It began on the road from Albuquerque to Santa Fe where the most time was spent on Canyon [...]]]> I meant to blog during my recent week long road trip through New Mexico, but the trip was so beautiful and powerful it kept me outside and within myself in a state of awe and enchantment.

It began on the road from Albuquerque to Santa Fe where the most time was spent on Canyon Road, the lovers lane for those who live for art. With its winding one-way hill that meanders up and up, with gallery after gallery, even the adobe walls create art with shadows.

And what is outside the galleries is as beautiful  and interesting as what is inside.

One artist became the favorite of my friend Kelly, who was my road trip partner. This artist also shares the name Kelly. He describes his art as “raw art”,  even though the gallery at Canyon Alley off Canyon Road shows his art and essence, he and his art are most at home in the Kelly Moore art shed at the Tesuque Flea Market next to the Santa Fe Opera.

Every square inch is filled with his “raw art”.

This yellow finch became my friend Kelly’s, it even has her name on it!

We also stopped at Keshi in Santa Fe, to find hand carved fetishes and art by Hopi and other Native American artists. The fetishes would be our companions and guides during this journey. Badger carved out of Angelite stone by Lena Boone of the Zuni Pueblo shares her medicine with me now.  The smooth blue stone soothes and inspires with Badger energy.

We left Santa Fe in late afternoon, heading to North East  New  Mexico for an almost three hour drive to The Mandala Center, the number one reason why we came to New Mexico.

Stay tuned, for Part Two.

A friend of mine [...]]]> Today I am very sad, as I have been since Monday when I learned that my cousin’s daughter had suddenly lost her life. Alesondra was a beautiful young woman who touched many lives and is one of the threads in the cloth of a close-knit family that reaches far and wide.

A friend of mine once had a flower shop called Bittersweet Botanicals. I asked why the name and she said flowers are shared to mark  life’s passages, both sweet and bitter.  Today I send flowers, both in physical form and in the ethers of the internet, to mark this passing.

The flowers are in color and black and white, in some ways similar to the sweet and bitter of life.  May their beauty and mandala shape bring solace and peace in this hardest of times.

Bean Hollow Beach is a California State Beach on the Pacific, south of Pescadero.

It is known for its unusual rock formations called Tafoni.

This beach is also known [...]]]> A recent visit to my son’s new home in California included a trip to Bean Hollow Beach.

Bean Hollow Beach is a California State Beach on the Pacific, south of Pescadero.

It is known for its unusual rock formations called Tafoni.

This beach is also known for its tide pools.

Instead of sand, the beach has small pebbles that have been worn by the sea to serene smoothness.

The rhythm of the tides washes the small pebbles into the honey comb homes of the weathered rocks.

And leaves patterns of abstract beauty that change daily.

Landscapes of mountain ranges made smooth and small are seen in the small beach.

And artist’s inspirations are seen in closeup with the placement of subtle colors and textured forms.

I want to crawl like an ant onto this sheer mountain side and nestle in with the safe smooth stones.

The rivers of pebble trails slip and slide into new inspirations revealed with each low tide.

If you are ever traveling on California Highway 1, three miles south of Pescadero,  don’t miss the one of nature’s most inspiring abstract creations at Bean Hollow Beach.

I call these days lazy in that I sometimes work all day in my pajamas, don’t answer the phone, leave the dishes [...]]]> I’ve been busy having lazy art days.  These are days when I feel wrapped up in the present, in a flow of creativity that guides me along like a river.

I call these days lazy in that I sometimes work all day in my pajamas, don’t answer the phone, leave the dishes and the rest of the world behind.  And amazingly these lazy days are some of the most productive.

I had a purpose.  I wanted to make sure I had all the techniques and tools down for creating  plaster, paint and wax portfolio covers  for my Morning Mandalas, Meditation and Journaling workshop at The Mandala Center in New Mexico July 25 -29th.  Also I wanted to create a way to store my own mandalas in a beautiful way.

I have a collection of mandalas that are no larger than 11 x 11 inches.  These art journaling pages are created individually and not bound in a book. Here are a few of them.

