Best Valentine's Day Gift EVER

Okay, okay...so I may be a little biased about this but I am so excited to announce a special event for Valentine's Day! I'm offering the Valentine's Day Marbling Experience session that is sure to be memorable! Avoided crowded restaurants, bad chocolate, and wilting flowers this Valentine’s Day and instead give the lasting gift of creativity to your special someone! This special Valentine’s Day Marbling Experience is designed specifically for the holiday of love.

Bring your loved one ~ a best friend, partner, spouse, family member ~ and have some fun playing in the marbling tank. You’ll learn some basic marbling moves and then we’ll be off drawing hearts and flowers, marbling on paper in all shades of red and on photo mats for framing, and more! Everything will be provided for you. Just show up and have fun! No previous art experience of any kind necessary!

The cost for this special event is $135 per couple or $70 for an individual which includes all paper and other materials we'll be marbling on, carrageenan bath, alum, distilled water, paints, and use of tanks and tools.

The Valentine's Day Marbling Experience is being offered on these days:

• Saturday, February 9 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
• Sunday, February 10 from 12:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Thursday, February 14 from 3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

And hey, if you want to book a private session, just let me know and we'll schedule something!

If you have any questions or wish to register, send an email to: Cheers "at" BarbSkoog "dot" com.

And They're Off!

I love it when students embrace their creative sides and go for it in the marbling studio. This is exactly what happened at last weekend's Experience the Tank class. Tina and Joan grasped the concepts of marbling very quickly and the next thing I knew, they were off and running! Even I had a hard time keeping up with their enthusiasm and energy! It was wonderful. Tina is a self-described "paper nut" and has a blog called Crafted Living. She is going to be posting some of her projects in which she uses her marbled papers and I can't wait to see what kind of magic she creates with them! And Joan, who marbled a stunningly beautiful design on sheet music, already has plans to frame the piece and give it as a gift to special someone.

Thank you, Ladies, for sharing the joy of marbling with me!

[gallery type="rectangular" ids="7673,7664,7672,7671,7667,7670,7666,7669,7668,7665"]

My Aunt Martha

In my recent post about my trip to the desert, I mentioned that I rarely title my pieces...and then went on to tell you how I felt compelled to give a title to "Follow the Slot Canyon Home." Well, here's another story about a series I just HAD to name after a wickedly wonderful woman.

My Aunt Martha (technically she was my Great Aunt but you wouldn't dare call her that) was a true matriarch. There was no doubt when you went to her home, she was The Boss: The Boss of everyone (her FIVE adult kids and their families, her husband, her friends, and, I had a suspicion, even Santa Claus) and The Boss of everything (dinner, activities, jokes, drinks, and quite possibly the weather). I was in awe of her. Between the ages of 10 and 12, I got to stay over night with her a few times. Oh, the honor I felt was bestowed upon me when I got to hop up on her over-sized bed and cuddle next to her while she wore her over-sized muumuu patterned with huge tropical flowers. How lucky was I?!

She was a woman who was very particular about her perfume, the car she drove, and the colors in her house. She died a decade ago ~ and it's been at least 20 years since I was last in her home ~ but when I close my eyes, I can put myself back in her living room surrounded by the colors in these marbled pieces. The white couch was accented by turquoise and peach-pink pillows, a black crocheted blanket thrown over one arm. To the right, above the cocktail hutch (yes, a cocktail hutch!) was a large painting with a little Native American girl in it ~ yellows, tans, black, baby blue all around her.

When I pulled this paper from the bath, memories of my Aunt Martha washed over me ~ her contiguous laugh, her hugs that trapped my face in her buxom bosom, the confidence she held in every ounce of her body. There was no doubt, as I looked at the paper drying on the line, that I was going to claim it for her.

Everyone has a place in their home that needs a little burst of COLOR, a little ACTION to cheer up an otherwise dull spot. These are just the pieces to do that. There used to be three in this series, but one sold at the Peach Tree Holiday Show ~ and I truly believe my Aunt Martha is out there somewhere loving the idea of commanding a spot in someone's home.

Aunt Martha #1 and Aunt Martha #2 is available for purchase here.

Timing is Everything

I am not the best photographer in the world but sometimes I manage to capture a moment. And this is one of those times.

