Studios Part Two

The metal arts area from yesterdays post. There was a lot of cool rusty stuff laying around to photograph.


These would be so cool to have to rust paper on.


Old sign in corner with weeds twining round.


What a hoot, reflected and distorted.



Not a studio, but a cute cottage next door to one. I love the colors, and would adore having this house as a studio. Or for just me to live in. See the lime green house to the right of the photo in the background? Hubby said we would have to have it as well, for him to live in, and to store my "stuff". It is one of those two story McMansions, in an old neighborhood of little cottages.


At the Tillery street location. I forgot which artists were there, I was so enamored with this rusty old cabinet in one of the spaces. I took a lot of shots to use for collage backgrounds.


I forgot Abby's ATC yesterday. I met her when we sat across the table from one another. Hers is the one with the hand. The other one is an older one of mine, using one of my favorite quotes. I think they go well together, don't you?

Empty Bowls and Studio Tours

Today I am recovering from such a wild week-end. There is always a lot going on around my town, and the holiday season is off to a busy start. The Empty Bowl project. Taking place the Sunday before Thanksgiving, this is a benefit for our local food bank. Local potters donate handmade bowls, and local restaurants donate soup. You buy a bowl and get it filled with soup, and yummy breads to go with it. It has always been held at a Pottery studio, but has gotten so large that they had to move it to a convention like center this year. We used to get there at 9 and wait 2 hours to get in at 11. We were usually always among the first 50 peeps in the door. However this year, there were people in line at 7 a.m. for an 11 a.m. opening. Yikes... We went to artist studios and came back a few hours later, and only waited about 20 minutes to get in. It was so crowded I didn't have an opportunity to take photos. A friend of mine was serving soup, but I never did even see her. The Empty Bowl project started as a grassroots movement and has pretty much become a national project in many cities.

Ah, the studio tours. I love them, they are so inspiring. You get to meet so many artists and see them working or at least see where they do their work. Also to make purchases. This too, has grown over the years, so choices have to be made. One can't possible see it all. We have our favorites we go to every year, and always add new ones. My head is still swimming with all the things we saw. I'm sorting and filing photos and business cards, for folks I may want to contact later. I have a few to show. For some reason I was struggling with the settings on my camera so did not get a lot of good photos. There are a lot of real nice studio/gallery spaces, but the ones that appeal to me the most are these first two...a collection of artists in old houses or industrial areas.





A wreath from favorite metal artist Barry George


A small fraction of Barry's collecton of "stuff"


One studio had this labyrinth in the back yard, it was fun. She makes floral mandalas from dried flowers she grows here.


One studio space had an Artist Trading Card workshop going on. We made a few, then traded with other peeps there. A lot of fun. Met some cool people.


More tomorrow. I must rest up then get something done around here and start prepping for Thanksgiving.

A Walk on the East Side

Hubby and I went on a walk the other day(on our anniversary) and I wanted to go to Big Red Sun...However they were closed. We called, and they are now only open by appointment, and do mostly commercial work. Sad, another indication of hard economical times I guess. They have some things that most other nurseries don't carry, so will have to look elswhere for unusual plant material.

Looking towards downtown


Love their blue porch and the colors of this light fixture


Plant material, I like the dichondra


Pink...love the plant, lantern, house across the street

Of all the things I've Lost....

I miss my mind the most! A funny little saying, yes? Well, it describes perfectly the way I have been feeling. November is slipping right on by, just as the previous month did. I have been having some medical issues, mainly medication problems. I'm attempting to get off a medication that just isn't working, and try something different. That entails a bunch of experimentation, and feeling crappy and out of control. One medication makes me feel numb, but I sleep at night. Another one makes me feel normal, but I am awake all night with anxiety attacks! So, I just haven't been posting. The struggle for life is taking what little energy I have.

November is a month full of activities here locally,that I normally enjoy immensely. I really have been trying to keep up, but am falling behind a bit more each week.

Artist Studio tours this past week-end, and I gave out early on, so didn't get to see as much as I wanted. Thankfully it is on next week-end also so I have hopes to hold up for a longer time period then.

I've done very little artwork in weeks, mostly just sort supplies and move stuff around, waiting for the spirits to move me. Lots of ideas bouncing, but just clanging up against one another in my brain.

Tomorrow is mine and hubby's wedding anniversary.....I started a card two weeks ago and it still lies unfinished, so I will slip out to the store in a bit and purchase one. Hubby won't mind, but he will know how guilty I feel, especially since he has been hiding a project he is working on for me.

Texas Book Festival

I spent yesterday recovering from two fun filled days at the Texas Book Festival, a yearly event that I eagerly anticipate. We get to hear a lot of authors speak about the books that they have written the previous year, plus purchase books, hear great music from local musicians, and hang out at the capitol and grounds. All this is free to the public, it's a wonderful family friendly atmosphere. The weather could not have been more perfect, Lows in the 50's Highs in the 70's to low 80's. My kind of fall weather. The reward for having suffered through all those triple digits for the past few months. I even got to take a little nap on the capitol lawn, until a squirrel started dropping nuts on my head.

This place was centrally located for Hubby to make several stops at during the w/e.


Besides hearing authors speak, gathering ephemera,I humored myself by taking photos of some of the gorgeous boots I saw people wearing. I also photo'ed a lot of peoples dogs, but won't show those, at least not now.
Love your boots Margie


Wimberley boots


Suede and tied


Bag and boots of the lovely, sweet & talented Patricia Vonne