Zoomin'

Summer is peelin' past..... sigh. I tear pictures of Adirondack chairs out of magazines and toss "em in the inspiration pile.... Then I think of the folks laboring over the making of those chairs that to me just mean "relaxing." Nope - they mean lumber and saws and hardware and sweating. Yin yang yup.

On to another day of not relaxing. I ain't complaining because this means folks are still buying bears. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

July 16 - here we come!

On to the day-
Sue

State Fair!

The application deadline has been met! Tara, Todd, and I have entered the very tough Art competition at the Minnesota State Fair. Me in Pastels, Todd in Sculpture, and Tara in Photography. None of us has made it in yet, but ya gotta give 'er the go.

I will be demonstrating pastel techniques there, too, but as yet I have no plans. A lovely calm bruin couple at the lake? A cranky close up of a Hal or a Bert? We'll have to see who is hiding in the paper...

Just finished framing a waltzing bear pair. Title: "Another Time." Got to try out the new Terry Ludwig pastels won at the Lake country Pastel Society's meeting Tuesday night. We piranas around the free stuff at Wet Paint's two tables..... Lucked into a nice assortment of dinged sanded papers and some perfectly fine pastel boards. I do not need more art supplies. I need more time. And more space? Time is more important than space right now.

On to the next mission. A cool front is pushing through.

Tootle-loo,
Sue

The Next 21 Days

Wow, talk about lack of noting....
But on to the re-inventing. Twenty-one days will find life at Sunday of the Ely Bluebery Festival - truck-willing and creeks don't rise.....

I'm slightly spoiled now from the Blue Ribbon and valuable prizes awarded me and the bruins at the Stone Arch Art Festival in Minneapolis in early June. Taken aback and truly amazed. "Thank you!," to all who helped make it happen. Ya yust neffer know, ya sure, ya betycha.....

So on with the mission. Food, family, friends, work....l

I've keeping current with book-keeping, I can durn sure type here a few times a week.

One down. On to the twenty. A different me for Ely.
Today holds ordering mats, matting and framing, working on pastel originals, figuring out a new tee-shirt order and making some calls.
First, coffee with the crew at Fresh Fields, and bringing home a loaf of multi-grain bread to Tara, Brit, and Tyler.

Lucked into seeing the Federer - Nadal Wimbleton match. awe-inspiring - even for a I-don't-know-anything-about-tennis sort like me. The not-giving up not-giving-in I-can-still-win even-in-the-dark energy of both so equal. A joy and pain to see. Thanks, dudes, for the honor.

Not really balanced - don't really care.

-Sue the slightly daring

100 Dancing Bears

On to the Next Grand Adventure! On to one-hundred dancing bears - in whatever form they may appear.

The Modern Jazz Quartet is vibraphoning in the background and I must find a new excitement and discipline. What better than to hang around and be introduced to a huge crew of bears who dance? Or don't. (I don't think Larry's a dancer.)

So we will see who shows up and what gets documented. I will have to learn new basic computer skills.

The first 100 dancing bears were done in Sharpie Marker on papers 8 1/2" high by 3 1/2" wide. They were done long enough ago that I don't know when they were started or finished. They were something to do. The rules were: the image had to be done in a space of 5 1/2" by 3 1/2," one bear per space, and the background was filled in by what I call line crochet. It's amazing to see how many shapes, motions, emotions, and scales came about. Some are dull, some are personable. Some ya don't care about, some you'd want to chat with....

Now the skills have increased. There can be pastel bears, acrylic bears, sculpted bruins, collaged cubs. Maybe I'm getting excited. I'm almost afraid to peek into the studio. Yoo hoo - Bob, is that you?

Waltzin' in my mind-
Sue

Try, Try Again

So much for paying attention to the "blog today" lines on all those "do today" lists.

Well, this is the 30 days of knuckling down. eat better, exercise more, get more accomplished. Blah blah blah. But now I can cross off "blog today" from the July 2nd list. Hot damn. Simple pleasures ARE the best. At least right now. One drawer cleaned on the work desk and a blog logged. Now on the mom and two cubs pastel. The title came the other day...."It's Never Too Early to Start Placing Blame."

Rain came to the cities today but not to here. The little ponds are drying up. Some of the ferns are getting crispy. But the tomato plants are doing good so far. The old timers are looking great.

Two days to get ready for the Stockhom wI art fair. I hope it goes as well as last year. Hot - but good sales and much fun. i do miss the Eagle River crew. Serious sigh. And Tara and I spoke of Breyerfest today. Those be long ago days already.

Well, will I keep this up....? Not even I know.
On to what's left of this glorious day.

-Sue

It's Spring

The art fair applications keep going out, to new shows and old shows. You never know where you'll find "your people." One rejection so far, and one "you're on the Waiting List." This is one of the trade-offs for being self-employed. The annual waiting out the jury results. It helps makes artists just a tad more crazy. Be kind to your artist pals in early Spring - maybe buy 'em a cup of coffee, and give 'em a gentle backrub. Who knows - you might just parlay a wee bit of understanding into a lovely piece of original art. I'm not promising - but one never knows.

We are working on Pearl's own section on our web site. She has posed with so many human good sports in the past few years - and has also agreed to be sniffed by an art fair dog or two. I wonder what they think..... Does her faux fur pelt smell boring? Does her real siver fox collar smell silver foxxy? Why is she wearing pearls?

On to the day- it's pastel time! (although two oil paintings are also in the works, and at long last.... the start on a dancing bear sculpture.)

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Bearly Noted

Greetings-

Welcome to the next grand adventure. Tonight finds me fighting with my lovely computer in an attempt to finally join the ranks of those who blog. We shall see what we shall see.

I had a sense of humor when I started this evening but it's long gone. The Magic Sleep Couch is calling. Several nights ago I slept in the theater while "watching" "Casino Royale-" the power of gunfire to put me to sleep is an old joke now. Oh well. Did wake up in time for most of the end, and have heard that the middle was at least as good as the excellent beginning and end.

Another day will find my art fair traveling companion Pearl the Bear awaiting the creation of her new friends Ruby and Ella. Bring on the Foam-Core. Bring on the glue. Give thanks to the new friend who donated her mom Ella's coat. Faux fur and mink - an odd mix, but it's got to be done. And before the next art fair. Let the growling begin!

Fare-thee-well,

Sue Bear