Bandana Project

My artwork the "Bandana Project" was juried into the Women's Caucus for Art conference "Honoring Women's Rights: Visual Voices Together" exhibit that will take place at the National Steinbeck Center Museum, Salinas, California. Conference is September 7-9, 2013.  Details at http://www.sbawca.org/ &
http://www.honoringwomensrights.org/. What a honor to have my work selected for this very important exhibit.

 Back to Big Sur!  Ok, it was our anniversary and after going to Santa Barbara for my birthday we decided to go for another trip and this time to Big Sur! It is a breathless location in California.  This picture is of about forty miles of coast line.  Whew, I have had the best BD and Anniversary, I feel blessed. We also explored several parks and I think we are going back soon to camp, yes I said camp at Limeklin State Park.

Santa Barbara, California

Wow, Santa Barbara was relaxing, as you can see by the picture with the mountains in the back ground.  Yes, we have lots of boats and mountains in the Bay Area of California but it is so nice to see other parts of the coast line.  We enjoyed the walks, food and just doing nothing which I rearely do! I took mountains of pictures and I am sure the inspiration from the trip will give way to a new artwork.  Traveling Pacific Highway 1 is always a beautiful ride.  But I prefer as the rider to be going north rather than south on Highway 1 if you get my drift.  Yes, I am always concrned about heights.

On our way to Santa Barbara we naturally had to stop and take pictures at Big Sur!
Wow, what a beautiful sight it is!  It took us a while to get to Santa Barbara as we kept stopping along the way to snap some shots. Thanks again everyone for the Birthday wishes!

Harley Farms in Pescadero is one of my most favorite places to visit when I go to Pesadero.  Take a look at some of the new babies we saw that day.  From what I have learned so far they have had over 200 new ones this year!

AT Harley Farms they have this wonderful loft in the converted barn where they have dinners and such.  They have a hand hewn piece of wood for the table top that must be twenty feet long and these wonderful hand made chairs are placed all around the table.  Such a wonderful feeling you get in the loft as it is so beautifully decorated and the decor fits the barn perfectly.
We also always purchase goat cheese as that it the primary reason to go to Harley Farms which is one of the last working goat farms in Northern California.

Home Gallery

                                    Series of "Control Works" and various other fiber art works.

                                           "Thoughts of the Mind, Interpretations in Indigo"

Today on the Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) yahoo group, the question came up about purchasing property one can work/gallery space and live from.  I have exactly that kind of living arrangement.
Our downstairs and also street side in San Jose, Ca. has 900 square feet and the upstairs has 1900 square feet.  The entry way has a room that is 18 x 16 feet and that is used as my gallery.  What I really love is I always have somewhere to bring people where my work is staged and I can stage new projects that I am working on.  Also the lighting is wonderful because of the overhang I receive no direct sunlight so my photographer also likes coming to my home to photograph my work and I also welcome him to use it for photographing others artwork also.  We purchased a hanging system that now goes all the way around the room offering me quick up and down hanging of my work so I can always see exactly how my finished work will look.  The entry door is the same style of door one would find at a department store all glass with side windows also in glass.  Any passerby can easily see what my next creations are at all times. 

I do keep the doors locked and have a by appointment sign prominently placed and yes people do want to stop, come in and look around and sometimes make a purchase or just contemplate what is gong on with my work. When friends visit this is always the first stop in the house to see what I have been up to lately.  I do not work downstairs in the other rooms as I prefer working upstairs always keeping a distance from the area but I have been thinking lately of moving my studio to one of the lower level rooms.  In the past I have been approached by other artist to use the exhibiting space but I am pretty selfish about my little gallery and how I can always be changing the gallery and exhibiting new artworks..

 My family land I celebrated Mother's Day this

 weekend in Carmel, California.

 What a beautiful day it was.

 Carmel was not crowded and the sight seeing was so delightful.

 We all had a wonderful time.  I highly recommend

 Spanish Bay to anyone wanting a romantic or just relaxing

 getaway!

 We also met a amateur astronomer at Spanish Bay who set up     

 his equipment so we could all get a glimpse of the eclipse.

 Dinner and later coffee around one of the fire pits was so indulgent

 and yes we all enjoyed every minute of it.

 Deer were everywhere and later a gentleman playing a bagpipe emerged

 from the moor.
                                                    

 Wonderful day and thanks to my family!

Long over due is the announcement that my work is now represented by GaulSearson Ltd., located in the San Francisco Design Center, Ca. 
GaulSearson Ltd.

Joe Gaul and Doug Searson have a magnificent designer show room that is a must see.
Please check out the link and see for yourself.

This just one of the new pieces of art works at Gaul Searson Ltd.


"Flow" 40h x 30w

Lucky me the lovely ladies who post on the blog http://www.seehowwesew.wordpress.com/ asked if they could place my artwork from Quilt National 2011 on their blog.  I was very flattered needless to say.  Please take a look at SeeHowWeSew as it is a interesting blog with information about exhibits and instructions on techniques.

Thank you Darra, Laura and Christie!

Jean Ray Laury-Quilt of the Month

            at the International Quilt Study Center

Click on image above to view a larger image and detail.

Persephone’s Spring