A very merry December to you too

December has arrived and it came bearing gifts. Not the jingle-jangly, bells and whistles, shiny sequins way that I have come to expect, but softly, with a hush and blanket of snow. Fat snowflakes fell like stardust and covered my city in a pristine cloak of white. They piled up on my cherry blossom tree, giving prophetic new meaning to the December print for my calendar. They formed fluffy shoulder pads on my coat and topped my hat like a crown.



It felt like a new holiday, the true beginning of advent. The city seemed to stop and people came out to see it, laughing (what?), smiling at strangers (seriously?), and celebrating life divine (believe it!).
Even my busy life was put on hold for glittering walks, frosty Manhattans, and communion with friends.



Thank you, December, you are truly the icing on my year.

I know, I know, more studio pictures and silk screen talk. Sorry, but it has consumed my mind of late, as well as my time (oh, and sorry to all those emails I've left unreturned - I'll be back soon I promise). This is just a little tidbit to tide you over until my Holiday Shop is open, until then, the wheels of industry must keep turning!

The rain has been falling, the darkness comes earlier each day, and the realization that winter is a'coming has set in. This weekend I was blessed to spend a great many hours in my studio. Printing "2008" has taken over a large portion of my mind and time, but I am giving it up willingly. Midway through a printing run (a sweet little white tule elk who is resting on the green of March - just wait - you'll see it) I realized how perfect this time and this place is.
Let me set the scene for you: Late afternoon, and the skylights in my studio have turned purple-blue-grey, the last dregs of light slipping westward. The bright lights inside are softened by candles, and the scents of jasmine and bamboo have overpowered the acidic smell of ink. The rain falls with force, ringing a twinkly tune on the windows above. Joss Stone soulful voice accompanies the rain, crooning a sad tale of love lost. Calendar pages lay flat on every surface, the old crow eyes the tule elk, who looks innocently back at me.
This life is good. Simple words because my pleasure is found in simple things.

New Obsessions!

So I began this week with a renewed sense of purpose and a refreshed creative mind. I thought it was time to share a peek at my newest project,"What I hope to see again in 2008," or, for those who prefer a simple name, "my new calendar." My effort is to finish the entire edition by Dec. 1st, when it will be available for purchase on my Etsy site (which is as barren as the desert right now, hhmm, maybe because I have been walking through one... oh, more thoughts there than I have time to share here!).

Fall-Candy

There is something about autumn that speaks to my soul. The colors, so vibrant, signify life and death in the same light. There is a snap in the air that is fresher than any breath I have taken in months. I welcome the earthy-sweet scent of sap and detritus blending and breathe deep the smell of damp soil. This could be the time of year were I find myself overcome with the melancholy beauty of it all.

It's been a while. The chaos of life took over (and I know that's no excuse) but here I am now, revived and ready. In order to catch you up on where I've been, I give you "The Top Ten Things I Have Seen in the Last Two Months (in no particular order)."

1) Autumn in Seattle. The colors - I don't even know what to do with them but I tell you what, they put my paint mixing abilities to shame!

2) My little sister in a wedding dress - enough said!

3) A sunset sky the exact color of Rainbow's Orange Sherbet with Raspberry swirls. The sunsets in Florida truly have no competition.

4) The first ceramic pieces I have thrown in two years, arriving at my door, glazed in colors that made me squeal (the very first forced-collaborative project with my Ti).

5) My amazing man in a pair of larger-than-life aviators. Somehow equally goofy and sexy, just the way I love him.

6) My own pedicured toes (you first must understand how sadly rare this is, only then will you understand how good they looked).

7) The look on Miss Jessica G's face when she realized I could act (or deceive, depending on how you look at it) to the point of forced tears.

8) The Snoqualamie Falls - the complete scene involved watery but warm afternoon sunlight, soft cheese and crisp apples, the beautifully intense scent of wet moss combined with decaying leaves, the everlasting sound of the Falls tumbling, crashing, splashing, and of course, the view of the valley sodden and sparkling far below.

