Ping pong, anyone?

I've been feeling a bit like a ping pong ball in a clothes dryer lately (with bouts of stillness in-between), so bear with me if this post jumps a bit too! There are so many things that I'm excited about doing, that I find myself bouncing around between them all. Good thing I can still bounce pretty well, even if my bones do creak a little.

One of the highlights was a trip down to Santa Barbara a couple of weeks ago to visit my oldest son, Ryan—what a treat that was. I don't get to spend nearly enough time with him.

Ryan and the dog he wishes he had

Because I'm always looking for inspiration and cool artsy stuff for the retreats, we headed south to Summerland and Carpinteria, poking our heads into various galleries and antiques shops. A friend said that Just Folk is a must-see, and wow, was she right! A great selection of folk art and outsider art. One of their recent acquisitions is a collection of works by Bill Traylor—small pieces painted on bits of cardboard. They start at $85,000, so they were a bit out of my price range (!), but I did pick up a poster that the gallery had put together. Now I won't worry if the grandkids run into it and knock it off the wall! It's a really wonderful gallery, and the owners are very personable and interesting. Highly recommended!

On Sunday, we went down to the Arts and Crafts show down on the beach in Santa Barbara—beautiful weather, great company and lots to see. The one artist that really caught my eye was Neal Crosbie—I love his work! The photo doesn't do it justice at all, so check out his website. Best of all, he's the nicest guy; so genuine and humble. We spent quite a bit of time chatting with him, and getting to know him a bit. That's always the best part. I'm looking forward to purchasing a piece of his work, along with his book, Everything Be OK. I'll buy that.


Now, I've heard of people who look like their dogs, but never one who looked like their car...lol!


In stark contrast to the colorful art show was the Arlington West War Memorial display—it was on the other side of the pier, so I would have missed it if my son hadn't told me about it. Very powerful. No words needed.


I wish I could have stayed longer, as there's so much to do in the area, and a few people that I would have liked to have gotten to know, like these folks. They seem like they'd be very interesting, don't you think?























I've also been attempting an online class here and there. I say attempting because I have an irritating habit of signing up when I don't really have the time to fully participate—it's on my 'do better' list. (I don't like making resolutions, but a 'do better' list sounds reasonable to me.) Even though the classes have ended, I'm doing the exercises and playing every chance I get, bouncing from photoshop to stitching cloth, and then to my new-found obsession with zentangles (how did I miss this?), along with a sudden compulsion to carve rubber stamps. These last two are very meditative (the stillness part), especially when I'm sitting in the backyard with the sound of the water fountain in the background.

On the business side of things, registrations for the 3rd AAJ retreat next February are going great! It feels like a very special group of attendees (as are all of them), with a lot of repeat customers—always a good sign! There are still openings in all the workshops, but only a couple of spots in two of the classes. I'll be highlighting each class/instructor in future posts, but you can check out their blogs/websites by going to the Instructors page. A seriously talented, awesome, generous group (did I say talented?)—I'm so fortunate that they want to teach here!



We're having a bit of summer here (finally), so are doing our best to keep cool. Hope you're enjoying your weekend!

Counting down!

Only three more days until registration opens for the Feb. 2011 retreat! This all-inclusive retreat will take place from Feb. 17-21, with a maximum of 90 students. If you're planning on joining us, I suggest you register early as I expect some classes to fill quickly, especially since I've reduced the sizes. I am so excited for this one--it feels like a real winner already, with such a wild range of creative instructors. Do read the class descriptions carefully and check out the instructors' blogs so you know exactly what type of treat you're in for.

Orly Avineri's class focuses on nature journaling, and is sure to touch your soul in the deepest places.

Stephanie Lee will take you on a whirlwind ride exploring the many possibilities of using plaster in various art forms.

Nina Bagley is sharing her latest jewelry-making techniques with you, this time incorporating crocheting and fabric hearts in her pieces.

