things and ships and sealing wax...

Today I finished making a paper boat for a project that fired my imagination. It's for a fundraiser for Mary-Ann's cottage, a living history museum in Soctland run by volunteers from the Caithness Heritage Trust. There is a blog showing the boats already submitted from all over the world here and so far surprisingly few are from the U. S. If nothing else go and admire the boats already collected; they are fabulous. You have until August 10th if you care to participate. Artists make good things happen! (More photos at the end of this post.)

I've been busy. Walking in the park with John.

Admiring the Queen Anne's Lace that grows along the path.

Basking in the sun that warms the meadow.

Meeting friends in the Hawthorne District to discuss art, travel, writing, Art Fiberfest, the desert.

Relationships, friendships, community and caring for each other.

Rice invited me to journal one afternoon at Reed College where Art Fiberfest was being held so I showed up and worked on my paper boat while Teesha and Tracy worked on their journal pages.

It was fun. Their journals are so beautiful and so uniquely their own. I always get inspired around journalers.

Meanwhile Rice taped and videoed and interviewed the people in the room for her next book. I learned a lot about the early days of stamping. (Check out Tiphoni and Theo's sites too.)

Admired somebody's beautiful tattoos. She's got the skin I would have in a wild dream.

This is one of the boats you will see when you visit the paper boat site. The tiny handmade books fit inside the boat.

Mine is paper, acrylic paint, amber shellac, india ink, beeswax and resin. For awhile it glued itself together and I thought all was lost but I persevered and it worked.

I put in the burning house to signify life's brevity; with the passing of several great artists this week I'm again reminded that we burn through our days; they pass as effortlessly as paper boats on the current.