Here and there....    July 25 2010
So I missed June all together!Actually I spent most of June in Argentina which was great fun. Found a few cool doo-dads which will make an appearance in a new piece one of these days. I have added a few new pieces to the gallery. These will be going with me to the Art Unraveled vendor show in Phoenix. So we are heading to where it will be nice and toasty in the summer. First stop is Phoenix and then off to Texas! There is still room available in my Houston workshop. Austin is pretty much filled...and I am waiting to hear about San Antonio. If you have any questions about these workshops please email me. The next few months will be busy with travel and teaching gigs including an upcoming trip to France once again! Hope your summer is terrific.


May Days....    May 19 2010
Not sure how most of May has already disappeared! Life has been crazy busy with travel as I have been to both Santa Fe and San Antonio the past two weekends and will also be visiting San Francisco too. As we head into the summer, things do slow down for me artistically. We will be taking the annual trip to Argentina early in the summer and that will be followed by Art Unraveled in early August. Yikes, Phoenix in the summer! After Phoenix, I will be teaching in Houston, Austin and San Antonio....so a busy schedule for Texas! For those of you who haven't seen the latest edition of Where Women Create-Book of Inspiration, my studio is featured on pages 68-71....Jenny Doh and Jo Packham did a great job of capturing those things that inspire and inform my work.


April Update    April 05 2010
Australia was everything I hoped it would be. We first flew to Melbourne and spent 4 days in the city before being picked up and taken to the retreat. The retreat was fantastic, thanks to all of the people who organized it and attended it. My students were a fantastic group, talented and generous beyond measure. It was nice to make so many new friendships. It was so fun having my sister along as my trusty assistant....and she served an important function manning the tricky ovens! After Melbourne, it was off to Sydney, what a beautiful and dynamic city. It was so nice of Judy Wilkenfeld to be our tour guide on two of the days and show us parts of the city we would not have otherwise seen.....along with a tour of her studio. Also great to travel by train to see my old neighbors who live in a beautiful area outside the city. All in all, a grand trip!Loved the aboriginal art we saw and can't wait to work on a piece inspired by some of it. So now maybe I will have a bit of time in my studio before leaving for Santa Fe in a few weeks. I will be teaching at Stamping Details this Saturday and after that, I don't have any other teaching dates for awhile....whew!


Time MARCHes on....    March 08 2010
Baltimore was fabulous, cold but fabulous! Cabin Fever was a blast and the Synergy conference was so informative and professional. Of course, one of the highlights for me was seeing the American Craft Council show. Very inspiring! Now, I am heading off to Australia to teach at Creative Soul Retreat. Looking forward to going to a country I have never been to before! It will be 4 days of creative bliss in Melbourne and then I will spend a few days in Sydney too. So busy times ahead with no time in the studio...one of these days I will get there.... as time Marches on!


Into the new year....    February 03 2010
February will be the beginning of a busy season filled with lots of travel. At the end of the month I will be in Baltimore to teach at Cabin Fever Clay Fest. This will be the first time that I have done this and it promises to be a great event. I will be teaching 3D Atc's which is one of my favorite classes to teach because we can really focus on the process and it is amazing to see what students come up with. Cabin Fever is followed by Synergy 2, which is the International Polymer Clay Association's gathering of clay enthusiasts from around the world. I will be presenting a seminar called, "The Altered Clay" which will delve into how the surface of clay is altered through a myriad of mixed media applications. There is also an invitational exhibition of works on display. I asked 37 artists to each make a tile and together we created a collaborative clay quilt. This will be displayed in Baltimore and will be auctioned off as a fundraiser for the IPCA. There are many incredible polymer clay artists in attendance at both of these events and I am so looking forward to meeting up with them.


Happy New Year    January 08 2010
So happy to bring in a new year and with it comes many wonderful teaching/travel opportunities. However, I am sticking around in January and am trying to get some new work done, though it seems difficult to find time in my studio so far! For those who are looking for some inspiration, I would suggest Laurel Skye's new book, Mosaic Renaissance. I have a few pieces in that book as well as Maggie Maggio and Lindly Huanani's great new book and resource guide, Polymer Clay Color Inspirations. Hope the new year brings you all good things and endless possibilities!


