CLOUDY

Have you been watching clouds lately? Seems it has been hard not to. On a couple of days I even had to pull to the side of the road for a few minutes just to take it all in.

Now, this is not to say I haven't also been really busy getting ready for the summer's Sawdust Art Festival. This is the 60th anniversary and there are a lot of great things happening. It is truly exciting and we hope all of you will take time from your busy summer to come visit.  I will be posting more on this as we get closer, but for now, back to that cloud watching. 

THANKFUL

Thanksgiving just might be my favorite holiday of all. No, it's not the turkey or stuffing or mashed potatoes or even the pumpkin pie. It is the pause to reflect on the things for which to be thankful.

For me, thanks are due not so much for things, though I am grateful for a roof over my head and food on my table. No, gratitude for me is about people and connections, I think.

I am thankful for a supportive family unit that is healthy and whole. I am thankful for friends and relationships that give me joy and opportunity to grow. I am thankful for the opportunity to give back through the Sawdust Art Enrichment Fund--philanthropic arm of the Sawdust Art Festival--and for the many wonderful connections through this giving. I am thankful for creative juices that continue to flow. I am thankful for the opportunity to hold art workshops that fuel me in innumerable ways, not least of which is the delight I feel when joining together with the many creative students involved.

And, last but not least (and I'm certain I have forgotten so many things), I am thankful for each and every day in this beautiful place I call home.

IS SUMMER OVER?

 The weather doesn't tend to answer that question in the affirmative. But those who are doing the art festivals here in town are thinking that day is REAL close.

Festival season starts winding down this coming Sunday, August 28th, when the Sawdust Art Festival shutters for the season.( If you need tickets for this final weekend, email me at cherril@cherrildoty.com)

I'm thinking that it is getting close to time to hit the road for a short road trip (hence the picture here) And workshops start up for me again on September 18th (almost full) so plenty to think about.

What are your plans?

PLAYING AROUND GETS RESULTS

After experiencing beginner's luck with subsequent failures at the last mixed media playtime, I decided to take some time, study, and research to see if consistency might be achieved. And so I began. And went on. And tried again. And went on.

Finally, I met with some successes again--some better than others, I will admit. Still....I think if I keep at this.... Meanwhile, I am having some fun with the results (adding ephemera and more.) So stay tuned to see the final result.

For sure we will be doing more of this experimentation at the workshop on September 18th!!

ONCE IN A WHILE...

 

I have long thought that many of us who create do so in part to make connections with others through our art. Recently, I have been blessed to make a few of those connections and I would like to share this one with you because it is so beautiful:

As I do when I can, I reached out to the purchaser of an original piece--Crow in the Snow--and the following is the reply, which I have permission to share. I think it is pretty special.

"Dear Cherril,

Thank you so much for reaching out to me and I am fascinated to know that you loved this picture so much that you did not want to let it fly!

Let me tell you why I wanted to buy it.

Firstly, it is a beautiful picture and I was attracted to it immediately due to its style and feel.

Beyond that, let me tell you a short story. A true one.

I am English but I live here in Orange County. My daughter was born here. We went to England in June. She had previously bought me a book called 'England's Most Beautiful Villages.' We decided to pick few local ones and make them the centerpiece of individual days.

One day we picked Heptonstall in Yorkshire. On the way there we drove through Mytholmroyd. I knew that Ted Hughes, a former Poet Laureate, had been born there and, according to our charter that all interruptions and segues were to be followed, we stopped and looked for some record of his existence. We found the house he grew up in (until age 8), did some pics, and then I made her listen to me read 'Hawk in the Rain.'

We moved on towards Heptonstall but, in case you didn't know, Ted Hughes' 'Crow:From the Life and Songs of the Crow' was considered his masterpiece.

In Heptonstall, quite unexpectedly, we came upon Ted Hughes' wife's grave. His wife was Sylvia Plath, an American, who was the author of The Bell Jar.

We had a wonderful day.

When I saw your Crow, I wanted it to remind me forever of that day during which we saw Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath but also ourselves and I knew that every time I looked at your Crow it would remind me of that day and my daughter forever.

So thank you for all that!

Keith

WOW! Right? Such a delightful connection for all of us. And now I find I see Crow in the Snow through different eyes and I am soooo glad that I decided I could part with it.

Connections are beautiful things and I thank Keith for sharing.

(I thought to shorten his letter, but found I could not leave out one word.)

CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH...

I just can't say it enough...I have some of the BEST workshop students ever. I cannot remember ever having anyone come who was a bad student in any way.  I am one really lucky gal!! 

Students are welcoming and helpful to all who come for the first time, unlike some workshops where there seems to be a proprietary attitude that is soooo unwelcoming. I applaud them one and all.

That said, I am really looking forward to Sunday's long-awaited workshop and have had a lot of fun playing with ideas for what I can only call mixed media "accoutrements." While there will be some new students mixed in with the returning ones, I kinda think this will be a light-hearted fun thing for all and a great way to start.

Guess this means I will need to be better about updating this blog and fill my readers in next week.

'Til then....

