Creative Prompt #116 - Breakfast

BLUE PLATE SPECIAL - 

ONE COFFEE

TWO EGGS

THREE RASPBERRIES 

Thank you, thank you, thank you Toni for the book "Where Women Create" and to Artquiltmaker for Creative Prompt # 116 and to SB daughter for her beautiful and prolific art.

I'm doing art!  Yeah! Happy me.

creativity : (

...or lack thereof.
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                           ...
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As you probably have noticed I have not blogged in a while.  Have hit a creative wall.  Maybe a life wall?  I have neither sewn, made art nor done a lick of housework since I got home from vacation.  In theory, vacation should have left me rested and refreshed.  But I came home exhausted, sore and grumpy.  Bummer!  I'm not taking me on vacation again!

Tonight I had dinner with my girls and the boys (grandson and son-in-law).  SB daughter brought over the paintings she has done.  They are so creative!  She is an inspiration.  When she left to go back to her hotel I went up to artquiltmaker's studio and we talked about sewing and shopping and life.  It was a good evening.  Even the 82 mile drive home didn't bother me and seemed to be over in a flash (perhaps it was the fries I picked up at McPoison's on the way home?).

So, when I did finally get home and unload the truck I actually did a little artsy thing.  Months ago the girls treated me to an evening at A Work of Heart in San Jose.  We made some cool winged hearts wearing crowns.

I really like mine but felt it was missing something - like an eye.  I have been thinking about putting an eye on the heart for some time but didn't follow through.

Yesterday I received a copy of the magazine "Where Women Create" from a friend I hadn't seen in over a year.  It was such a thoughtful gesture!  And it came with a card that made me feel like I really do have friends even if they are 'in absentia' currently.  The envelope the card came in was pretty close to the same color I had painted the canvas to which the heart was mounted.  So last night I drew an eye on the envelope, kind of practicing for the 'real' one I was going to paint on the heart.  When I got settled here tonight I cut out the eye and was going to glue it on but decided I would just use tape so I could decide if I liked it or not.

I'm glad I did.  My first reaction is to not like it.  Maybe I like it a little now.  But maybe also it would look better drawn directly on the heart.  Or on a different color paper and glued on.  Or maybe I should paint it on paper and glue it on.  I think it needs to be darker.  And the paper it is on looks jaundiced!  Kind of like my current outlook on life?

So what do (all two of my readers) you think? 

Vacation!

The Big Guy and I are on vacation in central Oregon, east of the city of Eugene.  This is a lovely farm on the road in to the resort where we are staying.  As you can see from the view of the sky, the weather is typical for Oregon.  We have been here a week.  The first two days were sunny and warm - perfect.  Friday afternoon I picked our 'dinner and dominoes every Tuesday' friends up at the airport.  It began to rain in the middle of the night Friday.  Of course, all the rain keeps the area green and beautiful.

On Tuesday we went to a yoga class - my first in eight years!  I was surprised at how flexible I still am!  I also really enjoyed the class and will go again tonight.  And maybe I will even go to yoga when I get home!

Yesterday the weather was cloudy in the morning but beautiful in the afternoon.  The grounds here are beautiful and the Big Guy and Roxy are enjoying all the trails.  This area is also rich in fallen branches which he uses for his new hobby, making walking sticks.  He has made about eight since we arrived and they are beautiful!  Some of the wood has blue streaks in it which are highlighted by his wood butter (last years hobby).

The other spa class available is water aerobics.  I went both yesterday and today.  Yesterday it wiped me out but today I did much better.  What a fun way to get in shape!  Maybe I'll move our pool repair higher up on the looooong list of stuff left to do on the house!  Or it might be easier to find a class somewhere!

The resort we are at has beautiful gardens but the foxglove in the above pictures grow wild all around!  They are droopy because of the rain.

It would be nice for the sun to come out so I could lay by the pool but even if it doesn' it is really good to get away, meet new people and relax!

4th of July rant

In celebration of the Fourth of July Lathrop sounded like war had erupted!  The town sold (un)safe and (in)sane fireworks for seven days before the holiday.  So, for the past seven days, fireworks have been disturbing our peace and quiet and Roxy's nerves.  I've given her benedril so many days in a row that it no longer works to calm her down.  One night she was shaking so hard I felt like I had put a quarter in the box by the bed to make it vibrate!

Sunday night, after returning from the family BBQ about seven p.m., to an hysterical dog, we put her in the car and drove out past Oakdale in search of a fireworks free space.  Rox calmed down pretty much so we headed home a little before nine.  Unfortunately, all the towns from Oakdale to Lathrop started their commercial fireworks displays at nine p.m. and that turned the vibrating dog on again!


