First Friday Art Walk

An old barn in Sequim at the edge of a strip mall.

By the time you read this the First Friday Art Walk for March will be over and done with. This was the second Art Walk for me, and it was a little more interesting since I actually met a couple of people from my art classes and the Episcopal church as I wandered from gallery and art shop and museum, sampling the treats and looking at the displays.

I also found a wonderful shop for clothes if I ever want to have something a little more upscale than Wally World or recycled jeans. But as an artist, (hopefully never a starving one, although my recent Social Security debacle makes me wonder...) I don't have much of a requirement in that regard these days. I am enjoying my new watercolor instructor and looking forward to more time learning this new form of expression.

There are a number of reasons why I must stay in Sequim at present, not the least of which is my financial status. Social Security did not issue my distribution last month on time, making no explanation as to why this occurred, only sending me two letters announcing the 'new' schedule which is the same as the last one. This whimsical action on their part created havoc with my planning, and caused other disruptions. I am more than a little excised about threats to the Social Security 'bank' by those who think they have any rights to it at all.

So it was a discouraging month to say the least, as it required several trips to the nearest (25 miles away) Social Security office since they had basically shut me off and I could not even get information on line. There were no notes in my files giving any explanation for this abrupt change, and in spite of the efforts of the very kind team in the local office, it still took the better part of a week to get them to 'turn me back on' again. It appears that everything is back on schedule now, but living on a fixed income, these hiccups reverberate for more than just a few weeks.

However, I am moving on from these upsets and found the Art Walk uplifting... The RainShadow Coffee House was featuring a collaborative of musicians playing Irish jigs and reels, which always warms my heart. Their coffee is pretty warming as well!

The Museum was featuring local student artists and I was quite impressed with the level of their work and I guess I wasn't the only one... it was still pretty crowded with onlookers when I arrived after spending a fair amount of time in the coffee house.

These two wild cats pieces were done by seniors. I did not get a chance to get their names because right after I took the photos, their families were standing around to take shots of the youths in front of the work.

My granddaughter is a wonderful artist, too, and I wished she might have had a chance to see some of the work her peers are doing here in Sequim.

I am quite taken by this duplication of Beatrix Potter
with the rabbits in the garden. Quite detailed up close.
And the black & grey head is equally impressive.

These are done by students in the lower grades.

It is quite delightful to walk about in the evening and have so many people out and about, darting into various shops for a tidbit of cheese and cracker or some wine or even a cupcake. There is a fabulous baker here who makes many of the local wedding cakes. She and her husband operate "That Takes The Cake" and the cupcakes are sooooo good! She told me that last August they were so busy they could not do all the weddings asked of them.

Well, I have to say I am grateful to be here, if I am having to be anywhere. The level of artists' performance is remarkable; something for me to strive to achieve. And today it was above 45 degrees! Spring is coming, but I enjoyed seeing the snow far away....

Highway 101 runs all the way to the end of the Olympic Peninsula.
I wonder if this is the same 101 that runs through my home town?