When bad things happen to good art

Sometimes my brain clicks from one thought-stream to another seemingly without connections. Connections abound, of course. Cool how the subconscious works, isn’t it? I was watching men’s figure skating last week when I remembered how years ago, a mixed-media artist’s book that I’d just sold, was run over by the collector in her Beemer. Gallery-owner gasped. Collector cried. I was laughing (I can be that way). The art damage was far beyond a simple repair. Yikes. I thought doing a collab-remake with Collector’s car might be fun. It was. 

Back to men’s figure-skating. I saw a really sad, jaw-dropping thing happen to really good art on the Olympic ice. The crowd gasped, The 21 year old skater cried.  I did not laugh. 

I can be that way, sure, but no way am I that bad.

 

All February is museum month: More than 70 museums are 50% off*. You need the FREE 50% off pass which you can download at https://sandiegomuseumcouncil.org/specials/museum-month

February 21, 1100-1p.m. Community Art Workshop

Location: The San Diego Museum of Art

No reservation is required. All materials are provided. Free with Museum admission. *which is half off this month.

Saturday, February 28^th, 5:00-10 p.m.

The Del Dios Chili Cook-Off! I’m competing with my famous duck chili—yum!

You be the judge: whose chili is the best?

Doors open at 5p.m. Tasting begins at 5:30, awards at 6:30pm, followed by all-you-can eat chili until they run out.

Del Dios Community Center (aka “The Ol’ Firehouse”) 20155 Elm Ln, Escondido, CA 92029

 

The World is Run by Those Who Show Up

^{February 26, 2026, from 5:00 to 6:30 PM the first In Community event from the San Diego County Arts and Culture Commission takes place at the Live Well Center. RSVP here.}

March 18, 2026 11-1p.m. San Diego County Arts and Culture Commission meeting

Meet Christine E. Jones, the Commission’s new Manager of Art, Film and Creative Industries 

Location: 1600 Pacific Hwy, Room 402A, San Diego, CA 9210

Phone: +1 669 444 9171 
Webinar ID: 833 2424 4450 

Sometimes when I need to jump-start my better creativity, I mass-produce Ephemera from recycled ephemera. I have so many of these pins. They'll probably go up to WonderCon with me next month, where some lucky attendees will be asked if they'd like one. 

Plate of Pins

I will for sure wear this one at WonderCon

I'm working on an artist's book inspired by a story that happens in Greenland. These pins are side-wanderings while I work out the structure of the Big Piece

Every day, in every way, resist

 

The Winter Olympics are upon us, and unless you’ve been off all manner of social communication, you already know this. To avoid talking heads, commercials and inconvenient broadcast times, I watch my favorite events on YouTube. Little-known factoid about me: I LOVE Ice Hockey. I really enjoyed the new documentary on Netflix about the 1980 Miracle team.

Speaking of documentaries on Netflix, All the Empty Rooms should be required viewing by every member of Congress, IMO.

Looking forward to these events:

February 14, 10-1800, 2026   Afrofuturism for Valentines’ Day? Doesn’t get much better. At the Worldbeat Cultural Center https://www.worldbeatcenter.org/events/

February 26, 2026 5-6:30p.m. join creatives and civic leaders in County District 4 at the Southwestern Live Well Center, 5101 Market Street, San Diego, CA 92114

While it is free, you would help the Arts and Culture Commission know how many folks to expect by reserving a spot at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-community-sd-county-district-4-gathering-tickets-1982539343545?aff=erelexpmlt

Saturday, February 28^th, 5:00-10:00 p.m.

The Del Dios Chili Cook-Off! I’m competing with my famous duck chili—yum! You be the judge: whose chili is the best?

Tasting begins at 5:30, awards at 6:30pm, followed by all-you-can eat chili until they run out.

Del Dios Community Center (aka “The Ol’ Firehouse”) 20155 Elm Ln, Escondido, CA 92029

The World is Run by Those Who Show Up

March 18, 2026 11-1p.m. San Diego County Arts and Culture Commission meeting

Meeting location: 1600 Pacific Hwy, Room 402A, San Diego, CA 92101

Phone: +1 669 444 9171 
Webinar ID: 833 2424 4450 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that these 2 Artist's Books will be selected for the PSBA Members' exhibition to open in Washington State this summer. 

