dances with trees

Recent watercolors

2010-04-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

I learned a new watercolor technique that is so much fun! You paint water over 140 lb. watercolor paper until it's pretty wet, then drop colors onto it. They spread and make patterns which you can then pick up on and embellish into images. You don't even have to come up with your own ideas....the spreading colors do it for you! The top one I call "Flight" and the 2nd "Ancient Winds". It will go in my journal somewhere.

Traci Bautista's Class at Artfest

2010-04-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

I LOVED Traci's class. Made the first 2 pieces above. I love the fact that she loves color like I do and that she uses everything that can make a mark...nothing is left out. I mean she even had us using fabric paint. I guess I'm in too much of a box, but just never thought of that! Anyway...wonderful fun!

Next is the cover to the gate fold journal I made in LK Ludwig's class....again a great time!! We spent most of the day making the 22 pages with acrylics and stencils...a glorious, messy time! Then, we learned the easy binding technique in the last part. I'm working on the pages inside now. I loved her class!
Also took a class with Misty Mawn, but didn't accomplish anything. I was functioning on only 1 hour of sleep and became totally overwhelmed.....ended up leaving halfway which was ok...just couldn't do it, plus the spot was too small for the HUGE canvases we were working on. I discovered, however, that I prefer working small and feel overwhelmed rather than freed working large.
All in all a great time! Got to visit with many Bad Baby friends and make new friends. Thanks to Tracy and Teesha Moore for another year of art, glorious art fun!

Journal Page

2009-11-14T15:21:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a workshop on Lynn Perella's book, "Artist's Journals and Sketchbooks" from one of my online groups. This is the first page in my journal. You can tell I can't stand mandalas...right up there with my dislike of shrines.....Smile.

Paintings I did..."Moon Study #2" and "Moon Over the Orient/Moon Study #3"

2009-11-14T15:18:00.000-08:00

2009-11-14T15:13:00.003-08:00

Mini-Matchbox Shrine "Dream"

2009-11-14T15:11:00.001-08:00

2009-11-14T15:06:00.001-08:00

Mini Matchbox Shrines...

2009-11-14T15:01:00.000-08:00

November 14th, Moon in Scorpio

I have really been into making these mini matchbox shrines lately....They are so much fun. I'll also post some of the polymer clay shrines I've made after taking Laurie Mika's class at Artfest last year. This on is for my favorite Beatle, John Lennon. The next is about all the dreams I have written down and worked with. There is a yellow owl that is hard to see, but it's night, so stands to reason. I love dreams and working with interpreting them has added so much to my growth as a spiritual person. They are a wonderful gift. I'll be adding more shrines..haven't had my fill of them yet!

More paintings on canvas

2009-10-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

Here I am embarassed again because it's been so long since I posted here. What HAVE I been doing??? Who knows. I am doing NaNoWriMo the month of November so I'd like to get caught up on posting my art before I start writing. Anyone else out there doing it?

Trying Something New

2009-07-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

I've done a collage on canvas before, but never a painting....this is very new to me. Last night, trying to go to sleep, I had several ideas I wanted to follow to see where they led. This is one of them.
It is titled "Lotus Studying the Moon Moon Studies - Part 1"

Pages going to Australia

2009-07-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

I am doing a tip-in challenge at one of my Yahoo sites. We all have a themed journal and each month we do a 6"x6" 2 page spread for another player. This month I am sending these pages (if they scan) off to a gal in Australia whose journal theme is "Italian Affair".

July 8th - Some exciting News!

2009-07-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

I'm posting an atc I did for a Twinkling H2O swap hosted by Lily at the Bad Babies site. I had to post the back of it too because the title is Les Poires and i found the perfect pear paper for the back!
Well, the news is that a mini album I did titled My Family - My Roots has been chosen for publication in Somerset Memories. I had originally sent it in for hte black and white issue of Somerset Studio, but it was decided it would be perfect for the memories magazine. I knew a few days ago, but i had to pinch myself and be sure it was true before I blogged it.
Out weather has gone gloomy and cool on us all of a sudden. I don't really like the temp in the 90's, but I wouldn't mind 80's instead of low 70's - high 60's.

July 3rd - Hanging My Head

2009-07-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

I am sooo embarassed I have not written on my blog since March! What has been going on? Got me....Well, there was Artfest which was splendiferous and and and...who knows. I loved my class with Laurie Mika. Have made another mosiac shrine which I must take a photo of and download. I just finished some Steampunk atcs for a swap and really have fallen in love with steampunk....right up there with Zetti for me. I am having a writing workshop in my home/studio on August 8th and perhaps another on Sept. 9th. On Aug. 8th it will be given by Renee D'Oust and I would list her published works except I can't find her flyer! Later....I'm going to try and download my steampunk atcs. Each one had to have a movable part which added to the fun.

