It has been awhile since I have checked in with everyone. Things have been magical, stirring, crazy, uncomfortable and prickly all at the same time. I just got back from visiting Lovely, Exquisite Liz in California. We had a magnificent time driving all over LA, catching up on life, reminiscing, venturing to the Getty Villa, LACMA (Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art) and the main motivation of my trip....dunt ta da da.....participating in a workshop with an amazing group of women at the Carol Parks home studio http://www.carolparks.com/. The pictures above give a microscopic glimpse of the magic of this place.
Every nook and cranny of the house engages you and stirs your imagination. Tiny, colorful birds sing in birdhouses so artistically placed that they become a part of your surroundings. They blend so well into the background that it took me until the end of the the first day to realize that they were even there. Pots of bright red begonias scattered on tables with twinkling lights overhead all adding to the magic. Curtains hung with clothespins, old suitcases from years of travel form a wall reminding you of where you have been and where you are going. Every nook and cranny of the house is filled with wonder and imagination. This is only the inside...The garden is a magical place all on its own. Bright colored flowers are scattered throughout the garden. Birdhouses dressed in their best jewels glow in the temperate sunlight, an inviting swinging bench worn from years of enjoyment sits nestled under an umbrella of vines, a succulent lemon tree is nested among a wall of bamboo and an enchanted red standing mailbox which awaits further engagement. There is no end to the energy and liviliness of life that can be found even in this tiny nook in a big city.
The workshop allowed me an opportunity to get messy and not worry so much about the outcome. I sprayed, spritzed, collaged, painted, wrote, dreamed and got still for the first time in a very long time. Liz and I both have more to express within our pieces and promised each other that we would share when we were done. If we are brave we will post a part of our work with you when we finish. One of the things we reflected on was what we are holding onto. I wondered if any of you would share what you are holding onto?
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