Ghee at 60

Tides, the moon and my work schedule

2012-01-21T15:09:00.000-08:00

I was just thinking about the ebb and flow of my work and wondering if I could relate the amount of work I do to the phases of the moon. Seriously, I realized today that I have periods of consistent work and progress followed by the need to do something else ( update the website, learn something new, read a novel) and then another period of work comes. Sometimes when I am in the "something else" phase I wonder if I will ever get back to work, but so far I seem to return to the easel.

Sometimes it is encouragement from friends that gets me going again. Several months ago it was suggested by one such friend that we visit the top of South Mountain for a view across the Santa Clara River valley. It took quite awhile to arrange the trip, but the friend was persistent and four of us made it to the top one beautiful afternoon.

Many years ago this fellow's mother had done a wonderful painting of South Mountain from Foothill Road. He thought that it would be nice to have a painting looking back across the valley. It was a wonderful afternoon (and would have been even better if we had taken some food). But as we looked across the valley I wasn't sure I could create a painting of what I was seeing. Having both grown up in the valley it was fun to point out the places that still exist and those that are only part of our memories (like the dairy). We all took lots of pictures and headed home.

Weeks later I started on a painting and months later finished it.

I struggled with the foreground, putting weeds in and taking them out. Finally I decided to just leave a few, to just stop the eye for a moment but not disrupt the flow of the river around that wonderful bend I never knew existed.

My friend took it home the other night to hang on his wall.

The tide seems to be going out and I need to read a book.

#18 & #19

2012-01-02T18:11:00.000-08:00

There is a great article in the new National Geographic about twins. It is facinating reading, but for one who has been working on portraits it was even more interesting to look at the portraits. Looking at the subtle differences between the identical twins felt like looking at the differences between one of my portraits and the person I am trying to paint. Honestly, after looking at all the twins I started to think that maybe I have been painting my subjects' unseen twins. It also may help me treat myself a bit more kindly, because if the same DNA can't produce two people with the same exact features, how can I expect my brush and some oil paint to capture the exact likeness of a person.

I had fun this week with two young friends.

He sat first and had to work hard to not smile.

Then while I painted her, he walked all around Tisa's patio taking photos!

I was happy with this start

I'm happy with this, but it doesn't capture his great personality

This beginning was just awful

So I just kept struggling

Finally today I feel pretty good about this!

Christmas past

2011-12-30T20:31:00.000-08:00

I was putting away my nativity scene yesterday. I love getting it out and putting it away, it gives me a chance to look at and hold each piece. This year I put it on the shelf below Susan Cook's wonderful painting of the ranch. The colors in the painting and the colors on the figures were wonderful together, and I think the palm trees provided a great background. The pine trees were all made by my dad, on an old lathe in his shop in Gunlock. I noticed this year that several of the delicate tips have been broken, I hope he knows the damage just came from loving use. I especially love the tree with the brown trunk.

Dad made a lot of the trees, and gave them away to family and friends when they admired them.
They make the scene uniquely ours.

What a magical set of people and animals.
What a part of my Christmas these figures are.

The stable was also made by Dad, with a small shelf for the owl to perch on.

The oldest of my pieces are 48 years old. On my 13th birthday my parents and brother gave me Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus, and our friends Ruth and Dana gave me a king and his helper.

I'm sure it was Ruth who gave my parents the idea to start a set for me because Ruth had a set of her own made by the same woman in Germany.

Over the years, for birthdays and Christmas I was given more pieces. Each in a little decorative paper bag with a drawstring. Only one paper bag remains, they became softer and softer and finally wore out. But the figures have survived being arranged by all three of the kids and now the grandsons. My Uncle Clark used them as inspiration for a set of his own and carved animals for my children as well. Only wonderful memories come to me when I look at these figures. Only wonderful.

You need to visit the Museum of Ventura County

2011-12-04T20:23:00.000-08:00

This entry is a plea to all you lovers of illustration and children's book to visit the exhibit at the Museum of Ventura County of the work of Simms Taback. What a treat for the child in all of us. What a gift to meet a Caldecott winner and find him to be so gracious. There are books to look at, coats to try on, and even an old lady who might swallow a fly. The catalog the museum printed for the exhibit is full of color and energy. Even the typefaces/fonts make me happy. Oh do I love children's books!

Don't miss this exhibit! And if you have children, TAKE THEM WITH YOU!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

It was mentioned in our meeting yesterday that Thanksgiving was one young father's favorite holiday. I think it is the favorite holiday for many of us. It is a day to enjoy family. And sometimes it is a day to struggle with family relationships. But whether it is a day of pure bliss or one of wishing I was sitting by someone else at the table, it is a day to count my blessings.

As we sit around our tables I am grateful that my children appreciate fresh, home cooked food. I am grateful for a daughter and two sons who have learned to prepare food and seem to take pleasure in both the preparation and the meal. All three appreciate the importance eating together in creating healthy families, both physically, emotionally and spiritually.

We are blessed with such an abundance of food that sometimes I know I do not appreciate the great gift this is. Our salad the other night was graced with persimmons from my tree and pommegranets from my brother's bushes. Just the color combination, the deep green of the lettuce with the orange and deep pink of the fruits was a pleasure, and the taste spoke of autumn.

As we set the table on Thursday I will use some of Nate's bowls for the olives, and cranberries. Another gift, from Nate's hands to our lips. This new podcast on the Cricket and Seagull is a wonderful interview with Joe Bennion, who I've mentioned before. It seems a fitting interview to share at Thanksgiving.

As Bennion, I am grateful to have a career that is a blessing to my life, a job that allows me to live in harmony with my beliefs. I am also grateful for the red leaves on the "snowball" bush by the studio, my own little bit of fall color in California.

Art and nature and music

2011-11-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

One day during my trip to Utah I was blessed to be filled with art, with nature, and with music.

The day began in downtown Salt Lake City visiting an exhibit of the work of Le Conte Stewart. This was the first joint exhibit by the Church History Museum and the University of Utah Art Museum. We saw over 200 works by Stewart. Mostly landscapes at the Church Museum and depression era pieces at the U.

I have found another great artist role model in

Le Conte Stewart !

As we open the Ag-Art Alliance exhibit in both the Santa Paula Art Museum and the Agricultural Museum of the Ventura County Museum, I appreciate the willingness of both museums to exhibit our show. I was impressed by the work of both the museums exhibiting the Stewart show and think he would have been pleased with their cooperation.

You can see more about the exhibit at this link.

After enjoying the entire exhibit we headed to Red Butte Gardens. The gardens are just northeast of the University of Utah campus, and flow into the foothills. What a wonderful place to walk and contemplate. As we hiked up on trail the mountains looked just like a Stewart painting.

Then after a quick trip back to Meg's apartment it was back to Salt Lake for a delicious dinner and a musical treat!

Meg had 4th row tickets to hear The King's Singers, a wonderful a capella group from England. What a concert. They usually don't have accompaniment, but that night the Utah Symphony joined them. One of my favorite pieces was "Wind in the Willows" and who could not appreciate their version of "Over the Rainbow." How great to be sitting where we could see expressions and tell who was singing each part.

For me it will be a hard day to top. I'm sure I will share more about Le Conte Stewart as the days go by.

Road trip

2011-11-03T22:32:00.000-07:00

I've been gone for a week, a road trip to Utah to celebrate my daughter's birthday.

The cake was good, but we both decided a cake doesn't make a birthday.

Me on the upper Provo River

Looking down river

Who knew the Provo River started so far away from Provo.

Meg with ice, water and moss

A hike around Teapot Lake in the Uintas

The aspen on Guardian Pass on our way home.

Maybe what makes a birthday for us is enjoying each other and the amazing world we live in, so much better for us than cake.

A gift

2011-10-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

Hearts

2011-10-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

A year or so ago a wise friend suggested that it might be interesting to read the Book of Mormon looking for the word "heart". And so I started out with a red pencil and marked each "heart" with a

I was happy when I read the happy heart verses, like 2 Nephi 9:52. But what amazed me was how many times the word "heart" was linked with the word "hard". I see the hearts I pencilled in whenever I read the scriptures, but I hadn't been giving a lot of thought to hard hearts until I read a wonderful new children's book.

The illustrations are magical.

The message profound.

Maybe I need to find a little flint heart to carry to remind me of who I do not want to be!

So another golden ticket has come my way

Simple thing #3

a good book to read

Gold tickets

2011-10-14T19:13:00.000-07:00

The closing speaker for the Relief Society session of General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this year was Deiter F. Uchtdorf. In his talk titled, "Forget Me Not", he spoke of the children's story Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the people in the story who were yearning to find the golden tickets inside the candy bars. He said, "People began to forget the simple joy they used to find in the candy bar."

Although I have a tendancy to find to much joy in candy bars, Pres. Uchtdorf's talk touched my heart. I have been trying to give less thought to those illusive "golden tickets" of life and to take more joy in the simple things.

Simple thing # 1

a clean chicken coop

After walking Josie this morning I came right home and cleaned the coop!

Perhaps to you it doesn't look sparkling,

but to Wanda, it is wonderful.

I was happy all day just thinking about those fresh shavings!

Simple thing # 2

grandsons who like to come to my house

The boys were over yesterday

and since it wasn't quite time to head home we baked a few cookies.

James the train and a crane helped out.

#17 and the Agriculture Museum

2011-10-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

I bumped into this wonderful model at the opening of the Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum, the perfect place to get a hug from a friend of agriculture. He and his wife have been supporting the 4-H program in Santa Paula for more years than they would probably admit. And #17 served on the Ventura County Fair Board for years as well.

This is a man who loves his own kids, and still has time for all of ours as well. I never see him without him asking about each one of my kids by name.

I forgot to photograph the first day's work, so this is step two.

Day 2 after adding the glasses.

Don't you want a hug, too?

I can't resist adding some images from the Agriculture museum opening.

Cousin Karen's granddaughter trying on some "farm" clothes.
Karen's dad was one of the original farmers who supported the idea of an ag museum

Louie Henghold on the left, whose family ran the Mill for years.

