Ode to Some Brilliant Women - Getting Inspired

I am on the verge of a change in my life.  We are moving to a new area here in our beloved Los Angeles County, where we will have roomier digs, and I will be able to both set up a larger working space for my bead work, and put up my easel again to get back to work painting.  I have been itching to paint!  When I woke up this morning I asked myself, "And just what is it that you are itching to SAY with your paint??"  Ah... therein lies the eternal question.  If you read my Facebook feed from a few weeks back, you will see that I address this question a bit in my five day Artist's Challenge.  The only thing I know is that there is SOMETHING in there that needs to come out!  SOON!  Tired of WAITING!

"Waiting" by Linda Queally c2008

So what do I do to get inspired?  I find myself looking at work that inspires me.  And that brings me to this post, where I want to share some brilliant women that I follow, but do not know personally, who are modern day creators in a variety of media.  These are nationally acclaimed women, who show their work at the finest galleries, arts and crafts shows, are featured in private collections, and sometimes museums.  I like each one for a different reason.  They inspire me to find my niche and take it to the next level, and hope to one day own a piece of each of their works.  Let me introduce their work to you!

"Om" by Kina Crow.  Here she gives an example of what goes on in her head when she tries to meditate!

First off, there's Pittsburgh artist Kina Crow, who does hand-built ceramic sculptures that are so witty and charming that you can't help but fall in love with her work.  Many have captions below them that are sure to make you smile every time you see them.  Kina takes the things that we all think, and brings them to life in her work.  Truly, I think she is absolutely genius.  She does a circuit of the finest Arts and Crafts Fairs throughout the summer, and you can click her name under the photo above to visit her website to find out how to see her work in person.  So what do I get from Kina's sculptures?  Playfulness and Humor!

Julie Powell, who creates beautiful bead work, including the source of her inspiration.

I am also in love with the work of Boulder, Colorado jewelry artist Julie Powell.  She is masterful with color, as well as bead embroidery, and is always generous to offer us a sample of the piece that provides the colorful inspiration for her latest creation.  She works with her own hand made beaded beads and woven flowers, glass beads, and semi-precious stones, both new and vintage.  Julie also shows her work at the finest Arts and Crafts fairs in the country, and is featured in museums.  click the link above, under the photo, to see her work and where you can find her.  And what do I get most from Julie's jewelry?  Color!

"After Lent Sister Linda Prayed Long and Loud". Acrylic on canvas 24x48, Christina Forster-Ramos

Next on my list, with masterful execution and a wicked sense of humor, is figurative artist Christina Forster-Ramos.  I actually had the good fortune to meet this amazing lady a few weeks ago, when she came to our Angeles Crest Art Guild meeting to give a demonstration on Golden Acrylics.  It was my first introduction to her work, and I am hooked.  She does portraits in acrylic, many finished in a smooth, glossy finish, and her work is stunning.  When I grow up, I want to be just like her!!  Acrylic is definitely my medium of choice as well, and I hope to take some workshops with Christina in the near future.  So what do I get from Christina's work?  Humor and Risk-Taking!

"Girl with a Pineapple Earring" 20 x 24" watercolor on clayboard (modern fresco) by Ali Cavanaugh

Poetic and soulful, another of my very favorite contemporary women painters is Ali Cavanaugh.  I discovered her work around 2008, when I followed her on the Daily Painters after seeing an ad in American Art Collector magazine.  I have loved her work ever since.  She is represented by one of my favorite galleries, Robert Lange Studios in Charleston, South Carolina, among others.  She is very prolific, and her portraits are most often on a simple background with a thought-provoking title.  She is based in St. Louis, Missouri.  What do I get most from Ali's paintings?  Soulfulness, thoughtfulness, simplicity.

So these are some of the places I go for inspiration, following fabulous women artists that are creative, prolific, and successful.  If these artists are new to you, I am so happy to introduce you to their work, and I hope you enjoyed it.  And where do you go for your inspiration?

Wishing you a fabulous day!

Love,
Linda

Is Amber Once Again Becoming More Precious Than Gold? Amber Scouting in Tucson, Arizona.

