PineShoreStudio/Paintings by Helen Harris

It wasn't until I began painting again this past week that I realized that my music had stopped along with my painting. As my brushes swished in the water,splashed into the paints ..I started up my cds ..and like old friends reunited, the conversation of heart and soul picked up without missing a beat. If I ever doubted it,this time away from my art, taught me that it is not just what I do it is an important part of who I am. Let the music play.....again!

Slowly I am returning to my painting. Memory muscles flex and my heart is lifted by the the sheer joy of splashed color . Purchased new brushes, cleaned the studio ...uh -oh ...paints are as hard as rocks! Was I really away from my daily work that long? Yes! and it shows. Just like a musician ..I must return to some basics to get back up to the level I was last October when my painting came to a screeching halt. Brush strokes, like scales, color combinations, like chords....the music will return ..my rhythm is just off. Practice, practice, practice....but it is a labor of love. I'm reevaluating "Colorburst "before framing . This piece will be exhibited in October at Idiosyncrazies .

Week 2 of The Cookie Cab Summer Camp is over. This time I was teaching baking skills to 6-8 year olds! What was I thinking..lol?! Developing a taste for foods starts young. It's always fun to see the expressions on a child"s face when they smell something and then experience the taste as something unexpected..such as vanilla extract or baking cocoa. Blahhhh! Here are a few photos from this class. I'm taking this week off from teaching but will have another group the following week...back to baking !

The ever changing needs of the bakery/cafe continue. As we enter the hot summer months I've changed our hours a bit to allow me some time to go home and begin painting again . It's working! The studio got cleaned up, brushes washed out fresh and new ones ordered but most of all I've begun to put brush to paper again. woooohooo! I've scheduled a solo show in October at Idiosyncrazies in Pt. Pleasant, NJ....more to come about that later. In the meantime I'd like to share a few photos from our kids Summer Camp Baking program that I've begun. Our first class of 9-12 year olds baked up a storm of cookies ,cinnamon buns, and cupcakes from scratch! Our enthusiastic customers cheered them on and tasted their baked goods offering words of praise. Challenging games and prizes rounded out their mornings ending with a lunch. Next week ....6-8 year olds will tackle some hands on projects.......wish me luck!