Category Archives: Team work

Calkin’s Collagists

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The summer class has been amazing.I’ve reconnected with old work form and found a whole new support group.Larry Calkin’s has been our amazing instructor at Kirkland Arts Center.

I’ve joined Instagram and am finding this much easier than Twitter as it’s visually orientated.Gradually posting old and newer works.

I’ve had some interesting invitations over the summer but will hold them back until the final details are confirmed.

For our last formal collage class we created Robot collages ahead of Larry’s children workshops this  weekend at SummerFest.Fred now peaks out onto my street from there where my metal working bench originally was positioned.I volunteered a few hours on Sunday afternoon and had a wonderful time creating robots.

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This week we quietly celebrated 10 years since arriving in the US.Time has gone by so fast and in a couple of weeks will be returning to our honeymoon Island,Mull and will celebrate 26 years of marriage while attending a family wedding.I am very much looking forward to spending time with extended family catching up and just walking on Calgary beach.

Back to class

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Collage containing 10 elements.Inspired but my family supporting a member living with dementia.

Tip in detail.Origami paper gifted in from a friend.

After a wee technical hitch with the blog I’m back ! After a quick update of my CERT certificate it’s been a busy few weeks.I have finally reconnected with my alumni university in the UK, more of that in the future but I’m pretty excited about this first step in my return to Oxford colleagues and studies.

I have signed up with a previous mentor Larry Calkins to explore collage at Kirkland Arts Center.Collage is an interesting medium.Very honest for the artist but not always understood by the observer.As an English woman in an American classroom I see the world from a slightly different perspective.I’m not sure about sharing the pieces here but will probably edit this selection.The summer will be full of house decorating,visitors and cutting and pasting.

The Art of Forgotten Things

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Necklace detail

Two Christmases ago I was gifted a book about creating necklaces using peyote stitch clasps.It took me a year to learn the techniques and along the way I met a whole new group of friends.I have subsequently joined a local seed beading group.These are the pieces I have completed so far.

Deck outside my studio dreaming of the days when I’ll be creating outside again.

Altered necklace from our 25th anniversary trio to Hawaii.I can’t wear metal next to my skin so this makes a great alternative.To be worn at a fall wedding in the UK.

 

 

February Fun

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Garden installation

Well that’s I made it the last month of being 50 !

I again helped to build the Seattle Arboretum Foundation’s award winning garden.I was asked to paint the piñata green to blend in with the design.I love working with Bob Lily and the team from the Arboretum Foundation.We have great fun and it is the best cure for my seasonal mood disorder (SAD) One of the nicest things is that Bob always gifts us plants and currently my deck pots have Blue Irises popping up at of slightly different blues from different builds.I’m also totally indulged by hubby and we always buy a plant or two to add to our garden collection. This year we have a white ribes and two beautiful  specimen witch hazels.We have also gained some kinnickinick which I’m hoping will do well.

Leigh ,my wonderful gardener, and I have big plans for the garden this year.We’re trying some live stack planting with a very vigorous ribes which was causing a visual obstruction to the traffic on the street.We used the cuttings to screen the working area of the garden.We’ve taken advantage of renewing the fences in the fall to make formal plans.I value my privacy so am exploring different screening methods , these also help our small birds hide from the Cooper’s hawk that nest’s across the road.

I’ve wanted to build in more bird and bug friendly elements.I really happy to see the birds beginning to court on our deck.Most exciting of all is our Berwick wren seems to have a partner so I’m hoping to see the population increase.I’ll post the new structures and elements as they develop.

 

 

 

 

Keeping On Keeping On

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Well the summer is nearly over but I have one last adventure up my sleeve.Something I never ever thought I would do.

As a young child I was bullied but the TV never judged me.I hid in many TV programs.Blue Peter was a fav.Music was always important in my life. One of my favorite orchestra pieces was the theme to Hawaii 5-0.

Next Monday I will be flying into the Big Island with my Hubby to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.

F1 Salad bowl

 

Education Opportunities

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I enjoy working with young people in education settings.Making and discussing art are fun opportunities to develop ideas young minds.

I will be working with a goup of multi-lingual students this week and have created small cards for them to take home and share with their famillles in the hope that they can be encouraged to bring them back to the museum and continue the dialogue.

 

Kidsquest Success

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Awesome evening.Great helpers.I I promised the stalkers I would post a paper-cloth how to so will play with that later in the week.

My biggest priority this week will be getting ready for an Artist Amongst Us sharing at BAM. This give me the opportunity to share my work and consider whether I should set up in business.

This year example.

Pilchuck Glass School

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img_0296-2I’m just back from Pilchuck Glass School having taken a 4 day residency with Hannah Smith exploring.The class was small and very diverse.Probably my favorite time was Saturday night when we were all rocking out in the print shop.Peeps were on the computers making masks to sand-blast and printing our plates-team work all around.We had a print exchange and created prints to swap.I’m looking forward to finding a place for around our home.

I managed to squeeze  a limited print run with a blended brayer . I also picked the most amazing t-shirt from the store left over from session 2 of this summers classimg_0303-2

:o)

Summer 2016 and beach adventures

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Yes it has arrived and around me it has been a beautiful spring. I’ve been making memories with a family visit.My parents have been on vacation meaning lots of personal time and no blogging.I have lots of snippets to share. We ventured to the coast and the mountains,To show opening and completed pieces in my own studio.I joined my first swap in a couple of years and just generally have fun and hung out.We discover a new local museum and had an unusual beach find.

WP_20160522_14_45_04_Pro (2)We visited La Push and stayed at Quileute Oceanside resort.A beautiful spot while walking the beach we found this piece below the tide line.The following morning we took the piece to the elders for identification and to be sent to the school as a teaching aid.We’re still waiting for identification.We were really curious as to what it could be.

 

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Arboretum Fun and a Prize

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WP_20160215_07_45_43_ProThe annual garden build for the arboretum was fun.Old faces new plants and a bit of a challenge with the lighting set up but all came together to produce an award winning garden.

This is an early set up image upon my arrival on Monday morning.Winning images are available on the Arboretum Foundation Facebook page.

Most of the plants will be for sale at the arboretum post show sale so on Monday I’ll be helping to repot,remove and take the space back to it’s convention center origin oh and remove some of that moss !