New mØsAi© workshop in the high desert… a®t, ßeauty, yOga..

A new workshop and a new look at RAVEN moSai©s Please click it and SEE more about a ßeaµtiƒul get-a-way to wOnder valley for yOga, mOsai©s and gOOd ƒood. Speaking of ƒood there has been a lot on my plate… HWY 62 Art Tours and new mosai©S, nEw pOst©ards, new photographs, new ceramics…  and I will be exhibiting at Casa Magazine on ƒirst Thursday in October in Santa ßarabara… and did I say mOsai© wOrkShop ?!?!? Makes my head spin. But I look ƒorward to seeing you all !!! somEpla©e and sOme†ime…

Workshop and new mosaic tile work

First of all a huge THANK YOU to Diana from Native Tile for gifting me so many tiles… it’s an unfathomable gift to a mosaic artist. I have shared with my students and a few friends but will use the rest to finish my desert house and the beach/oak house as well. Thank you to husband for cooking the meals at the workshop.. yum yum !!

The workshop over the weekend was non-stop intensive with eager students and high energy. Walked in the park as the moon rose after a LONG day of working the pieces to completion. Cathy made a large piece to take home and grout and her friend Marsha did her first piece ever, taking it apart at dinner time and re-gluing some new pieces on to her creation. Emma Jane and Rich of IYSSB yoga studio, created their first ever table top… “gorgeous!” I say! Dana, local, framer from 29 Palms came back to participate in her second workshop, continues making amazing table tops and counters and frames everyone’s art in the desert!!! at Bowden Frame Shop on HWY 62

Pictures of the weekend and my finished piece back in Santa Barbara… couldn’t get pics of the finished work of the others as the morning ensued with grout and much frantic goings on in the bright, hot, sun. Waiting for pictures from Cathy and the rest of the bunch. Here’s mine for now and a few pics from the iPhone during creation mode…

my Ganesh incense alter

One of my buddha heads ended up in Cathy's piece, as she just HAD to have it!

Dana's work in progress.

Rich and Emma's table top in progress...

Rich "third eye wide open in a yoga pose / you show us how to focus so the lotus unfolds / in deep concentration with breath control / returning to the source now you feel the force flow / when Jiva meets Shiva opposites become whole / singing Om Namah Shivaya Shivaya Namah Om /" - mc yogi

The ancient ways of blogging

SO, is blogging a thing of the past? I’m not sure as facebook has absorbed the better half of my time. I realized I hadn’t written anything here in quite sometime and perhaps many of my readers have lost interest… I do not know. What I do see is a social revolution taking place via facebook. It’s a huge factor in how Obama got elected and it’s certainly a barometer for people to see what issues affect the world and the numbers that care about the various issues. I have found it utterly fascinating that a group I started on facebook for Watts Towers has members from Italy and everywhere else now. There are peace groups and whale watchers, global warming groups and bring peace to the middle east groups. The most fascinating and amazing thing to me was watching the President speak and watch this live feed through CNN in conjunction with facebook. One side of the screen was the live video and the other part of the screen was the world chatting, live, leaving their comments as he spoke. This is the revolution. The revolution will not be televised but it my be on computer monitors.
Aside from all this amazing technology, I have a new studio in Santa Barbara that is warm and almost ready to work in, thanks to my industrious husband who is incredibly handy with electric saws and sewing machines, nail guns and more!!! and willing to share the talents and energies to assist me!!! Lucky me!

Planted a new crop of vegetables in my garden this week, watermelons, squash, tomatoes, peppers and basil. Pulled a million weeds and put a lot of snails in the green waste container so they can eat and thrive as they travel to wherever it is green waste goes. The succulents are thriving and our orange tree is covered in perfumed blossoms that intoxicate as they deliver the scent to your nose.
Off to the desert to give a mosaic workshop, then San Diego for a mosaic conference and then back to the desert for three art openings. I have a mosaic piece in the jack rabbit homestead festival which should be an amazing show thanks to Chris Carraher and Kim Stringfellow. Go Jack go!!!

See you there!!! and remember to “Be the change that you want to see” – Gandhi
One more note on facebook. The group IUOMA (International Union of Mail Artists) just gave me the position of Center of the Universe. I did request it, as Middle of Nowhere was already taken but it PLEASES me to have this title… I can already feel the whirlwind…PEACE

Dead Baby Raven in a Jumping Cholla

Raven in Cholla

double WORKSHOP madness … one HERE … one THERE …

The artist is pondering the idea of having the students help complete a part of the Tile House in the Wonder Valley workshop…

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The date was March 24, 2002, according to my digital records. My friends Michael Johnstone and David Faulk, San Francisco based artists came to visit my little homestead in Wonder Valley. They promised me a dress up too !!! David being the dress up queenPalm/planetaryEmpress, she got dolled up. Michael and I took out our cameras. I lit the bonfire.
NOW it’s August 2008 and I receive a postcard in the mail from Michael. My EYES wide, I see that there is a photo I took on the postcard…but no wait, it’s not mine, it’s Michael’s. Yer but no but yer but no but yer but no but. Yes, folks it was Michael’s image. The photo posted here with the fire is one I took at the same shoot in Wonder Valley… WHICH leads me to another fascinating detail – OPEN STUDIO TOUR is coming to the desert. Please don’t miss it. This is an adventure you need to take. You won’t be disappointed by the inspiring art and artists of the high desert in Wonder Valley, just under the cradled mountains and Joshua Tree National Park. Chris Carraher will be joining me in the Tile House on El Paseo for Open Studio with her stunning pastels.


Michael Johnstone pumps up the COLOR… and this is where Perry and he hop on the same wave…
Cheers Michael and good luck with your show up in San Francisco.

Gram Rabbit Plays Santa Barbara at Soho

WOW what the hell is wrong with me?!?!?!?!?! I’ve been so absorbed lately. I don’t know how I failed to mention that my fiancé and I went to see Gram Rabbit a local Joshua Tree band…here in Santa Barbara. WOW we had fun. We (Shirley, Jill, Doug, Christian and Madison) danced and a great time was had by all. Thank you Jessica Rabbit!!! Your wings were gorgeous!!! She had fabulous wings of glitter that possessed a real fairy quality. They even sang Devil’s Playground…and HOT Pink Hawaii, one of magentaRaven’s favorites!!!

Owl from the Oasis of Mara

This is an image of mine that never went to press. I have printed it as a 30×30 canvas and also on archival 12×12 matte photo paper. I just ordered some of these postcards myself thru zazzle. I was very impressed with the quality and feel of the cards.

Rare desert mariposa lily.

This past weekend, my bml, or beautiful male lover, soon to be husband and I were at The Palms in Wonder Valley for the Wonder Valley Music Festival. We also got a chance to see the rare mariposa lily and witches hair (Cuscuta californica) a lovely firey orange parasite, in Joshua Tree National Park.

Exhibit in 29 Palms

I believe that pictures do say a lot more than words but I would like to say a few things regarding my recent show in 29 Palms. First of all a BIG thank you to Gretchen for being such a fabulous gallery hostess. Had the walls painted magenta and orange before I even got into town. We even had fire dancing thanks to Anna “Astralina Galaxina” Houghton. Also thank you to all those who came to see the art. The idea of exhibiting in three mediums was new to me… but I felt the effect was infectious or something… like that.
Here are some pictures from the gallery, manipulated images that were printed on canvas and then painted with acrylics and pastels…
Buddhas and birds. Fleeting moments. The 30×30 canvas with the Buddha and the Woodpeckers is available for purchase.
The Buddhas and Birds show is still up til the end of the month of April in 29 Palms at the 29 Palms Creative Center.