Lavender Wand

My dearest childhood friend Annette was here yesterday to spend the day. She has a Lavender farm with her daughter Kim. They both work the farm in a sea of lavender! She brought me this darling hand made lavender wand, made by weaving ribbon in and out of the stems, lovely. It is about 12 inches long. You are supposed to put them in your undie drawer as a sachet. Right now it is in my front room on the coffee table and the fragrance has just filled the room!!
They are making soap and oils and all manner of wonderful lavender specialties.
She said the bees are really coming to the farm in great numbers and we are all so happy about that! She will be adding bee hives soon on the acreage and told me lavender honey is delicious! I can hardly wait!! I know she will share being that she most certainly is my dearest childhood friend!!
Thankyou Annette for a treasured visit and my beautiful lavender wand!!!
XO Susan

Raku Pears

Speaking of pears! Just took these out of the kiln, hand formed rakued pears. I am continuing my facination with pears in clay and paint and raku. Loving it all! I painted these in colorful glazes and the raku process softened them nicely. Comments? Write to me at

www.susanjenkinsart@charter.net

Pear Trees

I just had to take a picture of the pear trees at Pam's too! Just beautiful! I had only seen pear trees once in my life and this was a treat. There are fruit and wonderful old olive trees surrounding her home.
A wonderful day, thankyou Pam!

A Visit to Pam Derby's

Gayle and I went out to Paso Robles ( wine country)to visit with Pam Derby and see her lovely new home out in the middle of her vinyard "Lauras Vinyard, Derbyshire Farms".
As far as the eye can see in all directions it is gorgeous vinyard with beautiful grape vines. This is a picture of Gayle standing at the edge of Pam's new infinity pool!
Her home is a Craftsman style with windows looking out forever!
I will be doing a small tile repair and painting as at one time that was my business, tiles and murals, ( a really long time ago!).
It was a really fun day, a tour of her beautiful home and lunch by the pool!
Today more playing with an old friend and then I really must knuckle down and get to some art work!!

ART DAY

It was a truely beautiful day yesterday! Today is my birthday so the girls gave me a party!! So nice and such fun! Vickie's garden is magical and we were sitting on her patio right in the midst of lovingly collected vintage statuary, beautiful flowers and succulents of all variety everywhere. Cascading sweet peas, water flowing from a fountain,nature, nature, nature, ( am I gushing?)nature!

I didn't get much work done, the girls painted working in acrylics and I brought all my tag stuff or so I thought, glue was the biggie forget and Lynn helped out with her "Yes" glue. Great stuff, ever tried it? It is archival and used professionally. I have been using glue sticks from Staples!! Vickie loaned me her special small cutting scissors, a major break thru!!
Too much fun and I should actually have painted because believe it or not tags take much concentration.
We did show and tell and Vickie showed her gorgeous tags and I am more determined than ever to do these! Lynn showed us her extraordinary bead collection, beads from all over the world!

The girls completed many small paintings and I almost completed a tag!!

Thankyou Lynn and Vickie and Gayle for a truely, special,unforgettable day!

Now, to work!!!

SEASCAPE mixed media

8x10 encaustic mixed media seascape on board. I have really been all over the place lately! Tags and now back to encaustics (wax) painting and acrylic.
I love the wax medium, you really don't know what you will get. Alot of surprizes!

I am going to an art day with friends today and will be making more art tags.....we will all be doing something different! Hope you are having a great day, perhaps an art day too???

Well have fun! XO Susan