Tap, tap, tap, anyone here?

When I was wrapping all those gifts, on that special night of the year, I didn't think of what it meant for the next day. I had images of the lazy days, months ahead, playing the new board games, oh so many of them. visions of performing mad science experiments with my two little chemists, from their new kits. baking miniature cakes by the warmth of a single 100 watt bulb. But i did not envision attempting to fulfill all these fantasies in the next 24 hours!

I have risen to the challenge though, and with my thumbs sore from punching out cardboard pieces, and my brain pounding from reading so many directions and instructions. we have played, read and shuffled our way through most of it.

Pure fun I tell you. I will be sad when my playmates return to school.























this painting is on ebay now

summer FUN

This year we got 6-flags season passes for me and the kids and even Dad! We probably went six or seven times over the summer, never more than four hours at a time, and it was perfect. We would arrive when it opened and stay till we got tired or too hot or hungry. We never ate there and got a refillable .99 cent soda so we tried to get by as cheaply as possible. I think this may become an every other year tradition for us. After the initial outlay of money, it became something fun we could do without thinking about cost. And since our previous plan of a trip to the Florida panhandle got postponed, it wasn't that bad of a summer vacation for staying in town.

It turns out my six year old son is a roller coaster junkie and so is his dad. Lila, little three year old Lila loved the mine train coaster and would beg to go again and again. We have started a tradition of getting our family picture on the log flume at least once a summer. This was our pic from this year. I SWEAR Lila is enjoying herself. As soon as we get off she says "Again!"

I may use this as our holiday card this year. Should I add little santa hats on us?

Queeny art fair

What a weekend! I just got home from my exhibiting in my first ever art fair! You may have wondered why things were so quiet around here... Well I've been painting, building, sewing and shopping to prepare. I have to say, though I missed my internet life, it was a brilliant experience. I felt so much support and encouragement from everyone. The other artists were so helpful and went out of their way to make me feel at home and share information. I definitely will be doing this again. It was so good to get out of the studio and get feedback.

A few of the highlights...
1. I had a number in my head for financial 'exceeds expectations' and I came very close to it.
2. I won a ribbon!!! A beautiful white ribbon with "Honorable Mention" was in my booth Sunday morning. What a great way to start the day.
3. $300 in 'Art Dollars" were given out over the weekend as raffle door prizes and $150 was spent in my booth.
4. Meeting Amy Millspaugh. She felt like a long lost sister, we immediately hit it off and I managed to trade for one of her gorgeous, whimsical bowls. Also meeting Kay Foley. I didn't have much time to talk with her but I loved her work and I know we have a lot in common.

If this is your first visit to my blog and I met you at the show, Welcome! You all really shared the love and made my weekend incredible!
Here is a link to my etsy where you can find more prints and I'll be listing originals as the week goes on.

Amazing Glaze

I have (re)discovered a dusty bottle of product sitting on my self. It's my Liquitex glazing medium. I've been using it on faces recently. I really like the control I have over color and shadow, slowing building up layers. I can add highlights easily with full strength heavy body acrylic, then knock it down again with a thin glaze. It's a slower process but the results are worth it!























on ebay now!

Happy Monday

Last week was so full, lot's of swimming, a trip to the St. Louis Zoo and tea parties. I even managed to get some painting done!

















I'm loving painting birds. It's so freeing in some way, more imaginative and spontaneous.
This one is on ebay now

I'm going to miss these guys in a few short weeks. Lila will be attending pre-school for just a few hours a week, but Paul is going to be gone for 6 1/2 hours Monday - Friday, he'll be in 1st grade!
He's never been away from me that much, and it's going to be hard to adjust not being there for a big chunk of each day. I'm not a helicopter parent I SWEAR, I'm just a stay at home mom used to having my little boy around.

art and an interview

I was featured on Chrissie Grace's blog! There is an interview and some art. Please go check it out HERE! I hope I don't sound too lame :)

Facebook anyone?

I have become on of the millions of people who have joined facebook, and I even made a little page for my art work called 'art of sarah wyman'

I'm kind of treating like a newsletter where if you join you will updated when I have new paintings for sale, art shows I'm doing or preparing for and the ups and downs I experience as I go along.

Won't you join and become my friend?

follow this link

Jezebel

Our little family was hit with some bad news last week,
our beloved kitty of nine years has cancer, a tumor in her jaw.






















