The Last of the Postcards

Ta Da! 90+ postcards done and ready to go out into the world. This was more fun than I can say; the second batch I think was better than the first overall and I learned a lot by doing so many at once. I'm really convinced now that working on many pieces at once improves all of them.

The reason is that you brain doesn't get "stuck" and go over to the left side. You just stay with your intuition and that's really your best guide.

All of these are photographs of my family; after reading about Shepard Fairey's being sued I'm all of the sudden intimidated about swiping images off the net. I mean hello, these are collages.

And all innovation comes from mixing up the gene pool so to speak. You know my feelings on this.

Oops. There's one right there. (shhhhh!) But that really is my sister and I think of her a lot.

These are my great grandmother and her sisters that they called the big five. Gosh I'd like to meet them. Aren't they cool?

My daddy was wearing my little sister's cowboy hat that day. He was a real cut up.

That's my Buff Beauty rose there. Mmmmm, we had warm days this week and it won't be long until she gives me more blossoms.

I left home at 16. Nobody made me but myself; I was fated to strike out early and hard. It turned out fine.

Mama and grandma. This was the grandma that adopted my mother when she was 11 years old. They always had a good relationship. She was the grandma I was closest to; a warm, loving, sweet-natured woman who adored me and my sisters.

And that's the truth. Today I run errands and buy things. Wheee ... I'll get this economy rolling again. Hugs all around.

What's Cookin'

Look what came in the mail yesterday!! A couple of weeks ago I entered into a give away on Alisa Burke's blog and I won this beautiful clutch from her. She let me choose my favorite colors and my word for 2009 (moderation - I know, laugh now). Oh, it's so much prettier in person than I could have imagined!

This is what it looks like when it is snapped shut.

And then it opens up into this deep pouch that I can imagine even puttin long papers into.

I love Alisa's work so much because she has that free loosey-goosey style going on that speaks to confidence and joy. She is teaching this August in Arizona at Art Unraveled where yours truly anticipates meeting her for the first time. You just might want to sign up for a class with her and learn her secrets. (yes, I'll be teaching there too and registration is open now.)

So what else has been going on in the studio is a giant gelatin printing fit. My list of things to do in the off season included a go at this. Printing without a press. Making stuff for my collage paper stash. Because I'm low on stuff. (more maniacal laughter)

I pulled off dozens of prints in a few hours, filling the studio floor with wet prints.

Tried out paints, inks, dyes, alcohol, and everything I could think of to try.

Masks, stencils, stamps, vegetation, direct painting on the gelatin.

I'll be offering a class this fall with my compadre on printing without a press. She is a whiz at this and I love hanging with her so this will be pure delight.

In an earlier lifetime I was a maker of etchings and that was incredibly challenging and fun.

We want this class to be fun without being that challenging.

The hardest thing about making these kinds of monoprints is stopping once you've started.

Because your imagination is saying, "what happens if I try that (piece of texture)? " and soon you're running all over the studio upending everything in your haste to throw stranger and stranger objects on the gelatin.

It's very cool.

I may do some more today if I can find my brayers under all the clutter.

Okay, that's the end of the show and tell. You were a very good audience.

We'll finish up with the latest journal page. Bits and pieces. Memories and dreams from the daily mill. And this parting thought; that our waking life is only half the story. In dreams, actual deep sleep, lives another life more strange and wonderful than what we sense during our "waking" hours. That's what I've been chewing on this week.

Addendum: Squam registration is now open too.

The Everything Post

Lots of photos to share; first a few left over from the beach trip. It seems fitting since the beach trip is weaving in and out of my thoughts and dreams as I continue here at home.

The sounds, smells and flavor of the southern Oregon coast follow me and are just a memory away.

Oka, a root crop from the Andes that will be grown in a couple of gardens this coming season.

Gazing into 2009, wondering what the year will bring and feeling optimistic.

I'm working in the paper bag journal; writing my rusty poetry.

These pages were written at the beach amid the clamor and creativity.

Making marks, writing, painting, telling my little story. You'd think it was important.

It's a way of trying to celebrate every moment. I read about a poet recently who said, "I love life and I never want to die." and I nodded my agreement. Life good. Precious. Never want to leave.

Too much still to do. Still in love with every precious moment.

Journal page. The faces. Good friends who like to make things and play nice. Who also want to live deeply and share ideas.

So for 2 days now I've been working on collaged postcards for a poetry exchange I'll be participating at the beginning of the spring equinox.

One postcard a day for 3 months. That means I have to prepare approximately 90 postcards. This is a good exercise, actually.

And it's a boon for clearing out some of those images that have been cluttering up the studio.

When the time comes to start the exchange I can just shuffle through the cards until one strikes my fancy and then write my little poem on the back.

One woman in our group pointed out that a poem can be only one word if we wish it. That made it seem easier.

Because I can scratch my head for an hour over a single phrase.

As usual, once I get started on a project like this I like to keep going until I'm done.

But 90 4 x 6" collages are a lot, even if you tell yourself to relax and just let them happen.

When I recieve my postcards in return I plan to bind them all into a book.

And I plan to keep a record of the cards and poems I sent too, in another book.

So one thing about 2009 is this - I think I'm going to be a busy girl.

But oh, what delicious fun I'll have. I do look forward to it.

Almost finished now.

Whew! Hugs all around. Prayers for safety, for strength, for the wellness of all sentient beings.

Olga and Skylar

All week long Olga's been insufferable; bragging to the other dolls that she's getting a horse. Well, today her dream came true; Skylar arrived with a feather in his hat so to speak - meet the newest members of the doll menagerie.

Olga was born at the Bandon House where she promptly pushed one of the other dolls off the cupboard not once but several times. She is very firm about ruling the roost and Katie's doll had a beautiful necklace that made her jealous so it's easy to understand what went on once the lights went out.

The horse is held together by wires covered with plastic straws around the base that I painted black. That and bubble gum.

Skylar is what you'd call a one trick pony (how I love that song, concept and image) - he's ready to do his trick and only wonders when to start.

Olga loves having her picture taken. She twirled and preened for the camera.

I want to make a nurse, an Orvieto-bound doll, other circus performers. I want to but it's time to get back to work.

If this doll jones lasts much longer I'm going to have to get more supplies than wire and straws. Anyway, Olga says hello and ha ha I have a horse and you don't. Well, except some people I know. Some people have a new horse but not everybody. ;-)

Stay well.