BADA BLING!

my blog is moving.....

2010-09-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

....but no worries. it will have same BLING - just another address with a whole new name and a whole new look! go straight here to "silver spike studio" for all the latest and greatest! i will keep the "bada-bling!" site up for a bunch of months, so as to not miss one of you!

PLEASE NOTE: my "off-the-cuff collage" blog will stay exactly as it is! no changes there, dear readers!

this is my life

2010-08-10T12:49:00.000-07:00

when i was in high school, i hung out with a bunch of high school peeps at a youth for christ event in medford, oregon. here is a photo of that day, circa 1972. during that time i was also in a choir that travelled around to churches and youth events. it was called the "rogue valley reflections". well, some 36+ years later? we are having a reunion! this photo was taken by lloyd smith who was the unofficial photographer of the organization and who kindly sent us all over 700+ photos of the "good ole days". whilst browsing, came across this one (completely forgotten by yours truly) - noticed about 13 different kids that i went to high school with and then saw my boyfriend at the time (hey, gary!) to the left of the speaker (jim settle, YFC director at the time) and just the top of my head! wow! blast from the past!

since news of our reunion, i have reconnected with a handful of those wonderful fellows and gals from the 70's and let me tell you.....it's been a TRIP! and shoot, the reunion proper isn't even until next weekend, but already the memories are flying, the good times remembered. an evening of song, tributes and laughter is planned for over 100 members of the choir, from years 1969 - 1975. and we have all take a solemn vow - upon first greeting each other, we will look each other in the eyes and gasp "oh, you don't look a day older!"....uhhh, yeah, RIGHT! we will also be lying!! but we will be having a great time while doing it.......

i have to admit to feeling so at odds. so excited to see everyone and so wondering what it is i have been doing with myself, what have been my accomplishments? my claim to fame? my "fifteen minutes"? and does any of that even really matter?and why am i so caught up in what these folks will think of me? rather narcissist, i realize! some of these folks are pastors, some university department heads and authors. some have been teachers and missionaries. some own well-respected businesses. some have been married to their high school sweethearts - forever! and some of us have been through harder times, more than one marriage, loses and challenges.

one gal asked me of we were all going to talk to each other like those bad christmas letters one sometimes receives.. you know the ones, where everything is GREAT. the kids are doing GREAT, their marriages are awesome, their pets can do thirty seven tricks, their grand kids are the most talented, well-behaved angels, their lives are on a GREAT path and nothing bad ever happens.....uhhhh, jakki, NO, that's not how i'm gonna portray things, because is this what i know:

everything i am today is because of everything i have gone through, every good decision and every bad. every trail and tribulation and challenges and hurt and joy and gift and wondrous miracle. i can't change anything about the past - could i even if i wanted to? and what would be the outcome? who would i be then?

am i exactly where i want to be? no
are there things left undone on my list? yep
do i weigh what i want to weigh? heck, no
are there yet dreams to be achieved? heck, yeah
am i blessed to have the best hubs in the world for me? HELL, YEAH!
am i living in a beauteous place? oh, yes, i am
am i the same little girl i was back then? well, no and YES!
am i still the church gal that i used to be? yes, and then again, no, not at all.
am i working on my art? yes, i am
are things perfect? no
will they ever be? no
do i have meaningful relationships in my life? oh, yes!
do i love god? yes, i do
am i learning and growing everyday? well, yes, i am!
am i here, kicking and screaming and moving forward? absolutely!

who we are is made up of all that we have been through.
each has their own story.
and i get to hear about many of those stories and look those dear sweet people in the eyes next weekend.
and in those eyes, my own story will be reflected.

patty pico class a-coming!

2010-08-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

wanted to let you know about this terrific opportunity coming up! take a mixed media/collage class with patty pico up at the arschool in coupeville, whidbey island in just a few short weeks. i have personally seen some of the work that has come out of patty's classes and it's amazing stuff. i am going to be an assistant in this one and am looking forward to learning & creating.......... won't you join us?

pacific northwest art school presents
Patty Picco, Instructor
Mixed Media Collage
August 20-22, 2010
Tuition: $345
Material Fee: $35

in this workshop, students will explore techniques of glazing, layering, and adding collage elements, as well as paint, to build surface textures. interesting and dramatic effects can be achieved. emphasis will be on experimentation and design.

patty picco holds a B.F.A. in painting from CSU San Jose. she also studied printmaking for two years at SF City College. she has had over twenty-five years of experience teaching art, before she and her husband moved to the island, she taught at the boca raton museum of art school in florida. before that she taught classes in napa, california.

patty encourages experimentation and creativity in her students along with developing necessary skills. she feels it is important to pay special attention to each student’s ability, which will help them develop their own personal style.

15 NW Birch St, Coupeville WA 98239
(360) 678-3396 / (866) 678-3396
www.pacificnorthwestartschool.org
(to contact patty, call 360 331 3301 or email pattypicco@yahoo.com)

window into one's soul

2010-08-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

this is what i have been working on this last little summer-while.

art journals.

wow.

loving it.

nw collage society show....coming up!

2010-08-03T16:27:00.001-07:00

all the info go here to my collage blog or visit:

www.macsequim.org/

what hubs did whilst i was in oregon.....

2010-07-11T10:58:00.000-07:00

am i the luckiest gal, or what??

the yard looks fabulous, dah-ling!

the tree that blew down three weeks away - chopped down and dealt with.

i must have about 60 new plants in a bunch of eclectic pots and planters.

a new hanging swing off the back porch.

a completely new flower bed with a rock border.

new decorative fencing to stave off the bunnies that nibble away at all his hard work (not to mention three well-loved obnoxious pups that like to forage in the aforementioned beds)!

perhaps i should go away more often....?

ArtSplash is coming!

2010-07-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

July 15-18: Thu/Fri

4-8pm

Sat/Sun 10am-5pm

ArtWorks

201 2nd Ave

Edmonds, WA

Original artwork by

over 35 artists

Miniature Sale

Artist demos

Free Admission & Parking

i will be happily be doing some art demos

and hanging out all day sunday. come on by and see me!

intuitive collage book - "art on the hill"

2010-07-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

okay, second day of "art on the hill" - the intuitive collage book.

gather your courage.

make an intention, think of an issue you are grappling with, a question you have.

take all manner of papers - substrates of your choice.

add paint, images, ink and stamps, collage fodder, and mark-making of all kinds.

tape, glue or sew a your art journal together.

add "found poetry".

stand back, amazed at the "message" your book delivers!

i am struck by the openness and sweetness of this group.

my thanks to mom, shannon, diane, karen and tracy.

i had such a satidfying time on so many levels.

surrounded by gifted women in one of the most beautiful spots in the world on a patch of 7 arces of heaven - the place i grew up.

thakns, mo, for making this possible and gathering up your "art posse".

i hope we can do it again next year......

(what do you see above? a "found poem" by me, paint galore, a glorious mess with tracy, diane and me, pages in process and the hands covered in colorful abandon)

encaustics 101: art on the hill

2010-06-25T20:42:00.001-07:00

to continue with the adventures in oregon and the first class of the weekend: encaustics 101 class, as promised! a little later than i would have liked, but such is life these days......

what do you see above? the griddle with hot wax in little tins, all ready to go, me in the middle showing karen and debi a thing of two....(and yes, it IS that green on my mother's hill!), debi fusing one layer of wax onto another,

me (again) demonstration on shellac burns (diane is looking studious!), five outta the eight that were in attendance (debi, kelly, kerry, diane and michele), my mom in red working away (with barb's head of hair in the foreground!) and just a few of the finished products on display!

a perfectly gorgeous day with perfect weather, and don't think we weren't worried a bit about that. rained like the dickens up until later in the afternoon on friday! whew.......we held the workshop outside so as to throw off any fumes from the heated wax and encaustic medium. it can get a little much in an unventilated venue. on my mom's deck was just the ticket. after a freaky-deaky scare with blowing electrical fuses (and help from resident expert, cat) we were up and running. we needed those outlets for three griddles, three large crock pots and several heat guns!

i admit to being a *bit* nervous about this particular class as i had never introduced it before, but the gals in attendance were gracious and i managed to tell 'em everything technique and trick on my syllabus without a hitch. and the thing that most surprised and delighted me to no end? those gals just jumped in with both feet and started to create - no holds barred. this is not a particularly easy medium to work with and it was a joy to see what these artistic women came up with (and they were loads of fun, too! an added bonus)! take a gander.......

karen o'brien

2010-06-24T09:04:00.001-07:00

ahhh, yes. the fabulous photographer shannon lee webb sent me a disk with all the photos on it, so here we go. more adventures from the "art on the hill" weekend experience of june 12-13th!

today i'm spilling the beans on karen o'brien, a gal i met at journalFEST last october at a art/visual journaling fest on the olympic penisula. caught her working quietly on her journal in a collage class and struck up a converstaion.......well, go read all about it a couple of posts back....anyhow, she lives in the same town in oregon as my mom and sister (aforementioned fabulous photographer) so, we were thrilled to get a personal invite to see her new digs and her incredible studio. so, there karen is - right there. see all the whimsical characters behind her on the wall? wonderful and wacky and fun. wouldn't you like one to add cheer to a bare spot or two?? contact her here....i'm sure she has one just perfect for you!

i always get inspired when i get to investigate another artists space.

and to hear how one goes from nurse to teddy bear maker to oil painter to mixed media instructor and creator of funky, whimsical mixed media pieces.

how is it organized?

what's on the work table?

is the artist a book-lover?

is there anything i need to steal from their shelves?

(no, really karen, i didn't steal a thing!)

do they have tons of found paper everywhere?

(are they willing to share?? ahahahah)

do they hoard books to alter?

is there paint all over everything...?

oh, what a joy to talk art, books, teachers, goals, plans, dreams, other artists, see the finished work, see work in progress......the whole gamut! and there was NO disappointment hanging out with karen, i can tell you that.

so, keep up with all of her happenings. she teaches in southen oregon, too - but you never know where you might find her. she has taught at artFEST, art and soul and a host of other venues! check her out!!

i'm back and happy!

2010-06-19T09:20:00.001-07:00

okay, so one would think that when a blogger comes back from teaching two art classes in oregon, the first photos she would post would be of the, uh-hummm, ART CLASS?? well, i don't want you taking me for granted, now, do i? pictured above is the original high school built in the early 1900's. and no, smarty-pants, i was not a member of the graduating class of 1919!! the powers that be turned this building into a middle school when the new high school was built further down the road, but i still love this stoic relic. not a ton has changed, either. oh, a new wing or two, but generally it remains faithful (except for the fact that everything looks decidely smaller). and the inside of the building even smells the same!! ahhh, a little "home old".

actually, my handy-dandy class assistant, photographer (and much-younger sister), shannon lee webb did the honors by snapping a bunch of delicious shots of the happenings around the art tables and the disc with said amazing photos are winging their way to me, as i type. i promise to regale you with interesting stories and glorious visuals when it arrives.

suffice it to say, for now, that the weekend's art adventures could not have gone any smoother.....ahh, yes, there was the nerve-wrecking electrical outages caused by blowing the circuits - but we had a brilliant strategist on hand who quickly solved our problems of too many plugable units (griddles, heat guns and crock pots for bubbling encaustic wax) and not the right power cords! thank god for the skills of cat bonney!

i have to tell you that besides the fantiastic time we had making art, i got the chance to get to know two artist freinds a whole lot better.

i met karen o'brien at anahata katkins class at journalFEST last october on the olympic penisula. i noticed her quietly creating right around the corner from me and was entranced with her work. after a few minutes of chatting learned that she lives in the very same town as my mother and sister and teaches all manner of mixed media mayhem! i pointed them in karen's direction and happily they have jumped into the foray of "art journaling" with great abandon. karen came to BOTH of my classes - wow (wonderful, but a tad bit intimidating)! she kindly invited us to come by her amazing home on 5 green arces to see what's new in the studio. oh, man, it's hard not to be totally enarmoured by the surroundings (a view to die for), the lighting in her studio (to die for, as well!) and her adorable daschunds and cute-retired-fireman hubs! and let's not mention her whimsical work! ahhhh, and her altered books. well, i tell you.....we were so inspitred to run right home and start creating. shannon took some great shots at karen's place and i will be sharing those with you, as well!

the other highlight of the trip (besides the success of the workshops!) was getting to have lunch with the ever-lovely stephanie lee. stephanie is a wonder......she does it all. painting, jewelry, book arts and mixed media. she is also an author! i know stephanie from journalFEST as well, but had first heard of her here in the NW when she came up to another artist friend's studio for a class in working with plaster. missed that class - wah! so, was delighted to learn that she was offering a class in writing at journalFEST. bugged her insistently in class about where she haled from - i just had this feeling! come to find out, she is located in a bitsy town in southern oregon. shoot, i should know it well, as i graduated there! you know, the high school pictured right above! what are the chances?? what a hoot! anywho, met for bite at a local eatery and an hour and a half picking her brains about teaching, art and life in general. i am still just amazed at how artists can meet from all sorts of walks of life, from all over and have so much in commom. i thank stephanie so much for allowing me to steal some time in a busy schdule to yak. i came away with a renewed commitment to "listen to the bling" in all things - to be open to new opportunties and new vistas. to say YES to life and to stay in touch with this amazing artist and person!

i promise to get back to you after the disc comes - i can't wait to share with you the creations that this group of groovy women came up with - really, it was a super-duper experience! i feel pretty darned blessed!

falling red leaf.....

