Bad Influences

Tonite I saw a silhouette of a rider in a mask with pink boots on her feet sailing across the sunset. This is in honor of the outlaw who inspired me to cut stencils. You gotta love the internet.

What I Do

What I do is I journal. With paper and pencil I am happy anywhere. It is my sanctuary - where I can sort through all the flotsam of the day and decide which of those things really matter to me. We all have too many demands on our time; the journal is the place where I go to find my answers, set my goals, regret my errors and continue on. It clears my head for what comes next.

Before I write on each page I have usually set the stage with an overall colorwash of acrylic. Over this I experiment. It will always be an experiment involving the media I am currently involved with. For a long time it was bits of collage from the day to write over or around. Inkjet photos of daily events. Oddities I found on the web and liked. Napkins from restaurants or momentos from travel. It helped me place the entry without looking at the date on the page.

More recently it has been a vehicle to deconstruct my dreams and my past and to explore the ways I can apply that to the symbolism in my work. It takes a lot of time and deep reflection to discover what lies in ones heart and to encode that into an image. But what a joy when it can be accomplished. It's habit forming; the love of that 'high'. And it is your gift to your self.

This page is one I did last night while experimenting with graphite and acrylic. I was thinking of the Joanie Mitchell song, "The Hissing of Summer Lawns". It will be written over too in the coming days. I like to look at it an see my progress. It is the beginning of something but I don't yet know what that is. I love having that, or any, strange image to becken me on. It is like a mysterious whisper from off-stage.

Only one more day before the Artfest schedule is posted. I can feel the excitement.

More Stencil Art

Disaster # 628: The time I had to go into my neighbor's yard while they were on vacation and feed their dog Flipper. Which dog did proceed to bite me smartly on the achille's tendon. Sheesh, it took me decades to get over my fear of little dogs.

Okay, this is me sending a wrecking ball into my parents' peace of mind by ditching school and getting caught (only one of a lifetime of infractions). All my friends ditched and never got caught but the ONE TIME I tried it the truant officer came right to the house and I was in hot water. Real hot water. I was supposed to be a good example and instead I was a common truant. *sigh* (I am the little figure in the cage; grounded for a month.)

This is me trying to figure out how I can run away from home and join the circus. I can already do the backbend and the splits; I'm pretty sure I can find a place there with the other freaks.

Here I am with Princess, the little pooch that belonged to a different neighbor. Did he bite me on the back of the heel too? You're darn tootin' he did. Twice. Grrrrrr, little dogs.

I did this some time ago. Seems pretty sappy after the childhood series but it is a true reflection of another part of my psyche. I have a lot of different moods. Yes.

I have to thank Judy for the Rawkin' Girl Blogger Award. I do rawk whenever I get an opportunity. But she rawks more than I do. Her blog will change you for the better. Check it out. And thanks, Judy!

And I have to thank Kelly for the Rawkin' Girl Blogger Award too. Once again, baby, YOU'RE THE ONE!! I've never met either of these women in person but I have their backs. Kelly, you are a spiritual giant. I only wish I'd been as wise as you at your age.

My understanding is that I should choose others to pass this on to; egads, five apiece if I understand correctly. Since I never, ever could do as I was told I have chosen to send all ten Rockin' Girl Blogger awards to someone who hardly ever posts to her blog (Kelly, I have no standards at all) ... ready?

TEESHA MOORE! I've chosen her because she is my hero in all things. She models the art of living her spirituality, right livelihood, kindness to all. She is not just an artist, she is a guru in the art of life. And people, only FOUR more days until the Artfest schedule goes up. Oh, thrill, and then I get to make lists and visit websites and choose. Have I mentioned yet that attending Artfest has changed my life? Well, it has. I love Artfest and will be its biggest cheerleader as long as I can. Thank you Teesha. You do rock.

Road Trip!

Yay, I got out of the house and behind the wheel for a planning session with Katie; it was so much fun and very productive too. First I drove through the towering emerald forests of evergreens and past the sparkling waterways of Puget Sound before arriving at her hideaway beside a river and under big trees. She lives in a magical cottage, just as I'd expected. I held my breath and entered.

Happy joy, girlfriend time. In a bag in the back of the car is fruit, cheese and good wine. And a clipboard for taking notes. Because we are planning a teaching gig together. She may already have it up on her site; I plan to post it tomorrow.

Here is Katie, all business. No, really. We put our energies together and came up with pure gold; I can hardly believe how quickly we came up with our plan and how original it is. When two artists collaborate on a project the sparks really fly.

