What a Night!

Monday night I went to San Francisco with Dianne Smith who has organized the Running Fence recycled art collection. She had been in Scottsdale not too long ago and had gone into a gallery called Art Space. She talked for a while with one of the owners, Shirley Crane, bought a scarf and then started talking to her about the art work with the running fence. Shirley was very interested.

Dianne, in talking with Shirley, indicated that Liz Berg was one of the participating artists. Shirley said, well, Liz Berg is one of our artists!

What fun! Two people who sell my work meet each other!

So, Shirley was coming to San Francisco for a medical appointment, arrived Monday early evening, and we met her at her hotel and went out for dinner. Just before dinner, however, Dianne showed her a bunch of the work she had brought and I also showed Shirley my new work. She took three medium sized Color Blocks with her and then told me how many other pieces she wanted. What fun!

So, Tuesday I was busy packing up art work for Art Space in Scottsdale and got a whole bunch of stuff shipped off. I still need to get some rings sewn on the back for hanging on some of the pieces. Then those will go off also.

Let me tell you how much fun it is to sit with two women who sell your art work and say all sorts of great things about your work!

I have received enough validation to last at least 2 weeks....in reality, far longer!

Now back to work!

Art Decisions

I go through periodic times when I am not sure just where I want my art to go. I spend a lot of time looking at other artist's work, all of whom are so much better than me, that I begin to feel inadequate. However, the other part of me reminds myself that they are not necessarily better but are different. My work is different. But I reach a point in time with my work that I am ready to move on and explore some different ways of doing things.

This happened a number of times last year as I had put so much time and energy into my Life Circles pieces that I couldn't figure out what could come after that. So most of the year I didn't get a whole lot done (although I easily forget that I got California Dreams 2 done and California Dreams 3 started which go finished this year).

It wasn't until I went down to be artist in residence at Asilomar for the Empty Spools seminars that I got myself going again. I packed up prefused batiks and thus started Color Blocks. Well, now I have done almost 40 from anywhere from 4x6 to 50x50". I have framed a lot of them and now need to seek out gallery space for them. But they feel easy. They are fun but I am not feeling a depth in them that I would like.

So I am finding myself searching for a new meaning, a new challenge, some new ideas. I have come up with the ideas for California Dreaming 4 Foothills which I should be started as soon as I get some more images taken to create more silk screens. But I want something more.

I want something that is just the essence of what ever it is. I love simplicity. I love to keep people wondering. I love to have depth in my work. I love for it to grab you from a distance and bring you in.

But in what direction am I going to go?

I spend time doing some jotting down of ideas, reading books which offer to help, etc. I brainstorm ideas when I come up with a thought and write it all down. I am still searching.

I got really excited about the possibility of the commission but it is three weeks and the project has been put on hold so now I have to wait until Monday when I can call them again to see where we are. But that hasn't stopped me with the idea that I had and I have pieced together a section that is the beginning and am ready to start adding more....but I want to know I've got a commission!

Such is life. I still make art of some sort of other but I am looking for that challenge, the what if, the where will it go, kind of thing. Bear with me!

New Classes!

I have just listed two new classes for on line students!

Better Art by Design will begin on Sept. 19, 2008 and will go for six weeks. Cost will be $225. You can sign up by clicking the link on the right (sign up for classes) or go to the website and read the full description.

Also, for those who have already taken Better Art by Design and are gluttons for punishment, Advanced Design will be offered for 5 lessons started January9. Lessons will be two weeks apart. Again, sign up via the link to the right or go to the website.

Color Blocks 31 and other stuff

Color Blocks 31

This piece is 10 x 8" and is unmounted. It is square although the image in the above picture is not! $125

Other news: My journal quilt, California Fire did not get accepted in to the show for Houston. Ah well, so it goes. You win some and you lose some.

I need to get images made of my work...so much to haul off to the photographer but so necessary.

Today we received word that a young rising star named Lauren died this past week. My husband coached her in soccer for about 4 years. Lauren had gone on to college, then medical school and just took her boards for anesthesiology and had passed. She died at the age of 30. This young woman was such a bright star, I can only envision a dying star burst....her spirit will stay alive in all those who knew her.

Little by little it gets done

Late yesterday I received notification that I was not moved into the second round for the public arts program to create art for a new sobering center. But! five minutes later I got the message that I was moving on to the second round for the Juvenile Justice Center. This means orientation meeting, and getting my ideas down on paper...I will know more when the paperwork comes next week.

