Blog

I have not entered other exhibits hence my exhibit list is empty. there are some upcoming Puget Sound Sumi Artist exhibit upcoming.

My classes at the Olympia Center have een running. Lots of fun...

At Gallery Boom, I recently marked down my matted and unmatted pieces.

My focus is still on the written word. My latest story is up to 85,000 words over the last six weeks.

Fall is four days away... another year older. How'd I get to be 71?

Time to attack the garage and art/office for a solid fall cleaning!!!!

Best... Ellen

Months ago my PC crashed and that was devastating to say the least. I hadn't backed up to my WD - what a mistake - so I lost loads of instruction handouts and art images. Luckily I am very consistent in backing up my writing to the cloud.

Summer kids classes wore me out but I managed to do the July Camp NaNoWriMo...Somehow the 9 to 2:#0 which actually is 8:15 to 3 with set up and clean up time is a little harder each year.

I made lots of art this summer while working with the students but in general have been doing loads of writing.

Word smithing is as creative as making art... If I don't create one way or the other ... cranky time!

Can't believe its the end of summer...

Here's to a creative fall!!!

Thanks to all who have purchased my art and cards at Gallery Boom, Gull Harbor Show and Lincoln Market. Also thanks for supporting  Nat's Cats at Met Vet in Tacoma.

I really enjoyed facilitating the many art classes at Olympia Center through Olympia Parks, Arts and Recreation. I love to see people have fun learning new skills and techniques.

I'm looking forward to more creativity this year.

Short and sweet = threw myself into writing - Hence little activity as far as posting art images or entering exhibits...

Classes have been running, thanks to all who attend...

Here are some of the collages I made this summer while the student's were working on their projects...

© Midnight Cat - Nine Lives Studio 8/2016

© Midnight Dreams - Nine Lives Studio 8/2016

© Moon Meditation - Nine Lives Studio 8/2016

© Spring Green - Nine Lives Studio 8/2016

© Starlight Meditation - Nine Lives Studio 8/2016

© Fall Twilight - Nine Lives Studio 8/2016

© Two Cranes - Nine Lives Studio - 8/2016

Managed to get the exterior of the house painted before the rain last weekend and just finished up the odd bits today... did lots of canning: bread & butter pickles, zucchini relish, jalapeno hot sauce, salsa verde, tomato soup base...
Now to get ready for Gallery Boom soft opening this coming Saturday. Need to enter my inventory so bar codes will be prepared.
Keep arting
e

Still didn't get around to correcting/posting the mixed media collages but the exterior of the house is 98% painted in one week...
I beat the two days of rain over this weekend!!!
Saturday I facilitated a Shibori class with ten very enthusiastic participants. Shibori is the Japanese style of dying fabric with Indigo dye. I prepared sample after I canned 19 jars of Bread & Butter pickles... was up to 3am finishing the samples and getting the materials ready ... so today I rested and made lots of Shibori pieces.
general items to use when pinching/binding the fabric.

cotton, silk or hemp fabric - washed first to remove sizing. Then fold and use string and elastics to make a design - very controlled random of course

whoops - fuzzy image - plastic clothes pins and wooden blocks

silk scarf wrapped on a pvc [plastic] pipe and tied with string... then compressed/slide down to bunch the fabric. I need a bigger diameter pipe. you'll see why later.

soak in clean water to wet fabric before dying...


remove excess water

Indigo dye - mixed at least one hour before dying - notice bloom on top of dye.

remove bloom before adding fabric - add bloom back after finished dying...

pieces floating in the dye vat

remove pieces about twenty minutes in the dye vat - remove bindings and expose the material to the air. Air is the catalyst that makes the green liquid turn to Indigo.

as I was undoing the bindings on other pieces you can see the green turning to blue here...

after unfolding the cloth, the air is still reacting with the dye. that green will turn indigo.

silk scarves removed from dye

square silk scarf - notice the white area... that's why I need bigger diameter pipe because about half didn't dye.

same for the long scarf... I could re-wrap and dye the white side.

this is a large square cotton "towel" - next you rinse in plain water then wash with soap to stop the process...

That's what I did to day as I recover from dangling off the ladder painting my house last week....