My son, Nate, director of the Agriculture Museum, talking to Kate Larsen.
And yes I am proud of him!

The end of summer

2011-09-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

Autumn came today. The change of seasons is subtle here in southern California, but when you live here all your life, you recognize the changes just as readily as if the leaves were turning color or snow was falling. The air itself feels different.

When I saw this photo in a book at the library book sale, I bought the book and tore out the photo. I wish I knew who took the image so I could give her credit. This picture took me back to my own summers. At my grandparents' home in southern Utah there was an irrigation ditch that ran the length of their small community. From just out the back door of their adobe home it ran through pasture and then crossed the road and ran in front of the houses on the main and only street. For me it was magical. The wooden bridges at each house were exciting to cross. The plants and animals in the ditch fascinating. I don't think I ever hung over a bridge with the ease of these two, I was always a bit afraid of falling in. But if I could go back there now, I would dangle my toes and fingers. And if I were the girl on the left, I'd be wearing braids, and my cousin Ed would be there on the right--but never in those silly boots-he would be wearing cowboy boots for sure.

I was back in Utah for a family reunion the second week of this month and enjoyed seeing my grandsons enjoying some of the simple pleasures that were so a part of my visits there as a child.

Gates.

We didn't have gates on our farm in California, but there were lots of gates in Gunlock. Gates to open and close, and swing on.

Cousins.

There weren't cousins in Santa Paula either, but I was blessed with an amazing group of them in Utah. How fun to see Laird (plaid shirt in the middle) right in the middle of his Utah "cousins".

Past or present I have a love/hate relationship with the end of summer. For some reason Fall brings with it melancholy memories and longings I can not fully understand. I do think part of it stems from a desire to return to childhood freedom and that association with extended family.

The arts

2011-09-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

I haven't written a blog entry in so long I may have forgotten how! I took some time last night to look over the entries we have received for the AgArt Alliance show which is coming up at the Santa Paula Art Museum. I guess I had both art and agriculture on my mind when I saw this link in my e-mail this morning. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Once again I am proud of my fellow BYU alumni!

Nature and mental health

2011-08-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

I went out into the backyard today after eating lunch. Yes, I was going to sit on the lounge chair and read for a bit--I'm 60--I can take breaks. As I sat down and looked into the garden I saw 8 to 10 white butterflies flitting around the bushes. I can't tell you what watching those butterflies did for my spirit. Just to watch their grace, to see the light bounce off their wings. I imagine there must have been a hatch somewhere close by, and I am grateful.

I've been working on 3 landscapes for the last week or so. Need to paint something I can sell--the portraits have been consuming my time and my energy. So I walked around the ranch the other evening and looked at the sights I see all the time. This painting is of the view from our neighbors ranch up and across the Mud Creek wash. I still have a lot of work to do on this one, but am happy enough with it to show you the start.

Loss and learning

2011-08-19T14:11:00.000-07:00

Last week I lost another friend. I met Phyllis about 10 years ago when she moved to Santa Paula and started attending our ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We were both born in October, she 27 years ahead of me. It was hard not to be drawn to this woman on first meeting her because she sparkled!!

For some unknown reason she chose to sit by me at church. Maybe it was as simple as liking to sit on the left side of the building. Maybe it was as profound as her seeing my need. I honestly don't know, I do know that sitting by her for an hour each week changed my life. We didn't talk much, both of us were trying to be reverent in the chapel. But we shared winks, and smiles, hugs and the occasional quiet chuckle.

Before our services started each week I had the pleasure of hearing her say things such as, "Isn't he the most handsome fellow." "Her hair always looks so nice." "Don't you just love his ties?"

And after the meetings, "Wasn't that a wonderful message." " What a wonderful young man." "Wasn't that a beautiful song?" "Don't we have the best Bishop."

So what has Phyllis left with me?

a desire to praise whenever possible
a wish to look for only the good
the need to find a new "pew-mate"
a hole in my heart

When we first started the portrait project Phyllis was the first person I thought of painting. She wasn't feeling well at the time, but said she would sit when she felt better. I never got the chance to paint her, so for now I framed the photo of her from her memorial service and tucked it on the shelf of my window seat. When I have a concern I can ask myself, "What would Phyllis do?"

And the answer will always be, she would smile, laugh, and make whoever she was with "feel like a million bucks."

So if there is paint in the eternities I look forward to painting a portrait of Phyllis, and if there are pews, I hope she saves me a seat!

#16: Friends and portraits, the best kind of therapy?

2011-08-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

A good friend's son was visiting in Santa Paula this week, on his way from Myanmar to Moldavia--made me feel like my hometown was at the crossroads of the world! I told this charming young man that having his mom move back to Santa Paula was one of my greatest blessings. Having her calm, wise counsel has taken the place of expensive therapy.

Taking second place for therapy replacement continues to be portrait painting. This last week I worked on a portrait of the daughter of portrait #15. What a pleasure. I met her in her hair salon before she opened for business. We talked of families, work, and life. Another wonderful member of our community!

As I began I found myself worrying about doing a good job of painting her hair--after all, she is a stylist!

So this is father and daughter. Both of them have such beautiful bonestructure.

I especially noticed their chins. Great strong chins, each with a dimple.

As I mentioned, they are having a family reunion soon, and are expecting hundreds to attend, are you a relative??

Portrait #15

2011-07-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

I was standing on Main Street while waiting for a sitter a few weeks ago, when a cute woman walked by with two older gentlemen. Having lost all my inhibition I stopped her and asked her if she lived in Santa Paula. She did, as did her father, one of the gentlemen with her. He was a handsome man, wearing a clean straw cowboy hat.

I told her about the portrait project and she was interested. So yesterday I met her father at her hair salon and worked on portrait # 15.

After an hour at the salon.

Yesterday afternoon.

When I put the brush down today.

I hope Santa Paulan #15 is happy with this painting. There is nothing more handsome than a man in a clean straw cowboy hat and a crisp white shirt! His family is having a reunion in a few weeks here in Santa Paula and they expect to have over 300 people. One of his grandsons is a graphic artist in Washington state, I will be anxious to hear what he thinks of portrait #15.

#14

2011-07-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

I know you are tired of my telling you how much fun this project is, but it is FUN! I have a cousin who is a manicurist in Tisa's salon. She is beautiful, but she doesn't live in Santa Paula, so you won't see a portrait of her in this project. But she is great about giving supportive comments. And last week she suggested I paint one of her clients.

Her client is an artist whose work I have admired but who I had never met. It was a pleasure to hear her story, and to put a face to her work. The people who have posed for me all seem to have such interesting lives. Many have lived in interesting places other than Santa Paula, but all seem happy to be here in our town.

The start done in Tisa's patio

After some adjustments

I hope this captures her vibrant personality!

I did notice that #14, an artist, chose to wear a blouse that brought out the beautiful color of her eyes. Thinking about artists and color reminded me of this great on-line color test you can take. If you click here you can see how well you see color. I got an "8" and thought I was pretty hot stuff until my kids got a "7" and a "4". What was your score?

Portraits #12 and #13

2011-07-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

I had a great painting week, I started 3 new portraits! Numbers 12 and 13 are finished, I think. I keep looking at them while they sit on the shelf in the studio, so they may change a bit...

Once again I will complain about painting beautiful young women. It is hard to not make them look either younger or older than they are, and there are no wrinkles to help me measure proportions. And the young people I have had pose don't talk as much as the older sitters, so I find myself thinking too much. That said I had a wonderful time in Tisa's patio with these two high school juniors.

#12 arrived wearing this great hat

after some adjustments

and a few more adjustments

The hat was a challenge, getting it to sit on her head and then to paint her face in the shade.

I was glad # 13 (lucky 13?) was still willing to sit after watching me paint #12. It was getting hot in the patio and I kept trying to get some sun on her hair. And what great hair!

I love that as I showed her this start to her portrait #13 said, " This is just like a rough draft." As I look at it now I think I must have been getting a little tired!

adjusting

and more adjusting

Adding just a few freckles and more movement to her hair. She may look a bit younger in this portrait than she is, but maybe I have a bit of Peter Pan in me, and I hate to see kids grow up?

I have not consciously been choosing beautiful people to paint, but it seems to be working out that way. Maybe there is something to be learned in this project besides painting skills. So are there any non-beautiful people in Santa Paula who would like to be part of the project?

2011-07-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

My dear cousin Lucinda's son Wes died on the 4th of July. I have been following his wife Lori's blog for quite awhile now, and have been continually amazed by these two young parents and their wisdom and strength. I have no idea what it must be like to lose a child at such a young age, or to lose a husband that you so dearly love, or to lose a father when you are still getting to know the wonder of him.

My heart aches for Wes' family. My heart does smile though, at the life well lived, of one good young husband, father, and son.

Portrait #11

2011-06-21T17:18:00.000-07:00

This was my first portrait of someone who I didn't know at all. Fortunately, my friend Kathy suggested that I might want to do a portrait of this fellow for our project. So we met in Tisa's patio last week and got started.

What a great guy! He spent his childhood on a ranch in Steinbeck country, so right away we had something in common--childhood spent on the ranch. He left ranching, became an electrician and eventually found himself in Santa Paula. He fell in love with a woman he described as "exotic" as a young man, and I could tell he still is in love with her today!

My friend Kathy says that he is always helping people, he drives for "meals on wheels" and likes the library. I know I have said it before, but this town is full of great people!

He said he thought his eyes were starting to look like Peter Lorre, but I think he looks more like Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

in Tisa's patio

after the first hour

after realizing I wasn't seeing him "straight on"

second day

getting there, but his chin was too long and one eye too small

I think I'm done with #11

What do you think? If you had to pick an actor, who does

Santa Paulan # 11 remind you of??

Father's Day

2011-06-19T16:22:00.000-07:00

We had a great talk in our Sacrament meeting this morning at church. A young man who recently married a girl from Santa Paula gave a wonderful tribute to his dad. I don't think he used his notes, he just spoke from the heart about the importance of his father in his life. I echo his thoughts, my dad blessed my life. And my husband has given my children many strengths that I surely could not have given them by myself. And now I have the pleasure of watching my oldest son father his two boys.

