VERY EXCITING NEWS

at the hotel

Sitting in a dark room with three projection screens and a group of hushed but excited people. The speaker is saying Kate Boyan and I have to go up the stairs, stand on the stage while the president of the Rasumson Foundation is talking about me and pictures of my beadwork are flashed on the screen.  After the hand shake/hug and photos are taken the package is presented. I was chosen for the fellowship grant which is $12,000.00! It's too exciting. To be recognized as a worthy recipient is wonderful. After years and years of beading this makes me feel really good,that they (the art community) gets it. Anyhow I made my pitch a few months ago, see ARTIST STATEMENT BLOG, and haven't given it much thought since then. What a great phone call and then trip to Anchorage. Thought it was appropriate to show you the finished Our Lady piece since that was what I was complaining about in my proposal. I struggled with the clouds, always tricky for me but I am happy with the end result and I think the customer will be to. What a wild couple of days it's been. Still feels a little unreal to me...

SANDHILL CRANES

In the spring we always have the sandhill cranes flying over the house. They are in gorgeous V formation, rattling their calls. But yesterday I was up at 6 in the morning walking our house guest Sadie and was shocked to hear this incredibly loud racket, two cranes ( I think they were mating) back in the muskeg, chasing each other around and making this blood curdling noise. Sadie who is a 15 year old Australian Shepard  and normally up for anything was aghast! I love the cranes and am surprised to know that this is the only piece of beadwork that I've done to honor them.