9) The slow development of my "cherry blossom" painting (not its real name), the painting I have been working on for almost six months, the painting that has re-taught me how to struggle for my work, the painting I have almost given up on many times. Its almost there.

10) The brick wall outside my studio that daily sends me this message: Whatever your poetry is, keep it alive. It is your soul.

Red Post

Summertime in the PNW. This day at the beach did not require a bathing suit, but rather, a hoodie and a hat - nothing like the summer-beach memories of Santa Barbara or even Santa Cruz. No, my beaches now hold an exquisite melancholy, full of beauty and the perfect setting for long contemplative thoughts. This day was grey and drizzly, low 60s, but I just kept finding warmth. The bright colors seemed to jump up from the sandy shore and I made for myself a nest of red to ward off the chill while I sat and watched the waters.

Inspiration

This beautiful plate (a gift from my Dad) is by ceramic artist Ayumi. I am so in love with her work, and of course this plate in particular. It has not left my desk since its arrival because I love seeing it every time I sit down.

On a (seemingly) unrelated note: I have been working on a whole series of mixed media pieces that are small enough to travel between the studio and my home. They begin with silk screened images, then come home to be sewn and drawn on. As I sit here working on one of them, I realized just how influenced I am by the beautiful objects of inspiration that I keep close, with color in particular. Ayumi's choices have leaped off her plate and onto my paper, in the red pencils and blue thread. And I am thankful for the shared energy in our art.

I Still Have a Long Way to Go

I have been thinking about the labyrinth a lot lately (and not the David Bowie movie, although I confess I have watched it and bring it up in discussion a bit too often). The labryinth is a visual reminder of the spiritual journey that we are taking, it is a tool for meditation and the practice of quieting the outter chaos in order to hear more clearly. In this, I still have a long way to go, but it is good.

Birds who Chill

Just a little good mornin' peek.

Studio Days

I find such pleasure in little details. Brushes well used, with clean bristles but colored handles. Perfect little piles of paint, scraped into tidy lumps, each a distinctively different shade. Marks of paint on an otherwise white wall that speak of the history of my work. These things keep me company, encourage me, and entertain me in my studio. They are not inanimate, rather, they are my working companions.

So I think its possible that heaven is going to smell like freshly baked bread. Because right now, my kitchen smells divine. A little (organic) whole wheat flour, a little yeast, a little milk and salt, a little pino noir (ok, the wine was just for drinking) and I am enjoying my very first official loaf of bread.
Thank you Farmgirl Fare Susan! (And if you have not read her blog, you really must, because she is one amazing bread-baking, sheep-raising woman)

Crescent Roll Genie

Rub the the magic tube three times and a genie will appear to grant the wishes of your taste buds.

As most of you know, I am not a big fan of any food that comes in a tube, be it yogurt, cheese, or anything else - even tubed cookie dough can be a little sketch. However, the crescent roll is a whole different story. It is reserved only for camping trips, never for home, but slow cooked over the fire it is magical. I can scarf down half a tube like nothing, eating them plain, stuffed with gouda, or smeared with pomegranate jelly. Their buttery goodness rivals the s'more as my preferred campfire treat.

However, this tube was problematic. There was no satisfying "pop" of the cardboard tube, in fact, it was a dud (I guess that's what we get for buying generic). B and I had worked our selves up for a little roll-smackeral and in our panic to open the tube, somebody got stabbed. The tube oozed dough at an alarming speed. We pried and pulled, but the tube stayed sealed and the dough just kept coming. With dirty fingernails we clawed at the cardboard, alternating between shrieking and hysterical laughter. In the end, the rolls were excavated, the tube was a shredded mess, and sweet crescent salvation came in the form of three feet of string-like dough wrapped expertly 'round a skewer, toasted golden brown.

Wallace Falls

So, enough with the Puget, lets talk about the Cascades! Can I say AMAZING! One of the most wonderful parts of my life up in the Pacific Northwest is the number of hikes that I am able to take. Yesterday I drove out to the foot of the Cascades to a little town called Gold Bar (so little that the population sign only said "pop" with no number) to hike the Wallace Falls State Park.
It was drizzling and grey (in other words perfect) and six miles later, had stayed the same. I munched on wild salmon berries, and had all the moss, ferns, and lichen I could feast my eyes on. But the Falls were what it was all about.

