rest here

The bird drawings/paintings continue. I actually took some of my favorites and made stencils of them.
My "rest here" raven.
I'm thinking of finishing this as an encaustic. Maybe. Thoughts?
Needs a frame. Fighting the urge to add words.
The gorgeous sunset on the drive home from my Urgent Care experience getting treatment for pink eye. Yuck. I usually let illness take their natural course, because I don't like to add any chemicals to my system. However, this *freaked* me out! I could not see from the symptoms (which I'll spare the details of here, if you've seen a wicked bad case of pink eye, I had *that* - *disgusting*) and I wanted all of those symptoms gone *now*. So, after two days of drops every two hourse I'm awake, it's gotten quite a bit better, though I would still scare people, so I'm staying home and maintaining the maintenance of eye drops and disinfecting everything I touch.
I so love my public library. This is my favorite ever. This system is so, so good. I love the onslaught of books as soon as you come in. Though I do find it frustrating that the books in this collection aren't entered by title, so when you check them out the receipt (and your list on-line) shows as Paperback Picks 2008. I keep my receipts in a journal to keep track of the books I read during the year, so I have to handwrite the title on the receipt, however, I don't always remember to do this. sigh.

Some of the projects I've been working on these past few days. C picked up my much searched for gesso last night.
I have a gallon container in one of these boxes, but, I didn't write that item on the box, so after weeks of going through the boxes thinking, this time I'll find the box with "gesso" on the list, I gave up the wishful thinking and asked C to zip into the Daniel Smith store right by the hospital (a pastoral visit). Yeah! Now I just have to find that little Japanese saw to cut the pieces for framing. I do know where our hacksaw is, so, if I must, I'll use that.
I did something weird here, so I've put these aside while I wait for the patience to pick it up again. I love how they look and hope they'll be stretchy enough to fit -- the pattern mentioned variations to use, but I've never had a problem with socks fitting before so I didn't take any of the increase stitch options mentioned. Colinette yarn from Cannon Beach. Azure socks pattern from Knitty.

wintery warmth

I have a big pile of these done. I do love the excitement of finishing small things like this. I've also spent time on some of these bigger canvases (16" x 20"):
So in love with this I'm having a hard time adding more layers.
Oh, the icy warmth of this piece.
I'm struggling with my full on support of Obama. But I do love the youtube videos from his campaign. And who doesn't *love* the idea of CHANGE for our country. But, um, *does* he have enough experience to be our president? I'm certain though that there is no shortage of super smart, progressive folks who will be in his administration (a welcome change, no?).
Always wanting to add more to this piece. But, now I like the wintery canvases more. Need to finish them though...gotta get some stuff up on the gallery walls at church.

p.s. Forgot to mention. More daily collages have been made availabe at my etsy boutique...

inspired

lots more photos of this gem of a playground! so inspired for some collages.
i love a fence...and with moss, all the better.
love how blue the sky looks. it was quite cloudy and misty this day (yesterday) though.

this morning we could see the mountains. then it poured!
i've been painting and layering for hours tonight. i picked up 5 canvases on my way home from an art group. i have paint on three of them already. i've taken the plastic wrap off of all of them though. i have the goal of getting paint on all of them before 9:00 tonight...off i go!

routines

Some of my favorite routines. I love this cafe, in this picture is one of the reasons - a water feature. I love, love, love the sound of water! And they serve Tully's coffee here. My other favorite about this particular place is the outdoor seating area -- too cold and wet this season for sitting out there, but I will definitely be back as soon as possible. Also this is inside an *amazing* plant center - full of inspiration for the kind of lush garden space I'm planning to create in our own yard one day.
I'm co-facilitating the Lent art projects with the children's group tomorrow. We're making purple stolls with stencils and paint (and stories to explain the symbols chosen to represent Lent).
I love knowing that I'm doing something good for myself everyday. Even when it's so blech outside that I can't go for a walk by the water.
Oh, the personality of trees - knots and moss and wonky branches! A psychology class in college...one of our grad student instructors gave us each an apple. We were to look at it for 5 minutes. Then describe it. Better than an art class. I really got to know the details of that apple. And have really paid more attention to the details of natural things since then.
Preparing for another pair of socks. This is Colinette yarn. Purchased in October on our roadtrip up to our new home. I think I'm going to knit the Azure pattern.

Koigu is nice!

it's so grey it's brown today.
sigh.
so...to art to brighten up the days
a couple of the ATCs that I have finished up since Tara suggested making Valentine's ATCs. More of the finished pieces will be posted to flickr soon. And I continue to make more of them.
Finished these socks. I *heart* Koigu. Wow, warm and squishy, I love these socks. Picked up the yarn on our October Adventure (our slowish drive up to the Eastside from the Bay Area) from Webster's. Next knitting project will be socks with my Colinette sock yarn picked up in Cannon Beach on that same October Adventure.