2010-06-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

heading out to teach for the next week.....leaving you with this sweet little collage created from old sheet music, found paper, handpainted japanese lace paper and origami paper.

a few bucks richer.....

2010-06-08T15:12:00.001-07:00

....and a studio lighter in books, art and general art-related knick-knacks!

YAY!

had a super-duper time at the artist's garage sale this last saturday,

wheeling and dealing and getting rid of things that do not serve me any longer - passed on to those who need them. or merely want them. i came away making a new art buddy (amy duncan), buying and bartering for new art (sue robertson and melana bontrager and amy, again!), hanging with my not-so-new art buddies (mandy laughtland and mona smile-fairbanks), seeing a bunch more art buddies and making a few bucks in the process! can't argue with that combination.

the event was held at the almost-completed "schack art center" in downtown everett, wa (hoytt and wall streets) and is going to be the new hot spot for art in the northwest. new gallery space, exhibition space, artists lofts, classroom space and a glass workshop, this place will be rocking by the end of this year!

can't wait for this event to happen again next june (a good way to keep the studio clean?)....and there was a plus to this event that i could not have foretold: i was so busy i had little time to go around and peruse the wares of the other booth vendors.....just the ticket, though! i know i would have spent all the money i had just reeled in!!

(photo is of a framed collage that didn't sell. ahhh, weel, theer's always next year!)

artists garage sale!

2010-06-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

what self-respecting artist doesn't love the thrill of the hunt?
the search for the perfect piece of art - on sale??
the quintessential art supplies - for a song??
hanging out & chatting with 90 other artists & perusing their wares?
find that special gift - even for YOU!!

well, come on down to the annual event that is sure to please.
there is something for EVERYONE!

the corner of hoyt street and wall street in everett, WA
this saturday, june 5th from 9am - 5pm
held in the street and inside the new schack art center
(http://www.artscouncilofsnoco.org/ for more info)

i'll be inside the schack art center....come find me and say HOWDY....and buy some art, will ya?? starving artist, ya know!

hold on, i'm comin'......sam and dave

2010-05-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

artwalk in edmonds TONIGHT!

2010-05-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

better later than never??

sorry, a little behind the times here, folks!

i'll be hanging out and doing a collage demo at the coolest fair trade venue in edmonds, wa - tonight from 5-8pm, for the third thursday edmonds artwalk!

come on down!!

......eat cookies, look at art, keep me company!

"fabric of life"

523 main street

edmonds, wa

fabricoflife.org

5-8pm

changes and goodbyes....

2010-05-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

i have never much liked change. not sure anyone else is absolutely thrilled with it either. i get so nervous. i'm one of those people that could do the same job that required doing the same tasks for years on end. i like structure, i like safety, i like knowing what is coming down the pike. but life, being L.I.F.E. often has a different thing in mind!

one massive change that i have shared in this blog is my mother-on-law's stroke last summer. i tell ya, everything has changed from that point on. the family matriarchal dynamic is different. she is so totally different. okay, so many of her little quirks are still "mary" but a huge part of her is not the same. our relationship with her has taken on new characteristics. then, to make sure she has the best possible medical care, they have moved to the mainland. they used to be just down the road a bit. my sister-in-law from colorado has headed here since her husband retired from the military and is living in the vacated island home until the market gets a bit brighter and they find jobs and new digs.

mary hasn't been doing as well this last month or so as we would like to see. hard to say exactly what it is. certainly, a combination of factors. the stress of the move. medication changes that are wrecking havoc on her system. all we know for sure is that she isn't sleeping well at all and that makes it impossible for her to do any of the rehabilitative exercises that will help with cognition, memory and brain healing that is necessary for her recovery. along with their move came another move for my step-daughter and her cousin, who were living with the them for the last several years.....all within weeks of each other.

all this change and the sense of "holding our collective breath" has taken it's toll. maybe no one is outwardly freaking out, maybe......but the tension is palatable. you can see it, feel it and taste it. you can cut it with a knife.

i keep repeating "live in the moment....live in the moment" over and over again to myself, to my hubs. really, what else can we do? stay present -appreciate each and every thing that comes your way. notice the small graces, the tiny glimmer of happiness, the slivers of sweet happenings, apreciate the blessings. sounds kinda pathetic when i read these words over, but i think you get my drift.........like is full of a number of things, challenging and dear. i want to be present for them all.

one of the things that has changed is that my in-laws have decided to put their oregon beach home on the market. the place that has been a lovely family resource for the past 6 years and they have been generous with the keys to the castle. i have gone there for many personal art retreats all by my lonesome.......lots of family trips, a big 'ole "farmer family reunion" (mary's relatives from down south).....and a wonderful first anniversary celebration bor michael and me. warm, cozy memories.

i love the coast. always have. a refuge. and now it's time for another change. took the photographs you see here two weeks ago. went down with one of the pups to pack up all their personal belongings, donate a ton of food stuffs and things they don't need and generally to bid this piece of heaven on earth a fond "farewell". i had hoped that it would rain like the dickens, be blustery and cold and thoroughly unpleasant! ha ha.......not to be! it was gorgeous and sunny the entire four days......but i enjoyed it, as ever. i am so very thankful for the chance to spend many weeks at this beautiful spot!

change is hard, but something new is always around the corner. my intention during this incredibly stressful time is to breath and to be present enough to see the beauty and opportunity in each bend of the road.

mercer island community gallery

2010-04-01T11:16:00.001-07:00

the northwest collage society is having a show on beautiful mercer island (doesn't bill gates live there?). the opening artist reception is TONIGHT from 6-8pm! i know, i know, why didn't i post this sooner? ahhhh, life happens!

i'm pretty stoked about the two pieces that got accepted into the show. new work, new technique and larger than i usually turn out. my "intentions for 2010" included that very thing....work BIGGER! i tend to very tiny, rather complex little pieces and have itched to do larger, but have found some inner reistance to doing so.......hmmm, what the heck? these collages/mixed media creations are about 12x12. okay, so not particularly huge but way bigger than usual! yeah, i'll get bigger.....one step at a time.

the info for the show is over yonder to the right. come see it........a ton of great artwork by the society. show runs til may 7th, so there's plenty of time to check it out!

if you get to the exhibit, let me know whatcha' think.....have a great almost-here-weekend!

things on my mind today......

2010-03-14T11:25:00.001-07:00

shadows of things past and things to come......

the greening of the island......

the oregon coast calling to me.......

son of blessing/son of the right hand: benjamin (7 years old here)......

firstborn joy: teryll (2.5 years old here)......

thinking on all of these things.

loving all these things, too......

near and so dear to my heart......

2010-03-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

NEW show!!

2010-03-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

am happy to report that i will be in a new show at the arts council of snohomish in everett, wa. this show is celebrating the "2010 artist of the year" jules anslow. jules work is whimsical and wild......just like she is! worth the look-see, to be sure. glad to be in her presence with this show.

instead of the collages that i usually show, this body of work is a new style and medium for me....and it's scary showing it for the first time! mixed media, acrylic paintings......and a lot bigger than my usual, as well. i'm branching out, baby.....

so, if you are in the neighborhood this coming thursday, march 11th from 5-8pm, which is the party-down artist's reception - would love to have you come on by! and if not....drop on by any-ole'-time to see what the arts council has to offer. their gallery store is terrific - something artistic for every budget and the gallery itself is wondrous. set in a historic hotel with grand ceilings and incredible lighting.......you gotta see it!

arts council of snohomish county
(soon to be: schack art center)
artist's reception:
thursday, march 11, 2010
5-8pm
show running: march 11 - april 22, 2010

1507 wall street
(corner of hoyt and wall)
everett, wa
425.257.8380
www.artscouncilsofsnoco.org

turning gears no 1

2010-02-22T13:11:00.000-08:00

been busy with.......ART! yes, it's true. have thrown myself back in with a passion. and some help from coach denise j. hart - the motivation mama! denise is taking creativity coach and author, eric maisel's course in "creativity coaching". i was lucky enough to get paired up with this positive and dynamic gal for the next 14 weeks. check out her website - she has some terrific free daily offerings and a host of motivational e-courses online.

the photo above is the first in a series of collages created for the upcoming northwest collage society's show on mercer island. started this collage at the demo i did for the artwalk in edmonds last thursday night...which was a blast, by the way. some of my art buds showed up to cheer and i always love working out in the public.....not exactly sure why that is so, but i often manage to create things in those kinds of venues a bit easier than in my own studio - all alone! hmm, gotta think on that one!

have been busy, still, with all that internal stuff i was alluding to in january. it's been a slow burning thing. re-prioritizing, rethinking, rehashing, making different choices. it's good, all good, but hard. and for some reason isn't translating into actually talking out loud about any of it or on this blog......... and if you know me, even the slightest bit, you can figure out in about two and a half seconds that talking is what i do a lot of........ so, all this stuff "keping mum" is new territory. i'm navigating it the best i know how.

so, dear readers, while i may not be here in physical form as much as usual, i'm still here, alive and kicking, making art, making connections, strengthening the connections i have and being open to the next fantastic opportunity that come along.......

edmonds artwalk - coming up!

2010-02-12T16:08:00.000-08:00

am happy to announce that 12 of my collages will be hanging out at the c'est la vie ultra-hip home decor, gift and clothing boutique next week in the groovy little seaside town of edmonds, wa. we will have drink and yummy snacks and lots to look at....the whole town participates in this monthly art affair - with many galleries and stores of all varieties showcasing local artists....bring your honey for date night.

i'll be there from 5-8pm gluing up a collage storm and generally having a blast......so, come on down! and if you can't make it for the opening, my work will still be there for the next three weeks!

c'est la vie
302 5th aveneue south, #B
edmonds, wa
425.673.8905 (for more info)

5-8pm

thursday, february 18th

the seeds of anger

2010-01-22T12:27:00.001-08:00

a totally worthwhile read.

touchingly real and brutally honest.

i, for one, will relish reading more of gwen bell in the future.

thank you, s quare-peg-karen for the link!

blank page.....

2010-01-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

....but not a blank mind!

i haven't been around for a little while, it's true.

but no fears, dear readers.

all is well here on the island.

this year has been one of intense introspection.

goals, priorities, getting to know the new member of our family.....

you saw his picture below.....grandkiddo - jack.

wondering what shows to do, which to pass on.

what is giving me the "bling" these days?

what is the best use of my time and talents?

and this is taking some time to ponder....

add that to the process of transferring info from PC to mac.

and for this technologically-challenged gal, it's huge!

while thinking through what this year holds, have managed to go to a great art party (walked away with a terrific encaustic from my pal binky bergsman), taken a class on coptic stitch bookbinding, attended my first board meeting of the northwest collage society (i'm the new secretary), and have been reading books by geneen roth and becky l. jackson on the nature and solution for food addiction. whew! that's a LOT! oh, yeah, i have been doing some art journaling and a few "off-the-cuff collages" for my other blog.....just haven't taken pictures of them quite yet.

and lest you wonder why there is no photo accompanying this post? uhhh, sheepishly (and this refers back to my comment about not being a big technology person!), i haven't learned how to transfer my photos from the other computer, yet! silly me! plus, i am sitting in the local health food store in the small little seaside village around the corner from my home, with my new laptop, writing this and reading some 12 step recovery info......making plans and catching up on emails and writing YOU! i think i should update my shows and teaching schedules here, too (that just popped into my brain!!)

i am also contemplating the whys and wherefores of blogging. wondering who is really out there reading and if i ever have anything of substance to share. it's strange putting yourself out there". i'm rethinking the format and content. any suggestions? i'm open........

until the next little breathing space i can find, blessings on your start of the new year!

would love to hear from you......

finding my way.....

2010-01-04T15:46:00.001-08:00

.........is not always easy, even if there is a sweet little flowering hedge over my head and pretty little slate paving stones under my feet (okay, maybe not flowering right this second).

heck, a new computer to figure out (from PC to Mac), thanks to my in-laws.

Ipod Touch thingy-bobs to figure out (lordy, so many bells and whistles), also from above-mentioned patron saints of chirstmas cheer.

a new relationship to figure out (baby jack).

options for shows and teaching and trying to figure out where i want to concentrate my time and energies and what i really long to do with this one-time-go-around.

wishing for sunnier days - the rainy gray skies have descended (and with it a bit of a gray mood, too).

just got back on my food plan. yeah.yeah.yeah. up/down/up/down on weight and body issues. i'd love to get that under control this year.....

ahhhh, finding my way, challenging - but i can do it, right? one day at a time.

(photo was taken by moi' at the buchart gardens in victoria, bc - awhile back)

new person in the mix......

2009-12-30T17:56:00.001-08:00

meet jack.

stepson's first child.

born december 21st.

9 pounds and 13 ounces.

hefty!

& very cute.

not sure about the "stepgrandma" thing yet.

never really thought i'd be one of those at all.

but am sure i will figure it out as time goes by.......

and i get to know him better!

