Learning To Fly

Song - Come Away With Me by Norah Jones

So I have these two friends who happen to be sisters and I have known them for 40 plus years.

And we have a little problem.....we like to go to Paris together.

Jackie & Sydney came over to my house last weekend and we were supposed to plan a long weekend away this Spring.  We talked about many places to visit but then Jackie said "Oh heck, let's just check out airfare to Paris" and we all got to giggling hysterically and oops.....

we are heading to Paris in just a few weeks!

We have reserved our favorite room at the cozy little hotel we like in the 6th Arr.

There is a little balcony off of the bedroom that we have breakfast on while planning our day while looking out over the various rooftops in the neighborhood.

   

Then off we go to the various places that speak to our hearts. 

Some times we all go together and other times each one of us is off on her own journey.

In the next few weeks I hope to share these special spots with you!

"Paris est toujours une bonne idée"

--Audrey Hepburn

"Paris is always a good idea" - from the movie Sabrina

Who Done It?

Song - Summertime by Norah Jones

In mid-June, when we returned from our vacation, I noticed that there was dry grass and leaves in one of my topiary trees in our front entry. I figured it was probably our gardeners who blow the yard when they are finished and they blew some dead grass into this plant.

At the base of the little tree are more twigs and grass bits. 

And upon closer inspection it appeared that it wasn't the gardeners but perhaps a bird attempted to start a nest in the tree and didn't quite finish.  Maybe because we had returned home and pass by this tree several times a day?

So I kept watch to see if the bird might return and finish the nest.  But in 45 days there has been no sight of a resident. I decided to clean up the tree (it's supposed to have a round top) and I wanted to pull out the grass. As I moved around to the side of the tree, I noticed a nice little cup shaped nest behind the loose grass.

And there were three blue speckled eggs inside!  I decided to let it be for a few more weeks to see if there was any activity.

Nothing.  So today I pulled the nest out.  The eggs feel light and empty so I am wondering if they were abandoned and dried up in this unbearable heat?

So....who done it?

Not the gardener.....

But a good possibility is the House Finch!


Upon doing some "little blue eggs" research, it appears that a number of birds lay 3-5 eggs that are blue with brown splotches and the House Finch seems to be a likely suspect.

The male has some red on his head and chest while the female is plain.  Above is an Oak Titmouse and a male House Finch.

"When I learn something new - 

and it happens every day - 

I feel a little more at home in this universe, 

a little more comfortable in the nest" 

-- Bill Moyers

TBT - Camp Rich

Song - Summertime by Norah Jones


Nope.....

Camp Rich is not like Glamping......

Nor is it a camp for rich people.

It is short for Camp Richardson in South Lake Tahoe.

The little shop above was were I loved to go as a young girl in the late 50's & early 60's.  I would save up my allowance to buy an Indian doll, bank or necklace here.  Later as a teen, I would purchase my Kodak film here as well.

Across the street is where our family would go shopping. My mom & her sisters would buy groceries while my brothers, cousins and I would buy a little cardboard container that had holes poked in the lid - yes, we were getting big fat worms for fishing.  And if it was an extra special day we could sit on those outdoor stools behind the man in the photo above and order ice cream cones! Twirl and lick!!

This building has since burnt down but the building behind it is the Historic Camp Richardson Resort.

Sometimes my Aunt Marie would encourage all of us cousins to hike to the store from our cabin (she was a school teacher and loved "projects") and we would put on our tennis shoes & shorts, loop our yellow plastic water mugs to our belts and head off on some fun adventure. Anything for an ice cream cone!

There was also a dining room across the street from the "Souvenir Shop" but I don't ever remember eating there.  I think it was because my mom & her sisters & my grandmother liked home cooked meals.  But more likely the thought of taking all twelve of us kids out to dinner was somewhat daunting.

This is a photo of Camp Richardson in the mid 60's with the lodge, the store & the dining hall. Gas was across the street and so were the air pumps we would use to blow up our huge truck inner-tubes.

 A similar view from 2014 except it includes the old gas station on the right that is now a bike rental company.

