Escalante Art Festival 2018

For the past 5 years I have attended the Escalante Canyons Arts Festival.  I discovered this festival as I was studying the fascinating story of Everett Ruess.  He was a wanderer and adventurer, exploring the western states alone. A greatly talented artist and poet who documented his travels through art, letters written to family, and haunting poetry.  Escalante is a small town located in Southern Utah on the edge of the Grand Staircase Escalante- National Monument.  Everett, only age 20, ( 1914-1934) was last seen in this beautiful little town before he disappeared into the vast wilderness of the area.  It has been such a pleasure to attend this festival, the breath-taking scenery,  support of the community, and the amazing people who plan and host this event are what makes this Plein Air Festival one of the best in the country!  I am so honored this year to have been asked to present a demonstration on colorful water color portraits. 

A portrait of a dear friend's grandson.

By using unexpected colors, squiggles and splots, creates a unique painterly portrait.

My presentation will be held Sept. 25th, 3:00-5:00 p.m. in the Escalante Community Center.

I can't wait to see everyone and have the honor to associate with so many talented people.  This festival encourages everyone of all ages to be an artist and has workshops, demos, and hands on art projects to help you become the artist you desire to be.  I have included a link below.

ESCALANTE CANYON ARTS FESTIVAL

Thanks to all the commity members that work so tirelessly every year to make this festival 

SO MUCH FUN!!!!

My campsite at the Red Rock Canyon Campground near Bryce Canyon National Park.

For those of you who know me, I have included a few post from my adventures in farming and life that you might enjoy reading.

MY 1965 VINTAGE TRAILER REMODEL 

FROM START TO FINISH

BATTERY EXHAUSTED

SQUASH CURRENCY

WHO OR WHAT, A DESCRIPTION OF MYSELF

MOLTING

A VISIT WITH DOC

My Little Red House

I have been busy sprucing up the little red house. Deciding to paint the entrance room,  I choose a warm rust color and was a bit apprehensive about the color at first.  The room is very small and I worried that the dark color would make the room feel extremely cramped, but with the light from the big double doors of the sun room, I think it turned out perfect.

The room measures about 9x10 feet. Everything is second hand of course, even the

 paint, I picked it up at the local RE-STORE. I haven't painted the trim

 around the ceiling yet. I am still deciding on what color to use. Any suggestions?

.

A shelf we built into the wall holds vintage books.

I moved this lamp from the trailer at the farm. 

 It now resides by the window in the corner of the one and only bedroom.

I added this old mirror to my dresser. The veneer top wore off long ago. 

 I removed what was left of it exposing some really nice solid wood boards

 and painted them a warm brown.

I made a new table for the kitchen out of a sofa table and boards from and old water bed.

  It is not very wide and by scooting it under the window

 it gives us more room in the tiny kitchen.

I couldn't resist putting flowers on this fellow who hangs over the small doorway

 into my 3 foot wide by 10 foot long library.

Spring cleaning and fixing up. It makes my little red house smile!

Junkin' For Treasure

I have always been a treasure/junk hunter. I began at an early age, about 7 years old.
Hopping on my sting-ray bike with it's sparkly banana seat and a basket attached to the front handle-bars, I would ride a mile out of town and spend the day digging through the treasures at the town dump. After filling my basket with treasures I would pedal home.  My mother would no longer let me bring my treasures in the house after she discovered the awful smell coming out from under my bed was the pheasant wing with feathers I had found several weeks earlier.  My treasures were put in the garage and eventually hauled off to the dump, and then I would invariably drag them home again!
Over 50 years later I am still dragging home treasures.

u

I purchased the above picture in a junk store as a college student  almost 40 years ago.

I thought it looked a lot like me when I was young.

I took the following pictures of a quaint second hand store in a small town in New Mexico.

Unfortunately the store was closed.  

I would have bought this handsome, paper mache frog to sit on the bench in my Garden Shed.

This coming up year I will be spending more time in my little red house now that we no longer have it as a rental.  As space is limited in the 600 square foot home, I have been selling some of my finds.  I still love to dig through dusty boxes for the all illusive treasure, but I have to limit myself now.  Here is one of  my New Years Resolutions:

DO NOT USE A CART WHEN SHOPPING FOR TREASURES! 

I will still allow myself to hunt for those one of a kind vintage or antique items, but I can only buy what I can carry.

How long do you think this resolution will last?