Mini Book Swap

2009-03-27T16:42:00.000-07:00

whose theme is "If I Could BE Queen for a Day...." I'm going to post (if the comp lets me...depends on the day) one of the 3 books I made. They are made from 1 sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" paper with only one cut....really cool! We were supposed to keep them very flat with no embellishments. That was a challenge because I love loading on embellies!
Only 3 more days until I leave for Artfest. I thought it would never get here and now here it is already! I'm sure glad I made my swaps already altho I did just add some atcs to my pile. They are photos of creatures that washed up on shore during the 2005 tsunami. Most of them had never been seen before. Isn't it grand that there are still so many life forms we know nothing about on our planet?
Our piles of dirty snow are slowly disappearing! HOORAY! Lots of sunshine the last 2 days, though still cold.
OK...here's hoping the scans will download. Nope...it says error on page. I'll try later.

More Storage

2009-03-25T09:14:00.001-07:00

OK...the stamps are in what could again be a closet. This photo shows my stamp pads piled on a shelf. Nothing very original I guess! I used to have a wood shelf system with a hole for each pad, but you couldn't see what colors they were and I didn't find it user friendly at all, so got rid of that and now just try and keep them piled up according to brand and colors.

Storage Solutions

2009-03-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

Hi - Some sunshine today...a welcome relief after yup, you guessed it...snow yesterday! It's mostly gone thank heavens. Someone on one of my Yahoo groups asked about storage for stamps and stamp pads, so I am posting a couple of photos showing what I have done...or my husband, actually. All I did was fill up what he made!

It's Monday Again

2009-03-23T16:14:00.000-07:00

The recent rains have knocked down so much of the snow...thank heavens! Even the messy, brown mud is welcome.
I used to hate Mondays when I had to go to work, but now I love them because I get to go to my Monday Morning Writer's group. As I've mentioned before we write from prompts. I'm going to put on a couple of short writings I did with the prompts. If anyone else out there is a writer maybe you could put what you wrote from them under comments. We usually have 8 minutes in which to write for each prompt.

The Secret Life (Prompt)
I lie upon the garden path and discuss soil amendments with my broccoli and water requirements with tomatoes.
I place crystals among the herbs as directed and send love to all.
It keeps me sane to sit beneath the flowering plum and laugh with Buddha.
I talk with Esmerelda, the fairy watching over the lettuce and tell no one of my discussions with the water sprites.
I revel in the world beneath the one we see, immersed in its' joy and help. Perhaps beneath is not the right word. It is beside the everyday world walking hand in hand unbeknowst to most.
I hug the pine tree hanging close to the edge of the river bank, worried that the day will come when it will topple down the slope into the water, but that fear is not a part of its' consciousness and it comforts me.

Capers in the Churchyard (Prompt)

Perhaps I have spent an inordinate amount of time in churchyards which I consider includes cemetaries.
When I was 7, my best friend, Sonja Carmichael, lived in a ratty old house with a monkey and a parrot who had bitten off her mother's right pinky finger. I later considered it karmic because the mother made her extra household monies by wrapping a clean hankerchief around puppy's tails and biting them off thus saving their owners a large vet bill.
But, I digress. Behind Sonja's house was the town cemetary. She and I would gather our dolls and head to play house among the gravestones. We would double dare each other to step on graves taking the chance that horrible things would befall us for such desecration. Little girl's laughter would fill this hallowed spot as we chose which grave we would step on next, taking into consideration age and sex, usually choosing old men on which to bestow our feet.
My Jr. High School was directly across the street from another town's cemetery. In seventh grade, I was in love with Brad, whose real name was Foster and who had a metal plate in his head from hitting it on a diving board so hard that it removed a portion of his skull. He said if anyone ever punched him on that metal plate, he would die. It made my love for him that much stronger. He would put his hand in mine and lead me into the cemetery where, crouched behind the largest gravestone we could find, we would hug and kiss all lunch hour. Ah, to once again, want that more than food.....

Fabric Postcards - Love and Luck

2009-03-21T12:18:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone....it's not snowing...

2009-03-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

I hardly know what to do....Yesterday, the first day of spring the temperature actually reached the high 50's. WOW It was great! Well, just continuing to get ready for artfest in my mind as well as my suitcases. Only 9 days???EEEK!
Yesterday, went to Spokane to see our friend Fritz who has cancer and is dying. He's on a respirator. Very important to have a living will if you don't want that to happen to you. Sorry to be so grim, but it can happen. It did to him...very quickly and he's only 52 which gets younger to me all the time. Today, the friend with POA comes and will probably have them shut off his life support which is what Fritz would want if he could speak for himself. He is a good man, a good friend and a brilliant patent attorney...the world is losing a good soul.
I made some fabric postcards yesterday. I'll post a couple. Still trying to think of other trades to take to the fest, but so far my muse is keeping quiet.
Have been seeing so many birds lately. Even one yesterday I have never seen before. Sometimes, I think they get off track and land here by mistake. At least there's some earth showing under the trees where they might find food of sorts and we have suet, etc. out for them.

