Just for the fun of it

Since the beginning of the year, I've been having these art parties...a time for friends to get together and create...just for the fun of it!  Last Friday was one such party...though there were only three of us (the end of school, work schedules and summer visitors keep others away) it did not diminish the amount of creativity, inspiration or enthusiasm...

It started with many large containers of assorted metal pieces...

lots of wire...

and other odds and ends...
the rough idea was to make some sort of mobile/windchime/garden art with found metal pieces...










The construction process began...it was the first day of summer, so we worked outside...under the canopy on the patio (this is the Pacific NW...it might rain...)  As you can see, Calvin the golden retriever wanted to create too...

After a couple of hours of snipping, bending, eating, gabbing and drilling, beautiful creations emerged...

I needed a little more time to finish mine up...too much gabbing with friends...
but hung my completed mobile in the front yard the next day...

If the truth be told...to create without a purpose in mind...but to go where inspiration leads...

that's what feeds my artistic soul...and to be able to share that experience with friends...
makes for the best afternoon ever...

Linking up to Kim Klassen's Friday Finds...to  find possibilities.....unique treasures...... special moments..... life's lessons......little things.....big things too...... nature's beauty..... heart shaped stones, a special cup.....a pretty flower....wise words....whatever special thing made your week...

Good intentions

edited with kk texture elevate - color burn at 58%

Lately I've been cleaning out my stash of art supplies...need to pare down...always liked the look and colors of these pastels...but its just not my style/technique/choice of medium...so I gave them to an artist friend who will make great use of them...

Taking a photo of the pastel sticks seemed more like me...
continuing to work on defining my essence...my word for the year...

joining others over at Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday...stop by and check it out...

This I believe...

I'm into the second year of my creative on-line class with Kim Klassen, Beyond beyond...its an opportunity to meld photography with art... with words... with inspiration...

This week's assignment had us create our own manifesto...as defined by Merriam-Webster: A written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives or views of its issuer.  I'm sure a few of you are familiar with the Holstee Manifesto...its been making its rounds on the internet and I wrote about it here...

I put my thinking cap on...and created my own manifesto...it didn't take as long as I thought it would...mostly because I had started this discussion with family members a number of years ago...The Southern Man's youngest daughter was visiting for the summer...we were watching one of the first seasons of The Amazing Race...one team of two young women hopped into their vehicle to take off...and neither one of them knew how to drive stick-shift!  I looked at the daughter and told her in no uncertain terms, she should learn to drive stick...you don't want to be left behind...

Over the years there's been other declarations made...
always have a current passport...
use the good china every day...

Here it is...what I believe...

Do you have a personal manifesto?  care to share?

Garden delight

Last week I went on a cleaning rampage...in preparation for my weekend yard sale, I was busy pulling out everything that was old/tired/no longer used...and that extended to the outside as well as the inside...

The cobalt blue metal industrial cart that I had been using as a garden gathering spot had rusted through...and the top shelf was no longer strong enough to hold any thing of substantive weight...so out it went...but what to put in its place...

As you well know, I wasn't going to purchase anything...instead I looked around the yard, the basement, the studio...

and success!

 

The foundation of the display is a heavy industrial steel frame on huge metal casters...picked up for free...its going to be a future coffee table/ottoman...
on top are some whitewashed boards...with my 75cent schoolroom chair, keeping my watering can close at hand...a metal grid container laid on its side corrals a couple of pots down below and my bucket of garden tools on top...
I found these charming plastic birds at an estate sale years ago...they might have been in the free pile since they have their share of nicks and breaks...but I love their expressions...

As I was gathering up materials, I realized that I had quite the collection of rake heads...an "art installation" seemed appropriate...

The June weather here in the Northwest has been phenomenal...June is usually so cold and wet...this year there's been plenty of sun...the flowers are going crazy...

and now I have a new spot in the garden...that gives me such delight...

edited with three layers of kk texture 1402

linking up to Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday...
always a delight to see what others have to share...