So I'm including a great song by Garrison Keillor and some images of Dad,Richard, and Will in honor of fathers.

Portrait # 10

2011-06-10T16:39:00.000-07:00

Number 10! There is something about reaching double digits that feels good. I had a few minor medical issues and was off my painting schedule, so it sure felt good to start in on #10. I have known this wonderful Santa Paulan all my life. She and her husband moved to Santa Paula when he was offered a job teaching at SPUHS. I hope she doesn't mind me mentioning that she is in her 80's and is beautiful. She raised 3 children, and has grandchildren and great grandchildren close by and far away. I know most of her posterity and I don't think there is a "bad apple" in the bunch. I think there is something to be said for having a strong grandmother who also knows how to have fun.

At her home, sitting in a deep pink chair

I decided that there was too much pink so decided to use the
complement for the background

I'm not sure I'm done, but if I sign it maybe it will keep me from fussing with it.

Babies

2011-06-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

I have this desire to paint some Santa Paula babies and small children for the portrait project, so when I saw my new great-nephew on Memorial Day I asked his parents if I could use him to practice on. Oh my, do I ever appreciate Rose Frantzen's beautiful newborn portraits! If I thought beautiful young girls were hard, it is nothing like trying to capture a baby.

I did learn that red is not a great color for a baby to be dressed in for portrait painting, too much reflection and hard to get that soft baby feel with such a vibrant color.

So I did a second small study just for fun and the blankets he was wrapped in just seemed to want to be a robe and halo.

2011-06-02T18:03:00.000-07:00

I just finished The Wednesday Wars, by Gary D. Schmidt. I read the last few pages while I finished baking some cookies this afternoon. I couldn't wait until tonight to read those last few words. Have you ever felt like kissing a book, or hugging a character? Well, I did one of these things and would have done the other if Holling Hoodhood had been in my kitchen. And now I have to go into the garage and find the tub that holds Meg's book stash and dig out Shakespeare's "The Tempest."

Mrs. Baker confirms my belief in the importance of GREAT, not just good, but GREAT teachers. So as the school year ends, this is my tribute to all the teachers who like Mrs. Baker, have influenced me and my children, without us even realizing what they were doing.

Delicious thoughts

2011-06-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

Just before breaking for lunch this morning I happened to be listening to the University of California station and was lucky to catch a conversation with Wayne Thiebaud. What a delicious hour it was. Listening to Thiebaud, who I believe is 90, reminded me of two recent visits our museum committee had with Carlisle Cooper, a Ventura artist and teacher.

Both men are passionate about art and it seems to me unwilling to make too much of themselves. I don't know if they are unaware of their abilities, or just wonderfully humble men. Actually I do know, it is the latter, they are both gentlemen who don't need to brag.

I hope I don't misquote Thiebaud too horribly, but he said that choosing to be an artist is "the worst career move." Then he made this wonderful word picture for me, he said, "to be an artist you have to love making these little painted worlds." And I do love making my own little worlds, I have ever since I was a child. Some of those worlds were three dimensional, created out of small twigs and rocks near the house, some were made out of clay, some were made on rolls of paper every summer with the crayons we got to bring home after the school year ended.

Thiebaud also expressed that sometimes he feels like what he is doing has no worth and that he is unhappy with his work. He validated looking at other artists' work and seeing what you can "steal" from it and bring to your own work. He recommended a book, The Genius in All of Us, which I am going to have to read. But he did say it would make me mad, because I would realize that what makes a really great painter is hard work, and time spent painting.

I felt similar feelings from our visits with Mr Cooper. When most people of his age are ready to relax, he is still thinking about painting, wanting to be part of the process of creation, still wanting to share his knowledge with students. As Thiebaud expressed it he wants to be a "contender", doesn't have to be a winner, but needs to be in the fight.

How wonderful to spend an hour with a great artist and come away, not intimidated, but validated. I add this validation to the comments made to me Sunday night by a man I greatly admire, John Jones, who told me to keep painting. So when I am discouraged I will remember all three of these gentlemen.

Thinking about uncles

2011-05-22T17:21:00.000-07:00

Since I painted Bill's portrait (#8) I have just not stopped thinking about uncles. I think it was something in Bill's quiet intelligence that brought back memories of my Uncle Mark. I was blessed with lots of great uncles on my mom's side of the family, enough love there for many more blog entries. These great men all gave me great gifts, gifts of music, spirituality, humor and love.

But the uncle I have been thinking so much about was my dad's half brother, my uncle Mark. Marcus Snee Lindsay was born in Pennsylvania in 1899 and moved to California in 1921 with the rest of his family. By this time his mother had died and my grandfather had married my grandmother, Erma Keturah Bennett. Erma became mother to 3 almost grown step children and went on to have 3 children of her own, including my dad, John. My Uncle Mark was just 20 years older than dad.

My friendship with Uncle Mark really began after my parents retired to Utah. Mark and I were the family members left in Santa Paula, so I started visiting with him. He was a bright man with a quick wit. He owned the first VW bug in Santa Paula (maybe the county?). He loved his wife, Gladys, who died in 1973 and his son Lincoln who died in 1952. I don't remember Lincoln, he died when I was only two, but I now realize how much the loss of Lincoln affected both Mark and Gladys.

Mark was a great puzzle solver! He always had a word puzzle or crossword he was working on. He always had a box of See's chocolates. I loved visiting him in those years when my my parents were far away. He made me feel important and interesting as he listened to me talk about my life. I loved those afternoons sitting in his mobile home, talking about the town, art, history, whatever we felt like.

Now there is an uncle living in my studio, Uncle Nate. Laird and Rafe already love Uncle Nate, but someday will realize like I do, just how wonderful these members of our extended family are. They love us without the concerns parents feel for us. It's a relaxed love, a love that enriches and blesses our lives.

Portrait #9

2011-05-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

When I was starting to pack up my paints after the sitting with subject #8 I saw this young woman walk into the barber shop with her step dad. I could tell she was going to wait while he had his hair cut so I asked if I could paint her portrait.

After about 45 minutes

After some work in the studio

Almost done?

Once again it's that whole issue of trying to paint beauty! I find it much easier to paint "character" or in other words, age.

Portrait #8

2011-05-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

I started this one on Friday the 13th!

Maybe unlucky for the "model", but lucky for me.

I know I keep saying it, but I am happy with this one! Looking at it has made me wish I had painted a real portrait of my dad and some of my uncles who I loved dearly. I wasn't brave enough until now. I owe such a debt of gratitude to these wonderful people who are letting me paint them.

What should I call these people? "Model" does not seem quite right. "Santa Paulan" seems not to hit the mark either. I think of them as "fellow citizens", I feel like I am being blessed to make new "friends". I am so addicted to doing these portraits, it is a stronger addiction than my addiction to dark chocolate, it is STRONG, and it is wonderful.

Zinc memory

2011-05-15T15:56:00.000-07:00

I have a new shampoo that contains zinc. When I washed my hair this morning I had a rush of memories. I felt as if I was about 10, standing at the edge of the pool in my swimsuit, trying to tug on that dumb rubber "bathing cap" and shivering. What an olfactory memory. I suppose that zinc was one of the major ingredients in sun tan lotion, what we now would consider sunscreen. So many memories, and not a photo of myself to share. I don't blame anyone for that, who would want to waste good Kodak film on a shivering, sniveling kid?

Now, my brother, that was another story. He was always tan and ready to jump into the water, or any other adventure. Among other adventures, he was hit in the head by a croquet mallet, stepped on a pitchfork and was stung by a stingray, in my mind, all badges of courage. Not me, I sat on the sand, the edge of the pool, even stood at the end of the diving board for what seemed hours, unable to "jump in".

I think my bravery has only showed itself in being a mother and studying art. I still remember one of my first critique days at BYU, in a painting class taught by Alex Darais, I felt like I was finally diving off the board. I even remember the painting--the subject was 3 clarinets from the music department.

Amazing what one little whiff of zinc can bring rushing back to my mind.

The dog and the camera

2011-05-13T19:59:00.000-07:00

For some reason my dog does not like my camera. I think there must be a high pitched sound that accompanies the auto focus. So when I take the camera out of the bag and turn it on, Josie starts to bark. This morning when I was putting my paints back in the car and was far enough away from her I quickly took some shots before she started to bark. She really is a great looking dog isn't she? And she takes her job, guarding me and my easel, very seriously.

A great day. A cool morning in the orchard, working on my sycamore painting. Then a warm afternoon in Tisa's patio working on two, yes TWO, portraits. More about that later.

One of my trees

2011-05-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

I love trees. There are several that I see almost everyday. I often think about painting them but that is as far as it gets. the thinking. When I walk to get the paper in the morning I sometimes take a dirt road beneath our driveway. This bumpy road winds through the orchard and below a wonderful sycamore. One morning a week or so ago I passed by at just the right time. The sky was almost colorless--appearing just to be light filled, and the tree stood in front of the light with its limbs outstretched. So a few days later I took this large canvas and my paint bucket and went back in the afternoon to start a painting. The light was coming from the opposite direction, but I thought I could get started on the basic shape. I tried to work with the canvas propped up against a lemon tree. I certainly appreciate plein air painters--and the reason many of their paintings are small.

This morning I went back with an old easel and set up again. It was a little late for the best light and the biting gnats were out, but I gave it my best.

When the gnats finally won I retreated to the studio and did a bit more work. When I started thinking about this painting, the limbs were bare, but each day the leaves grow bigger and more dense. We'll have to see how this one goes.

Portrait #7

2011-05-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

I started work on Portrait #7 last Friday. I went to the home of this sitter because it isn't easy for her to get around. She uses a walker and a motorized wheel chair.

She has several health issues and has a hard time holding her head up, so it was easier to work where she had her own comfortable chair.

first adjustment

the start at her home

finally decided to shorten the cap

second adjustment

I am always surprised by how much adjusting I need to do as I work on the portrait. I think I am getting the fairly accurate dimensions, but as you can see from the changes in just her cap--I started out way out of proportion! I liked the way the cap went off the top of the canvas, but it was just too tall for her head.