When I say she is the perfect cat, I mean she is the perfect cat. I've had cats my whole life and my previous kitty who lived to 18, was wonderful, and we thought we would never have one so good, and then we met Jezebel. The minute we held her at the shelter, she curled up in the nook of my arm with her nose in my elbow and started purring. She hasn't stopped purring.
She takes meticulous care of herself. The white spots on her are so soft and brilliantly clean. Her hair looks a little unkempt in this photo taken today because she can't keep it up now.
And friendly! She doesn't know a stranger. Most cats are at least skittish of strangers but the minute you sit down in our house you have a purring calico in your lap. She sits on Mikes lap at dinner, and sleeps with Paul most nights.

She has just a little time left, and we are just loving her up.

If you have a pet or even a loved one, give them an extra hug tonight.

Back to Normal

I got all my art fair applications sent and now I wait... Well not really, now I get back to tending my ebay and etsy shops! Poor, neglected things. I think it was a good break though, I am full of excitement and energy and new ideas for work.
I listed two new original paintings on ebay last night.

My heart lies with contemporary art as well as with figurative folk art, so I decided to explore some ideas I've had with a more modern edge.
I've been a bit obsessed with birds lately. You might remember my struggle to find a squirrel proof bird feeder earlier this year. I finally found one and have been enjoying the bird show ever since. I even spotted our woodpecker. I've heard him for years and he made an appearance at our feeder last week.
I'm not interested in faithfully representing a bird, I'm interested in exploring shape, pattern and color. Here is my first offering...



















It has a bit of a mosaic feel to it too, altogether I'm happy.

Next was more of a traditional piece for me, I'm trying to push myself in loosening up, being more adventurous with the shape of the figure, and working BIG. I am meditating on the words BE BRAVE. I can create the same piece over and over, but I'm not growing, and not satisfying my creative spirit.























On ebay here

Almost there

My Sunday deadline came and went for my big art fair photo shoot, but I am still trudging along, trying to meet my 'real' arbitrary deadline of tonight.
The actual deadline is June 25, and if you want to pay double the application fee, it's July 5.
Here is where everything is at...

Three panels are built. Not perfectly and may still go through revisions, but good enough for now. I have three.























I am covering them with a black burlap pillowcase which allows me to poke things in to hang my paintings.























And here is Lila demonstrating her new skill she learned while I was distracted with this project.

Growing

Every year we plant a couple tomatoes. This year they are coming up so nicely. On our three plants I counted eight baby tomatoes, I'm even thinking we might get to enjoy one on the 4th of July.

















We also added a pumpkin plant this year. I think it would be so cool to let the kids carve Jack O' Lanterns out of pumpkins they grew. Also I would like to try to make a homemade pumpkin pie.






















This plant is growing like gangbusters. The leaves are huge and it has lovely yellow flowers.
I know it's not quite a victory garden, but I wanted to start small, and to make sure I can manage the care for these plants all summer. Growing vegetables takes a lot of tending for months before you reap the rewards in late summer and early fall. It's hard for me to keep interest in things with such delayed gratification. But this project is going well. I'm loving how beautiful the plants are by themselves and taking a lot of enjoyment from watching them grow. I also have a basil, a jalapeno and a raspberry bush, which won't fruit for at least one year.

This process kind of reminds me where I am artistically. I haven't been listing new paintings on ebay or etsy (though lots of prints are up) because I've been preparing to enter my first true juried art fair. I've been busy creating new pieces, larger pieces and attempting to construct a booth. This weekend is kind of the deadline I set for myself, so hope to photograph everything and email my slides tomorrow. Lot's of preparation for one big payoff, emotionally. I'm very excited about the prospect of crossing this off my to-do list and getting back to 'normal'. Look for new work listed on ebay and etsy soon...

Spoiler Alert!!! Work of Art: The Next Great Artist

I discuss the ending of Bravo's Work of Art from Wednesday night. Stop reading if you haven''t watched it yet!!!

........


I will never claim to be a reviewer of any sort, but I do have a few comments to make after watching the last “Work of Art” on Bravo.

I thought about the upcoming episode more times than I care to admit during the week.

I am anxiously awaiting the next episode.

I’m not sure if I like the show all that much or I am determined to like it NO MATTER WHAT

Trong was annoying and pretentious for two weeks.

Miles was very likeable in the first week and is slowly becoming annoying and pretentious. Ummm, no one asked you what you thought of Trongs piece, though to Trongs credit he took it very well. Also, all the giant yawns and eye rubbing was a bit over the top. We get it. You have OCD and you are very tired. Perhaps there are other contestants with issues as well but you don’t see them talking about it, much less in every interview.

