Life is what Happens...

"I wonder if I have been worrying so much that the worry muscles in my brain are now broken, permanently sharpened to a point of attention that is useless now, an ambulance siren for no one."

Jill Kolongowski from the article "Tart" in the March 2025 issue of the Sun magazine

The last few years have been challenging to say the least. Now, I realize that for several of them I had been going through a major, years long depressive espisode with its accompanying anxiety.  Sometime during the winter, my head finally poked out of the hole in the ground it had been in. Trouble is, I came up in the middle of a war zone. Between the crap the current administration is pulling that will directly affect my life and the lives of those I love and a lot of personal stuff, it is very tempting to crawl back in the hole. But, that isn't possible this time. Or, maybe like the above quote, the part of my brain that incessantly over thinks, is worn out and broken. Good.

My husband has had a stroke. He is doing pretty well all things considered. His vision being the biggest issue. He can see, but not well enough to drive or do the things he needs/wants to do. So, my life will change dramatically (already has) and so my art and the way I sell it will also. I ask for your patience as I figure this all out. It would help if the medical system in the US wasn't such a mess. Our first order of business is to get therapies for him to help with his sight. Due to a simple paperwork issue (by the hosptial and it took me a week just to figure out that it was an actual problem) this is taking much longer than it should, time being of the essence with his vision. Once that is scheduled the rest of life can be set up around that.

I see my life online expanding and am pondering what that will look like and the steps to get there. In the meantime, I could use your help. If you are in Spokane, please think of me and Pottery Place Plus when picking out gifts. We are at 203 N Washington in Downtown, next to Aunties books. If you are in Moscow Idaho, I have restocked Essential Art Gallery and Fine Gifts with my work and it should be available soon. My Etsy shop is filled with handmade buttons and pendants, as well as eco printed paper and fabric-with more to come. Oh, and a few scarves, if that is what you were after. Remember that you can click on the item and "send the seller a message" if what you see is close but no quite-I am happy to send pictures of things that are waiting their turn to be out in public, one way or the other.

I can still do classes and events here in town, I just can't be gone for days at this point so I have cancelled the Richland Art in the Park for this year. It makes me sad because I like that show a lot. If my class at the Spokane Art School on August 9th fills, it will go on. As far as scheduling other classes goes, until I get his therapy appointments in place I can't do much right now.

Thanks in advance for your support, it means the world to me.

I have been getting some paper done, along with a few other things as time permits. This is for the paper sets I sell on Etsy as well as my own work.

Summer is Here!

 Here are some links to events and classes (typing with one hand today, so this will be short) hope to see you soon!

Classes

Spokane Art School

Eco Printed Journal Class

June 28th

Eco Printed Paper Class

August 9th

Events

Terrain's Bazaar

June 21st, Downtown Spokane

Allied Arts Art in the Park

July 25th and 26th, Howard Amon Park, Richland WA

Sorry there are no descriptions here, but hit the links and you should be able to get your questions answered, thanks!

Spring is Almost Here

"The promise of spring's arrival is enough to get anyone through the bitter winter."

Jen Selinsky

I love to watch these form off the deck awning

I have been working away on a project for December, lots of sewing. One day I got distracted and made little piles of a lot of the cool stuff I have collected over the years.

Spring at last! The geese are flying over, the snow is melting, and spring shows will be coming soon. Frist up is 33 Artists Market at the the Woman's Club of Spokane. Come say hi.

 

Out and About

It is going to be another busy summer! Here is a list of where I know I will be so far:

May

5th-28th

Tea Show

Pottery Place Plus, 203 N Washington, Spokane, WA

The reception on May 5th includes a tea tasting! Click HERE for info. 

6th and 7th

Moscow Renaissance Fair

City Park, Moscow Idaho

Click here for more info. 

June

3rd and 4th

Troutdale Art Festival, Troutdale OR

Click here for more info.

10th

Manito Art Festival

Manito Park, Spokane WA

Click Here for more info.

More info about shows and classes coming soon!

"Spill the Tea" my piece for the Tea Show at Pottery Place Plus.

All the News that's Fit to Print

Hello! Just to catch up, here is what is going on in the next little while. I will be at Art in the Park in Richland Washington this weekend the 29th and 30th (yes, it is a Friday, Saturday show). It will be very warm, even for Tri-cities Washington, so I will be opening the booth up early, as are many of the makers in the show. This show is open until 8:00 PM on Friday and 7:00 PM on Saturday, so late shopping is also an option.

