With that said, I could sit here and dwell on my disappointment or I could be thankful instead for the blessing of family, friends, and art.  These things, combined with running have made a devastating year, manageable and almost tolerable.  So, with that thought I wanted to share this piece I did in KC Willis’ class last month.  

This little girl has such joy, considering she grew up in a time when we were not allowed to vote, lived in a segregated society, and could at best dream of becoming a maid.  She exudes joyfulness and makes anyone that sees her smile.  So, I thought I would reflect on her smile and remember there will be other opportunities and other disappointments much more powerful than a missed race.  And if I can just stay focused on positive thought, I may not be able to avoid the disappointments, but I can keep focused on my blessings and be thankful for what I have.  And that will make what ever the difficulty, better faster than I could hope. 

All the best…

As artists, we know that one of the greatest gifts we have is our hands.  With that said, one of the most positive things that came out of January was a confirmation about my hands.  I spent the tale-end of December, January, and February doing physical therapy for my hand.  My right hand has had issues since 1988.  And with recent work changes, my workload had jumped exponentially.  Because of that, I just didn’t have enough sense to take breaks during the work day.  So, I would just pound away, hour upon hour upon hour, trying to get everything done.  But, my hand knew there was a problem with that.  And in early December, I started back doing physical therapy twice per week (through the holidays and into the New Year). 

As this had been a long term issue, I had to take a test at the end of January.  It was an EMG.  One of the most painful things I have ever had to do.  As they tested both hands, they hurt for two days after the testing that went on for a full 30 minutes.  The singular positive thing was at the end I had a diagnosis and the knowledge that I don’t have to have surgery!!!  YES!!! 

Because I had been doing all this physical therapy, I have done limited art work over the last several months.  But, this art piece due to the image and subject matter, truly resonated with me today.  And I wanted to share it with you.  I created only two, one for my dear friend Kelly Kilmer and one for myself.  Kelly loves hands and is very knowledgeable about the politics of the day.  I think she is awesome and I enjoyed making this transfer collage for her.  

With that said, this art is now much more symbolic for me about being a mother, wanting peace for my children, and wanting peace for myself.  Now that I know I don’t have to have surgery, I have found a little Peace.

I have missed posting in Mixed Media Monday.  So, while I was in Kelly Kilmer’s class this weekend, I worked on my submission.  I created a journal page in my new Fukoro Toji we made during class.  At first, I was really spun up with doing something anatomical based on the description.  Then it occurred to me, I could create something with body parts!! 

So, I found this amazing shot of Beyonce.  And I loved this page from an old French book.  I thought we could look behind the eyes to see secrets, hence the title selection.  I used decorative paper tape that I backed with paper and then cut out the beautiful lacy scallops that reach beyond the page. 

I am so thrilled I could take her class and create my first entry in a long time, it was a very good day!

I dedicate this post to my mother.  Lucy Mae was born the day the stock market crashed in 1929.  She still recalls growing up in the segregated south quite vividly.   She remembers going to segregated schools and having to step off the sidewalk when a white person would be coming down the sidewalk. Her grandmother raised her and her cousins.  She reinforced over the years, that if Lucy Mae could get through school and college she would make something of herself.  And my mother was relentless.  She got funds from church, she cleaned houses, and she worked until she graduated from college.  She would go on to be a nurse, a special ed teacher, a school counselor, and administrator.  All the while she would endure set backs and prejudice, that are still too painful and many to recount here, but with all of that, she continued to instill us with the belief that if we went to school and college, we would have a better life.  We too could succeed.

The night before the election, I called her.  I said “Mama we are going to be voting for history in the morning.”  She said she would be there bright and early on the 4^th .  She walked right up the street to the Catholic School in our neighborhood.  I wish I could have been there to see her vote.  I wish I could have seen that smile on her face and her proclaim “God is Good, all the time!!!”  And finally to see pump her hand in the air for victory.  Victory for all of us is to see this day, when we all stood up and said it is time for us to have HOPE again. 

As I said last night, it is a great great day!!!  Lucy Mae got to vote for History!!  I am so happy my mother, my dad, and my kids could see this History. 

God Bless America for having the courage to change direction and retake control of her own destiny.

Last month, I got tagged by lovely Sarah Fishburn.  And essentially what that means, is that you tag some of your favorite blogs.  So with that said, I wanted to tag some of the blogs that I love and get inspiration from:

Kelly Kilmer

Karen Michel 

Sarah Fishburn 

Tiffini Elektra 

Helga Strauss   

These ladies are beautiful, in your face, thought provoking, and just down right amazing artists.  Please go check them out.  I think you will love them as well.

Tami and Marty met me at my booth.  Special Events, had set up my booth and left two tables for me (and they come and tear it down after the show).  We put out my wonderful linens from Santa Fe, my art, prints and t-shirts.  The booth looked great. 

The show officially opened at 11 am.  Marty and Tami stayed the morning to help me with the booth.  That was awesome, as that was a big lesson learned from Santa Fe.  I need to have more than one person with me during a show.   Rose, her two sisters, Monica, and George all came by and hung out as well.  I had a smile from ear to ear, because it was just great to see everyone. 

I did try to step away around lunch to take a quick break.  And not long after I had, I got a call that James and Eric (of James Judd & Son Vineyard) were in my booth.  I ran back.  They brought me one bottle of each of the wine labels.  They are beautiful!!!  It was wonderful to meet them both for the first time.  It was almost exactly a year ago that James contacted me about designing their wine labels (see my post “Commissions – A Cellar Full of Noise”).  They are going to be doing a wine tasting later this month in San Diego.  And they will have my original art there as part of their booth.  How cool is that?

