PaperPlay

"Balls" cried the Queen!

2012-02-07T11:52:00.000-08:00

I attended a four day retreat last week, and had a fun and productive time. It was a quilt retreat with 22 other women, all of whom were sewing except me. They let me come with my paper and hang out with them. We were in Healdsburg, which is a lovely little town full of fun shops and great restaurants.

My goal was to fold up some books and make some paper balls. I got this pattern originally from Heather at Rhymes with Magic, a great blog with folding tutorials. During the holidays I folded a few balls mostly with text pages, and really liked how they looked. I am participating in a group show starting March 1st at Hanford Street Gallery in Sutter Creek about paper art. My art is made of paper, but it isn't just paper. But these spheres are, and the owner indicated a desire to possible have me include some. So I have been experimenting with sizes as well as different papers that cut, fold and show well.

This one worked out well cut from a reproduction of an old time map of San Francisco.

On the left is one from embossed paper, which looks great but was hard to cut and fold. The black one in the background was from a fibrous paper and it looked very mysterious finished. I ran short of paper and put one section in that was text. I am using 24 circles to make one sphere, so it eats a lot of material.

The one in the foreground came out nicely using patterned black and gold paper. I will stick with this concept, I think, but I am going to have to order up some more papers. The orange marbled piece in the background also came out great.

One of the fun aspects of the retreat in Healdsburg is that a huge Salvation Army operation is just up the road a mile or two. Huge! I love going there, and was looking for interesting things that could hold folded books or the spheres. I think this old picnic basket might work well to present the balls, which are 3-1/2", 4-3/4" and 7" in diameter.

I better order some more papers quick because I need to fill up this basket more completely.

Mini Vacation

2012-01-26T13:09:00.000-08:00

Last week hubby and I went to Denver for a couple of days with friends. Our purpose was to attend the gigantic National Western Stock Show, which was amazing and exciting and really fun. More on that later. I noticed in the book one finds in a hotel room about the city that they had quite an array of public art. When I mentioned seeing it, our friends gave us a short tour of some really wonderful pieces.

This blue bear is 40 or 50 feet high and is peering inside the Convention Center. He is hollow and appears to be made of a taut skin, perhaps fiberglass, and sprayed with a textured finish. I walked between his legs and felt his awesome size.

This oversized dust pan and broom gave me a sense this community might be pretty playful and doesn't take itself too seriously.

Isn't that a beautiful skyline shot through the dustpan? This is in front of the Denver Art Museum, which I did not get a chance to go into, unfortunately. But the building was spectacular. It reminded me of our visit to Bilbao, Spain and the Guggenheim Museum there. That building was so incredible it made me weep. This one was an architectural Rubik's Cube.

And then we made a quick pass by the Library to see the small horse on the big red chair. If I had been creating it, I would have had an open book on the chair with the horse.

Back to the Stock show. I was excited at the prospect of watching the best stock dogs in the country in two events, and that was the reason I was drawn to attend. The first was an obstacle course with three young cows released at one end of the arena, and the dog had to move the animals through a series of gates, around poles or barrels and then into a very small pen in under five minutes. Some of the handlers used the familiar commands I learned with my Border Collie such as "come by", "away" and "walk 'em up", but quite a few used whistles only, and that was extraordinary to see. What discipline, what talent, what amazing animals.

This dog, Zach, was the only one we saw finish with no faults and his time was an amazing 3 minutes, 21 seconds. I can see this same focus and intention in my dog, and the compelling desire that drives her every behavior (like herding my cats), but in these dogs it was at a different level. Like seeing one's favorite movie star, I was awestruck watching Zach. Turned out he was last year's champion in this event.

The next day the dogs worked a different obstacle course with three sheep who seemed very skittish at the big crowd inside the arena. I caught this shot of three dogs and their handlers waiting for their turn to work, and it is my favorite from the trip. Forgive my finger in the picture. :-)I was so excited.

This Texas long horned steer was one of the most impressive animals, even as he napped in the warm sun. But not as impressive as the draft horses. We attended a performance of draft horses featuring Clydesdales, Percherons and Belgians, and I was so overwhelmed by their elegance and stature as to find myself rendered goofy. Unfortunately, my iPhone and camera batteries wore down to zero at the beginning of the show, so this is the only picture I got of one of these magnificent horses.

But this last photo hopefully will make you smile. My hubby and friends insisted that I have it taken, and I did have to consume a bit of alcohol (Mike's Hard Lemonade worked well) to get my bravery up, and stem my embarassment at doing what all the children were doing. I may have been one of the only adults to indulge in this way...

What can I say? I am full of it sometimes!

Progression

2012-01-12T15:16:00.000-08:00

Here are some shots as my work on this piece has progressed. The glass bottle necks continued to create problems in handling the glass edges and getting them glued in securely. But overall I am happy with how they look.I thought you might enjoy seeing the cat's tail - he has stayed very, very close to the work effort, and even now rests his chin on my thumb as I type. Everyone needs a second set of eyes...

This is a detail of one section that came together smoothly. Word play, as usual. Can't resist. Y knot?

Here is the whole thing so far. I don't know yet if it is finished. I have some other items that I may add, and once it is dry and I can stand it up and see what it looks like against a wall, I might add some kind of finishing item to the top. I did use 9 of the bottle necks. And I have a few knobs and an old key that may wind up part of the piece. No name yet either. But I must once again wait for the glue to dry.

Finding Inspiration

2012-01-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

Book Artist Nicolas Jones created this jar of folded ornaments

There are many amazing book oriented artists out there and every now and then I run across a couple that inspire me. Jim Rosenau is one that uses books as lumber in wonderfully fun ways, and he recently

One of Jim Rosenau's great bookshelf pieces

posted this article from the Sydney Morning Herald written by Megan Johnston that features a great slide show of some wonderful work.

A Book Burst in Lisa Occhipinti's book called Repurposed Library

Several of these items are similar to the type of folding and altering work I have been doing lately, and it energizes me to see others do it. Working alone in a remote area without other folks around that do what I do is isolating, so being able to cruise through these articles and blogs gives me a lifeline to other artists and their work that I crave.

Library Desk at Delft University of Technology in Netherlands

This one made my heart go into palpitations! Isn't this about the coolest thing you can imagine doing? Building a desk from books, text block facing out. I wonder how many people feel the irresistible urge to touch it. How stable is it? How did they glue it together? Now I want to build one of my own. But first, I have started work on the broken bottle necks and folding some book parts. Figuring out how to glue together these potentially nasty shards of glass was an adventure, but it seems to be working.

So here is where I started auditioning how I might join these disparate parts together into a cohesive visual piece. I probably will be using the ball ornaments that I played with over the holidays, and some other folding techniques I have used before, as well as wooden letterpress letters.

It all sits in an old wooden tool tray I found at the salvage place a couple months ago. With the holidays behind me, and a fresh new lift from my moment of glory, I am ready to dive in.

Overwhelmed

2012-01-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

Last night my feet flew off the ground in joy and gratitude, and then fell hard to the floor just a few minutes later. Today, I am still exhausted by it.

Last night was the opening of the "Living on the Edge" show put on at Gualala Arts by the North Coast Artists Guild. Fifty seven artists submitted work totalling nearly 140 pieces in all media. It is the biggest show there in a long time, and the team of folks curating and organizing it did a terrific job. Donna Seager of Seager/Gray Gallery in Mill Valley was the judge, and local artist CE Brown was the energy and vision curating and hanging the show.

I went early knowing I would have to leave to attend a memorial, so my heart was heavy before I ever arrived. My primary reason for going to the opening was to meet Donna Seager and introduce myself because her gallery specializes in work like mine and has a focus on books as art. It was an important goal for me. So I was elated and overwhelmed when I was led into the main gallery to where my piece "Keeper of the Words" was hanging, to see that I was awarded "Best in Show" by her! Tears welled up and from then on I heard and saw almost nothing. Donna was there, gracious and complimentary and interested in my work. I was floating from the affirmation I was getting. The awards were given early (the organizers know quite a few folks would be leaving for the memorial) with mine being last. It was WONDERFUL!

Then we literally ran out the door and headed to the memorial. Tracey was the kind of person who made everyone feel they were her best friend. And she was a volunteer firefighter in Annapolis, the tiny community a few miles up the hill from here. All the fire engines and fire fighters were there, and made a tribute to her, along with hundreds of folks crowded into the main hall, standing room only. Folks told stories of her humor and wit and silliness, and we all cried at our communal loss of such a dear friend. It was doubly hard because she was not sick, and dropped dead when she stood up to get out of bed the other day. She was only 51, and had much of her life still ahead. It makes one reflect, as I have been doing so much lately, on how well we live our lives and making sure we absorb every minute while we have them, let our loved ones know how we feel about them, and take advantage of every opportunity to live full and loud. Goodbye dear Tracey, and thank you Donna.

Reflections

2011-12-31T16:31:00.000-08:00

Through my marriage I know a local ranching family who were coastal pioneers. One of the elder statesmen of that family passed away some years ago, and his old house sits empty on the hillside. The property is now owned by a non-profit group who is interested in saving the gorgeous coastline and forested hills for future generations. But through happenstance today, I got a chance to visit that old house and go inside for a little bit.

Before moving here full time, I would gauge my excitement of arrival at the coast by various milestones, and one was seeing this barn red house on the hill as we approached Sea Ranch on Highway One. I did not know whose it was, but I always felt a certain ownership, visual primarily, that I was almost to my haven, my sanctuary, when this old house came into view. I have long been curious what the world looked like from up there, as I only knew it looking from down below. It is a most fabulous view.

In the warm winter sun, there was a quietness about the place, empty now of everything. Almost. I found two old wooden boxes out back that caught my eye, and was told I could have them if I wanted because they were going to be thrown out. Old wooden boxes make my heart race, and so I worked to get them into my car. They had been in the rain and weather a long time, and the bottoms of both were compromised, to say the least. I took the old wine and alcohol bottles out of the one that said "Vine Ripened Tomatoes", feeling flushed with excitement. The second box was more interesting, with text advertising Armour's Roast Beef with Gravy. But the bottom was wet and mostly gone, so I found some cardboard to put underneath so I could lift it and get it to my car.

It was full of broken glass. When I looked a second time, I saw that each piece was the neck of a bottle. All kinds of bottles, all colors, old and worn. They must have sat outside a long time. Some had rainwater, some were filled with dirt and leaves were mixed in. They appealed to me on a visceral level, and I don't yet fully understand it. But it was a perfect find on this last day of the year. It made me reflect on their heritage, the story behind those broken necks, and the passage of time that turned them into artifacts that brightened the day of this artist. Was it shooting practice? Anger management? Sheer perverse destruction? What story could they tell on a New Year's Eve 20, 30 years ago?

