Summer Sale!

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April in Paris

lilacs blooming...the air fresh with scent...a breeze lingers and stirs memories...
my head in the clouds...like a faded polaroid print, the image is clear but the details are fuzzy...

a composition from my online creative class...
I will be off on an adventure next week...but not to Paris...at least, not this time...

Taking the Art Party on the road

I've been giving some thought about the connections I have made with others through art...whether it’s from the online classes I have taken, the comments left on blogs or postings, or the shared love of a style or look...

Ideas have been swirling in my head...possibilities ignite...

the chance to connect with names and avatars you've only seen online

an opportunity to share artistic talents

the experience of exploring the sights and sounds of a hip urban environment

a time to reflect on personal hopes and dreams

a cultivation of the creative spirit

I have been hosting local art parties for two years now...and they have become an elixir for not only the participants, but for me as well...

So...what if there was a place to get together...in the flesh...meet one another, create some art, explore a city, cook fabulous food, drink a little wine, feed our souls...would you want to be a part of this?

I’m willing to head up such an experience...in Portland, OR...the city renowned for funky art, fantastic book stores, superb coffee and free spirit individuality.  I've scoped out a location, a time frame and a loose plan...

but I’m interested in knowing if anyone else is so inclined...

Here’s what I’m thinking...it’s a flexible idea at this time...input is welcome!

Time frame:  Thursday thru Sunday...looking at October 8-11...Junk Bonanza (one of the biggest vintage/flea markets) is coming to Portland that weekend...I love to junk...thought it would be fun to do with other junk-minded creatives...

Location:  I found a house for rent in North Portland – 15 beds available...understand, this is not the Ritz...its big, its funky, its shared rooms and shared bathrooms...located in a neighborhood filled with restaurants, shops, coffee houses.  There will be space to enjoy time together as well as time alone.  If you want to be part of the activities during the day but desire more private accommodations at night, there are plenty of hotels in town.  My thought would be to have a two tier cost – one for people staying at the house and one for people staying in other locations.

Schedule:  It will be up to individuals what they want to do...but I see there being some activities set up and you can join as you like...some ideas - multi-media collage, photography, art journaling, cooking, bread baking, wine tasting...

Cost:  I've worked up a very rough budget...but thinking it should definitely be under $400 per person for those who stay at the rental house...this would include 3 nights lodging, light breakfast and lunch, 3 group dinners and basic supplies...hoping to whittle this down more as details progress.  Haven’t yet figured out cost for people staying other places...

This cost does not include how you get to Portland, if you decide to rent a car, or other personal incidentals. 

Have I piqued your interest?  Let me know...I’m starting a list...send a quick email to me at amy_duncan@yahoo.com... that way I will have your contact info...tell me what you think...
and I’ll keep you in the loop as plans progress, details firm up and registration opens...

pursuing a dream...and a winner

a fresh start...a clean slate...a new beginning...

however you want to phrase it, the turn of the calendar page to a new year always brings promises and dreams...

I'm sure that several of you have made plans for the new year...wrote down a few resolutions, picked a word for the year (my words for the year are "dig deep")...and just as sure, as the year progresses, plans change, priorities shift, this year turns into next year... or maybe even "some day..."

I have two friends who have stuck to their dream...and have made "some day" to be now...they are packing up and moving to Bogota, Colombia...for real...as in "sold all of their stuff, learned Spanish, said goodbye to friends and family and bought one way tickets!"

Jane Ann and Jim Engel are off on their lifetime adventure...to experience life in the Southern Hemisphere.  I applaud their gumption...I have moved a fair amount in my life but this is big...this is starting over in a new place, where you not only don't know anyone but there is no firm footing of a place to call home nor a familiar routine...but oh, the experiences they will have which will enrich their lives...fantastic!

You can join me as I follow along with their adventure...not only do they have a website - Colombia2You but a Facebook page and an Instagram account, user name janeann_engel

I've always had a dream of visiting South America...now we have someplace to stay...I've mentioned to the Southern Man that we could drive the new RV down there...follow the Pan American highway...yes, maybe some day...



And now a little drum roll...

angi eharis

is the winner of the drawing for the autographed copy of Make It Vintage magazine which features my workshop studio...

angi - you have no email address attached to your profile - so please contact me at amy_duncan@yahoo.com with your postal address so I can mail the magazine to you...

Thanks to all who left a comment...and to all of you who read my blog...I appreciate your support so much!

Now we are home

The Southern Man and I have returned from our sojourn to the South...
and now that I have my computer fixed and running, I am back to blogging...

