Savoring the Texas spring beauty, overflowing with color... On my recent April/May trip to Texas I saw so many wildflowers everywhere. I had plenty of practice with my camera's macro setting.
I love the spring in Texas when it is so green, and yes, temperatures are even balmy. During my visit it was mostly in the 60's and low 70's with thunderstorms rolling in one after the other, so dramatic with lightning skies. Sometimes I miss those, as in the Northwest we get mostly quiet slow drizzly rain. Right after I left at the end of May, the heat began with days of 90's, and soon all those lovely greens and colorful flowers will have burnt away to those dulled yellow and brown fields.
I tried shooting a few pix out the window as we were on a road trip to Arkansas too, and some are not too bad. Here you see a vivid yellow field of flowers. The highways were shouting with flowers all along the way. I am still sorting through photos from my several spring trips and have much inspiration for creating new paintings.... so many colors, textures, shapes to get lost in.
Faces, faces everywhere, all so interesting, all carrying a story... Here are a few sketches of faces from some drawing sessions earlier this year... I constantly am trying to improve and capture a moment in time.... And below, here is one that I painted on a small 5"x7" hard canvas... mixed media.
"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. " John Muir Canada We took another short British Columbia trip recently as I was recouperating from cold and sinus, it was wonderful soaking in an outdoor hot springs and walking on this peaceful lake. Although friends warned of lengthy border crossings, there were none, we were over the border in 5 minutes. Actually, you can google a webcam of each crossing, which I did before we left. We took a side trip to the Hemlock Valley and the river area above which is a wildlife refuge, and a particular favorite spot for eagles since the river is filled with salmon spawning at certain times of the year. The beach was littered with bones, I love taking pictures of bones. They are evocative for me. It was a crispy cold beautiful sunny day, creating the darkest shadows, stark contrasts against the lit areas and the hidden areas... and the stillness and peace inbetween... nature is so soothing. I was fascinated with this particular tree, the undulating shapes, the new twiggy growths sprouting everywhere headed straight up towards the sun. I must have taken at least a dozen pictures to satisfy myself. Of all the shapes, the undulating wavy shapes are my favorite, and then circles too. I can see a wave pattern in the branches along the ground. An art instructor once told me that each artist needed to discover which shape resonated the most for them, that O'Keeffe had done that. Here is a quote I like about shapes from her book "Some Memories of Drawings":
"I realized that I had things in my head not like what I had been taught - not like what I had seen - shapes and ideas so familiar to me that it hadn't occurred to me to put them down. I decided to stop painting, to put away everything I had done, and to start to say the things that were my own."
Experimental Painting This mixed media acrylic piece I started probably 3 or 4 months ago, and was almost done with it. But it was one of those where I still didn't get that "I'm finished - it's done" feeling. Do you get that? That nagging little voice saying, it wants something else, what is it? I'm new to abstracts and have to listen harder to hear what it wants me to do. After a critique last week, I added a bit more white highlight at the top to what I already had. Then a few very light strokes to unify and now I'm done and I like it's organic feel. It's called "Rising". Notice the undulating shapes and movements, and circles..... A Blog Tip For those who use Blogger, they have added two new gadgets you may want to try. One allows you to add a Search Box which I thought might be convenient for me too if I wanted to find something from the past. The second gadget allows you to create separate Pages, almost like a website, with a "Home" Page too, making for easy navigating. Look at the top of my blog, and you'll see what I mean, I've moved something out of my sidebar into a separate page. I have several others in mind, but I have to think about it first. To find these new gadgets, go to your Layout, then look under the Header, where it says "Add gadgets". When you click on that you will find these two new ones at the top of their list.
A few words whispered out into the ethernet in the still of the night...
Cougar Mountain Zoo Crane, Kale and Reindeer Molbak's bottle display
...who knows who will read my words, or what they might do out there......
This time of year is filled even more so than usual, with so many memories. I feel at peace and relieved after talking to several members of my southwest family that they are surviving the sudden blizzard... despite the power outage, now fixed, despite being stranded on a middle-of- nowhere road after feeding and tending the horses, now back home...and despite the 4 foot snowdrifts... I am grateful we have cell phones now, and don't have to worry as much about making long distance calls, so we spend a lot of time recounting stories and good times past.