When I came home I gently lifted them one by one into a bucket and filled it with hot soapy water. Then I stood at my sink and very carefully washed and rinsed each one, laying them on a towel to dry. There must be fifty. I don't make resolutions because I never keep them. If I want to change, I do it when the need and desire strike, not on the last day of the year. But this old empty house that had been a beacon for me offered up this strange gift, and I knew I would take these broken bottles and use them to start my new year. They make me think of the past, and all those I have lost over the years, and of what the future might hold for me and that old house, both of us filled with echoes and family history. And they make me think of the future, and how I might reassemble these broken chards into something new and meaningful, something intriguing and even haunting, that might make others stop and wonder about the past, and make a wish for the future.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T11:08:00.000-08:00

Here's hoping we all enjoy the holiday so much that we can sleep like little Trump!

It was too much fun on Christmas Eve getting to chew on everyone in the family, and play with the big dogs all day!

Getting the spirit

2011-12-23T09:48:00.000-08:00

This is apparently the only shot I took of this piece I made over 18 months ago. It wasn't complete yet, and I must have been auditioning various arrangements for the words. It has been in a couple of shows since, and didn't sell. But it went to a new home yesterday as a Christmas gift for someone who admired it at my last show at the Fireside Room at The Sea Ranch Lodge. Anywhere, any time. Now is its time.

And I think after the haitus I have been on since then is finally ebbing away. I made a dozen word blocks yesterday and delivered them to The Dolphin. I have had small but regular sales there and they called to tell me they were nearly out of my blocks. And when I walked into the garage to cut those, I glanced at the little desk I bought months ago at a thrift shop in Santa Rosa.

It is in excellent condition, and I may leave the legs and apron just as they are, papering only the top, which is masonite. In fact, this project could call for a day off to head to Berkeley to two of my favorite paper stores to find something new and exciting to get the creative juices flowing. But it will have to wait until next week now. Too close to Christmas. But the spirit is back...

All Decked Out

2011-12-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

I can't believe two weeks have passed since I sat quietly folding those paper ball ornaments. I made so many that it took three days for my thumbs to recover! And I didn't feel well for a couple of days, but that is gone now and I am in full holiday mode! The tree is up and the shopping is done, and everything is wrapped.

Certain themes run through my Christmas decorations - prominent among my collection are cats and sheep! What a surprise. They come in many variations.

This is JJ tucked into her favorite spot on the cat condo, up off the ground and out of reach of any dogs.

My lovely Minit is always in reach, and usually in the way. She loves to jump onto the kitchen counter when I am leaning on it reading the morning paper, and she crawls between my arms and curls up there purring so I can't turn the pages.

And then there is Willow, whom I am babysitting for a month while his owners are sailing in the Carribean. He was my last foster kitty, and he seems all grown up now, and full of rambunctious energy, unlike my own older kitties.

I have a small collection of Santas which I put out every year. I seem to be putting out fewer and fewer decorations each year, in part because our house is small and always a bit crowded. But now it is pretty jammed.

This is one of my favorites with his unruly beard and skinny stature. I got him at a craft fair years ago.

And this snow globe is a perennial favorite. At least it isn't snowing here, just cold and clear. Today I have a birthday lunch for a friend, and it marks the start of the socializing that reaches epic proportions between now and Monday.

In terms of art, I haven't done much creatively the last few weeks with the focus on the holiday, but I do have two older pieces that will be part of the Gualala Arts "Living on the Edge" show that opens here January 6th. I am excited about that because Donna Seager is the judge, and I have great admiration for her gallery and look forward to meeting her in person. Her new gallery is Seager/Gray and you can check out the website here. But now, back to Christmas! Merry, merry to one and all!

More folding, still quietly

2011-12-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

Folding Quietly

2011-12-04T12:39:00.000-08:00

A week or so ago I printed the instructions for these cool paper ball ornaments from one of my favorite blogs at Rhymes with Magic. I've learned lots of new book folding techniques there that worked well for me and blended into my art work.

Yesterday I came down with a cold, and my energy drained right out. Bleah. But I was able to generate some quiet pleasure by making these really fun ornaments. I started with a couple bigger ones, but got tired of cutting out circles, since it takes quite a few to make one ball. I had punched out a bunch of tiny text pages with a die cut I have and got them out and started gluing them together. I am finding if I fold 24 circles, and glue them into little trios, they make a nice fullness for each ornament. This may be my entertainment for a few days until the cold passes.

Shared Magic

2011-12-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

Many months ago, I was interviewed by a retired journalist/newspaper editor friend named Rob Elder who wanted to write a book about this magical place known as The Sea Ranch. The community is celebrated for its arresting architecture and rugged coastline, but not for its people. It started out as a community of second homes, but many of us wanted to move here full time, and figured out a way to do just that. We all count ourselves lucky in that respect. And Rob wanted to capture that in his book.

Rob wrote a compelling and well researched history of TSR for it, and included 42 interviews with people that have impacted our community. I count myself lucky to have been included and I am really excited by this book. You can see Rob in this picture at the back of the book with his two cats, Sparky and Shadow, whom he adopted through me. I am touched that my foster kittens have contributed much to this man's life and made such an impact on his sense of place in the world. Like a proud mother, I am gleeful, but also proud to be a participant in his amazing book.

Rob does talk about various things I have been involved with in his interview with me, most of which I have covered from time to time in this blog including sheep, my friend Rose who passed away and to whom his book is dedicated, cats and my artwork. Rob has purchased a couple of my works, and it is always so interesting to me to see how others interpret what I do. If I may be so bold as to quote what he says about me...

"So original is her art,which she exhibits widely, that it's difficult to describe. Is it sculpture? Yes, sort of. Is it painting? Well, it's that too, and collage and poetry as well. Her works are meticulously created with almost microscopic precision, using wood blocks and theater tickets and antique money and thread and paint and feathers and scrabble pieces and stamps and...well, you get the idea - all collaged onto supports that run the gamut from tiny rectangles to pieces of furniture.

The execution of Jackie Gardener's artworks may be meticulous, but the ideas behind them seem highly original and spontaneous. Where do those come from? "I've learned to pay attention to my authentic voice," she responds, "I have to be open to what seems to the right thing to use, and to rely on that voice or that intuition to make the right choices."

Could this be another way of saying than an artist makes her own magic? Apparently. Two minutes later, Jackie herself uses the word "magic" to describe the sets that she designs for Sea Ranch Thespian plays in The Barn. "That's an environment created out of cardboard," she says, "but the whole place is magic for a few hours." Shared magic, perhaps the best kind."

Thanks, Rob, for capturing an essence of me and my work in such beautiful words. For any of you who might be interested in this book, you can contact our local bookseller, the Four-Eyed Frog or home goods store called Placewares to get a copy. It is self-published, and they are going quickly.

The Liebster Blog Award - Cool!

2011-11-28T11:27:00.000-08:00

I sat down at the computer this morning, a quiet day after the noise and chaos of Thanksgiving weekend, only to find this blogger hug has come my way! How delightful! How exciting! What a great way to spill my coffee onto the keyboard when surprised with such a gift.

So after reading about being chosen, and googling it like a thousand other bloggers, I can't find the history of this award any easier than anyone else has. But I am going to embrace it, and follow the guidelines and enjoy the moment.

Leibster apparently is German and means "favorite" or "loved" and this award is given to blogs with fewer than 200 subscribers by a blogger who feels they deserve more recognition. This is done to foster new connections and spread the word about interesting folks out there doing what all of us seem to be doing. I want to thank Rebeca Trevino at Obtainium Art for nominating me. Rebeca is the only blogger that has emailed me and wanted to meet in person, and I am sorry we haven't made that work yet. But we will! Rebeca creates some very cool stuff from found objects, and we have exchanged ideas before. Thanks so much Rebeca, for thinking of me.

The rules are to thank the blogger who gave you the award and link back to their blog, copy and paste the award to your own blog, and then choose five bloggers whom you admire and meet the criteria and let them know by leaving a comment on their blogs. I will do that in a moment, but first I want to explore the notion of how many followers one may have. This is always confusing to me. If one looks at the list of followers in the sidebar that most of us have, the numbers can be really small - mine is currently at 14. I read some blogs that have hundreds! How wonderful and affirming that must be. But when I look at my stats, and remember that some folks follow via email or through their readers, the numbers might be bigger. But who knows? My stats show this for the month of November for pageviews by country:

United States

215

Spain

Germany

Russia

Egypt

Canada

United Kingdom

France

Netherlands

Israel

Isn't that the coolest thing? I just love the idea that folks from across the world have stumbled into my blog and read it, and are intersted in what I have to say about creating my art and wreaking havoc on paper and old books. I am enchanted. I know some of the blogs I follow are from Australia, South Africa, England - all over the place, but to understand that people across the globe have found me? That makes me stop and smile, and say thank you to any and all of you who do stop by. Leave me a comment sometime. I would love to know you are really out there.

So, here are five blogs I follow that I hope meet the criteria (not all show their follow numbers), and I hereby confer upon them the Liebster Blog Award.

Paper Ponderings is the blog of Fiona Dempster, a book artist and fine calligrapher, who lives in Maleny, Australia and creates fabulous pieces. She is doing a giveaway right now of three items, and the pebbles with letters make me drool. Check them out.

Words on Paper Scraps puts tiny word gems out into the world, usually with a lovely photo, and they just make me stop and absorb them for a minute, remembering to "smell the roses" a little at every opportunity. Kim lives in the Snohomish area in Washington.

Janet Jones is an artist in San Francisco and works in a variety of media including book arts, painting, and collage. There is an elegant simplicity to many of her works that continues to pull me in each time I see them. Her Ex Libris pieces are my favorites.

Rhymes with Magic is a fun place to find new techniques for paper and book stuff. Just yesterday I printed off some instructions to make paper ornaments that Heather provided, and I have learned a lot from her.

Diane Lou's found object art is always mesmerizing, and I love her stories of going to the Goodwill bins. We met quite a few years ago at the Oregon Book Arts Conference where she was teaching and hit it off. Shortly after, we both fell in love with wonderful men and remarried about the same time and have lived in somewhat parallel universes linked by art. You will love her work, as I know Rebeca does, because she also gave the Leibster to Diane! Twice is nice, too.

Holidaze

2011-11-26T15:28:00.000-08:00

I made it through Thanksgiving, and it was a nice. We had a small group, some might even characterize as a bit strange, but hubby and I spent it at his son's home with daughter-in-law and one year old granddaughter, Lexi. We were joined by hubby's ex-wife, whom I like very much, and Uncle Harold, age 93, who was in a remarkably good mood.

I recognize my own struggles with where ritual and tradition fit in when the old circumstances no longer exist, and it is hard to break them down completely. This day didn't move smoothly for me, or for the turkey, which ultimately turned out perfectly. I got it and stuffed it, and then it was delivered to Dan's home for cooking, and my work was done. Until my parents deaths, Turkey Day was always at their house, and we all arrived early and stayed late, talking, visiting, playing games, watching games on TV together, relaxing together and making the meal. This year we were home until mid afternoon. Then we gathered at son's home about 2:30 and ate at 4pm. I was witness to the stress preparing one's first Thanksgiving dinner can create, and it brought back many memories - some funny and some not, in trying to pull it all together that first time. We made it through with a delightful meal, for which we were all very grateful.