And, procrastinator that I am, I finally got my quilt sent off to Breaking Traditions. I also included a couple of fabric postcards for Lynn to use as incentives. Well, that's out of the way, now I just have to get my image in to SAQA for the auction! Ah, tomorrow....

And, I also got my reservations made to go to New York in November! I will be teaching at the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops starting Nov. 2 and ending the 8th. What a fun trip that will be! I hope I don't need heavy duty clothing as this California girl just doesn't have much!

I also got a call today from the Galesburg Art Center asking if I could move my show date from October, 2009 to May,2009. That actually works better for me since I will be having a show at PIQF in October, 2009. Then I don't have to worry about running all around to get everything ready!

Now, if this cold would just go away! I must say, I sure am getting my doses of vitamin C! Today I just went out my back door and picked five fresh, juicy, sweet oranges and stood over the kitchen sink while I wolfed them down...oh, but life is rough!

Oh My goodness how time flies!

Well, am I ever behind...I really haven't dropped off the edge of the earth but have again been slowed down by another cold. I saw the doctor on Monday just to be sure it hadn't moved in to my lungs and his diagnosis was that I have a cold and should be better in 5-7 days (since about 3 days had already passed) and you know what? Today I am beginning to feel better. Still coughing a lot but feeling better!

So much has been happening, I think....my head has been a little groggy.

I went down to Long Beach for the Quilt Festival with Carol and Robin and we drove down 101 which is sure much prettier that I5 which goes straight through the middle of the state and is all about feed lots, farms and ranches and not very interesting. Had a delightful drive and stayed at a Marriott Extended Stay which was nice as they had full breakfasts, and we had a kitchenette, a living room, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. I ended up sleeping on the hide-a-bed which worked out just fine. We spent three days at the show. I was working each day, doing a two hour stint at the demonstration area for Quilting Arts. I just set myself up and talked to lots of people and showed them how I make my color blocks. I had taken a lot of precut 8x10 pieces of timtex and prefused fabrics and cut out and ironed away. Saw several people from the Art quilt list and got to connect some names and faces. Also saw a couple of past students from the Heart in Hand retreat in Cambria from earlier this year and met one of my on-line students...what fun!

I also got to chat with Larkin Van Horn whose table I would take each time she finished her stint. Jamie Fingal did time with me at her own table and Alisa Burke was also there. Beryl Taylor was there, too as well as Ruth Rae. What a great group of people!

Spoke briefly with Pokey about a couple of ideas for future articles which I will need to flesh out and get to her.

Barbara, from the magazine, took really good care of me while I was there and got my iron and everything else I needed! What a great group of people!

Came home an had an interested email from an advertising company which is interested in having a piece made for a book they are producing for an energy company. Responded and discussed ideas. But right now there are some things going on politically in the region where the company will be working so the advertising company is laying low for a couple of weeks. Ideas are flowing all over for a quilt which will be a background for graphics and text for the article. I really hope this comes through as it is exciting.

While I was in Long Beach, I created 9 of my color blocks so got them finished when I came home. Spent yesterday trying to get all of these silly things figured out...some have sold, some already have numbers and a bunch don't and some even have some pictures I have taken of them so tried to sort them out as to which image went with which number...got thoroughly confused (of course it was because I was coughing so much and peeing in my pants too much to stay focused!) so now I have to go through all the pieces and see what I don't have photographed. Then, on to the website.

Gloria Hansen and Derry have fixed my website and moved it to their server so I won't have outages any more. They have also given me a page for mixed media so now I have to get work up for that.

And, got my submission in for consideration to do work for the San Francisco Libraries with their Public Art program. Am still waiting to hear if I made the first round with Alameda County and their public art program. Those are so time consuming to take care of but I love the idea of doing public art!

My studio will be part of a tour for people going on the bus trip when they attend PIQF...right now it just says two well known artists but I know who we are!

Also, Jane Davila and Elin Waterston have put together another book and I have created a number of pieces that will be in the book, as well as work by a number of other great artists. We are doing a swap so we even get some art work out of this. It was really fun to do. I am not quite sure when the book will be out but their last book was really great!

Gotta go take pictures of new work. I did get a piece finished to enter in Quilt National...haven't done that in years!

