Friday, October 18, 2013
In case anyone was wondering and hadn't given up on me, I'm still here! As one can see somehow in all of Bloggers changes, my blog has been discombobulated. I just didn't have the heart to go through and take time to fix it all. But, I'm thinking now that I miss it and maybe it's time to tackle making changes and updating everything. I'm not a whiz at all this so may take me a while to get it all done. Not coming on here made it hard to visit all my regular blog friends as well, so I'm behind on everyone and I miss reading and looking at everything. Part of the reason for stalling for so long, is that I found Facebook and I swear it takes much more of my time than Blogs did! But I adore both places!! I also pulled away from any real art for a while, didn't mean to, it just happened. But now I'm trying to get back on track with art, also. I've joined some wonderful groups and just took another class that I'm loving and would like to find money to take a FEW more! Besides all that, LIFE got in the way again as it often does for me. It's involving major changes for me but good ones for sure. Unfortunately, it's taking much longer than I had planned and it leaves me totally unsettled and a home full of stress and anxiety. When "things" fall into place, I hope to be leaving the cold North woods and going back to the South where I loved it so much. I miss my daughter way too much and need to be near her, so my initial plan is move to N. Alabama (Tuscumbia) and then decide if I stay put or maybe travel on to Central Mississippi. I wanted to be there before our Wisconsin winter set in but it's not looking like it will happen before Spring, now. It doesn't leave me being a happy camper at the moment. Once I decide on a change, I'm impatient and want it to happen NOW! I've been waiting for this to happen for years but never dreamed it would be such a difficult task with all it involves for me. It will be a new start, a chance to be near my daughter, a new life and the chance to be ME again! So, there's my news and update....just hang on, it could be a fun ride along the way!
Saturday, August 11, 2012
RE-WORKING ART
Last year or so I did a collage on a 5 x 7 flat canvas board. I showed it and then promptly shoved it aside because I didn't like it at all. It had potential in places but it was just too busy for me and I don't know, just not pleasing at all. I was searching through piles, looking for something a couple weeks ago to do another canvas and I found this in the middle of a pile, still just sitting.
An idea came to mind, so decided to see if I could re-work it somehow and use it; if not well, I'd just paint over the whole darn thing and start something else on it. Didn't want to waste even a small cheap canvas board. So I got busy and changed a few things. Now I like it ....sort of. It's still too busy for my tastes but unless I start completely over, it just has to be. Now it looks like this:
Now it's maybe even even busier but the new butterfly is definitely better and flowers are more defined. The scanner always shows you what more could have been done or had removed but too bad, it's covered with 2 coats of triple glaze so no more fixing. Next, I'm going to layer it onto a 8 x10 background and frame it IF I happen to have the right size frame around here somewhere.
As for the Abandoned Art piece, "FLY"....it did get picked up almost instantly after I left it and it did in fact fly and land in Ontario, Canada!! How sweet is that! I had a wonderful note from the lady who found it. Not only did she keep it but she was here in town with her DIL who is a artist and was showing here at the ARTARAMA show! They like the explanation of the magical effect of the canvas and of Art Abandonment and they will start doing some abandonment's in Ontario!! I was thrilled!! Since then I've abandoned several button Fairies but no one has left a note saying they found any of them. I know they're gone so they're hanging somewhere.
Before I abandon anything else, we are helping a guy up in Vancouver, CA to spread his butterflies into every state and every country! Harry sends you a packet of his pre-made butterflies already with a magnet (free), then you can embellish them further or leave them as is and leave them all around with a tag added explaining what they are. To date Harry Grunsky has sent out over 2,500 butterflies! He hand cuts each one and assembles them! If you would like to help you can go to the Art Abandonment Group on Facebook, join, and find Harry's address in the file section. It's easy peasy!! Then you can also see all the wonderful pieces of art being left all over the states and other countries!! You will also get to see the most wonderful HUGE piece of art just abandoned in Phoenix, AZ by ANDREA MATUS DeMENG after the classes they held. I cannot even fathom the joy of finding her beautiful art with a note saying FREE! The gal who found it....hanging in an elevator...was indeed thrilled!!
