Just Figures

Why did I wait so long to do that?

2011-07-20T18:00:00.001-07:00

Sometimes the things you dread doing the most end up being the easiest. That was the way it was with my website. I put off redoing it for over a month. Then, one day, I just said to myself, "Hey, why not start today?" Two days later my website was finished and I was left wondering, "Hey, why didn't I do that a month ago?" Please be certain to take a look at it: www.janetcoshow.com It will never be right where I want it to be, but it is much closer to where I want it to be. Whew. I have checked that off the To Do list for this month, and while I will have to upload new pictures now and then, I shouldn't have to redo that for another 6 months or so. And, when that time comes due, I am hoping I will remember that it wasn't that big a deal before and it just gets easier each time I do it. Enjoy!!!

Spring Training

2011-03-01T12:09:00.000-08:00

Well, it is Spring Training. I am not in Scottsdale physically but I am certainly there mentally. Today the fruit trees are in bloom and the sun shines brightly. The dogs want more walks and I am only too happy to comply because it is Spring...oh, and did I mention????...Spring Training is in full swing.

Waiting

2010-12-17T11:20:00.000-08:00

I have been busy with being busy.

I have been waiting on others and worrying about others and not facing the fact I had:

1.a bowl of heads waiting to be painted

2. a soul waiting to be fed.

3. a decision waiting to be made.

The Scene

2010-12-13T16:31:00.000-08:00

It was quite some years ago. My dad is in a hospital bed. His Doctor, a wonderful woman named Dr. Moore, walks into the room. My dad is surrounded by his children and his wife. He has been falling...the last fall was the third in one month. Although he has a distrust of doctors and hospitals and just generally doesn't like any fuss made over him, the latest spill convinced him tests were necessary. Dr. Moore is carrying the chart. She is looking in it as she enters the room...no doubt reacquainting herself with the results of the tests. She takes his hand and speaks directly to him. "Hello Richard. How do you feel?" My dad answers as if he isn't in a hospital bed, "Not bad, how are you?" "Fine," she says softly. The softness of her response tells us the news isn't going to be great.

The Test Results

"Richard, you have quite a bit of blockage, your heart isn't receiving all it needs right now. You are in need of bypass surgery."

Silence sits patiently in the room for a full minute.

The Reaction

My dad shifts in the bed. He says in a completely calm voice, "No, that's ok. I don't want to go to all that bother."

We wait.

My mom says, "Richard, she is saying you need the surgery."

My dad says, "I know. But, the thing is...the Giants are playing really well."

We know my dad has loved the S.F. Giants forever. Still, we are confused. What could the Giants have to do with this moment?

He continues, sensing the confusion, "If I have to die, and we all do, I would rather die while they are still playing well. Eventually, they will start to lose a lot of games in a row and i would rather not be around to see it."

The Result

We remind my dad that baseball isn't the only reason to live or die. We remind him that his children and his wife would like for him to be around. It takes some doing, but my dad agrees to the operation.

My dad survives the triple bypass surgery. He lives for many more years. He was right about the Giants though. They begin to lose and lose and lose. The season ends and my dad is heart broken once again.

Fast Forward

He dies many Januarys later, after falling and breaking his hip. Complications of the heart made him not survive the night he came home from his hip surgery.

Fast Forward Two More Years

Two years after we lose him, his beloved Giants win the World Series. (2010) If there was one person in the world that deserved to see that series..it was my dad. I was ecstatic: so happy that our team had finally won. I was also so sad my dad wasn't there to see it. From him I learned to love the game. From him I learned to love the Giants. From him I learned what it is to enjoy the win and cry over the loss.

2010-10-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

Here is the picture of my dad that I promised to post in my last blog entry.

The Giants Clinch the NL West!!!

2010-10-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

My dad is in the middle row, second from the left.

Sometimes baseball, like history, appears as just a series of images in my brain. One image I will never forget is the image of Buster Posey jumping into the air after catching the third strike Wilson threw to clinch the NL West for the San Francisco Giants. What a moment!

My brain will also store other baseball memories. They are memories that are mine mostly, not big moments like that third strike. Memories more like...

The time my dad took me to Candlestick Park for the first time. I was so excited that I asked a million questions. The one that my dad always quoted to exemplify just how annoying I was that day was "Why do they water the dirt between innings and not the grass?" When we walked in the house that day after what was the most exciting day of my life, my dad looked at my mom and said, "I am never taking Janet to another game. I had to spend the entire afternoon answering questions." I was crushed. I cried and promised to never ask another question if he would please rescind his decision. Thankfully, he did. He promised that day that he would teach me the game but not ALL AT ONCE. He kept his promise.

