It wasn't easy getting to the Big Easy

When the Ohio blizzard started in Dayton last Friday, I canceled two appointments and stayed home, letting my husband use my SUV for his errands. I had plenty to do to get ready for my 6 a.m. Saturday flight to New Orleans to teach a Louisiana Artist Association workshop. As the storm raged, it began to look like I wouldn't make that flight, but I pretended I would, just in case. Then Delta called and told me that all Saturday flights were canceled out of Dayton and they had booked me on a flight Sunday afternoon.

This wasn't acceptable--I was expected to judge a show and give a lecture on Sunday in N.O. I called the airlines and waited for two hours to speak to an agent, who said the 6 a.m. flight had been restored and she was able to get me on it. But when we got up at 4 a.m. Sat. morning, the blizzard hadn't abated. I kept checking the flight and it said the flight was on time, but we couldn't get to the airport--there was a truck jack-knifed on the highway between our house and the airport. Besides that, I wasn't thrilled to get on board a little commuter plane in the high winds.

I waited another two hours on the phone to speak to a Delta agent, who said she could get me on a Cincinnati flight to Atlanta around 2:40 if we were willing to drive to Cincinnati. I booked the flight and we set out on the long drive to the airport in northern Kentucky. Normally an hour and fifteen minutes, the drive took us about two-and-a-half hours (and nearly four for my husband to get back home.) Top speed, 30-40 mph on I-75.

I stood in line for more than an hour to learn that the 2:40 flight was canceled. The agent and I got creative and booked me into Dallas, then to N.O. on American Airlines. I checked both bags, not wanting to schlep my carry-on around the airport for the long spell I would be there. Big mistake. My flights were changed three more times before I finally got off the ground. When I got to my destination, twelve hours after the ETA of my first booked flight, my bags didn't make it.

My luggage appeared the next afternoon (Sunday) after I had spent a bunch of money on cosmetics and essential clothing--and after I had already given my program attired in my travel outfit. It was a relief to have my own things; I was able to return some of the unused items before I returned home. I'll never again check my carry-on.

Before it was over, the blizzard dumped 13" of snow in Dayton, close to the record of the blizzard of 1978. Once I got to New Orleans, it was really pleasant to have 60 degree weather and sunshine for the length of my stay.

Loved the workshop. There were 15 in the class and we had a good time together, ranging from color to collage and creativity for three days. I had judged their show on Sunday and found some wonderful artists exhibiting there. They had asked me to critique the winners at their opening event in the afternoon and to give a demo, and I opted to give a lecture on talent and creativity. It's a good thing, because I had my lecture notes, but my watercolors, paper and brushes were in my lost luggage.

There were a few more adverse adventures, but nothing impacting the workshop. On the last day the workshop coordinator took me on a mini-tour of the area, which was delightful--two plantations, the bridge over the Mississippi, and sites between. She mentioned that one street of nice houses and landscaping had been underwater after Katrina--impossible to imagine.

I had to get up at 4:00 a.m. for the flight home, which was uneventful, probably because I slept through both legs of the journey and got home yesterday around noon. I still feel like someone has been beating me with 2-by-4s after wrestling my luggage around the airport and through security.

I was a bit nettled that Delta twice changed my reservation without consulting me, and both times it wasn't doable for me. However, the circumstances were so extreme and I realized that they were making a valiant effort to get as many people accommodated as possible. Every agent I talked to was patient and helpful--and willing to work with me until we worked it out. I'm grateful for that and hats off to them.

Now I have to get down to work and catch up on email, laundry and such. I don't think I've quite recovered from the stress of the blizzard-y trip, so will have to have a nap soon.

Bitter cold

Just got bitterer. It went down to 1 degree F last night. Seemed like a good day to hang out at home, so I didn't stick my nose out the door. My editor picked up the color wheel icons this morning. It's so nice to have her willing to do this. Her parents live nearby, so she gets up this way fairly often. I got lots of odds and ends taken care of in the studio, then decided to make my reservations for the Palm Coast, Florida, workshop next month. What a shock! I checked my frequent flyer miles and discovered that a couple of the airlines have deleted my accumulated miles. American denied my password, which has happened before with them. Very annoying. I finally went back to Expedia, which was fast and easy. Delta, here I come again. When I used to do a lot of travel to trade shows, I had a travel agent do my booking. After the Web came into the picture, I discovered that she wasn't getting me the best rates, so I gave up the convenience to save the workshops some money. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth the time I spend, since I'm not paying for it. Oh, well. I'd feel guilty doing it that way. Some groups that sponsor workshops are on a tight budget.

