Heart 2 Hand

renewal

 

my travelling shoes on i have headed west again...it's so easy for this easterner to understand why so many choose to live here.

   

the weather on the southern oregon coast was nothing short of a blessing.  while others around us were experience extreme cold, high winds and snow and ice, there was apparently a bubble over us creating the most amazing sunny days and cool nights.  the only clue to just how cool were the frosted ferns in the morning light.

 

how nice to be with people who didn't care if i didn't clean up after myself.....

 

who put on their dancing shoes and sang and danced and laughed....

 

howled at the moon......(or at the very least of it took about 300 pictures of it)

 

who explored the surface as well as digging deeply.....

 

and even found time to sleep on occassion.

i am renewed beyond all imagination....my blessings are many and my light is shining brightly. 

For Helen

I lost my Mother 3 years ago on September 19th but the truth is I lost her long before that to Alzheimer's.  Today is for her.  I miss her more than she'll ever know.

Following words are the lyrics from a song by the Dixie Chicks. 

             

"SILENT HOUSE"

These walls have eyes
Rows of photographs
And faces like mine
Who do we become
Without knowing where
We started from

It's true I'm missing you
As I stand alone in your room

Everyday that will pass you by
Every name that you won't recall
Everything that you made by hand
Everything that you know by heart

And I will try to connect
All the pieces you left
I will carry it on
And let you forget
And I'll remember the years
When your mind was clear
How the laughter and life
Filled up this silent house

One room
Two single beds
In the closet hangs
Your favorite dress
The books that you read
Are in scattered piles
Of paper shreds

Everything that you made by hand
Everything that you know by heart

And I will try to connect
All the pieces you left
I will carry it on
And let you forget
And I'll remember the years
When your mind was clear
How the laughter and life
Filled up this silent house
Silent house

In the garden off the living room
A chill fills the air
And the lilies bloom

And I will try to connect
All the pieces you left
I will carry it on
And let you forget
And I'll remember the years
When your mind was clear
How the laughter and life
Filled up this

And I will try to connect
All the pieces you left
I will carry it on
And let you forget
And I'll remember the years
When your mind was clear
How the laughter and life
Filled up this silent house

Silent house

 

 

INSPIRATIONS...

They come out of nowhere...finding you when you least expect them.

Possibly it was being back on my island home after an extended absence....or longing for the time to compose just for me and not for work or maybe it was my awareness of the poetry day tomorrow, a day of sharing.

Perhaps it's just been lying inside me quietly waiting to be heard.  Whatever it is, my rythmic voice found it's way to the surface this morning and i'm feeling brave enough to share my own poetry today.

 

 

TUESDAY

The sound of the waves on the north shore

 

Chickadees chipping their breakfast song in the pines over the path

 

The coarse cawing of the crows as they find themselves interrupted

 

A blanket of pine needles soft under my socked feet with no shoes

 

The just barely crisp air of an almost frost

 

Salt and pine and meadow grasses creating their sweet late autumn bouquet

 

Warm white light making its way through the grey fog and mist to call the day forward

 

The quiet padding of the boys as they make their way on the morning rounds sniffing everything they encounter as though they’ve never been this way countless times

 

Drinking in

 

Breathing in

 

Every moment of this new morning

 

Thinking, it does not matter how many times

They are all unique and yet

 

Familiar.

A Day Of Sharing.....Weds NOV 19th

This is where i come to work as many days as i can...it's my studio...my space...my place to leave the world behind and emerse. It's not always good to hide here...there are days that one should reach out and speak to others....check out below one such artist who is doing just that.  Okay...she's not just an artist...she's also one of my very  best friends....but LOOK anyway!

Check out what is happening on LK Ludwig's new blog....THE POETIC EYE read the details below and then RUN DON'T WALK to her blog to participate.  Spread the word...spread the light....it's a way to reach out hear and be heard

sharing words

A Day of Sharing Words

The idea:  We have words that touch us, move into our hearts and resonate, creating a feeling, taking us some place- past, present, future- perhaps some place we have never been and may never go, but for whatever reasons, the words pulse in our blood. Meeting new words, new poets, new poems, new ways for my heart to beat, is an intruiging concept. Want to go on this adventure with me? It will be easy to travel along.