These and many more mandala art journaling pages needed a home.  They needed sturdy yet beautiful portfolio covers that could hold them.
Inspired by a workshop I took with Stephanie Lee a couple of years ago I worked with the technique of plaster gauze that gets wrapped around a stiff backing – in this case 12×12 foam core board – painted and then covered in beeswax.  The top and bottom covers and mandala pages in between are are held together with ribbon, lace or string.
Above is the front of  a top portfolio piece.  The calligraphy I did many years ago, the Buddha photo is from a postcard my Dad got in Japan after WWII, and the daffodil photo is one of my flower  mandala photos.

This is the backside of the top.  All four sides -front and back of two pieces -are inspired by an e.e. cummings poem – in time of daffodils.

“in time of daffodils(who know

the goal of living is to grow)

forgetting why,remember how
in time of lilacs who proclaim

the aim of waking is to dream,

remember so(forgetting seem)
in time of roses(who amaze

our now and here with paradise)

forgetting if,remember yes
in time of all sweet things beyond

whatever mind may comprehend,

remember seek(forgetting find)
and in a mystery to be

(when time from time shall set us free)

forgetting me,remember me”

― E.E. Cummings
This is the bottom portfolio cover. This side will be on the inside touching the back of the bottom mandala art journal page.

This is the very back outside of the two portfolio covers.  The raised textured surface was created with extra plaster added.  Sort of like finger painting with thick white paint.
Of the eight sides I created, this is my favorite.  It was supposed to be the back side of the top of second set of portfolio covers I made. One of the most interesting parts for me is the little tear on the left. I didn’t like the other side and ripped off something I had done. This side also had some of the gauze ripped off. As usual this “mistake” became a very pleasant surprise.

This became the back of the top piece. It had a pocket on the bottom that I ripped off, and I like it much better.

And the bottom portfolio piece showed me what not to do. I didn’t cover the foam core with plaster gauze, just added a thin layer of plaster.  Well the plaster broke up when heating the wax.  I covered the exposed foam core with sumi ink and put wax over it.  It looks interesting, but I am not in love with it.  So now I know what to do with covering the base – add plaster gauze.

HOW TO CREATE WITH PLASTER, PAINTS & WAX
Start with a base.  I used 12 x 12 inch foam core.

Use strips of gauze embedded with plaster.  This is available at art supply stores or online.

Dip plaster gauze strips in water to moisten and soften the plaster.

Wrap around base, smoothing the plaster, but leaving texture of gauze if you like.

Add plaster of paris to surface to create more texture if desired.

Plaster has to cure for 24 hours.  It not only dries out, the chemical process to harden takes time.

When dry the plaster can be painted.  I used watercolors, glazes, oil pastels and caran d’ache water color crayons.  Once the paints are dry, beeswax can be melted and brushed on.
I melted cleaned beeswax in a electric fry pan that has a temperature control.  After the beeswax is brushed on, it is fused with the paint and plaster with a heat gun to smooth out the layer of wax.  It takes practice but the surface becomes a soft translucent seal for the art.

Sorry I don’t have photos of the waxing process. I wish the lovely honey smell and soft touch of the wax could be sent via blog.  My hope is that lazy art days can be a part of the life of all creative souls and that these photos will inspire playing with plaster, paints and wax.

If for some reason when I travel, if I can’t take art supplies with me [...]]]> My security blanket for travel is the bag of art supplies I take along to not only work with, but to give me comfort.  Inside are papers, markers, colored pencils, writing pens, watercolors and a small chinese brush.

If for some reason when I travel, if I can’t take art supplies with me so I have a blank sheet of paper to transform with marks, images  and words, I feel all nervous that I have left part of myself back home.  A part of me that really wants to go along for the journey.

So I try to make beautiful pouches to carry these art supplies wherever I may go.

Usually I have time to gather my art supplies and put them in their pouch before I leave for a trip.  But last weekend I didn’t have that luxury. I had an unexpected journey.

Funny things were going on in my body and I knew I needed to go to have it checked out in the Emergency Room. I had a feeling I might be gone for a few days. So with the 30 seconds to gather my things I grabbed a walker bag I had filled with markers before.  I grabbed some colored pencils, a few mandala coloring cards and black line markers.

I grabbed the coloring book I created.

As it turns out I did spend a few days getting checked out. Luckily everything is fine. Luckily I had my art kit with me. I had time to create some art including  some coloring. I started a mandala coloring card, which I didn’t quite finish before coming home.

And I even got to share my art kit with a visiting relative of my roommate.

To celebrate my return home, I am buying some new art supplies for my traveling art kit, or to call it more accurately, my security blanket.