Togetherness and ART

For the second time in my life, I've been living alone for
an extended period, 7 years next month. It's nice to be
near enough to three of my brothers and their families
to trade visits. Hugh and Connie came over for the
long weekend, and we "did" Port Townsend on Saturday,
with a delicious dinner at the Fountain Cafe. Port Williams beach on Sunday...we walked further than I'd ever been up the beach, and they'd never been to this particular beach. I love all the choices of places to go in this peninsula. Salt water has been calling me all my life and it's wonderful to be here...even though Vermont tugs at me, too. If I could only figure out a way to live bi-coastally.

At the very end of the beach, we found artifacts from some mysterious undersea event. I took lots of pictures, including close ups of textures, which I may use some day in other Art. More on that topic later, when I show you the finished pieces that I started in Anne Grgich's class. 


With Hugh and Connie, we explored, Ate, and then back home to cook. Hugh helped me with fixing my mailbox that was run into in our one snowy period during the winter. My brothers all know how to build things and fix things, and learned by doing, which I'm trying to catch up on now.

I had the right idea about how to fix the mailbox: deconstruction and reconstruction, but it was good
to have my brother's helping hands. Here he's decorating the Hot Flash doll I brought to the beach 
with an attractive shell. I see his hands and my hands
in the same genetic pool...the ties with family are 
so strong and so important...or maybe we're just
lucky to like each other and love being together. I 
love having the company and also love having my
own life and space again. I see how Hugh and Connie have interwoven their personalities and interests
over the years. Each path has benefits.

Making the initial cuts

Hugh is demonstrating another unique skill: de-boning a  chicken, which he learned from Julia Child. He has even done Turkeys!


We made a selection of delectable veggies, and lots of garlic, for this 40 clove garlic chicken.

Veggies

Ripping the bones out

 













A sharp knife is vital to this operation.  

The bones went right into the soup pot...wonderful aromas!

Ready for the oven

He spread the boneless chicken out over the 
new potatoes and 40 cloves of garlic--really!


He cooked the greens in the chicken and garlic
juices and we played several rounds of May I. 


I had a quarter of a rhubarb custard pie in the 
freezer for desert.

Too bad I didn't spend more time focusing!

It was Delicious! Back on my spartan diet now...HA, HA! Today I made myself a Chinese pork, eggplant, pepper dish....my always reliable sensual pleasure--FOOD!




The Art Part of this post below:

Anne done in her style

Previously I posted the pieces I started in a class with Anne Grgich in Bainbridge.

Here's my portrait of Annie, and her photo.

The real Anne, an awesome teacher!

You'll have to flip back and forth to see the
early versions and finished ones. There is an addictive quality to this process: Collage, drawing, painting, mark making,
separated with layers of watered-down
white glue.  I love the mysterious surface. It's hard to know when to stop.

Grief

 

 

 

 

Pink Face

Pink Legs

Fish Face (fish on the forehead)

Mask Face (a mask under it all)

Punchella Face, scissor nose

Puzzle Face

Many threads come together in each
 Art Adventure!