As for the Abandoned Art piece, "FLY"....it did get picked up almost instantly after I left it and it did in fact fly and land in Ontario, Canada!! How sweet is that! I had a wonderful note from the lady who found it. Not only did she keep it but she was here in town with her DIL who is a artist and was showing here at the ARTARAMA show! They like the explanation of the magical effect of the canvas and of Art Abandonment and they will start doing some abandonment's in Ontario!! I was thrilled!! Since then I've abandoned several button Fairies but no one has left a note saying they found any of them. I know they're gone so they're hanging somewhere.
Before I abandon anything else, we are helping a guy up in Vancouver, CA to spread his butterflies into every state and every country! Harry sends you a packet of his pre-made butterflies already with a magnet (free), then you can embellish them further or leave them as is and leave them all around with a tag added explaining what they are. To date Harry Grunsky has sent out over 2,500 butterflies! He hand cuts each one and assembles them! If you would like to help you can go to the Art Abandonment Group on Facebook, join, and find Harry's address in the file section. It's easy peasy!! Then you can also see all the wonderful pieces of art being left all over the states and other countries!! You will also get to see the most wonderful HUGE piece of art just abandoned in Phoenix, AZ by ANDREA MATUS DeMENG after the classes they held. I cannot even fathom the joy of finding her beautiful art with a note saying FREE! The gal who found it....hanging in an elevator...was indeed thrilled!!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Magic Happens
I just love it when something unintentionally magical happens. I can't say I've been in a slump...it was worse than that. The problem being, you truly don't know it until you start coming back. It's one of those things you can't explain to someone because most times they thought you were there all the time. It usually takes some eye-opening happenings to occur which begin to bring you back to your world. Then you know how far away you were.
A little while ago I found a old school friend. It was just an amazing thing for both of us and tho' we weren't close friends way back, we are now and it started a spark as she also does art and we have many of the exact same dreams, many of the same problems and lifestyle. So to find someone who truly understands is a blessing! Slowly by talking and showing each other our art and speaking of life and secrets, the spark started to come back. With the piece "Fly" in the last post, it came back full blast!
I've had so many compliments on this piece that my head is spinning and and I'm having a hard time toning down the huge SMILE on my face! When I was describing to someone the steps in "FLY", I totally forgot the beginning step and the MAGIC it lead to. I found it again last night and it just amazes me. I know why the magic appears but just to think of someone finding this piece of art and then innocently watching it transform and the MAGIC shine through brings yet another smile!
The first step in this was covering the whole canvas with a pretty napkin. It's gold with a pretty cream scroll design all through it. My idea was that it would be a simple design border around the face to write on. Well, I got carried away playing and ended up covering the whole design and forgot it was even there under layers of paint, ink and glazes. (yes, I now finally see the reason of using glaze over layers and seeing some floating depth come through! whoohoo! ).
Quite by mistake when I was holding it up late at night to look for blatant mistakes, I held it to the light here at my computer and VOILA! there was my first layer of scrolls shining through and nearly perfectly placed at that! Couldn't have done that purposely, had I tried! Therein was the MAGIC as it instantly changed one design into a different mysterious sort! I was giddy with excitement! Today I want to 'release' and 'abandon' "FLY". But first I'll have to write and include a note on how to bring about the magic that lives in this piece. As a child I would have been totally enthralled with it, even as an adult providing I didn't know the secret hiding within.
Isn't it great? It reappears out of nowhere! You've seen other bits where I've had background design show through but it never totally disappeared and then showed it'self at the unexpected time! Just look at the placement on the face!!! Could it be more perfect? Just amazing!
A little while ago I found a old school friend. It was just an amazing thing for both of us and tho' we weren't close friends way back, we are now and it started a spark as she also does art and we have many of the exact same dreams, many of the same problems and lifestyle. So to find someone who truly understands is a blessing! Slowly by talking and showing each other our art and speaking of life and secrets, the spark started to come back. With the piece "Fly" in the last post, it came back full blast!
I've had so many compliments on this piece that my head is spinning and and I'm having a hard time toning down the huge SMILE on my face! When I was describing to someone the steps in "FLY", I totally forgot the beginning step and the MAGIC it lead to. I found it again last night and it just amazes me. I know why the magic appears but just to think of someone finding this piece of art and then innocently watching it transform and the MAGIC shine through brings yet another smile!
