Loss.

Following a phone call from my daughter about yet another loss I grabbed the camera and between gusts of wind captured a sentimental shot. The delicate pink buds bursting into plum colored leaves made me weep. Even on a grey day full of sadness the world carries on and there is something beautiful to be found.

On another note: No wonder I felt wary 4 days ago, the road continues to be rocky and my center is tilting.

San Juan Bautista

Proof that there is some sun without the nasty pine pollen somewhere in the world!

It's very gloomy, grey and cold so you'd think that the pine pollen would take a break and not shower us with the green stuff! Lunch, in San Juan Bautista, was suggested so off we went for a feast of bratwurst, sauerkraut and fried pototoes, not the usual fare when visiting a town known for its Mexican food. We had discovered the corner restuarant on our last visit when suddenly enchiladas didn't sound as good as they had. The restaurant is celebrating its 25th anniversary next month and is decorated in a combination of German and Mexican styles that somehow don't seem out of place. We can't figure it out but the more I studied it this time the more I realized that it's the color palette that allows two such diverse styles to blend. It doesn't matter whether a German beer stein sits next to a Mexican pinata or not as long as the colors are bland and faded.

After lunch when we stepped out the front door we discovered that the main street, that had been vacant of traffic and pedestrians, had become congested. The entire 3 blocks around the restaurant had been blocked off and people were gathering on the curb and a few older folks setting up folding chairs. For what? It seems that the local high school was having some sort of rally for their basketball team. You never know what you'll see in a very small town that might be spirit lifting especially when the news has been full of gang violence in nearby cities. San Juan Bautista "feels" like it's in a 50's time warp, even though I'm sure it has problems like any other town in 2005 does.

Unencumbered!

Rubber stamped words and watercolor on text from a physics book. This was a quick unplanned page for an Expedition Journal that hopefully will lighten the tone of the book. The work that I've done so far seems heavy and serious and could be a difficult-act-to-follow for the next artist working in the EJ. Much of my work is thought out and slowly executed when what I really want is to be able to not think so much! But I doubt I can change my way of working because it's most likely a part of who I am.

In my dreams I'm svelte and free from the heaviness of body and life. The word that comes to mind is unencumbered.

Door to February!

Mixed media - gesso, water-soluble pastels, and embellishments. The key strips, scanned crooked, seem to imply a sense of being unbalanced and guarded about the second month of the year.

A new month, new possibilities but my spirits are already dashed by the pine pollen that is dusting us with a green film, creating more havoc on our health issues. Allergy migraines, congestion and itchy eyes aren't what I had in mind for my days!

I had hoped to experiment with more techniques last month but life went off in a direction not to my liking. If only I could be content with the projects that are completed . . .