Hello everyone,

For the full newsletter experience, read this email online to get the latest information by clicking on the archives link: archives and calendar. Time sensitive information may be added to the newsletter after it has been sent out. Feel free to let me know about broken links or links pointing to the wrong place. I hope that you can use this newsletter as a jumping off point for your own explorations and adventures looking for workshops, teachers and organizations, processes, etc.

• The Kyoto Retreat offers international artists, curators, and writers an opportunity to spend TIME in Japan for research and exploration - application deadline is July 17, 2026 - if selected you will receive a roundtrip flight to Kansai International Airport (KIX) or Osaka International Airport (Itami Airport, ITM), have a private bedroom in a shared, private house for four weeks Nov 1 - 30, 2026 and receive a stipend of US$800 to supplement your meals and local transportation
• I received my maps from Beth Stockdale and I am delighted with them - I love the thickness of the paper, that they were used on a daily basis, that there is writing on them, "Soundings in feet" , and am looking forward to making Miura-Ori pleated vases with them
• I was hoping to attend FOBA and take one of Erin Fletcher's workshops, envelope binding - what a perfect combination of book arts and origami - how about Helen Hiebert's Paper Weaving Explorations workshop? - other instructors who still have space are Shawn Sheehy, Rosemary Rae, Kit Davey, Pietro Accardi, Selene Fisher, Roberta Lavadour, Anne Sobbota, Brenda Gallagher, Genevieve Kaplan, Raluca Iancu, Robin Feinman, Jenn Woodward, Casey Newman, Celeste Chalasani, Kristen Doty, Kris Stewart - what a lineup! - remember registration closes May 29, 2026 - I will miss the joy, camaraderie, warmth and inspiration and will be imagining being at FOBA while being a cat butler
• If you will be in the Minneapolis, MN, area in July, there is amazing opportunity to take an in-person workshop with Julie Chen and Erin McAdams to make a popup panorama book - please check the calendar July 18 - 19, 2026
• They just wrapped up the Newport Paper and Book Arts Festival (NPBAF) last month and had such a good time that they would like you to save the date for the 2027 festival - Apr 22 - 24, 2027
• I am always for the hunt for new book arts organizations or individuals to talk about their works or publish their workshops. Shepherd & Maudsleigh Studio in West Newton, MA, has a newsletter that highlights their workshops (also in the calendar) and interviews with book artists - if you are in the West Newton area check them out.
• Etsy now has a craft supply guide (thank you Ann from All Things Paper)
• Penland School of Craft - registration is open for fall workshops - there are still workshops with open spaces for the summer session
• Peters Valley School of Craft is offering funded scholarships for art educators and college students to attend workshops in 2026 - applications will be accepted throughout the workshop season, with no deadline to apply for 3 of the 4 available - the Mindy Nagle Memorial Scholarship for College Students does have a deadline of Jun 15, 2026
• There is a call for entries from HIVE Center for Book Arts for RESIST: artistamps that foster political change with a deadline of Jun 15, 2026 and will be on view at Gallery 900 from Aug 28 - 30, 2026 - more information here
• A sad note: Howard Clark of Twinrocker Handmade Paper passed away on April 29, 2026. Established by Kathryn and Howard Clark in 1971, Twinrocker was pivotal to the renaissance of hand papermaking in America. The Mark of the Maker is a wonderful film about Twinrocker Handmade Paper - Howie was also a talented banjo player - here he is playing A Papermaker's Song

Me ke aloha nui - Jade
Unfolding paper explorer, information conduit & facilitator, foodie, unorthodox traveler, astronomy enthusiast, somewhat grudgingly tech savvy
Mission: Connecting talented people with people exploring their talents
Motto: Always plan a trip around a workshop or vice versa
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Sections below: Things To Do In The Area | Call for Artists/ Entries/ Proposals/ Submissions | Bits & Bobs About Paper/ Books/ Tips/ Trips | Musings and Meanderings | Workshop Calendar | Resource List | Housekeeping

