news

Thanks Lynn Majidimehr for awarding me this Kreativ Blogger award. It's so nice to be noticed in the big blog world. If I've left a comment on your blog, consider yourself nominated.

Utility Box news: Here's a link to a story in today's San Diego Union Tribune about the project.

Art UnRaveled 2009: I'm honored to be teaching there again this coming August in Phoenix. The schedule will go up in January, but I'll be teaching all day August 5: Paper on Cloth Collage. All day August 6: Sketching & Watercolor-Journal Style. From 7am-10am, August 7 on location Sketching & Watercolor-Journal Style.

Lastly, don't forget to put my 2010 Bella Italia: Orvieto Sketchbook trip on your wish list.

Stop the presses. dear Sandy just awarded me a blog award too! Sandy was in my workshop in New York and is a lovely person and wonderful journal artist. Thanks Sandy!!

it's a happy utility box

here's my completed utility box. it's located on Imperial Ave and 55th in Southeast San Diego.

mystery landscape

You know how you work on things for the longest time to try and resolve them. This is one of those projects. I don't think it's finished yet. (It's a landscape, dupioni silk)

this is what I want for christmas

Chocolate-Covered Parmigiano-Reggiano

$38.00
NapaStyle From one of the finest confectioners in Italy, it’s a bon-bon of Parmigiano-Reggiano and cream carefully dipped in rich, 60% cacao dark chocolate with white chocolate topping. The flavor is off-the-charts—one of the best taste combinations I’ve experienced in years. It’ll blow your mind—and your guests. Nine pieces per package.

pumpkins 3

These aren't sewn together or on to a background yet. I may make a banner or a wreath...suggestions welcome

thanksgiving

pumpkinS

Two pumpkins. One more in the works.

pumpkin

Hand-stitched from wool felt. It's about 3" wide.

drawing on the utility box

Remember two years ago, when I painted a couple of utility (electrical) boxes in Southeast San Diego? Well, I'm doing it again. Husb helped me paint the first coat of two shades of blue, then I drew the feathers on with black marker. Next step is to paint the feathers.

painting a utility box

Sixteen different artists were selected, based on their entries, by the Southeast Developement Corporation to paint a bunch of utility boxes. Here's mine on 55th Ave and Imperial Ave. I'll go back on Monday to work some more on it.

an artist date

Yesterday, I spent a delightful two hours walking on Park Blvd, in University Heights, ending with a drawing and an iced coffee. Perfect.

Buddy on my lap in the studio

what can be sweeter than a kitty on your lap?

felt making

Here's the finished piece of felt. I plan to stitch on it and then who knows....

Felting. step one

layering the wool roving to create a design

felting step one

I took a four hour felting workshop at the Mingei Museum in Escondido on Saturday. Jean Degenfelder taught the class, and it was great fun and easy too. I plan to do more of it.

The Illustrated Life

I am soooo proud to know Danny Gregory and incredibly proud to be included in this gorgeous book: "The Illustrated Life" by Danny Gregory

My work at the Oceanside Museum of Art Gift Shop!

I'm thrilled to have my organza pieces in the Oceanside Museum of Art gift shop, especially during the run of the Quilt Visions exhibition.

Mundo Lindo tie dye

Here's the Thursday kids in their fabulous tie dye t-shirts that we made last week in Mundo Lindo the grant funded after-school program that I teach.

You're invited

My friends and I are having an art reception at the Ink Spot in downtown San Diego, and you're invited. Directions here.

and the winner is.........

Susan in Seattle! Susan has won the copy of Mixed Media Portraits. Susan, email me your mailing address. Of course, you have to promise to show us your self portrait too!!!

BeBop appreciates Tie Dye

Over at Mundo Lindo, the kids have been creating tie dye t-shirts. Last Thursday, we had 21 kids in class and Tuesday we had 12. I had the job of rinsing out some of the shirts. Here's BeBop on a stack of shirts. They ALL turned out great!!!

