31 days of posts Print making at the art museum

We went to the Denver art museum yesterday afternoon. What a hassle to get there. It's okay but nothing compared to the National Gallery of Art... it's hard not to compare them since we spent the last 24 years going to the National.... I know this is our new normal.

thick fibers woven

That said, it was fun to see a new museum. While DH waited in the long line (at 2:30 PM for Pete's sake! I thought we'd be the only people still buying entrances) I looked around the shop. It's a good shop for artistic gifts.

They had Chilhuly glass chandeliers just hanging in there. Not show cased or spotlit...and these are scarves for sale.I wanted this cool flexible bracelet but the catch kept popping open...

I bought nothing... whew! 

The day before I went to the local quilt shop sale, and purchased 6 yards of various prints averaging $4 a yard. As if I needed any more fabric... only how can a quilter/collector resist that price??? 

a sketch of faces before doing the etching  No I'm not touching it! It's about 3" X 4"

We took our time going through the Rembrandt exhibit, most of which was from the collection of France (originally Louis the 16th before the revolution) I learned so much about printmaking, and about the artistic journey of one man in 1600's Holland.

tiny and detailed, lines etched through wax, then acid poured in to etch the metal

There are people who say an artist should only work in one medium, and style. Bosh! I have always careened from one form to another and each informs the others. I went through a doll making phase and learned to paint faces. Then a watercolor phase that led to fabric painting... beading (still firmly in that) that led to embellishments, knitting, weaving, macrame and pottery, silk painting, photography, languages, cross stitch and embroidery (still enjoy that) and well you get the idea. 

Rembrandt did prints. He also did pen and ink drawings, oil paintings, and three forms of printmaking all at the same time with the same composition. He might even make a tiny 2" x 3" copper plate, cover with wax, use a tiny stylus to etch itty bitty lines to create the small detailed portrait, pull a print, then correct the plate, pull #2, correct, pull #3 etc til he was satisfied with the piece. 

the start to a 17th century joke??

He must have worked non stop throughout his life as he left an enormous body of work. It was fascinating to see the same composition done by sketch, oil paint, etching, printing, etc. hanging side by side. And so very tiny and detailed. I began to wonder if his eyes were those of eagles not older humans like mine. 

Did he have a wife and life? He must have been obsessed with art. He was apparently really good at self marketing as well, and business of art. I feel good at making art but not so good at marketing my work. 

They gave us sheets of magnifiers to better see the tiny lines he etched. I'd look at a piece, see a vague landscape, then see tiny dogs and deer, hairs, when I looked through the magnifiers. 

I liked this Native American woman's art

We visited the hands on area after, to try our hand at print making.

note to self: Next time reverse the word's letters

Luckily there were children there to explain the process to me. I did a very simple hand with spiral, and a word. Forgot to reverse the word so that when I spread a thin amount of paint over the styrofoam stamp I got an abstract print of a word.

Drew's print, upside down because I think it's cool this way

 Drew's etching was lovely, tiny thin repeating lines to make a pine tree and fence. I might frame that.

the way he meant it to be

It certainly made me want to try my hand with stamp making now. We are always learning. How you apply the ink/paint makes a major difference in the image. Rembrandt inked his plate so that ink filled the tiny grooves and wiped off the surface ink. Our prints are the opposite, ink on flat side not in etched grooves.

I once made a baking tray of gelatin,  to make  monoprints on fabric and loved what came out... I hope I locate those this year.

After the print making we walked through the other floors for an overview of permanent exhibits. 

Interesting mix. I liked the interactive nature of some areas... encouraging us to try our hands. A mother and son were at an easel, drawing the horses here.

There is a Dior exhibit up til March, so we decided to return to see that with fresh eyes. It interested me to see a few peacocks among those of us dressed comfortably for 20F weather... those tall women with bored faces, clacking along in heels on hard floors, draped in scarves and designer clothing, hair and make-up done. They would sweep past me as if I were a squirrel in the park. Not looking at me, not noticing they shoved past a human, bored look in their eyes. 

As a sociologist, it intrigued me. They had more important things to do than notice mere older women in stretch chords. Or so it seemed to me.

I did not feel less than, I merely observed behavior... from more than one fashionista there.

ancient pot with flamingos painted on the neck

Isn't that grand!!!

Sometime at the 5:30 mark, my eyes were full. I said, uncharacteristically (I stay til the end, ignoring physical needs) I said, "I'm tired... let's go and see more next time" so we made our way back to the parking lot and out of the city one more time. The drive was stressful to me, but we followed the breadcrumbs back to our suburb and our quiet house with the poodle waiting for us. 

