The New Year Approaches

Today was another day spent creating new monotypes. I did not have a particularly productive day. Some days you just don't have the "spark". Today was like that for me. To be honest, I think today I had the "uglies". Everything I did seemed ugly. Which, of course, is not a nice feeling. I do think there might be one monotype that I like, but then again, maybe not. It's okay. I still am glad I got a chance to be in the studio. You never know what might come out of days like today. I have also noticed that sometimes at the end of the day I hate everything I did, but when I go back in a day or two, I find that the work is better than I thought. So maybe that's what will happen. I hope. I hope.

The holiday for me was fun. A little quiet. My husband is gone until January 7th, and no celebration is quite the same without him. I was fortunate to have friends who invited me to celebrate with them, so I wasn't completely alone. I don't mind being alone, actually. I get my best art done when I have alone time. It's good to have friends, too. I will never complain about friends!!! I think it's hard for others to understand how valuable my solitude is to me. I seem to need the quiet in order to really find the deep parts of my creativity. It is hard to explain, but I really have to climb into myself. (if that makes any sense)

Here is another monotype from last week. It measures 8 x 10 inches, and so far the title is "Three Gold Spheres". I might change the title.


I am not feeling eloquent, so I will put an end to this post. Maybe tomorrow the words (and the good art) will flow like water from a spring.

Monotype Printmaking

I am happy, because yesterday I got to spend the day with my friend Shant's printing press once more!!! I just love making monotypes. For those of you who are new to my blog, or don't know about monotypes, I will give you a quick overview. A monotype is essentially a cross between painting and printmaking. Each monotype is a one-of-a-kind original piece of art. The artist will paint on a non-porous surface, like a plexiglass plate. Once the plate looks the way the artist wants it to look, a sheet of dampened paper is placed on top of the plate. Pressure is applied to the paper and plate. (I use a printer's press, which you can see a photo of here.) I am currently using a smaller press than the one in the photo, but it is a similar idea. The pressure of the press causes textures and effects that would be impossible through paint alone. Once the print is dry, it can be reworked with pastel, watercolor or oil paint. I usually use pastel. The plate can be run through the press again, but much less ink will be on the plate, and the second print will be much lighter and very different from the first one. This second print is usually called a "ghost". Because the plate (or matrix) is not carved or etched, there are no editions like there would be with an etching or wood block. The word "mono" means "one".

What I love about monotypes is the spontaneity. It seems to suit my impulsive nature. Here is one of the prints I did yesterday. It is small, measuring only 5 x 7 inches. I titled it "Wheels".


The snow is pretty much completely melted now. Even though it was beautiful, I am not sad that it's gone. I guess maybe I got enough of snow while living in Colorado. I was told that snow is not that uncommon here, but what was unusual was that it lingered for so long. It took almost a week before it melted. I am waiting for my 80 degrees and sunshine to return. It was sunny today, but only reached 52 degrees. I am still wearing two sweaters in the house. I really have become a desert lizard, cold-blooded and in need of a warm rock to sit upon!

Snow the Next Day

Here are some more photos from yesterday. The snow is melting, but not as quickly as I thought it would. It was only 26 degrees when I woke up this morning! Am I sure this is Southern California??? No. I mean, I guess it is.

The snow looks so wonderful and sparkly in the sun.

Oh, and graduate school. Well, I have been thinking of getting my MFA in studio art (painting) for a while now. I can't seem to make up my mind, one way or another. Sometimes, I really want to do it, sometimes, I really don't want to do it. Finally, at the suggestion of my husband, I decided I would apply to some schools, and see if I actually get accepted. If I get accepted, I can still decide NOT to go, but I can also decide to go. Is it some kind of mental disorder that I can't make this decision? Three years just seems like a really long time. And of course the money is a bit daunting. And yes, Priya, I do have an undergraduate degree in art. The thing a Master's degree would do for me is it would enable me to teach art at the college level. That would be fun. So, we shall see.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Snow in the High Desert

When we moved here, a little over one year ago, I was told it did snow here. More than once. Coming from Colorado, however, I guess maybe I didn't believe them. I mean, this is Southern California, for cryin' out loud!! This is the desert!!! I figured it maybe snowed like an inch and then melted right away. Something. Well, today, we have had snow ALL DAY LONG. Wet, heavy snow. And it's still snowing!!! It's really quite beautiful, even though a part of me is still in denial that it snows in Southern California in the desert.