Showing teachers how to do the kimono lesson

I was honored to be asked to create an art lesson plan for San Diego Museum of Art Educators open house. The lesson was based on a new Kimono exhibition, so of course I wore one of mine. That's me on the right, in the lavendar kimono. (There were nearly 200 teachers at the open house, and they all recieved my lesson plan.)

completed kimono for a lesson plan for educators

Here's the kimono artwork (watercolor, wax resist and collage). The lesson is geared towards 3-6th graders, but the plan has adaptations and suggestions for older kids. Email me if you'd like a copy of the lesson plan.

Book Give-Away!

disclaimer, this self portrait is not in the book.

Cate Coulacos Prato (features editor of Quilting Arts and Cloth Paper Scissors magazines) has written a Mixed Media self-portraits inspiration and technques invited me to be a featured artist. I'm page 104-107.

As part of Cate's blog tour, she stopped by here to answer some questions:

Me: Cate, I teach an Art Quilt Explorations class in San Diego. We meet
once a month and I teach them a new technique and give an assignment
for them to interpret as they please. Your book has inspired me to ask
them to create self portraits. What should I tell them to get them
thinking about the direction they'd like to take.

Cate: Two things are very important. One is, get over the notion that people will think you're conceited if you do a self-portrait. Famous artists and children do them all the time; they're an exercise, not self-worship. The second is, get over the notion that a self-portrait has to be an exact representation of your physical self. If you want to do that, that's fine--it worked for Rembrandt. And in the book, several artists have addressed techniques for capturing a physical likeness.
But all indications are that even Rembrandt wasn't just trying to capture his own physical image; he was interpreting, experimenting, recording, even playing. Making a mixed-media self-portrait frees you up to interpret the self any way you like. It not only teaches you something about art and form, it teaches you about what's inside you, what you'd like to tell the world about yourself.

Me: I love Kelli Perkins suggestion, in the book, that she took photos around the house of her favorite things and created a quilt from that. What other things might my students do to spark a theme? Like journaling prompts?

Cate: Wasn't that fun? Kelli did a great job with that (there's a quiz in the book to help readers do the same thing). Similar ideas would be: to look at your wardrobe and pick the most prominent color, then start playing with art materials in that color; dump out the contents of your purse or wallet or backpack and use it as a Rorschach test to discover clues about yourself; write down your three favorite quotes--or even your three favorite words--and tell a story about yourself based on your choices. You might keep a self-portrait journal and do one 5-minute exercise a day like these. Then, once you've accumulated some information, go from there.

Me: Have you done a self portrait??? If so, we want to see it. If not,
why not???

Cate: Yes, I did a self-portrait. The editors made me practice what I preach! It's in the book opposite the introduction. I altered a vintage turquoise portable typewriter with buttons and other embellishments and printed one of my favorite quotes from T.S. Eliot about writing onto vintage fabric which I threaded through the carriage. It says a lot about me: I love vintage, I am a writer, I grew up in the same era as that model typewriter (and, in fact, had one just like it), and I express myself through words. Being a communicator is not just what I do, it's who I am.

So now, dear readers. Leave a comment, what do you imagine your self portrait to look like and on Wednesday, November 5, I'll do a random drawing and Cate Coulacos Prato will send you a free copy of Mixed Media Self-Portraits!

feather fossils

The most recent of my organza shroud series, "Feather Fossils." I hope to get these into a local museum shop. Cross your fingers, I'll know soon. This is 10-1/2 x 13 inches.

pomegranate

I have a zillion things I should be doing, like preparing for my online mixed media class I'm teaching at joggles.com starting THIS thursday and the monthly art quilt class I teach starts up again tomorrow and...and...but I just had to sit and draw this pomegranate.

published

I got my copy of Mixed Media self-portraits and it's really a fabulous book with not only lots of great images, but food for thought. The author is doing a blog tour, and she'll be here on my blog (well you know, virtually) on November 3 for a give-away of the book. Stay tuned.

published (and husb too!)