Katie gave me beautiful gifts. The weathered letter "A" to remind me I am an artist. The heart shaped rock because I admired it and on the spur of the moment she handed it to me. And clothing that she had stashed in piles around her studio. Like a sorcerer she would burrow into a pile and pull out something that fit me perfectly - to wit this blouse with beautiful shirring and ruffled detail.

Which looks gorgeous with the delicate skirt covered in sequins and lined with fairy wings shown below. I put in on and twirled around and felt such lightness of spirit. Friends on earth are heaven right here and now; there is nothing I value more than the friendship of the women I choose to include in my life.

Generous Katie. Talented Katie. Funny and loyal and fabulous taste in music Katie. Thank you, dear girlfriend for a perfect visit and even more so for being a spirit that guides me, inspires me and has strengthened my connection to my own heart. I love what I am learning from you.

So now I am home again listening to the "Be Good Tanyas", remembering our happy times together and preparing for 3 weekends in a row of art selling. First I go to Idaho (Art on the Green in Coeur d'Alene), then Arizona (Art Unravelled), then the Silverton Art Fair here in Oregon. I'll try to document my travels; right now life seems like an effortless gift. I adore summer. My heart is full of hopes and plans. And tomorrow I'll put up the teaching information. (hint: it's going to be in Mexico!)

Nuts and Bolts

I didn't even get halfway down my to-do list today. All I have to show for the last 3 days is this folder that I whacked out yesterday morning while waiting for a friend to visit. She and I had a great time together. After years of working in isolation I am finally meeting some Portland area artists - a welcome development.

Two days ago Karen Landey came and filmed me for the DVD magazine called Indy Arts. We spent several hours together as she asked very good questions and I gave a thorough tour of my studio and recounted my years of experience as a printmaker, watercolor artist and finally painter on canvas. (okay, also ceramics, mixed media, encaustic, batik, leatherworker and jewelry fabricator) As she was leaving she gave me a copy of a previous issue of the publication (a DVD, remember?) and when I watched it I was really impressed with Karen's production and editing skills. The issue I watched had a demo with Beckah Krahula showing step by step how to emboss the metal that she forms into beautiful book covers. I've always wanted to know how this was done and amazing to me was the fact that after watching this demo I could gather the tools and materials and actually attempt it myself. (I learn better by watching than by reading.) Anyway, I will be featured in the next issue and I urge you to check out the site and to consider subscribing to Karen's magazine. She is pouring her heart into this effort and I think she is doing a great job. The issue with Beckah also has an interview with my compadre Laurie Mika that you'll enjoy.

And speaking of magazines, I got my pre-release issue of Artful Blogging magazine and the write up and photographs they published of my blog was wonderful. The release date is August 1st and I think the new publication is going to be a big hit.

Coming up next is a trip north to visit dear friends and more dear friends, one of which is the scintillating katie kendrick. Could I be more excited? Non! She and I will have some announcements to make soon, stay tuned.

More "Disaster"

Not actual disaster, thank heavens, I'm having a busy and great time. But here is the latest installment in my "Disasters of Childhood" series. This grew out of a new stencil, larger than the last one. The wood it is mounted on is a 6x10" piece of birch plywood and is enhanced with encaustic and intaglio filled with oil paint. I discovered the feed to the Flicker group that posts stencil art - very inspiring. But nothing is more inspiring than Mary Ann and her links. I'm having the best time ever exploring this fun approach and have gotten great tips from Michelle too. Oh, sweet generous artists who share everything on the internets: I LOVE YOU! You save me from boredom and the summer blahs. Yay-yah!

Glorious Summer

Yesterday, the whole day was spent with friends. That's how I remember Sundays when I was a child. After lunch dad would load the family into the bouncy old Frazier (gosh, I sound a zillion years old!) and we would visit the friends of my parents. Things are better now; now we get to visit MY friends and wonderful friends they are. Here are their feet.

Here are their offerings of food and home made wine. I can assure you that most of the food on this table was grown and prepared by the people at the gathering. Beautiful, organic, wholesome food. No meat or eggs - we have some spiritual folk among us here.

But flowers are okay. We eat flowers. They make us beautiful and strong.

