encaustic windows

Trying to get back on track with the blog thing and post my art. I've been creating these new "window" pieces combining my photography, other mixed media, and of course encaustic. These are on 12 x 12 pnaels and I finish them in black float frames. I have 3 of them finished now - 2 are hanging in my studio and one is at the Monte Christo building in the Arts Council of Snohomish Co gallery store for the month of May. Arts Council Website

Of course it is not the image they have on their website as Liz who is in charge of the gallery likes my circles piece that has written affirmations on it.

Blog stuff and where is Bridgette

friends blogs and websites -

sitting here in Ballard with Binky - hmm - that should be a song title and we're going over how to use the blog.

I've already linked to Binky's blog so now we are going to link to Wendy's blog

http://badabling.blogspot.com/

Wendy Le Lynds Blogspot

Darn - we are in Ballard and don't know how to get ahold of Bridgette. Shucks!

More Jake

Here's Jake again, as I've continued to print his image. I'm moving from printmaking into a 3 dimensional piece that also includes Jake - wll post soon - or later.

the Studio Evolves - "Where Is Home?"

Its been quite awhile since my last post and I've neglected to keep up on my commitment of posting every Sunday. My bad. Darn - that life keeps getting in the way.

So the studio has evolved and the classes are going well - happy students make a happy Karon. The gallery is what really surprises me - and we are getting ready for the 2nd show with new artists and new artwork. The show for April is theme based and is called "Where Is Home?". This idea came from the same source for my inspiration of the "Jake" series and has also been something I have been dealing with over the last year. I sold my home and know that where I live now is temporary. So I wondered - is it the physical space we surround with our treasures and family that make a house a home? Is it the city, the state, or the country that is our home? I was also recently involved in an art project that helped a women's day shelter, http://www.womenofmarysplace.org/ www.exPRESSiveArtsStudio.com

a series in progress

I mentioned in an earlier post that a legendary icon from my home town of Ann Arbor Michigan, Shakey Jake Woods had passed away this past November. His passing left me very contemplative about "home", "where is home" and "what journey I am on" so I decided to work on a series that included the imagery of Shakey Jake - to share the story of how he impacted my life and others in our community - how he will be missed. Here are the beginnings of two pieces I am working on in my studio. Hard to find the time lately to dedicate to making my own art. Hope to have these completed by next weekend. I work on about 3 or 4 pieces at a time and they all evolve differently and at different rates. Who will finish first I wonder.

News for the New Year

I went to visit my friend Evelia Sanchez at the open house she held for her pottery studio, The Pottery Loft at the end of the year. I hadn't been to her studio since she moved into this building and was quite impressed with her new and improved space (new to me - she has been there a year already). Anyways, she shared with me that the artist that was in the space next door had moved out and the space was now available. She gladly showed me the open space and when we walked in I noticed a large rectangular shape cut out of the linoleum floor in the front room. DING! A bell went off in my head. This is a perfect spot for my printing press! My poor printing press has spent more time in storage and in my cold garage with boxes stacked upon it due to my numerous moves over the last year and a half. So I called the landlord, signed a lease, moved all my current art and supplies out of my Lowell Art Works studio and have spent the last week cleaning and next weekend will finally move in the press so I can get back to printing.

Turns out this space is so large that I felt it needed additional use than just me creating my own artwork so I decided to offer monotype workshops. I have created a schedule, class descriptions and a registration form and am ready to start teaching at the end of the month.

I'm excited to announce the opening of my new printmaking studio, exPRESSive Arts Studio at 3710 Mukilteo Blvd Everett, WA 98203.

Yippie!

Reflections on the end of the Year

Last night I was reflecting on the last year as it is coming to an end. As I thought about the year to come I was aware that I was in my 50th year on this planet which had me thinking about where I came from and who I have become.

I was born and raised in Ann Arbor Michigan and although I have been gone from there longer than I lived there, it is still in a way for me, "home", because it was such a significant part of my life and partly because I still have family there and am able to visit on a regular basis.

At the end of 2006 we lost one of our Ann Arbor icons, UM football coach Bo Schembechler. As a child I spent many a day at the UofM football games as well as local high school games as my father was the head football coach at Pioneer High ever since I can remember. It became part of who I am.

In September of 2007, we lost another Ann Arbor icon, our legendary Shakey Jake Woods. If you are not from Ann Arbor you may not have heard of Jake. He was not in the national spotlight as Bo was but to us Ann Arborites, he was a local celebrity. As a young teenager I had split my time between Ann Arbor and the California Bay area due to my parents divorce. When I was in CA, I made sure I had my golden yellow Shakey Jake t-shirt so I would remain connected to my home, Ann Arbor.

Jake was a musician playing his often out of tune guitar for the community at festivals and even on street corners. It wasn't his musical talents that impressed or attracted us to him but his stories and words of wisdom and the fact that he didn't care what people thought - he did his thing and he impacted our community with his spirit.

Over my almost 50 years, there have been only 2 other deaths of non family members that have impacted my life as an "end of an era" as Bo and Jake's passing has impacted me and that was the death of John F. Kennedy and John Lennon. Their spirits and memories and contributions to the world live on.

Shakey Jake has left the building. Goodbye 2007!