A taste of summer

I know that summer is on the way when the local community farmer's market opens for the season...last Sunday we travelled down to the marina for our first visit of the year...

I really don't have a green thumb...so rather than suffer through the agony of trying to grown my own vegetables,
I support my local farmers...

Fresh strawberries were at the top of the list...the color, aroma and taste of a local berry can not even compare to the ones shipped to the grocery store, long before they are even ripe...

slicing them up on my morning cereal...or a bowl of vanilla ice cream is divine...

And I just love those turquoise cardboard containers!

Linking up to Kim Klassen's Friday Finds...to share that one thing that really made your week...
to cherish life's simple pleasures...

Taking stock

I've been a little out of kilter the last couple of months...I feel like I've lost my mojo...stumbled on my path...took a wrong turn...whatever metaphor you'd like to insert here...but things have been "off"

I had two shows where I just didn't connect with the audience...and a couple of creative experiences that were frustrating rather than invigorating...

And then I remembered my word for the year, essence...and I realized that I had not stayed true to my essence...

I continued to fill a role that I held before...but the circumstances had changed...

I attempted to have a little something for everyone...and ended up with little for myself...

I hesitated in making important decisions...biding my time...

And in a moment of frustration, pain and exhaustion, which actually lead to broken glass...
it became clear to me...

I needed to stop what I was doing...it wasn't working...and instead pick up the piece that spoke to my soul...

to focus on my art...and scale back other projects that, while interesting, are a distraction...

to participate in a community that thrives on bringing out the best in others in cooperation, not competition...

to cultivate my creative essence to fuel my dreams...

Interesting that this assessment came in June...as a throw-back to my non-profit planning days, a mid-year alignment was always a good idea...so fortuitous for me...hoping I'm back on track now...

Do you have a word for the year?  How's it going for you?

Stationery supplies...

I have a thing about stationery supplies...and I know I'm not alone...something about feeling organized...
and ready to tackle any project at hand...and when the supplies are of a vintage nature...all the better!

A couple of weeks ago...while I was supposed to be "working"...I snuck away to an estate sale...just a couple of blocks away...picked up a few things in the garage...but it was on Sunday when I returned for the "we are ready to make a deal to get rid of everything" sale...that I found the real treasures...

These are the things that make my collage artwork sing...old raffle tickets with their faded color...

the red bordered gummed labels...
a series of numbered tags...#1 to #24 (but #2 is missing...mmm...)

This old paintbrush is priceless...

and the well-loved typewriter eraser that is ever so gently worn in just one spot...
over the years, correcting misspelled words...

Kim Klassen is hosting a new link-up called Friday Finds...sharing whatever special finds you discover during the week...not anything grand or glorious...but rather those simple pleasures...that can bring such delight...I think its going to be my new Friday addiction...that is, after I check out the estate sale ads in the local paper...

A whirlwind of a weekend

This past weekend was The Farm Chicks Show in Spokane, WA...it was my first time as a vendor...such a whirlwind of activity...from driving across the entire state of Washington...to seeing old friends and making new acquaintances...to a bone-weary body...to an overstimulated brain buzzing with ideas...it was all rolled into one Farm Chicks experience...

A few pics of my booth...so much in one little 10' x 10' square...

As many a vendor will attest...there is not much time to get out and see the show for yourself...but its difficult knowing that there is so much great junk out there and you can't experience it!  So tried as I may, I ran around quickly Sunday morning and took a few shots of what caught my eye...so please excuse if they are a little out of focus!

The weekend wouldn't have been possible without the assistance of a few wonderful people...Serena Thompson, creator and the organizational force behind The Farm Chicks...Janna and Kent Lufkin of Raw Materials Design who were terrific dining buddies...Jody Carlson Cain of Latitude Studios , sounding board ...and the Southern Man for driving the beast of a rental van, lugging a ton of steel rod and sweet-talking all the women in my booth with southern charm...

Now...what am I doing with the leftover boxes in my dining room? ...stay tuned...