Another baseball memory would take place at the Stick also. Of course my brothers and I loved the Giants as kids. The team had so many great players: Mays and McCovey,Speier and Bonds. My favorite, much to the chagrin of my father was Tito Fuentes. While my dad liked Tito, Tito also drove him crazy because he made my dad nervous when Tito talked to the players from the opposing teams as they got to second base. My dad was always certain Tito's talking would one day get in the way of an important play. I LOVED Tito though. I loved that he seemed to be everybody's friend and I was mesmerized by the way he flipped his bat when he came to the plate each time. I practiced flipping my bat just the same way and I am certain there were many Bay Area kids doing the same thing. When the Giants were mid-rally and Tito came to the plate, the entire Stick would start chanting, "Tito, Tito, Tito" I would squeal with joy. One of my fondest baseball memories would be when my dad took us on bat day. Anybody who has ever gone to bat day knows how it goes. There is a huge basket of kid-sized bats at each turnstile and they hand whichever one they pick off the top. Each bat is "signed" by a player and you get the one they hand you. Tim was handed Bobby Bonds, a good score. My little brother, Tom, got a Chris Speier bat...another good score. I was handed, as if the fates had huddled and decided it was only fair, a TITO FUENTES bat. To this day, I have that bat. I had to fight by brothers away from it many times because they immediately split their bats and came looking for mine. I want to be buried with that bat.

And then, I have memories that aren't really mine. I have memories my dad passed down to me. He told us about Haywood Sullivan who he lived with in the boarding house in San Francisco where he met my mom. Haywood was a catcher for the Seals back then and my dad said he was a nice and classy guy. Each story my dad told about Haywood always showed what a nice guy he was. My dad told us about playing ball for S.F. State where he too was a catcher. He told us about the baseball teams they formed during World War II and the Korean War. I have a picture of my dad that is a classic Army picture. I will post it here soon. He sits in front of an army tent- his army hat askew. The negative is flipped so he looks like a lefty as he writes the baseball lineup for the game they will play that day. He is concentrating so hard his tongus is slightly sticking out of his mouth as he bites it in concentration. The caption below the picture says, "Dear Mom" It certainly looks like he is writing a letter home and that he is putting his all into it. We all knew differently because he told us all about that lineup and which player went where and why. One of those players my dad always talked about was Bid Masters.

And Bid Masters, in a roundabout way, will bring us back to the present. My dad's best bud in the army was Bid Masters. Bid talked my dad into being tested and becoming a Radio Signal Interceptor. Bid is probably why my dad was alive to marry my mom. He steered my dad in a direction that, while difficult, (my dad spent a year in a tent with four other guys in the Aleutian Isles under what were often blizzard conditions, for example), it was much safer than what many other guys my dad knew ended up doing. And, while it was a very important role, he never had to kill another human being with his own hands, something he was always grateful for. The reason I bring up Bid Masters is this... First, he might have saved my dad's life, but also because, until recently, I thought Bid Masters was the best name any baseball player could ever have. But then, the Giants brought up this kid Buster Posey and Bid Masters became the second best baseball name I knew.

My dad died two Januarys ago. He would have loved Buster Posey. He would have loved this entire 2010 Giants team, but he would have especially loved Buster. Buster is a no nonsense kind of player. He is a catcher just as my dad was and the kid has a gorgeous swing. Buster will most likely get MVP Rookie of the Year. And, while seeing Buster (Mr.Serious all season long) smile and jump in the air was a fabulous moment, I couldn't help but wish my dad had been there to see it. Of all the people I have ever known, my dad would have cherished that exact moment as much as I did. We would have talked about it for years to come. I guess in one way my dad WAS there. All those lessons he slowly parceled out to me made that moment special. All the patience he showed when he explained why you pitched certain batters certain ways; why a strike is best when it is almost a ball; why the last out is the hardest one, etc. All those lessons he gave me were right there inside me sa I watched Buster make the call and Wilson pitch the final strike. And when Buster jumped in excitement, I was thrilled for him. I was thrilled for the Giants. And, I was thrilled for me...the me that my dad prepared for that great moment. I will always have a soft spot for catchers because of my dad, and I will always have a soft spot for players with great names like Bid Masters, Haywood Sullivan, and Buster Posey. Thanks Dad. You would be so proud of this Giants team.

Early American Life Magazine Directory

2010-08-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

I got the letter I was hoping I would receive. It was from Early American Life Magazine. It said that my art was chosen to be included in their 2010 Holiday Directory, a directory that honors artists's work for the skill and historical accuracy it embodies. Anybody would be honored to be inculded in this list but I was beyond honored and here is why:

My mother has subscribed to Early American Life Magazine for over 20 years. She is a lover of primitive antiques. Every year we go through the Holiday Directory and see what wonderful work their chosen artists created. My mom has ordered from that list over the years many times and she has never been let down. Their jurors (people outside the magazine) are tops and we always knew that we would enjoy their selections.