Elisabeth C. Miller Library (Center for Urban Horticulture - 3501 NE 41st St., Seattle, WA, 98105) - Plant Practice - now until May 27, 2026

Lynn Sures - Fabriano workshop and tour of Northern Italy - information and registration from May 28 - Jun 12, 2026 and Drawing in Italy 2026 from Jun 13 - 21, 2026

Columbia University Libraries - Butler Library (535 W. 114 St. 6th Floor, New York, NY 10027) - In CONTEXT: Art, Books, & Freedom - now until May 29, 2026

Minnesota Center for Book Arts Main Gallery (1011 S Washington Ave, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55415) - Crossing the Line: The Passport ReImagined - now until May 31, 2026

Brush Art Gallery (256 Market Street, Lowell, MA USA) - New England Book Artists Members' Show - celebrating the works of their artist book community in all its splendor - now until May 31, 2026

Center for Book Arts (28 West 27th St, 3rd Fl, New York, NY 10001) - Sarah Plimpton: Artists’ Books - Jun 2 – Aug 1, 2026

San Francisco Public Library Main Branch (100 Larkin St, San Francisco) - Skylight Gallery on the 6th Floor - Patricia Owen Design Bookbinding: A Retrospective Exhibition - now until Jun 4, 2026

Collins Memorial Library, University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, WA, USA) - Fifteen Puget Sound Book Artists Celebrate 15 Years of Creative Community with Anniversary Members’ Exhibition - Jun 4 - Jul 31, 2026 - opening reception & silent auction on Jun 4, 2026 from 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM - then at Daniel J. Evans Library, The Evergreen State College (Olympia, WA) - Sep 28 - Dec 12, 2026

Rua Reidh Lighthouse, Scotland - Hybrid Printmaking - Texture, Color, Line with Lucy Turner - this printmaking workshop will be held from Jun 10 – 19, 2026 - more information

Orientation Gallery, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (550 Winslow Way E, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110) - What Is An Artist’s Book? - now until Jun 14, 2026

Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (550 Winslow Way E., Bainbridge Island, WA 98110) - Handwork 2026: Aimee Lee: Spring Tethered - now until Jun 14, 2026 - exhibition catalog; Summer Cloth, Paper, Stitches - Jul 3 – Sep 20, 2026; Fall Booking: Artists’ Books by Black Artists - Oct 2, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027

Kalamazoo Book Arts Center will be hosting a a travel study program to Italy - Book Arts in Venice - secure a spot by making your deposit online - trip dates: Jun 15 – 26, 2026 - deposit due: Jan 15, 2026 - final payment: Feb 1, 2026

Santa Fe Studio Tours (various locations around Santa Fe, NM) - June 20 - 21, 2026 and June 27 - 28, 2026

Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College (87 North Main Street, Oberlin, OH 44074) - Fibers of Becoming: Contemporary Paper Works by Sarah Brayer, Aimee Lee, and Lin Yan - now until Jun 21, 2026 - take a virtual tour if you can't make it to Oberlin, OH

Focus on Book Arts 2026 (Monmouth, OR) - Jun 24 - 28, 2026

Bower Ashton Library, UWE Bristol City Campus (Kennel Lodge Road. Bristol BS3 2JT, UK - the library is on the 1st floor of B block) - Gen Harrison 100 Days Project Scotland: Fold | Found Concertinas - now until Jun 30, 2026

The Bancroft Library Gallery, University of California (Berkeley, CA) - Shape of Thought: The Book as Art - now until Jun 30, 2026

The Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts & Sciences (120 Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach, NJ 08008) - 2026 Works on Paper - information forthcoming - now until July 5, 2026

Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking (Atlanta, GA) - Paper & Architecture - now until Jul 10, 2026 | The Craft of Paper: Contemporary Takes on Tradition - Aug 3, 2026 - Jan 15, 2027

IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) (108 Cathedral Place, Santa Fe, NM 87501) - Paper Trails: Unfolding Indigenous Narratives - now until Jul 12, 2026

