101 Things

This encaustic painting is called "Watching Over What is Precious"



I got this list from the Cycling Artists Blog. Celeste at Stone Soup Art also did one.


This is a fun way to start the year and get thinking about the next one.


Now I'll have to do one that applies to the business of art.

So I have bolded the things I have done, and made comments when I felt like it

1. Started your own blog


2. Slept under the stars


3. Played in a band


4. Visited Hawaii


5. Watched a meteor shower


6. Given more than you can afford to charity


7. Been to Disneyland


8. Climbed a mountain (a small one!)


9. Held a praying mantis


10. Sang a solo (by myself. No one else should be subjected to it)


11. Bungee jumped


12. Visited Paris (I came close. I was in France)


13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (oddly, no – but I saw an electrical storm from the windows of the large theater in Ashland, OR. Something I will never forget. All electricity in town was out and the whole sky kept lighting up.))


14. Taught yourself an art from scratch


15. Adopted a child


16. Had food poisoning


17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty


18. Grown your own vegetables


19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France


20. Slept on an overnight train (I think we slept. I was young)


21. Had a pillow fight


22. Hitch hiked


23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill


24. Built a snow fort


25. Held a lamb


26. Gone skinny dipping


27. Run a Marathon


28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice


29. Seen a total eclipse


30. Watched a sunrise or sunset


31. Hit a home run


32. Been on a cruise


33. Seen Niagara Falls in person


34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors


35. Seen an Amish community


36. Taught yourself a new language (pig latin)


37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (money doesn’t satisfy a person.))


38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person


39. Gone rock climbing


40. Seen Michelangelo's David


41. Sung karaoke


42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt


43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (does sharing a meal with a stranger count? done that)


44. Visited Africa


45. Walked on a beach by moonlight


46. Been transported in an ambulance


47. Had your portrait painted (twice. once by myself!)


48. Gone deep sea fishing (I did go deep sea whale watching)


49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person (THIS I WOULD LOVE!!!!I’m fascinated by churches anyways)


50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris


51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain


53. Played in the mud


54. Gone to a drive-in theater


55. Been in a movie


56. Visited the Great Wall of China


57. Started a business


58. Taken a martial arts class


59. Visited Russia


60. Served at a soup kitchen


61. Sold Girl Scout cookies


63. Got flowers for no reason


64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma


65. Gone sky diving (I did go parasailing. Way cool!)


66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp


67. Bounced a check (regrettably, many)


68. Flown in a helicopter


69. Saved a favorite childhood toy


70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial


71. Eaten Caviar (blech)


72. Pieced a quilt


73. Stood in Times Square


74. Toured the Everglades (this is on my to do list)


75. Been fired from a job


76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London


77. Broken a bone


78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person


80. Published a book (I’ve been published in a book)


81. Visited the Vatican (This I would LOVE also)


82. Bought a brand new car


83. Walked in Jerusalem


84. Had your picture in the newspaper


85. Read the entire Bible


86. Visited the White House


87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating


88. Had chickenpox


89. Saved someone’s life9


90. Sat on a jury!


91. Met someone famous


92. Joined a book club


93. Lost a loved one


94. Had a baby


95. Seen the Alamo in person


96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake


97. Been involved in a lawsuit


98. Owned a cell phone


99. Been stung by a bee


100. Read an entire book in one day


101. Been married 40 years

Feel free to copy and post on your blog.

Sun Shines

It's been so long since I've posted that I'm almost embarassed. I need to shake that off and talk a little art.

On December 7th, Tracy Helgeson, from one of my favortie blogs, gave away a painting for her birthday. Who do you think won it? It was me,me, me. And I found out on my birthday! I can't believe it. I love Tracy's work and she let me go to her page and pick any painting I would like. Do you believe this generosity? I chose this beautiful piece called Crazy Fields.

Isn't it wonderful? Tracy has recently done some beautiful flower paintings but since I resonate so much with her horizon lines I chose this one to hang in my home.

Speaking of home....this is a photo I took yesterday from my deck. (Sorry about where it placed itself) I feel absolutely no need at all to go out when I have this georgeous view. I am truly blessed. We have more snow than I can remember the last couple weeks. A big storm is coming in tonight too. I know it causes an inconvenience but until we lose power I will be a happy camper. The wood is beside the fireplace in case it gets cold. I have a woodburning stove that I love cooking on so we won't starve. (though, I could live off the fat on my body for months)

The snow is swirling. They say we are going to be hit with 70-90 mile an hours winds. I best post this before I can't

For all of you I wish the very best of the holidays. I hope you are able to tuck in with family, help your neighbors in emergencies, and love life to the fullest.

