Our second camping trip this year was on Whidbey Island, South Whidbey State Park. Whidbey Island is fabulous. The beaches were some of the most beautiful I've seen.
I love our tent. It's big enough for our bed, Tanner's air mattress, our suitcases, and a chair or two.
Waiting in the ferry line, I saw the VW bus of my dreams. I didn't know they came this pretty. It was beautiful.
I really do love how the texture becomes so rich the more it's worked. I'm anxious to get back to my worktable. The more I do the more ideas I have.
I don't think this one is actually done yet. I don't like the muddiness of the collaged bits along the bottom and up the right side. It became too gray. It will likely evolve further before I declare it done.
We've managed two camping trips recently. The first was on the Washington coast at Grayland State Park.
I spent my senior year in high school in nearby Westport. My father was stationed there in the Coast Guard. Though it was right across the street, I somehow never visited the lighthouse. I wish I had. It's beautiful.
I recently finished this painting. It's been hanging at a show at the Center for Spiritual Living here in town.
I reworked this painting at least three maybe four times. It's rich with texture and color. I'm pleased with it finally. It took a long time to get here.
Here's some detail.
I'm back after an unplanned absence again. Since my return from Artfest I've been avoiding the computer. Part of it is, I'm spending more time making art. I haven't even been staying up on my email. I've also not been visiting other blogs. Besides not having the time, I don't want to be influenced by what others are doing.
The only thing I regret is not coming here. I actually like blogging but I feel like it's the journal I'd keep when I was young. If I skipped a day of writing, it was always harder to go back to it. Pretty soon I'd find months had gone by and there was no hope of getting caught up on all that had happened. Then I'd just not do it unable to face the failure. I've realized that I still do that with my blog. My expectations of myself are ridiculous. I'm going to once again, try to let them go. So here I am, starting fresh.
A few weeks ago I accompanied Tanner's class on the annual camp trip. That's him above on the mondo tree swing. It was the biggest, highest tree swing I've ever seen. There'a a high platform to get on it. It swings out high into the trees, over the cabins. Tanner said it made his legs all wobbly. Fortunately I didn't see him on it the first time he went or my legs might have been wobbly.
Our cabin was the main lodge right at the beach. The location was phenomenal. There was no hope for a decent nights sleep though. There were bonfires, s'mores, playing on the beach, a water balloon catching contest, tug-o-war, the mondo tree swing, fun classes, and relaxing. More relaxing than I'd imagined. And after dark, there was adult time around the bonfire, someone playing guitar and lots of grown-up treats.
I was a reluctant attendee but in the end was grateful I'd gone. It was a special three days with Tanner.
I taught art journaling classes. I'd limited my class to four students each day but for some reason I made 25 extra journals. It was a good thing I did. The kids enjoyed the free access to fun art supplies so much that I kept the materials out during free time and more children stopped by to make their own journal. In the end, I gave out more than 30 journals. Look what those amazing artists did. Some of them couldn't believe they were allowed to do whatever they wanted.
I'll be doing this again next year. I have to thank my friends for contributing supplies. Penelope (who needs to get a blog or at least a flickr account), Lelainia of Tattered Edge, Jonna of Just Jonna, and Dawn of Mother Rubber, all provided supplies for the kids to use. I really appreciate your generosity ladies! The kids loved the materials you sent. Aargh! Typepad won't let me link to their blogs.
I'm headed out for an extended camping trip on the Oregon coast tomorrow morning. I won't leave you without posts for the entire time though. Check back. I hope you have a fabulous first week of summer!
I don't recall seeing deer at Artfest before but this year I saw them more than once.
My first class was with LK Ludwig. She's an amazing teacher, filling the time teaching as many techniques as she can squeeze in. I never finish the project but come away with many samples and a notebook full of instructions and ideas.
The gallery was filled with fabulous art. This is just a small portion of what I saw. I wish I'd made notes about who the artists were. There's was such a variety of techniques and styles. I'd look at something and think "ooh that's ingenious."
Next I'll post more photos from class and the show and tell. The show and tell this year was huge. I stayed a couple of hours and I don't think I saw everything.
We're headed out camping for the long weekend and I just can't wait. The weather is glorious. We're meeting good friends, we'll be at the beach, and there'll be s'mores. What more could you ask for. If I can sneak in a little antiue shopping trip, it's my idea of the perfect vacation.
I didn't plan to take such a hiatus post Artfest but I returned home with very little energy for much of anything. This last week I've started to feel renewed finally. I worked on some paintings that I'll post soon. Today I thought I'd share some Artfest photos.
Below is the journal bag I submitted to the gallery. This is wool felt that I pieced and embroidered freehand from a jellyfish sketch I did. It didn't sell so it's still available. I'm planning to open an etsy shop soon and this will be one of my first listings.