ATCs of love

Tara mentioned making some Valentine ATCs, and I thought that was a great idea, and use for a pack of the cards we picked up while playing at Ocean Shores a bit ago. So, I'm adding bits and pieces a little at a time to these.
I love the mandala. (Anything circular really, but the mandala also has that spiritual quality, you know?)
a smiling mary. maybe a bit odd as the easter season approaches, so I thought I better get the image up before ash wednesday.
from the house series. we are still house hunting. sigh. latest offer was passed again.
from the valentine's series. (and more birds because, i love my birds! and security envelope birds especially)

in a winter wonderland

we woke to this glory.
of course C had to drive in it -- and called from church to say that the car slid down the hill out of the neighborhood with the brakes locked. all was fine though...gravel placed on the road near the intersection kept the car from sliding into traffic. There's a sign at the base of the hill saying the road is closed, fortunately there is a flat-er way into the neighborhood for the return home later today. And perhaps all of this sun will make the roads a bit less icy.
So, knitting, of course.

And lots of wintery themed mixed media work going on (nothing ready to show quite yet...you'll see though).

sugar: so good v. so evil

The last time I did this detox I had a wicked headache and was so, so sick for a couple of days -- and I thought it was all about the giving up the caffeine (loved it, no i mean it, *l*o*v*e*d* it!) Well, I have stayed off caffeine. However, this time *sugar* is kicking my butt. At least that's the only thing I can figure out, it's the worst thing I consume now. I had really stayed off sugar for the most part until Thanksgiving - and then, wow...did we get sugar gifts! So much chocolate - really good chocolate, homemade chocolate covered things, fancy chocolates (Fran's - omg!) and really while we do *still* have some left, we were somewhat moderate in our consumption, but still, way more sugar than I had had in months...so I promised myself to go back on the detox right after vacation. And it's good, I remember the glorious feeling of that clean, healthy feel, the energy, the ease of sleep, the sleeping straight through the night. Love it! So, back on the wagon. And, walking and/or on the elliptical every day. Because it'll be sunny *and* warm here one day, and I'll get to wear skirts again, and I'll get those Chaco lines back on my feet.

full moon = super high tides! my favorite.
you can see the mountains when the sun shines. though it's hard to find a good spot to take a photo because of all the car dealerships and random strip malls along the highway. this summer we'll go on hikes and find better photographing spots.

oh how i love the ocean...and sunshine! the sky has been sunny for *five* days in a row...not a drop of rain (knock wood).
sunny
but *cold*
(my favorite - i like to bundle, and love to wear my woolie knits)
i busily took lots of photos of our view...not so many of the art i created, so that'll be posted later.
this morning i'll leave you with these images. later i will post photos of the art.
enjoy the outdoors today!
i think i took more photos of the moon. i love me some moon.


fishing boats out there day and night.
not sure what the history of this is, but you can drive your car on the beach - we didn't feel the need.
love this! lots of photos of this too. if it had been warm enough i would have brought a thermos of coffee, my sketchbook and spent some time sitting in here.
from our balcony. yep, that close to the water. amen.

1. seeker

One of the words I'm picking for the year. I'm making a mixed media piece for each of the words. I'll be adding them one at a time to my etsy store too. (I'd love to make a special one for you, let me know). I'm also making some silver necklaces with the words - because I love to wear my words.

I *so* love meeting these women at our local third place. Inspiring artwork and conversation is so wonderful -- and I will continue to go out to meet them even if it is raining buckets!

We are heading to the ocean for a few days. I'm taking two totebags full of paint, paste, paper, brushes -- and a couple of canvases. I have to fill a couple of walls at church as soon as possible, so the art supplies will be flying - watch out! (I'm taking another bag with a swimsuit -- hoping for a hot tub, longjohns, a couple of sweatshirts, lots of socks and miscellaneous other casual (winter) beachware). Yippee.

a little high right now...

The beginning of a stencil obsession. Picked these plastic doily's up at a thrift store and knew this was what I was going to do. Some day I would like to cut some stencils too, but, hmmm, when will that be? (I have used these circle stencils on the encaustic too...I love me some circles!)
Took it outside with a couple of waxed sheets from my Chex Mix making stint this holiday season. (Those Chex cereal bags are the biggest ones, I always save them for art painting - gesso'ing and matte medium slathering). Even though I sprayed outside, with plenty of ventilation, the fumes still affected me.
Flipped the still a bit wet stencils into my art journal.

Also posted a few more collage a day cards...more to come.

it should have been a snow day...

...but we went to the old spaghetti factory for lunch...
which was pretty crazy because it was pouring down rain,
which soon turned to this beautiful stuff, and we had never been there, and we had to take several highways and a freeway to get there and back.
and the food wasn't as good as either of us remembered.

but, oh how i love the look of the spaghetti factory (not that i'd live in anything that victorian looking, i'd love one or two of the gorgeous lights they have in there)
Once we were safely at home, I pulled out the new box from Trader Joe's to give it a review. Quite simple. Very tasty. Two thumbs up.
And pretty too.
Now it's time for a soak and finishing another library book.