Arty State of Mind

Well, thanks to that amazing trip to Big Sur, my brain is back to it's old habits.  I'm (nearly constantly) thinking about ART.  

Here's a recent example: while drinking a latte on the way to SF for the Bazaar Bizarre- I thought how smart it is that my KeepCup is made of recycled materials... and is thus black, to hide any color impurities.  Then I realized that's way better than white cups, which inevitably get stained by tea and coffee.  Then I thought about my former art teacher, Nancy Bossert, who loved tea-staining paper.  Then I thought I can use that empty litter box to stain some nice sheets of Rives BFK paper.  Then I thought about the imprimatura that I have to have ready for my workshop with Warren Chang.  Did I lose you yet?  This all happened in the space of a minute or two.  

You might be thinking, "She has ADD."  But have no fear, my brain is just finally back to normal after a hiatus of what... 8 years?  EEK.  It's good to be back.

I'm going to life drawing sessions (no teacher, just a model) about once a week- 3hr sessions.

I started felting and I'm completely obsessed with it already.

I attended Warren Chang's portrait demo and now (thanks to Hubs!) I'm signed up to take his 3-day workshop in January.  Now to buy all the supplies....

Hipster Heaven

I found it.  Hipster Heaven.  And it's glorious.

Unfortunately, Hubs wasn't so keen.  Next year- I go on my own.  Or with a patient, artsy friend.  Or perhaps have a booth of my own?  (um... what would I sell?)  While I could've spent the full day (it's open 11a-6p Saturday and Sunday), we blew through there in about an hour.  There are workshops, too, to learn techniques.

My only purchase (which is a miracle that Hubs lack of interest is directly responsible for) was my 2nd Woolbuddy kit.  I'm in love with felting!  Wool Buddy is a company that an artist began in 2009 in Northern California.  He was looking for some original toys for his baby daughter... and that simple idea led to these brilliant little kits that teach you how to make his creations.  I've always had an interest in felting and I figure after 3 or 4 kits I can create my own felting fun.  The actual artist was there with some human-size giraffes, tons of kits, hundreds of finished creations and he was demo-ing as well.  He was making sushi out of felt.

Other booths had silkscreened Tees, handmade soap, fancy chocolate, hair fascinators, jewelry, paintings, wood-work, purses, belt buckles, lamps, stuffed animals, knit creations, letterpress stationery, tchotchkes, you name it.  Truly a mecca of small businesses and artist creativity.  That will not be my last Bizarre Bazaar.

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail

Living in wine country, I've spent a lot of time wine tasting.  One thing I'd never tried though, was "bourbon tasting"... that is, not until I visited Louisville, Kentucky.

 Note the shape of the holes in the red shutters... can you guess where we went?

There's an entire "Kentucky Bourbon Trail" but we only made it to Maker's Mark.  It's a pretty awesome site, tour, and experience.  I recommend it, though I will admit- I'm not a bourbon neat drinker.  Nor on the rocks.  If it doesn't have a mixer... it's not for me.

 Here's an interesting tidbit- when you're smelling (wine, whiskey, whatever), open your mouth slightly.  The smell will be stronger and you also sort of taste it, since you're carrying the scent over your tongue.

I really loved these paintings by a local artist.  They detail the whole process of making Maker's.

Wanna meet-up?

Have you heard of www.meetup.com?  This site is brilliant.  (My husband's family is British, so I've started peppering my speech with "brilliant"s and calling the elevator "the lift."  Hey, I'm British by marriage, right?)

With my gypsy history, my social calendar isn't exactly overflowing.  Living in PA, VA, GA, AZ, NC and finally CA means that the majority of my family/friends are East Coasters.  Add to that my crazy work hours and the fact that I was always traveling for my jobs... I'm pretty much telling you that I don't have friends.

