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Article 7

October 6, 2015, 11:02 pm
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Hello, lonely blog.  I'm sorry I've been gone so long.  A lot has been going on, from pushing seniors to graduate at LEP High, to fulfilling wholesale pirate orders, to art fairs, and many many MANY hours renovating my old condo to get it ready to sell (and now it's sold!), life has been super busy.  So now it's time to come back, to ponder, observe, reflect - on ART.  To consider the different aspects of this journey.  I am almost ready for this, kicking around ideas to make it meaningful and manageable.  We shall see.

In the meantime, a reminiscence of a hot July in Sisters, Oregon, A Quilter's Affair 2015.

Rosalie Dace
Details of some of Rosalie's gorgeous art quilts
This is Rosalie Dace, artist and educator from South Africa.  Quilter and teacher extraordinaire.  I saw her students at work last year, and knew that I wanted to, needed to, take a class from her.  Lucky me - I got into her 3 day class on color!

Rosalie teaching
She teaches like a college prof, probably because she was a professional educator before becoming a world-renowned quilt artist.  We worked like scientists on color theory, experimenting, observing, discussing our finds.

Student work
and more student work
I don't know if I've ever worked in an art workshop where all the students were so focused.  Except for the whir of the sewing machines, it was quiet in the classroom, and yet electrifying because of the intensity with which we all worked.

Critique sessions
Sharing, critiquing - learning from our experimentation.  It was so inspiring!

Experiments:color and emotion; color and temperature; color and seasons


Some of my color experiments.



The beginning of the big project: pick a phrase.  I chose "Out of Africa." This music from the album Pieces of Africa, "Mai Nozipo" composed by Dumisani Maraire and recorded with the Kronos Quartet, runs through my head each time I think about it and each time I work on it.  Still so much to be done - perhaps I'll be able to show updates from time to time.
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Weird in a Whimsical Way Wednesday

October 7, 2015, 10:08 pm
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Meet Edwina. Inspired by the drawings of Edward Gorey, and the Spellbound collection of fabric of Cotton and Steel.  Here she is.



My newest lovely is a bit of a flirt with those eyes.



But still such a proper young lady.



This wonderfully spooky fabric by Cotton and Steel was the inspiration for this doll.  Had to have it, had to make it.


Today Edwina visited her friend Miss Pumpkin Head.  They're planning a Halloween get-together.


Edwina is almost ready to find her forever home.  On Friday she'll be presented in my Etsy shop.  Will she go home with you?



Boo!

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Threads on Thursday

October 8, 2015, 11:12 am
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Having some big time fun on a small project  with my new Juki free-motion quilting machine - a thread catcher!


xoxo,  lulu
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Friendly Friday

October 9, 2015, 8:47 pm
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A very happy birthday to Miss Sally Jo!  May your year be filled with light and joy!!!

Sweet Sally

Yum cake!
xoxo  lulu
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Beansley

October 10, 2015, 12:35 pm
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Edwina now has her  best friend with her, a little white bunny called Beansley.




Edwina and Beansley are available in my lulumoon Etsy shop now..

 xoxo,  lulu
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Weird in a Whimsical Way Wednesday

October 14, 2015, 5:59 pm
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Mermaids!  

One of my wholesale customer, Rani of Random Acts of Art in Naples, Florida, was unloading a shipment of pirates one day when one of her customers grabbed one right out of the package.  And then she said, "It's too bad Lulu doesn't make mermaids.  My pirate needs a girlfriend."


Say no more.  Here they are, the sultry sirens of the sea.  Mermaids galore, with swirling hair and day-glo lips.  So sweet and sassy that no pirate can resist them!  

Beauties by the bow of the ship...

and the stern.

Bedazzling expressions!

Pirate Skelly admires his bevy of beauties.

Come sail away!
One is soon to sail away to Linda Lu in Eugene.  A few more will be swimming over to my Etsy shop.  See you there!

xoxo,  lulu
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Threads on Thursday

October 15, 2015, 5:33 pm
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little pieces coming together




stitches speaking in a secret code.