The 2026 Taos Paper Retreat with Helen Hiebert will be happening Jul 19 - 25, 2026 in Taos, NM and the theme will be Capture the Light

San Francisco Center for the Book (375 Rhode Island Street,San Francisco, CA 94103) - Futurity Library: Disobedient Artists' Books in the Postbook Age - now until Jul 26, 2026

University of Montana (32 Campus Dr., Missoula, MT 59812) - Montana Institute for Book Arts - inaugural summer book arts workshop series - Aug 3rd - 14, 2026 - sign up for their mailing list

MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives (3 Chome-16-1 Mita, Minato City, Tokyo 108-0073, Japan) - World of Spiral including Jun Mitani exhibit - now until Sep 23, 2026

Paper on Skin (Tasmania, Australia) - gala finalists and information: Oct 2 - 4, 2026; workshop series: Oct 5 - 8, 2026

Art Students League of Denver - Book Arts Atelier in South Korea with artist Sammy Lee - trip reservations - Oct 22 - Nov 1, 2026 - full payment due by Jun 15, 2026

The Kyoto Retreat offers international artists, curators, and writers an opportunity to spend TIME in Japan for research and exploration - if selected you will receive a roundtrip flight to Kansai International Airport (KIX) or Osaka International Airport (Itami Airport, ITM), have a private bedroom in a shared, private house for four weeks Nov 1 - 30, 2026 and receive a stipend of US$800 to supplement your meals and local transportation - application deadline is July 17, 2026

IDDIS Norwegian Printing Museum (Muségata 16, 4010 Stavanger, Norway) - Bibliofilia: An exhibition on Bookbinding - now until Dec 31, 2026 - the museum is also hosting a series of bookbinding and letterpress workshops and tours - updates here

University of Miami (Coral Gables, FL) - Miami’s international biennial artists’ book fair, Tropic Bound - Feb 4 - 7, 2027

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Websites for calls for entries for all mediums and online juried shows:

- Call for entries management and jury system entrythingy.com

- Find calls https://www.callforentry.org/

- Online juried shows

- Colossal (international platform for contemporary art and visual expression that explores a vast range of creative disciplines) opportunities

Note: On going calls below are listed in alphabetical order followed by calls by due date

Art in the Park residency OR Google “National parks artist in residence” - scroll down to the map of programs across the US map - each park has a different application, criteria, etc. explore the map and find a park that aligns with your goals for a residency - apply through that park’s unique site - artists of all mediums can apply…photographers, writers, composers and more - on going

Call for instructors: The Book Arts League (3063 Sterling Cir, Boulder, CO 80301) - The BAL is looking for any and all folks who are interested in teaching a book arts related workshop to please get in touch with them

Call for workshop proposals: Frederick Book Arts Center is settling into their new space and looking for teachers - if you have experience teaching bookbinding, letterpress, printmaking, photography or other skills related to book arts and are interested in working with us we are interested in hearing from you - please email: [email protected] - on going

Call for teachers: Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center, Maui, HI, is looking for Youth Teaching Artists - more information - to apply for this position, please send a resume and sample art projects to: Michaela McGuire, Youth Programs Coordinator, [email protected] - on going

Call for artist in residence: Joseph Rock Arboretum on Hawai'i Island - JRA Sculptural Project Honoring the Earth Through Indigenous Wisdom - deadline: on going - they offer a 3-week stay in the Kailua-Kona area on Hawai'i Island (artist will need to get a rental car (or use UBER), buy food, bring their supplies or buy locally, to construct their art and they can bring a friend or partner)

Call for Artists: The Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) Shop is seeking new artists interested in selling their work - on going

Call for teachers: Pacific Ocean Paperfolders monthly virtual meeting - on going - contact Joel Stern

Call for Workshop Teachers: PaperWorks 2025-2026 Season - half day, full day and multiple day classes, in person or via Zoom - download proposal form and send completed form to [email protected] - on going

