Life on the Coast

Our small patch of front garden on this mid-spring morning,

here by the sea in Morro Bay.  Enjoy your weekend!

From the Bookshelf

This is the third book by Jo Packham and the Where Women Create team.  The first Where Women Create gave birth to the wildly popular Stampington magazine of the same name and introduced us to a score of creative women from all areas of the arts.  This one focuses on organization - and couldn't we all use more of that in our studios?  As always, beautiful photographs and wonderful layouts invite you right into the studios.  Plenty of ideas and eye candy to keep you dreaming for many a weekend to come. 

From Mess to Marvelous!

 I realized a few years ago that there was no way I could keep all the magazines that were accumulating in the studio.  And then there were the stacks of computer printouts, workshop instructions, yada-yada-yada.

 So at first, I put loose items in three ring binders, then I went through many of the magazines and clipped out the articles that I wanted to keep(leftovers went into the collage pile or recycling) and these went into the binders as well.

  But of course,over time, when I would come up with more articles or printouts, they just got shoved into the nearest notebook and you guessed it - pretty soon I had a whole new kind of chaos!

One of my projects this spring was to tame this particular paper tiger. First I amassed all the binders, all the  loose pages and all the magazines that were waiting to be clipped.

Then, duh, I actually came up with all the categories I needed and,"duh 2", made labels for the outsides of the binders so I now know what's in each one.  I know it sounds so simple, you'd think a college graduate, not to mention a librarian, would have done this the first time around.  But better late than never.

Now if I'm looking for that article on "art journaling" I can just go right to the binder that says Art Journaling, if I want info on shops and flea markets - there's a  labeled binder!

Sometimes it's the little simple things that make us so happy!

A Score of 2 Score Pictures

Every May and October Cayucos hosts an Antique Street Faire. The two downtown blocks are closed off and dozens and dozens of vendors set up their booths and show their wares.

I've amassed quite a nice stash of varied ephemera and assemblage supplies there over the years.

This time my goal was old snapshots - and I hit the jack pot.

I use cabinet cards and carte de visite in many of my collages and mixed media work, but I absolutely love these old snaps from the first half of the 20th century to use in my art journals.  At $.50 a piece they are an inexpensive and happy indulgence.

Check out the expression - lower left - Don't mess with her!

Suitcase Saturday

 The vintage suitcase,a gift from my friend Susan
several years ago.  

  Filled to the bursting with book covers. 

 Gleaned from old book shops, library book sales,
flea markets, garage sales.

 I love vintage books that are falling apart, because all the parts can be used in mixed media art.  The spines, the covers, the pages - they're all grist for the altered mill!

Old Mam'selle's Secret

When I did my Shabby Chic Collection
I used many of these covers.

Pretty in Pink

They provided the key element to build the pieces - 

making it easy to choose colours
 and other bits of ephemera
to compliment the covers.

Trip Down Nostaglia Lane

 The Key to the Sea - altered book 7x9" closed

 I created my first altered book back in 2005.  I'd discovered art journals the previous summer after reading Gwen Diehn's The Decorated Page and that led me to altered books.

 I had amassed a small stash of tools and ephemera 

and was nervously ready to begin.

 When I look back on it now, I see I tried to cram as many fledgling techniques and ideas in as possible!

It seems to follow two or three story lines, and is rather a mish-mash of styles.

As they say "You've come a long way baby!", but it is fun to revisit this early attempt, now and then, to see where it all began.

8 Glorious Years!

Tomorrow will be our 8th anniversary.  We were married by the sea just up the coast in Cayucos, surrounded by friends and well-wishers. We had a lovely reception which included the sinfully delicious flourless chocolate cake above.  The cake was so heavy the bakers couldn't stack the layers, so they just spread them out all over the table.  Would I do it all over again?  In a heartbeat!  Thank you Margot for bringing such love, happiness and peace to my life. 

Life on the Coast

A beautiful spring time view from Hwy 46
across the green hills to Morro Bay.

Enjoy your weekend!

From the Bookshelf

I came across this book in the gift shop at the de Young Museum in San Francisco.  It's full of the chapbook illustrations of Jose Guadalupe Posada.  These were inexpensive, pulp-type little paperbacks, published in the first part of the last century, intended for the entertainment of the masses, sort of a combination of comic books/Harlequin Romances/True Stories. The book has a short history of the artist, his times and his work.  But most of the pages are devoted to his art.
The illustrations have become iconic to Mexican art and are instantly recognizable. And they are wonderful for inspiration in collage, assemblage and shrines.   Highly recommended!

Spring Journal Pages

A few spreads from my latest daily journal,

 I've enjoyed a springtime feel with this one; birds, flowers,

 vintage photos, Easter eggs, a few snippets of current and future projects,

 old etchings,and of course, my ubiquitous "To-Do" lists!