What is revealed and what is hidden?

It's almost done!
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Friends, Family, and Food on Friday

October 16, 2015, 12:01 pm
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(Because I'm All About Alliteration!)

FRIENDS!
Janet, Sally, and I had a flurry of fun texts this morning, beginning with what we were up to, when we would meet next, and the meaning of the word "copacetic:"
     Janet: Can we meet on Monday?
     Me: Monday's copacetic conmigo.

Copacetic was a cool word in the 1920s.  I told Janet she was too young to understand.  That doesn't explain why I know the term, though.  A few texts later we had created our own thesaurus of synonyms for the word: copacetic = just ducky, peachy keen, and ça plane pour moi.  It's cool, it's fine by me, it's okie dokie artichokey.  Está bien.

Don'tcha just love words!?  I do.

FAMILY!
Quick report on Rob's Redrum hockey team: They were tied for first place in their league, but with last night's win ( and White Trash's loss to the Jaguars), Redrum should be on top now!  Exciting and fun game - tight scoring against the Ice Hawks, foot stompin' cheering from all the Redrum fans in the stands, and  I enjoyed watching the game with Christie the crochet-er.  (Sorry, had to get another alliteration in there, couldn't resist!  She really was crocheting with the most nummy micro-fiber chunky yarn.  So tempting to go buy a crochet hook and some yarn, but I will resist!)

FOOD!
I like fast food.  By fast food I do NOT mean McDonald's.  McDonald's is not fast.  You have to get dressed and get in your car, drive there, order it, pay for it, and wait for them to wrap it up.  All of that could take half an hour or longer. That is NOT fast.  Fast food for me is like my dinner  before the hockey game last night: I tore off half a head of lettuce and munched it down, grabbed a handful of baby carrots, and two sticks of string cheese.  That is FAST!  Or my lunch yesterday - some yummy yogurt and apple slices with peanut butter.  THAT is fast.
     So, given that I like my food fast, and that my usual breakfast is also fast - a little bowl of Grape-Nuts cereal - it is strange that I made scrambled eggs for breakfast.  Two days in a row!  And that I even sliced up a bit of green onion and sautéed it with some kale to throw in with the eggs, and topped it off with FETA cheese.  It probably took me FOUR WHOLE MINUTES to prepare this meal, and that is four times longer than my usual routine!!!  But it was delicious.  (And packed with protein - thanks, Sally!)

This is not my photograph.  That is not even kale, it is spinach.  But that is feta
cheese, and it all looks similar enough to what I made for breakfast today.  But it
is not my photo.  I do not take photos of my food.  That would take too long.
I like my food fast.  Yeah.


xoxo,  lulu
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The Silver Linings

October 27, 2015, 1:10 am
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A day of traveling drama:

The TSA x-ray girl at PDX yelled, "PUT YOUR HANDS UP!"    Ok, don't shoot.

I spilled my entire chai latte right after buying it.

Our Delta flight out of PDX was delayed.  We hustled from Terminal 6 to Terminal 5, but still we missed our connection to Leon. 

The Delta Help Desk attendant told us we had already been rebooked through AeroMexico, so we shuffled on back to Terminal 6, ran down to level 1, and grabbed the shuttle to Terminal 2.  At AeroMexico, we were promptly informed that we were too late and they had already given away our seats.  Sorry, no more flights available.  You'll have to go back to Terminal 5 and talk to Delta.

One hour of Special Services help at Delta.  No other flights today.  Tomorrow morning we could fly to Atlanta and then to Leon  (What the ?!?!?!)  Want to take the all night red-eye tonight on American Airlines?  (And arrive TOTALLY exhausted and pay $80 extra for our shuttle van in Leon to come out extra early to take us to San Miguel?  No thanks.  Final answer: Delta puts us up in a hotel for the night, we fly out at a decent hour tomorrow, direct flight.  Yes, please.  Thank you. 