The first step in this was covering the whole canvas with a pretty napkin. It's gold with a pretty cream scroll design all through it. My idea was that it would be a simple design border around the face to write on. Well, I got carried away playing and ended up covering the whole design and forgot it was even there under layers of paint, ink and glazes. (yes, I now finally see the reason of using glaze over layers and seeing some floating depth come through! whoohoo! ).
Quite by mistake when I was holding it up late at night to look for blatant mistakes, I held it to the light here at my computer and VOILA! there was my first layer of scrolls shining through and nearly perfectly placed at that! Couldn't have done that purposely, had I tried! Therein was the MAGIC as it instantly changed one design into a different mysterious sort! I was giddy with excitement! Today I want to 'release' and 'abandon' "FLY". But first I'll have to write and include a note on how to bring about the magic that lives in this piece. As a child I would have been totally enthralled with it, even as an adult providing I didn't know the secret hiding within.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Art To Share!
I really didn't disappear again. I was here off and on, just didn't have anything much to say that I thought anyone would be interested in. Mainly a lot of whining and that gets old, I know.
But now I do have a bit of art to actually show!
I joined the Face Book group, "Art Abandonment". It's a easy group, user friendly and pure fun. The idea is to spread some art love through the countries.....FREE art, left somewhere for a unsuspecting person to find and claim as their own or to do as they please. Meaning, keep it, leave it, pass it on or (EEK) throw it in the trash! Odd are you will never know anyway. You need to be able to release a piece of your art and let it go free, not worrying about it. You consider it a RAOK and hope you brighten someone's day. Just like "Book Crossing", where you release a book into the wild to be found by another person. I love the idea of leaving and finding treasures...always have. I like to imagine that a child or person finds the book or art and exclaims in joy and treasures that book or art piece forever! A tag is left with the art telling the recipient of Art Abandonment and how to contact you or the group to say they found it! That part doesn't always happen but it's certainly fun to hear what they have to say when they do!
Here's my first piece of art to release. This is a 8 x 10 canvas and the tag is made on a shipping tag. As usual the face is another one that I did on a note pad while playing 'words with friends'. I was sorely disappointed that I thought I would show some progress but still ended up with a face looking the same as all the others. I let it lay around and then when going to drop it in the trash, came the thought that maybe I could just mess with it and make something of it. So begins the face....again. Luckily I ended up with it looking much much better, still needing work but showing improvement. I used it as the central focal place and went from there. Finally an idea came to me and while the picture in my head didn't come out on canvas like I imagined it was close. I always imagine perfection, of course, and I always come about as far from it as possible! So the canvas is mixed media. I used 3 colors of paint to start and then used some clear glaze to mix and wipe them together. The butterflies are either printed out or cut from magazines. The flower on the top butterfly is a gorgeous vintage earring but didn't scan well. I used tea stain for the first staining. See the spots on her face that shouldn't be there ( no, they are not age spots! LOL! )? That's what happens when you don't seal or glue down the paper properly....it leaked! Then I used Pitt pens to further darken places and used metallic gold here and there on the butterflies and to make checks on the canvas sides (not showing in pic). The writing was done with a Porcelaine 150 fine point pen. My first attempt at trying to write with that pen and also found that writing after the layers full of bumps, glazes and gel medium wasn't the best idea. At least not for the more perfect even writing I imagined when adding song lyrics! Enough of the words show to get the meaning and tie the piece together anyway. The lyrics are from the Mariah Carey song, "Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise)". All in all I don't hate this as I usually do, I kinda like it. Art to abandon does not have to be perfect anyway....just art; fun, simple and free.
The tag to go on the clear plastic bag this will be in is 2 sided. I used the napkin technigue, covering both sides completely. Then I used water color pencils, pitt pens, a white jelly roll pen and a sharpie to go over the design and add some bits. The tag from Art Abandonment was printed out and glued on with gel medium. I added the yard and there you have it. I meant to add a tiny butterfly to tie both pieces together but I forgot!
So there you go....I finally had something to show! I'll have another canvas piece tomorrow, I hope. It's a 'do-over' of a collage I did and showed a long time ago and never did like it. Now I like it much better. I think it's just too busy and I don't usually like my things to be too busy. Now that I finally really got my fingers dirty, I've got the art fever really bad!
But now I do have a bit of art to actually show!