And I'm satisfied with our own northwest alternative to the holidays... no longer stressing out with winter holiday airport travel, the possible blizzards along the way, the hectic shopping, malls, etc., etc. Along the way we've refashioned our expectations and what we think is important. No cutting a poor tree and hauling all that stuff out, no, indeed, a couple of simple ornaments on the mantle is enough. A special dinner at home. Dinner out with friends. Sharing a play with friends. Local events... one of our annual treks is to Molbak's fabulous nursery and garden store in Woodenville for their poinsetta festival where we sit in front of the poinsetta tree and get someone to snap a picture every time, enjoy kringle and coffee and wander through the lush greenery and flowers.
A couple of weeks ago we stopped in at the Cougar Mountain Zoo in Issaquah, as we had been wanting to see the white tiger born this past May, and the reindeer festival. The four tigers were beautiful creatures, their behavior so like our own cat. I am grateful there are zoos and sanctuaries for them, as they are very endangered, but I am saddened that they live such restricted lives in small territories behind bars. The cranes were lively hopping around, fun to watch, and I was thrilled to get a couple of good photos of them, challenging as they were in constant motion. My Christmas wish is for more humane treatment of all creatures and hope that less habitat will be lost...
Most often for the last decade, we have gone to the Oregon beaches for Christmas and revel in the quiet and peace of the ocean and crispy fresh air, so rejuvenating. Instead, this year it will be at another time, but soon... There are several other local things we may enjoy together during "the season"... all simple things, flexible, and much like we do all year.
Flowers from Molbak's
A Christmas Meditation Leaving you with these thoughts..... I read and hear so much about stress during the holidays, especially Christmas. Expectations can create all kinds of reactions in us, including disappointment. Consider what expectations you have and those around you have, about the holidays. Question whether these expectations are realistic, are they stress creating, or do they create peace and harmony for you. Consider how you might change them, start new or simpler traditions. Maybe it's about togetherness, finding joy in small things, sharing experiences instead of stuff, and giving and receiving acknowledgement and love.
Graffiti is art too... Having fun with my camera on a gray day out in Seattle... I wonder who did these, how many? There is some raw talent here and creativity and a freedom of expression. The cowboys of the art world. A trainload of art, a traveling gallery sits waiting on the tracks. All those anonymous artists we never see have gone home... while the train sits on the tracks. Do you wonder where this train track leads, did we miss a good train trip...?
A fun day out, I do love train trips, have been on several, will do more in the future, it's on my list... good traveling.
“We marched in Berlin, and the wall fell...." "We marched for South Africa, and apartheid fell. "We marched at Copenhagen -- and we WILL get a Real Deal.” Archbishop Desmond Tutu told hundreds of delegates and assembled children at the Copenhagen summit.
GREEN ALERT - Climate Change I just joined over 13,623,468 people in the world's largest-ever campaign to keep us all safe. There has never been a more important time to add your name - our message is being delivered to leaders at the Copenhagen climate summit over the next 48 hours.
With just 2 days left, the historic Copenhagen climate summit is failing. World leaders have begun the final hours of direct negotiations. The UK Prime Minister has directly appealed to Avaaz.org“Avaaz” means “Voice” in many Asian, Middle Eastern and Eastern European languages.) to build the tidal wave of public pressure needed to reach a deal that stops catastrophic global warming of 2 degrees.
Click to sign the petition for a real deal -- The name of every signer is being read out right now in the summit hall! Copenhagen is seeking the biggest mandate in history to stop the greatest threat humanity has ever faced. History will be made in the next 48 hours. On an emergency conference call with 3000 Avaaz members today, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said:
"What you're doing through the internet around the world is absolutely crucial to setting the agenda. In the next 48 hours, don't underestimate your effect on the leaders here in Copenhagen".
Just Do One Thing Having received an email from a couple of friends and checking this out, I thought it might reach more people via my blog.... and as I say, just do one thing. Easy.
And if you want a little more info/data, and suggestions for greening what you do, go see my blog entry of October 15 for the global Blog Action Day on climate change.
I created the photo montage from my own photos on the subject "Green". A couple of them were for a collaborative artist's photo art journal.
A frozen ice palace with giant icicles surrounded the falls while the water created a powdery mist... A Day Trip The last few days I have been seeing on the local news how Snowqualmie Falls was experiencing a big freeze around it and lots of icicles had formed around the falls. We had never seen them with snow and ice around them before, so, despite predictions of snow flurries today, off we went since they are only an hour from our house. Absolutely breathtaking, white against the dark rocks, lacey and jagged, solid and fluid in the cold cold air.
