MY SEAT BELT WAS FASTENED

"Never ask whether you can do something. Say instead that you are going to do it, then fasten your seat belt." -Julia Cameron

I just returned from an exhausting but exhilarating trip to the Art and Soul retreat in Hampton Virginia. What you see above is a photo of some of my images before they were used in my workshops. Many of the classes that I attended were new techniques and trying to complete projects in a day was quite a challenge, as I am a MAJOR PRODUCT ORIENTED person. I thought that the seat belt quote was incredibly appropriate.

One of my instructors, Stephanie Lee (terrific BTW), told me that someone has studied the creative process and it is the equivalent of running a marathon. Try that for 5 days. I'm not complaining here, just explaining the exhausted part.

"Things are not difficult to make. What is difficult is putting ourselves in a state of mind to make them."- Constantin Brancusi

I always marvel at those people that come with this amazing plan. Sketches, a thought process and reason for what they are about to do. I operate on what is around me and on the table in front of me. No plan. Half of my creative day is arranging . Below are just a few examples of what my unplanned attack produced.......please don't compare me to George Bush!!!

From Susan Lenart Kazmers class of transparent resin pages-




Michael Demengs "morpheous box" class, a "totemic" theme was born. If you have ever wondered about taking a class with him, don't. He is a master of knowledge, fun , music and the critique. I've taken a few and I never tire of his creative energy.


Inside of my " morphous" box. are samples from my class with the lovely Jane Wynn. We learned about patinas on all types of surfaces.

I took two great classes with Stephanie Lee. Below is from her plaster meets wax workshop. Just a detail. Much of my work hasn't been completed. Many of the classes were process oriented........yikes! That's tough for me. But like I said my seat belt was fastened.

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge". -Albert Einstein

Last but certainly not least, I had such a wonderful time with all of the old and new friends that I was lucky enough to spend time with. I did not take many photos this trip. Below is one you can puzzle over. Taken after too many beers on the last night.
duh!

eb........you look maaaaahvalous!!! .....as do you, Leslie and Jerri.

DID YOU EVER WONDER....

"Alas, for those that never sing,
But die with all their music in them". - Oliver Wendall Holmes

So I went to see the new Rolling Stones movie, "Shine a Light" in Imax. I loved it.

The music sounded great. They played some things that were very different from their regular play list and performed some of them with some of my favorite people, including Buddy Guy......dam right I got the blues!!! Martin Scorsese added old interview clips that were woven in beautifully and were quite humorous.

What REALLY MAKES ME CRAZY though, is when the music is rockin, there is a room full of people and NONE OF THEM ARE MOVING.

IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME? I watch something like this and hear amazing rhythms being played......I have to move. You don't even have to like the Stones. I jump up and down in my seat. My feet are bouncing. My head is swaying and nodding. I look around. Everyone else is still.

So, what would you be doing?

"Vintage" studio drawing by Karen Cole

MARGARITA ON THE ROCKS, PLEASE

The translation of the odd artsortment of photos above (the eyes are from a self portrait).....if you haven't figured it out yet is, I LOVE MEXICO!!! Yes, this travel slut went from skiing in Colorado, spent one day at home switching suitcases and headed off to Los Cabos, Mexico. It's been a yearly business/pleasure trip offered to us by one of our manufacturers. I had planned to not go this year. I thought it may be too much time away from responsibilities.......but, things fell into place nicely (don't you love when that happens).....and I was able to go.


"The whole world as we experience it visually, comes to us through the realm of color". -Hans Hoffman

There are some cultures, as in Mexico, that just sing with color. I feel so alive when I look around and am blasted by orange, pink, blue....you name it and it's painted on everything. Of course, the one time I have the time to actually sit down and sketch something I choose something quietly colorful. Perhaps if I had some decent materials with me I would have been a bit more adventurous.













I tried in vain to post while I was away. It's amazing how disconnected I start to feel. I can't decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing. The connection was beyond poor, so......to those of you that I haven't been able to connect with and answer I apologize.

In the meantime, I MUST mention what Seth is doing at thealteredpage. Get over there NOW!!!! I feel honored that I am a part of it. Have a seat and take a peek.

A HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR

Ok , so I'm not sure what really defines a journal vs. a sketchbook vs. a scrapbook. I'm calling these journal/sketchbook pages, I suppose. There really isn't much in the way of writing. I am not a writer, so I sketch out or collage what's on my mind that day and add a few words to remind my feeble mind what I actually did or throw in a few clues. We'll call it a "work in progress".

Went to see this all female Led Zeppelin cover band, Lez Zeppelin at the Telluride Conference center. They were INCREDIBLE. I couldn't hear for two days, so you know it was good.

Headed home tomorrow. See you there.

MOUNTAINS OF FUN

"The sport of skiing consists of wearing three thousand dollars worth of clothes and equipment and driving two hundred miles, in the snow, in order to stand around at a bar and get drunk."
-P.J. O'Rourke

"Skiing: the art of catching cold and going broke while rapidly heading nowhere at great personal risk." -author unknown


OK...I don't really believe all of that, well maybe part of it.....but I know many of you do and it made me smile. The photo above is what I thought was some great local recycling.

