My Latest Artwork: Mixed Media

Here are my latest paintings.  They are oil paint on canvas.  I then machine stitch extensively on top of the painting.  I hope you like them.

Guggenheim Museum
Oil on canvas, stitched.

Abstract Spiral Staircase (from photograph taken by John Viola)
Oil on canvas, stitched.

Detail of Abstract Spiral Staircase

Fishing Boat
Oil Painting and stitched

Thanks Alice
Oil on canvas, stitched.

Detail of "Thanks Alice"

WHEN STONES SPEAK Free Promotion BY TOM MILLER

Today (Saturday) is your last chance to down load for  free WHEN STONES SPEAK by Tom Miller.  Download it!  Read it!  You'll love it!  It's an action thriller that takes you from California to Israel.  Tell all your friends about it!  

When Stones Speak

At long last Tom's new novel "When Stones Speak" is available on line thru Amazon.com!

Be one of the first to read this thrilling new novel by the author of "The Wave."  

I think you will enjoy reading Tom Miller's new action thriller which takes place in Malibu, California and Israel.

Here is the book description:

After 60 years of endless hours working on a single invention Dr. Michael Hannigan finally succeeded. He built a very special camera.  His amazing quantum camera is able to retrieve images created hundreds and possibly thousands of years ago.  The quantum camera will record ancient events as they took place.  This amazing invention will look back in time, and reveal the truths that have been lost for centuries.  It will provide irrefutable answers to the many questions surrounding ancient events.  Dr. Michael Hannigan will change history, but that was never his goal.

Dr. Hanniganmay be a brilliant physicist, but he is also a devout Catholic.  For the past 60 years his dream was to show the world the miracles that Jesus performed.  Unfortunately his camera is too heavy for him to carry across the Holy Land while searching for the elusive Messiah.  He needs the help of his friend and ex-Navy Seal Chuck Palmer.  Chuck posses the necessary physical strength, but he lacks Dr. Hannigan's resolute faith.  In fact Chuck is an atheist.  He is convinced his friend will be devastated when the true Jesus is exposed.  Chuck reluctantly agrees to help, but only if his girlfriend will join them.  

Dr. Hannigan sets out on the adventure of a lifetime  He is going to find the historical Jesus of Nazareth.  But he soon discovers that there are people in high places that will stop at nothing, including murder to insure he fails.

A New Kitchen for Rabelo

It was time for another adventure.  I think designing a kitchen from top to bottom in one week constitutes an adventure, or at the very least a daunting challenge.  Lovita and I were up for whatever the week would bring.  Therefore, we flew from Southern California to Holland to work on our latest project.

Wilco rented a car for me to use that week.  It was a manual transmission.  I've driven stick shift cars since I was a teenager.  Yet I managed (according to Lovita) to stall the car six times!  She was obviously counting!  How embarrassing!  Still, I didn't hit anyone or get parking or driving tickets.  Finding a parking garage one day was stressful.  We went in circles following the signs searching for what we knew existed.  There was a huge outdoor market that had large areas blocked off making it almost impossible to get around.  I only once managed to go down a one way street the wrong way and wind up at a dead end.  I had to drive backwards a long ways before we could turn around.  Lovita was amazingly calm during the whole ordeal.

With me driving and Lovita navigating it was still a harrowing experience.  We couldn't have done it without a navigation system.  (Tom Tom works great in Europe.)  Imagine giant intersections.  Cars, buses, electric street cars, and sometimes trains, two wheeled motorized vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians.  They all share the same intersection.  They all have their own lanes!  So many times I was asking…"where is the car lane"?!?  I finally figured out I needed to find a little blue arrow that marked the car lane!  Different modes of transportation had their own signals and signs. It was all very stressful.

I was convinced that we were going to choose an Ikea kitchen.  In Europe Ikea seems to be the most popular kitchen and people are very pleased.  It was a no brainer.  Design a kitchen with their computer program, push a button, everything you need is printed out, place the order, it's delivered (unassembled) to the boat, and then it's assembled on site and voila, there's my kitchen.  Nothing is ever as easy as it sounds.  We met with a delightful Ikea kitchen designer.  Fortunately, Wilco was with us.  Her English was ok, but not quite up to the task of explaining everything to me so I could understand.  We spent what felt like hours (and probably was) working our way around the room planning every little detail:  cabinets, appliances, lighting…until we came to the last tall cabinet.  At that point she told me I was trying to get a custom kitchen from Ikea!  Well, yes!  Isn't that what Ikea was all about?  Unfortunately, a 1929 barge isn't a normal space like a kitchen in a home.  Our ceiling was too low.  Wilco would need to cut the tall cabinet down and refinish it.  That wasn't going to work!  On to plan B!