(Fingers crossed that our luggage is safely waiting for us in Leon when we arrive.  Yeah - AeroMexico let our luggage on the flight, but gave away our seats...  Nice.)

The silver linings:

The good people of Coffee People at PDX gave me a new chai latte.

Some of the TSA agents at LAX were SUPER nice, like the one who let us get rechecked with our carry-ons so that we could make use of the meal voucher Delta gave us.

The restaurant Lemonade at LAX had REALLY good California comfort food that made us feel SO much better after running back and forth between 4 terminals.

A clean and comfy room at the Concourse hotel by the airport.  Hotel services graciously supplied us with toothbrushes and toothpaste - because the toiletries we brought are already in Mexico!

The PLATINUM linings:

1. WE GOT TO SEE EMILY AND MICHAEL!  Such amazingly delightful young people!  Conversing about movies, travels, Vikings, geneology and etymology - I LOVE my kids and their sweethearts!  [Willow, if you read this, I am referring to Ladybug in your case.  : )  ]  LOVED seeing Emily and Michael's apartment, so beautifully decorated with Em's photos and her handmade pallet shelves.



2. I got to share this day with my bestest art traveling buddies, Janet and Sally!!!

3. I am clean and refreshed, I can watch the light columns across the street changed colors, and I may even sleep in a bit in the morning.



Mexico, I'll see you tomorrow!


xoxo,  lulu
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Ah, San Miguel!

October 30, 2015, 9:33 pm
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Revisiting my old friend San Miguel de Allende.




The lovely courtyard of Hotel Monteverde.


the first day we got out and about, all manner of businesses were busy preparing for Days of the Dead with cempoalxochitl ~ marigolds.
 Lots more Day of the Dead to come!

xoxo lulu



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Early Day of the Dead

October 31, 2015, 6:43 am
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The Days of the Dead begin tonight, but last night, being a festive Friday, San Miguel got an early start on the celebrating.

An extra large catrina on display in one of San Miguel's
elegant shops.  At over ten feet tall, she is truly spectacular!

An artist displays his calavera in the Jardín, with young calacas posing in front.

An elegantly dressed family poses for onlookers.  Isn't the young caballero dapper in his fedora?
The photos don't give you a clue as to the bone crushing crowd that was just 20 feet away.  Truly festive with stilt dancers and cohetes firing off over the crowd.  Tonight there will be another parade of catrinas, hundreds of little trick-or-treaters in the Jardín, and the LOLAS will be there, too!

The LOLAS - Ladies of the Lake Art Society: Wendy up front;
Janet, moi, Sally, and Jan
¡Hasta entonces!

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Dancing in remembrance

October 31, 2015, 11:28 am
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Our ofrenda at Hotel Monteverde, San Miguel de Allende.
Tonight is the night we welcome back our loved ones for a visit into this world.  This is a long cherished tradition in Mexico and other parts of Latin America.  We celebrate the Days of the Dead.  Over the next couple of days I'll be looking at the ofrendas around San Miguel - large, decorated altars adorned with cempoalxochitl flowers (marigolds), photos of the dearly departed, sweets and treats that they enjoyed in life.  Here at in our hotel room, Janet, Sally , and I have put together our own little ofrenda to honor Sally's mom/Janet's grandmother, and my mom and dad.

Sally's beautiful mom, Ilene.
Mis papis, Audrey and Carl.  The sugar figure in the yellow hat represents Mom, because she looked so beautiful in yellow.  The calaca at the table wearing the big sombrero represents Dad, con una cerveza.  Both of them share the big plates of tacos set before them.  Are they soft shell like Mom used to prepare, or crunchy shell like Dad's tacos?
A little calaca love - my embroidered sugar skulls and the painted heart Janet bought.
Mamá y papá, I am missing you greatly but you are always here in my heart.  May you always dance in joy and love!

xoxo, lindalulu
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The busy beehive of my mind - Los colores de México

November 12, 2015, 11:10 am
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I am back home from Mexico three/four days now.  Sunday, Monday, Tuesday were filled with busy things to do, now I'm on my own time and inspired to go in too many directions at once, and at the same time wanting to reflect before it all escapes me.  Maybe just a little reflection at a time, or time will disappear...







