New Travel Journal

I am going on a dream trip in late April to Tunisia and Morocco so lately I've been working on putting together the journal in which to record my experiences. Sometimes I honestly think that the best part of a trip is coming home and having my travel journal to remind me of all my experiences.
I've done my interpretation of a minaret for the front and back cover, one in the day and the other at night. I used paper for the minaret and the moon/sun, acrylic paint and gel medium for the rest of the covers. I like the texture I achieved with a small roller with the gel medium. I am a messy journal-keeper and am likely to put my journal down in a puddle of something at a restaurant or coffee shop, so water-proofing the covers is a real requirement.

I love this quote from Proust and decided it would be a good reminder while I was traveling, so I put it opposite the first page of the journal.

I like the effect I achieved on the inside of the covers using walnut ink, glimmer mists and kosher salt. I will definitely use that technique again.

The other big news is that I turned 60 earlier in the week. My family gathered last weekend to celebrate the beginning of my 7th decade (!!!) and that was the very best gift I received. I must say that never have I had so many birthday wishes, phone calls (from as far away as Norway and Nepal), flowers and gifts. I feel so very loved with this out pouring of well wishes and love, and rather humbled by it all. I've been taken to dinner, to lunch, to coffee and I've been emailed and hugged, spoiled and cosseted and it's been going on now for over a week. I guess I can honestly claim to be having a birthday season rather than just a birth day! I like it---it's fun! And there will be more celebrating when my dear friend Bee arrives as we celebrate our mutual birthdays together. The birthday season continues.

There are so many flowers in the house from all these lovely friends that it looks like there has been a death---and then I realized that there has been.....my "youth!"

My New Neighbors

My DH and I have been seeing a lot of a little Rufus Hummingbird in our back yard. The other morning, DH called me into the bedroom and, pointing out the window, showed me why we have been seeing so much of this beautiful little birdie. Lo and behold, right outside the window, in very plain view, not five feet from the window glass was a nest, with two very perky and healthy occupants. I feel rather dull not to have noticed this before now, but in my defense, on that very window ledge sit six gorgeous blooming phalenopsis orchids. I get distracted easily with big, flashy orchid blooms.

Now, of course, I can't stay away from the window and keep popping back into the bedroom to see what's happening with the new neighbors. Having these precious birds right outside my window seems to me to be the most precious gift I can imagine.

Watercolor Travel Journal Class

I took a class today at the Cole Gallery here in Edmonds that was taught by Faye Castle. I loved the class and was very happy to be able to learn from Faye, as her style of mixing watercolor and pen and ink is very similar to my style when working in my travel journals. There is something wonderful about adding the ink work at the end of the painting experience. Faye was telling us that she can hardly wait to get to the place where she can add the inked lines, that her hands shake in anticipation, and I knew immediately that we are much the same as that's exactly how I feel, too! We worked mostly from our own travel photographs and I spent the majority of my drawing and painting time working from a photo I took when I was in Otavalo, Ecuador. I was happy with Faye's gentle suggestions and was not totally displeased with the outcome. I didn't spend much time on the little painting, but I did try to put into action many of the things Faye taught. She's a great teacher.

She had us do some exercises in value and also to make a color wheel with the paint that each of us had in our own, particular watercolor sets. It's always a good idea to work with the paint you have so you know exactly what to mix with what to get the color you need, to see what is staining and what you can lift off with clean water and which paint is 'granular' and settles into the little pockets in the watercolor paper. (I like the texture of cold press paper much more than hot press, as hot press paper just seems flat and dull to me. I like how some paints will settle into the depressions in cold press paper and how that will add to the dimension of the finished painting or sketch.) Faye had us begin by doing blind contour drawings of our hand---and I will spare you my attempts to capture my hand without looking at what I was drawing, only at the spot on my hand that I was drawing. Try drawing something yourself using the blind contour method. It's amazing how bad, or how enlightening, such a drawing can be!

