Quoth the Raven

This is a beautiful ceramic crow that Margot brought back for me the last time she went to Seattle.  It's the creation of Jaki Reed of Youthful Folly Studio.

Margot saw Jaki's work in a local cafe, took a card and arranged the purchase online. I love ravens and this one looks particularly striking against our gold great room wall.  Happy Halloween!

Scarecrow Time!

 For the last three years Cambria has been scarecrow territory every October.  There are more every year and last count shows over 350 for this year, not bad for a town of only 6,000.  Different groups, organizations and individuals sponsor and create them and they are everywhere.

In front of businesses, along Hwy 1, on bridges and at the lighthouse lens.  These two are my personal favourites - caught by the photographic lens of Destiny Carter.

 Here's a few more! 

Suitcase Saturday

 Trip to the Orient

 Those little suitcases from Ross are not only great to store things in, they make a great substrata for an assemblage. This was a birthday gift for Margot a few years ago.  I covered the inside with various Asian papers and writing.  A library pocket, trimmed with charms, holds Mah Jong cards and Asian coins, beads and a Netsuke surround the inside of the lid.

Brass stampings and fabric decorate the back wall and Mah Jong themed boxes hold game pieces, a snuff bottle, chops and rolled documents.  This was a lot of fun to do - both the collecting and the putting together.
Just more proof  - never pass a small suitcase by - they hold art supplies and they become art themselves.  What's not to love?

Day of the Dead -Preview

Only a little over week and it will be time for

 Dia de Los Muertos - Day of the Dead.

 I get a bit of an early start and made this tag, using red rosin
paper, gessoed and textured with cheese cloth.

 Colour laid on with acrylic paint and oil pastels. Then I used the oil pastels on a xerox copy of a sugar skull, after cutting out various designs on it so the background would show through. It was affixed with gel medium.

 

Two final touches - a glass skull and a mix of Mexi-coloured

 yarn and fibers through the hole at the top.

ROTP -Autumn Score

 Not a huge score on Sunday at 

Remnants of the Past Antique Show & Sale -

but a very tasty one!

I was thrilled to find that Wendy Addison 

(of Theatre of Dreams fame)

 was there sharing a booth with Tinsel Trading Company.  

I picked up this delicious looking goodie bag of antique trim

and letter press circles from Wendy.

 Can you ever have enough Frozen Charlotte heads?

 Really, can you?!

And finally a stunning Santos hand for my growing collection.  I even found a rusty bottle cap in the parking lot as I was leaving - great day all around!

Life on the Coast

Two exciting destinations today -

 Remnants of the Past Antique Show in San Luis Obispo,

and the Cayucos Antique Street Faire.

Hoping for the perfect score!

Workshop - The Last Day

That's me, hard at work on the last day of 

the incredible 4 days of art, art, art!

There were only about a dozen of us left, as many 

had to return home following the Sunday class.

Here,  above and below, are some of the
wonderful pieces created,

by my talented classmates,

using red rosin paper, Portfolio oil pastels, paint,

black and white toner copies and lots of creative genius.

Lynne encouraged us all to keep layering, 

to add more and more and then 

just that little bit more after that.

Here's part of the panel I did,

 (will get a better picture in an upcoming blog). 

Lots of layers, lots of colour - it works well.

 

A last glance at Friday Harbor as the ferry pulled out.  

A great six days - what a ride!!

Workshop Day 3

 

 That's the ferry pulling out of Friday Harbor taking me back to normal life and away from an amazing four days of intensive art making and learning,

On day three with Anne Bagby we made stencils

 of different types of body shapes.

Then we made complicated paper using deli paper and tissue paper as substrata and collaging with bits and pieces of coloured and patterned  paper.

 We used the stencils on the complicated paper to cut out the body shapes,

and then created our figures on 5x7" canvas board.

These are the four I did and I was quite pleased with the results.

On Friday I'll wrap up with day four and Lynne Perrella.

Workshop Day 2

Day 2 and more faces.  Lynne Perrella taught us to make these colourful and amazing portraits starting with black and white toner copies and Portfolio water soluble oil pastels.

 The results, as you can see were varied and stunning, running the gamut from Oriental princes to classic clowns to sultry divas.  My two are bottom right and the one above it sightly to the left.

 Backgrounds of layer upon layer and then those 

that were exquisitely simple yet compelling.

 Colour and drama were the themes of the day 

and the entire class delivered in spades.

 

It was such fun that I got started on a third one - 

can't wait to see where she leads me.

Workshop - Day 1

It doesn't get any better than this!  Lynne Perrella and Anne Bagby,  and four days to create and be immersed in mixed media art.

As it turns out this is the last time Anne will be teaching a workshop outside of her home studio in Tennessee, so I feel extra blessed to have this chance to work with her again.

Lots going on, techniques learned, connecting with old friends and making new. Worked on these 5x7" clown collages.

And the best part?   Three more days! 

Arrived

Car, plane, shuttle, and ferry, but finally here!  Workshop starts tomorrow. For now, a day of wandering around town and doing some exploring.  We all meet tonight for a get acquainted reception at a local restaurant and tomorrow the art begins to fly!

Off to the Islands!

San Juan Islands that is -  sweaters and boots
not swim suits and sunhats.

Anne Bagby

Four days with Lynne Perrella and Anne Bagby!

 Lynne Perrella

Art-tastic!!

Life on the Coast

 

Our herons are back.  They drift off as summer begins 

and towards the end of September they return.

 Another reason that autumn is my favourite season.

From the Bookshelf

Lucy Watson has put together quite an informative and instructive volume.  It covers different types of sketching - pencil, pen and ink, watercolour, charcoal, etc.  Lots of techniques and well illustrated with examples and diagrams.  More detailed and advanced than some of the books out there, but the beginner will find valuable lessons as well.  A handy manual for those looking for a bit more traditional artist look for their journals and sketchbooks.

Here's Autumn!

My favourite time of year -

It's all about the colour!

Gettin' Ready

In a bit over a week I'll be leaving for the

 San Juan Islands in Washington,

to attend a four day workshop with 

Lynne Perrella and Anne Bagby!

 It's being hosted by Wild at Heart Studio in Friday Harbor.

I've been busy this past weekend gathering supplies and materials.

I'll be blogging while I'm there, 

so stay tuned for all the juicy, arty details!