This is one of my favorite pictures of last year. It was taken on the sidewalk outside Peach Tree Gallery during the Holiday Show. There is nothing significant about the surroundings in this photo at all. Had I been thinking or planning ahead, I should have taken it inside the gallery so our artwork would be in the background. But this is what I mean about capturing a moment ~ if I had done that, if I had moved us into the gallery to make the shot "perfect," I would have missed capturing what I was feeling at that very second and what I can totally see in my eyes and my smile ~ which is nothing short of pure happiness.

I was so, so happy to  be there with my friend Ann. I was so happy to be at Peach Tree. I was so happy to have two of my favorite pieces hanging in the holiday show. And I was so happy to have just returned (two days prior!) from a nearly three-week trip to Tasmania with my hubby. At that moment, that wave of happiness was washing over me and I grabbed Ann; said, "Smile!" and clicked.

2012 was another amazing year for me. I could list all the spectacular highlights but I'm not a big reflector. At least not in that way. So I'll just leave it at that ~ 2012 ROCKED ~ and you'll have to take my word for it.

Wishing everyone exactly what they want for 2013!

Desert Slot Canyon

When my husband asked me if I wanted to go to the desert over this past holiday weekend, I didn't hesitate to say yes, even though we had just returned from three weeks in Tasmania and the past two weekends had been spent at Peach Tree Gallery. This trip would make it the 6th weekend in a row that we would not be home. If I had stopped to think about that for any amount of time, I may have responded differently to him. But "desert" and "road trip" are words I find hard to resist independently, let alone together, so I put aside the growing mental and paper to-do lists and instead set to work writing up a to-bring list.

I'm not sure what it is about the desert that I love so much but it calls to me like no other destination ~ and by that I mean it is the only place I feel compelled to experience and explore yet have absolutely no desire to set up permanent residence. The desert fascinates me. And scares me to death. It is sparse, stripped down to only the essentials (just the way I like to live my own life). And yet it teems with life and colors (just as my life does). There is no room for error here ~ forgiveness is an extravagance not often gifted. Indulgent complacency will get you killed. Yet the overwhelming details of the desert ~ from its expansiveness to its minutia ~ leave no sense unused, unstimulated, or unsatisfied.

The desert is probably the most inhospitable place to marble. Dry heat makes the bath worthless. Sand, which is inescapable inside or out, makes the bath worthless. The wind, with nothing to stop it or even slow it down, makes the bath worthless. I know marblers who live in the desert who make it work (in fact, I first learned to marble in Santa Fe, N.M.). And Southern California isn't exactly a rainforest. But the weather conditions of the extreme desert only add insult to injury when combined with the challenges of marbling as a whole.

But oh my goodness ~ the patterns one finds in the desert. The patterns in the 10-million-year-old sandstone walls, the six-million-year-old layer of crushed oyster shells, the 12-million-year-old badlands, and even in the washes from the previous night's rain. For me, it's the patterns that connect the desert to marbling.

I made the above piece this summer and decided to call it "Follow the Slot Canyon Home." I rarely title my pieces, preferring not to taint the viewer's interpretation of my work. But when I pulled this off the bath, the first thing that came to mind were the slot canyons of the desert ~ and memories of undulating bedrock, fluid shapes, and smooth canyon walls peppered with small rocks in various colors warmed my heart and brought a smile to my face. Even though I hadn't been to the desert in over a year when I made this piece, I could clearly recall these images as if it were yesterday.

When Emmett and I were driving through Fish Creek Wash this weekend, I pointed to this canyon wall pictured above and exclaimed, "This! This is the flashback I had when I pulled that one marbled piece from the bath this summer!" In good-husband fashion, Emmett said, "Oh, yeah!" before pausing and cautiously asking, "Wait, which piece?"

Oh, Emmett ~ thanks for playing anyway! I hope this post clears things up for you! (And thanks for a magnificent weekend!)

"Follow the Slot Canyon Home" is available for purchase here.

December Header

We are well into December now but I still want to talk about this month's header.

This piece has been with me since summer. Measuring only 9x12 and on a muted gray-blue Strathmore paper, it's one of those pieces that is simple and understated and easy to overlook, especially amongst my larger papers with more complex designs. It's a stone pattern that I then took a stylus to to make the river-like images. I vaguely remember making it ~ at the end of a day of marbling, tired, in no mood to "think," randomly grabbing paint with no set direction or particular effect in mind. What I do remember is that when I pulled it from the bath, it immediately spoke to me. I found it so very appealing and was thrilled to end the day on it.