Call for Submissions: Printed Matter, New York - Decolonisation, Resistance & Solidarity - is actively soliciting artists’ books, zines, and print ephemera that engage with ideas of decolonisation, resistance, and interconnected solidarity around the world - accepted submissions will be distributed online and in-store - this is an open, rolling call - there is no deadline for submissions - to view a selection of titles that speak to these themes and their submission guidelines

Call for workshop proposals: The Santa Fe Book Arts Group Program Committee extends an invitation to submit proposals for workshops in the coming months - more information - on going

Call for exhibitors: The Tropic Bound Artists’ Book Fair held in Miami from Feb 4 - 7, 2027 - apply here - deadline: Jun 1, 2026

Call for residency: Stay a month at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park June 2027 - all artistic media and genres - guidelines & submission - deadline: Jun 19, 2026

Call for residencies: ArtPlusWater (San Francisco, CA) - Artists across all seven Bay Area counties are now welcome to apply: San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Solano - how to apply - deadline: Jun 1, 2026

Call for residency: Maine Media is pleased to announce that the 2027 Book Artist in Residence program from April 3- May 1, 2027 is now open to accept applications - deadline: June 14, 2026

Call for scholarships: Peters Valley School of Craft is offering funded scholarships for art educators and college students to attend workshops in 2026 - applications will be accepted throughout the workshop season, with no deadline to apply for 3 of the 4 available - the Mindy Nagle Memorial Scholarship for College Students does have a deadline of Jun 15, 2026

Call for submission: HIVE Center for Book Arts presents RESIST: artistamps that foster political change for exhibition - deadline: Jun 15, 2026 - on view at Gallery 900 (900 Dempster, Evanston, IL 60202) from Aug 28 - 30, 2026 - more information

Call for residency: Exploratorium San Francisco Artist-in-residence program - discovering and supporting new potential participants and creative partners to further connect artists interested in the sciences and working with collaborators - building the capacity of artists working in public engagement as part of their practice - deadline: June 29, 2026

Call for entries: Athenaeum Music & Arts Library (1008 Wall Street, La Jolla, CA 92037) - 34th Annual Juried Exhibition - how to enter - deadline: Jun 30, 2026

Open call for mail art: Coastal Arts Guild (Newport, OR) invites you to participate in a mail-art event on the theme of the United States' past, present, and future, Past, Present, Future - U.S. at 250 - in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence - participation is free and open to all - deadline for mail art: July 1, 2026 - entries will be exhibited over Independence Day Weekend, July 3 – July 5, 2026 (10 am – 6pm) at the Don and Ann Davis Park Gazebo in Newport, OR - more information

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Note: If you want to inspect a link to see where it may take you, mouse over the link and in the lower left corner of your screen the status bar will show you where the hyperlink would take you. On smartphones or tablets long press on the link and a window will appear with that information.

Sarah Bodman - Book Arts Newsletter - Impact Press at the Centre for Print Research, UWE Bristol, UK - more book arts related events in the UK, EU, EEA and some USA - latest edition and back issues

Bainbridge Island Museum of Art’s (BIMA) - Artist's Books Unshelved: full play list here - latest videos: Roots and Rivers - by Laurie Darby and Jenie Gao and Color Separations - by Helen Hiebert and Clifton Meador

News from Alicia Bailey - she will no longer be curating exhibits for Abecedarian Artists Books - read more on this on her Instagram post

If you have taken a Paula Krieg class or folded Miura-Ori pleats you may be interested in Kawasaki's theorem - I was kinda blown away by this

Here are 2 different Miura-ori pleats/folds and a lamp to try

I found a video from Paula Krieg that intrigued me - a pamphlet with replaceable pages using an ingeniously sewn-in belt with magnets - there may be some reverse engineering but Paula provides most of the structure in the video above and in her blog - here are 3 (three) structures you can use as the cover where you would sew in the belt: folder with pocket from Paula (adjust the size of it to fit your travel studio); a V-pockets book cover pdf and video from Paula; and a 5 minute 5 pocket folder from Nancy Akerly