I joined the Face Book group, "Art Abandonment". It's a easy group, user friendly and pure fun. The idea is to spread some art love through the countries.....FREE art, left somewhere for a unsuspecting person to find and claim as their own or to do as they please. Meaning, keep it, leave it, pass it on or (EEK) throw it in the trash! Odd are you will never know anyway. You need to be able to release a piece of your art and let it go free, not worrying about it. You consider it a RAOK and hope you brighten someone's day. Just like "Book Crossing", where you release a book into the wild to be found by another person. I love the idea of leaving and finding treasures...always have. I like to imagine that a child or person finds the book or art and exclaims in joy and treasures that book or art piece forever! A tag is left with the art telling the recipient of Art Abandonment and how to contact you or the group to say they found it! That part doesn't always happen but it's certainly fun to hear what they have to say when they do!
Here's my first piece of art to release. This is a 8 x 10 canvas and the tag is made on a shipping tag. As usual the face is another one that I did on a note pad while playing 'words with friends'. I was sorely disappointed that I thought I would show some progress but still ended up with a face looking the same as all the others. I let it lay around and then when going to drop it in the trash, came the thought that maybe I could just mess with it and make something of it. So begins the face....again. Luckily I ended up with it looking much much better, still needing work but showing improvement. I used it as the central focal place and went from there. Finally an idea came to me and while the picture in my head didn't come out on canvas like I imagined it was close. I always imagine perfection, of course, and I always come about as far from it as possible! So the canvas is mixed media. I used 3 colors of paint to start and then used some clear glaze to mix and wipe them together. The butterflies are either printed out or cut from magazines. The flower on the top butterfly is a gorgeous vintage earring but didn't scan well. I used tea stain for the first staining. See the spots on her face that shouldn't be there ( no, they are not age spots! LOL! )? That's what happens when you don't seal or glue down the paper properly....it leaked! Then I used Pitt pens to further darken places and used metallic gold here and there on the butterflies and to make checks on the canvas sides (not showing in pic). The writing was done with a Porcelaine 150 fine point pen. My first attempt at trying to write with that pen and also found that writing after the layers full of bumps, glazes and gel medium wasn't the best idea. At least not for the more perfect even writing I imagined when adding song lyrics! Enough of the words show to get the meaning and tie the piece together anyway. The lyrics are from the Mariah Carey song, "Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise)". All in all I don't hate this as I usually do, I kinda like it. Art to abandon does not have to be perfect anyway....just art; fun, simple and free.
The tag to go on the clear plastic bag this will be in is 2 sided. I used the napkin technigue, covering both sides completely. Then I used water color pencils, pitt pens, a white jelly roll pen and a sharpie to go over the design and add some bits. The tag from Art Abandonment was printed out and glued on with gel medium. I added the yard and there you have it. I meant to add a tiny butterfly to tie both pieces together but I forgot!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Still Here!
I haven't disappeared again! Just really haven't had much time to post. Although, I could have if I had anything great (or not) to show or tell. I do have a photo to put up tonight. It's simply a bookmark for a friend. BUT, when I say simple, it means I made simple, hard, and ended up with a finished piece that will, again, prove my favorite saying, "Do as I say, NOT as I do!"
Normal people should be able to do a handful of bookmarks in a day, right? Well, I'm never normal. I started this way back in the early Summer! I found some napkins before the 4th of July and because a friend was running a campaign for the WI. Senate, it gave me an idea for a small token gift as a memory of that time. As it happens, I started doing a collage bookmark but then got busy on the computer for the campaign and never finished the bookmark. Poor thing sat neglected in the art room, got buried a few times, found again a few times as I searched for one thing or another and last week I laid it right out in the work area so I would get it DONE!
I finally got to it and then lost time again over a stubborn idea of needing a DOVE and couldn't find one one I liked, didn't want to paint one, either. I finally decided this was silly, it could just be finished without the dove (peace dove). I got the bookmark done and then decided it needed lots of sparkly yarn with patriotic and meaningful trinkets attached. I found some perfect buttons in my button stash, wanted some beads and remembered I gave nearly all my beads away and what I kept had openings too small. Took forever but I finally got the buttons and charms on. I was so proud for finishing, finally! But, whoops! I already had the yarn dangly attached and sure couldn't get it off.....I forgot that I needed to give the bookmark a final spray of acrylic sealer to make sure the top medium didn't get tacky. So, I knew it would create some 'words' from DH for spraying in the house (it's way too cold here to go outside to spray anything) but I went in the art room, tried to hold the yarn out of the way and sprayed.
