Nice Rack!

Big Fish!

One of the fun things about Reno is their bike racks. All of these are found in the River Walk area downtown.

Great Green!

Choo-Choo!

On our way home today, a fun and interesting trip, but ready to see the ocean again and enjoy the coastal breezes (and play with the kitties!)

River Walk

A wonderful evening in the River Walk District in Reno.

Beautiful baskets of colourful flowers hanging over the water off the bridges.

Delightful combination of greenery and water, surrounded by tall buildings.

Majestic murals adorning river-facing walls.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner, did a bit of shopping and some gallery hopping.

Sassy Feet in Reno

Here we are at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno at the Quilting, Stitches and Craft Expo, running through Saturday. Margot's teaching classes the next two days, and I'll be helping out staffing the booth.

Here are just a few of the myriad of shoes that she's exhibiting - all with easy instructions to DIY.

Check out her fabulous website and blog also her great on-line store on the website.

I know, I know - but if I can't brag about my talented wife, what's the point?

If you're in the Reno area drop by and see the shoes!

Off to Reno

Four days in Reno. I don't gamble, but in-between helping Margot in the Sassy Feet booth at the Quilting, Stitches and Craft Expo, I hope to do some exploring along the Riverwalk and maybe take in the Saturday morning swap meet. Looked a little different 59 years ago - but didn't we all!

photo courtesy of CharlesPhoenix.com

@Molly's place

Welcome to Molly's place! Full of cats, books, flowers, trees, friendship and love. We are being pampered and feted. Long days of reading, napping, playing with the four wonderful kitties and breathing in the flower and pine scented mountain air.

She has an amazing house with all the perfect touches. Lots of artwork, fabric, photos, and killer views out every window. We've been sleeping on the deck, under a blanket of stars, and awoken each morning by a chorus of bird song.

This was my spot yesterday - perfect for reading and napping and even, napping while reading!

There are several of these vintage metal garden chairs scattered throuoghout the garden - I know, you're drooling aren't you?

What a delicious few days of relaxation before the hectic shoe weekend ahead.

Nevada City

Downtown Nevada City - wonderful old buildings, a real gold-rush mining town feel.

Some of you may have seen this lovely shop featured on Jenny Doh's blog a few weeks ago - lovely eye candy through the windows - unfortunately closed today.

photo courtesy of lobstershack.com

Nice warm weather - last time I was here everything was covered by a light blanket of snow - it's a very different atmosphere in late spring. Having fun wandering the streets, window shopping.

And of course - a juicy rare steak at The Willo, Hwy 49. A genuine old California road house. Yum!

photo courtesy thelobstershack.com

With a Little Help from My Friends

Oh boy! Look what I've scored this week. Friends and family love to bring me street detritus, and I love getting it. Every week I fall heir to rusted bottle caps, bits of unidentified metal and wood, beach glass, moonstones, string, wire and -as the infomercials say - "So much more!"




But this week I hit the jackpot. Thanks to Joen, Destiny and Alexandra - my work colleagues and cohorts in mixed media rust collection.

Hit the Road

And we're off! A week away. First up to Nevada City to visit friend and poet extraordinaire Molly Fisk for a few days of relaxing in the sun and then over to Reno where Margot is teaching classes and having a Sassy Feet booth at the Quilting, Stitches and Craft Expo at the Grand Sierra Resort. I will have a few hours in the booth while she's teaching, but should also have lots of free time to scope out wonderful cafes and journal and drink lattes.

Art in the Park

It's that time again! Every Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day weekends the Morro Bay Art Association presents Art in the Park. A three day extravaganza that features local county artists, and many from other parts of California. Fine art, ceramics, jewelry, photography, mixed media - something for everyone. Many a MB resident and tourist make this an annual event and a lot of Christmas shopping gets done, as well as picking up something lovely for one's self. A great chance to see what our favourite artists are doing and loads of eye candy and inspiration. See you in the park.

Different Boats, Different Canal

Another, very different canal. The Grand Canal of Venice. The major thoroughfare of that most serene city. I had expected gondolas, as everyone does, when going to Venice for the first time.

