Golden Rule Studio

Book of Days

2012-01-11T15:47:00.000-08:00

I am proud to say I finished my first week in my Book of Days. I struggled with the writing - my journals are usually mostly visual, but I loved the idea of starting the week with a drawing or collage piece and building on it all week. Here are the results:

Book of Days

2012-01-03T10:57:00.000-08:00

I have started a new journal for my "Book of Days." I decided on an old birding field guide. I loved the size and feel of it and thought it would be a good way to work on my "Presence." I decided to make it a simple journal. Here is the cover...

My first spread. I opted not to write about 2011- I wanted more to look forward.

and my response to the prompt "looking forward."

I am having a sudden love of sock monkeys...don't ask! I found out I am going to be a Nana for the second time and was thinking about my twin sons and their first toys. One had a monkey and one a blue elephant. So I am looking forward to making new creations for my second grand child! It is a mystery how the mind works but I love just going with the flow - no planning, just be.

Getting Ready for the New Year

2011-12-29T20:26:00.000-08:00

I am starting the new year by treating myself to an online mixed media course by Misty Mawn called "Open Studio" Our first assignment is to write something to the prompt: "I am here..." I decided to combine the writing with the word I have selected to guide me for 2012...PRESENT. I have always had difficulty staying in the moment, being 10 steps ahead. My New Year's gift to myself is to be PRESENT, notice....

I am here

PRESENT

Rooted and still,

Branching outward,

Growing in place.

I am here

Resisting the tug of time

Pulling me

Out of this moment.

I am here

Held by love

and connections

That ground me.

I am here

PRESENT.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

I have been a busy elf, as I am sure most of you are too. Last night we went to an event at a local winery. Snacks, cookies, free wine, what could be better. They had a massive bonfire and all the makings for smores. They topped it off with a reading of "Night Before Christmas."

Wishing you a holiday filled with light and love.

Karen

Back From Journalfest

2011-10-31T17:44:00.000-07:00

As always, an amazing event. This year was particularly special in so many ways for me. I took 2 days of classes from Orly Avineri. My favorite was the "Face Lift" class. Here are some of my completed pages....

I was given the gift of new techniques, but more importantly, new ideas and concepts to think about and explore. This for me is the essence of going to a retreat. My "well" is re-filled and I am ready to work.

Ghostly Words

2011-10-12T09:23:00.000-07:00

Recently I was asked to use some of my drawings to illustrate a poem. "Ella's Edge" is a wonderful blog with poetry and poetry prompts along with photography and other mixed media delights. Here is the link: http://ellasedge.blogspot.com/2011/10/apology.html . It is inspiring and amazing to see how poetry - or a story can change your feeling about a piece of art. Coupled with the word, the images become more than they were as just drawings. Thanks Ella!
On a side note....I am feverishly working in my studio to get ready for a show here in Southern Oregon at Seven Feathers Casino on Saturday 10/15. I will be going to Journalfest at the end of the month - I am so excited to see Port Townsend in Fall again and re-connect with fellow journalers. I hope to see some of you at these upcoming events.

Layered Impressions Painted Collage Face

2011-09-19T16:56:00.000-07:00

Here is my before and after for my painted collage faces. I am really working on keeping loose, not being fussy....

the before

The after

Number 2...

My scanner cut off some of this, I really wish I could have kept some of the collage showing but, I got a little carried away with the paint...

the finished...again too big for my scanner...It says "she shines her light on all the lost."

Layered Impressions Class

2011-09-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

I just started taking an online class from Katie Kendrick called "Layered Impressions." It is too late to sign up, but she is offering a DVD of the class for sale once it is over. Here is the link: http://joyouslybecoming.typepad.com/joyouslybecoming/

We have started with faces, so I think these count for my "faces" project....They are "wrong handed" drawings on phone book pages, then colored with watercolor crayons and a little gesso. LOve! The three above are a few of my favorites.