When I started making paper mache pulltoys and dolls, I would dream of one day being on that list. When I applied this year, I was pretty certain that I wouldn't make such an elite list. The people on the list are usually people who have been doing this for years and years. I knew that my pieces were historically accurate but I wasn't convinced that they would make it because they aren't so easily categorized or so obviously "holiday" pieces. So, as you might imagine, I was ecstatic when they honored me by adding me to their directory. I am so glad I applied and I am blown over that I am now listed in a directory that I look to as the list of all lists when it comes to finding quality primitive art.

To the jurors and to those at Early American Life Magazine that made this honor possible, please know that I am so appreciative of the recognition you have given my dolls and my toys. It means the world to me. I can't wait to open up my next issue and see my name amongst the other artists that have devoted themselves to evoking bygone days with their art. EAL: Here is to another twenty years of reading your magazine. And Mom: Here is to the yelp of excitement that came through the phone when I called and told you that I made it into the directory that you and I have used as our holiday purchasing guide for years and years. Cheers!

The two best parts

2010-06-23T06:34:00.000-07:00

First part: The thought. How it happens: You are sitting there with friends in a cafe... You are alone with a sketch pad... You are walking the dogs...You are eating oatmeal (once again!) for breakfast...You are taking a 30 second break before beginning the next chapter....BLAM...It hits you...THE IDEA.

Second part: Standing back for the first time and looking at your creation as if you hadn't birthed it. How it happens: You feel the headpiece and realize it is dry...You paint it...You cut any hanging threads...You go grab a cup of tea that you have been thinking about but haven't gotten around to getting for the last two hours because you didn't want to stop working....You head back with your tea to the table where your doll/sculpture/pulltoy sits...and you see it for the first time as others will...and it pulls at your heart.

I love what I do.

French puppets from Paris

2010-06-21T08:42:00.001-07:00

People often ask me where I come up with my ideas for my pieces of art. That is a difficult question to answer. Sometimes a specific picture, or object will inspire me but mostly things appear and I can't tell you exactly where they come from. I suppose most of my ideas come from things I have seen in my 50 years of living even if they aren't specific objects I have seen but perhaps just a phrase I have heard or a dream I once had.

The first sculpture I made was of a saint. When I lived in Paris about ten yrs ago on Rue Emile Zola, I saw a very old saint sculpture made from papier mache at our local brocante and I fell in love with it. It was missing its nose and most of its hands but I never forgot it. I made a sketch of it that day and years later when I was going through my sketchbook from Paris, I knew I just had to make one similar to it. It was that first face that I sculpted and painted that made me take an entirely different path in my life. I had taken art classes and I had always loved studying art but it wasn't until I sculpted that face that I knew what I needed to do.

Today I am working on a french bulldog puppet for my friend Mary. When I lived in Paris I bought some old puppets at a brocante for next to nothing. They are my inspiration for this puppet. As I was looking at them yesterday, I realized that there will probably be one or two of my pieces still hanging around long after I am dead and they too will be chipped and missing hands. I like the thought of that. My little creations being looked at by people who have no idea who created them or why they were created. I like the thought of somebody pausing and wondering how they came to be. I have attached a picture of the puppets from Paris so that you can do some wondering with me about the little puppets I found years ago.

Maddie and Leroux

2010-06-20T12:02:00.001-07:00

When my friend, John, took pictures of my two new series (see: Ark Series and Primitive Doll series at www.janetcoshow.com), I took my two dogs along with me since it was going to be an all-day deal. After hours of arranging figures and adjusting lighting, it was time to get a few pictures of the dogs. As John says, "The trick to photographing kids and animals is to work fast and know that the first ten pictures will be the best" Going on that premise (and also because we were exhausted by that point) we plopped the dogs down on the ground, pointed some lights at them and took a rapid succession of ten or so shots. These are my favorites. I need to "Photoshop" them to get the things out of the background (since we didn't bother to sweep) and they will be really great. Oh, and did I mention they had a blast in the studio and were really good? Well, they were. I adore them.

Pictures taken

2010-06-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

It is always an exciting moment for me when I finish a series and it is time to get it professionally photographed. The ark series and the primitive doll series were complete so off to Hayward I went to a photo studio where John took picture after picture of my new work. I was thrilled with how the pictures came out and now that my website is updated, I will share a couple of my favorite pictures from the shoot here. I hope you enjoy them.

