Oh Artfest

Oh Artfest, It is bittersweet to see you go. You have been there for me for what feels like a very long time. You have found amazing art friends for me that live near and far. I have looked to you each year with eager anticipation and you have left me fulfilled with joy. What will I do without you? Another Artfest passes, and it's even more poignant, as its the very last one. How lucky I've been to have made it a part of my life. As usual, it was a fantastic experience, filled with great classes, learning, journaling and laughing into the night, and reuniting with friends new and old. Spring is already a beautiful time of year, but it was a treasure to spend it in one of my favorite places with the cherry blossoms and tulips in full bloom.

Day one of classes with Michelle Allen creating "Dolls and Dudes". Super fun. I loved making these creations out of air dry clay and can't wait to make more. Michelle is a talented artist (and art journaler!) and you can see more from the class here.

Day two with Miss Mindy. I am in love! With drawing, with Mindy, with creating kooky characters that only make sense to me. This class somehow made me feel like I was in middle school again, drawing Disney characters and dreaming of being an animator, while also satisfying the grown up side of me that's in to pinups and pirates, and also dreams of creating a children's book one day.

I roomed with my hubby Chad, and dear friends Jennifer Joanou, Susan Elliott, Jennie Cook, Gina Armfield, and Alice Joanou in an Officer's house. Jennie is an incredible Chef and prepared ALL of our meals! So our dining table pretty much looked like this at all times, fully covered with journals, food and wine. I miss those journaling nights so much. These peeps are all incredible artists and makers, and inspire me always. Check them out.

The last day, painting with Miss Mindy. More love. Today we added color and paint to our vaudeville inspired creations. It was about the mercat all weekend for me. I'm thinking it's time for me to draw more, and keep developing these characters. Maybe these piratical, sea worthy guys will become my children's book one day. Or a comic? Zine? Paintings? We will see! Thank you Teesha and Tracy!!! There are hundreds of us indebted to you and now connected because of you. It's been a pleasure.

Glimpses of the Journey

Happy New Year!

Here's a little photo recap of the last 12 months and where they've taken me. I started the year out right in CA, with family, near the ocean for a good long visit. Feb took us to FL to visit more family. Spring and summer were spent mostly close to home with trips into Denver and time at the Boulder Outdoor Cinema and the Rocky Mt Folks Festival. My work was published in the summer issue of Art Journaling Magazine as well as in Real Life Journals: Designing & Using Handmade Books. Next came the biggest journey of the year, a trip to Greece with my Mom and Chad! Some good time with girl friends and our journals at Journalfest and a full blown family Thanksgiving in CT. December was thankfully spent at home, quiet and peaceful.

This new year promises to bring more change, some travel, and greater appreciation of it all. Too much time was spent away from home which made it challenging to fully appreciate all of it, and even harder to feel rooted at home. This year means making more art, selling my art for the first time, spontaneity, and letting things come as the come. Not planning to much, or over thinking, or anticipating everyone else's needs over my own. To just let it happen, and be fully in it. Happy New Year to you all!

The Finale - Athens

Athens is not the reason I go to Greece. Not this time anyway. It's a big, bustling city that unfortunately, beyond seeing the ruins, doesn't particularly speak to me. But we went again because my Mom can't go all the way to Greece and not see the Parthenon! So we went, and we wandered the Plaka, and hit some museums. The new Acropolis Museum was an amazing tribute the the Acropolis itself, in full view from the museum. The top level replicated all the friezes and columns of the Parthenon and was the same size and alignment as the ancient temple itself. Difficult to explain, but sometimes in museums the context is lacking. You see wonderful things without a solid, tangible sense of where it came from. Not so at this museum, with the real deal always in the background and with such thoughtful design choices.

For the first time ever, I got to see the real Caryatids, up close. This made the whole trip to Athens worth it for me. Unlike the reproductions at the site that you just can't get quite close enough too, you are able to walk right up to these. I circled these ancient ladies and pondered the burden they literally bore, as well as my own sense of burden and responsibility. I looked at them from different angles, and marveled at seeing them from the back for the first time. So I stood, and sketched. I took my moment to connect with the past and the beauty of these columnic statues. I was at it for a while, when the young museum guide came up to me. Just to look and to talk. He was sweet and admiring and shared how most people just come, look, snap a photo and leave. They spend more time shooting photos than experiencing, and it all gets put on a cd labeled "Greece 2010", rarely to be looked at again. He told me about the sketches on the top floor that helped them determine how the Parthenon once looked, before looting and fires changed its appearence. Drawings made by "someone like you", he said. That made me feel like a historian, an artist, an archaeologist even. That's me, capturing my little bit of the story with my journals and sketchbooks. Mine becoming intertwined with capturing what I see around me. But isn't travel a little bit like that? Your own path converging with the paths of many. Sharing with those on the same journey, at this present moment as well as all those who came before you. People living in and seeking out this place you have been fortunate enough to set foot upon. The first time I went to Greece I felt so close and so far at the same time. How odd and comforting it is to know what is going on somewhere else, that we are all connected by this time, this moment, regardless of where we are.

