a night to remember.....

 It's official ....I'm now a Signature Member of San Diego Watercolor Society! Thanks to all of my friends who attended the opening .....it was an evening of great joy! Thank you Jane, Don, Margaret, Ann, Madeline  for enjoying the evening with me!

Create Chicago!

Many thanks to all of my lovely students in Chicago at Create!
My students created some incredible works ....why one gal even printed an inky print right on her Create apron! How clever is that?   Thanks so much to our amazing staff who coordinated all of the workshops and dealt bravely with all us!

 Happy students from my Collage Monotypes workshop! 

The perfect day in Chicago...in every way..

Jane LaFazio and I spent Tuesday in Chicago before we began teaching at Create. It was the perfect day...light breeze...perfect temp. We took the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise...Highly recommended! 

 We posed ....."yoga in public places" at "Cloud Gate"...in Millennium Park near the Art Institute

as you can see...Jane is much better at it than I.....hey...I tried! 

and this incredible mosaic tile instillation is at Marquette Building. 

Off to Chicago...and then North Carolina!

Flying off to Chicago tomorrow to teach at Create....there is still time to sign up for my workshops!

Then...in October I'm flying out to Saluda, North Carolina  to teach at Random Arts.......
Owner Jane Powell will be interviewing me on her blog very soon.....be sure and check back on FB or at her site!

I'm teaching this......   Inky Prints        October 13

 and this........                                      Crinkly Inky Book     October 14

Art Unraveled Revisited

Oh what fun we had at Art Unraveled!  Thanks to all who took my workshops! 

 Lorie had us rolling on the floor with her rendition of "Vampire Coyote Bat".........on the left....

 Great day creating Collage Monotypes

 Crinkly Vestiges...a 3 hour workshop....love these!

 Christy....from New Jersey....flew out to take my workshops....Thank you!! 

 Inky Prints...

San Diego Botanic Garden Expressions of Art this coming weekend!

Come on and join us at San Diego Botanic Garden this weekend, Saturday and Sunday August 11 and 12 from 9 to 5 for Garden Expressions of Art  

I'll have new paintings on exhibit and I've made some clever new little journals for drawing, writing and painting....they will be on sale along with many other cool artsy things......

Floating, twirling, bubble dots.....

I promised this post months ago and never got around to it....this was one of our hikes in April in the East County near Ramona and Escondido. My hiking buddies and I hiked down to this wonderful creek and painted by the water. Ann inspired us by describing how to write a list poem.......a poem that lists items, repeats a phrase, contents of something.....I love the concept! Enjoy......

Sequoias week

Just returned from the Sequoias where I taught watercolor at Montecito Family Camp. This year I set out to do at least 2 hikes in the afternoons.   

Big Stump Trail near the entrance to the park. Sad history for these majestic trees...felled for profit. The remains are still there in the gentle meadows. 

 Native Azaleas in front of an old giant hull of a Sequoia 

 Buena Vista Peak at 7,605 feet

 view of Kings Canyon

 Plein Air morning down at the lake 

 Thursday Morning Painters

Kindness Chronicles

Today on the first day of July I'm participating in the Kindness Chronicles, a theme presented to me by my friend Jane LaFazio. Here is the idea in her words:
"The Kindness Chronicles was inspired by my friend, Lyric Kinard's series of blog posts in December, with the theme of "Making the World a better place with the joy of service and finding beauty in kindness. 

So....here are mine....

my friend made a special effort and stopped by my casa today...I'm recovering from a small surgery. We sat out in the garden chatting and relaxing. She brought me one of my favorite things...a Starbucks double shot latte....thank you Margaret!!

I finished up two classes recently. One of my students is in the wholesale and retail nursery business. My class went on a field trip to one of her nurseries, Oasis Water Efficient Gardens and painted on location. Its at a beautiful location in northern Escondido. I went overboard with excitement....I love succulents...everything about them ......so.... Deena gave my about 10 plants as a gift for my garden...I was overjoyed...thank you Deena!

 Another Student from my Mixed Media class gave me this beautiful box with a precious bird's nest in it...what a kind gift!  Such a simple expression of gratitude....thank you Donna!

Great times ahead

My Summer schedule is quickly filling up with adventures across the USA and I received  conformation that my painting "Morning at Elfin" has been accepted into San Diego Watercolor Society International Exhibition to be held in October!! Exciting to say the least........