(o;

holiday blessings

2009-12-21T10:38:00.000-08:00

dear readers, all: i'm wishing you a most blessed season this year. it's been quite a lot of freakin' this n' that around here. medical emergencies and miracles....lots of art shows and opportunities and yeah, tons o' stuff that didn't quite work out the way i had planned, pounds lost and then gained back again. damn it. i'm sure it's been that way for you, too (hopefully without the weight-gain or medical emergency part). life has a way of happening, eh? i was going to wish for a trauma-free 2010, but that's not always gonna happen, so, instead i am asking for a year of being able to be at peace with what is happening around me. to have an inner peace in the midst of turmoil, should it come. enough emotional, spiritual and financial reserves to meet any challenge - good or not-so-swell. that seems more appropriate......and realistic! i wish that for you, too. for blessings to abound and inner peace when things are challenging...........and LOTS of art in between!

i'm going to take the next bit of time off from blogging.............bake jewish chocolate chip cookies for my step-daughter, granola bars for a niece, brownies with white frosting for my hubs, pumpkin rolls for my mother-in-law - sweet and sour meatballs for everybody else. and my hubs son is in the delivery room right this minute with his wife getting their own little christmas bundle named jack. things are gonna get hectic around here..............

look forward to sharing art and life adventures with you on the other side of 2009! three cheers for a most excellent year in 2010! stay safe, warm and happy.

lovelovelovelove
oxxoxo
wendy lee

(lover-ly photo: courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/cassijones/3134200713/)

cleaning up the studio......

2009-12-18T18:03:00.000-08:00

.....always leads to making something
paper bits and bobs all over the work surface begs to be touched
intuitively placed
no thought - reckless abandon
messy swipes of glue stick
stray fragments stuck onto paper
nary a thought........off the cuff collage
thrown down and there it stays
i often like these little gems better
they are truer reflection of the maker
than those created with purpose
with mindful restraint

you can tell i've been...............

2009-12-13T19:28:00.000-08:00

really "dingy" lately. notice anything about the last two posts?? yeah, i know you can............here's a mega-hint: same photos! what the heck? didn't even notice it until i saw my blog on my step-daughters 27" computer screen this evening! holy cow, i'm losing my mind..............clearly! sorry about that, dear readers.............whatta' dork!
xoxoxoxo

the way i'm feeling...........

2009-12-10T09:47:00.000-08:00

taken on the oregon coast a couple of weeks ago and summing up the way i am feeling today. a jade green japanese glass float nestled in leaves, a rusty hinge in wood, two lonely sand dollars sitting on a rail. lovely little lonely vignettes..............

a myriad of concerns and worries pepper my thoughts. a bunch of grown-up kid concerns (all four of his and hers, plus assorted nieces and nephews), an art show-hoped-for-and-not-gotten-into disappointment, a bestest gal-pal in medical crisis for the last four months (with no clear answer in sight), another friend with granddaughter mega-concerns), food addict issues that i can't seem to address successfully - a bunch of confusing family stuff that begs one to ask, "is this my business, or another persons' business or god's business?" - most of which belongs to god or others! yeah, i know this, of course, but that doesn't stop me from worrying myself sick and letting it eat at me instead of leaving it god's hands and letting go. so much easier said than done, especially when it's family and dear friends and in some ways, even peripherally, the outcome will effect you!

so, just for today, i shall throw myself into the shower, bundle up (it's cold as the dickens out there this morning), go run some errands in town, come home, put the heater on in my art room, make a cup o' cinnamon tea, call my friend and ask for prayer, maybe make some art and try mightily to breathe, get the heck outta the way, let god and let go.

winds of change

2009-11-29T14:42:00.000-08:00

couldn't resist posting these rather unusual beach shots. they are all of various textures i found so interesting during my stay this time around. they inform me of the actual way i feel about this place. particular images that make me feel a certain way. a variation on an art journal, maybe?

it was an interesting time away. very blustery, oh, heck, truth be told: i was actually pretty unnerved one evening. mini-hurricane-like wind and rain and waves. haven't heard anything like it..............different than being in the 1994 northridge, ca earthquake, granted, but scary nonetheless. wondered what be left of the coastline in the morning. it was rather like hawaii weather; rainy one minute and sunny the next. Rolling fog, that turns into rain that throws a little hail your way and then back to sun. But it was in keeping with my purpose for being down there in the first place...........hunkered inside to work on class preps, ideas for next year, making my yearly inventory of things accomplished this last year and creating a new list for 2010. kinda like a "what did i do well and what can i do bette?" thang...........

it was nice to be able to measure my time, get appointed tasks attended to ...... doesn't it seems like time away at the beach stretches out lazily?especially when one is alone. well, i had my trusty sophie the golden retriever with me, so i wasn't completely alone.....and at night we took some time to cuddle and watch movies that i didn't think michael would be too interested in watching; "the boy in the striped pajamas" (heartbreaking look at two childrens' relationships in nazi germany) - "doubt" (suspicions and doubt surrounding a priest and his student in a catholic school - set in the 1960's) - "elegy" (a may-december romance with ben kingsley and penelope' cruz - does anyone think she looks strikingly like a young audrey hepburn?)....

happily, got all my proposed work done, read a bit of fiction......went to a few local holiday markets and rested. i absolutely, positively love the coast..............

gettin' all rip-roaring ready for the holidays. will drag out the boxes of christmas decorations, final prep for two upcoming art journal classes and go to the seattle art musuem with a buddy will fill my week.

this season feels very tender to me. all teary-eyed and happy that my mother-on-law is healing. challenges abound, yes, but she is a fighter and this family doesn't give up easily. plus it's been a rather challenging year financially (and with the purchase of our home at the end of last year, abit harder!) but we have survived and happily. christmas will be leaner in "presents" this year, but overflowing with other, more important gifts.

hoping the same for you, too. lovelovelove!

happy turkey day!

2009-11-26T11:52:00.000-08:00

i'm sending this out to all of you in blogland or just right around the corner in my neck o' the woods to wish you a simply wonderful thanksgiving day. i feel particularly grateful to god this season that my mother-in-law (who suffered a stroke in july) is still here and kickin'! every day something new happens that shows us all over again that she is healing.......i am pausing to make a list of all the super-humongous and teensy tiny ways that i am blessed; all the nutty family members, all the super-duper friends, art and nature, some awesome classes, restorative times at the coast, visits from friends and family to this piece of heaven we call home, my fuzzy/furry pups napping at my feet as i type this..........the perfectly gray day with patches of blue above.

ohhh, i could truly go on and on with it all. suffice it say: i am thankful for whole bunch of things in my perfectly imperfect, messy crazy life.............and looking forward to even more riches of spirit, mind and heart the coming year. wishing the same for you, as well. oxox

(and don't eat too much today!)

photo of distressed gobbler, courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/friendofshed/405674381/

coasting along............

2009-11-17T15:41:00.001-08:00

........well, i will be soon, anyhow. heading to the beach thursday, where i do some of my bestest thinking and planning. lucky to have such a beautiful venue to camp at. there are some major changes in the wind concerning that piece of heaven and i may not have the availability of this beach home for much longer........so, i thought, heck, i have some art class curriculmn to get together, a new 2010 calendar to put together, some art journaling to be done - might as well head down there before thanksgiving day! so, off i go..........

seems like there is already a lot going on for 2010 - more to think about and more to go for. good stuff, moving-forward stuff. i think the two things that have been resonating with me this last little while are rather cliche' bits: "go for the gold" and "just say YES!". okay, they may seem trite, but they really have a deeper meaning for me these days. it's not that i'm ancient, but i don't have time to mess about anymore. time is a-going by quickly and if i want to get to some of my goal-lines, i need to move my butt - NOW!! and the JSY thing? not saying yes to everything thing that comes down the pike, mind you! no, not that..............to just to be present in this moment and when a great opportunity arises, evaluate it in light of the bigger goals in my life, the bigger values and if it resonates within JUST SAY YES! even with some fear and trepidation! even if you wanna throw up a little.............do it anyhow! this is what is on my mind as i head southwards and in light of this new year coming up!

if i don't shout at you before thanksgiving day? please have a wonderful day.......remember to count your blessings!

things to do this week..........

2009-11-15T08:58:00.000-08:00

another art-related announcement, this time from a faculty member at edmonds community college telling you about two free events you might be interested in attending this coming week. i was involved directly with the ECC "between the lines" literary and arts book (happily, have three pieces of art in this publication - one of which is pictured above). surprisingly, have also been invited to take part in a panel discussion on arts, teaching and the economy that same evening. holy cow, something totally new for me! am excited, and a bit more nervous about that one, to be sure. at any rate, here is the info. come and see what's what or just think good thoughts for all (okay, think good thoughts for me)!

*****************************************************************

Wednesday, November 18th, we have two free arts events on campus in our Black Box Theatre at Edmonds Community College. The theatre is in Mukilteo Hall, which you will find if you turn into the first driveway to the college as you head north on 68th Ave W and then follow the driveway back. See also http://campus.edcc.edu/ for a map. At 3pm, we have a reading/art slideshow featuring writing and art published in our 2009 issue of Between the Lines, the student-edited literary/arts journal. Please note that while we publish student work in BTL, we also invite submissions of writing and art from writers and artists in the surrounding community! This means YOU! Please consider making submissions! Work may be emailed to btl@edcc.edu with a limit of 3 submissions per person; our deadline for the 2010 issue is January 31, 2010. I would especially like to invite you to the 7:30 event as we invite your input in our panel discussion of "The Value of Art and Artists in a Market Economy." Please see below for more info, and feel free to email me directly if you have any questions. If you get the Edmonds CC cable channel 26, you have have seen the interview with me that has been airing to promote the panel discussion. It can also be viewed for free via iTunesU at the following link:

http://deimos.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Browse/edcc.edu.1433008051.01819149026.2723896203?i=1714350015

Many thanks,

Amanda Laughtland

Edmonds CC English instructor, BTL faculty adviser

*The Black Box Theatre and The Arts, Culture, and Civic Engagement Program Present: The Conversations Series: The Value of Art and Artists in a Market Economy

November 18th @ 7:30PM Black Box Theatre FREE and open to the public. Moderator: Amanda Laughtland, Poet Featuring panelists:

Joanna Goff: Director/Actor; Wendy Lee Lynds: Independent Visual Artist; John Sanders: Composer/Musician; Marcia Woodard: Writer

The arts in the market centered economies have struggled. Arts institutions large or small and established individual artists struggle with economic deficits, early and mid career artists take second or third jobs to make ends meet, and the market price for event tickets are largely subsidized by the generosity of philanthropic donations. Art, arts events, and artistic services have been shown to be a vital part of a healthy economy in study after study. Our panel of experts will explore the factors that affect the cost of art to the public, the true price of art, and the effect of art in our economy. The panel will also be discussing the intersections between work as an artist and as teachers, considering the economic necessity of teaching for many artists as well as the way that teaching can be an essential component of one's artistic practice.

Also on November 18th: Release Event for EdCC's Literary and Arts Journal Between the Lines 3pm Black Box Theatre FREE and open to the public Featuring readings from this year's writers and a slide show of visual art from Between the Lines Artists.

there is a god!

2009-11-13T10:38:00.000-08:00

here is a wonderful report from my father-in-law, hot off the presses this morning. most of you may have read with dismay about my mother-in-law's stroke that took place a little over three months ago and resulting trauma in our neck o' the woods.............well, the little lady is home (as of two weeks ago), with a bunch of challenges ahead of her, sure, but, oh my, everyday is something new to be happy for and we are optimistic that the short-term memory stuff, physical limitations and emotional stuff will be worked out. she is a hoot, her humor is intact (thankfully!) and she is a dear. very "young" in some ways, but so very "mary" in tons of other ways. we will take her just the way she is and continue to believe in greater healing as time goes by. we are so grateful to have her alive and well. we don't need another thing for christmas! to all of those who prayed, chanted, danced and lit candles........blessings on you ALL. your offerings were heard.

here's the report:

Just to give you some idea of her physical progress, this morning:

She slept until 7:30 without waking (a record)!

She got herself out of bed using a transfer pole next to her bed.

She put her shirts on by herself.

After her pants were on her legs, she pulled herself up (on the transfer

pole), then pulled up her pants while balancing.

She washed her face, combed her hair and brushed her teeth without assistance.

She walked from our bedroom to the dining room table (with a walker and safety belt), sat in a regular chair and ate breakfast.

She walked to the bathroom.

She then walked to the bedroom, undressed (with some assistance) and got into bed by herself where she is now taking a nap.

The goal for this weekend is to completely eliminate the wheelchair except for those occasions when she's especially tired.

Somewhere around 50 lbs are gone.

Her BP is normalized. No more BP meds!

Her sleep apnea is all but gone.

Her diabetes meds are decreased by 1/3.

No more breathing treatments!

She's sure a poster child for the benefits of weight loss.

thank you, god!!

puget sound artists' gift show

2009-11-12T13:32:00.000-08:00

...........coming soon! lots of my artist friends are participating and i know they would be more than thrilled to have you come on by and visit.......and hey, maybe find that perfect one-of-a-kind gift for the one-of-a-kind friend or family member! heck, maybe something for YOU!! who knows - you deserve it, right??

tell 'em wendy sent ya!

postscript on journalFEST

2009-11-07T14:16:00.000-08:00

wanted to go back and see how my intentions were met for my time at journalFEST. before leaving i set those particular intentions on paper and then blog-posted them. let's see how i did:

1. have FUN, relax (okay, at least stop with the bunny beatings of my own heart in my throat!!), take in the sights and sounds. be real. okay, well, i didn't REST much! ahahahah. not at all, really! was so jazzed and ramped up with all the stimulation and wonderfulness - BUT i defintely stayed in the present (as much as i could - knowing me) - enjoying those around and absorbing the amazing energy of the place as well as the fine teaching of technique. felt like i was real and connective!

2. learn a bunch about art journaling, stuff i can pass on to my students in collage (maybe someone could show me how to make my own journals by hand, even??). yes, yes, yes, this all definitely happened! . there were old techniues that were given new "tweaks". totally new ways of looking at fine tuning collages, more intuitive workings on all artwork, a permission to do it "my " way........a lessening of the fear of writing personal entries, too! yeah! even the handmade journal-learning part .....came away with one finished HB journal and the technical skills for MORE! yeahhhhh!

