Fires in the Woodstove

Oh, I am a BAD blogger. Gone are the days when I posted nearly a dozen times in a month. Now I can barely manage a drive-by and I blame it all on my computer. Between the blogs I follow (probably yours!) and the Facebook and Pinterest entertainment half my day is gone. That only leaves a few hours to fling paint around and put a salad together for supper. Oy!

So I filched Stephanie Brockway's photo off of Facebook showing the wall with my paintings at Guardino Gallery. The opening is Thursday night from 6-9pm (Portland, Oregon). I'll try to make the opening but I'm getting ready for more travel so we'll see.

I think it's going to be a terrific show. Both of my paintings are encaustics done on wood panels. Very Day of the Dead, showing my Arizona and Mexico roots.

I've been playing in the cold wax too; preparing for the November workshop here. I spoke to a friend this morning about the difference between painting in acrylic and cold wax. For me one is a challenge (acrylic non-representational) while cold wax is easy, almost play.

My Calvinist streak thinks art should challenge. Another voice tells me it should be natural, enjoyable, that one shouldn't be creating "art" but instead should be having an experience that is human. Sometimes I wish I'd never gone to art school. Those voices argue within me.

I made a couple of journals this week too; one for myself and one for a friend. This is mine; acrylic on the cover but using the techniques I use with cold wax.

My love affair with books continues unabated. I think the last thing I'll ever do is write in my journal. It's my meditation and ground.

John planted out the garlic today; 4 varieties of both soft and hard necked. He and I canned 56 quarts of tomatoes this year. That's about all we can use in a year. The rest of the tomatoes went to friends and family.

 

The walnuts have born well this year so those have been in the dryer along with grapes and plums. 

Most of the squash are gathered in and the corn which we grow for tortillas. John does some magic with lime (nixtamalization). Good stuff.

I've been drooling paint in my paper bag journal when I get bored and out of sorts as I've found myself in the past week for who knows what reason. I certainly have nothing to complain about; a little spot on my tongue was found to be benign although the removal and week of not being able to eat because of stitches in my tongue was anything but pleasant. Health is everything, at any age.

So here is a recent journal page where I was crabby but trying to keep myself entertained. I sincerely hope you aren't given to dark moods. I don't know where they come from and I wish they would not visit me at all.

Besos y abrazos.