Thank you!!

                   I wanted to thank everyone that voted for my elephant piece, "A tear for my Brethren" at Campbell Pottery during the paper art show! The piece got 2nd place!! It is so nice when something connects with others in the way this one has! Thanks again! The show is still on until Sunday if you have a chance to see it!

I hope the new owner enjoys the piece!  Thank you soo much!

I have still been working on gourds for the show in Texas, but I am almost finished! I am really happy with the ones I have finished...pictures soon! Then it will be time to work on entries for the Campbell Pottery lily festival!

We have had a couple beautiful weekends here and my husband and I took advantage of them and got a couple kayak trips in on Lake Wilhelm!

It is a wonderful time on the lake! There are nesting waterfowl everywhere! The camouflage of the geese on their nests works very well! Several times we would be right beside one and not even see it!

Turtles were everywhere sunning themselves on logs!

There were two giant osprey nests on top of dead trees in the water and we got to watch one fishing which was mesmerizing!!

There was also a tree or trees just full of cormorants!!

These days spent in nature do so much for my state of mind and wellbeing!! We all must do everything we can to preserve these places for ourselves and future generations!! Hope everyone will do something this year to help the environment and the creatures on this earth!!!

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!!!

Busy few weeks

I have a lot to talk about this time because the last few weeks have been filled with highs and lows. The first high was our wonderful vacation to Vieques, Puerto Rico! This was our second vacation on the island, and I love it even more! The beaches are sooo beautiful and not crowded at all. We liked it so much last year, we asked our kids to go this year so we could make some wonderful memories!! We stayed at a beautiful estate called El Cerro, which has 3 houses and 30 acres. With our family and friends we had 14 people, which fit very comfortably on the property!

                                             The main house! Looking up from the pool.
The views from this heaven on earth are breathtaking in every direction! We spent days at the beach and then some time at the pool or going out for music and dancing or playing cards. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did!!

Besides the beautiful creatures in the ocean, there are lots of free roaming horses on land and quite a few stray dogs. They do have some humane associations trying to help out the horses and dogs and cats.

All too soon, vacation was over and it was time to say goodbye which is always hard. Our kids returned to their homes on opposite coasts and we returned home to PA. Before we left I was having a hard time deciding what to do with my 16 1/2 year old Jack Russell , Ringo. He has been in failing health and completely blind and almost deaf. I wasn't sure he would last the week of vacation, but he did! I was happy to see him up and around and wanting his dinner and breakfast as usual. He also had a skin problem on his head that made it ooze and scab and nothing we had tried would stop its spread. He ate all his food still, but was nothing but skin and bones! I  had been cleaning up accidents in the house frequently for the last year but then he started to lose control of his urine and would drip on himself. So sadly I made a vet appointment knowing he would probably not come home alive. It is so hard to know if you have picked the right time, to save suffering but extend life as long as possible. But sadly with the vets advice we lovingly said goodbye to Ringo. He was a good little dog and will be greatly missed.

Sweet Ringo

Two days after losing Ringo , it was time for the opening reception of the paper art 2 show at Campbell Pottery. I was thankful for the distraction, and looking forward to seeing the creative artwork using paper. I was amazed by all the ways artists made beautiful art using paper. I think everyone should go and check it out. I was also thrilled to discover that my elephant piece was sold! I had several people come up to me and comment on the piece which was just wonderful!

So my life the last few weeks has been a rollercoaster of happy and sad, I guess a true example of life in general! Until next time......

 

Paper art show at Campbell Pottery

 Chief Paper feather

" A tear for my Brethren"

As promised, here are my two entries into Campbell Pottery's Paper Art Show 2!  The first one is a gourd mask. Usually I make these  with real feathers, beads etc. but in keeping with the theme, I made all the decorations out of paper. The elephant is made on several sheets of watercolor paper that is carved and woodburned! A small sea glass teardrop is added . It has been varnished so it can be displayed free of glass ,so the texture is easier to see.

I have been busy working on gourds for the gourd show in Texas, and I am making slow progress. Still busy with the horse gourd but on the final stages now.

Here is my little studio buried behind one of the huge snowpiles we accumulated this winter! I am happy to say our weather seems to have moderated a bit and the piles are starting to melt! Happy to see them go!! I even saw a robin and a red winged blackbird yesterday!!! Can Spring be far off???



