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Cultivate Simplicity, No. 5

Last week I enjoyed teaching Neurographic art at the Albany Public Library, where the summer theme is, “Catch the Reading Bug”.

Our art reflected some conversations about favorite bugs, what can be technically called a ‘bug’, and the most dangerous bugs we’d ever encountered fist hand.

The 12 participants and two library employees enjoyed the peaceful class in the Garden Room. We had access to books about insects for design inspiration. Each person left with some original art, knowledge about how to maintain a Neurographic habit and some new art friends.

Two mothers of young children took some art time for themselves while their families spent time in the library. Some retired folks participated for the sheer joy of learning something new. It was a lovely mix of generations and experience.

What I love about teaching these art classes is seeing everyone’s approach to abstract art. Participants demonstrate over and over that this form of art will not get old–everyone who tries a hand at it will make something only they can make because it’s directly connected to what’s inside them.

And each time I teach this class, I’m reminded that the process is the most important part (not the product). If I let it, this could help me stay grounded in the present in all areas of my life.

Cultivate Simplicity, No. 3

Our book making class on Saturday was so much fun (I’m not the only one saying that either). Three times I invited the participants to check in with themselves to find out if that was true for them and each time the answer was emphatically, “Yes!”

First we let marbles, rolled in ink/watercolor, saunter around on watercolor paper, which was a moment for all of us to practice letting go of expectations.

While those pieces of art dried, I taught how to fold a piece of watercolor paper into a palm-sized book and bind it with glue and cloth (or cloth binding tape, if preferred).

From here, artists continued to embellish their books with gold or silver wax paste, or moved back to their sauntering marble paper. With spray bottles filled with water, we attempted to ‘wake up’ the marble path of ink and watched as the color bloomed. At one point there was a little disagreement about the color brown. One artist said, “No, I don’t want to use brown–that’s an ugly color.” Later, another participant added brown to her page simply to give it some love. It ended up being just the right color!

There is still time to sign up for this class, which will be offered again on Wednesday, July 24 at 5:30! Tiny Art Books At 2Towns Cider House 33930 Southeast Eastgate Circle Corvallis, OR 97333

Cultivate Simplicity, No. 1

More art in more places. More art at Drift Creek Camp, in the Siuslaw National Forest; more art using gifts from the forest collected on walks with my sweet dog, just minutes from my home. Last week high school age humans created Neurographic art and recycled cardboard bird mobiles and adult humans learned to make pine needle baskets that fit neatly in the palm of their hand. We all paid attention to things that matter, like kindness and empathy and words.

Creating a pine needle basket is an intuitive process. Your hands feel when the bundle of hydrated needles want to start the upward shape of the side of the basket. There is no such thing as a machine-made basket; human hands make them. I noticed, while teaching adults the first simple stitch in basketry, that the word oblique (when offered by a student) to describe what I was demonstrating, felt wildly out of place–but it wasn’t wrong. At the end of the class, we talked about that word and how we all react to words and how we use them differently.

The high school age humans listened as I described the multitude of choices they could make as we progressed through the steps in creating Neurographic art, recognizing that in a world where it feels like they have control of so little, this could feel like a gift. My dear friend Brenda pointed out that using watercolor can also feel like letting go of control (also a gift).

I love this work, and I get tired. After this weekend of another pine needle basket making class at Black Sheep Gathering in Albany, I’m taking a little break from teaching art. I’ll be painting pet portraits instead* while I process all the learning I’ve done this week while I taught.

* I just realized I’m painting a cat named Tommy and a dog named Jerry. That’s fun.

Upcoming Art Classes

I would be tickled to see you at any of these classes! Please join me for art, fun, conversation, and shared space. No experience necessary.

May 22 AND May 29, 5:30-6:30 PM, 2 Towns Ciderhouse, 33930 SE Eastgate Cir, Corvallis, OR 97333

Neurographic Art: Part meditation, part processing, part prayer, part art, part poetry, this process is deeply soulful and empowering. You will amaze yourself with your finished piece!

Register on Eventbrite

May 23, 6-8 PM, CreativiTEE, 110 Commercial St NE Downtown Salem

Papermaking: Jaqui will lead you through the steps she has used in her own practice. This process of creating something new out of tired, old documents is deeply soulful and empowering. Jaqui has used her documents from 10 years ago, as well as her childhood poetry. Your paper will not be completely dry when you leave, but you’ll be given the tools to complete the work.

Register on Eventbrite

My Type of Gratitude List, No. 11

December 2, 2023: I am grateful for the light of friendship, of pets like Pearl and intelligent people working on behalf of those without much privilege or power.

December 7, 2023: I am grateful for technology, even if it makes me curse and swear at least once every day.

December 11, 2023: I am grateful for Pearl and for sunshine in Winter.

December 18, 2023: I am grateful for vacuums. I love the felling of a freshly vacuumed space.

December 19, 2023: I am grateful for color–color can bring so much comfort and joy. I’m relying on the benefits of color more every day.

December 31, 2023: I am grateful for Pearl, and for friends who understand Pearl. Maybe because that feels like they understand me. Pearl is an extension of my spirit.

My Type of Gratitude List, No. 10

November 4, 2023: I am grateful beyond measure for Drift Creek Camp and beloved friends to share it with.

November 9, 2023: I am grateful for sun breaks on rainy days in November.