Pono thinks the snow is just great. He bounds around in it, and then when he gets tired, he just lays right down. He also has fun when we make snowballs for him to catch, which he catches and ends up with a mouthful of snow. He doesn't seem to mind. I love watching him in the snow.



Here is a photo of our cactus this morning, and you can see this afternoon it was a much different story. I am sad to say that we lost one of our new trees. The top half of it broke from the weight of the snow. We have been going outside to shake off the snow from the new trees probably every hour, but we didn't get out there early enough to save this one poor tree. We also lost one of our Joshua Trees to the heavy snow. That makes me a little sad, but I am so glad for the moisture! This is a reminder that even good things aren't without their share of sorrow.

I am busy, filling out applications for graduate school. I am not entirely convinced I am going to actually ATTEND grad school, but I figured I would apply, and then if I get accepted I can make my real decision.

I hope you are all enjoying this winter evening. I am. Staring out the window at the snow which is still coming down, shaking my head in continued disbelief.

Not much to say

Hi Everyone. I am sitting at my laptop, looking out at the night sky and this amazing full moon. I can't seem to focus on anything else but that moon, and even these words are typed with many interruptions, so that I can look at it again. What is it about the moon, anyway? I love it. I love it in all stages, but when it is full it seems to lay a claim on me that is inexplicable.

I haven't posted much lately, mainly because I don't feel like I have much to share of interest. I haven't been doing any art that I want to share. I haven't been taking any photos. Maybe I am just waiting for the days to lengthen and the year to turn over. I really can't say. I just decided I should touch base with you all tonite to say hi. I miss you. I love your comments. I read your blogs (for those blogging souls among you.)

I don't think this brief post is complete without an image of some kind. So I leave you with an old photo. This is a favorite monotype I did while we still lived in Colorado. It is 7 x 5 inches, and I called it "Opulence". Happy weekend!

Cowboys in Vegas

Matthias and I went up to Las Vegas last week, because his motorcycle was finally fixed and ready for him. We took Mr. Pono with us, because it's getting to the point where he gets so traumatized when we leave him with the pet sitter. (Even though I know he loves her - he just hates being left behind.) Pono is a really good traveler, and mostly just sleeps in the car. Plus, we found an inexpensive hotel room that takes dogs. Pono was a really good dog in the hotel room, although he did bark at a drunk guy that made too much noise in the hallway. Who can blame him for that? I was proud of him.

We did go to our favorite hotel, Southpoint, because we like the breakfast buffet there. When we got there, the parking lot was packed full of big diesel trucks, and there were cowboys in wranglers all over the place. As it turns out, the 50th Annual Wrangler National Finals Rodeo was taking place. Southpoint has an equestrian arena inside of it, and during the first weekend of the National Finals Rodeo, there was a horse sale at the equestrian arena. Walking into the hotel felt to me like walking into my past. I grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and cowboys ran rampant there. It very comfortable for me, being around all of those cowboy hats!


Breakfast was delicious, as it usually is, and we were glad we stopped. It was fun people watching, with all of the cowboys there. One thing I noticed about the women was that they were sparkly. They either had sparkles on their belts, on their purses, or their shirts, or for some, all of the above. The women were not as likely to be wearing cowboy boots, which is something I found interesting. Personally, I love cowboy boots. (I have two pairs!) Of course, I am nothing more than a poser, since I have never lived on a ranch or had a horse. My sisters and I did ride horses in South Dakota, growing up, and I did learn how to barrel race when I was in high school at summer camp, but I don't think that qualifies me as a real cowgirl. (I am only a cowgirl in spirit.) It's too bad we didn't know about the rodeo, in some ways. I think I would have enjoyed seeing some of it. Of course, with Pono along, we weren't about to leave him in the car while we went to the rodeo.

