Linda & Opie's Burnt Offerings

In Transition...

for the past month we've been going back and forth every week moving delicate things before the movers come. we had a bookcase case built and are in the process of unloading 52 cases of books.

we thought we were going to do this move slowly over time, but an innocent request asking a neighbor to please put out our recyclables for garbage day - resulted in the sale of our house!!!

so now we're stepping up our game and will be offline for the next few weeks because tonight we're unplugging and packing the computer, printer, scanner and various other electronics in preparation of the cable guy coming to hook it all up on friday. i'll have my lenovo laptop here but we've always had a love/hate relationship at best. if it gives me access to my email - i'll be a happy camper.

hopefully it will all be an easy transition. we hope to be on the road tomorrow at 7AM. this really wasn't the best day for my trip to the dentist!!! the entire left side of my face is all numb and swollen.

until next time............

 

Face the World – Global Portrait Party: Eclipse Mill Edition

Opie and I will be heading back to the Mill soon. Our friend and neighbor Astrid Hiemer has organized the ‘Face the World – Global Portrait Party: Eclipse Mill Edition.’

 

The party will be at the gallery of the Eclipse Mill, in North Adams, MA on Sunday, May 6, from 2-5 pm.

 

Here, artists and non artists are being invited to participate.

 

The portrait party has taken on an additional national and international character and Astrid has already had responses from Boston, Germany and southern France, and -- the first jpeg has already arrived!

The portrait parties started in Toronto, Canada and are being planned globally with ‘Friend Me Projects’ (FMP) and are Facebook based.

 

Ours will be the first party held outside of Canada. All portraits will eventually be uploaded to the FMP-website.

Artists can also participate in other ways. Please ask Astrid, if you are interested to learn more, or read the attached articles at BerkshireFineArts.com.

 

Here are the direct links:

http://berkshirefinearts.com/04-01-2012_face-the-world-global-portrait-party-eclipse-mill-edition.htm

http://www.berkshirefinearts.com/01-22-2012_friend-me-portraits-and-projects-carole-freeman.htm

We are very excited to participate in this and hope you will join us in person if possible - or if not - then via email.

This is both very cool and lots of fun - so we hope you will participate!

 

It's All Happening at Snow Farm in June!

Opie and I recently came back from closing on our loft (major YAY!) - sadly we only stayed for a week this time, but while we were there, my close friend Gail told me her daughter-in law Nissa is teaching a workshop at Snow Farm in MA in June. Nissa's work is nothing short of breath-taking!

 

here's some info on her workshop...

 Nissa Kubly teaches a Week-long In- Depth Workshop: Etching on Metal.

June 10-16, 2012 at Snow Farm: New England Craft Program

Tuition packages start at $540.

In this information packed workshop you will learn how to transfer designs from printed material or personal imagery to metal surfaces with mylar transfers.
Create texture, re-create a favorite pattern or commemorate a special event on non-ferrous metals. Students will learn the tricks of the etching process and gather resources on materials you need to work with etching beyond the workshop. Individual attention and assistance will be given to help complete small projects in this week-long intensive class.

5 Clary Rd. Williamsburg, MA 01096 Phone: 413-268-3101Email: info@snowfarm-art.org

http://www.snowfarm.org/details/product/etching-on-metal-jun102012.html

Nissa Kubly has a MFA in Metals & Jewelry from Arizona State University and a BS in Art from University of Wisconsin- Madison. She also has a Teaching Certificate in Art and has been creating and teaching art to students of all ages. Since graduate school, Ms Kubly has been constructing and using her own handmade pinhole cameras in metal. Her work has been recognized through grants from 3M Corporation and Phoenix Art Museum and published in Design & Architecture, Pinhole Journal and New York Arts magazine . Nissa's work is exhibited by the Lisa Sette Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ and is part of permanent art collections across the country.

visit her website www.nissakubly.com to see more of her work and attend this workshop if possible!

Moving to the Berkshires...

For several years our hearts have been in the beautiful Berkshires and we knew it was just a matter of time before we bought our dream loft in a walkable artist community.  Happily that day has come!

The Eclipse Mill Artists Lofts are dedicated live/work lofts for artists only and home to a community of artists, living and working in a former textile mill in North Adams, Massachusetts. Our 4-story building houses painters, potters, textile artists, print-makers, musicians, ceramic artists, photographers, a dancer, writers, a paper maker, a book dealer specializing in art books, and two galleries.

We bought the Garden Loft which overlooks the Hoosic River - 3500 sq feet of absolute joy -  and the only loft on that level - so it's very private.  We're driving up tomorrow for the closing. For us, this is a dream come true and we're very excited to begin the next phase of our lives together.  Here's the view of our backyard garden area which is very peaceful.  I'm so blessed to always live near water!

With all of the illness and loss that has happened since last August, renovating and organizing this space is exactly what we needed to devote our full attention to.  The Universe is ALWAYS on time!

Lots of pics will follow and we hope you'll join us in our exciting new adventure as we proceed to turn a semi empty space into our new home and studio.