Albie Smith will share her wealth of knowledge in creating original papers of your design, which you'll then bind into a book of your choosing.
And Jesse Reno will open up a wellspring of creativity you didn't know existed in you, with his fearless painting class.

This is SUCH a strong lineup of creative talent and energy, that you can't possibly go wrong with any of them. It just depends on where your heart leads you at this time!

Registration begins this Tuesday, August 10, at 9am Pacific time. Registration is online only, and spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. I hope to see you there!

ps--if you'd like to see photos of the recent Journey retreat last month, head on over to my Flickr page. We had an awesome time!

On why I've been MIA...

I could write a list a mile-long to explain my blog absence, but then you'd get bored and fall asleep by the time you reached #137. I considered doing blog "installments," but then I realized it would take me at least another 3 months to finish, as I tend to make things much more complicated than they ever need to be.

Once I remembered the old 'KISS' adage--Keep It Sorta Simple--I started breathing a little deeper and was able to start in on this post (yeh, I know it's supposed to be 'keep it simple, stupid', but I never liked the 'stupid' part, so I changed it. It suits me much better now).

But if I HAD done installments, these would likely have been the general categories:

1. Preparing for the Journey retreat (including lots of silly fun with DJ here)



2. Being swept up by another awesome Artful Journey experience...truly amazing! (Go to my Flickr page to see lots more pics)



3. Continuing the playtime after the retreat

4. Catching up with loved ones



5. Gathering goodies for the next Artful Journey retreat -- February 17-21, 2011. (Registration opens next Tuesday, August 10!)




















6. Taking care of myself...
Anyway, that's what I was thinking I might post about. But since I'm not, I'll just leave you with a photo of a chap I met up at the retreat. He reminded me to slow down, be still, and appreciate the small miracles that surround us each day.

February workshops are up!

Papers & Books from Your Most Authentic Self with Albie Smith

The workshop descriptions for the retreat next February 17-21 are now online! It's another fabulous lineup of instructors: Stephanie Lee, Orly Avineri, Jesse Reno, Albie Smith and Nina Bagley. I can't imagine having to choose just one! Registration opens August 10 at 9am Pacific time. You can read all about it here. Hope you'll consider joining us!

Heart Strings with Nina Bagley

No Limits—A 3-day Painting Intensive with Jesse Reno

Plaster Potential—An Exploration of a Thirsty Surface with Stephanie Lee

Yours Naturally—A 3-day Nature Journaling Workshop with Orly Avineri

A Day at the Faire

Apparently we weren't the only ones who thought it was a good idea to spend the holiday at the Alameda Antiques Faire. Actually, the crowds were much lighter than usual, and a few of the vendors were missing. But look! Lots of goodies and strange folks there as usual.

Harvey was there with his fabulous warm, melt-in-your mouth donuts. And now he offers donut sundaes--have you ever?! If you find yourself at the flea market, run, do not walk, to his booth and treat yourself. Seriously. They are beyond yummy! The donuts were just the first course; Stephanie and I set up a little picnic area to eat the main course—I knew that old quilt would come in handy!




















Tinsel Trading Co. had some very cool stuff, as always. And what about these shoes? Don't you just wonder where the little feet that wore them are now? What stories they could tell...

There always seems to be plenty of body parts, and bodies missing parts....

I found myself looking over my shoulder more than once, as there seemed to be some unsavory characters there.


And then there are the folks who snap photos incessantly, so consider a disguise if you don't want to be recognizable on someone's blog.

I do love seeing all the glamour girls who show up in all their finery. I envy the way they always look so calm, cool and collected, even in the heat.


I found some goodies for the attendees of the upcoming *retreat, but my 'get' of the day was this old tea box from Boston, MA. It had my name written all over it--literally! I'm slowly taking back my maiden name of Woods, so this was a 'sign' that it was meant to come home with me.

All in all, a really great Fourth of July—hope yours was too!

(*The last day to register for the July retreat is this Friday, July 9. If you can't make it, don't despair—there's another fabulous lineup coming in February. Details soon!)