It was true. Again this year, one week after the forsythia bloomed, another snow.

On the 21st of April I left Billings in 13 degrees, 4 inches of snow and headed East where the weather was very different.

The visit East was good: not much time with family but I did get to see some of them.

The workshops in Richmond were fabulous: terrific participants, lots of energy, wonderful work was made. Some of us were very tired by the end. Too much art? too much laughter? too much fun? nah. just a really good week.

I’ve been home a week now, the temps are cool, today it is trying to rain (we need the moisture desperately). Nothing much has changed except that things are slowly slowly beginning to bloom and leaf out. I’ll get pix later this weekend.

The new work on the wall is progressing and the new charity project is waiting to begin:
Bling Your Bernina!
I’ll be embellishing a Bernina Activa®. It will be one of 12 to be auctioned at Bernina University in July, proceeds to the American Heart Association. Too much fun!

I will document the process here so stay tuned.

off to find camera and something to look at.

The first tulips opened today.

It is 70 degrees outside! The forsythia is ablaze (that usually means one more snowstorm, a week away, we’ll see if that holds true this year). So far, no daffodils but lots of crocus. It is so nice to have happy color!

I bought these last Sunday to use on this:

“little rooms”. I work on this several times a week, don’t know if it will ever be finished, or if it needs to be. It is a cathartic process.

New on my website are the “awakening moon” collages. Here is one of them:

they are mixed media and matted to 8×10″

I have really enjoyed working on these. There are 4 completed and several more to go. They refer back to a series of mixed media works on paper that dealt with moon phases. It’s time to revisit those ideas.

In other news, it has been wonderful to be home since January.

Next week I get ready to go to Richmond VA to teach and that will be wonderful too. I look forward to seeing some of you there!

My clearing out of art work (at reduced prices) is about to come to an end. Since I will be reentering the gallery game later this year, I have to adhere once again to the “rules” about pricing. If you have been seeing this as a Gambler’s Sale <G> prices will start going back up to the retail level in the next few days.

Maybe it is almost finished. I need to live with a while to see if it wants more thread work or if the final format is not quite right. Here it is:

and a detail

Almost all the fabrics in the piece are hand dyes from Helene Davis .

There are a few “color meditations” on my website in Gallery 4 that also rely on Helene’s wonderful fabrics.

In other news, I am still boxing up goodies and treats, see the previous post and let me know if you want one of these boxes.

Next post I’ll show you what is happening in the gardens and with “little rooms”. Yesterday I drove across town to “Buy the Bead”, looking for red and black beads to use in certain areas of “little rooms”. Oh my! a 75 % off sale. Not only did I get what I was after but also lots and lots more. Didn’t take very long and I was home with 10 times as much as I went after and having spent only twice what I intended to.

what can I say, I know I’ll use them someday.

Thanks to everyone who stopped in and related to my messy studio! I’m still in the clearing and cleaning out phase and finding all sorts of treasures.

“One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.” A.A. Milne

In an effort to make more space available I am once again boxing up fabrics and sending them into the world. The boxes are the pre-paid priority size, each is filled to the max with fabrics and assorted studio goodies. I have primarily commercial batiks, some prints and there is a box of novelty fabrics and one of ties (de-constructed but not cleaned). The boxes contain small pieces - 1/3-1/4 yard cuts and large scraps.

If you want one of these treasure boxes, they are $80 each including postage, payable by paypal.

Once some of the extras are out of the way, then I might feel more organized. HAH.

“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” A.A. Milne

A few days ago part of my mess looked like this:

Things were stacked and piled. chaos.

I decided to clear it up a bit and focus on what I love about the space.

This makes me smile:

Below, one of two work walls, this one moves to allow access to the storage space on the left.

The door exits to the East garden.

Below is the other work wall, screwed into the top of built in bookcases

Both work walls are made of Celotex, can be pinned into, ironed against.

One is covered with grid cloth, the other with a sheet.

Both are slightly over 4′ wide and about 5.5′tall.

Another view of the west end of the room:

The cutting table is folded up right now and situated in front of a pull out storage area where our vinyl collection lives. The shelf above holds CD player and music.

(please notice, the room is still a mess but there’s nothing on the floor that doesn’t belong there! it won’t last)

The room was converted/rebuilt from what was originally a shed porch on the north side of our house. It is two steps down from the kitchen and has a door into the East garden.

The Ceiling follows the pitch of the original roof - that limited how large the room could get.

I have anti-fatigue mats on the floor, which is painted particle board. There’s no worry about spilling anything and it sweeps up easily.

I love the North Light, the view of the gardens

and the cats like having a nest near the window.

The latest on River Music. I segmented it into 9 areas , here’s a detail:

and a small look at the overall piece, irregular edges, with a curved top.

It’s Good to Be Green opens at the Latimer Museum in Tillamook, OR, on Tuesday March 4.
I am delighted to have two folding pieces in this exhibit. Curated by Larkin Van Horn and beautifully photographed by Van, a rotation of art samples from the show can be seen on Larkin’s site.
(one of my pieces, “The River is Wide”, will be on view March 2)
For details and to order the CD catalogue, go to the website.

“Let the mountains talk, let the rivers run. Once more, and forever.”

David Brower

a photo essay with some explanations (not too many!)

Here’s the line drawing I began with. Influenced by my usual inspirations: water and rock. I turned the drawing on its head and on its ear as the working templates were developed. Chose the prime edges, lines and shapes from the drawing, used the fabrics to indicate the visual textures.

the fully assembled top

the top, cut in thirds

turned horizontally

and now the inserts. By this point the thirds are quilted etc.

a closer view to show how the insert design is developed

Here the pieces of the insert are pinned. Top edge is folded and stitched

here is a detail of a completed area.
It’s coming right along.
stay tuned…

what are you working on?

**
In other news, The March 1 on-line class, Idea to Image is filling rapidly. we may need a second group. For details go to my website.

The studio sale continues. New works are up, prices are as low as they will get. to see what is still available go to gallery 4.

thanks!

The waxing moon is gibbous, days are getting much longer. Lately the sky has had a heavy March moisture look to it. The birds have begun their dances. Can Spring be very far off? The little greenies will begin poking through soon. It will be good to have vibrant color!

In other news, my studio sale continues. It is going well.There are still a lot of pieces looking for new homes.

I am now offering an on-line class “Idea to Image”, 5 weeks, beginning March 1. Spaces are limited. contact me if you are interested.

This is an interesting day for me. I don’t associate it with romance but with giving of thanks instead.

Here’s a list of some of the things I am grateful for right now. They make my heart happy and remind me that the world is both larger and smaller than we know.

music, musicians, friends of the spirit, dream makers, the gardens in all their stages and phases, birds, people who share themselves openly, the river, the clear big sky, the www, hand made paper, things that glitter, rocks (I love rocks), wind marks on the land, tidal patterns, the gibbous moon, spirals- they are everywhere, books of all sorts, dancers, the universal language of all the arts, collectors of odd ball things, poetry, the slow shifting of the seasons, raspberries - the pure taste of Summer!, chicadees, nesting woodpeckers in the tree outside the studio, the four legged companions that share my household, hot water, bare feet in sand, preparing and sharing a meal with family and dear friends, hollyhocks, my soul mates,  and more…

the list goes on.

What makes you happy? what are you grateful for today? how do these things inform your art?