First snowfall

They've been promising snow for days now and finally the first of it has arrived. Not a lot, just enough to make me glad I don't have to drive anywhere. There is one thing that always intrigues me about snow and that is the variety of footprints that appear from the creatures that inhabit the area, clues that there is more drama in my yard than I am aware of. Some rather large paw prints appeared today that I can only hope belong to the large dog that lives up the road.

Chilly Christmas Cheer

Brrrrrr - I really am trying to embrace this winter season. With my winter craft shows now completed, it's time to think about getting those little tokens of my love for my friends and family tied up in bows. There is so much to be thankful for. I hope to get a personal Christmas card done....before Christmas... and really like this image. We'll see. May your holiday preparations be warm and cozy, no matter what's going on outside.

Gathering momentum

It's definitely getting "crispy" around here. The leaves are turning and starting to swirl in the not-too-chilly-yet wind. The last Gravenstine apple was picked from the tree... every bite savored to the core. Since winter seems to be my most productive painting time, fall is my time to gather momentum. I love books that spur me on and I've been gathering some good ones. The latest are "I'd Rather Be In The Studio" by Alyson B. Stanfield and "Creative Time and Space - Making room for Making Art" by Rice Freeman-Zachery, available from Amazon.com. I'm almost looking forward to that big fall storm as an excuse to hunker down with my new books.

Embracing the New Season

Autumn is such a tease...but in a good way. How else could our psyches go from the beauty of spring and summer to the dismal gray of winter? I've got to figure out a way to embrace winter. Any ideas?

Shared moments

The last of the summer sun and sandals. A shared moment with my beautiful little granddaughter, wandering downtown to some of our creative artists' open studios. (Her feet are definitely cuter than mine.)

Indian Summer

Ah -- Another Indian summer in the Pacific Northwest. At least that is what it is today. With one more Saturday (for me) at the summer farmer's market, my mind turns to more creative endeavors. I'm anxious to get back to the drawing board (if I can find it under all the flotsam that has accumulated in the past 4 months) and work through the reference photos I've been gathering. My plan is to explore a particular composition from a number of different angles/mediums, beginning with a wild blind contour drawing and maybe ending up with something more realistic....maybe not. I'm really hoping to discover something new...something exciting to carry me emotionally through a soggy fall and winter. I can go a long time on a good artsy tangent.

Vision in Orange

I continue to be amazed at the endless artistic inspiration I can glean from the farmer's market (this is a photo). I wish my own tomatoes would be so inspirational. Only 3 more Saturdays for my summer season at the market. It has gone by so fast. Another year of good fun and friendship.

Miles of Cabbage

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

The fall season is inching closer and the farmers markets are filled with wonderful produce... a feast for the artistic eye. I only wish I could paint this well. Try, try again.

Life is short

Well, I've ventured out with the etched metal and have posted my first two Mixed Rhetoric pendants on Etsy. I'm still very enamored by the process of creating these little metal pieces with such a simple element.... salt and water. Who knew? Well actually, my father knew. As a commercial fisherman, he would secure a zinc plate to the bottom of his fishing boat so that the salt water wouldn't eat his propeller. Made absolutely no sense to me then. Forty years later... I get it.

This pendant is sold.

New tangent... New adventure

One of the magnificent things about the creative spirit is the discovery of new materials that feed that inner hunger to create something. Metal is something that is begging me to explore the possibilities. I've always been a painter and probably always will be, but for now I'm compelled to dabble a bit in a harder surface. I can't wait to see what happens.

This pendant has a new owner.

Collection of Shells

Summer is slipping through my fingers.... again. I've just had a blissful week off from my "real job" and enjoyed every unstructured second of it. No tropical vacations for me... no way. I'm content to stay at home and putter. Yes, putter. Not your everyday ordinary kind of puttering where one actually accomplishes something domestic. My puttering is for brainstorming some new creative project..nothing that actually furthers the cause of having an organized life. More details to follow... as soon as I think them up.


THIS PAINTING IS SOLD

Dog Days of Summer

What a beautiful June we have had so far. Soon the strawberries will be ready and the shortcake will follow. My little paintings at Whimsey are being well received. The image above, "Bluebird of Happiness", is one more from that series. The Bellingham Farmer's Market is in full swing and filled with incredible goodness from fresh fruits and vegetables to flowers and plants to handmade crafts and.... cupcakes. If you are within visiting distance, you simply MUST stop by on a Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Farmers Market

Well, today was my first day back at the Bellingham Farmers Market, the beginning of my 8th year. It was good to be back. My inventory was a little low, but adequate. It was so fun to see all the friends and acquaintances from seasons gone by. Thanks for all who stopped by to chat. The market is my social life. This image is one more bird on it's way to the walls of Whimsey.

THIS PAINTING IS SOLD.

By the Sea

The quest for the perfect etch continues. This one comes close, if one overlooks the parts that aren't there. The P and P seemed to fall off, but it gives the piece a look of having been lost at sea....rather than just by the sea. Either way, I'm happy with it.


This piece is sold.

Nesting

The last bird has sprung from my brush for my "For the Birds" series due to go on the walls of Whimsey in Fairhaven the first week in May. It will be just in time for Fairhaven's "Girls' Night Out", but men are also welcome. A portion of any sales of these 8 acrylic paintings will be donated to Paws Awhile, a wonderful eclectic little shop a couple of doors down from Whimsey that helps support the Whatcom County Humane Society.

This painting is sold.

Tulips on my mind

The last 2 days here in the Pacific Northwest have been the best I can ever recall for April.  It sure helps to lift the spirits in these dark days of human history.    

Winging towards Whimsey

Spring is....springing. The last of winter still hangs in the air, but I have daffodils coming up...so there. I think that rhymes. My artistic mind has been focusing on an upcoming show in May at Whimsey, a wonderful little shop in the Fairhaven District. I'm aiming for 7 or 8 bird-inspired "dwelling" paintings, each sporting their little "roof" of picture frame molding. I actually hope I get to keep a couple of these paintings. The others have been whisked away to new homes almost before the paint was dry.

This painting is sold.

Workshop in my living room

Of all the wonderful artists I have had the opportunity to learn from, I think Carla O'Connor has had the biggest impact on my artistic development. She is a wonderful woman from Gig Harbor who has shared her incredible approach to truly creative painting for many years. I've taken 3 workshops from her and would love to share in the experience again and again. I own one of her little originals.... just HAD to have it! That is why I got so excited when Creative Catalyst developed a teaching DVD on Carla! If you can't get to a workshop, Creative Catalyst is a fabulous way to bring these brilliant artists right into your living room. Check out the link I've posted below in the right hand margin for their web site. I believe they have a blog as well.

I love Etsy!

I have finally developed my Etsy store. I know, I know. Where have I been. Etsy has been all the rage for several years now and I'm just getting there now... but better late than never. There are soooo many wonderfully talented people using Etsy, it's more than just a little bit intimidating, but what the hey. Scroll down to find my Etsy link in the right-hand margin. Hey, look at me... I just managed to post the Etsy widget to this blog. Mom would be so proud.

Exploring

Once again I find myself awash in a sea of artistic stimuli. With a few weeks to spare before I need to focus on inventory for the Farmers Market in May, I have been indulging in different means of arriving at my "happy place"... you know, that place where time disappears and all is right with the world... like a kid with a new box of crayons. Pouncing Rain is a wonderful little happy place for me; a small jewelry studio where one can learn from some very accomplished teachers the art of jewelry making, from PMC to enameling to metal etching and beyond. The above photo is a piece of copper I etched using a ferric chloride etch. I was very pleased with the outcome. The words sum things up for me, inspired by the poem from Lord of the Rings... Not all who wonder are lost.

"Goodbye Ruby Tuesday"

"...You never did say where you came from." Rolling Stones

Nearly six years ago, you appeared out of nowhere, seemingly abandoned in an old junk car that showed up the same night. You howled like a coyote ... a cry I never heard you utter after that first lonely night. You scared me! I thought you were a coyote in the dark outside my French doors, but then I saw you wagging your short little tail and I knew a coyote wouldn't do that. I gave you food and left you outside to "stray" somewhere else. But you were no stray. You were somebody's good dog. You just needed a new family to love you....and so we did.

Redwing with Cattails

Of all the wonderful birds this corner of the world has to offer, I think my favorite song comes from the red winged blackbird. There is something about its song that is the essence of summer. I, unfortunately, do not have them on my property, but there are several places I know I can find them on a quiet summer's day. This painting was begun in transparent watercolor on 140# hot press paper and enhanced with acrylic.

Creative Energy

A New Year! Like the beginning of a new paragraph, I look forward to January as a place to begin new artistic projects. The horrific weather we've had here in Washington has kept me close to home dreaming of spring. A new series of bird paintings is in the works. My goal is to paint for the sheer fun of it. I hope the fun I'm having shows.