The opening photo, taken from my kitchen window, really sums up the essence of our trip...we left to visit family and explore alternative places to live...there's been a nagging idea that perhaps it was time to move...

It was a productive trip...fun at times...trying at others...but all in all...we came back with a firm decision...
to stay right where we are.

We visited quite a few possible cities and towns...and looked at real estate...walked through neighborhoods...
read the local papers...talked to folks in the community...

But there just didn't seem to be that one place that inspired us enough to move 3,000 miles just for the sake of change.

To catalog this adventure, I took a blank journal with me...along with a small package of art supplies...I've never been one to keep an art journal...but thought I might start. So in between the directions to locations, receipts for expenses and jottings of phone numbers and addresses, I decided that I would create mini collages using only the scrap paper/detritus/junk pieces that we came across each day.  I also had my smartphone with me...and used its camera constantly to capture moments and moods. Combining my photographic images with my junk paper collages provided me with a creative outlet...and really began to reflect the progress of our journey...

I found inspiration everywhere...from the tiled floor of the diner where we ate lunch in Athens, Georgia, to the antique shops in Atlanta and Richmond, to the quiet country lanes of Scottsville, Virginia, to the beaches and endless skies of western Florida...

It was a long journey...but a good journey...and now we are home...at last...

p.s. - as for the broken computer...after more than one expert told me to buy a new computer...Gerrit at Office Depot performed a miracle and fixed it...he could have easily sold me a new computer...but instead was my saint...still have some work to do in restoring saved files...but dodged a bullet for the time being...

Joining the group over at Kim Klassen's Friday Finds...where my find is - there is no place like home...

On the road

Soon we will be off on a grand adventure...the Southern Man and I...
taking a step (or rather many steps!) to decide what's going to happen next...

We're taking a trip down south...as in southern US...to check out a few potential locations for moving, 
visit with family, see some sites, get a feel for a place or two...

Since I will be on the road, I'll be away from my computer...so blogging will be on a little hiatus...

But I'll be posting on Instagram (my new favorite spot to hang out...follow me - user name fourcornersdesign) 
and on my four corners design FB page...

I'll be back in early July...

Its not always black & white

I've just started a new creative inspiration course with Kim Klassen...be still 52...a year long class...not only covering still photography...but taking a moment...finding peace...cultivating quiet...so that creativity can thrive...

This course is coming right at the perfect time...things are ramping up here...
and I'm gonna need all the inspiration I can get to maintain calm...

edited with kk texture magicscripted at 36% screen

We (that be the Southern Man and I) are contemplating the next chapter of our lives...and considering whether or not we should move...and not just to a different house in town (though that is one of the considerations) but rather move across country...from the west coast to the east coast...the southern east coast...as in 3000 miles away...

There's a lot to think about...lots of options...not much black or white...plenty of gray...

edited with kk texture 1402magic as background

To help figure things out, we're taking a trip back east...we'll be gone for a spell...

Before we go, I'm trying to finish up some compositions for an August art show, tie up loose ends, clear out a ton of art supplies, dig out the summer clothes, maintain my work schedule, etc, etc, etc...

But to keep everything in perspective, I just need to remember to breathe...this simple exercise was the first lesson in be still 52...easy to forget...but stopping a moment and taking a big breath does make a difference...

edited with kk texture magic as background

linking up with Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday where the theme is black and white...
and plenty shades of gray in-between...

Simple pleasures

"My greatest skill in life has been to want but little"
              Henry David Thoreau | Walden


I've just returned from a summer vacation in Wisconsin...and have spent the last day getting back into the home routine...most of my visit was spent with family, but of course, there was time for junking...

We visited one of the largest flea markets in the area...and though there was much to tempt me,
these are the few prized possessions that I brought home...

The watch parts and knobs will find their way into art collages...the hotel silver pitcher will likely organize nails/pins/screws on my work table...though its dented, it was only $2...and the mark on the bottom was what cinched the sale..."Morris Hospital Supply Co Inc.  N.Y.C."

But the best find (and big ticket item at $5!) is this letter/number stamp.  I've seen plenty of these old rotating stamps with numbers...but never with letters...with which one can spell out a variety of possibilities...

Sharing my treasures over at Kim Klassen's Friday Finds...
a weekly feature that celebrates the simple pleasures of life...

Summer vacation

Summer vacation...the sweetest words of the English language...

I'm going on a summer vacation...with my sister...to visit siblings, friends and the old hometown in Wisconsin...
sans computer...so I'll be taking a little hiatus from blogging...

