A New Post From an Old Friend

Today I'm featuring a post from my friend Jenny as I also include a link to her blog. She has too many fields of expertise to mention so I won't bother listing them here. The things that make me want to share her interests in this blog are that she's also an artist with an amazing background and skill set that I'm sure you'll find interesting.

Julia

Here's what she had to say:

Whenever I visit Julia’s painter’s garden, usually along with my friend Margaret, I always have a great time. Everything always starts with a tea party. Julia provides the tea and the rest of us, including her husband Doug, contribute goodies like cheese, nuts, fruit, and sweet rolls.

One of the things that makes the tea parties so special is Julia’s presentation of the table. She has an eclectic collection of blue-figured ware, hand painted china, and little extras that most of don’t bother with, like dishes specifically designed to hold used teabags. Things may not always match but they always achieve synchronicity. And then there are the cake stands, tea cozies, decorative tablecloths and vintage flatware. I spend as much time looking as I do eating.

There were 5 of us for tea but there was so much going on that we didn't get any group photos until the end.

The tables were also  more elaborate in the beginning but with all the things people brought and  a bit of snacking and visiting before we settled in it kind of got lost in the shuffle.

We often do group arts and crafts projects together. One time the three of us each painted one of the birds on her birdbath; it is now one of the many wildly variegated ornaments in her yard. Last time I was there I watched a robin splashing away happily in it.

We’ve painted china and colored the line drawings of seashells I created as adult coloring designs, made Christmas crackers, and countless other projects. Margaret and Julia sewed a courier bag I designed to look like it was made of spacesuit material, lined with a star field. I use it at all the science fiction conventions I attend. It holds keys, money, badge, and up to 2 paperback books.

Julia paints everything that doesn’t run away; the mailbox, the ramp railing, the lawn furniture, whatever. Before she got into creating Dala horses, her favorite subject was irises. She has them displayed on Zazzle as decorations for note cards, phone cases, pillows, and anything else that can be worn, written on, or used to cover something else. Here’s one of my favorites, a sticker: https://www.zazzle.com/watercolor_iris_classic_round_sticker-217967621406143742

I can hardly wait to go play at Julia’s house again. I think there’s a Thanksgiving/Christmas visit in the future.

Jennifer McDermott

www.artpal.com/kttymartyr866

Here are a few photos from other teas: