Deep Bliss

There is new life in our neighborhood; it's the season of the baby goats. And really, there is not much in life more fun to watch than baby goats finding their sea legs and playing together.

They cry for their mamas if separated for long and they love to lounge in the warm sunshine beside the barn.

They are like fresh baby buddhas; wise and contented faces, happy and full of newborn innocence. It does lift one's heart and remind us that after 8 years of darkness life goes on.

This is my muddy but affectionate friend who asked if he/she couldn't be featured on my blog too. Of course, Mr. Pigasaurus. You too are beautiful and worthy of admiration.

I'm moving slowly through the waning days of January; actually working quite steadily designing new classes (printmaking!) and writing booklets for classes already on the schedule. Lots of new ideas and enthusiasm even in winter for what is coming very soon.

This is my latest art doll, a little pull toy of fabric and Sculpey that I named Igor. He is channeling my dark side I think in his rickety wheel chair and mask. I like him because he scares the rest of the girls and keeps them in line.

I made an acrobat too while I was at the beach but she is waiting for a horse to sit on before her unveiling. Her name is Olga and she is a fierce athlete. She emigrated from Russia in the 90's and is working in a circus in Canada while our economy recovers.

I think she is related to Igor; they have the same baleful expression and undercurrent of menace.

Okay, time to change the energy to something good; baby goat to say "bye" for now and come again as time allows. As for me, maybe I'll be making a white horse today. Chow.

Winter Renewal

Nine days at the beach with 10 women friends. All the women brought their art supplies, their good natures, cameras, food, equipment, books, journals and their dreams of renewal.

What met us there was 9 days of glorious sunny weather, lapping waves, a beautiful house to be comfortable in and the gentle nurturing spirit of others. We played nice and we made things together.

One of the women brought a candle for each person who attended. We let our lights shine together and we became quiet and humble.

We painted, sculpted, cut, pasted, wrote poetry, did Soul Collage, felting, book making, jewelry making, story telling, dream spinning and future planning.

We made amazing things and we felt our spirits being filled with the shared vision.

We agreed that on our return we would use our quiet moments to reflect on life's possibilities instead of life's limitations. That we would reach out to others in support and friendship instead of looking at the things that are disappointing. We returned home with full hearts and a deeper love of each other and of others too. It was good.

When I Should Be Packing

This is where I started my day; up early (for me), gulp coffee, drive in to Portland to help judge Portland's 4th Annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. We had 2560 pieces of art contributed from 7th to 12th Grades separated into 6 categories: Painting (my category), Drawing, Printmaking/Mixed Media, Photography and Video/Film/Animation. It was wonderful seeing the advanced work these high school students had produced.

I dug through several boxes to try and unearth the Gold Key I won back in my Freshman year. I wanted to photograph it for you and tell you how it built my confidence to have that encouragement. But alas, it must be buried in one of those boxes up in the barn that haven't seen daylight for eleven years since we moved here.

This is a shot of some of us enjoying lunch in the large atrium of the art school. I attended PNCA in the early 80's and loved my time as a student. We were located in a different building then. I think it's a wonderful art school.

It's always interesting to sit on a jury and compare opinions with your peers . I'd say the three of us agreed about 92% of the time.

It was the pieces that we didn't agree on that provided the most entertainment. My fellow jurors were terrific.

I've started a poetry journal in my paper bag journal. Right now I am putting in some of my favorite verses and using lots of appropriated images along with some of my own scribbles. Eventually I want to write my own poetry in it and use only my own photographs and painting.

I wrote a lot of poetry when I was in college but haven't done so in years. I miss that pleasure and I'm going to return to it. It's only for myself; I'm old enough to know my limitations but that isn't going to stop me.

John likes to say that it's a terrible loss if we only let others sing for us, make music for us, paint for us, write for us. These are things we can all do to some extent and it's really fun to try. It deepens our experience of being alive.

One announcement; at Squam in September, Elizabeth Tanner Boll will be in attendance to show her film "Who Does She Think She Is?" and to answer questions. If you are not familiar with the film, it was made by the same producing team that won an Academy Award for Born Into Brothels. "Who Does She Think She Is?" examines some of the most pressing issues of our time: parenting and work, partnering and independence, economics and art.



And now, my friends, I'm off to pack for Bandon. Dear Katie will arrive on a big silver bird at 9 am and we will join a pack of jolly girlfriends for a happy, silly week of revelry and art making. Of course girl reporter will be sticking her big camera in everybodys' faces so you can join the fun.


Whew! Surely that's all for now. Hold down the fort until I get back. xo

Ivy

This freckle-faced cousin landed on my doorstep this evening fresh from the swimming hole. She must have come from down under as she sure wouldn't be swimming anywhere around here. I rushed too much while making her as I have a time out with girlfriends coming up this weekend and the following week and tomorrow starts the count down.

I named her Ivy because she looks just like a girl I went to school with by that name. Freckles, dark red hair, big eyes and lips, everything.

Except the muffin top. This Ivy has been eating too many potato chips and doing more sunbathing than swimming. She's made her New Year's resolution though.