Last night was much more fun, probably because there was almost no planning, no expectations, and it was very, very casual. We got together with hubby's other son and went to get mussels about 3pm on a private bluff in Stewarts Point. I didn't take my camera, so have no pictures to share on how lovely the late afternoon was. There was no wind, but the sky was full of clouds, keeping the ocean waves less ferocious in the warm, still air. There was a big minus tide, and stepson Leland did the hard work of clamboring down into the exposed mussel beds and pulling sections up and throwing them into a 5 gallon bucket. We brought two friends, Linda and Frank, who had never done this before, and they were like gleeful children with a new game. We scrambled part way down the bluff and cleaned and sorted the mussels, tossing small ones back in, and stopping often to absorb the immensity of the ocean, the sky, and the abundance of mussels at our disposal. All five of us scrambled back up the bluff with three partially filled buckets of mussels (and yes we had 5 fishing licenses between us) and stood on the flat ground enjoying the view up the hills away from the ocean. We let the dogs out of the truck and watched them play in the disappearing sun as we stood and talked and told stories, reliving other ocean adventures and special meals.

Back at the house, we had golden chanterelles gathered that day by Leland, and the mussels with fresh sourdough bread and garlic butter. Cold white wine all around, and a brand new puppy in a basket to cuddle. That felt more like Thanksgiving to me emotionally, than the previous day. Most everything we ate we had gathered, and that made it very special. There were stories, jokes, silly moments and much laughter. It felt good to be past "the day" and onward with the rest of the holiday season.

Anybody need any mussel shells for their art work? We have lots. Leland took the leftovers home to pickle for us. And tonight we will attend the Lighted Truck Parade, something I've never seen or heard of happening anywhere else. It is exquisitely small town in appeal and presentation, and the whole thing will be over in a half hour, but hundreda and hundreds of folks, with their kids wrapped up warmly, will line the streets of our little Gualala to celebrate their big rigs, fire trucks and tanker trucks decked out with lights, ornaments, Santa and much, much more - pride and holiday spirit!

Thanksgiving Thoughts

2011-11-23T11:45:00.000-08:00

Sometimes You Listen

Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season, and it is a double-edged sword. For me it is a thoughtful time when I remember my family (who are all gone now) and the traditions we established for this time of year. They seem quaint anymore, with behaviors and rituals no longer observed or considered. I am already overwhelmed by the ads on TV and coming through the mail for Black Friday sales, and they grate on my values and sensibilities.

It is also a time of sadness for those who have lost loved ones or family members, and I am acutely aware that my mother, father, sister and brother have all passed on and I am here without them. I am so grateful for my husband and his two sons for not only adopting me into their fold, but to have done it with love and affection, and good humor. And I am full of gratitude for the opportunities that I have - for artmaking and creative pursuit, for sharing time with dear friends, for finding happiness late in life with my husband of four years, and for the adventure of being a grandmother.

Wit & Wisdom

There are many essays and pronouncements during the holidays full of wit and wisdom through the ages, and I have none to offer here today. I spent the morning at the vet's office, and enjoyed the relaxed company of our vet and his staff, who always are cheerful and endearing to my animals, even when my beloved border collie bares her teeth in fear. Thank you to them and all vets for caring for our companions under all kinds of stressful circumstances.

I Laugh, I Cry

I know as the days pass towards Christmas, I will laugh a lot, and probably cry a little - in frustration or fear or because my emotions have been triggered by sentimental holiday plays or because good friends are ill and I feel helpless. But it helps me keep things in balance and makes me stop and think that the holidays are not automatically wonderful for everyone everywhere. I watch the nightly news and worry that our country, our world, is crumbling under its own weight and inability to move forward pragmatically and find workable solutions to such huge problems that we face.

Unreadable Words

So, with all that in mind, let me wish each of you the best possible Thanksgiving. I noticed the "butter butts" out in the trees this morning, little Yellow-Rumped Warblers, and stood still for a long time watching them dart around the trees. And that reminds me of a poem I wrote about them a few years ago as I sat watching a DVD of The Nutcracker. I will share it with you because of all the things I am grateful for, I dearly, dearly love living here at Sea Ranch where full force nature is right outside my window.

Ballet

Sitting quiet afternoon

watching ballet dancers swoon,

See a flicker to my left,

feathers flitting, swift and deft.

By my window, I observe

chunky songbirds stuffed with verve.

Yellow patches come to light

on foreheads, wings and tails bright.

Butter butts we used to say-

an aeronautical display;

dashing, sprinting up a tree,

bursting, zooming, hunting spree.

Rushing downward in the duff,

a Rufous Towhee ruffles stuff

mining for a meal of worm

hiding under terra firm.

High above on perching snag,

watching poultry zig and zag,

searching for a healthy snack,

Cooper’s Hawk prepares attack.

Magic dancing on the screen

can’t compete with passerine

ballet performed, twig and branch

next to window of my Ranch.

A Visit to The Marine Mammal Center

2011-11-12T10:24:00.000-08:00

The stars and gorgeous full moon aligned on Thursday for hubby and me to take a day off in celebration of his 65th birthday by going into San Francisco to see the newest show of Cirque du Soliel called Totem. It was magnificent, but this post centers on what we did first.

I have been a volunteer for The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito for ten years, doing assessments, rescues and transport of sick or injured pinnipeds from my coastal neighborhood down to their hospital. I think I mentioned recently that we had rescued a sick California Sea Lion that turned out to be quite large - 207 lbs. Anyway, I was notified right after that rescue that I was set to receive a certificate of appreciation for ten years of active service at their Volunteer Appreciation Party today, but we could not attend. So we arranged to stop by on Thursday to pick up that certificate, of which I am very proud.

This is their new hospital and visitor center, built and expanded over the last four or five years. It is at Fort Cronkite, which used to house Nike Missles in the 50's and 60's, and some of the old buildings still remain. When I first started and took my training, everything, including the operating rooms, were in the old barracks buildings.

Hubby posed next to this monstrous Elephant Seal statue, fondly referred to as Ellies, so you could see their full size. Tom is 6'5", and this statue represents an adult at 4500 lbs and up to 15' long. Glad we don't rescue these adults!

This is the viewing area on the second level, where one can peer into the pens which house up to four animals at a time. TMMC currently has 27 California Sea Lions on site, being treated for domoic acid poisoning (from an algae the fish eat), leptospirosis (an infection affecting kidneys that dogs get too), malnutrition (sometimes they are not capable hunters so they get taught) and shark bite! One of the worst things they treat, and one of the main reasons for my involvement, is animals injured by humans - bullets, arrows, fishing line, ingestion of plastic and other entanglements. They also treat Harbor Seals, Fur Seals, Elephant Seals and the occasional Dolphin or turtle.

This is looking down on the cleaning of the big animals crates used to transport sick animals to the hospital. They are being sprayed with a bleach solution to clean and disinfect them for their next use. Then they are loaded back onto the trucks, along with herding boards, nets, and ropes ready to roll at a moment's notice.

You can see some herding boards made of marine plywood that have just been sprayed with the same cleaning solution, left out to dry. The maze of pens is clean, orderly, solar-powered, and quiet. Talking is discouraged so the animals do not become habituated to human sound. They also do not want to stress the animals there recovering, just like a regular hospital.

This CSL must be feeling better, as he stayed at that door talking the whole time we were there, asking to be let out. Once the animals are recovered, have regained the necessary weight, and can hunt and catch fish on their own, they are released back into the ocean. Those are joyful days for everyone.

I wish I had one of these signs, posted all around the pens that constitute the hospital.

And this is the view when you leave, shared with a ceramic sculpture of one of our pinniped friends. It was such fun to see the new facilities, see old friends there, and feel inspired to continue the important work these amazing folks do. All that, and the Cirque too!

The Daily Adventure

2011-11-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think this blog should focus on other aspects of my life than just my art-making. The daily variations in my experiences can swing wildly from one adventure to another, and I find that appealing and energizing. Today is no exception.

For instance, I have posted recently about home winemaking in our garage with 7 other partners. Hubby has been doing this for over 30 years, but I started in 2004 when we first got together.

And I participate in our community garden facetiously named The Posh Squash where I work one morning a week in return for organic handraised veggies of all kinds.

I know I have posted about cats and kittens often with my fostering for the Redwood Coast Humane Society. And maybe I have even posted about rescuing California Sea Lions as part of my volunteer work for The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, like this shot taken this past Sunday (that is me in the red shirt).

But have I posted about the sheep in the family? I have about 500 grandkids in sheep's clothing, literally. My stepson, Leland, runs a fire safety program here for fuel reduction by grazing sheep on our common property, of which there is over 1,000 acres. That is how I wound up with a Border Collie, Quillie.

Leland has asked hubby and me to babysit the sheep starting this morning until Monday evening so they could get out of town for a while. So, in the brisk air at 8am, we fed out 5 bales of alfalfa to the sheep. And we have the sheep dog puppy that Leland has, named Polly, short for Pollywog, which is what she looked like as a pup. She isn't even a year yet, but she is great with the animals. She did eat the old dog bed last night, but I have discovered today that she is most comfortable in a vehicle, where she obviously spends so much time with Leland. So, she is there wrapped with an old sweatshirt, sleeping happily for nearly two hours now.

I never really know what to expect from day to day, but it is rarely boring!

Talking the Talk

2011-10-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

I like to think of myself as grounded and self aware, especially when it comes to my art endeavors, but there are times when I question this assumption, and I can be filled with doubt. Those times are usually in regards to creating artist statements, explaining my art, or figuring out if any of my work fits into the concepts for various group shows.

I was reviewing a call for artists yesterday and experienced those familiar sensations. The name of the show is "Living on the Edge" and I was interested in participating. This exhibit statement from Gualala Arts was quite straight forward and clear to me, and I realized immediately, and happily, that I could develop a line of thinking that made one of my most recent pieces fit the bill for this show. But that doesn't happen very often.

When I am at my art table, my brain is not engaged in thinking that I am exploring cultural and gender issues as I fold, or the effects of disconnection in community when I glue. I think my brain is empty and I am working viscerally, disengaged and unaware of any implications of the choices I make on what to include or where to place it. I often don't know where I am going, or why. I just go. And I have learned over the years to allow that to happen and to trust the process. Is that training? Or instinct? Or the impact of personal choices I have experienced, or the effect of early childhood experiences? How do you figure that out honestly about what you make? I am not always comfortable with the descriptions and words we must link together to create an ethereal aura around our work. Maybe I am too practical to embrace this aspect of working in art.

Oh, well. At least I have an idea that will allow me to submit one of my pieces into this show in January. Many of my friends have Kindles now, and speak in glowing terms about how handy they are to read, how easy to travel with, how useful. But I love books. I think that heaven, if there is one, for me would be a vast library with big wing chairs and cozy throws and wooden ladders on glides that would let me reach any book any time. And it would have a fireplace. Now I tear up books and fold them and rearrange their pages to my own liking. I feel a bit guilty about ruining them sometimes. Not that I believe they are sacred. But they are things I love. I probably won't ever get a Kindle. So I will submit my old wooden drawer of folded books that I called Keeper of the Words for this show. I can relate to keeping the words in a form that I love here on the edge of technology, where cell phones rarely work, in my place by the sea.

