Downeast Maine

It's been so long since I posted anything. Guess I needed to take a long break. Even so, I'm not entirely certain that I want to post on a regular basis. That being said, I wanted to share some photos of a recent trip to Maine.

We cruised around the islands (Cranberry Island in this photo). I think this picture best captures the rugged coastal beauty of Maine.

It was great September weather and we took advantage; hiking in Acadia National Park, canoeing and taking in the view from Cadillac Mountain on Mt. Desert Island.

One of the old gate houses in Acadia Park that was built in the 1930's.

Below is a snapshot of the beautiful Japanese Gardens near the tiny village of Northeast Harbor where we stayed.

Of course we indulged in some lobster-it was Maine after all! This red truck brimming with lobster traps was parked outside the lobster pound where we had dinner.


  We spent quite a bit of time in Bar Harbor, where the local ice cream parlor                                                      drew a constant crowd.




         A day trip down to Camden to see this beautiful seaport town.

All in all, it was a great getaway, and a nice break from the Texas heat. I took so many photos that it was hard to choose just a few to post, but I hope these give you an inkling of the charms of coastal Maine,.

San Diego to Santa Barbara

Two years ago we drove up the PCH exploring northern California along the coast. Now it was time to see the southern half-San Diego to Santa Barbara. I was anxious to see all of those beach towns like Malibu, Venice Beach and La Jolla. We began the trip in San Diego with a visit to Balboa Park. 

Who could resist the "Best Burgers in the World" at Hodad's in Ocean Beach? Not me. I don't know about the best in the world, but definitely at the top of the list.

The view from our hotel at Laguna Beach. Beautiful sunsets and endless surfers. Being a beach bum as its appeal.

    
 Mission bells at San Juan Capistrano


I had always heard about the swallows returning every year. They arrive in the summer and make their mud nests in the walls of the old stone church and stay until October. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see them. Supposedly the warmer temperatures kept them away this year.

Bird of Paradise that seems to grow wild in La Jolla

Santa Barbara has to be one of the most beautiful towns ever! This is the SB County Clerks-Recorder Office. Typical of the Spanish style architecture that you see throughout southern CA.

A view to the hills overlooking SB. The clouds look threatening, but no rain.

The view of the SB harbor from Brophy Brothers where we had our last dinner. Delicious seafood and a great way to end our trip.

Notes From The Studio

The dog days of summer are here, and rather than working in the yard, I've been spending time in the studio. Thankfully,it is air conditioned! Here is a preview of what I've been doing lately.

Metallic leaves on hand made paper, floating above a sheet of
silver paper

Two pieces from a suite of four. Painted on French hand made

paper. All of these are floating on a 

linen panel and framed in

acrylic.

Classic ornamentation in metallic paint on gray fabric. Floating

on a linen panel. I don't think the metallic paint shows well, at

least not on my screen. Kudos to Brent for his great framing

work and encouragement!!

QUOTES

I love quotations. Whether humorous or inspirational, they convey so much in so few words. 

One of my favorite quotes is attributed to the 18th century English clergyman, John Wesley. It is referred to as The Kindness Prayer.

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." So simple, so powerful.

"Lead me not into temptation; I can find the way myself." - Rita Mae Brown

If you have a favorite quote, I'd love to hear it. 

This past Memorial Day weekend had me thinking of barbecue and the smell of a smoking grill. Nature had other plans though, and along with the thunder and lightning came a deluge of rain, and more rain. It has been one for the record books.

With my patio under water and no sun in sight, my yen for barbecue had to be satisfied. I found this recipe for slow cooked pork sandwiches that should take care of any carnivore cravings, and it looks super easy.

Simple-easy-yummy

Here is the recipe:

Two pound pork loin roast
12 ounces of root beer
18 ounces of your fav barbecue sauce
coleslaw

Place pork in slow cooker
Pour root beer over pork
Cover and cook for 6 hours on low, or until pork shreds easily with a fork
Remove pork and drain off liquid
Shred pork and return to cooker with barbecue sauce
Continue heating for about 1/2 hour
Put pork on buns and top with coleslaw

These would make great sliders.

Artists Gone Wild

For all of you art lovers out there, the 4th annual spring West Austin Studio Tour is happening this weekend and next weekend. So grab a friend and enjoy the day exploring the studios of local artists on the westside. Take a peek inside their creative spaces and learn a bit about what drives their art. 

You will be inspired by the variety of art forms that include everything from furniture making to fine art, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, photography, and the list goes on and on. My friend Jeanne Philquist will be showing her work at her home studio at 1709 Palma Plaza. Be sure to stop by and see her wonderful paintings-especially you cat people! You will leave smiling.