After breakfast and a bit of shopping, we did finally pick up the motorcycle. Matthias rode it home, while Pono and I followed behind at a much slower pace in the car. We didn't take Gordita the wondervan since we knew we weren't going to camp. It is a beautiful drive, going through the Mohave desert, but I didn't take any photos. I haven't been good about taking photos lately. You will notice that even my cowboy photos are all blurry. ??? I don't know why. At least you got some cowboy shots. I will make a concerted effort to take more photos next time. I promise! Maybe I will even be able to hold the camera still.


Five things I am grateful for:
1. cowboy boots
2. diversity
3. People who appreciate my art
4. my blog readers and blog friends
5. That my friend Nora introduced me to the Griffin and Sabine books

Wednesday night

5 things I am grateful for:

1. warm slippers on cold nights
2. real mail (letters and postcards from friends)
3. my aloe vera plant
4. that my husband and I never fight about money
5. yoga

The Gordita

5 things I am grateful for:

1. charcoal pencils
2. good food on my plate, especially if someone else prepared it!
3. our adobe house in the desert
4. Gordita the wonder van
5. road trips

More thanks

Two new oil paintings have been listed for sale in my etsy store today. They are 12 x 12 x 2.5 inches, and I called them "Transparent Bubbles" and "Transparent Bubbles II". I just wanted them to be playful and fun.

5 things I am grateful for today:
1. Music that gets you right in the center of your body.
2. The smell of fresh herbs
3. Bubble baths with lots of foam
4. warm sweaters
5. crisp apples

Giving thanks

5 things I am grateful for:
1. phone calls from my traveling husband.
2. Hot tea, especially Earl Grey.
3. The crescent moon
4. well-written books, and eyes that see well enough to read them
5. long, meaningful phone calls from far away friends

I can't remember if I have posted this photo of a horny toad or not.

Pono goes to a river

...and other exciting adventures! Last week, Matthias and I decided to get in the VW Van with Pono and drive to Las Cruces, NM. My parents have a little condo there, and they are there for a little vacation. We took the scenic southern route, driving through Tombstone. We camped one night on the way there. The next morning, just before we reached Tombstone, AZ, we came upon the San Pedro River. We decided that Pono needed to go for a little splash in the river. He loves rivers, since he grew up in Salida, CO, where the Arkansas river runs right through town. He used to wade in that river every single day. We had to duck under a barbed wire fence, and scramble down a bank to get to the river. As soon as Pono saw the San Pedro river, he got SO EXCITED!!! He actually bounded a couple of times before tearing off towards that water as fast as his fuzzy paws would move. It was so much fun. I haven't seen him that happy in a long time. It made me think that we need to move near a river again. I wish I had a photograph or movie of Pono bounding toward that water. It was the embodiment of joy.

It has probably been a decade since we have been to Tombstone. For those of you who aren't old west buffs, Tombstone is the old mining camp where the famous shootout between Wyatt Earp, his brothers, "Doc" Holliday and the Clantons and McLaury's took place near the OK Corral. If you want to read more about Tombstone, click here. I like Tombstone, and it hasn't changed much since our last visit. It was a little too windy to enjoy much walking around, but we still had some driving to do anyway.

We celebrated an early Thanksgiving with my parents, and Matthias had to leave from El Paso to go to work. I'll tell you about the rest of our trip tomorrow!

I want to list 5 things I am grateful every day this week. So here goes:
1. People who love me
2. The rain that fell here this week
3. The sun that returned today
4. My dog Mr. Pono and his fuzzy ears
5. The Bobcat that visited us this morning, especially his enormous paws.