A Walk in the Sun

2011-10-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

I live in an extraordinary place. It is beautiful and rural and quiet and wild, and I am lucky to be here. I see the ocean through the trees, see the weather coming my way, and know all my neighbors. The Sea Ranch was designed as a community of second homes nearly 50 years ago, but more and more folk are figuring out ways to live and work here. There are maybe 1,100 people living here full time, but 1750 homes on a 1 mile deep by 8 mile long stretch of rugged coastline.

On this gorgeous fall afternoon, I took the dogs for a walk for some exercise and to soak in the sunshine. Quillie is the 4 year old Border Collie on the left, and Koko is the 9 year old Blue Heeler/McNab mix on the right. Using two leashes is downright aerobic keeping them untangled and moving forward, so I had high hopes for this new double dog unit to simplify things. It did somewhat. Quillie dragged Koko for the first 3/4 of the hour long walk, and Koko and I dragged Quillie the last bit home. It did allow me some moments to ponder my environment and marvel at finding and living in this place.

I have to drive almost two hours to reach an urban setting, and must remind myself from time to time that what I see every day is unusual for most folks. Every house here is custom built, all different, but all made of redwood or cedar - uniformity and variety at the same time, like the trees in a forest. We have no sidewalks, but many trails, though today I circumambulated on the roads.

The wild quiet here is perhaps the most compelling aspect of this place for me. Deer abound as do wild turkeys and those pesky raccoons and skunks. Last week midday I spotted a Bobcat just outside my studio window. He walked around the back of the house, so I followed him quietly and ventured out on our deck to watch him, and he was on the stone path up against the base of our house. He meandered with comfort until he spotted a gopher, and then he began to tiptoe and hunt with stealth. The white spots on the back of his ears swiveled as he searched for the source of my cat's meow when she followed me out to the deck. He never looked up, though, to see me watching him intently. I watched for almost 25 minutes, and it was the highlight of my day.

As lovely as this place is, I miss a sense of color that is so prominent in other places this time of year. I find myself sucking in air sometimes when I go "to town" as hubby says and see a brilliant red or yellow tree shimmering in the sunshine.

Everything here must be native, so our flowers are mostly rhododendrons and wild azalea, with elderberry and iris dotting the landscape. These wire cages protect most human-planted shrubs for years or the deer destroy them nearly overnight. Those white posts are our street signs - attractive, unusual and very hard to read.

But the dogs didn't care about the street signs or much of anything else, except to read the smells so prominent on the ground. Quillie is now asleep under my desk where my feet should be, and Koko just a few feet away. I could take a nap, too. It was a great walk. Hope you enjoyed it.

Variety is the Spice of Life

2011-10-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

My husband is a home winemaker of 35 years, and when we got together 8 years ago, I was enchanted by the notion of making our own wine. I still am. We buy our grapes, and this year's harvest is smaller than usual because of our cool summer. Most of the vineyards who have sold to us in the past (including Mazzocco, Wilson, and Kunde) were all obligated to fulfill contracts that exceeded the tonnage from their fields. So we have been searching and worrying that no grapes would be available to us this year.

Hubby with Refractometer

But Saturday morning at 6am we loaded up and headed for Dempel Ranch Vineyards just north of Hopland in Mendocino County. There we waited for our ton of zinfandel grapes to be picked and loaded back onto the truck. It was a beautiful morning, and we both had a chance to ride with Bob Dempel up into his steep vineyard above the valley floor for a first hand look and taste of the grapes.

On the road up to the vineyard, looking back down

Is there always an old truck on ranches?

There is a sensibility about ranches, farms and vineyards where nothing is thrown away or wasted, as it all may have a use down the road. This place was no exception, and I was fascinated by the layers of things I found there.

But we had to get the crush going, with our partners all waiting, ready to laugh and work hard, and make wine to share with friends. It was a good day and highlighted for me once again that variety is the spice of life. I enjoyed a change of pace from artmaking. It is good to have the grapes safely crushed in the garage working their brand of magic turning into wine, and working magic in my life, even as the rain begins again outside my window.

A Lovely Evening

2011-10-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

Last night was the opening reception for my show at the Fireside Room at The Sea Ranch Lodge, and it turned out beautifully. Many friends and members of my incredible coastal community turned out to support me and some of them made the decision to buy my work. I don't know the total number yet, but I think I have sold 6 or 7 so far. That warms my heart and gives a big lift to a tired artist today.

This is perhaps my favorite shot from the show, taken by my daughter-in-law Cari, of my good friend Steve. Classic, isn't it? Steve is also known locally as Dr. Digital and works wonders with moody computers, including mine. Do you think a mind such as his can understand a mind like mine? He looks a bit perplexed to me.

Here is granddaughter Lexi taking the matching pink bow out of her hair before mom could get the shot. Lexi was a bigger attraction than my work, for me and for the crowd of grandparent-aged attendees. Lots of oohing and aahhhing and one accusation of outright flirting on her part.

Starry Night II sold to dear friend Cynthia as well as the original one that was shipped off to Seattle, and I think I have an order for Starry Night III.

The center pilaster also sold, if you can see the red dot in this picture. These may well be the only pilasters I ever do, as I have not found any more of them. But I have gathered a children's desk, a bench and a maple column for upcoming projects. After a long rest, I think.

Replacement Parts

2011-10-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

The good news is that one of my pieces sold right away from my new show at The Sea Ranch Lodge. The bad news is it had to be shipped to Seattle before the opening tomorrow night. And the other bad news is that I did not have even one remaining wall mounted piece to put in its place in the show. Soooo, I have been back at work.

In order to keep things as simple as possible, I decided to make a new piece inspired by the one that sold, so I kept the same color scheme, though I used some different papers. I folded another book segment into the little stars that I like so much, as well as two other segments. I will deliver it tonight on our way to a birthday gathering. I got a second call last night that a second piece had sold, but it is to a local who is willing to let it hang until after the opening. I am excited by the sales, but was also looking forward to a break from production. Oh, well... I can't complain really. :-) Here is the piece that sold, for comparison.

Isn't this fun?

2011-10-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

I am addicted to jigsaw puzzles, and I receive one each day from jigzone.com. I visited the website this morning because my daily puzzle didn't arrive, and got caught in making a puzzle from one of my photos of my artwork. I am not sure I am doing this correctly, or that you will for sure be able to work on the puzzle, but here goes.

It's Up!

2011-10-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I set the alarm, as I always wake early when something is going to happen, so I was awake at 4:30am before it could go off. I had coffee, a hot shower, and headed for the Sea Ranch Lodge just five minutes away at 6:15am. I had 21 pieces in the car.

They are up and I am pretty pleased with how it looks. So too is the woman with whom I coordinated the show, Jan, and that is a good thing. I was done at 7:30 and home to start babysitting my 11 month old granddaughter. All day. I have taken care of her before, but not for longer than 3-4 hours, and I am now in hour 7 and counting. Her first nap finally happened when I started driving her around, and she slept longer than her mom had indicated she would. Maybe that is why she is fighting it so hard now. I tried driving her around an hour ago, but she talked and laughed and gurgled, obviously not fighting sleep.

After arriving back home, Lexi found the (clean) dog bed and kept laying down on it, and I was hopeful she would just relax and fall into sleep right on top of it. But no luck. So I gave her the rest of her bottle and her lids grew heavier and heavier, so I put her in the crib and she began screaming. I am writing this post between running up an down the stairs to see if she has stopped yet. Another minute or two and I will check her again. I could use a break, though I am delighted to be providing this service, and feeling that I am trusted enough to have her all day. Hubby is gone with her dad, and mom is off taking a class, so I can't do much but make it work. Stay focussed, just like on an art piece. Hmmm.

I couldn't get any really good pictures of the show this morning as the room in the Lodge is dark and cozy before the sun comes up, so here is a shot of Lexi Lynn, from the other night.

Is she cute, or what? :-)

Left Turn or Not?

2011-09-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

The pressure of the show installation Saturday makes me focussed and motivated, but I also have a sense of being rudderless and running low on inspiration. Yesterday I found myself in front of a thrift store with 20 minutes to kill, and so I walked through. I found a lovely child's desk (which I bought as a future project) and a wooden box, which got my attention this morning. Not feeling able to think real hard about what to do with it but wanting desperately to be productive, I emailed blog friend Rebeca Trevino with my interest in using a quote she had used in one of her whimsical pieces I saw on her blog Obtainium Art. Thanks, Rebeca, for all the information about it. It was really fun to work on.

I am still infatuated with folding books, cutting them into smaller and smaller pieces. And because of my inherent need for straight lines and order, I wanted to fill every space not taken up with a Scrabble tile in this box lid. That made it fun to work on, adding all manner of wooden things I had on hand - yardstick pieces, wooden dominoes, letterpress wooden letters, triangular pieces of redwood and an iron "I" to start the quote off.

I may add something to the top or bottom to create a bit more interest to the drawer, but I am happy with where it is going. Whew!

Unstuck

2011-09-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

It isn't done yet, but hubby came home and saved my bacon with proper tools, patience, and some much needed help, especially after I whined.

I just LOVE folding these book parts up. Don't you like the stars in this upper chunk? I do. I may call this one Starry Night.

I had Friday off, running errands in Santa Rosa, and came home in time to join friends at the beach with wine and nibbles, and it was warm and beautiful. I could feel the stress ebb out with each receding wave. We stayed for the sunset, and I came home and slept hard. Guess I needed it.

Stuck

2011-09-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

With the approach of a deadline for a show, there are days when my motivation and creativity are nonexistent. Today is that way. I install my new show a week from Saturday, and I really need at least two more new pieces to round out my inventory. I spent yesterday folding parts of a book that I wanted to use, and got them done. Good. I had auditioned some papers and had a scheme in mind. Good. But the energy? Nowhere. In fact, I was feeling low. Really low.

I tried to get started this morning, but an appointment with the vet gave me reason for an interruption. So I trotted off with both cats yowling in their carriers. Dental issues in one cat, and blood work to determine thyroid levels in the other drained the energy and remnant good spirits nearly instantly. In fact, I found myself near tears. I know it is the low level stress to produce, produce all the time. I think I overdid my resolve this year to really focus on my art work. This will be my third show this year, each requiring nearly all new work, as well as having entered other shows with one or two pieces, like Art in the Redwoods. I have had sales, ribbons, and many compliments, but some days that just doesn't matter. Like today.

Breathe in peace, breathe out stress, breathe in peace, breathe out stress. Just start. I cut some sticks, started to lay out and arrange what I wanted to use, and began wrapping blocks to find a rhythm, a level of comfort that is often easy to access and expand. Not today.

