January Blogging

on ebay here
starting bid $.99

Long time reader(s) may remember I did art everyday in the month of January last year. I was inspired my Misty Mawn's challenge, and I have to say, it was a great experience and I believe I will be doing my own version of it this year.

I am challenging myself to create everyday and to blog my efforts, everyday.

I find it too easy to put off posting new entries when I'm not holding myself accountable. I like posting, I like getting your comments and I like this form of virtual journaling.

So, starting today, January 1st, I will be posting something new, everyday for the rest of the month. There, I said it out loud, now I have to do it :)

I think I need to get my mail lady a present

New week

Thanksgiving was just right
the craft show exceed expectations
and my house isn't in 'too' bad of shape

I think I'll go to bed early and start my busy busy week rested and fresh

metal wings

I'm taking a metalsmithing class, and so I was inspired to add some metal embellishments into one of my paintings. I had some scrap brass already, and I bought a jewelery saw this week, so I cut out these delicate little wings. I didn't think glue, or gloss gel would adhere the wings well enough, so I 'stitched' them on with copper wire...























I'm so happy with the results and am thinking of ways to embellish my embellishments (stamped letters? etching?)
on ebay here

wings

Another cabinet door, with an egyptian inspired angel
on ebay

Did everyone have a good halloween? I had family over for chili, baked potatoes and hotdogs. The kids were cute in their costumes, Lila was a snow queen and Paul was a cowboy AND best of all it didn't rain.

In other news, I am taking a metalsmithing class for jewelry making. It is fun and fascinating and my mind keeps coming up with designs for necklaces and bracelets. Of course I have absolutely no time to do anything outside of class, but a girl can dream.

two birds

Another cabinet door painting, I love working bigger!

I almost didn't get this painting listed, there was a GIANT green cricket in my studio today camped out on this painting.
I waited,
I waved paper at him,
I made loud noises,
I left and came back later...
Nothing.
I finally get fed up, tilted the painting up, expecting him to jump off
NO
So then I had to push him off with a paintbrush
He's still in my studio somewhere :(

on ebay here

hand to hand

woo wee!!! I did a gigantic painting (well big for me)
It's 22" x 16" painted on a cabinet door, see the brass handle
It was different and fun and I absolutely love the result
I see more of these in my future
on ebay here

watch my daughters take on the painting...

three stories

Somehow I survived the last month.
For the last four weekends I had a major event...

1. My sister's camping wedding extravaganza
2. Lila and Paul's family birthday party
3. Archon (weekend away and art show)
4. Paul's birthday party, where I had ALL the boys from his kindergarten class at my house.

This weekend we have NOTHING planned and I am so excited. I want to clean my studio and relax and paint.
Hope your weekend is enjoyable!

Jasper

My poor kitty Jasper got in a fight with a chipmunk, and lost
He has a nasty, infected, wound on his neck.
Antibiotics have the swelling down, but I still feel sorry for him, so I did his painting of him, to show my love...























on ebay here

I'm Back

Had a wonderful weekend getaway at Archon, (a sci-fi convention)
I think I was 16 at the first one I attended.
I participated in the art show for the second year. Though my work is quite different from 'traditional' sci-fi art, think carefully rendered dragons, metal bikinis and planetary landscapes, I get a few people who delight in my more primitive takes on fairys and mermaids.
I sold several of my prints mounted on wood blocks, which made me feel good :)

no time to talk... busy painting

come together

Yesterday my to-do list had 14 items. Last night around 7 pm I finished the last one. Now I get to start all over today, currently my list has seven items, one of which is to get Lila's new (used) daybed painted white. We are moving her to a big girl bed this weekend. But to start off the day, Lila and I are going to Zoomagination at the zoo.
I'll just have to get to the other stuff later.

painting on ebay HERE

folk art puppet theatre

little fish

on ebay $.99 starting bid see HERE

I just had a wonderful weekend full of family and friends and houseguests and a party...
not much work though :)
I'm starting fresh this morning, fueled with a cup of coffee and broccoli quiche. I've was quite industrious last week, painting every day, and I am trying to continue the practice. The weekends seem to be too busy to work, and maybe that's ok. Instead of feeling discouraged, perhaps I should just determine in advance, the weekends are family time and accept that I won't be painting.
Sometimes I'm afraid that if I paint, a lot, I will run out of ideas, but the opposite seems to be true. The more I create, the more ideas I get. It's hard to believe it will sustain itself. I know being an artist has less to do with 'inspiration' and more to do with perspiration, but there is an element that seems magical and beyond my control

new day

i have been a busy busy bee
I have SIX paintings in various stages of done
I have been painting so much and it makes me a happy girl
There has also been a lot of dreaming and planning and doing.
It all feels so good and so right. I feel like something big is right around the corner.
Speaking of big, I have been painting BIG. This painting is about 16" x 12". for me that's monumental :)

Now on ebay, $.99 starting bid HERE

'super' duper

I think I've talked before about collage and the subconscious...
Here is another perfect example. I was flipping through my atlases and saw some face sized water areas, which are the areas I create most of my faces on. I noticed it was a map of Michigan and had some of the Great Lakes. I drew my girls face and cut it out and then discovered "SUPER" stamped across her forehead. It made me laugh because I knew I was doing a flying piece.

I'm back to listing myself on ebay, starting bid $.99!
see here

changes

For one who does not like change, I sure am making a few around here.

First of all I am trying something different on ebay. The talented and prolific Heather Galler has offered to take over selling my paintings on ebay. She has developed quite a following on ebay and is taking on a few artists to help promote their work. The painting above is called "Hopeful" and is listed HERE for a starting bid of $0.01!

Hopeful is also how I am feeling about a new gallery my art will be displayed in soon. Cranky Yellow has asked for some work so I gave them four originals and six prints. Stop in and visit them if you live in St. Louis!

I have several other things brewing, but I'll save them for another post...

ambiguity

Life is about to change again
Paul starts Kindergarten tomorrow, he only goes half day, but it is five days a week.
Lila will start Junior Preschool the next week, for three mornings a week.
My school starts the week after that, but I'm only taking one class (yay!)

My hope is that I have more time.
That I'm not always playing catch up
That I'm able to do the things that are important
That there is time everyday for smelling the roses

unknown

This painting is listed on ebay with a $0.99 starting bid price!
See here

I work in blues and orange, alot.
I thought green and red would remind me of xmas, but this doesn't at all. It actually reminds me of August.
I'm beginning to really like this complementary color scheme.

Hurry up lunch! I have a crockpot full of curry chicken. TWO jalapenos, cayenne pepper, coconut milk, ginger, garlic, onion, carrots, potatoes, I'm drooling just thinking about it :)

perseverance

buy it now here

I'm having salad bar and pizza for dinner
I like to tear up some romaine lettuce, slice hard boiled eggs, chop up some turkey, get out the olives and croutons, a couple dressings, sunflower seeds, anything else that sounds good
and arrange them all in one of my kids divided plates so my hubby and I can make our own salads, just like at a salad bar!
then I pop a cheapy supreme pizza into the oven, and we have a tasty inexpensive EASY dinner
yummy!