 1970s L.A. performance art troupe Asco. Now, with fellow former troupe member Gronk, she has an exhibition of paintings at Patricia Correia Gallery in Santa Monica. Plus, more than half a dozen of Valdez’s colorful works are in actor Cheech Marin’s collection, which is touring museums around the U.S. With Halloween and Dia de los Muertos coming up, this is one of the East L.A. native and Echo Park resident’s favorite times of the year.

Brushes down

When Friday comes, that’s it: I don’t paint on the weekends, unless I have a pressing deadline like a show opening. I like to have lunch at Julienne in San Marino. They have great salads -- I always get the one with steak in it -- and I like to sit outside, on the patio, when the weather’s nice.

I get artistic inspiration from the tchotchkes at Impromptu in San Marino. Their holiday displays, especially Halloween and Christmas, are amazing. The whole interior is decorated for each holiday, and it’s beautiful to look at.

While I’m out in that part of town, I might visit the Antique Mall in Pasadena. It’s one big place, with many booths. I collect doilies that women made years ago. I don’t know why, but some are so unusual. I have a thing for nostalgia. There’s also an Antique Mall in Whittier. I alternate the two so there’s always new stuff when I go.

Time to learn

I take classes at UCLA Extension -- computer classes in Photoshop, Web design, mastering the fine art of printing -- so I spend most of Saturday on the Westside. When class lets out, I’ll go across the street with a friend to the Corner Bakery. We’ll have coffee there and talk about what we learned in class. I get tempted by the miniature lemon and chocolate cakes.

There’s usually a dinner party at a friend’s house on Saturday nights -- friends in film or the art world.

If there’s no party that weekend, I might hang out at the Bodhi Tree bookstore for a while. I used to spend hours and hours with a friend.

I would browse some Carlos Castaneda books, and I like to buy incense and copal -- it’s like incense, and it clears the air of negative energy.

They have such interesting music to buy. I prefer music that doesn’t have any words. Beautiful, pure sound. I can listen to that when I’m painting. I always paint to classical, or something like Brian Eno or Harold Budd.

Keeping it natural

I always shop at Whole Foods in Glendale. The store just opened, and it’s really fantastic. I love all the produce. I buy the organic beef, organic coffee and Japanese food. And all the skin and hair products are all-natural.

Later, I might stop in at Self Help Graphics, the arts center in East L.A. that supports young and emerging artists. It’s where I got my support as an artist. I drop in to visit, and to shop in the little store: jewelry handmade by local artists and other affordable art. It’s great to go around Day of the Dead, when they have all kinds of fun, colorful things.

On Sunday afternoons, I do ceramics. I have a studio with a kiln at my mother’s house in East L.A. We hang out, paint ceramics and fire them. It’s my mother’s free day. Doing ceramics is more relaxing than painting for me. It’s not as serious and intense as my art.