River Garden Studio

still waiting

This week I was busy getting ready for the opening of the book show at Illahe Gallery in Ashland.  You can see the write-up here, and will see one of my books the seventh from the top.

We have had snow all week, and hail, not to mention the dark skies and the wind and rain. Usually weather doesn't effect me that much and I love to be home, but this week really tested my spirits!

I did have some lovely times with my son and time to finish up my three books for the show.  The opening is on friday night, and I am driving over after work and staying with friends.

 

 

These are the back covers and some inside pages or parts of pages that I worked on. I tried to keep them more simple, because the pages they face are more complicated. You can see more of the books on this post.

 

 

The buildings in this post art from abandoned orchards and vineyards on the Foothills road on the other side of the Cascades.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the mountain it was spring, but you wouldn't know it from my drive.  On this side of the mountains we are all still waiting...

 

 

 

 

march winds

Outside my window the march winds blow.  

The clouds drift by across blue sky that is here

and then gone.  

I wake up and drift in and out of sleep.

This is the luxury of having a week off.  

The luxury of time.  

Outside there are still patches of snow,

but the water in the bird bath is unfrozen.

A neighbors cow skull rests on the frozen ground,

and a red truck glows in the field across the river.

I stop and take pictures of an abandoned house.  

One day maybe I will ask the owners if I can go inside...

 

 

 

And then I discover the framed remains of another house

that once stood on the same lot.

 

Inside I've been experimenting with making bowls

out of paper, matt medium and glue.

 

 I look closer at some stones inside of a glass bottle...

And favorite collections that I look at every day.

 

Here is another bowl...

And some new vases I got here. And you can read about the artist here.

 

Where will they end up, I wonder.

They look beautiful everywhere.

 

On this bowl I used crackle paste.

Time is going by slowly here,

these first days of my vacation.  

Just what I need.

 

 

Eagle Point

A few weeks ago my husband and I took a drive up to Eagle Point, Oregon to visit the Antelope Creek Bridge, and the old Butte Creek Flour Mill. In this area spring arrives earlier than it does here at home, and it was so great to feel a much warmer sun.

Here are so photographs of the bridge and the town:

 

This is an old carriage house,

Next to the flour mill was and antique store filled with treasures inside and out.

 

And inside the mill more treats for the senses.

So much caught my eye...

Down some rickety stairs we got to see how the mill worked,

and more pieces of history hanging on the walls,

Quaint houses with inviting fronts,

And a house that we drove by on the way home.  I've always wished i could live in a house like this!

And these are pages from a new small sketchbook/art journal.  I've been photographing old tools from around the house, and have used photos from the mill on these pages too.

And some key-hole covers...

And finally a pendant that I made from my favorite...

Wishing you warm springtime sunshine on your cheeks.  Thank you so much for your warm wishes about my up-coming show in April.  I will take photographs!