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.

Birthday coincidences

My birthday was a couple of weeks ago.- but the coincidences keep coming...

Nancy found this in her book stash the day after my birthday. She probably would have given it to me if she had found it on my birthday.

This was one of the candies in the bunch The Bottom Shelf Girls gave me.

And this is the movie we're going to see tomorrow at the No. County Film Club.

Coincidence????

A very busy week- 9/22- 9/28

Saturday- A fun gathering at the Mannings'.
Don and Mary Ann were there.

Maddy gets the best chair in the house. As she should!

Tuesday night-

 T. Jefferson Parker talked about his new book at the library. It sounds great and is centered in Fallbrook. So many people got in line for autographed books that they ran out.

 Several of our friends were there. Mariana and Beth.

Also Sarah Bates

and Dave Custer.

Tuesday morning - I taught a Zentangle class for Jodi and her friends Gaye and Diane.
 Jodi brought a wonderful lunch.

 Thursday morning - My watercolor journaling class met at Buena Creek Gardens in San Marcos.

Helen Garcia, our teacher, and Margery converse with one of the garden residents.

Sue and another of the residents- the cutest and funniest kitten. It really enjoyed being the center of attention. It even participated in one of the paintings. It hopped up on the lap of one of the painters and smeared her wet paint. After Helen touched it up a bit it looked great.

A beautifully designed cat who lives here.

There were also parrots. They kept up a stream of noises and funny comments. While Helen was giving us a lesson when she paused one of the parrots said "what next?" I'm not kidding!

 Goats and geese, too.  This goose loved scratching the head of his friend, the goat. The goat loved it.

The same goat wanting me to scratch it's head...or maybe to give him a treat... or a kiss.

Thursday night- Nancy and I went to Beatrice and Bob's house for dinner. They're the couple who adopted George (My stray cat). We had a wonderful time. Bob made a great vegetarian dinner, Chicken Tika Masalla with faux chicken that was called Quorn. Nancy got the recipe. They have a lovely home on several acres which I'm sure George is enjoying with his new friend, Black.

Friday night- Taco night at the VFW with all the Knoll Park Lane neighborhood friends
 

Saturday- a visit from our cousin, Kathy and her husband Larry. They were here from their home in Hawaii for a golf tournament that Larry played in which was in Las Vegas.
 My brother, Bob, (above, in the middle) was here, also. He hadn't seen Kathy since he was a teen-ager.
 Kathy and Larry were staying in West Covina with their friends, Carol and Louis, who also came for lunch.

We all had a great visit.

And finally on Sunday we met Marge, Jane and Carol at the Civic to see "Kinky Boots".

We all enjoyed it. Then we went to dinner at P.F. Changs'.

Could I have crammed any more into this week?
 It was wonderful!