Reminding you to Pay Attention

My Mother's Day gift is a surprise!

Julie took this photo right after I opened the amazing gift card to a local art store here in Madison.  I may have been a bit extravagant in my reaction but seriously...art stuff is just a lot of fun and it was a lovely gift.  And thinking about how to spend it will be VERY fun.  My kids are really quite something and I am crazy about all 3 of them.  (Beth is in CA, Rick is in Lemont, IL and Julie lives 3 miles away here in Madison.)

When friend, Bill, recently asked me "what's your blog about". I think I said "mostly art stuff" which is true.  But when I look back over the blog posts over the many years I've been doing this...it's surely more than that.  It may "revolve" around art as a theme but it's about my attention to life in general.  Flipping back through posts is a little like a journal of what was up with me at the time.  

It's about what I pay attention to.  You can see if you read the little "bit" by Mary Oliver under the title of my blog that "paying attention" is totally what I'm all about.  And using art as a focus for that is very helpful.  

The Cards

The latest excursion on May 7 that the Madison Urban Sketch group made was out to the Pinney Library on the East Side.  Members of the group suggest places and the leader (Deborah) makes the final decision and usually "hosts" the gatherings unless she can't be there.  Some "urban" groups call themselves "expeditionary" artists.  I think that's kind of a fun term.  Off on an "expedition" sort of says what we hope for.  These are often to places we've never been to before.  Sketching at a library was a first for me.  But sketching anywhere is obviously the name of the game.  

This was a small group...can be up to a dozen or so.  

At the end of a few hours we throw down our sketches and visit a bit about them afterwards. 

I am hosting the group the first Saturday in June to our 9 acre woodland walk here at Oakwood.  Crossing fingers on good weather.

The walks in our Oakwood nature preserve in spring are amazing.  

And right now (after a week of way above average temps) everything is popping out like crazy!!!  I hope to get out there again today to see what's up now!  

One last photo taken this past Tuesday...this is the gravesite of my mom and dad at Oakhill cemetery in Lake Geneva.  On this grave plot are also my grandparents and their infant son who died at 2 days old. AND my great grandparents are nearby.  Lake Geneva holds the roots of my mother's side of the family.  She was born here in an old house on Water Street that still stands.  And I have lived within this southern Wisconsin town most of my adult life...in Fontana, Williams Bay and Elkhorn. And I taught school in Lake Geneva for over 30 years.  It's the "home place"   And this old cemetery is now on the historical register.  

This is where Greg and I will someday settle down like in "Our Town" above the lovely old town that is in my history and not too far from Beloit/Janesville where Greg's growing up memories lie.  His mom is buried in Clinton.  We stopped to put flowers on her grave on Tuesday too.  And we visited his mother's sister's grave in Shopiere..Aunt Corkie who lived to almost 102.  What an amazing woman!  

Now we begin plans for the garden at Julie's...celebrate some family birthdays and graduations coming up. And plan for some time at the family cabin up in Lac du Flambeau later in May.  Wishing you all a great month of May!

Our 12 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren keep us busy.  Here is Greg's lovely grandson Eric who will graduate from Luther college and head off to seminary.  We hope to stream the graduation which is in MN Saturday morning!  

  

 

Odds and Ends of art fun in April

Walking through the 9 acre woods here at Oakwood brings just the tinges of the first spring flowers and mother goose on her nest in our pond.

An Easter card for my sister in "cartouche" style Zentangle.

Grandson Patrick's 16th birthday card in Zentangle Framing.

A little fun with cards for Easter envelopes 

using Dingbats style Zentangle

My favorite Easter Sketch using Zentangle framing.  This was done during a commercial being filmed for University Woods 

at Oakwood on April.  

 

March and April in Wisconsin

What's up in March and early April?  I can't believe I haven't posted in an age or two.  Sorry about that.  Let's catch up:

Greg had an open house for his train layout in February.  I made "boarding passes" for friends here at Oakwood so that no one would have to wait to get in to see his trains.  So much fun and a good turn out.

Here's a series of pages from my small sketchbook.  This ink and watercolor black and white sketch from a recent April concert here on stage at the Oakwood Art Center.  

This sketch is from a March walk in the Oakwood conservancy.  We had a crazy warm day sneak in on March 21 and we went coatless (for one day).  Then reality came back.  

This sketch was a March concert at Oakwood but I had fun just sketching some objects on stage instead of all the people.

This is part of Project Pact 17 with Zentangle.  I really got a little carried away with it at the end and just wanted to have it look "unique" and so I painted the center gold, trimmed here and there, added some white on black and it's called "kaleidoscope".  

It's back to my bigger sketchbook and a trip to Garver Mill here in Madison on the East Side which has been renovated into a venue for shops and entertainment.  The Urban Sketchers all went together last Saturday for the afternoon.  Much fun.

