Campsite #26, Doanes Valley, Palomar State Park

June 20

Teaching Art at Los Pen Elementary

Best line of the day: Last week, a third grader was interested in my artwork, so I gave her my website address. www.PlainJaneStudio.com. Yesterday she comes running over to me, "Miss Jane, Miss Jane, I forgot the name of your website!!!" She said, "I looked up 'Miss Jane' on the internet and couldn't find it." Cracked me up!!!

Portraits of me, by my kindergarten students. Hmmm. Love the grey hair on the one on the left. And the one of the right is pretty acurate! I am tall.

View from the Hubbell House

Hubbell House, near Julian, California

Visited James & Anne Hubbell's house, for a fundraiser for their non-profit organization www.hubbellandhubbell.com/foundation.htm
Their home and studios were destroyed in the 2003 San Diego fires, and they are rebuilding. It's a gorgeous, magical place, even with the blackened trees, a contstant reminder of the terrible firestorm. This was a quick watercolor, done on the spot.

My watercolor brush...for sketch crawls

It's called the Niji waterbrush. (I've been mis-spelling it.) It's perfect for 'on the go' watercolor painting!

My friend, Andrea, gave it to me, on the recommendation of Danny Gregory. (Okay, she gave it to my husb, and I'm borrowing it.)

June's Radio

Vintage radio? Nope, as I was drawing it, someone told me it was purchased at Target! Oh well, it's still funky and cute.
watercolor moleskine

Yahoo picks me....well sorta.

Notice, my artwork on the Moleskinerie site. Cool!

Los Penasquitos Elementary Front Views

I'm channeling Velvetina she's got work on Moleskine: One page at a Time and I really like her style, though mine isn't nearly as delicate as hers. She does the little boxes thing so well.

Watercolor Moleskine.

kitchen project

My spring/summer project is refinishing our kitchen cabinets. It's hard work! Since it's too hot to work in the garage today [stripping and staining the cabinet doors] I stayed inside and sketched the view from my kitchen table.

sunflowers at los penasqutios elementary

Time between classes. My 'usual' group of mini-art critics gathered. A kindergartener announced, in an adorable lisp, that "I was the best draw-er he'd ever saw." A tiny rabbit lives somewhere below these sunflowers, because I saw him come out, and then disappear behind the plants.

5 things

I saw this little 'quiz' on someone's blog and decided to do it. FIVE things 1) in my fridge 2) in my purse 3) in my closet 4) in my car and lastly 5) in my life. Just for fun in my moleskine. ink and color pencil.

cheryl tall sculptures

I have my artwork in a small studio/gallery in Escondido. June 10 was my evening to hang out there, and I did this watercolor of Cheryl Tall's clay sculptures.

Happy Birthday Rick Tucker!

Passion Flower

Picked this flower on my morning walk, from the RB Winery. It's an amazing flower---sort of space-age and yet gynocological... Also, picked the first cherry of the season.

watercolor in my watercolor moleskine.

kindergartener backpacks

I painted this today, in my watercolor moleskine, at my break between teaching art classes. These back packs are bigger than most of the little kids who carry them!

abstract art (artist age: 6)

One of my kindergarten students did this today. I love his signature! He worked hard and was so proud.

Another View from the Los Penasquitos Elementary School Playground

I had time between classes, (I teach art a few days a week), and this time painted the hill of houses north of the playground. The sketch took only 20 minutes, but the watercolor painting took over an hour. So many different greens to mix! As usual, a gaggle of kids surrounded me with comments and questions, and even compliments on my earrings.
In my Watercolor Moleskine journal.

Mystery Fruit

I'm keeping an eye on a neigborhood orchard, on my daily walks. I drew the white flowers from this tree on June 1, and already there are the beginnings of fruit.
In my watercolor moleskine journal.

SketchCrawl in San Juan Capistrano

Twenty of us, from the So Cal DrawingRoom met up in San Juan Capistrano to sketch and paint the nearby mission and its beautiful gardens. A group of us rode up on the train from San Diego. A lovely day, and the weather was perfect.
I'm loving my Moleskine Watercolor Journal!

Matilija poppies in the historic area behind the San Juan Capistrano Depot. I stood up, in the sun, to paint these. The white petals are like crepe paper.

These terracotta birds were a fountain in someone's front yard, near the San Juan Capistrano Depot. Sitting in the shade, painting, I could hear windchimes, a hint of classical music, and a group of people playing croquet on a nearby lawn.