 

word of the year... Explore!

revolving, evolving worlds, color and sparkle

 

how did you do with last year's word of the year?
(the above image was taken at the Denver Museum of Art)

My word was change last year...

What a year it was, and I learned that choosing a word means you learn about all sides of it, the good and the bad.

I think in the back of my mind I hope to learn the good from a word, but I often get kicked around by them.
This year I learned change isn't always good or for the better. Changes can be too numerous and overwhelming. Many changes are not for the better, they just are life.  I learned I like changes when I choose to experience them but when they are forced on me like a bad cocktail guest, not good.

I learned it takes strength to face change, acceptance to cope with it, and mental effort to process it.

there is a lot out there to explore

This year I considered a phrase of the year, being very specific as the universe needs to know just what I want, lol. What about  "experience good things". Just for balance you understand... I've done the other side of that, now I'd like to know what it's like to fall butter side up.

Somehow our luck needs to change for the better this year.
We do everything we know to do, to prepare, to foresee issues, to handle life, but somehow we are always picking up life's pieces, with some having rolled under a sofa. 

The main word, the focus for this year,

will be "EXPLORE"

explore ideas for art, make more, see more in museums and work done by other artists. I'd like to explore new groups here, since there are groups of painters, beaders, doll makers, writers, ancestry, etc. I'll visit the groups and see if the atmosphere feels good or restrictive.

Explore publishing. I'd like to work on my novel this year. It has a mystery element, and I realized I must come up with the mystery and solve it!
Explore music again. I grew up playing piano, and have a keyboard I've not opened. I have a ukelele I want to  play again too, so maybe find a teacher this time.

Explore making art with my supplies, use them freely without concern for waste. Each time I make something I learn about the principles of design. It releases my spirit. I forget time and pain.

Explore the area... see the West... visit towns, go and do.

Explore will define itself as the year progresses. Explore will teach me, and give unexpected experiences.

At the end of 2018, I joined a small new art quilt group with people I like, who want to grow in their art. I have learned to be alone this year, but also know I thrive by being with people who are smart and funny, engaged in life, accepting of others, and that like who I am.I've learned to walk away from people who are the opposite. Age has it's merits.

My list of goals for this year... along with breathe deeply and keep going...

Take Ukelele lessons

Set up the keyboard and play piano again

Paint weekly/ draw/write on the novel

Pursue publishing

Read or look through quilting books

Organize the studio totally

     Go through patterns

     List books

     Sort fabric drawers

      UFO’s sort and decide

Journal quilts

Drink more water, eat better, try to sleep well

Dance again

See the area…get in the car and go to new towns.

Open each box in basement

Contact friends, set up dates, meet for game nights

Meet like minded people who are accepting and smart, funny and creative, and kind

Join some groups like beaders, writers, ancestry, doll makers, painters

Use my supplies with abandon even on work that won’t be shown or competitive

Learn to use my digital 'slr' camera and edit photo software

Write more studio interviews and post on blog which means visit studios

Explore

Uh Oh, me too, short arms...Oh they meant meteors... never mind!

31 days of posts the week ahead is 2019 !

seen in a storefront in Boulder

Welcome to this week's Happy Homemaker post.
Tomorrow is a start to a new year.
I cannot believe how much was packed into 2018, and that it's nearly over.whew.

beaded flower from Dillards this week

I forgot about this regular post when I wrote a post on our recent trip into Denver to the Art Museum, so that will have to be on Wednesday. I am continuing  to post daily for a bit.
(How do you like seeing something daily? )

Coming into a new year is important to me, as is starting on the right foot, doing the things the first day of the year that you want to do all year.

The weather
Oh who knows.... it's so changeable here!!!
8" of snow... or... no snow but cold like 5F or so... cold enough that a poodle misses his trimmed hair!
Update: 50's yesterday, 19F today and snowing. Pretty good too. Just started and covering the roads and sidewalks already. Swirly snow, blowing into the porches, the icing on life's cake.
eating
New Year's Day has special traditional food for me as a Southerner. I was adopted into a family from the deep south, so collard greens for money, and black eyed peas for luck are expected.

I am allergic to beef and pork, so we have a turkey ham sliced cooked with orange juice, pineapples and marsala wine is our meat. I make ambrosia too.
We took a trip to Trader Joe's this week, so we are  stocked up with good things to eat.