Well, OK, a FEW.  But not enough.  I'm a social butterfly and I went from surrounded by a school full of chattering teenagers and gossipy faculty and staff to... quiet.  Constant quiet.  Hubs and I both work from home.  And other than laundry and bookkeeping, I should probably put quotations around the "work from home" - at least where I'm concerned.  I need more social stimulation!

Voila!  Meet-up.com

Their motto is "Use the internet to get you off the internet."

So far I've joined a book club, a social club, and a drawing and painting group.  Anyone can start a group, and anyone in a group can suggest or join a meet-up.  I'm scheduled to attend a figure drawing session, and a free portrait drawing demo with Warren Chang.  (He's awesome, check it out.)

Hooray for friends!

Big Sur-prises

This past weekend, my college roommate visited from Brooklyn, NY.  She had her heart set on staying at Deetjen's Big Sur Inn... in (where else?) Big Sur, CA.  Though I've been to Big Sur once or twice, I've never stayed.  Of course, I was game.

This was my bed.  We stayed in the "Chalet"...which we renamed "The Tree House."  Check out the view below, and you'll see why.

The top floor was ours... and the couple on the 1st floor... well, they definitely enjoyed their stay in "The Champagne Room."  You know that saying, "no sex in the champagne room"...?  NOT TRUE.  Evidently they were keeping with Deetjen's tradition.  There are full articles about all the "steam-up-the-windows-sex" that has taken place at Deetjen's since the early 1900s.  Nowadays, the fact that there is no cell service whatsoever is sure to be helpful.  My friend and I shared a bottle of wine and some local strawberries, we read books and design magazines, and we listened to the nearby stream, the crickets, and... well... our neighbors.  Heehee.

Unfortunately, I missed taking photos of our breakfast companion and the Deetjen's mascot... Fabio.  He's the tiger-kitty who pretty much owns the place.  Fabio slept (on a chair at our outdoor table) through the meal and I didn't want to disturb him with paparazzi.

After a fabulous breakfast... we went exploring.  These are trees in Julia Pfeiffer State Beach.

Funky iced chai and home-marinated olives here...

Unfortunately they no longer allow people to try out the "spirit nest"...

Then, my absolute favorite Big Sur spot... if you know how to get there...

A house is not a home without whiskers.

Three nights ago our beloved cat, Bear, went missing.

I'm absolutely heartsick and a complete mess.  I cry nearly every hour.  I even just did a Google search for pet poems, but apparently they're all sappy and ridiculous.  As am I.

It's incredible how weird it feels to be in our house without him.

I don't want to leave the house in case he comes home.  I don't want to return to the house in case he hasn't.

I know it isn't earth shattering.  That many people are dealing or have dealt with things that are ten times worse.  But my heart just feels so heavy.  I feel like he was my responsibility and I have failed as a parent and pet owner and just a person in general.

And now I've just ensured that my one reader will never read again.  Sorry for the self-pity, but, as this has now become a diary, I might as well lament.

I love you, Bear.  Come home.  Or at the very least, rest in peace.

Feeling Blue? Watch these films...

Sometimes the easiest way to stop feeling blue is to change your perspective.  It is very easy to find things to stress over and our society has a "Big Fish" mentality when it comes to woes.  There is no need to top someone else's story... what you need is some new eyes to see the world through.

Here are a few movies I'd recommend that may just make you appreciate what you have...

1. 8 Pounds
2. Pay It Forward
3. Young at Heart
4. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
5. Life Is Beautiful (La Vita e Bella) - Italian
6. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly  (Le Scaphandre et La Papillon) - French
7. The Sea Inside  (Mar Adentro) - Spanish

As much as I'd like to give you summaries... half the reason I loved these films was that they came as a complete surprise.  If you HATE foreign language films you can skip 5-8... OR in the spirit of changing your negative attitude you could just try them.

The only warning I'll give is that all 7 movies made me cry.  Then again so do the commercials for the Olympics... so perhaps I'm not a good barometer for emotional responses.