The Calm Before the Next Storm

It's been a wonderful couple of weeks since my return from the east coast. I've slept in and indulged myself in every pleasure I could get my mitts on. And so, full of chocolate and well rested, I've packed my bags and filled my teaching boxes in preparation for Art and Soul.

I love teaching in my home town. That means I can take everything; lots of filled journals, more clothes than I could ever need and all my electronic toys.

Check out the enormous cake our friends presented John with on his Birthday. Across the pineapples it reads: Feliz Cumpleanos John and it is a cake like none I've ever seen or eaten before.

It is made up of layers of puff pastry with whipped cream and fresh fruit on top and filled with a sweet caramel pudding. The cake is called Miel Ojas (also Mil Hojas) and it was heavenly. 

Of course I've been experimenting in the studio. I think that's what I do best. I am curious. I get an idea and I just keep switching it up to see what will happen. The transfer above is from a transparency sheet to watercolor paper. I had to try photo paper, contact paper, direct transfer and so on until I almost rubbed all the skin off my fingers. 

This is the teapot I painted for the Art and Soul silent auction fundraiser. Alice falling down the rabbit hole. Such a wonderful metaphor.

This is another view.

And the Cheshire cat on the back of the pot. The entire pot is coated in encaustic medium.

This is the contact paper transfer.

This page is about growing up in Arizona. Every photo has a personal connection for me relating to events in my past. Things I love to think about and yet things I need to release.

I once knew a 92 year old woman with an excellent sharp mind who told me the biggest challenge she faced was not thinking about the past all the time. Because her memory was intact and there was so much to remember. So many good things. I can relate.

This page I started at Squam as a demo on breaking in a new journal. How you have to choose a color and boldly slap it on. How you start with something random and then gently bring order to the chaos. The deep satisfaction of doing that.

I gathered acorns at Squam that I glued and drilled and attached to the journal that I sewed together there. I get all of my best ideas from my so-called students and this was one of them. *wink*

We are eating lots of arugula this week; I made this salad twice already and might make it again. Here is the recipe.

ARUGULA AVOCADO SALAD

big bowl of washed, broken arugula without the stems

cut up avocado

thin slices of red onion

walnut pieces (or sliced tomato)

dressing: equal parts of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar

shake up the dressing with salt and pepper and dress the salad

you will feel as strong as Popeye if you eat this salad

This is the last page of the journal I just finished. Good-bye old friend. 

So here is my wish for you if you live in the northern hemisphere near where apple trees grow. Step outside when the air is crisp and walk under the apple trees where you can smell the cider from the windfalls on the ground. Leaves burning. Woodsmoke. Cider and spiders. Experience all of it while you can. Namaste.