Art Work

Social Media is all the rage! I'm taking classes with the Fabulous Renne to learn how to navigate all the new venues. In the mean time, my blog is home base, with a picture of my latest portrait of my friend, Loel Annie Barr
I used a photo I took the night I moved away from Saugerties, NY, almost five years ago now. She doesn't usually smoke--that I know of, but that was a unique occasion. I have a picture of Patti, too, which will be my next portrait.


I have, indeed, been seduced by the ongoing loveliness of the Northwest spring and my ongoing large (100' x 100')
Yard project...I LOVE those stones! Also the un-ending and impossible task of pulling up all the Millenium plants before they start popping seeds. All my Greatest Loves,
as well as the job that pays for the bacon are competing for my time and attention.

The long-armed and legged figure from my sketchbook page is my latest sculpture. I'll post pictures as soon as it's beyond the sewn-together fabric stage. I was going to do it for the next show at PAFAC, but I think the deadline is going to arrive too soon. Part of my new push for Maturity,
Wisdom, and Grace is to accept that I will Always want to do more than what life allows me time. If I miss a deadline, it wasn't more important than all the other things I do. Sadly, I also decided at the last minute to miss David's SMC concert in Bremerton last Saturday night. Luckily we accept each other's moment-to-moment priorities, and we have a weekend together scheduled soon...there's a Mexican restaurant on Capitol Hill I MUST try...which reminds me of the on-going Reliability of the Sensual Pleasure of Food!

My new favorite coffee house...are they as ubiquitous in the NE? Blackbird, where the pie and the magazines and bread pudding and ambiance are great, and I can justify One Piece of berry pie, if I take a good walk over to 8th and Peabody. The apple pie with cheddar crust is fabulous, and I have yet to get there early enough for the cheddar biscuit with bacon and chives, but I hear it's Wonderful. They save me from baking and eating a whole pie by myself, although I did make a Delicious cornbread with blue Stilton topping and a side of mole pork.

It's been an eventful week...Mom had a brief brush with death...a heart attack conveniently taking place in the hospital, where she'd been admitted for tests after complaining of chest pains at her doctor visit. She seems to be doing very well now, and got out of ICU on Sunday.

I was good, and did my colonoscopy on schedule, with good results...at least I found two photos in my purse after that sure looked clean. Thanks, Sally, for the ride and following me home. The procedure isn't as bad as it used to be...and we ALL have an obligation to Take Care of Ourselves...also, to be Kind and keep telling others, like Mothers, that you love them...just in case...oh, yes, and Annie has her first grandson, Charlie, born this last week and Incredibly Cute.

Euphorbia!!! I Love the name. Above, a new Euphorbia from Visions Nursery, with my attendant rock arrangement, then another Euphorbia up at the back of my back yard hill by the fence...It must have ridden in with a bag of hens and chicks that one of my patients gave me several years ago...I sure am glad I didn't weed it out by mistake, although I'm fighting the grass for control of the back row. I LOVE the combination of red and chartreuse.

Today is my Tuesday off, mostly devoted to chugging along with the Hot Flash book. I know there aren't many who would approve of my method of organization: Set up the book in In Design and just plug in pages and pictures, then
move them around until I'm satisfied...or the deadline looms, whichever comes first. For an organized person, I am rather sloppy, both about procedures and finished products. I just don't have time to be a Perfectionist...there are too many things I want to try. And I have to fit my Art Work in around my work as a hand therapist and my social activities and my magnificent stone yard and Food and exercise...book group tonight...Read 'em and Eat.

And, Oh, yes, Social Media...and figuring out how it all fits together, at least for me. Renne says we can reveal different persona in different places, and I say, well, I've been trying to be honest in my one person for years now, and feel as if I'm getting a little better at it all the time. SO, When I Have Time (when have you heard that before???) I intend to work over my web site...the location where I can sell things, like books, patterns, paintings? and sculptures? (after all, a girl has to make a little dough, so she can eat and buy paints and books and such).

This Blog, is a sort of a diary, for those who want to see me chat about All the Stuff that goes through my head from week to week...or at least some of it. Facebook is a briefer, I guess, group info/chat, where I can build a Page for my business, and keep friends updated at a quick glance. Flickr class was last night, and that looks like a place where I can group pictures of my paintings, sculptures, studio, travel...but also maybe teach classes and run groups and participate in groups online. Maybe a group of other pushy, hard-on-ourselves female artists from around the world who can encourage each other to do our best work...maybe even men artist/writers/musicians, too. The next class is in Second Life, and I think my first Avatar may be a man. Brain exercise--see how it feels. I went by the Big Doll (who lives in my main room) the other day, thinking that maybe I can stand to finish her now.

I see that there's already a Hot Flash group on Flickr...So, so many new avenues to explore! The world wide web is changing life as we expected it, for sure! Here I go, doing my best to cram in as much life and creativity and kindness as I can into each moment. Join me!