As you can see, the self portrait I created for the book was based on photo booth strips...Check it out, Husb is featured in the photos...

mirror for silent auction

For the past couple of years, I've asked my artist friends to create (decorate) an Ikea mirror for San Diego Brain Injury Foundation fundrasier. We usually get about 20 mirrors, all fabulous and original and totally different. Here's my mirror. The event is going to held October 26, 1-4:30 in LaJolla.

Witch Creek Fire anniversary

One year ago this month, the San Diego's 2008 fires burned soo many homes in San Diego. Over 350 homes in my community of Rancho Bernardo alone. My friend Pamela wrote this article for Vision magazine. Check it out.
It's warm here now, with some Santa Ana devil winds...and it makes everyone on edge.

Dec 6 workshop in Encinitas

I just found out there's still room in my Sketching & Watercolor: Journal Style workshop on Saturday, December 6 in Encinitas.
In the gorgeous garden of the California Center for Creative Renewal in Encinitas, California
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 for your artwork. The class is geared for beginners, but all levels are welcome. Sixteen dollar materials fee includes everything you’ll need: watercolor paper, ink pen and watercolor set with special Niji Waterbrush
Register through Ellen at ellen@artretreats.com or phone 760-436-3310. Cost: $95 plus $16 materials fee.

I'm teaching a workshop in Italy in 2010!

Here is the two page description of my week long workshop Bella Italia: Orvieto Sketchbook in Orvieto, Italy in 2010. Kristi & Bill, the wonderful owners of Adventures in Italy tell me one person has signed up already! (welcome Ursala!)

If you click on these images, they'll enlarge so you can read it.

Bella Italia: Orvieto Sketchbook 2010

Quilting Arts Magazine

I'm in this issue of Quilting Arts magazine! (October/November 2008) Check out my article and photos of my organza pieces pages 14-18. Oh yea, and look at page 4 too, Pokey was kind enough to include a photo of me and her from the QA TV filming in August.

artichoke in organza

I've doing quite a few pieces using silk organza combined with other sheers, but haven't posted them because they are difficult to photograph.

Hey, THANKS everyone who posted birthday wishes on my blog! I really appreciate your kind wishes!

upstate new york

The view of Lake Bonaparte from inside Jan's Muse Lodge.

upstate new york

Here are my pages from the workshop at Lake Bonaparte, in upstate New York. This was at the Oswegatchi River. (Those are mushrooms by the way.)

upstate new york

upstate new york

upstate new york

We had a centerpiece of pumpkins and squash from the region to draw from.

upstate new york

on location oswegatchi river

Just returned from upstate New York where I taught a sketching and watercolor workshop. Here we are on location. It was cold! (48 degrees in New York, and 100 degrees in San Diego!)
Sandy came in from Conneticut and Donna from Denver, for my weekend workshop. Be sure and look at Sandy's blog to see beautiful journal pages she created!!

New York Autumn

The leaves were in glorious technicolor.

Upstate New York

classic.

on location in upstate New York

We spent a morning sketching and painting at this wonderful antique and handmade basic shop. It's the Natural Basket, in Natural Bridge New York.

upstate New York

new york autumn

I love this shot. It seems like it would be great inspiration for a quilt...

Lake Bonaparte, upstate New York

We stayed with our dear friend, Jan Phillips, and she has a 100 year old cabin on this lake, Lake Bonaparte. It's about 90 minutes Northeast of Syracuse.

Adirondacks, New York,

Husb and I drove to Lake Placid. This was taken on Mirror Lake and the sun was out!

mirror lake, lake placid

Husb and I at lunch at the Cottage restaurant on Mirror Lake, in Lake Placid.

Jan Phillips

Jan was host, our cook, our tour guide and our boat captain while we were in New York. Thank you Jan!!!

don working by candlelight

Husb participated in some of the workshop, and joined us all at the dining room table for late night sketching and painting.