These gorgeous falls are approximately 270 feet in length. I have seen them many times, and many years ago we used to go to the bottom of the falls at summer or fall dusk on Seattle Mountaineer "owl hikes" (since they were evening hikes with cookout dinners)... Now I have relished them in their winter coat too. A montage of photos clockwise starting top left: from the viewpoint in the park, a large icicle about 70 feet long on the left of the waterfall, white wintry sky at noon behind the dark trees, and the utility buildings above the falls. And though my hands wouldn't work too well in the cold, I managed to quick sketch the feel of the falls to me. Photo's and sketching, good things to do, as it requires a pausing to really take in what the eye sees, to really see the details and feel the awesome wonder out there. My thought for today, go outside even if it's cold or raining, the weather isn't "bad", maybe you just have the wrong clothes... pause, take in, reflect, record... breathe and enjoy. An old barn along the back roads that we took...
Blog Tip Way back in time in my blog I mentioned that I had a posting problem I hadn't resolved. Then it worked for a short while and then it didn't again. And finally a couple of days ago, I believe I resolved it. Here's a summary for you, in case you have this issue you can try it and see if it works.
Problem: There are some blogs I visit where my comments disappear and are never posted after I have typed them in and clicked "post". I have noted that these are blogs that make the comment box available on the same page as the posting versus the kind of blogs like mine that open up a comment box on a separate page without the posting showing.
My fix: I spent a bit of time on reviewing my firewall, and even made sure certain blogs were in the allowed category - to no avail. I also checked out "tools>options>privacy and ensured that those certain blogs of friends were in the "exceptions" category and not blocked - also did not work. Finally, I thought of checking something that I even mentioned in my posting of April 15 - changing browsers. So, what I found out is this: -- Mozilla Firefox browser will work - allow me to make comments on blogs that open a separate page for the comments, while, -- Internet Explorer browser will work - allowing me to make comments on blogs that have the comment box on the same page. I don't know why. But now when I want to comment on the few that use the same page for comments, I use the IE browser.......!!! Go figure.
Making sense of all that comes in... can be overwhelming... or, on the other hand, you can focus on the inside and listen to yourself... More Painting Lately I have been quite busy, I finished six paintings for the miniature show at Kaewyn gallery, and was happy to deliver those right before Thanksgiving. All were acrylics and incorporated experimental techniques I have been playing with: more texture with different materials and intense color. If you are local, stop in for a treat, as there are a great variety of artists works to be seen; the show is there until January 16.
This last week I participated in the ongoing painting critique group I joined about four months ago. What's really inspiring about this group is seeing the diverse work of the group, as there are very different styles (from realism to abstract and in-between) and different media (oil, watercolor, acrylic, gouche, pastels). Taking three more new paintings to the group meeting, it was reinforcing to get positive support for the direction my painting is going, aka, abstractions, more texture, intense colors, getting better at composition. The painting with the reds, yellows, blues is one I took. There is some thread of connection to the paintings lately and I contemplate where I'm going with them, it feels like a series or several may be emerging... I think they have to do with transit from one state to another, the hidden or unseen coming to the surface, among other things...
More Being Outdoors Determined to be out more often, some recent outings about town I enjoyed with camera and paints... Despite the really really cold weather, in both cases, worth the views, colors and inspiration... Shift Happens The UN Climate Change Conference representing 192 nations is getting under way in Copenhagen, and there are positive signs (firm pledges for change from nations) the outcome may be in positive new directions (AP article). AP says over 15000 delegates and 100 head of states are attending and this makes it the largest and most important climate change conference ever. I mention this because of the title of this section, "shift happens..."
I found the You-Tube video below on the progression of information technology to be fascinating and a reminder of the pace at which we live. It was researched by Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod, and Jeff Brenman, remixed. It questions the meaning of living in an "exponential world" (exponential = "a variable or unknown quanitity" per the dictionary; wiki say, a proportional growth rate). The final conclusion was left off this version of the video...but, I selected this version because it has better graphics. The conclusion to the question/data is "shift happens."
A friend sent it to me yesterday. I hadn't seen her in ages and was thrilled to run into her at the bookstore, where we got into a conversation about "overload", too much coming in, too fast a pace we live, environmental tragedies (dolphins being ritually killed, wolves being shot, oh there are too many to count), it saddens the soul. And how, sometimes it is just time to shut out the incoming and listen to your inside, and remember how connected we really are. And that, yes, shift happens. Slowly. Slowly. Not without some loss, it is difficult turning a huge ship set on a course. But shift happens... personally, and in the world. I always remember Gandhi saying: "You must be the change you want to see in the world." And maybe just be the change you want to see in yourself. And share it out.