The glossy spray really made it pop and I was happy with this poor bookmark that took so long, even without a dove! Rather than walk to the washroom to use my blow dryer to help it dry, I decided to just carefully use the heater gun instead. I knew better, I really did, but I picked it up anyway and used it on both sides of the marker. Yup! You know what happened, it got too hot real fast, caused little bubbles to appear and even worse melted the glitter glaze I had so carefully placed on the "fireworks"! I let it dry, decided to maybe do another spray and using the hair blower, it would fix the damage.....maybe NOT!
It could be worse, I mean, it's a bookmark, it can still be used.....it's just NOT a masterpiece, not something that one would want shown in the hopes of orders or selling some. I know my friend will like it anyway and even be graceful enough to say, "I don't see anything wrong", even tho' it's blatant.
Such a tiny thing for a long post, hey? I did remember to scan it so I'll show it now. Haven't done anything else to show; although if I download the pics from my camera I might have some pics of a beginning project. No hurry, it may take me a year to do it anyway! LOL!
The top pic. is where I wanted a dove but that's ok, the gal is looking at the fireworks. The fireworks that were all perfectly glittery but now have tiny bubbles traveling down right across the poor little girl's face. Or maybe it was starting to rain! Ya, that's it, it was starting to do a misty rain and that's what you see in the picture....right? So that's it. Hopefully, tomorrow it will finally be given to the sweet lady who should have had it a long time ago!
Normal people should be able to do a handful of bookmarks in a day, right? Well, I'm never normal. I started this way back in the early Summer! I found some napkins before the 4th of July and because a friend was running a campaign for the WI. Senate, it gave me an idea for a small token gift as a memory of that time. As it happens, I started doing a collage bookmark but then got busy on the computer for the campaign and never finished the bookmark. Poor thing sat neglected in the art room, got buried a few times, found again a few times as I searched for one thing or another and last week I laid it right out in the work area so I would get it DONE!
I finally got to it and then lost time again over a stubborn idea of needing a DOVE and couldn't find one one I liked, didn't want to paint one, either. I finally decided this was silly, it could just be finished without the dove (peace dove). I got the bookmark done and then decided it needed lots of sparkly yarn with patriotic and meaningful trinkets attached. I found some perfect buttons in my button stash, wanted some beads and remembered I gave nearly all my beads away and what I kept had openings too small. Took forever but I finally got the buttons and charms on. I was so proud for finishing, finally! But, whoops! I already had the yarn dangly attached and sure couldn't get it off.....I forgot that I needed to give the bookmark a final spray of acrylic sealer to make sure the top medium didn't get tacky. So, I knew it would create some 'words' from DH for spraying in the house (it's way too cold here to go outside to spray anything) but I went in the art room, tried to hold the yarn out of the way and sprayed.
The glossy spray really made it pop and I was happy with this poor bookmark that took so long, even without a dove! Rather than walk to the washroom to use my blow dryer to help it dry, I decided to just carefully use the heater gun instead. I knew better, I really did, but I picked it up anyway and used it on both sides of the marker. Yup! You know what happened, it got too hot real fast, caused little bubbles to appear and even worse melted the glitter glaze I had so carefully placed on the "fireworks"! I let it dry, decided to maybe do another spray and using the hair blower, it would fix the damage.....maybe NOT!
It could be worse, I mean, it's a bookmark, it can still be used.....it's just NOT a masterpiece, not something that one would want shown in the hopes of orders or selling some. I know my friend will like it anyway and even be graceful enough to say, "I don't see anything wrong", even tho' it's blatant.
Such a tiny thing for a long post, hey? I did remember to scan it so I'll show it now. Haven't done anything else to show; although if I download the pics from my camera I might have some pics of a beginning project. No hurry, it may take me a year to do it anyway! LOL!