Home at Last

2011-09-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

Collage, pencils, gel pen and watercolor

We just returned from a trip to San Diego to see family. The day before we were to leave, we found out our grand daughter was in a car accident. I am taken aback by how easily your priorities can change. She is recovering, back in school and we are very thankful. While we were there we also survived the "big power outage". Everyone in the neighborhood stayed up late and my kids organized a game night complete with candles and Twinkies.
My ritual as soon as I return home is to get re-acquainted with my studio. I am preparing for my Journalfest class, "Pencil Dreams," and am trying to work in my journals without acrylic paints - just pencils, pens and watercolor. I really am enjoying the softer look. If anyone is still considering attending Journalfest, most classes are still open. It is a very different experience than Artfest. A smaller group, the charm of fall in Port Townsend and all those wonderful journals to see.....

September/October issue of Somerset Studio

2011-08-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to share that one of my mixed media books is featured, along with an article I wrote about my creative process. It can be found on page 66!

August Faces Project

2011-08-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

Here are #11 and 12. My reference was a vintage photo, so the faces were not clear. I like the more abstracted faces. The little boy was clearly unhappy when the photo was taken. I am guessing early 1900's....

Art and Soul Class on September 27th in Portland, Oregon

2011-08-18T16:38:00.000-07:00

Class Sample

I wanted to do a final push to encourage attendance for the class I am giving during Art and Soul Portland 2011. We are making some wonderful mini pieces of artwork, while learning a ton of great collage techniques that can be used in your artwork - no matter the size.

As an added incentive, I have decided to wave the kit fee for the class for all who sign up.

Here are a few "blocks" I just finished to get you inspired!

Hope to see you there.... the link for sign ups is here: "Block Party" at Art and Soul Portland

August Faces Project

2011-08-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

#9 - another Vogue girl

#10 This was a piece of an ink pour experiment. I love the accidental eyebrows!

Since I am behind and also loving this project, I think I will keep it up as long as I can - at least to #30....

August Faces Project

2011-08-13T17:26:00.000-07:00

#7 from a Vogue Mag photo...

Best laid plans...time got a way from me and I am back at the "faces." The summer here is full of surprise visitors. Today was an awesome day. I held a collage class in my studio - a group of 10 women, laughing and painting with abandon. I am relishing the fact I can stall the clean-up!

August Faces Project

2011-08-07T18:59:00.000-07:00

Somehow I am keeping up with the pace. I was in Portland for the weekend and managed these two sketches in my hotel room.....

August Faces Project

2011-08-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

Face #4

Face #5

These faces are a little more stylized. I think it will be fun to see all 31 together as a group...provided I keep up my pace. Going to Portland tomorrow for a fun break!

August Face #2 and 3

2011-08-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

Another face on poetry paper....

This face happened today when I was playing with coffee staining. I had a random piece of canvas that was primed with gesso. I did a coffee and ink stain on it, then took some sepia acrylic ink and drew a loose face with an eye dropper. I used a little white acrylic and more ink with a brush to finish it. I think I will make this into a journal cover.

Today's Face....

2011-08-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

Watercolor pencil, gouache on vintage garden book page.

I am challenging myself to see how long I can go doing a drawing a day. How does the saying go...10000 hours makes the master.We will see how it goes.....

Portrait Play

2011-07-31T16:37:00.001-07:00

Here is my portrait for today. I feel like I am on to something here - not sure what it is, but I like it.

It is an acrylic background. Lots of scraping, water blotting and accidental transfers with dash of a rubber text stamp. The portrait was done with watercolor pencil, gouache and colored pencils (black and white). I like the unfinished look of it.

Busy Summer

2011-07-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

The heat is finally here in southern Oregon and I am busy in my "cool" studio. I have been working in all sorts of media and a variety of surfaces - basically I am playing and having a blast. I was inspired by an entry on The Sketchbook Challenge about artist Lynne Hoppe doing watercolors and pencil on old book pages. I have been trying to do a page every day - I just love the look and want to do something BIG....