CRAZY CONTROLLED

 It was late last night and I finally just felt I had to give up. Very disappointing, but I wanted to read a bit and then get a good night's sleep so I silenced the phone and picked up my book. 

BUT...I just could not get with the story, my mind too busy focusing on the individual words. I kept trying. And then....

"Knew"--the word just popped out from the page at me and I knew (intended play on words here😉.) The word had to start with "kn." That was all I needed to solve.

I love this puzzle game and am quite happy that the originator sought to keep it from becoming addictive by doing only one per day. It is addictive, but controlled.

Thanks to my daughter Kendall for turning me on to this.

RAINY DAY PLAY

 

Rainy day play brought on some sunny color and, after struggling with some blog glitches, a cheery disposition showed up. So, yes, Andrea, still scattering joy 😀

Despite the year continuing to show strains at the seams, an overall assessment says it was a pretty good year. Daily walks, good health, good friends, scattered workshops filled with new and returning faces, a couple of opportunities too good to pass up, old friends showing up after many years...I could go on and on. My gratitude list is pretty darned full 💓

I hope all who are reading this can add up the gratitude moments against the disappointments and come up on the plus side. And, if for some reason you can't, I'll leave you with Maya Angelou's words, Every storm runs out of rain.

SCATTER JOY

Well, it's that time of year once again, Cards go out, Carols are sung--their music fills the air.  The fragrances of pine and cinnamon and baking waft around us.  And....most of all, joy gets scattered about, or at least the wish for it. Well, I'm here to say let's make joy scattering, not just a seasonal thing, but a year-round activity. It can start with small kindnesses handed out , a smile, a hearty hello, and just go on and on from there. Let's try it!Meanwhile, Happy Holidays!

WINTER FANTASY FUN

thru december 19th

This is such a great opportunity to buy from your local artists, support them, and give unique and interesting personal gifts to family and friends. There is a lot to do besides purchase gifts too...entertainment, good food, music, Santa, holiday decorations. Check it out and come to Laguna any time the next three weekends.

www.sawdustartfestival.org

 

When the world gives you...

 ...well, not quite lemons, but the wrong size tiles. While I did a "repeat" order it turned out not to be and so the tiles (made in yet another foreign country, this time Turkey) were too small by a bit over a quarter inch. So what to do with them?

Since I had only used five of them I guess all of my time was not wasted. And my mind is busily trying to find alternate ways to use them, so....

Guess all is not lost. Lemonade will come :) Just a few more showers and long walks oughta get it made.

AH, THE DISTRACTIONS

 

The usual morning sound of cawing crows and twittering finches is broken by the high-pitched cry of a hawk. I rise from my journaling to check out the sound, just the first of many distractions on this July morning.

Cindy's journal, which is due to be sent out this week as part of the Round Robin Journaling group languishes on my desk. Over the course of the month many ideas have flitted through my busy brain, but nothing seems to get to fruition. The distractions again.

Summer is always so full of the easy distractions and this summer of 2021 seems to have more than the usual share. Visiting friends and family (oh, so very essential to sanity after the past year of the Covid pandemic) are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the diversions. 

The summer's Sawdust Art Festival seemed like it would be easier than normal since choosing to exhibit only on a "Gallery Wall" that did not require my presence nor as much of a display. But this has not turned out to be entirely true as re-stocking and cleaning have taken more time than anticipated. Good news, yet still distracting.

And, now, the summer's Olympics draw me to watch. Darn! I try to resist, but the whole theme of Imagine continues to call to me. 

And the many things that languish on the to do list grows. Guess I'll start with the Round Robin journal though. Then....well, back to the many fun summer distractions, I guess.😀

WHAT IS IT THAT'S COMING?

Now that the summer festival season is up and running I am thinking about what is ahead. 

so apt

To that end...lots of mixed media workshops, of course!! I have been pondering the many possibilities for a regeneration of these fun-filled days of creativity with great students and friends. 

Many of the tried and true methods will be employed (and enjoyed), but I also wanted to create some challenges. So stay tuned in the next few weeks as the process is honed.

Meanwhile, check out the fall dates that have been added and mark your calendars. Just let me know if you want to hold your spot. cherril@cherrildoty.com
 

THE CLOCK IS TICKING AND...

 

It won't be long now

The summer festival season is soooooooooo close. By the time you read this that pile of woodchips will already have been spread on the grounds inside the gate in preparation for the big opening day--Friday, July 2.

Are we all ready? Well, I'm sure that as usual many of the artists are still not quite committed to saying that, but one thing is for sure...they always are by the time those gates open.

So, starting Friday you will have 66 days--until September 5th to come enjoy the sights and sounds and have a great time.  I'll be along the right side wall at Gallery Wall 8!

GREMLINS

It's just been one of those weeks for electronic gremlins, but at least the Sawdust Art Festival lottery day had no gremlins messing with my roll.  #58 was picked and so the first hurdle has been passed. Next stop--Booth Pick Day on May 18th.

I am hoping to get what I want and be able to move forward into yet another summer festival.