Playing with colors and a little retreat... so soothing... Playing with Color Here is a start on another acrylic painting, I think it needs a little bit more... I have been experimenting with lots of color. Why not have a red sky and blue rocks? Maybe it's to compensate for the northwest rainy season, our "monsoon" season which has arrived and here to stay til, perhaps April or May?
A Short Retreat Last week we drove up to British Columbia for a couple of nights private celebration in one of our favorite places. This time of year the tourists have packed up and gone home, the sun is only occasionally seen, misty fog covers the land, the lake and mountains, and you can hear the geese flapping their wings as you walk along the lake. Stunningly beautiful, quiet and serene. Below are some bucolic farm scenes we always see as we come and go to this favorite place. I finally managed to get a picture of the candy cane silos from the car as we drove by. And the skyscapes and mossy trees caught my eye too.
Off we went on our fall odyssey, down familiar roads, and some less traveled blue highways... Gorgeous scenery everywhere... above, a scene from the breathtaking Three Capes Scenic Route along the coast of Oregon, and next to it a Photoshoped picture of the last of the sunflowers at a nature preserve in Ashland, Or. Below is a view from our room in Ashland... the famous Ashland hills, with vibrant colors in the trees. Ashland is such a wonderful small town mecca of culture and art... the Shakespeare Festival, the Cabaret Theatre, the local art galleries called the "Railroad district", Lithia Park and more... We love the "co-op" food store and often picked up something fresh to eat there. My sketch painting of the scene... Tillamook and Abstractions And here is one inspired by the Tillamook, Or area... famous cheese country, lots of pastures and cows and a pungent aroma. The most amazing thing there though, is actually the Air Museum, or we call it "the Blimp" museum since it is a HUGE hanger built in the middle a cow pasture in WWII specifically to house blimps used for surveillance back then. It is SO unexpected to see it sitting there in the field... and fun to visit again, the last time was probably ten years ago.
I was fascinated with the inside of the building and odd pieces of planes and rusted equipment, and rusted old trains outside, so took many photos which look like little abstracts. I also did this at the cheese factory which had a wonderful collection of very old trucks and equipment. I am compiling a "rust" and "decomposition" series for abstractions which I will organize and post at a later time. Since I am playing with abstract mixed media painting now, they serve as great inspiration.
The Tulies and Lava BedsFrom Ashland we took a 200 plus mile side trip one day to Tulelake National Wildlife Refuge and Lava Beds National Monument in California. We took the "quick" route over the mountains directly from Ashland, which included a stretch of hairpin curves with spectacular views, though we were glad to be done with the mountain driving.
Now I'm imagining I know where the saying about being "lost in the Tule's" comes from. Tules are actually plants that look similar to the thick sturdy stems and leaves of cattails but without the same head, they get flowers instead. The Wildlife Preserve has 39,000 acres and we did see many birds that day in the small portion we visited. We spent most of our time exploring the lava beds and learned that the area has the largest concentration of lava tubes, a couple of which we walked through... And learned the whole area is a massive volcano covering 150 miles, but not in the traditional style you think of, such as St Helens. This one is underground (like Yellowstone), and is called a shield volcano. No steaming vents here, just acres of lava, lots of tubes and cones and interesting desert. And one area of the park has many petroglyphs to examine, some of which we did.
Little Things Sometimes it's the little things I remember the most about a trip (or a moment)....
...that perfect shell with lines of shimmery wet color and the undisturbed sand ...the delicate lacey undulating grass on a desert trail ...and the satisfaction of sharing it with someone special
Fall colors, last of the local veggie/fruit summer harvest, crispy weather, and a witch who wasn't paying attention! Pumpkins and Photoshop Above are a couple of pumpkin pictures from our local Yakima Fruits & Veggie Market, only one more week, then the harvest is gone and they switch totally to pumpkins and Christmas trees. The scarecrows on either side were pix I took in Jacksonville, OR, then, "developed" in Photoshop. There are endless possibilities on PS, I have so many more tools to try out...