Many of us already do this sharing; this idea is just to help us find each other and hear the words we have to share.

The Date: Wednesday, November 19.

The Plan:  on your blog, post a poem that moves inside you, touches you, reaches you.  (quotes and song lyrics welcome).  Include the author (or composer or musician) and source (book, album)- perhaps also the amazon link if there is one.  no explanation required, no other revelation necessary. 

One last thing- Perhaps add an image. a photo. a video. a painting. a collage., if you would.

Come here to this post.  Add a comment with your link. 

I'll create a typepad page with the links, so others can hear the rhythm of the words, see the image and share in the experience. 

The Request: If you are intrigued enough, post on your blog about this Day of Sharing Words- encourage your friends to post.  Who couldn't use a few new poems in their treasury or new songs in their hearts? 

A Day of Sharing Words

The idea:  We have words that touch us, move into our hearts and resonate, creating a feeling, taking us some place- past, present, future- perhaps some place we have never been and may never go, but for whatever reasons, the words pulse in our blood. Meeting new words, new poets, new poems, new ways for my heart to beat, is an intruiging concept. Want to go on this adventure with me? It will be easy to travel along.

Many of us already do this sharing; this idea is just to help us find each other and hear the words we have to share.

The Date: Wednesday, November 19.

The Plan:  on your blog, post a poem that moves inside you, touches you, reaches you.  (quotes and song lyrics welcome).  Include the author (or composer or musician) and source (book, album)- perhaps also the amazon link if there is one.  no explanation required, no other revelation necessary. 

One last thing- Perhaps add an image. a photo. a video. a painting. a collage., if you would.

Come here to this post.  Add a comment with your link. 

I'll create a typepad page with the links, so others can hear the rhythm of the words, see the image and share in the experience. 

The Request: If you are intrigued enough, post on your blog about this Day of Sharing Words- encourage your friends to post.  Who couldn't use a few new poems in their treasury or new songs in their hearts? 

Playing with Printmaking

     I so enjoy one of my current projects, Natured Gathered.  It's a series of 12 8 x 8 canvases exploring the natural world with other artists.  Hopefully, we will all be gathering in the great Pacific North West in August 2009 for a show!!  See details on Jan Harris's blog.  Look for Nature Gathered link on right after you've checked her out!!

I spent an afternoon playing with my brayer which is one of my favorite things to do anymore and came up with this fern print that I incorporated into my October piece: Field Notes.  This was a fun one to work on...I took a very light hearted approach and just let it unfold. 

After scouring through my many reference materials on the natural world I finally found some of Haekel's words that inspired my musings on the mysterious of vegetation on the left hand side of the canvas.

So stop what you are doing....go grab a brayer, some paint and some vegetation and play!!!  Then send me photos of what you did...we all want to see.

Originality

Just a short note tonight...

I stumbled across this today and the craftsmanship and originality just screamed to be shared. Thoughts rose in my head about how difficult it is to be original, especially in this digital cyber age.  Words and images travel at the speed of light and ideas fly around the globe via every digital media one can possibly imagine. 

Music, Paper and Light.  Three simple ingredients, stir in imagination and spirit and there you are.

So here...without further ado, I bring you

LIOR

now....go to this muscian's website and check out how this all came about and experience a truly unique glimpse of creative teamwork at it's purest.

Enjoy....

Look at Behind the Scenes, I'll Forget You

renewal....

ever had one of those months that just completely gets away from you?  October got away from me i've been so busy...halloween is friday and i don't even have candy in the house.  not having littles around to make costumes for and bake for school parties for and decorate the house for i have no daily reminders.   sigh....waiting patiently for grandlittles.

the leaves have started to turn and fall and if i don't get into the woods this weekend i will miss the opportunity to collect until spring.  my little brother is making me a 24 x 36 press and has promised to deliver it this weekend.  nothing fancy, some repurposed 3/4" plywood, formica and some threaded rods and wing nuts BUT I will have a press for large paper and/or organic matter.  The organic matter is what I'm happiest about at the moment.  

in our yard we have a mountain magnolia that has leaves as big as tobacco leaves that i i have been waiting patiently for years to be able to plate press and now that i have the giant catering tray gratis my eldest and blondest daughter La, and a press from the amazing redheaded little brother (who bears no small resemblance to Ron Howard)and who isn't so little at 6'2" to work with.  LUCKY ME

so as is my habit in the fall as the landscape around me packs away it's green summer finery and dons the yellows, oranges and reds of autumn i ran away to the salon and renewed myself and prepared for the oncoming season of busy busy...i got a hair cut.