Ever since Eduardo took me to Simojovel, Chiapas, Mexico in 2013, I have become fascinated with Amber, and those of you who have come to see us at shows know that Amber now graces our table in increasing proportions.  I had dinner with a special friend of mine, Trayci, last week (from my former life in the Title business) who reads my posts on Facebook and my emails.  Over burgers, the subject of Amber came up.  She said "I don't get it.  What is Amber?  What do you DO with it?"  This comment made me realize that she was probably not the only person I knew who was thinking that!  Maybe my friends are thinking "Supposedly Linda is an artist.  Why has she become such a nut case about Amber?" 

Cognac colored Mexican Amber from Chiapas with Insect Inclusions, at the Tucson gem show last week

Well, to back up a bit, before I ever visited Chiapas, my first encounter with Amber was at Tyson Wells in Quartzsite, Arizona, about five years ago.  Eduardo was introducing me to the gem and mineral business, and pointed out a vendor selling Amber with insect inclusions.  I found that just plain WEIRD.  Why would anyone want a rock with a bug in it?  I felt just like Trayci.  What do you DO with it?  I was not in the least bit interested.  Now fast forward to Chiapas in 2013.  I started to learn a bit about this fossilized tree resin called Amber, and you can read that post here.  I became fascinated with the color variations, the weight, the inclusions, and the sweet smell of honey.  And I became taken with the fact that this organic gem was the only one that trapped history inside of it, and was translucent so you could see that history, which was in some cases 20 to 40 million years old, or more.  I became hooked.  We brought some home with us.  And as I began selling it, I noticed that I could literally feel the healing, positive energy of this substance when I placed it on my table.  So over this past year I began to study my Amber customers and their desires.  Who is my customer?  Jewelry designer, carver, lapidary guy, collector, dealer, healer?  What type of material do they like?  Mexican, Baltic, Colombian, African, Dominican Republic?  How much are they willing to pay for it?  And it became my most important goal this year at the Tucson Gem and Mineral show to seek out Amber, and study the trends in both where it is coming from these days, and how it is priced.  I found out a few things, starting with the Mexican.  One, there were not many Mexican Amber dealers this year.  We found two.  One we knew.  One was new to us.  And Two, it has become very expensive, with clarity being highly prized.  Like Greek and Roman times, is it becoming more precious than gold?

Surrounded by Mexican Amber in honey, cognac and red.

Learning about quality, color and price.

Choosing some Mexican pieces.

One of the most noticeable trends on this trip was the abundance of Amber from Malaysia.  It was everywhere, and this material has a lot of variation in both color and quality, ranging from red to a deep brown with patches of pale color running through it, to a blue or purple when held under ultraviolet light.  The prices vary greatly on polished pieces, depending on the color.  I intend to study more about this Amber, because it has flooded the marketplace right now and it is new to me, but I did discover so far that in the book "Amber, Window to the Past", by David A. Grimaldi, it mentions that some Ambers from Malaysia are from the Miocene period, which was 26 million years ago.  We brought some home in the rough, and I would love comments from anyone who knows more about the history of this type of material.

Malaysian Amber

I couldn't talk about Amber without mentioning the Baltic Amber, which is the most well known to the public and some of the oldest that is readily available, ranging from 38 to 54 Million years old (Eocene to Oligocene periods).  Amber literally washes up on the seashore on the Baltic Coast, one of the most plentiful Amber regions.  I've had many customers tell me that they grew up there, and would pick it up along the shore as kids.  Imagine that.  As always, there were quite a few Baltic Amber dealers in Tucson, but I have my favorite dealer, and I have my favorite colors when it comes to Baltic.

The white and the butterscotch are my personal favorites in the Baltic.

I love the white and the butterscotch, and I was delighted that I could bring home my first small pieces this year.  Stop by one of our shows to see it.

Because I also love antique beads, I have most recently started learning about antique African Berber beads, which are large antique Amber beads worn by nomads.  The beads can cost several hundred dollars each, and here's a necklace I spotted at the show for a mere $9,280.00.  Serious collectors only need apply for this little number.  Watch out for the new African "Amber" beads, though, which are largely synthetic.

Antique African Berber Beads.