I was trying to work with thicker pieces of wood, and found the assembly with my usual wood screws not adequate. So I grabbed the dogs and ran off to the hardware store, and found what I needed. But when I got home, I couldn't find the right drill bit in hubby's numerous drawers of tools and parts. Determined not to lose this day, I struggled on and made a bit of progress. But fate did not cast any room for error my way. I finally grabbed a hammer when the drill was no longer an option, and this is what happened, and I feel just like that bent screw. And it isn't even in focus. Sigh.

What's In A Name?

2011-09-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

I finished this piece the other day, but I haven't been able to think of a good name for it. Sometimes they come so naturally, and sometimes not. One of many struggles artists experience, but on a smaller scale than other kinds of creative blocks. Still frustrating, though, to feel completely empty about a name.

It features another folded book, in a new shape which worked very well in this horizontal position. It took me a bit before I could release and use one of my new (old) drawer pulls my friend Sarah brought me from Ashland. I had used the ones I bought while visiting her there in June, at one of the nicest salvage places I have seen. I think it was called Morrow's, and it was neat and tidy and very easy to browse and especially to BUY! Anyway, the pull is at the top and crosses some of the folded pages. I don't usually do symmetrical pieces, but this one called out for it, and I tried to listen. I really like the yellowy green shades combined with the copper metallic paper. And dark bronze metal finishes on the pull and the star.

So, shall I call it Symmetry? I need a name soon as I am compiling my list of works to be included in the Fireside Room show at the Sea Ranch Lodge. Any ideas out there? I am open to them. I think names make a difference in sales, too. Don't you?

A Day Trip of Fun

2011-09-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

Each year we try to go to at least one Giants baseball game, and enjoy a day off away from the coast. Yesterday we left home at 7am, and headed down the coast in the fog, stopping for breakfast in Petaluma. On to Larkspur to catch the ferry, which runs a special boat on the days the Giants have a home day game. This ferry arrives right at the ball park, and leaves from there as well. How convenient can it get? Notice hubby has his mit, just in case a foul ball comes our way.

It was foggy all day, and chilly on the ferry, but that was fine with me. This was taken as we passed under the Bay Bridge and headed towards AT&T Ball Park. Buster Posey was the heart and soul of this team last year, and was badly injured when he was catching at home plate early this season. I saw many Posey shirts all day, starting on the ferry with 600 Giants fans. My, my, how we all miss him.

We arrive at the ball park, and walk right in with live music playing, and high spirits electrifying the crowds. We visited our friend Mary, who worked at the Willie Mays Gate on this day, and then headed to our seats along the left field line. Which happens to be were the pitchers warm up.

Oh, TIMMY! We didn't check ahead of time to see who was pitching, but were so EXCITED to see it was our star Tim Lincecum.

Can you believe the wind-up? We were in the 16th row, but I was able to walk down and take pictures while he was warming up. Pretty cool, huh? :-)

Having not taken many closeups of pitchers, I almost missed him his stretch is so big. The Giants won 3-1 and we gleefully headed back to the ferry, and homeward. We stopped for a bite to eat at Rocker Oysterfeller in Valley Ford, a cute little town one can miss if you blink. Tom had oysters and margaritas, and I enjoyed crab and artichoke cakes, with a soda since I still had 90 minutes of Highway One to drive to get home. 13 hours and 15 minutes for a 2 hour and 20 minute game. But GREAT FUN!

No comment

2011-09-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

It is morning, September 11th, and I am already overloaded from the constant relivings of sad stories this past week. I will make no comment. Instead, I am working towards my next show, trying like hell to find and keep some focus, some creativity, some direction and integreity in my artistic process, and an upbeat sense of time and space.

This piece is now done, and nearly ready for the show. Wit

and wisdom. Do we have any?

Hmmm. Sometimes I/you talk,

sometimes I listen. Today is a good day to listen to the small chirpings and noises of the woods behind the house, the birds and squirrels working towards the oncoming winter, basking in the late summer sun. Or fog, here, as usual. It is comforting.

Design & Fold

2011-09-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

I am really enjoying cutting small books in half and then folding them up into new forms. Today's book was "The Guinness Book of Poisonous Quotes".

Tomorrow I will look at it again and see if I like it as much as right now. Time for a break. After all, it is Labor Day...

Forging ahead

2011-09-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

Multiple folded books, redwood blocks upholstered in various papers (mostly read/red), wooden game pieces, and one wooden finial all in an old oak desk drawer.

Reviewing/Redoing

2011-08-31T16:16:00.000-07:00

Since today is my catchup day, I scrolled down the blog to see any comments, and found some questions about what I did on the piece I submitted to Art in the Redwoods that won a ribbon. Since I am working on the same kind of thing today, I thought I would try to answer. Sometimes I find that if I can describe what I am doing and why, it helps me figure out where I am going, too. Is that how it works for you, Donna? I remain a bit confused about that today. Exploring new techniques brings more questions than answers sometimes.

The first photo above is of my finished piece, and this one is a trial layout I had hubby look at. I wrap 2"x2" sticks of redwood in paper in a process of upholstering. I wanted to stretch this piece wider to accommodate the folded book sections I was experimenting with. I took a small book and cut it in half on hubby's chop saw and then folded each page to create what a friend referred to as a "rolodex" look. It makes a beautiful fan shape and the text on the pages creates patterns that really speak to me. But the pages are about 4" high, so they were much higher than my 2" sticks. So I played with adding more sticks on top so the book blocks were not just floating.

In the finished piece, I put the folded book blocks on top of the 2" sticks and added smaller 2" sticks on top to help balance the bulk. I also used small paper wrapped wooden pieces horizontally and attached them with black nails. Then I added the antique drawer pulls to weight the end of each fan block. So I am still struggling with how to incorporate the folded book sections into new work, and that dilemma has stuff spread all over two work tables today.

As you can see, I have been folding like crazy to see what each technique looks like.I love each new one better than the last one.

This is the newest experiement, and I have folded a book block to spell "sometimes" - sometimes you talk, sometimes you listen. That is where I am aiming. Not there yet. The bulk and whiteness of the folded book block upsets the balance I am striving for, which is why I tried upholstering some sticks with text. Didn't solve it for me. But I have screwed and glued some of the sticks together and am working on surface treatments that will hopefully balance it out.

In the meantime, I started playing with multiple folded books set in an old drawer as a way to deal with bulk and depth. I am not close to knowing what I am doing with all these new elements, but I feel so drawn to these folded books. They speak to me about secrets, words not yet divulged or shared, the loss of books to our new digital era, and a new way to breathe renewed life into them as an art form. So I will continue to struggle and feel the frustration of not knowing how to accomplish what I can't yet see in my mind's eye. Did that answer your questions? :-)

Seasons

2011-08-31T10:27:00.000-07:00

Fall is in the air around here, and I have had a busy week of change. I was at the Gualala Art Center over the weekend for the memorial for my dear friend Rose who passed away in June. While there, Sus (the executive director) told me my little chest had sold just the day before. I am happy about that, as I don't have to drag it home again only to live in the garage where hubby lived in fear of damaging it. So both pieces I submitted for Art in the Redwoods now have new homes.

And yesterday I drove to Fort Bragg to take down my show at the Edgewater Gallery. I had been invited to extend my stay there for another month or two, but it required acting more like a member than a guest and meant several days each month of gallery sitting, plus a night time meeting and attendance at more First Friday events, also in the evening. While this is a beautiful road to drive, it does take nearly two hours and the evenings can get dicey. It is really dark on the coast at night, and the chances of hitting a deer are good - I've already done it twice!

This morning I lugged all my remaining pieces upstairs to the studio after having delivered four to The Dolphin Gallery. The manager, Carol seemed thoroughly excited to get new work from me, and that was a lovely ending to yesterday's long day.

As the days grow shorter and leaves turn and fall, my mind turns to the next show. This one is in October at the Fireside Room at The Sea Ranch Lodge. The installation will be October 1st, with a reception on Thursday, the 6th. All work for this show is to be wall mounted, and I haven't focused on that type of piece at all this year, other than the ribbon-winning work I submitted for AIR.

I want to embrace the changing of the seasons, refocus my creative work, and acknowledge the loss of my dear friend. Goodbye Rose.

Art in the Redwoods

2011-08-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

Second Place in Collage & Mixed Media, and sold immediately at the Champagne Preview Friday night.Yippee!

Feedback two ways

2011-08-12T16:10:00.000-07:00

I've been putting my head down and one piece of paper in front of another to get back to work on a new series of wall pieces. It has been a struggle to change courses and recenter myself, but a deadline is a thing of wonder for motivation. At least for me. And I had some help today from Sophie and Stormy, my foster kittens. They are teenagers now and I can no longer prevent them from accessing my work table,and must work around them. But it cheers me to have them here with me.

I made the mistake (what was I thinking?) of asking my husband to look at two different layouts of the same materials to help me decide on a direction to proceed. The fear in his eyes was akin to that of a deer in the headlights. His words were not thoughtfully selected nor did they show concern for any artistic merit, but he did capture the weakness of the newer approach and made me rethink what I was doing.

And then I asked a respected artist friend via email and photos to help me out, and I got about the same feedback from her in a much more articulate and reasoned way. So I set about reworking my foundation, and then started auditioning how to add the folded book segments. It took a long while, and two nights sleep before I felt like I was on the right path.

I incorporated some of my remaining wood letters (oh!) and the two beautiful antique drawer pulls I bought in Ashland. I also used the topo map sent to me by another dear friend of our local area, so parts of my neighborhood here on the coast are identified on the map-wrapped blocks. The kittens helped me apply a coat of finish before gluing and attaching the various ephemera, and now I can let it dry and be ready to enter it in Art in the Redwoods on Sunday.

Learning the Alphabet Anew

2011-08-09T15:11:00.000-07:00

I have begun practicing folding pages in a book to create letters - a new way to make words. Not sure where I am going with this, but I like it!

Can you read it?

Starting A New Path

2011-08-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

I hate to admit that driving a couple hours to Fort Bragg, talking with people at the gallery opening for three hours and then driving back for two more hours was just plain tiring. I don't want to say exhausted because I think the word is overused, and I am not THAT tired. I can move and talk and even be somewhat productive. But I am less able and far less inclined to concentrate or get dressed than usual. I haven't been outside. I haven't brushed my teeth, or seen anyone. Sigh....

So I have been folding books into different patterns. It is slow, meditative work, and requires continuing attention to do it right, especially since it is my first time on these patterns. But it doesn't rise to the level of concentration. And that is why I am doing it. Yawn...

This third photo is probably of my favorite fold so far - the circle pattern done two different ways. The fuller circle takes twice as many folds in alternating directions, and much more concentration than the slim version (on the left side), but I can see uses for both.

So now I am going to attempt the creation of some letters from the folds. How cool is that? I see a whole new direction developing here. I must soon start on a new series of wall mounted pieces for my October show, and I am thinking that focussing on incorporating folded book sections would be great fun. And if I can fold words into the book pages, that will be an exciting exploration. Cool. Maybe I should start with the word cool.

