Last Post of the Year 2008

2009 sounds really old. I feel like we are still in the 90's. I worry that life will be over before I have absorbed it, "made" something of it (or me), or understand it... it's going by too fast.

I love New Year's Eve, no party for this gal, I like a nice quiet contemplation and a few resolutions.
1. Draw more
2. Embrace being healthy. (This one is about attitude. I want to be enthusiastic like my friends about loving veggies and beautiful food and how fun it is to walk in any weather, and how good water tastes and that coffee is not the best stimulant and on and on. But I want to LOVE the process rather than begrudgingly participate)

I could think of a lot more resolutions, but I think two are enough to track and be serious about.
Happy New Year to friends and family! Love, Janice

Back home and back to work...

We are back home after two stormy days at the beach. It was wonderful being with K and T. This week off work seemed very long. Christmas took up a lot of space emotionally and physically. Things feel pretty good. But the blogger won't upload my photos again... anyone else have this problem? Almost New Years and then it's the home stretch of winter til the crocus blooms in February!

It's working...

I got all excited and had to make another post. I haven't been able to download (upload?) anyway, I haven't been able to post photos to my blog for a few days. I read the help section of Blogger and downloaded Firefox and amazing! It's working! and quickly!

so, these are the nothing, just working in the am at my desk images. I especially like the last one, "mad scene". It reminds me of my dream of going to live with the Addams family...

Eating Peeps on Christmas

Yum, these peeps my sister sent tasted sooo good, I'm not kidding. For some reason they just hit the spot. Christmas was very fun, even though I missed my family. I really love our philosophy on presents... G and I tried all kinds of ways to deal with presents and Christmas. Ignoring it did not work. The time G and I tried to pretend Christmas didn't exist we were a lonely mess. Shopping and buying and spending didn't feel good either. So, many years ago we decided the presents we give cannot cost more than 5 dollars (except now it's 7!). It is a real challenge to find something real and meaningful for that amount of money, yet it can be done. And... it results in lots of presents under the tree. And when we open them we laugh a lot and nominate the best presents of the year. My sister's gift of peeps and a donation to our local food bank won hands down in my opinion. Also wonderful were a jar of apple butter, a book on Rothko, and a cute little bowl.

So, here it is the day after Christmas, we survived all the snow and cold weather. We are healthy and together and so fortunate. But, I did have this really awful dream last night that I was sent to live with Morticia and the Addams family. Really.

Cookies with icing

Yawn, we had a great day with L and J, and then finished up our cookie baking project. I especially like the wildly vibrant pink icing. How do you make red? with a whole little bottle of red food coloring? Who says you can't have a pink wreath? Maybe it's good tomorrow is the 24th. The food projects around here are getting a bit wild...

Time to Make: Nothing!

G just put up this cool rack o'buckets over my work area. It's amazing and so much easier to work when a bunch of my mess is out of my way. This is the 4th of my 10 days off and I'm thinking this is preparation for my homemade art retreat at home the last two weeks in January. I made a print to give to my work buddies and the art-o-mat exchange, and this am I made NOTHING!!! which is really everything, and was so relaxing and fun. I just played with ink and paper and pencils...

Yesterday we went to see the Milk movie. G came out in '73 and myself in '78 so it is our era. The world has changed, but I remember so much of what was portrayed in the film. Anita Bryant, the Briggs amendment. Now, I'm at the invisible age, but it doesn't seem like long ago when I got called a dyke and a queer on the street. I remember when everyone came out because of the Briggs amendment. 

I hope this movie makes an impact. I'd like to thank Sean Penn on my dinky blog here, and everyone who made the movie. And... if you are interested watch "The life and times of Harvey Milk", the documentary that preceded the film. It is so good. Now... I'm waiting for the film about the radical lesbian feminists of the '70s, or the film about the women's land movement in Southern Oregon and Northern California in the '70s and '80s... Haven't heard of them? I'm really hoping someday you will. (And then you can hear about the time I spraypainted a church). (Not sure I am exactly proud of this chapter of my herstory!)

Ginger making dog cookies

I love G. she is so enthusiastic about projects! We had a lot of fun making the dog cookies and Monty and Simon were good testers. 

It's been snowing for a long time now...

I like snow, and I don't have much control over the weather... but it's way too cold for me! We aren't going to risk driving to LA for Christmas and I am sad. There isn't a day that doesn't involve snow, freezing temps, or ice over the passes before Christmas. Sigh...

Today

Today. What happened today? What was the best and the worst of the day?

The worst was sliding down the hill to the bus this am, and my long underwear elastic fiasco.

And the best was a late afternoon nap with 2 dogs  and 2 cats and tonight working in my studio listening to gospel music on Pandora.com

I work tomorrow then off for 10 days. Hooray!

Freezing Cold Here

It's 10 pm and 11 degrees outside. Poor Simon just burrows into the sofa, or curls up on Monty. Tonight when I put him out to pee he started to cry and I had to go and pick him up out of the snow. He won't walk with the little ice balls between his toes. Oregon kinda falls apart when it snows. A bunch of people can't get to work, and people are sleeping over in the hospital rather than drive on ice. I don't think we have many snow plows here!