Next week I will be heading off to Anacortes Washington for the Anacortes Arts Festival, August 5th, 6th, 7th. I hope to see you there.

I am teaching two eco printing workshops this year at Urban Art Cooperative. One is Sunday August 21st and the other is Saturday September 10th. You can get all the details at www.urbanartcoop.org click on "sign up for classes" and scroll down to the workshops.

It is a busy summer and I hope to catch up with you in person!

I will have shirts in additon to scarves at both Art in the Park Richland and Anacortes Festival of the Arts

Happy Equinox

 "We must get back into relation: vivid and nourishing relation to the cosmos and the universe... We must once more practice the ritual of dawn and noon and sunset, the ritual of kindling fire and pouring water, the ritual of the first breath and the last."

D.H. Lawrence

Virginia Creeper 

If the pandemic has done anything for me it has made me slow down and appreciate the seasons. Eco printing does that anyway, you work with what nature is giving you at the moment. In the past, fall has always been a sort of rush before the first frost puts a stop to things, but this year it has been a relief. Although some plants I would normally work with at this time of year were toasted by the alarming summer heat, there are still plenty of survivors. Some may not give the same result as they do when not stressed, but they are still hanging on, just like a lot of us. 

I will be participating in the Little Spokane River Artist Studio Tour this weekend at Clay Fox Pottery Studio, click HERE to get a map, I hope to see you there!

Traveling Again

 "If I waited until I had all my ducks in a row, I'd never get across the street. Sometimes you just have to gather up what you've got and make a run for it."

Judge Lynn Toler

Coreopsis, catmint, and salvia on paper.

I am off to the Edmonds Arts Festival I hope to see you there. The paper pictured here is for a project that will be shown next April, I just thought it came out great and had to share it. I will have my wearables at the Edmonds show, booth 332, and the truck is packed to the rafters-come see!

Decision Made! Well...Maybe, I Don't Know, Let's See What Happens

"This wasn't just plain terrible, this was fancy terrible. This was terrible with raisins in it."

Dorothy Parker

and/or

"What fresh hell is this?"

Also credited to Dorothy Parker

There is not much eco printing going on since it is still pretty cold and the plants are keeping their heads down, as are we all at this point. I have been spending so much stressful time on the computer, that by the time I get around to this blog I am worn out and haven't been keeping up with it. Here is an update of life in semi-isolation.

Adding things to my Etsy site, next week's task is to explore other selling options. If nothing else, by the time this is over I will have a much better online presence. With everyone at home, and finances uncertain, I don't expect tons of sales, but at least I will get a lot of things done I should have been doing all along. Thanks to all who have been buying, even small purchases help a lot.

These two images are of a series of works regarding the effect of textile production. The series is called "Unraveling: The Effect of Fabric on our Environment, our Culture, and our Health". Or some such thing. It is scheduled to show in September. I will be writing more about it over the spring and summer. The top image is for a piece called Worry Dolls, regarding child labor (yes, this is still, unfortunately, "a thing") and the bottom is about what happens to first world clothes when they are dumped on the third world. If you donated clothing labels, this is where the lion's share of them went. Still trying to decide on that screaming pink thing dead center in the middle-may have to de-emphasize that.

 Life around the house goes on as normal.

Lots of wandering around, both in the yard and over to the river and back. 

Mr. Man is getting ready for gardening season. His health is good, we are trying to keep it that way by staying home. I am learning all kinds of new digital web skills because of this! (imagine frowny face here)

Buddha excels at self isolation.

Anyway, needless to say, I don't know what will happen with the show season or my intended class schedule. With no crystal ball it is hard to tell. Galleries, like the Pottery Place Plus and Essential Art will eventually open again and classes can be put together at the last minute, while not ideal, it is possible. The art fairs are another matter. Are they being held, is it worth the expenditure during a year like this, are all questions with no answers at the moment. 

I want to thank my friends and local art community for all the help thus far, you guys are the best!

Surprises

"Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks."

Samuel Johnson

As it turns out, the gingko leaf actually does discharge, that is, bleach out color. I had 3 "bummer" scarves hanging around (as in, I opened up the roll and went "Bummer!") So I decided to give this technique a go. Although I would be the first to admit this is probably the worst example ever created, I am so jazzed that anything happened at all! Also beware of internet photos-this looks way better here than in real life; but it makes me want to run around dyeing fabric just to do it again and again-practice makes perfect! Or better than this anyway.