My next post will have my own art on it since I plan on going down into the studio and putting forth some effort.

Time For a Change

It's a new day in America!!!

When I grew up there were still white fountains in some areas.

We have come a long way. I am so thankful to have lived to see it happen. I can't imagine the things I will see in the rest of my life.

The Business of Art

I am popping in to say hello and let you know what has been on my plate.

I've gone back to Edmonds CC and am taking the EDGE Program. It is a professional developement course for artists. How cool is that? It's alot of fun and a tremendous amount of info to absorb. I worry that my mind is not up to the task but the little rational person that sits on my shoulder says "no problem". Thank Goodness!!

I've decided that if I am going to keep making art I might as well do it and mean it. I am excited about what we have learned so far.

Did you know that no one looks down on an artist without a degree? I heard alot of "phews" in the classroom when that tidbit was offered.

Did you know that the days of just hanging out, wearing black, and looking tortured are over for artists? Well, it seems that to make it in art now you have to have business savvy and a nice professional portfolio. That means that you shouldn't be tossing out those little articles done on you like they aren't important.

You should be photographing and cataloging all of your work so you can access it at a moments notice. Yikes!!

You need to know when and where your shows were. I need to do some unearthing of all of this info.

You need to keep your books up. Noooooo!!! I hate bookwork. It is my necessary treat to have a bookkeeper. I don't own a credit card but I hate dealing with money. There was a time when I was good at it but that time is long gone. I think it left when I sold my first painting.

Now the BIGGIE. You need a professional portfolio.

When I hear that I want to roll up like a pill bug and disappear under the desk. Slowly but surely I will meet this requirement.

If you can't get into the EDGE Program for some reason, I think there are templates on Windows for resumes, bio and stuff. It is well worth the research to find out what qualifies as a well written Artist Statement. Every word counts. I thought I had a pretty good one but it is changing.

In the meantime, for the last couple weeks, I have been sporting a splint on my left hand. The other day, while trying to turn my office into a serious work environment and not a playhouse, I somehow managed to get my right hand between a dropping tabletop and something else. I don't know what. ... Pretty sure that my hand was broken I quickly showered , put on clean underwear and went to the doctor. (Hey, I know the rules!) The doc stitched me up, x-rayed and bandaged me. Thankfully, there was no break. The bleeding was bad because I nicked an artery. The stitches come out next week.

Time on the computer is crazy tough when your fingers don't work and they are so fat they hit a few keys at a time. I can't tell you how badly I wanted to do a painting with my teeth or toes. If I do, I'll post it but don't hold your breath. I was afraid it would seem like I was making fun of someone.

For now, I sign off wishing you the most beautiful of Autumn. I can see the wind blowing the golden yellow leaves off the maple tree right outside my office. It is a sight to behold!

Do you ever?

This bit of the show is being taken down in the morning from Local Color in Seattle. Now, on to business.

Okay. We are almost all artists here. I have a very serious question for you all to answer. I find myself as fickle about paintings as I was about boys when I was young and thin.

Do you ever get so sick of your own work that you want to erase it? Are you no longer willing to show a piece because you've seen it so much? Do you see every flaw that only an artist can see?

In the beginning do you love it, dance with it, stare at it and think sweet nothings about it? Later on, do find yourself thinking "I cannot stand this piece any longer. I simply do not care for it". "It bores me"? Does the bloom go off the rose?

It doesn't matter why ,but it can be as simple as you don't like the colors anymore or you feel like you have grown in your art and the old stuff seems young, childish.

If this happens to you and your relationship with your art, what do you do? How do you process it? Do you toss it, repaint it, or go back on and alter it? Or, , do you just suck it up and put it out there for the world to see and hopefully purchase?

Some hints as to how to deal with this would be appreciated. Is it odd? Is this just me and my short attention span at work? How can I change my thoughts as they relate to the art I make?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. My DL thinks I am nuts.

Show Success

The show went well Saturday night. It's a real treat to get out and see friends in a social setting right smack dab in the middle of the city of Seattle.

I included this 18" X 24" black and white encaustic piece in the show. The photo is dark. I don't know why. I took it outside. Could it be that even when the sun is out we don't get enough of the northwest light to shoot a photo.

I have seen that on Seth's Altered Page Blog alot of people would like to try encaustic and don't know where to start. I am toying with the idea of doing some short "how to's" here so people can dip thier toes into it. I just got a new camera so it's a possibility. Give me some time to figure out how.

