Saturday, May 28, 2011

Soaring on a Sunday

California Strawberries



Dawn and I are out of town this week, but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on lots of great things going on this week in San Diego.


This weekend:

Saturday, May 28th & Sunday May 29th, 10am-5pm, 31st annual Ethnic Food Fair, International Cottages, Balboa Park, San Diego.

Saturday & Sunday May 28th-29th, Open Cockpit Days, Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, Miramar MCAS.

Saturday & Sunday, May 28-29th, Vista Strawberry Festival & Street Fair, Vista. Carnival rides, pie eating contest, karaoke 5K and kids races and more! Also, a hot rod jam car show!

Memorial Day events:

Monday, May 30th 10am, Fort Rosecrans National Cemetary's 11th annual Memorial Day Service.

Monday, May 30th 1230 pm, Veterans Museum memorial tribute on Park Blvd, 21 gun salute and taps.

Monday, May 30th 11am, St Peter's Episcopal Church will have an annual Community Memorial Day Service.

and more can be found at NBCSan Diego.

Coming up soon:

Saturday & Sunday, June 4 & 5th, 9am-9pm, Fiesta del Sol, Fletcher Cove, Solana Beach. Free arts & crafts, music, children's activities.

Friday, June 3rd, 530-730pm, Slimy Science, Pennypickles Workshop, Temecula Children's Museueum, Temecula. Also, on 2nd and 4th Saturdays, May -July from 3-445pm is Lego robot bilding workshops!


Keep Soaring (& landing safely) in

Sunny San Diego!


Your Soaring Mamas,




Mandy & Dawn

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Fire & Mud Clay Studio, interview with Rae Barney

bowls....

Dawn & her children and my two girls have recently been attending a clay class at a studio in Escondido called Fire & Mud Studios with owner, Rae Barney. The kids have all really been enjoying it and learning about clay techniques and making several clay pieces.
Their first project were masks. They all came up with really unique and different masks. Olivia made a "marshmallow guy", Violet a tiger, Elena a Lioness, and AJ a sabertooth cat, Dawn made a lovely purple and yellow sunflower mask.

Mask collage

Rae Barney is the owner and instructor at Fire & Mud Studios. I recently asked her some questions about her business and also about how she got started in clay and came to own a studio and offer classes.

When did you first get interested in working with clay?
• When I was about 10, my mom got a kiln and we would get the premade greenware (from a mold) and paint them. When I was in high school, I took a pottery class where I learned the wheel. Though I was always artistic and made lots of things, I did not return to clay until I was 29. I had a waterfall business and also made table top fountains. I decided to go back to clay class to make the bowls for my fountains. I got back on the wheel, my body remembered how to throw and that was the beginning of my love affair with clay.

Were you given the opportunity to work with clay at a young age? Where or by who?
• The painted greenware was the only clay that mom and I did when I was young, but my family made just about everything so I was exposed to and learned to knit, crochet, sew, cook, work with wood, macrame, latch hook, paint, and just about any project that had a pattern or instructions to follow. We were pretty broke, so lessons outside of school where not available to me.


Are you self-taught? Have you taken many classes in working with clay? Did you go to college, or was it necessary for any reason?
• I actually did take a lot of clay classes, but many were an open studio sort of situation. Most were at a community college and we would take the classes so that we would have access to the facilities. The teachers were there to show us techniques or help if we had questions, but no hard curriculum. I had decided to go to college to become a teacher and took some of my classes at a private experiential college in Prescott AZ and my art classes at the community college and independent studies with master potter Rico Piper. I did not get a degree, as I did not feel I needed all the extra required courses to do what I wanted to do. Turns out I was right!

When/why did you you decide to open Fire & Mud?
• I worked for a charter school for some time as the Financial Manager (my other profession from my earlier years) and experienced first had “no child left behind”, Bushes disaster for an education plan that created the “teach to the test” mentality of most of our schools today. Even though we were a charter school, they would only fund enough to pay for the classes that taught what the kids were required to know to pass the tests that gave us our funding. Sad and painful downward spiral for schools. Though they were hands on learning, as the Financial Manager, I had to keep the school open and pull back the budget on things that absolutely should be there, including arts. I couldn’t do it and I couldn’t teach for a system that operated that way. I moved out to Vista with the intention of starting a Restaurant/Studio/Gallery in 2002. About two years ago, I worked with a mentor to help me get focused with my art career. Soon after that, a series of synchronistic occurrences that made Fire and Mud possible. I came to the location I’m in now to look at a free kiln and the landlord asked if I wanted to rent the facility. I said that I did, but I had no money. He said he would work with me and I opened the doors for business January 2010. It was a leap of faith and a huge blessing!

