The Magic of Early Fall

It is an early fall here in spite of the calendar's date and it feels magical. The air has an edge of coolness to it and the sky fills between rains with the fluffy full clouds that I usually see in November. I feel relieved to have survived the heat of the summer, the down and dirty dog days of August and rejoice at the change in seasons. Energized! Can you feel it where you live? This sky greeted me outside tonight just as we finished dinner using fresh cucumbers and grape tomatoes from summer's bounty.



In this early fall between rain and windstorms; dandelions are making their last fluffy stands, spreading their beautiful yellowness to hide until next spring. gather them and make wishes before they send their fluttery seeds on their way!


This annual plant nestles in the corner by my studio door and bravely reaches out for the sun. Perhaps she will get enough light to finish her bloom for this summer and turn a wonderful pink-raspberry color. I love the shape of her leaves and think they will find their way into a drawing or a charm.



Jacob preparing his flying termite basher for the evening's hunt. I point them out, Daisy follows us and Jacob bashes them. They are everywhere and make a satisfying THWICK when you knock them from the sky. Daisy likes to eat them. Mmmm... special doggie treats!


Ripening tomatoes on the vine in a flower pot on the porch. These will probably not finish their journey to ripeness anymore this year but I will enjoy the feast both visual and physical these beauties will give me.




The beautiful evening sky as clouds begin to drift in over the Olympics. Dreamy, fluffy and just barely a whisper of pink coloring.
Blessed be the season's changes and in the haste of my daily life and your days too, may we never fail to notice the beauty that is just outside our windows and inside our souls.

I'll Admit....

I am a sucker for a cute picture! This one covers all the cute bases, too!

Port Townsend Sunday

Port Townsend on Sundays, a way to begin a new week and end an old one with journal entries of new drawings. I like Self Portrait Fridays and now comes Port Townsend Sundays. Next I will have to have a France day or Italian evening!

These are drawings in what I have come to affectionately call my " television sketchbook " or what I am working on while my mind kind of pays attention to a television show!

Loving Color

Well, it certainly is fun to fool around with the camera built into my computer. I can do a self portrait for Self Portrait Friday and never touch a tube of paint or a colored pencil. What would artists from the past 200 years think of that?

I am getting used to photographing myself and in this act of taking pictures, I am accepting me and being gentle as I realize that I am what is before the camera. Just me.

Stuff Happens!

From a tiny window crack grew enough broken glass to take out three big display windows! It looks as if Port Townsend is expecting a hurricane rather than the east coast but this is the view of the front of my shop with boarded up window slots minus the windows! It was not vandalism or an act of nature but rather time itself and a lot of wood rot that caused the windows to break! I am trying to remind myself of how nice new windows will look after their installation on Tuesday. Given lemons one needs to make lemonade!



These are what my front window displays look like on higher stools with their new plywood background. I know it is just temporary until the new glass arrives but it is challenging to merchandise around the boarded up windows. I am such a maniac for display that even something like broken windows makes my display juices begin to flow!

Felted Pot Of Plants

This is another of my felted and embroidered pieces. Enjoyment, pure and simple is what this type of work brings me plus I get to use some of the embroidery stitches I learned as a child.I really have not done much with embroidery since I switched to needlepoint in college. I always do my own designs and think of them as extensions of my drawing and paintings. This is once again all wool.


On another note, the house is quiet with Jacob returning to school - now in 8th grade! Time flies!

Happy Anniversary!

Sixteen years has flown by and today we are celebrating our wedding anniversary. These are the lovely flowers Phil gave me for this 16th year. He chose the flowers himself in all the colors he knew that I would like. Fiery oranges and corals, buttery yellows. orchid pinks, fuschia reds and green. I think they are exquisite and such a treat and absolute delight, to have fresh flowers on my desk at the shop.

This is the little card from Jacob he made for our anniversary. It was part of a treasure hunt of " clues " he created to lead us to a dance in the living room and a breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast.