2 new events for August!

I'll be showing small mixed media works and paintings at these events- hope to see you there!

Bazaar del Mundo
http://www.bazaardelmundo.com/
4133 Talyor St. San Diego 92020
619 295-3161
Visit the new upstairs gallery dedicated to my works!

Special event on August 1-2-3
Latin American Festival
Look for my booth in the courtyard!
10am to 8pm Friday and Saturday - 10am to 5pm Sunday

Summer Talmadge Show
http://www.talmadgeartshow.com/
Saturday August 16th
10am to 4pm
Encinitas Library Community Room
540 Cornish Dr.
Encinitas, CA 92024

Preview Party
August 9th 4pm to 7pm
Trios Gallery
404 N. Cedros
Solana Beach, CA 92075
http://www.triosgallery.com/

D'Alessandro workshop

Just finished taking a workshop at San Diego Watercolor Society with Sandi D'Alessandro. Wonderful workshop! I highly recommend it! Sandi really stretched our imaginations with color and creative exercises. I worked and worked this painting - we started with a charcoal value drawing on a gessoed surface - then applied layers of acrylic. I couldn't get the values and hues that I needed and became really frustrated. I added soft pastels on top in my studio and felt a lot better about the work.

I call this piece "Agave Excelente" It still might not be finished......

The perfect coffee house entrance found in Florida

Viva la Vida

My nephew Jordan and his lovely bride to be Mandy are getting married this weekend in Florida. I designed the invite illustrations. Mandy requested a paisley design with seashore elements. Jordan requested negative painting!

Blessings to both of you!

This is a special piece- it's now owned by a lovely lady who came to my booth at the Rancho Santa Ana Gardens in Claremont, CA. www.rsabg.org

She lost her family to Katrina and her sister loved butterflies....

The poem reads:

A Beautiful Song Resounds

I sing the flowers

Butterflies of song.

Would that they leap forth from myself,

Let my heart enjoy them.

Xayacamach- Aztec Sage

Viva la Vida

San Miguel de Allende is a magical place for artists. Fiestas, fireworks, musica, cafes, cafe con leche, processions with angels and songs, hiking in the Jardin Botanico, sharing laughs with friends and best of all- Color! I spent a week there with my friend Barb-each day was an adventure- great finds like metal angel wings and mini metal nichos for assemblage. We walked everywhere and stopped in cafes for drinks and yummy foods. Life is good.

Warren Ranch Paintout

I was invited to be the Demonstrator for the San Diego Watercolor Society www.sdws.org May Paintout at the Warren Ranch near Escondido, CA.
The area is a canvas of golden rolling hills , mustard flowers, oak trees as well as wild turkeys and other creatures seen as we drove to the ranch. The ranch is located at the border of Rancho Guejito, the last remaining intact Mexican land grants. A holdover from the days of the Mexican dons and missions, the Guejito, at more than 21,000 acres contains an intact Mexican Land Grant much as it was when it was created in 1845. I hope that this beautiful land will continue to be preserved for the future.

About 30 artists gathered for a quiet morning taking in all of the beauty. Our hosts and artists provided tons of yummy foods and coffee! Thanks to all for a great adventure!

Maude's illy

Kathy http://www.themaudeblog.blogspot.com/ created this fun creature in my Book Arts class at Oceanside Museum of Art http://www.oma-online.org/. We printed small images on a Gocco printer- it took us 3 hours to figure it out and after burning up 4 blubs we got it to work!

My friend Jane http://www.janeville.blogspot.com/ gave me (Thanks Jane!!) the printer and I finally had a chance to test it out. Its a great little printer with waterproof inks. So.. its perfect for watercolor washes as you can see here.

Asilomar Art and Soul

Heaven on earth.... that is how I describe Asilomar http://www.visitasilomar.com/ in California. It's located on the Monterey Bay Coast with a front yard of brilliant white sand dunes, verbena and poppy flowers, deer, and the pounding surf. My friend Beth and I attended Art and Soul- an artist's retreat. http://www.artandsoulretreat.com/

Needless to say we had a great time- I took workshops with Daniel Essig, Sally Jean Alexander and Tom Ashman in Book Arts and Soldering.

I discovered that torching to patina copper is fun and soldering.....well.........it takes a little practice.

Took my art classes to Palomar College Cactus Garden in San Marcos, CA. On Monday Ron brought an outrageous salsa and Phyllis brought the chips. My Friday classes went as well- Margaret brought donuts. We spent the time drawing, taking photos, munching, and painting.....What more do you need in life?

oh, and this is for Ron: Agave salmiana ferox!

....and thanks again for the succulent plant gifts