Gourds As Wearable Art

Lisa Johnson helped us ring up sales on Saturday and found the perfect fashion accessory at the Gourd Fest table! $350 was raised through generous donations toward the Refuge Farms horse rescue! The snake gourds were a big hit.

Art Tour Photos

The Fresh Art Fall Tour was a huge success! We have had a beautiful stretch of weather that was with us through the weekend. Having mid-80's in October was a real treat. Crowds of people arrived on Saturday and Sunday after a slower start on Friday. 

Thanks to new friends and old who visited and brought treasures home with them. I think there were hundreds of photos taken over the weekend--and the stars were the chickens, horses and geese! The horses went out to pasture today for a well earned day off. They're such hams for the camera.

We are talked-out hoarse and tired but after we rest up we'll probably be silly enough to do it all again.

Guest Artist, Jan Brunkow with her framed silk paintings.

Jan's card display and decorated gourds.

Jan's watercolors and oil paintings.

Friend, Janene Nelson helped us on Friday. Thanks, Janene!

My giclee art prints display.

Framed originals in the main studio area.

The Daisy collection.

More of my paintings and pastels by the glass bins.

This sunny window sill holds the "pink" glass display.

Cobalt and clear glass pieces.

A colorful collection of flowers and mission style panels.

Setting Up Gourd Fest

I made trip to the garden with the John Deere wagon to pick gourds today. It's in the 80's which is pretty warm for the first week in October. I wasn't sure I was going to have much to offer for the Gourd Fest which benefits Refuge Farms, but I was surprised when I filled the wagon and three big pails full and STILL have more to pick!

The snake gourds are huge and very unique! 

Art Week

I borrowed this from a fellow artist because it is so TRUE and reflects the mood of this busy week leading up to the Art Tour weekend.

I am so excited about the tour this year. This is the first time I will have prints available of some of my current works. Gail Pommerening did a beautiful job on the first artist proofs of five of my originals.

The artist proofs are the first prints that will be the precursor to an actual edition of prints. This is where the colors are set and each print is scrutinized as being the most exactly to match the original. Gail has invested in the giclee technology that can do this and is a master at manipulating the image. A giclee print is created from an archival printer that has 12 ink jets that applies ink dots of archival ink to create the image. The result has a beautiful matte texture and is especially suited to reproducing my pastel works. However----a print is still a print! It is not an original. But it's as close as the process can achieve and I think the result is beautiful.

I will also be displaying:

      Over 30 original works in oil and pastel


      Dozens of stained glass panels 


      Multistrand necklaces, earrings and bracelets


      Hurricane lamps


      Seasonal Ornaments - angels, snowmen, etc.


      and I'll have the Gourd Fest --- which will benefit Refuge Farms! (Wait until you see the  SNAKE GOURDS! They are awesome and not scary at all!)

To top it all off --- Jan Brunkow is the Guest Artist! She paints on silk and has GORGEOUS framed silk paintings as well as beautiful WEARABLE scarves. Jan will also have framed watercolors and note cards available.

The weather is going to be gorgeous so it will be a great weekend to hit the road, see the colors and some great art along the route.

Catatonic Humor

Paisley has been getting a little closer to nature---chick nature, that is. The other day I came out of the shop to find him under the chick's heat lamp and was grooming himself. All the chicks were huddled in the corner wondering who the intruder was. Screen installed over chick house!

Not Quite Napa....

..... but they are getting ripe, and tasty and heck, they're ours so I think they are pretty wonderful! We planted these concord grapes by our backyard raspberries three years ago after having tried growing concords out by the big garden (to no avail). They had a few grapes last year but just before they ripened they disappeared....... birds, bees, squirrels.....who knows who got to enjoy them. 'Twas not us!

Wisconsin vineyards are literally a growing concern and there are getting to be many in our area. Maybe we will rival the Napa/Sonoma Valley someday.

Chick Day at Catfish Corner

Summer went by too quickly, so I'm behind in getting new chicks started. Yesterday was the delivery date of my day old chicks. Twelve Gold Stars and 12 Black Australorps, and a rooster of each variety. Look out Louie---Louie II and Louie III are in the house.

Here is a new Little Louie. He has a paint dot on his head to identify him as a rooster.

I put up the larger chick pen today and got them moved out of their baby box and into an area with two heat lamps and more room to roam. 

Maggie is thoroughly mesmerized by them. They are so tiny and spritely that she can't help but enjoy their movements and little peeps. Even Paisley cat came over for a visit. He's harmless and the chicks seem to realize he isn't interested in hurting them.

Now, if I had a nice broody hen who would like to "mother hen" this group...... will have to see if I there are any volunteers.