The papers are not filed. My studio table is not clean and organized. I didn't finish all the chores on my list. Not one bit of that happened.But I am on the way to Portland for the encaustic retreat. I do believe I can finish the last of what really must be done while I travel, though.
And my new Mac is in place in my studio. I plopped it on my desk, plugged it in and briefly considered whether I should finish my work on it or Papa's PC. I decided getting the Mac set up with my email accounts would be about as easy as using the PC. It was! So fast! I was up and ready to work in no time. I downloaded two programs I need and will probably need one more before seriously getting to work. But all that was fast and inexpensive, too. And I love the trackpad.
I hate to leave Mac there all alone while I fly away for four days. Waaaah! I wanted to play.
And I hate to leave Buddy and Roo:( I wanted to play with them, too. And I hate to leave Papa on his own.Yikes. Sad. But the retreat will be great once I am there.
Time to fly.
Ah, they just announced pre-boarding for my flight.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Even Closer
So of course I got way behind again, and I still have not really started painting. But I still say I am getting closer. I have been busy with meetings and putting up a retrospective exhibit to celebrate the 60th anniversary at Art Center Morro Bay. The show is a hit and the reception tunout was pretty good. Now perhaps life can get back on track......well, after I return from the International Encaustic Artists retreat in Portland. I will leave this Thursday morning and return on Monday afternoon. Though I will miss home, this retret comes at a good time for me, I think. I will get my hands back into paint and wax, see new ideas, tools, and material, watch demos, and hear presentations. I should be inspired and ready to work when I get back to my studio. My goal is to file every paper I can, put all the extraneous art stuff away, and have a new board waiting on my table - ready to begin a new piece.
Of course I have stuff to do before the filing begins. Somehow I need to make this happen, though. And I will need to pick up my new Mac sometime in the next few days.
I have seen reallly beautiful encaustic art recently. My brain is busy reviewing what I have seen and gleaning ideas and techniques I can use in my own work. This should help.
I have a new iPhone, making some of my calls easier to make. That is a good thing.
Stay tuned and look for new work soon.
Of course I have stuff to do before the filing begins. Somehow I need to make this happen, though. And I will need to pick up my new Mac sometime in the next few days.
I have seen reallly beautiful encaustic art recently. My brain is busy reviewing what I have seen and gleaning ideas and techniques I can use in my own work. This should help.
I have a new iPhone, making some of my calls easier to make. That is a good thing.
Stay tuned and look for new work soon.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Still Recovering
Do you know that when you need a break the world doesn't stop and let you get off for a few days? I tried. I did little beyond sit on the couch, cook a tiny bit, do the laundry, and point where to plant a tree to the gardener. Kids have been here some, and I have had one meeting. Other than that I read a book and played a video game, conquering the top level. Of course they have encouraged me to go through it again with a harder version, and I am working on that. Oh, and yesterday I went to lunch with a friend. Trying to catch up with her and others I have neglected for months.
The result? So now I have all the piles of stuff I didn't do for the last four or five days waiting for me. And I haven't painted. Still feel I am getting close. In a meeting about a possible 2013 exhibit, I came across some beautiful illustrative art. Very inspiring. Intimidating, too. But I can feel my fingers itching. And suddenly, sitting on the couch is not acceptable.
The result? So now I have all the piles of stuff I didn't do for the last four or five days waiting for me. And I haven't painted. Still feel I am getting close. In a meeting about a possible 2013 exhibit, I came across some beautiful illustrative art. Very inspiring. Intimidating, too. But I can feel my fingers itching. And suddenly, sitting on the couch is not acceptable.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
It Is True This Time
Not too long ago,I said that I had come to the end of several big projects and might be able to breathe again. And paint. I lied. Didn't mean to, but I did.
The last two weeks have been some of my busiest ever. Sort of like moving. A few helpers and I had to pack up one hundred paintings to be shipped out. I knew packing would take time. I wasn't looking forward to it, but it had to be done and I was in charge. I accepted that. But, whew! I didn't realize I would have so many problems getting shipping labels from artists or run into so many complicated sitautions. One artist had moved, so her new address on her package didn't match the one given on her UPS account. FedEx didn't want handwritten labels. I had no labels from many of the artists, and they didn't seem to know how to get them. I could sputter on, but at this point, I am tired of hearing myself talk about it. The job took the better part of nine days. Absurd. I made calls to artists, to UPS, to FedEx in the middle of the night - and you get India then.