But I'll be posting photos of my finds/adventures/inspirations on my Instagram page - http://instagram.com/fourcornersdesign#
I invite you to come along on vacation with me...

On the road to the Farm Chicks show

All of the prep, paint, glue and nails has come down to this...this morning I leave for The Farm Chicks Show...
I'm like a bird taking flight - off into the blue yonder...







In the midst of all the packing and organizing, I was struck with a moment of inspiration of what to do with those rusted springs that I bought last year at the Farm Chicks show...a bit of old cocoa mat hanging basket liner...a handful of feathers...a wooden bird covered with vintage wallpaper...a specially chosen dictionary word for good measure...

If you're coming to the show...I'm in Booth 170, Bay 2...
please stop and say hi!

If you're not coming...you can live vicariously through my posts on my four corners design Facebook page...didn't know that I had a FB page?...well, its time to hop over, check it out and "like" my page so you can stay in the loop with what's going on at the show...

So now you know what I'll be doing this coming weekend - what about you?  Whatever your plans are for this first weekend in June, I hope that it gladdens your heart...

I'm packing my suitcase...

Do you remember playing that game as a child..."I'm packing my suitcase and I'm taking..." and then each person listed an item in the suitcase, starting with the letter A and continuing on through the alphabet...

Well, I'm packing my suitcase...and I'm taking an aluminum A...and a bounty of buttons...and a collection of cut-outs...and you get the idea...












This morning I'm traveling to Whidbey Island (a ferry ride across Puget Sound from here) and taking a two day workshop from Seth Apter...called Mixed Media Memoire.  Seth is a renown multi-media artist from NYC who has been a tremendous supporter of my work...so when I heard that he would be leading a workshop at the Pacific Northwest Art School in Coupeville, I just had to be there (many thanks to the Southern Man for underwriting a portion of this adventure!)

The workshop will combine bookbinding techniques with collage applications...I've been busy collecting the items on the supply list...as well as those special ephemera treasures that will make my book truly unique.  Here's a small sampling of what I have packed...and yes, I am packing all my supplies in one of my vintage suitcases...it only seemed right!

The above quote is a page from an old Anthropologie catalog...I've always loved it...
its been hanging on the bulletin board in my studio for 10 years...time to use it...

pages from dictionaries and reference books always provide inspiration...













I'll be staying overnight with my artist friend Wendy Lee Lynds...so of course I needed to pack a hostess gift...wine and chocolates...wrapped in an old burlap sack...tied up with a length of cloth surveyor's tape and embellished with a metal "W"...

It will be good to be the student this time...though I'm sure that we will all learn from each other...
its bound to be an adventure...

Letting go

I once had a friend comment that I must have been born in the 1930's...I'm never throwing anything away...and can always find a use for a stray piece of string or a lone button...as if I lived through the Depression...

I have an similar attachment to clothing...never throwing anything away, wearing shirts and jeans until they are threadbare...especially pieces that are worn from wear but so soft and comfortable...so familiar...

Unconsciously I must see myself as a bohemian artist, with these tattered threads as the appropriate attire...

I love my blue woven shirt but even I confess that its past its prime...I'm holding on to it in the likelihood that I'm struck with inspiration to turn it into...into...
still waiting for that inspiration!

Recently I dug up an old t-shirt that I bought on my 1993 trip to Italy with my sister...outside of the Vatican, from a street vendor.  After the first washing, it shrank two sizes smaller, but I loved the graphic...

finding it again, I was inspired...

I decided that I would display the front of the t-shirt on a canvas frame...an 11" x 14" frame was the perfect size to capture the graphic in its entirety...stretched it evenly over the canvas, stapled the edges to the back and it was done...but it was lacking something...



A simple wooden frame was the answer...but the stain color was too light...easy to rectify...

I used Polyshades by Minwax...black satin...it has the stain color and polyurethane in one.  For simple projects like this, where there won't be a lot of wear and tear (as opposed to a table or chair - in that instance I would use a stain, followed by several coats of poly for protection), this is a great solution...makes for ease of application...I even used the portion of the t-shirt that I cut off for the rags to apply the stain.  And though I'm usually one to plunge right into a project, even I use disposable gloves at times...for anything that needs mineral spirits or paint thinner for clean-up, I use gloves to save my hands the torment of harsh chemicals.

One coat didn't seem sufficient, so I applied a second coat a day later...

And easily popped in the canvas when the frame was thoroughly dry...


















An old world master in a contemporary setting...

A piece of art...and a great memory...all in one...

linking up to Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special...trash to treasure projects...I think this fits right in...