November 16, 2023: I am grateful for cortisone shots in the heel. That’s right–you heard me. Anything to help plantar fasciitis.

November 17, 2023: I am grateful for friends who can help me move large items when I really need help. #dumbdelivery.

November 24, 2023: I am grateful for friends who accept me as I am.

November 29, 2023: I am grateful for sunlight.

With Gratitude

Today I am so grateful for everyone who visited my Neurographic art display at Imagine Coffee in Corvallis, Oregon! Thank you for taking the time to talk with me and view my art. I am fortunate to have friends and mentors who show up for these important moments, not to mention the cutest of babies.

If you couldn’t come today, you still have a couple of weeks to view the art (and get a good cup of coffee) during the month of February!

My Type of Gratitude List, No. 7

August 3, 2023: I am grateful for friends who will drive me places I do NOT want to go, but need to go.

August 4, 2023: I am grateful for washing machines that work.

August 12, 2023: I am grateful for my dog Pearl and her Squirrel Scout friends.

August 17, 2023: I am grateful for lawns, projectors and ping pong tables.

August 18, 2023: I am grateful for cool morning walks through the trees with friends and our four legged friends. I am grateful for a good and a surprising dog who can scale a 4 ft. cement wall without any trouble.

August 20, 2023: I am grateful for an upstairs neighbor who is also a friend. Her kindness includes inviting me to do my laundry at her apartment when mine is broken.

August 21, 2023: I am grateful for smooth paved roads between my dad’s house and my home.

August 25, 2023: I am so grateful for the Willamette River. And the Great Blue Heron that I see there.

August 29, 2023: I am grateful for retirement accounts and potential home loans.

My Type of Gratitude List, No. 6

July 1, 2023: I am grateful for the number one, which does not exist on this typewriter. I use the Roman Numeral. Of course this leaves me so grateful that I am able to improvise.

July 4, 2023: I am grateful for friends who understand my sensitivity to sound as well as Pearl’s special sensitivities. This is a challenging day for us and I am grateful for friends who respect us and understand.

July 5, 2023: I am grateful for language. Also, I am grateful for a certain 2 year old who loves language so much that the words cocoon and raccoon, when said together, makes him laugh.

July 10, 2023: I am grateful for children who tell me what they think. I trust children to be real with me, which means when one tells me I smile ‘like God’ I feel like I’ve been given a gift.

July 12, 2023: I am grateful for walls. Being able to paint on them as a canvas brings me great joy.

July 17, 2023: I am grateful for wood, bicycle spokes, rake tines and railroad tracks, not to mention the trains that ride them. All of these materials and tools make good ingredients for kalimbas (if you know a creative soul who knows how to make them).

July 18, 2023: I am grateful for the ocean and sea life; for the moon that creates the tide; for the sun.

July 21, 2023: I am grateful for toilets. Life would be shitty without them.

July 22, 2023: I am grateful for antibiotics.

July 24, 2023: I am grateful for avocados and those who harvest them.

July 25, 2023: I am grateful for perfect, ripe blueberries.

July 26, 2023: I am grateful for rivers and the water that defines them.

July 27, 2023: I am grateful for tea, and Japanese made glass tea pots that allow me to watch the leaves unfurl.

July 31, 2023: I am grateful for fresh figs, ripe and straight out of my friend’s yard to my door. I have never tasted candy so delicious.

My Type of Gratitude List, No. 5

June 2, 2023: I am grateful that I can walk out my door and find friends to walk with at lunch time. I am also grateful for friends who ‘feed’ me names of other writers like A.R. Ammons and John Steinbeck to learn from. Steinbeck I knew, but never read. Ammons I never knew, but will as soon as I acquire his book, Tape, which was originally written on a roll of adding machine tape, just like this.

June 7, 2023: I am grateful for mornings that I get to wake up and visit Nathaniel. He is a bright spot in my life.

June 8, 2023: I am grateful for my friend Sara — she is creative, kind, smart and loves animals as much as I do. I have learned a lot from her and the friendship we share.

June 10, 2023: I am grateful for change and all the unexpected blessings it may bring.

June 11, 2023: I am grateful for Pearl. She is such a sweet, fuzzy girl with lots of love.

June 12, 2023: I am grateful for my friend Wolfgang who is one of the most kind and considerate people I know.

June 14, 2023: I am grateful for this typewriter — I enjoy using it to record gratitude. Muscle memory lets me remember good days at Western Mennonite School, like using my watch to reflect sunlight toward John Fillmore.

June 15, 2023: I am grateful for fresh peas from the garden, with lemon, ginger and garlic. I am also grateful for the friends who serve them in a cast iron skillet.

June 19, 2023: I am grateful for cool summer mornings. Pearl and I get to walk in a quiet city, before traffic begins to intensify. She sniffs, I watch store deliveries. I am also grateful for Juneteenth. I am inspired by the strength of my black and brown American friends.

June 21, 2023: I am grateful for good memories of growing up on Eicher Road — playing in the creek, picking mint for iced tea, eating summer sausage sandwiches with Dad in the field he was baling that day. Grandma’s house was only a hop, skip and jump away. I loved her house.

June 25, 2023: I am grateful for water color art. Looking at it makes me feel somehow refreshed.

June 26, 2023: I am grateful for garbage service workers who take what we’ve thrown out, allowing us to distance ourselves from our own messes. Also, these important workers could have their hands crushed in the machines they work with. . . like today. May your hand heal swiftly.