I bought a wonderful little Winsor Newton travel watercolor box. It has it all! Twelve half pans of paint, a tiny little travel brush, a water bottle and the lid of the box turns into a water container (although it sure doesn't hold much!). It's compact and it has everything you really need to get a fast sketch down on paper while standing and gawking on your travels. I plan to take my new little set with me when I head off to North Africa (Tunisia and Morocco) in late April. I expect that it will be perfect, especially as I also treated myself to a Kolinsky sable travel brush that is to die for! Oh, how I love brushes and how this one is just too too....too yummy. It holds a ton of water and/or paint and it comes to a very fine, sharp point. When the brush is taken apart, it fits into the cap and is no bigger than a ballpoint pen. It is just scrumptious!

Yes. I am. I am addicted to art supplies. And I don't care!

Faye shared a number of books that she finds extremely useful with us and I got many ideas. I will search out some of the titles and see if I can't find them used on eBay or Alibris. I told Faye about one of my favorite journal artists, Hannah Hinchman, whom she had not discovered. I am always delighted to bring someone else to "meet" Hannah, and it turned out that both Hannah Hinchman and Faye have a connection to Montana. If you aren't familiar with Hannah's books, check them out on Amazon. It was from reading A Life in Hand: Creating and Illuminated Journal that I finally had the courage to try adding watercolor sketches to my journals, much to their improvement to my mind, at least. My art may not be great, but it does give an inkling of how a place 'felt' to me, how I saw it. I owe Hannah a big thank you for helping me make my journals, and journaling experience, that much richer and personal.

NO ORANGE

I belong to a collaborative color journal group and it has proven to be a very fun and challenging project. Until ORANGE arrived, that is. I do not appreciate the color orange. That is not to say that I don't see the beauty in a clementine or satsuma orange, or that the wondrous streaks of orange that can light the sky at sunset don't amaze and delight me. But for a color to work with in my art projects, nope, don't like it. It grates. It's too bright. It's too 70s for my taste (a decade that should live in infamy for its clothes, hairstyles, design and especially, music!). Orange just doesn't get my creative 'juices' flowing (pardon the pun).



The other members in our collaboration all seem to be happy, or at least okay, with orange. I am really looking forward to see how the others handled this poor cousin to sunshine yellow and fire engine red.

I finally found a photo I took in the Caribbean last year that was orange. REALLY orange. I use that for the foundation to my page. It turned out okay. I mean, I loved the image, and I used orange, and I turned it in on time and like that there. But, it is still ORANGE. Ugh.

Do you, Dear Reader, have a color that you abhor? Does some bit of the rainbow grate upon you, like fingers scraping down a blackboard, and make you crazy? Or is it just me?

It's probably just me....

Congratulations Bee!

Oh happy day! My dear friend, Bee Shay, has written a fantastic book and today it arrived on my doorstep. Her book is called Collage Lab:Experiments, Investigations, and Exploratory Projects . I can't recommend it highly enough. If you have any interest in collage, or in mixed media or just love to look at creative and entertaining books stuffed with great art, this is one you will want for your personal library. I have been drooling over the projects all evening and plan to get out my art supplies and put into action some of the great ideas Bee puts forth in her projects just as soon as I finish packing up "Christmas."

Have I mentioned how enthused this book has gotten me---all jazzed up and full of ideas to try? I bet is will plant many seeds in your psyche, too. Try it, you'll love it!

To my little Kumquat, congratulations! I am so happy to see all your hard work realized, in a beautiful book I can hold in my hands and return to whenever I need inspiration. Hip hip hooray and atta girl and wa-hoooooo! Bee, darlin', you are amazing.

Talk about a hat trick!

Happy New Year

Instead of making resolutions this first day of 2010, I want to be grateful for all my blessings. I am especially grateful for my family and my friends (family we get to pick!), for my heath and my generally optimistic nature. I am grateful for the physical beauty of this Earth. I am grateful for time spend on or near waters. I am extremely grateful for my easy life. I am truly, truly blessed and I don't ever want to take any of it for granted.