Witch Way did she go? I am loving these witch pictures. We were passing through Astoria, OR on our way home from Ashland and the Oregon coast (more on than in another post), and I noticed EVERY street light pole had one of these characters on it.... I took one threw the windshield as my husband drove, then he pulled over and took another better one. SO, happy halloween to you! Be sure to buckle up and fly in the right direction without any brew... Fibery Fun Aside from painting and trips, I have been having fibery fun too... Top row: 1) & 2) Two self designed handstitched "softies" or "stuffies" from a sewing circle challenge 3) Silk beads made in a recent class 4) Dyed fabric & free motion applique technique from machine embroidery group Bottom row: 1) & 2) Front and back of my recent self designed road trip doll - we went to Ashland Shakespeare Festival plus a side trip to Lava Beds -- so it looks rather theatrical and has lava sewn in the belly. 3) Figurative handstitching/collaged piece with close-up below from a recent class 4) Twin needle technique from machine embroidery group
These were fun and some were challenging, and some are easy things to do in the evening if I'm not journaling, while watching Survivor or Project Runway, yes, I like those reality shows....
What are we waiting for??? We are the ones we are waiting for...
"My Green Heaven Mosaic" - created in Photoshop
Blog Action Day: Climate Change We are on a road, a path from which it is difficult to remove ourselves. Stuck in patterns, bad habits, bad attitudes, we wait for a renaissance, but we must create it ourselves, take a new path, alter course........ We are after all, still part of the food chain, a part of nature, not apart from nature... When did we forget that or presume to think otherwise?
There is so much information available about environment these days, which is a good thing, but it can seem overwhelming, what to do, there is so much happening. However, the overarching issue appears to be climate change, because, well, we all need to breath good air, and we must have liveable temperatures... And, it does seem climate change is getting more attention at the higher levels, but it helps to remind them... And if we each took even tiny steps, they all add up to change towards a liveable future...
Data: Check out the environmental section in my sidebar. Also, check out the Pew Center on Global Climate Change which is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to providing credible information, straight answers, and innovative solutions to address climate change. Go here to read about the basics and facts and figures on global warming. Or watch the You-Tube video from Al Gore at the bottom of this post. Go here to the TckTckTck organization which is tracking the countdown to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in Dec 2009 - many many organizations are partnered with them.
Things to Do: Blog about climate change, share what you know with others, write to your Senators, or Congresspersons or President Obama asking them to make climate change a top priority and to push for a real change and agreement of nations to fight global warming at the Copenhagen conference..... and.... here's a cool list of 50 practical green things you could do in your home or in your everyday life. The creators of this list, B.E.S.T. (Building Environmental Science & Technology) showed the approximate money savings in parentheses plus avoided environmental impacts based on CO2, so choose what's most affordable for you to do and start (or keep) greening your lifestyle. Check out Yahoo which also has lots of living green ideas, tools, and resources.
Some Art about Environment A week ago I had the pleasure of taking a 2 day experiemental mixed media class with Chris Romine. I started a collaged acrylic canvas with an abstracted radial design. Below is the finished painting a couple of days ago, as I was thinking along the lines of sun, light, solar events, too much heat.... And here is a terrific You-Tube video by Aurum, you can visit his website here. It's called "The Drawing of Melting Planet" and it shows him drawing on his PC (I wonder what he used).
I have always loved red land and rocks and spare desert landscapes and find myself still painting them... Inspiration Here is a glimmer of red rock inspiration. This on-site quick pen sketch and watercolor painting above was done on a road trip last year to Ashland, OR. We took a side trip to California where it turned out to be the hottest day, over 100 degrees. But we had a fun day anyway when we got to Lake Shasta, seeing the bluest blues and redest reds. We took a short boat trip across the lake, headed up a mountain, and walked through relatively cool Lake Shasta Caverns. Red Rocks and Fossil Beds The above two paintings are recent ones. These both are compositions of my imagination, a synthesis of remembered scenes from road trips, remembered pictures from countless books or documentaries, and my sense of those places. The first one is watercolors with a bit of pen (Sep2009), and the second is acrylic, entitled "Fossil Beds Revisited" (Jun2009) which I included in a July show this year. I will be "revisiting" and painting more of these. It is interesting not only to see how my interpretation has evolved over time, and also to try out different media for a subject. The bottom painting in the above set of 3 is probably my first take on the fossil beds from a photo I had taken in the mid-90's. The first two from 1997 and 1998 are very large watercolors painted with a very loose interpretion of my photos in a more free expressionist washy style after taking a class from one of my favorite painters Jan Hart who shares a love of O'Keeffe and desert.
