Art Saves

Heres just a little tease for you-Im so blessed! I am honored to be the guest curator for the fabulous Jenny Doh on her new website- www.crescendoh.com I will be giving you daily links to my most favorite of things. This will begin on April 12th-of course I'll be reminding you all when it comes closer. I love her slogan, Art Saves-and this is really a way of life and ties in so beautifully to what I am going through right now! How amazing is the universe that it unfolds exactly as it should. I am busy finishing up my book proposal-"Really Easy Watercolor Flowers and Calligraphy"Or some title like that and busy learning grant writing for my new graffitti program-and enjoying simply beautiful weather here in the LBC. Just wanted to also post I will be at the Unique LA market at the end of next month-check that out at the website listed on the left. I'll be signing books and making stuff ( Oh and thanks for checking out the Letters California Style Flickr pictures!)

HE(ARTS) FOR HAITI FUNDRAISER this Sunday

This Sunday Im participating in a wonderful event here in Long Beach-CARNIVAL DEL CORAZON or Hearts for Haiti is bringing together all sorts of art, music and dance to raise funds to rebuild Haiti-funds go to the Yele Haiti Foundation. Here are my silent auction pieces-go to www.lbcreative.org. for info , times, etc. It is being held at the Hancock University which I just discovered is one of the finest design colleges in the area...ALSO a great article in the District about this org-I think its going to be aMazing for the arts here in the LBC

LETTERS CALIFORNIA STYLE!

The Society for Calligraphy hosts a conference for 100 people every year and this year I was so lucky to take a class from Judy Melvin! Here are some pics from the week-but you must go to my Flickr account to see what happened in that class-about 17 pages (I think) of wonderful stuff. This conference is so cool-only 10 teachers, 12 students max each class-we stay in hotel rooms about 100 feet from our beautiful classrooms-I think theres only a few spaces left for next year-Its always on Presidents weekend and the faculty is amazing next year-Randy Hasson, Yves Leterme, Pat Blair ( me too) Go to SocietyforCalligraphy.org if youre interested right now to sign up-this will sell out this year for sure.Oh and its held in beautiful SUNNY Southern California! The other people in the pics above are Heather Lee ( top)-who I was so lucky to sit next to, Judy Melvin and Susan Richardson-who is amazing too!!

Tattoos, Books and sales!

Hello
Im back after Letters California Style-check out the Flickr account on the right for ALL the coolest pictures! Here is a picture of my very first tattoo design on the beautiful Jana Jennings
I have big news-the Book will be coming out in Paperback-next blog! There will soon be a sale on my website and a new Etsy store! Also Graff Diversion and Watercolor Flowers book-OH SO much goodness to report-stay tuned!!

SURGERY deets-FINALLY!!

Here is a picture of my hero Dr. Nissen! ( THAT PROBABLY ISNT ME IN THE SURGERY)who on Dec 17th performed the most amazing liver surgery on me at CEDARS Sinai. The surgery was 10 hours and he removed a tumor the size of a volleyball and 99% of all the other tumors so im free and clear of all tumors!! I was in the hospital for a week-ugh and then on Christmas eve went to stay at my in laws-Anne and John-I SHOULD SAY MY ANGELS-THEY TOOK CARE OF ME AND MY EVERY WISH ( sorry- I got a new IMAC AND the caps key is close to the a! Kristin returned early rom India on New Years day and we went home-to the kitties -JEFF TOOK REALLY great care of them and the house-I AM SO BLESSED! I am now up nad about more and more every day-going to CHA for a booksigning and demo-but still use the hoverround in Ralphs-too much fun!! It has been an interesting experience to let go of all the small stuff an appreciate whats important. I am profoundly moved by your love and caring-your prayers and wishes were totally felt and appreciated-Thank you so very much and I hope to beon here moreand more to tell you of the exciting plans I have!!

My very first tat!

Go to my facebook page to see this beautiful tat on the lovely Jana Jennings! These photos dont do it justice at all!
I am going in for surgery Thursday! Jeff will hopefully update my Facebook as to how Im doing so check it out! Wish me luck-OK Breathe Deeply!

Delayed!

I have vaguely been referencing an upcoming surgery-and its been delayed again! I have some problems and they want to make sure I am 100% before I undergo this! The deets are I have been diagnosed with Carcinoid Syndrome which in me means I have several large tumors in my liver-that was what all the sickness was from last year. I found one of the best doctors in this specialty at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles-turns out hes a calligrapher! Dr. Wolin has recommended I undergo a liver resection to take out the tumors. they may have been there for years. His surgery guy is Dr. Nissen and I believe I am very lucky to be in his hands. I also love that the symbol for this cancer is the Zebra-and the ribbon for this is zebra striped! I will be in the hospital for a week and recuperating for a month or two after-so the sabattical Idea was wise! These tumors are very dormant and not a spreading type-but the surgery will be major and about 8-10 hours-yikes!
Ive heard Cedars has good food though! ( not that I'll be able to eat it for awhile!)
I thank you for all the good wishes and prayers and cards and letters-I know I am loved and I love you all too. I have so so many blessings. I will try to update this blog at the hospital-no promises-but for sure my son will post on my Facebook page!

Oh Oh-and grand news-I was just photographed for the LA Weekly magazine with Jose Martinez ( Steam) at Homeland about the graffitti /calligraphy program we are starting up-I have NO IDEA when this will be coming out-I hope to be able to pass this on to you-but just in case-keep your eyes peeled!

friend links

ok-I said that I would post Martha and Janells websites but dumb blogger wouldnt let me
Its
Martha Lever www.marthalever.blogspot.com
and
Janell Wimberly www.jkwimberlydesign.com

these are two incredibly talented gals-uh I mean artists and they are just as wonderful in person as their work portrays!

Sorry!

I have to apologize to the artists of the last post-I placed their art works askew-here are two finished projects
the last photo is from the fabulous Martha Lever-her finished quilt-Ive posted her website on the right-there are many pics of the workshop and a video of her backgrounds-she was wonderful!

ANd the first three photos are Janell Wimberlys-she took the Book of Intentions to the next level creating a lovely book for her late friend Terry Porter amazing-go now to her website to see the entire book! Listed at right!

Im off to hospital adventures this week-surgery is Wednesday - I promise to update my blog and Facebook as to my progress-even if it is my son doing the posting!-more to come tomorrow

Birmingham!

Wonderful Alabama! My last away teaching gig for a while and what a wonderful one to go out on! I stayed with the best host and hostess-Deb and Doug Warnat and started my weekend at Moe's Barbeque-we met Kalli Kenney there and closed the place playing with pens and ink!!-you'll have to go to my Flickr to see these places. The weather was beautiful and the workshop the next two days was great! The work produced was amazing-and I had artists from all over-and all media. Sandra and Judy from Memphis and Martha and Patrea from Florida! What an honor that they drove so far to take from me-We went to Dayrons Low Country restaurant and enjoyed local cuisine-It was such a great night and I discovered Hoppin John and Reesy Peasy. On the Sunday night after the workshop Deb brought me to the most beautiful choral concert by the Sursum Corda vocal group-Jewish Liturgical songs-but the theme this evening was thanksgiving. It was so neat-I so wish my mom and Kristin couldve been there! I LOVE choral music-especially in a beautiful church with awesome acoustics!I will so miss meeting these amazing people and I have to thank everyone who haas hosted me and taken a workshop from me and supported my art-Im off to new adventures! Im so excited! ( I will have a brief detour of major surgery on Wednesday but more on this later!)