Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Quail Gardens hibiscus

So, yesterday, 9/29, was my birthday. I have a hard time with my birthday-it doesn't matter the year. Although, next year may be a tough one. You know, one of those milestone birthdays...cough, choke...60. For now and through next year, I am 59. Anyway, husb and I went to Quail Gardens to do a little sketching and watercolor, then out to lunch and errands. I had chocolate ice cream for dinner.

FYI: This journal page has a collage piece on it, then I drew and watercolored over it.


Monday, September 28, 2009

Aloe from Saturday's workshop

hey! I updated my website. Added this and updated this.

New mixed media class starts Monday! Join us!

Mixed Media with Paper & Cloth
Oct. 5 – Nov. 16 (7 weeks) in San Diego
Mondays, 9 AM – 12 noonSan Diego/ Park Blvd Studio
$180 members/205. non-members plus $25 mat. fee

I will introduce you to new materials and techniques to create art from paper, cloth or a combination of the two. We’ll created layered, textured artworks using collage materials, paint, drawings, and thread. Come prepared to learn, explore and have fun with a new project each week. Class will be inspirational, positive, and fun, with lots of sharing, laughing, and learning from the others in the class. All levels of experience are welcome, and previous students expect new lessons!

Register: (858) 454-5872 or mail or in-person at Athenaeum Music and Arts Library, 1008 Wall Street, La Jolla, CA 92037 http://ljathenaeum.org/schoolsched1.html

Materials: For the first day bring: liquid matte (or gloss) acrylic medium, a foam brush, scissors, and collage papers (like rice paper, magazines, sheer tissues, painted papers, maps, and book pages), pencils and sketchbook or journal. A materials list for the rest of the class will be discussed in the first class. A $25 materials fee will be collected in class.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Workshop Location

This is the gorgeous California Center for Creative Renewal in Encinitas, CA. (It's a private garden.) I taught my workshop "Sketching & Watercolor: Journal Style" here yesterday, and will teach it again, same fabulous location, on Saturday, December 5. Even if you've taken from me before, in a group or private lesson, this location is stupendous for succulents and flowers and trees......
Here's the description: Be inspired to record your life, your trip, or your daily adventures in an illustrated journal as you spend a meditative day drawing and sketching in the healing gardens. Jane will guide you through basic drawing, inking and watercolor painting. You’ll choose simple objects, vignettes or vistas to draw and paint, and then journal your thoughts right onto the drawings. At the end of the day you will create a small portfolio to hold your artwork. The class is geared for beginners, but all levels are welcome. Fifteen dollar materials fee includes everything you’ll need: watercolor paper, ink pen, pencil and watercolor set with special Niji Waterbrush. $95/$15 materials fee. $85 if you register 2 weeks prior
You can register here.


yestday's workshop

The garden, yesterday's workshop, has many great spots to sit and draw and paint.

Saturday Workshop

here's Ellen. She lives in this garden (okay, in the house in front) and created and maintains the garden and California Center for Creative Renewal.

Workshop Location

Just one more photo from yesterday's workshop location. So lovely, so serene. And thanks lovely students for making it a wonderful day! (I'll post my sketches tomorrow)

Friday, September 25, 2009

Quilting Arts Oct/Nov 09 issue

Just call it the LaFazio issue! This pic is on page 4, my Zen Eucalyptus quilt is on page 58 (it will also be on display at the Houston Quilt Festival next month) and my article on Quiltlets starts page 72.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Ross Castle, Kilarney, Ireland

Here's the last installment on our trip to Ireland. This is Ross Castle in Kilarney National Park.


Ross Castle, Kilarney, Ireland

We stayed in Kilarney, and I would definitely go back there and stay for a few days or a week. It's near the beautiful Kilarney National Park, with trails, formal gardens and castles too! This is Ross Castle in the distance.

Ross Castle, Kilarney, Ireland

Near Ross Castle.

Kilarney National Park, Ireland

We took a jaunting car ride (a horse drawn carriage) to Ross Castle one day and the next took a lovely hike through a small park of beautiful Kilarney National Park.

Kilarney National Park, Ireland

Another view in Kilarney National Park.