The top pic. is where I wanted a dove but that's ok, the gal is looking at the fireworks. The fireworks that were all perfectly glittery but now have tiny bubbles traveling down right across the poor little girl's face. Or maybe it was starting to rain! Ya, that's it, it was starting to do a misty rain and that's what you see in the picture....right? So that's it. Hopefully, tomorrow it will finally be given to the sweet lady who should have had it a long time ago!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Learning by Scrap Art
Nothing exciting or earth shattering to share today. Pretty much seems to be the norm. I am trying to start the entrance project but somehow having no place to put anything out of the way and trying to work around a husband just isn't being productive. He'll be gone all day and evening tomorrow so maybe if I put my mind to it, I can make some headway! Trouble is, I always have a hundred things lined up for when he might be G. O. N. E. for a day! He hasn't yet done his part of the entrance room, either, and I really need him to do it. I don't do heights at all, so washing and then painting the ceiling is for him to do. It's not a ceiling that you can do from the floor with a long handled roller, too many little corners to get to.
I'm still un-cluttering a bit at a time also. Hard to go through piles of art related things, tho. You find pictures saved for this or that, art started and left, tons of ephemera to be sorted and saved, art magazines that make you sit down and start reading and then the piles remain! I'm just not organized anymore. I did much better when I worked and had just so much time to do anything! Have to learn to stay off FB when I decide to work at anything, too! Once you get on there you can count on losing at least a hour for sure! But I love it! And I have to be wary of blog hopping, too, I'll lose a whole entire day to that!!
The ragged piece of so-called art I'm going to show is one of those things I came across while sorting out a pile. This wasn't meant to be art. I keep a old larger paperback book on the table to use for protection when gluing, painting smaller items or as a protective sheet when working in a journal or found words books or something. Use it for just cleaning a pen or paint brush, also. Somewhere along the line, I just started another face and as time went on, kept playing with her. Now I found her buried in a pile and wondered why she wasn't thrown in the trash bucket. So being me, I layed her down and decided to just play some more before I gave her the toss. She has so many layers of different media that she's starting to flake off! As usual, I ended up with too big wonky eyes. Don't know why I continue to always do that. There's only one reason I even show this. It because there's a hint of a break-through with her! And the break-through is that for the first time I can actually see the beginning of some contouring in her face! I have never got out of the flat face mode but maybe, just maybe, I'm beginning to! So maybe all this playing on scraps is actually starting to pay off! Now if only I wouldn't do wonky eyes that always look the same! Truth is, I didn't even notice that parts of her were pretty nifty until I considered her played with enough and let drift down into the trash can. As she landed, I happened to look down and thought, h'mmm, I think she might have some good beginnings of facial features. Now she's back out so I could scan her to show. She seems to have a life of her own so now rather than let her be trashed, I'll save her for a journal or collage or something someday. No, not going back in the pile; she's going in a drawer of 'someday I might use this' stuff! And if I don't ever use her, oh well, she's had her day in the spot light and served a purpose.
Guess my scan is rather dark, she does look better sitting beside me.....colors are more real than here. Maybe the bigger version of the picture is better, I haven't looked. But oh well, I dared to show something! Yea for me!
I'm still un-cluttering a bit at a time also. Hard to go through piles of art related things, tho. You find pictures saved for this or that, art started and left, tons of ephemera to be sorted and saved, art magazines that make you sit down and start reading and then the piles remain! I'm just not organized anymore. I did much better when I worked and had just so much time to do anything! Have to learn to stay off FB when I decide to work at anything, too! Once you get on there you can count on losing at least a hour for sure! But I love it! And I have to be wary of blog hopping, too, I'll lose a whole entire day to that!!
The ragged piece of so-called art I'm going to show is one of those things I came across while sorting out a pile. This wasn't meant to be art. I keep a old larger paperback book on the table to use for protection when gluing, painting smaller items or as a protective sheet when working in a journal or found words books or something. Use it for just cleaning a pen or paint brush, also. Somewhere along the line, I just started another face and as time went on, kept playing with her. Now I found her buried in a pile and wondered why she wasn't thrown in the trash bucket. So being me, I layed her down and decided to just play some more before I gave her the toss. She has so many layers of different media that she's starting to flake off! As usual, I ended up with too big wonky eyes. Don't know why I continue to always do that. There's only one reason I even show this. It because there's a hint of a break-through with her! And the break-through is that for the first time I can actually see the beginning of some contouring in her face! I have never got out of the flat face mode but maybe, just maybe, I'm beginning to! So maybe all this playing on scraps is actually starting to pay off! Now if only I wouldn't do wonky eyes that always look the same! Truth is, I didn't even notice that parts of her were pretty nifty until I considered her played with enough and let drift down into the trash can. As she landed, I happened to look down and thought, h'mmm, I think she might have some good beginnings of facial features. Now she's back out so I could scan her to show. She seems to have a life of her own so now rather than let her be trashed, I'll save her for a journal or collage or something someday. No, not going back in the pile; she's going in a drawer of 'someday I might use this' stuff! And if I don't ever use her, oh well, she's had her day in the spot light and served a purpose.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas
MERRY CHRISTMAS to EVERYONE! Wishing you peace, health, love and exactly what you need to make you content!
