Summer Solstice

Yesterday was the Solstice and the weather was glorious. The Memorial Weekend Open Studio Tours turned out really well: Amazingly I think about 300 people showed up. the 4-H kids actually ran out of food, an unheard of incident. The Golf Course was a resounding success, very busy all day. However I believe for future Golf Days we will make sure the teenage crowd has a Driving Range, shooting rocks as far across the Glory Hole as they can. Or maybe 1 golf ball and a million acres to hit it into as long as it lasts but not in town...I had forgotten that the Power Hit is the fave of the younger set.

Went to Reno the following week for my mom's 85th birthday, it was fun to see the family. My kids came out of Montana for it which was a truly generous thing to do: 20 hours driving for 1 day with family then 20 hours back. They are troopers.

Then 2 weeks in Cave Junction working on petroglyph pieces and trying to figure out what it is about trees. I did get alot of work done and am feeling like I learned something but they are a challenge! Plus my pallette doesn't have the types of greens I see out there so I had to make a run to Medford to get some supplies. It helped alot... And the swimming was wonderful in the river. Turtles, azaleas, birds and dragonflies. Pretty heavenly.

And now home again, working in the yard, being amazed at the poppy field I have and trying to get a veggie patch going. It is astounding to me that we are just getting ours in and in Oregon people are eating out of thiers already.


So it has started a s a busy summer and promises to stay that way. Lots of projects and not much time to get them done. But am always up for a road trip, and if you are in the neighborhood there is always iced tea and the swing under the apple tree... come on by and visit!

Tusca Map '07

Forgot to publish this last round!

Mini Golf in Tusca Town

The First Biennial Tuscarora Open is well under way in my Lower 40 thanks to Susan Church and her metal sculptures. It is a 9-hole course originally designed to be sort of like a traditional putt-putt course. However, after trying it out we decided it is all Rough, with each hole a minimum of Par 15. Tiger Woods watch out!

A beautiful day in Tusca with much goings-on as all are intensely getting ready for the Open Studio tours this weekend. Susan will be setting up more sculture in my yard; I will be inside with my paintings if I can ever get it all figured out logistically. My working studio space and living arrangement doesn't easily convert to a public show space. Ah well it will be what it becomes.

My most recent map of town, with all Open Studios duly noted as well as recent local updates...Apologies for its horizontal aspect, I can't figure out how to post images that have been rotated yet. Happy times!

April and May...

April ended with a welding workshop at my great friend Susan's ranch in northeastern Nevada (the Keddy). The WildWomen came from all points for three days of welding, talking, printmaking, walking, yakking and general catching up. The result of the communal effort at welding was Queen Keddyah: we had all been charged previously with making something lifesize to be attached at the "retreat". Claudia made felt feet, Barbara made ceramic jewelry, Jimmie made a gigantic head, Kristen made fantastic woven wire hands and a bird, Susan was charged with masterminding putting it all together as a humanoid with junkyard finds. I made a hat that totally did not fit the scale of the head... Our result turned out to be larger than life-size but very fun. I took the head home to put a patina on it and to figure out a different headpiece. I think I found the one I need to use in one of our rust dumps the other day. I will post a picture later when I finish the patina...

And now we are all getting ready for our huge Memorial Day Open Studio show and sale. All of Tuscarora and the Independence Valley is involved: 8 studios and 22 artists open to the public, the Independence Valley and North Fork 4-H Club is having a continuous 2-day barbecue and bake sale, there will be tours of the cemetery, and I have a Mini Putt-putt Golf Course in my Back 40. Pictures to follow...

APRIL ALREADY

It's already April and I haven't written a word. But I have been painting and making art and travelling. Went to Chico to see the wildflowers, a brilliant display of lupine, wallflowers, poppies, and also newts! and then to San Francisco to see the Picasso exhibit at SFMOMA, a beautiful show. Am soon to go to house sit in Santa Fe and hope to take in alot of the cultural offerings while there. More later! A few of my paintings:





And here are a couple from the VSA festival in Lovelock this past week:

the year sort of

I haven't posted a thing on this beccause of too busy-ness... travel, shows, painting, construction projects and wildlife control. a happy and healthy new year to all my friends and family.