Beach Haze

Where's Captain Jack Sparrow??

Beautiful fortress

Seamist

Tempting bill of fare

Mural at a lovely pub.

We're just back from our annual sojourn to the pacific ocean beaches. Cannon Beach, Oregon to be precise. Oh what a lovely time it was. I made a few new friends in Portland... we stayed there a few days as well. So much fun to get away and mix it all up.

It was mostly misty, rainy and cloudy at the beaches we go to but, went anyway! This time we got smart and brought much foul weather gear... including warm clothes. It all came in handy. We had a whole lot of kicked back family-together goodness. Always the sweet life when we head to the beach.

I had a funny little mishap at the end of our trip where I lost my new digital camera... I had taken a record 974 photos with it! But, it all came out OK in the end and met some new artist friends through the camera kerfuffle. But... that's another story.

Stay tuned for many new drawings, woodblocks and maybe even a few paintings....

Summer Patio Vibe

Nothing like summer patio time. Here are a few new drawings I've done in the past few days... the top one is with a very fine tip pen, the lower... a brush tip pen. (can never quite decide which one I prefer.) These will be going in the etsy shop, hopefully tonight!

As you can see I've been blessed with a new camera - thanks to my brother who found 'a good one' for me. Ahhh, I'm so relieved. It's rough to be without a camera!

Knightley update:

The youngest corgi dodged surgery but was in the emergency pet hospital over the 4th of July wkend. He finally passed (with much treatment and coaxing) some bone shards and later the big offender: half of a Pink Pearl eraser! Such a problem child he is... he's on the mend but we're still wondering what trouble he'll find next.

Naughty Knightley at it Again

Ringing in our youngest member of the family's birth month... the naughty Knitghtley is at the pet emergency hospital. He must have swallowed a rock or some foreign body a few days ago and now has a major problem. He'll be spending the big 4th of July weekend as an inpatient.. hopefully passing the 2 objects in his intestines so he can avoid a second surgery for this very problem.
Please, if you have time, say a little prayer for our Mr. Knightley... he'll be 2 years old on July 22nd if he can get past this current crisis. Why is it some pets (and people) are just born to get into trouble?! I'll update you on his status before the weekend is over. Fingers crossed, he'll get through without a surgery. Happy 4th of July!

Kicking Back this Weekend...

Just resting and exhaling this weekend after a VERY long stretch of hubby working. (that's 2 whole work weeks including the weekend in between.) Lucky me... it's a beautiful, sunny day and I can go dog walking for unlimited time!!!

Don't have a new camera yet. I'm still making art, though. Shifting gears for kid's summertime and just making art for me right now. The reality is... I can't stop making art. I can't NOT do it. It's too much a part of me. I saw a great poster on Etsy, exactly at the right time. It said: "I just want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares." Sounds kind of sad and funny... it resonates. I always go back to Corita Kent and her rules for art. My fave: "The only rule is work." So, I will work.

Celebrate the Solstice!

Illustration for the corgi book that is slowly being completed. (linocut)

Wow, the longest day of the year... and the beginning of new things. I've been painting on canvas on the easel... alongside 2 other artists. (we have tandem easels!) Sharing the paintings would be nice except some little elf broke my camera and... well, it's complicated.

Check out our daughter's new flip flops... golden like the solstice with butterflies. Perfectly summer. Dance around a midsummer bonfire or campfire tonight!

Planting by the Moon

Here is a new art quilt I've been working on. I actually did the drawing when I made the Mermaid quilt a few months back. But... I've been suffering from feelings of 'where am I going? what am I doing?' with my art. I haven't had many shows lately and am starting to re-evaluate why I do art and should I keep working hard on it without many prospects. Guess I need to get out there and make new connections! Or maybe just stop.

Hopefully I can get out of this funk or maybe it's a bridge to somewhere else. Then comes the commitments to home and family... and the time that takes and how important it is to cultivate that side of life. Hmmn. Just thinking out loud. Thanks for listening.

After the Party

Our son turned 8 about a week ago and these are the remnants of his 'first party'... the family party. (minus the train pile-up which he created to make room for the new toys and books he set up in photo no. 4 :) Yesterday was his 'kid party' where they played many field games, got hot, sweat and thirsty... played many more and finally pooped out. But, after drinks, chips and cake the kids were quickly resurrected. Oh to be 8 again!

Now that the party's over the girls in the family are treating ourselves to an outing. We are go to the Farm Chicks. Can't wait! Happy Sunday.