Let's Burn!

Ah-A little less than a month since my last post! It has been a crazy month to say the least-medical tests and procedures, travel and Thursday my dad passed away! Enough of this! I was sucked into the pictures of the latest Burning Man-I am planning on going next year-Im recruiting you to join me! I want to do a collage/calligraphy/art camp of some kind and I want to have lots of participants! If you don't know what Burning Man is here is a website to see the latest in pictures-looks cool eh?? Oh you just have to go once in your life-the website for pics is http://www.theblight.net/09/bm/
Im off to Canada Friday-then Kentucky and Dallas-whew-
The Book proposal is in finally-Im hoping to seriously start in November-AND I have a great idea for another book! Who knew I would be an author?
Oh and a couple new classes' work has been posted to my flickr site-there's a nifty link on the right that will take you right there-check it out!
The Man burns in 355 days!

ART UNRAveled

Man was it hot in Phoenix! ABout 114 degrees is all. But my little camry ran like a top and it was a beautiful road trip to the Embassy Suites . My classes were again amazing-I use that word a lot I know but I keep getting these artists in my classes that surprise me beyond belief-Check out the pics on my Flickr link. The vendor extravaganza was so much fun-seeing friends and meeting new ones-thanks to all who supported this starving artist! Well you know what I mean-I appreciate your support beyond words!
The last night I was there Some Guy-the mastermind behind the 1000 Journals Project presented his documentary-Its on Netflix-rent it! What a crazy story of desire and madness and communal art. He brought about 20 of the real journals that have found their way back home so we got to see them and ...yes WRITE in them! Tracy Moore is one of the movies stars.
I have the utmost respect for this project and Id liek to do something big like this on my sabbatical next year!
Today Barb Close and I took Yves Leterme-yes that Yves Leterme to the Sawdust festival in Laguna Beachand had really good conversations about creativity-commerce and being an artist. He is a great guy-and incredibly talented!
Here's some pics of Art Unraveled stuff

Iron and Ink

OK_ a little tired here-heres the pics of Iron and INk! I apologize to my friend Andy Marsh and Eric Jones for not formatting their photo-go to the Flicker and see how neato this event was-so many cool cars, babes and dudes tatted up-burlesque-art-Super cool tat artists-three floors full!

Phoenix here I come

Ack-still no consistency of posts on this blog-I apologize-Life is just happening so fast right now!
Monday I have a gigundo scan with a radioactive isotope injected in me and then pictures taken -at 8 and 24 hours-Its so expensive they wont tell me how much it is!!
But that should be the definitive one-and Im feeling fine now-well not exactly now because I have to be off my meds for the scan-but by the time Im in Phoenix for art unravelled I should be golden!
Here are some pics- Idyllwild pics-go to my Flickr site for more of this!the class was amazing

from the blackbook sessions -a wonderful program that gives awards to kids for their lettering art-
This was an incredibleevent

So Many things to catch up on!

At last Im grabbing some time to blog a bit-I wanted to catch up on my latest adventures-most adventures lately have been with doctors and tests-but its turning out ok-pretty serious but ok! It has certainly puts everything in perspective though and that is such a great gift. Thank you to all of you that have wished me well-I know its because of these positive vibes I have been able to get through this!
I just returned from the mountaintop retreat in Idyllwild and I will blog soon about this
but I wanted to get things up here that happened a month ago! ( Or More!)
First-Tamaras commission-I feel turned out wonderfully-Here are the finished pieces and close ups!

STILL HERE!

I PROMISE Italy photos are coming-a half hearted attempt the other day. Thanks to all that have inquired about it and sent me good wishes-those dang doctors and their tests! Dont they know Ive got alot of stuff to do? Oh well-Ive just been enjoying life and living stress free-sort of and savoring every moment and kitties and sweet peas and sunsets and good friends. please check the Flickr in a few days-hopefully there will be more to see-only 588 photos to go! Heres a pic of me at the Trajan column and Kris with gladiators and at the vatican!

LETTERS OF JOY AND SEATTLE GOODNESS!

Here are just a taste of the work that the amazing Washington Calligraphers and artists did in my classes-To experience all the work Please go to my Flickr site-you will be so inspired! The workshop was a two day affair and was the Hand Lettered Art Quilt-this was after my keynote speech at Letters of Joy entitled Acts of Hope. ( I will be repeating this lecture in Canada this fall-more info later) AND after a whirl wind day of 2 hour classes-I taught funky fill in letters and did it ever get wild in there! I wanted to sit down and draw and color-but the ideas people came up with are totally worth a visit to the Flickr site. I stayed with Sue and Jerry Gruhn who unfailingly helped me get my bags and act together and special thanks to Wendy for tech aid!!The campus was filled with little Notices all over-even the restrooms. The prompt was Notice...( fill in the blank) Some people put Notice you are here-Notice the grass-Notice the sound of the raindrops!etc.
A very good thing to think about it all-to notice it all.
OK_Italy will start to load in tonight-I have 842 pictures to go through-so it may be awhile! Im going thru a battery of medical tests too to find out why I am sick I hope-so will see how fast I can get those up
Thanks to all the Staff at Letters of Joy for making my experience very memorable!

Kalamazoo and the return from Italy!

HELLO!
I'm back from cross the pond-recovering slowly. I had a bit of bad luck health wise-but more about that adventure later! In the past month I went to Kalamazoo, Seattle for Letters of Joy-home for a day and then on to Italy-BUT I have the most wonderful pictures to show you from Kalamazoo-where I was treated like a queen-I stayed with Judy Bruzza in her lovely lovely home and went out to the best restaurants in K town every night-wow-what a job!! Thanks so very much to Susan K and Karen Vosburg for sherpa-ing me-Please go see these pictures on my flickr-link on the right-also Judy and Susan's beautiful church where art is everywhere!!

Tamara's commission-Stage Two

Well heres the next layer-I'm writing on the fabric and making some love connections with other fabrics.
I think the writing looks good-there maybe more layers coming near the bottom
I'm off to the Pendragon's Guild in Kalamazoo, MI tomoorow to teach Hand lettered Prayer Flags-yay! I hope to get back to this next week
Enjoy!

Tamara's commission-Stage One

Im into a commission right now and I thought you might see how I work-Heres the initial washes-I had the text and an idea to do a long skinny quilt. Thanks to Tamara for allowing me to share this with you all
It is really HOT in LBC now-but cooling off nicely for the evenings-this weekend I went to the Brewery ArtWalk and sold stuff at the Farmer's market with Sarah-I'll post pics and describe soon!