The pictures do so little justice, so you must look at them and imagine the roar of water, the cold mist on your face, and the damp earthy scent of rich, decaying detritis. My heart belongs in those places.

It is about time that I put up a little sneak peak picture of my studio. It is my happy place, where I can go and work for hours. The painting on the wall is still in progress (about 70% done) and is about the move, the changes in states, about spring, cherry blossoms and rain.

I know that most of us can only handle so many pictures of the ocean/trees/Puget Sound, however I needed to post this one of Brad. Last Friday we took a personal day together (we blew off the gym, our to do lists, his work, housecleaning, and a few others I'm sure) and it was fabulous. The morning was perfect for a little kite flying, both our new one (in pix) and the fighter kites that we constructed ourselves, then promptly destroyed. The tide was higher than I've seen, but still yielded a few good rocks. As the morning progressed, the skies warmed to blue, the turtles came out of the pond, and we indulged in a child-sized burrito at Gorrdito's (and by child-sized I mean the-size-of-a-small-child, "Get in ma belly!").

Saturday morning I awoke to the knowledge that I needed to feel water. Some days are like that, and I am blessed with time in my life that I can leave dishes in the sink and the bed half-made, in order to nourish my soul. I made the short drive to Golden Gardens (after picking up another friend who also needed soul nourishment), the beautiful beach that separates the Puget Sound from the city. It was grayish and windy, with a promise of rain on the horizon, but I saw so much color. What began as a collection of vibrant stones from the Sound became an Andy Goldsworthy-inspired project.

It was one of those mornings that I wish I could have every day. So much in fact, that just writing about it now makes me want to leave my computer, throw on a jacket and put my feet in the sand. I think I might.

The (In)Famous Granola

So it seems that every time I make a batch of granola, about half of it goes to like-minded friends whom I feel need the kind of love that only homemade granola can give. Unfortunatley, I am either selfish or generous (depending on how you look at it) because no one has received this little gift twice. This has caused a small stir of clamoring for the recipe, so I finally had to sit down and write out what goes into the mystery mix. Keep in mind that my granola has never abided by a set recipe, so all the quantities are pretty loose. In other words, feel free to experiment with confidence - I have yet to use a measuring implement, but have never had a bad batch!

Hippy-Snippy Granola

1 1/2 Lbs Rolled Oats (I always buy these in bulk, and this quantity in organic is usually about $1.25)
1 /1/2 - 2 Cups Nuts of Your Desire (I love almonds and cashews, but I have used pecans, hazelnuts, and macadamia nut as well)
1/2 Cups Sunflower Seeds
2 Tbs Sesame Seeds
1/2 Tbs Cinnamon (or more if I'm feeling zesty)
A good shake of Nutmeg

So mix all this good stuff up in bigger bowl. Then go on to the wet goods.

1 1/2 Cups Applesauce (This is the one thing you can not skimp on)
3/4 Cups Brown Sugar
1/3 Cups Maple Syrup (Don't even think about using the fake stuff!)
1/3 Cups Honey (get the stuff that comes in a honey bear - it needs to be runny honey)
2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Mix up this sweet concoction very well, then pour it over the dry goods. Here I use a mixing technique with two spatulas. I stick the spatulas on opposite sides of the bowl, then lift and squeeze them together. By really squishing the granola up (rather than just stirring), the wet can work its way through the whole batch instead of just coating the out sides. Once you have a consistence that looks like sticky little clusters of granola, you're ready for the baking part.

Heat your oven to 350*. Spread the granola in a thin layer over two baking sheets that have been lined in parchment paper (not wax! repeat, never put wax paper in the oven!) or foil. Cook for ten minutes, flip the granola with a big spatula, and put both sheets back in (I change which one is on top every time I flip, just to make sure they cook evenly). Continue on like this for about 35 - 40 min. When the granola is nicely browned (Malibu stacy style) then you are done. Let it cool completely, then enjoy with yogurt and fresh berries!