All is well here in Madison. Spring is taking a LONG time coming this year but we had nice sunshine on Palm Sunday (about 50) and so we can now see the daffodils and crocus peeping up.  Really, it magical how fast they arrive from nothing one day and 3-4" the next.  We'll have two more days warm and then a drop of 20 degrees again for Easter.  Such a shame.  Maybe they are wrong?  Well, we'll survive.

Once it does come it'll be euphoric for us.  The robins are nesting and the goose is sitting on eggs by the pond.  It can't be too much longer.

  

 

What's Up in February

I cannot believe how long since I've posted.  I do apologize. There's nothing wrong except being side tracked into doing other things and just not getting to it.  I think all bloggers go through this and all of sudden 3 months with no blog.  Or more.  

I've been teaching Zentangle here at University Woods...samples of the Valentine Theme from Feb 3 above.  AND below you'll find a photo of the new set up for that with my document camera and an 80" smart TV which makes "charts" obsolete.  

The online class I signed up for by Pat Southern-Pearce was very fun although his particular subject matter was not attractive to me and I was sorry she picked this for the class.  But you get the "idea" of her work which is very multi-media.  No water involved.  Crayons, pens, markers, cray pas, and watercolor pencils (with no water).  

So here are a few better examples of  Pat's which I think highlight her work better.  She always works on toned paper.  Google her name and find a few YouTube videos featuring her.  She's a British artist. 

 

Happy New Year to All

Well my goodness...it sure took a long time to finish this journal page. I started it back in August.  Just goes to show the my life is pretty eclectic these days and with the pandemic, the holiday, and lots of activities to partake of here at University Oaks...I am not in the studio all that much!  

This was the wreath that decorated our apartment door for the holidays.  Nothing like a little Zentangle for keeping calm.

One afternoon I helped make some gingerbread houses to decorate the common rooms.  THAT was messy but fun.

These two little books were gifts to my first two great grandchildren who live in CA.  More about them another day.  They were wrapped and sent back with their grandmother, my daughter Beth, earlier this week.  I covered them with my hand painted Gelli-print papers.  

Just a note about my new "set up" for teaching Zentangle here at Oakwood...I wear a head set mike, and have a document camera attached to my computer and am able to project on the TV screen.  That makes it pretty easy to follow instructions!  I've taught two classes and have another scheduled for February.  

I am taking an on-line art class from Pat Southern-Pearce in January.  Really looking forward to it.  Look her up.  She works almost exclusive on toned paper in multi media.  

We were able to see many of our family over the holidays...We hosted two parties here at our apartment and that was great fun.  And we attended some parties with our families.  We are triple vaccinated but at our age we know we are vulnerable.  Our church is meeting in person again at least for now, masked and distanced.  We are so praying that everyone will be vaccinated soon so we can maybe get this under control.  Everyone is so weary of the pandemic.  

Please everyone stay safe in the New Year.

 

Five Days Before Thanksgiving

This is probably my last "sit down" sketch of 2021 in the Oakwood nature preserve.  Temps are sliding on down there now with daytime highs in the 30s and 40s.  If the sun shines...it's not too bad if you dress warm.  So we'll see how it goes.  Night times we are down in the 20s now and we've had one "cat-tracker" snow.  Most of sycamore tree is leafless now.  Still some brown and yellow leaves hanging on.  The countdown to Thanksgiving today is 5 days.  The east coast may get some "real" snow next week.  

November is my birthday month and it has been a lovely celebration this year with many cards and calls and emails and dinner out at "The Old Fashion" restaurant on the capital square.  The Christmas bell is a reminder of "A Wonderful Life" radio play that my grandson Pat stared in this month!  What a nice trip down to Lemont, IL to see the family there.  Earlier on the page I celebrated the closing of the cabin for the season and the last leaf walk there along the roadside.  And also there is a tiny picture of the Wind Phone that Julie has procured for folks to share their thoughts with anyone they missed talking to.  Have you heard of this?  Click here.  There are several interesting videos about wind phones too.  She and friends did a go-fund-me and raised the money to buy a Wind Phone for Madison.  

University Oaks celebrates it's residents birthdays with fresh flowers. What a nice thing!  

I wish you all a safe and blessed Thanksgiving. 

We'll be down in Lemont again with my son's family.  

 

November Comes with Yellow, Russett, and Gray.

"Everywhen"

10" x 10" hand painted collage papers and graphite

Tomorrow is November 1.  It is my birthday month...Thanksgiving Day and in the "olden" days it would be parent teacher conferences.  A month of muted colors following October's wild autumn bowing out.  November's pale faded golden corn left in the field rustles in the wind sounding (if you walk down the farm road) like a kind of orchestra of brushes.  Forests and grass turn yellow and brown and along with some dusty blue-grays of the last grasses and with dark hulls and black/blue seeds flying in the wind.  Everything is muted.  You smell woodsmoke.  You search for your mittens.  A fuzzy robe feels super in the morning with your hot coffee.  