These are done with watercolor pencils and white gouache...

in contrast I just finished 3 (yes really) paintings. Here is the one I submitted for the 2011 Southern Oregon Art Show at the Firehouse Gallery in Grants Pass, Oregon from August 5-26th.

I call it Equine Dreams. The horses were a happy accident - paint drips that looked like horses heads. This is me trying to be a looser painter. I would love to know what you think.

Summer Fun

2011-07-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

This is my 3rd summer in southern Oregon and I think I finally get the rhythm. Once the sun comes out activity ramps up to a fever pitch. There is so much to do here - biking, swimming, hiking, rafting....It is also the time when friends and family come to visit. I have been lucky to teach for the summer Children's Art Program for the Grants Pass Museum of Art. Each year we organize a group of artists ready and willing to teach some aspect of art to kids of all ages. This year one of the classes I taught was "Recycled Book Journal." We had a great time gluing and painting and discussing the latest cuts on "So You Think You Can Dance." It was so much fun we stayed an extra hour playing in our books. I took a lot of photos, but really loved the pictures of hands, busy creating......

The smiles say it all.

Nothing left to do but clean up!

The Wedding

2011-06-07T15:10:00.000-07:00

We are currently in San Diego for my son John's wedding. The event took place at the Point Loma Lighthouse and it was a picture perfect day. I am a lucky woman to have another daughter in my life. She made a beautiful bride and I love the fact that my son got choked up when he was saying his vows. My hubby and I are very proud! This is not the best photo. The guy lurking in the background (and almost falling off the cliff) is one of the photographers... I am sure the formal photos will be great...

Trip to Philadelphia

2011-05-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

Finally unpacked and able to share about my trip to Philadelphia. We decided to fly out of Portland and happened on the most amazing bakery called Petite Provence Alberta on the way to the airport. They have several locations in Portland and definitely worth a stop. I did not realize how much I have missed a good French bakery until we walked in the door. Artistic displays and artfully baked bread and goodies. The smell of sugar and butter was heavenly......

Our flight was less than charming. Bad weather and a bumpy ride. The kind of trip where you applaud the pilot when you finally land. We were able to rent a car and travel to the Lancaster County area to see the countryside and Amish farms.

I was hoping to acquire another Amish quilt for my collection, but did not find one in colors that worked for me. We did manage to get some antique shopping in and an unexpected find... the National Toy Train Museum. My hubby was jazzed because he has an O gauge train set in the process of being put up in our barn. I was really taken with the artistry of the old toy trains.

The doll and teddy bear show was a blast. It began with a competition between about 30 or so artists for their one of a kind signature pieces. The voting was done by our peers and I was thrilled to be one of 4 artists honored with an award. Here is my entry piece.

It was so much fun to catch up with all my East Coast friends and collectors. The show was amazing, lots of eye candy and amazing craftsmanship. I also had the chance to make some new friends.

Nancy Latham, a talented doll artist from Florida. I loved her dolls and paintings. You can see more of her creations at Wistful Children

Another artist from New York, Reina Mia Brill makes "Knitted Wire Sculpture". Brightly colored, fun ceramic pieces.

You can view more of her pieces here: Reina Mia Brill

Our trip home was thankfully uneventful. I am glad to be unpacked and nesting for a few days, then back to work on future classes and new art pieces.

More Artfest....

2011-04-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

I am long overdue posting photos of my Artfest creations. Here is a pic of my "Saint of Lost Shoes". She was inspired by the stash of doll shoes I found in one of my many stash boxes - none of them had a matching shoe. This was my first time sculpting a face and I am ready for a chance to play more with this.

I also had a wonderful time in Olry Avineri's Deck of Roses class. Here are a few samples of my "deck". I am mounting them on wood and coating them with a thick coat of clear tar gel to give them a look of resin. Hopefully this will work!