Last, but not least, I would like to talk about Copal.  We met a new Colombian dealer on this trip who sells mainly Copal, which is a younger tree resin, not yet fossilized.  I like to call this a young form of Amber, but I find there are those that get very ornery about that description.  Anyway, I do believe it is safe to say that all Amber was once Copal, and that these specimens have their own intrigue and charm.  This particular dealer had some very, very nice pieces with insect inclusions, and one in particular had a cricket inside of it.  Unfortunately you will have to take my word on this, because I did not get a good picture of it.

Copal from Colombia with insect inclusions.

Since Copal is not fossilized like Amber, it is priced accordingly, and can be quite affordable.  I have sold some very interesting pieces of Copal and I especially like the larger sculptural pieces and pieces with insect inclusions.  It is quite fragile, and susceptible to cracking or crazing in the heat, so I always warn my customers to handle it with care.  The smaller pieces are great for lapidary people to practice their polishing, for jewelry makers to wire wrap, to carry in your pocket for good luck or healing, or to burn as incense to cleanse the energy in a room.  I find it to be particularly fragrant.

In closing, I have been visiting the Tucson Gem and Mineral show for about five years now, and I always enjoy it and find that each year I become more focused.  What I learned about the Amber on this trip is that it can vary in price from fifty cents per gram for certain rough pieces to twenty-five dollars or more per gram for the more desirable clear, polished pieces, especially the Mexican red and the Dominican Republic blue.  These prices per gram translate into mucho dinero.  And the specimens with insect inclusions can be even more, depending on the importance of the fossil, and the type of material.  The Malaysian and the Baltic were plentiful at the show.  The Mexican and Colombian not so much.  Mostly, the types of Amber that are most interesting and sought after by my customers are more expensive that ever!!  Time to become an ultra savvy buyer, to stay in the game.

My highly professional method for recording my findings each night back at the van.

I'd love to hear your own comments on Amber.  We are back in Los Angeles for now, and you can follow me on Facebook to see where we will be selling.  Come and visit and let's talk Amber!

All the best,
Linda

It Takes Some Endurance to Sell in Quartzsite, Arizona

Tonight we're back home in our cozy room, internet and all, ready to share our first road trip of the year with you, namely to Quartzsite, Arizona.  Eduardo and I spent January 21st through the 25th selling at the QIA Pow Wow in Quartzsite, and it was windy, dusty, hot, cold, sunny, challenging, did I mention dusty, and most importantly, FUN.

QIA (Quartzsite Improvement Association)

First off, contrary to the way it sounds, the "Pow Wow" is not a Native American event.  I tell you this because I myself was surprised to learn this when we visited the Pow Wow last year, in 2014.  I was expecting rituals and Native American dancing.  Wrong!  What the Pow Wow IS, is a gathering of rock, gem and jewelry dealers who camp out in their RV's, Vans or Tents for five or six days on this big dusty plot of land, did I mention dusty, in order to offer for sale an interesting variety of rocks, gems, mineral specimens, jewelry, jewelry findings and more, share their love of the business, and enjoy the camaraderie of like minded people.  There are over 500 vendors who come from all over the world to sell at this event, and the same awesome volunteers return year after year as well to lend a hand. 

Here I am the first morning, waking up after a brisk night, getting ready to set up our booth.

Oh, you say, look at that cushy RV they are sleeping in behind them.  Oh, no, no, no.  That belongs to the neighbors.  We are enjoying more cozy accomodations.

Our little home away from home for five days.

But comfortable and warm, we slept like babies, despite the temperature dropping into the high 30's each night.  The only disadvantage was if you had to make a late night trip to the Porta Potty.  Oh so very, very chilly.  And yet this is one of the things I love about Quartzsite.  It definitely shakes you out of your comfort zone. 

The day starts to warm up and our booth takes shape.

Now set up and ready to do business, with everything looking nice and pretty, the one thing we did not count on for the first day was the wind.  We are Pow Wow novices.  We did not anticipate wind.  The winds came at a good clip the first day, reaching almost 30 mph, and I soon learned that everything I brought would pretty much be covered in a layer of dust for the duration of the show.  The top of the tent went flappity, flappity, flap, wearing on our nerves and pulling on the tent stakes, even though they were embedded in dirt as hard as concrete. 

Although this is one way to tie down the tent for the night, we ended up just taking it off, where it remained for the duration of day two as the wind continued to blow.