I am forever in love with the colors of Mexico.  I would live there just for the color.

On Sunday, the day after I came home, I drove out to Sisters, OR to take a quilting class at the Stitchin Post with Tonye Phillips: Welsh Folded Log Cabin.  A very traditional way of doing a very traditional quilt pattern.  I've never made a log cabin block, let alone a log cabin quilt.  But having played with my Mexican colored fabrics, I knew how I wanted to experiment in class.  Tonye said she really loved my very unusual color choices - me, too!  And now I am fairly obsessed with this.  Stay tuned!



xoxo, lulu
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Yesterday and then some

November 13, 2015, 2:44 pm
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I was having one of those days yesterday:



searching and searching for something, feeling stuck, blaming it on the cat, and then finding it where it was supposed to be all along.

Finally I could get to work, on something totally unrelated!



I hadn't painted or sculpted any dolls in so long I felt nervous, but then it was lovely to feel the clay and add layers of paint.

By the end of the afternoon Sapita was finished.





I had some leftover paint that I didn't want to let go to waste, so I stuck it in a journal.


It was interesting to see what happened painting only with a half-inched flat brush, not being able to add precise highlights.  I rather like this angry egg-head.

xoxo,  lulu



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Jaral de Berrio

November 13, 2015, 3:50 pm
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Onto more reminiscing about the trip to México:

Our dear friend Jan, who now lives in San Miguel, took us to the ex-hacienda Jaral de Berrio, two or so hours north of San Miguel.  Traces of its past glory, an enormous house of many rooms with sumptuous wallpapers and fabric-draped ceilings.  Now in tatters and populated only by doves and mice, they conjure the ghosts that must surely walk the halls at night.




An imposing sight from the outside, now mostly uninhabited, you can see how it still dominates this landscape.  The sign says entrance is strictly forbidden, but if you pay the teenagers working on their motorbike inside the gates 20 pesos, they will gladly let you pass.










Just inside the gate you will find stacked barrels of mezcal, still being produced on the ex-hacienda, and perhaps hinting at its future glory.  A grand staircase is just beyond, but I didn't really discover it until later.  A lonely fountain, tall grass dancing before the arches.  The lower level of the manor was apparently where horse and carriage used to enter, the livery was taken care of, servants came and went, and foods and supplies were stored for the hacienda and its village.  The back stairs beckoned me up to the main level of the house.








A wide veranda connects one half of the house to the other, affording views of the other rooms, while windows frame vistas of the farmland, industry, and parish churches - all part of the hacienda.  Was one church provided for the wealthy family, and the other for those who worked their land?















Who were these generations of Spaniards, and what kind of lords were they?  Were they kind or cruel to their servants?  Were there secret love letters hidden in the leather-bound books that once graced these shelves?  Did cooks and butlers exchange knowing glances between the kitchen pass-through?  Grand ballrooms must have been filled with music, and the whisk of taffeta skirts and petticoats shushed through the halls as young señoritas scurried to peek over the balconies to gaze upon their serenading novios.  Lavishly colored papers and ceiling drapes were imported with care from Europe, only to become faded rags left to time and scavengers.









Some of the decor leads one to ponder the contrasts: skyward churches and pagan faces...  fecund flora...  Moorish archways.  All so lovely, brooding, and fanciful.









One of my favorite spots was up on the roof, where statues mingled with nature taking over once again.  Most favorite of all, a secret passage leading up to a guard tower.  Tiny squares cut into the walls let in light, breezes, and provided a sort of bannister to hold onto as I went up and down.  Our guide told me I was brave to cross the threshold of the tower, with evidence of the floor's imminent collapse upon the first step in.  But the views could not be denied.





Time to leave?  Oh, must I really come down from this lofty dream?