2010-05-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

The ark project is close to completion. What is finished? The elephants, the giraffes, the pigs, the sheep, the lions, the burros, the chickens, and the ark. What still needs to be finished? Noah, and possibly some goats. I am running out of time, so we will see what more I can finish. Noah will be finished for certain...as for the rest...we will just have to see. Oh, I also have to paint the ramp, the stand, the additional wheels for the pulltoys. This project has been everything a good art project can be...scary (Will I really be able to make all those differnt animals?), fulfilling (I can, I can!), and on schedule (I think I will actually make the deadline!).

Baseball

2010-05-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

I love baseball with all my heart. And, I can't watch a baseball game without feeling my dad's presence and that makes me love it all the more. No matter how much of a lead the Giants got, my dad would always say,"We need some more runs this inning" I am that way too. I never watch a game without feeling that it all could be taken away from us at any point. But there are certain things that can't be taken away from us. And, one of those things is my dad. He will always be there, shaping the way I see things and reminding me of who he was. My family lost him last year and the sting is still there but I know it was time for him to go. He didn't like being in his 90's. He didn't like his body betraying him. And so, though he is no longer here physically, he is always next to me as I fill in the next box of my baseball scorecard, and as I set my mind on the next batter coming to the plate. Catchers know the game probably better than any other player out there and my dad was a catcher for SF State and all through his years in the Army. All his kids learned the game from him and we all love it dearly.

When a player did great, my dad would say "Atta boy" When a player did poorly, he would say "You bum". It used to crack me up because he always loved that same player the next time he came to the plate. Baseball is a game of living in the moment. Each new batter is an opportunity and a potential threat rolled into one. Baseball forces us to be in the moment and not look back. I guess that is why I feel him next to me during the game. There is no looking back. He is there with me explaining what I see as I see it.

Here are two pictures of my dad playing baseball in an alley in SF, during a break from work. In one picture he is catching and in the next he is batting.

The ark is painted

2010-05-05T12:26:00.000-07:00

I have a large project I am working on. I painted the ark yesterday and now it is time to populate the ark with Noah and many pairs of animals. This will take quite a long period of time. I want you to think of this as a time lapse photography series, only time won't speed up...instead it will get really really slow. New objects will slowly make their way onto the ark. In the end, the ark will have many primitive-looking animals and Noah watching over them. Oh, and let's not forget about that dove that carries the olive leaf to them.

American Dolls

2010-04-26T13:53:00.001-07:00

My dolls are almost complete. In a couple of weeks, I will post individual pictures of each, with her name and a bio. For now, I just wanted you to see them waiting for their touch-up paint and some even are waiting for their lace. I have enjoyed making them and I hope you enjoy viewing them. It will be quite a bit of time before I am able to post another creation for you as I am starting a very large project that will take much of my time. It will be worth the wait though...so please be patient. :)

People You Meet

2010-03-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

I met some wonderful people while in Baltimore: The three friends (Karen, Joanne, and Barbara) who each bought a sculpture from me; Martha (a sweetheart of a woman) who bought my President Obama sculpture; Bob who bought a Santa; Gloria (who bought a French chore girl); Susan (who bought a saint); a gallery owner from Ohio; one from New York; one from Baltimore; one from Chicago (all of whom have now bought for their galleries) ; Elaine ( a doll collector)who owns some original Izannah Walker dolls; a store owner that wants me to do a trunk show in the future for her, and many others who were all a joy to meet. And then, on the last day, Cynthia walked into my booth and said to her husband, "There is something blue." We laugh about that comment now. I liked her immediately. She was outgoing, said what she needed, discussed possiblities, and left liking Sophie and Claudette, my two french clown dolls. We figured out some stands for them to sit on after I got back home, and the clowns went to live with Cynthia. She kindly sent me a picture of the girls in their new home which I posted for you to see. Don't they look adorable, poised on her dresser, observing life from their new viewing station? And don't you love the mirror she has in the background? I like to imagine Sophie and Claudette sneaking to see themselves in the mirror when others aren't looking...like us.. a bit shy about wanting to examine how we look to others.

It gives me great joy to send my art to homes where I have actually met the residents of those homes. Since I mostly sell from boutiques and galleries, I often don't have that luxury. This is one of those times when I know who will view my art each day, and it is one of those times that makes me so glad that I do what I do. To all of you that now own some of my art, thanks for your support and may it give you great joy for years to come.

In my next post, I will talk about some of the amazing artists I met while at the ACC Show.

