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
   

Artistic beginnings

     Hello, and Happy new year..............

     This year began with a studio clean up preparing for

     various artistic endeavors ....... remember those leaf

     pots I did at my friend Lindy's in Santa Ynez ? 

     Just before Christmas I drove back to her ranch and
     glazed my pieces, spent the night and had a grand time.........

     
     Lindy was lovely to bring them to me,
     ready to be wrapped and shared as gifts....
     But as you can see I kept a lot for myself, as I loved
     the way everything turned out..... this business card
     holder is just perfect for display...........
 

     The single leaves glazed out just how I had envisioned
     sitting perfectly on a piece of driftwood.......
     Yes that is a real ( but deceased ) insect from New Guinea !

     The small bits of clay left over I rolled flat, made a hole
     a dab of glaze, bit of bling and voila' earrings .........

     This is my prize, the favorite... a large leaf with a
     antique chinese appeal, I found just the right stand .
     I can't wait to make more of these............

     Another small bowl I could not part with..........

     I'm planning to do a series of lotus leaves,
     This little book is so inspiring to me... I love
     wood cuts... going to those this year too........

     And of course paint, I want to paint, larger and looser
     ablaze with colour..........

     And re~use..... cover,  paint , take apart ,
     boxes and other finds into useable art pieces....
     there is just so much to do !

     
     So be creative, try different things, and have fun
     there is no time like the present !
     Wishing you all Happy days this new year....
                    Victoria

Farewell 2012

It's time to put away glittery stars and brass bells..........

   
      Take off the red ribbons.........

     Wrap cherished treasures in tissue........

     Pack the antique Santa's away in their carved wooden box........

     Remove the fantasy from my already glorious chandelier
      ( that I bought 26 years ago for 75 dollars ! )
 

     Put away the ornaments and gilded leaves........

     Create a white winter still life for the patio table.......

     And start fresh.......

     Wishing all of you magical days, vibrant health, abundance,
      and a festive spirit.........
                                   Happy New Year,       Vicki

To all of you far and wide

                  I wish you a most joyous Christmas........

                        A day of dazzling delight.................

                   A day to pause in thought for the suffering.......

A day to remember voices of our loved ones who no longer are with us.....

                                         MERRY CHRISTMAS

May it be splendid,   Wishing you many blessings...... victoria

Christmas past

I spent last Christmas in Paris, I had been to France before but never to Paris,

It was bitter cold, overwhelming, and a feast for my eyes.....everywhere I looked was

inspiration and delight.... I was enchanted, the child in me was seduced in splendor . 

I marveled at the architecture ........

The city was scented with winter blossom .......

The vegetables were freshly picked and presented in artful display......

The palette was hues of slate bejeweled in gold.............

Narrow streets decorated with neon lights and marvelous little places for a hot chocolate .

Brrrr cold,  all I wanted to eat was French onion soup.........this one the best .

And a glorious sweet of course........

Daily in search of treasure to bring home, the books & prints were surveyed .......

Miles were covered with discovery of stately elegance ......

Carousels were throughout the city bellowing with festive music and children's laughter........

And then there it was, the iconic structure I've seen all my life, but to stand near it was stunning.......

But it was getting dark and we needed to shop for our Christmas dinner........

A "very" fresh bird to prepare, did I hear them saying  pick me, pick me, oh goodness I'm in ecstasy......
I can't imagine this in our butchers window, I did become comfortable with it, If your going to
eat them, might as well meet them first......... !

CHEESE, we must have that, and a lot of it.............!

Christmas eve morning we went to a flea market ( now I'm really in heaven) these are my finds.....

Yes all this !.............

I shall never forget my Christmas in Paris, It could not have been more wonderful,
I thank my friends, Marni and Paul for taking me and zabie for your elegant apartment .....

This Christmas I'm snug and home with my
loving husband,  everywhere is covered
in berries and bows, baubles and greens........
A sense of joy following me .............
Wishing you HAPPY days,  and the Merriest Christmas ~ vicki