Yes I am compassionate to those with OCD, just as I am compassionate to those with depression, addictions, brain damage, diabetes, etc. of which we know AT LEAST one other contestant suffers from. (Eric Johnson disclosed his motorcycle induced brain damage this week)

Oh yeah, I guess there was art too… I loved the theme for the week, but was a bit disappointed with most of the projects. Too many tv’s were used in the same way (the demise of American culture). Yes tv is bad. But if you didn’t notice, you are on a TV SHOW, and millions other are at home watching you on tv, don’t be so quick to bite the hand that feeds you.

I think Trongs elimination was appropriate. I mean painting “I hate reality tv” “It’s so fake” was less a stroke of genius and more a swift hara-kiri.

I did like Peregrine’s quiet, unassuming piece. Two small tv’s facing each other, turned on to static, with a black tube netting connecting them. It may have accomplished more simply Trong’s desire to have tv’s talking to each other.

After the show was over I did feel a let down. I still have high hopes, and think the show may still be working out the kinks so I will be watching, till the very end.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Ever had a Vietnamese iced coffee?
I've been racking my brain, trying to remember the first time I tasted this tasty concoction. I think my friend Erica was involved somehow and it was around 15 years ago. I worked in many coffee shops and remember making them as well, though we used these cool little coffee brew/drip things that would sit on top of your glass. I was craving one lately so decided to make my own. All you need is some sweetened condensed milk (yummmm) a shot of espresso and ice.






















That's the sweetened condensed milk on the bottom, espresso in the middle and foam on the top. Stir it all together... add ice... and enjoy!

Remember Me?...

I've missed you little blog and I hope I haven't lost all my readers! This has been a busy, beautiful summer.
I finished up my course in May
Lila finished her semester at Little Gym












































Paul played on a T-Ball team and did great (even though he was less than enthusiastic about it)
Lots of water and mud play






















Season tickets to 6-flags
and it's just the beginning!
I plan on cherishing every minute left

Etsy update and Mother's Day art

I've been busy getting ready for a art and craft show in my town called 'Spoede Marketplace'. It will be my first time doing a venue like this and I'm developing some new products for it. I'm really excited and love doing things like this because it pushes me, to get things done, try out ideas and most of all get lots of art things ready. Also, any leftovers go to fill up my Etsy store which I'm trying to be more committed too.

In case you haven't been in a while, I've been adding new 5" x 7" prints on a beautiful luster paper for the last few days.

And I've expanded into jewelry with the sweet little glass tile pendant charm necklaces. They look like candy to me and I want to eat them up :)























AND I just listed a bunch of Mother's Day themed wood mounted prints on ebay, but I think most are available on Etsy too.

So if you haven't been in a while check my items out
Here on ebay
and
Here on etsy

aplomb

1. imperturbable self-possession, poise, or assurance.

2. the perpendicular, or vertical, position.

BIG and Exciting!

I have some good news to share! I was part of a book collaboration headed by the talented and inspiring Chrissie Grace, and the book "Sharing Stitches" is now available for pre-order on Amazon! I contributed two projects, and yes, one astute observer noticed the figures on the cover are indeed mine. I am just so excited and honored to be a part of this!

mutually

new small

some smaller paintings (9" x 7") I did last week.
It seems to be a format I keep coming back to. I'm lovin' the big ones but they are quite time consuming.
In the top painting, I embedded a seastar reliquary filled with resin. I think it's an idea I'll be exploring more in the future. Like right after I get a drill press. Drilling the hole with a hand drill was scary! At one point the drill bit got stuck and the drill flew out of my hand and kept trying to go around.

subterranean

on ebay here

Just been catching up on my life. big events always throws things off the track, not that there was much of a track, but you know what I mean.

Yesterday was the kiddos first day of spring break, so we went to the Science Center and then Grandpa's house for lunch. A pretty good day for everyone.

Today, we clean.

I did this painting over the weekend and am pleased with the results. I used a 20 year old bottle of masking fluid to get the root effects. I bought that bottle of masking fluid in highschool and used it once. I had the idea to use it in a mixed media painting, looked for it and found it easily. Either I'm more organized than I thought, or I got very lucky. It was so fun to use, it may be showing up in future pieces.

For those of you that don't know what masking fluid is, it's a yellowish, thin fluid that you paint on, it dries, and 'masks' out the area that you painted, so you can paint over it and that area will remain untouched. Watercolorists use it primarily. Once the top coat(s) of paint are dry, you rub the 'mask' off, it's kind of rubbery when dry.

