RANDOM THOUGHTS ON A RAINY SEPTEMBER MORNING

 

The rain on the roof this morning surprised me into alertness. What a lovely, soft, gentle patter it was. The humidity factor seemed to increase, but the temperature had not yet reached the point where there was a need to throw off covers. So I snuggled deeper and let my mind wander.

The summer had been a busy one, filled with creating new art and meeting new folks at the Sawdust Art Festival, scheduling and working with the Sawdust Art Enrichment Fund to further fulfill artist John Eagle's vision of providing art for underprivileged while helping to support our local artists. I was tired. This morning with its soft rain was a blessing. I could wait a bit to start the day.

And so my mind meandered as I drifted in and out, imagining new creations and directions that might take me, thoughts of taking care of the little things that tend to slip through the cracks during the summer months, plotting new trails to traverse, and so much more......

What does a rainy morning conjure for you?

CROWS, CROWS AND MORE CROWS....

 

Who knew? The summer seems all about crows in my neck of the Sawdust Art Festival. They fly off the shelves almost faster than I can put them there. 

I wonder if they are off in search of shiny things to add to their stash or gift to some person they have befriended.

Maybe I will never know.

YOU KNOW IT'S SUMMER WHEN...

 

...the festival season in Laguna Beach begins. And this is the week! Preview nights for Sawdust Art Festival, Art-A-Fair and the Pageant of the Masters make for a busy week.

Planning has taken place often for months as readiness varies among individuals. I found myself oddly blessed to be house-bound with Covid, which gave me many hours of art play in March/April that I might not otherwise have had. I wasn't sick...just kept getting positive tests so, with nothing better to do I played and played. And of course my crow friends showed up often in that play.

If you're around be sure to come see me at the Sawdust at Gallery Wall 11. 

WHY IS IT ALWAYS SUCH A SURPRISE?

Hundreds of cards printed, assembled and packaged. Many prints matted, packaged and priced. Originals framed and priced. A booth or Gallery Wall to clean, paint, repair, and get ready in myriad ways to show all of this. Getting ready for any showing of art, let alone a 66 day summer festival is always a surprising amount of things on a long and ever longer to-do list of things needed before one can even begin to think "ready." And I have probably omitted so much, this being only what a mixed media artist might have on the list. Think of the jewelers, the sculptors, the photographers, fabric artists and others, many of whom may have to rely on the timing of printers and such. Just writing this wears me out. But in the end it is always done on time and so very worth it. 

So if you are reading this, come to the summer Sawdust Art Festival in beautiful Laguna Beach and see what everyone has created and how each has mastered the long to-do list.

June 30-September 3

www.sawdustartfestival.org 

AN APPRECIATION

some art from 5/7 workshop

 Lots going on as spring sets in and summer approaches way too fast. 

Even while creating new pieces for the summer festival season I took time to check the calendar and have set dates for workshops through the end of the year. These workshops so feed my own soul that they just have to happen 💓

It does not escape me that I am super fortunate to have regular students who are wonderful and super gracious with new students. There are so many instances in life when the "regulars" are perhaps act a bit proprietary when newbies show up. The welcoming attitude of our regulars is a blessing indeed.

FINDING TIME

 With all that the spring months bring--art inventory, new art, framing, designing space, teaching,etc--there still needs to be time to create something to include in each month's round robin journal. 

For April I had some ideas all drawn out that included bird drawings.... As can be seen here that is not what ultimately showed up (no surprise really...this is often what transpires.)

Nothing is glued down and the words aren't here yet, but, heck, it's not due til next week. I will manage to get it done....and the inventory and the artwork and and and.........

SOMETIMES SERENDIPITY...

 So much fun at this past weekend's mixed media workshop. Five hours of creative energy, laughter, good food, shared stories and more. These workshops sure do feed my soul. Guess I'll have to just keep doing them.

The pieces pictured here are not both from the workshop. I was digging around in a box of 'fodder' and discovered the piece shown on the bottom that I had done about four years ago. I had completely forgotten about the process to do this, but as we played and explored on Sunday the techniques came back bit by bit. I was able to pull off the one shown at top and a couple of others. Think I'll have to keep playing and exploring the ways to go with this as it's a whole lot of fun.