November- December

Work Work Work……But I did go to Maine for Thanksgiving to see my good friends YogaBeth, Robert and Izzy. The drive wasn’t as bad as I anticipated, little traffic, good weather and singing in the car….

Acadia National Park, Not a great sunny day but still beautiful!

Northwest Harbor, Maine

I had three craft fairs in a week! Winooski Pop -Up which was great fun, I was in Scout and Co. with a DJ and an eclectic mix of artists. Then the Holiday Fair at the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds which wasn’t attended very well and finally the UVM Holiday Bazaar that I will do again…maybe. You know the slepping and setting up, tearing down and selling all day, one must make several hundred dollars to make it worth it. I’m talking at least $900. Well, I had $20.00 items for the most part, and didn’t come close to that figure. Maybe it’s my art, maybe it’s the venue, maybe I’m over it?! One thing I enjoy about fairs is that you get to meet the people that enjoy your work. You are surrounded by others trying to make ends meet with their passion… I don’t know anymore to be honest. Being vulnerable is ok, putting your heart out there is daring, rejection stinks…. but I continue to play the game because I don’t know how to stop. “Art is why I wake up in the am.” said someone somewhere once, and I like it. Buy it or not, my relationship to creating is lifelong.

Savannah Georgia Queen,

After the crazy week of work and fairs, I went to Savannah for Christmas with a good friend. Great decision, I love this City! So much to do: Bike tour, Bonaventure tour, Ghost tour, Botanical Garden, Tybee Island, SCAD, Trolley, and walking and biking the streets. Savannah has so much history, 22 squares, and southern hospitality, I may just have to go back! Thank you for reading.

September - October

On my Birthday, I went to the One Mitten Farm to see the donkeys. I was asked if I wanted to round up the horses. Couching low to the ground and making an intimidating sound I crept behind these large animals. It worked.

While in Shelburne, I took a nice E-Bike ride to the point with my friend Mike. I have been an ambassador for the E-Bike program thru Old Spokes Home. They received some subsidized bikes and I am trying to get them out there. On the same day, I went to Duxbury to make Beet Relish with Tom and Cara. A yearly tradition.

I had a few art shows, and one of them landed me a nice spread in the Seven Days! This piece called “Symbolic Age” features Venus of Willendorf ( Oldest statues ever found 24,000-22,00 0 B.C.E.) and ideas of today. You will find within many representations of struggle and harmony. It was part of the Howard Center Arts Collective exhibit at the Innovation Center of Vermont. Another show was titles “ Interwoven” and was hung at the City Hall in Burlington. My piece “Toxic: Are you Ready?” is a bottle with fish and turtle swimming with plastic that I collected in Burlington. We are interwoven with plastics now, eating, breathing and killing animals. My Artivism started long ago and will continue. My hope is to teach people from my paintings.

I love to cook, friends know that about me. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I dry my own herbs, cherry tomatoes, wild mushrooms, stinging nettle, apples and chili’s from the garden. I freeze pesto, blueberries, and whole tomatoes. I made pickles, tapenade, elderflower syrup, and pesto. This year I dried sumac, haven’t tried it yet. My Bhutanese neighbor invited me to learn her ways of cooking!!!! Yum.

Sailing on my Birthday on “ Wild Air”

I want to introduce you to one of my favorite artists Rachel Norton. www.rachelnorton.com Her figures in clay are fantastic, she captures expression and body movement like no other! She also graciously lets me use her kiln.

Artrise Workshop 2021

October: I taught a Spirit Doll” workshop for my Artrise collective, I finally did a ride on the Jeffferson rail trail and attended the Film Festival for two great films. Covid still is a concern, had to quarantine until a test came back….negative… and not much to report for October. Being alone, has been tough but I have been busy and keeping myself laughing at myself. Online dating is very strange and so far, unsuccessful.

Nat Geo Citra Solv Earrings

I learned this cool technique called National Geographic Citra Solv, With it I made these earrings. Getting ready for the holiday sales coming up.! Work Work Work! I helped my friend Terri Severance with her float for the Halloween Parade in Shelburne. Always love creating!

Thinking of my next adventure…..

July- August

One thing I love about the iPhone is that you can always tell what you did when and exactly where if you actually took a picture. This is useful for those of us that are challenged with CRS.

JULY : Corn on the Cob. July 4th Fireworks, Farmers Markets, Outdoor Concerts and Food trucks, Swimming and Kayaking… What more ??? Blueberry Picking, Jamming, Art shows, Gardening, and a Trip to Maine.

For those that know me, I have always had several jobs apart from the one thing constant in my life: ART! This summer I counted 5 jobs… Anyone with that many jobs, would bounce off the walls with ADD. Don’t believe me? I ‘m a Personal Assistant, Work at Old Spokes Home, a Property Manager for a Villa in St.John, I have a Private Art Student, and I manage to do a little art to sell at the Champlain Islands Farmers Market, Zazzle and my Website! Vermont is still too expensive for me. I got to see Bernie Sanders at the Farmers Market, as he was off duty, I didn’t push topics with him regarding Housing, Wages, the Environment and Racism, but I wanted to!

My old fashion donkey butter mold with delicious corn!

Making Elderflower Syrup

Painting the Hippo!

Kayaking Green River Reservoir.

Can you smell the Salt Air? Heron Island in Maine.

Love the mossy trees, felt like I was in the south, but this was Maine! So many diverse plants on this little Island.

The man I work for took me to this cute little chapel in the woods in Grand Island. Our adventures have taken us to Isle La Motte to Saint Anne’s Chapel, Ferry to NY, Fleming Museum, and a Lake Monsters game.

AUGUST: Work, Sailing, Work, Jason Mraz at Shelburne Museum, Work, Kayak, Work, Build Shed.

I have been painting a Utility Box on the corner of Community Drive and Kimbal Ave. in South Burlington. An hour here and hour there, it has taken me all summer, and I am still working on it. A simpler design would have been quicker, and it is definitely different painting on a vertical flat non movable surface in public! It has been fun, I’d like to have a few whole days for the flow to happen.

Spice Rack Unfinished.

Sunset Kayak!

12 hours later the shed for my bike was finished. Thank you Mike for helping. Holes not drilled, pieces missing, dents, terrible lock…$400.00 with laughable instructions and cheap material.Tried to get thru it without any cuts but we failed.

Birthday Kayak down the Lamoille with friends: The 4 hour tour!

Birthday Sail with Wild Air , Thanks Diana! Don’t look at the glassy water, check out Mumbo!

Amazing Homemade Indian Cuisine for my Birthday!! LOVE TO COOK. Thank you everyone !

One of my favorite cuisines! Indian. All homemade, except the Nan. YUM