But last night was the worst.  Many people in the neighborhood had purchased the previously mentioned unsafe and insane products and set them off for more than four hours! 

So, again, I took her out for a ride.  The Big Guy stayed home as he had worked at Rail Town all day and was wiped out.  Roxy and I drove out to the country towards the Stanislaus river.  Once out of the city limits of Manteca it got pretty quiet.  I made an interesting observation while going through town, though... many of the home fireworks displays were presided over and viewed by men! No women or children - well unless the men were really just big children?!

Once again the drive calmed her down until we got back to Lathrop - land of the free and home of the stupid - oh, I meant brave :={)

Back at home Roxy hunkered down in the master bath where it was quiet (relatively as I had closed up the house) and fairly cool.  We all survived. I hope the fools have used up their stash of trash.

Anniversary

Artquiltmaker Has her Creative Prompt Project up and running again.  One of her prompts for this year is 'Anniversary'.  This one rang a bell with me because in August The Big Guy and I will celebrate our twentieth!  Quite an accomplishment for us and indeed for many in this day and age of easy divorce and failure of commitment.

So, in keeping with my Zentangle drawing theme to which I am currently addicted, I submit this drawing.

An interesting thing happened when I photographed the first iteration of the drawing, photographed it, and looked at it on screen.  I could tell it needed work!

Can you see the difference?

One thing that I often forget but that is important in critically viewing my work is to look at it in another format - in this case a photo onscreen.  Years ago, when I was in art school and before Al Gore invented the internet (just a little joke - LOL)  I was taught to stand up and step away from my work and look at it.  Then to turn it upside down and look at it.  An lastly, to hold it in front of a mirror and look at it.  These are all good ways to check for design flaws, contrast or lack thereof, and generally whether I needed to do more or to take away something in my drawing.

Give it a try.  It is a simple thing which can only improve your work.

Speaking of art, the grandchild gave me his art portfolio.  It contains his work from second through eighth grade.  I was thrilled.  Look for a future post with photos of all his work.

I have to go now and slap the Big Guy silly as he is whistling Christmas Carols aaarrrgggghhhh!!!!

Visiting Galleries

I'M MELTINGGGGGG!!!  And I'm not even a witch (good or bad)! First day of summer came in like a blast furnace.  And to think I wanted it to stop raining! What was I thinking? 101 degrees today in lovely Lathrop.

But that isn't what I want to blog about, just a little complaint while I drip on my computer.

As I mentioned in my last blog a couple of days ago, I went to the Madrone gallery on Saturday to see the 2011 Sketchbook tour.  For inspiration, there is nothing like looking at actual pieces of art.  Very different from seeing the same pieces in a book or online.  No matter how well the copy is, it is never the same as the original.

I remember visiting the Smithsonian when the grandson was a tiny, portable child.  one of the exhibits I saw as Mary Cassatt's work.  Her early work realistic portraits.  One of the paintings, done before her Impressionist style developed was of two women.  It was quite detailed and when  I got close to it I could see that all of her amazing DETAIL was done with a two inch brush! I had seen that painting in books and on slides before but had never been able to see the actual brushstrokes until I saw it in person.

So, as soon as you can, go look at paintings.

The Red Sketchbook (last entry on this subject - I promise!)

Yesterday I went to San Francisco to the Madrone Gallery to see the 2011 Sketchbook Tour.  I checked out several, including my own and artquiltmakers .  It was so great to have my sketchbook in my hands!

I remember from an art history class I took in college a story about the modern artist, Clyfford Still.  He disliked having his art on display and out of his control.  He would paint over works that had been viewed because he said he felt as tho the work had been 'raped'.

I now understand the part about disliking one's art being out of one's direct control.  I really miss my sketchbook.  Wanted to add to it and subtract from it when I had it again in my hands but of course I couldn't!

Other than that, it was a good feeling to know my work is in a gallery.  The show was very well attended and there was a line of people waiting to get in.  Once inside getting a 'library' card and checking out the books went very smoothly.

I tried to find a link so you could go directly to the digitized images of my sketchbook.  However the Library is still building the website so in order to find my work one has to just slog through it.  I looked through the first 14 pages and gave up.  Maybe in a few weeks they will have finished with the website and it will be easier to navigate.  In the meantime.  It is fun to look at other sketchbooks. Go to this link www.arthousecoop.com/users? to see the sketchbooks.

I wish I were able to do the project again this year even though I agonized over the project last year.

Red Dog

My favorite dog in the whole world, my granddog, Red Dog, is spending his last weekend at home doing all the stuff he loves to do.  His visit to the vet today was bad news.........he has cancer and is terminal.  The dog psychic said he wanted one last weekend at home so SB daughter is doing all the stuff he loves to do with him.  He got to hang his head out the window of the car, eat ice cream and go to the beach without a leash.  She didn't let him run on the freeway or chase pregnant miniature horses though.  I think he should have red jello - isn't that the best when one is sick?