Walking up Pine St. yesterday I had the super excitement of seeing a knit cozy for a street light. It may have been a
Knitta, Please piece ( I know they have members in Seattle), but there was no tag left for certainty. Since finding their site a year ago I have been secretly (O.K., not so secretly) hoping to see a knit in action, and this was the first.

One of the greatest ways to start your day is with a really good cup of coffee, and mulitple packages from your postman. Today I recieved my jewelry tree from Claudine's Closet and a beautiful pair of earrings from Mikkelina (Happy Birthday to me! Thanks M & D!). My morning plans have changed to reconfiguring my vanity and playing with my jewelery - pix will be posted when I am done!

Maybe I am a little bit of a foodie. I get so excited when our Pioneer Organics box arrives on Wednesday afternoons; its like a big present (with a bad, plastic, grey wrapping job) that I tear into, scrupulously checking out each item (by that I mean the snif test) and laying produce out like a grocery wish list come true. The produce really is that good, and I have been widening my circle of veggie knowledge each week with a local, seasonal item that could be a bit scary. This week its mizuna, last week it was raab (delicious sauteed with garlic and crushed red pepper!).
I have also become addicted to a new blog, Orangette. Orangette's writting is beautiful, and her recipes have proven to be even better. The chocolate-apricot-espresso cookies have been a huge hit (even though our terrible apartment-grade oven threatens to murder anything I attempt to cook) and I have dinned on her spring-chopped-salad about 11 days in the past two weeks. And she lives here, in the fabulous, pouring rain of the PNW (Pacific Northwest for all you out of towners). So she must be great.

Hooray for Birthday presents! My beautiful orange tea kettle from Jenae (of the combined, unstoppable good-shopping-mojo) that should have been over $100, and my super-sexy Chemex coffee brewer from Brad (of the all-around-great-husband). Very Nice!!

So, sometimes when you are least expecting it, you come upon a sight that so exactly contradicts itself that you are left with no choice but to run for the camera. B and I were equally horrified and hysterical when we saw this Hummer, amazed that the idiot owner truly does NOT get it. I hope they saw us photographing their blood-guzzling machine! (Click on the image for a better view of their "No Iraq War" sticker)

granola

So to all those think of Seattle, and say "Ugh, too much granola and peace-loving hippies! Let's hope Kelly stays strong to her city-girl-roots!" I have bad news. I have made my very first batch of organic, homemade, great-with-yogurt, granola. And it freakin' rocks! And you all wish you had some!

Wow, one whole post for the month of March! I was rockin' - or maybe just a bit busy what with moving and all (and not having internet, and then our computer crashing, new SEXY black macbook later, lending out the camera cord, etc, here's my whole sob story of excuses!) But enough of passing the blame, I will try to be back in action!!!
So to kick it off, there needs to be a new list (as I am so fond of lists) that will be:
"Things I already love about Seattle"
1) Tulips and Daffodils - They grow every where up here, poping up in little grassy patches along the street, in parks, in parking lots, like happy little suprises.
2) That days go by without ever getting into our car - so much is within walking distance, and that is what people here do, walk!
3) That flippin' fantastic coffee is just a mere 5 blocks away.
4) The pho house up the street - great pho for under $5, AND they give you banx chou (tasty little cream filled puff pastries).
5) That it rains pretty much every day - its beautiful and cleansing
6) However, when its sunny, its like a huge party - every body is out on the street, all the bars and cafes open their windows/walls/doors, people hang out in parks.

Hello, Hello Hello!
Its official, we are now Seattlites! After two weeks without internet (and realizing that both Brad and I have been getting the shakes and cold sweats of withdrawls) and a HUGE number of bizare setbacks and little frustrations, we are back in buisness! The story of the move (and if you know me, then you know it had to be a whole story) is a good one, but is a little longer than this post is going to be. I love that we are here, I love our little apartment - it is really starting to feel like home, and I love that Brad and I have seen each other more in the last two week than in the last two years (and that we have realized we really like seeing each other)!
We now live in a cool 1920's brick, called the Joey Ray (our oakey roots will never fully leave us). More pictures will follow, and more stories, and more living. Hooray!