Inspiration My inspiration comes from many road trips with some camping and backpacking to the Southwest a couple of decades ago... the Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, Canyonlands, Arches, Nine Mile Canyon, to name only a few of the many places we explored. Another inspiration, which I was quite astounded to find on yet another road trip a decade ago, was almost in my own backyard (sort of), at least only one state over, in Oregon, the John Day Fossil Beds. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any of my old pictures to post yet (they were pre-digital camera, if you know what I mean). But, check out my friend Lisa's blog, La Vida Artistica, in my sidebar of blogs to inspire. She shares similar inspiration in her Aug 28 posting that includes fabulous photos of this wonderful place and also details of her upcoming studio tour showcasing her spirited art.
For me the desert and red rock areas have always been those exquisite areas of beauty that get down to the bare essentials, lots of sky and horizon, and vibrant land with undulating shapes, and so metaphorical in so many ways. That sense of place with the O'Keeffe kind of feeling from the sheer grandness of it.
Sunday Meditation Where do you get your inspiration? Have you tried expressing the same subject in more than one media?
I wandered through the fields of purple lavender, an ecstasy of colors, sweet scent, and natural beauty everywhere... heaven. Shades of Purple - Lavender Farms A couple of days ago we took a ferry and headed over to Sequim, which I thought was the NW capitol of lavender, but turns out to be the North American lavender producing capitol. There are at least a dozen farms to visit, and over the years we have found most of them as we do this trip every year. Sequim has a festival, which we now skip, because it is less crowded and thus more quiet and relaxing without the festival. The farms are open a couple of months for visitors, and our very favorites are: Purple Haze (love the name), Cedarbrooke, and Jardin du Soleil. We also never miss The Cutting Garden flower farm, which has exquisite gardens and grounds surrounding a large beautiful home-like center which are also open to visitors. Drawing and Mini-Booklet Class I'm excited about offering some new classes! Below are a couple of examples of the type of pen line drawing I will be teaching at an upcoming class at Everett Artist's Supply. If you are local and interested, here is more info.
Zen Drawing 2 hours $25 Aug 11 10am-12 Come learn a fun simple method of pen line drawing that requires no artistic background or ability. This type of line drawing can become addictive, but in a good way. It’s very relaxing, and no mistakes! This method of drawing can be incorporated into your art projects or be framed as is. You will produce at least 2 small beautiful art pieces in this class to take with you and learn a portable drawing technique you can use anywhere as an instant path to relaxation. Mini Booklet and Portfolio 2.5 hours $25 Aug 11 1pm-3:30 Now that you’ve seen how fun it is to make the “zen drawings”, join me in creating a small easy booklet with blank pages and a simple stitched binding. The portfolio is made to hold the mini booklet, pen and pencil, everything in one place. It’s perfect to take along with you, so when you want to take a few moments and relax, you can take it out and draw. Aromatherapy for the Soul I wish the computer had a scent button that you could press and have a sample of the wonderful aroma of lavender flowers. They are supposed to be therapeutic and the scent is said to slow your nervous system, destress and mellow you out. I certainly felt good after wandering around all day with all that purple scent, then brought some home and am still smiling... And I have some bundles to play with and make things with, culinary and sachet. I'm thinking, scent does play large in our lives, and just the hint of something in the air can bring back all kinds of memories... Wishing you a fragrant day, whether it's enjoying lavender, or roses, or fresh roasted coffee, baked pies or chickens, or whatever you relish. Lavish in the wonderful ability to catch those tiny microns of scent that take us to a quiet or pleasant place or memory.
“In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe.” Michael Jackson Trip to Rose City We're back from an exhilerating trip to Portland. That biker in the picture above is my husband who did all 200 miles in one day as I drove down. The STP (Seattle to Portland) bike ride draws over 10,000 riders from all over the country and the vast majority do the ride in 2 days with a stop overnight along the way... So you see, he's in rare company, those that dream and actually accomplish difficult physical challenges... 14.5 hours sitting on a bike seat, oh my gosh! And he's done it at least 18 times over the years! He's my role model for getting in shape, but, definitely not to that level.
