Back From The Islands

So here I sit at the keyboard of my computer sadly longly for the Grand Cayman Islands. Oh, did we have fun. First of all we stayed at the Ritz Carlton which was an experience in itself. Interesting to see how the other half lives. When I got home it was sad to think I had to actually start to make meals again and my bed. It was nothing short of beautiful and the people were amazing. I talked to Andrea from Romania, Wiyoung from Bali, Coutney from Jamaica, Tasmine from Cuba and the list goes on. Most of these young people joined the Ritz so they could see the world. Wiyoung told me he is headed home next month to Bali for two months to see his family but is hoping to get a contract in Vancouver so he can see what snow is like first hand. I told him I have seen it first hand and am not that excited but good for him.

(yes, I know this is a duplicate picture but I couldn't figure out how to erase it)

On our third night there a dinner on the beach had been arranged. No shoes allowed. They called this the "shoe valet".

The band, the sunset, the pina coladas...........what could be wrong with that?

We spent everyday at the beach but oh, was is hot! At least 40 degrees celcius. I spent most of my time in the shade as I am pasty white and the sun does not like me. But I was in the water at least three times a day with a 50 SPF on as it was so very warm. When it came to snorkeling I was definitely a chicken so my oldest daughter took my place but was a tad frightened when she came upon a barracuda. My youngest spent most of her time on the blue matt "trying to catch some rays".........her words not mine.

It was wonderful that the girls found other kids the same age to hang out with. They thought they were living quite the life until we returned home and there were rooms to be cleaned and chores to be done but until then...........................

The last night we were hosted at a dinner in which we sat with two other couples we had gotten to be quite good friends with. ...........ironically they were all from Canada. Mike and Julie and Adrian and Carol. Our kids had all hit it off from day one and so did we.

That's me on the far left.

So as all good things must come to an end..........so did our trip. I spent most of today doing laundry, cleaning the cat's litter box, pulling weeds from my garden and scrubbing the toilets but during that entire time I still had a smile on my face.

Back From The Islands

Got in this morning at 2 a.m. Still trying to find my bearings. Will post tomorrow with lots of new pics and info. Had an amazing time!

Hope everyone is well.

On Vacation...........again!

Feels like I just got home from New York and today we head off to the Grand Cayman Islands. Wow, sounds like I'm quite the world traveller doesn't it? Well, I'm really not. Just happens that this summer has been unbelievably busy for us which is unusual to say the least. Most summers we just head up to our little cottage on the shores of Superior and laze around. But John has a business/personal event scheduled in the Grand Caymans so off we go.

When I get home I really have to give some serious thought to how better to utilize the space in my studio. It is not a happy place at the moment. Some of my older work is just taking up too much room and may have to go. Where? Not sure. I may post it on this blog and see what happens or maybe Etsy. Actually I do have some new smaller matted pieces that I'm going to put up when I get back. Thanks Liane for your email asking about that. It doesn't help to have a blog that talks about Daily Paintings in Paint & Thread when you don't ever post any. Not enough time I guess.........that will be my excuse.

Hope your all well and enjoying what is officially the last month of summer for us here in Canada. Oh, it does pain me to say that............ See ya next week.

Part Two ...A Visit with Tracy Helgeson .... ....

Three days into our trip we discovered the Lincklaen House as it was suggested by one of my classmates Maria. After we enjoyed a lovely dinner in the courtyard we asked to see one of there rooms. Not only was it perfect but it was half the price of the Brewster Inn. The next morning we switched locations.










Back in the classroom I was surprised to find out fellow Canadian and textile artist Kit Vincent was sitting just across the way from me. She and I are both on the OCC's website and I have long admired her work. Kit and I got dubbed the "Canadian Girls" by our four classmates whom we called the "New York Girls". That's Kit Vincent sitting in the back corner working away.

Susan, Maria, Linda and Suzanne were the best you could hope for in fellow classmates. They never failed to crack me up and they always knew how to have a good time. Maria started bringing me these highly addictive dark chocolate M&M's which I munched on during class. I also loved Joan. She sat beside me and we spent a lot of time laughing and talking. She was such a warm person and made me feel so very comfortable. I'll really miss them all.

When Thursday rolled around I left class a bit early as we had an hour long drive up to Tracy & Doug Helgeson's home. Everyone who reads my blog regularly knows what a fan I am of her work (I know I have said that 100 times and this will be 101). On the way up in the car my oldest daughter said,

"So we are going to visit someone you have never met in person only through your blog?".

I said, "right".

She said, "How do you know they are not psychopaths?"

I knew there had to be at least one skeptic in the bunch.



When we arrived a very happy and friendly Penny ran out to greet us.


Then out came Tracy with Mr. Wilson. The minute my girls got a glimpse of Mr. Wilson I just knew their constant request for a dog would go up a notch or two in the coming days. Once again I'll admit to being a bit nervous (oh dear it sounds like I spent every waking moment in a state of the jitters) you never really know how things will go when you meet new people but I did have a really good vibe. So after all the intros we headed inside and got a tour of their beautiful home and of Tracy's art. When you see her work online it is great but seeing it live and in person delivers a whole other impact that just makes you say "wow". You'll notice I really like that word.

