Happy Birthday, Julia!

Today is the birthday of Julia Child. She would have been 104. If I was invited to a party for her, I would wear some pearls and bake her a cake with a frosting made of lots of butter! I wish I could have met her personally.
And yet, I felt as though I knew her, because she and I were 'in the kitchen' together.

Julia Child was born August 15th, 1912 in Pasadena, CA.
When World War II broke out, she joined the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), hoping to be a spy.

But, she ended up a file clerk, slept on cots and wore an army uniform.
She met her future husband, Paul Child in Ceylon (Sri Lanka),who loved food and introduced her to cooking.

When they were sent to France, Julia enrolled at the Cordon Bleu cooking school.
Later, with friends Simone and Louisette, the three formed their own cooking school.

When they returned to the states, they settled in Cambridge, MA.
It was then that the  French Chef tv show was born.

.....and that is about the time when Julia and I 'met'.
I was a young bride, living in a rented farmhouse on the outskirts of Waukesha, WI. We had a little tiny, turquoise tv and when I found her show, I was glued to that set...with a notebook!
I wrote down what she said and cooked that day, then went to the grocery store and made it that night!
That's really how I learned more and more about cooking.

At first, I had just a small, paperback cookbook, but it was my cooking 'bible'.
Later, when Mastering the Art of French Cooking came on the scene (2 volumes), I bought those.
Julia felt like my friend, all those many years.
She made learning to cook seem like it was something we could do, and I did.

My mother loved to eat and cook and she made wonderful things: prime rib, crisp green salads, gravy just like velvet, homemade bread, fruitcake for the holidays, egg nog, and th best fried chicken ever!
But: I was in Wisconsin, and my mother was in California!
In comes Julia to fill in that gap!
Of course, living next door to Mary Ballard who had 6 children and made incredible pies was a big help, too!
Mary taught me how to make her pie crust and I was good to go!

I remember walking the floor with a baby who was teething and the baby was in one hand and Julia's book in the other.

When this movie came out, I was ecstatic----it made me want to get that book out and make every single thing in it!

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, dear Julia-Happy Birthday to you.
You have a special place in my heart and yes, in my kitchen.

I dedicate my knives and my cutting board to you!
I think I'll go buy some butter, in your honor.
Rest well, my friend.

PEACE
As I often think of peace and wish for it in this world of ours, I chose a sketchbook to dedicate to peace. It was to be a sketchbook to exchange with my SoulCollage© group. Each month, we exchanged a book with each other, until they had all been worked in.

Front cover-Norman Rockwell print 

Back cover-Norman Rockwell print

Title page

My first two pages

The peace dove is connected to a spirit boat.

In the upper right corner, the world awaits the peace

that the dove and the spirit boat are bringing to  it.

Journaling, collaging and collecting materials about peace are helpful ways to bring comfort to ourselves.

Thanks for stopping by.

12 COLORED PENCILS

See that white container?

At one time, about 8 years ago, this was the extent of my art supplies! I purchased some colored pencils because I thought they were pretty. What were they for? I was unsure, so they sort of 'hung around', on the desk, waiting for me.

I think I wanted to 'do' some art, maybe a little something.

This was before the adult coloring book craze-that I would have gone for straight away. Coloring in the lines, right?

My SoulCollage© Group, looking at cards they've made

In the meantime, I became a trained SoulCollage© Facilitator, joined Meetup and let people know I was going to hold workshops at my home. Over time, this became the group that now meets every month at my home-8 years!

Now, they are interesting, creative and artistic women.

I listened to them talk about their own creative projects, and the museums they visited  and artists they admired, along with the movies they enjoyed.

A few more supplies!

Then, I began checking out online art classes...the kind that took me as I was and I could learn from there.

I felt comfortable doing that, because I could stop and start the class and keep up, or come back to it another time.

I made a few bookmarks, so that required playing with watercolors-learning some nice paints to work with and what kinds of paper I like painting on, and of course, I bought some paint brushes as well!

A pouch for papers. I made this in an online class with Carla Sonheim- she's wonderful at teaching how to draw fun animals. She keeps it all simple and is easy-to-follow.

www.carlasonheim.com

Back to SoulCollage©

As I made collage cards every month, I was growing inside, finding my magical, creative self. We all were.

