Through The Keyhole

Artfest

I've decided not to post about the Flower and Garden Show. It was monumentally uninspiring so humbug. It's time to start prepping for Artfest. If I'm going to have any trades I need to get on it. And there's a project for my housemates and a couple of special projects for old friends. I'm looking forward to it immensely, especially as I'm not sure I'll return next year. I'd never intended to go back again and again but enjoyed it so much I decided it was well worth whatever I had to do to get there. I've been slowly building my skills so that I could feel I had enough basics to take Keith Lo Bue's Precious Little class and this is the year. It's a 3 day class this year so I'll be able to dive deep.

In a few weeks I start another jewelery class at Pratt here in Seattle. The classes were full winter quarter so I'm thrilled to be able to get in for Spring. I haven't been able to do a bit of jewelry making since that class. I have been able to start painting though. For my birthday Debbie agreed to help me set-up a studio space including an area for painting with encaustics. We finally got the area sorted out and I started doodling. Hmm, I just remembered another thing on my to do list. I want to enter at least one painting into the Artfest gallery and if I can get it finished I have a necklace planned as well.

Yikes, it's an ambitious list.

Here are some photos from last year.

From Show & Tell

From the gallery. I wish I'd bought this first piece.

The journal party at the beach hut.

Home again home again and Happy Birthday

Happiest of Birthday Wishes My Dear!

We're home from the Oregon coast. There was hot tubbing, swimming in an frigid pool, not near enough beach walking, sight seeing, a dash into an art gallery, playing, playing, playing, and relaxing. Oh, and baaad food.

We visit Oregon often but this trip I was awed by the sheer amount of damage sustained in the huge storm they had this last winter.

This is a Sitka Spruce, the largest of it's kind in North America and the oldest tree in Oregon. As you can see it couldn't survive another year. I'm saddened to see such a mighty giant so destroyed.

Here's a photo w/Debbie and Tanner at the foot for perspective. It was such a beautiful tree.

We saw tree after tree upended, roots and a blanket of earth laid bare.

There were full hillsides with the trees snapped off. It looked as though a giant napped here.

These photos don't begin to convey the devastation. I just couldn't capture it. I had to remember that trees weren't just snapping and ripping out of the earth way out in the forest. This same degree of damage happened in the towns. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to hear the wind whipping and the trees falling while it was happening. I'm not sure how some will recover.

In the meantime, the towns are thriving with tourists arriving in swarms. For all but one day, it was barefeet weather and the beaches were beautiful. We spent a day letterboxing. I enjoy the mystery and adventure of it.

Tanner has been paying attention and is becoming a gatherer in his own right.

And here he photographs his treasures. Many of these pieces of driftwood did indeed make it home with us.

Unlike Tanner I didn't come home anything more than a feather or two. There were plenty of birds to watch and listen to.

Tomorrow I'll tell you about my trip to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show.

Having Adventures

It was my intention to post this photo on Valentines but I'm a tad late. We were packing for a short journey to the Oregon coast. So instead I post these hearts that formed over the years on the beach as I'm on my way to discover more treasures.

Aaargh!

I think I have to move my photos to cd's before I can download any more photos to the computer. I'm having trouble opening the photos folder. Having lost all of my photos once before when my computer was stolen you'd think I'd have taken care of this before now. There's thousands of them to save.

Some mighty storm clouds passed overhead as I was leaving work tonight. It was awe inspiring. We didn't get any of the weather from these clouds though.

And there must be a rainbow.

And with that, I send you wishes for sweet dreams, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite.

I Love Weekends

We went out for a delicious brunch.

The far view from our table.

The near view. It was interesting to watch the crow staying balanced in the breeze.

mmmmmmmmm..........

We stopped to photograph this great community garden.

We've been working in our basement to set up a play room and studio area. Saturday we made a big dent in the pile to be cleared, sorted, and organized. It's coming along and I cannot wait until it's finished enough to start working down there. I need to find a small but strong window fan to put above the encaustic painting table then that area is ready to use. I'll post in-progress photos soon. It will be really lovely.

Saturday night we saw "> Sweet Honey In The Rock
in a fantabulous theatre.

I love weekends.

Happy New Year!

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I send out wishes of a most joyous Chinese New Year!

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I saw evidence of spring this morning.

I love snow drops, so delicate and yet so clearly hardy.

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Finally, I leave you with this, a most beautiful song.

Imbolc (Here Comes Spring)

Today is Imbolc. Half-way between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Read more here or here. I saw my first snowdrop and crocus of the year yesterday. Right on time as Imbolc is celebrated at the first signs of Spring.

We spent our day running errands with necessary stops at the arcade, the bookstore, Daiso, the hardware store for art supplies, and our favorite sushi restaurant. At home my delightful wee boy made me laugh with these.

I pulled these beauties out to start thinking about what I'm going to do with them. These are small domes of copper that I've patina'd red. I love this color. I'm thinking I'll pair them with coppery brown pearls and patina'd silver.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Bah! I have to learn how to format these posts.