Smiles & Barbs

I ran across this critter the last time we were in San Marcos.  He/she doesn't look too friendly at first glance (that barbed tail)  but the quirky expression does make me smile a bit.

Life has been a bit like that lately mixing the barbs and smiles.  A couple of Sundays ago a group of us did a workshop with Margie Woods Brown.  Deborah wrote eloquently about it in her blog on 7/14.  It was lots of fun and I can definitely recommend Margie's workshops.  Most of all it was a lovely day to be with friends before we part ways (at least geographically).  The barbs of missing friends are mixed with the smiles of pride and hope the future.   
 

The next weekend I did an assemblage workshop with Beverly Mangham at Eye of the Dog Studio in San Marcos.  It was fun, creative, and used up some of my "treasures" plus some of Beverly's.  She is an  amazingly talented and generous lady.  Her art is featured in the gallery at the Center among other places.  That experience was definitely smile worthy and has carried me through some of the less fun days of late.  

Last Friday our small art group got together to share our round robin books started last fall.  If the others feel as I do these books will be long treasured and the source of many smiles.  It was a great day of sharing, laughing, eating and feeling a sense of camaraderie that is rare and beautiful.

The biggest barb lately have been the lack of time to make art.  Mostly we've been working outside where the heat, humidity, dirt & grim are pretty prickly, not to mention exhausting.  I am smiling at the progress we've been making but have to laugh at the realtor's assistant's comment that we should get the house very "pristine" - not a word I've ever used to describe my abode but we're working on it.