Finally!

After a year of saving, researching, and hunting, I have my new (used) mini-van!!!
I am so excited and happy :)
(As well as nervous and stressed, but lets just talk about the good, shall we?)
I can't believe I'm so excited about a mini-van, how soccer mom of me.
Never mind that neither of my children play soccer, and that my son's favorite activity is the science club at this school ;)
Actually, the idea of a van always appealed to me, (you can fit more friends in!)
I come from a big family, and we are very close and some combination of us get together at least once a week. Now when we go somewhere, we can all ride together.

I have to say as far as mini-vans go, mine is very swanky... I'll just brag on it a bit...
Leather seats
heated front seats
sun roof
dvd
remote start (not sure what I would use that for)
power everything
three separate climate controls for driver, passenger and back seats.

When we were driving home from the dealers I had mine on 70, Mike had his on 68 and kids had theirs on 72, and we were all happy as clams.

I don't think I will be missing my last car, except maybe in the snow (it had AWD)
It was a '98 Honda CR-V. I bought it in 2000 and drove it for 10 years. I like to hold on to my cars, buying cars ranks up there with life's most stressful events and I try to avoid it at all costs. I hope to drive my van for the next 10 years and maybe even pass it on to Paul who will be 16 by that point. What a crazy thought! I hope the next ten years don't pass as quickly.
The Honda served me very well, and had only one repair done (radiator)
May this one do as well..

everything

Thanks for all the suggestions for what to do with old art. I think I will be photographing them, and painting over them.

Here's to letting go of the past and moving into the future

trinitarian

a close up























At last, spring is in the air,
the sun is pouring into my bedrooms windows,
the birds are singing,
everything is waking up after a long, cold winter,
or at least is intent on waking me up.

Going into my studio, which was such a refuge in the winter, now seems cave like and a bit depressing. I think I need to clean, organize and decorate the area so it is more uplifting.
I'm pretty good at purging items in the rest of my house, but I am so protective of 'art items'. Books, reference materials, odds and ends, supplies... I can't seem to let any of it go. If I can't use it in my paintings, I think it may be usable for a future classroom. One thing in particular I am totally perplexed about is old artwork. This stuff isn't good. It's from classes, or failed experiments, or at one time I liked it but now consider it unworthy.

What do you do with old artwork?

Three women

thank you Olympics, I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I gasped, I was thoroughly entertained.
I think I am going to take a class offered by St. Louis mixed media artist Mary Beth Shaw. I want to do more experimenting with different textured mediums, like modeling paste. And I want to learn some new ways to use acrylics.
Hopefully it will get some creative blood pumping

I am still fixated on my 'squirrel' feeder, as that is the only thing eating from it. I reserved a copy of a book about 101 ways to outwit a squirrel. Hopefully they will have some new ideas. Thanks to those that offered their own. I'm willing to try anything. I really am not ok with the squirrels eating out of the feeder, because once they discover the feeder, the birds never really come back.

bounding main

can't talk
watching American Idol

crowning

Kind of a dreary Sunday. I kept the kids in all day, it was rainy, muddy and cold, but I can see spring, I feel it, and it's right around the corner.

I've been battling squirrels for the last week or so. I am determined to feed all the lovely birds that live in my yard. I have a huge, bright red cardinal, a noisy, busy woodpecker, with an orange shock of hair on the back of his head, several little things I call chickadees, and I love them all. When I have my bird feeder up, they flock to it, and the kids and I delight in watching them for as long as they are feeding. Unfortunately, all too soon, the squirrels arrive. Once the squirrels figure out how to get to the food they monopolize the feeders, or worse, dump the seed out. This is the third feeder I have gone through. This is supposed to be 'squirrel proof'























At least they can't pour the seed out, but since they discovered how to eat out of this one, the birds have been scarce. Also this feeder is a bit small, and the cardinal and woodpecker can't seem to land and eat.

