Gingko leaves

Husb and I went to Wild Animal Park today. It was a mistake, as there were a zillion people. We walked to the gardens and that was peaceful and beautiful and much less crowed. I picked up these gorgeous Ginkgo leaves and some Torrey Pine needles. We visited the Lions and really enjoyed the mom, her two cubs, and dad. They were really active and came right up to the glass.
watercolor moleskine

vegetable-pilaf stacks

I made these vegetable-pilaf stacks for a dinner party last night and H wanted the receipe. Let's see if she reads my blog!

1 package (6 oz.) seasoned precooked dried white rice (like rice-a-roni type box)
2 onions (about 1 lb. total), peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
3/4 pound broccoli florets (about 1 qt.)
Salad oil
1 jar (about 13 oz.) canned peeled roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, rinsed
Parsley sprigs
Salt and fresh-ground pepper

1. In a 2- to 3-quart pan, cook rice as directed on package.
2. Meanwhile, in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, stir onions in butter until limp and just beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Pour into a bowl.

3. Add broccoli and 1/4 cup water to pan. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover, reduce heat, and simmer until broccoli is barely tender when pierced, about 5 minutes. Drain.

4. Remove labels from 4 empty food cans (about 2 3/4 in. wide and 4 1/4 in. tall; 14-oz. to 1-lb. size), each with 1 end removed; wash cans with soap, and dry. Rub interiors of cans lightly with oil and set, open end up and slightly apart, in a 10- by 15-inch pan. Spoon 2 tablespoons hot cooked rice into each can and press down with a spoon to compact and make level. Spoon 1/2 cup broccoli onto rice in each can, then 1/4 cup onions and 1 1/2 tablespoons roasted peppers, spreading each level. Continue to layer all ingredients, packing down with a spoon to compact layers as you add each, ending with rice.

5. Bake in a 375° regular or convection oven until stacks are hot (about 145°) in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest in cans in pan for 5 minutes. One at a time, invert a dinner plate over each can; hold together and invert can onto plate. With a can opener, cut each can end free; press end down lightly and lift up can to release vegetable-pilaf stack. Lift off can and can end. Garnish plates with cherry tomatoes and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: Makes 4 servings
From Sunset Magazine 2001
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 285(20% from fat); FAT 6.4g (sat 2.3g); PROTEIN 8.7g; CHOLESTEROL

cloth paper scissors

Here's the cover of the magazine that features my interview and "Ralph's Letters" quilt. It's the January/February 2007 issue. I'm excited and proud!

christmas morning

Husb and I opened our christmas stockings and presents early with coffee and cinnamon rolls. I started this drawing while still in my robe, surround by torn wrapping paper! Then brunch and a movie with friends. A good day...
watercolor moleskine

Life

A drawing of a wire hummingbird that I have and love.
I really do try to live by Eleanor's quote "You must do the things you think you cannot do."

pomegranate study

I chose a bunch of paint chips that I thought were the colors of a pomegranate. When I got home, I chose the ones closest in color to the pom. Then I selected a color pencil (prismacolor) to match each paint chip, and colored my drawing of the pomegranate. Why did I do this? I saw an HGTV episode where they painted the kitchen to match the colors of an artichoke... I did forget to chose paint chips for the stem area. Next time I'll take my pom to the paint store.

Me and my quilt are gonna be famous...

This quilt, made of 35 year-old love letters and organza is featured in the magazine Cloth Paper Scissors, January/February 2007 issue (page 58-62). There's also an interview of yours truly, and excerpts from a few of the letters. On newstands January 2nd!

Ralph's Envelopes

This one is made of the envelopes will be featured in the on the website of Cloth Paper Scissors, January/February 2007 issue, within a few weeks. And wouldn't it be nice if Ralph wrote something about this.. I'll send him a copy of the magazine for sure!

you can never have too many pairs of reading glasses

Just stuff from around the house. I could have drawn 5 more pair of reading glasses, but didn't want to get out to the chair to find them! color pencil on moleskine

hand-carved stamps

I got into carving stamps when I did that baby outfit and sort of got obessed with them. Here is the current crop, with color pencil added and some other random doodles. I need to do a big painting with them...and of course, use them on fabric. Can't seem to shake that Klimt tree image from my brain!

sketchbook moleskine

TONY Quilt

Just finished this. I worked on this small (11x11") piece for the DVD (coming to stores near you in early 2007!) This is Tony, friend of Bill and Kat. I outlined him in shiny beads--fancies him up a bit. (I teach this painting technique in my Art Quilt class too.)


