writing letters, homemade everything, free art

i have a bit of fire under my seat over a few things...new art supplies, handwritten letters, and angry chicken's email order #11. she is such a brilliant human! after downloading, printing, and ordering what i need to make some things, i am antsy antsy antsy--which is good because it's fueling the other projects i have going on. (more on this later when i have the chance to make homemade deodorant and lip balm!)

"what other projects?" you ask? well...i. am. painting. again! wow.

after much time and sketching, until something felt right i, i found myself back at the easel. last night i sketched out my first panel and i am also quite antsy over that too because you need time to paint of course and time is scarce. ooohhh but it's exciting! it took a while to undo the undergrad mind boggle- almost 2 years, yikes!-but keeping the parts that matter and mean so much while leaving the rest behind takes time. making art takes time. everything takes time. so no rush here, i will find time in between it all and report back.

i have also been writing letters to all of my friends who live far. Phoenix, Detroit, London, all too far for a visit, phone calls are great, but hard to get to, and letter are just so enjoyable to write and receive. plus i get to use all of my adorable note cards!

--------+++++++------------+++++++++------------+++++++-----------

one last exciting thing:

FREE ART!!

MAY 29, 2-5 at Spritzer's in Alameda

Philip and I participated in the first half of this event over the weekend. It's put together by a former professor of mine, Dickson Schneider, many of his past/current students, as well as his friends and lovely wife. It is very much FREE and you have the chance to walk away with free art. It's simple--show up sometime between 2 and 4 to get a raffle ticket, walk around and mingle with friends and fellow artists and take a peek at the art on the wall. Later they will call tickets one by one and each winner gets to pull a piece of their choice off the wall to take home FREE. They will call ticket numbers one at a time until all of the available art has a home. We each took home a great piece last weekend and are looking forward to possibly more. (I myself am holding out for a Dickson Schneider. I like to collect art from those who have inspired me and he helped me navigate through my BFA, which means a lot to me!)

help me/help you

well...the spice rack is here, installed and functioning in all it's glory. Philip actually thanked me for the "improvement to our quality of life", which is a lovely thing for him to have pointed out. especially after me coming home, frustrated and crabby, desperate to clean/organize something in an effort to chase the grumpies away...as soon as i walked in i saw the box and went for it. et viola! new and improved spice storage was born and i came back down to earth...

i realize that sanity can only happen for me when i have a way to let the excess build up of life out. lately i have been channeling my extra energy (the crabby kind, the restless kind, and the happy kind) into hiking or cleaning. i have spring fever like you wouldn't believe and as a result...i am *sore* because this little bee was in hibernation for far too long until recently.

i have been hiking, on average, every other day since the 1st of the month. some are long and really push me, others are short and sweet which i fondly refer to as "pipers", and in the in between times i have taken the household chores to a new level. so, getting back to this whole "quality of life" thing, it makes sense for something that i find to be mentally therapeutic to also be seen as "improvement" on the physical or environmental level. i am sure that i am receiving multiple benefits from stress alleviation to cardiovascular health, but for someone else to receive the benefits of me taking better care of myself is so nice to see on such a simple level. i believe it's true that if we take better care for ourselves that others benefit from it too. i remember times when i was not so fun to be around and i know that took its toll on those near...and far...since those days and many big life changes, it's nice to realize that it comes all the way down to the little things as well. note to self: keep doing what i am doing, it can only benefit the whole.
x

and the kitchen project begins!

yes, i am afraid to say, that i am about to bore you with another household project, but seriously, i am super stoked and therefore must share! plus it's an interesting thing to consider: aesthetically speaking, does it matter what things look like as long as you can find them?

well...to that i say, as many others before me, that good design is always a combination of

function and form. so i am set to research and find that which provides both with a bit of beauty!

as i mentioned before my goal is to phase this thing out. since i am such a klutz i think tackling the spice cabinet (which i often break things due to sticking my hand in and knocking out several jars) is a wonderful place to start. so here is what i bought:

this expandable, 3 tier, bamboo spice rack was a little more that i would want to pay, but it's so much nicer to look at than plastic or steel with rubber. as a bonus it's more eco-friendly.

i will do some before and after photos this time so you can see the transformation.

stay tuned, or take a nap.

x

april brings may brings teaching!

i am in the early stages of excitement here, over teaching a class for the city of Emeryville!

jitters be damned! philip and i have been hoping to add workshops to our business since day one and with having a mobile studio we sought options in the community. we proposed 2 courses and although they were both accepted, the photo class could not happen due to facility limitations that could not support our vision. we plan to propose it again in the fall once we see more of the classroom offerings and make some adjustments. oh, but the good news is that my creative process/mixed media class did go through!! and it will prove to be a wonderful way to keep me and others inspired to MAKE! what could be nicer?

so here is the break down:

Each session is 4 classes and meets 3 hours per class. I have designed the course to explore the creative process by using mixed media techniques to open the imagination and also observe how it feels when working in a particular way. For example, working small vs large--how does your body actually feel in comparison? Is it frustrating or liberating? If I were to ask you to write a word of your choice over and over and over again how would it change? Would the word feel less meaningful or more? The limitations set upon the student during an exercise will allow the endless possibility of what something could be feel less overwhelming and more inspiring.

The best part about this class is that you do not need to have any experience just a desire to play with art materials and paper. It's geared toward those who have a creative block or simply do not know where to begin. It's also just plain fun for anyone. Philip and I are hoping that much of what takes place during this course is freedom of expression and the gaining of individualized knowledge of what the creative process is.