We relaxed the next day after his bike ride, by visiting the Portland Rose Garden in the morning - great overlooks of the city and the most wonderful large rose garden I have seen. We enjoyed the afternoon at the Portland Art Museum. There was an interesting Escher exhibit who was a master at detailed drawings, also exhibit on tattoos, and, of course, I love their permanent collection of impressionist paintings, all worthy of a stop there.
Art Show I have very busy making new art for an upcoming show, and happy to say, I'll succeed in my goal of putting together a show in a different media for me, acrylic. I have also created a selection of mini art as part of my display, here's a peek at 3 of them in the picture below. In addition, the show has a "miniature paintings" section too. "Artsplash" begins July 16 and runs through July 19 in Edmonds, for those reading who are local. Over 50 artists will be in this show, including me, so do stop in and take a look and chat with the artists. The best time to come is either Thursday evening (4-8pm) during the Edmonds Art Walk so you can visit other galleries as well.... or even better, come on Friday evening (6-8pm) when most of the artists will be there. I will also be there on Sunday afternoon from 2-5 doing an art demo. Teaching! In the sidebar of my blog I have added a listing of workshops I will be teaching at Everett Artist's Supply and Framing: Zen Drawing, Mini-Booklet and Pamphlet, and Journaling the Journey. I'm excited about presenting these fun, easy art sessions. Teaching is something I have done a bit of here and there, and it is satisfying seeing people absorb information and the directions they take with their own art.
Tuesday Meditation I found a beautiful quote from Michael Jackson today. I have to say, I was absorbed by some of the media frenzy and talking heads the last couple of weeks after his death (isn't there just tooo much celebrity "news" these days on CNN, is it still "news" if it's repeated over and over for weeks, or if it's really just endless speculation?)? And though I never thought of myself as an MJ fan, I realized there were quite a few songs along the way that I now remember I really enjoyed. And, definitely, I thought he was an extraordinary dancer - some moves look like Elvis, some like Fred Astaire, James Brown, Charlie Chaplin, and rap all rolled into one. Very gifted man who I learned also gave back more to charity than any other pop star. So here's a You Tube video of an early performance by a younger MJ of one of my fav's, copyright the artist. There are probably many lessons that his life presents for us, not the least of which, are, to look past the external into the soul and essence of a person and to "dare to hope, comfort, dream, and believe".
"All Journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware." Martin Buber Trip To the Big Alone and Sketching We're back from a cruise up the Inside Passage to Alaska. I heard the ship naturalist refer to Alaska as the Big Alone, since he pursues a lot of wildlife and adventure travel that has included 2 years alone on a remote Alaskan island. Cruising is not like being alone in the wilderness, as it feels like a floating self contained good sized village moving from point to point. However the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful, silent and serene, taking me back into my center. Nature does that. I do find that taking a journey into nature, even if it's a walk in the yard or to a local park, there is a fulfilling nourishment to be had...
On this cruising journey, I packed my journal, a couple of pens, and very small watercolor set with niji water brush. I happily captured moments here and there. I sketched people, scenery, objects, etc, here are a few of them... The first set includes one of the "mustering" director going through the safety talk, a guitar player, and an audience at one of the many live shows. The following includes two scenes as we sailed towards Juneau with the bottom one being a quick sketch of the Mendenhall Glacier. I loved the misty cloud veiled mountains and islands, the cool colors and crisp air. The Glacier had many shades of blues and greens and some browns, and definitely has been affected by global warming. I may post more sketches later, particularly of some town sketches. Parts of them were overly commercial with way too much kitchy stuff, unlike my first Alaska visits some 20 years ago. But by walking and seeking we found the charming less touristy sections, the historical museums, and nature everywhere. I'm determined to get out into our own forests and mountains again on a more regular basis like I used to... as there is something to the falling away of all the unnecessary noise and things and busy-ness that is so refreshing to the soul.
The Beauty of Tracy Arm and Just Being Our ship went into the Tracy Arm Fjord up to the spectacular Sawyer Glacier, many icebergs floating everywhere. Literally, this was a passage to another world. So here is a You Tube video from ggg11333 on Tracy Arm alone with lovely singing, a very peaceful serene video.
The You Tube video below "Juneau Alaska Icebergs Tracy Arm Adventure Bound" is a nicely made film copyright by William Duris and I like the music too, though I don't know what it is. He shows the glacier about 4 minutes into it and even got northern lights which I didn't see while there. I like that he includes the rain forests and wildlife.