Back from Artfest

2011-04-16T17:04:00.000-07:00

Well it is almost a week since I have returned from Artfest. Another event of wonderful inspiration. I am proud to say I finished all the class work at Artfest - a new one for me! These 2 were done in Misty Mawn's Coloring Book Class on Saturday. - Both done with watercolor crayons and white paint....

I have started using my 3"x5" book again to collage papers that are left on my worktable. here is a spread I did yesterday....

I can see a future painting.... more to come as I continue to unpack!

Excitement for Art and Soul 2011

2011-02-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

It is not too early to start the excitement for Art and Soul Portland 2011. Are you ready to create several richly layered collages, complete and ready to display or give as gifts? Are you looking to learn some simple techniques that will make each piece of art unique? Come join me and play with collage in a smaller scale. I will be teaching "Block Party" at Art and Soul this fall. The possibilities are endless....

Here are some of the other talented and creative instructors participating in the event. Please visit their blogs and be amazed.....

Janne Robberstad

An artist and costume designer...she will be offering a chance to learn free motion embroidery using birds as you muse.

Stephanie Rubiano

I love Stephanie's whimsical use of materials and inventive ways to combine nature and vintage elements. Her class offerings will definitely give you a chance to try out some of her amazing techniques.

Elizabeth Kettle

Her colorful handmade fabrics and artful "anthologies" will tempt you to explore fabric as a new medium in your art.

Ingrid Dijkers

Graphic, colorful journal play. Need I say more?

Marcia Shultz

Marcia and Ty's experience with unconventional materials and their fun take on assemblage is definitely worth a look. They are offering classes in a wide range, from garden art to steam punk....

Kari McKnight-Holbrook

An Architectural Photographer and Graphic Designer with a passion for mixed media art. Her wonderful Green Art Journal is not to be missed.

Glenny Moir

Our fearless leaders blog has the latest information on Art and Soul happenings. Do you want to win a free stay at the Embassy Suites? Check it out....

Jane Davies

Artist and author of one of my favorite books Collage Journeys , is offering classes in making "paint playgrounds." What could be more fun?

Unexpected Winter...

2011-02-18T08:39:00.000-08:00

We woke up this morning to a winter wonderland....

Community Art

2011-02-11T09:59:00.000-08:00

One of the great things about living in a small community is the ease in getting involved. This will be the second year our local Juvenile Justice Center has used art to make the community aware of their mission and raise funds for the program. They help kids going through tough times, negotiate through the justice system. They provide education, support, counseling and shelter for kids in need. This year they are providing 8x8" canvases to anyone who wants to "art them up." The theme is "Hearts for Heros." Her is my piece this year. It was really fun to do.

New Journal Pages

2011-02-04T19:32:00.000-08:00

I have been a bit overwhelmed lately. Getting ready to teach a journaling class and working on my samples. Too many supplies is one of my issues, so I am limiting myself to pencils, watercolors and only a few paint colors. It is a lot more fun to just make art and not spend time hunting for supplies. Here are a few of my new journal pages. I am pleased that they are a lot looser. I am doing my best to stop early. Keep them more gestural, less detail.

Art and Soul and Journalfest

2011-01-22T16:32:00.000-08:00

I just found out I will have a busy Fall. I will be teaching my Block Party class at Art and Soul. The classes are available for viewing now. Registration starts February 1, 2011....

And Pencil Dreams at Journalfest...registration is not up yet, I will let you know...

New Year, New Directions

2011-01-20T16:43:00.000-08:00

I was honored to be chosen to show some work at the local theater. I have been to plays there and thought it would be fun to do large panel "people" to hang on the walls, as if they are watching the play also.
I cut some canvas into panels and made pockets for dowels on the top and bottom to hang the pieces with. Then I went to town with gesso, texture and collage. I used anaglypta wallpaper also. I did a random free hand ink drawing and picked up the panel so the ink would run in odd ways. Here are the initial panels....

and a close-up of the face.

Here are the finished panels.....