Paula also taught a group of 6th graders how to fold Hedi Kyle's folder with diagonal pockets and shared a video of how to fold it on her blog - she also mentioned Nancy Akerly's video of that same structure - couldn't find a video of how Melanie Mowinski folded her version but here is podcast of Melanie being interviewed by Helen Hiebert

Paula Krieg recently taught a workshop at MoMath NY (National Museum of Mathematics) and has very generously shared what she taught at Family Fridays: a tetrahedron that fits in a cube - blog entry - the PDFs are at the bottom of the blog - here is the cube box with wings video - to contain the folded tetrahedron video - and to contain the cube that holds the tetrahedron a rhombic dodecahedron - the pdf for this is here

Nancy Akerly also has a satisfying video about a rolling cube and here is the video if you'd like to pursue this project - to keep things inside make 2 mores boxes or masus that fit exactly into the rolling cube and punch/cut out thumb holes to help with removing the inside box

Paper Universe: The Book as Art exhibit at NSW library just ended but enjoy a reel from Instagram

Super simple customizable boxes - reusing shipping materials - especially large, unwieldy boxes - as packaging for handmade books

Origami bowl from 5 sheets of paper

Making an Australian/reverse piano hinge book with Sarah Matthews

Making photo corners from washi tape

How to make paper brads

Thanks to Byopia Press I found about barleybooks who wrote about the UNFOLD exhibit in Somerton (UK) with some amazing pictures of the books being exhibited by ABCD (Artists Book Club Dove) and they meet every month at Dove Studios in Butleigh, UK

You have a gel pen that is no longer writing well but there is still ink in the tube of the ink chamber try this

Here’s a way of pinning your convictions to paper (and maybe inspiring others to do the same) - how to make a scroll-a-tina (book) manifesto

One of the better tutorials for a no-glue tetra-hexa-flexagon (the glued version will be a tetra-tetra-flexagon) - also in Matt Parker's Numberphile video on flexagons the naming convention follows a simple three-part formula: [Number of Faces] + [Number of Edges/Shape Prefix] + flexagon - common numerical prefixes here

You'll need a magnifying glass to read some of the world's smallest books at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Lindon, UK

Emergency hacks to rescue your art supplies and save money

I was lucky enough to step between Canada and the US border several times (because I could) when I noticed the treeless line that extended up a hill and realized it was the physical manifestation of the border in Eastport, Idaho but I'd rather say north of Good Grief, Idaho ;) - here are 15 places where borders get a little strange

Exposed spine binding with Vs - part 1 - part 2

Found a profile on Instagram, @BookArtsJobs, that posts book arts related jobs because they care

How to make books with 5 simple book binding methods to use for kid's art, handmade journals & more - step by step instructions - videos here

The Spencer Museum of Art (Goddard Study Center, 1301 Mississippi St., Lawrence, KS 66045) lets you dive into its massive 'storage' collection at Open Fridays

How to make a hinged tab binding system - useful for loose or single pages like catalog cards stamped with images of libraries from all over Los Angeles ;)

Using punched circles to add texture to a card front or book cover or it could be framed as shown - great with muted mettalic papers - use a 3D paper frame or picture frame to preserve the height

Some 3D paper frame tutorials: rectagular; square from 2 pieces of paper - better for scaling up in size); square from one piece of paper; you could purchase a We R Makers Shadow Box Punch Board after seeing how to use it

A closer look at security envelope patterns

Step by step guide to remove your information off the internet - I am using a removal service and still need to do one or two more things on this list as the organization requires confirmation via text or email!