Sargasso Seahorse

2009-03-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

I have always been fascinated by the Sargasso Sea and the seahorses who live there in particular. Sargasso seaweed floats on the top of the very slow moving sea and the seahorses hang out in the seaweed for safety. They are very difficult to distinguish from the seaweed itself...they're so feathery and gorgeous. And honestly, in the photo I was looking at to do the drawing his eyes looked just like I drew them...honestly.
OK...this is getting ridiculous....it's snowing huge flakes. I guess it's raining in town, but we are just high enough that it's snow....oh goodie, goodie. If it's snowing on the coast when I go for artfest, I'm going to need horse tranquillizers otherwise I can't say what I'll do. I'm leaving a day earlier and joining my bad baby friend JoAnne! So...only 15 more days or as my darling granddaughter and Bad Baby Kelsey say - 15 more sleeps. Is that an Aussie thing, Kelsey?

Family Photo

2009-03-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

My Auntie (who was adopted...really neat story for another time), my Uncle Albert and my Mom (the littlest) dancing on a stage my grandfather, who was an artist, built in their home. My grandmother was a teacher and she homeschooled the children. Approx. 1924 Please do not reprint without permission - I guess - I don't know. I keep thinking of what it would feel like to see my family as part of other people's art. They're all gone, so I suppose it wouldn't matter to them. I don't know how I'd feel...maybe it would depend on how and in what they were used. Maybe no one wants to use them, so it's a moot point.....so I guess I won't worry about it...whew....

Friday the 13th.....dum de dum dum.....

2009-03-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

It's Friday the 13th and the moon is moving into Scorpio...one of the deepest and most mysterious of the signs...how appropriate. I love my Scorpio friends for their sharp, sarcastic wit...as long as it's not directed at me...no, really I can take it...really. You might want to be more hidden and secretive than usual today, tomorrow and Sunday, esp. if you're around Scorpios...only kidding!
Well, it's not snowing, but it's dang cold...10 degrees colder than usual, but with the promise of it warming up later in the week. It better if it knows what's good for it. IT? Who or what is it? I don't know, but it better watch out.
I went to the allergy specialist yesterday to find out why I can only breath on alternate Thursdays. He poked me A LOT and told me I'm allergic to dust (well, thank heavens that's not a problem...no dust in my house), trees (there goes the dancing), weeds(there goes gardening), grass(dang, can't cut the lawn anymore) and...get this...cats and dogs. I told him I'd be dropping my 3 dogs and 2 cats off at his house later and he said he had heard that before....said he had 100's of cats. I don't think I believe him.

Chocolate Week page for Funky Holiday Swap

2009-03-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

A little macabre, but.....

Artfest Trades

2009-03-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

These say Artfest 2009 on the back. I have them packaged in tiny plastic bags with an extra shell or 2. Originally, I was thinking folks could tie their room key on them to make it easier to find. The friends who wanted one here have tied them to the rear view mirror, on their purses, etc. I made about 60 of them. Also have small baggies of ephemera and some extra fatbook pages. Trying to think of something else to make because a lot of folks said they brought 100 trade items!!

Well, Just for a Change....

2009-03-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

IT"S SNOWING...I don't even have enough signs and symbols on this computer to properly express my dismay...no dismay is too light a word...digust? despair? fury?Went to my writing goup this AM...we meet in Cafe Bodega in a very old building turned artsy mall with antiques, yarn shop, etc. Anyway, the mailman came through today in shorts. That's how desperate people are getting. Everyone says, well the skiers are happy. I say let the skiers be miserable for once - them with their distorted love of snow, wind and cold. Let's make the walkers, gardeners and swimmers happy for a change is what I say....but apparently no one is listening. We write from prompts...one of today's prompts was "I didn't know a steam roller could move so fast." If anyone likes to write...give it a try and post what you did!

Writing from Prompt

I didn't know a steam roller could move so fast, but I sure wish someone had told me, then I wouldn't be flattened like a pie crust, rolled up and stuffed into our post office box screaming for my mother to get me out - or anyone actually.
The driver was Mickey Mouse. Who would have ever guessed he could be so mean. Instead of helping me after he ran me over, I could see him jumping up and down on that machine with great glee. Somehow my eyes must have been spared the flattening process the rest of me received.
So here I am - and I'm claustrophobic I might add - rolled up in P.O. Box 242, Andover, NJ and it's the middle of the night. It will be many hours before morning when I will hopefully be rescued. Tears are filling the box and dripping down into Box 142 below. I imagine the inked addresses on their mail becoming blurred and illegible. Did I mention that Minnie was there too? She was in her medieval princess outfit - gauzy material waving in the wind from the top of her pointed princess hat. She's smiling up at Mickey as if she's pleased with his steam roller act. What is going on here? I thought they loved kids. "Hey" I scream again when my Mom's voice slips through the cracks in the post office box, "Wake up and get ready for school."