I am hooked on these, love to work large!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

I have been super productive during the holidays and wanted to share some of my sketches to start out the new year. I enrolled in the "Sketchbook Project," and have been working in my book. The goal is to fill it and get it in the mail by 1/15/2011. I am not sure I will make it, but at least it has me working in it!

I am enjoying the sketching, but am not in love with the book. The pages are thin and you can see the images through the pages. I am limited to pencil, conte crayon and ink. I do like the monochromatic look though....

Home From the Holiday

2010-11-29T18:58:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with family in San Diego but we hit a bit of a snag on our way back home. We experienced our first snow event of the season....

Here we are...waiting to chain up.

Max looks a bit worried. What is all that white stuff?

But oh, so beautiful!

I See Faces

2010-11-12T09:19:00.000-08:00

There is a certain comfort to me to make order out of chaos. I am thinking that is why I am so drawn to collage.We just got our shipment of fire wood for the winter. A big pile of chaos that would surely take hours to sort out. It would have been faster if I did not keep removing pieces from the pile because I saw "faces" in the wood....

Once the photos were taken for future drawing projects, we were able to finish our creation..

A thing of beauty!

Back from Journalfest

2010-11-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

I am finally unpacked from our trip to Seattle and Port Townsend. We spent 2 days in Seattle. We ate some amazing food - new favorites are Flying Fish and Crow. Both meals were unforgettable. We walked everywhere and saw the Picasso exhibit at the SAM. I had to laugh when I looked at the pictures I took....a little like "wierd" Seattle.

The sprout eating gekko

This was a window display. The reflection on the glass made it ghost - like.

A haunt...

We travelled to Port Townsend with a mandatory stop at the Steamliner Diner in Bainbridge, for their famous buttermilk biscuits. Journalfest was great. I love the smaller groups, classes and relaxed atmosphere. I had Julianna Coles for the first day. She is an energetic teacher and really encouraged us to be more brave,take risks with our journal pages. Here are a couple paged I worked on...

This was a cool technique using carbon paper - do they still make it??

A warm-up

A drawing of Judy Wise drawing me....

I spent the next 2 days with Carla Sonheim. What a wonderful experience. She is so relaxed and has so much to share as a teacher. Here are a few of the pages I did....

I love the conte crayon as a drawing tool. This was a drawing made better with gesso and collage.

My "one liner" lion

My Picasso Dog - he looks a lot like my dog Max...All together a great experience, well worth the effort to attend.

Artist Studio Tour

2010-09-03T16:42:00.000-07:00

Working off my favorite advise - "Say YES, then figure it out..." I agreed to be on the Artist Studio tour for the Grants Pass Museum of Art next weekend (September 11-12th from 10am-4pm each day). Once I agreed, as usual, things started getting bigger than I thought. My husband graciously helped me build a path from the driveway to the studio, so folks would not have to use the stairs. I have cleaned and re-organized - realizing more of that is needed once this is over. Just when I thought I could take a breath, a reporter from the local paper asked to visit and do an interview. She also did a video, which is on the papers website. Here is the link:
http://web.thedailycourier.com/video/vidpage.html?v=090210Studios The process was pretty fun and I am once again glad that I said YES!

Exquisite Corpse...

2010-08-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

I was doing some research on the Surrealists and found this neat site based on the "Exquisite Corpse" game.
Drawn and Fold Over . If you go to the site, you can start a drawing and email it to your friends to finish. When it is done, you get an email back showing you the completed drawing. I started one and emailed it to my grand-daughter. It was fun to do it together.

Awsome Abstracts

2010-08-13T18:12:00.000-07:00

I just finished a class by a southern Oregon artist Janet Bocast: http://janetbocastfineart.com/
I am not an abstract painter in any way, but I am pleased with my results. We did an ink pour to start off the painting and went at it from there.

the pour....

the finish!

Here is another...

and my final piece - a full sheet of watercolor paper.

I will be doing more with what I learned. I see some people in there......

New Journal Pages

2010-07-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

I have been playing in my journals more this summer. It seems there is so much to do, I have less time to get into bigger pieces of art. This one was an experiment with alcohol dripping and negative shapes.