We are celebrating Chavo's 36th birthday. And wedding to the luminous Lee. They are people I love very much. Chavo says he's an old man now but his skateboarding skills belie that; kids one third his age gasp in disbelief at the things he can do. He works so hard farming land that is not his own. If I had one wish in life it would be to give a farm to Lee and Chavo. They deserve it by their intelligence, hard work and pure souls. If only I knew a way.

I baked blueberry rhubarb crisps and took ice cream. More food! But what can you do? (answer: keep eating!)

The hydrangeas outside the dining room window are an electric blue - the bluest they have ever been. It's like someone turned up the saturation in Photoshop to full power.

Here's a picture of yours truly in the bedroom. Lots of bloggers recently posted photographs of themselves in their own environments. So I come trailing along several weeks later with my contribution. The dresser is one that my angel mother-of-John's left us when she passed over. That is a photograph of her in the lower left hand corner that shows her when she was only about 20. I am wearing one of two aprons she left me too. I love those aprons and using the things that she lived with decades ago. When I look at them or use them I can feel her spirit .

Gotta go clean my studio and cut stencils today. Get tuit.

Introspection

We're in the heart of summer, aren't we? It has been very hot here in Stumptown; the raspberries have all cooked on the vine and even the sugar peas are spent now. But the tomatoes are coming on and the corn too so the unseen wheel of the seasons continues to turn ever so slowly. Gak, she's gone all pensive on us.

Well, yes, that's part of the m. o. Either deliriously happy or 'go away, leave me alone'. So besides finding solace in my journal, reading Don Delillo (dang, he's moody! I'm blaming this on him!) - well, besides those activities I am making very personal work in encaustic.

I have no words to describe the many things buried in this painting. Tell me what it means to you if I may be so bold as to ask. Because the supportive DH didn't have a clue and so I wonder if it is too opaque. The colors may work against it; I'm thinking it should have been darker. But then I kind of like the juxtoposition of light and dark. Does it say anything to you? (there's no wrong answer; I'm very tough skinned so jump in.

Oops! I almost forgot to show you my process. This will give you a hint as I took the girl's features from a photograph of myself. I painted her on heavy watercolor paper and cut her out with an exacto. Now I have a bonus stencil. Don't ask me why I work this way. I just like to make everything as convoluted as possible.

Sooweet Sweet Summer

The brilliant Mary Ann has me cutting stencils and spraying in the driveway - what can I say; her journal pages rock! They always make we want to join in the fun and play in mine. Cutting a small stencil out of paper (I use cheap typing paper because it's so easy to cut) takes only minutes compared to cutting rubber stamps so you are up and spraying in no time flat. Gaah, somebody stop me before I spray again!

The DH barbequed these disgusting weenies last night and sad to say I ate one. (they are some kind of fancy beef sausage) I'm still full at noon today but once every few years I want to eat one. Summer food. Summer fun.

Summer reads: Turtle Warrior, Water For Elephants, Armed Madhouse, poemcrazy, Falling Man. That's just so far and along with all the magazines I keep up with.

Carry on.

Picnic on the Sandy River

Today it is sunny and 73 degrees and we're going on a picnic. It is being held at a secret location on the Sandy river on the property of John's relatives. Follow me, it's going to be fun and there are plenty of libations for all.

Past the treehouse. I'll bet there were some good stories associated with this place. Makes me want to bring my sleeping bag, a good book and curl up for a stay.

Or wait, maybe I'll lie back on this hammock instead. Prop my lemonade on a tree stump and bliss out for a few hours.

Oh, I see they've got the snacks ready for us. There will be brots and brisket and beans, salads, and pickles later - the tables will groan with food. But take a chip, grab a brew and hang out for awhile. Let your appetite build.

This is the little sheep shed that one of the cousins built for an experiment of raising sheep. Cousin Jack said he turned out to be afraid of sheep though (afraid of sheep?) so he dragged the shack down to the water's edge for fishing. Turns out he wasn't afraid of steelhead.

Oops, look out! Frisky dog on the loose, all hopped up on fetching sticks out of the glacial melt swift current and thrilled to be out with the crowd of party-goers.

Look, strangers floating down the river on rafts. Nice occupation for a sunny afternoon. Quiet and peaceful. Just floating down the river. Sweetest job on earth.

Bailey and her poppa enjoying the icy current. Half the fun was watching Bailey and her little sister Mia play in the water with the dog. Almost as much fun as watching baby goats pronk.
(that thing where they fly straight up in the air - I'm not sure it's a real word)

John and I of course took a hike down the river looking for rocks that looked like speckled eggs or hearts or some other quality that spoke to us. I have collected rocks always. Had a great clunker of pure asbestos as a child in Arizona before we knew it was a bad thing. I loved to peel apart the silvery fibers and set them into the breeze. I magically believe nothing so beautiful could ever hurt me. And I'm kind of an old gal now so it hasn't. Beautiful rocks that have freely given me so much enjoyment.