I asked her if her eyes were blue and she said,

"Yes they are, that's why I wore this blouse."

She is an artist as well.

I just can't stop myself

2011-05-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

One of the first things I remember talking about in painting class when I was in college was "knowing when to quit." I remember learning that more paintings are ruined by painters who just keep going, adding more detail, fussing about when they should just STOP. Well, maybe I need to go back to school because I just can't stop working on Portrait #6.

As it was

As it is tonight.

It bothered me that in all the other portraits the sitter was looking at the viewer, so I changed her eyes. I also worked on her lips and added a bit more color. I think it looks more like her, she's very pretty. What do you think?

Civility

2011-05-02T13:11:00.000-07:00

Some friends and I had a discussion recently about the homeless and how we interact with them. This video gives me more to think about.

Why we paint

2011-05-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

This 5 minute video is worth watching! I am always so happy when someone
else more ably expresses what I wish I could say.

Portrait #6

2011-04-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

Once again I find myself wishing my skills were as good as my vision. What if you could just put on glasses and paint better! As I get to know people I find myself wanting to paint them as beautiful as I see them. I keep repeating to myself, "It is ok that my skills are just as good as they are," and by the time this project comes to an end, who knows how I will feel.

I met another wonderful Santa Paulan downtown on Saturday. Tisa's patio was in use, so we set up in the front window of the salon.

I wish I had thought to have someone take a photo of us at work on the portrait.

What a gift these people from my town are giving me. I get to talk with them for an hour or so and learn more about them. I used to think that it might be nice to be a coffee drinker so that I would have an excuse to visit with people in town. Problem solved without even having to have one cup--as long as I can keep convincing people to sit for me I have captive "visitors".

Portrait #6

Do you know the Santa Paulan who fills your prescriptions?

Portrait #5

2011-04-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

Is there someone where you live who knows everyone in town, always has a smile on her face, and seems to have more energy than 3 people? Well painting Santa Paulan #5 was a bit like the lyrics to "Maria" in "The Sound of Music".

"How do you solve a problem like Maria?

How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?"

As you know if you've been following this blog, I had a rough time with the start of this portrait. I worked and wiped out and worked and wiped out. I made excuses to the "sitter." I had a bit of a discouraging weekend as I tried to figure out what was wrong with the painting. I realized a couple of things as I worked on this portrait.

It is harder to paint someone you know --because you are more aware of that things don't look "just right"--especially someone with a wonderful, BIG personality!
Smiles are very hard to paint!

So this morning I took my new positive attitude to the studio and went to work. Adjusting color, chin and cheekbones, even background color. And I do feel pretty good with the day's work! So the question is, if you know her, did I succeed?

Santa Paula Portrait Project #5

The last blueberries (at least for awhile)

2011-04-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

The blueberries need a specific soil pH and are planted on berms. On the day I was there the men loaded and unloaded, placed and planted hundreds of plants.

Opposition in all things

2011-04-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

There is a verse in our scripture that begins, "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things." It continues a few verses later, "even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter." I've always seen truth in these words.

As I sat this morning, reading my cousin Lu's blog, this scripture came to my mind. It seems that some of us in this life deal with so much more opposition than others. And those who seem to have the most to deal with seem to handle it with the most grace and understanding.

Others of us seem to wilt at the least little bit of opposition, as I have been doing since my last portrait sitting on Friday. Try as I might, I just wasn't painting well.

I tried and tried, and tried again, but I just couldn't seem to get "her".

So the thoughts in my mind started to sound like this,"why did you ever think you could do a series of portraits?" and this, "you will never be able to paint the way you wish you could," and this, "people are sure not going to line up to sit for you."

So when I thought of the scripture this morning I started to think about the good results of opposition, even in painting. I came up with three ideas.

an area of red will look more intense next to an area of green--its opposite
the design of dark vs light in a painting can give it life and power
a large shape can be held in balance by it's opposite-a small shape-if it is well placed

After church I reread a new book by Virginia Hinckley Pearce.

What a great book, a new way of looking at my thoughts and beliefs. On page 10, Pearce quotes Buddha,

We are what we think.

All that we are arises

with our thoughts.

With our thoughts

we make the world.

So on Tuesday I will go back to work on the portrait I started Friday. I can create an image that will be the best I can do, and because it will be my best it will be good. That is what I think, and this is my world.

And even more blueberries

2011-04-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky to have a son who farms, and works with great men. They humor me when I come into the field with my camera and seem to appreciate the finished paintings of themselves.

More blueberry planting work

2011-04-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

I was taking photos of the tractor when I turned around and saw these two men. The poses were wonderful and to me so typical of two men discussing work. The trucks look different and the cell phones, but other than that one of these could be my dad 50 years ago.

Friday morning

2011-04-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

Another portrait sitting. The people of Santa Paula are so interesting! Amazing that a person (me) could live in a place all her life and not really know a lot of people living in the same place. What a gift to be able to sit down with people for an hour or two and listen to a bit of their story while I paint. Even better than listening to recorded books!

So here is #4.

For some reason, after an hour, this image reminded me of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof

and after a few more hours I kept thinking of the Polar Express.

Signed it this morning.

What a treat to try a beard and a hat! In case you are wondering, after I left the sitting, this Santa Paulan went back to work, and later in the day was going to be heard calling, "All Aboard!"

Portrait #3

2011-04-06T16:41:00.000-07:00

I ordered the dvd of this duo demo. What fun to watch really good painters work side by side and listen to them. I was happy to hear one of them comment that it is hard to paint pretty young women and children. I think so too! All that beautiful smooth skin and even color. Much easier to paint someone my age.

That said, I had a wonderful young woman sit for me on Saturday morning. Here are the images from the work so far--I think I'm done.

After the original sitting, Saturday.

Yesterday after work.

Today, after a little more correcting.

Remember, if you are interested in sitting for a portrait as part of the Santa Paula Portrait Project the only requirements are that you live in Santa Paula (or just outside the city limits like me) and that you are willing to spend an hour or two being stared at. Join the project!

Today

2011-04-02T17:15:00.000-07:00

A great Saturday. Waffles for breakfast, a visit from all four of "my boys", two sessions of LDS General Conference, and a portrait sitting in the middle!

I didn't think to take this photo until my subject had left. So you see the empty rocker instead of a beautiful young woman. I did love the arrangement, unplanned, of the chair, the portrait in progress and the statue of Mary in the background. I liked how the edge of my subject's beanie echoed the edge of Mary's scarf. Who wouldn't want to sit here, relax and be painted?

Field work

2011-03-30T16:19:00.000-07:00

Planting blueberries in Saticoy.

Time

2011-03-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

I've always enjoyed science fiction since I first read some of Ray Bradbury in high school. One of the ideas that has always interested me is the concept of "time", shrinking time, time travelling, etc. Maybe that is one reason painting appeals to me, it is a way I can freeze time, or at least pause it. Lately time seems to be less regular for me than it used to be. Some days fly by, others drag, some months, like March, have seemed to disappear. So it is always great to have a day like today when time seems "normal". I had time to paint, to do some laundry, to have lunch with a friend, and the sun is still shining as I write this.

Here's one attempt to capture the morning that the snow covered the mountain and the mandarins were loaded with fruit. The trees really have more fruit on than I painted, but I was afraid they wouldn't be believable with as much fruit on them as there really is.

I've lined up two more people for portrait sittings, it's exciting!

Portrait #2

2011-03-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

It has not been hard to share my painting process as I have worked on the animal paintings or as I work on landscapes, but for some reason it is hard to share this process in the portraits. For some reason I hate to have anyone see how much correction needs to take place as I try to capture a likeness. And then I realize that if you don't know the person I am painting, you will have no idea if it is a good likeness or not, so I show the progression of my second portrait for the Santa Paula Portrait Project.

First day, working from life

Two days later, working from memory and photos

Today , more looking and refining

I'm pretty happy with this one!

Our small town is a great small town...

2011-03-16T20:05:00.000-07:00

For some reason as I walked through the orchard to the studio this morning I was humming the tune to "Our State Fair" and thinking about what a great town I live in. So I started to sing, "our small town..", you get the idea? We do live in a great place, and I think one of the reasons it is great is because it still is a TOWN.

On Tuesday morning I stopped by TISA'S, to see if I could use her patio for my second portrait sitting. Tisa as always was not only gracious, but enthusiastic in the affirmative. So Tuesday afternoon I met my second "victim". We spent some time in the wonderful patio between Tisa's salon and the barbershop, me painting and both of us talking about everything from our childhoods to Hilary Clinton.

I'm still working on the portrait, so I won't include a close up yet, but I wanted to post this image so you could see what a great spot the patio is. Are you interested yet in being part of the Santa Paula Portrait Project?? The rocking chair is comfortable, a bird is building a nest in the patio, Tisa and her clients are supportive! So start humming the tune to "State Fair" and think about what a great place Santa Paula is, and send me a message when you are ready to sit for a portrait.

Monday, Monday

2011-03-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

Today was a lemonade and castle kind of Monday. How nice that in pre-school one can still "play hooky" as Grandpa John used to say. I think this wonderful boy takes after his papa Richard and aunt Megan--look at that tidy stack of already squeezed lemon halves and those clean hands. This guy makes great lemonade!

And the great thing about having a little brother is that you get to revisit those toys you used to play with and find they are fun again. Later in the day Laird added a looping train track through the arches, "like Disneyland" he said, and he has never been there. As I have said before, I love these old blocks, they've been drawn on by my kids, so I enjoy revisiting memories as well. (On one block I found today was written, "I will give you a present Mom," I wonder if I ever got it?)

On Saturday Richard's barn and the studio were part of the Santa Clara Valley Hospice Barn & Home Tour. I cleaned for several days so I decided to include a couple of images of my very clean studio. I wish I had taken some photos while the people were walking through!

Now tomorrow it's back to work, starting my second portrait for the Santa Paula Portrait project! I will post images when I have them.