I will finalize a word and or phrase of the year, write down some goals which I've done a few already. That will stand in for my to do list...

to-do
NOT take down the family room tree... it will stay up thru Jan.
Not take down the outside lights, they bring beauty to the dark winter nights
Enjoy the red carnations purchased yesterday at TJ's
prepare the ambrosia, and possibly cook the collard greens for Jan 1 2019
enjoy the last days of DH's time off, by doing things together
Mop the floors and clean the poodle so we start the new year a bit cleaner. (one of them smells like dog spit, well, both might)

I've written out my goals list on this post (link here)

watching
we're into Delicious  from BBC but sadly we're finishing up the last episode made to date, and watching silly funny, Moody's Holidays from Australia as well as some other series on ACORN  We tried to watch a movie on netflix but it was set in Portugal and too violent in content for me. Apparently they are releasing Murdoch Mysteries a week at a time now...

Lea Michele sings a lovely version of Auld Lang Syne

Listening
Now that we got the disc player hooked up to the wall speakers, I'm enjoying my cd collection. DH gave me the Goat Rodeo (with Yo Yo Ma ) so it's one of my current favorites... go get it and see! Or watch on youtube.

Listening to another book by Fern Michaels (weekend warrior series) while sewing. A group of older women handle problems with vigilante moves... set in DC.

for sale at Denver museum of art

Art Scene
so exciting... I'm finishing up the Christmas bargello and preparing to quilt. I want to do journal quilts again this year... for me that means 8.5 X 11" quilts using new techniques, or materials, experimenting, documenting the weeks.

I got the Jane Davenport book on drawing women and am totally excited about delving into that. Plus her face stamps were half off at Michaels this weekend and I got one... can't wait!

Achievements
Made it through this year, so far, one day to go. It was ahem, challenging to say the least.

Lessons learned
I quite enjoyed writing daily, and forcing myself to imagine new short stories on topic. Learn by doing.
It's good to ignore chores while on staycation, and just enjoy going and doing new things.

I hope to write about my word/phrase of the year tomorrow, and do the art museum pictures on Wed and Thurs. So many interesting things in the Rembrandt exhibit to share including our attempts at engraving.



thank you for being here... for reading my words, for sharing my life and times, for being my friends tried and true, for encouragement this year, for the experiences shared across the miles.
For being there.
Love, LeeAnna
please enjoy a very cute video of Zoey Dechannel and Joseph Gordon Levitt singing together
(she plays a uke! yea!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSq1cez_flQ

31 days of posts Sunday Stories... Looking for Joy

No prompt this week... they didn't entice me. I've written on Joy all season, and today's story finishes the season with a big bow...
wishing you all the best life has to offer

Looking for joy

Every year Lorna chose a word of the year. It was a focus sort of, a goal, a guiding force, a vehicle for the universe to communicate with her. 
It was not trivial, oh no. She also found out after several years that it would not always be the obvious lessons learned. Nor would the word only bring good times, no, the universe had other lessons in mind for her. Even a happy word like "happiness" would come to teach her both sides to the coin. What it felt like to be happy, or not be happy, what came from feeling happy, how to do it, what the lack felt like, etc. 

She had struggled nearly all her life, to survive. She was tired. She thought if one more person said, "look at the bright side!" when disaster fell on her, she may shatter into a million pieces. Yes, of course, things could always be worse. She was aware enough to know, even if they could be worse, they were bad enough as is. 

After a while, she wondered if looking at the good side was a form of denial, a way to avoid dealing with the sad side of life. 

Hope springs eternal though. When hope leaves there is only darkness left behind. The human spirit needs hope like air, water, and nourishment.
So, if she picked JOY this year, would she feel the joy she longed for? She was not new here... the year she chose self esteem it never manifested, she only learned she had to form it from within and she didn't have the building blocks.
So, Joy... was this her word? 

Joy walked behind Hope... could you ever seek it, or must you wait for it to land on you like a butterfly? Could it be manufactured? Created by thinking a certain way? She was so tired... she didn't have the energy inside to create it. She didn't even know the ingredients to gather to form it. Or if it could be formed by will. Wouldn't that be fake?

She would start by observing Joy in others. Noting how it showed on their faces, or watching little humans under the age of 2 (when the word NO took over) seemed to feel joy, or the look on a dog's face when it's given a chew toy or sees it's human coming. Joy was illusive, and dropped in unannounced. It was surprising, and untouchable. It brought with it hope of good things to come. 