I will fiddle with it some more after The Little Spokane River Artist Studio Tour (do you like how I worked that in?). This Saturday September 28th, I will be at stop number 3, Jill Smith's studio, come see me! 10-5 rain or shine.

Off To the Moscow Renaissance Fair

Moscow, Idaho that its. This Saturday and Sunday, May 4th and 5th, East City Park, Booth 34-pop by and say Hi!

In addition to art booths, there is music, a May Pole, food, and parade featuring this guy!

Corvallis, Oregon

I am sorry to announce I will not be attending the Corvallis Oregon show due to my husband's health. I was so looking forward to it and I wish the show organizers and participating artists a wonderful weekend.

Traveling

"The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see."

Gilbert K. Chesterton

Anacortes Washington

Off to the Anacortes Arts Festival, this weekend, booth 812W and The Coupeville Arts and Crafts Festival August 11th and 12th, booth 179. Come by and see what I have been up to!

So what in the world happened to May?

Well, first there was the hysterectomy and the rather alarming post-op infection. That  is over now so I have more time to do things other than taking a bunch of pills and watching trash TV. Here is an overview of the month.

Breakfast anyone?

My husband felt sorry for me and made this lovely birdhouse!  He also spent Monday digging about a bzillion holes in the ground to get my dye plants planted (calendula and bachelor buttons mostly)-who is this strange man and what have you done with my husband? Maybe I should get sick and pathetic more often.

This little guy stared at me through the sliding glass door for 15 minutes the other day, it seems the bird feeder was empty.

I went out to collect leaves today. We have had an inordinate amount of pine pollen this year. It was floating around in a puddle on the asphalt, leaving this fun pattern. 

I have to be the only one in North America that is excited that the knapweed is this big already. Finally! Back to making art.

Anyway, if you are in Spokane you can catch up with me next weekend at Art Fest in Coeur d'Alene Park, Browne's Addition, Spokane: June 2nd, 3rd and 4th. I have decided not to sell on the web for a bit, I need to ponder some things on that front-so check the show calendar and come on out into the real world and see me there!

Gettin' Old Ain't For Sissies

Well, you are probably wondering what happen to this blog. This winter I have been dealing with some age related health crap, which has gone on forever. For the number of hospitals in our city, you would think I could have had it all dealt with instantaneously-but noooo. My mind has been elsewhere for the last few months and then with the elongated winter we have had it has been hard to get enthusiastic about anything-especially when your art is made with plants-and they are all asleep. Now, there is a plan of action on the health issues and spring is here, it will get better-I promise!

I am off tomorrow for Best of the Northwest at Magnuson park (hanger 30) in Seattle, you can check the details under its listing in the column on the right side of the blog. According to the NOAA it will be a good travel day so I hope to get an early start so I can haunt some of my favorite places in Seattle; Seattle Pottery Supply, Pacific Fabrics, and Third Place Books. Set up is on Friday and it is a two day show, Saturday and Sunday.

In the meantime it isn't like I have just been sitting on my duff.

I am in the spring issue of Haute Handbags-with two projects! Go check it out!

Keeping an eye on the flooding river-I love the changes in the river over the year.

Making new things, these are the beginnings of beaded infinity scarves, come to the show and see how they turned out.

Experimented with red wine as a dye, this was Chianti, no Hannibal Lector jokes please!

I can't remember if I mentioned this one before, but I am in the winter Altered Couture too-probably still out there and available from the Stampington and Company website, I am sure.

Waiting for spring.

Any-hoo; now that we have a plan of action I will be getting it together when I get back and putting out a class schedule and show calendar. Watch your email inbox! Send me your info through the contact box on the right side of the blog if you would like to stay informed, I will add you to my list. Thanks!

Time Well Spent

I had a lovely time in Anacortes Washington, both at the show and at the campground. I got quite a bit of work done while there, using all the lovely plants that don't grow on the eastern side of the state. The campground is right on the water's edge with a lot of untouched forest. Thimbleberry, salmonberry, ferns, and bracken all grow among the old trees and make wonderful prints.

I also walked a lot and spent time thinking and not thinking. I came across this tree one afternoon and watched the passage of time in the tides.

What a Day!