 

We streamed church AGAIN today but are going to be in-person for communion for the first time in I cannot even remember when come next Sunday! After church Zoom coffee discussion group today we talked about "thin" places in our lives.  Ya know thin places?  

 

After  a busy week  we'll head down to Lemont, Ill on Friday after my class to see our 16 year old grandson, Pat, perform in his school play that evening.  A radio play adaption of It's a Wonderful Life.  What a nice way to start the holiday season.  Just a quick trip down (about 3 hour drive) and my daughter, Julie, is coming too.  We'll stay over and come back Saturday morning after brunch.  I am bringing my mom's favorite coffee cake for the brunch.  We'll be celebrating Mike and Marie's October birthdays too.

 

Next week Julie and Mark are taking us out out to dinner to celebrate MY birthday.  The restaurant is called The Old Fashion.  I love an old fashioned brandy sweet (once in awhile).  Come to find out that was mom's favorite cocktail too (my sister tells me).   

 

 

First Frost Thoughts

I know, I know.  The 31 days of October are not yet over. But it always happens that when I am within 6-8 days of the end...I can't stop and I just keep on going.  

This year was not my favorite group of tangles.  Or maybe I just was not "in the mood" as normal.  But Stephanie just didn't pick very fascinating tangles, to my mind.  There are probably 3 that I would draw again.  

Julie and I have been rock painting on and off this month.  These are about 4" across.  

I've been doing a lot of reading this month too...which uses up my time as well.  I need to get back to my journals which I am missing.  

Greg and I got our booster shots and flu shots this week.  We had no reaction (other than a little sore arm).  But that just last one day and we were back to normal.  Now I wish this for everyone!   I am just SO tired tired tired of this pandemic.  I am sad for the losses.  Sad for those who can't seem to see the need to help this get done.  

We had our first frost this week in Madison.

Time for the baked apples and the pumpkin pie.  

 

Home Again Home Again Jiggity Jig

One of my favorite fall sketches (so far) was a walk along the road sides up north near the cabin on the 28th of September along Tippecanoe Lake.  Autumn comes early in the north woods and sometimes almost 2 weeks ahead of central and southern Wisconsin.  The pines lose needles too and there is a soft layer of yellow pine needles on the roads.  We had such fantastic weather all week prior to the closing on Monday, Oct 4.  A lot of hard work the last few days but my step-son appeared and helped out.  

Then, just before we left, Julie and I took one more talk and I found a Solomon's Plume that had striped itself in a way I'd never seen before.  One berry left and two minuscule berries.  

Then a couple quick little tiny sketches in my carry-in-my-purse notebook at two of the evening concerts here this week at University Woods.

 

A Little Visit at the Turning Point of Autumn

Autumn warmth is lingering here in Wisconsin in a long string unexpected sunny days.  Although I've pulled out the sweatshirts and jeans...I am only wearing them now and then.  I feel almost guilty when I know there are so many places that are having fires, floods, volcanoes, and hurricanes.  And yet, idyllic day follows day after day.  What an amazing gift.  I'll try to remember this in January!  

Yesterday's drive from Madison to Monroe through the farmland was idyllic...barn after barn with those "barn quilt" paintings on them and the corn just that brassy yellow as it just about ready to be picked.  Pumpkins and gourds out on the roadside stands and late summer asters and mums by the houses in towns.  Not a lot of color in the trees yet..just a few tinges here and there.  

 The Art Show on the square in Madison this weekend got FANTASTIC weather.  I hope we can go next year.  I hated to miss it.  

The model train show was fun...we hadn't been to one in a long time and Greg was so happy!  I worried that not very many people were masked...they left all the doors open and Greg and I WERE masked the whole time.  Life is still so scary around the pandemic.  I have bad dreams now and then.

Our friend Angie (up north) has tested positive (luckily we haven't been with her in months) but she apparently exposed a LOT of people during the last week.  She is double vaccinated and that is even a bigger worry.

So lots of folks are now on a "watch" and keeping quarantined.  She found out she was positive WHILE traveling from WI to NC.  So they are going to drive straight through from this point on and try not to endanger anyone.  Her husband tested negative.  So he'll do the driving and pick up food.  

Folks here at our campus location will get flu shots and boosters this coming week while we are gone.  THAT is a disappointment to miss it!  But they have a repeat October date.  So we will have to wait for that.

I am packing as we leave for the cabin in a few hours...and I sent out the October Chat this morning as I have better internet here.  I am taking my Inktober Challenge (for October) with me. See below.

You can see I've penciled in 31 small areas for the challenge tangles this year (9 x 12) sheet of Fabriano hot press WC paper.  So it is just a small sample of each one.  The hard part is finding the tangles...many of them are not familiar to me!  BUT you get to learn something new in the process!!!  