3. let this extended weekend be the start of a consistent practice of authentic art journaling of my very own. have started the writing part. figuring out how to bind the pages i have already made. looking towards "consistent"..............yes, i have!

4. connect with like-minded artists...........(tara, janine, maria...can't wait to meetcha in person!) oh, absolutely!!! i have a bunch o' new art fiends. oops, i mean friends!

5. make some connections for the next stage of my artistic endeavors.

hmmm, don't know about this one. how to quantify? met a lot of new authors of art books in the works for 2010, that's for sure! touched base with many i have heard of from art books and collogorations. how this will affect new art endeavors.......? hmmm, i think only time will tell!

6. did i mention create, create and create some more? oh, yeah, and suck out all the creative the knowledge of everyone i come in contact with......!!yes, yes, yes - made 6 completed journal pages that i'm thrilled with, one small canvas book, one hardbound/handbound journal and have LOTS of ideas for the future! i asked a lot of questions, looked at lots of art, have been inquiring after peeps' art notes from JF and generally was nosey on every front!

yessiree-bob, i think i met or exceeded most of my intentions for my time away! YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! i love when that happens.

journalFEST - the final chapter - til NEXT year!

2009-11-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

geez, i really don't want this to end.....i've had a blast sharing it with you all. ahh, well. the experience may well be over, but the effects are lasting. this has been one of the best art times of my life and i have gleaned things here that will last an artistic lifetime. the techniques and the heart connections, both!

i leave with you with some parting photos; the first is a detail of one of the iconic pieces i created in anahata katkin's class. the second, another amazing shot of sunday morning's breath-taking sunrise. the third, one page from a handbound book created by maj corita. fourth, one of my pages in my confirmation journal; trades from tara finley's "baghead series" and lastly, a lovely work from lori peterson (victoria, bc) that she made in anahata's class, as well. lori doesn't have a website.....yet, but she is worth watching for. amazing work!

well, i guess you can tell, i loved journalFEST! seriously, i have already starting saving my pennies for next year's event! you, too, can join the fun with me. just got to teesha moore's website and ask to be put on her email list.......and she will be happy to let you in on the juicy happenings!

thanks again to all the wonderful folks who put this together and to those who held it together while at fort worden! you ROCK!!

and a special howdy & thx to new friends - i hope/pray i don't leave someone out:

teesha, tracy, trista, tiphoni and the boys - JF staff!

lk, anahata, stephanie - teachers galore!

maj corita, christina, ingrid, dianne, anghard, merrilee, abby, sandra, joan, tara, barbara, traci lyn, katie, janine, erin, lindsey, gina & marie - new art buddies!

oxoxxoxoox lovelovelove

journalFEST - part 5

2009-11-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

well, now it's time for telling you about the last day of classes at journalFEST. i admit it. i was already feeling sad. tired, yes, exhilerated, oh, yes, and did i mention exhausted? and happy? yes, yes yes to all. but sad, too............wanting to hold onto the magic that i found here, bringing it back and making room for it in my real life. i can do that, can't i?

i had several artFESTers strongly advise me to take a "quieter" class for the last day............frankly, my poor little brain was fried by saturday and i was grateful for heeding those wise words. i chose stephanie lee's (see her smiling sweet face above) "unraveling word" for not only it's tempting title but because i have struggled with writing. i do pretty good here on the blog. it's fast and furious and while personal and sometimes painfully honest, it's a breezy thing and when i think about or attempt personal journaling? oh, heck, my words always seem so trite and meaningless. this workshop was timely!

stephanie's warm and inviting manner, her clear exercises plus her numerous handouts & prompts, made it possible for me to see journal writing in a whole new way. instead of just the classic "what i did today" diary, i am seeing that journals can take many forms, each as individual as i am! with stephanie's gentle encouragement i will be writing in a whole new way, which in turn, will be a truer reflection of me! and frankly, i started right away upon the return home.

the presence of 11 other like-minded souls (thanks to joan for sharing her soulful poetry by snail mail! they are so "visual journal-worthy!" your words paint pictures in my head) in the same room was very encouraging. my table-mate was dear sandra - a special thanks to her for kind words and our lovely ride on the ferry back to whidbey island. sandra has a real gift of the written word (and photography). we all shared simply and sweetly during the day - i felt a real kinship form. i can write, but only if i will take the time to write, but it's up to me..........i CAN do it!

that night was a journaling jam to beat all...and decidely NOT a quiet experience! lordy, what a ruckus, what mayhem, what wonderful madness! it was an all-out, grooving party! lots of door prizes lomography cameras and t-shirts and stuff!), tons of art being made, more trades a-trading, more eating of uncle seth's pink frosted cookies, wine swiggin' galore......and i have i mentioned the fabulously hip live band "surrealized"? awesome. they are a local seattle band and it's hard to describe their sound. quite unlike anything i've heard. world influence with a groove, belly dancing-music, hip-hop-i don't-know-what, but it was HOT. they have a a CD coming out soon, i hope, coz this was fine art-making music, to be sure!

and i finished my first-ever hard bound journal!! yeah, me! see the finished product above (the back of the book has stencils that were generated by this groovy stencil station tracy moore set up for us, using a mini-compressor and copic pens. yeah, that's right! pens! worked quite well)! the journal is fashioned from teesha's instructions on her website the canvas paneled beauty makes me smile! i'm planning the next one by checking out esther k. smith and alisha golden's tomes on bookbinking. what a joy it is to hold your very own book in your hand! anyhow, a fittingly wild ending to a perfectly wild and crazy weekend.

and yes, i'm sure you know what tomorrow is............? yeah, a little wrap on the joys of journalFEST! stay tuned, folks...........

to further explore anahata's class....

2009-11-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

oh, i admit it. i get caught up in the emotion of things. saying "groovy and incredible and fabulous and awesome" without fully describing what is so groovy, incredible and fabulous and awesome............okay, i know it. my mouth sometimes gets ahead of my brain. stop laughing, those of you who know me! i know! i know! i'm trying to rectify that right now!

okay, to fully explain part of the reason i was so blown away by her class: anahata's class. i have to tell you honestly: i was very nervous about this class. i had researched anahata's style and frankly, it was a whole different kettle of fish from what i am used to producing. i do abstracts. anahata does iconic figures and portraits. uhh, how am i gonna pull this one off? and add to that: the day before leaving for fort worden? i reread the supply list and couldn't figure out exactly what kind of images to bring. i don't know why i was having such a time of it......had already pulled and culled and sorted and had a stack (okay, HUGE stack) of materials to bring, but all of a sudden i "knew" that these weren't the right things..............okay, so here was my dilemma. i am notorious for being over-prepared. yeah. i know! really big surprise, eh?? stop laughing, folks. so, the big question? to sort, cull and pull some more, or just trust that i had just the right things in my stash and go with it. hell, i'm old enough to just "go with things" (aren't i??), so i just started breathing and went with what i already collected.

fast forward to friday AM. nervous at the start of class. i see anahata do a demo and i panic. ahhh, heck! I really, really don't have the right things! until i got back to my table. anahata had kindly given us some bits and bobs of her own stationary line to share with us.........and lo and behold, what lay on my corner of the table? some gift wrapping. with BUNNIES!! bunnies - that's right! what is so exciting about bunnies, say you?? well, say i: that's my nickname!! michael has been calling me "bunny" since we got together almost 8 years ago (don't ask, won't tell)!! i had my "icon".....i had my "portrait"!!! heck, it was pretty darned personal, too! i was thrilled, i was elated, i happily figured out that god was looking out on my artistic behalf......and i was very relieved not to have spent another hour culling, sorting and pulling out a bunch of images the day before!!

okay, now you know just one of the reasons her class was so very groovy, incredible, fabulous and awesome....................don't you feel better??

journalFEST - part 4

2009-11-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

are you getting drowsy yet? geez, i'm still on a roll here, people! stick with me!

so, onto the friday's workshop with anahata katkin. high octane. over 25 students, ready and rearing to go! yippee-ka-yeah! we had heard about the "impulse collage" class that was held on thursday, so we had some advanced warning on the wonderfulness. people couldn't keep quiet about it. and it did not disappoint!

you know when a track door is off it's railing? a sliding back door that is off it's moorings? and then you are able to just snap it back on course and the door slides, all smooth and easily? that is exactly how this technique felt to me viscerally. just like that! like i was sliding it on home............anahata's style is very much like her. colorful, exotic, you can almost smell bali (see fourth and fifth photos above). her work is iconic and deep, rich and symbolic. what is perfectly wonderful is this: that while she showed us some stacking collage techniques hands-on as she was working, somehow the majority of us ended up with pieces that were "us". i think this is the hallmark of an excellent teacher. show us what you know but let it take us to where "we" want it to go. not just little copies of the teacher and their style, no matter how amazing that style is. and that is exactly what happened!

i was totally, unbelievable blown away by what i created. no stress, no fuss, no tension............just intuitive layering and image-picking, art-making and fine tuning it at the end. it was simply magic. oh, i have to tell you: this totally revolutionized the way that i will work from now on! it has changed everything...............(see photos one, two and three above)

that evening was a run-for-the tables-and buy-buy-buy event called "vendor's night". artist selling their wares: original art, handmade journals, collage stuff, rubber stamps, art zines and the like. oh, shopper's paradise! i got some mica sheets to play with, collage fodder from lk ludwig, several unmounted alphabet stamp sets from traci bunkers, a handmade scrap paper journal by carla sonheim and a lovely doodle drawing by carla, too! ahhhh, can one have too many art supplies!? oh, i think not!!

can you guess what i am going to say now? yep, you are so correct! more on journalFEST tomorrow!!

now, i imagine you can guess that there is more coming tomorrow, yes? you are so smart, dear readers!!

FREE collage workshop!!

2009-11-03T09:13:00.000-08:00

i have had the privilege of working with mandy laughtland first in a couple of my collage classes through ECC and she has now become a dear friend, as well. mandy teaches english at edmonds community college and is the faculty advisor for an ECC literary arts publication that i am involved in. she also spearheads free workshops in the arts!

and speaking of FREE - here's one that i'm doing next monday, november 9th - collage and a unique book form! all the information for this event is noted below. while workshop is free, preregistration is required -- just email amanda.laughtland@edcc.edu. would love to see you all there! come on, you know you want to..............................

ox
wendy lee

*************************************************************************

FREE Hands-On Collage Workshop!!

Monday, November 9, 2:00-4:00pm
Edmonds Community College - Mountlake Terrace Hall - Rm 220

Please email amanda.laughtland@edcc.edu to confirm your attendance!

Between the Lines, the literary/arts journal at Edmonds Community College, invites you to join mixed media artist and Edmonds CC ArtsNow instructor Wendy Lee Lynds for a free "Serendipitous Book" workshop. Create a unique 8-sided book structure made from one sheet of paper (see examples above). Add paper, paint and "found poetry" for a serendipitous book that just screams "you!" This hands-on workshop offers a "no stress, no fear" approach to jumpstart your creativity! No arts experience necessary! Please bring a pair of scissors and, if you wish, paper snippets which are personally meaningful to you (copies of photographs, text, quotes, old letters, ferry passes - the like) that you might want to include in a collage. Everything else is included...............

This event is co-sponsored by the college's Office of Student Life. Both Edmonds CC students and non-student members of the community are encouraged to attend this event!

journalFEST - part 3

2009-11-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

getting tired of journalFEST news yet? well, i hope not coz i have more posts to do about it. lots more! and it's my blog......so, there!!

okay, so on the workshops: first one outta the ballfield? lk ludwig's "the paper mirror". very excited to met LK after having perused her fine journaling books (go to amazon for more info on all three of them, all from "quarry" publishing) and hearing about her classes from other peeps.

this one was based on self-portraits, transfer techniques and the like. laid back class, laid back teacher and a nice way to ease into the weekend. my fave part? holding lk's precious journals in my very own little hot hands! worth the price of admission for that alone. poetic, dreamy, ethereal. she very sweetly allowed us to take pictures (hers are the dark, dreamy ones. mine are orange and one in white & blues), which i have included for your gandering pleasure. aren't they sumptuous?

what did i learn from this class? one: i don't really want a bunch of pictures of me in my journals!! nah....go evident from the photos above? i had a happy-go-lucky photo of me and my one and only pair of incredibly scruffy swing dancing shoes (my fave thing in the world, apart from my hubs, of course). after doing a b/w version of the page, i got fed up with my happy-go-lucky photo, poured orange and yellow all of it and attached a transparent layer with " i don't need a stupid photograph to talk about my magic scruffy swing dancing shoes......" across my mug. there that did it and told the story, if only understood by ME! there, i was happy! the second thing i learned? "done" is not really done. it's done only when you say it's done. keep working on a page, even if you don't like it at first. something can always be done with it. even it that means cutting the damn thing into tiny little pieces and incorporating it into another piece at another time! now, that's freedom!

& the last but certainly not least thing i learned? how to allow paint to a page so that you can actually write on the silly thing when it's dried! i had been having trouble in the arena and now have the answer.............tiny drops of fluid acrylic squished around on the page with an old credit card, bondo-putty applicator or the like, then the majority of the paint scraped off! viola! it works! YEAH!

later that evening was the "journal jam" - everybody brought their journals and all their art supplies and we partied, traded, made art, gabbed, talked, shouted, ate candy, made some more art, traded more art and got to know 150 of the most talented fun artists anywhere!

more coming to tomorrow.............don't miss it! (okay, so my birthday was yesterday, but i am still taking GIFTS!! don't delay, send now!!)

today is my BIRTHDAY!

