Knoll Park and Chandelle come to Del Mar

On our yearly stay at Del Mar my Knoll Park/Chandelle neighbors came for a visit.

We had a great time. Lots of conversation, lunch at Jakes, and a walk along the coast.

The group photo was taken by a lady who was an astrologer and author from New York. She divides her time between there and Del Mar. Her name was Jan Spiller.

Paula and John

Mary Anne, me, Don, Nancy, Paula, John

Don and Nancy

John, Mary Anne, Paula

Jan Spiller, the astrologer, was very interesting and so nice to take our picture.  Here's her picture and some info about her: https://www.janspiller.com/horoscope.php  You can even have your fortune told!

Here's her latest book:

 We always meet the most interesting people at Del Mar. And have the most interesting visitors!

 The sunset at the end of the day.

Zentangle helps calm Ferguson

I found this on the Zenangle Newsletter. It was sent in by one of the Zentangle artists who lives in Ferguson:

"Some inspired artists decided to look at some of the boarded up windows of Ferguson as an opportunity to beautify and heal.  For the past 3 days local artists have been out painting murals and messages of hope. I have been practicing Zentangles for the past few years and wanted to share the joy it has brought me with my community.

The beauty shop, Beauty World, which had been burned on Monday night, became my Zentangle paper. The black and white paint became my pen. I was hoping to show through Zentangle art that, as you say, anything can be accomplished one stroke at a time...even working toward unity, equality and peace.

In my heart, though, it was also a way for me to show that black and white can work together to create something more beautiful than any one shade can create on its own. My community is diverse and we are more vibrant because of that diversity.  We have the opportunity now to work together to create something more beautiful for our community, for our children, for our future." 

Kids Art Class at the library

Last Thursday I taught a kids' art class at the library as part of a Fallbrook Art Association project.

We made a Thanksgiving leaf banner.  They could hang it in their house...or around their necks as one of them chose to do. And then they all followed.

I collected and dried the leaves for the turkey's tail. They colored the turkey and then glued it and the leaves to the colored paper. 

I don't think they learned much art but they sure had fun! 

 This was the happiest little girl I've ever met. 

Her name was Eden and she seems to perpetually live there.

Zentangle Afternoon gathering

 Nancy made a wonderful spread.

 Nancy and Don talking about Zentangles (or something!)

Peg and Diane concentrate on Zentangles. (and their drinks)

Fallbrook Art Association 2014 Show

 Gaspar Vacarro- Best of Show

Noreen Ring-2nd prize Mixed Media

 Doris Wilke- 3rd- Mixed Media

 Penny Fedorchak- Hon. Mention Water Media

Barbara Finwall- Pomegranates

Plein Air Show at Mrytle Creek

Latino Art Show at the Library

 Nancy with one of the artists.

Beth dancing to the beat of the wonderful Musica Sin Fronteras.

I don't know what this was all about but Penny looks a lot like the painting in the background.

Mariana and Nancy in the foreground.

Cat Napping

Art Classes

Watercolor journaling with Helen Shafer Garcia:

Here's a sample of Helen's journal art-

Our first class assignment- Dropped In Watercolor and Intro To Collage-

Second class-

A trip to the library. As we walked along we wrote down words from signs on the way-

then chose some of these words to put together into a short poem. We chose a plant to draw at the library and then drew something inside the library. Our colors were limited to a Triade- 3 colors.

I chose yellow, green and purple and wish I hadn't. There was a yoga class going on in the library which I drew for the background- also wish I hadn't. Not at all happy with the results. Oh well!

I kind of like the poem, tho.

Third class- Buena Creek Gardens. This was a wonderful nursery that was also full of entertaining animals, which I wrote about in an earlier blog.

 Our assignment was to choose things to paint including an architectural element and to paint across two pages of the journal. I didn't finish this one.

Fourth class- We worked at the school. We painted succulents gathered from around the school and added elements of white gouache. we also added a pocket to include 3-dimensional elements.

Fifth class- We met at Ron Chisum's succulent- filled garden in Escondido.

He was a very interesting man who is a retired dentist and a wonderful watercolor artist. He's obsessed with succulents-

grows them, studies them, propagates new ones, knows all their complicated names and just generally loves them. Unfortunately, I don't share his love but I did enjoy drawing them.

 Margery and Ron.

 Ellie and Lois

 Lois photographing fruit from the Cereus peruvianus, which goes so nicely with her shirt and camera (phone?)

 Helen in the greenhouse. 

 Lois in the garden.

 The plants I drew.

We were supposed to add a poem (notice the empty space). I just couldn't do it. I'm definitely not a poet. Everyone else did brilliantly. Besides not being very fond of succulents, I don't like poetry, either. Everyone I know likes poetry AND succulents. What's wrong with me? (I did enjoy writing the poem in the previous class where we started with the words we found on signs.)


Sixth class-
We met at the school and went over everything we had done. Then went to Myrtle Creek to paint and have lunch. It was a wonderful lunch. I haven't finished my painting, yet.