This is one of my favorite paintings by Jeanne

L

KRAZY FOR KUBA

This weekend we were on the hunt for Kuba cloth. Having exhausted our inventory, it was time to restock. We found a new source and walked away with arms full of beautiful African textiles, including two panels of mud cloth.

 Honestly, I hate to part with any of them, but we need to make more pillows for our Etsy shop-eye4dsign.

I wanted to take these carved wooded doors home with me, but just didn't have a place for them.

Love the colors of these African glass beads

Almost couldn't resist the indigo striped  fabric. I don't think I will ever get over my love for blue and white. It was a very good day! 

Rock, Scissors, Paper

For the past few months, things have been very busy in the studio. I never intended for this to be an art blog, but for now anyway, that's what is going on around here. We've been making handmade paper, experimenting with pastels, and making collages. It seems that one idea leads to another. Before I even finish one piece, I'm ready to try something else. I could easily spend the entire day working away, ignoring everything else that needs my attention.

The pieces in the photos are not finished. I repeat, not finished. They are all works in progress, rough drafts if you will- some not even glued yet. So I think I am being very brave sharing these with you. 

            Abstract pastel with collage. Still waiting to work on his shoes and pants

Collage with handmade paper

I think I will call this "Channeling Matisse"

          I can't wait to get back to work-this is so much fun!

  

New Year-New Endeavors

Ok, I'll be the first to admit it. I am not the most savvy when it comes to social media. I can barely remember my passwords. So it's been a challenge for me to set up a shop on Etsy and connect that with my new Facebook account and my blog. That being said, with a little help, things are up and running. There is still some fine tuning, like designing a banner for the Etsy shop, but that is in the works. Regardless of the outcome, it has been a learning experience.

Now I just need to focus on creating some new designs other than pillows. As time allows, we will be adding more items to the shop. There are two of us on this "fishing expedition." My work is more craft than art- Brent is the artist. It requires so much time going from idea to finished product. I think the key here is to accept our limitations and enjoy the journey.

Here is something I am working on now. Not sure where I'm going with it, but I'm enjoying using new techniques. If you have time, check out our shop at: www.eye4dsign.etsy.com   Don't forget to leave out the "e" in design!

Brown Paper Packages Tied....

For me, there is something wonderful about brown paper packages. Maybe it is a reaction to the overwhelming glitter of Christmas that makes me want to wrap my gifts in something that feels a bit more organic, simple and homey. When you're ready to start wrapping all those presents, here are a few
ideas that you might want to try. They are all relatively simple, but anything but boring-happy wrapping. 

Gyotaku

As you may know, Nantucket is one of my favorite places on the planet. I'm always inspired by the work of local artists, and recently had the pleasure of meeting Pete Van Dingsteen in his studio on Old South Wharf.  Pete makes fish prints in the traditional Japanese style called Gyotaku, which is creating prints of fish on rice paper.

This is one of Pete's prints. I love the way he printed on the dark blue paper. Another Gyotaku artist on the island is Chris Bonelli, whose work below has a much different feel from Pete's.

I decided that as soon as I returned home, I had to try my hand at fish printing. Well, the results were a bit disappointing, but we learned a lot and are anxious to try more prints, both on paper and fabric. Here is the first attempt.

I wish Pete were here to offer some guidance, but I guess like most things, it takes practice, practice.

Foodie Find

Where else can you have brunch, dinner, learn how to butcher a hog, grab some handcrafted chocolate and take home some steaks from local Texas ranches?
Salt and Time, a butcher shop and salumeria on East 7th, is among the top ten best charcuteries according to Bon Appetit. This is not your grandmother's butcher shop.

Ben Runckle and his partner Bryan sold their products at the local farmer's market before opening their brick and mortar store. It's a carnivore's heaven, but believe it or not, there are some items on the menu for vegetarians.

 The bar is a perfect spot to enjoy happy hour with a board of charcuterie and cheese.

The Cubano sandwich is a popular choice for lunch, or try their Coffee Lomo, a Spanish-style pork loin rubbed with wood-roasted coffee and chile that is cured for four months-yummy. Do you need any other reasons to try this place?

One Fish, Two Fish

We've had so much fun experimenting with dyes and paint on fabric. It's been a learning process with a lot of trial and error. I have some more designs in my head that I want try, but for now at least there are two finished pillows. 

After many attempts, here is one of the final pillows.

The possibilities seem endless, and I'm anxious to try another design. Painting on fabric is not as easy as it might look, but I think the results are worth it.