More Garden Goodies, more summer fun

The garden looks so good now, all the colors of late summer - the beautiful greens and reds and yellows. I made a tomato pie yesterday, and when I brought the tomatoes in they were still warm from the sun. What a great joy for all of the senses! And again, we got to share it with friends last evening to celebrate the end of summer and the start of a new school year -- what a joy! Thank you for a great evening!







Earlier in the summer, the peonies were in full bloom - we have several gorgeous colors of them blooming in one big mass right outside the back door -- they are a great way to welcome in the summer, and I post their pictures here to remind me of the wonderful summer that was, and how it began in a burst of blooms.

Earlier in the summer I had the chance to reconnect with one of my college roommates, Pam. She was visiting her mother and we arranged for a dinner and evening concert together - what a fun evening we had. There are those people, who, even after a long time apart (we promised it would never be that long again!) you can sit down with, start chatting, and it's like you were never apart. Well, for me, that's Pam. Thanks, Pam, for sharing all the great things you're up to these days -- I can't wait to see some of your wonderful art quilts. (Isn't it crazy how our lives have taken similar paths -- she doing art quilts now, and me doing other forms of art making?) Pam, do you remember us all sitting around in our dorm room doing cross stitch, way back when? Ha! Makes me smile, just remembering it!

I'm also getting ready to go to Valley Ridge Art Studio in a couple of weeks -- I'll be taking a class with Katie Kendrick that I am so excited about being able to take. She did an article in "Cloth, Paper, Scissors" magazine about a cardboard visual journal that I poured over when it came out. In fact, I bought some cheesecloth & a roll of gauze bandage, because I was so inspired. And then, of course, work and obligations got in the way, and there those items sat. So then, when the Art Unraveled schedule came out, I was heartsick that she had a class offered on doing just that journal that was opposite the DJ Pettitt 2-day class that I absolutely felt that I *must* take. A HA -- Valley Ridge published their class schedule and there it was!! Fortunately, with a little fancy scheduling, I've been able to take the class, even though I'll be rushing in at the last minute (sorry, Katie...) and rushing out probably just before the class is over. But.... I get to go!!! So, I've been studying the supply list (the cheesecloth and gauze were not a problem!!) and I'm hoping to put all of my treasures into the suitcase today, so that each time I walk by it, I will smile. I'm so excited, and Valley Ridge is a most amazing place with a vista and a wonderful ambiance -- inspires the creativity!



Well, off to the last day of 'getting ready' for a new school year. Yes, I'll do some prep work, but I also have a convertible ride to a great fish fry waiting! I can't think of a better way to get mentally prepared!!

Apple Pie, Garden Goodies & lots of Art

Here's an apple pie, I made with early season fresh local apples. There is nothing that makes the house smell better than baking bread or apple pie. Yumm. And the fact that we got to share it last evening with friends and some of Mike's great homemade ice cream was even more special. Thanks to our friends for a very special evening to celebrate the close of summer!





Fresh green beans picked in the garden about 5 minutes before this picture was taken - I LOVE fresh out of the garden green beans - these were still warm when I couldn't wait any longer and eat several right out of the bowl!


Art Unraveled was tremendous - a wonderful gathering of great people. I got to reconnect with people I see only once a year there, and made some great new friends!


My classes included "Sumptuous Sumi" with Jill Berry, where we worked with Sumi Ink. This was my first time with this wonderful product, and I loved working with it's dark rich color and ease of application. I also loved her paper choice. Both 'gotta gets' on the list!


Sumi ink done painted on this yummy paper with a feather

Sumi ink "symbols" drawn and then painted in with washes of color.

I also took a two day class with the wonderful DJ Pettitt. She is a great teacher, and all of our paintings came out looking so fabulously different! My table partner made a great pair of paintings that are as different as mine as night and day, and they are fabulous. Alas, I didn't get permission, yet, to post, but as soon as I do, I'll post them here!






Another great class was with Judy Wise - Art Journaling. I got to use the journal I had made before I left for Arizona, and I got to use some of the painted pages I had made in Kelly Kilmer's Color Theory Class (a wonderful class, by the way!). It was fun to see Judy's journal pages in person and then sit and try new techniques in a relaxing, nurturing atmosphere!

My joy for the day spilled onto the page. It was fun to draw and paint like a kid again!