Wilco was very insistent that I visit a custom cabinet shop.  After the disappointment with Ikea I figured I had nothing to lose but time.  Off we went!  Isn't it annoying when you walk into a store (of any kind),  you are the only customer and the salesmen ignore you?  I thought that was going to happen as Lovita and I walked around the whole kitchen store admiring their displays and wondering whether anyone would help us.  Fortunately Anton took pity on us.  (After all, why would American's be looking at kitchens?)  We didn't have an appointment and it was nearly closing time.  At this point I pretty much knew what I wanted and in an amazingly short period of time a new kitchen was on Anton's computer.  I needed an idea of what their pricing would be and I needed it fast as the weekend was almost upon us which meant losing a couple of days.  Remember, I had only one week to do everything!  We did a rough design, we discussed the pros and cons of various appliances, it was closing time…ok, what's the price?  He pushed the button and we waited.  Then he gave me the price!  WOW!  The difference between the custom company and Ikea was minimal.  I was able to get exactly what I wanted with better quality appliances.  The cabinets would come already built and the cabinet company would install the cabinets, hook up the appliances, lay down the countertop…I was a happy camper.

It was time to work out the details.  They had a beautiful red cabinet and I LOVE red!  I've dreamed of a red kitchen.  We had a sample of the red and the next challenge was to find a countertop, flooring and wall paint to go with red.  As much as I love red, it can be a difficult color to work with.  Especially when we now have only a few days left to complete the kitchen.  Tom and I wanted granite countertops.  Where as here in California we have a countless number of granite yards, Holland has very few.  We drove for hours searching for granite (or any stone natural or man made) that would work with red.  I had to give up.  Nothing felt right.  We spent a day driving around but it wasn't a waste since I knew we had tried our hardest to work with the gorgeous red cabinets.

We were now back to my original idea of having cream color cabinets.  You would think that would be easy.  Again, granite is hard to find.  I did finally find a beautiful granite sample…from India.  They could probably locate it somewhere in Europe.  Because of the pattern in the stone I needed to see photographs of the slabs.  That wasn't going to happen while we were there.  Most everything is closed on Sunday and many stores are closed Monday's as well.  Back to the drawing board.  Back to the cabinet shop.  There we saw a sample kitchen with the color cabinet I wanted.  And the stone they had on top was just right!  Done!  Now just give me a sample of the stone so we can find paint.  It's Saturday evening and Anton can't locate a sample for me until Monday (if I'm lucky).

Anton did locate a counter top sample for us late Monday morning near Arnhem.  Off we went to retrieve it.  Fortunately Holland is a small country.  Arnhem is the site of a famous battle fought in WWII.  I wish we could have visited the tourist sights/battle ground/museum of Arnhem.  I've been there, but I think Lovita would have appreciated it.  Tom couldn't believe we had driven almost all the way to Arnhem from Rotterdam.  A girl's gotta do what she's gotta do to put the kitchen together properly!

It's Monday afternoon and we now have cabinet color and countertop, but tile flooring, wall and ceiling colors are needed.  We need to finalize the design of the kitchen cabinets and pick appliances.  We go home Wednesday morning.

Anton told us about a wonderful tile store where he once worked.  Saturday evening before they closed we dashed over for a first look.  Without the countertop sample we could only guess at what flooring we might choose.  After the weekend with cabinet and stone pieces in hand we went back to the tile store.  There we found a beautiful tile I think will enhance the look of the kitchen.  I chose the grout, bought everything and even arranged for delivery to the boat.  We're making progress!  We went back to the cabinet store and carefully fine-tuned the kitchen to hopefully more specifically meet my needs.  We also agonized over the appliances.  European electric stove tops are very small.  They don't work for this American who cooks large quantities in big American pans. I've never used an induction stove top before but everyone raves about it and the size was right.  Now I need new pots and pans.

Since we picked such calm colors that tied in with the living room and dining room I was able to use the same paint colors.  I needed to be sure the colors were what I wanted.  Again it involved driving to a town we'd never been in to find the paint store with the brand I wanted.  The owner spoke no English, but we managed to communicate and I walked away with the new version of the paint colors that are in the rest of the boat.

Anton and I are designing the new kitchen.

The sample kitchen with the correct color cabinets and countertop.