Until next Sunday

XOXOX

 

 

 A new month and a lot to share.

This past week, San Diego County hired a new Creative Manager to support the County Arts and Culture Commission. She is Christine Jones, formally the Chief of Civic Art Strategies for the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, i.e. super well-qualified and ready to hit the ground running at the countywide level. She starts on February 2^nd.

In keeping with my experience that The World is Run by Those Who Show Up, please consider calling in or attending in person

San Diego County Arts and Culture Commission meetings for 2026

• February 4, 2026  - Room 302
• March 18, 2026
• May 20, 2026
• July 15, 2026
• September 16, 2026
• November 18, 2026

Meeting location: 1600 Pacific Hwy, Room 402A, San Diego, CA 92101

Phone: +1 669 444 9171 
Webinar ID: 833 2424 4450 

Feb. 28th with the San Diego Emerging Museum Professionals

Media Matters: Engaging Strategies for Museums with Michael Rocha of the San Diego Union Tribune. For more info and to register, go tohttps://sandiegoemp.org/event/media-matters-engaging-strategies-for-museums/

Today begins Black History month. Check out all that’s happening at Worldbeat Cultural Center https://www.worldbeatcenter.org/events/, including but certainly not limited to

February 14, 10-1800, 2026   Black Comix Day  

WOWZA!!!  BANG!!! BOOM!!!

February 22^nd, 2026  And then, there's this in Oceanside

https://sandiegoblackfestival.com/

February 1-27 at the Bonita Museum and Cultural Center

The Ric Todd Collection, including Keith Haring, Steve R. Allen, Jaimee Todd, and Ric Todd

https://bonitahistoricalsociety.org/ric-todd-collection-at-the-museum/

Saturday, February 28^th, 5:00-10 p.m.

The Del Dios Chili Cook-Off! I’m competing with my famous duck chili—yum! You be the judge. whose chili is the best?

Tasting begins at 5:30, awards at 6:30pm, followed by all-you-can eat chili until they run out.

Where? Del Dios Community Center (aka “The Ol’ Firehouse”)

20155 Elm Ln, Escondido, CA 92029

This Spring Runway events. Images now, info to come.

 

Nature’s most incredible palate was in the desert this past week.

I took Rocket-the-Dog and we went camping in Big Red—not Rocket’s first road trip, but the first for Big Red in her new life as a camping van. They both did great.

Big Red in Borrego Springs. We had perfect weather.

Rocket living the good life, and keeping my feet warm. Good boy! Good, good boy!

The World is run by those who show up. Plenty of showing up will soon be ours.

The Alliance Française of San Diego has art and cooking classes! Learn a little French, make a little art. Get down all right. Get down all right. 

I’ve enrolled in the candle-making workshop. Hot diggity!

https://www.afsandiego.org/events-1/candle-workshop 

I love print-making. I’ll go to an exhibit about making, viewing, collecting prints any chance I can. I will certainly be checking this out next month:

Oceanside Museum of Art

Matrix multiplied: hybrid approaches to printmaking

February 21–August 2, 2026

Curated By Danielle Deery

https://oma-online.org/exhibitions-oma

Paste paper print by yours truly

Have a great week. Until next Sunday

 

Another beautiful day in paradise!

I’m taking Big Red camping in the Anza Borrego tomorrow for a 5-day art and nature retreat. Hot diggity!

Big Red has morphed into a minimalist campVAN, i.e. cute and comfy, but not crowded. There's even room in her for making art. Of course there is.

The weather is expected to be perfect for making paste paper, and as I am running low on mine, I’m bringing plenty of colorants, wallpaper paste and paper bags---they make great art paper. There will be book-stitching, too, Corkbot making, really great meals. Do I know what makes a sweet art retreat, or what?

What’s coming soon that I hope you’ll attend:

January 24-March 7^th at the Fallbrook Arts Center

Baja Art Exhibition https://www.fallbrookartcenter.org/2026calendar

February 1-27 at the Bonita Museum and Cultural Center

The Ric Todd Collection, including Keith Haring, Steve R. Allen, Jaimee Todd, and Ric Todd

https://bonitahistoricalsociety.org/ric-todd-collection-at-the-museum

February 24^th 09-1pm:

San Diego Art Matters is bringing back Creative Conversations, co-hosted with North County’s newly formed Arts and Culture Alliance.

