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a break from the chores

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

We are clicking right along here. Keeping the gardens watered, the studio a mess and slowly clearing the desk. It’s hard to say which is a bigger challenge (the watering or the desk) but easy to say that the studio work goes well. Painted silk organza is my new favorite thing to layer.

There’s nothing to show you at this stage but soon…

My Etsy shop is open again.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/lcaterw

The new booklet: “Just For Today: A creative nudge…” is being listed. Quotes, reminders, suggestions to support your creative journey. More covers will be shown soon. Next up: collages and very small artworks.

A revision of the workbooks is in process too. It would be nice to get them down to half size pages for ease in use. Some of the material should be updated and I am considering consolidating them but haven’t decided. If you have the workbooks, I’d love your opinion about this. What would you like to see in the new edition?

With the recent heat, the gardens are in between waves of color but the lilies have begun! The day lilies are budding, and the weeds continue to flourish despite my efforts to keep them pulled. My morning starts at 5:30 and there is never enough time for it all. Balance is needed..

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2/23?

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Lots of computer time today and some in the studio as well. Not necessarily an even balance, but I try.

Over the past few days I have been printing and over-printing. I am looking for just the right textures for a “road cut” piece that is haunting me. I want jagged lines, layering , the metallic glints (although that’s mostly an Eastern thing, around here it’s sandstone, cut by wind and water). Mainly I want to explore the marks we make as we alter the landforms -

Meanwhile, the moon phase pieces are also demanding my attention. What to do?
More hours in the day obviously!

wip-detail2 wipdetail1

Posted in Uncategorized, friends, garden, news, process, sale!, travel, workbook, workshops | No Comments »

november 18

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

The morning slid by quickly. I haven’t been out to the studio yet, except to sweep up, have not checked my notes for the day, and still need to clean my office. Yesterday I dragged large things out of storage: paper and works on paper. I want to sift through and see what is there that might be kept, might be recycled, might be disposed of or provide ideas for new work. This process worries me, and I am avoiding opening the boxes.

Why is it a worry?

well, what if I can’t get rid of anything, or what if there’s nothing worth keeping? silly isn’t it?I’ve sifted through these boxes in the past and burnt things, never gave it a second thought. I’ll let you know what happens and maybe show you what I find.

On another note, the holidays are coming, a lot of people are experiencing financial stress. Businesses are already offering their post-Holiday discounts and every time I listen to the news I find the negative reports overwhelming.

We all need to be a little more flexible and adaptive.

I am offering small works for sale at lower than usual prices (not calling it a sale, just a reality check <G>). New and previously unavailable pieces are going up every day or two.

Within the next couple of days, a gift certificate option will be available for my website offerings.
There is also a 20% discount for multiple workbook orders. (If you want to order multiple books that are not in the drop down menu below, contact me and I will invoice you.)

Please be aware that suppies are limited.

When they are gone, this offer ends. sorry.

summer of smoke

Posted in miscellaneous, news, process, studio, workbook | No Comments »

ahead of schedule!

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

In my classes and workshops I suggest people have two sketchbooks/ journals. One to serve as a visual journal, the other to carry through your day to capture those notes, observations and inspirations that sometimes get lost in the course of everyday life.

This little project has been in the wings for a long time. Now, after the two workbooks, the Idea to Image: an artist’s daybook is ready and shipping!

5″ x 8″, spiral bound at the top (opens flat and good for lefties), 67# acid free vellum, 60 pages:

Inside you will find: quotes, prompts, a few helpful hints and lots of white space for doodles, capturing ideas, making notes and keeping track in general.

daybook “when in doubt, doodle” (a peek inside)

What’s next? Ah, first comes several weeks of teachng away from home, then back to the studio and the next desk top publishing project. stay tuned!

Meanwhile, from the veggie garden:

august veggies

Thursday morning’s harvest. Aren’t those wonderful colors! We still have not had sweet corn from our garden, maybe this coming week. The hot peppers are looking good but we haven’t picked any yet. Michael grows jalapenos, habaneros and this year, cherry bombs. He plans to pickle them as a mix.

