11/10/2026
I lived on Bainbridge Island for over 40 years, and when we finally decided to move off-island, it was a very hard decision to make. Unfortunately it was one we had to make, since the house just didn’t work for us anymore. We downsized dramatically (3,500 sq ft down to 1,400 sq ft), and that meant that I had to seriously cull the materials, supplies and books in my very well equipped studio. In a way, it was a healthy thing to do...I was able to give, gift and sell materials that I had accumulated over those years (some of which I had totally forgotten that I had). It meant that I was going to have a leaner, meaner studio or sure. I had to measure the need for those materials against the space in my new studio, and I had the amazing help of the incredible Hannah McHugh of Declutter Kitsap.
The only area that I now kind of regret are my rubber stamps...I found that I didn’t have some of the stamps I regularly use in my work, and I needed to repurchase them. I also discovered that stamps that I had had for years were no longer usable, because they had hardened up. I worked for several months getting my studio set up in a way that worked for me, being in a wheelchair. And then I was ready to work...BUT I hit a major “blank page”...no ideas were coming. After several anxious weeks where I combed through my old notebooks, scraps of paper, lists of ideas and more, I was still no closer to something to work on.
I knew I wanted to work on something that had meaning and importance, given the state of the world these days. I finally decided on the meditation of making mandalas with images from my personal imagery. I’ve made a bunch, and am now working on the idea for a new book. Phew!
Proven results that speak for themselves.