2009-11-02T13:23:00.000-08:00

or should i say......."giftday", as i don't think i really want to be counting the passing years! hahahahah. anyhow, a very happy birthday to me. a quiet one with all that has been happening lately. and i'm still recouping from the fabulous art weekend away........but nonetheless, happy to be ALIVE and kicking! JUST SAY YES to life!!!!!

ps.
i'm gonna have to take some photos of this perfectly lover-ly book my mom made me for my b-day, filled with little pics of my art............it's charming! will get to that later today and post soon! special...........

pss.
i accept presents! LOTTSA presents! i'm not shy!

journalFEST - part 2

2009-11-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

i mentioned a little journal that was included in my confirmation packet pre-journalFEST? well, here are some photos of said journal. i covered the front and back with my handpainted papers and canvas, adding bits and bobs from not only the packet of collage fodder included but also from my own huge stash of collage goodies........one of the "traditions" from previous events have been "trades". little bits of art that each person contributes and trades with other participants. my "trade" was an ATC, all handpainted abstract originals with the tagline "just say YES!" on each (this is how i want to live my life, no holds-barred). so, what to do with all those juicy bits of handmade art? why, cram those puppies into your confirmation journal, says i! and so i did................i have a bunch more pages, but picked out a few here to share with you all (i'm sure to post more pics at a later date, too many not to share)! lovely to have so much talent jammed into one book. right at hand. lovely to connect people with their names with their art! lovely to look at and remember! and what a talented bunch......drawings and collages and little glassine envelopes filled with delicious collage bits..........free painted and printed material! every artists dream! we are such paper whores, aren't we?

more journalFEST coming soon..............(ps. it's my birthday today. please send me presents! and no, i'm not to old for presents! lots of free painted and printed collage materials. email me for my address!!! teehee! you have not because you ASK not!!)

journalFEST - part 1

2009-11-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

okay, so i've recovered my sanity (highly unlikely) and my sleep (somewhat) and now it's time to spill the beans on my wonderful experience at journalFEST! who knew it would be so grand?? well, i did, 'natch! i have a number of art buddies who swear by artFEST, making it an annual ritual so i had an inkling that i would be one very happy camper and i was right!

starting from the groovy confirmation packet that came months before. all packaged just the way you might imagine. cellophane wrapper with delicious artwork collage sheets from each of the artist/teachers, a moleskine-type journal, all the stats and information for a truly fabulous weekend, all the timetables for classes, all the confirmation info in bright colors! off to a good start!

fort worden is a lovely venue and, yes, it's the setting for the the film "officer and a gentleman", although i say neither hide nor hair of richard gere, dang it, i was looking for him! the water overlooking whidbey island and all. the old barracks and surrounds that have been turned into a state park for conferences and the like........anyhow, above photographs are of the area......gorgeous, huh? the beach alone was worth the trip!

got over to the olympic peninsula by way of the keystone ferry with plenty of time to spare, so decided to hang out at the akaimai art store off the main drag. pulled in there to pick up a couple of miscellaneous supplies and serendipitously met up with a neat new friend, maj corita, from germany (by way of denmark). maj corita and i hit it right off the bat and headed back to her B&B to pick up her luggage and get ourselves some lunch in the picturesque port townsend. heck, she needed a ride to the venue and we both needed lunch! and what a fortuitous meeting that was. although maj (pronounced "my") and i had no classes together, we hooked up at our mealtimes (which was really delicious, by the way, not what one would expect from a state park!) and for a great photo trip to the beach. she is a lovely, sweet person, easy to talk to............easy to be around, multi-talented. wonderful new art buddy that i hope to know for a long time to come...... this was a great way to start off the weekend!

after settling into our little private rooms (yes, austere and humble, but i'm a marine corps brat, i can handle it!!) we made our way to the mess hall and then off for the kick-off meeting of introductions to teachers, the finer points of our time together and then off to bed to get a restful night before the madness and mayhem began the next morning. i, for one, did not sleep much that night. couple of reasons for that; i don't sleep all that great away from michael (ahhh, to be newlyweds forever, which is exactly what i plan to be!) and i couldn't stop the craziness that is my brain. it was rambling all night long.........thinking about art projects, the classes, supplies, the weather, more about "did i bring the right supplies?", "will i make more neat-o friends?" "did i bring the right supplies?" "will i fit in?"......oh, the mind of wendy is a very scary place! nonetheless, i awoke excited and anxious to get on with the art-making! so, stay tuned tomorrow for more of the adventures of journalFEST...........more art, more photos, more stories and more on the neat-o workshops and the teachers that teach them!

..............(aren't i a tease??)

fundamentals of collage class.....

2009-10-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

......coming SOON!!

november 7th-8th, 2009 (9:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m.)
tuition: $190
materials: $10
emphasis will be on FUN! free your creative spirit with this fast paced introduction to collage. come learn the basics of collage, materials and techniques in a supportive setting! go home creating masterpieces of your own! would love to see ya there!

pacific northwest art school (formerly coupeville arts center)
15 nw birch street
whidbey island, coupeville, wa 98239

http://www.pacificnorthwestartschool.org/
(360) 678 3396 or toll free 1 866 678 3396

i survived journalFEST..........

2009-10-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

.......in grand style and it was terrific. i am still re-grouping and re-couping (who slept??), but had to tell you that the experience far exceeded my expectations. i had been told my all my art buddies who are regular followers of artFEST that this would be so, but WOW! you have to experience it for yourself to truly know! from the glorious setting (fort worden state park - the setting for the film "an officer and a gentleman"), to the awesome artistic peeps, to the fabulous food, to the encouraging and nurturing teachers (thanks to lk, anahata and stephanie, but more about them later!)....oh, man, it was ridiculously fun!

in the coming days i promise to post photos of the event as well as sharing what i learned and how my intentions were met. if you ever get to make it out here to the pacific northwest for one of tracy and teesha moore's events, you must do so..............you won't be sorry!

the glorious sunrise above was shot the morning of the last day of the retreat, as i was heading to ferry. what a perfectly lover-ly ending to a delightful weekend!

how to kiss up to your muse.....

2009-10-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

need i say more??

http://whitehottruth.com/white-hot/how-to-kiss-up-to-your-muse/

what i'm doing october 21-25th

2009-10-09T10:02:00.001-07:00

at the end of october, i am gleefully taking myself over on the ferry(the keystone/port townsend ferry to be exact) to the olympic peninsula and "journalfest"!and, i might add, having the freakin' time of my life! now, how is that for a bold intention? came upona little "found" money about four months ago and decided to treat myself to an art retreat across the sound.

every year, 'round april, artfest is put on by the fabulous tracy and teesha moore.......a gathering of creative folks from all over the world, picking the artistic brains of some of the most talented and well-known and/or authored artist in the world of mixed media. 600+ artists converge on this little picturesque village and lose their minds!

every year michael asks: what aren't you going? and every year i say: well, frankly, the very thought scares me to death........seems too overstimulating for a little bunny. and that would little bunny would be ME! ha. too dang much, too many options, too many people, too many art supplies, too many choices of classes..........the works. i have many-an-art-bud that go every year and swear by it's glories, it's rewards, it's networking ops, it's creative power. it's practically a cult favorite around here! but me?? oh, i just ran away screaming thinking about it.............too much! too much!!

which brings me to "jounalfest"! the moores, whose passion is the power of personal art journaling, decided to throw caution to the wind and follow their bliss........and do a retreat solely based on art journals. one focus!! yippee, i can deal with that quite nicely! only a fraction of the peeps (125+), and one focus. and did i mention one focus??

i am happily signed up to take these groovy classes:

"paper mirror", taught by lk ludwig (author extraordinaire'). personal photographs made into an art journal................expressing the real inner YOU!

"impulse collages", a fast and furious way to get yourself down on paper using paint, paper, collage and true grit! this one is being taught by anahata katkin

last class is spearheaded by stephanie lee, an artist gal i have heard only great things about from others who have taken her classes. stephanie aims to help us turn mere words into personal meaning - lines on a page into the essence of us! this one is called "unraveling word".

so, here are my intentions for this retreat:

1. have FUN, relax (okay, at least stop with the bunny beatings of my own heart in my throat!!), take in the sights and sounds. be real.

2. learn a bunch about art journaling, stuff i can pass on to my students in collage (maybe someone could show me how to make my own journals by hand, even??).

3. let this extended weekend be the start of a consistent practice of authentic art journaling of my very own.

4. connect with like-minded artists...........(tara, janine, maria...can't wait to meetcha in person!)

5. make some connections for the next stage of my artistic endeavors.

6. did i mention create, create and create some more? oh, yeah, and suck out all the creative the knowledge of everyone i come in contact with......!!

i sincerely do wish you all were going with me! other than some cool peeps i have "met" on the journalfest yahoo group, i know NO ONE!!

promise to post mondo-pcool-pages when i get back.............and the photograph of the artwork above belongs to teesha moore, herself. cool, huh??

what i did today

2009-10-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

in the middle of all this feeling outta-sorts with where all this art/career stuff is going, i decided to get a little bit proactive and keep creating.......this time with my hanny-dandy sewing machine!

my kiddo, teryll (AKA the fabulous foodie "madame munchies"), came to visit a few weeks back and we found this fabulously funky 1970's fabric at a garage sale and had to grab it......heck, it was only 50 cents! we immediately could see it made up into a cool, over-the-shoulder bucket bag that seems to be all the rage these days. found a super pattern before she headed home and finally got making it up for her this very day. i was really happy with how it turned out......and hopefully, so will she!

doodley-do

2009-09-21T10:26:00.001-07:00

after a terrificly entertaining and fun weekend with mona smiley-fairbanks and the edmonds art studio tour, i am once again pondering the meaning of my life, art-making and the combination of the two. now, doesn't that sound faintly melodramatic?

the reason for this pondering..........? i didn't make my studio tour fee back. saw a bunch of nifty students from previous classes, meet a bunch more groovy individuals interested in art and my processes in encaustics & collage but very little in the way of sales. now, lest you think i am all about the money......am not! but i surely can't keep throwing out moo-lah, with no return for the investment, indefintitely! so, what's an artist to do?

i am asking those questions today. asking the tough questions. does my work have merit? what works in my pieces and what can i do better? what am i missing here? i am getting good feedback from people (color choices and compositional skills being named often), but the buying public isn't buying. at least not my work, as i have heard through the grapevine that others did sell this weekend. maybe not tons of art, as in the past (perhaps the economy?), but, shoot, at least more than their booth fee!!

so, i'm pondering what the "next thing" is and trying not to be discouraged in the process. because i know that this is exactly what it is...........a process. now, if only i could come up with some answers...............

do drop by.............

2009-09-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

......at the edmonds art studio tour this weekend. there is a groovy little post about this awesome event a couple of posts down........go on, you can find it! stop on by.......take a look at the PDF file map (i'm showing my work at the studio of mona t. smiley-fairbanks) and see the magic in the making!

"when life gets messy.........

2009-09-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

.......do some planting in your yard!" or so says my hubs. during this last two months, when things have been so topsey-turvey with my mom-in-law's stroke, when we didn't even know if she would come out the other side, when our emotions were a big 'ole freakin' blur of concern and worry, my hubs got to a-plantin'! he went crazy....he went nuts! i even accused him of obsessive behavior! 250 plus plants, shrubs, trees and flowering blooms later, our gardens are gorgeous and he is exhausted!

thankfully, MIL is doing a ton better (thank you, god!!), getting PT at a nursing home across the sound, becoming more and more of the mary we know and love, and my hubs is happily watering what will turn into a lush paradise next spring.

there is something healing with working with dirt, as he will attest to. or maybe he won't. knowing him, i'll bet he'd say something more along the lines of: "hell, i just had to DO something, anything. sitting around wasn't helping her or me.......!"

..........i wouldn't know know much about that, as i was inside our lovely abode practicing my own obsessive-i'm-worrying-over-everything behaviors (hint: something to do with f.o.o.d. and my mouth!) and worrying myself sick over the future of our family.

whatever the cause, whatever the reason, the grounds look amazing and both my mother-in-law and our new plantings are thriving nicely. i however have put on a good ten pounds and counting!

and a hearty thank you to those of you who sent up prayers and good wishes these last 7 weeks............please continue, there is a ways to go yet.

xoxo

edmonds studio tour this weekend!

2009-09-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

the 4th annual edmonds art studio tour is this coming saturday and sunday.....september 19th and 20th. this free self-guided event includes 44 artists in 20 studios throughout the totally cool, scenic city of edmonds. we're talking scads of talented and lively artists just waiting to show you what they do and how they do it! this is a great event, one that you won't want to miss......... yah whoo! i'm hanging out with the lovely and muy talented monoprint and textile artist, mona smiley-fairbanks.

to visit our website and see all the artists who are participating: EdmondsArtStudioTour.com or to download a PDF printable map click here: The Map

we would love to see ya.............come on by!

what the future holds........

2009-09-02T09:48:00.001-07:00

............i simply do not know. it feels like we are all holding our collective breath. waiting to see how my mother-in-law will fare after her stroke, who will she be now, what does this means for familial relations, for immediate plans and beyond? how do we live in this new way, in this new reality? everything surely feels different. priorities are different. ways of looking at the world around us are different. nothing is the same. and we just don't know anything for sure..................

and this "not knowing" is really *quite* challenging. makes me feel all wobbly and unsure and unable to think straight......what comes next? what is the next right thing to do? what is really important in this life? what are my goals? many, many questions and no answers as of yet.

the old maxims of "be present now" and "one day at a time" hold vividly new meaning now, that's for sure. that and remembering to breathe..............