They left and in the midst of that, I sold two originals, a few prints, and t-shirt.  The show wasn’t as strong as last year, but it was just great to see everyone.  The lady that purchased my first original at my first Castro Street came by again on Sunday.  And she re-introduced herself.  She talked about the art piece “A Good Place” and how much she loves it.  It hangs in her kitchen.  She invited me around to her house, the next time I am out.  She also bought a print as well.  I am truly happy she came by. 

One of the coolest things is that my friends from Seattle and Orange County, flew in and hung out with me in the afternoon.  We ate Sushi from Osaka Sushi, while we sat on the curb and watched amazing people walk by.  They were also there when I sold “What is Life without Honor?”  It is the art piece I highlighted on my e-newsletter, events page of my website, and in this post.  It went home with a very nice couple. 

At the end, we tore down the booth and I shipped everything home right after.  Then Jacci, Jaime, Sara and I all met for dinner at Boulevard (on Mission) in San Francisco.  The goat cheese raviolis are the bomb!!! 

All in all it was a very good day.  I couldn’t have done it without the support of my awesome family and friends!  I am blessed…

This whole post is about amazing friends.  I flew in on Friday to SFO and off I went to my dear friend Lily’s house.  I shipped all my art for the show out to her.  It was wonderful to see her and her family.  They loaded up my art into the car and after that we just kind of hung out.  It was so nice to just be back in the Bay Area and just hang out.  Lily is such a kind soul as well; it just made me happy to see her.

Then off to dinner I went to meet Anastasia, Cheryl, and Hope, all pictured here at the Three Seasons in Palo Alto, CA .  The food was great.  It is Asian Fusion restaurant, in a very hip place off Bryant and University.  Again it was so good to hang out with my friends of more than ten years.  They all look amazing.  And all we talked about was our families, mutual friends, work, and my art.  It was just very cool.

The next morning, I met up with Wendy and her little girl Annika.  Wendy and I go back 22 years!!  Before our husbands and kids, we were friends.  And we remain great friends.  She is my touch stone on what is important.  And I truly look up to her.  She has such amazing courage and I continue to aspire to show the type of gutsy decisive resolve she has shown over the years I have known her.    It was tough to say good bye to them both, not knowing when we will visit again.

Finally, I headed up to San Francisco. I stayed at my best friend’s house.  It was great to have a quiet place to just hang out and rest.  But, of course there was very little rest, because I had the epiphany that I forgot my business cards and I needed to do errands to finish getting ready for the show.  I got my self in such a twist, that when my friend Tami called, I just decided to head out and go meet her and her husband Marty.

We met at the Daily Grill just across from Union Square.  And we laughed and laughed.  I hadn’t seen them since April.  And they both flew up from Southern Cal to help me set up on Sunday for the Castro Street Fair.  Is that cool or what?  Marty would soon leave to go meet his son, who is going to school in the city.  And Tami and I headed down to Rose’s for a Sex in the City Party.

One more shot of seeing friends and meeting amazing and wonderful women.  We had a great time.  Rose made all these amazing organic appetizers (i.e. toasted bread with fig jam, asiago cheese, and a slice of apple) and pasta with a great marinara sauce.  Rose’s friend Janice brought chocolate cookies that Rose teamed with home made whip cream and strawberries.  Then we did a 10 question quiz about Sex in the City.  I only got 3 right!!!  LOL!!!  Janice, who had never seen an episode, got 8 out of 10!!!  Can you believe it?!!  I was robbed!!! LOL!!!

After the party, Tami and I headed back up to the city.  And I dropped her off and went back to DK’s house and laid down!!!  What a fun day…

Friends are one of the greatest gifts we can ever have.

What a fascinating selection this week.  I have been working on a piece for submission to Cloth Paper Scissors.  The call is for pieces that represent “A Tea Party.”  And low and behold Mixed Media Monday selected “tea” for this week.  I think one might call that Serendipity.

 She used to love a cup of tea with a bit of cold, hence the title of the submission.  Whenever you made a cup for her, my father-in-law would always remind me to make her tea with just a bit of cold water.    

Have a good week….

I got up this morning with an attitude change, a significant attitude change.  Like so many of us, I have a day job.  Though stressful, it is a very cool job.  However, with that said, like so many others, we are going through downsizing, restructuring, and “right-sizing.”  And being a stress eater coupled with the work stresses, I have gained somewhere between 15 to 20 lbs in less than six months.  Hypertension and high cholesterol run in my family.  I am extremely fortunate, due to exercise and proper eating, I have avoided many weight induced maladies that befall my age and culture. 

So, off I went running this morning down our old dirt road.  The photo you see here, I took last month on a run.  The cows for whatever reason came over to the fence to watch me run by.  And I wondered what they were thinking about.  And I realized finally, I knew what I really needed to be thinking about.

I thought about the discussion I had last night at the opening for “Transformation of the Mundane” (see my post from last month for more details), why I have gained this weight, and what is going on at work.  And something just struck me.  I have allowed the stress to take away my joy.  And no one has the right to take away your joy.  And I thought with two small kids, it is time to let go of the list of things that I can’t change and move on.  There is so much to look forward to right now, the last thing I need is to be unhealthy.  So, back to Weight Watchers, running, and exercising to regain control of my health. 

Last year I took this class, I can’t even remember the name.  But, I do remember one key thing.  If you want to do something, you need to make a commitment, not just set a goal.  The teacher said “try, what is try? If you want to do something, you need to commit to it.”  I have committed to my art this year and continuing to make sure my family and friends know I love them.  I am re-committing to being healthy and fit, because this is the only life I will get.  Pray for me….