These two are back to my "people". Collage fodder from my trips, pen, pencils and watercolor crayons.

This one is killer fun. I took a lesson from Carla Sonheim's new book "Drawing Lab." The exercise is to draw with an eyedropper and ink. I added a little white paint pen and black marker.

Flower Obsession

2010-06-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been obsessed with painting flowers. Abstract flowers in glass vases...small 5x7"

and large 20x20"

Not sure where I am going with this, but I am having fun and they make me happy!

Maybe something even larger??

Oregon Coast

2010-06-04T12:33:00.000-07:00

We picked 2 days in June to take advantage of the Oregon coast. Bad luck for us it was VERY wet!

We stayed right on the water - literally. Complete with Tsunami warnings. It was magical, despite the weather. We came across an outdoor "art gallery" which was amazing.

You can see the rain pelting down, but these huge sculptures, made of fiberglass demanded some attention...

There were some amazing views of the rocky coast.

And some really awesome eating. My favorite was this place in Gold Beach.

I had a gourmet chicken burger with provolone and basil mayo. I was in foodie heaven!

It was a nice break, but I am glad to be back home and ready to get to work in the studio.

Garden Progress

2010-05-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

We are moving forward on the garden. I can't believe how much work we have done and still no plants!
We have the raised beds built and started an outline of 2 rock beds.

The last 2 days my hubby has slaved digging holes for the deer fence. This contraption is called a Dingo.

I had to laugh. When I was taking photos, I noticed my hubby's tee shirt logo. Very fitting.

Lucky for us it was successful- all holes dug, even without Max's help. Next is the fence....

My journaling....

2010-05-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

I have been doing a fair amount of work in my journals. I think I have finally found the tools that work for me and travel well. Basically pencils - Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils and Prismacolor colored pencils. I am amazed at how much can be done with them.

Can you believe it...the only thing extra I used is a fine line permanent ink pen. Here is another:

I am definitely hooked...

Life in the Country

2010-05-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

I love living in the country. Each day is a new adventure ( aka: challenge), learning experience and project. It also brings wonderful eye candy and inspirations from nature. We have learned many obscure things since moving here, the latest is to leave the hood up on your car when you go away for a week. Why? Because mice will fill your car fan with dog food and insulation! I got into my car to drive - the fan sounded like ground glass when turned on and the car smelled like dog food. Much investigation revealed ....

My fan! This took a major effort for a squadron of mice...

We have wonderful neighbors with a large farm full of all manner of creatures. Here are 2 looking at me from across the yard.

We are undertaking the ultimate country task - a vegetable garden. No small feat. The ground here is rock with a little dirt, so we have decided on raised beds. The project begins with digging...

My two favorite men at work...well at least one of them is working, the other is looking for gophers.

Phase I is to spread a layer of gravel....oh my aching back.

Probably a little ambitious, but I rarely do things small. More to come on this....

ArcheDream for Humankind

2010-05-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

ArcheDream for Humankind (click on the link)

I saw this amazing show this weekend called Deep Blue. The masks and costumes were exquisite. There was a talk at the end of the program and they use everything from feather boas to lace table cloths for the costumes, which are transformed magically under black light.

Yummy Fabrics...

2010-04-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

Whenever I visit my kids in San Diego, I shop. Not for just any old thing, things that are rare in rural Oregon. This trip I had a bee in my bonnet - I bought fabric - yards of it. Silk and velvet in amazing colors.

I have no idea what will become of them, surely some fabric pages for the new book collaborative I am doing with 11 amazing artists called "Signs and Symbols." It is based on the zodiac, but who knows where it will lead. Here is my cover, a recycled 45 record album. I slipcovered it in hand dyed fabric and used some of the vintage optical stuff gather dust in my studio. The images are printed out on fabric and I did a bit of hand quilting and added some doll arms covered in text. It was pretty fun!

