Blog Update

What's up? lots of artwork, completion of projects and new pieces, encaustic workshops in my new studio, visiting grandchild Evan in San Francisco, planning for our trip to Spain in June and for Gabe and Cristie's wedding in July, trip to Michigan in August to meet Cristie's family and to San Antonio for IEA encaustiCon in September. Tired just thinking about the next 6 months. It is raining a lot today in San Diego (we call it a storm watch) so it has been nice to stay inside and get our plans finalized, submissions to art shows sent and maybe even a nap!

WallBound Exhibit in Georgia

Happy 2012!!!

Busy and fun Christmas holiday with our family and newest Rodriguez, Evan Joseph. David and Brenda are great parents. Evan has gone everywhere with them and was held by every member of our family...all 18 of us! I held him so much during the time that they were here during Christmas that I got Grama tendinitis.

Kids and rest of family are doing well, Ben here from Maui for past 4 months and will return to Maui the end of January. I will miss him and miss the fabulous meals he has prepared for us. My own personal chef...I like that. Doing my art and not having to worry about dinner until it is prepared and on the table. Wow. That I will miss! Our kitchen has been humming.

Our son Gabe and Cristie Dertien are engaged and plan a summer wedding. Lots of excitement coming our way for 2012. We are planning a trip to Spain in June and hope to see Al's cousin who lives outside of Barcelona. And of course Maui is on our list.

Here are a few of the shows that have accepted my artwork all either encaustic or artist book or a combination of both:

1. Spanish Village Balboa Park "Small Image" show Reception: January 28, 2012.

2. California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson CA 21 Artists Create Books: Reception: February 1, 2012.

3. The ART Institute of Atlanta-Decatur, Decatur, Ga" Wall Bound" Reception: March 2, 2012.

4. 1000 Artists Books on line magazine. 1000artistsbooks.com

5. Contemporary Paper and Encaustic, Catherine Nash

Union Tribune on line article about my art at the airport

http://www.utsandiego.com/weblogs/

Another digital ecard by Smilebox

NEW ENCAUSTIC STUDIO

I am so excited to show you my new studio dedicated to teaching and making encaustic art work. I even have a stain glass window that is quite old. You can see the wax melting and wouldn't you know but the bees found me in this place. I caught them and let them go.

I am figuring out what works and what doesn't. The stainless steel counters don't work quite like I expected but all ok. The mess on the floor is everything that will go into a dresser type cabinet that has 8 drawers that I saw at Ikea. Today I worked on some unfinished projects and look forward to making as much art as I can before the events of Christmas coming soon. Gabe, Al, Ben, Mark and Tungie did such an awesome job and I appreciate their expertise and hard work. The light during the day is wonderful and the lights for night time work are perfect.

I may have to put in a roof type fan that draws air out. We talked about doing that but thought that the 6 windows would generate enough air. I am not sure.

I look forward to having the area in front of the studio finished sometime soon. It probably won't be done before Christmas. I want to have either pavers or decking raised so that there is a small step up into the studio. I have an idea of having benches around the edges of this area. It felt great to clean up the BBQ area and to use the storage cabinets for what it was meant to be.

Once all of the saws and ladders etc. are removed from the back yard it will look much better.

I look forward to having a class in this studio soon.

NOVEMBER 3, 2011 RECEPTION SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LUMINOUS LAYERS

I am still stunned and amazed by the response at last night's reception for me at the airport. It was so much fun to greet my family and friends and to show them what I have been up to for the past year. I am appreciative to my husband and Ben who helped tremendously with the food and beverages, to the AIRPORT ART PROGRAM for all of their support. The comments made were wonderful and I was especially touched by someone who hadn't been aware of the demise of bees in our world ( Colony Collapse Disorder) and wanted to know more and do more about the problem. This meant a lot to me.

I was also happy to hear a long time friend say to me, "wow has your work ever grown in the last 10 years." Growing as an artist and inspiring others to do the same?...can't get any better than that. Thank you to all who attended and remember if you want to see the exhibit sometime I give "field trips" to the airport from time to time!