I've Been Working So Hard

Down at the studio....everyday day almost except I didn't go on Sunday. But today seems to have been the most productive, or at least it felt that way.

I realized that I have get a journal quilt done...oppssss....I know what I am going to do and have been thinking about it so I think I will do it tomorrow. Saturday I finished up the quilting on California Dreams III which turns out to be 57" x 84" or something or other. Now I have to decided on what fabric I want to use for a binding on this piece. Finished the quilting today on my new Color Blocks that is 48 x 36 and got started on the background of another Color Blocks of the same size. Also got Ashton's baby quilt worked on...did the animals and palm trees and fused them all down...now to find a backing for it and then I can put it together and do the satin stitching around the animals, grass, trees, etc. Then machine quilt it and get it bound with satin blanket binding. I also had found a chicken quilt top I had made four or five years ago while traveling around in our RV so got it put together with the backing and batting and it is ready to quilt.

So, now I need to cut timtex to size for 8 x 10 to take to Long Beach to work on color blocks while I am doing open studios there. I will be showing my working methods on Friday 12:40-2:40; Saturday 2-4; and Sunday 12.40-2:40. This will be a lot of fun but I have to drag my sewing machine down with me. Oh well...that, my tim tex and batiks and away I go! More little color blocks coming up!

Tomorrow I need to make my journal quilt...out comes the upholstery material, the lutradur and what ever else I can think of. But I will get that done.

Then if there is time I will put together Ashton's quilt so I can sew on it. I will also cut out the binding for California Dreams and who knows what else....maybe I can even quilt on the chicken quilt!

So much fun!

Come by and say hi and just chat with me in Long Beach! This, too, will be lots of fun!

Spending Other People's Money

Thursday was such a delightful day! We met again at the Alameda County Arts Commission to pick out the pieces of art work we thought we would work well for the space which was getting them. Three of the members of our committee were from the department that was getting the work. There was one other artist and then a member from the Arts Commission Board, who happens to be the chair of the art department at California State University East Bay. It was fun meeting him.

We walked in to the room which had lots and lots of art work. It was not all for us to look at as another agency was buying $60,000 worth, another agency had some money also, and, we found out our budget had been increased by $1000 so we now had $3500 to spend on art.

We saw all of the pieces that had registered highly on our voting from three weeks ago. What an interesting process. First we viewing them all, kept notes for ourselves (basically voting on them), had lunch and then started deciding which pieces we actually wanted to consider and which we absolutely did not want. That got the pile of 120 pieces down and we eventually settled on five pieces of art from three different artists. I tried mightily to get them to chose two woven pieces which were just stunning. But, the pieces that were chosen were all abstract and very different. The three guys from the agency took the opinions of the other artist and myself and carefully considered what we had to say. We were there to give voice to an artistic sense of worth, not just if we liked something, so issues of color, complexity of design, and composition were more important to us.

We ended up spending $3900 (we pleaded for an extra $400 to allow us to buy one very special abstract piece). What fun that was!

Now I know exactly what will be happening when the two calls for works are reviewed which I responded to. One is for commissions for a Sobering Center to do several pieces (there is a lot of money there) and the arts commission reserves a certain amount for emerging artists (which I was two years ago when they bought 4 pieces of my work), mid-career (which is what I am now) and I've forgotten what they called the last category. That work would be the most expensive and they would probably pick up only a couple of pieces from that last group.

Some More New Work

I have spent the past three days at my studio. What a wonderful place to be! I am able to sit down and reach Alyson's book, think about it, write some notes, do some machine quilting, and work on my Color Blocks. I have started one that is much larger but I am not going to show it until maybe after it is done...if it really turns out then maybe I will enter it in a show.

Anyway, Color Blocks 23:


color Blocks 24:

Color Blocks 25:
Each of these is about 24 x 17"

I have really appreciated all the support from people on my blog about my anon. editor. She did make some good suggestions but it was a short conversation on my part for my blog which I sent to the Quilt Art list and the SAQA yahoo group...not an article for publication in a magazine or professional journal so I wasn't too worried about it.

Besides, I have other things to do. I am also finally getting a baby quilt made for my second grandson, Ashton, who is now 7 months old. I decided I had better before he was too grown up for it!

Tomorrow I am back down at the studio to do some more machine quilting with George, work on the new Color Block and work on Ashton's quilt.

Commercial Break!