This was myself and baby sister way back when, after a long Christmas Day of Santa, food, relatives & fun! I think we were sleepy and tired of picture taking!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Found Words
I wanted to come and put up another 'Found Words' page to start getting in the habit of posting more regular again. I've been busy on FB with some old friends and family just having a 'hoot' remembering our childhood and what a truly magical place we grew up in. Too bad you don't realize that until you're too old to go back and live it some more! Of course, the old stomping grounds and places we roamed don't stay the same, either. It's really a shame, but none the less, we're having such fun remembering and sharing photo's, teasing and catching up. There was a slew of us from a 'location' of 15 houses and the world was ours back then! The computer can be a wonderful tool to keep in touch with everyone; almost like showing old home movies of good times!
But the reason I came on was just to post a page from a found words book. That was about 2 hours ago! I had to peek at my dashboard, then at who made some posts I hadn't seen in a while, then some graphics to save and then I landed on Lynne Hoppe's blog and wonderful paintings!! I got lost there for a while, I tell ya! I just adore her style of painting and drawing so much! I could look at her faces all day long, they just do 'something' to me.....I think they feel like me.
So now it's late and my ever faithful tiny doggy is letting me know we should be heading for bed. She doesn't know I'm not sitting here forgetting bedtime, I'm getting hundreds of images in my head, followed by ideas chasing them, which means it'll be a while before I go to sleep! Besides that, I get to start a new book to read tonight when I do get to my bed! There's something just exciting to me to end a book one night and start a fresh new one to read the next! Sometimes I do have to wait a couple nights before starting a new book because the last one was so good, it lingers a while!
The 'Found Words' page I'm going to show, is again not meant to be good art. It's just relaxing and meditative to me to search out the words to save and then just do some sort of art to block out the unwanted words on the page. No rules, right or wrong, just simply cross them out or blot them out with some form of doodling, zentangling, practice art, colors, whatever!! I only show it because it is fun and even tho' there are multitudes of mistakes in today's picture, it's still a assignment in showing the good and the bad. It's a very very hard thing for me to do.
As usual, I played with this one too much. She was better when I just had had her in pencil with a touch of color. But, nope, I just had to keep on. This is page # 8 in the Inspirational Verses calender I'm using.
I do have more to show from another book but I keep forgetting to get them scanned.
Maybe I'll be back tomorrow. We'll see; depends on whether or not I get going on a big project I want to do. I have a hard time starting things, I worry over them and procrastinate, re-think my idea a hundred times and finally get to it. Then after all that it usually never ever ends up the way I envisioned. Oh well, such is my life! I doubt I'll ever change.
But the reason I came on was just to post a page from a found words book. That was about 2 hours ago! I had to peek at my dashboard, then at who made some posts I hadn't seen in a while, then some graphics to save and then I landed on Lynne Hoppe's blog and wonderful paintings!! I got lost there for a while, I tell ya! I just adore her style of painting and drawing so much! I could look at her faces all day long, they just do 'something' to me.....I think they feel like me.
So now it's late and my ever faithful tiny doggy is letting me know we should be heading for bed. She doesn't know I'm not sitting here forgetting bedtime, I'm getting hundreds of images in my head, followed by ideas chasing them, which means it'll be a while before I go to sleep! Besides that, I get to start a new book to read tonight when I do get to my bed! There's something just exciting to me to end a book one night and start a fresh new one to read the next! Sometimes I do have to wait a couple nights before starting a new book because the last one was so good, it lingers a while!
The 'Found Words' page I'm going to show, is again not meant to be good art. It's just relaxing and meditative to me to search out the words to save and then just do some sort of art to block out the unwanted words on the page. No rules, right or wrong, just simply cross them out or blot them out with some form of doodling, zentangling, practice art, colors, whatever!! I only show it because it is fun and even tho' there are multitudes of mistakes in today's picture, it's still a assignment in showing the good and the bad. It's a very very hard thing for me to do.