Feast for the eyes

2011-03-09T16:07:00.000-08:00

While I was visiting Megan last week we took a snowy drive to Provo to see the Carl Bloch exhibit at BYU. What an amazing exhibit. Each of the very large altar pieces was displayed beautifully, even the chairs provided for us to sit on were similar to those in the churches in Denmark. We were able to rent ipads for a nominal charge and easily accessed more information about the artworks, their homes in Denmark, and the subject matter.

The image below is a very large canvas, the small child is maybe 5 ft tall? I wish I was a better judge of dimensions. Every part of this piece is beautifully painted, even Christ's toes are exceptional. What I liked best about this image was something that was said by one of the speakers ( I am sorry not to remember who) on the ipad tour. He noted the positions of Christ's hands. One as protection, cupped around the child's head (But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.Matthew 18:6) and one suggesting the child as an example (Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:4). I've seen this image reproduced many times, but never thought about the placement of the hands. And looking at a reproduction of 8x10 inches can not compare with seeing the actual larger than life size painting.

After my year of painting "the choir", this next painting held special interest for me. The little sparrows are beautifully painted. The image also reminded me of the little old woman in the movie Mary Poppins, and that lovely song, "Feed the Birds". I do like these little sparrows better than the pigeons in the movie.

If you don't think you will be able to visit the exhibit, at least take time to visit the website. I am a bit jealous of Richard's Danish ancestry!

And just in case you were trying to remember the song from Mary Poppins...

2011-03-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

I spent the last two weeks in Utah. My mom lives in southern Utah and my daughter in northern, so I got to visit with both of them. Megan is ready for spring, but for me, one who never really needs to wear a coat, the winter weather was quite spectacular. I admit a few days of it would probably be plenty for me, but there is nothing that quite compares with those lofty snow covered mountains. (Megan would probably say they are just as lofty in the summer, and beautifully green and welcoming to hikers!)

I guess what I realized as I made the drive through the desert and then through the center of Utah, is that I live in a very narrow canyon. I can see no great vista from my home or studio. My daily views are beautiful, and warm and familiar. The views out my car window were majestic, awe inspiring and varied.

It was a great trip, and I have more to write about, but now I need to clean the studio for the hospice tour this Saturday.

Our beautiful canyon

2011-02-20T19:11:00.000-08:00

Leaving fear behind

2011-02-06T19:21:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking since yesterday about the Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25. You've probably read it, or remember it from Sunday school class. I have often wondered about the servant who was given just the one talent, and hid it. I guess I have wondered about him because I have often felt I was him. I used to think it was unfair for his master to be so unhappy with him, and to take away that remaining talent, it seemed to me that he was just being extra careful with what he had been given.

Yesterday I was given some new insight into the parable, thoughts about what caused the master to be unhappy with this servant. The answer seems to come in verse 25, from the servant's own words, "And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, and there thou hast that is thine." (red emphasis mine) For along time I had thought the master was unhappy that the servant had not increased the amount he had been given, but maybe what the master was unhappy with was the servant's FEAR.

I'm still not sure what this parable means to me, but I have been thinking much about my own reaction to fear because of this new insight.

John Nichols and I met Friday to discuss again our idea for the Santa Paula Portrait Project, and we both expressed some FEAR. I print it in green instead of red, because I think John and I are hoping that this is a fear that motivates and invigorates, not debilitates.

I received the book I had ordered from Old City Hall Press, this week. It is a record of the amazing work done by Rose Frantzen and is titled, Portrait of Maquoketa.

I couldn't put the book down, the images of the people of Maquoketa, as painted by Frantzen are beautiful in their individuality and their sense of community. And I felt as if I had found another treasure when I realized this was the same painter who had painted, Placement, a work I had admired and had an image of tacked on my wall for a long while. Frantzen's paintings are the paintings I wish I could paint.

Frantzen's husband, and fellow artist, Charles Morris, writes in the book, "I hope her story inspires a few of the best and brightest among you to see what you might do in you own hometowns. New York, Chicago, and LA don't really need you that much. But you'd be quite welcome in a place like Maquoketa." (p 97)

I don't feel like either one of the best or the brightest, but I do have a great desire to have my art benefit and celebrate my community. John Nichols feels the same way, as evidenced by the work he has done for years as a photographer and supporter of the arts in Santa Paula. I think our project, "WORK" was the beginning of our wanting to explore our town through our eyes.

I'm excited that another artist, Andrea Vargas-Mendoza is willing to join our project. It will be wonderful to get to know Andrea, and to enrich the project with another set of eyes, and younger eyes!

So, hoping that our project will in no way bring shame to the inspiration of Maquoketa, I will put aside my fear and begin.

Santa Paula Portrait Project, Pidduck#1

Do you like to read?

2011-01-28T21:04:00.000-08:00

One of my cousins has started a blog for her grandchildren, and is nice enough to share it with anyone else who likes to read. You can find it through this link, Grandma Lu. This is the same cousin whose photograph, taken by Dorthea Lange in the 1950's, is part of a new exhibit at BYU Museum of Art. She is also on the far right in the photo at the right.➜

I am so glad to have someone who can suggest books for me to read. Since Jody Fickes Shapiro sold Adventures for Kids, her wonderful bookstore, I have missed having a personal librarian. Now I have two, my cousin Lucinda, and my friend Carolee.

Is there anything as wonderful as a good book?

Just begin

2011-01-28T17:59:00.000-08:00

I had some great days babysitting this week. Those two grandsons of mine are pretty wonderful boys. Rafe cries when we leave his mom, but if I quickly turn on the cd of "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree", he starts to bob his head and smile. Laird's new favorite is "Rubber Ducky", and between those two songs, repeated multiple times, we have a happy trip to Santa Paula.

On Wednesday I decided that I had to start a portrait and the only model I had was ME. It was tempting to put off starting, but I told myself I just had to begin, so I propped a mirror on the easel and began. I look pretty scared and serious don't I?!

This morning I went back to the studio, lit a fire, started some laundry and took another look at myself.

I decided I could smile about this project. What a difference! I still need to do some work on this, especially I need to add those lovely silver highlights in my hair, but I feel like this is going to be a great project for me. I just need to replace fear with some faith, and some fun.

This is the real "GHEE AT 60"

P.S. When Laird was packing up to go home on Tuesday afternoon, he said with a sigh,"This is the best day ever." We hadn't done anything but play with Legos, sing a few songs, and be observed by the horse puppet. I learned a lesson, well actually two lessons. One thing I learned is that Laird already has good people skills, he made me feel like the best Ghee on earth. The second thing I learned is that I need to remember to enjoy the simple gifts of each day, to say at night, "this was the best day ever", and mean it.

Can I paint portraits?

2011-01-06T20:45:00.000-08:00

I had a great visit with two of our community's librarians tonight. I decided to act on the feeling I got when I put the quote by Lady Bird Johnson at the top of the blog. Go to the LIBRARY! I approached the librarian about this new project John and I were stepping into and he said he thought he had read about it months ago. Not only is he willing to be one of my guinea pigs, he thinks I might find some room to paint in the library.

So with that encouraging news I start to really worry. Now I know that I MAY paint portraits, it will be allowed, but CAN I paint them? I haven't done many since taking Carlisle Cooper's class at Ventura College quite a few years ago. The only images I could find were the following three.

Two brothers, great kids, the older is now 19 and serving a mission for the LDS church. I saw them pulling weeds in their mom's garden when I was driving up Ojai Rd. I stopped and asked them to let me take some photos and work on a painting.

My oldest grandson a couple of years ago, in his cowboy phase.

Another young friend who was willing to pose.

So if you are reading this blog PLEASE send me an answer before I get in too deep, do you think I can to it? Would you be willing to sit for a few hours?

More thoughts than my mind can hold

2011-01-05T19:13:00.000-08:00

Several months ago I started talking with my friend John Nichols about doing another collaborative project. I had been inspired by the work of Rose Frantzen, especially her series of paintings of the people in her community in Iowa. Would something like this be possible in Santa Paula? In November John and I agreed give ourselves some time to think.

This morning John and I sat at the round wooden table in his gallery and talked about what our project might be. One of the things that I admire about John is that he can let ideas flow, while I tend to need specific direction. At the end of the hour, after looking at books of portraits, both photographic and painted, we have decided to move forward and see what comes.

I entered "definition of community" in google search tonight and my favorite definition was at a site called, Word IQ .

"Community is a set of people (or agents in a more abstract sense) with some shared element. Also a community is a group of people or things that live in the same area. The substance of shared element varies widely, from a situation to interest to lives and values. The term is widely used to evoke sense of collectivity.

The origin of the word community comes from the Latin munus, which means the gift, and cum, which means together, among each other. Community literally means to give among each other. Community could be defined as a group of people who share gifts which they provide to all."

I really like that idea, of community being our gift together. It also fits how I feel about this project, the gift of working with John and hopefully the willingness of our community to share themselves with us.

I feel a bit like I did when I went the first day to kindergarten, the day I said good by to my mom at the dorm in Utah, I feel scared. I feel great!

Beginning again

2011-01-04T17:06:00.000-08:00

I always have a fallow period after a show is over and the remaining paintings are brought back to the studio. I am grateful to know from other artist friends that this is not uncommon. This particular period of artistic inactivity coincided with the Christmas holiday, so it became extended and even harder to pull out of than usual. The upside of this process is that all my closets and cupboards have been cleaned and I have bags to take to the Goodwill drop off. Finally today after sorting out the toy closet I spent the afternoon in the studio. No painting, but some good thinking and looking at other artists' work, the first step to a return to work!

I've enclosed three of my favorite photos from our Christmas celebrations. As usual I forgot to take a group shot of my kids. Why do I always remember as the plane takes off in Burbank?

Will* listening to Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Marc. Aunt Carolyn has always been interested in my kids' lives, and now she and Marc are showing the same love for the next generation.

Rafe and his doting Uncle Nate.

Rafe, dressed for the party in a Christmas lights necklace. He came handsomely dressed (see photo above), but spilled his water in the car seat. So he got to enjoy the beginning of the party without the burden of clothes! Don't you just love the repetition of his profile in his Aunt Megan's? They appear to be singing the same song.

