May , it's really nearly summer....

It's been months that I've been working with my mosaic teacher - she had accepted a huge commission job, which meant she needed a bit of help, and I was trying to learn a new technique - which meant that I needed some mindless practice to do , over and over and over again until I got it right!

The wonderful (and huge) project finished up a week ago, and was immediately installed on the side of a horse barn. And then, what a great surprise, I was invited to the party to celebrate the 6-or-so assorted artists who had made commissioned projects for the same local family. So, we put on our required Hawaiian shirts and headed out to the magnificent ranch - with its' magnificent artwork, scattered around the lawns, the outbuildings and the house as well. The host and hostess couldn't have been nicer or more generous - and a great time was had by all.

Now, I'm trying to get all my neglected chores out of the way, because I actually want to WORK on some of my OWN mosaics! I have ideas, just need the time - and also the fortitude to overcome that self-criticism which causes mostly paralysis - but that's fairly tragic.

So many projects, So little time . . .

Spring is just around the corner ... In fact, my bluebonnets are just beginning to bloom in my yard...there are only 4-5 blooms so far, and it will be another week or so before they are really blanketing the front yard, but they are well on their way.

I am trying to slow down a little bit from the overwhelmingly busy calendar I've been keeping. I was already busy in the beginning of February, but then I attended the annual conference of the American Society of Mosaic Artists... it was quite an inteesting and enlightening week of presentations and activities - including a 3-day workshop with British Mosaicist Martin Cheek... boy, did I learn and learn and learn. Now if only I could find the time to actually WORK on my works in progress.

The conference and the class and the volunteer mosaic work actually did take up a little over a week, and almost immediately afterward, I had that one-on-one class with my sister, who wanted to learn the basics of handmade books. That went well, by the way, and now I'm finishing up a project that I promised my eldest grandchild about 6 months ago!

It's an easy enough project, painting an old-fashioned school child's desk... primary colors, mostly blue, with a red seat and yellow back. Ought to be colorful enough for a happy 4 year old. It has to be done by this Friday, but the blue and red areas are already done. Hopefully I'll get it done, and then spend half the weekend traveling, so maybe "next week" I can work on my mosaic. It's always tomorrow, or next week or next month. Just keep pushing things out farther and farther . . .

. . . is this any way to make Art?

Reading, Bookbinding, Mosaics . . . and More!

January has gotten ridiculously busy... I'm in the middle of a Bookbinding project, and have decided to teach my sister to make a book...so we will have a "private class" in about a month, but I need to take the responsibility and be sure that I have all the details needed, as well as all the supplies, so I'm working on that. In addition, the Society of American Mosaic Artists are having their Annual National Conference in Austin this February, and, while I'm still a novice mosaicist, I want to attend the conference to get inspiration and I'm sure quite a bit of knowledge. I'll be taking an advanced class, so I'm also interested in getting some work done to be sure I'm actually ready for an advanced class. Those items are high on my list, while my job as a property manager for our beach condo is ramping up again as people begin to think about their Spring and Summer vacations. I'm reading a captivating book "The Daily Coyote" which is difficult due to all those busy items listed above.

And, I've been thinking alot about Mail. Yes, yes I know that it's probably a foregone conclusion that we'll be losing Snail Mail completely one of these days. Maybe there are still several years left, but as electronic forms of communicaion (and primarily ways of billing and paying bills) proliferate, the need for snail mail will drop consistently and significantly until the cost of a nicely written letter will become prohibitive. And - my interest in all of this? MAIL ART! I love it and intend to singlehandedly keep it going, no matter the cost. But even as I say it, when it costs $10 to mail it, I may think differently. Doesn't everyone love the fact of walking to your mailbox and taking out a handwritten letter from a friend? It's one of the real joys... especially for me. I wonder what the future of handmade Mail Art will be. I hope that I'm surprised and some new opportunity is just over the horizon that will enable us to keep our mail delivery... if even on a much less frequent basis. We'll have to wait and see, but in the meantime, I'm working hard to take advantage as long as I can!!

January is for new Beginnings

Okay, I'm back to eating salads - at least much of the time, if not all. And my resolutions include getting rid of my clutter so that I can actually spend my time doing what I REALLY want to do - making new pieces of art! Tomorrow is a planned clean out of my studio - something I've needed for a long time. I'm counting on tons of resolve - I really need it!!

New Years Day 2011

A ridiculously busy Fall... after planning an overly large Thanksgiving, I veritably went skidding into December, with a fantastic 2-day workshop in bookbinding, taught by the lovely and fascinating Book Babes, Leslie and Maggie. I loved the class, despite the fact that I was suffering from a head cold. I made the most advanced book I've attempted so far. And, quickly after that, I had to try to manage all the details of Christmas. I basically had a bit of a rebellion this time, I was already exhausted, before I even got started.

On Dec 20, T. and I left town for 10 days at the beach. Even that wasn't the relaxing holiday I had promised my self. We found several items that needed repair and/or replacement... BUT we walked on the beach EVERY morning (and one morning took the car onto a north beach, where we immediately got stuck in the sand - oops! Forty dollars got us pulled out, and we were no worse for the ordeal!! We ate seafood the entire time and of course all the holiday treats --- it's going to take a while to get back into a more normal diet. Oh yes, January will be a struggle!!

Cool! Good news!

So, I got the email that I was accepted into the exhibit "Broadsides" (see Oct 5) at Atelier6000 Gallery (Bend, Oregon) Soon, I think they'll post all the exhibit pieces on their website.

That's a nice thing, after spending all day working like dogs, emptying and cleaning out our fish pond....which was full of muddy sludge. We are now exhausted and making homemade pesto, and I'm basking in the delight of being part of a new book arts exhibit.

The Beach is Perfect! A random Friday in October...

We had a planned trip to south Texas to celebrate my Mom's 85th birthday, but a couple of chores convinced us to take an extra day and spend a day on the beach at South Padre Island. What a PERFECT time to visit! The weather was warm and sunny, the water was cool, the crowds were gone, it was just a wonderful day and a half. Thank goodness we decided to go - it's the most relaxing place to be!

Oh yes, and the birthday celebration was nice, it was a good excuse for the entire family to get together. We don't do that often enough.