A Wee Weaving

 Greetings!  Now that the heat of summer has set in, I am thankful that I had gathered together a tremendous selection of botanical treasures during my three outings on Volcan Mountain when the weather was cooler.

I let these darling purple lupine stalks be the subject of another weaving, since they kept jumping out at me from the midst of all the rest. 

This wee weaving — 8”x 10.5” — was woven on my tiny ArtCraft loom in the space of a few deliriously happy hours last month.

Thank you Volcan Mountain Foundation for giving me this opportunity to celebrate and honor your stewardship for our beloved mountain preserve, “Where Purple Flowers Grow”.

Sacred Ground

My second foray onto Volcan Mountain was an immersion of my senses into the sights and sounds and smells and textures of the forest and beyond. My senses, and also my heart.
It was a relatively cool morning.  The first sound I noticed was the deep cooing of an unfamiliar bird. I stood still and watched for it...caught a glimpse of it among the treetops...what was it? I have yet to know it’s name.
Then I turned my attention to what was underfoot.  Soft, dark, sweet smelling earth, duff layered with rocks, leaves, pine needles, katkins, seedlings, pine cones, twigs, branches, and bugs.  What a fascinating mix of colors, shapes, growth, sustenance, and decay!
I started gathering them. Not all, just some.  Oh! This twisty twig, this bouquet of leaves, these delicate oak frills, this spray of incense cedar, this sprig of something....
Three hours later, having deposited my first round of botanicals in the back of my car, then proceeding to hike the trail up to the Sky Island Pipe Scope and back again, gathering more materials along the way, I paused before heading home.
My “takeaway”:  this mountain, this 420-plus acres of the Volcan Mountain Foundation land, combined with adjacent county- and conservancy-preserved land of 31,000 acres, is sacred ground.
What do I mean by “sacred”?  Blessed, a bestower of blessings, worth preserving, valuable in and of itself, soul-nourishing, life-nourishing, worth knowing and appreciating and enjoying and celebrating and adoring.
These are my memories and thoughts and feelings, as I wove “Sacred Ground”.
Here are some scenes from the mountains, as well as the weaving.

To the mountain we go

Dear Friends,
How our lives have all changed since my last post of March 3!  My wish for all of you is that you and your family are well, and that the pandemic and all it’s ramifications have steered you in a direction that is at least manageable and at best to your liking.
A quick recap: We were in Canada visiting friends at the time the lockdown started.   We returned home on March 18.
Mission Trails Park closed on March 16.  All the artwork was shut inside the visitor’s center until the end of May, when I was able to pick up what was left of my botanical weavings. Several I delivered to their respective new owners, a few I brought home.
It was a successful show: half of the weavings sold, enabling me to send a tidy sum to the California Chaparral Institute, after the Park had taken it’s commission.
Two of the remaining weavings are currently on display at the Borrego Art Institute in Borrego Springs: “Beyond Summer” and “Where Rabbits Run”.
I received good news right after we returned: I was one of two artists chosen for the Volcan Mountain Foundation Marjorie and Joseph Rubenson Endowment for Art and Science at Volcan Mountain in 2020.
Such an honor, for which I am deeply grateful.  And excited!
The purpose of the endowment is “to promote public appreciation of Volcan Mountain and its beauty and environmental diversity through art or scientific activities...”. The endowment provides for an artist “to visit the Volcan Mountain Range in Julian, California to create original works of art ...that would enhance the public appreciation of the mountain, its unique beauty and environmental attributes.”
Now you know why I chose “To the mountain we go” for my blog title!
I’ve been to the mountain twice already, and have completed the first of seven botanical weavings for the foundation.
My first impression was of bright bright sunlight amongst the tall oaks and conifers, and the sound of the wind in the trees.  Then I spotted a plant that clearly called out to me to be woven: horsetail fern.  There are masses of this equisetaceae growing alongside the creek near the VMF Nature Center.
Once I finished the weaving, as I was pondering what title to give it, a poem arose in my mind.
It sums up my total feeling of being on the mountain, the comfort and solace that being among such massive trees and on such firm yet fragile ground instilled in me.
The following photos are a first peek into that precious place.
The poem, as the weaving, is entitled “Hush”.

Hush
Be still
Hear the wind in the trees

Hush
Rest a while
The rush of the cities
Never ceases

Hush
Rest here
All is well

New Friends

Last week I had the pleasure of sharing my love of plants and my joy of weaving botanicals, with members of the Julian Art Guild.
I presented an overview of my work, then demonstrated basic weaving techniques on one of the three simple and compact frame looms which I brought with me.
That’s was all Cathy, Melissa, and Laurie needed to get weaving!
Bonnie and Diane opted for the mini-table loom with four shafts.
Given the level of interest, I’m planning a two-day workshop later this year, most likely in June. I’ll keep you posted....
Fun all around, as you can see from these photos.  Thanks JAG, for a great time weaving!

CHAPARRAL DREAMS Art exhibit at Mission Trails Regional Park

What a splendid time was had by all at Mission Trails Regional Park in Santee last Sunday afternoon:   the opening reception for “Chaparral Dreams”, landscapes by Jim Nix and botanical weavings by me. I have been preparing for this for the past eight months, and it was truly a joy to see my work hanging alongside Jim’s beautiful depictions of the Park.
Thank you to all our friends and family who came, and to all those who wandered in from the visitors center at large or from the trails within the park.  You made my day!
And I would be remiss if I failed to especially thank Vicky DeLong for the fabulous job she did putting it all together.  Thank you Vicky!
Another bonus: the park will have a tidy sum to add to their foundation’s general sum, for a good number of both our works have already sold, and a percentage of the sales is designated for the park.
Enjoy these scenes from the show!

Wabi Sabi II

This botanical weaving will go to the highest bidder!
Escondido Arts Partnership Municipal Gallery is hosting their annual fundraising soirée on Saturday March 28 from 5:30 to 9pm.
Panache will be a celebration of local art, with silent and live art auctions. Proceeds will benefit the Escondido Arts Partnership free arts program for the community.
Auction preview Saturday March 14 5:30 to 8pm.
Make a reservation online at escondidoarts.org or call 760-480-4101.
Wabi Sabi II measures 25”x60”. Price: to be determined!

From Near and Far

We do a bit of traveling every now and then. Often I come home with botanicals from far away places.
This botanical weaving has plant materials from right outside our front door, from nearby trails where we hike, from a kiwi farm in Canada, and from a small town in southern India.
I started weaving it just after we returned home from India, where I spent the “time out” that I wrote of in my previous post.
Time off gave me time to rest, to regroup, to think about what I do, and how and why I do it.  Time to reflect on my life. Precious time....
As I was weaving this piece, I was remembering the warm people we met on our trip, the warm people in our life here at home, the lush, beautiful landscape we were immersed in there, and the diverse beautiful landscape here.
Weaving has always been a metaphor for me, of the connectedness of the myriad elements that combine to make our life what it is.  People, places, all that brings meaning and worth to my life.
This weaving is no exception.  It has contrast, harmony, diversity, and

overarching sense of unity.

“From Near and Far” will be on display at the Borrego Art Institute “Earth’s Elements” Show from February 1-23.  23”Wx28”L.  $315