I hope all of you are having a safe and fun Holiday weekend. It’s Labor Day and I’m working – isn’t that the way it goes sometimes?

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a day in the office

Sunday, August 17th, 2008

The shelves are almost empty! It is time to replenish stock
This means I am spending most of the day dealing with the Printer and the Binder.

The next desk top publishing project will go public September 1.

Details will be on my home page then, as well as in the newsletter.

(If you are not already a newsletter subscriber and would like to be, click here.) The publication is still somewhat sporadic but I am trying for once a week.

With a little work each day I have been restoring some space and calm in this room. A few weeks ago I found new homes for ten years worth of fine art and fine craft magazines. This week 3 boxes of paperwork were sifted through, files stored and personal letters stored and everything no longer relevant was disposed of. (there are more boxes of paperwork to deal with but this first step is the most difficult) I am getting the office supplies in better order and figuring out a better way to arrange the desk. I think I am stuck with facing the wall instead of the door. Does anyone know what the Feng Shui “cure” for that is?

Still to do: consolidate my binders of slides, dispose of out dated electronic equipment manuals, get my digital photo files in order and backed up, and declutter the hard drive. And bring my book keeping up to date.

I will have all this done before leaving to teach in September.

That’s going to be a fun trip!
Teaching in Richmond, Arlington and Baltimore, Judging at the Bead Museum and attending their Gala. I also have some appointments regarding prospective exhibits of my work. Before all that starts, I might be able to make it to Athens, Ohio on the 12th for the opening at the Dairy Barn (The Meerbaum Collection, my piece “Flare: is there.) Then I am home for a week before going to Fabrications Retreat in Michigan.

hope to see some of you on the road.

Posted in conversations, friends, garden, travel, workbook, workshops | 1 Comment »

not so lazy days of Summer

Saturday, July 26th, 2008

today is Bob’s Birthday. Last Saturday was Sarah’s birthday.

They are too far away and I have run late this year with celebrations. Last year they were here for their birthday week and we went to the mountains, hung out at the tree house, watched bears. We also went to Summerfair and did a number of other “being home with mom and dad” type things. This year with life being complicated and travel a little pricey, we won’t see them again until the Winter holidays. There will be a lot to pack into that week!
We try to stay mindful of how much pressure can be created in the attempt to cram a year into a week. All of us require a lot of quiet time. We play cards, cook and eat, sit together and read. Bob and Michael usually team up to do some sort of house project. They work well together and that’s nice to see.

I was going to write about the garden.

taste treat

There are raspberries, the true taste of Summer. We used to have a very productive patch but it died out a few years ago. Now it appears to be making a comeback. yumm.

holly hock

Hollyhocks. I love these plants, the old fashion single flower blooms. They remind me of my grandmother’s gardens.

day lily

Lilies and day lilies. Elegant.

chard

and of course, Michael’s veggie garden. We have enjoyed a lot of fresh vegetables so far: peas, beans, greens, potatoes, carrots. There is nothing quite like truly fresh vegetables, prepared with a light touch.

in the office, there was a big run on both workbooks this week. I spent quite a lot of time packaging and shipping. The Musebook is getting a very good reception. You can find out more here.

And in the studio:

more small pages, destined to become part of another accordion piece. I am about ready to begin the large one that has been haunting me for a while now.

My books have been shipped off to the Denver Show and I wish them well.

What else? Two on-line classes are finishing up now. It will likely be Fall before I offer them again. Summer obligations put too many demands on people. My newsletter will keep you posted about that. To subscribe click here and go to the bottom of the page.

I hope your Summer is full of family, quiet time, studio time and vacation, in the truest sense of the word.

A time for refreshing and renewing.

stay cool.

Posted in garden, miscellaneous, studio, workbook, workshops | 1 Comment »

july 17 fringe notes and an announcement

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

it is just past the middle of the month. Generally this is our hottest part of Summer. The gardens are wild and flourishing.