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

The Cliffs of Moher, along the west coast of Ireland.

Durty Nelly's, Ireland

The last night in Ireland, we took a taxi to Durty Nelly's (established in 1620!). I told the driver that I'd been a flight attendant 32 years ago, and often come to Durty Nelly's. I was told at the time, the local boys came to meet flight attendants who frequented the bar. (I had great memories of those times...huge sing-alongs in the pub and meeting fun Irish chaps.) Anyway, the taxi driver looks in the rear view mirror at me and says, his his charming brogue "Ah, your a fine lookin' woman now, you must a been a cracker thirty two years ago!"

Back at Durty Nelly's, after 32 years

Thirty two years later, same pub, same beer, same woman. Durty Nelly's is a wonderful place. Full of ambience and music (especially later in the evening.)

Bunratty Castle Medievil Banquet, Ireland

Bunratty Castle, built in 1425, was another spot I went to when I was a flight attendant, so Don and I had to go. It was quite fun, with good food and very good entertainment. Somehow, I feel right at home in a castle!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

another winery class

Interrupting this Ireland travelogue, to say that I taught another one-on-one "Sketching & Watercolor: Journal Style" class at the Bernardo Winery yesterday. Two lovely students, Kate & Ruth.

winery lantern

At the winery, we all drew this old rusty lantern. The glass was actually broken, and in it an old bird's nest! But, I used my artist prerogative to leave that part out.

Downtown Cork, Ireland

Husb and I took an early morning walk around Cork.

Ring of Kerry, Ireland

THE bus.

Ring of Kerry, Ireland

Husb takin in the view

Ring of Kerry, Ireland


Ring of Kerry, Ireland
Originally uploaded by janelafazio

Ireland

on the way to Kilarney, our next stop.

Kissin the Blarney Stone, Ireland

On the top floor of Blarney Castle is the famous blarney stone. It's actually a spot on the wall. This man has the job of help each tourist get in position, slide down and kiss the stone, while another fellow snaps the photo. It's really quite fun and exhilarating!

Kissin the Blarney Stone, Ireland

Don kissin' the stone.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Day one, Ireland



Day 2, Ireland

Do you sense a theme here?

Seriously, I'm disappointed that I didn't make more time to sketch and paint. I'm always telling my students to grab 20 minutes or so and draw in your journal. I'd hoped to create many pages of this trip to Ireland, but...too much time on the tour bus is my excuse. I feel bad that I didn't really capture any of the friggin GREEN of Ireland!

Day 4 and 5, Ireland

Sunny Sunday in St. Stephens Green in Dublin and Dublin Castle.

Day 6 and 7 Ireland

Orange?? Where's the green of Ireland you ask? Geez.

Blarney Castle, Ireland

Oh my gosh what a gorgeous place! We got out of the (insert swear word) bus to kiss the blarney stone. Frankly, I had no idea that Blarney Castle is on many many acres of gorgeous park, and the castle itself is fabulous. I could have spend a day here. I also was reminded that I LOVE castles! Note to self: next trip to Ireland: CASTLES!

View from Blarney Castle, Ireland

Did I mention how lucky we were with the weather? One bus driver told us it had been raining for the last 3 years!

Blarney Castle, Ireland

Husb and me after we'd kissed the blarney stone. Can't ya just tell we now have the 'gift of eloquence' as the kiss promises.

The blarney stone is a stone in the wall of Blarney Castle. According to an Irish legend, those who kiss the Blarney Stone receive a gift of eloquence that enables them to obtain, through persuasion, anything they want.

On that note, my after-school art program, Mundo Lindo, free to low income 4th & 5th grade kids needs your donation. We've raised $490 towards our $5,000 challenge grant. Won't you make a donation, please? The matching grant will double whatever you donate and it's tax deductible.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Pub Crawl, Dublin Ireland

On saturday night we went on the Musical Pub Crawl in Dublin. Totally fun. Great music and we learned a lot about the traditional Irish pub music.