* And yes I know this is Laird, but I couldn't resist admitting to my error. I do often call all 4 of my boys/men by the wrong name. Makes me feel a bit like Grandma Bowler, who often called me Jean. And now the wonderful authentic Jean is helping my mom every week. Maybe Grandma Bowler knew more than I thought!

Giving thanks

2010-11-22T20:26:00.000-08:00

I am off in the morning. Over the river and through the desert to grandma's house I go, the car knows the way, and I hope there won't be snow. I have a good book on tape, a cd of piano music by Maurine Ozment, and a Big Hunk candy bar, what more could I need?

There won't be any post for awhile, no computer at grandma's. And when I come back I have to start thinking seriously about a new project. So a few days of fallow time. Ahh.

Community

2010-11-16T18:57:00.000-08:00

Remember that phrase, "it takes a village to raise a child"? Well, it takes a community to have an art show. On the morning of the 8th I was just getting all the paintings placed around the room when Richard arrived to help hang them. And not long after, just when Richard and I were about to start disagreeing about the height to hang things, Suzanne arrived. Three people really did work better than two and the show was soon hung.

We didn't even have any trouble putting up the vinyl letters. They are fun, and seeing how easy it is to do makes me want to put words on all my walls.

I must also admit to some anxiety about this show, so I had made a model out of leftover foam core board. It relaxed me in the days before the show and proved to be very helpful to us. I sort of reminded me of a doll house Dad made me one year. As a child I loved the books, The Borrowers, those little people who lived under the house. And when the kids were little we loved "The Mouse and the Motorcycle", and another book about a surfing mouse. So I quite enjoyed my little gallery sitting inside the studio for awhile. I think there is a great children's book there, so if you write it, please give me a nice thought on the dedication page. Come to think of it, Masterpiece, by Elise Broach might be that book. If you haven't read it, you should.

On Monday, there was a "bring in day" at the gallery. So artists were coming and going, bringing in paintings and sculpture for the annual small works show. Happily, before I left, a friend and fellow artist came in to the room where I was putting up labels, signed the guest list, and gave me upbeat comments.

My first visitor.

We had two parties, one on Monday night, a preview fundraiser for the Buenaventura Art Association. The gallery provided great food and music and a wonderful group of supporters paid $60 each to come and preview the show and enjoy Jim Black's great food. Emily, the gallery director, was wonderful to me throughout the year as I worked and worried. It was great to see her enjoying the evening as she worked to make everyone feel welcome. And the volunteers, my fellow artists, graciously dressed up on a week night to support me and the association. I wish I had taken my camera so I could share images of that event.

Then on Saturday it was another reception. This time my sisters-in-law provided a beautiful finger food buffet. And brother-in-law served beverages. This trio has had great training from Richard's mom, who has always been a great hostess, so no surprise to see edible flowers and enjoy lots of homemade treats.

Gift bags were given out to 12 lucky people,

each with some note cards and a cup made by son Nate. (Check out this link, his new pots are beautiful)

Neice Amy, who has a floral and event company even sent flowers for the event.

And the MUSIC, THE MUSIC WAS WONDERFUL. A group who call themselves the Holly Rollers, after Holly Road in their neighborhood, made the evening sing! These wonderful people are all neighbors in Santa Paula. If they don't convince you that we live in a magical place I don't know what would.

They brought the choir to life!

So as this project draws to a close, remember,

A sweet end to a project

2010-11-09T11:14:00.000-08:00

I am writing this Sunday evening when I should be in bed. I hang "the choir" tomorrow. It has been such a good project for me, full of discoveries about my self and my painting. Hanging a show is always nerve wracking--and greeting people at openings even more so. So, in need of some peace, and with my car already packed with paintings I headed off to church this morning.

My friend asked me if I was busy after church. "No," I said, so she invited me to join her for a drive to her old ward in Reseda. She wanted to see about borrowing some sheet music. I like to think that my choir blog has inspired her--she is feeling the need to sing!

I had no idea that we would be arriving just in time for choir practice! All I can say is "awesome" or perhaps as grandson Laird says, "double cool". The Reseda Ward choir practices every Sunday after church for an hour. That is an hour after three hours of church. And they sing every Sunday in Sacrament Meeting, so this is no lazy group.

I got to sit in the alto section, in front of the bass row and it was WONDERFUL. I don't think my friend knew what a gift this would be for me. I loved the way she was greeted by her old friends. I loved the way they didn't think it was odd for us to just come and join the group. Most of all I loved adding my weak voice to the choir. To hear beautiful Thanksgiving and Christmas melodies in four part harmony.

There truly is a place for all of us in the choir, and today I was blessed feel what that really means.

Here is my choir for those of you who aren't close enough to come see the show, I'm sorry they all look the same size, I think they look better in real life.

The banjo player

We Are Hummers

No More Solos

Two Part Harmony

In the Spotlight

A Song Before Leaving

On the Fence Wire

Warming Up

Exit, Stage Right

The Conductor

I Sing Alto

Choir Practice

One of the Beach Boys

Evening Lowing

Evening Coda

Animato in the Aspen

I Don't Remember the Lyrics

Home of the Divas

Bees Were Humming

The Quintet

Hurricane Adagio

The Trio

I Play By Ear

I Hear the Desert Singing

A Capella

The Chorus Line

Pianissimo

Fortissimo

They Call Me Banjo

When I Sing He Runs Away

A new find

2010-11-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

I just finished a book, " Chasing Vermeer", by Blue Balliet. The book was great fun, but I would probably not have brought it home if not for the title and the illustrations. The illustrator, Brett Helquist, was unknown to me, but as I flipped through a few pages at the bookstore, the drawings hooked me. What fun it was tonight after reading the book to find a few pages in the back where Helquist talked about how he does illustrations. So to the internet for more information! Even more fun to find a BYU alum. I am more and more impressed by the caliber of illustrators coming out of BYU!

These images are from the scholastic website page, How I Draw by Brett Helquist.

More fun with technology

2010-10-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

Fun and more fun. I just click on the "wash" icon, no need to get water, paints, find the brushes. Do all the eggs in one nest need to be the same color?

I hope that you have had a chance to look at the blogs I follow (see the links on the side bar). "Pursuits of Happiness" continues to strengthen me and make me appreciate the strength and wisdom of the next generation. I just read today's entry--maybe a course at a military base would be good for me!

Gray Sunday

2010-10-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

Rain in October? It just doesn't seem right, I'd feel more comfortable if it was clear, even a little east wind. But if a day is going to be gray and drizzly, Sunday is a good day for it. We had a great Sacrament meeting this morning. My favorite talk was by one of our teenagers. She talked about prayer, sharing some experiences from her own life. She spoke of capsizing a boat with her brother near the entrance of the Ventura harbor, and as she spoke I visualized the cold gray water. She said they capsized after she had prayed for their safety. As she spoke of her feelings I couldn't help but be impressed by her maturity, what a neat girl she is, bright, thoughtful, honest with herself and others. What lessons we learn from the way our prayers are answered. She and her brother were safe, just not warm or dry or comfortable. I am continually impressed by the youth in our little ward, they certainly are more in tune with the spiritual side of their lives than my friends and I were at their age. Sure gives me hope for the future.

During the 2nd hour of church, my (yes I think of them as mine) Primary kids practiced for their program next week. I don't know how the program will turn out, there are many variables, but I do know how I felt today when I saw and heard the 5 year old class singing "hosanna" with gusto! I wish I had some images to share. I think I will ask if next week I can take some photos after the program to add to this blog.

And all of my salad and apple crumble were eaten at our "linger-longer" after church. Always more fun to take home an empty dish than a full one.

Once again I am grateful for the difference a sabbath day makes in my life.

Digital fun

2010-10-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

Over a year ago I bought a wacom tablet and Corel painter essentials program for my computer. I've used it a bit, but yesterday I spent a good part of the day working on a project, using a stylus instead of a pencil! Wow, this is fun.

This is a sketch of a "bird book" I did awhile ago--it looks just like a pencil drawing. I can't show you what I was working on yesterday, it was something for my show opening. But I can say that learning a new skill, even learning a bit of a new skill, is invigorating. I just wish that many of the new things I would like to learn didn't cost so much to try. A pencil and pad would certainly be cheaper to use, but the ability to reproduce something and use multiple brushes, pens, washes without ever leaving my chair makes me happy with my investment.

Thinking about "the choir"

2010-10-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

So as this project ends I've been thinking more about how I got started painting my idea of "a place in the choir." I first read the lyrics to Bill Staines song in a book by the same title, All God's Critters Got a Place in the Choir, by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and Emma Lou Thayne. You may have heard of Ulrich, she won a Pulitzer prize for history in 1991 for her book, A Midwife's Tale. Thayne is also a writer, more specifically a poet. This book, that I first read in 1995, is a collection of their writings, that speaks to me on rereading just as much as it did 15 years ago. To read these two women's thoughts has been like having a conversation with two very intelligent friends.

So I hope you don't mind me sharing some of their thoughts.

"What better gift to each other than to share who we truly are, in all tones and with every kind of brush." (p 81)
I guess this is what I've been trying to do this year, to share myself through my thoughts and through the painting process. I haven't share all my tones, or used every brush, but it has been good to try.

"Go with the sureness of wondering
and the keenness of being in touch.

Take on the buoyance of bird.
Take root in the crevices of the world.

Hold to the rocks. Speak of the reverence for being.
And be in favor of trees." (p 221)
This project has helped me feel a bit of the buoyancy of a bird. I have laughed and smiled as I worked. I have come to grips with the thought that though these paintings might not sell, they have paid me with pleasure.

"My intellectual life, like my house, has been built from 'jest what happens to come'."
(p 25) This sentence reminded me of my friend John Nichols whose career has been blessed by this approach. I want to try harder to embrace what comes along, and not try so hard to know ahead of time where I am going.

"like birds on a common branch who bear themselves
lightly enough to stay, knowing the option
of flight, the distance down, the safety
of balance, the need for the other's weight." (p 2)
I think of all the good friends who have helped me this year, sat on my branch willingly, even when it seemed to weak to hold two.