Earlier in June, I rebuilt the arch over the side gate. By the end of this week it will be completely “greened in” with the silver lace vine (aka “mile a minute”). Last night I got out the ladder to do some training of tendrils. My intention is to optimize the vine’s natural tendencies to braid, building and reinforcing the arch with the living fence.

arch

The arch had to be rebuilt because one Summer while I was away too much, the vines got out of control. Michael tore down the arch that was there instead of pruning out the vines – which would only have been encouraged to faster growth. Hopefully this arch is high enough that with only a little effort things can be maintained. we’ll see.

Next, I got up on the ladder to deal with the grape vines. We’ve allowed them to grow wild instead of pruning for production. Yesterday the resident goldfinches were at work and play in amongst the vines. It looked as though they were feeding, but I don’t know what on. They are such cheery little things.

grape leaves

It was a home and garden sort of day.

During this hot phase of Summer, the perennials slack off and the color is not what I would like. There are day lilies, some oriental lilies, moonbeam coreopsis and malva. The hollyhocks are just beginning.

moonbeam lily

The studio work that has been my focus the past few days is at a good place to set aside until afternoon. (you can see some of the new work here)

slide

musebook cover You can read about my newest workbook here.

I am gearing up for another, slightly different publishing project but am not ready to share details. (is that what they call a teaser?)

AND, if you are still with me, there’s an announcement!
Beginning tonight, 5 pm MST, my website is having a birthday celebration! It is a short term event, lasting only 10 days. I hope you will drop in.

The cake, ice cream and beverages are virtual and BYO, decorations provided by Gloderworks (web designers supreme!)

Other details will be on my home page by 1:00 pm MST, today.

(p.s. I like chocolate ice cream!)

Posted in friends, garden, inspiration, landscape, process, studio, workbook | No Comments »

june 15

Sunday, June 15th, 2008

We spent most of the weekend in the gardens. I had occasional forays into the studio.

Here are a few things I am working on:

These are the beginning stages of a “blinged Bernina”. The project is simple. 12 artists were invited to “bling” Brninas . The machines will be auctioned at Bernina University in late July, proceeds to benefit the American Heart Association. I’m rolling now but the project still looks rough. On some levels it is easier to do the life size fiberglass animals.

out of the box

taped to protect “working parts”

preliminary paint and collage, one wiew

the top: lots of beads and buttons

a side, again, preliminary

Below, I built an arch for the silver lace vine (aka mile a minute !)

The grape vines look good but we think this might be their last year.

The new workbook has been shipping.

It is so exciting!

I am still working on this:

The online classes are going well. they are challenging for me but I am learning so much

join us soon!

Posted in garden, inspiration, landscape, process, studio, workbook | No Comments »

june 10

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008

musebok cover

at last!
The new workbook is ready to ship. It’s a few days later than I’d hoped, but finally ready to go.

you can order it by visiting my website

For those of you who have been so patient, thank you! Shipping begins tomorrow afternoon.

Updates on my on-line classes are ready now as well.

In other news, it is a beautiful Spring. The bearded iris are blooming, both the purple and the white ones, the wind flowers are having a long run since it remains cool and the columbine looks wonderful.

I’ve been so been so busy with teaching and writing that I am behind on the “blinged Bernina” project. I hope to immerse myself in that, this weekend.

You might notice a few changes on the website. Gloderworks is fabulous to deal with!

hope you are having a good week. School is out here now and the neighborhood will get more lively. fun stuff.

Posted in garden, studio, workbook, workshops | No Comments »

may 17

Saturday, May 17th, 2008

It’s gardening Season!

I’ve been weeding and thinning , pulling grass from the flower beds and in general, enjoying being outside today. It is warm, sunny, the first perfect day for working in the perennial beds.

The inspiration for my work comes from the landscape: not just the broad pattern of the movement of water, sky, and the marks on the land, but also from the smaller details. The cycles are circular and spiral in time. This too impacts how I work and the way my images are composed.

“One looks, looks long, and the world comes in.” Joseph Campbell

The next session of Idea to Image on-line begins soon. For information visit my website.

You can also pre-order my new workbook “Idea to Image: Tempting your Muse”.

It will begin shipping in early June.

Posted in garden, inspiration, landscape, process, studio, workbook, workshops | No Comments »

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