We were going to drive to LA for Christmas, but we aren't going to risk driving over the icy/snowy passes. Snow and low temps predicted at least through the 23rd. Brrr...

Tonight we went shopping as G has the chains on the car. We had these 10 dollars off coupons for Penny's that seemed too good to pass up. We walked through the whole store and there was NOTHING we wanted (which was kinda cool). We settled on a "High School Musical" bathrobe and sweater to donate. Some 8 year old will love them.  Then I had a craving for Sees candy of all things. When I was a kid I thought it was yucky and now? We walked into the overlit, warm room with grey haired ladies in those outfits handing us a yummy sample. I love Sees candy!

ok, enough rambling. I hope everyone is warm and not too busy.

December the 15th

Winter arrived in one day and is due to stay for awhile. Last night I woke up several times to check on the status of the SNOW. I love snow in the way that only a Southern California girl can. Snow is still a mystery to me, kind of scary in it's "you'll freeze out there", and beautiful in it's reflections and brightness.

G in her go forth way decided that a car trip down the hill would be just fine, forget staying home, we had lots of errands to do. We slipped and slid to the tire store to get chains put on, then drove to various friends to deliver dog and cat treats. 

It was a rather hectic day, so in this running around season I wish you peace. I think these letterpress medallions are so beautiful and elegant. 

And the last disjointed thought I will share is that I worry about the fate of the man who threw the shoes at Bush. It made me sick to watch Bush snicker and not see the pain on the man's face as he did this action. 

A Wonderful Gift

My sister gave me this book for my birthday: Amazing Peace by Maya Angelou. If anyone needs a gift to give and can't figure out what that might be, well this book would touch anyone. Her words are so beautiful and the images are amazing. I have the best collection of books my sister has sent me. Thanks Sonny!

Events of the Season

More of my Art-O-Mat blocks.

Is everyone out there "doing" a lot? My activity list pales compared to others, but this am I woke up and realized I had "event fatigue". One symptom is that I have so many photos to post on my blog, so many things I want to "show". (I always did like show and tell) There is the amazing art-o-mat deck of cards I got at the exchange, and the piece we bought at last night's art sales. Oh, and the book my sister got me for my birthday. It deserves a post of it's own.

Art-O-Mat Blocks

I have lots of photos of the 15 art-0-mat blocks I made, each the size of a cigarette pack, but Blogger won't upload them tonight. Bummer. The exchange was lots of fun, one offering was a full deck of cards all made from a hand carved woodblock. wow... 

What a day. I'm really tired. I think partly from the turkey dinner they gave us at work. I had not one but two helpings of dressing and gravy. I could live on that particular food item.

More soon. Yawn...

Cupcakes in Portland

Thank you everyone for such nice birthday wishes. I had a great birthday. As promised to K, we made a really silly video at Saint Cupcake in Portland. (I am not sure why I cannot keep G's head in the little window). I don't know what my "thing" was with cupcakes this year, but we tried them all! The winner hands down was the coconut delight. (Even better than chocolate). Other Portland highlights were the art museum, and the Museum of Arts and Crafts, it was bright, colorful, and interesting. And Michelle, we had stumptown coffee for the first time. Yum! We also had the most delicious Lebanese food, sigh. 

Now, I'm back in "real life". I finished the little blocks for the Art-O-Mat exchange. Photos tomorrow.

Almost 56...

Tomorrow is my birthday. As I read the comments from my last post I became very thankful for this whole blog learning adventure this year. I started this blog last January and thought it was kinda weird and didn't know what making it was about for me. Turns out I have totally enjoyed writing about my life and art process. It's been many things for me: a quiet time of the day to sit and reflect, a way to "see" what my dearest friend K is up to, a conduit for encouragement and inspiration from internet friends Michelle and Beth who I have never met, it has pushed me to look more at my environment and document my world with photos- to see more! and best of all a way to stay on track and keep making art despite everything: job, illness, sick animals, and the famous "too much to do". 

So, on my 56th birthday I celebrate this blog and all the riches it has given me. I appreciate anyone who reads it, sending hugs to all. 

Final Class Project

Our final class project is to make 15 art-o-mat pieces. If you have never gone to the art-o-mat website you are in for a treat. (www.artomat.org) It's really fun to look at all the creative things that artists do with such a restricted format. The art-o-mat is made up of all these refurbished cigarette machines that are stocked with original art. They are located mostly on the east coast, many in museums. Artists submit work that is the size of a cigarette pack, either a block of wood like mine in the photo above, or a piece of art contained in a box, again cigarette pack sized. Our community college is lucky enough to have an art-o-mat and it's really fun to put in your 5 dollars and pull the handle and get art!

Our project is an exchange... I'm doing xerox transfers from my coaster project. Then I'll paint and embellish them... 

Another topic... since I had such a twit about applying for an artist residency I decided to just make my own time in January. I'm taking two weeks off and going to do some structured projects and get our garage all set up for printmaking. 

Oh well, as usual I have to go to bed, off to work tomorrow...