The Hurrierder I Go...

The behinder I get!

I am still wading through unread blog posts, SAQA memorabilia and my studio.  As Jenny wrote this morning, it's "Santa Fe Overload"!

However, I have managed to download the over 225 photos I took on my trip.  As my children will attest, this is an exceptional amount of photography for their point-and-click mom, who's just learning how to "manage" photos (import, categorize, rotate, rename and otherwise manipulate) on this new PC/laptop.

As Jenny also said, Santa Fe was all about the people.  With the exception of a few stony-faced security guards at the airport in LA, my entire trip was filled with people who smiled, welcomed, gave directions, toted luggage, served food, taught, inspired, hugged, admired, thanked and in all ways filled my heart, mind and soul.  That said, most of my photos were of my surroundings and lots and lots and lots of art.  But here are a few of the people:

Nancy Turbitt

There's Nancy, who I swear never stopped beaming!  She glowed the entire time.  :-) We met in Denver in 2011 and it was such fun to see her again.

Jenny Lyon, me, Judy Warner

I have to thank Jenny for this clear and clean photo of the three of us at the Santa Fe Spotlight silent auction fund-raiser on Friday evening.  She and I have been cyber-acquaintances for 3 or 4 years; meeting at the conference has made us friends.  Joining Jenny and me in that photo is my long-time friend Judy Warner, whom I met in Denver in 2011.  Don't we make a great trio?  Our smiles say it all!

Sherry Kleinman, Judy Warner, me

Another new friend is Sherry Kleinman, a very talented artist from Pacific Palisades, California.  Here she is with Judy and I in front of a sculpture at the Folk Art Museum, which we visited Saturday afternoon.  Another great trio!

And I would be remiss if I didn't include the Canadians who travelled to the conference.  Alas, operating without the flash (by request), Judy apologized for the blurry photo.  Apparently this was the best of several she took at the time!

Rear (L) to (R): Mary Pal, me, Anna Hergert, Elaine Quehl, Hilary Scanlon, Donna  Hamilton
Front (kneeling): (L) to (R): Maggie Vanderweit, Heather Dubreuil
Absent: Rebekah Crown

Although there were 9 Canadians at the opening ice-breaker on Thursday evening, we seemed to have lost one along the way.  Here are the 8 who gathered Saturday evening after the banquet.  Perhaps more than the lighting transpired to make us look blurry: after a jam-packed 2 1/2 days, plus long journeys to get there, plus adjusting to 7,200 feet above sea level,  we were all undoubtedly feeling a wee bit fuzzy around the edges!

I know there are other photos out there of me with other friends -- Kathie Briggs and Teri Springer, I think -- and perhaps even with new friends such as Holly Altman -- but they're not on my camera.  Perhaps they'll pop up over the next little while on the SAQA blogs, member blogs and/or Facebook.

Just give us time to recover!

SAQA Santa Fe Spotlight

On the Friday evening of the up-coming SAQA Conference in Santa Fe, there's to be a silent auction fund-raiser for the organization -- an opportunity to share work with one's peers and perhaps take home something special created by someone you admire and have come to know across time and cyber-space, if not in person.

I frequently joke that I have 'more stash than cash', so I'm always happy to step up to the plate when called upon to make something for a SAQA benefit.  Last evening. inspired by a walk late one afternoon recently, I put together 'Prairie Twilight' -- a 6" x 8" wee landscape based on a view at the end of a street near my house.  I was captivated by the sliver of sunset between the snow-full clouds and the snowy horizon, by the narrow band of trees in the distance, and the top of a hay-bale just peeking over the rim of a furrow in the field beyond the road.

Prairie Twilight (C) - 2013

Here it is, trimmed to size.  It's pretty well quilted from edge to edge, so I'll leave the rest raw.All the fabrics are commercial cottons and batiks, except for the slivers of peach and dark peach silk for which, again, I thank my friend arlee and her shop, FyberSpace.  When these pieces get to the curator of the auction/show, Deb Cashatt, she and her team will have them matted with a 4.5" x 6.5" opening, so it'll look sort of like this...but nicer, because what you see here are my worn and weary-looking home-made "L" frames! LOL!

And yes, I got rather hooked on the process of making these little pieces -- perfect for the Lacombe Show! -- so went to Andrea, my framer, today, and arranged for her to cut a dozen matts (I chose the colours --mainly white and black, but one very dark navy, and some deep rusty-brown and butterscotch ones for autumnal pieces) -- 8" x 10" with 5' x 7" openings.  I'll pick 'em up in a few weeks, by which time I should have several pieces finished to show her, and she can make sure I afix them to their respective matts properly.  (Yes, I ordered a roll of special 'stitcher tape' for the purpose, too.)

I love the thought of treating myself with some time to make a miniature or two, in between the larger pieces I'm also doing for the show, and I'm hopeful that these matted pieces will be priced just right for those who attend and buy purely on impulse as a special gift for someone or a treat for themselves.

If you're going to the Conference, perhaps you'll put in a bid?