"Some sing low, and some sing higher, Some sing out loud on the telephone wire, and some just clap their hands..." (Bill Staines)
So we are all in this together, and my group of animals are my attempt to celebrate our differences and our similarities through my painting, to take joy in this journey we are on together.

So this one is for all those friends, even the ones who are relatives. You may feel like a sparrow, or a hen, but to me you are all

fabulously flamboyant flamingos!

Coming to an end or a new beginning

2010-10-11T19:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I feel myself winding down with "the choir." My show goes up on November 8th--just a month away. So what is left to do? Framing, labels, and mailing postcards. It is interesting to work for a year on something and then have it come to an end. And there is the wondering, "will anyone want to buy any of these paintings?"

So in case you are not on my mailing list I've included a copy of the invitation above. I should have taken a photo of all the cards and labels spread out on the floor of our spare room. It was actually kind of fun to look at each name and think about how each had impacted my life as an artist, either as family, friend or collector. This is a sneak preview, I won't be sending them out until next week.

So what will come next, not a clue.

Several years ago, Megan and I decided that BIRTHDAYS should be BIRTHWEEKS. And this year it's been true for me. Friends brought me some wonderful handmade soap yesterday--one bar was clove scented. One whiff and I remembered all the oranges we stuck cloves into one Christmas, and the wonderful clove gum I remember from childhood. And on Saturday night another friend gave me the best present I have been given since Ruth Teague gave me big box full of colored papers when I was in about 6th grade.

Some new foam speedball blocks to carve, a knife and 3 packages of colored stamp pads!

She even decorated the paper with candles from a stamp she made and gave me the stamp and a roll of craft paper. Yippee! You can see the wrapping paper in this one. Makes me feel young again!

Really 60

2010-10-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

So it is official. I turned 60 on Friday. I had a great day. I worked in the studio, and did some errands in Ventura. In the afternoon I baked some cupcakes for the women I visit at church. "Conference Cupcakes", something sweet to eat while watching conference over the weekend. I delivered cupcakes and avocados--we had such hot weather last week (111˚) that the avocados all dropped off the tree!

Then Saturday I had a visit from Rafe in the morning and watched both sessions of Conference. About 5:30 I got ready to drive to Will's to go out for a birthday dinner. Richard said he needed to shut the barn, but when we got there,

surprise!

Brother, friends

cousins from Utah

old friends and nieces and nephews

the ones who should have warned me

delicious food

kind words and even a song sung by a friend.

So Richard and the kids pulled it off! And not one of my friends warned me.

The barn was beautiful,

the decorators amazing...

especially my daughter-in-law who was worried about surprising me, so worked very hard to make it such a nice party I couldn't be mad!

What a great birthday celebration, I think I will ask for another, but not until my 80th.

And I want Henry to sing again and bring his ukulele!

Workers and webs

2010-10-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend when I went out to feed the chickens, my path was blocked by a sparkling construction.

I kept trying to get closer and closer, so I could see the weaver.

And there she was.

I work so hard to create art, and she just lives and works, art the by-product of her industry.

Work.

Laird brought his big pink piggy bank today, so we could count all his money. We made piles of the pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters and "moneys" (dollar bills). We had fun stacking the different coins. Laird is "needing" a Lego fire station which is very expensive. Money is such a hard concept to explain. He thinks he has a lot of money, but he is about $70 short. So he was anxious to work for me today, to earn "dollar bills". He washed my front windows. And even showed Rafe how to do it. He also wiped up all of Josie's muddy footprints! So before he left I went to find a dollar. All I had was change, so I gave him 4 quarters, explaining that it was the same as a dollar. He was a little concerned about that, so I suggested he see if his dad had a dollar he would trade for the quarters. Hooray, he had a dollar, and my worker went home happy. The little worker was happy too, just to see his dad.

Nothing says responsibility like a squirt bottle and a rag!

A Month Gone By

2010-09-30T20:33:00.000-07:00

I found it hard to believe, when I finally sat down at the computer tonight, that my last post was a whole month ago.

What are my excuses? Appointments with doctors, family reunions, visits from family, a trip to Salt Lake City. And on the days in between those events I guess I was just lazy.

Since my memory fades quickly, I will only try to write about the trip to Salt Lake City. I went last weekend to visit Megan. I flew into Salt Lake just as the sun was setting over the western mountains. The weather was beautiful. I got to spend time with Meg and her husband-to-be, Jon, and his three wonderful children. I met a new friend, an Anne Shirley, who made me feel like a very fortunate Marilla Cuthbert.

On Saturday morning we drove just a few miles from Meg's apartment and walked around a small lake.

It was a beautiful morning and there were many people enjoying the outdoors. It was beautiful!

And the sky, the sky was so very blue.

Saturday evening Meg and I rode the Trax ( Salt Lake's great public rail system) into downtown to attend the Relief Society meeting at the Conference Center. What a treat. All of the speakers were wonderful and it was a special treat for me to see the Prophet in person and be surrounded by hundreds of great women. After the meeting we sat for awhile in the gardens of Temple Square and watched the lights come on on the temple spires. What a day!

Sunday we "stopped and read and prayed" attended Meg's ward in the afternoon, and then had Jon and his kids and Bethany for dinner and fun that evening. I will carry the memory of Meg and Jon sitting on the wooden fence, watching the sunset and the kids playing.

Monday, while Meg worked, I did some errands and then went down to Provo to the BYU Museum of Art. A wonderful exhibit just opened there, Wide-Open Spaces, Capturing the Grandeur of the American Southwest. I still have to say that Maynard Dixon is my favorite artist, but seeing Mabel Frazer's, Desert Grandeur, ca. 1940 made me realize I need to find out more about her.

Before leaving the museum I peeked around the corner of a wall to watch three men getting a room ready for the next show. There on the wall was, Christ Healing the Sick by Carl Heinrich Bloch. It is a huge painting. I have seen many reproductions of it, but in real life it is amazing. As I stood looking around the corner, one of the men asked if I wold like to see the painting up close. He unhooked the barrier rope and let me in. What a great gift. I hope to get back to see the Bloch exhibit.

It was a wonderful weekend, a wonderful way to end my 59 year, as I turn 60 tomorrow. I am blessed.

Silence

2010-08-29T15:55:00.000-07:00

I was reading this afternoon, and came upon this article about silence, by Susan Evans McCloud. At the very end she quotes Christina Rossetti, "Silence is more musical than Song."

I am blessed to live in the country, and yet there are annoying sounds all around me. On Sundays, especially, the sound of motorcycles on Ojai road can drown out the birds. I am bothered by the hum of a faulty fluorescent light, the neighbors water pump drives me crazy, and I have a hard time listening to another person's choices on the car radio. I avoid shopping malls for many reasons, but especially because of the multiplicity of music.

Silence, something to ponder this sabbath day.

Friends and family

2010-08-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

Today the boys and I had company. Our friends from Missoula, Montana came to visit. Usually it is pretty quiet here a Ghee's house, so it was great fun to hear happy voices. Laird showed Atticus and Esson how to throw eggs (only the dirty ones), and Atticus invented "chickening" a sport similar to fishing, but using a tasty green leaf for bait, stuck on the end of a stick which is then pushed through the wire fence to tempt the chickens. The boys talked "Legos" and Esson entertained Rafe. Laird was sad when they had to leave , and was talking about when they came again, or we went to Montana, just what we would do. Today was just what SUMMER should be.

I only had my camera inside, so you will just have to imagine "chickening".

I've been doing a little work

2010-08-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

If it seems like all I've been doing is playing this summer, that is fairly accurate. Painting these animals has been fun. And after watching the video of Toni Cavelti I thinkit would be fun to try some wire animals. One of my favorite art successes at BYU was a wire sculpture of a man on a bike. And I remember one of Icarus with wax wings--whatever happened to all those class projects?

So I spent some time yesterday working on another little bluebird and the 4-H piglet.

More landscapes

2010-08-27T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I think this second view of the gate and trees is done.

I'm especially happy with the background hills. It feels like California to me. The great thing for me about painting landscapes is that it "glues" the spot I've painted into my mind, my memory. I feel like I have "learned" a piece of the earth.

I was listening to "The News Hour" on PBS tonight, interested to hear about 3 people who had moved back to New Orleans. With all the concerns about flooding, all the expense of rebuilding, you might wonder why someone would move back. It doesn't seem surprising to me, though, I identify with that feeling of "home". I have strong feelings about two places, Santa Paula, California, and Washington County, Utah. These are the places I have known since childhood, places my parents lived and loved. I would miss not living in this valley, and I would miss not seeing the red cliffs near Ivins, Utah. I would miss the Black Ridge if I could never return to see it.

Does everyone feel this way about their home land? Or do people move more now and not grow so attached to place? I remember my mom saying that when my grandfather finally came from Utah to Santa Paula to visit her, he was so happy that she was living in a valley, surrounded by mountains, because it reminded him of his valley in Utah.

I know my cousin Ed has some of these same feelings, we've talked about it. His feelings are just intensified for Washington County because he grew up near his grandparents in southern Utah, so he didn't have two places to share his love. I'm not sure he or I will ever be great travellers, we are too blessed to love our home place.

Back to the landscapes

2010-08-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

I had some time yesterday and today to get some work done on the landscapes I started months ago. I'm in between animals, so it was good to paint trees and grass. This is one of two paintings I started at the same location. I loved the shady foreground and the light beyond the fence.

I signed this one, now we'll see if I can stop working on it.

I just finished a short children's book, Heart of a Shepherd, by Rosanne Parry. Briefly it is about a ranching family in Oregon. I love what the grandfather, a Quaker, says on page 100.

"Land shapes a man's heart, too, and his aspirations. A man near the mountains learns to look up, and it calls his mind to God." And then he'd do that Quaker thing where he sits quietly and says nothing , and the rest of us go back to playing chess or poker, and a dozen hands later he would say smoothing like, "God's in the valleys, too, in the coolness of the water and the softness of the ground. That's the tender side of the Almighty."

