ce of my studio ~ and create! Yesterday was just one of those such days!My journal has been calling me with lil unfinished sketches and stories. One was a sketch from when my friend, Lena, was visiting (remember she who arranged her own "Artist's Sabbatical"?). We wrestled with our schedules and finally found a space where we could do a plein air paintout. To make it more simple and do-able we decided to paint in my across-the-street neighbor's fantastic garden. Of all the days Lena was here, it broke with grey skies - but we kept with our plans anyway! I got a very quick sketch started and finished it yesterday. You can see the use of my wax crayons to capture quickly, the position of the flowers and some patterns on the rock pathway. When I got it home all I had to do was dance with my watercolor pigments and - wellah!
Later that same day, Lena treated my hubby and I to a delightful dinner at one of the nicest places in Jacksonville, the Nunan Carriage House Restaurant! You'll see their business card in the lower, right corner of my journal page. We were seated outside on the lovely patio with a 180 degree view down into the Rogue Valley.
Lena gave us a sweet, handmade card thanking us for helping her with her dream of this "artist's retreat" - while we were just pleasured by her company and kindness. To be sincere, the company was more rich than the dinner :) Thank you again, Lena!Also, on the opposite page was the space to document my start in the shared new studio space in Ashland's new "Art Center" (you can see more images and more of the story posted on this blog, dated 8/28/09). I was torn between the distant image of the studio with the new foursome in it - or a close up of the four of us smiling, closeup. To be honest, I'm kinda tired of portraits right now (you can see I've been doing quite a few), so I selected the far away rendition. Actually, I'm kind of fond of this perspective . . . it allows me to see how small us lil women look in that big space.
When I get the next photo , you'll see how easy it was to fill the area. I mean, now, we almost look crammed in there! There is also the interim challenge I'll tell you about in solving the "sun" problem. But that's another story . . . so til later, I'm heading back to the studio to play some more. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, the cave of creating . . . here I come!
I'm especially pleased with this small entry into my journal. For my husband's birthday, it's always a challenge to invent or surprise him - he's just TOO aware. So, this year I'd plotted dinner reservations at a nearby, yes, only about 7 blocks from our doorway. Now I knew he knew I knew, (whew!) that he badly wanted to eat there. So how in the world can I make this a surprise him? 