Back from ACC

2010-03-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

I kept thinking that when I got back from Baltimore that I would be through with deadlines for a bit, but exactly the opposite happened. Upon my return, I had to pick up sculptures from the man who "trucked" them home for me and then repackage the sold ones and get them mailed out to the correct buyers. Then there are thank-you notes which I am still writing, and information that galleries who bought pieces want, etc., etc. Oh, and did I mention that all of that needs to be done immediately? After all that work and traveling, all I really wanted to do was play with my dogs, listen to Spring Training baseball games and dream of what I wanted to make next. As exhausting as it all was, I am so glad I went to Baltimore. I learned so much about how to make a booth "work" and how to market my pieces. I also made fabulous friends. There is one friend I would love for you to meet also. Her name is Wendy Ellerston and she makes the most amazing sculptures. Not only is she incredibly talented but she is also a sweet spirit who immediately embraces fellow artists and shares all she knows. Her blog is full of "How tos" and you will see pictures of some of her amazing pieces. Please become a follower of her blog at www.wendyellertson.blogspot

And just in case you think I never relax, I have shared a picture of an afternoon spent with my dogs while listening to a game as I wrote thank-you notes. That is relaxing, right?

Sculptures on their way!

2010-02-12T12:29:00.000-08:00

I met David in Fremont with 22 sculptures for him to load into his truck. He is taking art for various west coast artists back to Baltimore. There are record storms hitting Baltimore right now and I hope things have cleared a bit before he gets back there. I wouldn't want to drive a truck the size of his on a nice day, let alone through snow-laden streets. For eighteen years he has provided this service for ACC artists. He is an artist himself so he knows how important it is to us that it all arrive in one piece. I have finished more sculptures than 22, but I will have a binder with pictures of the others for people to see when I am in Baltimore. I can mail any they like to them. Since two of the days are wholesale days, it will be nice to have some ready to go when the show is over also.

I am happy with this series. I wasn't sure I would be...I sculpted quicker than I like...couldn't do a lot of double checking before moving onto the next steps...just had to trust that if I worked as hard as I could that it would all be fine and it is. The end result is the sculptures are finshed and on their way to Baltimore. The toughest deadline is over.

More snow is going to hit Baltimore next week. Sigh. I just hope I will be able to fly in on the 20th. Bloggers, keep your fingers crossed for me.

Last minute addition

2010-02-09T14:51:00.001-08:00

Though they haven't been photographed for the website yet, Hip and Hop decided to make the big trip out to Baltimore. I put the last bit of paint on them, and they are good to go. They are tired of how much rain we are getting here in California I guess. I explained to them that Baltimore is full of snow but that didn't alter their decision to go. I suppose, since they are white, they are snow bunnies. Now that I think about, they will do much better than I will. I am not a big fan of the snow...OK, I like it in pictures, or when looking out the window when I have a glass of port and a fire in front of me...but walking in it?...forget about it.

Sorry for the quality of the shot...but this might be the only one I get of them before they jump off to a new home.

Does Anybody Else Hate Posing for Pictures?

2010-02-08T09:30:00.001-08:00

I had pictures taken of my sculptures and pictures taken of me with my sculptures so that I would have them for a booth sign. Even though I had a good friend taking the pictures, I had no fun doing it. That makes me feel silly and pathetic. I am fifty and I need to be over worrying about what others think. I mean, how much longer do I really have in this life to work on this immature side of myself? AAAAARRRRGGGHHH!

And, related to all of this, is the fear I have about sitting in my booth for five days at ACC, surrounded by great artists, and feeling that my art might not match up to their work. Also, I worry that people will say things like "Tell me about your art". I am not good at that. I never have been. It was my least favorite part of art school, the part where you had to stand up with what you created and talk about it in front of a room full of people. It made me die a slow death as each word escaped my lips.

It makes me mad that I can't be the artist woman that stands proudly by her work and says, "My art is what gives each day of my life meaning. It represents where my mind was when I was making it and maybe it even hints at where my mind is right now." I am not that woman yet. I am not ruling out the possiblity that I might get there at some point. I just hope it happens sooner rather than later.

Final preparations for Baltimore

2010-02-07T12:43:00.000-08:00

It is finally right around the corner, and a huge storm has hit the Baltimore area. Sending faxes to ACC with utility requests and booth equipment requests has been a bit of a challenge. Power outages and people running for cover tends to slow the process down. As long as the storms abate while the show is on, this will all be worth it. I am keeping my fingers crossed. My friend, John, took pictures of the new sculptures and I will post them over the next few days. Here is the fist of the Baltimore sculptures: the Queen of Hearts

Until the professional pictures are taken and put on my website...

2010-01-29T07:55:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my latest sculptures I am making for the ACC show in Baltimore. I hope you enjoy them...despite the poor quality of the pictures.