Since we are not particularly good early morning sellers, we quickly fell into our daily routine for the rest of the show.  Each morning around 9:15, we would take a walk to get coffee and a homemade cinnamon roll from the concession stand, and visit some of the other booths.

Eduardo with the largest piece of natural amber we have ever seen.  This specimen is from Malaysia.

An impeccable strand of spiny oyster shell beads with turquoise inlay by silversmith and jewelry artist Tom Kidd.  He actually painstakingly set tiny pieces of turquoise into the crevices of the spiny oyster, and the results were spectacular.  I would love to own this piece!

The scrumptious colors of these pieces of glass found in the desert made me wish I was a glass artist.

Then each day we would return to our booth around 10:30 or so and set up for the day.  The discipline of setting it up, taking it down, setting it up, taking it down, setting it up, taking it down.... for five days.... is challenging.  Another reason why I loved being in Quartzsite.  There I go out of my comfort zone again!  The wind died down by Day Three, and it was smooth sailing, weather wise for the duration of the show.

All in all we were happy with our booth, but I had to constantly shift the amber and the photos as the sun moved, because the Arizona sun is intense and those items needed to be in the shade.  Didn't really anticipate the strength of the sun anymore than we anticipated the wind!  And so each day we learn something new.

Here's Eduardo working on a wire wrap design for a customer.  He always seems to draw extra onlookers when he's doing his beautiful work.

So that sounds like fun and all, Linda, you say, but how do people stay clean out there in that dustbin of a gem show?  Well, not in the bathroom at the event, that's for sure.

No baths in the sink.  LOL.  That sign cracked me up.  You KNOW how I love a good sign.

But you can walk a few blocks to the local laundromat and have yourself a shower for $7.00 per person (5am to 6:45 pm), and do laundry to boot, if you like, so there are some conveniences near by.

And food, you ask?  The dining hall has very affordable and delicious home cooked dinners served by smiling, energetic senior volunteers who are downright adorable every evening.  And if you tire of the dining hall, you can venture out once again by just walking a few blocks to try out the local cuisine.  Friday night I was craving a beer, and so we tried out Taco Mio.  The food was good, but we were not fond of the way you had to wait in line to order, then go find a table, and then wait for the food.  We did not get the best vibe there, and did not love the service.  Hence no picture.  But the next night, Saturday night, we took a walk again and tried out Silly Pete's.

Silly Pete's was as crowded as all get out, and we waited an hour for a table and another hour for our pizza.  But there was a live band, and once we got our beer, we started to relax.  I could have sat there all night.  The gourmet pizza was delicious, the music was really good, and it was FUN!  This place I highly recommend.  On our walk home, we passed a used RV lot, where we saw this little number for a mere $344,037.00.  Really?

One very pricey RV!

Sunday was the last day of the show for us, and we ended up learning about selling in yet another different kind of environment.  We sent home happy customers with Mexican gems and cultural items, brass Native American and Mermaid pieces, Mermaid Prints, Milagro necklaces, Amber and more.  We connected with vendors and visitors alike that we see at show after show, that have become our friends.  We made new friends.  We withstood wind, dust, heat and cold, as well as nippy midnight walks to the bathroom.  A successful week!  We packed up before dark and tried out one last restaurant in Quartzsite before heading home.  This time it was Grubstake Bar and Grill, which was significantly less crowded since the Pow Wow had drawn to a close.  The inside of the restaurant was really charming, and food simply delicious.

Grubstake Bar and Grill

We stopped at the local Chevron to gas up for the drive home, and encountered another thing we like about Quartzsite.  The gas prices!  Yes, my California friends, that is regular at under $2.00 a gallon.  Amazing.

We haven't decided yet if we will sell again next year at the Pow Wow.  We are taking a little time to wash the dust out of our hair, get some good rest, and then we'll decide.  But you'll be the first to know.

Thanks so much for following our adventures, and Buenas Noches.

Love,
Linda

My Mermaid Prints Available on Fine Art America Just in Time for the Holidays

I just wanted to take a few moments this evening to let you know that you can purchase my mermaid prints online, at Fine Art America, right from the comfort of your own home!  My beautiful, popular sirens are available in a wide variety of sizes, both framed and unframed, printed on paper, canvas or metal.  You can even purchase greeting cards!

