Back

I am back from vacation. It was a great week in the mountains. First in Twain Harte and then in Strawberry. A great way to beat the heat.



At senior camp I was introduced to gourds and wood burning. I believe wood burning is now called pyrographics or something very similar. I know as a kid I did some wood burning; however this was great fun. I burned the outside of the gourd with a design and then stained it with leather dye. Now I know why people talk about the Gourd Festival in Folsom. The gourds must be amazing since I think mine are and I am novice. I am going to the gourd festival this fall to check out the artists that do this work all the time. What new fun at 62!



Quote for the day:
Aging is not 'lost youth' but a new stage of opportunity and strength.
Betty Friedan (1921 - 2006)



Folsom Gourd Festival
http://www.folsomgourdfestival.com/festival_news.htm
Check it out!

On Vacation

Sorry! Out of the blog until Friday August 29th. Going camping.

Wednesday is my Thursday

Today is Wednesday which is really my Thursday. One more day of work and I am off until after Labor Day. Yippee. Now.....I would love to say I am taking all this time off to paint; but I can’t. I am off to Twain Harte for a girlfriends only weekend. Girlfriends I haven’t spent real time with in a long time. Back on Sunday then off to Tahoe camping.

Sacramento County has a summer camp in the El Dorado Forest just below Tahoe. The last two weeks of August are senior camp. Yes friends I am a senior. We sleep in cabins and eat in the dining hall and have workshops during the day. It is really very pleasant. I take my art supplies and draw or just read a book.

The reason I bring this up is I may not get a chance to post until Friday the 29th. And you say “Oh Well So What.” Well shame on you. This blog is riveting right?

Enough about my vacation see the attached picture of my on going project called "little boxes.” True to my nature they are re-used cigarette boxes. I am trying to make them really durable so I have a proto-type in my back pack. It is wearing well. Enjoy!



Quote for the day:
He who does not get fun and enjoyment out of every day... needs to reorganize his life. – George M. Adams

Is it Monday?

Hello Monday and all you cyber geeks. Well I had a very busy weekend. Saturday I was at Folsom’s new dog park for opening ceremonies with city officials and all manner of political folk. The dogs were so good. We had a few hundred for the first day and they ranged from the extra large to the teeny tiny; but they all got a long. Why can’t we do that? Inquiring minds want to know.

Sunday was off to San Francisco to the Golden Gate Renaissance Faire. It was definitely a bit chilly there. We had drizzle in the morning and it was cold all day. However it is a really nice faire with a good selection of guilds and vendors. The food could have a bit more variety and more than one coffee vendor; but all in all a good show. I give it two thumbs up.

Now that that is over I can concentrate on my painting. The Swell Sisters have a show opening in December on 2nd Saturday. If you are reading this and not at all familiar with Sacramento, let me tell you we have an art scene here. Yes a real art scene. Every month on the 2nd Saturday all of the galleries open their new shows with some sort of reception. Some folks in town make it a mission to visit as many galleries, in that one night, as possible. However I wait and go after a week or so. I prefer to see the art not the back of someone’s head. Crowds are not my thing.

Now I can concentrate on what I want to show with the sisters. I am jazzed. I also started another collaborative project with my sisters and will post as they come along.

Quote for the day:
I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive. – Gilda Radner

Art is Collaboration

I have missed a couple days of my blog here. Not sure what is up with that.

Oh yes I know. I have been at work all day and meetings in the evening. That pretty much uses up my time. I haven’t even had a chance to paint. I might need a sick day to feel better.

The Folsom Dog Park opens on Saturday and we are getting the last minute details together for the grand opening ceremonies. The committee has no idea how many people will show up with their dogs for the event. I haven’t been a part of the Folsom Independent Dog Owners (FIDO) for very long; however I am told that this dog park took eight years to complete. We may have 50 people or 500. It should be interesting.

My Swell Sister Society is meeting tomorrow and we have a speaker from a gallery in Sacramento. We are also ending the collaborative art project "Indi 1” and starting “Indi 2.” The project involves several artists that start a piece of work and pass it on to another artist to work on. We continue to pass the pieces until all have worked on each of them. I thought the process would be easy; however after several people have worked on a piece it becomes more difficult to make changes. The finished pieces I think are amazing. I will take pictures tomorrow of Indi 1 and post.

Well that is it for now. I still need to get back into the studio before I explode.

Quote for the day:
“Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does the better.” – Andre Gide

Back to Work Tomorrow

Sunday evening and the weekend is over. Where did it go? All day yesterday I as at a St. Ambrose Guild meeting. We are going to paint the scallops on the pavilion, at the next meeting, so I volunteered to make the stencil.

On the way home I stopped at a thrift store. I had a little fun looking to find things to recycle. Unfortunately nothing grabbed me and I saved money.

Today I went to the Antique Faire or is it the Vintage Faire? It is under highway 50 and 21st on the 2nd Sunday of the month. What fun to see all kinds of things and what people are willing to pay. Again I looked for things that interested me visually. Here I did spend a little hard earned cash. I found some really old curtain rods that look like spears, a stamp for Sheila in Swell Sisters. Also a window latch that was painted white at one time and is now all scratched off. I plan to use it in an assemblage in the future. I found some very little Hans Christina Andersen books and the best of all is the cow vertebrae. Yes girls and boys vertebrae. I thought the shape was so interesting that I bought three. I think I will hang them on my deck in some way. It certainly will be a conversation piece.