I will be teaching at the Hudson River Valley Inn in New York starting Nov 2, 2008. We start with a wine reception on Sunday evening and then have five full days of learning about composition and color and working on individual projects. We still have some space so contact Kim either through the web above or by phoning 1-888-665-0044 to reserve your space at this beautiful, elegant historic country in New York where the food is absolutely awesome!

On Being a Professional Artist-- I Stand Corrected

I came home today and found a copy of my blog about being a professional artist copied and with corrections to my grammar and the content of my sentences. How nice!

I thought, even though the corrections were appropriate, that there was no personal note enclosed, no return address, no signature...just something sent to me at home anonymously. My only thought is that it must have been someone from the SAQA list who felt that my writing was not professional (as professional in the title was circled) and felt it necessary to show me that I was not writing in a professional manner. I figure it must have been someone from SAQA as that group has access to my mailing address. The only clue I have is a post mark of Mamasota, Florida.

I have never claimed to be a complete, all- the -way -there, professional. I would not have minded the corrections at all if that someone had been nice enough to include their name and a note.

Doing the Work

I have just gotten a fun little article done for Fibre and Stitch magazine for the next issue. It is about making your own rubber stamps so I had fun making more and stamping fabric.

My goodness, my last entry has sparked a lot of commentary. I was chastised for not posting the piece directly on the lists (primarily the SAQA list) rather than sending people to my blog to read it. I just felt it was a little long for the list. Oh well.

The responses have been really interesting. There were feelings that I gave short shrift to "artists" but the purpose of the entire thing was to alert some people to the fact that becoming a professional artist, one who is making art their business, takes a lot of time, not just making the art but in doing the marketing. This fact seemed to get lost with a lot of people.

At not time did I intend to suggest that one way is better than the other. Only that in order to become a business, it takes a lot of time and energy.

There were a couple of comments about family members who had their own business and how much dedication and time it took. That is what I am talking about. Anytime you are self-employed, it is all on you.

I also didn't say that I was able to do all of the things I listed all of the time, either! I flake out, I space out, I play too much solitaire when I can't think straight, I am certainly not the picture of a professional artist.

However, I am working at getting more organized in the business sense and getting my responses in to calls for proposals for shows. I have also submitted portfolios for two calls for commissions from the Alameda County Public Arts program and am searching through other calls for those that are appropriate.

I have really enjoyed the thoughtful responses to my comments! Thank you all!

Now, back to critiquing my class work and getting some facings sewn down.

The Professional Artist versus The Artist

I have been thinking alot about my role as a professional artist versus just being an artist. Whether one is an artist or not is brought up on the QuiltArt list regularly. It seems many people get the "professional artist" mixed up with "the artist" parts. Let me explain from my point of view.

An artist is one who creates art. The artist may or may not sell and/or show their work.

A professional artist is one who creates art and is making it a business...meaning constantly seeking out show opportunities, sales opportunities and other ways to make money from their creative endeavors.

Well, let me tell you, there is a really big difference between the two of them!

An artist may decide to just wait for the muse to strike and then create at that time. An artist might decide to not create art for a while although they usually keep something going somewhere. An artist does not spend many hours on the computer seeking show opportunities.

A professional artist keeps a complete catalog of their work, which includes images, descriptions and information about shows and awards involving each piece of work. The professional keeps up a current artist statement. The resume is keep up to date. Calls for shows, galleries, museums are all searched twice weekly and considered for appropriateness. Shows are entered on a regular basis. Packets are sent out regularly to different galleries and museums which include a digital submission of images, a list of those images including pricing, size, etc., a cover letter, that up to date resume and anything else that might be appropriate.

A professional spends a lot of time (probably more that half of a workweek) doing the business part of being an artist. Maintaining accounts, banking, writing notes, contacting different places to arrange for teaching, writing lessons, writing articles, keeping bills straight, shipping and mailing, getting postcards and business cards printed, getting images taken, resizing images multiple times to fit various requirement (why can't everyone use the same size and resolution?), etc. etc., etc.

A professional artist does not work a 40 hour work week but more like 60 hours per week which factors in time to create, time to reflect, time to contemplate, time to renew, time to view others' work, time to read professional magazines....ugh...maybe that workweek is more like 80 hours per week...I do take Sundays off...well, sort of.