The present day coffee shop used to be the Post Office which is how us "older people" stayed in touch with each other. We didn't have a phone at the cabin then.  It was a very important building for me as a teenager, as this is were I received all of my crucial correspondence from my other teen aged friends over those long two weeks at the lake! Every one's mail just came by General Delivery.....no need for addresses back then....sigh.....such simple times....and not that long ago!!!

The old souvenir shop is now a very popular ice cream shop with huge scoops of ice cream! BEWARE - order the "kiddie" scoop or at most one scoop and you will still have a tummy ache.

The old dining hall is the present day store & cafe, although it is mostly filled with T-shirts and trinkets and a few supplies for the nearby campers.

The hotel is still in business and there are several cabins nearby for rent near the lake. They have also added a restaurant right on the lake at the marina called The Beacon.

The main reason that I was thinking about Camp Richardson today was because last month we Mr. B and I were up there for the weekend.....and......there was a traffic signal.  Made me shed a few tears over how this quaint little spot in my life has changed and will continue to evolve for the next generation.

It will forever look like this in my heart.

"Summer is like childhood.  

It's full of warm memories but gone too soon." 

 -- Kellie Elmore

The Business Side of Art

Song - Norah Jones - Painter 

Whenever I tell people that I am an artist, I get the feeling that they think I sit in my studio all day and play with my paints, eat bon-bons and drink scotch....with an occasional break for a wonderful artistic event.  Well, that is somewhat true.  

I love waking in the morning with nothing but a blank canvas to cover with color. Pure joy.

But those days are few and far between.  There is a lot of paperwork to take care of (you mean I really have to pay TAXES just to paint?), frames to be purchased, show dates to prepare for, answering emails, staffing gallery slots, designing, advertising, keeping track of expenses and maintaining an up to date website.

Recently while preparing for a show, I realized that I couldn't find where I had stored several paintings.  I have my studio walls for storage, a wonderful storage area under our staircase and a closet in the "guest" bedroom all for art storage.  So I pulled everything out of all three storage areas and organized it by numbering each place a painting was stored.  

Well now I am home from that event and I have to figure out where each painting goes so I can find it again! I think I need to paint smaller......

Several artists asked me the other day how I keep "things" organized.  Here is my system.  I would love to hear from you if you have a simplified one!

1. As soon as I finish a painting, I take a photo and make an inventory page. On this page is a thumbnail photo of the painting, the title, the size, medium, the cost of the frame and what galleries/events it has been in.  I also like to keep track of the pricing (sometimes it changes depending on the overhead of the event) and if any comments were made or if it sold, it was donated or given as a gift.

 

2. Each painting has a number.  The first two numbers are the date it was painted and the second two are the sequential order of my paintings for that year.  That number goes on the inventory page as well as the back of the painting.

1112 - This painting was painted 2011 and was number 12 during that year.

3. The painting also gets a title and any other pertinent information on the back. I recently read that you should not date your paintings because if a painting has an older date, it looks like it has just been sitting in the closet to a customer.  I personally think this is valuable information and if a customer likes your artwork, they won't really care what date it was painted. Heck, I'd buy a painting from 1856, wouldn't you?  I also add the size & medium for my personal notes.

4. Originally I began keeping track of paintings by date but then I realized I had trouble remembering if I painted it in 2007 or 2009.  So I began an ABC list as well.

The painting number comes first, then title, medium & size.

The painting number, the title, medium, size and storage place ( 3D = under stairs in the 4rd slot)

 5. Then for each show or event, I look up that painting and add any changes.  I also now add where it is stored.  

6. For commissions I have a form letter for pricing but I also include photo's of framing ideas for clients to consider.

 Gallery wrapped canvas with the painting continued around the sides (this painting is not completed)

Clear Maple floating frame - my favorite these days

Gallery wrapped canvas with one color around the sides

Another Clear Maple floating frame with a thinner depth

Clear Maple Floating frame with black interior

"The trouble with organizing a thing is that pretty soon folks get to paying more attention to the organization than to what they're organized for."  - Laura Ingalls Wilder