P.S. I've looked on line for an art quilt flickr group and haven't found one. If you know of one, let me know, OR, if I start one, would you post your art quilts?

He sees me while I'm sleeping!

Sketchcrawl today at Lori's with her lovely home all decorated for Christmas. I couldn't resist drawing some of her Santas, including the EVIL one!
watercolor moleskine.

BeBop

BeBop. Two of the drawings were done while he was napping, but he kept moving so I drew the one on the right from a photo, which I don't normally like to do. BeBop is a beautiful cat. He was found, when he was a day old, with his feral brothers and sisters, and hand raised by a cat lover. I got him when he was 8 weeks old. His front paws appear to have a french manicure, and he has the most beautiful tail. Obviously he had a Siamese Dad. He's a sweet, nervous little guy, but loves to be around people.
watercolor moleskine

Baby Clothes Project

I was asked to embellish a baby outfit for possible inclusion in a book. Here's a closeup of the finished work. I dyed the white outfit cut a rubber stamp, made a stencil, applied color, then hand stitched the print and the hems. See Baby Clothes Project for the process photos. I think it's pretty cute.

buddy face

I could barely get his little face drawn before he squirmed to another position. This is the size of a postage stamp. I'll try and draw BeBop tonite, so he gets equal time.
color pencil on moleskine sketchbook.

Leaves. I love leaves.

The rain we had didn't wash away all the autumn leaves. Husb brought these leaves home because he was going to paint them, but I drew them first. The individual spiney red/green leaves would make a good logo or pattern.
color pencil on moleskine sketchbook

A 'real' Picasso!

Here's one of the images I showed the kids, it's from Picasso's Cubism period.

In process. 3rd grader does Picasso

I showed the kids images from Picasso's Cubism period (that would be 1909-1912) and then had them draw a piece of fruit (I'm really getting the full benefit of that artificial fruit!) and add color with oil pastels on the 1/4 sheet of paper I provided. Next, they cut the paper, rearranged and glued it to a larger paper. They then used the same technique on with three other fruits, and glued them all to a sheet of paper. [This student will add a background color to his little pear painting, then cut the paper into sections to paste on the larger sheet.]

third graders and Picasso

The completed Picasso-inspired artwork (by a 3rd grader)

Picasso-inspired art. By a third grader

our christmas tree

It's kind of a charlie brown christmas tree this year, but it's full of memory-laden ornaments. Notice the crepe paper santa on top of the tree--it's the one my dad made years ago (and it's featured our our christmas card this year.)
watercolor moleskine

10 north, an artists' group

I'm in a group of artists called 10 North (10 women from North County) and we've been together since 1993. We show our art work, and meet monthly, discussing art and life. We are indeed sister/friends. Last night we met at my house for a Christmas potluck and ornament exchange and as usual had a great time with lots of laughs.

It's starting to feel a little like christmas

We've decorated our house and little christmas tree. We usually have 3 small trees (like 3 feet tall) but this year we have just one. Buddy is a rambuctious kitten and we're afraid he'll take a running leap and jump on the tree! He's seen here resting, after chasing BeBop through the house all morning.
watercolor moleskine

secret breakfast

I drew this morning's breakfast VERY quickly, because I wanted to eat it! It was delicious. I love this polka-dot plate! Pamela and I found two of them for sale for $2.99 and we each bought one. Please don't tell me doctor about this breakfast! He's prescribed cholestrol-lowering meds for me....
This is page one of my 4th watercolor moleskine!

BeBop by Janey on the SE Coast!

Janey has honored me yet again with a portrait of my little BeBop. As she says on her blog, she has indeed captured his aura. What a gift Janey has given me...Artists are generous and compassionate souls.
Thank you Janey!

UPDATE: You can have Janey draw your animal, and then you can buy a print from her for a very reasonable price. Check her online shop here.

BeBop

Buddy!!!

Look what Florida Janey did!! She painted this FABULOUS portrait of my Buddy. I LOVE it!! Thank you Janey!! This little portrait makes me sooo happy! and here's Janey's blog

orangepapers and fruit stickers

Peter Pen turned me on to a flickr group that posts fruit stickers and now I'm addicted to collecting them.
color pencil and moleskine sketchbook

more pomegrantes!

A student came to my studio today to take pics of my creative process and some of my work. I did this quickly for her photo shoot, then I ate the pears!
watercolor moleskine

pomegranates for the journey

Here's the finished quilt. You saw it in progress on one of my earlier posts. It's made of wool felt and is about 10x13" and it will be posted on my website within the week.