 

 

In The Arms of an Angel...

may you find some comfort here...............................................................................  This song has always touched me deeply.  I never dreamed it would be played at my son's funeral.

for my beautiful son - who always chose the path less traveled - my heart is broken.

18 months ago we almost lost him to open-heart surgery.  In january he was killed in a car accident. i know that everything happens for a reason and that there are no accidents. He never knew just how much he was loved or how very much he will be missed by everyone whose life he touched.

Some things are just too personal and painful to be written about in a post and there has been way too much sickness and death in our lives over the past two years.  We must - and will - move forward. 

In Loving Memory...

On Jan 2, Opie's mom passed due to complications from Parkinson's and Kidney disease. After 6 months of hell - she was ready to go and had a very peaceful death.

With our parents and my Aunt Fran gone, it's time for us to examine our priorities, move forward, and live our very best artful life.

Change is on the horizon -- but that will be another post at a later date -- so stay turned!

Right now we wish to remember Opie's parents with this picture of when they were dating.

They married in 1944 and enjoyed a full and happy life together. Who can ask for more!

Merry Christmas...

as this year comes to an end, we wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

it's been a trying year for our family health-wise and now our energies are focused on Opie's mom who is nearing the end of her life's journey and is receiving hospice. in her 89 years, she's enjoyed a full and wonderful life and that is what we will celebrate this Christmas.

we are sorry for the few and far between posts since July, there is so much cool art and new techniques we want to share to share with you all that sadly must wait awhile longer.

our wish is for a healthy and wonderful New Year...

We Got our Kicks on Route 66

our trip to Sedona and Vegas was fantastic and we even got to drive along the iconic Route 66! we took tons of pics in Jerome, Sedona, along Rt 66, and in Vegas and will post about each place soon.

this pic was taken as we drove into the fabulous and funky town of Jerome - an artists delight to be sure! all of the images were enhanced by either opie or me on our iPads using a variety of apps, since the purpose of this trip was to sketch and take lots of photos. more on iPad photography apps later!

this was my first time in Sedona, which is a positive vortex. the rock formations were beyond majestic. although it was hot during the day, it was quite lovely in the morning and evenings. there was so much to see but i honestly think we covered it all. in any event, we had a blast!

we also took a 3 day pocket sketching class at the Sedona Art Center with the talented Kath Macaulay. it was a real treat to be on the other side of the table for a change! we'll post our sketches in the coming weeks.

we left Sedona and drove along Route 66 heading toward Vegas. it was a thrill to be on it since it was a major part of America. we knew we wanted to stop and eat - and settled on the Roadkill Cafe. it did not disappoint!

then we continued on to Vegas to visit opie's daughter sam who recently returned from climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money for children with aids. isn't she beautiful! it was also my first time there and she took us around and showed us the sights. red rock was amazing ... she hikes there quite a lot.

we even got to go to the the pawn shop. sam works right across the street from it. opie and i so love that show. it's both entertaining and informative. sadly the old man, my favorite character, was nowhere to be seen!

our trip ended with a tour of the neon museum - aka "the boneyard" - which is home to a bizillion neon signs of everything vegas! since it was so involved, we'll do a dedicated post about it in the upcoming weeks. right now this was our trip in a nutshell! i've wanted to post since we returned, but sadly we came back to find opie's mom re-hospitalized, and as of this posting, she's back in rehab. her health has been a merry-go-round ride since july but we're hoping she'll be better by Thanksgiving and back at home. your good thoughts are much appreciated.

 

And Off We Go

we've talked the talk and now it's time to walk the walk - so we're spending some quality time sketching and photographing Sedona and its surrounding areas to try to capture the beauty there. theres something about travel that makes you want to watercolor sketch...

these were sketched in France in the village of Dufort where the copper pots are made.

we spent 24 days there - taught two mixed media workshops - and took in the sights.... we even went to Lourdes! the south of France is a gorgeous area with fantastic food and we had an unforgetable time.

can't wait to see what Sedona is like. we've never been there before and are very excited. then we're visiting opie's daughter in Vegas. she just returned from climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money for children with aides - and then we'll fly home and sketch some more!
one of the great things about watercolor sketching is you get to travel light. we're taking a camera, our iPad 2, a compact watercolor set and water-brush and a sketchbook. Nirvana!

we'll have lots to share with you when we return - so stay tuned...

Morgan Open House and Silent Auction is Tonight

i know it's last minute but if you're in cleveland tonight - you won't want to miss this:

 
This year's Open House promises to be a great event with hors d'oeuvres, cash bar, demonstrations, and live music with the BW Contemporary Jazz Quintet. The Silent Auction 1(Snail Mail/Paper Trail) features art created on Morgan handmade paper by local and national artists. Silent Auction II is a collection of artworks and many surprise items.

And we created a very special Papier Mache Dada Doll just for the occasion!

 
her name is Mangia Mangia (duh) - and we hope we'll see you tonight!

the Morgan is located at: 1754 East 47th Street . Cleveland, OH 44103 . 216.227.1332