Any ideas out there!!!

i love the olympics

I have enjoyed my Olympic filled weekend. I'm recording hours and hours of events and play them throughout the day. The short track has been my favorite so far.
My kids have been in ice skating lessons for a few weeks now, and so they have been interested in some of the ice events. Paul actually played ice hockey last winter, but decided ice skating he liked, hocky, not so much. Lila was able to start lessons too, even though she wasn't officially old enough. I don't know which they like more, the lessons or the trip to McDonalds afterwards.























tracking deer this morning...

blue angels

woo wee! what a week! I feel like a broken record, but sometimes I just can't keep up with my life. It's a cycle of normal, crisis event, recovering from crisis event, sitting around looking at the fallout and wondering how I got a week behind on laundry, again.
My husband and I are pretty good budgeters. We can predict most expenses, have plans if faced with crisis, live within our means and put away what we can for the future.
YET somehow, I can not translate those skills over to actually living my life.
We have a financial advisor,
I think I need a life advisor.

cleansing

How's your week going?
Tomorrow is Friday, but my weekend is shaping up to be quite busy.
Ice skating with the kids
a party for a friend
a trip to Artropolis (yay!)
Paul is attending a b-day party
guests coming over for super bowl

PLUS I am meeting with my accountant on Monday so have to sort out all my tax info

I am probably forgetting something

ah well, time for Lost season premiere

happy housekeepers

Instead of going to Artropolis at Chesterfield Mall like I wanted, we cleaned. Grandpa came over and got the kids leaving Mike and I alone, to purge, scrub and dust. I seem to have a bit of a book hoarding tendency, so I sorted through stacks and stacks of children's books and I'm happy to say I was able to donate about 30% of them. Paul's shelves are orderly and there is even some empty spaces.
Then we were off to get everyones hair cut, Mike, Paul and Lila. Everyone looks great and I keep smelling their heads :)
For dinner I tried to be healthy with a plate of falafel, tomatoes and homemade cucumber dill sauce.

















I baked the falafel instead of deep frying it, and it was just wrong. But the sauce made it edible.

Next Sunday... Artropolis and maybe dinner out.

apparent

Thank you for encouraging comments! I'm sure the weather is related and it is darn cold here today. Lack of sunlight isn't good for me, no sir.

This morning after dropping the kids off, I came home and went straight to the studio. I started three different paintings and kept getting frustrated, and kept painting over them, until this image emerged on top. I was working on an itty bitty masonite board, about 8" x 7", much smaller than anything I've done recently. I think the change in scale helped and I'm happy.

a serious case of the blahs

I think I have the January blahs, bad.
I should paint more, because it makes me feel good, but I'm tired, lethargic, unmotivated,
I can't believe tomorrow is Friday, I have nothing to show for the week. Where did this week go? It was Monday like 10 minutes ago.
I want to control time, rather than time holding all the power.

contemplation

I can't believe it's Sunday night already. This weekend has flown by. As my kids get older they get so much more Interesting and Fun! We played three different board games today, Lila helped my make stuffed french toast (delicious), Paul went to an ice skating party, Lila and I made a necklace and did some finger painting. Somehow I managed to squeeze in a painting too.

It does seem that my January blogging has suffered though. Instead of posting everyday, I am averaging every other day. Still it's better, and maybe a pace I can keep up in February and beyond...

worry like a feather

on ebay here

Class was great! It's called "Psychology of the Exceptional Child" and it's part of my degree program for my BFA in Art. Education. I think it's going to be really interesting and not to heavy on the coursework.

I've been having a good time painting, and I tried out a new bread recipe. here's the tasty results


















It's from a book I got at the library called Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. It's this really easy process where you mix the ingredients, let it rise and put it in the fridge. You can take some out whenever you want, form a ball, and bake it. It can keep in the fridge for up to 14 days and the batch makes enough for six loaves. I may have to buy the book because there is so much more like adding ingredients in, making cinnamon rolls and different kinds of loaves. My first attempt was great, so I can't wait to try more.

tuesday taxday

I am busily printing out monthly reports for sales from my online venues. Thank goodness they are organized and that they keep very nice reports for me to print out and hand to my husband to make into a pretty spreadsheet for my tax guy.

Actually it probably won't be that easy, but the information I need is there, we just have to put it all together and make sense of it.

Also I start my class tonight. Hoping, hoping, hoping for a good teacher...

family fun

This weekend, we were so busy, but we had a lot of fun. Friday night was spent at the Grandparents house, a favorite event for all of us. Saturday morning we had Lila and Paul's first ice skating lessons for this session. Paul skated last winter, but it was Lila's first time on the ice. She has been begging me to take her ice skating for a few months now, so when I signed Paul up I asked if my very enthusiastic three year old could join the four year old class. The director allowed it and Lila did great. I was told that three is actually a good age to begin ice skating, but it's not good to force a three year old, so they start their lessons with fours, who are slightly more cooperative. Well Lila was very motivated and did awesome!
Saturday night was a charity trivia event. Our team came in 11th out of 48, no thanks to me. I only knew answers that pretty much everyone knew. Oh well, it was still fun to get out with the hubby.