Tomorrow I make salsa and can it... and finish the 2% house painting if its sunny!
back to writing my story
e

Finally posting some new art pieces that I completed during the summer kids art classes. This was the best summer as far as attentive students who really wanted to learn/improve their skills. After I introduced the lesson, they went tight brain and completed many projects each class. The younger kids 8-12 are more work but it was still a good time.

I have continued writing up a storm after participating in April Camp NaNoWriMo and July Camp NaNoWriMo. I have started two more novels. Got 12,201 on one story but woke up with another one from a dream a week ago which now equals 33,622 word count.

either way I'm using my expansive imagination...

Keep arting/expressing...

e

Where have I been?

Writing a lot!!!!

I participated in Camp NaNoWriMo in April and wrote another novel... Blodeuyn with a word count of 84,368

Then in July, I participated in Camp NaNoWriMo and wrote two stories. my total word count for the 2 stories = 88,410; Ewyndriel = 60,230 and Princess Lile Aibhlinn = 28180 ... then I revised Ewyndriel to a word count of 63,560

Last week I began rewriting my November 2015 NaNoWriMo, Asher; its up to 88,932 word count and I totally rearranged the sequence.

Ten of my Summer Kid's Art classes have run. I will post the samples that I made while the students were working on their art. the 8-12 year old group still wear me out more than the 12-16 who basically come in and get right into the art projects..

Keep arting and writing!

e

Saturday turned out to be Wooden Boat Day celebration so the attendance at the NOVA school Innovations sale was very low. Think my table display looked good. I did work more on my Camp NaNoWriMo novel when it was slow...

sorry, the image is a little fuzzy -

there was plenty of room so I set my shelf unit in back of the table.

Below the paint box and mini bulletin board display for the jewelry...

I set the drawer out to display the extra pieces...

lastly the blank journals. the one on the right sold. It was a very delicate looking Zen Doodle design.

I made my table fee yesterday and a small amount more. I do have to say that many shows now are requesting this: Reporting of sales: At the end of the day, we will pass out a reporting form. The primary purpose of this is to indicate the success of the event overall, as well as the different categories of products. While not required, we request vendors consider making a tax-deductible donation of 10-percent of sales (once covering the cost of the booth) to NOVA School to support the School’s programs and financial aid. NOVA School offers an unmatched comprehensive combination of creativity-building programs, such as visual arts, music, textiles, cooking, robotics, engineering, and more…and over one-third of our students only attend with the assistance of financial aid.

I did not participate in this - the main reason that I did not donate 10% - I grossed so little above the $40 table fee, I did not charge tax for my sales unless it went through the Square so I will have to pay tax at the end of the year and my prices are rock bottom so things will sell/be affordable.

Art/Crafting is an act of creativity to fuel an inner drive... I know that most art/crafters are not making hundreds of dollars at these events. Unless you bring lunch, you buy food and of course there is the gas to travel. It normally takes an hour or so to set up and break down. This means a normal 10 to 4pm event = 8 to 10 hours of work... if you figure that for an hourly wage, I make less than minimum for almost any event I've done.

I love events because it is fun to talk to customers and other vendors. Please realize that I'm not doing the sour grapes thing; I'm just telling the truth about the reality of selling handcrafted items...

e

A week ago Wed was the The Evergreen State College Spring Fair...





the earrings and other jewelry was just flat on the table so not displayed attractively...


Then Saturday was the POSSCA Annual Artists' Garage Sale... forgot to take a photo of my set up. I was really not feeling well and crashed Sunday & Monday. Still coughing but feeling much better.

Tuesday & Wednesday I worked on more blank journals - 24 just need to be threaded with the ribbon. The less expensive ones need images and tying...


I almost threw out some demo paintings from acrylic... then it was chop time to make small sections for the blank books!



More paper bead earrings that I made today...


Now how to display them better... woke up yesterday morning with a aha! Finally found my mini cork board this afternoon and then...


I needed an easel or something.... Someone gave me two travel paint box easels! The drawer is perfect for storing the jewelry.



full drawer


practice display...



OK back to finishing chopstick books, attaching enso necklaces to cards, and packing the car!
Keep Arting
e