Treasure Everywhere and Nautilus, remember

Remember the traveling art journals we did a while back? when all the participants did great stuff, drawing, painting, writing, ATCs, mixed media, poetry, stamping, you name it? my local artists' group asked me to make a presentation on art journals last night, particularly traveling ones, and I took our joint works in as exhibits A and B! and a lot of raw materials from other artist books yet to be completed in my studio. A number of you have received these as presents, so you know what I mean.

Anyway, your work was so hugely praised and admired! I really wish you could have been there to hear your compliments. Literally everyone immediately had a fan club, so take a bow again! the thing is that other artists know how hard it is to do this stuff, so they're appreciative of the talent that went into it all. This entire group consists of serious exhibiting artists, so you were in good company.

And now I find I'm probably in charge of running another traveling journal project, this one more local, among artists and others within shouting distance, no mailing this time! which reminds me, that if anyone reading this is local to me and would like to take part, please make sure I know about you and I'll see how to work it all out.

After the local group saw your work, they were fired up with enthusiasm to do this new traveling journal, so it's all your fault, is all I can say. And thank you so much, is the other thing I can say. This has enabled me to get back in the swim of the art life, and it's wonderful.

Next month I'm demo'ing monotype making for the group, and they don't know it yet, but I'm making them do monotypes right away...

The other piece of news is a wonderful find at the thrift store, right after I donated a large amount of useful material from the studio which has run its course with me. I had to clear up the studio to find the materials for the presentation last night. The artist journals were safely downstairs on the bookcase where I can enjoy them, but the raw materials, oh well, in the studio somewhere..if I can find them.. This involved the human equivalent of a backhoe, but now it's done. More or less.



Anyway, I thought this discovery was a nice universal reward for all that work: a pure cashmere cream colored sweater, way too large for me, which will work as a cosy big sweater in this frigid weather then unravel later into lovely yarn for socks and other nice things. Eight, count them, dollars. Total. Well, 7.95, but who's counting.

And another reward: a spontaneous afternoon at my friend's house watching the DVDs of her daughter's Indian dance recital. The invitation suddenly came in the middle of writing this blogpost, so I downed tools and ran to see. The recital was in New York, last September, I not well enough to attend at that time, this was a great chance for me to see it all, the dance, music, costumes, presentation, all while drinking Indian tea and eating Indian tiny snacks. I'm blessed!