New At This and about my journal

2009-03-07T10:12:00.000-08:00

And I'm don't know how to add stuff yet...like text on the side of my journal cover, etc...or how to move them to the side....Sorry...please bear with me. In other news, today the moon moved into Leo....so expect some drama in your life today or, at the very least, feeling a little bit emotional! Good day to spend being creative or having fun with children.
My journal was started while feeling just a little,teeny, tiny tad of depression over the continuation of winter. However, just to be the difficult person I am, I did it in very happy, bright colors.

Recent ATCS

2009-03-07T10:05:00.001-08:00

Hey! Guess what it's doing today!!

2009-03-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

SNOWING$%^&**&^%$#@$%^^ Could you hear me yelling? Good grief! And cold...oh gosh, it feels even colder than it is because it's been warming up a little. Our only consolation is that these late snows don't accumulate much...usually...and melt away quickly altho we still have lots of the white stuff on the ground. OK..nuff said about that. I'm busy getting ready for Artfest. I'll be gone April 1-7 in Port Townsend, WA and then to visit a friend in Seattle for 2 days. I'm taking a class in portable shrines with Laurie Mika. If you haven't seen her work, check out one of her websites. Also taking a class called Imaginary Creatures with Carla Sonheim and a class called The Series with Tiphoni. I'm just a little excited! How wonderful to spend all those days with people as nutty about art as you are. Plus I'll get to breathe some ocean air and get out of dodge! I have almost 70 items I've made for trades, did 56 fatbook pages for a fatbook Kristie LaRose is hosting and a ton of atcs for an atc project Bee Shay is putting together.

3 days in a row...minor miracle!

2009-02-19T11:25:00.000-08:00

Can't believe this is the 3rd day in a row I've blogged...what is the world coming to? Very low attendance at 5 min. of fame last night. I did a Mt. Momma piece where I write letters to a penpal using my alter ego....Mt. Momma. Got some good comments on it. Today I'm going to try to put all my MM pieces together and make some sort of cohesive whole. Still totally stumped about my storybook atc...my art muse is taking a break of sorts and she's supposed to be in full swing because we just went into Pisces...one of the most creative and imaginative signs. But it is square my Gemini sun so maybe i have trouble contacting the energy. And it is stillthe cusp, so we're just beginning to adjust to the new energy. Made atcs yesterday and mailed them off to Rita before putting them on my blog...have to get used to remembering to do that. I'm working on a new altered book journal. Soon as the cover and/or a page is completed I'll post that...I know supposed to leave the cover until last and I'll probably be mad that I didn't because it's already getting altered, but oh well...that's the whole idea!

What can I say?

2009-02-18T10:33:00.000-08:00

It's snowing....hmmm....lightly, but...it's still snow and it's white. Hasn't changed color since the last storm. I wish someone would do something about that. I suppose white is easier to look at for months than if everything were orange or hot pink, not that I don't like those colors. Tonight I'm going to 5 Minutes of Fame at a local cafe to do my stand-up comedy. I love doing that. Got my sentence for the atc storybook swap and I am drawing a blank. I guess I'm not allowed to tell it to anyone....it's a surprise, so no help from anyone out there...dang.

OK...this really is enough!

2009-02-17T09:19:00.000-08:00

Feb. 17th...My last post was back in Jan griping about the snow and here it is more than a month later and I'm still griping about it. You'd think I'd get over it..but it's STILL all white out there. Are there any other colors? I've forgotten. Spent the day yesterday with my writing group. Had an interesting prompt. If you opened your mother up, if you could, what would step out? I'll put what I wrote later. Doing a couple of art swaps. One is an atc story book where we each get 1 sentence to portray...should be great fun! The other Pam started...an art stimulus pkg. which I mail out and then receive one after which I immediately go make art with it. 42 more days until Artfest, but who's counting!!! OMG, I see I have followers...I better put something on here for them to follow!

Snow Crazed

2009-01-02T08:58:00.000-08:00

Jan 2, 2009....More snow! Our beautiful trees are weighed down with it and I'm worrying about our deer and moose....how they're surviving. This is the snowiest winter I've seen since moving to No. Idaho in 1972. The snow is beautiful, but is becoming claustrophic. I do wish it would stop. I've had enough and it's only Jan.....will I survive another Id winter? But, I'm busy working on my pages for the Artfest fatbook. April can't come soon enough for me. I'm so excited to go!!!Hopefully, I can post one later today.