It's Been a Year!

photo courtesy of www.pinkcakebox.com

Actually a year and a week, but I was a bit remiss in my remembering. It's been so much fun sharing life and art "by the sea" with all of you. "Life on the Coast", "Cigar Box Wednesday", "From the Bookshelf" and all the rest. I spent some time a few days ago looking back through my posts and was delightfully surprised, both with things I fondly recalled and a few entries I had forgotten about. Thanks everyone, for visiting and all your comments. I love inviting each and everyone of you into the studio to join me in this artful, altered life by the sea.

February Birthdays in Blogland

Ginny Carter Smallenburg of Small Studio

Corey Amaro of Tongue in Cheek

and today's birthday girl, the usual suspect - Marylinn Kelly

Marylinn and I are practically birthday twins, mine yesterday and hers today. Corey celebrated a few days ago with a give-away a day for a week, and Ginny's is towards the end of the month, though she's said that she'll be having her birthday all year by attending all the wonderful workshops she has planned at Small Studios. I generally look at the entire month of February as my birthday. I mean, it is a short month after all. Interestingly enough I seem to have talked my family and friends into this!

Life On the Coast - Pacific Grove

A beautiful ocean

Colourful Houses

A cozy room in a seaside bed and breakfast

Happy Birthday to Me!

Exhibit Time in Santa Cruz

Daniella Woolf

Daniella Woolf's art will intrigue and amaze you. In a coincidence that is also intriguing and amazing; 1.) the latest issue of Somerset Studios features Daniella in an in depth article by Rice Zachary-Freeman. Accompanied by gorgeous pictures of her artwork and details of her encaustic techniques the story mentions that her work is currently (through March) on exhibit at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History.

Paper Sculpture - Daniella Woolf

And there's coincidence 2.) we had already planned a long weekend in Santa Cruz and Pacific Grove for my birthday during February! As I was reading the article I kept thinking "this would be cool to see in person" and I reached the end and found out I would! We drive up to Santa Cruz today and will catch the show this afternoon, and then to Mobo for delicious veggie sushi, Lisa remembers this!

From the Bookshelf

The Easy Drawing Book

Before Ed Emberley and his thumbprints, before Lee J. Ames and "Draw 50..." there was Peter White's little, unassuming The Easy Drawing Book. First published in the early 1950's he taught tens of thousands of youngsters how to draw "all the things you see everyday and many, many more". I picked up my current copy from Amazon where you'll find them ranging from $.01 upwards. It's fun, it's instructive, it's The Easy Drawing Book.

In Vogue - Encore

The next spread features vintage cards of tiny white buttons, a decorative lace ornament and a large ceramic floral button all on a background of lace drawings. Pink and green ombre ribbon is tied through eyelets.

Oriental style - old Chinese coins, stickers of fans and vases, and pictures of colourful fashions. Vintage ivory Mah Jong counters add the perfect touch.

Simple, classic dress designs topped with printing plates from old patterns. A fun piece of work, now in the mail off to Somerset Studio. I'll keep you posted.

Cigar Box Wednesday

Remember the old 45's? You know pre- mp3 and Ipod, pre- CD's, even pre- cassette and 8trak. What we listened to in the "olden days", the '50's and '60's.


Every Saturday I'd take my allowance, walk to the record store and put down my 99 cents for the latest Beatles or Beach Boy hit. Then dash home and spend the rest of the day playing it over and over.

Beach Boys spread from altered book - Beach Time

Now, they make great page elements, and never fail to bring back a myriad of wonderful memories of growing up.