New Path

2010-01-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

Everywhere I walk around this new home there is moss. It is winter and seeing moss might not seem surprising to my blog readers. I lived the last nine years of my life in the dry Sacramento Valley, however, and I can't stop being delighted by the different shades of green that moss can wear. I walk my dogs each morning and evening and lime green moss clings to the edges of the cement path we start out on; it lives on the trees that line the "dry" creek (which for a dry creek seems awfully wet to me); it covers all the rocks and boulders we pass. The lime green turns to dark green in places and sometimes the moss is even white. I can't stop staring at it and commenting on it. Jim doesn't seem to understand my amazement. Things are so different in this new home... My hair takes forever to dry...Dust doesn't accumulate half as fast...There aren't black widow cobwebs in every corner of every shed...Car wheels make a different sound on the wet streets. I feel as though I have landed in a foreign land where gnomes might actually live under the huge toadstools I pass and I never quite know what to expect when I get to the other side of a patch of fog.

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T13:45:00.000-08:00

Today I am cleaning out a house I have lived in for 9 years. It is a lovely arts and crafts home and I will miss it but not nearly as much as I will miss the lovely Pin Oak that shaded my backyard through nine scorchingly hot summers here in the Sacramento Valley. I am moving to Santa Rosa tomorrow with Maddie and Leroux. It will be a nice change to live in a place where art is celebrated and good food is appreciated. The chickens are living in Santa Rosa already and I am looking forward to seeing them soon. Things are going to be very different but with change comes growth and so I try to welcome it.

As I make my way to Santa Rosa, I will stop in Willows and say goodbye to my Dad. His ashes are next to his mother's grave and tomorrow will be a difficult Christmas because he will not be alive to give me the usual, "Merry Christmas kiddo." which would quickly be followed by a pretend punch. My dad always had mixed feelings about Christmas. He liked having the family together but being the true depression era guy he was, he hated all the money people spent and he worried his kids were being spoiled with so many gifts. As a child, I would open a gift, shriek with joy and then follow the shriek with an apologetic look in my father's direction. One Christmas I got a baby alligator...yes, a real one. I knew my father would be upset so much was spent on an aquarium and I knew my mother would be disappointed if I wasn't thrilled with the gift. In an effort to please them both, I named the alligator Jesus (pronounced Hay-sus). Why? Well, my mother raised us Catholic so I knew she would be pleased with it being named Jesus and I knew my dad, who was an atheist, would like it when I told him it was named after Jesus Alou, since baseball was the closest thing my dad had to religion.

My father gave me so much over the many years I had with him...a love of family, baseball, peace, reading, politics, etc. I am grateful for all of it. My heart breaks when I think that I will never hear him say "Jesus Christ, your mother sure goes crazy over Christmas" as he watched her unload yet another box of Christmas decorations. And, even as I stand over his place of rest tomorrow, I will be thankful for the pain I feel knowing I will never hear him say "I love you" again. It was his love that made mine possible and so I thank him even when love cripples me with pain and disallows joy to reign on Christmas Day.

Thanksgiving Day

2009-11-27T09:21:00.000-08:00

I don't have to tell any American right now that this country is going through hard times. Going Out of Business signs are in many store windows and For Sale signs with Reduced Price underlined seem to be the norm. The t.v. was flooded with stories of people experincing loss and being helped by others that care. With all that as a background, one can't help but feel grateful when there is food on the table and family to share it with. Last weekend the large group arrived...there were 14 of us. It was a loud and fun time. This weekend, the real Thanksgiving, I spent with Ted and my mom. We did the usual: we ate turkey and mashed taters and we had more sweets than we should have. The dogs played with their cousins (my mom and brother's dogs) and we were warm and thankful. The football games were in the background and then a dog show began. Leroux and Madeleine watched it intently. As I watched them I wondered what life would be like as a dog...unaware of loss until it happens to them personally...thrilled by dogs running in circles and being prodded by judges...so simple I thought.

Making Sculptures for Baltimore

2009-11-19T10:26:00.000-08:00

I was so elated when I was juried into the Baltimore ACC show, and then the reality of it hit me like a ton of bricks....I needed to get sculpting and sculpting fast. Each sculpture I make takes quite a bit of time and I needed a bunch of sculptures if the trip to Baltimore would prove fruitful. So, I have been working like mad. The quickest way to sculpt a ton of sculptures is to do it in stages...i.e. bodies first, heads next, etc. Because of that, I have had no finished sculptures done for some time now. So, in order to keep the posts going, I will post a picture of my animals from time to time...or a nice quotation that I might find. Here is a picture of sweet Madeleine. She is my french bulldog...and as you can see, she sits like a human at times. She is a joy.

How can you not take a picture?

2009-09-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

Since this picture made many laugh on my Facebook page, I am posting it here also We can all use a funny image to brighten our day, eh? This is a picture of Leroux sitting/sleeping on his "sister" Madeleine while they sleep.

William Shakepeare

2009-09-25T08:45:00.000-07:00

As you all know, Shakespeare said so many great things, but this is a quotation that I would have taped to my bathroom mirror...if I did that sort of thing.

"Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt."