Fall in San Diego

Thanksgiving weekend was like 85 degrees, and today it was about 60 degrees. Summer one day and winter the next day. These are some remnants from my walks in November.
watercolor moleskine

flowers from pamela

Love these sweet smelling paperwhites and gorgeous Chinese vase. Thank you P.
watercolor moleskine

farmers market goodies

"Give us courage and gaiety and the quiet mind."
Robert Louis Stevenson

Santas Three

Don't peek, those of you on my Christmas list. I picked out a few of our Xmas ornaments to draw for our annual home made christmas cards. The large santa is one my dad made for me, ages ago, out of crepe paper, cotton balls and pipe cleaner. I made the skinny one from a kit in the 1970s--wooden clothes pin, felt and string. The other one is store bought, a gift from my husb years ago. I'm printing the cards myself and husb will write the newsletter part--just a couple of paragraphs, not volumes.
watercolor moleskine

fabric postcards

I made some fabric postcards today, for thank you notes for my recent quilting travels. I used some of my own hand-dyed cotton and organza fused to Timtex. I cut a stencil of a bird, and used my new Shiva Paintstiks to fill it in. Zigzagged the edges and put postage stamps on the back and sent them on their way.

I discovered a wonderful artist online today. Janey's Journey I LOVE her glorious rambunctious style, and have tried to emulate it here. I thought I could catch my kitty, Buddy, while he was napping, but too many birds out the window kept him wiggling. I read about Janey's departed 'Leo' an organge kitty with a pink nose, and dedicate my imitation Janey painting to Leo.

Dedicated to Leo

Golden Rolling Hills

The only photos I took in San Francisco were taken through the car window at 70 miles an hour. I love those Los Gatos hills. Also got a new tv/dvd set for my studio.
watercolor moleskine

Gee's Bend & Kris Kristofferson

A quick trip to San Francisco to visit the deYoung Museum. Saw the Gee's Bend quilts in person. I could almost feel the spirit and energy of the makers. Last night Kris Kristofferson in concert. One of those concerts that you come out feeling like a bettter person, and want to try to be even better. Kris has such honesty and purity, as he sang alone on the stage, with just a guitar and harmonica. He had the audience of some 1200 mesmerized. Talk about spirit and heart.
moleskine sketchbook

Marianne Burr inspires me

The page on the left is a postcard of Marianne Burr's award-winning quilt entitled "Frank's Melons." It's currently hanging in the Quilt Visions exhibition at Oceanside Museum of Art. On the right are my doodles inspired by her quilt.
ink and color pencil in my sketchbook moleskine. Marianne's quilt is hand-painted on one piece of silk, then hand-embroidered to merino wool, as the batting.

I'm a Humanist. Who knew?

Recently I was asked to do a blessing at a wedding of friends. A first for me in many ways. Here's the story about my experience written by Molleen Matsumura in her Sweet Reason column.

Persimmons and marigolds.

Drinking a vanilla latte, sketching the flower arrangement at the cafe. I drew this in pencil, at the cafe, then inked it in the car, and painted it when I got home. Next time I'll just bring my paints into the cafe.

Jack Kerouac

"The only people for me are the mad ones,
the ones who are mad to live,
mad to talk, mad to be saved,
desirous of everything at the same time,
the ones who never yawn
or say a commonplace thing,
but burn, burn, burn,
like fabulous yellow roman candles
exploding like spiders across the stars..."

- Jack Kerouac

Creative Inspiration

You can tell I'm still under the Gustav Klimt influence. Yesterday, I taught at Los Penasquitos Elementary, and one of the 4th grade girls wanted to show me her sketchbook. She told me how she carried it in her backpack, along with her art pencils. Inside, she'd sketched her neighbors placemat, her bookcase, and her front door. Ah! The Danny Gregory influence! I looked her in the eye and told her how proud I was of her. Moments like that make teaching art so rewarding.

Art Lesson for 4th & 5th graders

Here's the original Klimt that inspired us. As usual, I show the kids lots of images of Klimt's work, and then I chose this one for the lesson. (If you know my own work, you know I LOVE Tree of Life imagery.)

5th grade artists interpret Klimt

Here's one in progress. The kids just did a fantastic job emulating Klimt's "Tree of Life."

Here's one in progress. I love that each tree has it's own personality.

Tree of Life by a 5th grader

Look at this one! Fabulous!