But, back to those gremlins: Hard to believe. First, my tablet died right in the middle of an exciting Kindle book. Next, my phone would not send or receive calls on Monday until I rebooted the whole thing. That night, I powered off when going to bed. Then, sometime in the night...ping! What?? So phone was back on. This morning, going to check emails..."send receive error" for the entire morning. Egads! Hopefully, that has all ended. No more gremlins!!!

Sent out the first newsletter of the year and hoping for workshop signups. I don't have a large listing of contacts as if people didn't reply to the last one, they were removed. So we shall see where this goes. The blog lives on.

So a little good, a little not so much....what more could a gal ask for in a week? I just keep thinking of that phrase about keeping a sunshine kind of mind. I'm all for it!

 

WHAT A DAY!

 

Waking in moonlight to the sounds of birdsong....What a glorious start to a beautiful day. And as the dawn moves into the first day of 2021, sparkling light is everywhere I look-- the perfect hopeful shimmer to begin a new year.

Happy New Year to all! Let's daydream the possibilities that can be next.

THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS AND...

Dear World,

Hard not to be hopeful with this kind of beauty around. Call me a Pollyanna if you will for the stereotype of young girl with infectious optimism does not insult me at all. If my optimism, my hopefulness, my own joy in life extends to just one other person in the world I can be glad.

2020 has without a doubt been a truly rough year and more so for some than for others. Still, out of this year have come many beautiful stories of hope amidst struggle. I choose to hang on to those stories. 

There is much to hope for on the horizon. We have vaccines beginning to be approved and administered and, while it may be some time before the full effect can be felt...well, how hard is it really to wear a mask, wash your hands, social distance, etc? When the going gets tough.... We ARE tough, and the toughest have found ways to work through. The future is pretty bright after all.

Life has thrown us a big curve this year, but we cannot operate well ruled by fear. It takes an attitude of joy and hopefulness to surmount the tough days along with gratitude for all that we do have, however little it may be. Choose joy. Choose beauty. Choose gratitude. Choose awe. Choose hope and optimism.

Love, Pollyanna

ONE IN EVERY CORNER, PLEASE

 

While I know my version is a bit irreverant....as the situation across the US and the world seems only to worsen, we could probably all use an angel in every corner to watch over us.

Please, everyone, stay safe and care for each other (to help out those angels)

SWEET TIME

 

Sweet time... as in "They took their sweet time about it." At least that seems to be the usual way we view the two words.

But sweet time can be something entirely different. Seems like there might be myriad possibilities for sweet time. Where would my own "sweet time" take me?

Clearly, it would often be outdoors. Beautiful, sunny December days beckon and I can think of no better way to respond than to put on my walking shoes, grab a bottle of water and a mask and just get going.

Birdsong and crisp morning air greet me each day as I step out the door. No rules. I can go anywhere I choose. And, in fact, it seems that during this enduro-pandemic that most of Laguna and a few other shoreline vistas have been explored on my sweet time, either alone or with walking companion, Catharine.

Post walk the days drift along, filled with household and gardening chores, time to read, card-making and other small art projects. No rush, no push/pull, no sense of must do or shoulds. Taking my own sweet time is just that and all about the beauty of simply being.

Sweet time stretches out like a long, soft ribbon floating on the ocean breeze. Absorption in the colors of the season, the warmth of the sun, and the cool touch of a breeze fill the sweet time. Treading along familiar roads and hidden pathways the time is filled with reminders of the beauties of our coastal town and how really fortunate we are to be here.

So often we are told time is of the essence. Perhaps so. Also, though sweet time IS the essence.

ANY SEASON IS A GOOD ONE FOR GIVING

Sometimes it is necessary in this blog to veer off course just a bit. This is one of those times. Let me tell you a bit about a giving project that is going on...

Picked up the first set of kits yesterday for the SAEF WorkshopTo Go project. When all are collected there will be a total of eighty kits to go to the military families. Each kit has all materials and instructions or a link to an instruction video included.  

Three local artists put together these kits that are offered to the military at no cost to them. The artists get paid well for their efforts and SAEF is able to gift the kits. Win/Win.

The Sawdust Art Enrichment Fund (SAEF) is a philanthropic effort that supports education of the public about art while providing a hands-on experience to underserved populations. As one of the trustees of the fund, I have found the rewards of serving to be many and am grateful for this opportunity.

This year has been a challenge for SAEF as in person classes were not a possibility. We kept holding out hope, but realized at some point that we needed another way. Thus was born the Workshop To Go concept. Three artists stepped up and pushed to create the kits and the trustees appreciate Rosanne Nitti, Brynne Cogorno, and Erin Proctor for their hard work.

The response from the military was overwhelming once we posted flyers and we thank Diane DeBilzan and Che Ward for their assistance in getting this part done. It really has taken a village to get this done. SAEF trustees want to acknowledge the Festival of Arts Foundation for the grant that got this going, the artists for their diligence and, Diane and Che for their work in linking us up to these great families at Camp Pendleton.

Such a great project! I'm pretty sure there will be more Workshop To Go projects going forward.