When you let them, the images tell you a story-about you.

Collage is a wonderful playground.

www.soulcollage.com

My art life was expanding, just like me.....

In 2014, I  joined a group called Awesome Flying Sketchbooks, we drew in each other's little books and mailed them  off to the next person. This book was being sent to lady named Gill in the UK.....that was fun. Receiving them was fantastic!

And then...I took a year-long, online class called Lifebook 2014 with Tamara LaPorte (also from the U.K.) and there were about 20 teachers during the year.

I did some work during that class that showed me possibilities in myself I never even knew I had. The next three pieces of work astounded me-I LOVE them!

The Stag

His name is Christophe and I plan to paint a wife for him.

Look at his eyes-they are warm, and loving.

My teacher: Tamara LaPorte

I had never drawn an eye in my life! 

I just followed my teacher's instructions, step-by-step.

I love the colors, and the eye is reflecting the light.

Teacher: Tamara La Porte

Girl With Halo

I kind of froze when I found this class involved drawing a face with charcoal. I said things like, "I can't draw faces-I can't make eyes". Again, I took the steps I was taught, one by one, and applied them. The amazing part? It was all done in 30 minutes, even the journaling I did in her hair!

This one really threw me for a loop-stopped me cold, at a loss for words. Why? Because I actually did it.

Because someone showed me HOW, that's why.

I contacted my teacher and tried to explain the feeling that came from this portrait. She wrote back, "I know-I've been there, too. It's what we do".

Teacher: Kate Thompson

And then, somehow, I found another teacher who has captured my heart: Paivi Eerola, in Finland

I'v taken three online courses with Paivi, and am about to take the fourth class. She has opened my mind in a more abstract, fun way....lots of colored pencils, too!

Colored pencil: Peacock

Teacher: Paivi Eerola

www.peonyandparakeet.com

Lots more supplies!!!

Oh: there are more than 12 pencils (see them on the right?)

Art On The Go!

(I'll do a post on traveling + art soon)

Colored pencils-medieval dress

For a friend's sketchbook

Art and my interest in creating works has grown over time. I think it always will. I hope that you'll try it soon, too.

And...rather than saying "I can't", you can say "When"?

Maybe we'll see each other in the art supply section of the store.

That's where you can buy your own 12 colored pencils!

__thanks for stopping by

I'm Just Sayin'!

Someone once said two of the most beautiful words in the English language are "summer afternoon".

Do you have some lazy days coming up on your horizon?

How about scheduling some time for yourself to relax, renew and restore yourself?

What type of retreat sounds good to you:

Half hour/half day/all day/week/month?

Even minutes count!

TIME. FOR. YOU.

Do things you want to do.

OR. DO. NOTHING.

Make a collage?

Go to a festival? This picture was taken at Dia de Portugal, a Portuguese festival at Kelly Park, San Jose, CA.

Do some doodling

Visit a museum

The Huntington, Pasadena, CA.

Paint your toes

Eat a banana split with a cousin

Fenton's Creamery, Oakland, CA.

Be with Mother Nature

Kathleen Callaghan-Mendenhall

Georgetown, CA.

Go to see the display of books your friend wrote

about Moo-Moo Sue and Howdy! My Name Is Rowdy!

Paint Your Shoes

Or, you could watch the movie, Paint Your Wagon!

Visit a lighthouse and breathe in the sea air

Pacific Grove, CA.

You can retreat all you want, whenever you say...

Just be "OPEN" to taking time just for you.

You're worth it, you know!

Thanks for stopping by...

Is There Really a Volcano There?
...no

We recently visited the wonderful town of Volcano, California-population 103. The sign said "100", but someone crossed it out and wrote "103"!

St. George Hotel (1862)

Coming into Volcano on Main Street

The Volcano Playhouse (outdoor amphitheater),
was presenting "Our Town", by Thornton Wilder-people brought their food and drink and enjoyed the show-weather was lovely, too. Terrific production of this Pulitzer prize-winning play.

Playhouse

Sunday morning, we visited THE.Best.Bakery.
Kneading Dough Bakery, Jackie Tarchala's place.
Jackie is better-known as 'Nana'.