A trip to Costa Rica

The opportunities available to college students today are incredible. Tonight I went to a presentation by Dr. Jeffrey S. Lehman of Otterbein College (my alma mater) in Westerville, Ohio. Dr. Lehman's specialty is plant pathology. He has taken groups of Otterbein life science students to Costa Rica to work and study the environment, ecology and life of the people in areas ranging from the dry forest through the cloud forests and the rain forests of the country. He's an engaging speaker, both knowledgeable and entertaining. I was especially interested in the information he shared about cacao-cocoa-chocolate, from the lovely little flower to the football-shaped fruit that holds the cocoa-beans. This important crop is endangered by a fungus and Dr. Lehman explained how the Bribri people are maintaining their livelihood through eco-tourism in the area, recycling materials and using native plants to create hand-crafted art objects. I can remember when I was growing up that our teachers often took exotic trips to foreign countries during their summer hiatus and returned with carousels full of slides to show. But in those days, hardly anyone took students along. What a wonderful learning experience. Dr. Lehman mentioned that several of the students who went on the Costa Trip are now continuing their studies in graduate school.

"A Guided Journey for the Creative Soul"

This is the subtitle of Eric Maisel's A Writer's Paris. He makes a compelling case for getting to Paris any way you can and living there for awhile and making a commitment to your creative soul to do your creative work surrounded by the inspiration of this great city of the arts. The Paris Maisel describes doesn't sound all that different from the one I once knew--enchanting. The book is filled with charming illustrations--drawings, photos, graphics, and collages. It isn't just about Paris, though. It's about committing to your creative work.

I lived in central France for nearly eighteen months in the mid-1950s as a young bride. My husband and I went to Paris once a month and explored. Yes, Paris is a special place for lovers. But it is also a metaphor for escaping the dailiness of your life and doing your creative work, no matter what.

Make a mini-watercolor travel palette

I can't remember now what got me started on this project, but I promised to pass on what I learned, so here it is. I used an Altoid mints metal container (2 1/4" x 3 5/8") and empty plastic half-pan paint wells. I glued the pans into the box using a hot-glue gun, which was less than $5.00 at WalMart (plus a bit for the glue sticks). I filled the wells with tube colors in a basic palette. You could set up different palettes for a variety of subjects and have a whole array of tiny travel palettes. The brushes in the photo were in the children's craft section and are a cut above most craft brushes. You could also trim off the handles of old watercolor brushes for packability. The whole kit--palette, an extra Altoid box for water, a brush and watercolor postcards, fits in a plastic sandwich bag.

Packing for a workshop

Yesterday I shipped two boxes of supplies and books for my color workshop in New Jersey by UPS. I dropped them off at Office Depot because I don't have a scale that will weigh packages over five pounds. I used my online UPS account and was delighted to find that the person I shipped to two years ago is still in my UPS address book. All I had to do was click here and there and the boxes were ready to go. It's easier to pack for a color or watercolor workshop than it is for collage and creativity, so it wasn't such a big deal this time. I used to ship only my books that I take for sale. I packed my supplies in one suitcase, my clothes in another, and used a carryon for things I couldn't risk losing, like the outline of the class and handouts. Since 9/11 I've been shipping as much as I can and taking just one suitcase and one carryon. This time I'm going to try to get by with checking one suitcase and carrying a large tote bag, instead of a purse and carryon. I haven't found check-ins to be that bad, but I try to think ahead and make it easier for myself and the security people. Travel isn't as much fun now as it was when I did my first workshop in 1986, but as long as I have a good book and a few sudoku puzzles I can kick back and endure whatever comes along.

I hope I haven't forgotten anything.

Art workshop travel

I used to love to throw my art supplies in one suitcase and my clothes in another and take off to teach a workshop anywhere in the U.S. or Canada. Eventually both suitcases got too heavy with all the books, so I started shipping the books separately. No big deal, as I usually don't have any left to ship home. But now with all the rules and regulations about luggage and carryons I have to ship my materials ahead and hope they get there in time for the first demo. Well, maybe they have a better chance than with the airlines! I'm not really complaining--I understand why the security is necessary. I'm just thinking about how it isn't fun anymore. I love teaching so much I'll do whatever I have to do to be able to do it. It's actually easier if I can drive to the location. Then I can throw half my studio into the car and take off. Preparing for my next two workshops has been a little stressful. I'll have one day between them, but at least the second one is in my home territory. Only problem--they're both on collage, so I've had to sort through my stuff and divide everything in half, because I'm sure my materials won't make it back to Dayton from Baton Rouge in time for the workshop. Well, nevermind. Everything is ready, either shipped to BR or packed in boxes for Dayton. I will survive.

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it in us or we find it not. --Ralph Waldo Emerson