2009-08-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

thought i'd share some of the collages that were created over this past weekend at the fresh paint arts festival. lovely weather, lovely people strolling the marina in the sunshine, taking in the sight of over 100 artisans selling their wares and showing how they make artistic magic. it was *quite* the weekend.

i am left with so many thoughts, so many ideas - all bouncing around in my head after this time period. new art directions, new challenges, some new art buddies. it's been a crazy season, well, with having my friend julianne here in town for several art fests, then one of my own, mom-in-law still struggling in the hospital & rehab to recover from a stroke nearly four weeks ago - to heading to a family vacation that the in-laws are insisting we take - despite the medical crisis. this is a trip they planned for all of their immediate family to have together over six months ago, and they want to us to GO. hard, but we are honoring their request, even though they can't go with. but we go and have a good time for them.....

it's a hard, sad, brave, weird, out-of-body, who-knows-what is-going -to-happen time on so many levels that my head to swimming. i don't have the energy to sort it all out. i am reminded how potent the saying "one day at a time is". those kinds of little affirming sayings can sometimes seem so damn trite, until they ring so very true. and this is definitely one of those times.

things are shifting. roles are changing, times - they are a changin', too. we are holding on to the reins and riding...........perhaps that is why the above-pictured collages seem so right to me. they are different then my norm. the orientation is different. i am going off the pages with raw and rough edges. i'm not being careful. i'm just goin' with the feeling. yeah, sounds like the space i'm in right now, yes?

anyhow, off we go. be back soon. hopefully, a bit more rested and a little more focused perhaps. i would love that..............

fresh paint art festival

2009-08-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

come see me and purchase art fresh off the easel at everett's waterfront art festival this weekend: august 15th & 16th! pottery, painting, jewelry, woodturning, glass, fiber, and much more. what makes this event unique is that every artist is in action, doing their art, fielding questions and sharing their passion (i'll be demonstrating collage)! plus on-site glassblowing, float find on jetty island, and "art cars". come by booth 48 and say "howdy"!!

visit http://freshpaintfestival.com or call 425-257-8380 for more information.

things are looking UP!

2009-08-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

my mother-in-law is doing much better! thank you, god! the nurses are calling it a miracle! she is talking, moving around in her bed a bit and generally improving daily. no word on long-term..................we know there will be some challenges ahead, but for now we are taking it one day at time and thankful for every bit of good news. have so appreciated your prayers..........need more if you can spare them! xoxoxoxo

bittersweet week

2009-07-31T12:18:00.001-07:00

whirlwind last couple of weeks, dear readers. and these two pictures off the coast of northern oregon say it all. dark, deep times and sunny ones, too. had a perfectly lovely visit with square-peg karen caterson on the oregon coast. delightfully fun in every way! as i mentioned in another post, we have been email art-writing buddies for over four years but had never met in person..............we took the plunge, had adventures and she headed this way from the east coast to have some face-to-face time on the west. we basked in the sun, went to two farmers markets (one in portland and one in astoria), wandered down the aisles of the fabulous powell's bookstore in portland (we are book whores!), checked out the fabulous portland zine symposium at portland state university, made art journals and generally got to know each other. truly a fantastic time. she is just as real in person as in email and over the phone. we also met my fabulous writer and collage-making bud, mandy, and as luck would have it, one of her email writer buddies, katie (also from the same area as karen is from! how weird!), had flown out to see mandy the very same week! they write zines, too, so we met up in portland after the zine fest for a sumptuous meal at the farm cafe (thanks to teryll for sussing out the perfect meal).

so, you ask, where does the bittersweet part come in?? ahhhh, just before leaving my dear mother-in-law ended up in the hospital again. she has had on-going medical challenges the last few years, particularly. but this time is different. no need to go into details but she has not been awake for over a 10 days now. she is focusing a bit better and looking at people but not sure what or who she recognizes. there is some brain damage and we are in a wait-and-see place that is hard, heartbreaking and did i mention hard? her twin came in yesterday and has a really good feeling about her recovery. i would tend to trust a twin's intuition over a doctor's predictions, so that is what i am counting on right now. there are some indications the last few days that she is responding a tad bit more, and we are all taking every small glimmer and running with it. so, in the midst of that, my hubs insisted i continue with my plans to the coast, saying that my MIL would be pissed if she awoke while i was "supposed" to gone only to find me in the waiting room. i hated leaving, but knew he was right. this trip has been planned for over 7 months. and she would have been really disappointed if i had changed my plans.

so, go i did and was glad for it.

saw her for the first time yesterday evening and it was hard. but this little dynamo is a freakin' fighter.............doesn't say "quit" easily and has a whole load of love and prayers behind her. i would surely covet your chants, prayers, dances and good wishes for mary (et al!) - it's a challenging time for everyone!

i guess this is the nature of life: the bitter tossed in with the sweet. i am reminded, through all, to take one day at a time. that is all we have. appreciate those around you everyday and grab life by the horns and hold on for the ride. not very profund, but surely accurate to my view of things today.

i'll update, but won't feel compelled to be obsessive. my friend julianne is here for two art fests and for one of mine, and with the medical crisis, i will be back on blogger only when i am able. thinking of all of you.............hoping your summer is going swimmingly! xo

heading to the coast........

2009-07-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

.......for a much-needed time away to one of my most fave spots. meeting a dear friend, square-peg-person karen, who i connected with through the "artella" artist community four years ago. since then we became fast friends, yet have never met. that is all about to change, i'm happy to say!

she's flying out from the east coast to meet me on the west coast for a week in the sun! am so excited to meet and greet and hang on the beach. make art journals, go to thrift stores and peruse the oregon coast! and let's not forget getting to know each other in person. yippie!

we will be having grand adventures, karen and me (and vallyn the puppy)..............so, what about you? will be back with you all soon and would truly love to hear what your plans are for the summer season! be sure to save some time for creating, ya know! all these adventures we are having will most likely be fodder for our creative endeavors. at least that's my intention for this summer!

fun opportunity...and i'll be there!

2009-07-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

i'll be doing demos and showing my artwork on this totally fabulous weekend. just got this in my email box and thought i woul dpass it on, iv any of you are feeling particualrly generous with your time. it's a wonderful oganization and if i weren't working the hsow, i'd be volunteering. these folks are nice to pal around with.............read on & consider:

volunteers needed!
fresh paint: festival of artists at work
sat/sun, august 15 & 16
there are many opps to help! if you are interested in any of the jobs below please contact maren at moates@artscouncilofsnoco.org or 425-257-7378.
not available that weekend? you can still help! there are also opps to distribute posters & prepare supplies before the festival, so contact maren to learn more.

volunteer bobs for 2009
artist check-in:
volunteers will help artists check-in and find their booth location.
SATURDAY ONLY
shift: 7:00am – 10am

festival set-up:
help set up festival signs, hospitality room, or equipment and unload artist vehicles.
SATURDAY ONLY
shift: 7:30am – 11am
float find volunteer:
help hide floats and/or help monitor the activity and pass out information to jetty island guests.
SATURDAY ONLY
shifts: 8am - 10am, 10am – 1pm, or 1 – 4pm

parking attendants:
help direct traffic in and out of the parking lot.
SATURDAY or SUNDAY
shifts: 11am – 2pm or 2pm – 5pm both days Hospitality Room Host:
help set-up, serve, bartend, and/or clean up artist reception.
SATURDAY ONLY
shift: 4 – 8pmArtist Booth Monitor/Lunch Runner:
staff artist booths in 20-30 minute blocks, so artists can take a health break and/or take water or lunch to the artist booths.
SATURDAY or SUNDAY
shifts: Noon – 2pm or 2 – 4pm both days

festival clean-up: help take down all paint bucket signs, parking directional signs, and return them to storage and also assist with artist tear down and loading.
SUNDAY ONLY
shift: 5 – 8pm

fresh paint is a free community event presented by the
arts council of snohomish county.

show this weekend!

2009-07-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

hey, friends and art lovers: swing on by this weekend to the edmonds artists-connect show and sale in edmonds, wa! i will be making collages on thursday evening from 4-8pm and there to support my fellow artists on friday, from 6-8pm. would love to see ya there..............lots of amazing/affordable art, cool peeps and lottsa fun!

july 16th-19: thursday/friday from 4-8pm

saturday/sunday from 10am-5pm
artworks, 201 2nd avenue, edmonds, wa
• original artwork by 50 artists • affordable miniature sale
• artist demos (including moi'!) • free admission & parking • visa & mastercard accepted

for more detailed information, visit the ARTSplash website.
artists reception - you're invited!
friday, july 17th, 6-8pm, food & refreshments
artworks building, 2nd & dayton, 425-774-6049
artistsconnect is an affiliate of the edmonds arts festival and foundation.

a portion of the event proceeds support community arts programs.

for information regarding the July 2009 show:

http://www.artistsconnect.com/show.htm_______________________________________________ac

japanese stab binding

2009-07-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

last sunday, after an hour and a half for searching diligently (and praying mightily not to be late) for a parking place (heck, i was even willing to pay big bucks for the privilege!) in downtown seattle (pride parade going on at the same time, plus the tourists in full force at pike's market on a gloriously sunny afternoon), i managed to snag a prime spot in a lot a scant 1/2 block for the studio of the fabulous planet janet. it was a miracle and 3 minutes to spare!

janet is an amazing encaustic artist that has quite the touch with beeswax (lovely little birds, super-lovely linework and delicious colors), and although this wasn't a mini-workshop in encaustics, it was an enjoyable three hours..........we learned a simple japanese stab binding technique combined with artist pages of paint and collage. i love my first effort!

i scoured the internet and the library for good books on the subject of bookbinding and particularly, bookbinding that is fresh, fun and artsy. i have a *little* trouble (sometimes) reading and understanding instructions and was really after something with good photos and clear step-by-step action. happily, i located and sucked down the three volumes (creating handmade books, unique handmade books and expressive handmade books) all by the talented alisa golden. i heartily recommend these tomes to you. any or all three. it was particularly helpful to read after taking a class.............reinforces what you have just done physically. i like that!

thanks, janet for a super afternoon!

(collage materials for those interested: monotypes that didn't work out, found magazines images, xerox copies of my own artwork, magenta netting paper, vintage text. not-so-vintage text, vinyl alphabet stickers, old rub-on sheets (that were way too brittle to use as rub-ons, but they made a cool cover), waxed linen thread)

the amazing amanda

2009-07-01T08:57:00.001-07:00

gee, i'd like to take full credit when one of my collage student produces something wonderful, but it wouldn't be right! amanda (i featured one of her collages at the beginning of the year) had some skills coming in, that's for sure. she has a rather campy-retro thing going on that really works! however, coz this is my blog i get to post whatever i want to on it (yeah, me!).......and here is one of her other pieces that just really gripped me and knew i had to share. has a real kurt schwitters appeal. doesn't this one just sing?

art and architecture show

2009-06-19T15:02:00.000-07:00

wallingford art show - art and architecture

where?

6721 14th Avenue NW, Seattle WA 98117 (ballard)

when?

friday and saturday june 26th & 27th from 6:00-9:00pm

why?

showcase local artists & mingle over beverages, hors d'overs & good conversation.

who?

artist's: justin schaeffer (third photo), melana bontrager (second photo) & wendy lee lynds (first photo).

hosted by?

real estate agent, troy anderson - representing modern new construction by lippincott construction, inc.

would love to see ya there! i'll be onsite that friday evening. from 6-9pm........come on by!

mimi allin and poetry

2009-06-05T13:09:00.001-07:00

i spent an interesting 2 hours at the edmonds community college campus this last tuesday. i took a free (yes, free!) class in "the easy road to writing poetry" with ak "mimi" allin. this event was spearheaded by a staff member of the english department, collage-making-zine & poetry-writing friend, mandy laughtland. mimi is hard to define. she does everything! but, if it has to do with words, text, poetry and the public, she does it! she is putting on a fabulous event at the seattle art museum on the 11th of june, coming up. go check out her blog for more info on that one. She always manages to have a project in the works, from what i hear tell!

she took us through all sorts of wonderful little exercises (like taking a piece of plain white paper, folding, mutilating, tearing, squishing it into a design then leaving it for someone else to discouver..........then they would write a little ditty about that piece of paper! fascinating stuff.........) to get us all juiced up about writing poetry, even if we haven't written a word of it before.

i was a little nervous about the whole thang, especially since i don't actually call myself a write or poet, but i tell ya, it was encouraging. it was fun. it was inspiring. i have always suspected i might have a poet lurking somewhere inside of moi', and i think mimi may have finally coaxed the little sucker out into the open! above, there is that little poet now - seriously scribbling away in her little notebook, with a little frown on her face and chuck taylor's on her feet (and, yes, i was having fun)!

the little skewers with the funny combinations of words written on them? little trail markers that we cooked up in one of the exercises.....the titles themselves will make delicious titles of a poem or two. i am looking forward to being open to writing more. many thanks to mandy and mimi..........what a great day!

mom's encaustics

2009-06-03T12:16:00.001-07:00

a *little* late, but still wanted to share. here are a couple of encaustics that my mom created while here on her visit, a few weeks back. we had a grand time going through various techniques......and she was very happy with what she came up with. i sent her some with some beeswax, some encaustic paints and hopefully, some encouragement. she got excited enough go home, order joanne mattera's encaustic book and more supplies! whoo-hoo! we are even talking about having me come down to her place in oregon next summer and teach some workshops! yo, mom!

great class!