Snow and KACC gourd show!!

It is winter here for sure!! Our dog Shelby loves the snow but I must say, I have had enough!! I am longing for green grass and flowers and warm sunshine!! I haven't seen this much snow piled along the driveway in a long time! This kind of weather does afford me more time to work on art projects! I was invited to the two invitational art shows that Campbell Pottery is having this year. One is Paper Art 2, which will start March 28th, and another in October. I have finished my entries for that show , but I will wait to show pictures closer to the show. I was also thrilled to learn that I was accepted into one of the most wonderful gourd art shows in the country, the Kerr Arts and Cultural Centers Southwest Gourd Fine Art Show!!  in Kerrville, Texas!! I can send up to 6 gourds for the show from May 21st to June 28th. So I have been busy coming up with designs and ideas for gourds for that show.

This gourd may be one I send with a few more additions.

This is an extensively carved gourd I have been working on recently.  On another note,

I did get to photograph quite a few dogs in the last month to use as reference photos. A friend had a litter of golden Retriever pups that she was nice enough to let me photograph and my husband and I also went to the dog show in Erie and took photos!! Fun!!

Hopefully the next time I write here the snow will be gone and it will feel like Spring!!

I think the birds at the feeders outside agree!!

Bison Gourd

Here is a picture of one of my latest gourds in progress. This was taken during the carving process. Up to this point many hours were spent cleaning and cutting the top off of the gourd, coming up with a design, drawing the design, woodburning , carving and sanding. Soon it was time to start painting and dying.

Here is a picture of the finished gourd. it has faux leather tooling, faux suede, faux beading, and faux basketry on it.

Here is a picture of the back side of the gourd. I called this one "Culture Clash" since it has native American design elements and western design elements and the bison which was a point of conflict for the native americans and the settlers moving into the west. This is one of the largest gourd pieces I have ever done. It is available at Gallery 29 on main street in Sharon, PA.

Here is another recent gourd with dyed pine needle coil and a bright alcohol dye finish.

Here is a small gourd with pine needle coiling and a kitten.

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Here are two Santa's I made this year. Hope you all have a wonderful Holiday season filled with love and laughter!!

Campbell Pottery cat and dog show was a success!!

Here I am beside one of my gourds at the Campbell Pottery cat and dog show! I am glad to report the show was a big success and a hefty donation will go to the humane society in Erie! I sold both of my gourds that were entered, so it was a success for me also! Thank you so much to the new owners of my artwork!! I hope you enjoy them for many years to come! Thank you also to Campbell Pottery for having this show and donating to the humane society!! Everyone involved did a great job!

 

Here are a couple pictures of the beautiful fall colors around here. One is from my kayak and the other is of my old mare out in the pasture. I am sorry to see autumn past it's peak because that means winter is on the doorstep!

Here is an experiment I made using a piece of gourd in the center of some pine needle coiling to hang on the wall.

This is a coiled gourd with a faux finish to match the beads on it.

This chick a dee  gourd is coiled with inlace inlay, an antler, and beading. Hope everyone has a wonderful autumn.

Cat and Dog show at Campbell Pottery

Don't forget everyone that the cat and dog art show starts at Campbell Pottery on October 3rd!! It is a great cause to benefit the Humane society of Northwestern PA. Every sale will have a portion go to the humane society and also any thing sold there with a cat or dog on it will also contribute. You can donate by buying a slip of paper with a beloved pets name on it and add it to a work of art on the wall. The reception is on October11th and there will be animals up for adoption in the pavilion out back. Please come and support a great cause!! Events like this are one of my favorite reasons for doing artwork!! Here is one of the works of mine that will be there!

Also coming up this weekend is Applefest in Franklin!  Please take a walk up the main street and visit me at Liberty Galleria!! I have several new gourds that will be ready and for sale. 

I am happy to announce that my gourd artwork is now also available at Gallery 29 in Sharon, PA. I love the beautiful artwork that is available there! Be sure to check them out !

Our weather here has been absolutely gorgeous the past week or so!! Warm temperatures, clear blue skies, and not a drop of rain!!! The trees are starting to change color and I don't want it to end!!

 

This is a picture taken from my kayak yesterday on Lake Wilhelm! Amazing gorgeous awesome!!!