And to you, Dear Reader, I wish a healthy, happy 2010.



The art of blessing the day

by Marge Piercy

This is the blessing for rain after drought:

Come down, wash the air so it shimmers,

a perfumed shawl of lavender chiffon.

Let the parched leaves suckle and swell.

Enter my skin, wash me for the little

chrysalis of sleep rocked in your lashing.

in the morning the world is peeled and shining.

This is the blessing for sun after long rain:

Now everything shakes itself free and rises.

The trees are bright as pushcart ices.

Every last lily opens its satin thighs.

The bees dance and roll in pollen

and the cardinal at the top of the pine

sings at full throttle, fountaining.

This is the blessing for the first garden tomato:

those green boxes of tasteless acid the store

sells in January, those red things with the savor

of wet chalk, they mock your fragrant name.

How fat and sweet you are weighing down my palm,

warm as the flank of a cow in the sun.

You are the savor of summer in thin red skin.

This is the blessing for a political victory:

Although I shall not forget that things

work in increments and epicycles and sometime

leaps that half the time fall back down,

let's not relinquish dancing while the music

fits into our hips and bounces our heels.

We must never forget, pleasure is real as pain

The blessing for the return of a favorite cat,

the blessing for love returned, for friends'

return, for money received unexpected,

the blessing for the rising of the bread,

the sun, the oppressed. I am not sentimental

about old men mumbling the Hebrew by rote

with no more feeling than one says gesundheit

But the discipline of blessings is to taste

each moment, the bitter, the sour, the sweet

and the salty, and be glad for what does not

hurt. The art in compressing attention

toe each little and big blossom of the tree

of life, to let the tongue sing each fruit,

its savor, its aroma and its use.

Attention is love, what we must give
children, mothers, fathers, pets,
our friends, the news, the woes of others.
What we want to change we curse and then
pick up a tool. Bless whatever you can
with eyes and hands and tongue. If you
can't bless it, get ready to make it new.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

It is going on eleven on Christmas Eve, and my house is quiet. My DH is working on the new notebook computer I gave him, the cat is curled up asleep next to me as I type this and Christmas carols are drifting in from the other room where they are playing softly on the radio. I have things ready for my brunch guests in the morning. I was lavishly gifted by my family and friends, fed a wonderful meal at my mother-in-law's, enjoyed time with family and have more invitations for tomorrow than I fear I have the energy to truly enjoy. It is, simply put, late on my favorite night of the year.

My house is full of peace and hope and quiet joy. I wish the same for you.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving

May your stuffing be tasty,
Your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy have nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious,
and your pies take the prize,
and your Thanksgiving dinner stay off of your thighs!

I wish you all a Thanksgiving filled with family and friends, good food and good humor. Have a piece of pie for me!

New Favorite Quote

“I had found a kind of serenity, a new maturity... I didn't feel better or stronger than anyone else but it seemed no longer important whether everyone loved me or not--more important now was for me to love them. Feeling that way turns your whole life around; living becomes the act of giving.”~ Beverly Sills

Family Milestones

My DH has turned 60 this past week. On November 14th we had a huge family party to celebrate this amazing achievement. Family came from near and far (California) and we wined and dined and DH blew the candles out! I think his best gift (and mine, too) was having our daughters and our son-in-law-to-be home! It's always a party when the girls are home!

Odd to think that we will have two sons-in-law and they are both named Chris....
My eldest daughter, Jen, and the love of her life, Chris, became engaged Friday night. Poor Jen tried and tried to call me, but I was at the Great Big Sea concert and hadn't taken my phone and didn't check it when I returned home. She called at 7:45 on Saturday morning and caught me lolling in bed and then passed on the happy news. We are so happy for them both and so very excited to welcome another Chris into our family. Jen's Chris is just the nicest fellow and he makes our girl so very happy. I am giddy with glee over this news!

