Flufinness

after a terrible scare with the springs fire where we had to be evacuated from our home ans forced to stay at a hotel for a couple of days, things are pretty much back to normal.  may is a busy month; it is tatiana's birthday and richard celebrates a big one mid june.  so i've been in the midst of preparations, buying a piñata, preparing a raffle and games and getting estimates for catering.

clara's dress

i've also been working on setting up a reasonable work space for myself even though this remains our temporary home. we found the most charming shabby chest of drawers in one of Richard's old garages at hughes hill and i will finally have a place for my clothes other than a chair. 

funny how adapt to circumstances, i am perfectly content with the bare minimum as long as i have my art materials, plenty of coffee, access to netflix (i've been watching every english series ive missed) as i stitch away at a new series of mixed media dresses.

"memories of an english schoolgirl"

i'm totally enamored of several english mixed media fabric artists including gentlework and jessie chorley.  i had wanted to participate in one their coming workshops to take place in france but its absolutely filled up.
as you can see i have added one of jessie's signature bows to my birdie collage.

i love making these neo modern whimsical pieces, mixing vintage fabrics and adding a bit of whimsy by way of embroidery. 

hope your week has been creatively fruitful and happy and that spring has finally sprung; it sure feels like it's been late in arriving to the california coast.

hope to have more work to show you soon.

medio escondida en mi misma

han sido semanas de mucha preocupacion por mi gordin que sufrio un leve ataque al corazon.  por suerte "leve" ya que se lo pillaron justo a tiempo.  por eso he estado muy pa' dentro, y cuidandolo con el maximo esmero, regaloneandolo, cocinadole cosas sanas y pasando mucho tiempo a su lado.

no hemos salido casi nada, nos la pasamos en casa y en el jardin y hay dias en que me he sentido mas que encalustrofobiada.

pero por suerte tengo un sinfin de materiales con que entretenerme y a eso le he dedicado harto tiempo tambien.

solo se que nada se de lo que pasara manana pero dentro de mi aun hay una voz

que dice "todo estara bien". 

cajita feliz

hace tiempo que no blogueaba dos dias seguidos
pero hoy termine una cajita que queria compartir con ustedes que me dejo muy feliz.  la encontre en el vivero, tirada al reves, casi sumergida en ese abandono, llena de telas de arana y de unos colores mezclados que ni chu mi mu. la recogi, la sostuve entre mis manos su buen rato, la di vuelta, la toque, y de a poco la fui limpiando y sacando de su olvido.

y hoy, la pinte.  dos manos de pintura aqua, un poco de decoupage, envejecido con pasta de zapato cafe por los bordes y timbres para las palabras.  

la he paseado por toda la casa viendo donde se sentiria mejor.  y solita me dijo: en el vivero, en el vivero"

cajita feliz!



pelo al viento y pies descalzos

 me acuerdo de aquellos dias de responsabilidades, cuando habia que adherirse a ciertos horarios, madrugar, entrar y salir de la casa, con una guagua a la cadera y otra de la mano, al jardin infantil, a la labura, y luego llegar a cocinar, lavar, planchar y la vida diaria se hacia de una mezcla de jardin infantil y manicomio.

y como entremedio, mientras los ninos dormian siesta y el marido lavaba los autos, uno se las arreglaba para darle una o dos puntadas a esa labor que uno habia postergado y anorado tanto.

bueno ahora puedo dormir hasta la hora que se me da la gana, trasnochar hasta la hora que me da la gana y hacer lo que se me da la gana

y me lo llevo en esas labores postergadas. es de las bendiciones que mas agradezco en mi vida.

poder escribir esto con musica de rachmaninov de fondo, la tetera cerca para el cafe que viene

esa vista al mar

el marido haciendo de las suyas, exigiendo casi nada, dandolo todo

para que uno sea feliz

 el me deja

porque sabe que mi curiosidad por aprender tecnicas manuales es insaciable.

mis no me olvides

sea creando arte

o cosechando lo aprendido en el jardin

soy conocida por andar descalza

y medio despeinada

porque la pintura se me mete hasta en el p..o

quise decir pelo

 y ya me tengo que ir porque burbujean las dos ideas a las que estoy avocada ahora

1. los preparativos para un inmenso altar para el dia de los muertos (demora como dos meses instalar todo)

2. un trabajo en genero: una inmensa ala blanca bordada e intervenida

pero prometo el tutorial para la tacita de cartapesta que me solicito marcela



i am mad with joy

spring is here {almost}. and as lara(in dr. zhivago) would say with that inflextion in her voice: "i am mad with joy!"

 you will find me outside

 under the eaves

 feeding the birds

 honouring nature's bounty

 after the dormant months

 even my dabbles in creativity center around nature

 for example, this altered peat container

filled with spring-related watercolor tags and seeds
yes, "i am mad with joy".

a week of mixed media

it's been quite a week. we had richard's son visiting from costa rica and a live concert by richard's other son scott and lots of things to do with mine and all the things in between the rushes.  it's been incredibly windy and cold, especially at night so mostly staying indoors.  so i decided to join in tag tuesday again this week, staying busy with my hands.

i find that collaborative projects that challenge you bring out the best in my creativity.  i push my boundaries and experiment with new textures and materials and surprise myself most of the time.i am also participating in the prayer flag project where i get to make a garland with all my personal prayers for the year in my crazy fabric collages.  i plan to hang it in the wind on my balcony overlooking the ocean so the breezes will carry those prayers to the sky. stay tuned for a few of them coming up this week. 

happy again

SUNDAYS'S here at what we call Hughes Hill are synonymous with waiting for Downton Abbey at 9 p.m. The whole day revolves around the expectation.  My Ricardinho brings me coffee in the morning and we talk for at least an hour before easing into the day. We have made it our day to do whatever we want, usually meaning we each get to go into our own work spaces and make things.

which in my case might mean walking around in circles for half an hour or pacing the floor or literally pulling out my hair until the aha moment strikes. it always surprises me that my creative urges come all at once, like a surge, and i work day and night non-stop for days at a time. that's how it happened yesterday.  i went into my studio, turned on the sewing machine and let it take me wherever it wanted to take me.

i had started a fabric collage with the mantra marcela had introduced me to a year ago and worked on that until it was finally completed.  then i dug into my unfinished basket and found the collage of frida i so love and finished that too.  it is now finally ready to hang on the wall until i decide it is ready to be sold.

but i couldnt end there.  with valentines coming up, i always make a heart or two.  richard hates hearts, but i explain it is one of the most perennial forms that has been re-created over and over again, literally.  that's why i love hearts so much.  i have made an infinite number of them, having given only a few away in swaps or sales, i like to keep them close at hand.

"tangled up in you" fabric and fibre heart

& then a little bit of journaling
scribbles, deep thoughts, light thoughts, silly thoughts

and as i post, only three more hours till downton! yeah!