I have just met with a group of science women. They study the budget of phosphorus (P) in the city of Phoenix. Not a monetary budget, but the amount of P that comes into and flows out of the city. I was quite fascinated by the flow of this important element, and quite...

the cup in the dining room, bargemon, colored pencil on paperthe cup in the kitchen, bargemon, ipad app draw freeWe have been away for almost a month. Our first stop was Washington, DC, then Long Island... across the ocean to a little village in the Var region of...

hundreds of bodiesWhen I try to imagine the hundreds, thousands of bodies at Hart Island, I picture figure upon figure buried there. So using some unpainted HO figures I have encapsulated them in an glass jars to represent the ground where they are placed. Although in...

Hussey, collage on photograph, 4x6 inchesCutting it close to the deadline, as usual, I have finished my postcard for the CW Post ABAD. The exhibition will be opened November 1–5, 2010. This show will include among its participants Yoko Ono. I am honored to be in her...

This is my venture into the world of iPad apps. "Brushes" lets you do a lot less than Photoshop, but the key is that with Brushes, your pallette and canvas are totally portable... I never thought much about drawing electronically, but if David Hockney does it, well,...

Now to fill it.

I am learning how to bind a book using the coptic technique. My friend Elizabeth will be teaching a workshop at uac and we are trying some of the processes together beforehand. It was a bit awkward for me at first, but soon I got the hang of the sewing and enjoyed the...

Using the glue base was a good idea, they did keep standing and it made it easier to drop them into the bottle... more to come.Buried on Hart Island November 1898Robert Kirschner age 35Cause of death: Illumination Gas at 206 Fifth Street, NYC, NYRobert Kirschner...

He Has Mental Habitsmultiple gocco prints on wall paper in various sizesHere is how it went, Mary told me about Frank Gelett Burgess, so I looked at a book he created using old wall paper, it inspired me to do some kind of print. I told my friends I was looking for...

Hart Island still haunts me. Today I am planning my next project about it. I found these HO scale figures in Denver. They have a bit of a problem standing, so I am experimenting with creating glue bases (that are supposed to dry clear). I am hoping I will be able to...

close up of planchette's vain warning, fake cyanotype (inkjet on paper)green restaurant is having a ouija board contest. Good luck finding the requirements for applying on their website, but through some connections of Robrt's we secured the instructions.This is...

It was hard to imagine a sweeter illustration than a jelly doughnut for squishy, my last word in the Art House Co-op Canvas Project. In my ever curious, research-oriented mind I discovered help in the great doughnut vs. cruller debates of the early 1940s.The New York...

For the Art House Co-op Canvas Project, my second word was backslider, another rather interesting one. And one which I have not had occasion to use in a sentence, although, I do understand this one. "How do you illustrate backslider?" I pondered. Until I did some...

The assignment from Art House Co-op:We're creating a visual encyclopedia where each artist is asked to visually interpret three words that are assigned to them randomly and were submitted by the Art House community onto 4x4 inch canvases. A visual encyclopedia book...

Megan and Kyria at the art museumMy trip to Denver was filled with beautiful things to see. My family being the first. I took my granddaughter, Kyria, with me and we stayed at my daughter's (Megan) and son-in-law's (Chris) house for a few days.Our beginning adventure...

When I was a kid there was a TV show that I loved to watch with my dad. It was called the Naked City. Each week it brought you a glimpse of New York, in the format of a crime drama. But what I remember most about the show was the way in which you felt that at any...

Julie Barratt wrote to say "The Hankie Project (has come down). Have had lots of people through to see the show and lots of fab comments in the visitor's book.""The show will go on to Grafton Regional Gallery in Jan. 2011 and am also following up other touring...

me at the Denver Art MuseumIn Denver, the Interior Markings show is up at the Abecedarian Gallery, with a big artists reception on Friday from 5-8 p.m., I am looking forward to meeting Alicia Bailey, the gallery director and some of the other book artists in the show....