Thanks to all of you who took time from your busy weekend to spend time with us at the show. It was much appreciated.

Last minute heads up.

This black and white encaustic is one of the pieces I am showing at

Local Color in The Pike Place Market for the month of September. I did all black and white pieces for this show. I needed to get the black and white out of my systen so I can get back to color. I am feeling a little aprehensive about showing all black and white paintings but the deed is done.

The opening reception is tonight. If you have a few minutes, come join us and enjoy some wine and snacks. I am showing with my friend Karon Leigh in this cool little coffee shop/art gallery. This gallery is right smack in the middle of the market on the brick road.

Award time

Yay!! My first award. Shayla has gifted me the "I heart you blog award". How cool is that? She found my blog through Seth at The Altered Page. Thanks Shayla.

My task now is to pass this award on to others.

I think what I will do is to pass along blogs that I adore by people that I know personally and enjoy spending time with.

I never miss Courtney at her Quiet Girl Gallery blog. I love her heart, soul, and artwork. I also love her Healing Nest blog.

I took a class from Mary Beth Shaw at Artfest last year. It was a great class. For those of you going this year I highly reccomend it if you are into abstracts at all.

Meredith is a superb artist and mentor to many.

Gwen is another healer whose blog I enjoy. She is in the group I meet up with about monthly to talk artfest and work on whatever we are doing at the moment. I am always listening to people instead of working.

Celeste is new to the area. I met her right after she moved to Washington. She is also a new mama.

My good friend Karon and I work together when we can. She teaches printing at her studio but is moving to Arizona soon. We will be showing together at Local Color for the month of September. It's a very cool coffeeshop and gallery in the heart of the Pike Place Market of Seattle. I am right now procrastinating rather than finishing up paintings for that show.

Nudes., Love 'em or leave 'em?

My posts have been all over the place lately so I thought I'd share a painting with you. After all, this is an art blog. This is a small , 11X14" encaustic piece. I hope it does not turn any of you off to see a nude. I love doing them and have nowhere really to show them other than the odd figure show.

It suprises me how many venues do not allow nudes because they don't want to scare off customers. I can't imagine anything prettier than a well done, tasteful figure painting. The problem is where we draw the line on "tasteful". I've seen many pieces that in my estimation go beyond the tasteful. Each and every one of us has a different line.

What do you think? Should I leave them off the blog? I really want to know.

Finger on The Pulse

Seth over at The Altered Page has done a great job of compiling answers to art questions from about 80 artists. Go over and check it out. It's fun to get into the minds of the aritsts you watch and some you don't know.
It's also nice to see that others have the same thoughts racing through thier heads.

Fathers and Daughters

A friend lost her father yesterday. Before I got up to write this I lay in bed for two hours thinking about her and the devastating blow she has been dealt.

To girls, our fathers are invincible. We think they will be with us forever. Fathers teach us to swim the water and the world. They determine what sort of partner we will choose when we grow up. It’s their strong shoulders we ride on as a child, looking out over the top of the crowd to see the world as it will be later. Fathers are our protectors, our guardians. We can fly free because Daddy is there to catch us when we fall.

At some point we notice the super powers fading in our father. We might see the chinks in his armor but we don't look too closely at those chinks. We don’t want to see the weaknesses. We want to hang on to the strengths with white knuckles.

When Dad’s last chapter is complete, we need to find our own way in the world without a life jacket but with many years of memories and experiences that can't be taken away. No matter how old we are, our father's death leaves a huge vacancy in our heart and chest. That emptiness is palpable. It aches. No words or deeds can soften the blow for us.

This is my Dad. My friend's pain reminds me that I miss him terribly.

C, If you read this, know that my heart is with you.

Loving Summer

Well. we're midway through summer now and I am loving it.

I am shocked, however, that it has been so long since my last entry. The only saving grace is that other bloggers are out enjoying themselves also. I can tell because the entries are sparce.

This is the late afternoon view from my studio window. So perfect today. So serene. Even without creating art I love it here. But...I do have to get busy creating. I am showing with my friend Karon Leigh, http://karonleigh-stilldancing.blogspot.com at Local Color in the Pike Place Market next month and want to put out new, original stuff for it.

I guess I still need to get with her and figure out this links business too.

For now....toodle-ooh

Tools & Encaustic

I had a ball at Larry Calkin's class. Find him at calkinsart.com/ . He didn't just have torches and fire. He had woodworking tools. I love tools and everything they can do!

