California dreamin

Spring so soon ?

Sun is out 70*, bulbs in bloom and more on the way .

When other parts of the country is buried in snow here in

California we are looking for rain, shall we get a few

drops more it's hard to say, difficult to wish for more

winter when it's so splendid .

     We have many pots of bulbs and add to them each year .
     It may be brief, but the enjoyment is so worth the wait.

     Last week
     we drove 5 miles inland to a ranch high on a hill
     to pick oranges, lemons and tangerines, the air was
     sweet with the scent of citrus, I parked in the vineyard and
     we hiked down with our buckets and bags .

   

          The fruit trees beginning to blossom, the hills blanketed
          in green velvet, such a gorgeous sight .

     The trees were bursting with ripe fruit we filled
     our bags heavy with the bounty......

     I stood at the edge in awe of the beauty....
     just beyond those hills lies the pacific ocean .

     Back at home we empty our sacks and delight
     in our good fortune.... this is juice, marmalade,
     and of course peel & eat,
     with plenty to share.........

 

     Meanwhile I've been busy creating in clay,
     I love these loose bowls, when glazed I think
     will be wonderful with a floating camellia.......

     They sit drying in my studio window
     like waves of ruffles ..............

     
     I'm getting silly......

     I'm getting frilly.......

    .........and sillier yet,  I've never known a craft
     to be more calming and addictive, I've been spending
     hours in complete joy making senseless FUN.........

   
      All the while this painting I sketched out
     two months ago sits waiting to be worked
     on..... I'll get to it eventually, right now
     I'm living in the moment
     doing what feels good .
     Hope you enjoyed a few moments in my world ..
     Wishing you happy days ~ victoria

Off to a good start.......

Hello,  This year has started with plenty of interesting activity,

   I taught a class doing stone sculpture, visited a wonderful artist

             studio, and started a pottery class, 

my studio is stocked with supplies,    

 projects to last months on end....

and the weather is wonderful 

                                                    It's California........

     To prepare for the class I needed stones,
    driftwood, stray shells, dried seaweed etc.
    This is our local beach,
    I live in the coastal town you see in the background .

     
     I find the best material in piles like this.......
    everything needs to be bone dry,
    OH! I hope I find a few bones too.........

     Back at my studio, I lay out some items
     I'll use for my sample I take to share
     with the group...
     this stone is about as big as a fist,
     dry seaweed, these fancy shells
     I did not find at my beach,
     but I have baskets full of things to choose from.........

   
     I use wax linen,
     as it holds so nicely together when making knots....
     I tie around the stone 5 or 6 times
     depending on how much I plan on attaching..........

     I begin to tie and knot on pieces,
      using a half hitch knot as I go..........

     This is the finished sea sculpture,
      as you can see I used coral, beads,
     very tiny bits of dried plant material
     and left the " tails " of my wax linen
      to un~ coil to produce a wavy thread effect,
      being it's stiff with wax it stays where I place it .

     This is a larger one I did all in tones of white
      looks elegant under a dome....

     The class ( sorry no photo's ) was a success,
     and I think everyone enjoyed it.
     you can knot literally anything on a stone,
      piece of driftwood, an old book.......
     The most mundane becomes so magical
     and especially under glass.................

     I was invited to go to a artist studio,
      Lynn's work was quite inspiring,
      but it was her alpaca's that stole my heart....
     such gentle creatures, so curious, beautiful .

     These animals are loved like pets,
      each are named, there are mothers and fathers
     sons and daughters all living together in harmony
     well most of the time I gather......
     If I had land I would want alpaca's and donkeys.......
      I left with a swollen heart.....

     Speaking of hearts........ It's almost valentines day,
     on a trip down to Santa Barbara I pulled into a 'vista point'
     and all the boulders were carved with sentiments
     of love, these valentines will last forever................

     I leave you with hearts I've found....
     dried seaweed, shaped in a heart my husband found for me,
     a driftwood heart I prize as one of my very best finds ever .
    There are hearts all around us,
     when there is love in our hearts
     we see and find them......
           Happy Valentines Day  ~
     Wishing you happy days ~ victoria