Today was pretty busy, but in a good way. I steamed three silk scarves and a rayon shirt. Before you ask, I have no idea what the rayon will do, it is a cellulose fiber so I pretreated with soda ash and protein and let it sit for a few weeks, then decided to throw some steel wool on it for good measure-we will see. Since I am headed off to the Anacortes Arts Festival I decided to leave it in a bag in the fridge while I am gone and I will open it when I get back. Hopefully this will keep the mold fest in check for that length of time and the extended rest will lend to the longevity of the color.  Time will tell. The scarves will dry out before I leave and I can open them up in a few days. The jars in the back are Santa Rosa plums, the tree outdid itself this year and although we are not usually fans of canned fruit, I decided to give it a shot and see, they certainly are pretty! There are more coming, so maybe plum sauce (like applesauce) next. 

Where did June go?

When I go to art fairs that are far afield I like to try to see what is at the museums in the area. On the way to the Edmond's Arts Festival I went to the Mood Indigo show at the Asian Arts Museum in Seattle. I spotted this sleepy little family on my way back to my car.

I stayed with a friend in Portland to do Lake Oswego Art in the Park. Every time she left the house her cat tried to convince me he was hungry. Notice the curling of the tail around my toes-Bo is a shameless flirt.

I won Honorable Mention at Lake Oswego! Both shows were really good, well run and lots of great customers!

But now I am home and in my studio, I love traveling, but working in the studio is best. There were so many things waiting in the garden it was hard to figure out what to use first.

Wishing for a 48 Hour Day

I just could not get enough done yesterday-in a good way. The sun was shining and it was warm. A day for working in the yard. My son was here working the greenhouses and vegetable gardens with his dad and a friend. They got the hoses back out and the yard got the first hair cut of the season. Meanwhile, even though I am headed to Best of the Northwest in Seattle in a few days, I could not resist working in the yard. I discovered that most if not all the hollyhocks I planted last year have come back up. These are the dark red, almost black and they are great for eco printing.

I have seen some amazing eco prints using purple carrots, so I put the seed in the ground for those. I have no idea if it is permanent color or not-there is only one way to find out.

I planted more gourd seeds. They are a great art material to have around, they cut easily and accept stains and inks well. I like playing with a wood burning tool with them as well.

 I rearranged the "gourd farm" out behind the barn. Hopefully it won't be quite so hard to find them all this year if they take off up the old pallets and fencing. This is the hottest spot on the place, sun all day, so it is ideal for gourds. The ground is terrible though, so I used all the big pots and tubs I could find last year, but it was pretty random. It will be easier to manage with it all in a row.

Although what I am growing more for is probably beyond most people since this is the batch from last year.

If I hadn't run out of day I would have finished cleaning the perennial borders and washed the lawn furniture, among other things. Best to get on with the trip to Seattle, I hope to see you there!

Happy Turkey Day!

Today was International Happy Turkey Day at our house. Never heard of it? Neither had I. Turns out, this day is celebrated on the first Wednesday after the 4th of July. Mama turkey arrives in your yard the day before you are supposed to leave for a show in California. I guess tradition holds that once she and her babies arrive, all productive work ceases. Pots boil dry on the stove, laundry molds in the washer etc. This is so that you and any other humans around the place can stand on the deck, or behind trees or sneak around the bird bath to try to observe the turkeys, well, being turkeys. Part of the tradition is also trying to count the number of babies (4) while burning up your phone battery taking grainy motion shots of Mom turkey and her wee ones diving in and out of the perennial border. Turkeys are apparently very camera shy. I ended up way behind on the watering schedule for the yard, as I really didn't want to turn the sprinklers on the baby turkeys. They left, I turned on the sprinklers, and here they were back again! As hot as it is, it is no wonder. I felt like scratching a dip in the ground and sitting in the spray myself.

Later on I went to water flower pots in the front yard and they were out there, heading off to neighbor Neal's to have a bit of chicken scratch before bed I suppose. I can't imagine what Neal's domestic girls think of their wild cousins inviting themselves to dinner.

The best surprise was the gift I received tonight. I went out to the garden to get squash and onions for our dinner, and discovered mom turkey had left a small feather.  The most startling thing about a wild turkey is how big they are, not their coloring. But this feather has the most beautiful subtle shades of grays, browns and tans with small bits of olive green thrown in. I wish I could draw it, but this photo will have to do.

Well, ready or not, I am off to California to visit friends, see galleries and then do the show at Mendocino the 18th and 19th-hope to see you there!

Off to Art Fest in Spokane Washington!

I am including a lovely picture of a purple maple print to remind you to come see me at Art Fest this weekend! This is the event that supports the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture here in Spokane. The festival is in Coeur d'Alene Park in Brown's Addition, Spokane.