i’m off to volunteer at the studio arts quilt association booth at the international quilt festival in long beach. if you are in the so ca area i urge you to drop by -it’s a wonderful show!

http://www.quilts.com/home/shows/viewer.php?page=SummerFestival

I had fun with this-I love creating with unfinished vintage works. These tape lace  patterns are a favorite of mine-i snatch them up whenever I see them. The intricacy and visual pattern’s are wonderful- a palette for ?

 This piece will be in the  at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery’s Open Call LA 2009 show opening next month.

for more information visit my events page at www.turkeyred.com

or

http://www.culturela.org/lamag/Home.html

we have a young crow-a juvenile, spending some time with us. i found her  (i don’t really know if it’s a her or him-) in the backyard-sitting on one of the garden benches-as if waiting for a bus.  at first glance she appeared to be just hot-but when the dogs went to investigate and greet-instead of flying away-she hopped away.  (certainly not fast enough to escape a coyote, raccoon or the feral cats we have). i realized then that she had no flight feathers- she must have either fallen or left her nest too early. her parents were calling to her-they are still so concerned-and it’s been 4 days-i had no idea crow’s were such good parents. i put her in the aviary-she is a voracious eater-scorning the canned cat food but devouring oatmeal, chicken, carne asada, bananas and her favorite-cantaloupe.  

• i’m hoping she will be able to fly away by next week to join her concerned family-but enjoying her company in the meantime.

i got absolutely nothing done that i should of this weekend-but i’m guilt free. i’ve been in an “exploratory mode” lately-and i’ve decided to indulge myself this summer . i’ll be experimenting with new mediums, methods and materials-not worrying about deadlines, websites and what i “should” be doing. 

on sat i took my 13 yr old niece to patricia anders barbie workshop-the final one before her barbie redux show debuts on aug 7th.

what fun! i am definitely making up for lost time- i didn’t play with barbies as a child-but i sure am now! 

i have in the back of my mind another  mythological creature-since i had so much fun with the harpy’s. i acquired this wonderful victorian print a few years ago at a flea market. the frame caught my eye-as i am always on the lookout for antique frames. when i saw the print i fell in love and bought it. the scene shows a centaur carrying away a maiden-with two water nymphs or sirens looking on.  i am fascinated with sirens, the creatures who lured their victims to their death. i suspect this will be a project in the very near future.  

i recently saw some wonderful fabrics on morgaine le fay’s antique textiles and more blog-and was reminded of some of my “old friends”.  as gardening and dogs are a personal passion-this is one of my all time favorites- the victorian square of a boy and his dog. it is circa late 1800, similar to “can you talk” from dr jaynes medicines trade cards. i also love the detail on this vintage silk embroidered piano scarf-the pagoda in the garden.

so many projects and so many marvelous distractions!

my harpies are finished and i am so pleased! i will miss them- in a week or so-they are off to the folktree gallery in pasadena for “noah’s ark, two by two”. 

 i’ve been on an assemblage and found objecx mode for sometime. bottlecap art has always been fun-i admire the creative uses people come up with. my friend cola, did a wonderful abstact painting with bottlecaps for the assemblage window at the ten women gallery in march-thus inspiring me. i decided to adorn a recently aquired chair (another trash find) and i had alot of fun! 

the topanga artwalk last weekend was wonderful. the weather was perfect and the setting was lovely. for those of you who don’t live in the los angeles area-topanga canyon is a beautiful oasis in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city. it is an interesting and electric mix,  a very artistic community. you have your throwback’s to the 60’s and 70’s, hippies still at heart, peace,love and rock and roll abound.  then you have your stars, movie moguls, producers, record execs, yuppie’s in general- all  are  very much a part of the community. the  the will geer botanicum theater is still going strong-the ourdoor summer series includes cymaline and king arthur-magical seen under the stars. although the famous topanga corral is long gone- i still remember as a teenager sneaking in-in hopes of  spotting neil young, joni mitchel or another canyon icon.

i was a guest artist in the artwalk-and was so fortunate to spend sat and sun at brian & marybeth gibson’s lovely home.       a weekend of good company, great food, and a beautigul setting-what more could one want.

the topanga artwalk is this weekend-i am participating as a guest artist. i am so fortunate to be at artist brian gibsons lovely home. we will be set up in his wonderfully tranquil zen garden, a must see!( i’ll be taking lots of pix)
in august the ten women gallery  will be having a barbie event. gallery member patrica anders will be hosting her guest artist window ” barbie redux” and myself and shari enge (old souls doll co) will be curating a guest artist show “lets play barbies”.

i didn’t really play with barbies alot when i was young. i was a bit of a tom-boy and was horse crazy-plastic horses and those troll dolls were the direction i went in.
i am making up for lost time-altered barbies are FUN! i created voodoo barbie at patricia anders workshop and vegas barbie at home-so many barbies-so little time! i
our barbie bash will be on aug 7th at the ten women gallery in venice-all are invited-costumes optional-think pink!