Things I've done, things I haven't done

I got this from Carla's blog. You are supposed to bold the things you have done. FUN!
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (does playing in a quartet count? I played the violin.)
4. Visited Hawaii (lived there.)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis (wrote an illustrated story about it, too!)
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked (does picking up hitch hikers count?)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa (I've only visited SOUTH Africa, not the same)
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (both!)
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper(just live in a small town and this one is easy)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury!
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Tuesday

I am still serving my jury duty. It has kept me busy. I am finding the process interesting and enlightening, although I am ready to be done. Today we start our deliberations, so perhaps we will finish soon.

Here is another new painting, called "Gemstone". It measures 14 x 11 x 3 inches, and you can see how it looks hanging on the wall. I promise I will write more when I have a little bit more time! I have missed you, my blog readers!

Quick post

One of the coolest things about desert plants is that they are opportunistic. If they get enough rain, they bloom! So I stumbled upon a paper bag bush in bloom a couple of days ago, and here is the photo. What a cool bush.

Just a quick post, because I have been working on the computer all day, and I am tired!

I got selected to be a juror! The trial starts tomorrow, and the judge said it could last until the 22nd of November! wow. So, even though I cannot blog about the case, I am excited to be a part of this important aspect of a free society.

Here is a monotype for you to enjoy, until I have a chance to write a more lengthy post. This one measures 14 x 11 inches, and I have entitled it "Blooming". Good night!

My new desert friend and some art

I had another visit from Mr. Roadrunner the other day. This time, I was quick enough to snap a couple of photos. Isn't it cool? I was so excited to see the roadrunner again. I am hoping to do some drawings, but I need to get over my reluctance to draw from a photograph. At least for this speedy bird.

I have been in the studio. I don't know why, but sometimes the creative process is a painful one. Lately, I have been suffering from a heavy dose of self doubt. It makes it hard to even put the brush to canvas. I will mix colors, load up my brush, and stand there for an eternity, trying to overcome my doubts. ugh. It is not fun. (Does anyone else have this problem?) I finally was able to overcome it, and this is what I did. This is a small canvas, measuring 14 x 11 x 3 inches. I love those deep edge canvases, and the way they become almost sculptural, hanging on the wall. Once it dries, I will take a photo of it on the wall so you can see how it looks hanging. (I realize my photos are a bit blurry. Please excuse the lack of quality photography!)

I am hoping to have enough new paintings that I like to take down to the gallery in Palm Desert. I have two other paintings in the same size, which I am slowly bringing to a place that I am satisfied with. Here is a photo of two of them together. For some reason, the colors make me think of gemstones. I guess I needed some shiny gemstone colors in my life!

I am interested in what you think of these new paintings. Any feedback will be welcome! It's okay if you don't like the paintings, but try, if you can, to tell me what it is that you don't like. Otherwise, how will I improve??? Thank you thank you thank you! I appreciate all of your comments more than I can say. Have a grand weekend, my dear blog readers!

New Day

Many new things today! New president being foremost on our minds. It is an historic event.

I can't write much, as I have jury duty in about 30 minutes. But I did want to post a photo of one of the new paintings. Oil on canvas. I think it measures 30 x 30 inches, but I am not exactly sure.

Election Day

We awakened to a cool and windy day. I think there is a chance I am going into hibernation, because I slept for over nine hours last night!!! Sheesh. Cold weather just does that to me, I guess. Also, I think having my husband home helps. I sleep better when he's home.

Little hints that colder weather is coming appear. The leaves of the cat's claw acacia (acacia greggii) are just beginning to turn yellow. I am developing a fondness for this desert shrub, now that I have forgiven it for its mean thorns.

I have been in the studio a little bit. Not as much as I would like, but I am making progress. Hopefully, in a few more days I will have something to show you. I have a busy week, as I have been called for jury duty. I have never served as a juror, and I have no idea what to expect. My husband is also planning a short overnight to Las Vegas, which I hope to accompany him on. (jury duty permitting) I am planning to squeeze in some studio time when I can.

