Kids Art

Drawing lessons in the elementary schools today. We worked on observational drawing starting with light contours, medium value shading then focus on details. These were drawn by a table of 9-10 year olds.

My Artwork on a Book Cover

Thrilled to be a part of Amy MacLennan's new book - a lovely poetry collection! My painting 'She Hangs Lanterns in the Night Sky' is on the cover!

Teaching Art to Kids

Teaching every day this week in the Elementary schools - we are warming up with some Blind Contours (no looking at your drawing and don't lift your pencil off the paper) of our hands and our neighbor's faces - you can imagine how hilarious the kids find this! But while they laugh, it is amazing how many details they are seeing. I forgot to take photos of their work, but here is one of my Blind Contour hand demos and a Contour face demo

Colorful Hair

His hair turned purple while I was away teaching!

Nuno Felt pieces

Racks of Nuno felt pieces - Getting ready for the Kirkland Artist Studio Tour

Workshop at Kirkland Arts Center

'Raspberry Lemonade' - a new Nuno Felt Ruffle Scarf

Come join the fun! I'll be teaching this weekend at the Kirkland Arts Center

Nuno Felting for Kirkland Artists Studio Tour

Getting ready for the Kirkland Artist Studio Tour (I'll be at the Grape Choice on Mothers Day weekend)! Rolls of Nuno felt pieces waiting to be felted. You are looking at oodles of hours of back breaking work (I have to roll these for about 1/2 hour each, then scrub, rinse and shape each one), but the results are going to be oh so colorful!!

Nuno Felt Retreat - Day 3

Nuno Felt Retreat Day 3... A glass of wine on the deck is in order as students wear and admire their work!

Menu:
Chocolate zucchini bread
Coffee and tea bar
Cucumber infused water

Lunch:
Indian Red Lentil soup with mint
Kale salad win pumpkin seeds and sesame oil dressing
(A buffet of left over salads from previous days)
Iced tea (a variety of LizzyKate teas in their cold brew carafes)

Appetizers:
Hot artichoke dip and chips
Olive bar
Wine
Sparkling pomegranate juice

Nuno Felt Retreat - Day 2

Nuno Felt Retreat Day 2:
Decorative Elements Shawl (Terra is modeling one of mine to determine the size she wants to make hers)
Menu:
Ginger cookies
GF scones with currents and orange zest
Coffee and tea bar

Lunch:
Spring Greens soup
Moroccan Carrot salad
5 Bean Salad

Appetizers:
Cheese cookies
Prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe
Mixed olives
Wine

Dinner:
Smoked salmon
Mixed greens with orange and roasted pecans
Black Bean Quinoa salad
Grilled asparagus

Lemon curd and berry torte (GF and dairy free of course!)

Nuno Felt Retreat - Day 1

Nuno Felt Retreat Day 1 menu:
Morning:
Chocolate zucchini bread (dairy free, gluten free)
Scones (GF)
Coffee and tea bar
Orange, chocolate mint infused water

Lunch:
Bresse Mushroom soup
Carrot mint salad
Tabbouleh salad
Farmers bread
Herb butter

Appetizers:
Baked cheese cookies
Hummus and veggie platter
Wine
Sparkling pear juice

Getting Ready - Nuno Felt Retreat on Whidbey Island

Groceries for the Retreat (yes there are 14 bottles of wine!). Let the cooking begin!

A few tips when preparing large quantities of food for large groups of people:
1) list out everything you need to make and when best to make it to avoid missing things (like the toasted pumpkin seeds that go into Sunday's kale salad)
2) make all of the dressings, marinades and sauces ahead, at a time when you can fully concentrate (I'm best in the morning) and label them with details (like marinade for black bean cous cous, make thurs for Saturday dinner). I even mix dry components in a bag and wet components in a jar for baked goods to be mixed together and baked right before people arrive.
4) soups are great for making ahead and popping into the freezer
5) once all the heavy duty measuring (above) is done, crank up the music and chop, slice and mince
6) keep work area tidy to avoid overwhelm (I'm not always great at this).
Right here I'm making mushroom stock that I will use to create a Bresse Mushroom soup tomorrow then reheat to serve on Friday. Spicy Red Lentil soup is simmering on the other burner.