  

being worthy.....

This weekend I've had a lot of time to reflect while working in my studio.  It's funny how the mind multitasks without our help but when you slow down and focus on just one thing the program running in the background is heard none the less. I was reflecting on people I had met and what they mean to me now, today verses what they meant to me a year or two ago or even ten years ago.  

A good friend of mine, Steph posted on her blog recently a video of my favorite artistic inspirations, Andy Goldsworthy. Suddenly, all my thoughts of the day became clarified.  The first time I met her, we were two total strangers in a large crowd eating a hurried lunch.  By the end of lunch I knew that in time, we would be friends. There was just something about her that connected immediately, nothing I can put my finger on, more of a feeling than anything else.

It's that way sometimes, and like nature, if you let a relationship takes it course rather than to force something, it will arrive where it should at its own pace. It will be affected by ebbs and flows in your lives and at times will be stronger and more cohesive than others...but it will be constant in the heart once forged.  Letting life shape it and accepting the outcome is healthy and loving.  

Several years down the road, this small acquaintance is blooming and I was never so sure about direction as when I happened on her blog entry about Andy.  It was like the shoe was laced, the knot was tied and there is only forward to move.

It just goes to show that you never know what a day will bring. Today I am filled with gratitude for all the loving relationships in my life and the shape of things as they are and what they will become.  With that thought I leave you to this.....enjoy.

thought for the day.....

Today my heart is filled with gratitude for the love of friends and family that fill my world.  Thank you all.

To live content with small means, to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion, to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich, to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly, to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart, to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never, in a word to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common, this is to be my symphony.

 

William Henry Channing

Time Flies...Nature Printing Society's Annual Conference 2008

It's been a whirlwind autumn and I can hardly believe all the wonderful things I've seen and done.  I spent 3 weeks on the West Coast traveling, teaching, visiting and basically just having an amazing time.

First stop was Santa Barbara CA and the NPS (Nature Printing Society's Annual Conference.

What an amazing week spent with some of the most interesting people on this planet.  Sharon...I'm going to steal your words here...."It was so nice to spend a week with people who actually get me!"  The picture above is from Fred Mullet's class where he took us on the magical mystery tour through thermographic powders and their many applications.

 

I've used many a rubber stamp and emobossing powders but never in my wildest dreams did I ever think to use them on REAL leaves and other botanical matter but above is the proof that His Royal Fishness knows his stuff.  He is also teaching this class at ARTFEST 2009 so check it out and sign up!!!  AND if you haven't checked out THE NATURE PRINTING SOCIETY and all it has to offer you really need to do that.  They are a sharing and caring group of people who know their stuff and happy to teach you.  

Charles Morgan taught a FOILOGRAPHY class that was eye opening to say the least and I have to say I enjoyed every second of it and would kill to own my own etching press.....in the meantime it will have to suffice to find one to use as often as possible to continue making plates.  We spent the day making plates and printing.  I brought a bird wing to print with and had little success but I am determined to make it work.People brought some of the most interesting botanical matter from all over the US that I have ever seen and I have to thank all of my classmates for their generosity of spirit in sharing all that they brought for us all to play with!  If this was not enough to send one over the creative and artistic edge I also had the opportunity to take a seaweed printing class with the fabulous HEATHER FORTNER who also happened to be one of my two roomates who kept me in stitches when ever we were together...which was not enough! Thanks to Glenny and Shane Anderson who helped Heather collect and prepare the plethera of material for all of us to play with.  DID YOU KNOW that the plant life BELOW the water is more diverse than ALL THE LAND PLANTS, TREES AND SHRUBS put together?  When you think about it, it really makes sense but one just has such a hard time imagining something we can't easily see.  Below are some of my seaweed prints drying on the wall as I kept on printing.  It was an amazing class and I'm looking forward to going to Florida in the spring for more fish printing with Heather.