He left us, 6x4 inch post card, collage, wax and mixed mediaMy latest post card is for another A BOOK ABOUT DEATH show, originally conceived by Matthew Rose and first exhibited in NYC. This show is taking place in Omaha, NE curated by Viv Maudlin, Louise Millmann and...

three bottles from the skin seriesSometimes the making of art is about changing your mind and trusting your instincts. At least that's how I am feeling today. As I started to work further on the "skin" series the original idea of making a statement about looks morphed...

Our next uac event on First Friday July 2nd at Willo North Gallery is special to me, not only because my friend Robrt Pela will be the guest speaker, reading a series of personal stories about caring for his mother, who is living with Alzheimer’s disease, but because...

I went to the service for my friend Margaret's mother, Katie. She died on June 10th. I did not know her well, as she had developed Alzheimer's and had it when I met her. Bill, Margaret's husband, made the introductory welcome and shared what he felt about Katie. I...

DIVE IN DINER, linoleum block print and rubber stamp on reeves bfk paper by Patricia and Jacob SahertianThe deadline is approaching on the Great Art House Print Exchange 3. This is the first one we are participating in though and Jake and I thought it would be fun to...

I have this crazy fear of glass shards. It is an event if a glass breaks in our kitchen as I hysterically take out the vacuum, after making sure everyone has shoes on, and go over the area at least 10 times. Ok, I am compulsive.That makes one of the perils of being an...

Lilia Menconi, of Phoenix New Times, wrote a great follow up piece of the uac debut show on the blog at Jackalope Ranch.Lilia particularly mentions the creative and intriguing work of Shari Bombeck "Visitors can expect to see small collages filled with nostalgic...

potatoes were the sustenance of the IrishWith all the hustle getting the uac show together I almost missed a deadline. Projet d'art postal is a mail art project for 2010: its purpose is to illustrate a period of the history of your country or your region. The...

Urban Artists Collective debut on Friday night. We're hanging the show, coordinating art, making signs. A lot of work gets put into an exhibition. An abundance of thanks to my fellow artists who pitched in and helped. See you at the gallery.

sorry, hikers, mixed media collage, old photos and waxSorry, sorry, sorry, sorry... I say this word daily. Maybe it should be my mantra. You don't realize how much you use something until people point it out, then you really become aware of it. To participate in this...

detailThere is a wonderful call for work coming from Barratt Galleries in Australia called the Hankie Project. Some amazing designs are already posted on their blog. The work is due at the end of May for a show in June. Since I posted Ma Grande Mere Est Morte, my...

With no real connection and no story to it, this canvas has been hanging about my studio for years. At first I wanted to emulate the work of Daniel Fauville (see inset) I had seen his work out in the Hamptons and loved the simplicity of them. So underneath (and you...

Skin, gel medium transfer skin, bottle, beeswax, 1.75 x 4 inchesWhile experimenting with transfer techniques I found one in which gel medium is painted onto an image, left to dry and repeated two to three times to build up a thick layer. When the gel is dry, you turn...

Not a Message, mixed media on canvas, 8" x 8"Started at the last uac workshop the focus of this project was to show something about visions of Phoenix. Since I am still adjusting to life in the desert, my source of joy about Phoenix are the interesting, creative...

Ma Grand-mere est morte, oil on canvas, transfer and collageThe background for this work was started for another series, but I changed my mind and decided to create something new. The image of my grandmother was taken in 1953. This is the picture that I have in my...

The Kalamazoo Book Arts Center has posted many of the books that were submitted for the current show The Illustrated Accordion April 2 – 30. Todd submitted his Royal Flush book, made from vintage playing cards with individual, original, miniature water colors of the...

"occupation" altered book, photographs and mixed mediaToday is a day for regrouping, putting THE STUDIO - PS website together, cleaning up and staying in. Here is a piece of art that I used in the movie, CUT BACK: facing ageism. While I was looking for elements to use...

Here is our ribbon for IN THE TRENCHES, Hart Island, New York. This just feels nice. Thanks again to the Art School in Sandy Springs.

"what oscar left behind" collage and mixed media on paper 5x6"Shari and I wanted to find out what material made that kind of semi transparent, yet totally flat style you find on some collages. Fusible interfacing is the solution. A simple sewing accoutrement makes the...

