who knew - joint compound?

joint compound...

 makes for great art

 as I found out in 

Judy Wise and Stephanie Lee's class this summer

(they also have a wonderful book for those of you that missed the class).

Here are some pics of the beginning stages of these two  pieces.

 I first etched basic texture into the wet compound...

 then tried to figure out what I saw in the compound

and added a bowl and pots with this nifty little sewing device.

anybody know what it's called -

used for tracing patterns I believe?

 then I rubbed in some black acrylic

 to get some instant lines.

time for an art break

 after the on-line plaster class was over

 a group of us who had only met on-line during the class

decided to have a party at my house and share our art endeavors.

check out the table above filled with our fun...

 and meet my new friends

Melinda, Jill and Jeanne

 above is Jill's beautiful book and homemade case

 and interior pages

 and a plaster piece.

check out her blog to see "the kraken" - just gorgeous.

 here is Jeanne's bounty of beauty

 and her crackled plaster cat.

 next is Melinda's adorable cat

 and frescoed scene - 

just love these colors!

ok the art field trip is over 

and back to finishing my pieces.

 thanks for guarding Matteo.

 the next steps involved trying to pick out

the shapes I wanted and

 then adding lots of paint layers,

rubbing them out,

etching in others,

adding buttons and paper

some stamping and gold leaf,

 and finally putting them in the vintage frames I found for them.

think they will stay here until I hang them up.

On a different note, 

would love prayers or good thoughts sent my son and daughter-in-law's way in New Jersey

as they wait for the storm to hit Saturday...

geesh they have had the weather.

summer hop

finally summer arrives...

and Zoe and I could not be happier.

we get to enjoy the patio
and the plants

and the sun

and the most incredible wisteria ever

and the paths

and mr. crow who surveys the yard

and the fountain

and one foxglove left

and sedums too.

but of course the yard takes work

and it seems we rarely sit and enjoy it.

a couple of blogs back I showed you the tree that we took out here

(where I dream of a studio)

so we needed to change the gravel and planting area

and we worked two days to do that

and cut more trees

and everyone pitched in

to move bark and edge

(just love corgi butts)

and explore.

and finally some rest

and pool time.
now if we could just get day #7 above 80 degrees this summer...

ready for a change

in hopes that summer will stick around awhile longer

I decided to do my yearly

let's change the look of the blog

and update it with a crisp and summery feel...

so I will be experimenting and goofing around this week 

until I get it just right
or until I give up and throw photoshop out the window.
well I can't really do that but sometimes I want to.

so what do you think so far?

shall we fly south?

OK I happen to think this post is just brilliant

and nobody else but me left a comment -

hmmm...

does anybody else agree this is a great way to plunge into something new?

it just makes sense to me and I do believe 

I will try it with this new sorta phobia I have been experiencing this week.

let me explain -

here are various birds...

that I photographed while on vacation at Balboa.

don't they look happy?

well I do believe I am going to pretend to be them,
or more precisely,
 the canada geese that have already decided 
that it is time to migrate south for the winter.
do they know something I do not?
you see we have not really had a very sunny summer
(I do believe only 5 days just a tad over 80 degrees)
and I love living in the Pacific Northwest,
but I do require a gorgeous summer full of vitamin d 
to get me through our grey days until the next summer.
and I am feeling extremely panicky 
because I have not yet had my sunshine fix for the year - not even close!
this California girl (albeit 31 years living in the PNW)
is starting to hyperventilate and freak out to put it mildly.
So I will take Kim's advice and just pretend that I can soar south anytime I want.
maybe I can sit under a lamp to feel the heat, 
close my eyes,
hold out my arms,
 and just pretend I am floating above the clouds
with all the other canada geese honking around me.
it couldn't hurt.
and I do believe I am craving some grass and bread right about now...