And I had to, and wanted to, put in some grandmothering time. And there was a reception at the Art Center. We had just held a clay class - still trying to get masks fired. And went to meetings about the exhibit we want to present in 2013.
Painting? No way. I guess my brain needs to recover. I am reading books, finally getting in the mood to declutter the house, and just catching my breath. We are cooking at home again, I walked yesterday, and finally got to have my toes done this afternoon.
But I feel the urge coming on. Soon.
The last two weeks have been some of my busiest ever. Sort of like moving. A few helpers and I had to pack up one hundred paintings to be shipped out. I knew packing would take time. I wasn't looking forward to it, but it had to be done and I was in charge. I accepted that. But, whew! I didn't realize I would have so many problems getting shipping labels from artists or run into so many complicated sitautions. One artist had moved, so her new address on her package didn't match the one given on her UPS account. FedEx didn't want handwritten labels. I had no labels from many of the artists, and they didn't seem to know how to get them. I could sputter on, but at this point, I am tired of hearing myself talk about it. The job took the better part of nine days. Absurd. I made calls to artists, to UPS, to FedEx in the middle of the night - and you get India then.
And I had to, and wanted to, put in some grandmothering time. And there was a reception at the Art Center. We had just held a clay class - still trying to get masks fired. And went to meetings about the exhibit we want to present in 2013.
Painting? No way. I guess my brain needs to recover. I am reading books, finally getting in the mood to declutter the house, and just catching my breath. We are cooking at home again, I walked yesterday, and finally got to have my toes done this afternoon.
But I feel the urge coming on. Soon.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Inaugural Exhibit
About a year ago, I wrote a grant for Art Center Morro Bay, hoping for funds to purchase a laptop and projector to use in promotional presentations about the center. Of course that meant, if we were awarded the grant, that I had to design the presentations and give them.
We also asked for funds to add storage and a display wall in our Activity Room - primarily to use for our children's program.
We were awarded the grant, presentations are underway, and the new storage and display area are installed. Cork was applied to the wall earlier than I expected and loomed bare and large. A large reception was coming up, and I needed a kids show. I am surprise it took me a day or so to realize I had plenty of material right in my garage. I have hundreds of Buddy's drawings and some of Roo's paintings. That sparked more ideas, and I called the man who installed the wall to ask if his daughter would be in the inaugural show, too.
Check out the results in the pix above. Problem: Buddy and Roo were in Colorado. I am sad that they didn't get to see their show, but I will share it with them here. Their work had to come down to make room for the children's summer art camp work.
The juror for our encaustic exhibit, Consequential Fusion: Messages in Wax, spent a long while examining each of Buddy's drawings and photographing them. I am proud.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Ahhh!
Ahhhh! Home! Yes, the trip was fantastic, but I will tell you that when the intersection of Old Creek Road and Hwy 1 offered a gorgeous glimpse of the Pacific this afternoon, I thought perhaps I might be just as impressed with home as with any other place on our tour.
Then Papa and I rolled down the windows to take in the cool beach air of Los Osos. More ahhhhs. The house is tidy; the dog and cat seem happy to see us. Red flowers are blooming in the front yard. I checked my messages to discover the Art Center had sold another encaustic painting (not mine, but one form the IEA exhibit), and all the other messages were good ones, too. Now we are home with glasses of wine. Life is good.
As was the last leg of the trip - Bakersfield to Los Osos with a detour (literally) to Kern National Wildlife Refuge. Tillie the car girl had no clue how to get us there. The map was vague, and iPad offered little better. So we wandered. A CA Wildlife Official intercepted us, told us we must really be lost (I think he meant stupid), and set us on the right path. But all in all, we liked the adventure. And we finally reached Kern. We saw four or five great blue herons, great white herons and another roadrunner. Fun. The scenery was inspiring. We will go back next winter when the bird population is at its best.
Now to unpack, do laundry, and hopefully settle into a slow, comfortable pace. Is it possible?