This was my attempt at sculpting the great bard. He will be with me in Paradise, as I join my friend Dee Danley Brown at the Art and Antique Sale at Nest. It should be a fun day.

Three new saints

2009-09-24T11:04:00.001-07:00

I am posting three new saints here for you to see. Two are the style I have always made and one incorporates a new medium I have devised using burlap that is coated with my "secret sauce" I am happy with these three new ones, so I wanted to share them with you. Enjoy

I am going to Baltimore in 2010!!!!!!!!!

2009-09-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to news that made me so happy. There was an email in my inbox that started like this: Congratulations! You have been accepted to exhibit in the 2010 American Craft Council Wholesale Retail Show in Baltimore held February 23 – 28, 2010. If you are an artist, you know what this means to me. To be juried into what many consider the premier art show in the U.S.A is something I didn't even dare to dream about. My friend, Tom, suggested I try. He helped me get profressional pictures taken of my sculptures and he showed me where to apply. I fretted and went through paroxysms of self-doubt but I finally gave it a push to see what landed and then, a couple of months later...the email I got this morning. It will be a ton of work and I will be exhausted when it is all over but it is an opportunity that I feel blessed to have received. And though, I doubt any of them will see this...THANKS to the American Craft Council Jurors.

The Hobos

2009-07-23T23:57:00.000-07:00

I finished the first two hobos in my hobo series and sent them off with the rest of my favorite sculptures to be photographed. I am so happy with the pictures. If you haven't looked at my website lately, please do so. It is looking so much better with the new pictures. As I read about hobos, I notice that they seem to go by nicknames more often than not. So, I only found it fitting to name my two hobos, New Mittens and Grey Gloves. This is Grey Gloves. If you want to see New Mittens, you must go to www.janetcoshow.com.

Art Doll Quarterly

2009-07-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

Well folks, it happened. George, Abe, little Red Riding Hood, and Saint Catherine of Sienna have all hit the big time. Art Doll Quarterly just sent me their latest issue and there was the article about my sculptures. Jana, their new editor, was kind enough to include my pieces in their magazine which always showcases such a variety of different work. It will be exciting to walk into Barnes and Noble in Chico and know that some of my work is inside a magazine there. And, before I bore you with that brag...let me also let you know that I have managed to raise my chickens to the point where they are actually producing eggs now. Oh, and don't even get me started about the great melon I grew...or the squash...or the tomatoes...or the herbs. Ok, ok, enough. I will be back to my self-deprecating self before the day ends...I promise.

Clown Conference

2009-07-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

I finally finished my series of clowns. I am going to have them professionally photographed for my website on the 21st, but here are some quick shots I took of them for you to see now. I like to think of them at a clown summit in this picture...a place where clowns make important decisions like what color dots show up best under spotlights and whether or not bandannas under hats truly do keep hair out of eyes during dangerous maneuvers.

Three little frenchies

2009-06-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

Three little frenchies ready for market. That could be the beginnng of a nursery rhyme..."this little frenchie had roast beef and this little frenchie had none" etc. These were painted two days ago on what might have been the last beautiful day of June....today it was 101 degrees...and this little frenchie cried all the way home.

So little time

2009-06-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

My mother has been sick for about 4 weeks now and so I have not posted in some time. My brothers took over for the weekend, however, so I managed to get the french bulldog pulltoys primed and ready to be painted. Here is a peek at the three toys.

"Use what you see"

2009-05-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

That is what an old art teacher of mine used to say to the class. Well, I am taking his advice all these years later. Here is what I see each day...my two french bulldogs.

I have just completed the first layer of a frenchie head as you can see. I will post the finished sculpture in a week or so.

Amazed

2009-05-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

I just read this blurb on Yahoo... A 35,000-year-old ivory carving of a busty woman found in a German cave was unveiled Wednesday by archaeologists who believe it is the oldest known sculpture of the human form. The carving found in six fragments in Germany's Hohle Fels cave depicts a woman with a swollen belly, wide-set thighs and large, protruding breasts.

it is mind boggling to me that 35,000 years ago somebody was creating human figures just as I am today. I wonder if it made him/her as happy as it makes me. I imagine so.

My backyard

2009-05-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

I love Spring. My oak tree is full of leaves once again and it casts a lovely shade on the front part of my backyard. In the back, my chickens have some shade from an orange tree and then 1/2 their space isn't covered (except with wire) so they can choose to be in the sun or not. Some of my favorite moments are spent sculpting and painting in my backyard. Soon it will be summer and that is when my great oak tree becomes my best friend because it makes my backyard degrees cooler than the rest of the neighborhood. In the Sacramento Valley, that is exactly what you want. The oak tree is so large, I can't even capture all of it from the very back of my yard but you will get the idea of its size I hope.