She thought to when she had ever felt joy... yes it's a good thing. When she found the missing keys that time! (in the fridge) and when she picked up her new puppy, leaving together with all the joy of connection in place. She felt joy when that special guy said he loved her... again a connection of spirit. She remembered when she saw a quilt she made hanging at a big show with a ribbon on it! Unexpected happiness... Joy. Joy is not just relief, like a knife being dropped and missing one's foot. It's not contentment like coming into a warm house from a cold walk to smell dinner cooking. Joy wasn't the same as good feelings that grew. 

It tapped you on the shoulder!  It landed on you like the butterfly, out of the blue! It won't be ignored or unnoticed... it made an entrance! 

One can't live in a perpetual state of Joy, it would lose the luster. No, it was illusive, and surprising and unmistakable when it showed up. It was the star of the show. It was not to be stalked or sought, it couldn't be preserved in a jar for when you needed it, or conjured up with the right ingredients

It was simply a gift

She decided to choose a different word, but she would keep her eyes open this year for Joy when it arrived, welcome it in, provide a place for it to live inside her, alongside hope 

31 days of posts Random photos and goals

random pics of the week.... cows at the feed store in Castle Rock

Can't tell if this is sick or not...

Welllllll, my pup looks better than we do!

yup!

we see llama stuff everywhere now!

 sad to see Christmas dec go away for a year!

wowie!

brilliant Christmas lights outside will be turned off for the long winter's nap in a few days. I'm seeing trees without foliage and enjoying the texture

Three trees?

one tree... with bones! or many trees in one tree?

I've written many stories about Joy this season, and have loved the exercise in imagination. The stories seemed to write themselves and I enjoyed them.

We have now been in Colorado for one year. I cannot say we love it here yet...

...but we like some aspects of it. It was a year of changes some we chose, some we didn't. We needed to move.( because of pesticides overuse.) The job was here so here we came.

I have changed a bit,
I'm alone more here and am surprised to feel kind of okay about it. I seem to need to nest and settle right now. The quiet time has brought more writing moments and I've enjoyed that. Age has brought more acceptance that I am what I am.
I haven't settled on a word for the year yet. I choose a word or phrase each year, and the universe teaches me lessons all year on it. It may be Explore. It may be "good things happen"

Some things I want to explore next year: 
Use my supplies with abandon even on work that will not be shown or competitive
learn to use my digital camera and software to edit photos
write a lot, pursue publishing
dance again
open each box even the basement and garage boxes
meet like minded people who are accepting and smart, funny and creative, and kind.
see the area...get in the car and go to new towns
Do some more studio visits with artists for the blog
Make time to visit with far away friends.... distance means little when it comes to matters of the heart

want to chat with me? email me with your  phone number and we will. I would like that!

Linking to
all seasons

31 days of posts viva Cuba exhibit

Here are some shots of the Cuba exhibit at Denver's science museum...
I grew up in Tampa Florida. It was a mix of many ethnicities, including white folk (the term "crackers" comes from people who's ancestors worked driving cattle and cracked whips) Cubans (people who moved there to make cigars in Ybor City and people displaced during the revolution).

We went to Ybor city a lot, to eat at the Columbia restaurant. Then as a young adult, I went to party with other artists who took up residence there before it became chichi. I went often to grab a Cuban sandwich, cafe con leche, baguette of cuban bread, or bowl of black beans.

Add caption

so I thought I knew about Cuba. This exhibit was a wonderful lesson in the forming of 4000 islands into a country, of it's people, religions, history, natural wonders,

Nature "painted snails"

archeology, economics, and most of all ART!

cigars were a big export, but also sugar cane. My Dad used to bring home sugar cane from a days work buying and selling crops of citrus. I remember chewing the fibers to release the sugar.

Being so close to Florida, it was a place to see and be seen on vacations.

being careful not to be eaten by a jumping croc!

this was a stone cave painting... there was a land bridge from central America at one point, and so the ancient art reminds me of old Mexican artifacts.
The have a form of carnival

and at least 7 religions, outlawed for a while under Castro, but now legal again. There is nearly 100% literacy among citizens who also receive health care. Castro gave up smoking in the 80's I think, as a model for others to quit too. 

the artists working now are producing some gorgeous work.

 there were interactive touch screens to see it all


 I enjoyed the wall of posters as well as fine art being made all over the country

a poster... isn't the graphic cool? Love the mouth and the words in white

another poster... love the way the street map forms a croc!
Hope you enjoyed the little tour...support local museums!

We also loved going through the mind bender exhibit one more time, and I noticed this for sale...

I'm almost done with the 31 days of posts... I'll be going back to about 3 posts a week in January