"he thought we wouldn't know" multi media, collage and inkjet 4x6"Here is what I worked on today after trekking around Phoenix looking for the secret paper with Shari.

front view openedThis is part one of two accordion books that will highlight and give clues to the hidden and then found objects from the heating grate that sat in Mary's backyard on Long Island for 30 years.back view openedThe right hand pages contain small articles,...

Tonight Jake, Todd and I attended a gallery drawing session at SMOCA (Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Arts). There is a wonderful exhibition now of the work of Chuck Close, which shows not only the final works of art, but the break down of the process, the plates...

IN THE TRENCHES, Hart Island, New York has been honored with a merit award at the Art School in Sandy Springs. Mary C. Leto, of Moontide Paper Studio, and I got a very nice email from Donna, artist and owner, saying how well the piece was received and how the judge...

Thinking about how to use my skills and tools in a wider variety of ways I decided to feature my original oil pastels of the found objects (as I search for a venue to show them) and turn the "story" into an artist's book which I can show at the Kalamazoo Book Arts...

We brought back the printer and got a different one that is mac compatible. All is well.

I just read the blog from the Art School in Sandy Springs, where IN THE TRENCHES, Hart Island, New York is making its debut this week. The judging will be done tomorrow and the final reception is Friday night. Wow, that went by so fast. I wish Mary and I could have...

On Sunday, Jake and I went to the office supply store to get a new printer. I wasn't sure if I wanted an ink-jet, to get nice high quality saturated images or a laser jet to get a more slick printed look. The salesman was really nice and showed us several models. I...

close up, why francis died, photographic manipulation on paper with waxA wonderful series of shows has been covering the globe. It is called A Book About Death. It started in New York, made its way to Brazil and now is getting ready to open in Wales. There is still a...

This is the collage, mail-art postcard that I worked on for the first uac event. My theme was in regard to a NY Times article from July 25, 1903."Twin elephants were born yesterday to Big Liz, the only female elephant in Bostock's collection at Sea Beach Palace, Coney...

This week my friend, Mary C. Leto, and I received some great news. Our book, IN THE TRENCHES, Hart Island, New York, was accepted into a juried exhibition called Atlanta Mixed Media/Collage Exhibit. The opening reception is March 5th. It will be held at The Gallery at...

Back in November we had our first meeting of "Story Book Artists", attended mostly by friends and fellow artists from our local historic neighborhoods. Now we have teamed up with Willo North Gallery and Kristin Shears, and have decided to expand the group and open it...

oil pastel and colored pencils, 7 x 5 inches on canvasThere were two bangle bracelets in the grate. One had the similar etched detail found on many of the jewelry pieces. The other was plain. They had to be cut up to fit into the holes of the grate. Who methodically...

someone got up and offered jim a seat on the busoil on canvas, 6 x 6 inchesDoes the name of a painting make a difference in its marketability and sales? Does it affect the buyer, does it create a story? These are some questions I ask myself as I think about putting...

oil pastel and colored pencils, 4 x 4 inches on canvasA handful of straight pins were among the found objects hidden in the heating grate. They had a bit of corrosion and some green tint, as if they were made of copper. Being so thin I was worried that the variation...

oil pastel and colored pencils, 6 x 6 inches on canvasCould this be a vital piece of the puzzle? When your friend calls you up one day to tell you she has uncovered hidden objects that are over 100 years old in an antique grate she had sitting in her yard for over 30...

oil pastel and colored pencils, 4 x 4 inches on canvasSome ordinary household items were also found in the grate. The first item that I sketched from the group was just a regular white button. oil pastel and colored pencils, 4 x 4 inches on canvasThe other ordinary...

After looking at the jewelry found in the grate and closely studying the designs as I sketched them I began to see a similarity in the styles of the pieces. Most of the gold have deeply etched patterns and the two brooches both have a leaf motif. It's hard to know...

Every year around December 1st I start to get worried that Jake and I will never get our holiday cards finished in time to mail. (At that point we have no idea what the card will be, or any theme either) Then we procrastinate, putting off the creating until we realize...

