Start 'O Summer & Music Celebrations

The birthing of Summer for me comes with the diversity of activities suddenly available here. This full page double spread epitomizes just that.

First, we visit the Grand Opening of the Britt Festival in Jacksonville. In the last two years Britt has joined hands with the City of Jacksonville to celebrate it's opening city wide. Throughout town is music, antique cars, food and beverage samplings and, of course, art. Our local Jacksonville "Art Presence" took part in the festivities sprinkling a variety of artists in their booths along the closed portion of 3rd Street's north side. My booth was just back from the main street, California Street (I know, I always wondered why an Oregon town would have as it's main street "California" ... but, I digress) and I watched close on the merriment of bouncing balloons (some adorable photos of children reaching for the blue 'n yellow), the Victorian outfitted patrons along side their antique cars and later in the day, as the heat increased, an argument between motor vehicle drivers. I did start this sketch right there on site . . . was plunking right along with the painting of my sketch . . . then suddenly looked up . . . and my antique car was gone!! How rude ~ did they even ask me? Anyway, that part I had to finish at home from the digital photo I've learned to snap just for these situations.

Just in front of me, right on the corner of the main street was Dolores Schwalb. A spirited 80 year old (I believe) who had written most of her life and was showing off her several books written about local life in the area from years ago. We exchanged fun stories and she gave me this postcard promotional. I loved the photo of her as a young girl on the farm.

Later into Summer, I had the pleasure of finally dropping into a neighborhood cafe/bar in Ashland to hear one of my watercolor student's musical group perform. She'd been inviting me for months! I was determined to go this month because her performance coincided with an event at the Ashland Art Center. The Art Center had been presenting free art movies with popcorn too.

This month the movie was "Wasteland", a movie about a professional photographer who traveled, and produced this documentary of "pickers" at the Rio de Janiero garbage dump. He ended up doing personal "portraits" of specific "pickers" with them helping. They created the "portrait" in a giant warehouse's floor using actual garbage, then photoing it from above. AMAZING!! Now, you have to watch it to see what happened to the images and the "pickers" too.

Anyway, the musical interlude at the "Wild Goose" Cafe & Bar was a delightful contrast to the content of the movie. My friend Beth, her hubby and several other talented musicians entertained us til the evening drew late. I love the dark, atmospheric background that brings out the musicians in my sketch - oh yes, I did it later too, from that same digital reservoir.

Don't you just love the energy of Summer as it brings a vitality and energy of so many aspects to life? Savor the gifts nature and humanity offer up . . . we all live with such miracles around us!

IceCream, Jackson Brown & Full Moons

It was just such a magical evening . . . I just had to share it with you dear readers.

Now, if you've known me for any length of time, you know I'm not a big fan of ice cream. Now don't get me wrong, I love ice cream and my husband talks me into it once in awhile. But after I do eat it, I'm not happy with how I feel. So I'm learning to just say "no, thanks". But in the Summer, I have a lil' decadent pleasure in the ice cream world, Dairy Queen cones. So we went tonight for a treat after dinner and I ordered my splurge size, the "Medium"! So we park backward in the DQ lot and usually gaze out over this vacant field where we always catch the antics of some neighbor cat. But tonight, since we've been having at least the "threat" of thunderstorms - the clouds have been fantastic!! And this night we caught ~ just at sunset. So you artists in the audience know where this is going, right? The colors were just stunning, from one moment to another, they changed from fantastic to even more amazing. I'm moaning 'cause I've forgotten the camera. I mean even the green field with drying grass was taking on magical colors. So, finally we leave the scene once the light and the ice cream is gone and head home for our evening walk with Cody, our Golden Retriever.

I've been aching to go up and watch from the "locals free spot" at the Britt Festival especially since August is fast approaching and the music changes to classical. Roland says he's not up for it, and finally I'm just going to do what I gotta DO. I go up past all the cars and the big RV motor homes that our entertainer for the evening has arrived in . . . and sit down to enjoy one of my favorites, Jackson Browne. Some of my memories flood in with the ole' songs and I'm swaying (you can't dance, the ground is uneven and dirt with lil rocks), lovin' the night air. I gobble up most of the set and eventually decide, it's time to head home. Little did I realize that the moon was nearly full, I think beginning to wane, but, there I go, dancing to "Runnin' on Empty" down the streets leading me home on this fine night. Smiles . . .

Britt Festival Opening Festivities

Yes, this day finally felt like Spring is actually approaching for real. Our small art group, "Art Presence", created to present more professional quality art and artists in Jacksonville, was thrilled to be part of this event. In concert with and celebrating the opening night of the Britt Festival (http://www.brittfest.org/) Jacksonville closed off both the north and south parts of 3rd Street adjacent to the main street. One side was for the artists and the other side, for wine pouring and music.

The day blossomed gorgeous, sunshine and clear blue skies (it was rainy and 40 degrees last week). Our "Art Presence" officers arrived at 9am to tape off the booths and shortly, the artists began arriving. Town was already hopping and by noon the people were swarming our booths, delightful, lively music dancing through the atmosphere ~ ~ and Summer-ready faces ALL smiling.

We artists had debated the event, as to possible sales, but as usual, just being visible and available for personal relations was the real pay off! I had a previous client come by and tell me they were interested in me doing a commission for them. Later in the day, a local business owner, who'd been sampling three of my giclee prints, dropped in to let me know he wanted to purchase two of them!

As the afternoon passed, I took up my journal, to start in a sketch. I nested in a corner of my booth, out of the hot sun, and captured this nicely cropped vantage point. I was most pleased with the brick effect I acquired with use of my favorite wax crayons! What you think?

Once all packed up and delivered back at home, we opted for a quick Boca Burger in town and a weird "Freckled Lemonade" (where one had to fish out the strawberries from one's lemonade).

On our after dinner walk, I was complaining that it was way past time for our local deer to birthing their sweet babies and that I was suffering "fawn with drawl". I swear, not ten feet further we came across our first fawn nestled in deep grass with her mom (of course, I didn't have my camera). But the next morn, out our kitchen window we saw these tiny twins hobbling clumsily across our back yard. OH, they are so adorable!!!

I have to admit that this time of year, ending of Winter and the flurry of Summer, punctuated with the start of the Britt Festivals, is one of my favorite parts of the year. After a couple months of grey rain and a town of quiet (although I love our lil' green wood burning stove that glows warmth and charm into our home), I relish flood of visitors touring through our sweet Historic Town of Jacksonville, the cascading of live music around 3pm when the Britt performance of the evening practices up the hill from us and floral blossoms and green are every where. Does life get any better?