Tessellation framing process by Ekaterina Lukasheva

Color combination book from 1930s Japan

I knew that the Milky Way rose and set but did not have a timetable

Hidden or revealed message card or interactive page and a video you can pause and rewind

How To Geek - 5 free Photoshop alternatives and the one to stick with

If you used to use SeatGuru to figure out the best seat on a plane that site has been closed by its parent company Tripadvisor - here are some alternate websites - AeroLOPA and SeatMaps

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I was trying to push through editing the last bit of my April newsletter, writing my musings and meanderings of what happened between the Feb 2026 and Apr 2026 newsletter. I had taken a break in March since I was on an epic trip to 3 countries, 8 stays and 6 weeks. I was feeling particularly uninspired (or was it jet lag?) but when I read about Real Mail Fridays I decided to join and, gosh, was I glad I did! Seeing the familiar faces, listening to the music - I couldn't help myself. I had to chair-dance - like I do in the car when a good song comes on. It keeps me from swearing at the other drivers. I also sing to keep the "nautical" side of me in check. And if Bill is in the car with me I sing crazy lyrics to the songs to make him laugh but I also sing to annoy him! Thank you, John, for allowing me to talk about my newsletter and signing up process. The more the merrier. Like you said, I would join when the time was right.

Saw a short from the LA in a minute YouTube channel. They were talking about how the jacarandas were an invasive tree species but every spring these trees bloom and blanket streets and cars with sticky brilliant purple blooms and are the bane of homeowners with sidewalks and cars parked outside. Bill and I decided to go hunting for these jacaranda lined boulevards. I had asked Google Maps about where to find these tree lined streets and it mentioned that there were 2 streets in Long Beach, the next town over, that had them, that "may have them". All AI results now come with the caveat in a small font that says, "AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses". Went to the suggested streets thinking I could drive along those streets to look for the jacarandas without knowing which cross streets. I drove and drove but I was wrong, sooo wrong! I did not happen upon any gloriously lined jacaranda boulevards. There were one or two jacarandas here and there but they were not what I pictured in my head. However on the way to the 2nd location we spied what looked like a jacaranda tree lined street in the distance and made a mental note of it just in case. We drove on to the 2nd location and struck out again! So off we went to that noted location but on the way I thought I spied another stand of trees at Cal State Long Beach university and thought maybe they were close to their Japanese garden (which would have been a nice stop but they were closed) but guess what? Strike 3! Instead of turning around I kept going through the university and serendipitously ended up on the street I needed to be on the way to the above mentioned noted location. Always an adventure when you get lost! We ended up on a street that was somewhat lined in jacaranda trees that had somewhat blanketed the street with fallen blossoms. We parked and walked around the area and took lots of pictures. It was quiet enough that I could stand in the middle of the road to take pictures and get a close up look of the flowers.



Luckily I never just plan for one thing to do and I knew that we would head to an Indonesian restaurant to pick up dinner after our adventure. After that a trip was in order to pick up some tea from a company that we enjoyed in Malaysia and Singapore to quench our thirst. I had no idea that they had opened kiosks and stores near my domicile (9 in SoCal - woo hoo!). What a rather refreshing way to extend our epic trip through taste and memories. However I forgot it was a Sunday and the location I picked was not only busy but parking was impossible! Sigh! We went to our usual location a few days later.

On the way up to our hotel for our anniversary trip, we stopped by an abalone farm I found out about on YouTube, The Cultured Abalone. We found out that they are extremely slow growers. When they are a year old they are about half the size of my thumbnail. They had a tour and tasting of red abalone and they also cultivated dulse and ogo (my favorite) seaweed. For the tasting we did the abalone (was about the size of my palm and 10 - 12 years old) was steamed and then grilled with miso, garlic, sake and maybe mirin? There was also a small scoop of rice and salad with the dulse (which we ate these right out of their tanks on the tour) and ogo seaweed. Entirely too yummy and wished we could have had a second one. Found out that the cooking time for abalone was either 2 minutes or 2 hours - nothing in between. I mentioned to the chef that there was a restaurant we used to go to on the Big Island but would not visit until I knew that they were serving the ogo seaweed as one of the side dishes. He said that, "The ogo from Hawai'i is magical" and I couldn't agree with him more. Thought about getting a polished 6" (15 cm) shell but then remembered I needed to finish working on an 8" shell tucked away in a drawer at home. Keep in mind that the sanding has to be done underwater or with water in the shell.