"Moonlight Soak" by Linda Queally c2013

"Spring Mermaid", by Linda Queally c2014

To view my mermaids and more on Fine Art America, click the captions above under each mermaid image, and it will take you to my page.

I love the options that Fine Art America provides for ordering prints, and I hope you enjoy it as well!

xoxo

Linda


mermaids art
mermaid art

You Meet the Nicest People and See the Most Amazing Views in Colorado

Following our afternoon of wildlife spotting in Rocky Mountain National Park, we headed south on Highway 34 to the 40 west, about an 85 mile drive, and decided to call it a night in Kremmling, Colorado.  Kremmling is known for its trophy fishing, winter sports, and hunting.  There we had the good fortune to be directed to the historic Hotel Eastin.

Owners Walt and Maryann spent forty years looking for the right project before settling in to the Hotel Eastin three years ago.  Since then they have taken on the enormous project of restoration, and have been lovingly working on the hotel, one room at a time.

Their love shows.  In the lobby Maryann displays her grandmother's wedding dress, and in the upstairs foyer she displays her own.  Friday night is home made cookie night, Saturday is music night.  All at nearly half of what you would pay at the more modern, commercial hotel down the road.  What I loved was that everything smelled so good there, from the lobby down to the sheets!  We had a great time chatting with Maryann over coffee in the morning, and she recommended we take Trough Road to continue our journey south.

Taking the 9 South out of town, we made a right onto Trough Road, a dirt road that led us on a twenty five mile trip through some back country.

The road was remote, with nary another car in sight.  Just the way we liked it.

There were views of the Colorado River and the railroad tracks, and our favorite view spot along the way was Rancho Del Rio.

I think the people who run this tiny resort on the river have found their own slice of heaven.  So peaceful, it was just plain pretty no matter which way you looked.  I loved the name of their little restaurant.

Crossing the bridge just south afforded more Colorado magnificence.

and I think these fishermen also found their own little slice of heaven.  The vivid colors of the changing Aspens made for a picture perfect backdrop.

Continuing south, we reached the State Bridge, and then needed to take 131 South to get back to Highway 70.  We made a temporary boo boo and took the 131 North, which turned out to be fortuitous because we discovered the tiny town of McCoy, home to someone who really loves with work with antlers!

We soon discovered our mistake and turned around, heading back down the 131 South, which took us to the 70 West around Glenwood Canyon.  What a total joy to revisit that spectacular stretch of road, which I still believe is one of the most beautiful I have seen on all my travels so far.  Period.  Since I've posted some pics of this area before, and because all my photos at that moment were through my dirty, bug encrusted windshield, you will have to just trust me on this, and put this stretch of road on your MUST DO list.  We took the 70 West to just before Grand Junction, where we got on another scenic, winding road, the 65 South, for the drive past Powderhorn Ski Area and over the mountain through the Grand Mesa National Forest.  I had my first sheep spotting,

and finally had the chance to get an up close and personal look at the Aspens, which up until now we had been seeing from below.  Their colors took my breath away.

Coming down the mountain on the other side after a long day of driving, we ended our day at a slightly less charming hotel, the Rodeway Inn in Delta.  I was a little skeptical because the room was only $50.00 plus tax, but we are all about economy so I asked to see the room before we decided.  Again the most amazing little surprise!  A stove!

We always carry a bag with a couple of pots, a few dishes and utensils, and a bit of food, so we were able to cook ourselves dinner and relax after a long day in the car, at a very affordable price.

There is so much to discover in Colorado, and it is becoming more and more clear why all the people we meet are so happy there!  Next I will share the last leg of our drive through Colorado, as we head for Gallup, New Mexico.

Sending you Colorado Love!

Linda

Wildlife Spotting in Rocky Mountain National Park

After ten days, we bid farewell today to quirky, delightful Denver.  Quirky?  Yes.  Like why, for instance, did we pass at least four cars each day in different locations on our 25 minute drive back to the hotel, that were just sitting on the side of the freeway, each with no one inside.  You would never see this in Los Angeles.  We were puzzled by this.  Where did these people go??  Perhaps this has something to do with the legalization of marijuana?  Did the owners just wander off?  Just saying.  But delightful?  Also yes.  On that same drive each evening at dusk, the clouds were a color I could only describe as Periwinkle Blue from the Crayola crayon box.  Breathtaking.  But alas it is time to say bye until next year, and we are headed back West.  Our first leg started with a quick zip through Boulder, which looked totally charming, honest, but what we were REALLY craving was to get away from people.  So we headed for Rocky Mountain National Park.

