Yummy Fabrics...

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

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

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

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

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....

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

Our first tree

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!