Want to become a professional artist? Be prepared to create even when you don't feel like it, doing the business even when you don't feel like, meeting deadlines, fusing with little details, hauling stuff around, cleaning the studio, going to the studio even when you are tired, teaching even when you are really sick, and making nice to people you don't really like.

Want more information about how to do it? Read Alyson Stanfield's new book "I'd rather be in the studio". Her book is filled with lists of things you need to do! Don't just think about it...do it!

Three More

I have just been amazed at the positive comments made on yesterday's post about the work shown. It is so great because this is a very new style of work for me. After teaching my first on line class called Better Art By Design and spending so much time discussing the elements and principles of design and critiquing a lot of work, I just decided I wanted to go back to basics and work in the abstract with shapes and focusing on design principles. It has been so much fun and I am very happy others are enjoying the work.

And this is Color Blocks 19 which is 26.5 x 20":




Here is Color Blocks 21 which is 25.5 x 20":



And here is Color Blocks 22 which is 26.5 x 20.5":

So now I just have to get my images ready for my website and load them up there! What fun!?

Again, many thanks to all of you for such nice comments! You all made my day today!

Some New Work

I thought I would share three of my bigger Color Blocks pieces. I have just finished two more today but didn't get them photographed yet.


so, this is Color Blocks 20 and is 29 x 38 ":Color Blocks 18 which is 26 x 19":
Color Blocks 17 which is 28 x 21":
I am having so much fun with these! The ideas and colors just keep rolling right along.

Not much else happening...I have been spending way too much time on the business end of things and not enough on the creation end. Oh well, that is the way it goes. Being ill for so long has really put me behind. I have to update my catalogue and my website....more computer time!

A Day Looking at Art

On Friday I sat in as a juror/selector for art for the County of Alameda, my home county in CA. I had been asked to sit in on this call as one of the two artists who would be looking at the work. The Arts Council for the county has three calls to artists out...this one which was due a month ago and two more, that I am submitting work to, that are due tomorrow. Since I was not eligible to enter this current one, they ask me to be there.

What an interesting day. This is all percent for arts money that is being used to purchase work. We were looking at work for one smallish office which only had a budget of $2500 to purchase work for the office which is a central starting point for people seeking building permits. There was one person who was in that office and then two others who are also located in the same building and are in the planning department. There was another artists, a painter and then one of the Arts Commission members who is an architect. He could discuss and voice his opinions but is not a voting member. And then there were two staff.

One of the Superior Courts has $60,000 to spend for art so they had already taken a look at the works and made some preliminary selections. The staff had reduced the number of works to view from over 1000 to about 230 pieces.

It was a very interesting process. We each had a list of the work, along with the artist's name, the medium used, and the retail price and size. Since our budget was so low, pieces of work over $2500 were excluded from our consideration. The first go-round viewing the work was fairly quiet as we each noted if we felt the piece was a yes, no, or maybe. Had a brief lunch break and then got down to business of running through them all again, this time with discussion about why we liked something. We got to hear other people's views about the work. Some, solicited no comments from us as we were all clearly a no on those pieces...the comments were on the maybes and the yeses. In the end, we turned in our choices on the sheet to the staff. They will tabulate and see which ones we are clearly interested in and contact artists to bring the work in.

In a month, we will reconvene to look over all the work we have selected, in person, and then make our final recommendations. Our recommendations go to the Arts Commission board who usually approves the recommendations.

We saw all sorts of work. A lot of "archival digital images" or what used to be photographs. Since there is so much work being done on the computer, the way these were put together was really interesting. One person created panels that were 36 x 60" and had three images (actually they were like strips of images) in a triptych on the one piece of fine art paper. One of the pieces had three different views from a freeway, but they were images of the freeway itself. Another had three images of the ground, but various kinds of ground. Lots of mixed media. One person had created two different plaid patterns out of shoelaces...it was interesting but I am not into all over patter which this was. One piece was painted with beads added. There were no other textiles in this bunch although there was one painting that had fine embroidery added to the work.

It was really great to sit in on this process. I called a good friend afterwards and told her that both she and her partner need to submit their work for consideration to the next calls that come out. There is absolutely nothing to loose....and so should you!

Our county is now using an on-line service which collects all the artist information. Each artist uploads images and then chooses which ones to submit for consideration. We also submit our resume which is uploaded from our files and also our artist statement. Then, with the push of a button, the entire package is submitted to the council. Last time I did this I had to submit slides, 10 copies of the slide list, ten copies of the packet which included artist statement, application, resume and whatever else they wanted. Everything had to be numbered and put together into ten different packets with only one set of slides. That was a real pain! This is so much easier!

