A Change in Direction

Times Change...Sometimes it's difficult to imagine how the events of the last 3 months will play out.

I've been thinking for a while about consolidating my outreach, since I'm now mostly making things for my own pleasure. Today, 1/29/17, my plan is to have one blog, at: https://pamelabythesea.wordpress.com/  Once I re-teach myself how to manage Wordpress, I should be able to have different places on the blog for you to go to look at: Mixed Media/2-B, Nudes, Dolls/3-D, Special Projects, including my art-work-a-day project at the end of 2016.

The new site was built initially to display my work from the computer graphics classes I took at Peninsula College in 2015/2016, but those are interesting, too, and may lead to more.

I'm selling Kindle and Print on Demand books at Amazon.com/PamelaHastings  and e-books on www.healingandtransformativedolls.com

My web site: www.pamelahastings.com will be mostly a museum...I'm slowly turning my classes into books.

Please email me with any questions...or burning desires to purchase something from me.

Sometimes the best things to do arte to be Compassionate and Kind and Keep Making ART!

Examining my Branding

Me and Glad Hand Totem Boys in a Vermont Cornfield in the Seventies

 I have been making art since I was 5, selling art since high school...now that my seventieth birthday is in sight, I'm thinking it's time to re-think my branding ...and deciding what it is I want to sell.

I attended an online class on marketing via social media last Wednesday. I've been retired from my health care job for 3 years. I can't Stop being an artist, so I'm thinking about consolidating my 2 blogs to one, and putting whatever comes out of that on Word Press...any comments?

My art works for each day for the last week:

Thanksgiving NW--2016 Traditional themeIy

Our version of Aunt Arlene's frozen green salad. I used organic food dye and Doug decorated

The first Thanksgiving that I moved to Port Angeles, my family told me that I would have the honor of hosting Thanksgiving in perpetuity. When David started bringing Brian along, he began the tradition of themed Thanksgivings. We've had everything from All Pies, to Thanksgiving on a Stick, to Mexican, and French.

My house is well suited to many in the kitchen and open communication with those in the living room.

This year we chose Traditional Thanksgiving...or bring something you remember from your youth. Amal didn't celebrate Thanksgiving as a child in Palestine, but she brought a traditional salad. Connie brought an unbaked squash pie, which her family celebrates as pumpkin. Brian brought canned gellied cranberry sauce and 2 cans of pitted black olives for using as finger puppets.

The Brothers communicate with other family

members far and wide...Thayer in DC, Steve and his group in Chicago, Mom in Iowa...and more

We really, really tried hard to be conservative in the food and amounts, but I still have a refrigerator full for the coming week. As always, everything was delicious, and it was really good to spend almost a whole day together...maybe not since Easter. Even though we live closer together now, being together under the same roof is still rare and precious.

Don't forget: Katie and I will be showing at the Sequim Prairie Grange Holiday Bazaar 9-2 on Saturday, 12/3. Stop and Shop, see what we've been working on.

Being Thankful

What there was of my family in 1954...I am the gorgeous blonde creature in the middle, Mom and Dad, his brother, their parents, and the first 2 of my 4 brothers. We had many family Thanksgivings in their "modern" house in Bradford, VT

NW color...on the other side of the country, where I live now

I like Thanksgiving, an unashamed food holiday. Since I moved to the NW, the three brothers and spouses that live here decided I should host this holiday, and since Brian Palmer came into our lives a lot of years ago, and since 11/1/16 married to my brother, David, we've had themed Thanksgivings...just to keep things interesting.

Donkey-tail euphorbia in my gravel back yard, accented with a yellow poplar leaf and some beach stones

Northeast corner of my yard, sun on yellow poplar leaves, brilliant emerald playing field of the high school behind

More Local Color...this is a wonderful place to live

Focussing on the positive, I am very thankful for family, friends, where I live, and my ability to lose myself in art projects. See my other blog, with daily art works at: http://www.hotflashwomen.blogspot.com  It's almost time for Katie and My showing at Sequim Prairie Grange Holiday Bazaar 12/3 (Saturday)

Wake Up, Don't Give Up!

Pre-Election collage/drawing

It has been almost a week, and I'm going through the classic stages of Mourning. Listening to CBC instead of NPR...helps to get a bit of distance.

The latest issue of Union of Concerned Scientists magazine was published before the election results were in, but it's pretty hopeful about the East Coast, West Coast (and CA is as big as a country) making significant progress in providing solar power access to middle class and low-income. CBC says that maybe the rest of the world can make up for any additional coal mines in US...we haven't been very good about international agreements historically. New requirements for trucks to become more energy efficient is hopeful because it saves both the environment and bottom-line money.