Last but not least....my class NATURE PRINTING FOR JOURNALING.  Guess what happens when you take a room full of experienced nature printers and let them loose with brayers and ink and 600 sheets of paper?  LET THE WILD RUMPUS BEGIN...and it sure did.  Brayers were slow moving with a deliberate hand at first but it wasn't long when they were letting loose and worrying less and less about "the product" and just having fun...which ironically results in some of the most amazing prints!!! 

 

 

 

At the end of the day...we took those 600+ prints and everyone made themselves a journal...If memory serves me correctly, no one of these wonderful people had ever made a book before....and look what they did!!  More pics soon in the photo albums....check back soon!! 

BREATHE........IT'S HERE

Today is the day...it's so exciting it's hard to breathe.  This is my class STONE PAGES from the ARTFEST 2009 Workshop site which  is up and ready to check out!!  Teesha has certainly had her hands full these last 11 days....thanks to everyone for your patience...the GOOD news is you don't have time to angst over your choices...so make sure you check out your options at

WWW.TEESHAMOORE.COM  Registration opens in SEPT and it's first come first served and they usually fill in the first 48 hours!!!

This is one side of CAPTIVE MEMORY....

This is the other side of CAPTIVE MEMORY.....

1800 House

remember back to the septembers of your youth and the first writing assignment of the year?  i know it's only august but thought i'd get a jump on it and show you what i've been up to. 

one of the best parts of living on nantucket (and trust me there are a LOT of them) is having my art roots reawakened.  my early years (and most of my years) were spent in the world of early american folk arts.  theorem painting, stenciling, faux finishes, vinegar graining, papercutting (scherenschnitte) and that sort of thing.

 The 1800 House is one of the many properties owned by The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) and the building, which is located at 4 Mill Street in the heart of downtown Nantucket, MA was built in 1800 (hence the name) and is the NHA's first alternative use of one of their buildings. Four years ago they started their Creating History Program, designed to keep the American Folk Arts and Crafts alive.

It's certainly exciting to be a part of this in it's infancy.....this year by the end of summer I will have taught 4 workshops; 2 theorem painting, 1 scherenschnitte and one Rufus Porter style mural.  Check out the photo albums for more details but here's a sneak preview of my students hard at work!!

Theorem painting...the art of oil paints on cotton velveteen...originally taught to women in the mid 1800's as part of their "domestic arts training".

 

Typically, the subject matter is botanical fruits and flowers.

This is only a "taste" if you'll pardon the pun, of the things that have been keeping me out of trouble this summer...for more, check out my photo album 1800 House!!  There are photos of classes I've taught and the wonderful ones I've been lucky enough to take!!

small wonders

Lowie and I have been spending some time this summer exploring the not so tourist attractions of our island home. The far tip of the island is called Coatue.  You can get there by boat or by car.  If by land, you MUSt have a four wheel drive (preferably a jeep) and patience.  I think the mileage is only about 5 miles from The Wawinet to the tip of Coatue, however the terrain allows for only a maximum speed of 15 mph and you're lucky if you can do 5 mph.  But as you can see below...it's worth it.

As we explored we found many new and exciting things we'd never seen before here...it was like going to another country.

and the wildlife is as always abundant and at every step.  It's hard to think about living any where else after days like today.

Keeping Busy

It's been a busy summer and a frustrating one, having spent most of it WITHOUT my computer.  All my images and files unavailable to me was most challenging.  This week I've had several deadlines and managed to make only one of them but have been kindly granted stays by Cathy and Kristie (THANK YOU) of a few days.  I'm a lucky lady.

Keeping it short, just wanted to share this piece with you.  A very cathartic one for me, MOURNFUL RAVEN started with a photo I took in Alaska three years ago and this little bird has been much in my mind just waiting for the opportunity to appear.  He chose this week.

Tap, Tap, Tap. Are you out there??

I can't believe I haven't found the time to post since February.  Thanks to all the kind pokers and prodders....my computer still isn't back on-line so I've decided to post WITHOUT photos.

Seems so BORING without pictures but life has been anything but boring.  Where do I start??  ARTFEST was the BEST ever and a big thanks to my wonderful 3 days of full classes of students for joining me on my maiden Artfest Teaching Voyage.  It was unbelievable.  I've figured out where all my energy went when I was taking classes at Artfest......the instructors took it!  That's right, I had more energy and was more excited as a teacher than a student.  You were all great and I have a TON of pictures which  I will be posting very soon...just need to get my computer back on it's legs.  Thanks to Teesha and Tracy for once again knocking the socks off of us. 