While killing some time before check-in we had a pit stop in Cayucos and spied a giant blue adirondack chair that I had to get on. Passerbys convinced Bill to climb on as well, his entire body slid back into the chair and a hilarious picture taking session ensued. Found another giant adirondack chair at a winery in Paso Robles that really dwarfed all others I had been on/in? before except maybe for one. The one that started it all. I had spied another giant orange adirondack chair at the Sunset (the magazine) test gardens up in Sonoma ages ago and wondered how I would get it home and where I would put it. Made Bill turn around so I could clamber up on it and have my picture taken. I already did the giant chair on the front lawn of a resort in Santa Barbara but would love to go check out the one opposite the Ventura mission. We also found lots of regular sized adirondack chairs nearby surrounding firepits or oriented for ocean views on our walks. One was even a swing. Oh! We managed to catch a launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base just before the sun set on one of our walks. It was quite the opposite of what we saw in December 2025 where it looked like it was headed right for us. The flame of a lit match held at arm's length would have been bigger that the first stage burn. We met so very many warm and friendly people and the best puppers on this trip. I am already mapping out our next trip to the Big Sur area of California. Would love to go beachcomb for some California jade and stay close to that area as it truly has an amazing amount of nature to behold and explore. Did I mention there is also a purple sand beach nearby?

We had a pre-anniversary dinner (it was a timing thing as this place would be closed on our anniversary and already had plans for the day after) at a restaurant that was built in 1877 from redwood. All the floors and ceilings were original with a small section of the floors replaced. When they say redwood they mean red! The building is the historic Williams/Thorndyke/Bright house on Bridge Street in Cambria and the floors did not creak! The restaurant also supports local art from the gallery down the road. The walls that had been up for almost 150 years was supporting modern art from today. I also used to think I hated olives but our wonderful server gave us a few to try and these Spanish Castelvetrano olives did not have the usual punch you in the face flavor. You could still taste the olive but it was more subtle with other fruity flavors balancing out the experience.

If you happen to be in Harmony, CA (population 18) be sure to check out Harmony Glassworks - they not only have classes at their hot shop but also glass nail files that are long lasting (no need for a lot of pressure for filing your nails at all) and lots of other beautiful things that you couldn't possibly have known that you needed for your home. I found out they have a sea glass grab in a tub out front by the sale room area and grabbed a small portion which the cashier very kindly prorated for me. So many colors to distract in the retail shop and pleasantly tinkling glass wind chimes to accompany you as you strolled through the store. Visitors tend to outnumber the locals here and if you'd like to experience a stay in a very small town AirBnB and VRBO have listings for Harmony. My Cow Art parade hunt landed us here back in December 2025 where we found 4 of them (look for the one up on the roof as well) but the glassworks and creamery were closed. :(

I surprised Bill with a post-anniversary omakase sushi and semi-kaiseki dinner in the middle of nowhere on Highway 1 that started when he usually went to bed. The fog was starting to roll in as we left the hotel. At times we were driving above the fog bank or it was curling up over the cliffs onto the road and sometimes looking like it was rushing down the hillside towards the ocean (the fog was supposed to be rolling in from the ocean to the hills so that one just confused me). We knew it would definitely be socked in on the return trip but there were moments of no fog at all - these crazy micro climates! The reservation was booked last minute and miraculously got the last 2 spots at an 8-seat counter for the the last seating. The other thing that was different - there was a tea pairing that was unusually delicious to go with the food. Some of the teas also served as a palate cleanser for the "heavier" fish. There were lots of eyes rolling back in head moments during dinner. I am pretty sure all the "mmm's" I was hearing wasn't just from me. I got to ask lots of questions about the things I noticed as I was looking around. I asked if the chopstick rests were California jade and the chef confirmed my guess and said that he had found a chunk that fit in his palm and he cut and polished rests for each of the 8 seats. The food was sourced locally along the west coast and the implements to cook and prepare the food were from Japan, even the bincho charcoal used for grilling. The knives were handmade works of art and every step of the dinner was a lovely unspoken ballet of 2 people having worked together for a long time. A feast for the eyes and stomach. It was absolutely wonderful to speak foodie with the chefs and got great tips for other places to eat!! I drove back as it was way past Bill's bedtime - happy the car had fog lamps - didn't even know they were there until Bill told me to, "Turn on the fog lamps!" "What fog lamps?" I replied. I didn't push beyond what I could see (which wasn't very far ahead) and what the car could do. I noticed that I would leave the one car behind me on the curves who would then catch up to me on the straight aways. The same thing would happen on the every set of curves. It was strangely enjoyable in that blanketed cut-off feeling from the world drive.