Simple food is always so beautiful! Happy Lunching!

So this is pretty family specific, but I have a thing for taking photos of people far away, seen through an opening in an object up close. I have tortured my family with these photos, there is one of Dad "inside" a Morris car model, Mom "inside" the jaw of a kangaroo scull (more family specific things - not many have access to a wide variety of skulls), Aubrey "inside" a sea urchin, Laurel "inside" a giant cracker wheel. And now its my turn, inside a huge roll of bubble wrap, just waiting to be rolled around my paintings.

Despite the extreme need to pack I decided to drive into Santa Cruz today, and have what will probably be my last "Personal Day" there. Coffee at Lulu's, a quick trip into Logos, driving up to the cliffs and then walking out along the wharf to get a carmel apple. Its been a good day. Among many, a few of the visual highlights are as follows:
1) Seeing the moon VERY clearly at one o'clock in the afternoon, between puffy white clouds and a bright blue sky.
2) Watching five seals feeding on some fish (I think tossed out by the fresh fish stand). It was a huge game of rip-the-fish-in-half, fight-off-the-others, and bark-at-the-swarms-of-seagulls, and they made me laugh.
3) Observing a pigeon stick its entire head into a small water valve to drink fresh water - it looked like a pigeon body with a huge metal pipe for a head.

One of the most gratifying moments for me, as an artist, is the moment a piece of work is framed and you realize you really like it after all (Framing a piece makes it final, and you have to stop critiquing it - a constant problem for me).

So I promise this will not turn into one of those annoying "here's more pictures of my cats!" blogs, but Thai (otherwise known as big pimpin') is just so cool, I had to share.

So a major color theme happening in the worlds of design and fashion is yellow. Its been going on for several months now, and seems totally appropriate for spring.
Design*Sponge had a whole post on yellow design products, and any design magazine you pick up will surely feature lots of sun-shiny color. I was reading through my new Domino mag (its my favorite - I'm pretty much guanteed to do absolutly nothing the first afternoon it arrives in the mail) while making breakfast, and realized I had a whole theme going on in my kitchen. So I had to share it. Who ever knew raw eggs could be so hip?

So in the serious editing of my life that is happening before the move, I decided to part with a large amount of my textile collection. After going through all the fabrics that I have collected in the past several years (amounting to more boxes than I will admit here) I narrowed it down to 1 1/2 bins, and listed the rest as "free to a textile artist" on craigslist. I emailed back and forth with a woman interested, who ended up coming by the house last night while I was at work, and picked up the boxes of fabric. She, Donna, emailed me later that night to send me a link to her ETSY shop, where she sells odd and occasionally dark little quilts. It was the best end I could have hoped for for my textiles, and made me so glad that I could freely give her so much material rather than bummed about my dwindling pile of fabric. So,. . Hooray for artists!!! Support the community!!

One of my favorite sounds is "kittty windchimes." This is the phenomena that occurs when fresh tuna is placed in little ceramic bowls for the boys, and as they eat, their name tags gently chime against the bowls.

The famous cake for two!

So a few weeks ago I spent a little time in the SJ Japanese Friendship Garden, sitting by one of the ponds. I came away with some random lines that managed to turn themselves into a poem. So here it is, for your reading pleasure:
"Mallards"

Ten Heads
Two Legs
One wing – outstretched
Waiting for the sun to warm their cold stones.

Moss speaks in color: chartreuse, turquoise, lemon yellow, a touch of ultramarine
Juniper berries answer, plump in blue-grey

The drone of the planes drowns out their voices
The Shinto spirits left long ago
But the Koi remain
Growing older
Growing fatter
(I hope they do not feed them corn, like the salmon bred for our waistlines)

The water flows, like a cool breeze of light
That flickers on the leaves of the magnolia.

Sunlight advances and the damp steams off.
Nine Feet
Eight Heads
Two Feathers Fluffed

Love is.... Dale Eanhardt chocolates