2009-05-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

spent three days this past week with two great gals on the island. taught "collage 2" at the pacific northwest art school (formerly the coupeville arts center) and it went swimmingly! wanted to share with you some shots of my student's work.

the first piece is a 5x5 collage on canvas by christine. she spent two years in japan and you can feel the love of the culture in this sweet piece. using practice sheets of japanese calligraphy, a transfer (that she herself discovered and i plan on stealing!! teehee), found japanese papers and a little gold sparkle she pulled off a sophisticated, yet playful feel.

jane's collage with based on jonathan talbot's technique of collage using no liquid adhesive. jane used a variety of papers in her piece (ranging from a castoff print to handmade paper) in a rather abstract, bold way. this was an unusual composition for jane, but i think she is onto something here and hope she continues in this vain!

i always learn something when i teach a class! ALWAYS............and this class was no different. love the interaction with people wanting to get their "artistic mojo" back.....and i think all three of us came away wanting to do more ART!! thanks, gals, for letting me share your work and thanks for being terrific, encouraging art buddies!

what would i do..........

2009-05-26T08:59:00.001-07:00

......if i knew i couldn't fail?? that was the question i posed to you all a little while back. hmmm, have been giving that some thought and here are a few things off the top of my head that sound appealing (scary but appealing) to me:

1. go back to school for an art degree.

2. live on the english west coast for a couple of months & paint huge abstracts.

3. become a creativity coach

4. write a book on encouraging people to MAKE ART!

5. write a book pairing haiku and art

6. enter a swing dance competition

7. become a motivational speaker

8. take an improv comedy class?

9. jump on a plane headed for some exotic place and let fate intervene

10. come up with thirty-three different, exciting, mind-blowing, life-changing creativity art classes that no one has ever heard about before, see people flourish and grow in their ability to create, dream and live fully

holy crap. this is *quite* the list. whew! i know there is more where than came from..............so, where is this going?? i think i have more to think on!

what did you come up with?

(pictured above are some encaustics that i created in the studio while my mom was here. she was particularly interested in going through one of north light books newest, perfectly lovely offering: patricia baldwin seggebruch's "encaustic workshop". trish is the gal who got me all excited about this wonderful medium in the first place.............she lives in my neck o' the woods and kindly showed me the ropes a couple of years ago.)

best laid plans..........

2009-05-21T07:59:00.000-07:00

......of mice and men! i looked at that daunting list yesterday (and talked it through with hubs. thank god for a man who can see through a huge list and help me figure out my priorities!) and finally decided what needed to be attacked first. pulled out a few monotypes & some collages and was going to head to my computer and list them on etsy when i got "the call".

my coz-in-law's high school student, zane, got ker-plunked in PE and was headed to the emergency room in an ambulance! my hubs was trying madly to track down zane's mom (thank god for living on an island, it wasn't that difficult a task) and i headed to the hospital to meet zane! funny, how when a crisis hits, all thoughts of etsy and the unbelievably long list of things that "absolutely, positively must get done today" just flys outta your head. such was the case here.

after a couple of hours in the waiting room and a battery of tests, zane was heading home with a diagnosis of "severe concussion", ordered to stayed at home (oh, he is in such misery over that one!! teehee!) for the next several days and not to do anything too drastic or too physical over the next month................and i went home to my list. blissfully aware that everything in it's time and nothing is so important as family! tomorrow is another day. and another chance to stress aobut it all over again!

2009-05-20T12:45:00.000-07:00

have so many freakin' things bopping away in my head today that I can hardly stand it. all of these things i want to do (not just need):

i need to put photos on the computer.
i need to do a post for the bada BLING! blog (especially about my mom's visit).
i need to post some artwork on etsy (like i promised tara) and get that going.
i need to program all the phone numbers into my new razor phone (i lost my other phone last week.....arrrggghhh!)
i need to put hair gel in my hair, it's too straight.
i need to get out of pj's (hey, i did take a shower, however) .
i need to put together supplies for the class tomorrow.
i need to update and send supply list for the gals in collage 2 class @ CAC.
i need to take a piece of art up to CAC for the next member's gallery.
i need to talk to sue about classes for 2010.
ditto for dawn (everett artists supply) in everett.
ditto for michelle (arts council of snohomish) in everett.
i need to make an effort to repair a family member riff (or at least think on it......).
i need to scoop puppy poop.
i need to mail teryll's media mail package.

i need to answer mandy's email.

i need to go visit those two stores in seattle that have zines for sale.
i need to contact those folks in portland that are having a zine convention and find out more details.

i can't freakin' figure out what to do first.
i really can't!
i need to have my head examined!

arrrggghhhhhh!

(calgon, take me away!)

okay...........

2009-05-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

.....so, i lied. here i am!

yes, i posted this ahead of time.

just had a thought.

something i was recently reminded of.

you may have heard of it, too, of course.

while on the onset it might sound "trite"?

honestly, give it some thought this week.

what is your own personal answer to this question?

"if you knew you could not fail, what would you do?"

worth thinking about..............i'm going to ponder and get back with you!

xoxoxoxox

greening of the island

2009-05-12T10:24:00.001-07:00

the island is looking all spiffy & sunny these days. the long-awaited spring has sprung and we are mega-delighted. not a moment too soon to suit us. previous owner happily warned us that come spring, we would be in for such surprises as things bloomed here around our new home and she wasn't lying! gorgeous!

rhodies and tulips, daffodils, wisteria and a japanese maple.........a couple of furit tress (can't remember what kind, tho!). and oh, and lots of things i don't have the slightest idea as to what their names are. but it matters not. we are enjoying seeing what peeks up, enjoying planting petunias and panseys, waiting for all the trees that we ordered from a catalog to arrive. not that we don't already have a ton of trees, mind you, but we are backed up against someone else's property (currently for sale) so we are hedging our bets (so-to-speak) and planting quick-growing tall trees to provide even more privacy, plus some cool pampas grasses, mosses and a willow tree or two! oh, thank goodness for a hubs with a green thumb!

mu mom is coming for a visit from oregon tomorrow, so this will be my last post for a couple of days. when i return i'll show you what we were up to in the studio during her sojourn here. we are delving into my art buddy trish seggebruch's "encaustic workshop" book, new from north light. i orginally learned the art of hot wax from trish and am delighted to see her fantastic first efforts.

have a great tuesday, dear readers!

happy mother's day

2009-05-10T08:11:00.000-07:00

here are my two favorite kids........okay, i admit it, they are my only kids! and quite a bit younger here than they stand today (how is it that i am the very same age??). but these are my two favorite photos of them both. teryll was two and half here (we lived in spokane at the time), benjamin was around seven (hanging out in the san fernando valley). i wonder where the time has gone, because frankly, i recall *quite* clearly both of these being taken. doesn't seem that long ago, but it surely was. 27.5 years in the case of teryll and a nearly 13 years for benjamin. sigh.

thinking about them both so very much today. a sad/sweet mixture of emotions. good thoughts for my daughter's eminent move back to los angeles and her new life (scary, exciting, thrilling, but heartbreaking necessary) and for my son: may he find clear direction for his future, even if he doesn't think he needs clear direction for his future. and maybe a *little* more contact with his "meme" (hint/hint)?

i love you both to the stars and moon (and back again)!

to all the moms out there...........have a wonderful day, dear ones. you deserve it.

(photo credit: teryll - taken by sharon lee webb. benjamin - taken by janet k. ward)

jennifer hugon

2009-05-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

there is more to jennifer hugon then just the following, you can rest assured, but her mini-artist's blurb reads like this: "jennifer hugon is a freelance graphic designer, painter and needle-felter working out of the fabulously artsy town of wooster, ohio".

i own one of jennifers' truly delightful watercolors.......sweet fat little birds that i first spied on some other person's blog and inquired about. i have to have them! she also is a blogger that i have tagged as one of my favs. she is always up to something. and who doesn't love a gal with cranberry-colored hair?

jennifer was kind enough to answer my call for an ATC and there you see it, right above...........another of her signature watercolors. her portraits have a colorful-totally-not-boring edge to them that really draws one in, don't you agree? (she also features her work on her etsy site, as well............whew. you are gonna be busy with jen!)

journalfest - here i COME!

2009-05-06T10:20:00.001-07:00

so, guess who is going to "journalfest" this october?? can you guess?? i am beyond thrilled. i am simply over-the-moon. i am a teesha-moore-event virgin and couldn't be more excited to be at the first-ever "journalfest" in port townsend, wa.

teesha and tracy moore have been long-known for their awe-inspiring artist retreats held yearly on the olympic peninsula called "artfest". not to mention "fiberfest", also held yearly in the pacific northwest. frankly, the whole idea of "artfest" has previously been too overwhelming to even contemplate. 600+ artists from all over the world converge on the fort worden military barracks (better known to many as the place that "an officer and a gentleman" was filmed). it was sensory overload for me and as exciting as it sounded, i didn't know if i could stand the stimulation!! (my nickname is "bunny", that should give you some idea of my personality! haha)

well, this one is a retreat solely based on producing art journals! yeah...........right up my alley these days. the numbers are smallish for this one (at 200 peeps) and with one focus? i think that i can handle that brand of fun!

just rec'd the tantalizing confirmation packet. my, oh my, how delightful was that! listing classes granted, rooming, meal selections, suggestions to make the experience even more wonderful, & a bunch of really groovy bits and bobs of artwork, stickers, even an art journal ala moleskine-style. with a playful, friendly "noodge" to start keeping a "journalfest journal" right away. lovely thing to get in the mail! very creative!

i am blessed to have classes with the author of the recently published "true visions", lk ludwig called "paper mirror" (creating a self-portrait journals), anahata katkin's "impulse collage" (her unique stacking and layering techniques) and stephanie lee's "unraveling words" (wordsmithing for your journals). all three gals have excellent reps as amazing artists & generous workshop leaders and i am unbelievably happy to have gotten into their classes for the fest.

now the feat will be: waiting patiently til the end october.................. plz pray for me!!

(oh, the groovy journal entry above is one of teesha moore's creation! a very talented gal herself, as you can plainly see!)

tracy kay fraker and me

2009-05-04T14:49:00.000-07:00

got in my ford ranger truck friday morning and hauled myself (complete with a variety of art supplies) to the pleasant lakeside town of chelan in central washington to attend a one-day workshop in experimental painting with tracy kay fraker. i know tracy from the artist-connect meetings in edmonds and know her to be a talented artist and teacher (not to mention all-around great gal). been wanting to hang out with her for awhile now. and let me tell you, i wasn't disappointed.

i love a good road trip and the weather was perfectly gorgeous for the three-hour drive. through mountain passes, all happily greening up, to about five feet of snow on the ground up in stevens pass (but, behold, the roads were dry and clear!).........to the apple orchards our state is so very famous for, regaling me with thirty four shades of green.........oh, man, a lovely ride. and let's not forget the mighty columbia river. truly awesome-inspiring.

and talk about awe-inspiring............take a gander at the piece i'm almost done with above. started in tracy's class (love painting with dixie cups, styrofoam meat trays, feathers, drywall tape and gel mediums). i happily attempted a larger canvas than is my norm (this one is 20x28) and feel like i caught on to something here. i love this, love the analogous color combo with a complementary contrast....................still have a few things left to do on it, but wanted to show it in an almost-finished state coz i was so excited!!

thanks, tracy for the encouragement. and to cam elder for being the "hostess-with-the-mostest" even without knowing how to turn on your oven!!

cameron elder

2009-05-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

another one of my artiste' pals, cam elder (whom i met when we both collaborated on the mary's place project in february of '07), contributed this lovely little watercolor ATC for my class as well. muted colors with one little translucent disk from a "money tree" and a fragment of moss that grows so well, here in the northwest.........a quiet subdued piece that is just wonderful! thanks, cam!!

signature laurel

2009-04-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

i recently put out the call to artist friends for samples of atc's: artists trading cards. need some examples (other than my own!) for a class that i am teaching soon. one of my daughter's dearest friends from her high school days answered the call. i thank laurel most sincerely!

laurel is one of those people that are hard to pin down: what exactly is it that they do?? well, besides being a terrific friend to my favorite daughter, this talented and ambitious gal does it all! painting, graphics, web design, blogging, musician, actress, oh and let's not mention, when she gets bored, she is a real estate agent in southern california!

fest your eyes on her groovy ATC's above. the first piece is unique as it is executed on sandpaper, that's right. and the squnchy little face on it is perfect for that background. i may have to steal this substrate idea, laurel! the second ATC is collaged found images and penwork. the third is what i think of as a sassy self-portrait of laurel, a redhead! this one is done in arcylics, if i'm not mistaken.

again, laurel, thanks for helping me, gal! go check laurel out on her website and her blog!

things i have learned this week

2009-04-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

1. i can only handle one thing at a time, and that is perfectly acceptable.

2. simplify, simplify, simplify. did i mention "simplify"??

3. read only one self help book at a time.

4. then take some time to apply the principles before trying to tackle another of my (perceived) "flaws".

5. if fact, skip number 3 and go read some cartoon books (my fav are "zits")!

6. be brave! talk to your husband (or significant other) about everything. that is one of the reasons why they are there; to support and help you reach your potential.

7. sit in the sunshine everyday or buy a verilux "happilite" and do the same (especially if you live in the pacific northwest)

8. play with your puppies - toss them the ball.