Someone's ready to start Nuno Felting! 

 

Nuno Felt Scarves for Kirkland Artists Studio Tour

An assembly line of color! Nuno Felt scarves for the Kirkland Artists Studio Tour (and samples for next weekends retreat).

Nuno Felt Retreat

Create beautiful art while enjoying gorgeous views and gourmet food! Come join me for a Nuno Felt retreat next weekend on Whidbey Island!

Paintings for Kirkland Artists Studio Tour

Cherishing time in my studio - bonus being able to dry in the sun!
These pieces and more will be showing during the Kirkland Artists Studio Tour on May 7-8 at The Grape Choice in downtown Kirkland. I would LOVE for you to drop by!

In My Studio - A Few Paintings in Progress

 Painting in progress... Loving the sunshine flooding my studio today 

Putting on the finishing touches... and getting ready for the Kirkland Artist Studio Tour on Mother's Day weekend (join me at the Grape Choice!). This painting will be there though I can't seem to capture the colors with my iPhone, background is a deep Tuscan gold color.

 Painting up a storm and getting ready for Kirkland Artist Studio Tour on Mothers Day weekend!

Never Too Old for an Easter Egg Hunt

In Grandmas woods for the annual Easter Egg hunt - complete with old tattered map and riddles!

Kirkland Arts Center - Teaching a Special Workshop

Excited, thrilled, honored to be invited to teach a special private Nuno Felt workshop for the Kirkland Arts Center Angels (board members and other movers and shakers behind the art center)! 

Some of my Nuno Felt students at the Kirkland Arts Center today. Everyone's piece unique and very colorful - even though 2 of the gals came in saying they wanted neutral colors!

Jazz Alley with my Son

A night on the town with my favorite Jazz Guy! 
Fabulous performance by Davina and the Vagabonds!

Kid Art

Finished up Lesson 2 in my Basic Drawing Curriculum as Artist In Residence at 2 elementary schools! 15 classrooms, over 350 kids in grades 2-5. Whew!
(Above is a drawing by a kid in 4th/5th grade class)

Art by 4th grader during Lesson 3 of my Basic Drawing classes in the elementary schools.

... And an onion for class 

Track Meet

Keeping score for the Pole Vaulters at last nights track meet! Someone captured both Morgan and me in the PV pit

In My Studio

'Summer Solstice Dance' - (24x18) see it in person at the Woodinville Dance Academy!

Cool Jazz

Cool Jazz! Brandon performing at The Royal Room under Clarence Acox

Grandson Visit!

Helping Uncle Morgan with pole vault

Making music together (photo by Tanya Gilbert) 

Nothing like a good book before bed time! 

In my Studio

An Apple a Day - a commissioned piece to pair with a pear!

College Tour to Bozeman MT

 Amazing old railroad car diner - a breakfast stop in Spokane en route to Montana State University in Bozeman. Franks Diner - as delicious as it is picturesque

  Spokane Falls From under the bridge

 A mandatory stop in Spokane at Craven Coffee roasting plant (Morgan's favorite coffee roaster!)

 Big beautiful skies and snow covered mountains outside of Missoula MT

 Stunning views along the entire drive through Montana. This is just east of Butte.

While the guys are up hiking in the snow, I'm checking out Main Street Bozeman. Beautiful art galleries, healthful restaurants and very very friendly people! 

 Literally Mountain hikes from Main Street! This building is the Bozeman Public Library.

The view within a 10 minute (slow, photo taking speed) walk out of town... More mountains on the other side, give me another 5 minutes for an entirely different view to the mountain range bordering the southern edge of Bozeman. 

Shooting into the sun with dark clouds hovering over the mountains... But still a magnificent view. From this hill above Bozeman I have a 360 degree view of mountains. Beyond breathtaking! 

On the MSU campus with, yes, mountains all around 

The boys went hiking and ended up in lots of snow. Here is a photo of Jerry (taken by Morgan). 

And a photo of Morgan taken by Jerry. 

Good bye Montana! Hello Idaho! 

We traveled over 6 passes today including blizzard, rain, ice and now home to rain, wind, power outages! What a day for traveling 

In my Studio

She Picks Oranges in the Evening

After the rain