Here they are; one heart and one egg. The egg is a perfect bright yellow ochre and the heart says "I love you". Now let's go get a plate full of summer.

Portland IEA and Journal Pages

Last night we had our first meeting of the Portland Chapter of International Encaustics Association at the Hive, Linda Womack's new studio. She has written about the meeting on her blog and has some great photos too. (say, Linda, did you photoshop yourself into that group shot? Clever girl!)

Please go over to Linda's blog for everyone's name and to read about our new endeavor. We are all excited to share ideas, sources, talent and time. Come join us if you love wax.

I haven't shared journal pages in awhile. This is an amazing time for me when I am changing my direction (again!) and setting out on a new endeavor. I haven't wanted to share yet (all in good time) so I made the pages small so that hopefully you won't be able to decipher all my secrets. Changes. Exciting changes. Coming soon.

For the record, the quote: "My heart feels big and awkward" came from the site of Alicia Paulson. She lives in Portland - I don't know her personally but she used the phrase to describe how she felt about writing a book that she is creating and feeling honored to be doing. It so perfectly described how I've been feeling that I snatched it for my journal. It's a good feeling - that the universe has entrusted you with a treasure and the responsibility that goes along with it.

Another blogger has been writing about change and has triggered this page that I finished just this morning. I've received news that a beloved relative has passed away in a distant state. John and I visited this woman several years ago and she gave me the gift of belonging. I loved her so much for being the person she was and she is the last of her generation. So along with my summer of joy comes other changes that weigh on the heart. This is all part of it, isn't it? The love, the loss, the joy and then more love. Feeling everything so deeply. Watching life flow past.

I'll close with a very silly painting. It is 12"x12" on a deep stretcher. Oil paint. Inspired by my trusty assistant.

Ciao for now.

Giving Thanks

Like many of you in the U. S. I had friends and family over for a 4th of July celebration and barbeque. Prior to the arrival of guests John and I harvested produce for the table: greens and onions and tomatoes for the salad and sugar peas to munch on. I received a call from my little sister in Houston announcing her wedding to her long time sweetheart (congratulations, dear friend and sister!) and then during our celebration two of our guests announced that they also had married only several days ago in a distant city with only immediate family present.

So much good news! Hopeful young lovers, living out their courage and dreams for happiness. I wish them all well in this sometimes difficult world just as I wish you my reader well. Let's all do our best to support each other.
Lookie lookie. She cooks. She baked a fabulous strawberry rhubard crisp - the 4th of July tradition in our house. The DH (Poppa) barbequed the smoky spicy hot chicken, first born (Pumpkin) brought the garlic toast, last born (Kitten) brought baked beans, chips and salsa, Gene and Joan (congratulations!) brought fruit salad and cousin-Robert brought cookies. We had a huge ice chest full of beer, pop and hard lemonade and a watermelon on ice. Life is sweet. These are the moments - the only ones we'll ever have.

Let Us Give Thanks

Let us give thanks for a bounty of family and for children who are our second planting,
and though they grow like weeds and the wind too soon blows them away,
may they forgive us our cultivation and fondly remember where their roots are.

Let us give thanks for generous friends with hearts as big as hubbards
and smiles as bright as their blossoms;

for feisty friends as tart as apples,

for continuous friends, who, like scallions and cucumbers,
keep reminding us that we've had them;

for crotchety friends, as sour as rhubarb and as indestructible;
for handsome friends, who are as gorgeous as eggplants and as elegant as a row of corn,

and the others, as plain as potatoes and as good for you;
for funny friends who are as silly as Brussels sprouts and as amusing as Jerusalem artichokes,

and serious friends, as complex as cauliflowers and as intricate as onions;
for friends as unpretentious as cabbages, as subtle as summer squash,

as persistent as parsley, as delightful as dill, as endless as zuchinni, and who, like parsnips, can be counted on to see you throughout the winter;

for old friends who wind around us like tendrils and hold us, despite our blights, wilts and witherings.

And finally, for those friends now gone, like gardens past that have been harvested and who fed us in their times that we might have life thereafter; for all these we give thanks.

-Max Coots