Then Papa and I rolled down the windows to take in the cool beach air of Los Osos. More ahhhhs. The house is tidy; the dog and cat seem happy to see us. Red flowers are blooming in the front yard. I checked my messages to discover the Art Center had sold another encaustic painting (not mine, but one form the IEA exhibit), and all the other messages were good ones, too. Now we are home with glasses of wine. Life is good.
As was the last leg of the trip - Bakersfield to Los Osos with a detour (literally) to Kern National Wildlife Refuge. Tillie the car girl had no clue how to get us there. The map was vague, and iPad offered little better. So we wandered. A CA Wildlife Official intercepted us, told us we must really be lost (I think he meant stupid), and set us on the right path. But all in all, we liked the adventure. And we finally reached Kern. We saw four or five great blue herons, great white herons and another roadrunner. Fun. The scenery was inspiring. We will go back next winter when the bird population is at its best.
Now to unpack, do laundry, and hopefully settle into a slow, comfortable pace. Is it possible?
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Up and Down
Right on time, at the early hour of 10:00, we left Bishop, CA to drive through the Owens Valley area along the eastern side of the Sierras. We stopped in Lone Pine to gape at soaring Mount Wnitney. Many years ago, Papa had climbed that mountain, starting in Lone Pine and concluding his hike in Tulare. Now I can see why that eight day expedition still stands out as one of his important accomplishments! For many years he saved the boots he climbed in. Finally age and mold got the best of them. I am sure I was the one who insisted we toss them, but I did draw one boot first - the drawing is hanging in our kitchen.
The visitor's center models and maps gave me a better understanding of the Mono Lake, Mammoth Lakes, Mount Whitney, and entire Inyo areas. What wonders we have seen!
Today was a day of contrasts - from the broad valley to magnificent hills that abruptly spit us out into the flat town of Bakersfield. The temperature was consistant.....HOT. Tonight our dashboard display showed 87 at 7:17. 100 when we drove into town. I have enjoyed feeling warm, but now Los Osos is looking good.
Meanwhile Papa has totally corrupted me. For lunch we ate hot dogs from a convenience store we found right in the middle of nowhere. Then tonight in Bakersfield, we ate Basque food again. Not. The big difference in tonight's Basque restaurant and one we visited several days ago is that tonight the restaurant was packed. For the life of me I can't figure why. Yes, they serve family style, but there any resemblance to Basque ends. I think Basque has become an excuse to sloppily serve an odd assortment of greasy diner-type food. Again, Papa was in heaven. Hid did later agree that our waitress' style was rather like throwing paint at a fence. She brought bowls of soup, bread, beans, a dish of hot sauce for the beans, salad, nasty spaghetti, blah green beans, soggy french fries, and tongue. Most folks also ordered an entre. Not me. My ice cream and decaf were good. And so was our wine. In any case, dinner did provide an interesting adventure.
The visitor's center models and maps gave me a better understanding of the Mono Lake, Mammoth Lakes, Mount Whitney, and entire Inyo areas. What wonders we have seen!
Today was a day of contrasts - from the broad valley to magnificent hills that abruptly spit us out into the flat town of Bakersfield. The temperature was consistant.....HOT. Tonight our dashboard display showed 87 at 7:17. 100 when we drove into town. I have enjoyed feeling warm, but now Los Osos is looking good.
Meanwhile Papa has totally corrupted me. For lunch we ate hot dogs from a convenience store we found right in the middle of nowhere. Then tonight in Bakersfield, we ate Basque food again. Not. The big difference in tonight's Basque restaurant and one we visited several days ago is that tonight the restaurant was packed. For the life of me I can't figure why. Yes, they serve family style, but there any resemblance to Basque ends. I think Basque has become an excuse to sloppily serve an odd assortment of greasy diner-type food. Again, Papa was in heaven. Hid did later agree that our waitress' style was rather like throwing paint at a fence. She brought bowls of soup, bread, beans, a dish of hot sauce for the beans, salad, nasty spaghetti, blah green beans, soggy french fries, and tongue. Most folks also ordered an entre. Not me. My ice cream and decaf were good. And so was our wine. In any case, dinner did provide an interesting adventure.
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