3/30/17

I am taking a lovely little class with Carla Sonheim called Flower Crazy 2. The class is just what I needed right now. Nothing too heavy or stressful, just a fun class to learn some new techniques. Flowers are my go to anyway for the least stressful subject matter.

We learned how to use a new paper (well new to me anyway) called "Swedish Tracing Paper." I had never heard of this before but it is really nice to work on and very serendipitous. You just don't know what the watery mix of paint will do but it is sure to be a lovely surprise when it dries. The center of the above flower is made using this paper.

This one was made with the same paper but I added one of my own hand cut stencils behind them.

Things here are still extremely stressful but taking these classes really helps me keep my s*** together. We are also due for a trip out to Arizona in 2 weeks so that will be a nce thing to look forward to. The desert will be in bloom by then. Always a wonder!

3/19/17

Winter

Tomorrow is the first day of spring but it doesn't really feel like it at all. It has been very cold and very snowy here. More like January.

I guess that is why I chose to paint a rather colorless piece. Very wintry colors.

Not much else to say. Things here are the same pretty much. Dealing with a lot of family issues at the moment and so not a lot to say about the art. I signed up for another Carla Sonheim class which begins this week. Hopefully that will keep me in good spirits as her classes usually do.

Stay warm

3/5/17

Rachel Slick

Handmade book by Bobbie Wilson

Handmade Book by Gretchen Bierbaum

Fabric Collage by Janet Windsor

Fabric Collage by Janet Windsor

This is my first post since returning from Tucson as well as my first post in quite some time. We had a lovely trip although it could have been warmer but I am not complaining since it is 14 degrees here this morning in Boston.

As usual we visited our very favorite place, Tohono Chul Park and as usual there was a wonderful art exhibit in their gallery. Handmade books, quilted fabrics, and lovely paintings greeted us. You can see a few of those in the above photos I took.

I loved the handmade books best of all. I just wish there was a way to look inside them but alas, they were under glass as handmade books usually are for protection of course.

We also did a lot of decorating in the house. We bought 3 new pieces of metal collage by Rand Carlson when we visited him in his studio! And what a studio it was! Huge and filled with all manner of artwork both finished and in process.  Metal pieces everywhere as well as old antique lunch boxes, pop corn tins, cookie tins etc. He really does amazing work with old metal tins.

My very dear friend Barbara gave us a lovely piece of her sculpture for a housewarming gift.

We also bought two "nyger socks" for feeding the birds. The nyger seeds attract the loveliest yellow birds. I don't know what they are called but the birds hang all over the "sock" which is an elongated net bag. They pull the tiny seeds out through the holes with their beaks.

We also attended a lovely event sponsored by the Neighborhood Watch committee (of which I am a member). I usually never get to attend any of the book club meetings or the pot lucks since I am never out there when those things are happening. This time I was able to attend and I met some of my new neighbors! What a treat that was for us both.

This February marked the second full year since buying our home in February of 2015 and not being able to live in it.  We are longing to make our move and the waiting gets no easier especially as we age and feel the rush of time going by.

Have a great week everyone!