Topaz

I must take a break from swapping. My husband is ill and I must devote my time and attention to him. I also broke 3 toes and I'm having a heck of a time walking. I am hoping this break from swapping won't last long. I'm hoping I'll be active here by the end of April. In the meantime, my best to everyone and happy swapping.

I am originally from the northeast-born in NYC and educated in Greenwich, Connecticut, Potsdam, NY and Burlington, Vermont. I've been married for over 27 years. My spouse is a disabled Vietnam vet. We are both owned by two miniature dachshunds- both girls. I am very lucky to live in Northern California next to Travis Air Force Base. We are able to use our retired military benefits there. This area is close to many favorite destinations such as San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, the Redwoods, the shores of the Pacific, Yosemite National Park, and the Napa Valley wine country.

My mother was an oil painter. From an early age I was surrounded by artists and frequently visited many art museums and galleries in NYC and the Hudson Valley. My junior and senior year in High School I worked at the Storm King Art Centre in Mountainville, NY. There I met and spoke extensively with modern artists-mostly sculptors. The center is quite well known for its huge sculpture gardens. I took a few art courses in High School. It was a private school that had large, and well endowed art department with two excellent instructors. I was a violinist and played with the Hudson Valley Chamber Music Orchestra in New Paltz. I took violin lessons at Julliard in NYC. I entered SUNY at Potsdam, Crane School of Music, as a music performance and education major but found time to learn quite a lot about film photography. I also took more courses in ceramics. I worked on the wheel and concocted by own glazes from scratch. When we moved to California I continued my education in photography and ceramics and took a course in art history. Then cancer struck and my treatments were difficult to endure, but I'm cancer free now. Then my husband, already disabled with spinal stenosis, was in an accident and came out of it with a brain injury. He has made quite a lot of progress, but he has good days and then bad days with dizziness and memory problems being his biggest issues. So. for quite a while I wasn't able to use my talents in a creative way (short of a few xmas gifts). Recently I had an awakening. Perhaps my worsening depression and anxiety could be helped by changing parts of my life. I need a shake up. I need to go back to the attitude and activities I enjoyed decades ago. With that in mind, I have been rediscovering myself. I am experimenting with different media and having a blast learning more about myself, new media, new techniques, and the creative process. I am soon to start classes again. I have enrolled in a watercolor class, a mixed media class, and a silk painting class. I plan on looking into taking classes at the University of California at Davis. They have a good art department. Financing this is the major obstacle.

I am particularly interested in participating in swaps that involve ACTs, ACEOs, PCs, pocket letters although I am open to other swaps.

Film photography and ceramics, but I'm learning a lot about acrylics. acrylic mediums, and other pigments like Pebeo paints, alcohol inks, fabric paints, watercolors, transfer mediums... and have been having a blast. I might be shifting my favorite medium to acrylics. In the past I have photographed, created pieces of ceramic pottery, made hooked rugs and candles and soap. I have stitched traditional crewel pieces, created wall hangings using macrame, painted in oils and acrylics and alcohol inks and used both chalk and oil pastels. I have made furniture out of recycled materials, decoupaged boxes, constructed simple stained glass window pieces, dabbled in the paper arts like stamping/embossing, origami folding and calligraphy and collage. At the present time I am experimenting with Yupo paper using alcohol inks, watercolors and markers. I'm also experimenting with Pebeo paints called Moon and Prisma with polymer clay, bezels, and also coated in resin. Who knows where my journey of discovery will lead me. The creative process is definitely helping my depression. I'm having more fun than I've had in many years. I'm smiling and laughing again. Life is good.

Georgia O'Keefe, Chagall, Calder, Henry Moore, Monet, Coulton Waugh, Ansel Adams, Richard Misrach

Jane Austen, Robert Frost, Carl Sandburg, Agatha Christie, Mary Higgins Clark, Eleanor Roosevelt

Game of Thrones, Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, Frankie and Grace, Orphan Black, Downton Abbey, Sherlock, Last Tango in Halifax, Call the Midwife, Tree House Masters, streaming mysteries on Acorn TV like Murdoch Mysteries, Rosemary and Thyme, Midsomer Murders, Cadfael, Father Brown, George Gently, Father Lewis, Tommy and Tuppence, Miss Fisher.

I was a classical violinist and love Baroque music. Vivaldi is my favorite and I adore string quartets and music that features the oboe or cello.
I like to sing to Jason Mraz and Michael Buble. I enjoy Broadway hits as well as songs from my youth in the 60's and 70's.
I like to listen to New Age/Fusion when I am reading, creating or meditating- George Winston, Will Ackerman, Liz Story, many musicians that record under the Windham Hill label.

If you wish to know what I'd love to receive or generally what I am interested in- I love Dachshunds and Puffins **not Penguins laser cut paper and wood. washi tape scraps of denim and wool felt buttons, especially fancy buttons cloth bandanas stamps/stencils of nature like trees/birds/bugs and for backgrounds archival stamp pads opalescent and mica powder a circular and a star punch acrylic and alcohol inks markers, ephemera-especially travel related die cut chipboard vintage photographs art postcards, travel postcards anything related to New York City or San Francisco or US National Parks or camping maps and travel brochures museum/gallery brochures brochures/programs from musicals/plays used travel tickets used theatre/movie tickets playing cards dichroic glass gift bags, gift tags scrapbook paper vellum, acetate sheets and shrinky dink plastic sheets tea/coffee stained paper handmade paper stickers (to pass onto others) wallpaper samples itsy bitsy tiny toys, tiny books bottle caps bezels for resin jewelry adhesive tape. adhesive foam dots adult coloring pages-not folded tiny frames to fit ATC's for table tops/walls refrigerator magnets anything to use to make an outdoor fairy garden polymer clays ceramic tile past issues of art or craft magazines art education books/magazines

Favorite foods cinnamon, yellow curry, dark chocolate, mint, peach, raspberry (especially raspberry with dark chocolate), UNflavored coffees, very sharp cheddar cheese

Dislikes Any popular cartoon related items, little kid stickers, puffy stickers, green tea, chai, walnuts, licorice, religious quotes, religious images and symbols, rap music, porn, images that portray violence, loose glitter, sequins,base metal jewelry that touches the skin, Japanese anime, MLP, items related to cats