Feeling Better

Yesterday I woke up actually feeling good! I was so excited! I fooled around with email and then was about to get ready to go down to the studio (I haven't been there in ages!) and my good friend called to see if I was going to church. Sure, tomorrow, I said...no, today she said...I said oops I am ushering and reading a prayer...I had best get myself going! So I did and I got there on time but was tired afterwards. Still not up all the way.

But, today! I got down to the studio to take pictures of my new color blocks that had been in open studios as I am determined to get them all cataloged and up on my website.

Meanwhile, I keep having fun with my little collages, which are 5 x 6" mounted on 8 x 10 mat board. Several have found their way to other homes. They cost $20 each (plus tax if you are in CA) and $5 for shipping. Just let me know if you are interested.

So, the new ones are:

Wisdom Words 10: They are not dead who live in the hearts they leave behind. Native American proverb


Wisdom words 11: to know the road ahead, ask those coming back. Chinese proverb

Wisdom Words 12: A bit of fragrance clings to the hand that gives flowers. Chinese proverb


Wisdom Words 13: The absent get further off every day. Japanese proverb

My Turn

Well, I have had my turn at being sick, sick, sick...at least I knew what was coming and that it would last about 12 hours and then I would be exhausted for another day...but now I am much better.

I have a very appreciative daughter and son-in-law. I am trying to be the grandmother I had never had not had my children. My own mother was very formal and did not play with the children...I get down on the floor and have fun. It's about not needing to be the center of attention. But I also think it is a generational thing too. My family moved around so I did not see my grandparents very often. My maternal grandmother would come and stay with us for several months at a time (when we were in Japan and Hawaii) and it was fun to be with her. My paternal grandparents were very formal and my grandfather would pay me a nickle if I would be quiet and not say anything...what a message! Oh well, new generations, new times, and a very close relationship with my daughter's family...for better and for worse!

Some more Wisdom Words for your enjoyment. Again, these at 5 x 6" mounted on 8 x 10 mat board and are ready to frame, sell for $20 with $5 postage. Contact me if you are interested in purchasing one.


Wisdom Words # 7

Wisdom Words # 8 SOLD

Wisdom Words #9

The Sandwich Generation-make mine ginger cream!

Yesterday I took my father out to go to a class on cataract surgery which he is having next week. He did not bring his hearing aids so he could not hear the woman who was talking, nor could he hear the audio visual presentation. Because he has macular degeneration in addition to really bad cataracts, he cannot see at all out of his left eye. And his right eye isn't much better. So he couldn't read the booklet they gave us and could not see the TV screen either. After that, I spent time explaining everything to him and then drove him around running several errands.

I had been so tired from a very busy weekend that yesterday morning I went down to the studio for just a couple of hours in order to move everything back where it belonged so it would be back in working order and then took off to take my dad out. It takes me about 40 minutes, depending upon traffic to get to his house from mine. My studio is about half way there but out of the way.

So, after I dropped my Dad off yesterday at 5pm I got a call from my daughter. She was dreadfully sick, vomiting and spending too much time on the toilet. Her husband was also pretty sick but not quite as bad as she was. Jacob and Ashton were ok but could I come over and help with the kids as both adults were too sick...so grammy to the rescue!

Got there, fixed some food for Jacob, fed Ashton, played with Ashton, stayed out of the parent's way and then just as I was going to get Jacob to bed he started vomiting and vomiting and vomiting. All over the floor, all over the bath room, all over his clothes, all over the towel we got, etc. So into the bathtub he went while I cleaned up messes and cleaned him up. Then got him out of the bath and he proceeded to vomit all over me and the bathroom so back into the tub he went. I had nothing to change into. Yuck! Finally got him to bed and before I could even get him settled in, he started vomiting in bed...which of course meant clean bedding including mattress pad, sheets, and pjs and back into the bathtub to clean him up again. Got a big tupperware storage container for him to hang on to and that worked. Every 20-30 minutes he was up vomiting again. At one point mother and son were both in the bathroom vomiting together...

