Houston International Quilt Festival

I'm off to Houston for the big deal quilt show through Saturday. Packed my good walking shoes and credit cards.

I wanted to challenge myself to draw architecture. I like the way it turned out, except the door to the shop got all catty-wampus and looks like a door at the Winchester Mystery House!

Sketchcrawl at Seaport Village

San Diego Sketchcrawlers met at Seaport Village on a beautiful fall sunday to draw and chat. Husb went along too, and thoroughly enjoyed himself. We lunched afterwards with new sketchcrawlers, Chris and Kevin. A lovely day.

Retablos, Milagros Y Marigolds reception

Helen Shafer Garcia, me and Judith Parenio at our art reception last night. See more photos here.

memories of Asia

This small wooden antique table from Korea, arranged with treasures from a 1989 trip to India, sits in our living room. If you look in the tiny hole in the sandalwood bracelet, you can see Buddha. The white box is from the Taj Mahal gift shop. The papier mache boxes from Kashmir.
watercolor moleskine

San Diego sketchcrawl!

Hey gang, there's a San Diego SketchCrawl on Sunday the 29th. Meet at 10am at Seaport Village, in Upstart Crow. Bring a sketchbook!

Oaxacan Bird

This wooden, hand painted bird was made in Oaxaca. Husb and I bought it in Idyllwild this summer. We visited Oaxaca in 2003. What a glorious place. The current unrest there, makes me sad.
watercolor moleskine.

Dia Altar at Boehm Gallery.

Helen, Judy and I built this altar today at Boehm Gallery, Palomar College for our "Retablos, Milagros y Marilgolds--Dia de los Muertos: Four Views." The reception for the exhibition is this Saturday, 4:30-6pm. Here's the map. The show runs to November 17. The Gallery director did a spectacular job installing the artwork! We are all very proud. I'll post photos from the reception on the off-chance you don't make it.

Making your own milagro

I read an article on how to create your own Milagro (Spanish for miracle, usually a small metal charm). So what I need is a milagro to pay off my visa bill...
moleskine sketchbook. ink and color pencil.

one of my fave necklaces

I was with my friend Kyra, when she bought this gorgeous necklace. Then, about 2 years later, she sadly divorced that husband, and sent me this necklace! So sorry about the divorce, so happy about the necklace!
watercolor moleskine

The desk in my studio

No one can accuse me of feeling the need to clean up before I start painting! Note BeBop reclining in the back.

Lorna & Alton's flowers

Husb is watching our neighbor's yard while they're away. Couldn't help myself, had to pick some of their flowers to draw.

hmm. guess who wanted to get in the picture. That's Buddy.

paint

more about "Ralph's Letters"

I deliver my artwork this saturday for the Boehm Gallery, Palomar College, San Marcos exhibtion. Here's the article from today's newspaper. Thanks Pat Sherman!

Medium with a Message: Palomar College exhibit to feature quilted love letters

Pumpkins

my current dining room table arrangement. I'm not really happy with the painting. It's too overworked and greeting-card-ish. See the actual scene below.
watercolor moleskine

Here's a photo of the actual arrangement on my dining room table. I accidentally painted the 'tiger baby' pumpkin orange.I painted the pumpkin correctly on Oct 8.

Concert

Husb and I attended a benefit concert for a local woman with breast cancer. The evening was full of tears and great music.
watercolor moleskine

Cats in the kitchen!

Don't worry, when you come to dinner at our house, we'll eat at the dining room table, not the kitchen table.

Lesson #1 Cezanne to 4th graders

I'm teaching two lessons on Cezanne's watercolors at Del Mar Heights Elementary. This is from a 4th grader.

Lesson #2

Here's the second lesson, when they paint a still life. Another 4th grader.

Ah, Tuscany

Whenever I see olive trees or cypress trees, I'm reminded our our 1998 trip to Tuscany. A life changing trip, with such sweet memories. This, however, are the winery olive trees about 1 mile from my house.
watercolor moleskine

ramblings

Husb found his first fall leaf of the season, and had to show it to me right away---even though I was in the shower!

One of my fave journal artists is Amanda Kavanagh. I've never met her, know nothing about her personally, other than her photostream. I do know that her travel sketches are so beautiful they make me cry, and that I want to emulate her.