#7. Ralph's Letters

I'm methodically encasing each of Ralph's letters and envelopes in organza. Stitching, reading, stitching. Just 3 more letters to go, and then I will work on the composition of all the pieces together. My plan is a large quilt, that will hang in the center of a gallery, so viewers can see both sides of the piece. I've got to rig up something in my studio, to hang the piece while I work, so I can see it as a whole. I haven't laid out the whole thing, so I really have no clue of the finished size.
By the way, I found Ralph. He teaches High School English in So. Cal. Here's a link (entitled Lowe Down) to his writings as an English Prof. As you'll see, he still writes beautifully. I'm exciting about being in touch with him after 30 years.....

I was on CNN today!!

Yup, that's me, on CNN!!!! Today at 2pm. No, I'm not singing, just talking. A reporter stopped me in Oceanside today. She was asking for opinions on the latest news from Iraq, regarding the Marines. (Oceanside is home of Camp Pendleton.) This cracks me up! I'm on CNN!!

Neighborhood Orchard

A very quick watercolor from my walk this morning. I'm really enjoying this Moleskine watercolor journal. I forget that I am a watercolor painter, first and foremost. It's so easy to get distracted by fabric and collage and everything else!

Lake Poway May 29

After our walk around Lake Poway (3 miles) we rested in the shade, and I did a very quick pen sketch, and journaled. Filled in the watercolor at home.
One of the highlights on the walk, was meeting Doug, who carried his 55 lb Labradoodle on his shoulders, for the entire hike, because the dog "likes the view."

Rancho Bernardo Winery

The painting isn't too great, but the day was! Husb and I listened to jazz at the nearby winery, and sat in the shade and painted and sketched. Lovely way to spend an hour on a Sunday...

an early morning walk

"An early morning walk, is a blessing for the day." Thoreau, I think.

Ralph & Me. 1975ish

Here's the one and only photo of Ralph and me. Circa 1975. When I started this letters project, I hadn't heard from him in 30 years...I'd saved his dozen or so letters, tied up with a string, for all those years. When ever we'd move, I'd rediscover the letters, read them, and pack them up again. This time, I knew I wanted to create something with them.

# 6. Ralph's letters

I'm continuing to work with the old letters and envelopes with organza and vintage white buttons. As I stitch, I toy with ideas on how to put together multiples of the letters and envelopes. One large piece, or a few small ones...and how to arrange it. suggestions welcome!

watercolor sketch

I did this in about an hour, at the playground of the elementary school, where I teach art. It was a kick, hearing all the kids comments. According to a group of unbiased 2nd graders, I'm the best artist they've ever known!
This is as a result of Danny's latest post on overcommittment. I had two hours between teaching classes, and instead of getting in the car and doing errands and spending money, I sat outside and sketched and painted. Time well spent!
Ths size is 5x8" in my new moleskine watercolor sketchbook.

J & J Ranch, Descanso

A wonderful weekend party at Jill and Jerry's. I drew the view from the meadow, and sketched and picked wild flowers.

take it easy......

"To draw what you live so you will live it more deeply."
Danny Gregory

“Art is only art when it is synonymous with living.” Alexander Girard

#6. Ralph's Letters

I'm using the individual original letters, with a piece of ivory organza on the front and back, then sewing through the layers. The one of the left, has a painting of mine, printed on organza, as the covering. I've added antique white buttons to both. For now, I think I'll work on each letter, creating a piece of the quilt, one at a time. As I've said before, there is no plan. Just following my intuition.

Contents of my black purse

VERY quickly sketched contents of my black purse, ala Danny Gregory.

May 13 Art Show

Had my work at the Carmel Valley Artists show, in Sorrento Valley (San Diego) last Saturday. Since I wasn't busy making sales (AHEM) I had time to draw my set up.

"BeBop" Quilt

Here's a small, journal size quilt 8-1/2 x 11" of my kitty BeBop. It's done with snippets of fabric and steam-a-seam2. And lots of stitching.

#5 Ralph's Letters

Another installment on the Ralph's Letters Project. I cut the an original letter into sections, then used the letter as 'batting' between two pieces of organza. Hand stitched around the squares, and then hand-stitched quilting through all three layers. I'll use this piece in combination with the others, but I don't know how...yet.

orfila rose garden in color

Here's the second installment of this page. I spent an hour or two, while watching tv, coloring it with color pencils.