Beginner

Artquiltmaker suggested a website the other day called Illustration Friday which I managed (after my usual futzing around the web) to get into.

It is similar to Artquiltmaker's Creative Prompt Project.  The website puts out a word each Friday and artists send in their illustrations.  I haven't figured that part out yet.

Last Friday's word was beginner.  As my main art form is drawing I came up with the illustration below.

I have many empty sketchbooks so I choose one and am dedicating it to Illustration Friday projects.

On the home front, I returned from ten days in SB, spent with my nephew, last Saturday.  I drove Super G and JJ up with me.  Planted them at the local Comfort Inn as we are still fixing up our fixer upper.  Also JJ wanted to watch the basketball playoffs.  (Weren't the Lakers sad on Sunday?)

On Sunday, Mother's day, we went to Daly City for the grandchild's confirmation.  The boys took BART and Gma and I drove (the boys don't fit in Gma's Focus!).  Except that Gma disappeared during the mass it was a lovely day.  It turns out Gma was kidnapped by a nun and made to sit in the handicapped section.  But it was scary because none of us witnessed the kidnapping.  My son-in-law found her when he ushered during the collection (does your church have the ushers pass the basket three times?).

The party afterwards was fun.  The kids trampolined and the adults chatted.

The family matriarchs

One of the nice things about the day was that it was Mother's Day.  All my family moms were together.

Well I'd better get back to blundering around the internet to figure out how to post to Illustration Friday.  Belated Happy Mother's Day - you know who you are!

P.S. Finished editing the medical book!

Inspiration deficit

I am back in Santa Barbara with the nephew.  Sad news - I am totally uninspired!  So decided to upload some of my 'inspiration' pictures to see if that will jump start the process.

So, here goes.....

AAARGGGG!!!  I'm not on my computer!  Have to go look for my thumb drive, but think I do not have the inspiration file on it.  Bummer!

I know!  I will web cam the Zentangles I have been drawing!

Well, that took almost an hour!  I actually have four thumb drives with me.  One has 1300+ photos on it!  And still has room for more!

The above ZT was totally off the wall!  I had been on the wildflower train at Railtown 1897 and one of the places it stopped to let folks off to photograph the train was prime rattlesnake territory,  Yours truly did NOT get off the train!  No snakes were sighted, thankfully.  But they lodged in my head and came out my fingers in this tangle.

This tangle is called a 'Bud' by the Zentangle website and is a new design out of their newsletter.  I have a hard time with them as my hands are not very steady anymore.  This one turned out well and I like it.  These are even more beautiful with color.

What do you see in this one?

I love doing these in pencil although the books and website want one to use black Micron pens.  Haven't come across my micron pens recently so am using a variety of media.  The pencil doesn't photograph very well.

I started this one with pink highlighter and then enhanced it with black pen.  Pretty retro!

This was inspired by the big wedding on Friday.  Wasn't Kate's gown perfect?  I loved it.  She looked every bit the princess.  I wish them well.

These are copied out of the books.  Good exercises and references for later drawings.  Also handy when inspiration is lacking.

Lack of inspiration is plaguing me currently.  I have two quilts I can work on, a medical book to edit, a journal to write in and my Zentangle sketchbook.  Nothing appeals.  No passion inside bursting to come out.  Artist block, I guess.  So I will have to give myself some assignments and force me to do them.  Perhaps the passion will sneak in when I least expect it!

Railtown 1897

Welcome to Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, Jamestown, California

The Big Guy has a new hobby - volunteering at Railtown!  I have gone up there the past two weekends with him.  Two weeks ago I went because I had been in Santa Barbara for three weeks and wanted to spend as much time as I could with him. 

The Big Guy is a Car Host - a storyteller - the ideal job for him!

Also the park was running a wildflower train and that sounded like fun. 

This past Saturday our grandson visited and The Big Guy wanted to take him up. It is a long day, starting with a drive of over an hour, then seven hours at the park. 

The Big Guy and Grandson in the caboose

We rode the first train at 11:00 a.m., went on the caboose tour, had lunch in the picnic area with The Big Guy and then ran out of stuff to do at the park.  So grandson and I went into Jamestown and walked around.  Neither of us likes to shop and as we passed the (it seemed like) the hundredth antique shop we looked at each other and asked who had thought this was a good idea?  We stopped at a place for drinks (coffee and a smoothie) that had been owned by the same family for four generations and was the biggest antique store in town.  I think the drinks business was keeping it afloat!  The coffee was really good.  They made each cup when it was ordered.

Reinactors at Railtown 1897

 It was a long day. The last hour seemed as though it would never end.