California Fiber Artists

2009-05-03T21:14:00.000-07:00

I was recently juried into a wonderful group of artists. You can visit the site at www.cafiberartists.com to see some of the work done by the group. I look forward to being part of such a motivated group of artists and to participating in their upcoming museum and gallery shows.

Ready for St. Dizier

2009-04-30T14:19:00.000-07:00

I go to Healdsburg tomorrow to drop off some saints at St. Dizier Home. I am also dropping off Lucien and the elephant to Cathy who bought them. Healdsburg is a bit of a drive but it is such a lovely place, I don't mind the drive at all. Besides, the best tasting frozen tart yogurt EVER just happens to be one block away from St. Dizier. Hmmm, I wonder where I will be after dropping off the saints. Here are three of the saints making the journey with me.

Vina

2009-04-27T20:18:00.000-07:00

I went to the Abbey in Vina, California on Sunday. The monks are rebuilding a place of worship using the original stones that Hearst sent over from Europe along with new stones they need to add because many of the original stones were missing or beyond repair. It is one of my favorite places in the world. Here is a picture from inside the structure looking out on a beautifully maintained walnut orchard. If you want to learn more about the abbey, here is a link: http://www.newclairvaux.org/

St. Therese

2009-04-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

The saint on the left is St. Therese de Liseaux. My friend, David, had me make her for his girlfriend, Terry. Her father used to call her the "Little Flower" which was what people called Therese. St. Therese's writings are full of devotion and humility and they are the most honest recordings I have ever read about somebody's stuggle to be better.

A gathering of saints

2009-04-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

I started making sculptures because I fell in love with a saint sculpture I saw at a brocante in Paris but I couldn't afford it. It was that saint that started my entire sculpting business. I just finished making a saint. Here she is.

Cast of Characters

2009-04-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

Just so you know whose blog you are following...there is me (Janet), the dogs (Madeleine and Leroux) and the chickens. Oh yeah, and this guy named George Washington that I made. The chickens have not been named yet because I have been cautioned that some will die and that I shouldn't get too attached. So, until I am certain they are going to make it and no predators can break into their coop at night, they will remain unnamed. The chickens are only a couple of months old so follow along and you will be one of the first to know when I get an honest to goodness first fresh egg. I know, I know, you can't wait.

For the first two weeks

2009-04-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

...I will be posting something almost every single day because I want you to see what I have accomplished so far. After that, I plan to only post something when I actually complete a new piece of work or when I have a big announcement of some sort. Today I am posting a picture of my Abe Lincoln. He is going to be in the August 2009 Art Doll Quarterly magazine. I apologize to my friends on Facebook or who have looked at my website lately for the repetition. I promise that after the first two weeks, all of my posts will not be repetitious. So please hang in there and stay my follower. Oh, and for any of you who are reading this but haven't actually signed in as a follower on my page, please do so. Please? I am trying to get my numbers in that category higher for an art group competition. I need your help. Here is some good news...yesterday I sold Lucien and his pulltoy elephant. To be honest, I am a little sad to see them go. I hardly got to spend time with them. But, as my friend, David, would say, "That is why it is called a business, Janet"

Blogs...what for?

2009-04-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

I have friends that are artists, and with the exception of three people, they all have blogs. I have been hounded by my blogger friends to start a blog because that is "part of the marketing that one must do if one is to bean artist". I have resisted and resisted. Here is why...I can't see how anybody wants to follow my life. I only rarely do. And, I was very unclear as to what one writes in a blog. I mean, is this supposed to read like a high schooler's journal? "Wow, the cutest guy EVER sat next to me in Chemistry today. Now I don't even know whether we have homework tonight or not." or horrors of horrors a college journal "I can't believe anybody buys cigarettes like Marlboros and Camels. I mean, seriously, rolling your own cigarettes is so much HEALTHIER and cooler." And then, I joined Facebook and I realized that it is incredibly fun to read my friend's updates. A blog still seemed like too much of a commitment to ask of friends and family though. And then the clouds parted for a second time...Nobody has to actually READ what I write...they just have to pretend to. And so, here is the blog, and with it goes absolutely no obligation. And as for all my friends that say I "must" have a blog....you have won and you can stop with the emails. Does this mean I have to start reading all of your blogs? Just kidding. I already have been...OF COURSE!!!

Starting Out

2009-04-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I never thought it would happen but here it is... a blog written by me. I am a sculptor and as it turns out, sculptors these days have blogs. I will be using this blog to let you know about my latest sculptures that I have created. And, when work slows down, I will let you know about whatever is in the works...be it a sculpture, a painting, chickens I am raising from chicks, my vegetable garden...whatever I can thnk of to keep my blog form dying the death of the ignored blog. I just finished a sculpture of Lucien, the french clown, and his pulltoy circus elephant. Here they are.