artfiberfest

Created with flickr slideshow.These are pics of some of the workshops at artfiberfest and then shots of the projects that were created in the 3 days of classes.  If you want to come next year, it will be at reed college again around June 23rd.

another weekend project

saw this outside of Ravenna gardens in Kirkland.  They wanted $1200 for it, so Tracy said to take a picture of it so he could make it.  YAH!  They used old windows in the construction....in fact the whole thing looks like it was made from recycled building materials.

patio idea

Love this idea for a patio.  saw it at Nepenthe...a restaurant owned by Kaffe Fasset up on Big Sur.  Oh to live in a place that see's alot of sunshine...

inspiration for the outdoors type

I want to make one of these this weekend!  Found this at the Big Sur bakery (a commune of sorts of all these creative kids).  way cool.  ...can you tell that I am going through some old photos tonight?!

more inspiration

I want to draw these and paint them and make them from fabric.  they were at our hotel in monterey bay, CA.

inspiration

was just going through some pictures and can't remember where I acquired this one.  I'm thinking it was something that Michelle Ward took in a barney's window at christmas.  I just LOVE all things that hang.

going to Beijing for an hour

So, for anyone living in the seattle area, I have found a gem in Kirkland.  The Beijing Herbal Reflexology in the Kirkland Parkplace complex (close to the QFC).  For 60 minutes, it's $25 and trust me when I say, it's a head to toe treatment.  You are led back to a recliner.  They have about a dozen all lined up in this little space.  You take off your socks and shoes and lean back.  When the guy told me to take off my glasses, I thought "wha???".  He plopped my feet in some warm water with my choice of herbs.  Then he started at the top of my head, my face, ears, neck,shoulders, arms, and hands.  Then it was the feet and trust me...you will know what areas of your body need attention by where the sore spots are on your feet (you can look at a reflexology chart later).  The guy knows too and works extra hard on those areas...or so it seems.  Then it is on to the shins (no fun for me), then the calves and thighs. It's all a mixture of pleasure and pain....or maybe I just really need a couple treatments. Then he has you move your wet noodle of a body and plop yourself onto the automan and lean over a prop on the chair.  He then starts in on your neck, shoulders again and your entire back.  My back was cracking all over the place as he twisted me this way and that.  You feel like you've been through a yoga workout when you are done.  Relaxed and amazingly good even though you know you are going to have some sore muscles later.  Anyway...no appt. needed.  Just walk in and they will quietly whisk you back.  Don't come in speaking loudly...this is a quiet zone.  and I swear when you close your eyes, you will think you're in some weird little place in china.  I still can't believe it is only $25.

pottery class part 1

remember I said I was starting a pottery class the first of april? (oh...maybe I posted that on facebook)...  anyway...just had my last class on monday and I ended up making 15 pots in all.  No, I don't think I will ever do pottery again but I have a new appreciation for it.

I fell in love with the glaze called angel eyes...It is a beautiful blue that can turn greenish in areas and is brownish around the rims or where it is thin.  Every step of pottery is a guessing game and try as you might you cannot really control the outcome.  which makes it that much more thrilling when something comes out that you like.

I went into the class wanting to paint designs on pottery but came out of it liking the glazes better.  It was fun.  If you live in the seattle area and want to do it yourself, take the class from Pat Colyar at the Kirkland Arts Center.  She was incredibly patient, easy going and talented.  

pottery class part 2

this is my favorite bowl.  the only thing I made that was bigger than an 8 0z. pot.
the fronts
the backs
this is a black underglaze pencil.  wish it fired black.
wasn't too crazy about the penciled bowls.

blue page

it occured to me that I must have been subconsciously inspired by my pots when I did this page the same night I brought them home.

update

I posted this page when it was half done.  here is the final.  I feel like it needs more words on it for my taste but whatever.  I was done looking at it.

a terrible thing happens when I start actually liking the way a page is coming out...I get more scared to work on it.  Finally I had to wait till I was tired of it and then I just decided to get over myself by writing big lettering over the whole thing and finally be done with it.

this was a page I was demo-ing on at our last journaling workshop.

I hated this page and finally just decided to use my biggest, blackest, fattest pen to cover with a quote.  I found it interesting to see afterward which quote ended up on it.  If I don't like my work, the energy doesn't flow.  If I do, it does.

This was something I did on hotel stationery while waiting for tracy one morning in a hotel room.  I sat and looked in the mirror and drew a self portrait with my non dominant left hand.  You can see a partial face to the left that I started with my right hand (that's no good at all).  The filigree is an exercise that theo ellsworth does alot.  He takes a pen in both hands and mirrors each at the same time.  It is the most fun thing to do.  Oddly...this is one of my favorite pages I have done in a long time....and I seriously was just doodling while waiting for tracy.  that was why it was on hotel paper and not my journal.  I thought it was going to be a mess.

Life has been busy again lately...tommorrow we are having a graduation party for my daughter, trista who is graduating with a linguistics degree with a concentration in computer science.  45 people are expected.  Next saturday, we get to go to the commencement ceremony at the UW with 36,000 other people...something I am dreading.  

I picked all the Artfest teachers for the 2010 last week...very difficult as they are all so good.  Also making last minute arrangements for Artfiberfest happening in 2 weeks (yes, we still have space if you are interested.  also offering 1-day passes for $160).  On top of that, I am getting Journalfest registrations on a daily basis.  That retreat is going to be full before you know it.  Pretty exciting for tracy and me since it is the first one.

The weather has been great, albeit quite hot (for us).  but we are loving being outside a lot more and the longer daylight hours are awesome.  Tracy's parents who live next door to us finally opened up their pool (it has to be winterized) so we've been swimming everyday around 4:30pm.    It's kinda nice because it MAKES us quit working.  We have a hard time stopping usually.

anyway...life is good around here.