Tracy's husband Doug and John hit it off almost immediately as there was much talk of fishing.



We headed upstairs to see Tracy's new studio which made me want to weep. John knew he was in trouble when we reached the top of the stairs and got a chance to take it all in. What an amazing spot to work in. Another time in which "wow" seems to be the only adequate word. At this point I believe John was trying very hard to not make eye contact with me.


I really appreciated Doug and Tracy's son for all his tour guiding activities. He took the girls around to check things out so they didn't have to stand around with their parents. I know they appreciated that so very much and he was such a sweetie.

Ok, here's the part where I begin feeling inadequate. They have this gorgeous flower garden at the front of their home that Tracy tends to, I'm sure daily. I've got some wildflowers and daisies that have become overgrown with weeds.



We head out to check out the vegetable garden which is blooming and lush. I think of my spindly little carrots that have been pretty much pushed out by my wilting rhubarb. So at this point I'm thinking

1. Amazing artist..........check

2. Great gardener...........check

3. Talented cook..........check ( I checked this one after dinner)

I made a note to myself that when I got home I'd tackle the garden..........as of yet I haven't.

At dinner we sat around enjoying a simply delicious dinner. The pesto potato salad was there and it was yummy. There was interesting conversation and in some ways it felt like we already knew each other. My oldest daughter was quite in awe of Doug. She has always had an interest in archeology and fossils and he had so much knowledge to share. Afterwards she said he was the "coolest" adult she had ever met. High praise coming from a fifteen year old.

After dinner Tracy and I went back up to her studio. She had asked me to bring along some of my work so she could see it in person. As we all know jpegs on the internet just don't quite cut it. We did an art exchange and now her work hangs proudly in my livingroom.

Now you may be thinking this all sounds a bit too perfect and magical of an evening and was it really like that or am I exaggerating just a bit? I can't speak for Tracy or Doug but from my view.........it was just like that.

On the way back to town John mentioned how enjoyable of an evening it was and how everything just seemed to flow so very easily. From the back seat my daughter piped up......... "and they weren't psychopaths at all".

I told her I would pass that comforting news along to Tracy.

Starting Out

We headed out early Sunday morning in what appeared to be a torrential downpour. I am a nervous driver at the best of times so I was glad John decided to drive. Destinatination: The Brewster Inn in Cazenovia, New York. About three hours into our trip the right windshield washer almost flew right off the car........don't know the technical term for what it is attached to but let's just say it was hanging on by a very thin thread. Luckily we pulled off the 401 highway safely but this continued to happen every hour or so before we reached New York. Welcome to a Roadtrip!



When we were an hour from Cazenovia we found this great rock station out of Syracuse. I knew it was great because every song they played, I knew. Unlike most of the music my kids listen to.......oh no, I do sound like my mother. When ELO started singing "Blinded By The Light" I just had to chime in as did John. The horrified looks on our kids faces said it all. They were cringing and begging us to stop what our oldest called "cruel and unusual punishment in a confined space". That in turn encouraged John and I to sing louder and longer.



We arrived at the Brewster around 4:00 pm and it was just lovely. After all the driving we didn't feel like heading out to eat so we ended up having dinner there.



The next day I headed off to class which I will openly admit I was a touch nervous about. Seeing the campus reminded me of high school which was not one of the most memorable times in my life. I found it all to be extremley clicky and exclusive. I spent much of my time drawing, listening to music and feeling the angst of being a teenager. Perhaps somebody should have told me to snap out of it....oh wait, I think my parents did but at the time I just didn't think they knew anything about being me. How very self indulgent!

In a nutshell, Carol Shinn was a fabulous teacher. Her work when you see it live and in person is not only inspiring but so very complex. Due to copyright laws I can't post any of her work here o but you can catch it on her website. The piece "The Blue Bench" is mind boogling to take in. You would never know that the entire canvas is covered in thread. You would think it was a painting until upon closer examination you saw the teeny tiny stitches. Much of her technique relies on layers and layers of thread. We used to joke in class after we finished two layers..." only 15 more to go and were done". On Thursday the class attended a lecture she gave in the auditorium and someone from the audience asked her how long it took to complete one of her pieces. She replied that an average piece of about 20"x18" would be 1-2 weeks working 8-10 hours a day. Now that is true commitment to your craft.

To be continued tomorrow...................I feel I've been droning on far too long.

In A New York State of Mind

Arrived home last night from our "fabulous" trip to Upstate New York. One of the best trips we've ever taken. The workshop was wonderful, inspiring and I'm full of new ideas for upcoming work. Our visit with Tracy Helgeson was even more than I thought it would be if that is at all possible........ but I'm getting ahead of myself. I will be blogging this coming week on the trip, my class with Carol Shinn and our visit with Tracy but for now there is no food in the fridge so I've got to head into town to shop.

New York Bound

Two

Work in Paint & Thread

Well I'm off! The trip I've been enthusiastically planning for the past eight months is about ready to roll. I can't tell you how excited I am. I will take plenty of pictures to share with you when I get home......so much so that after a while you'll be thinking "This trip feels like it went on forever, will she ever shut up?".

Hope all is well in your part of the world............see ya