I ended up spending the night there just to take care of Jacob. Fortunately, Ashton did not get sick. But I was up until after midnight and then up several times during the night to empty the bowl and comfort a sick child. My husband's car was at the shop so he couldn't bring my pj's , robe and slippers over so a friend came to the rescue and brought them over. Finally I got into something dry and was able to avoid more stuff on my clothes.

This morning I took care of the boys and then finally left their house at 10am to come home, shower and change and then go off to Berkeley to pick up my father for more medical appointments regarding his eye surgery. Finally got him back home at 3: 30pm, stopped by a scrapbook store which has neat things, stopped and got a Foster's freeze ice cream and then headed home. Just as I got off the freeway I got a call from my daughter...Mom....where are you? Can you come help us some more because we have no energy to fix dinner or whatever.

So, super grammy to the rescue again. This time it was to cook chicken flavored rice, wash dishes, feed Ashton after his mom nursed him, play with Jacob who just wasn't going to eat, get clothes out of the dryer ( oh yeah, all the stuff got washed last night including my clothes), threw the ball for the dog for a while, changed poopy diapers, etc. I finally got home at 7:30 to a husband who tells me he is sick and has spent too much time on the toilet too and now has chills and fiver...

I think I will run away!

Tomorrow I am supposed to have the day to myself except that now I have to get the car from the shop. At least my dad doesn't have another medical appointment until Thursday and then that is it until his surgery date.

But in the meantime I am three days behind in doing critiques for my on line class. Well, I do plan to get those done tomorrow....

So, since I have fallen in love with Paul Newman's ginger cream sandwich cookies, I guess that is the one I will be!

But, in the meantime, here are some more of my Wisdom Words collages. They are again $20 each with $5 for mailing.

Wisdom Words #4

Wisdom words #5 SOLD

Wisdom words #6 SOLD

See you all tomorrow!

Wisdom Words Series and the end of Open Studios

I have started a new group of paper collages. These have been a lot of fun to do and I call the "Wisdom Words" as I have searched for various quotes that I have found to be so true, funny, or just plain important to remember. These have been incorporated into the collage. Many have raised images, image transfers, rubber stamping, stamps, images from my own photos and images from my huge collection of cabinet photos. Each of these sell for $20 plus $5 shipping USPS priority mail. Just let me know if you want one. I will be posting new ones each day! Each of these is mounted on an 8 x 10 mat board and is ready for framing. The actual collage size is
5 x 6".

Wisdom Words 1 "One does not discover New Lands without consenting to lose sight of the Shore for a Very Long time." Andre Gide SOLD


Wisdom Words 2 "The more you give, the more good things come to you" Native American Proverb SOLD



Wisdom Words 3 "A man without a smiling face must not open shop."

Additionally, today was the last day of Open Studios...two full weekends of interesting people, issues with my studio mate and 6 sales of my work! What was so very nice was the fact that I received many compliments on my work from other artists who are not fiber people but painters and sculptors, etc. That really feels good!

I met several more people from the studios where my studio is...only two of the many at the foundry are not live-work...all the rest have people living in them. One artist there, who makes electric cars and is 32, bought a piece of mine. We then had a fascinating conversation about how to apply fabric to the car he is creating that will be a bright green snake with the car as the head of the snake. We discussed various ways of coloring the fabric and how he is going to do this! It really sounds interesting. It has been fun to meet so many young artists who have new visions.

oTmorrow it is back to the studio to get things back in order to create! Find things my studio mate moved, clean up a dye pot that got broken, and start work on the design wall. Those batiks are calling me....liz....liz....liz...come to us! Well, I must answer, right?

East Meets West

Tonight was the opening reception, which, unfortunately I was not able to attend, of a Running Fence-reclycled show. The show is at the Palette Art Cafe in Healdsburg, CA and runs until July 13. Dianne Smith, a fascinating woman who owns lots of the Christo running fence panels that went through Marin and Sonoma Counties in 1976, has a group of artists who use the fabric to make art.

I had completed a rather large piece which included the running fence fabric and also some of the orange squares from the Gates in New York. Hence, the title, East Meets West. It has its debut this week at the show. If you are in the area, do stop by and take a look at the work.
Today was the second weekend of the ProArts Open Studios tour. Do come by my studio tomorrow between noon and 6pm at 4401 San Leandro St., Oakland, CA studio 27. There are three of us at the studio with all different work. I am happy to say that I sold three things last weekend and one today and had some nice people coming through. We have food and wine!