The nice thing about Sunday's is all the stores are closed which meant Lovita and I got to be tourists.  We drove into Amsterdam to visit the Vincent van Gogh Museum.  We also spent time looking at books in the gift and book shop.  I came home with books filled with ideas for future paintings.  Afterwards we went to the newly opened Rijks Museum.  Unfortunately it was getting late.  We did manage to spend time in the gift and book shops there as well.  My suitcase certainly gained weight.

The children learn how to ice skate by pushing a chair around.  It's just like what we have seen in old master's paintings.

The architecture is unique, diverse and interesting in Holland.

Another interesting building.

In front of the Rijks Museum.

 Lovita and I had quite a week.  We designed a kitchen and chose the colors, countertop flooring, paint for ceiling and walls, appliances, a cabinet for the dining room…the only thing I didn't do was pick a new light fixture for over the kitchen sink.  All in all I would say the week was a smashing success!

Thank you Lovita for being such a good sport.  Your gentle encouragement helped me make up my mind, your precise navigation got us where we needed to go,  and most important you were and are an all round great friend. I couldn't have done it without you.

Reflections for 2013

2013 was an amazing year on board Rabelo.  We again traveled through three countries, Holland, Belgium and France.  We covered 1415 kilometers (879 miles) with 436 locks and bridges being opened for us.  We entertained 26 visitors which is probably more than some hotel barges have.  Spending time with our wonderful friends and family who came to visit was a highlight for us.  Without your visits I think we might have become homesick.

We enjoyed the unique architecture of the many churches, chateaux, villages and towns we visited.  Gueledon, Fontainebleau, Dijon and Beaune were some of the highlights.

We appreciated the dreamy scenery which surrounded us from the flowers, gardens, trees, water and always changing and magnificent sky.  We viewed plenty of animals from swans, sheep, chickens,  dogs, cows, geese, goats, horses, herons, egrets, pigs, muskrats, ducks and the occasional rat and mouse.

Our travels were educational.  We learned about medieval construction, history, art and more. Museums were wonderful.  Maybe even a few new words of French were added to our vocabulary.

We had friends, family and more friends.

Food was amazing both on shore as well as on Rabelo.  Wine, cheese, baguettes, desserts…more wine…more cheese…beautiful fruits and vegetables…delicious!

We rose to the challenges of living in a country where we didn't speak the language.  We learned to shop in a foreign country where we didn't always recognize the foods.  We searched out the open markets, covered markets, and of course there were the supermarkets when all else failed.

We know every McDonalds in every city we passed through as we searched for wi-fi.

More friends, more wine, more cheese, more wonderful meals.

We found art in unusual places from along the canals, in the locks, around the villages, as well as museums we discovered along the way.

The canals crossed over and ran along side of rivers, train tracks and roads, and through countless little villages.  We went through too many towns and villages to count.  Each one was different and unique.

Then there were more visitors, more wine, more cheese and baguettes…

The decorating is slowly coming along on Rabelo.

In our spare time when we aren't walking, shopping/marketing, exploring, sight seeing, moving Rabelo, cooking, eating, or entertaining I write, paint, work on my photography and read.  Tom works on his book, writes his blog and also reads.  Needless to say the days fly by!

I would like include what our friend Lovita wrote in our guest book:

"Down the canal we barged.  Or should we say up from Briare and then down to Montargis - we plied the waters of Canal de Briare.  Down the watered path, we passed through hand cranked locks and quietly passed cottages with gardens secreted by watching walls.  People appeared from behind closed doors, here and there, to watch us glide by.  Dogs barked and waited for their treats, goats ran along side, their extended tummies swaying back and forth, geese clapped their beaks open and shut, waiting for the day old bread.  The slender neck of the silver crane extended slowly as it took off to lead the way.  All the while the gold and green leaves fluttered down from the trees and drifted along with us on the ever rippling current of milky green water.  Can it be any better than this in life - not really."

Guedelon Revisited

We were so fascinated by the building of a 13th century castle using 13th century techniques in the 21st century that we returned with Scott and Lovita for a second visit.  Here you will see a selection of pictures showing some of the various crafts employed in the construction.

Making/weaving rope.

Forging tools.

Lunch anyone?

Creating lumber from the local forest.  Remember that all the tools are made on site, including that ax.

Wooden shakes for the roof.

The mold for making clay tiles.

The clay is rolled into the mold.  Once it is dry it will be fired in an oven.

All the dyes, stains and paints are created by grinding and mixing  natural ingredients.

Here you see the selection of colors that are created from local materials.  You can view the paint on the walls.

A close up of materials used.

It looks like a window frame is being constructed here.  No nails, just wooden dowels.