If you would like details on when, where, cost, etc, please visit our website!

ringlerstudios.com

Please also pass the word along to anyone you think may benefit from this class by referring them to this page or our website.

Coming soon: more details from the City of Emeryville at emeryville.org

(they are currently updating the web site)

It's very exciting!

x

spring transitions

i am slowly adjusting to the time and season change, which caught me off guard as usual. i am coming out of my winter cocoon of warm milky beverages, baked goods, and movie after movie curled up on the couch during my hard to come by down time and moving toward the active-i-need-yoga-and-hikes-and fruit-smoothies mentality of spring.

i have to say this is a more difficult cocoon to break free from this year. the transition is full of push and pull--i am pushing myself away from winter habits and being pulled back in from time to time. i notice even the weather is having the same back and forth pattern as i am. part of my pull was this weekend when i decided, after a particularly strenuous week, that i needed a baked good and i needed to make it my last batch for a while.

i had a ripe banana and some apples that needed to be baked or composted so i made some banana-apple muffins that were outstanding (recipe below)....so outstanding that i ate 2/3 of them over the weekend... when i approached 1/2 of them (that's 6 between two days and in my defense they are smallish) i was so stunned by this fact --there was a time when i would be upset over this and scold myself, but instead i had a farewell ritual with the last muffin and a giant cup of black tea with milk and honey. it was a great thing to do! instead of gobbling the muffin i ate it slowly and mindfully while sipping my tea. i acknowledged the passing of time and transition into spring, as well as the need to be more active and cultivate my goals.

last week as we entered spring with gorgeous sunny weather, i jumped onto the hiking/yoga wagon and felt energized and strong. this week i feel sluggish and tired as the skies are overcast and the air is misty and cold, even with yoga and coffee in attempt to energize myself. i know that transitions can be difficult and are full of ups and downs. this is true of all transitions from changing jobs to boyfriends and everything in between. through my observations i am of the mind that since we are part of nature it's better to mirror the cycles of the seasons, up and down, back and forth--it's fine--it's natural.

so when you are in the mood for a shameless muffin, here is the recipe:

Makes 12 muffins--

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 TBS unsalted butter
2/3 cups white sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup whole milk
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 avg. size apple - peeled and shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Grease and flour 12 muffin cups, or use paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg then stir in the vanilla and milk.

Add the flour mixture, do not over mix, stir until just blended in. Add the banana and apples.

Fill each muffin cup half full.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool and enjoy. I like to add just a dollop of creme fraishe or eat plain, slightly warmed.

2 years and counting on many more

after 2 whole years of marriage i am a believer in the amazing and beautiful bliss of being and staying in love. i suppose it is hard work to stay so in tune with one person for so long, but honestly it feels so easy and so wonderful! a very good sign:)

the traditional gift for the second year is cotton. so i made him a love letter out of the organic cotton notebook fabric kit from Leafcutter designs (world's smallest postal service). he made me the coolest portraits of us from halloween and super sweet love poem on cotton photo paper.


we had a lovely get away to sonoma thanks to the sale of several books to the local book store and a few anniversary gifts from family. we stayed at the fairmont as a nod to our wedding night at the fairmont san francisco. we got a serious upgrade to a junior suite which came with a fire place, living room and jacuzzi tub! holy hell that was nice...far more luxurious than the room i booked online! they take such good care of you if you are celebrating something special. free room upgrade and free booze, but since we don't drink they gave us sparkling cider for the room and a few bottles of voss mineral water at dinner, which probably cost more than the wine they offered us.

the trip was amazing. we went on a hike through Jack London park and saw the remains of his old house and had a picnic. we checked in and went swimming, had a lovely dinner and night by the fire. in the morning philip got his lemon pancake wish-- they were outstanding. i got my spa wish and it was also outstanding. i woke up early for some yoga, followed by a "vanilla float" treatment, which consisted of a scrub down and moisturizing with vanilla lotion while sitting in a floating relaxation bed and a vanilla shake afterward. i also did this amazing ritual bath with mineral pools and saunas. needless to say we left super sleepy/relaxed and once we made it home we napped and then stayed in for movies and takeout.

i am SO grateful to have had such a luxurious trip. i really needed the break from the everyday. all and all a fabulous get away.
now back to the real world...*sigh*

craft show update

reporting back from Craft Happy, Fremont...the show was FUN! a smaller venue and less foot traffic, but a success nonetheless. My magnets were a hit and I received several compliments on the journals I hand embroidered. Our table was fun to design and we also received many kind words on the cuteness of it all. Sylvia had these incredible handmade birds and eggs, which got the attention they deserved with all the awwwwe's and squeals of delight. She had this ingenious idea to make covers for kitchen mixers too and I hope to one day have one of my own.

We also had a last minute art show on our wall. Sylvia came up with the project --we used 3 of each others photographs to make a minimum of 3 pieces of artwork in 24 hours. We titled the show "Limits" to emphasize the limitations we set using these photos as departure points/inspiration. Sylvia is full of great ideas like this and I had to thank her for lighting a spark back into my creative being...This is the first real series of art that I have made since graduation! (that's 2 years and waaaay too long) It was interesting to see how my body tensed up and then loosened as I got further into art making process. It was also interesting to see my color pallet and use of animal imagery were alive and well as they came right back into the creations I made without hesitation.

I am exhausted but elated. I plan to regroup and use the fact that I have plenty of left over stock to set aside craft time for art time.

off to Sonoma tomorrow to celebrate 2 years of happy marriage.

until soon!

x