Orfila Rose garden may 10

Don and I planned to go to Wild Animal Park, to sketch, today. But soon realized it was a FREE day, and there were a zillion cars in the parking lot. We turned around and went to Orfila Vineyard. Got a coffee, and sat in the rose garden and sketched for about an hour. I added some color with color pencils, while I was there, and with a plan to add more color at home. I did this whole drawing withOUT a pencil!--Straight to pen!

"Everyday Matters" Nose Challenge

EDM Nose Challenge
Originally uploaded by janelafazio.

I've been waiting to 'take' the EDM challenge, and this is a start. The left page (with the photo of Cool Baby) has drawings of her nose, a metal bird's nose, my nose (wearing my reading glasses of course) and my husband's nose, and a metal rabbit's nose.
Left page is a pic of BeBop, and a cool illustration of Cool Baby. She was ill, so I journaled about my concern, on tissue paper. Then tore it up and collaged it on a drawing of her.

"Everyday Matters" is the name of Danny Gregory's book.

First Graders paint Kandinsky style.

A real Kandinsky painting







Here's a painting, inspired by Kandinsky, by a first grader! Using Kandinsky's painting as a model, the first graders at Los Penasquitos Elementary worked with watercolors today. They tried mixing colors, seeing what happens with too much or too little water and experimenting with different color combinations. Once we drew the squares and circles in crayon, it was up to them to choose the colors.

#4. Ralph's Letters

encased in individual 'envelopes' of organza
Originally uploaded by janelafazio.

I tore another rectangle of organza and machine stitched all four sides, essentialy making an organza envelope for the envelopes.
Stay tuned for my next step...I'll be just as surprise as you are!

#3. Ralph's Letters

letters sewn on organza
Originally uploaded by janelafazio.

I work intuitively, and recently influenced by a workshop with Ellen Kochansky, I knew I wanted to use silk organza. I chose to work with the envelopes first. [I photocopied all the letters and envelopes, so I'd have copies. I'm going to use the originals in my art, because they have real emotional power.] I tore rectangles of organza, and using my sewing machine, zig-zag stitched each envelope to a piece of organza. Why? I don't know yet.

Click here for an interview of Ellen Kochansky.

#2. Ralph's Letters and mystudio assistant, BeBop

my studio assistant, BeBop
Originally uploaded by janelafazio.

I want to use Ralph's letters in a quilt. I've laid them out on my studio table to think about them.

#1. Ralph's Letters

the letters
Originally uploaded by janelafazio.

Letters from Ralph W. Lowe dated 1973-1975. We met the summer I worked at Mt. McKinley National Park (now Denali) in 1970 or 71. Ralph and his friend Tim were just passing through. Camping in their van [with a fish decal on the side]. Ralph and I were immediately attracted to each other. In those days, you could be...We carried on a love affair/friendship for a few very impressionable years. He’d come visit me, always unannouced, at my apartment in Burlingame. I visited him, once, unannounced, in Lummi Island, Washington and another time to Salt Lake City. In 2006, when I was cleaning out some boxes, I found his letters. I read through each one, remembering the young girl I was, and the bond Ralph and I shared. I hope to find Ralph W. Lowe, and meet the man he has become. In one of his last letters, he said he was going to be a doctor...
I hope he’s still writing.

Rabbit in the Moon BodyPrint

This painting (chalk pastel and water-soluble crayons) started as a body print in 2002 (in Pamela Underwood's Bodywriting retreat--the green, purple, turquoise figure is a print of my backside.) For years it hung in my garage, waiting to be finished. In January 06, I attended Helen Redman's workshop and brought my bodyprint along with me. I pinned it up in her studio and started adding images. First the bird, then cat, then pomegranates and eucalyptus leaves and the rabbit in the moon. Once home, I worked on it more, adding color and details and some journaling. Today, at 12:05pm, it told me it was finished! I really feel a sense of accomplishment.

My red hiking boots

This page started with some blind contour drawings of my favorite red hiking boots and then I did the two regular drawings. Color pencil and ink.

Matisse inspired

I was working on an art lesson for 3rd and 4th graders. Downloaded the two center images, by Paul Matisse, then created my own around it. I used color pencil, but when I taught the kids, they used cut up colored construction paper.

from December 2005

Here's a page from Journal #1. Still working through my autumn obession of pomegranates and persimmons! (I used 'absorbent ground' on the page first, then watercolor and color pencil.) The tulips were drawn from some fake tulips, I use in the kid's art lesson.