Monday, August 29, 2016

Travel: Through Time, Space, Culture

Steve, LInda, Shannon in the home of Bar B Que and Grits
I am always grateful when my youngest brother, David, organizes a trirp and says, "Let's Go" because he always plans every detail beautifully. Last summer the whole family was in Iowa, where our parents ended up, because Dad wanted to be in the middle of the country to photo trains on each edge. While we all worked to move Mom into a smaller and more manageable residence, Steve and LInda were doing double duty to clean out the house where our parents and then Steve and Linda and their girls had lived for over 50 years.

Mirrored time house in a Botanical Garden...I didn't gain THAT much weight, though it was tempting

Different organizations sponsored various types of tiny houses...fun for kids

The HIve was constructed of artfully-arranged pieces of 2x4, made lovely shadow patterns

David with a spikey tree  in the greenhouse...what an interesting texture

LInda with peaches...peach season in the Carolinas. I found watermelon rind pickles here


David spoiled me for taking pictures...his are so much better than mine...and I find myself wanting to Experience, instead of photograph. We had SO MUCH great food! and I didn't even document much of it.

Steve and Linda's daughter, Shannon, her husband, Chris made a boiled dinner for us with seafood and corn on the cob instead of the traditional New England corned beef and cabbage...theirs was Delish!

Steve and Linda are really enjoying their grandparents role, since they had to work when their girls were small

Classic Southern...lots of tasty grease

Sweet Tea...another classic Southern. We had a 12-year-old seat mate on the plane from Seattle to Charlotte. She bemoaned the lack of proper sweat tea on the Alaska cruise she had just taken with her father and grandparents

Steve and Linda did not neglect the cultural aspects of our visit...a plantation in Charlotte...


Steve took us to see a huge flea market, new housing developments, countryside, coffee places, and tons of food. It was really nice to be with family that we don't/won't see much any more...and the two oldest of our grand nieces...cuteness runs in that side of the family for sure!

Just in case you haven't already heard: I'm having my own big garage sale: great deals on printed books...I don't need them now that I'm selling on Amazon.
Click on the link at bottom for the deal.












Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Travel is broadening...Holly's Wedding in VT

Follow my blog with Bloglovin By using this link, you can connect to this blog on Bloglovin.com/
As well as the two blogs on Blogspot, I have two on Wordpress.com. One for class work at Peninsula College and one for my Graphic Grannies comix...Eventually I'll get all this stuff coordinated. My brother, David, a Seattle graphic designer and artist has been a great inspiration to me to get more tech savvy.

In the mean time, some photos from our trip to SC and VT...Inspiring to be back home, see family and friends, look at ART, be inspired, eat very well.

Our cousin, Holly's wedding. Holly in her purple dress with both sons
Me and cousin Bob...who went from toddler to grandpa in what seems like a very short time

David and Uncle Bill...some kids never grow up!

Arlene, Bill, Me...Bill is only 15 years older than I am...and another March baby.
My purple socks

David's purple socks

Can you tell there was a purple theme? Arlene made the cake

Uncle Bill says, "time goes quickly whether you're having fun or not...might as well have fun."

Monday, August 15, 2016

Just Keep Working

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I was finishing this post on the day I left for SC and VT, so just slapped the images up in a hurry. It was a wonderful trip. Now that I'm home, I'll add captions. See pictures from my trip on my other blog: http://www.hotflashwomen.blogspot.com 


Wisdom from beyond the grave

I subscribed to Painterskeys.com many years ago when Robert Genn was alive, and I still receive the emails today, with his daughter, Sara, carrying on the tradition.

This week’s message was about finding yourself again in art/writing, though it can easily apply to all forms of art work and creativity, and starting, as well as getting back to the work.

Children seem to find an uncensored joy in creating that can be snuffed by parents or teachers who see the time spent playing with creativity
I've been doing a series of mixed media nudes based on life drawings I've done

The 12" x 12" size and relatively cheap materials allow me to play and experiment without worrying about waste

A sculpture I did from a sketch in one of my books, 14" tall


I continue to be attracted to using soft sculpture to express movement

A 3" version of one of the nudes above. As an exercise, I'm using small layering experiments as a base for the nudes
as wasted…as some of the members of my book group didn’t understand how Patti and Robert could find inspiration sitting on a bed together drawing and playing with trash, words, ideas…

“…You destroyed your stuff because your discipline was external. You must now internalize your discipline. Actually, this adolescent action-reaction is commonplace. While many flames are permanently snuffed, they need not be. Some folks figure it out and end up loving again.
Here’s how they do it:
Allocate a writing hour for every single day
Write whatever holds your interest or takes your fancy
If you can’t think of anything to write, write anyway.
Work for no other reason than to give yourself joy.
Bring in the wisdom of all your fallow or waste.
In your spare time read the admired writing of others.
When you think you’re getting it right, rewrite it.
Share your efforts only with a trusted friend.
Look for the gleams of personal style and go there.
Allow yourself to fall in love with the process.
Archive your work for your benefit as you go.
Give this program some honest effort for a six week period
I’ll swear on half  a dozen early editions of Webster’s Dictionary                                                                         That you will find yourself again.

In my recent Urge to Purge, I need to NOT throw away too much.
Robert’s advice applies to any creative or driven person
I was reminded today in reading Vermont Life
The mycologist who makes his living as a lawyer
My years working in health care…
I kept quitting each time I stockpiled enough money
To work on my art til the money ran out…
That was an old craft fair joke
I guess I’m lucky that I stayed with the Day Job
Til I could afford to retire at the end of 2013
Now my job is full-time artist

But in not having too much junk accumulated
Like my raised-by-the-Depression mother
I must keep enough
To remind me
Of who I am.

Off to Vermont...More detail next week.

Tuesday, August 09, 2016

Don't Worry, Be Happy


 Wanting to make my two blogs slightly different...and so excited about regaining my connectivity from yesterday...I've added the skating figures I made several years ago to this post of the skater I finished yesterday to post something new. in the drawing for this figure, there were features, lines in the hair, and stripes on the clothes.

I think the shape is expressive without colors...and I made the body from a white-on-white print, in stead of muslin, which takes acrylic paint well. Unlike my usual Jump Right In habit, I actually tested the acrylic on a scrap of the fabric and it ran like crazy...so the new figure is not painted.





To see the actual post for yesterday, go to my other blog: http://www.hotflashwomen.blogspot.com


Monday, August 01, 2016

Art Friends and Identity


 
1. Doll made with fabric I marbleized at Jan Dove's studio

Side view, beaded face and hair


Outsider Artists
Don’t need feedback
But I do

Well, maybe not Need,
But Like/Appreciate
Especially when it’s Positive,
“I like that, Keep Going!

Mixed media nude from one of my life drawings. The red is from the painting underneath

A smaller version of the same pose, done over experiments with Crackle Medium by Golden

It’s good to cultivate friends
Those younger,
Who can give us rides
And an insight into the latest
Slang

Artist friends (all kinds)
Who are serious about
Their own work

2. Doll made from second piece of marbleized fabric

Close up: quilting


So they can give
Good, supportive criticism
And inspire me with
Their own Amazing work

Meeting today
With blackberry pie
An investment in my
“Golden” years

A person has to
Plan Ahead


Small version of another nude

Mixed media 3" I AM
 We four may have
Started Something
Today...or at least we
talked with others
who understand us.



3. starting a wall piece with my first piece of marbelizing

Finished piece: Messages to Women, Messages to Artists, Messages to Me

Mixed media 12"

Mixed Media: Passion Fire

MIxed media, 12" Not quite finished