Larry was so cool. He is so into his work that when he has an idea he just drops down to the ground to work it out.

This piece 2' X 2'. It's large and a bit out there. In the holes I am going to add a scene of some sort. I'm not sure what yet. The blue you see is a chemical mix starting with steel wool and turning this beautiful blue after couple days. I loved the color obviously. It may be my first monotone encaustic.

I have done a bit of 3D or 2.5D before but not to this extent. This is actually some packaging I found. How cool is that? This is a green (eco wise) painting.

Everyone at the workshop worked on something completely different. It really felt good to be working in a group and not have the responsibility of teaching them. I cannot paint and teach at the same time. There is something about having a bunch of torch weilding novices that keeps me from relaxing into the zone.

Enjoy your summer. It's crazy hot here in Washington.

From Funked to Pumped

I think that most of us suffer a funk every once in a while. I certainly have for the last few days. I have come to accept that funks are part and parcel of the artist's personality. We just cannot create all the time. We are emotional beings and with that comes not just the highs but the lows.

I have twelve panels prepped and ready for designs but I have just been looking at them. I know what they are going to look like but it is nowhere except my head.

Pictured is the only one of the series I have completed. It's simple and stark, black and white. The whole series is going to be. I'm feelin' like a colorless child. I hope I still have the black and white series in me after this weekend. I know the color will return.

What is taking me from the funk is that tomorrow morning I begin an advanced encaustics workshop at Dakota Art Workshops. It's with Larry Calkin who I have heard nothing but good about. He usually teaches at Pratt in Seattle but that is an awful city drive. I'll take back roads to LaConner the next few days and see nothing but Washington's majesty on the trip.

Wish me luck. I've never had an encaustics class so I'm really excited to be learning instead of teaching. I am pretty experimental so it was all fun for me. Wax on. Wax off. I think having a sign shop for so many years has given me a leg up on process and paints of all sorts.

This class will benefit my students also. I know some of the stuff I'll learn about will not be practical to teach in a retail setting but I will be able to offer the whole ball of wax out of my home studio.

Who is an artist?

A few years ago I was asked to write something telling what I would do if I couldn't be an artist. I wrote that I would probably work in a gallery, have artist friends, attend art shows, and spend time in art museums. Basically, I'd do all the things that artists do. What would I then be?

Today, I think of the people I know who are right on the cusp, people who are artists and don't know it, people who are so talented and brilliant that they would leave a hole in the world were their works not seen. These people may never know their own talents and that they are truly artists.

The particular person I am thinking of is my best and most wonderful friend, Maritza Riley. Maritza has an eye for the gorgeous. Her decorating, sewing, even setting the table, are all artistic. Yet, Maritza doesn't consider herself an artist. She can do with her hands what few people can. She can create and she can make the world a more beautiful place. As artists, that's what most of us want to do.

Maritza created the quilt , above, I hold in my hands and my heart. I was with her, even helped, when she picked out the fabric but never knew that it would be her gift to me. I am awed with it's beauty. I love wrapping in it. I want to take it everywhere. I want to sleep under it and picnic on it.

The picture doesn't show it but the value pattern is flawless. The colors are exquisite. The greeens flow to the aqua and slowly fill the frame until the middle becomes the creamy white center with the tiniest little roses. The cinnamon flowers appear as butterflies resting on the bed. Who but an artist could create this?

Just between you and I, Maritza, my friend, who I dearly love, is an artist in the biggest sense of the word. I feel so happy and fortunate to have found her in this lifetime.

I raise a glass to all of you who sit on that cusp. You unknown and quiet artists. You humble creators of beautiful things.

Busy Week

Yowza! Have you ever had one of those weeks where you don't have a minute to stop and breathe? This was one of those for me. I have a real love/hate relationship with those weeks. I feel productive but I don't feel mellow and relaxed which is my favorite frame of mind.

Saturday was a teaching day. I LOVE teaching. I love the students and I especially love watching them get excited about encaustic. They always do. It's such a sensual, tactile medium that you can't help but fall in love as you work it. Though teaching is incredibly rewarding , I am drained when it is over. Encaustic is not a very portable medium so I end up packing up suitcases of stuff for a day of teaching at Everett Artist's Supply and Framing, http://www.everettartistssupply.com/ and then packing it all back up to take it home.

I have a couple private teaching sessions coming up and it's a treat to have someone come to my studio to learn. All of the tools are at our disposal and I can get farther along when they are close by. I have allot of equipment here that can't be dragged to the store.