Holidaze!    December 12 2009
Yes, it is that crazy time of year...but it is going by so fast that it will have come and gone before you know it! Carmel Valley Artists was a great show and thank you to all who braved the southern Ca. cold to come out and support me! I just put new work in both Trios Gallery in Solana Beach and Marque Gallery in Laguna Beach. If you are in need of unique gifts for the holidays, I suggest a visit to either of these great galleries. It is time to tie up a few loose ends...and look forward to the new year. I am looking forward to all of the exciting teaching venues in 2010, including a trip to Australia and France. Hope the holidays are wonderful for you and yours. Wishing for peace and goodwill towards all.


November News    November 06 2009
Well things have slowed to a nice pace the last few weeks and I have been able to work on a few larger pieces. This Saturday is the opening reception at 2nd City Council in Long Beach for the Dia de los Muertos show and I have a piece called Katrina in the show so we will be attending what sounds like a very fun filled celebration. On November 14, I will be teaching a workshop, Outside the Box, at Stamping Details in Poway. Please contact me if you would like more info, it will be a fun day creating funky tiled boxes on legs! The next event will be the Carmel Valley Artists show at the Karl Strauss brewery in Sorrento Valley on Saturday Dec. 5th. Hope to see you there! That will be the last official art related function of the year....then it is time to kick back and enjoy the holidays.


Where did the last two months go?    October 10 2009
Wow, where did the time go? I just returned from Colorado where I taught two wonderful workshops. The first was at the Artist's Nook in Fort Collins and that was followed by a workshop in the Denver area for the Mile High Polymer Clay Guild. What a great group! I was also able to stop by the Loveland Museum of Art and meet up with Laurie Zuckerman who spent the better part of the day giving me a private tour of her fabulous altar exhibition called Memento Mori: Deconstruction of the Nuclear Family. It is definitely worth a visit to see...but hurry as it closes on Nov.1. I was also able to hook up with Patricia Chapman in Boulder and timed it just right to be there the night before the Open Studio tour. Pat's house was filled to brim with her amazing assemblages. I attended the opening reception for all of the artists on the tour at the Boulder Library. I wished I had the time to actually go to the studios that weekend. In between workshops I was able to spend time in the mountains with family and to enjoy the "peak" color....absolutely breathtaking. So now I am back in town for a few days...and then I am off to Wisconsin to teach at Raevn's Nest. Book news: I have work in a new book by Maggie Maggio and Lindly Haunani called Polymer Clay Color Inspirations, a great read for anyone interested in learning color theory. I also have a 40 page section in the latest issue of Somerset Workshop, available at Barnes and Noble, etc. My work also appears in LK Ludwig's latest book, "Collaborative Art Journals". Lastly, I have a fairly large piece that was accepted into the 2nd City Council, Day of the Dead show in Long Beach. Ok, that is it for now!


Back home....    July 31 2009
After five weeks of wonderful travel I am back home again. While it is always nice to come home, we were sure having a great time abroad! We saw the most incredible art from Gaudi\'s architecture in Barcelona, the masterpieces in Madrid like \"Guernica\" and \"Las Meninas\"to MoMA and the Met in New York. Seeing the Acropolis was also a highlight as well as the ancient ruins of Ephesus.(the Amalfi Drive and Cinque Terre weren\'t bad either!) Too much to relate here and too many photos, over 3000! Suffice it to say, that this summer\'s art viewing provided enough inspiration for a lifetime. I managed to get to a few flea markets as well. In particular, the one in Valencia, Spain was terrific. I already know exactly what I will be doing with all those little treasures that I gleaned....now to get working! Next month begins a few teaching engagements. The first one being in San Jose....followed by Colorado. For more info, please check my workshop schedule. Big news: My studio appeared in the latest edition of Where Women Create. Check it out at Barnes and Noble or Borders. Very exciting and it is a beautiful publication.