Show Time

2011-08-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I traveled to Fort Bragg and was blessed by sunshine instead of fog. It was a beautiful drive, and I was slower than usual on Highway One since the car held 20 of my pieces to install at the Edgewater Gallery in downtown Fort Bragg. This is a co-op gallery, and I am their featured guest artist for the month of August, and I am thrilled to be there.

There are 17 artist members, and the works get rearranged in the gallery every other month to create a fresh new look. About 10 folks were there yesterday rearranging their things and cleaning up, getting ready for First Friday Art Walk. Everyone I met was friendly and welcoming, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself while setting up and getting oriented to their processes.

Just as I finished the final touches on my display, a visitor showed interest in one of my pieces, a small one in the foreground of this picture that I called Moonrise. She looked at everything carefully and for quite a while, as her husband perused Steve Chell's lovely custom mirrors, but she knew immediately which one of mine she wanted. She also bought a couple of my new word blocks that feature acronyms from the world of texting, and three of Steve's small mirrors. That got this show off to a nice start, I think.

This is one of two "book" forms I have in this show, and I will be curious to see what kind of interest they draw. It is a bit of a new direction for me, developed mostly since I took Sue Collard's Basic Woodshop class in Oregon in June.

Tomorrow I will travel back to Fort Bragg for the First Friday festivities, and then must get my head re-geared to start thinking about new work for my October show at The Fireside Room at the Sea Ranch Lodge. That will be all wall mounted pieces, so nothing from this show will move to that one. Whew! But first, I will celebrate this one and enjoy the camaraderie of the other artists and the bustling Main Street location of the gallery.

Something old, something new

2011-07-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

I have long been interested in altering old books by folding their pages, and just love the way they look. There are a number of artists out there who do amazing things with old books, but I struggled to figure out how to do it myself. Recently I came across a PDF book available from Heather Eddy's Etsy shop called rhymeswithmagic, and found myself an old book at a library sale.

I was gallery sitting Friday at the Artist's Collective in Elk, and it gets quiet there. I took the book and the excellent instructions, and in no time at all, I had this very cool first attempt. This design is called smocking, but I could see when I finished a few changes I could make to improve my result. But for a first attempt, I was very happy. Heather's instructions made clear very quickly all the things I had NOT figured out on my own, and it was well worth it to buy her book.

It was also the first time I had made such a purchase, giving my payment information online and a very short while later, receiving the book via email in PDF form. I printed it out and had my new book in a matter of minutes - no muss, no fuss, and very quick! I like it. And I will be folding more books as soon as I can get to a used book store or thrift store to buy some.

My Slant, adjusted to a few

2011-07-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

I finished another piece today for my upcoming show. It was relaxed and enjoyable, a work that was more a meditation than a creative exploration. The colors are different for me, as I find it hard to work in blues sometimes, but this felt pretty good.

I just haven't had the concentration and focus I can usually count on, and I am beginning to think it is because I am grieving for my dear friend Rose who passed away while I was on vacation. I felt so awful leaving town knowing she was near the end, but there was nothing for me to do. I was distracted, for a while, taking art classes and traveling with my wonderful hubby, but since returning home my creative muse has struggled to come to the fore.

Selecting colors and papers, and creating balance is intuitive for me, much more than getting the words and phrases I so often include to come clear in my head. So I have two unfinished pieces waiting for words, and names. I find myself filling up the time with unnecessary, unthinking work.

I read a quote this morning on a blog I follow called Paper Ponderings, written by Fiona Dempster. The quote is from John Updike and it struck a cord with me.

"And another regrettable thing about death is the ceasing of your own brand of magic, which took a whole life to develop and market - the quips, the witticisms, the slant adjusted to a few, those loved ones nearest the lip of the stage, their soft faces blanched in the footlight glow, their laughter close to tears, their tears confused with their diamond earrings, their warm pooled breath in and out with your heartbeat, their response and your performance twinned. The jokes over the phone. The memories packed in the rapid-access file. The whole act. Who will do it again? That's it: no one. Imitators and descendants aren't the same."

I miss Rose's quips, her slant adjusted to a few, her whole act.

Corrected video link

2011-07-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

I heard back from the guy at landfillart.org and here is the link to see the Associated Press video about the hubcap art project. He is still looking for artists to work on a hubcap.

To view the Associated Press television news story, click here.

http://www.youtube.com/user/AssociatedPress#p/search/0/esJan6yoqTI

Hubcap Dreams

2011-07-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

I got an email update from Ken Marquis, the founder of the Landfill Art project that I participated in a couple months ago, and thought I would share it with you. The article is great and shows some of the hundreds of hubcap pieces, but I couldn't get the video link to work. Ken says he is still looking for up to 150 artists to participate, so consider joining in the fun. It was great. My entry, which moves in circles to read the poem around the perimeter, is posted below.

On June 1, 2011 The Associated Press released a wonderful wire service news story about our international Landfillart Project.

Our story was featured in hundreds of newspapers and many broadcast television news stories.

I've enclosed the links below:

CLICK HERE! FOR ARTICLE

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110601/ap_en_ot/us_hubcap_art

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO!

http://news.yahoo.com/video/odd-15749658/25406456

We still need approximately 150 additional professional artists to join "The Project". Please pass along our website www.landfillart.org.

With best regards,

Ken

Reworking

2011-07-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

I have a deadline for my next show which installs August 3rd, and life seems to be full of distractions that just haven't allowed me to get my mind completely back in high gear. So today, in order not to waste any time in my studio, I decided to make a list of the existing pieces I wanted to include in this new show at Edgewater Gallery in Fort Bragg. I need about 20 pieces, and sold 9 at my last show in March, so my inventory is down. Additionally, I have about 13 pieces at the Artists Collective in Elk and a few more at The Dolphin in Gualala.

I started looking around to see what was here, and found an old piece that I never really liked that I made two years ago for the Studio Tour. I don't work with blues much, and knew that color was lacking from my inventory, so I thought about reworking it to make it into something I like better. I haven't received my shipment of repair tissue which I need to add wooden pages so that idea was out. But I still wanted to create some architectural interest, so I went back to a technique I have used before by adding "sticks" to the sides. I worked a trade with a friend recently and she gave me some flat wooden circles that I found very appealing when stacked. So I was off and running. Soemtimes I just need one little match to be lit, and the fire roars to life.

So I am content with the morning's efforts and feel like I can go downstairs, get some fresh coffee and take a break while the glue dries. Then I must jump in the shower so I will be ready to go to my afternoon art group, but both dogs are due for baths, too, and they are home with me today, so it will take me much longer to get cleaned up - and I will get a workout in at the same time.

Do you think that horizontal band of light blue just above the center on the front needs something? Hmmm.

Concentrate, old chap

2011-07-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

It is hard to concentrate on this...

when this is going on inches away. Meet Stormy and Sophie, my most recent charges in the fostering program for Redwood Coast Humane Society, playing in my Crocs. Cute, huh? Want one? :-) They are up for adoption now.

Sarah's "Place It" Project

2011-07-12T14:22:00.000-07:00

My dear friend and excellent painter Sarah Waldron applied for and got a five week painting residency in Brittany, France. Wow, huh? She left a few days after we visited them in Oregon in mid-June, and as part of her preparation, she asked artist friends to give her a piece of their handmade art that was less than 1" x 1" x 1" (so she could pack it easily) to anonymously leave in various places she passed by in France.

She has begun that project, and each piece has a tag on it in both English and French asking the finder to post a comment to her blog. A few days ago, she placed two of the little items I gave her - an origami heart and a polymer clay piece. Here are pictures she took of where they are. Sarah has placed at least a half dozen pieces around that part of France, and I don't think she has gotten any comments yet. She posted that my "first piece was placed on July 8th on Ille de Brehat. She and her husband Tom have a fondness for sail boats so I thought this would be a good spot. Probably a British vacation house.The second piece was placed at Les Onze Ecluses (11 locks) along Canal d’ille et Ranceon July 10th."

Let's hope the French open up and log onto her blog, which you can do too, here to follow her travels. In the meantime, I must get back to the art table.

Work begins anew

2011-07-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

I am excited by the new skills I have learned from the Basic Wood Shop and Journaling classes I took a couple weeks ago, and have been anxious to experiment and begin putting them to good use. So yesterday I started. I always feel so rusty after time away from my art table, but it cam back quicker and quicker the more I worked.

This house has a front and back cover, making the "pages" the house block. I used some writing exercises to develop the "text" on the inside of the front and back cover, thinking that our ability to communicate, especially with cursive writing, is being lost. I heard on the news just the other day that our younger folks are not learning it and using it the way we did, and one girl said reading her grandmother's old journal (probably not that old) was like reading another language. So my cursive writing speaks to the notion of being unreadable to another generation.

In consideration of our literary heritage, I used magetic poetry words, which I have found very difficult to construct into thoughtful phrases, as the roofing material to cover my house of unreadable paragraphs. They suggest and represent the same depth of thought as communicating through Twitter, and are a nod to our notorious thoughtlessness in using our language properly or for clarity.

Oops, I think I am on a rant.

Yippee!

2011-07-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

I've been notified that I made it into the final round of jurying for inclusion of one or more of my artists books into the 1000 Artists Books project currently underway. I posted my four books on June 9th after I had them professionally photographed and submitted them for consideration. With vacation return so fresh and the pile of laundry and unopened mail so high, I had nearly forgotten about the submission. You can look at it here, but the page there is still the call for entries.

This is very exciting! Yippee skippee!

Home Again

2011-07-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

I returned home Tuesday night exhausted but happy. I had eight lovely days with hubby Tom that included seeing two incredible plays in Ashland and long visits with dear friends that used to live here at Sea Ranch. Then Tom flew home as I went on to the Focus on Book Arts conference held every other year at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon.

I took two two-day classes and thoroughly enjoyed both, though they were very different in intent and technique.

The first was with Andie Thrams and we made leather bound journals ideal for carrying and using outdoors, which she does often in her field studies. Her painting and mark making are quintessentially hers alone, not to be truly learned by others, but she encouraged us all to explore and find our own muses while developing comfort in dealing with a perfect blank white page. Her system of developing grids for placement of text and drawings was very helpful and inspired.

My second class was with Susan Collard offering Basic Wood Shop for Book Artists, and there I fell in love. I have made books since 1980 and continue to this day, but have struggled to find a way to blend the books into my more recent work in collage, particularly on the redwood blocks. Now I have a way.

I am not going to review the class blow by blow, as another blogger in class named Elissa Campbell did a better job than I would, and you can see hers here. Good job Elissa! Anyway it was heaven to me, and on the long two day drive home I kept envisioning house blocks with front and back doors and windows that open up to reveal book forms.

Here are a couple of photos I took of Susan Collard's extraordinary book that was in the Faculty Exhibition. It is made of wood with two pages plus a front and back cover. They are all hollow and were designed and built to put stainless steel balls into it to travel through the pages akin to a puzzle or pinball game. An amazing work of art. I was awestruck by it.

