The Artrain arrives in Palmer, Alaska

The Artrain arrived yesterday in Palmer, Alaska. I went to the opening reception it was a lovely affair with baroque music, good food and champagne, artists and art lovers all schmoozing together a very classy affair. I loved the native art one of my favorites was the Virgin of Guadalupe it was an icon, guilded with gold leaf and had tiny lights around the frame. All the things that I love. Sorry no pictures allowed and they don't want the images downloaded. Here is the link to Artrain http://www.artran.org
I met a fellow artist that I had talked to at the Forest Fair "Raven" is her name and here is her site http://www.ravenscreations.net. I think that I will give her a call and strike up a freindship she seems so nice, she is a graphic artist, writes childrens books and goes to the schools to read for the kids and she loves ravens just like me.

The Seasons Turn, Turn, Turn

Yesterday was the equinox the official end of summer but we 've been watching the season turn for weeks the autumn is short but beautiful. My sweet husband woke me up at 5:30 pm to see the baby swans. He calls to them in just like Dr. Doolittle they come for the special kale treat yummy. In one short summer season the parents mated, swans hatched and mom and dad raised 4 gorgeous children now their big family is getting ready to fly South. Here they are. The kids are almost as big as mom and dad only a beautiful gray color and the beaks aren't totally black. MoM is in the middle on the first pic.

Here is some interesting fungus also..........

"She who must be obeyed"

While I am working the graveyard shift I'm reading an old classic "SHE" Do you know what it means to be hot potted? Or to be so beautiful that men go temproarly blind when they see you?
SHE is an old victorian novel written by Rider Haggard.
Anyway I have been staying up all night Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights caring for a dying man. So I sit up snack, read, sketch and the hours slip past. Its funny how the time is different when most people are sleeping. The work is very challengeing and I'm sure good for my soul. My body clock is all confused.... Today I slept from 10:00 am to 5:00pm I all f#%&*d up..............
I was excited to go and see the Artrain a Collection of Contemporary Native Art coming to Palmer, Ak. I have an invitation to the opening reception so I got ready and went, but when I arrived there were no cars! only to find out that its on the 27th not the 21st????
Have any of you done that? Would you admit it if you did?

Connecting With My Dreams

Well ..Lately I have had some frustration and criticisms with what I call my "eclectic Style."
The Rasmuson Foundation who has been giving grants to artists all over Alaska said this:
"Her style is eclectic! Her work samples demonstrate that she is experminting with encaustic wax, but her work is all over the place in terms of style. Blah, blah, blah, yatta, yatta, yatta.
In my defense I am primarily a self taught artist so I take my inspiration from all types of art and also it is part of my learning process.
The frustrating part is I got an application and prospectus for solo exhibition at the Anchorage Museum of History and Art for years 2007-2010. I missed the deadline (August 18th) because I just could not come up with an idea or theme or a cohesive body of work to show the judges.

There is an Idea simmering just below the surface of connecting with my dreams to create my my artistic expression. But how to connect with the concept of dreaming and a visual representation? The encaustic wax medium and collage will be perfect for dream imagery. Something I have always wanted to do is to keep dream log and religously record my dreams. After all we spend at least 1/3 of our lives dreaming..........like my childhood dream of my family just floating away in the sky unaware of me crying below...... or the dream of the levis attacking with butcher knives..... or the Martians taking Mars candy bars out of my dads head or the dreams of flying....or being lost in a maze...or being naked at school...
Bye for now - I'm going to bed with a new purpose "dreaming with intention" with the benefit of giving me an insight into who I am and my artistic style of expression.

This is my latest wax creation a triptich I shall call "Praying for Inspiration."

The Alaska State Fair and Me

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I stood on my feet for 8, 10, and 12 hours demonstrating encaustic wax, and I loved it. I am furthering the "cult of wax" in my own way and educating hundreds of folks about the encaustic wax phenomenon. Carmen Sommerfield was the coordinator of the Palmer Arts Council show at the Craftsman home. She has so much energy and passion for art its so great to know her. She is one of those people that seem to be everywhere at once (scary). It was lovely we had art demonstrations, all types of original art, live music; harp, bluegrass by Deb Wessler what a talented and entertaining lady.

In the oil painting division of the Alaska State Fair the beautiful sepia portrait of the girl I painted did not get anything not honorable mention, 3rd, 2nd, or 1st? Whats up? I got skunked! I thought it was lovely. I should have given them my naked angel and not tried to second guess what they preferred to see but I was concerned about the little children and the family sensitivity to nude or salacious subject matter. Should have listened to my heart and not my head. Here is what it looked like among all the other ribbons. Now I ask you..........



I am going to lay down I have another one of my migraines, or is it just an excuse to check out?
I don't think so they come at the most inconvienent times.