The Detour - Delos & Mykonos

One of the places I insisted upon going to this time was the sacred isle of Delos. This barren island was once the center of the Cycladic Greek islands, geographically and otherwise. Going here determined that we would indeed go to Naxos, seeing as boats leave from there to Delos. These boats as it turns out, go to Mykonos as well. Which is how we ended up going to one of the most known and touristy islands, against all desire to do so. The day as it turned out, was a really long one. The boat ride to Delos was peaceful and being on the water is a favorite of mine. Delos holds history and artifacts, but unfortunately the magic was stifled due to the hordes upon hordes of people. I had this fantasy of exploring the island quietly, slowly. But the schedule is firm and only as we ventured farther and farther out did I feel any peace. But we "discovered" ancient wells and mosaics along with temples and homes. My visit to the Lion terrace was heartbreaking. One of my truly guilty pleasure films is the movie, Summer Lovers, and I had the deluded fantasy that I could walk right up to the lion (replicas) just as Peter Gallagher and Daryl Hannah did. Just like most sites, it was blocked off and I had to admire at a distance, feeling very disconnected to this ancient place. I accepted this and moved on, thinking I could at least sketch the real deal in the museum, but naturally it was blocked off too.

After Delos, the boat took us to Mykonos and we had no plan, no intention other than to not get sucked into mindless shopping while we were there. First things first, we wandered aimlessly along the edge of the port town, through beautiful Little Venice, finally ending up at the windmills. Once the obligatory photos were taken was when the fun really began. We sat upon a high rock, overlooking the coast, marveling that we were truly here again. At last. We walked and wandered to tiny, quiet beaches moving further and further from the crowds. After more wandering through town, and a necessary gelatto stop, we headed back to the Church of Panagia Paraportiani. We stumbled upon this church earlier and it stopped me dead in my tracks. I realize that thousands of tourists "discover" this church in the same way, but it felt like it was there just for me, heaven on Earth. So we sat and looked and sketched. While tours passed by and gave it a quick glance, we stayed and basked in it's simple lines and beauty. Like the adobe churches of New Mexico, the lines were both crisp an organic, standing out against and disappearing into the blue white sky. Who knows where you will find your own sacred spots. When you have no expectations, even no desire, the most magical things can appear. The day was long and hot, windy and draining, but there is something to the trick of being alone in the crowds, and finding the undiscovered among the endlessly explored.

In Between - Naxos

Naxos was new to me, unfamiliar, uncharted... It's one of those islands that is less travelled to in the Cyclades even though its on the main ferry hub. It's a big island too, the biggest of the Cyclades. It had one of the most charming main port towns that I've been to. Sure, there are plenty of things to lure you in right off the ferry, but beyond it there is so much more. The food was spectacular. No kidding. For a place that already relies on fresh food, we ate like kings here. Long stretches of sandy beaches and a curving coast line of lesser explored coves. Ancient temples and Venetian castles. The Venetian influence on Naxos town was quite stunning. In September, on this island, felt...quiet. But it was still warm enough to swim, windy though it may be at times. We rented a car and toured the island, stumbling upon tiny old untouched towns, potter's hamlets, winding vistas, goats, abandoned giant kouros, and the sea, of course. It was a special island, one I would explore more deeply given the chance. We stayed at theAlkyoni Beach Hotel which has lush grounds (for the Cyclades), and is right on the beach (a plus in the off season) and close to town. While Naxos doesn't hold the magic for me of Santorini, or the peace and untouched feeling of Sifnos, it was still a wonderful time. One evening, in particular stands out. Listening to traditional Bouzuki music in the castle, sampling local wines and raki. The sound of the sea in the distance, while the music and dance filled us. It was one of those pure moments, the kind you can never capture and never need to.

The Beginning - Santorini

I found myself back at one of my favorite and magical places this September, Santorini. This time we stayed in Oia, where it was a little more relaxed and plenty spectacular. If you have never been there, I recommend you go at least once in your life. It is Heaven on Earth to me. Of course, it is over crowded, and over priced, which is not my thing, but going late or early in the season is an improvement. I dream of going in the winter, when it is empty of tourists and full of artists and writers. When there is brisk air and I watch the fishing boats bundled in my coat instead of bathed in hot sun. Even better would be to go to all the places I feel I have missed out on so far in the Cyclades. The islands that are so close, but people just don't go to because they haven't heard of them yet. Maybe Anafi as just as amazing as Santorini. Then there is the dream of Amorgos, Serifos, and the dream of dreams... just staying put on one of my favorite islands by far, Sifnos. Where there could truly be time to explore and settle in, cook food from the market and better yet, meet the locals. I am happiest when traveling when I feel like I am having an authentic experience, not the same one everyone else is having. Already I am dreaming of new places, Spain, Ireland, Mexico, but the call to Greece is unending for me. No sooner am I back, happy to be resettled into my life, that I dream of my return.

