What's new?

I spent three days in a row volunteering at the take in for the photography show that opens on Feb 1st.   It's so much fun to meet the photographers and be the first ones to see the work coming in.    Beautiful photographs, some very traditional, some right on the cutting edge of digital technology, with overlays and manipulations.       Some black and white, lots of color, glorious color.      There were only four categories, 1.  Natural (includes landscapes, animals)  2.  Man made (includes architectural, and photos of anything man made)   3.  Portraits (includes animals, people, faces)    3.   Digitally Created.        These are the ones where the images have been treated as collages, or overlaid, or manipulated in interesting ways.     Judging Day is Saturday, and I'll be there to help.

Tuesday I met with some of my oldest and best friends in Folsom, where we laughed and chatted away while making valentines.   I asked our hostess Char, who had laid out a bunch of wonderful supplies and art matierials to use, if she had any old text pages in her stash - knowing full well, she would have.    She brought some in and I tore up a page, then Pat reached for one and read it.   It was some steamy novel!   Perfect to tear up and use for her husband's card.  They are parents of 7 grown men.     She was sure her hubby would get a kick out of an x rated card.     LOL    It was hilarious reading excerpts to each other while we worked.    

Mixed media meeting today, show and tell.   Last week we did some felting, and more people tried it today.     Lisa created some beautiful cards to sell in the gallery with felted hearts on them.    Sending a hearty welcome to Mary, a new member, and Bobbi a returning member, and Judi who is a very recent member but already seems like one of us.  

I've been working on two mixed media pieces, and using a product for finishing them, a gloss self leveling gel.     It's high gloss and resembles a resin finish but has no odor.      I'll post some pics later.

Today on the way home from dropping Bobbi off in Acampo, Phyllis and I passed a field of short cut grasses.    I don't know what it is, but it is really colorful, even on a foggy overcast day.  Here ares some pics.

I'm anxious to go back and take more pics when the sun is out.  It must be spectacular. 

I'm going to try to capture this in a gelli print.     Or some other medium.     Maybe it would be best with Portfolio oil pastels, or Aquasticks.   Hmmmm....     I'd like to try a plein air work - if it weren't so cold out.   Maybe Saturday will be a better day, think I'll pack my things along and if the sun's out, I'll drive the extra few miles to this site again.    These photos have had no photoshop tricks, or color enhancements.   The striations of color are the way it grows.     I'd like to take more pics from the West end and shoot the stripes lengthwise.