The Big Catch Up

Everything is yeasty and rising in my neck of the woods. 

My painting buddies came to visit and we all painted big boards together. That unleashed a week of creativity that I'm still riding high on.

I want to alert you to this TED talk and the challenge that I've accepted to write out my gratitudes and blessings for 21 days in a dedicated journal. In this photo you see other big things filling my life right now. The Mixed Media Journal eBooks that are available here and the green smoothies that have brought me control over my junk fooding and 10 pounds of weight loss. Had to shop for smaller levis and (ahem) underwear. Feeling mighty spunky about that.

My Favorite Green Smoothie

one banana

mango or papaya chunks (1 cup)

frozen blueberries (1/4 cup)

lime juice (1/4 lime)

non-dairy "milk"(almond or hempseed) 1 1/4 cups

stuff blender to the top with dark greens

brewers yeast (1 tbsp.)

walnuts (2 tbsp.)

chia seeds (1 tbsp.)

Blend until smooth. If I drink one for breakfast I'm still full at lunch and only need a mid-afternoon snack.

Then yesterday another friend and I drove up to Seattle to see the Gauguin show and incidentally got to see paintings by one of my art heros, Mark Rothko. Here's Kay standing in front of one. It was amazing. And the Gauguins were amazing too but there were too many people around to sneak off a shot.

Here are my latest paintings. Acrylic, 24x48"

8 1/2 x11"

8 1/2 x11"

8 1/2 x11"

8 1/2 x11"

These are the types of studies I intend to work on during my residency in Spain at Can Serrat in 5 days. I'm excited to find myself there and see what else inspires me too; maybe landscape.  But do tell me what you think of my line and color studies. I'm ever so infatuated with them right now.

It's such a nice day; let's stroll the garden for a moment while you're here.

Someone gave me these luscious tulips. Someone who knows what colors I love.

Time for rhubarb crisp. These leaves are humungous.

The peonies are coming on just as I'm about to leave. (insert sad face here)

Leeks! We love leeks in pasta.

Lily of the valley. Exquisite fragrance.

Kale. Crinkly, crunchy kale.

The rhodys are coming on.

Swiss chard spends the winter. A welcome guest.

I doubt if even the Italians eat more garlic than we do.

Mountain Bluet. Kin to Bachelor Buttons. So blue it's hard to believe.

Artichoke hearts. Not as big as the ones you get at the Serena Gorda Bar in San Miguel de Allende but still a fabulous treat.

Apple blossoms now, fat, juicy apples in the fall. Mmmmmm.

This is where all the greens for the smoothies come from.

Favas are coming on strong.

And a note to the Wilmington students: A great place to stay is the Waterway Lodge; link here. Kim will hook you up with a room share if you're interested in that. 

 

Hot Wax eBooks are available here and a reminder that I'll be teaching at EncaustiCamp again this summer; it's a wonderful mid-summer gush of encaustic creativity and friendship gathering place so be sure to get your reservations lined up now. July in Oregon is gorgeous; you'll be glad you came.

This year is going to be wonderful; I'm so excited to be connected once again to the International Encaustic Group in here in Portland and I'll have some exhibition announcements about that pretty soon too. Life is full, is good, is full of promise. 

If you can imagine it, you can do it.