Just because something is simple doesn't mean it can't evoke. I can look at this piece for great lengths of time and get lost in it. I set it down and walk away from it, catch a glimpse of it out of the corner of my eye later in the day and feel the need to pick it up again ~ only to discover something new in it, yet again, that stirs my soul.

Perhaps because I wasn't raised on plastic toys, video games, or even movies, and there was the expectation that, alone or with my friends, we were to entertain ourselves, I have always been drawn to the subtle, the simple, the unadorned. It's easy for me to find awe and wonder in the everyday, to find great pleasure in what is there in the background, to find contentment in the macro photography of my eye. As a child, we made up games using only what was available to us ~ our imagination and our little bodies full of energy. Leaves from the huge cottonwood in our backyard, dirt from my dad's garden, bugs that came and went with the seasons, old blankets that were turned into forts, my parents' stack of 45s that we played on their ancient record player and danced our heads off to, a tennis ball that could be used in so many ways in so many games, our used bikes that took us around the block over and over again. I remember a childhood where a bored moment could be changed just by looking up or looking down.

Which could explain why, when Emmett and I hiked down to Mabel Bay Beach on Bruny Island in Tasmania, we believed we had won the lottery. We were the only people there. The high tide had just begun to recede and the beach was shimmering. What was left behind was the ocean's own marbled creations.

All this magical art right there for us to behold. No ticket to purchase, no bright lights or loud music to announce it, no fancy marketing blitz to tell me I'm hip and cool and "in the know," no Facebook "like" to replace the actual experience with the actual experience, no Photoshop to smooth out the "imperfections," no need even for an audience. Just raw nature. Basic. Dynamic. Without conditions and without apology.

And completely evocative to the core.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DdeCo2gQlQ?rel=0&w=853&h=480]

Calm

The last five weeks have been a complete whirlwind for me. Emmett and I left for Tasmania on November 18 and returned on December 6 ~ one day before the Peach Tree Gallery Holiday Show. That meant I had to get ready for the show before I left and then had to dive right into things when I got back. All that on top of catching up on three weeks worth of life (emails, bills, THINGS) last week, plus special orders, plus the holidays, plus an extended show at Peach Tree Gallery this past weekend, plus, plus, plus.

But today marks the first day of three weeks of NOTHING ON THE CALENDAR until my Experience the Tank class on January 5th. Oh, don't get me wrong ~ things are starting to pop up here and there (happy hours tonight, for example, with my neighbor) ~ but I have no trips, no shows, no special events scheduled and I plan to keep it that way. I want to sit in some CALM for a moment and maybe even experience a little BOREDOM before 2013 enters my life.

I do plan on marbling some (duh), I have an eCourse I need to finish, and I have two really crazy-fun ideas for my marbling I need to start planning ~ so I don't intend to sit around doing absolutely nothing. But all this can be done in the comfort of my own home while wearing my favorite raggy sweatshirt and in the company of my adorable cat and the Norther Flicker that showed up in my elderberry tree last week.

In this space of Calm I am in, I have been able to openly receive an abundance of blessings from friends and family that have been coming my way lately: postcards in the mail just saying hi, emails with photos attached and "thought of you when I saw this" stories, invitations to gatherings small (lunch dates) and large (let's go to Turkey next year), an entire weekend of quiet time with just the girls that was full of conversation with lots and lots of tangents, voice mail messages (played over and over again) that make me smile (every time). I can't help but feel good about the effort I make to connect with people in small, intimate ways that clearly have a lasting impact on both of us. It takes a lot of time and energy to reach out to another in a non-Facebook/Twitter/Instagram way and sometimes I wonder if it's "worth" it...and I can tell you it is.

There's one more thing I want to mention with regards to Calm: fiscal cliff, school and mall shootings, stressful holiday frenzy to buy stuff, Syria...I've turned it off and tuned it out. I don't read, watch, or listen to the news. I'm not in denial about it all ~ it's just that I don't need the sensationalized media drama every second of every day. It feels like bad news is constantly be shouted at me and the screaming and yelling is not going to change things. My ears are tired. My soul is exhausted. Enough.