What are some of your favorite types of clay pieces to make?
• I love to hand build or sculpt. Organic and flowing shapes and patterns. Swirls, tree roots, undulating flowing edges.

What inspires you?
• Nature, energy, movement, my students, and my world around me. I just love to watch the kids create. They are not inhibited by what we “can and can’t” do and thus come up with some really unique and beautiful ideas.

What do you recommend or advise to a young person interested in pursuing their passion in creating (clay, or any other art medium) as a career?
• Absolutely follow it!!! 110% with all the passion you have. Don’t let the world tell you that you have to do this or that to get there. Find your own way because the wisdom is in you. There have been many jobs I’ve been good at and could make money, but they have been the support to get to where I am now. It took time and lots of experiences for me to find the exact expression of how my love of art/clay and teaching would manifest. This is what I was meant to do and the joy that comes with being who you really are is beyond words.

Anything else you’d like to share about as an artist and as a creative art business owner?
• There are a lot of people who buy into the “starving artist” paradigm, both artists and the general public. You can’t let that be your reality. I believe (and had started a group on the internet several years back) in the Thriving Artist Paradigm. Find your passion, know it has value, do not under sale yourself, and allow it to direct your path. The synchronicity will unfold and it’s magical.

Rae Barney~Fire & Mud Studios



Rae has summer classes coming up as well as Family classes, Boy Scout merit badge programs, semi-private wheel classes and more. You can also find her studio on Facebook. She also has many beautiful clay art pieces available for purchase.

Keep soaring (& landing safely)
in sunny San Diego!

Your soaring mama,

Mandy

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Soaring on a Sunday

Glass blown fish




So, if you missed out on the glass blowing demonstration today in Ramona, good news is that they're doing it again tomorrow from 10-4. You can get more details here.



Also going on today (Sunday) and some of this week are the following:



Sunday, May 15th, 10-6pm, 15th Annual Northpark Festival of Arts, North Park, San Diego.

Sunday, May 15th (2nd day of), 8-1pm, Encinitas Sports Festival EXPO, Encinitas.


Sunday, May 15th, 8am, Beach Soccer Championships, Oceanside.


Sunday, May 15th, 10am-5pm, free, Art in the Pines, Torrey Pines.


Thursday, May 19th, 5p-8p, 2nd Annual Taste of Cardiff, Cardiff by the Sea.

Saturday, May 21st, 10am-12:30pm, Ladybug Day at San Diego Botanic Garden, Encinitas.

Saturday, May 21st, 9am-5pm, Art in Action, Guerilla Painting, inspired by Particia Patterson, Escondido Center for the Arts, Escondido.


So until next week....

Keep Soaring (& landing safely) in


Sunny San Diego!




Your Soaring Mamas,



Mandy & Dawn

Friday, May 13, 2011

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly......





We visited Keys Creek Lavender Farm this week in Valley Center which is in the northeast part of San Diego County. It's a lovely drive out there, windy at bits but you pass through beautiful, rural parts of San Diego that you might not have even have known existed. The owner, Chris lead us on a tour of the grounds and taught us about the different types of lavender, the uses of it, history of the farm, and treated us to some very refreshing lavender lemonade at the end of the tour.


There's a lavender labrynth on the property as well as a gift shop with many forms of lavender for your every need; soap, shampoo, teas, lotions, essence oil, satchets. All is available at their online store as well at Keys Creek Lavender Farm. There's also a tea house where you have special parties and a meditation area where massage and riki are available.

If you want to visit the farm, now is the time to do it. Harvesting is during May and June from 10am-4pm and they have free walking tours at 1030am and 130pm. Or you can sign up for private tours.











Keep Soaring (& landing safely)


in beautiful San Diego



Mandy


Thursday, May 12, 2011

Liquid Glass Co. Open House in Ramona & more!

I want that one, and that one, and...