The event is free, with RSVP required:
https://sdartmatters.org/creative-conversations-2026/

Event details:
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (lunch included)
California Center for the Arts, Escondido

 

Good Sunday, everyone.

I’ve been off Face-Too-Much for a month. I can attest that I’m not missing it. 

So much more time, so much more art.

Today and this month, I’ll be posting important Arts and Culture events…repeatedly…hey, sorry, but these events matter and I hope you’ll attend. Just scroll on past if you’ve already registered/signed up.

February 24^th 09-1pm:

San Diego Art Matters is bringing back Creative Conversations, co-hosted with North County’s newly formed Arts and Culture Alliance, it will focus on the opportunities, challenges, and creative assets of rural and unincorporated communities across the region. Please attend! You won’t be lectured at; you will be listened to. Plus, you’ll have a great time.

The event is free, with RSVP required:
https://sdartmatters.org/creative-conversations-2026/

Event details:
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (lunch included)
California Center for the Arts, Escondido

This past week I put in some serious time wearing my commissioner nametag for the San Diego County Arts and Culture Commission. We will be out in the County, meeting folks, listening to folks, applying your feedback as best we can. Each County District will host an event, starting next month in District 4 (think south), followed by District 3 (think North County Coast) in March, District 2 (think east county, Julian to way south) in April. All are open to the public no matter what County district you live or do business in. I’ll keep posting details as I know them.

Inspired By III is coming back to the Rancho San Diego County Library on June 3^rd, in time for the County-wide summer reading program. Below, a sample of what you’ll see there.

                         "Valadon", inspired by Utrillo's Mother

"La Diva Nicotina" inspired by How Tobacco Seduced the World

"12 Steps" inspired by The Gambler

Until next Sunday

 

Happy, happy new year! 

May 2026 bring us daily opportunities to be the Creatives that we are.

So much is coming down the pike this coming year. Below is a sampling of hands-on art and culture happenings that I hope you can attend. I’ll be attending them, too.

January 22nd (3pm)-25th (12pm) the West Coast Glampers are holding their annual rally in Borrego Springs, about as far north-east as you can get in San Diego County. I’ll be staying nearby at the Anza Borrego State Campground in our new camp-and-make-art van, "Big Red". The glampers will be at 221 Palm Canyon Dr, Borrego Springs, CA 92004.

February 24^th 09-1pm: To all the creatives in rural and unincorporated San Diego County, this one is for us.

San Diego Art Matters is bringing back Creative Conversations, co-hosted with North County’s newly formed Arts and Culture Alliance, it will focus on the opportunities, challenges, and creative assets of rural and unincorporated communities across the region. I participated last year, the key word being participate. You won’t be lectured at; you will be listened to. Plus, you’ll have a great time.

Event details:
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (lunch included)
California Center for the Arts, Escondido

Let our voices, thoughts, concerns be shared. Please attend this with me.

The event is free, with RSVP required:
https://sdartmatters.org/creative-conversations-2026/

Saturday February 28^th 5:30-9p.m.

Mark your Calendars for the Del Dios Chili cook-off FUNdraiser.

Yes indeed, I will make my delish duck and white-bean chili. So, so yummy. The tastings and voting by Y.O.U.  will be held at The Old Del Dios Firehouse, aka the Del Dios Community Center, 20155 Elm Lane, Escondido, CA 92029 starting at 5:30pm. Awards at 7p.m. followed by all-you-can eat of the remaining chili until 10 p.m.

Music, food, drink in support of a great non-profit. Life is good. $15/person. Free parking.

March 5 and 6, I’m teaching a 2-part hardcover stab-stitch workshop at Front Porch Gallery in Carlsbad. FREE

March 13th also at Front Porch Gallery I bring back the accordion book format, this time we'll add a hard cover. FREE

FPG requires pre-registration through their website. All the ones I taught last year filled. Go to their website and sign up for their email notices to get early alerts on registering:

https://www.frontporchgallery.org/programs

O.k. New art for 2026 as promised! Starting the New year with fused glass sushi plates and small wasabi bowls. Perfect for SPAM musubi. That’s right, SPAM musubi is a thing. Don’t knock it until you try it. Which you can easily now because as I said, it’s a thing. Getting to be almost as popular here around Escondido as it is in Hawai’i.       

Until next Sunday