A week ago Saturday I got a phone call from Judi RIesch...was I busy Sunday?  Could I come for lunch and join her and Michelle Ward who was bringing some wonderful artful ladies?  My plans to spend the day at my favorite flea market went RIGHT OUT THE WINDOW....who could say no to that invitation??

To my utter amazement, these artful ladies turned out to be JUDY WILKENFELD who I had missed meeting at Artfest and was very disappointed.  Ain't life grand??  Leslie, Joy, Katherine ,Jeri, Karen and Susannah were along for the ride and what a ride they were having.  I wanted to jump ship and join them....run away to NY for days of play.  GREEN with envy I tell you!  Judy shared her Twelve Tribes book with us and we got a page by page intimate description sitting in Judi's sunny breakfast nook.  It doesn't get much better than this.  I wish I had pics to share, but alas I was more worried about bringing the brownies than my camera.  My domesticity was showing.

Sunday's have turned out to be good for me lately...I went to Barnes and Noble to see if the May/June issue of Somerset Studio was out.  THERE IT WAS....dear LK's work splashed all over the cover!! And lucky me....inside as well.  Lk wrote an article about one of the classes she came and taught at my studio last fall and she included work by both myself and Andrew Borloz in the piece.  Very exciting!!

Next Sunday proves to be just as amazing as I will be attending Art and Soul.  Sat with the amazing Stephanie Lee then two days with Dan Essig.  Does life get much better than the last two months?

When I return from A&S I return with the promise of photos posted of the NEW and IMPROVED ready to roll Heart to Hand Studio.  The bugs have all been worked out and the classes will start this summer. I'm finally living the life I've always dreamed of...an artful life, surrounded by people who support me and GET IT!

Off on another adventure....see you shortly.

Amazement

The world around me never ceases to amaze me....this morning dawned quietly with a thin red line, the most intense red I've ever seen in a morning sky.  It didn't take but a few moments for the sun's rays to pull me out of a warm cozy bed and into the cold air to secure the images my eyes were feasting on.  This unexpected passion play in the sky on a cold February morning in New England, 30 miles out to sea warmed me to my bones.  We watched as the warm hues chased the cold blues and greys from the horizon.  The moments flew by and the sky changed every second.  The horizon line grew wider and redder and you could see the evidence of the sun's location but never the sun itself.  It was buried beneath a cold blue blanket but trying like hell to warm everything around it.  As the minutes passed, the smell of coffee drifted from the kitchen, the dogs joined me, sniffing and begging and I was momentarily distracted.  While my back was turned the cold blue had begun to win the battle for the sky.  My heart ached for the fiery glow to maintain itself just awhile longer but the outcome was predictable so we held on to the sights before us for as long as we could.  Watching, not turning away.  Just moments before this all had happened I had been lying in bed talking quietly with my husband about where we wanted to live when we finally decided to slow down and seek pleasure before working.  We had been discussing the physical and geophysical landscapes that made us happy and fed our souls.  This sunrise, as if on cue, was a calling to us from the world we live in...it was as though this island we call home was saying, "I can give you what you need,  I can sustain you and feed your soul."  We watched together quietly, the dogs sitting patiently awaiting the moment the distractions would pass and we would get on with the business of filling their bowls and subsequently, their bellies.  And in a blink of an eye, the cold greys and blues of the deep winter sky cooled the passionate reds and oranges and yellows of the sun's awakening.   The sun spent the rest of today, her warmth evident without all the shouting of the dawn...the passion had faded but the glow of her warmth stayed with me all day.  I went on about my work, my husband went to class but the thoughts of this morning's dawn stayed with me all day.  I took the dogs for a long walk and drank in the cool air, enjoying the winter sun and reveling in the unexpected gift of a sweater day in February.  As the sun set and the river of ducks flew in off the ocean into the safety of Nantucket Sound for the night, this mornings visual feast was still with me.  It is an amazing place this island home of ours and we are most fortunate to dwell here....and we will take whatever time we can while we have it and rejoice.