I made her legs out of Sculpy which were too rickety to support her so I had to put a stick up her backside so she wouldn't fall over. Next time: dowels for legs like I used for Colette. For some reason I wanted to try something new and it didn't work.

If I made Ivy over I could get her costume right. The top needs to be shorter so the bottoms can show more. But I'm learning. I know what I'd do better now.

Here's Ivy with the rest of the girls. This may be it for awhile although I'm taking my toaster oven to the beach. And I'm talking to Diane at Innerstandings too about offering a workshop at her place in March on making the Sculpy Dolls. Her studio only holds 8 so it will be an intimate setting where we can play together all day and have a finished doll to take home.

Another art retreat website went live today; the website for Squam Art Workshops in New Hampshire that's happening this coming September. I'll be teaching only two days there (Thursday and Friday) and then leaving directly to teach in Italy that Saturday. Squam was so magical last year. If you're curious there is a beautiful slide show here that will give you a taste.

Catch you on the flip side.

Bibi's Twin

We're taking big gulps of life here at the hacienda; the time has finally arrived to grab everything as fast as you can, as much as you can. Time waits for no one.

Turns out the precocious Bibi has an identical twin who is a librarian!! I know, I was surprised too. As is the case with many twins, she is her own person, nothing like her flambouyant sister. We'll get back to the sister in a moment but first a couple of parties to attend.

On Saturday night a longtime friend turned 60 and 23 friends turned out to attend an amazing party that included a catered 6 course meal with as many courses of wine and port. Oh my.

This is the same friend who cooked the equivalent of Babette's Feast for us on his 50th Birthday. Cooked it on his wood burning stove in his earth berm home built into a hillside on a permaculture farm in Oregon. It's true, folks. There are visionaries among us and our friend is one who sees the future and is living it now. He had to milk the cow immediately before the party commenced; our wonderful friend who is both worldly and earthy and advanced. When I say you are advanced I have given you my highest compliment.

Chavo and Seiko and Tao came too. Here Tao has a giggling fit with his neighbor at the table while papa holds him. Of course I sat right next to him where I could take about a zillion pictures.

Fast forward to today when we visited with our adopted family to the south of us. Christmas festivities finally arrived after a snowy rescheduling; I learned how to make a wonderful shrimp soup from these darlings' mother tonight and we had a little tea party together with orange pop seasoned with salt. It was Celeste's idea. She's the one with the orange moustache above.

Here she reaches for the salt. I know just enough Spanish to tell her it tasted "horriblay". She laughed~!

My beautiful girls are growing up. The years roll by. Soon they will be teenagers and women. And I will still love them then, even more.

So who is this new lady; this twin of Bibi? She whispered her name to me just now - Colette. She is very French, very proper, hospital corners on her bedsheets and all that. Well somebody has to keep order in the Dewey Decimal System and Colette is our girl.

Don't even think of keeping that overdue book one day longer! Colette has her eye on you.

I think Bibi looks a little chastised having Colette here to look over things, don't you? Really, I have to snap out of it. Winter just makes me this way - it isn't my fault at all. Thanks for putting up with my silliness. ;-D

Bibi's French

Goodness, I'm blushing as I write this. It turns out there is a sister who's been living in France all these years. She came to visit yesterday and I must say she was a complete surprise. She is nothing like her sweet sisters. She's, uh, well, I'll show you.

I had to fashion a little pareau for her so she wouldn't get cold in my poorly heated studio. She showed up in a very skimpy outfit.

Oh, gosh, hide the children. Bibi says this is nothing in France. "But Bibi", I say, "this isn't France!"

Can I pin this on my friend Kay who came to play with me? She brought terra cotta and Sculpy Three which is flesh colored to experiment with.

Her whimsical friar comes apart in 3 interlocking pieces. Great idea! I like the expression on the Phoenix's face.

She looks innocent, doesn't she? It's always the quiet ones ...

Here she is with the rest of the family.

And properly clothed. I sure hope that's out of my system now.

Tiny Dancer

This whisper of a doll started out as an experiment just to see if I could make anything out of Crayola air dry clay. It's a product made for kids and I have no idea what's in it but other than a tendency to crack a little and to dry with the heaviness of a rock it is not impossible to form. It lends itself to klutzy forms in general I think but it is lots of fun too.

It doesn't want to stick to itself so when you add parts to parts it's a good idea to use Elmers Glue or soft gel medium.

It did dry overnight and then I sprayed the body with matte acrylic spray before painting after I discovered that the residual moisture makes the acrylic stay slightly damp. The quick spray with aerosol acrylic seals the clay so that painting is a snap.

I have no idea why you'd even want to try this product other than it's cheap and you can share it with your kids. Wait - that's reason enough. Me, well, I'm just the curious type and wanted to explore a different material. I'm all about the search, the experiment, the wondering.

Summer joins her big sisters on the paint box where she can direct the activity in the studio.

And yes, I am barely aware that we had another holiday. Happy New Year to all my delicious art friends and whoever comes to this blog; may you find joy and light in 2009.