15" x 12.5" x 3.25" IN THE TRENCHES, Hart Island, New YorkBabies buried on September 29, 1881 Trench #68: Frank Roddy, Emil Luber, Ino Wagner, Joseph Keller, George Madigan, Herman Katz, child of CB Fletcher, Joseph Clifford, Francis Wildeman, William Rogers, Clarence...

This was the last project of my Monday clay studio. The session is over and I have done all the things I set out to complete. This set of figures was made to place on my block wall. I see it from my kitchen window and thought it needed some friendly small sculptures....

So today I worked on cover number two. My edition of IN THE TRENCHES, Hart Island, New York. All alone, without the aid of my trusted friend, I actually managed to make a book cover. Well, the paper on the spine is supposed to be reversed, and when I attached the palm...

This exercise in recreating something from the past was well spent. It helped me understand the fragility of the clay as well as its strengths. The areas that I thought were most delicate, the slab triangle inside, held up, and an area where I attached one coil to...

Story Book Artists is a grassroots collaborative of neighbors with the common interest of creating art in a social setting. Historic downtown Phoenix provides the backdrop for the Story Book Artists' gatherings in which artistic techniques, processes, and ideas are...

Buachaillí Bána (Whiteboys) Gocco PrintA tenacious capacity for hatred can be found in the Irish people, brought about by anger against oppression. This image from the 1930s of Buachaillí Bána (Whiteboys) is testament for the lasting emotion.Amused and intrigued by...

This is one of the larger sketches in the series measuring 8 x 6 inches and depicting a ring that is no wider than one inch. It is the ring that Mary C. Leto so generously let me keep out of the two that were found with the mystery items. I had a garnet set into it...

I am new to bookmaking (no, no not the kind where you take bets) and never made a real cover before (I have made some lame attempts though), so I think I might have uncovered the binding from the press too soon. There was some warping. I have placed it under pressure...

During our random art nights (because we all can't get our schedules coordinated for a regular time) Jacob has been creating some series of prints. One is a group called the Freedom Series which features commentary on social issues of imprisonment, revolution and...

It is late on Tuesday night and we have just peeked under our weights to see how the cover is drying. Mary and I are very happy with the results. The palm paper on the front cover is just as we imagined. Our only disappointment was the black paper we chose for the...

Several friends in our downtown Phoenix neighborhoods have gocco printmaking systems. We all had the same reaction to gocco, we tried it once and just had to have the printmaker. Rather than let our little printers sit and gather dust, we decided to invite a group of...

trench upon trench upon trench upon trench by Mary C. LetoMary has arrived from South Carolina and has brought her 16 pages. They are really just amazing. We spent the first day sorting all the pages out and arranging them in the best order, very happy with how well...

I am working right up until my deadline. Mary is coming to Phoenix tomorrow, and up until 7 p.m. I still had not finished all the pages. A lot of other things got accomplished: shopping for book cover materials, cleaning the house in preparation for her visit,...

A quick sketch for a local health magazine for an article about bread. It was just so much fun to think about.

Here is some helpful advise for those attending the gocco printmaking workshop of Story Book Artists. This group was formed as a way to bring artists in the community together to share ideas and inspiration. This is our first event and I am excited to welcome you and...

my first batchPart of the getting together to do art with Todd is sharing food and cooking. We both love to try new recipes. A few weeks ago, inspired by the fact that the local bakery is now charging $2 for one english muffin, I decided to try my own. Following a...

Well, it is not quite round is it? When I got to the ceramic studio and opened this up it seems some of the clay around the top of the triangle slumped down a bit from the week before. Also the planning was not quite perfect and the circumference of the circle was not...

When we lived in Brooklyn in 2001, I wanted to create an identity and design for Jake and I that was personal. Using our initials, the PS and JS logos were created. We did not use them much as Jake was working full time at NYIT (New York Institute of Technology) and I...

BARGE RACE: FOUR OARED 1890a three part medalQuestions: who did this belong to? Can you figure anything out from these clues yet? I will be posting some of the story soon. Stay tuned.