This and That

2007 came and went and now it's one of the most exciting times of the year for me.  ARTFEST is looming just around the corner and I'm looking forward to this year in a way I've never looked before.  This year I  won't be attending classes, I will be teaching.  I can't wait...this is so exhilerating....the thought of sharing my thoughts and techniques, idea exchanges, old friends revisited, new friends made....it's all very intoxicating.

Right now I'm making daily trips to the post to collect the ARTFEST ATCs that are rolling in....every day I have received at least 1 or 2 packages but this next week will be the flood.....there are over 120 people signed up, the deadline to mail them is FEB 15 (HAPPY VALENTINES DAY) and there are about 100 left to receive....I'm going to be a very busy lady!!!

There is much in store over the next several months and I'm hoping to be more diligent about the blog.  I will have some pics to post soon of my new studio (which is sadly in PA while I, alas am in Nantucket)...work keeps us up here and right now, travel is to dicey with all the winter weather and such so here we work. 

LK Ludwig's first book (Mixed Media Nature Journals) came out last month...HAVE YOU SEEN IT??  If not, check it out, it's wonderfully chock full of her artwork, wisdom and step-by-step techniques. 

Her new book comes out in JULY so be sure to NOT MISS IT.

Finding The Way

Okay....so I missed the Sept 1 mark and I hope you'll all forgive me.   It seems that it's harder to get rolling than I anticipated, that is, it's easier to be distracted when you work at home and only answer to yourself.  I find the domesticity calling to me but this week I've pulled up my boot straps and gotten back to work.  Spent yesterday and will spend the next two days cleaning up loose ends and then the overwhelming feelings of things left undone will be gone, like a fresh spring rain and I will begin the time of daily journal entries and ideas for you (and me) to explore together.

In the meantime, I haven't been slacking completely...I took materials to play with to Maine and as you can see above shared my love of carving with my buddy Will.  We had just finished the Batt Family traditional hike to Jordan Pond House for their amazing POPOVERS and enjoy the view.  I pulled out a 1000 Journals Journal to work in and taught Will how to carve.  Soon he was no longer thinking about hiking and was immersed in his wonderful fish carvings....Hopefully I will get Will to send me some of his images to post as well. 

Enough for one morning of personal diaolog.....will get to work on exercises and ideas to put out there for you to play with.....meanwhile find something to do today that stirs your creative juices.  Play your favorite music, do some research on something that has always interested you or just get out your scrap box and a piece of chip board or mat board and let you hands go while your brain thinks of other things.....the whole idea is to get the hands moving and the brain will catch up and take over.

Enjoy your day.

ARTFEST 2008 - LET THE FUN BEGIN

TODAY IS THE DAY......THE ARTFEST WEBSITE WENT UP AT MIDNIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't forget to take some time today and check out TEESHA MOORE'S website www.teeshamoore.com and click on the Artfest button.  It's a life changing event....NOT KIDDING....I don't know anyone who has attended and not been greatly seduced by the CREATIVE SIDE OF THE FORCE.  Teesha and Tracy Moore do the most amazing job of gathering instructors and creating a safe and warm environment perched on the shores of Puget Sound on Bainbridge Island.  You can almost hear Richard Gere and Lou Gosset Junior shouting "rap" at one another (after all, aren't the armed forces where it really all started?) in their battle to get Richard Gere into manhood (I DIGRESS>>>>>)....ANYWAY......

ARTFEST 2008 is more than it's usual excitement for me this year....Oh, I'll be going for sure, as usual, but this year, I'm teaching!!  Make sure to check out the line up, there are 23 returning instructors and 13 of us fledglings this year.  I can't begin to tell you how honored and excited I am to be one of them...Teesha and Tracy have been the most amazing inspiration for me for a decade now and I look forward to the opportunity to share with you all the techniques and fun things I've learned on my life journey thus far. 

Check out the photo album - ARTFEST 2008 WORKSHOPS and more importantly....check out THE ARTFEST 2008 INFO....hope to see you there!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ARTWIRED-stencils

THIS MORNING IS ABOUT TO DAWN HERE IN THE EAST.......

I can't sleep....been up for hours...I'm what I call "Artwired".  That's when I have a bizillion creative thoughts but can't slow them down long enough to be constructive.  This is probably attributed to many factors today (LIKE THE ARTFEST WEBSITE WENT UP AT MIDNIGHT) but rather than go into them I thought perhaps I should talk about how I work through this and get my hands going.....after all....I'm sure I'm not alone in this behavior!!