Here's Nana!

What to choose?

Saturday morning Potato Plate at the Kneading Dough Bakery, 16154 Main Street, Vocano.CA
209-296-GOOD (4663)
www.kneadingdoughbakery.com
Jackie came to Amador County in 1992, bringing her love of cooking, baking, and gourmet foods. In 2011, Jackie started her own business and now sells and shares her goodies from her retail bakery located in the old Jug & Rose building in Volcano.
We sat at one of those beautiful, old metal tables-black and white. I wanted that!
I love good ol' fried potatoes, don't you?
Saturday evening, we bought a picnic lunch there to take to the play. Sunday? Yep, you guessed it! We came back to the bakery and loaded up on Pumpernickel bread, dinner rolls, quiche, chili-cheese souffles, giant peanut butter cookies. YUM!
Thank you Jackie-it was a pleasure to meet you and receive your big smile and partake of good, old-fashioned hospitality. You're proud of your craft, and rightly so.
To top it all off, Jackie is a certified Master Gardener, so there you go! Jackie sets an example for women everywhere to help make their dreams come true and to do what you truly love.
All the best to Jackie and her crew!

Saying goodbye to Volcano...
Be sure to visit this wonderful hospitable town, just three miles off Highway 88, out of Jackson, California, in Amador County.
We give it 5 stars!
We'll be back!

Retreat Recap

Retreat Recap
How was your retreat day?
I heard from lots of people! Most of them wanted to be near the water, or nature. Others were inside, like me. 
Some examples:

• Daughter and son-in-law went to the beach, rolled up their pant legs, and ran and played and rested in the sand
• A young mother went to the marina to sit awhile
• A pastor and his wife were given the gift of a condo near the ocean and walked on the beach together for two hours
• My husband re-created a drawing of a John Deere tractor he started over 60 years ago and did not complete. He finished this one, and painted it green with yellow wheels
• A friend took care of herself by lounging the whole day
• A friend, visiting his ailing father, still managed time outside
• A quilter found time to go through a stack of magazines
• Spending time in her backyard studio, an artist spent time playing
• Remembering a stash of pots of paint, an artist who has a herd of goats painted a string of lights to brighten the outdoors
• Another artist visited an exciting exhibit and enjoyed a class
• Myself? I began a new art journal in preparation for a journal exchange in my SoulCollage© group (pictures below). I was free from meal-making that day, as DH (Dear Husband) took over. Thank you!

Sisterhood of the Traveling Journals

Two years ago, in our SoulCollage© group, we did an art journal exchange and each month, worked in each other's books.

I can tell you, it's a real treat.

Now, we're doing this again, beginning in September.

Here's how my Peace Journal came together:

Front Cover (Norman Rockwell image)

Back Cover (Norman Rockwell image)

Contact Page

Watercolor Botanical Wreath (Title Page)
Greenleaf & Blueberry paints(-see below)
Finetec gold paint

Finetec Gold and Silver  Paints-Germany

Putting mine together to begin the journey is how I spent my retreat day (and the day after):

Blank 9" x 12" Canson Mix Media Journal
This journal accepts most media, including light washes
IT ALL STARTED HERE!

Paints: Greenleaf and Blueberry, Etsy(wreath)

(In an Altoids tin, can you believe it?)

1 page of a 2-page spread: Peace Bird
Daniel Smith artist-grade acrylic paint, FW Acrylic Artist's Ink (white), Finetec Gold Paint

Spirit Peace Boat
Materials: Coffee-painted tracing paper. Finetec Gold Paint, brown embroidery thread,
Daniel Smith paints, white colored pencil

Finished 2-page spread: "Bringing Peace To The World"

What a time I had!

This took 2 days-not only was it fun, I worked at my art table and watched English mysteries (Netflix) on my computer. 

I was a happy lady.

And, I LOVE my new book.

Doing what you love is always a good time, isn't it?

The artists who inspired me for this work:

Geninne Zlatkis-Peace Bird

Lindsey Bugbee-Calligraphy, botanical wreath

Norman Rockwell-Images, front and back covers

Jennifer Ewing-Spirit Boat

I hope you do the things you love!

Thanks for stopping by.