Great Big Sea

© Roadrunner Records // Photo credit: Andrew MacNaughtan

This was one rollicking and toe-tappin' Friday night in Edmonds! One of my all-time favorite bands, Great Big Sea, came to town today and played at the Edmonds Center for the Arts, all of three blocks from my house. Nonie and I went and had front row seats! (I guess it pays to be an "official" fan of the band as I bought the tickets through their website and got these fantastic seats.) From the start to the finish, it was a night of great music, great fun, a lot of singing along and much laughter. I got to hear some of my very favorites, especially The Night Pat Murphy Died and Ordinary Day.

I should be going to bed and getting some rest before heading up to my cabin to face the clean up after the recent burglary, but I'm too jazzed from the concert and I'm bouncing around the house listing to more of my favorites.

If you ever get the chance to see the lads in person, run to buy the tickets. You won't be sorry!


Courtesy MuchMusic // Photo credit: Geoff George

This just in from our local paper, The Beacon.

"A Newfoundland Kind of Night

by David Brewster and Bill Wood for the Beacon

"Okay, so we've all attended concerts where the artists received a standing ovation at the conclusion of a fantastic performance. It happens most weekend evenings at the Edmonds Center for the Arts. But until last Friday ECA concert hall had never experienced a standing ovation at the beginning of the show, nor one that extended pretty much over the entire duration of Great big Sea's amazing concert.

"Great Big Sea has inspired a legion of fans from Canada and the U.S., and these followers, some from as far away as Fairbanks, were in full force throughout the show, singing along with nearly every song, pumping their fists high and dancing in place from introduction to the encore's end. The joy felt back and forth between the audience and the band made for a magical evening.

"The band, formed in Newfoundland in 1993 and lead by co-founders Alan Doyle, Sean McCann and Bob Hallett, performed songs from the full range of their recording career.

"On selections such as "When I'm Up," "Lukey," "Can't Stop Falling" and "Here and Now" the band and audience joined in full-throated song.

"Much of their original material shows the influence of their Eastern Maritime roots-sea shanties and story songs- and the traditional acoustic instrumentation helped put the voices right up front.

"Lead vocal duties were mostly shared by McCann's sweet tenor, which often rang out above everything, and Doyle's baritone, which was appealingly gruff around the edges.

"McCann was particularly powerful in leading an a capella performance of "General Taylor," a traditional from their 1997 album Play.

"Hallet is a multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire, his skills on equal display on bouzouki, mandolin, fiddle, squeeze box accordion, harmonica and tin whistle. Doyle and McCann took turns engaging the audience with banter, improvised ditties and impromptu sing-alongs. the band is ably rounded out by Murray Foster on bass and Kris MacFarlane on drums and percussion.

"On several occasions the band praised the charms of Edmonds and the Pacific Northwest, and it will be hard to forget the power and passion of Great Big Sea's performance last week. We hope, along with the band, for their return in the future."

Amen.

JournalFest

I had the best time at Journalfest! I met some wonderful new people, spent time with some I'd met before (and got to know them much better!) and just generally enjoyed the energy and creative atmosphere. I took a few photos and I'm posting them here, just randomly, as I am literally out the door this morning to head to daughter Annie's with my son and his family in tow. I should have many grandbaby photos to share in a week or so.

No posts for a bit but then I'll be back and try to catch up!


Happy Halloween!!!

Michele and Roberta at an evening journaling party

Tiphoni, my watercolor class instructor----she was GREAT!

Roberta at a journaling party
Karla, she of the fabulous voice who belted out Don't Rain on My Parade in a version to shame Barbara.....
L to R: Sally, Nancy, Michele and Maria
Doris Arndt, my table mate in Stephanie Lee's Book of Elements class, and one of my (excellent) instructors at the Portland Art & Soul



My mica book from Daniel Essig's class

The Jacob's Ladder covers in construction

L to R: Maria, Roberta and Michele at the Asian Noodle House, Port Townsend

Portland Redux

When I was in Portland, Oregon, attending Art & Soul, I took Saturday off to explore some of Portland with Nonie. In the morning we headed off to look for some shops that import seashells, as Nonie uses shells in her artwork and she is always looking for more sources. Thank goodness for GPS! My Honda came equipped with the most wonderful GPS unit and with its help we were able to track down the locations of these importers. All of them were out of business, but my, did we have fun hunting them down. We found one place that was waaaaaay out north and east of our location, under a bridge. I'm not sure the Post Office could find that place, but the Honda's GPS did. Too bad it was closed.