Artfest Pics

2010-04-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

I am finally back home. I feel like I have been gone for a year, but it has only been 3 weeks. Artfest was an intense inspirational experience. My students in my class "Cover Girls," were awsome!

Here are some...hard at work. As you can see, paper chaos!

Here is one of the completed album collages by William Bowen. Amazing...

One of the highlights for me was the "Iron Chef Challenge." Teachers volunteered to create a piece of art using some or all of the materials provided in 30 minutes (we actually got 45 minutes.)

The crowd...

Sunny Carvahlo and me, hard at work and surrounded by onlookers.

A close up of me working on my piece.

Putting on the final touches. Believe it or not, I never took a final photo of the piece. Lucky for me, my friend Lynn Leahy won it in the raffle...

I had the luxury and pleasure of taking 2 days of class from Jesse Reno. He was a great instructor and a master of his process. He is living proof that the best way to grow as an artist is to make art prolifically. No excuses- paint, paint, paint. You can only get better.

This is the piece I finished the first day. I did all the things he said I would do. Fell in love with it too quickly, did not take my time and really look from a distance often. I did not really get it....

This is day 2 and what a difference. I took my time with the under layers. Looked and worked on a small portion and looked again. By lunch I still could not see where I was going with this. When I saw it with fresh eyes it clicked and I ran with it. I could continue to work it, but I have decided that I will make 5 more this week and see what happens.

Community Project

2010-03-10T09:38:00.000-08:00

I have been very busy - sadly neglecting my blog...I was asked by the Josephine County Juvenile Justice Center to participate in a community fundraiser. Each artist was to "art up" an very large (at least 4 ft across and 6" deep) dimensional heart for display during the month of April in town. The heart was textured and I had to spackle it and sand it down before I started. It was really fun and challenging to figure out a design using the limitations of the shape. Here is a slide show of the progress of the heart. I can not wait to see what others did with these....

Snow In March

2010-03-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

Snow on the spring flowers...my second year in the Pacific Northwest and I am still in awe of the seasons. I am guessing we are in the part of spring where it can not decide if it is here yet!

Snow on the mailboxes! I am ready for some sun.....

Loosen Up

2010-01-27T16:19:00.000-08:00

Easier said than done. I am trying to be looser with my painting and have been doing some "exercises" to get into the groove. A little Jessie Cook on the Ipod, the biggest brushes I can find and lots of wet paint flying on the paper and the walls...Here is a sample. It looks ok from a distance, so you have to "step away from the paper" alot.

Here is a close up... what a mess but tons of fun...

Here is another sample....

So the technique works with trees as the subjects... Next a canvas....

2010-01-11T13:37:00.000-08:00

OK... here are photos of my new studio space.... I am overwhelmed and ready to get working!

Our first tree

2009-12-21T15:12:00.000-08:00

I know this looks a bit like a Subaru commercial....but it is our first Christmas tree for our Oregon home. If you are wondering about the house in the oak tree- it is an owl box. It is still "for rent."

I sold all my ornaments at a massive yard sale before we moved, so I decided to use my collection of vintage baby shoes, mittens and socks to decorate the tree....

They are so precious and have so much history, I love the way they speak of many small feet and hands, many Christmas times long ago....

Here is the finale!

Studio Progress

2009-12-06T20:34:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you ask for a sink! (Notice the wine celler inserted in the middle...I had to compromise some space for my hubby.) Thankfully we have progressed to the drywall stage. It has to be done and painted before Christmas - I have company coming!!

Quiet Companions Holiday Web Update

2009-12-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

The bears are coming December 10th at 11am PST. Click on this link: http://www.quietcompanions.blogspot.com/
to see the new arrivals.

New Happenings for Quiet Companions and the Golden Rule Studio

2009-12-02T18:48:00.000-08:00

Out with the old and in with the new. Beginning in December 2009, I will be using my new Quiet Companions blog exclusively for my websales. You can access it here: http://www.quietcompanions.blogspot.com/
I will be updating this space as I get closer to my first "Web Date."