The cup (on the left) is the one I use at my bathroom sink and is made by Mary Cuzick. It cost $34, which I think is expensive, though I love it. My friend Pamela has a set of12 place settings of dishes, all made by Mary! They are gorgeous, needless to say.
watercolor moleskine

5th graders art lesson today

Today I taught the 5th graders a lesson using Paul Cezanne and Dan Price's sketchbooks.This girl drew her cell phone, open and closed.

5th grade art

Last year I did a similar art lesson, using Leonardo DaVinci and Danny Gregory. This 5th grade kid drew from an inflatable world globe with his tiny lego on top, then drew a closeup of the lego to the right.

illustrated journals

I showed the kids Dan Price's Moonlight Chronicle books, and explained how he chronicled his day-to day-activities. Then I showed the kids my sketchbook, and encouraged them to illustrate their own journals.

Green tile

I made this mosaic pot last weekend at the J&J Ranch. (The generous hostess was kind enough to give me the terracotta pot from the dining table to use for my mosaic!) The plant was a Christmas present from our friend/realtor.
watercolor moleskine.

Tiny Pumpkin

This is a "Danny's Tiger Baby #3233" pumpkin. It's tiny, about 5" wide and 3" tall. It's on our dining room table, and so was BeBop, so I had to draw him too. He napped just long enough for me to capture him.

Husb and I attended a beautiful outdoor wedding today on Mission Bay. Ah, clear blue sky, a small machine filling the air with bubbles and a circle full of love. Very nice.

Autumn in San Diego

Our local TV weather guy tell us that Liquidambar is the only tree in San Diego that changes colors in the fall. Found these lovely leaves on my walk. It's nice to have cool mornings, and yesterday I wore a long-sleeve shirt!

Camping Equipment

Husb bought this lantern at Costco, for our camping trips. We have all the equipment we need, especially since the only thing we cook when we camp, is marshmallows.
watercolor moleskine.

Mark your calendars!

I'm one of four artists in an exhibition called Retablos, Milagros y Marigolds. Dia De Los Muertos: 4 Views. October 28-Nov 17 at the Boehm Gallery, Palomar College, San Marcos. Participating artists [and my friends] are Helen Shafer Garcia, Judith Parenio, Michael deMeng and ME.
Reception is October 28, 4:30-6pm. Everyone is invited! (The artwork is for sale! Ask the gallery for a price list.)

An excerpt from my press release:
Retablos, Milagros y Marigolds will be a fantastic exhibition! The four artists have very different styles and techniques, but the one thing they share is the love of DETAIL. Each piece will be textured, layered, fascinating, and demanding extreme scrutiny by the viewer. Helen Shafer Garcia, well-known as an illustrator and watercolor artist, will also have small altars on display, featuring her whimsical watercolors and found objects. Michael deMeng, of Montana, creates assemblage out of ‘old rusty things’ and then painting them to create shrines, altars and pez dispenser totems. Judith Parenio, whose work you may have seen at the San Diego Art Institute, is constantly recreating her art, with texture, and meaning. Judy’s created a whole new series for this exhibition. I will show my small, heavily stitched art quilts, along with the debut of my pieces ‘Ralph’s Letters’ and 'Ralph’s Envelopes.’ These are made from 30-year old love letters and sheer organza, and will be featured in ‘Cloth, Paper, Scissors’ magazine in January 2007. The four artist’s views of Dia de Los Muertos will fascinate and inspire you!

Boehm Gallery on the campus of Palomar College
1140 West Mission Rd, San Marcos CA 92069
Gallery Hours: Tuesday 10am-4pm, Wed/Thurs 10am-7pm; Fri/Sat 10am-2pm

Weekend at the J&J Ranch

Twelve friends spent the weekend at friend's J&J Ranch in Descanso. It was a beautiful SoCal fall weekend with all kinds of fun activities; welding lessons, mosaic, drawing, pool playing, talking, laughing, eating and drinking. Husb and I camped in the meadow, and I pitched the tent all by myself!
watercolor moleskine

J&J Ranch

Helen gave the group a drawing lesson focusing on negative space. It was lovely to sit in the meadow and draw with friends.
watercolor moleskine

J&J Ranch

I'd never drawn a horse before, but Jerry's horse, "Scout" was a pretty willing model. Remnants of the 2003 Cedar fires are still visible on the ranch.
watercolor moleskine

Thanks so much everyone who emailed birthday wishes! I really appreciate it!