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Due to the change in dates this year (March 7-10), the Grinnell Iowa, 4 day Master Class has three openings. This is a highly individualized Workshop, with a very limited enrollment .

More info here.

Grinnell is a wonderful and friendly College Town with lots of great buildings, wonderful food and a super discount on the accommodations. Email me to register.

Seriously, this is one of the highlights of my teaching year and time is of the essence. These few spaces will go quickly.

It’s a gray, gloomy looking morning but warm. Most of the snow and ice have melted off with the Chinook winds.

Beau and  walk the Island almost every morning. Here are some things I saw today, along with random thoughts..

The first signs of Spring buds on the cottonwoods. Very subtle but the leaf buds are beginning to swell.

This was NOT there yesterday! A little cheer, a lot of magic. My gratitude to whoever is keeping this spirit of cheer going.

An earlier view of this installation was posted several months ago, after the flood waters receded. It has become an interactive project. Some days a white pebble is added, on others, red berries.

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Generally we walk alone, this gives me time to sort myself, it’s  a walking meditation. Sometimes we meet up with other people and their dogs, this makes for light conversation, good socialization for the dogs but puts a different slant on things for me.

Today before we met up with a “pack”, 10 dogs and 4 humans (too large a group for Beau, he sticks close), I was noticing subtle shifts in color, the wonderful ornaments and installation, raccoon tracks and thinking about specific sorts of gratitude.

My feelings about the gift of the Island and how it keeps me connected to the larger cycles; the companionship of my dog, how he gets me out and about and moving whether or not I want to; the gifts of friendship.

My birthday tulips just keep getting better. As the petals begin to fall, the colors seem more intense. The contrasts are wonderful. It was a treat to see these on my return yesterday from a few days teaching/lecturing in Ann Arbor MI. What a great trip. My most sincere thanks to all who contributed to making my visit so wonderful.

I can’t wait to go back… there is a fabulous paper store (Hollander’s), unexplored possibilities with other shops, photos to be taken of the old buildings, and then of course, the wonderful artists I would like to get to know better.

Home now until early March, my attention has to turn to updating the website. Lots of changes are ready to be made. Stay tuned, and thanks for stopping in.

Here are some new images for you.

I’ve been carving into wood, combining it with other materials and making a mess. Who knows where this will lead.

These are all 5 x 5 ” on museum wrapped canvas. The depth varies from 1.5″ to about 2″ depending on the objects attached.

For the last several weeks, this grace note has been part of our Island walks. There are several trees now decorated out there. They charm and cheer me.

Whatever holidays you celebrate this season, may they be graced with random spots of unexpected beauty, acts of gratitude and kindness both given and accepted, and the love of family and friends.

7 a.m., Sunday, in the office, I looked up to my right, through a high West window.

Within a few minutes I was the crazy old lady on the block, outside in robe and slippers, uncombed hair, with my camera.

This is what I saw, standing in one arbitrary spot, just turning to face the directions.

  East

south

  west

  northwest

directly north, above my house

These are morning photos. The light has changed now. What will this day bring?

It’s definite: the tripod stays accessible, no more hiding in closet corners.

For more information on the images, please visit Gallery 4.

and stay tuned: web updating is finally in process!

thanks for your patience with me as I’ve navigated the last few years.

text and details to follow, more images and links to gallery 4 after my coffee is refreshed, the dog is run and the camera battery charged. Wouldn’t you know, one settles in to work seriously, but a few details are missing. stay tuned.

www.kelleyjsullivan.com

I am inspired and moved by this work.

Here’s a quick tour of the treehouse/cabin [AKA, my studio in the mountains] for you, as promised so long ago.

Perhaps you can tell it is a work in process, and maybe you can see why we call it the treehouse.

These photos were taken the last time I was there, two weeks ago. Arriving Wednesday, the weather was good and the light wonderful. That was the night of the full moon, the “Hunter’s Moon”. Sadly, by moonrise, the wind was howling and the sky clouded over. I did hear owls calling. There was a brief hour or so when the moon was out, huge and brilliant. Thursday was a good day for moving/stacking wood and mostly working inside.

Friday morning, the 14th, there was a dusting of snow. It turned to rain, to fog, back to snow. The question was, stay for the full weekend and get more work done, or bail out, leaving things for next year when it is accessible again. Common sense prevailed.

Of course, by the time I got onto paved road 2500′ lower, the sun came out and it was a lovely golden October day.

Several pieces in process came home with me: wood forms that I have been chipping away at, and deciding how to mount.

Working with the dry wood is definitely a “subtractive process” and messy. No stray threads, lots of dust. A dedicated space has to be created now that the chilly days are here.