Greg and I have signed up for a 12 week class here at Oakwood called "Active Care" and it's all about healthy living, exercise, nutrition, prevention, etc etc.  I decorated the cover of my booklet (of course).

  

 

September Sketching and Zentangle®

 

These two little rough sketches were done during an outdoor concert here this late summer at University Oaks.  We had several of these great little musical events over the summer.  Super lovely weather.  

A lovely mid September Saturday the Madison Urban Sketchers spent an afternoon at the Madison Zoo.  Gorgeous weather again!  Almost too warm!  8 of us gathered to wander around and sketch a few things.  

On September 18 my daughter, Julie, rode her bike down from her house and joined me in the woods to sketch the flowers and listen to the birds and just have a delightful couple of hours. Who doesn't love the prairie flowers in one more open section of the woods...beebalm, Joe Pye weed and Chinese lantern.  The leaves are just at the edge of turning here in Madison now.  We saw 16 ducks, 2 wrens, a murder of crows, and 3 turkeys too!  

I taught a Zentangle class here at Oakwood on the 15th.

Water-soluble graphite sketch to describe my new pencil sharpener...an AFMAT PS10 which makes a L-O-N-G pencil lead which I love for sketching and drawing.  Some folks use a razor blade or a knife to do this but no way do I want to tackle that!  

I can't remember if I've posted this sketch in Julie's garden.  Her sunflowers are 10' tall at least now.  

September: the End of Something and the Beginning

Oh my goodness...it's September 1.  I'll bet you said the same thing this morning.  I am at the up north cabin this morning remembering all those many Septembers I have had...and it's a lot of them.  And all the many many memories I have of them.  (Retired school teachers are like that you know).  

I woke up to 45 degrees this morning up here in the Northwoods...whew that's a tad chilly!  And heavy fog completely obliterated the lake for awhile.  Now at 7:30 the sun is shining and slowly it is burning the morning fog off.  It's magical with the wisps of fog now hanging just about 10 feet up off the water and slowing melting away minute by minute like magic.    

None of this has anything to do with the sketch above, of course, except that I did do it last night up here in the north woods looking at a photograph sent to me by my granddaughter who is in law school in San Francisco!  This is "her view", she says, from the building where she is taking classes across from the Civic Center.  I cannot tell you why it caught me up and I felt the need to sketch it...it just came over me.  Same with the one below...no way to say why these things happen.

So with this sketch I was visiting my step son and his wife in Waukesha back on August 14 and everyone was busy with some project and I drifted away down the street to a construction site about two blocks from their home where a new Quik Trip was being built.  It's about the oddest subject I've chosen lately. But something about the big old construction equipment caught my eye.  It was a gorgeous summery afternoon...the kind of day you'd pour lemonade and sit on your front porch and watch the hydrangeas grow, you know?  Quiet on that afternoon...nothing happening on the site.  I opened my sketch chair and fell into the project for an hour.  The owner of the house behind me got curious and came out to see what I was doing.  A nice guy (Mike) and offered me a cold drink and we had a lovely visit while I sketched.  

In other news...I've been doing a little prep for a class I am actually not teaching until next spring.  But Julie and I are doing this advanced Zentangle class together and we had to write up the description of the class for the promotional materials.  So I had to at least try out a few of our ideas to get the "feel" for what we want to do.  Frames, Dingbats, and Cartouches will be the subject matter.  The classes will be on Zoom and sponsored by Olbrich Gardens in Madison.  But of course offered to anyone, anywhere.  They run $15 a session and there will be a beginner class on Sunday April 3 (1-3) and advanced class on Sunday May 1, 1-3. You might want to pencil them into your calendar.  I'll let you know later when registration opens.  

Here's a Cartouche of an interesting button.  

We are headed south back to Madison on Friday morning.  Lots of fun things to do there, of course.  I'll be prepping to teach a beginner Zentangle class at Oakwood on September 15.  

We'll be back up one more time to close the cabin the first weekend in October.  The snow could be flying by then up here.  

As the title of this blog post suggests: now the end of something but always that leads to the beginning of something else.  It's a spiral.  Fall in Wisconsin is quite amazingly beautiful...and something we have missed being in Florida.  I look forward to the colors, the apple picking and the cider...the chili and the football games.  

I feel an odd sense of bewilderment as the holidays ahead show up on the calendar.  Will we be safe enough to celebrate together this year?  Will we all have a booster this fall? The news each night is full of seriously sad and difficult happenings.  Our in-person church services have been cancelled again until Nov 1.  Everyone is battling the fatigue of being harangued by worry, angst, fear, and sadness for so long.  Art has been a real steadfast friend for all of us who love to create...it has given us needed reprieves.  Hang on, everyone.  We can do it.