Summer

2010-08-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

My daughter-in-law decided to let her 5 year old have "summer" this year, no summer school, no soccer, just a few swimming lessons. I think she is a wise woman. So many of my vivid memories are summer related.

I was reminded of one last Thursday when Laird was playing at my house.

I remember squirt guns.

My squirt gun looked something like this. In my memory it was sort of salmon-pink clear plastic, so you could see the water level and know when to refill. I remember how hard it was to fill through the little hole, with the plug dangling out, especially when you were under attack and in a hurry. But mostly I remember the taste of the water as you squirted it into your mouth. What made it taste so good? The plastic, or the glue that held the plastic halves together? Whatever it was it would now probably be considered a health hazard. But in my mind I can still taste that summer memory.

The guns Laird and I played with last week look like this. Much easier to fill, squirts better, but it is still fun to shoot the water into my mouth!

Art and Ag together

2010-08-22T07:15:00.000-07:00

Last night was the opening of our third Ag-Art Alliance art show. This year the show is in the new Santa Paula Art Museum! I planned to arrive early and take some photos of the empty gallery, but there were guests there when I arrived and the room was soon full. How wonderful to see such a great turn out.

Artist Pam Shelly in matching cast and outfit.

We had 50 pieces from over 40 artists all related to agriculture. It's a great gallery space, and John and I did a great job hanging the pieces. (That sentence is part of my new approach to celebrate the things I do well.) Truthfully, we placed the pieces and Randy Axell did most of the actual hanging, with his ladder, level and hooks.

Artist John Brandt enjoying someone else's work.

I'm sure the show will be well documented on John Nichols facebook page--ag art alliance--but I wanted to include a few images here as well.

And I loved this shot. It reminds me of all those images you see in art magazines, taken at gallery and show openings. Most of those images are taken in places like New York, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, or Scottsdale. I love that this image, of art lovers and supporters was taken in

SANTA PAULA!

Silk purses and sow's ears

2010-08-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

What a silly idiom. Why would anyone want to make a purse out of a pig's ear. And besides, if we are talking value I truly think an ear is worth more than a purse, even one made out of silk.

So my little pig is coming along. I like to think that she is singing just because she has clean shavings. She's one who enjoys the simple pleasures, one who would have no use for a silk purse!

And isn't that a beautiful ear!

Visitors and memories

2010-08-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

I had two visitors at the studio today. It was such a nice break to visit with some new friends. The gentleman liked one of my old paintings that is hanging by my easel. It's a painting of my mom as a baby, being held by her sister Erma.

I gave this painting to Mom, but when she moved to St. George I borrowed it back. I think I need to let her have it for awhile. As you can tell there was quite an age difference between these two women, and yet they were very close. My Aunt Erm was an amazing woman. She and her husband Norvel were farmers in Enterprise, Utah, and she was an elementary school teacher. Erma was an amazing musician. She played and taught piano, and could play anything you could sing for her. I remember one year one of my kids could get extra credit if he could tell his teacher who recorded the song, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, so we called Aunt Erm. Gene Autry was her answer, without having to use a search engine!

Erma lived a long a productive life. She worked hard, but always had time to visit with us when we were in Utah. She encouraged my kids by bringing her ukulele and letting them strum while she played the piano. She accompanied many, many dances by Megan!

She believed that many problems could be solved by going outside and hoeing weeds. She believed in provident living. She raised a bounteous garden.

She was interested in rocks, birds nests, salamanders, and especially children. She knew the power of music.

I am glad for my visitors today, not only because I feel like I have two new friends, but also because their interest in a little painting encouraged me to spend some time today thinking of Aunt Erm.

Just for fun

2010-08-10T08:22:00.000-07:00

This is a great short video about the creative spirit.

My Beach Boys

2010-08-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

Well, the Beach Boys weren't a choir, but I always loved their harmony. Someone told me that brothers and sisters can have better harmony than others--another reason to wish I had a sister--maybe we would have had great harmony! Next time the cousins meet we have to try a song or two--maybe there is still hope for my harmonic dreams.

Well, I spent the day with my beach boys. What a treat to watch Laird standing in the water, waving at helicopters that fly over, running to tell the other kids on the beach that their are dolphins jumping, trying to make friends with a little boy who was afraid of the water.

And Rafe, what can I say, he wants to do everything Laird does. he doesn't understand that he really too young to body surf. He can call his brother, wave like a bird and try to "toot" like the trains that pass right by the back of the beach house.

These were all taken yesterday, on Laird's 5th birthday.

Where have 5 years gone? Actually 6 years from his birth. I don't know how I could stand it if I didn't believe in eternity. If I thought I only had a mere 20 or 30 years to enjoy this family I would be a most unhappy person. 5 years is just a blink.

Enjoying the guacamole and cake icing at big brother's party

And borrowing Great Grandma Alice's cane for a loop around the deck.

Choir and conference

2010-08-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

Our local churches, Ventura, Ojai, Santa Paula, and Fillmore congregations, meets twice a year in Ventura for what we call Stake Conference. This morning's meeting was wonderful, and a part of what made it so enriching was the MUSIC. For prelude music the choir sang, Take Time to be Holy. It is a beautiful song, for me it has a bit of a folk tune feel, it reminds me of Simple Gifts, another of my favorites. I've embedded a you-tube version with vocals by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in case you haven't heard the hymn. The visuals are ok, but you may want to just listen.

It was such a pleasure to sing with a large congregation, to barely hear the organ and piano, because of the volume of our combined voices. I did wonder as I sat there why I don't make an effort to get to Stake Choir practice. I guess I've always felt my voice was not quite up to the rest of the group. But I do love to watch Brother Cammack lead the choir, to see his pleasure and enthusiasm. Maybe next time I will participate.

All of the talks were great, but one story stood out for me. I won't go into it all, but the sister told of a young boy who rescued a little bird from a school cafeteria, where it had been tormented by the kids, and released it on the grass outside, thinking it dead, only to see it rise and fly away. I love a story that I can see in my mind, a story that also can be related to my own life and be called back during the week.

What a great Sunday.

Me and the Wall Street Journal

2010-08-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

OK, I guess it should be The Wall Street Journal and I. And I admit I might seem like the least likely person to be reading the Wall Street Journal. And I will be honest, my favorite section is the Personal Journal. I often skip all the front sections about wheat prices and corn stockpiling in China, and head right to the last section. Today there was another interesting column about music. I wonder how many people were in the study on depression---would I really be more successful listening to Bach or Mozart than talking to a therapist? It would certainly save me some money. Anyway, if you have time it is worth reading, if only to make you want to support the arts in our schools.

I spent yesterday morning at the beach with the boys. This is Laird looking out the window at " a dove kind of bird". I wish I could have taken photos of him in the water, but I admit to being unable to watch Laird, Rafe, and take photos at the same time! Laird has learned to float on his tummy with his feet in the air--watching him smile at his own abilities is a pleasure. After a float or two he would run out of the water, and ask me if I had seen him "out in the very deep water", smile, and run back in. And Rafe just wants to walk right into the surf. Are these really my grandsons? I'm the one who was always running away from the surf.

In the evening we had dinner in the backyard with a great group of people from Washington, DC, here for a tour of California Agriculture. The weather was perfect, the food delicious ( I didn't have to cook) and the company fun and stimulating.

One of these days I will have to get back to real life.

Our Library

2010-08-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

Tonight I am grateful for our town library. Actually I am always grateful for the library, but tonight I got to meet one of my favorite illustrators at the library. Marla Frazee shared images and read from several of her books. I've never been one to stalk movie stars, but I made sure I had my photo taken with Marla!

Yes that's me grinning from ear to ear in the blue shirt after Marla signed my books.

Everyone enjoyed her presentation and she even drew pictures in some of the books.

I loved hearing a bit about her process of creating the illustrations for a book. She showed us how she worked and reworked the colors on this house, and when she thought she had it right sent it to her editor who suggested more changes. I appreciated her saying she enjoyed this process because when she is finally done with the illustrations for a book she knows she has done the very best job she can.

This isn't a very good image, but I couldn't resist including it. It's from A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever. I think that the character shown is based on Marla's son James. I had to smile, because each week when I pick up Laird he also comes with "just a couple of his belongings!"

Marla's illustrations are full of feeling, reminding me of those of Robert McCloskey, Lynd Ward, and Marc Simont, three of my all time favorite illustrators, in their ability to tell a story visually.

So I close with this image of Rafe, taken yesterday at Grama Helen's beach house. Already a reader? Or just enjoying the covers? Was he reaching for Harry Potter?

My library is like a choir, full of many different voices. Maybe songs sung with lines, colors, and typeface, but songs none the less. I go to sleep a very happy woman.

My friend Judith

2010-08-01T15:12:00.000-07:00

Back on March 12th I wrote about losing my friend, Judith Weldon. Her husband included a link to this video in his blog and it made me happy to watch it. I loved watching Judith's hands using the scissors. Seeing her working took me back many years and made me once again grateful for her friendship during high school.

I Believe in Angels - A Papercut from Start to Finish from Pamela Jean on Vimeo.

Mutts

2010-07-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

I love the comics in the newspaper. I read them every morning. One of my favorites is Mutts. This week the creator of Mutts, Patrick McDonnell has featured an artist doing portraits of small animals. I think each animal is painted as his true self. So when they are available, check out the strips for the week of July 19th.

It is also fun to look at his title panel tributes.

I couldn't resist adding this quote, one on McDonnell's home page:

I would like to paint the way a bird sings.

~ Claude Monet

amen

Children and music

2010-07-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

A friend sent this great link to some thoughts about music and children by Bill Harley. Lately when I've been in the car with Laird we've been listening to one of my old favorites, Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree. This version is by a male a capella group and they sing it ala the chipmunks. This afternoon I was entertaining Rafe at the piano and started playing the song. Laird looked up from his legos and said, "Ghee, that sounds like the popcorn song, I like that song." Another favorite on the same cd is about a hippopotamus with noodles on his back. What a visual. What a great day.