The main living room with timbered roof, and stone walls,

 It was time to return to the United States.  We left the boat in Montargis and Wilco would bring Rabelo back to Holland once the Seine reopened.  Wilco drove us to Paris where we took the train to Amsterdam, spent the night at a hotel, and flew out the following morning.  It shouldn't have been a big deal.  We thought we had allowed plenty of time to get to the Paris train station.  Unfortunately, you can never allow enough time for driving in Paris.  We dealt with two heavily travelled streets bisecting each other…with no signal to control traffic.  There were limited signs directing us to the train station.  (At least we couldn't find them.)  Our navigation device didn't work in Paris!  Traffic was at a complete standstill.  We finally jumped out of the car in the middle of the street, grabbed our luggage, said goodbye to Wilco and dashed between cars to the train station.  We found our train, found the correct car, climbed on board with minutes to spare…and discovered there weren't enough seats!  No one told us that besides purchasing tickets in advance (which we had done) you needed assigned seats.  We all found seats, settled in and waited, and waited some more, and continued to wait.  We had been dealing with horrendous winds and rain throughout a large part of Europe.  Many plane flights had been cancelled and the high speed trains were moving more slowly than normal.  A key person needed to operate our train hadn't been able to get to the train on time.  We sat.  Eventually the personnel for the train arrived and we had a pleasant journey to Holland.  We managed to find a place for dinner and the next morning we had a smooth flight home.

This is how I spent my birthday:)

Twist and Turn

Our final guests of the season (Scott and Lovita) found themselves on the train with Captain Wilco.  That was certainly convenient for everyone.  No concerns here as to whether they would find the right town.

Scott helped with the manual locks.

Where are the Roman ruins?

We didn't find the ruins but we found corn fields.

I've included a selection of pictures showing a sample of what we encounter on our journey.

This guy was very insistent.  Where's my food?!?

I've shown this building before from a different angle.  It's amazing how it can twist and turn but still remain standing.

               

Somehow I don't believe this person is California Dreamin'.

So peaceful

So tranquil

Fontainebleau

 Fontainebleau deserves its own missive.  If you've never been there then you should make the time to visit when you are in France.  It's a treat.  We visited maybe 12 years ago and were still amazed by the size, decor, history and sheer magnitude of the palace.  I realize that Fontainebleau isn't Versailles.  BUT, it will still take you hours to view all the furnished rooms and walk the grounds.  As part of the admission price you receive an audio guide.  It is immensely helpful as you try to grasp the magnitude of the furnishings and finishings of this chateau.

The first chateau dates back to 1137 but little has survived.  The chateau was rebuilt in 1528 by Francois 1.  In the 17th century Henry IV was another great builder of the chateau.  Under Louis XV in the 18th century more was added and parts were rebuilt.  In the 19th century during the revolution the chateau was emptied of its furniture but the building was spared.  Napoleon I made it into an imperial residence which he refurnished.  In the following years areas were destroyed, replaced, demolished, rebuilt and redone.

The palace is filled with royal and imperial symbolism and its walls are hung with exquisite tapestries.

Napoleon I described Fontainebleau as "The true home of kings, the house of ages."  It was inhabited almost continuously from the 12th century until the fall of Napoleon III in 1870.  Today it is an immense palace with many courtyards and gardens and its exceptional collections make it the most fully furnished of the French royal chateaux.  The chateau de Fontainebleau is one of the largest royal residences remaining in Europe, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.

Enough history for one day.  

Marty and Sara joined us in Montargis and Fontainebleau was our first field trip.

Please join us on our tour of Fontainebleau.

 I wasn't able to keep track of which room belonged to what period, designed by whom.  So many important people left their mark as they passed thru these doors.  The decor was busy, gaudy, and over the top by modern day standards.  Yet, it was and is spectacular!

Check out those walls.

Now get a load of the ceiling!  It was hard to know what to look at.  I found everything so overwhelming.

This is the Renaissance Hall of Francois I which dates from 1582.  This room inspired other royal galleries including the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.

Every palace must have its own chapel.  This one is two stories.  We are on the upper floor here.  Notice the ceilings.

This is crown molding like I've never seen before.

It went all the way around the room.

The magnificent library which houses many volumes of books.  Each successive occupant added to the collection.

Bedroom, drawing room, sitting room, etc  Every square inch is covered.

As Tom would say "It's good to be the king."

From the gardens this is the back of the chateau.

A close up of the back of Versaille.

The French are serious about their butter.  Tom is pointing at the end of the butter section.