Using several techniques we learned/practiced in Judy's class, combined with some of the extra paint colors I had put in my journal from Kelly's class - although not finished, I enjoyed doing this. Aren't the carved stamps yummy?

It's the end of the Labor Day weekend, and for we teachers, it means the beginnings of the new school year, and the end of summer. Beginnings and endings. Each has their place - I have had such a wonderful summer, I hate to see this come to a close. However, the opportunities that a new school year brings are always exciting! Here's to a wonderful summer and a school year filled with possibilities!

Class at Valley Ridge

Class with DJ Pettitt at Valley Ridge was so much fun! I learned so very much - I can't believe what I made. I painted a face! The first day was so tiring, but I was smiling as I left. I'll tell about the 2nd day and post pictures in my next post. Here are the pics of first day art made.

Months and Months

Okay, it's been months and months since I last posted, and I promise I'm going to learn how to do this, so here goes. To my friend in California, I'm going to try to post some of my artwork here so you can see what I'm up to, until we can meet again & see each other's work in person. To anyone else who stumbles across this blog, well, I'll try to make it not so boring.

I'm very excited about some of my art travels coming up. I will be going to the Valley Ridge Art Studio in April to study with DJ Pettitt. I'm very excited to do this, and have seen the sample on her blog of what I'll be making. I love her way of painting on canvas and hope I get to see some of the things she has posted in person.

In August, I'm going to be going back to Art Unraveled. Confirmed, I will be in the following classes:

1. Sumptuous Sumi by Jill Berry


2. Ravishing Ribbons by Olivia Thomas


3. Texture Texture Everywhere by Donna Engstrom


4. Wonderful World of Color Theory by Kelly Kilmer (I'm so excited to get to take this class, finally!!!)


5. Figurative Fabric by DJ Pettitt


6. Drawing out the Inner Artist by Raina Gentry


7. Painted Mixed Media Journal by Judy Wise

I'm so excited to get to take all of these classes -- Kelly's class is one I had to forgo the last time she offered it so I am SO happy to get the opportunity to take it this time. This is the first time I will have two day classes, and I have 3 of them -- a two day class, and two two-night classes. But, if I am going to go to Arizona to take these amazing classes with these amazing people, I guess I'll dive right in and sleep later!!

I thought I'd show you one painting I have worked on - I'm not sure how much really shows up in the picture, but I used layers of sheet music (I sure have a lot of that around!), other pieces of paper, and some milking machine filters -- I love how they absorb the paint in funny ways, and add this amazing texture. I like to layer them together on top of each other. I have another similar painting that I'll post later.

Happy Easter!

On my Way Home

I'm on my way home from Art Unraveled, and I have a four hour, yes FOUR HOUR layover in this little tiny airport just an hour and a half from my home, and home airport.
But... the ticket was cheaper this way, and so, I'm catching up on emails, eating in the wonderful restaurant here (yes, it really IS one of the BEST restaurants around, no joke!!!) and I'm going to watch Traci Bautista's video that I picked up at the AU Shopping "Extravaganza" while I wait. The time really IS going by rather quickly.

But... in the restaurant, they have a little trivia booklet, and freezer paper on the tables with crayons to draw all over the paper. I LOVE this, and love the fact that when I'm on my way home from AU, I have one little last "gasp" of art before I re-enter "real life."

So, I sat down, ordered my glass of wine and proceeded to draw where the plate would go, where the wine glass would go, etc, etc, and then doodled over most of the paper. Great, right? Yup, until I picked up the little laminated brochure they had on the table, which also had a bunch of cool trivia - one section was quotations. Well, anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE quotations!! Here are my favorites:

"Delay is preferable to error." -Thomas Jefferson

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought." - Buddha

"Gravity cannot be held responsible for falling in love." - Albert
Einstein

and my favorite of the evening-----

"Few things are harder to put up with than a good example." - Mark Twain

What great journal pages these will make!

Till next time!

I have just spent the most amazing 5 days at Art Unraveled. To all of my new friends and all of my renewed friendships, thanks for making the time together so much fun. To all of my teachers, thanks for helping inspire my creativity & helping me to see things in a new or different way. What a wonderful time together! Until next time!

What a spring

What a spring it has been, and here we are now in the middle of June. It's good to see sunny weather, warmth, and have time to enjoy it! Now that I am learning how to do this "blog thing" I hope to post more than once every six months! LOL! We'll see where this heads, and see if I can keep up with an occasional blog post, and maybe even post pics like my friend in CA!