NO TRAVEL TIME FOR ME, BUT HOW ABOUT YOU?

 By now most of you probably know that Route 66 is turning 100 this year. Well, not to be left out, the Sawdust Art Festival is turning 60. So the score seems to be: USA 250, Route 66 100, Sawdust 60. 

We artists may be in last place on that list, but it definitely should be one of the first places you think to go spend some time this summer. June 26th we open for a run of 66 days.  Lots to see with great new all-out booth designs. Lots of good entertainment (of course along with great art), good food and drink.  

It would be great to see you so come for the day or the evening or...

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. 

THINGS ARE REALLY A-POPPING....

Summer Sawdust is coming and booth spots have been chosen. Mine is definitely not going to be what it has been in the past so my January question re things being the "same old thing 

has been answered.

This is the 60th anniversary celebration for the "dust" and there are a lot of exciting things already on tap, not the least of which is new grounds layout. When you visit (and we all hope you will) you will see a vast array of changes and exciting revved up energy. I hope you are looking forward to it as much as we are. Oh! and by the way that heavily outlined spot on the map is where i will be, sharing a double-wide with Ashley Hemsley. 

Meanwhile, monthly Sunday Mixed Media Workshops continue. There is still room  in the ones on June 9 and  July 26

 

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON

 As the clock started ticking as soon as the turkey carcass was bare....holiday season is really warming up now.

I'm busy each weekend from Friday thru Sunday at the Sawdust Festival's Winter Fantasy. And what a joyous time it is. Children come all dressed up for their pics with Santa, the marionette show delights young and old, music sounds throughout the grounds that are decorated for the holidays...and of course there are the artists selling their personal magic. This is something not to be missed if you're in town. It is a great way to let the holidays in.

IT'S ABOUT TIME

 

I know it has been a really long time since I have made any contribution to this blog. My only excuse is that I have been busy living...and creating.

The Sawdust Art Festival starts in three weeks and I still have a bit more work/creative play I need to do to be ready for opening. And, of course, there is no day that goes by without time in nature to feed my soul. So... that's my excuse in a nutshell.

I'm having a lot of fun experimenting and playing with new ways to do things so be prepared for some subtle and some big shifts. 

Creative play is the key to ....well, everything💓

The festival opens June 28th and runs 66 days.

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 

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.........

HOLIDAY BUSY-NESS

 

I guess you would have to say it's holiday busy-ness for holiday business since I'm busily working to re-stock on cards at the Sawdust Art Festival's Winter Fantasy.

While the snow at the Sawdust is artificial, it sure feels cold enough there as the sun goes down for the real thing. Definitely all should bring layers if planning to stay late.

There is a lot of holiday cheer and so very many handmade gifts to buy for family and friends (and even for yourself.) Music. Santa. Good food. Good cheer...and, then, there's also that snow 😀 So take the time to head to Laguna to get into the spirit of things.

Happy Holidays!!

WHASUP?

 Seems like forever since I've contributed anything to this blog. So "Whasup?" seemed the appropriate heading.

So what IS up? 

I have had a couple of really fun workshops filled with not only enjoyment galore but lots of experimenting and learning through the exploration. Fun!

One of the techniques tried was transferring a magazine image using Gelli plates. This opened up several possibilities, including the one pictured here.

Also, what's up is getting ready for the Sawdust Art Festival's Winter Fantasy. I've been at work on some original pieces that can be super affordable for holiday giving and am excited about the result. There are parking challenges for this year's Winter Fantasy, but they are not insurmountable and the city and Sawdust staff are hard at work to create transportation opportunities so don't be daunted...come see us weekends November 19th thru December 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.)

AH, YES...THE ANSWER....

 

And of course the answer to "Will there be crows?" is a resounding YES! Whether one, two, three, or an entire murder of crows I seem to not be able to create without including at least some of them here and there.

At the summer's Sawdust Art Festival this year you can find them in many forms, from cards to card collections, to prints, to originals. Several have flown away, but we will be there until August 28th is you want to meet the remaining ones. And of course, there are likely to be new ones coming along too.

JUST DANCING

 Just call me twinkletoes, I guess. After writing that last blog a few weeks ago, I was blessed to receive a lovely email from a former student, who had started, along with her sister-in-law, to play in mixed media years ago when Suzette and I taught weekend workshops at the Sawdust Art Festival. 

They have gone on to take more classes from Suzette and me after we moved them here to my studio, but not for several years. They went on to take workshops from a lot of other instructors and are quite addicted. I would love to see what they have created by now as I'm sure they have gotten quite good at it. That's one of the beauties of mixed media play...the vast array of possibilities.

So, yeah, I'm dancing for joy that we were able to start someone on this wonderful path of creativity. And of course it's super to receive a note from someone like that. Purest joy! So, play me a tune, Piano Man.

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

 

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!

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.

SOME THIS AND SOME THAT

 

On this Thanksgiving weekend with all it's Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Stay Home, Wear a Mask, and political confusion, don't forget that the small businesses in your community really need your help. 

Shop art and other artist-made items at the Sawdust Art Festival, open for business from 10 to 4 on Saturday and again on Sunday.

Or check out downtown stores.

These words on gratitude are gentle reminders of all that we do have.

Sometimes we just have to go on that scavenger hunt to find the things for which we can be grateful, even in the midst of this terrible pandemic.

For me, today is a beautiful day in which to be grateful for sure, as I spend it in the garden, planting more produce (especially those leafy greens) that will satisfy for many a meal.

When done, some art is waiting to be finished on my workbench, some bills need to be paid, Barack Obama's A Promised Land awaits, a bit of exercise, and perhaps a well-deserved nap is on tap.

Meanwhile...grateful for so very many things.

IN A FOG OR A FUG

DEJA VU

After a night filled with wakefulness we awoke here in Laguna to grey skies that just never dissipated. Put me in mind to just laze with a good book, but, luckily I received an reorder for some cards I had made based on long ago art.

Betty bought one card from me at the Sawdust MANY years ago, but has decided in the interim to make it her "signature" card. I am flattered and have filled several orders for her over the years.

But, alas! I am now just too far down the line computer-wise from the original image file. This meant I had to do some quick thinking and finally found a way to retrieve and fill her order. WHEW!

The lesson for me? Don't always be moving on so fast. You never know when an old image will be someone's fave.