For my general trades I made a zine. This is my second Artfest zine and this year included art and articles from my Artfest housemates. I was pretty happy with it. I still have a few ot these available as I got completely overwhelmed by the trading this year. If you'd like one e-mail me and I'll send them until I run out. My e-mail is tmabbott63 at msn dot com.
Trading was even more fun this year than usual. People shared such a variety of art and ephemera. I enjoy seeing what people think of bringing. I'll post a few favorites in the next day or two. Here's the start of the first night trading frenzy. The tables were so close together, there wasn't enough room to walk around with my camera and trades so this is the only shot I got.
I stayed in an officer's house with an amazing group of women. I was so very fortunate to have the opportunity to make new friends and spend time with old. I really missed those who weren't able to join us this year.
First up is Lelainia, who organizes the house I stay in each year. She's showing a necklace I made her in trade for a gorgeous supply box she made me last year.
Here's Sharon Dibble and Jacque Book. I'm seriously envious of Jacque's last name.
Next is Joan Weed and Lana Tucker. They're fabulous porcelain artists.
Last but not least, that's Penelope Harris and Dawn Shepherd.
Each year the housemates have done a project. This year Lelainia came up with the idea of an inspiration deck. Housemates past were invited to participate as well and it turned out amazing. I've never made an ATC before so this was actually quite challenging for me. The artwork and the inspiration prompts came to me quickly but getting it all to the proper size was far more challenging than I anticipated. In the end it still wasn't right but I ran out of time. It will forever be a record of my struggles.
That's my three cards on top.
Lelainia did the finish work on each our inspiration cards and put it together in the beautiful packaging. She rounded each and every corner on each and every card. An astonishing feat when you realize that there are 30 cards in each deck and there were 9 decks to make. She also made the little rectangle booklet showing recording everybodys contact info and contributions to the deck.
Our first night there, we gathered around the dining room table to see the inspiration deck for the first time and trade. This group of women was amazingly generous. I felt like it was my birthday and I was being showered in gifts from friends who truly got me. Now I always love my birthday and I don't recall ever getting a gift I didn't like, but this was a unique experience.
It's going to take a few more posts to cover everything. It's fun to look back at it now. I'm finally feeling inspired by what I learned and saw. I hope to post again tomorrow but the weekend is jam packed so it may be a couple of days. It's gorgeous here in Seattle. We have a few childfree hours and have a birthday gift to pick-up so I'm off to the University District streetfair.
edited to add: I don't know why that photo isn't showing up. If you click on it you can see it on another page.
I didn't mean to be gone so long. I've been obsessed with Artfest prep. It started with the trade/collaboration I'm doing with my housemates and has continued with my class supplies and trades. I'm making a zine as my trade again this year. I enjoy putting it together but as with many projects there's always a point when I'm filled with anxiety and a touch of despair that I won't meet the deadline and it won't live up to my expectations.
So far I'm doing good on the deadline. I'm not doing so great at living up to my expectations but I've decided to go for quantity this year. I just want to make as much art as fast as I can. I'm wanting to push through to a new level on my style. I still see a bit too much of other peoples style in my work. I figure the only way I can get past this is to churn it out.
I'll do a post soon showing the tools and equipment I used in my blacksmithing class. I was enchanted with them. I love a handcrafted tool with a gorgeous patina. That the instructor created many of them just added to my appreciation. I think I developed a micro crush on him just because of the tools he made. That and the fabulous bat lock he crafted. It was so elegant and mysterious. He forged the keys as well.
Last weekend I took a blacksmithing for jewelers workshop. I learned a lot about different kinds of steel and the properties of steel. I had no idea there were so many kinds! I also learned a bit about forging. I can see myself learning more about blacksmithing sometime but right now, I'll be thinking of ways to apply what I've learned to jewelry.
Here's what I managed to accomplish. Sadly, it in no way reprsents how difficult this class was. The pencil provides perspective on the size.
Here's photos from the studio and of the instructor, Paul Casey, doing demo's.
This first is of the forge. The instructor built this the day before the workshop began. He's extraordinarily talented.
Here Paul is forging mild steel to a point.
Next he's cutting the point from the rod.
He went on to attach it to a flat bar as a rivet of sorts. Unfortunately all of the photos I took of it are blurry.
He went on to create another point that he forged into a leaf shape with this guillotine tool he created. Unfortunately I didn't photograph it.
Paul created or altered all of the tools we used in the class. Tomorrow I'll share photos of them.
The art auction for Tanner's school was wildly successful. They managed to raise over $3000 and the event was fabulous. I snapped photos of my pieces hanging at the gallery.
Last I posted photos of these, the tree wasn't done. Here's a photo of the finished product. I didn't like this much when I packaged it up but seeing it again after some time passing, I'm actually pretty happy with it.
My sweet boy knows the way to my heart. Here he's handing me the driftwood he thought I'd like as it has a beautiful bend to it. It's so nice to be understood.
Scenes from recent days.
