June Bug.

I don't know where you are in the world, but here in Portland, Oregon we are experiencing the 3rd coldest and 2nd wettest spring in the history of keeping track.  and it's unpleasant.  I need some good ole sun shine, blue sky and warmth!  Don't get me wrong, I really can't imagine living many other places on earth for many different reasons, but about now, i'm dreaming of a hot climate and blues skys with a tad of tropical sun and sea for good measure. 

Today I'm playing catch up and clean up.  I participated in one and helped in another workshop last week and went out of town.  So needless to say, i'm behind!  on everything!  I've been experimenting at the Atelier Meridian with sugarlift, auqutint, and solarplates and it's been great fun!  I can't wait to post some photos of what I've been working on! Printmaking is an amazing subject to study!  Oh the possibilities!

here's a bit of a preview!

Here's hoping that your weekend is full of sun and fun!  Happy early weekend everyone!

This and That and the Other...

The Kenton Street Fair was Sunday, I shared a booth with Bike Cozy!  It was my first outdoor fair!  Sorry I cut off some of both of our booths in the photo! 

New kitchen floor to replace the one scratched up by the cops after the burglary! Cat not included. The tape is to hold the seems in place.  It's gone and I have baseboards now too!

looks like a melted crayola box! I love it! and the kitty!

 I also received some lovely mail art from Jessica at Natures my Friend!  Thank you!!! Fun stuff for sure!!

why can't i rotate this!?

Happy pre 3 day weekend week!

Art is a Luxury? *WTF?

I was meeting with my AA group yesterday.  That's Art Accountability group to you!  And a certain someone brought up how her family was taught that art is a luxury. And the 3rd person in our group agreed!!! I was SHOCKED to say the least.  Art is NOT a luxury, especially for an artist.  Art is a *M.F'en necessity!

A little Rococo for ya!

I'm still in shock.  Image, if you will, there is no art. Look around you.  Bare walls, no color, every piece of furniture ceases to have style.  Every house would look a-like, all our clothes would only be utilitarian.  Art is embedded into every nook and cranny of our cultures.  You might not think of yourself as an artist, but every time you arrange your furniture, pick a particular combo of clothes, paint a room, arrange a flower vase, you are expressing yourself.  You are creating a composition.  You are, in fact, living art.  

Horse
c. 15,000-10,000 BC
Lascaux, Franc

Now, if you don't consider
yourself and artist, and apparently even if you are an artist,  you may disagree with me. But you'd be wrong.  :) Art has been an integral part of society.  I'll spare the art history lesson today.

Function without form?  Sounds horrible.  For me, art is a necessity! A staple in life's my diet.  My hope is that it becomes that for you too!  A life without expression hardly seems worth living.  

Disagree?  I'd love to hear why!  Agree?  Do tell!!


*M.F'en is my abbreviation for a shocking offensive pairing of swear words, same for WTF! :) Just in case you didn't know.

Sunday Crafternoon at Powells

Christine Answers Questions

If you live anywhere near Portland you know what Powells is.  If you don't know, it's city block of books.  New books, used books, signed books, collectors books and more!  They also offer pick up of orders, shipping, ebooks, and you can sell your books there or online too.  They feature book signings and readings and sometimes just a good time! 

Yesterday, at Powells, Christine with Yellow Owl Workshop was there.  She did have her books and wares for sale, and she was signing them. But the fun part was she did a short demo on how to make your own rubber stamps and turned the crowd loose to use her creations!  Yellow Owl Workshop creates rubber stamps for the average person to use.  They are thoughtful, creatively fun and surprisingly made in the USA!  Try to find craft items or anything else not made in China sometime.  But that's another ranty blog post all together.  I feel confident in using her supplies that no one was harmed in the making of and no one will be harmed using them.

Making Fun! 

Everyone had a really great time making cards and valentines with the supplies Yellow Owl Provided!  The event was co sponsored by I Heart Art: Portland, if you don't know who they are check them out!

My Valentine!

I made this!  I must say her stamps are much more thoughtful and pertinent to me than a lot of the ones I've seen in craft stores.

Yellow Owl Workshop offers other items beside the stamps, please take a look! There is stationary, pendants and cards. One of my favorite things are these LCD Write Your Own Message embossed cards. 

Thanks Powells, Yellow Owl, Christine and I Heart PDX!