Shelter Me

This is the third in a series of Inner/Journey self portraits. I began in early November and finishing this one today. 24"x36" canvas, acrylic and collage. The first was "Altar for Miriam", "Crown of the Wind" and this one "Shelter Me". The size was not my favorite but I seemed to have gotten over that discomfort. I wrote the word Shelter in silver and there are Hebrew words from my old calendar. I added a photo of an ancient stone bench, a tree, a road and an ancient circular Hebrew calendar. The two birds were from another much older work and the moon is paper with gold and silver sewing. I wouldn't have the colors any other way, nor the shapes...this one gave me less lingering doubts...it feels like my sheltered self and I'm pleased with the green stone shapes as they are a trigger for the cold green stone of my favorite meditation exercise.

I've cleaned up the studio and placed a large (for me) 48"x48 " paper attached to a larger piece of masonite onto my easel. I don't know too much on this next series but I do know I will begin with charcoal and then white and black gesso....I do know I will use soft pastel but how much or what colors or shapes as yet to be decided...this will be a challenge for me as I haven't used pastel for years and never this large. The thought of the new work gives my heart a rattle but then where would the challenge be if not for one or two tricky monkey desires?ha

On New Year's Eve I'll layout a Tarot reading for myself and that will be the topper to all my writing and soul searching for the new year...I'll be sure to share in the next post! Cheers everyone....Happy New Year!!! 2010!!!

Artist's New Tools

Holiday gifts and special purchases...new chair...brand spanking new and clean. I will scotchguard it but I fully intend on using it so I welcome paint, glue stains. The arms are removable and it is so comfortable next to the old cast off bar stool I've been using for 10 years!

The Fletcher "framemaster" is a must have. No more fighting to secure art into the frame. This little baby snaps Framers points and secures the art for a lifetime!

The colorful red and black beauty SKIL octo sander with a dust filter will do all the "bad boy" sanding I could ever dream about...hopefully not too powerful as to make holes in precious canvas! ha

Now that I have several dream tools I can begin my New Years list. A list of things of 2009 to let go of.....a "word" to send me into 2010 and a list of what I want to bring into my world 2010.
Anyone want to share 2010 dreams, wishes and plans?

Winter Sunshine in Carmel

Winter in Carmel is cool and between storms...very sunny. If you click to enlarge you can see the green area to the right which is Pebble Beach Golf Course. This portion of the beach is right at the end of the village and is usually crowded with locals walking their dogs but at this moment the beach was all ours to enjoy.
We had a great time beginning with our room decor...French Provence...white paneled walls, red berber carpet with red toille drapes and bed accessories. Pablo said my face lit up when we entered...most rooms are so bland and this one was a nice change of pace. A continental breakfast was delivered to our door and they had the best fluffiest thick towels....all my favorite things! We enjoyed our usual shopping at quaint shops, beach walking and dining at some truly great restaurants. This time we added a tour of poet Robinson Jeffers "Tor" house for even more pleasure. Tor house was lovingly built by Jeffers of stone and a stone tower as well overlooking green foaming waves. Their lives in the 20's, 30's and beyond tell of a rich creative life in a village and area filled with artists and bohemians of the time.
Today I'm meeting with friend Deena and we are carving out our winter of support in our creative lives...we have titled this winter as "A Winter of finding our Soul Rhythms". We have each written a poem and found music that we will share and let be our first efforts in this place of study.

Yesterday's Painting

The canvas measures 24"x36" acrylic, collage. I'd say I'm in the middle of this piece. It's the third in the Inside/Journey Series. I'm using a paper moon I stitched with gold and silver threads several years ago. The blue photo shows it reversed in direction and thread color. I used the image for business cards and stationery. Well, now the original is being re-purposed to take me along to another aspect of my inner life. I have a guided meditation that leads one to enter the inside of one's body and access the one place as a personal sanctuary...I found mine to be a cool green stone bench in an alcove...a place I could lay my forehead on the cool stone and be comforted. The white area has already changed now to a green area...still needs work. The little birds (I like them) might have to go as it is no longer a good fit...we shall see. For right now I have quit the studio and will sit with it and see what is next.

We are making plans to go to Carmel next week...as regular visitors,
we received a 50% offer off on the room and a $50 dinner included if we stay three nights during the week. Hard to turn that down and even though its raining...we can be very happy in our room, Pablo writing and I have my journals and sketchbook. When there is a break in the weather we can always go out for a long walk on the beach or a little shopping around. The resorts want to fill up before Christmas so this is good for everyone.

This has been a great Hanukkah Holiday for me and I just want to thank all of you who wished me and mine a Happy Holiday...greatly appreciated!

UPDATE: We are off tonight and will return Friday! Why do we have to take so much stuff?

Hanukkah and Latkes

Tomorrow night is the first night of
Hanukkah and I've been out buying potatoes for the holiday dinner. I will be preparing latkes...shredded potatoes, onion flour egg, fried in oil and served with applesauce and sour cream....yummm. The photo shows some being fried in a cast iron skillet! The other photo shows the menorah with two blue candles and the white Sabbath candles in the glass holders. We need to eat early and get to services by 7:30 where there will be music (all kinds, choir, guitar, drums and children singing!) ancient prayers, and candles...a true festival of lights! After services dessert, cakes and even jelly donuts! I will try to take photos...it will be a joyous night!

Back to the Inward/Journey

24"x36" canvas, acrylic, cloth and paper collage. This is the second in a proposed four of Inward/Self Portraits. I relied in the beginning on the meditation and journal suggestion: Crowned child of the wind which has resulted in the title "Crown of the Wind". For this piece I was looking for essence, the spirit of my child within...this essence that I have been dragging around for years and years, finding ways to create joyfully. I studied Tamayo's work and began with a large piece of charcoal and paper towels. Eyes closed, left handed I was hoping to fill the entire space. Thirty drawings, no, no, no wiping with my towel over and over until this head seemed okay and then the body, legs and arms followed. I used an old tea towel for this doll like dress, the crown is lace used as a stencil and her heart a clock reading midnight. I related to the story of Cinderella as a small child having a bossy sister and also loved the stories of Raggedy Ann. The color began in reds and then to a turquoise with the addition of a favorite of mine, soft yellow. I like her, she speaks of my childhood dolls and digging back over 50 years into my childhood and who I was early on and how I became me now was a messy job involving mending and gluing and remembering.

I'm deciding to finish this series with three pieces instead of four, combining the suggested titles into one. I have a slice of a moon with hand sewing that I had made close to 15years ago and I think that will be my beginning point. I have some large abstracts in my head calling me so for right now I will do only three. This has been a rich experience this inward journey...a taking stock with so many memory connections. There was a wonderful topic on Kick It Up a Notch...Advice to a Younger Self. My take on the subject is that I am the exact result I need to be from all my life experiences and choices...granted they were not all great and many misguided but all in all the threads (good and bad) have nicely weaved themselves into me and my life. Anyone taking stock lately? Greeting the person you never imagined? Or in the place you could have never known? These three pieces, I hope will be my statement of "Here I Am".