NEWS FOR NOVEMBER: ART SHOW, TATTING, NEW BOOKS

Loyal, Bev (tatting) and Rebekah at her BFA Senior Awards Show on November 7, '09 ~ WNMU

Grandma's communicating with love ~ Luz Melendez and Beverly June ~
I so wish I could speak Spanish!

Graphic Below: is from Penniwig's Blog. I'm also addicted to her lovely, light-weight earrings! Perfect stocking stuffer if I could actually send a pair away! LOL This scene looks similar to an area just down the ridge from our home. There is a dry creek bed (has water during winter run off or thunder storms) and it is lined with Cottonwood and a variety of annuals. When the sun sets in the west and one is driving east ~ the light plays on the leaves and it is just beautiful. I noticed it particularly, last Saturday, when we drove home from Rebekah's BFA, Gallery Show of her latest 'soft-focus' work. Check out her blog url from the list on the right; as, she has new work up on her site. She did a fine presentation and those in attendance seemed to enjoy her talk as well as her fine art photographs.

The Artists put on a Tea with lemon bars, tiny sandwiches and other goodies; then, opened the Gallery doors for the attendees. This was followed by the two presentations from BFA Senior Students. Rebekah did a good job of giving a brief history of how she became interested in art, learning to draw; and, later why she turned to fine art photography. She explained the dark room color process (they don't teach that at Western New Mexico) Most of what she actually learned of her craft came by way of Yuba College and her mentor/Professor Rick Murai. I was surprised and alarmed by an early slide which was a photo of ME. She credits me for teaching her all of the basics of art. I gave her a 'fat' pencil when she was a toddler and encouraged her to draw outside the lines. She was a very busy little girl and so I gave her the task of drawing single blades of grass, to slow her up and to teach her to 'see.' She graduated to a sketch book and an early drawing book of mine that taught perspective and forms. She began taking photo classes so she could photograph scenes that she later painted. She learned that she could cut out the middle step and compose art pieces with a lens!

Rick M. has taught 3 generations of Davis women; myself, my late daughter Lori Elayne and Rebekah. Lori was very gifted in this area also; but, as with most things she was not willing to be devoted to the work of the art. Partly because everything came so easily to her, that she soon became bored.

Rebekah had the first large gallery room, followed by a mid-sized room housing another student who did water colors and print making (graphic flowers); and, the largest, back room held the other two artists ceramics and small paintings. Rebekah sold one of her large format fine art photos called, "Lovely Lady." She calls it that since it was taken in Paris and reminded her of her stage work in Le Miz (high school); when, as well as understudy for Cossette, she was a ' lovely lady.' This work was very different from her former pieces and quite large!

I ordered some new threads from DS9Deigns and HandyHands. Also a couple of books; namely, Debbie Munoz, "Snowflake Roses" and Pam Palmer's "Tatting Treats Two". So many of my books are now out of print, or the prices have gotten so dear, or the book won't be re printed that I've been picking up those books that were on my list this past two years. Because of that I also bought 2 of the "Sampler" tatting books with a nice selection of Motif; but, the patterns are all written out long style ~ so will have to rewrite them to a shorter version or I'll get totally lost in the paragraphs! I've put those back for later in the year. I was browsing through Abebooks.com and saw some great buys; there was even a copy of Pam Palmer's 12 Days of Christmas, which one just doesn't find that easily. Mine was found by Sue Hanson in the UK and Patti Duff sent it to me.

I continue to tat Sheep May Safely Graze and have completed the 3 rosettes and the surrounding leaves. I also finished Pam's Christmas tree with beads for a Holiday card, and am on the second round of a Snowflake Rose in snowy white Lizbeth thread. Trying to get my Christmas tatting done for exchanges and special gifts to friends; and, to take a break from the larger project.

My thread from LadyShuttleMaker (it is a red ~ but like an old fashioned 'ashes of roses' kind of red) and one of her neat hook pens (Sunflower) arrived. The pen is so nice and flat as a bookmark that it fits in the small Rose Snowflake's booklet. I also received some new threads from Yarnplayer; and, Pamela Meyers' thread Antique Bronze, and Rasp. Sorbet, which I really like. I should take pictures; a lovely variety of colors. I'm choosing more solids of late that will work with some of the variegated threads. From HH and DS9Designs were mostly Valdini in dark greens (Christmas), a soft green that I admired, and a nice creamy color (Anchor) for the Sheep, and some Olympus (I didn't want to tat white nor ecru sheep). I bought a few balls of Lisbeth to put into Secret Santa and exchange boxes; so not telling those colors. LOL I'm tatting with a lot more size 40 thread and using 20 less; but, I have a huge stash of size 20 threads in Flora.