A short note about the photos in my previous post. They are not flowers, but the bracts leftover after the seeds of a flower had been dispersed . I am not sure which flower they used to be, but if I had to guess, I would say it was one of the many yellow flowers which I saw blooming in the spring.

For my readers in the US, don't forget to vote today, if you haven't already! I did!

Dyslexic Trick-or-treat

I managed to get into the studio yesterday. Hopefully, I will succeed in that today, also! I am ready to have new paintings to show you.

I didn't get one single trick-or-treater at the house. I tried really hard to resist buying candy. In fact, I had purchased these funny Halloween pencils and erasers to give out. Unfortunately, at the last minute, I was ambushed by a large candy display on my way out of the grocery store. I was defeated. Now I have all this stupid candy. So I decided to do some "dyslexic trick-or-treating". I go to my neighbors houses and ring the bell. Then, when they answer, I give THEM candy!!! That's one way to get rid of it, right? Of course, I have managed to eat a great quantity of it, myself. Not good. I better do some more "dyslexic trick-or-treating"! Happy November, everyone.

I'm back

I'm back!!! I am sorry to keep you all waiting for the report about the Studio Tours. The Wednesday after the tours, I had to go into the hospital for a minor procedure to take care of some problems I have been experiencing. I was in the hospital overnight, and have been recuperating at home since then. Don't worry, it went well and every day I feel better. So the prognosis is good! I guess I always think I can accomplish more than I really can. I was certain I would be able to get a blog post in before the hospital visit. I do apologize.

The Studio Tours were great!!! I had a really good turnout, the weather was fantastic, and I met a lot of other artists and new people. I will honestly say that the sales weren't quite what I had hoped for, but in every other way it was a great success. I am really happy I participated. If any of you who visited my studio are reading this, THANKS FOR COMING!!! I think it was a great way to introduce myself and my artwork to this community. I look forward to doing it again next year.

The fall weather in the desert has been so spectacular. I am not trying to brag, for those of you who are already freezing cold. I merely want to share with you how delightful it has been, particularly after the summer heat. The nights cool down into the 50's, and during the day it is usually in the mid-80's. It is heavenly. A few brave blossoms have emerged, and I am not sure if they are normally fall blooming, or if the bit of rain we got about a month ago was the cause. In any case, I am always delighted to see flowers in the wild.

I leave you with a photo of a roadrunner who recently visited. Here he (she?) is, staring right at us! I took another photo, when he started to run, but all I got in the frame was the end of his tail. "Beep beep, zip--BANG!!!!" So fast.

Cactus, Anyone?

I never cease to be amazed at these desert creatures. Their tenacity is astounding. This is a very hot place in the summer, with drying wind. It is actually cold enough to occasionally freeze in the winter, and the wind is cold. It is dry year round. Yet, the abundance of life is still evident.

Last week, my husband planted some new cactus in our yard. A friend and neighbor was kind enough to give us some cuttings from his cactus. I don't know too much about growing cactus, but the neighbor told us to let them dry out, and then to plant them. So that is what Matthias did. Well, about two days after he planted these cactus, I was up early, looking out the front window at the full moon, when I spotted a jack rabbit, munching away at the cactus as though we planted it just for him!!!! I can't believe it! I mean, these jackrabbits apparently know how to eat between the prickly parts, or maybe they can eat the prickly parts, too. Whatever it is, I am impressed. So of course I had to go out and take some photos for you.


The biggest cactus, the one in the second photo, is now completely eaten. I mean, completely! I have put a wire cage around the other one, so it is still there, but a third cactus has been attacked, as of just last night. I had photos of that one, too, but Photoshop is not cooperating, and I need to finish my preparations for the Studio Tours.

Amazing!
Have a great weekend, all. I will post about the tours next week.