On the way home, a legendary sunset to cap the day.




Hasta la próxima...

xoxo,  lulu







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Rob's Quilt - finally finished!

December 11, 2015, 2:24 pm
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The "family" quilt I started for Rob last year is finally finished!  I gave the pieced top to him last Christmas, then got it quilted and finished just in time for our wedding anniversary this year!

   
The puppykins: Rattie in purple, Ollie in blue, and Minnie in black.


Detail of a corner.  The quilting included machine and hand stitching.

Rob's response when he finally got to see it all finished: a big smile, a nod of the head, and the words, "That's pretty good." In Rob-speak, that means, "Wow!!!  This is AWESOME!" He wanted to display it prominently in our living room right away.  I'm so glad he likes it!
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Thread doodling

January 4, 2016, 6:19 pm
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The snowy days around here have inspired some thread doodling!




These doodles have in turn inspired some doodling samples to share with my students at Art & Soul. 




I'll be teaching Thread Doodling in Portland in early March (Wednesday evening) AND in Minneapolis in May (Thursday evening).  You can sign up by visiting the Art & Soul retreats website HERE for Portland, or HERE for Minneapolis.

Art & Soul is always a ton of fun!  I hope to see you there!
; )  lulu
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What I bought at Blick today

January 8, 2016, 4:34 pm
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Waited and waited for the winter Back-to-School sale at Blick so that I could use my coupon!  I've really been wanting to try absorbent ground for using watercolor and gouache, so I filled my little basket with these items:


(Underneath is my journal/plan book - more on that tomorrow.)

For today, had to try out the watercolor ground in another sketch book in which I've been playing with water media.  Started by collaging a page from an old Japanese magazine, applied the ground, then put it in my food dehydrator (because I didn't want to wait 24-72 hours!).

After about an hour (or less) I started painting with gouache.  I'm glad that I'd left some parts of the collage without the ground so I could see the difference between ground and no-ground.  Very nice paint application with the ground!


One nice discovery is how the paint resisted in some spots where the ground was applied unevenly - or maybe it wasn't completely dry yet.  It will be fun to experiment to exploit this effect.


More fun to come!
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This year's plan book

January 10, 2016, 9:19 am
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For the past few years I've been using those pre-printed plan books that you can buy at the office supply stores.  I bought a mini binder to put the refill pages in.  I liked using them - sort of.  They were very organized and helped me feel somewhat more organized.  The problem is that I always ended up with LOTS of unused pages because I used them inconsistently.  SO, this year rather than buying a whole new set of refill pages, I just combed out the previous years' blanks.  Some, like the one here, I will use pretty much as it was intended, just putting a sticker over the old date:


But OTHER pages will be altered!  I pre-gessoed, painted, and stenciled a bunch, like these:


(Fun times with my brayers and Gelli Plates!)

On top of some of these pages I just used washi tape to attach a goal sheet.  (Goal sheet from Lesley Riley's ASAP classes.)

I can lift the sheet and write more on the back if I want to.

On other pre-stenciled pages I am painting and journaling, à la visual journal style!




Love the yummy textures from all the layering!  And to think it's all been done on regular planner paper!

BUT, I decided to add some good mixed media paper and watercolor paper pages, too, making this year's planner a real hybrid planner/visual journal.  More fun with brayers and paint:

It's all going into the same mini-binder that I've been using the past two years.  


I suspect this is going to get very thick!

I'm excited to see how it will grow, and how well my goal pages and keeping track pages will help me accomplish all the things I want to achieve this year.  My brain is brimming with ideas - hopefully this will help me keep track of it all!

xoxo  lulu


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Snow dogs

January 11, 2016, 1:05 pm
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I do so love my pups!  Here is a journal page of Rattie's first time in the snow, a week or so ago.

This page was smeared with layers of acrylic paints, scraped and scribbled into while the paint was still damp, stamped, another shmear of paint, and collaged.  Photos are added on top with washi tape.  Rattie was FLYING through the snow!

xoxo  lulu

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