From the Bookshelf

Another one from my early days, a decade ago, when I first started put more than writing in my journals. Claudia Nice is a name recognized by most anyone who has dabbled in watercolour and pen and ink.  She has many books available on these subjects and all are easy to follow, beautifully illustrated with her work and full of wonderful advice and ideas.  This particular volume speaks of the different types of sketchbook journals and gives many examples of each.  The first section has a great supply list and compact lessons on dozens of techniques.  This is one I return to again and again over the years.  Used copies can be found quite easily, a good source to have to  hand.

Retirement Rehearsal

 So I'm taking 10 days off, not for a trip,

 but to stay home and see what it will be like, 

lo those many years from now when I can finally retire!

I plan to spend LOTS of time in the studio,

\

 have large chunks of beach time,

play with my cat,

hit several of my favourite  journaling spots,

and of course, catch up on my reading!

I'll keep you posted.

After the Festival

 The 2013 Paso Robles Festival of the Arts is now history.

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The weather was beautiful, the turnout very good.

 I met lots of new people - a totally different crowd than 

I've seen at Open Studios or my gallery shows.

 These pictures show the set-up of
the Altered by the Sea booth.

 It was a kick to see such a large body of my work, so wonderfully displayed.

Made some sales and new contacts and had a lot of fun!

Today's the Day - Paso Robles Festival of the Arts

See you today in the park for the 

Paso Robles Festival of the Arts

10:00 - 4:00.

 Renaissance Steampunk panels,

 Distressed tags,

 Mah Jong Wind panels.

 and, as they say, "so much more!"

Altered by the Sea - booth 19.

 Food, music, entertainment, fun and art, art, art!!

What a great way to kick-off the Memorial Day weekend!

This Saturday - Paso Robles Festival of the Arts!

It's this weekend!  Saturday May 25 from 10-4.

 Paso Robles Festival of the Arts

Join me for a day of mixed media fun.

See you there!

Swap Meet Score!

Went to the local swap meet with daughter Jenny on Sunday.

 Not a big score - but a few choice items.

 Old military buttons,

foreign coins, 

vintage hankies, a cool key and check out

 those yummy steampunk goggles!

Life on the Coast

Sailing by the otters in Morro Bay Harbour. 

From the Bookshelf

This is one of the first books I picked up when I started keeping travel journals a decade ago. The author has spent many years roaming the globe and documented his travels with pen and ink and watercolour.  He offers advice on supplies, locations, and techniques. Every page features sketches and pages from his journals.  I return to it often for inspiration and eye candy galore.

Paper Neighborhood!

For our anniversary Margot surprised me with this cool set of architectural stamps from Paper Neighborhood.  By using them one can recreate any/all details of Italianate  buildings.

 I have barely started to play with them, but am looking forward 

to many fun hours of being an architect!

 
They come in a faux paint can with their own ink pad, though I'll use Rangers' Jet  Black Archival.  I'll post some results when I've designed my first structure!

Tag You're It!

I've been up to my ears in tags this week.

Colouring with Tim Holtz Distress Inks and stains

Stamping with a variety of designs; 

Christmas, birds, French, Alice in Wonderland,

Grunge with compasses,

And some just grungy, to add your own stamps to.

Six in a package and available at the 

Paso Robles Festival of the Arts later this month.

Paso Robles Festival of the Arts

Coming in two weeks!  Paso Robles Festival of the Arts

Join me for a day of mixed media fun!!

Suitcase Saturday - Pinterest Style

While checking my Pinterest boards the

 other day, I put in a search for suitcases,

and found a plethora of vintage beauties. 

For traveling, for display,

and even for cats!

9 Years of Happiness and Love

Nine Years ago today my beautiful wife Margot and I, surrounded by friends and family, took our vows and started an amazing life together.  Four years after that, we did it again and were legally married during California's 5 month window before Prop 8 passed.  We are incredibly happy and in all that time our love and happiness has not demeaned or spoiled anyone's heterosexual marriage.  Love only begats love -  and what can be wrong with that?

Renaissance Steampunk!

I first got the idea for these 5x7" panels last October  at a workshop with Anne Bagby.  We did clowns, but even at the time I thought it would be fun to try some with other themes.

The steampunk plan came to me a couple of months ago, and I figured on using Victorian line drawing faces as the substrata for the clusters of ephemera.  But after much searching, I didn't find anything that spoke to me.

Just last week, I had one of those lovely "A-ha!" moments and decided to use Renaissance portraits.  My all time favourite (I use her constantly) Raphael's La Fornarina", Leonardo's Ginevra Benci and the man with the unfortunate nose the Duke of Urbino by Piero della Francesca.

I printed out the pictures and then adhered them to the panels with matte medium.  I covered the backs with decorated paper and then rubbed the edges with rust coloured ink.  I then used a very small amount of gesso, dry brushing over the surfaces of the pictures to give them a softer look.  A length of Tim Holtz tissue tape was added to one side of each panel.

Then the fun began - delving into my stash and pulling out lots and lots of steampunkish embellishments, arranging and rearranging them on the pieces and finally affixing them all with heavy gel medium.

We all know that feeling when we've had a picture in our minds what a finished piece will look like and then it doesn't quite.  But we all also know how glorious it is when it turns out just the way we imagined.  This was one of those times and I couldn't be more pleased.

These will be available at the Paso Robles Festival of the Arts 

on May 25.  See you there!