The latest YouTube channel I found - @DropAPinShow - making me more curious about world geography - note that this channel can have strong language. There are lots of places out there I hardly know anything about, like, Turkmenistan (where all the cars in the capital city are white) or Gabon (has surfing hippos and more forest elephants than anywhere else in the world). Definitely testing what I know about world geography.

Google maps pleasantly surprised us by taking us on alternate routes to where we were going on this trip. We are driving through oak tree lined residential areas, seeing wild turkeys foraging on the side of the road, even past the San Luis Obispo (SLO - went to college out here) airport which I thought was quite out of the way. The roads mimicked the contours of the rolling hills in the area - a much gentler version of a roller coaster. Drives like this seem to make me ask even more questions. Is there a difference between live and scrub oak? What happened to the cow that was a part of the Cow Art Parade that used to be at the airport? Where is the closest boba milk tea place (after all SLO is a college town)? Should I take a nap or work on the newsletter after we get back to the hotel? Since the newsletter has come out a little later this month guess which thought process do you think won?

BTW - You can tell summer is coming around on the coast of California this time of year. The marine layer (I call it a fog bank typically about 1,000 - 2,000 ft [303 - 606 m] high and extends inland about 5 - 10 mile [8 - 16 km] and sometimes can go in as far as 30 miles [48 km]) blankets the area in the late evenings and rolls out and lurks on the horizon in the mornings. We call the months that this happens in May gray, June gloom, no sky July and sometimes, Fog-gust! How do you tell summer is approaching in your part of the world?

BTBTW - Other than the Los Angeles Public Library, Route 66 - the mother road - also turned 100. I picked up another 3 stamps and noticed that I could not get a really good stamped impression for the latest ones. Upon closer examination I saw that the stamped images were blotchy and uneven, signs of a less than moist stamp pad. I decided then that I would get my own black stamp pad to get better images. What I still need to decide if I should continue to stamp the images on the back blank side of the catalog card or stamp the front side where the details about the book were typed out by typewriter! I hope to also include pictures of unique items that the libraries loan out like laptops, ukuleles and sheet music, beach and sensory toys (so far).

See you in June!

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(maintained in my Dropbox account - close popup to view document). Documents are saved in Word format (.docx). If you do not have Microsoft Word you can use Microsoft 365 to save a copy

• Organizations where I gather my workshop information
• Teaching opportunities (needs to be updated)
• On-demand workshops with pre-recorded videos and/or kits
• Favorite paper places (I am not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with any of the companies listed. I merely enjoy their products and fantasize about what I might buy)
• Central place for artist residencies - all mediums
• MFA programs in the US (updated annually around early December) - due dates, points of contacts, programs offered and admission requirements
  
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• Link to the calendar
• Best viewed on a large monitor (there is lots of information) and is searchable
• There is no difference between the colors you see, just a way to visually separate workshops but the more subdued colors are online workshops
• The calendar is updated as I come across information but you have 24x7 access to it
• If you add any calendar entry to your own personal calendar be sure to update the time to your local time zone - time zone converter
• For more information view this video
• Questions? Suggestions? Email me at [email protected]

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