J&J Ranch

Many Thanks to Jill and Jerry for a CA Winter Wonderland adventure! We had a blast at their Rancho, singing Mexican songs, dancing, eating yummy food, shooting pool and best of all relaxing with good friends....

Hummer Tree of Life

Hummer Tree of Life
Originally uploaded by Agave Latte

I'm pleased to announce that I'll be teaching at Art Unraveled www.artunraveled.com , a mixed media conference held in Arizona August 2010! I will be teaching a workshop called "Batik Flora and Fauna, a mixed media approach"
Hope you can join me! This will be a relaxing, fun workshop where you can play with watercolors, colored pencils, and acrylic.

Funky horse

Funky horse
Originally uploaded by Agave Latte

Along the route of the Dixon Studio Tour www.dixonarts.org I spotted this tall funny horse just as happy as could be. What a great attitude!

Apple Farm in Dixon, New Mexico

Apple Farm
Originally uploaded by Agave Latte

My friend invited me to this wonderful place in New Mexico for my birthday weekend. Her cousin and his wife live there off of a secluded dirt road enriched with pinon, sage, apple New Mexico air. The farm is a wonderous place with happy cats, a dog and hundreds of wild birds feeding in the garden. My birthday cake was a yummy baked apple with ice cream and berries!

and another great workshop!

This is one of my favs to teach......paper mache is so down to earth and fun. Hope you join me!

www.bravoschoolofart.com

Casa de Milagros
Fee $74.00 members $86.00 non-members
Materials fee $15.00 Supply list available upon registration
2 Wednesdays, Wednesdays, Nov 4 & 11 6 – 9pm

Milagros can happen to everyone! Build your House of Miracles from the ground up with light paper mache techniques, paint and collage embellishments. Your structure will house a unique small pamphlet stitch book with collaged pages. We’ll start with house construction and paper mache, building your own unique style of home. Bring in several simple ideas drawn in your journal ahead of time. Don’t forget to add a window or two. While the paper mache dries we’ll create a small pamphlet stitch book that reflects the milagro theme. This can be a memory or a hopeful event for the future! We’ll paint and embellish the house with contrasting acrylic paint layers and collage. The Milagros will be added on to complete the casa. Viva la Vida!

House of Cards Book

New Workshop coming soon to Bravo School of Art! http://www.bravoschoolofart.com/

House of Cards Hidden Piano Hinge Book
Fee $74.00 members $86.00 non-members
Materials fee $10.00 Supply list available upon registration
Sunday, November 1 10am – 4pmSunday, December 13 10am – 4pm

Explore Book Arts with Helen Shafer Garcia in a contemporary mixed media approach with a deck of playing cards as the foundation for your book. A concertina fold hidden collage/painting will be revealed when the book is open on the spine.
We’ll paint, collage and alter the playing cards to build a colorful, embellished book structure. Learn how to layer collage pieces and paint over allowing some of the original imagery to remain. Treat yourself to a day of wet paint, glue, paper and fun!

In Kyoto we visited a very old well known traditional Japanese style paint supplies shop. Generations of Saiundo Fujimoto's family have owned this shop dedicated to hand made powered mineral pigments and plant based watercolors for "Iwa-enogu" style painting. He and his family also make beautiful bamboo brushes. I bought a watercolor set and 1 brush. The shop was packed with ancient drawers filled with incredible colorful, textured artist things.......

Japan in October

Just returned home from my trip to Japan. Great memories, trips to shrines and temples, took tons of photos for future paintings.... it was a great adventure that I'll never forget. Thankyou Jordan and Mandy!

Japan!!

Off to Japan tomorrow with my sister and brother in law!! I'll return Thursday October 15th. Lot to share when I return... and you know I'll take tons of photos and hopefully I'll have time to paint.... Sayonara!!

Huell Howser at Quail Gardens with my painting

Huell Howser at Quail Gardens with my painting
Originally uploaded by Agave Latte

My husband and I posed with Huell Howser http://www.calgold.com/ tonight at the Quail Gardens Gala in Encinitas, CA. Huell gave a heartwarming speech about the fact that it's the ordinary people of CA that make the most interesting stories. So true.... and thanks to Huell for sharing these stories with us. I painted this watercolor for him as part of the Award of Excellence gift. How cool is that?