This is the back showing the metal plates used in hinging.

These shots are not great, but gives you an idea of the depth of complexity and dexterity Sue used in designing and creating this book. Something to consider as I move forward with my own new ideas. Be sure to look at her website which I highlighted earlier to see her amazing works.

How Time Flies

2011-06-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

My, my, where has the time gone. I can't believe my last post was mid May! And I am about to head out for two weeks vacation and will not be posting until I return at the end of June.

But I have been busy. I read of the call for artists to submit photos for a new book coming out called 1000 Artists Books. I used to work exclusively in book arts, and decided to photograph a couple of my books and send them in for consideration. Ron Bolander is a local professional photographer and has done lots of great work for me over the years, and I think he did a wonderful job this time, too.

Looking back at these books makes me yearn for bookmaking again, and the timing is just right. Part of my vacation is to attend the Oregon Book Arts Focus Conference, as I have done for probably twenty years. It is only offered every other year, so I trek north with hubby for a week's vacation and seeing friends, then pop him onto a plane homeward and I head off to art nirvana.

This year I am taking two two-day classes. One is basic woodshop for book artists, and I am very excited about that. Tools abound below me in the garage, and they beckon sometimes when a vision of a more moveable piece lands in my mind, but I haven't the skills to create what I envision. At least not yet, but maybe by July 1st.

The second class is journal making with skilled artist and mark maker Andie Thrams, whose style can be seen at this blog about one of her workshops. I will be curious to learn new some new techniques to apply to my own paper painting efforts. It is always fun to learn, and I relish the chance to do so and spend some time away with dear hubby.

Sunday Interlude

2011-05-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

I took a time out yesterday and laid down on the sofa in my studio with two of my foster kittens - Sherbert and Shyla - twin orange babies. I took these pictures myself, too, and was pretty pleased with my aim!

Three More

2011-05-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

I found this antique box structure at a flea market in southern France a four years ago when I traveled there for a 7 day polymer clay and mixed media workshop with my friend Dayle Doroshow. The community flea markets were one of the highlights of that trip, which eventually turned into my honeymoon two months before the marraige. I often do things backwards, and it worked out very well that time. Anyway, this box is part of a pinball game and retained some of the old printing on it, and I was smitten when I saw it. I carted it home on the plane, wondering what the heck I would do with it. All of our keys, and those to friends' homes hang there, accompanied by antique cow bells my brother-in-law gave me, complete with leather straps.

This is a hand carved bowl, about 24" high, that has been beautifully ridged by hand. The artist is Alvin Thomas, a man in his 80's we were told, whose son is following in his footsteps of carving these gorgeous bowls. This one is made of Butternut and the the way the lines in it rippled across the ridging attracted both hubby and me. You can see Mr. Thomas burned his name into it in script, and then labeled the type of wood he used further down. He put the holes in with a leather strap knowing we wanted to hang it as art rather than use it and put it away.

I got this in Ecuador years ago in one of the small mountain towns -Otovalo I think. Each town specializes in a certain craft - leather, wood carving, or weaving. This is signed by Jose C. whose work was graphic and had a clarity of design that appealed to me. These figures are men, not women, and if I remember correctly, only men wear these traditional long braids and hats. The mountain villages of Ecuador were wonderful, and I would go back in a minute.

Sources for Words

2011-05-13T16:07:00.000-07:00

Letterpress forms

I bought these on eBay, and have treasured them, but today I used some for the first time.

This box holds all manner of leftover and odd forms of letters that I have purchased or gotten as wonderful gifts from friends, clients and sometimes folks I don't even know.

I have more than a dozen rubber stamp alphabets and would be lost without them. Speechless even.

Magnetic poetry words come in very handy. Did you know there are romantic and erotic sets?

More words that didn't fit on the cookie sheet pictured above. It can be hard to sort through magnetic things since they stick together.

And of course, where would I be without my Scrabble tiles from all kinds of games?

Three Things

2011-05-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

I follow the blog And Sew It Goes by talented quilt artist Terry Grant, and from time to time she posts about beautiful or intriguing possessions she has. As I walked through my house yesterday I was reminded of many of the lovely things I have made by other artists. I thought I would share three with you today.

The first and largest is the stained glass in my front door, which I commissioned from Star DeHaven, a local Sea Ranch artist that participates in the annual Studio Tour here. This features a redwood tree with sword ferns and iris below it with the ocean in the background, fog rolling in, and an unlikely sailboat making its way in the wind. My hubby used to sail, and it was a nod to his interests to include the boat. The glass is just lovely during the day as one heads out the door, like when this picture was taken, and equally inviting at night when the lights are on and someone comes to the door.

This is a willow chair made for me a dozen years ago by Carla Thistle, who lived up the mountain behind Sea Ranch in the little town of Cazadero. Carla moved to Maui not too long after my chair was made, and just recently she communicated with me via email to renew that old friendship. I love this chair as much today as when I first got it, and it frames the entry to my bedroom just beautifully. It is topped by a colorful watercolor that looks just like my old dog painted by Doug Blair (whose parents live down the street from me) and which won Best in Show years ago at Art inthe Redwoods.

This child's wooden shoe form is perhaps my favorite. I found it some years ago at the Flea Market on the hill above Santa Fe on the road to Taos. I was there taking a week long polymer clay workshop with friend Dayle Doroshow and we spent a delightful morning combing the market for treasures and inspiration to use in our class later that day. The shoe form has some carved designs near the ankle and bottom of the foot, and is covered with milagros. I was off the beaten track (what else is new) and found an older Hispanic man selling oddities out of the back of his pickup truck, and just loved this little thing. It hangs in my bedroom opposite the bed so I see it every day. I went back the next day to get more, but he was gone. She who hesitates loses a second chance.

Completion of different kinds

2011-05-04T13:29:00.000-07:00

Hubby came home the other day and caught me in a working moment, fingers covered with glue and totally focussed on getting the papers on straight. Below is the finished chest. I like this one, and it will be delivered this afternoon.

The world seems quiet to me the last couple of days, with hardly any posts on the listserve where I belong, not many emails, no comments on the blog, and then yesterday the power was out until after we went to bed. No phone. No news. Kind of nice, especially on a sunny day. Provokes the thought that maybe no one is out there and I write only for my own enjoyment. Hmmm.

I did get two new foster kittens yesterday, and because there was no power or much of anything I could do, I sat with them on the floor and began to know them. Two orange babies, 4-5 weeks old, a bit scared, hungry, and ready to explore. I think I will go back for another serving of kittenhood.

Some Colors Are More Fun?

2011-04-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

I got approval on the color selection yesterday to paper up this old chest for a friend's bedroom and it will match a very colorful quilt that features many warm tones with a few greens. The papers I picked looked great on the quilts, so I was anxious to start and have been working all day long, enjoying every minute.

Why is that? Am I using my authentic voice, or am I biased towards certain color groups and against others? This chest feels entirely different than the last one. I think it looks better with a stronger design layout too. I know I am "in the zone" working on this one, while the last one was something of a struggle.

I don't know exactly how best to characterize the difference. Maybe some of you have clearer notions than I do. What I do know is that I made great progress today, with the three drawer fronts and the top done, as well as some of the structural elements and base. Wrapping that top curved edge was an adventure, though, and I am tired and achy from bending over, lifting, gluing and cutting for the last 6-7 hours. Aleve, here I come!

House of Ginko

2011-04-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

I just finished this new house block based on the color scheme I worked up for another project. I continue to be intrigued by circles and this one is similar to one I made months ago. Circles are such an old form, so universal to life in all its complexities - wheels, labyrinths, life/death/rebirth, and yet so simple and clean. They feel complete, and say all there is to say sometimes. They cheer me today, and for that I am grateful. And the colors speak of gardens, lavender and new growth, flowers and leaves.

While gallery sitting on Wednesday, I went out into the adjacent gardens there in Elk and took a few pictures of all the blooms and plants. The colors are similar, and speak to me, especially today.

My Hubcap is Up!

2011-04-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that my hubcap for landfillart.org is up in their gallery, and you can see it here on page 16! It seems a silly thing to get excited about, but it is neat to see my work up somewhere other than my own website and blog. Very cool. Ken is still looking for a few more artists before he hits his goal of 1,000 hubcaps total. Check it out.

Return to the Scheme of the Crime

2011-04-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

Remember this color scheme I put together a couple of weeks ago, but put aside when I found it was to be combined with a red Persian rug? Well, its baaaack!

Doesn't it look just a bit like spherical Easter eggs found their way into my house block? I got hubby to make up some new house forms for me this morning, and I just couldn't keep my hands off of them, and had to try out these papers I played with before. The beautiful gingko pattern to the left will likely be the side walls, or somehow become the roof. We will see.

Couldn't wait...

2011-04-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

to start auditioning papers for the next piece of furniture.

Spring Cleaning

2011-04-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

I looked around this morning and knew it was the day to clean the studio. I had been working so much the last few months that papers and paraphenalia had been stashed in every available space, and it was working on my psyche. I am one of those who must balance the checkbook before starting a big project. I crave cleanliness and order before I make a creative, chaotic mess.

So first I reviewed ALL the papers in my flat file, which took several hours. I sorted by color families with blacks and whites in one drawer, beiges and neutrals in another, blues and purples in the third, greens in the fourth (may favorite and biggest array) and red/orange/yellows in the fifth. I cleaned out things I have never used or grown weary of, or that no longer are suitable for the work I am doing now. Funny how we move on and leave certain materials or textures behind.

There is a Summer Art Camp for two weeks at our local Gualala Art Center, and each year when I clean out things, I give it all to them for the camp. I called today to make sure they wanted these materials and before I could finish my sentence Barbara blurted "Yes, we want all your cool stuff". So I am thrilled, and nearly clean!

The red and blue chest is now gone happily to its new home, and another chest is about to arrive, with a completely different look, and new colors. Similar to the colors above, I think - warm tones with greens.

Evolution of a Chest

2011-04-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

Ten days ago I posted the colors newly chosen for this chest owned by my new clients. They wanted a colorful and whimsical application of papers to a chest they had owned for years, and to which they had become very attached. It also needed to blend with their existing Persian rug and dining room upholstery, but be strong enough to be a feature in their entry of their newly built home here at The Sea Ranch.

I started with the top, which offered the biggest challenge due to the pinking-sheared edge detail along the back rail. It also had an unusual curved rim which required sturdy but flexible paper choices.

The original hardware was old fashioned, and we intended to reuse it, but its primary color of dull orange did not work with the new red, blue and beige scheme. I auditioned new hardware, but haven't purchased any as yet.

After finishing the top, the two drawer faces, and then both doors, I moved to the side. By now I have gone through a LOT of paper, and my supply was getting low. Tight measurements were required to make sure I could match the two sides, which I did.

It now has a couple of good coats of finish, and needs only a new backing sheet, which hubby just cut for me, and the new hardware. I promised a Friday delivery, and I think I will make it.