But what was surprising was the vast amount of boats of all kinds. Vaporettos - water buses (sort of like the Metro only on the water instead of underground), traghettos - long skinny gondolas that ferry people across, instead of up and down the canal.

Ambulance boats, police boats, fire boats, mail boats, delivery boats in all shapes and sizes, boats filled with produce and fish for the local street markets, fancy-fancy private motor launches, and even a regulation brown boat for UPS delivery all are found daily on the Grand Canal.

Along the Regents Canal

One of the things we did on our trip to England was a narrow boat ride on the Regents Canal through London. This canal grows out of the Grand Union Canal that comes down from Nottingham and is one of the most traveled in Great Britain.

The trip started in an area of the city called Little Venice. The canal widens to a watery basin here and several boat companies offer tours down the canal that winds along, the back of Regents Park Zoo and eventually ends up at Camden Lock.

It was fascinating to see the different boats moored alongside the towpaths. Getting a berth here is a lucky chance. Many of the boats have been lovingly restored and provide year long lodging for their proud owners.

It was strange to be on the water, basking in the rural feeling and quiet of the canal and then look up and see the city of London rising above us.

An added bonus were the old fashioned tickets for the ride which the boatman punched with a vintage handheld tool. As you've already guessed, they went into the travel journal before we'd even reached Camden!

Among the Roses

Among the Roses

An assemblage box compiled of treasures from the Antique Street Faire of a couple weeks ago.
A grouping of distressed chalkware chickens, a worn wood, dirty green handle with a rusty metal rim, and the "mystery" tool. My sister in Colorado says it looks like it might be a cobbler's tool - awl on one end and a "shaper" on the other.

The rose paper is from 7Gypsies and the other from Basic Grey. A vintage cabinet handle was attached with E-6000 to the top of the box. I'm toying with the idea of finishing off the piece with some hardware cloth across a portion of the front.

A Foggy Weekend

Morro Strand Beach

Well ,the promise of good weather was not kept - unless you like lots of overcast and fog with just a hint of elusive sunshine. I know Lisa Hoffman would have been jumping for joy. But me? Not so much with the fog. Then why, you ask,, do I live by the coast? Ah, because when the fog lifts there's nowhere more beautiful.

Morro Rock

T.S. Spivit

The Selected Works of T.S. Spivit

Amazing book - The Selected Works of T. S. Spivit by Reif Larson. Part novel, part scientific treatise, part graphic novel - but in total an amazing, wonderful read. Check out the inter-active website. A beguiling story told in first person by a 12 year old boy you will not soon forget. Almost 400 pages that flew by - a highly entertaining and thought provoking illustrated novel. Kudos to Mr. Larsen.

Let the Weekend Begin!

Ah, the weekend. A busy weekend of art intermixed with some reading, relaxing and delicious Mexican food. The weather looks good, the red rosin is already gesso-ed, the books picked out and the margarita mix is chilling. Let the weekend begin!

I'm in the Book

L K Ludwig's new book "Collaborative Art Journals" is now available and..... drum roll please - I'm in it! A page that I did for Carol Park's Art Fest 2007 Fat Book is featured on page 83.

That's mine on the right. This is the first of my art to be print published. And I must say, it's rawther (as Eloise would say) exciting!

Journaling, Journaling!

I started this journal last October. It's a vintage ledger for a traveling salesman of grocery items and dry goods. A lucky e-Bay win. It was a medium green colour, but after getting the letters and ribbon at Wendy Addison's Theatre of Dreams, I painted the covers an off-white and then over painted with a soft French blue, rubbing some away to show the underlying colour. Then added the letters and ribbon for the finishing touch.

It's a bigger size than I normally use - which has been both fun and challenging. I'm about 30 pages from the end and am starting to look forward to going back to something smaller for my next one.

I try to work in it everyday, but miss once a week or so. It's a grand repository of daily happenings, lists (love the lists), collage, and samples of techniques I want to try out.