Still reporting from Telluride....or To-Hell-You-Ride, as the locals sometimes say. It's snowing like crazy at the moment. Taking a break from the mountain and doing a little "show and tell". I've tried to take a shot at journaling everyday, but I'm way behind. Too much fun doing other stuff. I've got limited supplies and as I mentioned before, it's like pulling teeth, to get this technique out of me......but I'm trying to keep it "free"and fun.....yeah, right!








That's Telluride airport above, taken from the ski slopes. The mountains in the far distance are in Utah......FAR away. The ski run is called "See Forever". Telluride airport is the highest airport in North America, at over 9000 feet.
Do you like a little adventure? Check it out.

DOOR, PUERTA, PORTA, PORTE, OVI, DEUR, DIE TUR, HURO, DOR, DRZWI, VRATA, DVERE

" There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception." - Aldous Huxley

Telluride Colorado has a treasure trove of doors. I could have gone on forever. But alas, I want to get out there and ski today.

After photographing just a few, I went over to the local hardware store looking for some copper sheeting, so that I could use one of the photos and create an embossed metal painting, of sorts.
Unfortunately, a small piece of brass was my only option, so I went for it.

"Happiness often sneaks through a door you didn't know you left open." - John Barrymore

I enjoyed working with the brass, though it was much stiffer than the copper and I couldn't get rid of the shine.

My inspiration. Keep those skis handy.

Most of the town consists of very colorful Victorian homes. Beautiful details, some of which are covered by the massive snow they've received this year.

Let the sunshine in.
A door to the past. What a gorgeous patina this old building had.

The old bank from the 18oo's now sells goggles and sunglasses. Go figure.

The entrance to the old jailhouse has a message. Can anyone hear?????


The door to the ski lift operators hut. What a view from 14,000 feet!

Entrance to the Smuggler restaurant. Grab a chair lift and have a bite.


Even the dogs of Telluride have a colorful place to find some shelter.

My door is open. Welcome.

Other people posting doors can be found at Elizabeths blog, thehouseinmarrakesh and Franks blog, mypaintbox. Enjoy!

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH

"Mountains are to the rest of the body of the earth, what a violent muscular action is to the body of man. The muscles and tendons of its anatomy are, in the mountain, brought out with force and convulsive energy, full of expression, passion and strength." -John Ruskin

Report from Telluride-

So I brought a sketchbook with me. I have such a fear of this journaling thing. I can ski down an expert slope with abandon.....I'm doing a bit less of that these days, though you have to challenge yourself once in awhile...... but, to put words and drawings in a journal/sketchbook......YIKES!!! I played around while I was on the flight over......(no movie, can you believe it!) I plan on trying to make as many entries as I can........remember, I said "challenge yourself once in awhile"......errrr, I think I'll go out and ski a few crazy runs.


Are you ready to follow me? Put your helmet on. (BTW, the day I bought this new fashion statement a few years ago, I fell and broke and dislocated my left shoulder).

Let's take this trail into town. SEE IT? Way down .........THERE!

SNEAK PEEK

Last May I was invited to participate in an altered book round robin with some wonderful artists. Eight from Australia and seven from the United States. Each of us chose a theme, created a book from which to launch our work and began sending the books from person to person. My theme is "Face It". It can be interpreted as the artists see fit. We will eventually get our own books back, full of amazing work , before the end of this year.


We just recently decided we would share what we are doing on our personal blogs......but just "sneak peeks". This month I received the first in a series of books from the Australian artists.

This one is entitled , "Science and Art". I got my inspiration from a Leonardo Da Vinci quote ".............art is the queen of all sciences".

THE SLIGHTLY OLDER THAN HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS GO TO THE FRIDA KAHLO EXHIBIT.......AND ART CAMP POST

I simply can not say enough about what a wonderful few days I had with some fantastic fellow artistic blogger women Constance, Susanna, Paula and Leslie not to mention my beautiful daughter Emily. Just imagine.....an inspiring trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit, a whirlwind tour of Philadelphia, two great dinners (if I do say so myself), many glasses of wine, discussions of many topics, including art, age (we were in our 20's, 30's 40's and 50's.....I won't say who was which age, of course), piercing, travel, friendship, family, art again.....I could go on......, hot tubbing, thrift store shopping. I'm thinking of going into the blogger girl travel and get together business. I loved every moment.

Above you see my shrine to the group. I received some very thoughtful bags of goodies...thank you all. The last day I had a mini workshop on copper repoussage (metal embossing) with Constance and Susanna. We made, what else?....Frida shrines!!

I decided to use a portrait where she looked pain free. Her work is shockingly personal in her depiction of her physical and psychological pain, I wanted to give her some peace.


We had a beautiful snowstorm that night. Can you see the snow?


The book was found in a thrift store. I thought it appropriately silly for this post. The two "dudes" are from Leslie.

The class gets started. I used to teach this in my art classes. There was no talking back in this group.......maybe a little.



The cookies and soup that Constance brought and the wine that Paula added are gone.

LONG LIVE BLOGLAND GET TOGETHERS!!!!!!


PLUS......I just realized today is exactly my ONE YEAR BLOGGING ANNIVERSARY!!!!