My friend Karon, http://karonleigh-stilldancing.blogspot.com/, and I installed a small show at Uncle Elizabeth', right on Pike on Capitol Hill in Seattle. It will be there for two months. Though it was a bit of work we did get to spend some time visiting at dinner. Seattle has a great vibe. I feel the energy of the people there. I live out in a rural area so I travel just to go to Starbucks. I do fantasize about living above a retail store in some funky loft and spending my days painting. I don't think that will happen. I do love the birdsongs out here at beautiful Storm Lake.

I'm very excited about a show coming up in September. Karon and I are at Local Color right in the heart of Pike Place Market. The place feels good. It's comfy and well lit. We'll send out cards for that one and have anice opening. I hope some of you can make it to the opening which will be announced here soon.

Ooh ooh ooh. I almost forgot. I was dying for some small bisqe or porcelain dolls that had been dug up from the grounds of an old factory in Germany. I think they are from the 1800's. I saw them at Artfest for more money than I had, but Kecia at http://lemoncholys.blogspot.com/ had some on her etsy for $15.00 I am so excited about them. They make wonderful necklaces.

Lastly, I will have Karon show me how to link to everyone I mention in this blog. It can't be that hard. I don't care for you having to look at all the web addresses I've added.

Big Kisses

I have been remiss in telling you all how much your comments mean to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It really makes the blogging meaningful to know that you, who I adore, read and think on what I write and paint.

Great big kisses to you all.

Loving Summer in Washington

I am loving the weather. It's not too hot. It's not too cool. It's just right. Mama Bear is happy.

My cousin was up from Los Angeles with her partner last week. It was the hottest day of the year here, and they were thankful for the cool temperatures. Since I was definitely glowing, I wondered how she could wear a sweater when I wanted to run in the sprinklers. It seems it was 104º in L.A. when they left. In my world, that is too hot for a hot tub much less a city.

Above is another pastel. I call it Moonshine Moonshadows. Does anyone know where the name comes from? I like the way the trees seem to become animated and speak in the darkness. A couple of them become bunnies when the lights go out. They really do carry on.

What's that you say? The color is weird? The Late Odd Bob Ross says that we make our world and it can be anything we want it to be. Now that's what I like!

Later Gators

Memorial Day

I took this picture on the national mall in Washington DC last summer. This one was fom the World War II Memorial. It speaks what I am feeling today.

I hadn't been to DC since I was a child. The war memorials have been added in my absence. It is hard to speak when standing in one of them. While you stand in thought, old men with tears in thier eyes relive things people should never see.

I grew up an army brat. The threat of the loss of freedom was always on the top of our minds. The neighborhood I lived in had quite a few bomb shelters. I wonder what they are used for now? Canning? I hope they are full of beautiful peaches, pears, applesauce, pickles, and other pretty fruits and vegetables all lined up in gleaming glass jars just waiting to be opened by the family that worked hard to put them there..

Thank you to all who fought and all who died to keep us free.

Energy

Oh what a beautiful morning!!! Oh what a beautiful day!!!

The energy sent out in the last post has worked. I will let you all know in due time when and where we can get together.

In the meantime, here is a painting of a little shack down the lake from me. It's not encaustic. It's pastel. Hmmmmmmm..should I cover it with wax? I think not.