Today was spent putting together an artist statement and bio. I gathered up info from my websites and blogs, along with looking at what some other artists do when they compose these kinds of writings. Like many of my artist friends and colleagues I am a shamefully...

A change of pace today. Doing art with Todd in the morning. I like it. We ate some english muffins from M J Bread (absolutely delicious). The weather was nice and we left the door open, something that does not happen in Phoenix too often. Continuing with the next...

The dominoes were placed in the grate by some anonymous hand. We don't know if they were old when they were placed there, or if they got old sitting in the grate for over 40 or 50 years. When Mary found them they looked almost burnt, the white paint on the recesses...

We spent a few hours today getting some prints done for my husband, Jacob (who is also an artist). Our friend, Mary C. Leto, will be taking a booth at In the Spirit, the Art and Craft of Hand Papermaking, sponsored by Friends of Dard Hunter, in Atlanta. She kindly...

I love the feel of clay and the way you can manipulate it into a three dimensional space. I have missed that feeling and so signed myself into an open studio space. Most of the people in the class are potters on the wheel with the exception of one man and myself. I...

MAKING POST CARDSPart of the "job" of making art is also the marketing of it. There are many ways to get your work on the internet and do some self promotion. For the portraits of ageism I decided to do a simple glossy post card. There are so many coffee shops and...

In creating this page Mary wanted to show how the babies at Hart Island really had no place for someone to see where they were buried. She writes on the tissue-paper, thin "ghost" of a tombstone "NO story, NO obituary, NO service, NO headstone, NO marker, NO visitors,...

Each trench can contain 1000 bodies, so to indicate the numbers I stacked the cutout pages on top of one another and stamped a baby's head on the top of each. Using an old children's primer for the pages I thought that these children never had a chance to grow up, to...

Saw the exhibit called Nooks and Crannies yesterday at the Phoenix Public Library (Burton Barr) showing the paintings of Barbara Kemp Cowlin. They include a lot of familiar corners to us living here, the spaces from the Phoenix Art Museum. In her own words Barbara...

If you look close you can see two figures, each carrying a book under their arm walking to the right.

Mary sent me some photos by email of what she has worked on. I am amazed and awed by her work. When ever I see what she has done it inspires me to work even harder. She is truly one of my muses and an incredibly talented artist.She has created a series of trenches...

Mary and I decided that the book needed to have some facing pages that go together along with the individual pages we are creating. That made me think that maybe a line up of baby feet with toe tags would be a good idea for that, but I wasn't sure how I would...

Last night we had another fine get together of art and eating. By fortunate coincidence my granddaughter happened to be here and she partakes in the event whole heartedly. Her oil pastel, a still life of corks, was amazing. At the end of the evening when we read our...

This week I worked on the next set of pages for the artist book IN THE TRENCHES, Hart Island, New York that I am collaborating on with Mary C. Leto. I wish she could be here with me so that I can ask her if she likes this or that element as I am putting the pieces...

Last night my friends Margaret, Lisa and Todd came over to crochet some chains for the Mother Tree Project. It was a very relaxing evening. We had some cheeses that Todd brought over, a nice mixture from a soft ripened crème to a deep rich orange French cheddar. I...

After making the paper with Mary C. Leto in her Moon Tide Paper studio in South Carolina I was determined to come home and make all the pages for this book immediately. Well, that was at the end of April. Sometimes I get sidetracked by work, other times by other...

The past Friday we held our almost bimonthly "art night" where a few friends come over and we eat a shared meal and then get creative. This time I wanted to work on a piece for the project "Domino Mystery". This one is 6"x6". (Mary and I have not decided quite what...

I will be inviting over a group of friends next week to start the chains for the "Mother Tree Project" by artist Helen Hiebert. We are using only natural fibers in earth tones as requested by the artist. These are a sampling of the yarns I purchased made up of hemp,...

"In the Trenches" collaboration with Mary C. Leto15" x 12.5" x 3.25" artist's book (edition of 3) on handmade paper, printing and multi mediadepicting the dead babies buried on Hart Island, NYCinspired by the Hart Island Potter's Field and the work of Melinda...