Last time this happened was just a few days ago and it all started when LK called me to incite my muse about stencils....LOL....she was like a cat on a hot tin roof and could barely contain herself....well, it worked and the next thing I knew I was pouring over images of my kids (this after a trip to LK's blog to see what she was talking about in her message) and then cutting stencils....alas at 2 am when you are 30 miles out to sea on an island there is NO PLACE TO BUY SPRAY PAINT.....cry, sniff...now I have to wait until morning...but wait I did and happy I pursued it.  This particular Artwired event was very productive.

First I started with chosing images that were loaded with high contrast.....these two images actually came from the same photo (all three of my babies were in the original), to Photoshop Elements we went, cropping and changing values until after not to much fussing I had a clear black and white image to start with.  The first attempt was a quick study in what does NOT work....forgetting all my stencil basics...BUT...it was like riding a bike and soon I was back up and soaring.  I printed the images onto white card stock and using a NEW (key to good and easy stencil cutting is LOTS of sharp blades!) blade in my trusty #11, cutting away everything that was black, making a few bridges here and there until not very long later I was ready to spray.

I used 3M REPOSITIONABLE Spray Mount on the back of the stencil.....this type of stencil is very fragile and will lift easily with so much detail that this is really necessary but you won't regret it!  Just be very slow and deliberate when you are lifting your stencil after painting (whether you spray or pounce).  I worked outside (as a two bedroom apartment leaves very little room for this particular activity) on recycled shipping boxes to protect the yard from my overspray.  It wasn't windy or this wouldn't have been an option either and patience would have to prevail.  After spraying the adhesive on the BACK of the stencil, let it tack up for a minute or two and then gently press it down on a piece of canvas paper no particular reason for paper choice...it was at hand and the right size..any good paper (surface)will do and sprayed away.  I used a flat black by Krylon but there are LOTS of options out there.

After all was said and done I was glad I had worked on the heavier canvas paper with a spray paint because now I had a strong image to work with and could continue to paint and work over the piece until satisfied.....This weekend should bring the time to do that and I will post the results.

So long story short...when YOU are Artwired......get moving....pick up anything....gesso, pencils, crayons whatever.....JUST GET YOUR HANDS MOVING....the simple act of forcing your brain to respond to your hands will slow it down to a reasonable speed and soon the two will be collaborating and "OH THE PLACES YOU WILL GO............."

ANTICIPATION

It's almost here....AUGUST 1.....and the Artfest 2008 classes will be posted.  For the past 7 or so years I have waited with baited breath for this website to go up....anticipating the culling over of all the descriptions and photos...making my choices again and again and again...the excitement building all month until the registration forms can be sent (in September) and then the breathe holding until your confirmation packet arrives. 

This year is very different for me.....this year, for me the breathe holding starts August 1....this time my name is on the list and there is no choosing for me....my path is set and now I just have to wait until the end of March for the excitement to actually begin. 

It's a big week for me...for those of you just tuning in you should know that  Friday AUG 3 will be my last day working in the family business and I'm off on the business of teaching art and making art FULL TIME.  It's been too many years since it's been a totally creative way of life for me and I can't tell you how much it means to me to be able to emerse myself this way.

I'm so happy to be returning to teaching and for the first time since 1994 I will be teaching as a regular thing (no longer fitting it in around my full time job) and looking forward to starting up my studio hours in PA on a regular basis with a schedule of workshops that I'll be teaching as well as visiting instructors so stayed tuned and check in once in awhile to see who is coming.

The studio is located 15 miles west of Philadelphia on 1 acre of land.  The farm house and barn are both over 180 years old but over the last 8 years my genius of a husband who is a most talented artist/builder has painstakingly worked on the renovations to bring back the life to this property and make it an inspiring place to be and work.  I will post photos as we progress in finishing off the spaces and be sure to let you know when workshops will be starting.

ENUF FOR NOW.....too much talk and not enough ART.