Fall in the desert

We had a cool spell over the weekend. We experienced the coldest temperatures since last spring, where the highs were only in the 50's, and a cold wind was blowing. It still gets much cooler at night now, but the temperatures during the day have gone back up to the 70's. I am much happier with the warmer temperatures, since I am a cold blooded lizard who needs a warm rock in the sun to sit upon!!! However, this is a sign that winter comes, even to the desert.

I don't have much to tell you. The mornings have been beautiful, as you can see in the above photo. The dirt road is one I run with the dog quite often in the morning. What a wonderful time to be out! Enjoy your day, everyone. Hopefully, tomorrow will have some more interesting thoughts.

I am putting final touches on the house and art for this weekend! It's approaching quickly - Art Tours 2008! Stop in if you live nearby - I'd love to see you and feed you some munchies. I'm number 44 on the tour.

New series, painting #2

Everything seems to take me extra time these days. I can't explain why, but I can give you my theory that I have been trapped in some sort of time warp or something. The Joshua Tree time warp, where time just slips through my fingers like water through a sieve. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

Here is the second painting in my Aboriginal art inspired series. This one is even tinier than the desert quail painting from Sunday, measuring only 4 x 4 inches. You know I don't have the patience to put tiny dots on a large format canvas, right folks? Right. I still don't know if this painting is quite finished, although maybe it is. I think my tortoise might be a bit too round. He ate too many desert flowers.

I also experimented with my friend, Carla Sonheim's, technique of a tranfer painting. So I thought you might like to see what I did. It isn't nearly as cool as what she is doing, but I am enjoying trying new things right now. It is good to expand your mind, and your creative processes. Thank you, Carla, for the tutorial! If any of you want to try this, visit her blog. (Scroll down to Sept. 22nd for the beginning of the tutorial.) It's fun!

New series of paintings

I forgot that I was supposed to post this photo yesterday. The only weak reason I have for my absentmindedness is that I had so much fun painting this first painting, that I did another one!!! The second one may not be finished yet. I am still thinking about that. It's also smaller, and so far, I don't love it as much as I love this first one. I will let you be the judge, but you have to wait to see the second painting in the series. (I didn't photograph it yet.)

This is acrylic on canvas (acrylic being a new thing for me!) It measures 6 x 6 x 2 inches. As you can see, the painting continues around the edges, which I think is really working. I have to tell you that this painting was inspired by Australian Aboriginal art, especially the art from the region near Utopia. My husband and I actually own quite a number of paintings from artists there. I have admired them for so long! This painting isn't nearly as wonderful as the paintings I have seen done by the Australian Aboriginals, but I had so much fun painting it. These are the quail that we have running all over the desert. They are called "Gambel's Quail", I think, and I have tried repeatedly to photograph them. But they are silly, shy little things, and so far have not been interested in having their photo taken. Hopefully one day I can have a photo for you. Until then, here they are in a painting, complete with their funny feathered tops. I love these birds!

Now, I must go to bed.

Snakes and more snakes

One thing about the desert is that you will never get lonely to see a snake. At least, not lately. We have had enough rain, so there is enough for the rodents to eat. Which means there is also plenty for the snakes to eat! Here is another snake we saw a few days ago, while running with the Pono in the morning. Don't worry, I didn't actually get that close to it, I just used my zoom.

We got a tiny bit more rain on Monday afternoon. Not enough to bring us up to the one inch mark yet, but we are closer! For the year, we now have received .91 inches of rain. WHOA. What's nice about the rain is that not only does it cool the air off, but there are beautiful clouds at sunset. I had fun taking photos, so I thought I would share a few with you.



I discovered that even though I thought I was having my studio open on October 11th and 12th, it turns out I was off by one week. So my studio will be open on October 18th and 19th, from 9 to 5 pm. (I swear I did call and ask, but mistakes happen.) At least I will have an extra week to get everything ready to show. I have just started a new series of animal paintings, and I hope to have a photo of one ready to show you tomorrow.