Oceanside Labor Day Sale

We had our annual Labor Day sale in Oceanside.

This was a bit different for us this year.

Mama Bear was tired.

Very tired.

I really didn't want to go to the sale this year -

Beach . . .Yes!

Sale . . .No!

Papa Bear made a compromise.

We do the sale in Oceanside as planned.

But in stead of me sitting all day for SAturday and Sunday managing things -

he would do it.

How could I turn down that offer?

So  - he drove down ahead of me and set up our space.

He managed the sale and talked to the customers.

He worked all day Saturday and Sunday.

Now don't get me wrong -

I worked too!

I had important things to do . . .

Books to read.. . .

Sculptures to design . . .

(OK - truth be told - I had nothing to do with the turtle sand sculpture. This was all my daughter and friend. -

And really - everyone makes castles.

A turtle is so much more original . . .)

There were sunsets to watch . . .

And more sunsets . . .

And I painted . . .a lot!

I mean - I worked HARD all weekend.

Do you believe me???

Everything Old is New Again

You know the story -

You buy a new shirt - a new WHITE shirt.

I am an artist - almost everything I own has paint on it.

What doesn't have paint on it usually ends up with some other type of stain.

I am a bit of a "slob" - what can I say.

So why do I insist on trying to buy and wear white?

Oh well . . .I digress -

On with the story . . .

you wear the white shirt once.

You are very, very careful.

When it is dirty, you put it in the wash -

you look it over carefully and there are no food stains and no paint.

Whew! You did good.

The shirt is washed.

You even hang it to dry.

You go to wear it again and . . .WHAT????

It has a purple stain on it. Don't know what it is or where it came from.

It wasn't there when it went in the wash.

The shirt is now a paint shirt . . .or is it?

While on my weekend away, I decided to try an experiment.

I took the stained, but otherwise clean white shirt (that had only been worn once) and got it wet.

I gave it a good wringing out to remove the excess water.

And then . . .

fluid acrylic paints were put on a paper plate and I added water to them.

I watered them waaaaay down.

 and using my paint brush I started dabbing blobs of paint on my shirt.

I tried not to "paint" anything - just blobs.

I let the wet paint and the wet t-shirt do it's thing.

I added more colors - keeping in mind how the various color would react if they came in contact with each other.

All those years of painting with watercolors came in handy here!

I pulled some of the color in long lines to add variety.

Then I waited.

And waited.

For the shirt to dry a bit and let the colors set.

If I had been at home, I probably wouldn't have had to wait as long because it was was warm.

But I was on the coast and it was a bit cooler and damp out.

After it was "mostly" dry - I got out my bottle of scribbles three-dimensional paint.

Black was my color of choice.

And I began to add shape and texture.

The trick was to move my hand quick and not let the paint get too "thick".

I didn't want the end result to be stiff.

And I wanted it to have a very free, unformal style.

In the end - I think I turned that stained $7.00 tshirt into a custom designed shirt that I can wear with pride.

Hmmm . . .what other clothes do I have that could use a makeover?

Garden Delights

I have always been fascinated by the fact that artists tend to have amazing gardens.

There is something about creating a landscape of texture and color -

so rich, so vital, so alive.

Now I am not saying that I am an "amazing" gardener - I do ok. But the reality is, I plant it and water it and Mother Nature does the rest.

A few years ago, I pulled out many of the flowers that were in my backyard and replaced them with all edibles.

The season is moving fast.

And we are peaking on many of the items.

In a way-it is bittersweet.

I love to fill my dinner table with items that we have grown.

But it makes me sad - because each meal means we are one day closer to the end for this year.

Every year, when I plant I have a hard time imagining how it will grown and look by the end of summer.

How it will become a tangled mess of greens and reds and oranges and purples.

In fact - a confession - I often overplant because of my lackof foresight.

And sometimes, that works against me.

But all in all . . .

it is a delight for my senses.

Mother Nature truly is one of the best artists I know. . .

Before and After

Before . . .

 After . . .



And for all of you in those parts of the country that have had record high temperatures this summer. . .

I realize that you are ready for a break.

I understand that you want fall.

You are looking for changing leaves and cooler temperatures.

I understand.

My  heart and thoughts have gone out to you over the last few months as you have suffered.

But allow me a moment of selfishness.

In my part of the world - the Pacific Northwest. . .

we got a late start to summer.

A very late start.

It feels like summer has really only just began.

And I, for one, am not ready for the changing of the seasons quite yet.

I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that as of Thursday - it will be September.

It is time for schools supplies and shorter days and the return of crazy schedules.

I'm not ready.

I still want to think about beach trips and lazy afternoons in my hammock (not that I have got to do that as much as I would like . . .but you know what I mean.)

I promise - I will get on board before too long.

But allow me to enjoy the long days of summer just a bit longer please.

Thank you for indulging me . . .