Home Sweet Home

Well I'm finally back from two weeks in Bellingham, Washington visiting my Son and Family and enjoying my granddaughter's..... I'm exhausted!  I had a nice time and it was quite a change to not have internet or TV for that long - but honestly I didn't really miss it.  We were sort of remote so I had a lot of opportunity  photographing amazing flowers, taking in all the splendor, busy chasing grand kids, and just kicking back. I did miss working on my steel and hitting the thrift stores but most important my hubby (we've never been apart in 28 years that long). The weather was marvelous and the only thing bad about coming home was the 103 when I arrived.  I was truly enjoying the high 60's, the rain, the flowers and seeing my family who is so far away!.

 Columbine

 This reminded me of a little fairy land on top of an old stump

 Unfurling Ferns

 Wildflowers I picked at the Whatcom River

The Monkey Tree - the most unusual tree I've ever seen - so cool!!!

I do hope to catch up with all of you and see what fun things everyone has been up to and also I've got to get back to creating it's been too long for me - I shall brave the heat and hopefully soon I'll have something fun to share.

I See with my Heart

They See With Their Eyes

I've observed people as they walk in to my work space where I keep all my junkie treasures awaiting resurrection because I know what they think

~ good lord look at all this junk ~

and I chuckle, because they only see with there Eyes not their Heart!

That is the difference between my Loves and Treasures that others cannot see!

~ and I feel sad for them ~

NICK - my 20 year old cat he likes looking at it.  

Go Big ~ Or Go Home

It's official folks.... I've lost my mind!  I've been avoiding the thrift stores, garage sale etc because I've been gathering stuff in my house for my own sale the last two Saturdays.  Something has to give or the second story may come crashing down.  But, with all addictions you fall off the wagon and you really tie one on.....and Man-0-Man did I ever!  I stumbled in to our local "Habitat for Humanity" to check out all the architectural treasures and quirky hardware and just general fun stuff they have.  Remember I found these there .  So, I turn the corner and  OMG the sun shines down on it, my heart beats faster, music starts playing and I've got moves like Jaggar!

Then the  conversation goes like this...... 

Me......."Oh Honey you won't believe what I found"
Hubby..... "Oh Lord, what?
Me..... "It's so beautiful and when we find our dream house it will be perfect. It's like 6ft by 8ft"!  (I always lead with that dream house line - get's him everytime) and I got it marked down over $800.
Hubby.... "Ok, but where are we going to put it"?
Me....."Oh, I'll find a place"
Hubby..... "Honey, if you really want it it's OK with me"

Next Call......

Me..... "Hey BFF can I borrow your horse trailer!!!!"
BFF..... "Ahhh yeah - what for"?
Me..... "It's so beautiful and when we find our dream house it will be perfect. It's like 6ft by 8ft"!

Next Call.... 2 Hours Later.....

Me....."Honey....... What Have I done!!!"  I don't know if it will fit thru the front door!!!


Then after an amazing feat by four of us wrangling this thing in and out of the trailer - breaking a 1000lb dollie and at last getting it into the back yard and on the back porch....... the dreaded knowledge that it indeed won't fit thru any door into the house was realized!  However, it looks great on the back porch.  

We had to take the doors off just to stand it up -  (note to carpenters.... pls don't put nails and crappy screws in hinges when teak is involved!!). I shall await my dream house so I can get them thru the doors!!  Also, if anyone wants to help me strip it back to it's beautiful color of teak.... pls come over I need all the help I can get in more ways than one!!!

Farewell My Heart

Yesterday, I received a call from a gal in Washington that found my website thanks to my daughter-in-law giving her my card during a visit to her gallery.  We had a lovely conversation and when all was said and done I was boxing up one of my "Caged & Broken Hearts" & shipping it off to her daughter in Texas.  I haven't shipped anything yet, usually because everything is so large, but this was manageable ~ so off another one goes to a new home.  I did a series of 4 broken hearts and there is a little piece of me in each one of them so I'm a little sad to see it go.

I guess I can't keep them all now, can I.

Ocotillo (Cactus) Installation

I finished my commission this weekend for a Large Ocotillo cactus.   If you're not familiar with one it's a beautiful tall cactus as shown below.  It is currently blooming like mad throughout our desert here in Sunny Arizona.  It truly is beautiful.  Don't be fooled by the word Desert ~ it's a magical green and colorful valley here.

Here is the finished product (9 Ft tall) after all the little leaves and flowers are welded on, each one individually cut out by hand and then painted with a combinations of rust/red/orange paint to mimic the real thing.

 Here it is in it's new home in Cave Creek, Arizona.  The buyer was thrilled and so was I.  I guarantee it will never need to be transplanted and it will never freeze!  It was a Good Day!

So Just after I sent this my customer sent me this lovely note and these beautiful pictures!!!

I'm so happy she's loves it.....

Thank you, Susie, for the wonderful job you did on my Ocotillo sculpture!!! It is even more beautiful than I could have imagined and it fits perfectly in my landscape. I'm thrilled :-)

I took a couple of photos as the sun was going down and thought you might like to see them. You are welcome to use the photos if you like.

I wish you much success in your business!

 She takes way better pictures than I do!!!!!

Guitars & Honky Tonk Bars

One of my creations a few years back was trying my hand at life size guitars.  My inspiration was my son, Ian - lead singer/guitarist for Dear and The Headlights (DATH),  Check him out  - he's a wonderful person, musician, he sings and plays the guitar - I had a lot of guitars around to model after.  He could of made it big and did for awhile, toured with Paramour, Jimmy Eat World, Plain White T's, but as I know from past experience being on the road as a musician or with one, is not a life that nourishes your soul.  It's long nights, long roads, bad food, bad motels, lots of tearing down, setting up, groupies and trying not to get caught up in all the bull of it. All things end for a reason and now I have two beautiful granddaughter's as proof that getting off the road was a good thing.  I still believe that his song writing will prevail and he will once again be recording again.  He's a wonderful writer and wrote most all of the songs on his three recorded CD's - all from his experiences, childhood, loves & heartbreaks.

So with all that said ~ I tried my hand at these sturdy but delicate guitars.  These were probably the hardest things I've ever created only because they had to be clean and sanded finely (hated that).

On this one, I tried to create the ocean with a mermaid on the front, the back was waves and underwater life.  These have way more detail than I usually do in most of my work and it was challenging, because I had to be precise..... not something I like to do, but I was satisfied when all was complete.

This one was of a peacock and a large feather on the back

And the last one was of two birds

I don't think I'll ever make a guitar again - too precise - too big - been there - done that!

I'm almost finished with the commissioned Ocotillo and will post on that later in the week...... then on to The RAVEN...

"The artist's world is limitless.  It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away.  It is always on his doorstep."

~P. Strand~