Artful walking around Bellingham WA

Tomorrow I'm off to Art Fest in Port Townsend. I came up to Washington 10 days early as my husband was up here teaching a spring break course at Western Washington University....

The sun would poke it's head out occasionally and that's when I would snap my photos! Here's a scene looking down from Western Washington University down onto the harbor. The second largest harbor in the NW.

I then proceeded to walk down to the harbor and took a shot looking back towards campus

 up on the hill. 

Squalicum Harbor

A "fence" made out of colorful bike parts....

and then I spied a cool bike mural....

A splash of bright color...the place was closed and this plant was not chained down and I was in an alley...must be a good town.

A wooden duck along the road....

some live birds on the rocks...

 and walking in the water.

 Some mosaic art on a building and ...

 some crochet work on a tree!

 My husband bouldering on some pretty interesting rock on his day off...

 tunnels....

 and holes.

In  10 days I walked a total of 32 hours. I didn't have a pedometer so I calculated 2.5 miles per hour which comes out to 80 miles- no wonder I have holes in my socks! yes, I did change socks. I was out here on a business trip with my husband. They put us up in a cheap motel out by the mall. No place to sit outdoors at all! Our neighbors were up partying all night, banging doors and smoking but I really can't complain as I got a free vacation and probably burned a hell of a lot of calories walking all over town.

But then tonight I got a taste of the good life...my husband had to go back and one of his co-workers across town offered to let me stay in the B&B where she was staying...

 in a quiet little neighborhood with quite the view! Fresh fruit and yogurt in the fridge, chickens in the yard and an actual place to sit outside and away from the noise of the freeway.

I had a nice relaxing evening to sit and sketch and paint....and to watch the sun go down over the town...

good night!

Is the Business Card Dead?

Artfest starts in 2 days yet I had to pack for it 2 weeks ago as I am accompanying my husband on a business trip prior to the event. It dawned on me the other day, that I had not brought any business cards. I thought briefly of going to a kinko's or someplace and get some generic cards made up but I didn't really want to spend the money to have some un-artistic cards made on the fly.

As I was walking around town, I found these stickers on sale...I bought a couple packs as I remembered I had brought some playing cards and thought I could stick them on the cards and make my own business cards but then that looked kinda cheesy.

so instead, I wrote my info on the back of the cards. and then treated the front as an ATC. (Artist Trading Card)

I had also brought a couple pages from an old book. I just cut out interesting parts of sentences...

along with cutting up some of my ephemera that I brought for art fest.

 ...and made up 30 individualized ATC/business cards....

they are random, kind of like fortune cookies....

 I would much rather receive one of these rather than a generic business card.

The next morning I opened the paper and here was one of the articles! It was saying how this next generation has a much more casual approach in general and how they are averse to paper and more digitally oriented and if they do get a business card it usually winds up in the trash or a big shoebox.

Business cards seem to be going the way of books, newspapers, video stores, etc. Kids can now "bump" their phones together to get each others contact information. 

I embrace technology, ie my blog...
yet I am of the previous generation...sigh...I still love paper.

To Wrap up the Week...

A scene from this week of walking around Bellingham WA.

I got a chance to write my first guest blog. http://idahoetsyteam.blogspot.com/ 

 I had a woman contact me to buy a piece of art that I had hanging in the TVAA show "Text Messages" named Red Tree and then cc'd me on a message to make sure they put a red dot on it until she could get it. I thought that was cute.

Then I got an email from the BSU gallery that I sold a piece called M is for Music.

Just I was getting discouraged from dismal February Sales...
...and to top that now the sun is coming out!

Inspiration

Where do I find my inspiration...

It could come from my curiosity....my husband was horrified that I actually ate this on St. Patricks day but I was really curious about the green ketchup that I heard about. In my own taste test it tasted like ketchup but not as flavorful. I was impressed with the color.

 I get inspired from objects I find in thrift, antique and resale shops.

From the views while exploring new places on foot.

 4" x 4" canvases for a project for the BAM gift shop

This book was published in 1961. I think I got it from my grandmother. I have read this book and taught from this book for many years. It has been a ton of inspiration for me. I am re-reading it in preparation for my upcoming workshop at the museum.

Here's what I worked on while my friends were all at studio em tonight. I will stamp each one with my own personal chop with red ink. I haven't decided what to do with the sides. I'm thinking keep them simple white.

Stolen Art

 I had a wonderful girls art and hiking weekend at my friend Marianne's place about an hour and 1/2 northeast from town. Though it was only about 36 degrees outside we all had our coats off after a few minutes of hiking, the sun was so intense!

Unfortunetly there should be three dogs with us but one stayed in the car as she started limping and couldn't put weight on one leg. It later turned out that she had broken a chunk of bone on her toe and is now homebound for 6 weeks!

We didn't take snowshoes but started to post hole after the snowmobile tracks ran out, so we turned around and went back to our art...

the moral here is don't knit and drink

MK and Nancy working on their prints for the "Leftover" exchange

Etching in Styrofoam take out containers

printing on gelatin

The kitchen was taken over with prints...

The dining table was taken over with all kinds of projects...

 

A collage I call "10"

Here's were the "stealing" comes in. I ran out of substrates for my projects and raided the wood box outside the house. (with permission of course) but then discussion ensued with is what I do "found art" or "stolen art" see previous blog post about raiding a grand child's toy box while left to my own devices!

"B" is for Bride Assemblage on wood

"C" is for Cherry Chocolate Cake

A Pair of Pears collage on wood

Oregon Coast collage on wood

Thanks Marianne! and Nancy and Patty for a fun girl inspired weekend!