Sketching in Dublin Ireland

We totally lucked out with the beautiful weather on our trip to Ireland! Sunday we spent some time in St. Stephens Green sketching and people watching. The park was full of people enjoying the sunshine. Fact: St. Stephen's Green was enclosed in 1664. The 22 acre park was laid out in its present form in 1880. Landscaped with flowerbeds, trees, a fountain and a lake.
We also took the Georgian House Museum tour and I really enjoyed seeing the inside of one of homes built in 1794.

Grand Canal, Dublin Ireland

Just a few blocks from our hotel in Dublin, the Grand Canal was built in the 1700s. A beautiful stroll.

st patricks cathedral Dublin Ireland

St Patricks is a gorgeous cathedral. I would have loved to spend a few hours there, sketching and painting. I'm going to make sure we plan time for something like that on our Italian Orvieto trip.



Dublin Ireland

Yes, they do drive on the other side of the road in Dublin, one of the reasons we chose not to rent a car. I wish they'd had this reminder on every curb!

Kilmainham Jail, Dublin Ireland

Kilmaninham Gaol (jail) was built in 1792 and closed in 1924. The tour was excellent, and we learned much about Ireland's history, specifically the 1916 uprising and the great hunger of the mid 1800s.

Jameson Distillery, Dublin Ireland

The tour of Jameson Distillery was one long fancy commercial, but I surely loved the Irish Coffee I drank beneath this gorgeous chandelier (no doubt of Waterford crystal.)

Jameson Distillery, Dublin Ireland

Husb was selected to take part in the whiskey tasting portion of the Distillery tour. No matter it was noon, he tried 3 types of whiskey and 'earned' an offical taster certificate!


Sunday, September 20, 2009

Quilting Arts email blast

While I was gone, Quilting Arts send out this email blast---it's got a story about the weekend trip my friends and I did in January this year in Palm Springs!

Ireland!

We're back! Here's a pic from one of our first stops in Dublin, the Guinness Brewery tour. We had a lovely time--with NO rain at all! Gorgeous days and fabulous sites, though we really didn't get to sketch and paint as much as I'd hoped. We took a tour (too much time on the bus, I'm afraid) and added two extra days on our own to spend in Dublin. Then we toured the south east cities, ending up in Limerick and flying out of Shannon. I'll post more photos and pages tomorrow.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Ireland here we come!

Husb and I are off to Ireland September 10-19. We start in Dublin and tour through the southeast, ending in Limerick and flying out of Shannon. Lots of photos and drawings when I return!

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Map of the Green World

This is a layered, sheer piece I started in a workshop with Chris Cozen. It's still a work in progress.

Rusty Flowers

Another sheer layered, unfinished piece. I'm going to play some more with this process: 1) so I can finish these 2) so I can teach it to my Atheneaum Mixed Media with Paper & Cloth that starts on October 5 in San Diego.

Catfish Aloe

This one is not finished either. The fish are fish prints from that I made, the aloe is a from my journal and the cat is a stencil of Buddy.

another one-on-one class

I taught another private "Sketching & Watercolor: Journal Style" workshop today at Bernardo Winery, near my house. Eddie had taken one of my workshops before and wanted some one-on-one with his watercolor journal.

Monday, September 07, 2009

Succulent

A succulent from my kitchen shelf garden and a lovely quote from Emerson.

dried leaf

Here's the other drawing I did at the winery one-on-one class I taught on Sunday. My student, Diane, and I discussed mixing greens. The very first watercolor class I took, one of our first assigments was a green plant. I think back on what a good exercise that was! Nature's greens come in soooo many shades.
The red chop (stamp), on the page, on the top means tiger, because I'm born the year of the tiger. I'm a metal tiger, in case you're wondering.....


winery flowers

I taught another one-on-one class at Bernardo Winery yesterday. Diane was my most excellent student and I forgot to get a photo! darn!!! We had a lovely morning, especially since it's cooled down a little.

Sunday, September 06, 2009

Rose


Another. I should have known better, and had the rose facing in. Oh well, that's why I'm making lots of these, to figure out the best way to do them. Watercolor. Hand carved stamp. 5x7 on hot press watercolor paper. I'd like to have a clever name for this process---Any ideas? "draw & paint a flower, design & carve a stamp" is not exactly catchy.

Huge thanks for the positive remarks and support for Mundo Lindo!!


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