After our fruitless seashell expedition, we headed to the Pearl District and found the Saturday market. It was fun to wander about, reliving the early 70s, as many of the stalls were selling Hippie-style clothes and, well, equipment for smoking alternatives to tobacco....There were tie dyed granny dresses, vests, psychedelic patterned t-shirt, organic "fair food," candles, soap vendors and some fantastic musicians whose instruments were up ended plastic buckets. Those guys could drum!

I found the following sign on the side of building while we were walking around.....

....and this gentleman not far away. Obviously, keeping Portland weird will not be a problem.

It was a lovely early autumn day and we really enjoyed just having some free time to go out and explore a bit of Portland. Considering the number of times I've been there, it is sad to realize how little I know the city. Portland is a great place and I am planning on spending more time there.

I heart Portland!

Hello Again

Yes, I am back. Well, back for a short time before I head off on more travels. I have had an amazing past few months with trips to Nantucket, Alaska, Vancouver Island and Art & Soul in Portland, Oregon. Now I am enjoying a few weeks at home. Home is wonderful. Home is, well, home and I think my recent gallivanting has made me treasure my own cozy nest even more. And my cabin...oh, how glad I was to see it last weekend. The leaves on all the maple trees were just starting to turn and I am eagerly looking forward to seeing if they are much farther along in their annual color display tomorrow when I return for one more weekend to enjoy that particular little cozy nest before I pack my bags and head out again.

Next week I head to Port Townsend and the first ever JournalFest, brought to us all by the amazing Teesha and Tracy Moore. I have all my supplies packed up, ready to head out next Wednesday. The week after that I head down to Southern California to visit 2nd daughter and her family with son and his family in tow. All five of my grandbabies will be there, under on roof, a gramma's dream come true. It will be a glorious mini reunion and I am so excited!

And then, a week to prepare for a BIG family party to celebrate my DH's SIXTIETH birthday. Both of my Cali girls will be coming home (one with her special friend in tow and the other alone as it's just too much to bring her husband and their two babies for two nights) and my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and their two children from California will be here, and cousins and my mother-in-law and another sister-in-law (my travel partner Nonie) and and and and AND!!! We will be having a wild family rumpus! Cake will be eaten! Wishes will be made as candles are blown out! Gifts will be given and, most of all, we will gather together to celebrate DH and his many, many years (and--oh!--many many more, please!) and we will just bask in the joy of being together for such a happy occasion. Lucky us.

So very lucky me.

My eldest granddaughters had birthdays last month and are now FIVE and FOUR and where does the time go?

I will try and update this blog every few days, Dear Reader (if you are still there!) with some photos from my travels and a few little snippets of my most memorable travel tidbits, but tonight I want to share a poem that I discovered while visiting the Museum of the North in Fairbanks, Alaska. I hope you like it as much as I do.

There Is No Word for Goodbye

by Mary TallMountain

Sokoya*, I said, looking through

the net of wrinkles into

wise black pools

of her eyes.

What do you say in Athabaskan

when you leave each other?

What is the word

for goodbye?

A shade of feeling rippled

the wind-tanned skin.

Ah, nothing, she said,

watching the river flash.

She looked at me close.

We just say, Tlaa. That means,

See you.

We never leave each other.

When does your mouth

say goodbye to your heart?

She touched me light

as a bluebell.

You forget when you leave us,

You're so small then.

We don't use that word.

We always think you're coming back,

but if you don't,

we'll see you some place else,

You understand,

There is no word for goodbye.

*sokoya : aunt on mother's side