New colors

2011-04-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

Last week I posted the beautiful lavender and green colors I was auditioning for a commissioned piece of furniture. As my clients completed their move into their new home and pulled together the furnishings and other items they wanted in the new space, the intent for colors changed. I hadn't started yet, so it was easy to change colors.

Actually, I was quite invested in those colors, and hope to work with them on something else. It took me several hours of looking, sorting, and laying out sheets together to find a new palette of colors that will go with their persian rug. I like these colors, too, but now they need to grow on me a bit to replace the sense of the other I had.

I really like the variety in this grouping, but the checkerboard looking pattern in the middle I think is too light, and I may try putting a pale wash over it before I start. I need to experiment with that a little. In a small corner, because this chest is quite big. Red wash, tan wash, blue wash? Hmmm.

New projects

2011-04-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

I went thrift store shopping today while running other errands and on my first stop I found exactly what I wanted. A friend has been asking me about doing a bedside table for her, and this is probably it. I will give her a chance to say she doesn't like it first, but I think it could paper up very well.

Here is the second chest that came my way. Some folks were moving, and have been using it with their computer printer in an office setting, but now would like to feature it just inside the door of their new home. Here are the colors we are thinking of using.

A couple of my favorite textured solids, a lovely ginko leaf print, a commercial block printed swirly pattern, and two of my hand painted papers. Black for detailing. It is too late today to start, and tomorrow is garden day, plus my long awaited new sofa arrives, so it may be hard to concentrate. But soon, soon, I will start a design layout.

Spring has Sprung here!

2011-04-03T11:51:00.000-07:00

I took down my Dolphin show this week with a great sense of satisfaction. I sold nearly half of what I showed, and I think several commissions may come my way. I have had a nice break, and the sun has come out to dry the landscape and all of us. For that I am grateful.

Here is one set of triplets sleeping contentedly before the move.

But I am also grateful for the sheep. My stepson Leland runs the flock of 500 sheep here at The Sea Ranch that are used for fuel load reduction and fire safety, and one of my greatest pleasures is getting to help with the animals. Especially, especially during lambing, which is in full swing.

Baby wants to go for a ride!

Where's my mom?

Monday we needed to move them across Highway One, and lambs are reluctant movers. The ewes move quite well, as they have learned that moving means fresh yummy feed on the other side. So we marshalled our ranks with a few friends and cohorts, and Leland orchestrated our efforts flawlessly. There had to be at least 150 lambs, including 5 sets of triplets and unknown dozens of twins. Spring definitely is in all its glory with those babies.

Looks like a skunk, doesn't he?

Imagine

2011-03-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

The hubcap is finished, and I can't quite give it up and send it off to landfillart.org just yet. I am very happy with how it turned out, and I am enjoying spinning it. It works very well.

I couldn't get good pictures that reveal the magnetic poem I created, so here it is:

precious is the song of responsibility
embrace compromise
how HOW
still we ask how
it is not death
say you will have faith
imagine calm in the face of fire
never abandon good
please

Hubcap revisited

2011-03-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

I am working at getting back to the table, and the unfinished hubcap remains on top of it. On a quiet contemplative afternoon recently, I pulled out my circular box of magnetic poetry words, and began sorting them and trying to build phrases that had potential. I often use one or two of the words on my pieces, but the urge to speak at greater length was tugging at me.

It was slow, and that matched my mood and level of commitment. I needed thoughtful, wanted painstaking. It takes a lot of time to pull them apart since they stick to one another, and right them so they are readable. I have multiple sets that folks have given me; lusty words, companion animal words, regular ones too. And so I sorted. A couple of hours passed.

The next day I revisted them, scattered across my table in isolated sentence fragments. An idea was beginning to form on how to use them with the hubcap. Yesterday, I resorted, edited, and hand colored them. Started to lay them out.

I had a vision about how one might read my circular poem. My hubcap must rotate. So this morning in bed while watching the light come up, and with a hot cup of coffee in hand, I discussed the mechanics with hubby. Several options are possible. I envision a lazy susan kind of movement, with one of the cabinet knobs that had caught my attention earlier used to move it as you read. Tom is a builder, so he thinks sturdy, and usually composed with wood. Negotiations. I will probably venture to the hardware store alone on my mission in a while. And then I am spending the afternoon with my friend, Colette, whose husband Norm passed away last week. Sigh.

Immersed in other's artmaking

2011-03-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

I follow an art quilt group known as Twelve by Twelve, and specifically Terry Grant, who is a member. Lark published a book about their two year challenge to each other to create a 12"x12" art quilt on a theme every sixty days. I got a copy of that book directly from Terry, which you can see here and I have been reading it a little each night for the last four or five days.

What a great book! What a wonderful challenge they put together, and I have been immersed in their work almost like a good novel one can't put down. It also has been a great distraction from the sadness here, and I appreciate being able to sink myself into their stories of how they work, their processes, the trials and tribulations and insecurities they each experience in the company of artists they respect. And their successes are stellar. They even speak about which of their pieces they dislike or are disappointed in. Wow. That is helpful to me. Don't we all experience that, but hardly ever share it publicly?

Even if you don't sew or quilt, and I don't, you will like this book.

Losing a friend

2011-03-19T13:14:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday afternoon, our dear friend Norm Coad died. We are thinking it was a massive heart attack, as it was one of those instant things without warning or symptoms. We are all stunned. Speechless. The shock has stopped my creative endeavors in their tracks, and I find my mind wandering and my energy gone.

Norm was a great guy, always willing to help with whatever needed to be done. He was here the other day to help me in my continuing effort to embrace technology by trying to program my remote so it didn't take the use of three of them to start a DVD.

He kept bees, and I once had the chance to go with him to work with the hives and retrieve the honey. He was calm, knowledgeable, giving, and funny. That is him on the left, and me on the right.

And he was an integral part of our four couple winemaking group. He usually worked the bottler (as he is in this picture, in the green shirt), and had a knack for filling the bottles just exactly right every time. He was quiet, but loved telling stories. And they were great stories. Like the time he lost his wedding ring and searched high and low for days. His granddaughter was visiting, and wanted to look down the hole he had drilled through the floor to run some cables, and there she found his ring - stuck between the floors.

And I feel like I am stuck without him in my world. We will celebrate his life next Saturday, and toast him with the wine we all made together.

Embracing technology

2011-03-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

A primary goal for this new year is to embrace technology and make it work for me, instead of being a fearful place of insecurity. I have been quietly (and very slowly) doing small things to try and get a better understanding of the tools I have and how to use them.

A couple of months back I downloaded the free software from Blurb.com to create and print books, thinking this might be useful to experiment with. I played with it a little bit, but didn't print anything to see the actual results of my efforts. The day after my opening at The Dolphin was a "pajama day", so hubby and I didn't get dressed or go anywhere and just puttered all day. I chose to play with the Blurb software.

I spent delightful hours laying out a little 7"x7" soft cover book based on the four poems I wrote some years ago extolling the virtues of red, black, yellow and green. I coupled my rhymes with photos of my artwork, and sometimes with other photos I have taken of plants (like my lettuces above), my border collie Quillie or cat Minit, textures, whatever met my criteria for the color. It came to about 30 pages. It is not expensive to print from this source, so I printed one in order to check paper and photo quality, color accuracy, all those little details that can make or break a project like this.

It is here now, a week later, and I like it, but see changes I would want to make. I was sooooo excited when it arrived, and at first I was enthralled to see my work and my words in a formalized, commercially bound book. But now, several days later, I see the changes I will make before I print anymore.

Maybe I would benefit from other eyes reviewing it. Maybe friends with editorial experience, or graphic layout skills, eyes other than my own. That could be my next step. But it has potential. What do you think? Any of you ever done something like this with your own art work?

Hubcap Dreams

2011-03-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

I sat down yesterday and seriously contemplated my hubcap. It is round, with ridges, and paper can be very unforgiving on curves. That limits my options. This lovely, stretchy bronze metallic works very well for this kind of situation, and I began by trying out a small piece about 4" wide by 3" high.
Lots of careful finger manipulation made it clear that little tucks or folds were going to be the only way to cover those ridges. A great riff espoused by dear polymer clay artist friend Dayle Doroshow always says "if you can't fix it, feature it", and this is just what I decided to do.

Then I applied the checkerboard paper over the cone shaped center part, and fussy-cut the traingular papers in shapes I wanted. The trickiest part was getting a clean cut on the black paper from a circle template, which turned out to be a soup bowl.

At this point, I am not sure if I want to embellish on the black circle, or add something to the very center. Still pondering that.

A New Project

2011-03-09T09:48:00.000-08:00

Some weeks ago, browsing Elizabeth St. Hilaire's blog, I came across a project called landfillart.org where hubcaps from all sorts of cars, from the 1930's through the 1970's, are given to artists to use as a canvas. Then they are posted on the website gallery and will eventually (when he reaches his goal of 1,041 hubcaps) turn into a book by the creator behind the project Ken Marquis.

Well, I was fascinated with the pieces on the website, so I applied for my own hubcap. And it has arrived. I have been playing with ideas, and have put together an audition of papers, including this new metallic Japanese print I recently got in Berkeley.

A friend was traveling in Australia and New Zealand and found this folded piece which she brought home to me (thanks Donna!), and of course, I immediately had to figure out how it was made. I have done that now, and want to include a couple of these on my hubcap.

I am fired up about working in the round rather than on a house form, at least for now. Time to get to work.

Slow Recovery

2011-03-07T08:42:00.000-08:00

The opening at The Dolphin went very well, with close to a hundred folks coming by, and both Jan and I made some sales. Interesting to see which pieces people fall for. There were three pieces that I could have sold over and over and over. Multiple folks attracted to the same piece - and not necessarily the ones I would have thought would be popular.

Blue isn't a natural choice for me to work in, so this one was the only one in the cool color family, and it was a hit.

I was suprised by the popularity of this one. Is it the phrase I used - forgone conclusion - that touched people?

This one, however, was the hit of the night. It sold to a friend who came by a couple of weeks ago, saw it, and asked if he could buy it. I put it in the show with a Not For Sale tag on it, and I must have had at least six requests for it. Is it the money? The commentary on our current culture? The economy? As Click & Clack on NPR say, it's a puzzler.

Yesterday I was so pooped I never got dressed and could hardly get out of my own way. But I was thrilled with the positive response to my digital frame running studio shots during the opening, as part of my goal to embrace technology. So yesterday I sat down and designed a book with my four color poems written some years ago populated by pictures of my work and a few other items to feed the color line. I did it through Blurb and now await getting the first copy. If it looks good, I may get multiple copies and sell them. I will post about it here when it comes. Stay tuned.

Pre-Show Celebration

2011-03-05T12:29:00.000-08:00

Last night hubby and I were invited to have dinner with eldest son and his lovely wife to celebrate hanging my show. It was great not to have to make dinner, and a special treat to go there and relax for a few hours enjoying our granddaughter Lexi.

Isn't she just the cutest thing? Having never had kids, I am thrilled and honored to hold the name "Grandma", and to hold the baby while she falls asleep. Sigh...