I continue to experiment and surely it is all taking me somewhere with my art, soon I will get back to painting...?Shibori Dyed Fabric Above is a picture of fabric pieces that I recently dyed using shibori type methods to create the patterns. Shibori is the Japanese word for several methods of dying cloth with a pattern by binding, stitching, folding, twisting, or compressing it. I've read that that Shibori has been an art form since the 8th Century, quite a tradition. The West sometimes calls it tie-dye, however that does not adequately include all the techniques of shibori. I have belonged to a Machine Embroidery circle of women for a couple of years, where I learned this and various other types of experimental mixed media techniques from a talented fiber artist named June. I had fun with the techniques and the most fun was seeing the transformation of my pure white fabric into the great colors and patterns above. I am interested in taking my experiments further with natural vegetable dyes. Now, what to do with those pieces, perhaps a fabric book is wanting to emerge? Recycled Mail Book I have been playing around with junk mail again the last couple of weeks, and decided to make a book out some of it. So, here it is finished, and I really like the outcome. Very portable size, mixed pages of various papers, fold out accordion pages, all ready for me to sketch onto. I got creative with my binding and it came out better than I hoped, as it is totally flexible and lays flat.
Transformed Book Exhibit I forgot to mention that we went to the Bellevue Art Museum early this month (another free day). There was a book exhibit featuring 31 artists, "The Book Borrowers: Contemporary Artists Transforming the Book", that I especially wanted to see and it was well worth the visit. Consider going since it's on til June 14th. It examines the meaning of the book form in a time when we are becoming increasingly digital. I do love books and magazines and can't imagine going totally digital, there's something wonderful about holding a volume in my hands filled with ideas or stories that can paint images in my head and take me to another place. As for the exhibit, there was a life size reclining Buddha carved from books, a mini-Grand Canyon carved from a set of encyclopedias, and the truly amazing art of Brian Dettmer. Click here to and here to see some of his intricate carvings... I had heard he had some items in this exhibit and that is who I did not want to miss.
"Art is more than a product of your efforts – it should be about feeling, life, attitude, soul." Sergei Bongart, Russian Master Painter
Fine Art Prints - My Paintings and Photographs
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"There is no one just like you, and there never will be anyone just like you, so there's no reason not to be original." Sergei Bongart, Russian Master Painter
A watercolor and mixed media artist experimenting with various painting and non-painting art forms: collage, fiber, felting, dolls, embroidery and beads, bookbinding-bookmaking, collage, digital photography & photoshop, etc. Inspired by the natural world. Words and poetry to embellish and add meaning. Drawn to the metaphors and stories of life expressed through art as a healing of the spirit, a way to draw out the beauty, maybe to inspire and bring a little light.
Peace is every step. The shining red sun is my heart. Each flower smiles with me. How green, how fresh all that grows. How cool the wind blows. Peace is every step. It turns the endless path to joy. Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist Monk, Teacher, Author, Poet, and Peace Activist
2013 Art Shows - See My Art
Ongoing - Northwest Hospital and Medical Center, Breast Cancer Center, 1550 N 115th St, Seattle, WA
Ongoing - Northwest Hospital and Medical Center, Dining Cafeteria, 1550 N 115th St, Seattle, WA
"I don't follow any system. All the laws you can lay down are only so many props to be cast aside when the hour of creation arrives." Raoul Dufy (1877-1953), French Fauvist Painter
"The world is holy. We are holy. All life is holy. Daily prayers are delivered on the lips of breaking waves, the whisperings of grasses, the shimmering of leaves." ~ Terry Tempest Williams, From Talking to God: Portrait of a World at Prayer (anthology)
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." ~ Margaret Mead, American Cultural Anthropologist
My Etsy Shop #1 - Fine Art Paintings and Mixed Media
Fine Art Prints available here
Artists Websites
1001 Journal #2286
Go to the 1001 Journal site to see journal #2286 which I started and hosted in our local community center. This and other journals are rich with artwork and wonderful writings from a diverse bunch of people everywhere. Go here to the originating 1000 Journal project to read about the project started by "Someguy" who gave away, left journals in locations, and mailed out a total of 1000 blank journals randomly with an invitation in them to create, write, pass on, post on the web, and return them.... Many, many inspiring images and writings.
On my recent April/May trip to Texas I saw so many wildflowers everywhere. I had plenty of practice with my camera's macro setting.
I am still sorting through photos from my several spring trips and have much inspiration for creating new paintings.... so many colors, textures, shapes to get lost in.
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