Eleventh Annual Columbia Gorge Art Festival

Come join Laurie Miller Designs and a variety of wonderfully gifted artistans at the 11th Annual Columbia Gorge Art Festival. It will be held May 16th and 17th and the Corbett Grade School on the Historic Columbia River Gorge Highway.





What a great way to spend a weekend day - drive the old scenic highway, enjoy the scenery and look at original art.





I really like to participate in this event. All of the artists contribute a portion of their sales to the Corbett Education Foundation to fund scholarships for the students. I hope to see you there. I have been working on some new designs and new products with lots of color.

35800 East Historic Columbia River Hwy.
Corbett, Oregon 97019
From I-84, take Exit 22, go up Corbett Hill Road to Historic Hwy and turn right.Art Festival is about 1/4 mile on left.

An Inspiration

This video was recently forwarded to me. I am not a big sports enthusiast. I am definitely not a golfer or even an appreciator of the sport. But I couldn't help but feel inspired, uplifted, and a little emotional after watching this. A lesson for all . . .

http://vodpod.com/watch/1165857-walk-on-espn-video

Finger Painting

So what do you do when you have a plain door, a sunny day and a nothing to do? If you are my daughter, you finger paint. My daughter is a creative soul - and she is finding her artistic voice. Recently she decided that she prefers large "canvases" to work on.

She uses just her hands to create her masterpieces - dipping her hands into the paint and using her fingertips to "drag" the paint around.

And when you are done painting the door . . .you paint your sister!

Oh how the sun brings out the sillies.

Goodbye To A Friend . . .

Life is about change. I have heard this since I was very young. Change is supposed to be a good thing - a necessary thing. But sometimes, change is just hard. In addition to my art, I have a full time job. An 8-5 job at a local college. We've all heard about the economy and all the "fatalaties" associated with it. Today one of my work associates was a victim. A wonderful person - he is a husband, a father, a friend. He was a key factor in why I accepted this job when it was offered to me. I will miss him as I go to work each day. I will continue to do my job as I am asked, but in my heart, I am sad at the injustice of the situation. He will be missed. It was an honor to work with him. It is an honor to call him "friend".

Our family, too, has been the victim of the economy. My husband was laid off a few months back. It rocks your world. But change can be good - Sometimes out of change, especially change that is unexpected, you find yourself exploring options you never thought of before. It gives you the courage to move forward into unchartered directions. I have felt the joy of this kind of a blessing. I hope my friend finds the same type of joy as well. Bon Voyage, my friend . . .I look forward to our paths crossing again.

On a more positive note. Included here are pictures of some of my orders I am working on. These are for a client in Kalama. The orders are for a chair and large mirror with an Asian theme. Bright colors are a must.

Last post, I showed the beginnings of the chair . . .here is the seat, finished up. The colors are rich. The pictures are full of texture.

Here is the full view of the chair . . .every color, textures, beads, and mirrors.

Here is the start of the mirror. A solid black surface to begin. . .then some blocks of background

colors.

A close up of the bamboo on the left side of the mirror. . .

and a koi fish . . .alot of the defining details still waiting to emerge.

This will be the top with the Asian symbols for "Thankfullness" . Of course - more color and more detailing to come. But the idea is there. Stay tuned for the final product.

So . . .here's to change.