The first thing that Eduardo and I realized upon entering the park was that we should have bought an annual pass to the National Parks back in Utah when we drove through Zion!  At $80.00 a year, it's a bargain because it gets you into all of the National Parks all year long.  Make a "note to self" on that one if you are going to be traveling.  The second thing I noticed was that at this particular park I was in "sign heaven"!  I LOVE signs.  And this park has a lot of them, starting with this one, which I have to admit was a bit before we entered the park.

This was our first clue that they are not kidding about seeing wildlife in this area.  We also noted that we getting up there again in elevation,

and that the roads were not necessarily biker friendly, at least for the non motorized kind.

The drive through Rocky Mountain Park is about one hour and forty-five minutes, unless you stop every fifteen minutes like we seemed to do, in which case it will take much longer!  Fall is mating season for the elk, and the brochure that we received at the park entrance let us know that we would be encountering elk at various locations throughout the park, as the males emerge each late afternoon to bugle (call) their harem of cows in preparation for mating.  And sure enough, in one of the first clearings upon entering the park (this was around 4:00 pm), we spotted a bunch of cars parked by the side of the road, the owners with cameras pointed.  Nothing gets past us!  This was our signal that there is a wildlife spotting.   Notice the teeny, tiny dots, which are our first elk.  Although they were hard to see, you could hear their bugle calls loud and clear, and it was awesome.

Feeling happy, we hopped back in the car and continued down the road, which lead us through a densely populated pine forest.  It literally smelled like Christmas, and we rolled down the windows and inhaled deeply.

Next, we encountered another sign,

and hoped that on this particular day, this would not be the case.  But except for the occasional sprinkle, the weather was really quite nice, and we stopped at another lookout point, where we had a new wildlife encounter.

In the words of my children, these chipmunks were "totes adorbs".  And they were EVERYWHERE.  And so tame they scurried over the wall and ran right up to us to have a look at us, and pose for a picture.  So charming!  Continuing on, the next thing we encountered was, you guessed it, another sign.

So intriguing!  I thought of my daughter Natalie, a geography major, who would just love the varying terrain out here.  The tundra was beautiful in its subtlety,

and a closer look afforded a gorgeous, earthy color palette.

 Soon yet another sign emerged to warn us about snow fields,

but fortunately we were a little early in the season for this.  I couldn't really see myself climbing on dangerous snowfields at any time, anyway, so this sign made me giggle.  Moving right along, as we made our way out of this area towards the west end of the park, we entered another meadow, and that is where we got our greatest reward.  First, there was once again that subtle clue, namely the line of cars parked by the side of the road, the owners with cameras pointed.  Bingo!  A wildlife spotting.  What we saw next were at least ten female elk just a few feet from the side of the road.

They were positively enchanting!  And so calm I could practically reach out and touch them.  But I flashed back to that wildlife sign about the Buffalo in Custer Park (you'll have to look up my July post about that one), and reminded myself not to get swept away!  So I admired from a distance.  A very close distance.  At this point Eduardo and I agreed that the National Park system had earned our twenty dollars for the day.  We were beaming.  We lingered for a while just admiring them, and then slowly drove away, where we spotted yet another elk, this time a male, that we were lucky enough to hear bugle.  His call was unforgettable!

Then we spotted yet another,

and another, and another, and another, and another.  Honestly, it is a wonderful time of year to visit Rocky Mountain National Park, so make another "note to self" for next year!  Or if you are super spontaneous, how about this year?  And besides the elk, you can also enjoy the changing of the aspens, which are now starting to glow a beautiful gold and orange.  I'll try to include some pictures of them in my next post.

So as usual, it's after midnight here, but I couldn't sleep without sharing our special day with you, first.  Eduardo and I feel honored and blessed to be able to witness firsthand so many of the wonders of the world.  It is my hope that it will inspire you to explore, too!  Buenas Noches...

xoxo Linda