Artists Community

Many times in my life I sat and pondered how I, of all people, have been so fortunate.
When I was a very young, unworldly, naïve, ten year old child, I went so far as to wonder how I was not only blonde and pretty, but a free American, as opposed to communist. I know, I know, that is as silly as a person can get, but I thought it. As I walked down the alley on the way home from school, picking fruit from the overhanging trees I decided that I could survive well on the fruits that my life handed me.
As a teenager, standing with my thumb out, on Topanga Canyon, I thought of how lucky I was to have a school that was right on the road to the beach. It never entered my mind that a school, right across the street from one of the world’s greatest malls, and just through the canyon to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, could not necessarily be a good thing. I was, after all, ditching school to go to that beach after meeting up with like minded teens at the mall.
Today, I wonder how I have been so fortunate to have such a wonderful group of artist friends that I can spend time and share with.
A group of us have been meeting monthly for two or three years at the studio of Patricia Seggebruch in Snohomish. We brought our own lunch and potluck dinner, and spent the day talking and comparing notes. As artists we tend to spend an enormous amount of time alone, listening only to the direction of our mind and creative muse. The time spent with others is precious because we not only are able to share what we are doing in our work, we get to share the feelings, emotions, and struggles as artists trying to get our work out into the public eye, and more importantly, sell it.
Being an artist takes guts and I have am so thankful that I have one gutsy group of artist friends. We work, eat, and chat endlessly. We show each other what we are doing in the safety of the group where we are not laying open our souls to strangers. That is what it feels like with strangers. It feels like we are laying our hearts open to someone who may not appreciate it. Our skills, our emotions, our ideas are all on that substrate and we risk rejection when we put it out there.
We talk about how to get out there and sell ourselves. We get ideas on venues looking for artwork. We tell each other if there are teaching jobs available to contribute to the coffers at home while we work to sell art.
In that group we have been through, divorce, depression, loss, business openings, celebration, child problems, and soon a new baby. We’ve grown as people and as artists to what we are today. I am so thankful to have had that. I have collected their work so that I can be reminded of them each and every day.
That is why it is so important for me to find a place where we can continue to meet monthly and bask in each others strengths. I fear the threat of loss. We no longer have the meeting place and I fear the loss of the group. It takes a lot of space for artists to spread out and work.
I count my blessings and celebrate what we have and if any of you have any ideas on how we’ll keep it I’d like to hear them. No matter what is happening in my life, I will find the time to spend with the women I so love.
Geeze, now who’d think a person could feel vulnerable blogging? I am just pushing the button anyways.
To bring you up a bit I’ll leave you with a few of my paintings. They aren’t new ones but I still like them. All three are encaustic.

Missing in Action

Ha! You thought I wouldn't return! Well, here I am and I have every intention of blogging regularly.

Spring has come to us, and with the warm weather comes the energy to move around and get a few things done. I have been sitting since the rains started last fall.

First, I must tell you that Artfest was a wonderful treat for me. I'll make sure I send in my check the day the sign-ups are available this year. I loved taking the classes, spending time with old friends and new friends, and having wonderful meals cooked for me, all in the beautiful surroundings of Port Townsend. It seemed like years since I had been there. We sat on the beach one evening and just breathed in the air, far away from the worries of home and business.

My first class was Assemblage with Annie Lockart, http://annielockhart.typepad.com/. A sweeter woman cannot be found. Everyone in the class had brought boxes of "special stuff" to add to thier work. I took pictures of the tables full of good junk so that I could prove to the DH that I am not the only person who walks with her head to the ground and finds old junk irresistable. Soon I will post my efforts. Annie told us that she had begun to write a letter to her students. I wish I had seen that expression of what teaching at Artfest meant to her.

My second day was with Anahata Katkin , http://anahata.typepad.com learning how to create Symbolic Icons. I used my mom's face to create my icon. Mom deserved it. She is my inspiration for non judgemental generosity. The One and Only Best Grandma in the Whole Wide World will have her face in my next icon. I have the picture chosen.

My last class was Abstract with Mary Beth Shaw, http://mbshaw.blogspot.com/ . This tiny woman has big energy! This workshop was on how to do series of abstract paintings. With simple tools the possbilities opened up before us. When doing abstracts I have usually referred to some picture, anything, and blown it up until it is not recognizable. Now, I have another option.

If you know me, you will know that, even though I work in pastel, right now encaustic is my first love. All three of these classes, and the pastel, are incorporated into that wonderful waxy medium, that I think is the most sensual, soft, workable medium around. I love also, that it enables me to take all of my art loves and roll them into one painting. Wax is a great adhesive so I can even stick some of my found items right into a painting.

By the way,not that I am an idiot, but the only reason I am able to blog this evening is that my good friend, Karon, http://karonleigh-stilldancing.blogspot.com, sat patienly with me at the Royale Cupcake place in Ballard and showed me how to access this page and add to it. Tomorrow I will jog my mind as to how to add the pictures. She showed me that also.

Overwhelm

Here I come. I'm skidding in with both feet forward. Scared! I have no time to talk now but needed a blog address to add to my ATCs for ARTFEST!!! I am so excited I can't see straight. That excitement is displaying itself as extreme paralysis. We are36 hours from the ferry ride and I have put together NOTHING on the long list of things I need to take.

After Artfest, hopefully, time will be by my side and I can sit and ramble on about my life in art and friendships. This, I hope will be the jest of my blog.

One thing I will mention though. I went to one of Nanci Drew's wonderful parties yesterday. It was a pre-artfest event. As usual, her house was chock full of wonderful art and wonderful artists. The talent in that room boggles the imagination. I could ooooh and awe over the pretties I saw there forever. Once I figure out how, I will link to the sites of the people there.

For now, good-bye. I'll see you after the festivities.