Reentry

So I am back. Finally resettled into life after 3 weeks in one of my favorite places, Greece. I have so much to share, to tell... but it seems to have to become an awful lot to process. So I will start by starting. Thank you everyone for your well wishes before my journey, and for the compliments for the travel journals I made. There is still so much for me to add to my journal, since with three of us, more time was spent with each other than with our books. So I will slowly make time to retrace my steps, add to my book, then share the results here.

Coming home was a surprise. How long the jet lag lasted, and feeling like I lost time somehow. Leaving in summer and coming home to holiday decorations everywhere. I am out of the haze but not back in the studio yet. I have another piece published to share with you all, and many pictures from the trip to share as well. This week I celebrated my eight year wedding anniversary. Still amazed that I am at this stage in life, with marriage underway and other dreams coming to fruition. Needless to say, I am very grateful at the moment. Grateful for the journey, and also for the journey home. It's good to see you here.

(All pics by IPhone hubby photog!)

Seattle Trip

Here are some pictures from out trip to Seattle and Port Townsend. These photos were taken by Chad and myself with the Toy Camera App on our iPhones. These first ones are day one of our trip, taking the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island. It was wonderfully moody and misty. Being in Bainbridge Island in October was like being in the most nostalgic memory of Halloween you have. Fall leaves were bursting with color, pumpkins at every stoop, and kiddos playing in the leaves. Wetness and the rustle of leaves filled the day.

The next day we headed to Port Townsend where JournalFest was held. Another picturesque seaside town will all my favorite things, good seafood, shops, and an old downtown very much like the one I always dream of living in.

After JournalFest we spent a few days in Seattle. We enjoyed the typical things like salmon and clam chowder at the market, ferry boats, just walking around town. My favorite though was Gasworks Park. How did i not know this existed? The imagination runs wild in a place like this! Here you see me with my Diana mini. I am testing her out. She is great to travel with because she is so small and versatile, but we'll see how she compares to my trusty Diana+ once the pictures come back. More on a project involving my Diana and diana jr. coming soon. Stay tuned!

Salida weekend

I spent this past weekend hanging out in Salida, CO. We went with no plan, only having heard what a creative and outdoorsy community Salida is. What we didn't know was how friendly everyone would be and how much fun we would have. We stumbled upon great restaurants, live Bluegrass music, and this great spot on the Arkansas river. We spent the day swimming, jumping off rocks, sketching for me and fly fishing for Chad. There is already talk of a return trip to go rafting. I took lots of pics with my Diana camera, and will post some once they are developed.

What a weekend

What a full weekend I had! First off I went to see a great movie, Away We Go. It's been a while since I laughed so hard at the movies. Not only was it a funny film, but it was heartwarming and bittersweet. Also a good reminder of how differently we choose to live. As individuals, as couples, as parents, as employees, as employers, as artists, as people. Makes me really appreciate the paths I've taken in life. The little and big ways I have tried to do things on my own terms, and not just take a path or live my life without questions.

On Saturday Chad and I headed up to Loveland again to see the Wayne Thiebaud exhibit. I was surprised to find such a known artist showing his work in such a sleepy little museum, but I am so grateful for it. I was vaguely familiar with Thiebaud's work, and knew very little about it. Like everyone else, his name brought to mind paintings of cakes and pastries. But it was so much more. I am always amazed at how even the best reproductions can't do justice to seeing art in person. I enjoyed the entire show, but most of all his landscapes and cityscapes. There was always more than one point of perspective, looking at trees face on and fields at almost an arial view. Streets would run straight up and down, the cars driving on them defying gravity. I loved how the pieces became about planes of color and texture. I believe the show will be heading back to California next, and is worth checking out if you can.

The rest of the weekend was spent mostly relaxing, movie watching, talking, and getting the kitchen ready to paint. I hope you all had a great weekend too!

Colorado weekend

What a beautiful weekend we had here in CO. I spent a lovely day in the mountains with all the wildflowers blooming and the hummingbirds zooming everywhere. Just breathtaking. There was hiking and laughter, homemade treats, and a bbq. I even managed to get a bit of sketching in.

Downtown Loveland, CO

I spent the afternoon recently on Fourth Street in old downtown Loveland, CO. It's just minutes away, and I can't believe this was my first trip. It's filled with all the charm of a quaint old town, but with new funky shops and restaurants. The show stopper was of course, Merchant Voyage. I nearly squealed with delight as soon as I set foot inside. A mixture of old and new things, nests, eggs, vintage flash cards, it is not to be missed! I left with two wire nests filled with faux bird eggs. Stopped in for lunch at Cipoletti's Italian Restaurant, and it was like stepping back in time. Through the revolving doors, past the wood bar, jazz, great food, and I was back in another time.