We did finally say good-bye to Railtown.

It's been a year!

This week it has been a year since Super G fell and since the oil well in the Gulf caught fire.  Two life changing events, Super G for me and the oil well for the Southern Coastal states.

Super G was released from the doctor last week and declared healed!  She has lots of exercised she is supposed to do everyday.  I hope she is better than me in keeping up with that but I'm afraid she is who I inherited my ability to sit for long periods of time without exerting any energy!

Mom (Super G) and her friend Bill

 So that was last year.  This year, I am helping SB Daughter (http://apaperaddict.com/) with her ward and cousin, my nephew, Jim.  SB has to go out of the country for work (she is the worlds best Personal Assistant) and Jim needs a ride to school, food cooked, constant nagging (he is 16) and company in ambulances (that truly happened last month!).

Jim leaving for Europe via LAX

In addition to Jim, SB has three dogs - my beloved granddogs - who need to be fed and cleaned up after when they dump the trash.  So next week I am driving down to Santa Barbara again to stay with Jim.  I'm looking forward to hearing about his Europe trip (he returns from London and Paris tonight), and interacting with him again.

Nixon, Red Dog, and Cherri

 Do you think Jim gets his penchant for hats from his Uncle Buck (AKA the Big Guy)?

Inspired by strange things (or the Brothel Blog!)

Went to a wonderful panel discussion on Sunday at the San Francisco Main Library sponsored by Contemporary Quilt and Fiber Artists  (CQFA).  The title was "Primal Green: Environmental Art Quilts" and was held in conjunction with the library's Earth Day programs.  There was also a display of CQFA's quilts and fiber art on the fifth floor in the Wallace Stegner Gallery. 

The four women on the panel were Jaye Lapachet ( http://artquiltmaker.com/blog), Julie Stiller (http://jzs.homestead.com/), Nancy Riffle (http://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyriffle) and Soyoung Lee (killerhobbies.blogspot.com/2011/03/primal-green.html) and the panel was moderated by Delores Miller.

So what does all this have to do with the Brothel Blog?  And strange inspiration?  One of the members of CQFA, Bronwen, gave Julie Stiller a lovely piece of fabric, it was sheer and iridescent and changed color, from green to orange, with movement.  After the program we were sitting around chatting and the subject of what to do with such fabric came up.  Someone suggested it would go well in a brothel!  Another mentioned the (former) brothel in Mountain View and how interesting the building is (apparently tours are given?) and another mentioned that prostitution is now legal in New Zealand! (who knew? who cares?)  We talked about how the fabric would be used in a brothel and the discussion segued, with much laughter, into other topics as such chats do.

Anyway, if you have the opportunity, go see CQFA's exhibit at the San Francisco Main Library (http://sfpl.org/), it was thoughtfully hung in a wonderful space.

Sorry, no pictures - copyrights, you know :).

Television and movies

I haven't really watched much TV in the past 20 years.  Staying with my nephew in Santa Barbara has changed that! When he is home the TV is on.

One of the things he enjoys are old movies.  Understand that he is 16 so old is from his perspective, not mine!

His choice of movies is really good.  The other night we watched The Shawshank Redemption.  And throughout, discussed what was going on.

Adults think teens are toughtless and shallow.  I have not found that in my experiences with teens of my acquaintance.  Particularly my nephew and my teen friend in San Anselmo.  Nephew asks good questions, and thinks deeply about things.

Last night we watched Se7en with Morgan Freeman and a young man I don't know.  The theme was the 7 deadly sins.  I was surprised that nephew even was aware of the 7 deadly sins as he has no religious background to speak of.

Again, his comments and questions were excellent and watching this movie with him was a good experience.

Last week we went to see The Adjustment Bureau, another excellent movie.  It had action, romance and a message.  We have discussed it off and on ever since seeing it.  I recommend it.

Zentangles!

I love zentangles!

Several weeks ago artquiltmaker told me about a drawing/meditation technique called 'Zentangles'.  When I packed to come down to Santa Barbara and stay with the nephew I forgot my cutting mat so cannot cut out the quilt squares I had planned to do.  artquiltmaker had sent nephew a 'Zentangles' book for Christmas and he happened to show it to me.  I was fascinated and began working on some zentangles of my own.  Am now totally tangled!



This kind of drawing is mesmerising and a truly Zen experience.   artquiltmaker  sent the nephew two more zentangle books, numbers 2 & 3, and we are both off and running!  I bought (I know! I already have several...) two moleskine sketchbooks and a square format recycled sketchbook to do tangles in.  The square one is dedicated to tangles.  Haven't started anything in the other two but think one will be dogs and the other an art journal.



I particularly like this tangle.  Reminds me of a futuristic plane.



Doing them in color is cool, too.