I found some wonderful things that would be great in the studio for organizing (ex. an oak library card file); however I don’t really have the room. My house is very small.

The friends I went with today want me to paint a small mural in their bathroom. I will take a picture and post when it is done.

Well it is back to work tomorrow and I did not paint at all this weekend. However it was a good weekend with friends and those are rare are they not?

Quote for the day:
"When you choose your friends, don't be short-changed by choosing personality over character." – Somerset Maugham

Almost Friday

As you can guess Friday’s at 5 pm are my favorite time. I am off work and on the light rail home. But today is only Thursday and I am at work waiting for Friday.

I had a productive day yesterday. I painted on my newest piece called “forgiveness” and it is a bit of a political piece. I am struggling with not enough OR not obvious enough politics in the piece. Maybe I am too chicken and afraid to be right up in your face. I struggle because if the content is not strong enough no one will get it.

I took a break from the little boxes to do this piece. I need to get back to them since they are so easy and fun. It gives me a lift to accomplish them. I have a couple of other pieces in mind; but need to finish my current work first.

Thought for the day:
"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death." - Thomas Paine 1776

For those of you that have forgotten your history: 1776 was the Revolutionary War or War for Independence. Interesting thought for today. We don’t call them a war anymore now do we?

Wednesday Already

I had Monday off to take care of some things that needed to be done. I had the oil in my car changed and the car washed. It is now a happy camper. I don’t’ name my cars like others; however I am sure if it had a spirit it is singing right now.

I also renewed my driver’s license with a new picture and a thumb print. Oh Joy! I guess now the FBI will be able to find me with my current picture.

I have been tired for a few days. I am not sure if I am sick or a bit depressed. Probably the latter. I am trying to keep myself up by painting; however that gets a little dark also. I am in the midst of a political piece.

It is a bit depressing how many young men and women we have lost in the war with Iraq (and Afghanistan). It is even more depressing that most people are oblivious to the deaths. It is a world away from our everyday lives unless you are a military family. G.W. makes sure we do not really know how many have died. We have lost over 4,000 men and women so far. That is unconscionable in this day and age. Haven’t we learned anything?

Well enough rambling for today. But think of those serving our country and keep a good thought for them

Thought for the day:
“Wars have never hurt anybody except the people who die." – Salvador Dali

Sorry Salvador; but war hurts everybody, they just don’t know it! Or worse - don’t care!

Saturday was Fabulous Darling!!!!!!

I went to San Francisco yesterday to visit the Frida Kahlo exhibit at the MOMA. It Was Fabulous! She was woman a step out of her time. Her work is wonderful and thought provoking. She had health struggles (some major) her whole life and perhaps that gave her the strength to go against the norm. Great show!

I went with five of my Swell Sisters and we had a wonderful time. After the Kahlo exhibit we went to Scraps. Oh My Gosh! If you like to recycle in your art this is the place for you. Many people would see it as the ultimate junk store (actually trash). I felt like I had gone to recycled heaven. I have so much stuff already I had to contain myself. Not easy to do when I am around other peoples cast offs. I almost bought two stretcher frames for canvas; however there wasn’t enough room in the car. Sigh! Next time maybe.

I did spend a whopping $3 for my treasures. I am so jazzed about the zipper pulls and don’t have a clue what I am going to do with them. Yes zipper pulls. Not zippers! Just pulls! I also picked up some cool gold paper and I am anxious to see how it works with different mediums. I love the adventure of creating art. Especially since I make it for me! The best thing I found is a blank book that barks when you open it. That will become a book about my little dog Sadie. How fun is that?

AND then we went to the Dick Blick Art Store in Berkeley. What a day for a bunch of crazy artists. I did pick up some canvas to stretch. Man I wish I could have bought the stretcher frame. Next Time!

Well off to do the mundane chores around the house and then to the studio to paint.

Quote for the day:
“A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often – just to save it from dying out completely”. – Pam Brown

I really need to contact a couple of old friends!

Friday At Last

Yes in deed it is Friday at last. I was at the Folsom Thursday night market last night and it was really hot. I normally do not complain about the heat; but last night the sweat just poured down. Every once in a while the breeze would come up and we would get some relief.

Ah-Natural AC: wind on sweat. Gotta love it!

I was out with FIDO again helping spread the word about the new dog park opening in Folsom. The park is close to my house and right now I drive a bit to get to any dog park. My little dog loves to run and play with the other dogs and the socialization is great. We have the big opening on August 16th.

A couple of extra volunteers showed up so I left early. I thought to my self that I could go back to the house and either take the dog out for a walk or continue to paint on my current projects. (yes more than one)

Neither happened! I was so tired I sat in the big chair and dozed off with Sadie in my lap. I know the TV was on and I can’t tell you what I watched.

I am so glad today is Friday and I have three days off. Yes three! I am taking Monday off to get my car serviced and my driver’s license renewed. My days are so exciting…be still my heart.

Tomorrow is the SF MOMA with a few of my Swell Sisters. We are going to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit. I am so looking forward to the trip that I am even willing to get up early on a Saturday.

Quote f or the day:
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. – Confucius (551 BC – 479 BC)