Post-election, Leonard Cohen's death, Focus on Compassion  11.11.16

Focusing on negatives and stress only lets the dark side win yet another victory. Stay Open, Stay Aware, Look for Opportunities to Effect/Affect Change.

Make Art and reach out to others. Supporters of both ends of the voting public want major changes in our government...as you probably know, my candidate of choice didn't even get to run. Corporations seem to still have the most power and perhaps we can work to induce some sense...

http://www.hotflashwomen.blogspot.com for more artistic responses to stress.

Leave my Time Alone!

Early Morning Pink Sky

I have very mixed feelings about Daylight Savings Time and time changes in general...Legend has it that the time change started for the sake of farmers...but I've never known a serious farmer who cared what time was on the clock. Bushie the younger pretended he was saving energy for the nation by messing yet again with the timing of the time change...and while his premise has been disproved, my clock and my furnace haven't accommodated to the change in the change.

Messing with time has shown to be bad for the health, children wearing black getting run over in the dark...so just start school later in the dark days...or dress your children appropriately for the weather. More colds when the body's internal rhythms are disrupted. I'm sure it's not as much of a problem closer to the equator.

Retired people can work according to the weather outside, too. Light helps me get going in the morning, and I start winding down when darkness falls.

Blooming ground cover in my gravel yard.

Since I live in the NW US, nature gets confused about the time of year...a number of plants are blooming, and the snow is on the mountains where it belongs.

This week I've had conversations with two of my long-time friends, John from college and David from my first architecture job. With both, I've talked about the long-term effects of the ways we were raised...the voices of parents, real or imagined, have a huge effect on the way we perceive ourselves--Still today, men as well as women. In reaction, I tried to start a Creative Selfishness movement, the premise being, that we can't take good care of those around us, if we don't take good care of ourselves.

I/we still fight the internal voices that tell us we aren't good enough or kind enough, that we don't deserve treats. I keep fighting valiantly...and I'm not all that profligate. I stay within my budget and spend time working on my projects every day.

The Daily Special 11/5 at Hansai in Port Townsend

For the second time in a month, I've treated myself to a filmed live performance at the Rose Theater in Port Townsend...100-mile round trip to see an amazing performance front row: Three Penny Opera by London's Royal Theater and the Alvin Ailey dance troupe at Lincoln Center.

Fortunately these shows are at 12:30, because the days are getting shorter (back to my original topic) and with my declining vision, I don't feel safe driving after dark. When I visit PT in the long days of summer, the beach at Fort Worden or North Beach are usually on my list, but this time my extras were wonderful food and a stimulating conversation with Ron Myhre at Curator's Eye (last time I bought beads).

Ron loves tiny rocks as much as I do, and he introduced me to some of his

He also loves strange and interesting things. His wife works at one of my other favorite restaurants in Port Townsend, Alchemy

I like taking myself on small trips, don't need Europe, or even Seattle...tasting, talking, seeing, hearing...my world is rich, even when the light is short.

Home again. Rainy days are beautiful. Life is Good!

Check out my other blog: http://www.hotflashwomen.blogspot.com/ and mark 12/03/16 on your calendar for the holiday show at the Sequim Grange to see and buy what Katie and I have been working on.

City Love

One Donkey Tail Euphorbia plant self-multiplied

I've been reading For the Love of Cities by Peter Kageyama. Ever since Richard Florida started writing about what makes cities successful, I've said that Port Angeles is full of potential. In the eleven years that I've lived ihere, I've participated in a number of activities designed to realize that potential. I do see pieces of change: the waterfront walk, a few more young businesses downtown that point in the right direction.

Deep Water Harbor with ships, the Waterfront Walk

Once it finally stopped raining on 10/28 (or took a breather) I couldn't bring myself to go back inside. I walked to the library and back up the hill without even stopping to rest...I may be getting stronger. I weeded in the driveway (an endless task) but I can sit on the ground to do it, which is why black jeans have become a permanent part of my outfit. Then I sat on my back steps in the sun and read a book about professional illustrators and art directors getting together weekly to draw...inspiring.

Succulents with a last gasp of bloom

More Waterfront Walk and improved signage

The Port Angeles Fine Arts Center has been struggling, but I just greceived notice of a new director and a member meeting. The college is continuing to build and run events...taking classes last year got me started on learning and using new computer skills. How can I continue to encourage the buds, the seedlings of bloom Here where I Live?

I hope the devisiveness of the current election is quickly resolved and that we can celebrate our diversity, rather than yell at each other.

Check out  my other blog: http://www.hotflashwomen.blogspot.com/
Mark your calendar for 12/3/16, the Sequim Prairie Grange Holiday Bazaar, to see me and Katie and what we have been working on.