9. plant some pretty flowers in a ricketyy-ole'-falling-apart-moss-covered box.

10. let your best friend speak life and health to your soul.

11. thank god everyday for three things. you can find them. some days there are actually 15 reasons to be thankful!

12. write a letter to that someone in your life that is easy to take for granted, telling them how much you appreciate them. be specific. send it!

13. love + art = healing, this i know to be true - so, go make some!

14. repeat the above, many times over!

suscipiously absent

2009-04-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

going through one of those times. uncertainty and silly little fears swirling. not quite sure what it is all about, but talking to dear hubs, dear stalwart (and kick-me-in-the-ass) peeps. trying to be quiet (no easy task, i can assure you!), contemplate and figuring things out. i've been quiet on the blogfront, but am hanging in there, have no fear. these days come every once in awhile........and i always come out of them with some solid revelations. thank goodness!

beach haiku two

2009-04-18T17:44:00.000-07:00

swirling foam on rocks

tangled ropes of wet seaweed

melted sandcastles

planet janet

2009-04-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

get ready, get set.....come fly with planet janet! i'm taking a class by this talented gal in seattle on sunday, may 17th, 3-6pm. a one-shot workshop in bookmaking and collage.......sure to please. i'm really excited! isn't her work terrific? can't recall where the heck i found her, but our email back-and-forths have been cheery & her work delightful. i am thinking this will be a really groovy way to spend a sunday afternoon.......care to join me?

for more info on janet's workshops & to see her charming work, go here. she is happy to speak to ya by email, as well: planetjanet at riseup dot net

beach haiku

2009-04-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

crooked gray branches

reach for misty sky, grasping

at what, i don't know

back from the beach

2009-04-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

sophie and i have returned from our bonding experience! we have taken to calling her "barbie" lately, as she has a real prancer-girlie way about her. never the more applicable then on the beach. she is just something else to behold.............prancing and dancing.......rescuing sticks or just plain 'ole moseyin' down the sand. looking all feminine the whole time, if it's possible for a dog to be "girlie", that is, and i can assure you that it is! while i was wrapping my scarf round my neck, pulling the fleece down around my ears and wiping my nose coz of the nippy spring air, that is......quite the pair. girly girl-fluff pup and her sniffy sidekick! pretty funny sight, i'm sure!

i think she was hoping for some solid play time with other pups on the beach, but canine friendships were hard to come by this week. rather quiet right before easter.........but you won't hear me complaining. oh, no, the quiet and lonely stretches of sand suited me just fine. totally what i needed...... spent time getting to know our newest member of the fam (sophie, that is), reading (molly wizenberg's "a homemade life", a real treasure), prepping for more art classes, art journaling exercises ala juliana coles, generally just relaxing and recharging for the upcoming months. it will be full tilt ahead soon. mom coming to visit, art shows, art classes, the works! anyhow, the time away was really quite wonderful........missed my man and vallyn and trey, but savor those times and blessed to have been able to get away for a bit.

more pictures and musings to come!

heading to the beach......

2009-04-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

please don't hate me! for this is the sad sight i will have to endure nightly (yes, gorgeous sunsets and sophie grace!). please pray for me, won't you?

..........lots coming up this spring and summer. well, with working for fireseed, peeps visiting, an art fest and creating for upcoming art shows and getting things together for the grand opening of my etsy storefront (yes, indeedy, i'm getting my art out there, thanks to tara and uniquely-chic!), not to mention oganizing of some more art classes this summer & and thinking of what some of my next steps will be in the art world (whew! no pressure!), hubs and i (mainly hubs, as he is a better monitor of my "needs" sometimes then i seem to be!) thought that i could use some time away. and if i don't do it now? won't happen! so, off i go into the wild blue yonder.

the beach is one of my fav places to do go to kick back and gain some insight into things. taking sophie, our newest pup with me. haven't had any time alone with her since we adopted her in november, so this will be a nice get-away to do just that. a little romp on the beach, a little light reading, some going over calendars, making plans, plus doing some juliana cole excerises in "extreme journaling"......ahhhh, just what the doctor ordered! see ya in a week or so......

blog birthday!

2009-04-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

happy birthday to badaBLING! this blog is over one year old! how amazing is that? time to re-evaluate, think through the reasons i am doing this, refocusing, rethinking the BLING! re-evaluating, now for me? that's always a good thing! would love to get your feedback. what do i do well here and what do you think i could do better? make a blog comment or write to me directly at: (badablingwendylee at yahoo dot com)

(photo above is a free one from the "stockexchange")

groovy interview!

2009-03-31T10:17:00.001-07:00

i got a nifty interview going on at youniquely chic's blog. go check out the march 29th post. okay, so besides being a talented jewelry designer, tara is also my sis-in-law. she has began to do some really nice interviews with different artists that she is coming across in her etsy, ebay and internet wanderings and i was thrilled to be included in the talented mix. thanks, tara!! (hey, & don't miss the one coming up soon on my friend and ceramic painter, julianne with eclectic clayworks! good stuff!)

tree ducks and a ninja turtle

2009-03-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

i have a weird husband. very cute and funny as hell, but weird. he takes me to edge of our property the other night. we are nearing the gate and he says, "oh, man, those guys got in here again.......i told them NEVER to come back here!".......i'm looking quizzically at him, at the gate and back to him. uhhmmm, what's up, hon? then i look to where's he pointing. and there, strung between two trees in this little piece of heaven on earth, is a swinging ninja turtle. yes, folks, that's right. my home is now complete! because in addition to said swinging turtle, we also have two little tree ducks in the trees, too! what, you ask, are "tree ducks"? oh, gosh, haven't you heard of "tree ducks"? well, take a gander at the photo above and feast your eyes.

and if you think for one minute i think about taking these interesting little creatures down from the trees? consider this: this is a man who said to me from the first minute we were together, " doll, the house is yours! do with it what you will!" and this is after he knew what kinda of art i like!!

so, really, is it any wonder that i stay married to this perfectly hysterical man. he with his tree ducks and ninja turtles?? no, dear readers, i am, happily, staying right where i am!!

wonderful obsession

2009-03-21T08:31:00.001-07:00

aren't these just the coolest??okay, like i don't have any other art to be producing or classes to organize or syllabuses to be written! i got a little obsessive here, i freely and unabashedly admit it! kept looking at those tacky little plastic thingy-bobs and thought, shoot, i know i can do something with those to give them a little freakin' life. so, i took one from the utility room studio the other day and got carried a *little* away. but it was so much dang fun. one thing led to another and i ended up doing six of them (so far, that is)! but i will spare you from looking at ALL of them and only subject you to the above two. the smaller one is made with all text from an old book (yes, i know, text is put on an angle and is upside-down. yeah, i did that on purpose!) and the larger is an oil painting on tissue paper - attached with "mod podge" adhesive (which actually worked rather well. nice and tacky/sticky). i think they look terrific, give a spark of interest to the wildly colored walls.........and of course, has me pondering how the heck to creatively collage the other 48-some-odd switchplate covers in the rest of the place!

PH One

2009-03-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

finally getting back into the swing of things art-wise (despite a week of not-feeling-like-myself-at-all, health and heart-wise). the studio (cleaned and organized and ready for me) beckons and i must heed the call! albeit in my pj's with tousled hair and glue on my fingers.

wanted to share this collage with you, one of several that i have completed whilst in this state of "not-feeling-my-best" (geez, i wonder if there is some connection between manic creating and not feeling like one's self, but i digress). based loosely on a composition by pablo picasso for the 20's. am going to do a series of these as i am quite taken with by the particularly strong graphic layout and want to explore it further.

the piece is larger than i usually go (hmmm, roughly 16x20, depending on how i finally crop it), and for that i am grateful. this is on my creative "list" of things to do this year. break out and go LARGER.....usually do very small little intricate pieces. but have recently been challenged on that front and know that this is what i need to do, just break free!

this piece consists of oil paint on tissue paper, colored tissue, found papers and ink. i think i'm on to something here. what do you think, dear readers?

parklane gallery

2009-03-13T15:56:00.001-07:00

i'm so excited! a wonderful surprise and a great encouragement for me this week.......i won an award for the above pictured collage " 21.22.23" now hanging at northwest collage society's spring show held at the parklane gallery in kirkland!

go here to read more!

left of center

2009-03-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

......probably a good way to describe me some days!! but also to describe my latest piece. a tryptych on birch panel - collage, encaustic and oil painting. something that i am truly happy with..........especially after sitting with it for some months, not totally sold on it's being "finished"...............til i went back and re-introduced some deeper values with oil paint on top of the wax. really popped the darker shapes out and made a strong visual!whatcha' think?

(ps. i can't quite figure out how to make the photos load in the right order. so here you first see a close-up of "left of center" - the second shot being the total painting. silly me, more comfy with art supplies then computers!)

"captive" by lisa jonesmoore

2009-03-04T07:43:00.001-08:00

my new artist buddy from the mainland, lisa jonesmoore, has some tasty mixed media classes coming up soon..........and you SO deserve to go take one! here is an example of one of her newest class offerings - "clipboard shrines". isn't it moody and striking, both at the same time?? and a great use for a product we have all seen and barely used? (i admit it, i found five at a thrift store and had to buy them all. it's all YOUR fault, lisa!!) this is one talented lady who has more brilliant, artistic ideas that you can shake a stick at. and a really nice person, to boot, even though i am jealous of her new studio space in the trees.....

so, go immediately to her blog and read more about what is up in lisa's mixed media world. i hope to see ya in one of her fabulous workshops SOON!

it is finished.........

2009-03-01T08:09:00.000-08:00

.....okay, well, almost! you know how that goes. there is still some decorative painting to be done (colorwashing the utility room studio a warm, springy yellow-green), one wall in the encaustic studio to be streaked with color, too (a lover-ly tangerine, thanks to sue robertson!), tons of art to be artfully hung (i have a zillion pieces from friends and some art that i just couldn't part with of my own & art from my kids when they were little), the first piece that michael and i made together (a cabinet made from three old army ammunition boxes with old double hung windows as doors - very hip) to be moved into one of the areas, last minute doo-dahs added and moved around as i see how the space is being used and the like. but, essentially? it's finished.

and i couldn't be more thrilled! and i actually got to do some work in there this weekend. finishing up a three-panel encaustic and collage piece that wasn't *quite* there. looking pretty good now! thanking god everyday for this terrific set of rooms that will more than meet my needs for working in monotypes, painting, collages, encaustics and mixed media. planning to hold fun-filled, inspiring art workshops here, too. i don't take one square inch of this fabulous space for granted. coming from one little spare bedroom to three huge areas? a huge blessing.......

i actually WORKED in my studio this weekend, finishing

go, check out martha aubin's first solo show!!

2009-02-24T16:07:00.000-08:00

in it for life

2009-02-19T13:19:00.000-08:00

let me introduce you to tim mcfarlane, artist from philadelphia, PA.

found him while wandering the blogsphere in internet-land, though frankly, i don't recall just how - one link to another, i guess! i enjoy dropping in on tim's world and seeing what he is up to artistically, paintings and photography enjoyed equally.

i recently asked tim the question i love asking bloggers: "why is your blog named what your blog is named?"..........and to my question, tim very kindly answered this:

"I'm in it for life. I was in my studio painting one day when I heard that line in a song by Godflesh. It's from their cd named 'Hymns'. I think it was released in 2000. Anyway, I heard that lyric and had one of those moments where the planets seemed to be aligned, stars shone a little brighter, and suddenly it all made sense. I'm in it for life. For some reason that night I realized that I was indeed 'in it for life' when it came to art. That was last year. At that point, I'd been artistically active for 21 years. 21 years! How did those years add up and pass so quickly? I'm in it for life. The reality of how accurately that statement reflected my life really hit me like a ton of bricks. That was it! All of my energy went into painting and whatever other art projects I took on. Of course I have to work to pay bills, but I've even been able to mold that to facillitate my art life. Relationships have come and gone, but art has always been there and will continue to. Art and life are inseperable. One depends on the other. This blog is dedicated to exploring the intersection of the two and how they affect my experiences. I'm in it for life." (posted on the very first blog entry in 2004)

wonderful, tim. i will continue to drop on by and see how life and art intersection in your neck o' the woods and encourage others to do so, as well. happy creating on the other side of these united states!

product / process

2009-02-16T08:02:00.000-08:00

what do these materials have in common; lace, monotypes, arcylic paint, shipping tags, puzzle pieces, wood, oil pastels, dominos, fiber, wallpaper, oil paint, buttons, felt, canvas, kimono fabric, old photographs, beeswax, shelf lining and scrabble tiles? mixed all together and you have the ingredients for an evening of eye candy...........and last night i indulged!

several artist friends in the edmonds area have a formed a group of experimental painters and have pulled together a wonderfully eclectic show that highlights their efforts. get a rare glimpse into the process of all seven collaborating northwest artists (lynn scott, nancy thompson, dawn rieck, lynn garka, sue robertson, tracy k. fraker, mona t. smiley-fairbanks) -as they push the boundaries of their chosen medium with surprising materials and innovative techniques. enjoy the results at this light and airy gallery, complete with a coastal view!

sunset bay wharf's gallery
14725 norma beach road, edmonds, wa

(from hwy 99 in lynnwood, head west on 148th st. sw.
at the "Y" veer right down the hill. entrance to sunset bay through parking lot. park and carefully walk across railroad tracks to wharf)

425 / 772-8407
gallery is open saturdays from 2-8 pm.

show closes march 14th, 2009