If you haven't been to a glass blowing demonstration, this is a really great place to see one. The guys at Liquid Glass Co. demonstrate glass blowing, show off some beautiful glass art pieces, all in the beautiful hills and meadows of Ramona! This weekend is sure to be a beautiful one in San Diego and this would be a fun place to hang with the family. Will be on 5/14 & 5/15 from 10-4pm at 15250 Oak Valley Rd, in Ramona. I posted about our visit there last year here.

There's many more fun activities going on this weekend for the family in San Diego and following are just a few!

Saturday May 14th, 10am-8pm, Community Band Festival at Old Poway Park, free.

Saturday May 14th, 11am-2pm, Wild West Fest, Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park, free.

Saturday May 14th, 10am, Free Family Fun Day at the Kroc Center. Enjoy rock climbing, swimming, ice skating, skateboarding!

Sunday May 15th, 10am-3pm, San Diego RiverFest at Qualcomm Stadium, learn about water soncervation halthy living, enjoy live music and lots of fun kids activities for free!

Sunday May 15th, 110am-6pm, Escondido Downtown Street Fair on Grand Ave, free.

Thursday, May 19th, 5-8pm, Taste of Cardiff, Cardiff by the Sea.






What's going on by you? Feel free to post about something fun going on in your area this weekend in the comments!


Til next time....


Have a fun week and keep soaring



(&landing safely) in beautiful San Diego!




Your Soaring Mamas,




Mandy & Dawn




Friday, May 6, 2011

Happy Mother's Day!

PUCKER UP!!!!

Looking for something fun and different to do on Mother's Day this weekend?

Come out to Oasis Camel Dairy!

one hump or two?

Camel Mama Goldie had a baby! And, Oasis Camel Dairy is having a special Mother's Day Camel Dairy tour this Sunday.

In addition to camels, meet performing birds, farm animals and their new little piggy, Rosebud Wigglebottom! Tour starts at 1:00 (gates open at 12:30. There will be camel rides for the kids for $5.00. Tour admission is $10.00 adults, $8.00 seniors and $7.00 for children ages 3 to 14. All moms attend their Mother's Day Tour for just $5.00!







The Camel Dairy is in the outskirts of the rural town, Ramona in East County San Diego.

Owners, Gil & Nancy Riegler run the farm and the tours and their love of it is very apparent. We went out to the camel dairy recently with a homeschooling group and were welcomed, learned all about the camels and other dairy animals there, and just really enjoyed the beautiful farm with our friends. Lots more fun stuff to do this weekend can be found here, in our last post.


For more information including directions and registration form, visit
Oasis Camel Dairy on line.

We want to wish new mama Goldie and all our friends at the dairy a Happy Mother's Day!






Have a fun weekend, Happy Mother's Day and (remember) keep soaring





(&landing safely) in beautiful San Diego!







Your Soaring Mamas,






Mandy & Dawn

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Soaring on Cinco de Mayo!

Colorful table







Happy May Day, May the 4th be with you,

Feliz Cinco de Mayo & Happy Mother's Day!!!


Lots of celebrating to do this week, so we're filling you in today so you'll have lots of great activities to chose from this week, no matter the day or occasion!




May 8th, Festival Cinco de Mayo on Mother's Day, Chula Vista, Red Carpet treatment, live music and entertainment, local handcrafters, artists and performers and Salsa Showdown.


Thursday, May 5th 11-2pm, Friendship Garden Children's Day, Children 12 & under free with adult admission in honor of Children's Day. Make a koi mask and free karate lesson.


Saturday, May 7th 10am, San Elijo Walk for the Pups and shop the square


Saturday, May 7th 11am-5pm, Waldorf School of San Diego, May Faire Spring Festival, Maypole Dance, puppet shows, live music, face painting and more. Free.


Saturday, May 7th 10am-4pm, San Diego Botanic Garden, Chocolate Festival


Mother's Day events:


Sunday, May 8th, Oasis Camel Dairy, come welcome the newest baby camels & celebrate a special Mother's Day with a tour at 1-2pm.


Sunday, May 8th 9am-3pm, Antique and Collectible Show, Escondido Center for the Arts, Free admission, $5 for appraissals.


Sunday, May 8th 130-3pm, Mother's Day Tea & Tour at Serra Museum


Sunday, May 8th 11am-2pm, Summer's Past Farm, Mother's Day Music & Dessert in the Garden





Have a fun week and keep soaring


(&landing safely) in beautiful San Diego!



Your Soaring Mamas,



Mandy & Dawn