WonderQuest Benefit

Come to the Wonder Ballroom this Friday, May 21st for an art auction in support of Quest Center
for Integrative Health.  They are a much needed non profit health center with a wide range of services, commited to providing high quality care to everyone including those that are marginalized and under serviced.
  I have the painting above up for auction in good company with loads of other great art.  Here's the link to their site with pictures of the art:
 http://www.quest-center.org/?page_id=1306


  Thanks to everyone who visited me at the Alberta Street Art Hop this last Saturday.  The day was
perfect; breezy and sunny.  The people watching was so much fun.  I was across from the childrens art and face painting which is always a blast.  Lots of bunny ear people walking around.
  Here are some more crummy photos from my iphone of a few of my finds and aquisitions:

 Jane Aukshunas oil pastel.
  I love the motion and vibrants colors of her work.  It was such a pleasure to see she
was set up next to me.
http://www.janeaukshunas.com/

Cut out picture that I scored for $5 from one of the kids at a local Ne Portland school.  Their art teacher had a booth and was selling their work for them.  Portland is so great.

Two more great finds from Hana (all I know) another student from the school art booth.  These are handmade boxes in the style of India.  This girl is very gifted.  I can't wait to hang these on my wall.

  And for a perfect finish to a lovely day, Bruce and I went to Saraveza Bottle Shop & Pasty Tavern on Killingsworth.  We had ice cold Pilsners-yum! and homemade vegetable soup with a delicious butter lettuce salad with house pickled beets and blue cheese.  

And here's my guy Mort, belly shaved recuperating from his close call with death.  We're so glad he's doing better.  

Happy Birthday to ME

  Saturday was my birthday and it was a very good day.  The sun was out, there was that perfect cool breeze that tastes so good and makes one feel clean and refreshed  like those soap commercials.
 
  The best present was my pup Morton's good health prognosis.  He had been very ill from a severe internal traumatic injury.   He had had surgery and was having a tough time healing due to his blood not clotting propery.  With a diagnosis of hemophilia and a plasma transfusion he started to mend very quickly and he's pretty much back to being his old goofy self, although we are treading much more carefully.  (he's on a fly hunt right now.)  The emergency veterinary hospital and staff was fantastic.  Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone there!  I so recommend this place to anyone local who needs emergency care for their pets.
http://columbiarivervetspecialists.com/

Mort, one happy dude,  recovering in my studio.

   I wanted to share some of the fabulous presents I received and thank my friends Sam, Emily and Bruce for starting the fun off early by taking me out to eat Thursday and Friday.  Thursday we ate at Vindalho in Portland.  They have a fantastic modern space and fresh, innovative Indian food.  This place is really yummy.   Vindalho  .  Friday night Emily took me out to Lapellah in Vancouver.  They specialize in fresh, local cuisine.  The restaurant is fairly new and they did a really nice job with the construction and design.
  They have a brick oven, wood beams and very comfy booths.  Apparantly they are renowned for their burger.  I had the halibut with crab.  A bit indulgent, but hey it's my birthday.  http://lapellah.com/

 Here are some crummy photos, I really will have to work on improving my photography:

 Yummy homemade chocolate cupcake from Sherry.  It was so good I couldn't wait to start eating it before I took the photo.  Morty licked the frosting too.

Purple and red seemed to be the theme.  Hydrangea's from Sherry 

Lunch Skins from Kimmy.  Perfect for packing my dried fruit and nuts and saving those plastic bags.

Handwoven cloth woven by Beth Poirer a gift from Kim Morris and the lighter pink one is one of Kims.    Her work is incredible.  She dyes all her yarn with natural vegetable dies and then hand weaves them.  

  Morty loves lying on her wool rug in my kitchen.  Here's a link to Oregon Art Beat, they feature Kimmy:http://www.opb.org/programs/artbeat/episodes/view/843

"Icons of the Desert", Aboriginal art book, gift from Bruce.

Spice storage system, beautiful colorful spices, a knife and an Alice Waters cookbook from Sherry. I'm going to cook something today from it.  Thank you Sherry, you always get me the most perfect gifts.

And to myself a mega sugar high- Theo chocolate with Cherries and Almonds, buttered popcorn and coconut flavored jelly beans and a binge on Season 5 of Weeds.   

 

  I returned from the Fiesta art show in San Antonio at the SW School of Art.  This is one of my very favorite art shows.  It is so compatible with my art style.  The booth I had was located in an old stone cathedral surrounded by stained glass windows, iron chandeliers, a pretty polished wood floor and tapestries.  The crowd is ebullient and celebratory.  Fiesta is San Antonio's version of Marti Gras and they really get into it.  The locals don their most colorful outfits-there's fun wacky hats,  intricate embroidery and displays of metals that they collect each year.   I gorged myself on authentic Mexican food and people watched for 2 days. 

  Below are a some photos.

                                      stained glass window in Cathedral near my booth

panels above my booth, dingle balls from my booth.

angel stained glass window in cathedral at show.

One of many colorful, fun tops to be seen.

Very Fiesta Texas kickers!

I guess I wasn't the only one taking photos.

Looks like imagery from my paintings.

  Chicken in La Villita section of San Antonio

Red pig with yellow wings.

Pink food booth in La Villita

looks like he's in the wrong neck of the woods

Lovely sculpture La Villita

Ceramic house number sign La Villita

Church bell, old German church in La Villita

Virgin of Guadelupe alter

Blue face painting in window

painted cart La Villita