MANY THANKS

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have popped in to visit here and some of you have even chatted!!  Mostly I would like to thank LK Ludwig, who has pulled me kicking and screaming into the world of blogs. I am a very lucky lady to count her as a friend.  She's a good person, loving and caring, an amazing artist, the Erma Bombeck of Earth Mother's and honest as the day is long AND the BEST part is she's not above smacking you upside of the head with the truth and then staying there and helping you pick up the pieces....yep, lucky in deed am I. 

To all of the rest of you, I have to admit I wasn't quite ready for company but I'm glad you are here and are joining in.  Just like in my workshops (and can I tell you how MUCH I can't wait to get back to teaching again!!) I am open minded and open hearted and always welcome your thoughts and ideas and inspiration.  I have never taught a workshop where I haven't learned something from one of the participants.  So please, bear with me until the end of August while my life is still a bit "full" and I work in two worlds (the old job and the new), then take a break to have a long visit with my beloved Belle Belle and then take my mermaid to school in South Carolina and then off to Maine for a week or so of much needed rest and art with our good friends The Batts (don't you just LOVE the possibilities their name lends to life!!)...then it's September and I'm off on my new adventure FULL TIME. Excitement abounds in my heart and soul and I'm honored to have you all with me.

Aware and Awake

This morning in my Daily OM (by the way, if you like thought provoking emails, sign up for this daily tidbit http://www.dailyom.com .  This morning's topic for me was Aware and Awake and it spoke of being intentful in everything we do.  The article started out by discussing the energy of intent being associated with difficult tasks such as tightrope walking, taking a test, etc., however, it went on to say that even though multitasking is a part of our every day life, (i.e. boiling water for tea, reading email and getting dressed- all at the same time) that if were to stop and just be AWARE that we are making tea OR just read the email OR just get dressed that  "everything we do benefits from the presence of intent, which has the power to transform seemingly mundane tasks into profound experiences. You only have to try it to find out."  So today I'm going to try this (well at least this afternoon once my work for the day is complete)...start out slow and simple.  You can't change the world in a day, nor yourself.

I'll let you know how it goes....maybe you should check out the post from DAILY OM and try it yourself and then let me know how it goes for you.  I'm hoping for the best for all of us!

July 17

Silouhette Lessons

Yesterday I spent the morning at The 1800 House.  It's a restored home from the 1800's here on island where they give folk art classes.  The instructors come from all over as well as being island residents.  It's a wonderful environment with great people.    Yesterday's workshop instructor was Alison Shriver http://www.alisonshriver.com/  who teaches silouhettes (a bit of a very interesting twist to the age old craft), using authentic paper emphera (old ledger paper, maps, letters, etc) which is what caught this paperholics attention!!  Posting a temporary pix of the piece I finished - that is until DH gets back with the camera...the scanner is not doing to well with this two dimensional piece.  Check out Alison's site and her work.   I'll be playing with this technique for sure.  It's not such a far cry from my old life with stencils and it's sparked all kinds of interesting ideas to follow through on....more soon!!

life masks

my mermaid just sent me this photo (she's trolling through her old computer files)...what a memory flash of an evening spent with my kids (not so kid like kids).....doing life masks.  very interesting process and a must do to put on your list.

rocky start

okay, well here it is almost a month later and off to a rocky start in the "new life"....guess in my enthusiasm I jumped the gun a bit thinking I would have the time to "do it all".  probably not that uncommon among creative types, in fact, probably sounds pretty familar, right?

So it's looking like the beginning of August is the official start (and finish), without and end there can be no beginning.  Lots of changes coming up and a whole new way of life to get used to.

I have promised myself to journal every day and complete at least one small piece of work every day.  Research and organizing my new studio are also on the list.  So now that i'm "retired" what will i do with myself?   What WON'T I do would be a more appropriate question.

new beginnings

june 18th, 2007 marks the beginning of the official new path of my journey.  today marks the moment when the life of the last 30+ years makes a shift to a new and completely artful life.  today i am 51 years, 112 days old and it's time for me to change my daily life patterns from taking care of children and family and working at "real jobs" full time and my artful life parttime. today i begin the full time artful life.  forgive me if i ramble....this day has been long awaited and anticipated and the excitement is a tad overwhelming.  i hope you'll join me on this creative journey to explore new avenues and hopefully find ways to make creative changes in your own life along the way. so take my hand and come on along....the weather is glorious and there's lots to do and learn in this great big world.....let's play.