Japanese artist Julia Sai Carlson assists Robin Putnam on a wall mural in Telluride, Colorado

For 6 months in 2005, Julia Sai Carlson apprenticed with me in learning Ravenstail weaving and button-robe making.  She initially contacted me via email from across the ocean in Japan.  Of course, I receive all kinds of emails from people who want to learn Chilkat weaving or button robe making, but very few actually follow through and so my initial response from Julia was “yeah, sure…”

Since the end of our apprenticeship, she has been attending the California School of Arts and Crafts, going for her BFA degree, where she recently met her present boyfriend, Robin Putnam.  Robin has been working on a painted wall mural for the town of Telluride, a small town in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.  Last weekend they had the unveiling of the mural.  You may read the article at:  http://www.telluridenews.com/articles/2010/08/27/news/doc4c770ee308c6b873224608.txt

Robin and Julia

I am proud of Julia; she is living her dream of becoming a full-time artist.  What I want for her, I want for my own children, I want for anyone including myself:  to live their life to the fullest in living their dream(s).  I treat Julia like one of my own kids – just can’t help that when a youngster comes to live for 6 months and just about does everything I do and travels everywhere I go.  In those six months that she was with me, she helped keep the house clean, the garden weeded, and helped keep my ex in line.  She traveled with our family to visit my parents in Alaska; she traveled with family to spend a week with my in-laws vacationing in Hawaii; she traveled with me when we took a side trip to visit the Navajo weavers at Toadlena Trading Post near Shiprock, New Mexico.  She was my side-kick for 6 months!  The last time I had that was with my youngest child, Ursala – until she went to public school in the 3rd/4th grade.

Robin and Julia each have their own websites.  You may visit Julia’s website at:  http://juliasaicarlson.web.fc2.com/    You may visit Robin’s website at:  http://www.robinputnam.com/