I have several things I want to share with you over the next few weeks ~ from Tasmania photos to an update on 41 for 41 to some great work being done by others. I hope this space can be a place of, and advocate for, Calm over the next few weeks and that together we can end the year with a deep, cleansing exhale.

Taking Flight

"When women were birds we knew our greatest freedom was in taking flight at night when we could steal the heavenly darkness for ourselves, navigating through the intelligence of stars and the constellations of our own making in the delights and terror of our own uncertainty."~ Terry Tempest Williams

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Below are a few pieces which will be available at Peach Tree Gallery's Holiday Show this weekend. All are matted (and ready for you to frame!) with bright white matboard of conservation grade and measure either 11"x14" or 8"x10".

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Reminder: Peach Tree Holiday Show this Weekend

Just a reminder that I'll be at the Peach Tree Holiday show this weekend.

For a peek into what to expect, check out Peach Tree's Facebook page.

Peach Tree Gallery's 7th Annual Holiday Show December 8 and 9 Noon - 5 p.m. 3795 Boise Avenue, Mar Vista (3 blocks west of Centinela off Venice Blvd.)

www.PeachTreePottery.com

Listen to Green

"How wonderful it would be if one could only be worthy of hearing the song of the grass. Each blade of grass sings out to God without any ulterior motive and without expecting any reward. It is most wonderful to hear its song and worship God in its midst."~ Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav

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My second favorite piece ~ available at Peach Tree Gallery's Holiday Show. Custom framing, marbled on Texoprint paper from USA, floating on a sea foam-colored mat, brown-burgundy frame, final size 29.5" x 24".

Being Seen

"What we know matters, but who we are matters more. Being,rather than knowing requires showing up and letting ourselves be seen." ~ Brene Brown, Daring Greatly

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My favorite piece ~ available at Peach Tree Gallery's Holiday Show. Custom framing, marbled on Arches Text Wove paper from France, floating on a chocolate mat, brown-burgundy frame, final size 29.5" x 24".

Dare Yourself

"When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid."~ Audre Lorde

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Just a sample of a few of the journals I'll have at the Peach Tree Holiday Show December 8 and 9. All journals are hand bound, have marbled canvas covers and marbled signature wraps, and have a surprise charm in them!

[slideshow]

Things I Love: Spring Meadow Cards from De Milo Design

Yes, I know we're well into fall and winter is just around the corner but I am head-over-heels in LOVE with these Spring Meadow Cards from De Milo Design. Elegant, gorgeous, delicate, with texture that will make you swoon. Available in five different designs ~ Dragonfly, Twiggy Bird, Swirly Bird, Bees, and my favorite Ladybugs (so cute they should be illegal). And as an added bonus, they come in 100% earth-friendly packaging that is beautiful to give as is...no wrapping paper necessary!

Something to Think About...

Australian Philip Wollen is a former vice-president of Citibank, who, at the age of 34, was named Australian Business Magazine's top 40 headhunted executives in Australia. In 2007 he won the Australian of the Year award. Soon after he departed Citibank, he became a vegetarian and has since been deeply engaged in the animal rights' movement.

His speech at the St James Ethics and the Wheeler Centre debate is passionate, thoughtful, layered, factual, and unapologetic. Even though I'm already a vegan, his comments rattled my soul and made greater my conviction. It's worth a listen. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQCe4qEexjc]

Mark Your Calendars: Peach Tree Holiday Show

I will once again be participating in the annual Peach Tree Holiday Show in Mar Vista, Calif. on Saturday, December 8 and Sunday, December 9 from noon to 5 p.m.

I absolutely love being a part of this two-day event that brings together so many talented artists and artisans. Every year, I get all of my holiday AND birthday gifts here. From functional art to fine art and across all price ranges, you will find something for everyone ~ pottery, jewelry, photography, paintings, woven scarves and blankets, and more.

I will be there both days so drop by and say hi. I will have marbled note cards, gift boxes, framed pieces (I am REALLY excited about these!), matted pieces, journals, and individual papers for sale.

Be sure to visit Peach Tree's Facebook page over the next few weeks to check out other artists'/artisans' work.

Peach Tree Gallery's 7th Annual Holiday Show December 8 and 9 Noon - 5 p.m. 3795 Boise Avenue, Mar Vista (3 blocks west of Centinela off Venice Blvd.) www.PeachTreePottery.com