I am knee deep lots of projects right now!  I am getting ready for Patchwork in Long Beach which is this Sunday, November 6, and then Wednesday, November 9th is the Sip & Shop in Huntington Beach and then next week I am installing a window display at South Pasadena Arts Center.  Um, it’s not over!  That weekend there might be a little holiday boutique in the shared space behind my art studio.  I’ll let you know when I find out more.  Hopefully see you Sunday!!

I realized I spend most of the week teaching/assisting others in making art, and I really need to set a date for myself to make some art of my own.  The last few weekends I have been so busy with the new venture into doing Craft Shows (and in fact I am doing the Long Beach Patchwork November 6th, so save the date!)

Friday night I set a date with myself to paint and it was wonderful.  It’s nice to have an activity that you feel completely at home in.  Like a good, good friend.  And I realized it’s the mystery and the puzzle I like just as much as the moments that seem to congeal and flow.  I like a challenge, especially a mental one.  And it’s not just a to-do list and crossing things off.  It’s an open activity where nothing is certain and options are aplenty.  I realized it’s like a dance, an unchoreographed one.   And I listen to music while I’m painting so it is pretty much exactly a dance.  My arms are just wielding an oily substance at the end of sticks that translates my movements into a language built out of color.

On another note…here are some images from one of my recent classes where we drew and painted haunted houses!

Speaking of Haunted Houses, our website for our annual Haunted House in Murrieta (Brian’s brother’s house), which we have titled Evil Haunt, has now come online.  Brian also made a teaser trailer for the event, and I wrote the bios.  So if you aren’t too scared, click on over!  Bwa hahaha…

My classes at the HBAC are in full swing and I’m not the best about taking pics but I did manage to snap some from the little balloon project I did in my Parent & Me class.  Here is a tutorial for our Paper Mache Hot Air Balloon:

Materials needed:

balloon
tissue paper
white glue
brush
paper cup
string
tempera paint and glitter
pipe cleaners
hole punch

Instructions:

Blow up your balloon about half way. In a bowl, dilute your glue with water, equal portions. Begin to cover your balloon with strips of tissue paper, covering each piece with glue mixture. Start with white tissue paper for the first couple of layers. Cover the entire balloon with at least 5 layers of tissue paper for strong tissue paper mache cast. Let dry overnight or longer until bone dry.

When fully dry, pop the balloon and carefully take it out. Cut a circle in the dried paper mache where the balloon comes out, large enough to be able to fit your hand inside the cast. Pop out any spots that caved in. Poke a hole on the opposite side of the balloon, to which you feed the pipe cleaner through. Tie a loop on the other end of the pipe cleaner so it does not fall all the way through the balloon. This will be how you hang your balloon. Punch three holes on the bottom of the balloon to which you tie your paper cup basket to. Punch three holes in your paper cup. Paint the cup and balloon with tempera paint and glitter. Connect your cup to your balloon with string, tying each hole to each other. Now you’re done!

Well I am doing my second craft show, this time at Piecemakers in Costa Mesa as part of their annual Harvest Festival, which will have over 80 vendors, live music, food and a hay ride.  And it’s all Halloweened out so it will be fun!  If you’re in the area tomorrow between 9 and 4 p.m. stop by and say hi!

I was scanning through my image library and I had nearly forgotten the kind of disaster my place was when I first moved in.  I still of course have temporary bouts of dishevelment, especially after my craft fair a few weekends ago (I’m still trying to figure out where to store the tent and tables, and all the displays), but overall it is a long voyage from where it once was.  And it is sooo good to feel at ease and more organized in ones space.  Here is a little picture book of some of the transformations…