I do have more to show from another book but I keep forgetting to get them scanned.
Maybe I'll be back tomorrow. We'll see; depends on whether or not I get going on a big project I want to do. I have a hard time starting things, I worry over them and procrastinate, re-think my idea a hundred times and finally get to it. Then after all that it usually never ever ends up the way I envisioned. Oh well, such is my life! I doubt I'll ever change.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Altered Pages with Found Words
I did promise I'd come back and show some pictures of something! I searched for envelopes that I've sent but I can't seem to find one I didn't show and sorry to say that one I was really proud of, was sent and I forgot to take a picture first! Oh well, there will be more, I hope!
In the meantime I'm still doing found words and altered pages. I have several books I'mworking playing in so I'm just going to show some from the latest book I picked up. Sorry to say it's not great art! There's couple I shouldn't even show but as I said way back, It's good to show complete goofs along with the good. The altered pages / found words are mostly for fun or trying an idea. The designs never have straight lines or perfectly matched designs because I don't do these seriously. I carry them with me and while sitting in the car, watching a game or playing on the computer, i just play in these books.
This one I'll be showing 7 pages from what is one of those "Bible Promises for each day" flip booklet. It was at the thrift shop for .25 and just looked interesting for art purposes. I can't stop picking up books to play in!!
so here they are:
This one is probably my favorite so far in this book. I do wish I had tried a bit harder to get the checks right because I think it was looking kind of cool except for messing up the pattern. It did block out the words nicely just leaving the Found Words I liked. I have a bad habit of getting carried away and all of a sudden looking down to see that I've drawn a line right through a word I meant to keep! So on this one I used some laminating glaze to see if it would protect the words and it did but it also made the ink run a bit, which doesn't really look bad. Somehow I listed the pictures in the wrong order, if it matters, but this is actually page #7.
This is the first page. This was just done with no design in mind ahead of time so it just evolved into this. There weren't too many words to have to hide. This was just a "La-La-La" design while playing Words With Friends on face book! Not great but not bad.
This is the 2nd page and I pretty much flubbed it. This was a blank page and so I added a word of my own. Then tried a new Zentangle pattern and as I said completely botched it. I had a sort of design in mind but bad just went to worse so I quit. I even got carried away shading and didn't leave the right highlights. Oh well, It kept my mind occupied for a while!
This the 3rd page and I quit because I just wasn't making it come together in a way I liked. So eventually someday I'll go back and work it some more to finish. On the Found Words I used Diamond Glaze this time to protect and highlight the words.
This is page 4 and I scanned it crooked! But all in all this didn't turn out too bad. I seem to not pay attention when shading and the book causing me to continue shadow in the wrong places. I'll get that right when I do this more seriously, I hope.
This is page 5. I shouldn't even show it but oh well. This started out as balls with a stripe and then I made them into eye balls but the shapes were all wrong. So then I went back and tried to fix the shapes so they'd be more like eyes but it was just too time consuming and a lot were beyond fixing ....so I quit! Another total Flub!
This is page #6 and the same story here....I got carried away and forgot what I was doing and completely flubbed the design! Good thing I don't do this for pay or I'd starve! I'll try this one another time on a different page and maybe get it right.
So there! I posted again without going away for 6 months and I even finally showed some sort of art!! Yea for me!
In the meantime I'm still doing found words and altered pages. I have several books I'm
This one I'll be showing 7 pages from what is one of those "Bible Promises for each day" flip booklet. It was at the thrift shop for .25 and just looked interesting for art purposes. I can't stop picking up books to play in!!
so here they are:
So there! I posted again without going away for 6 months and I even finally showed some sort of art!! Yea for me!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Too Long
I have such good intentions to get back to blogging more often and then I just seem to lose my way. Mostly I just feel like I have nothing worthwhile to say and nothing art wise or interesting to show. I can spends days browsing other blogs or playing on FB but just ignore my blog even when it calls to me.
I had good intentions of starting again in my last post and was going to chronicle a life changing journey I was about to embark on. Well, I did go on the journey, I did do a lot of hard work but nope, I didn't even even post a thing about it! Sorry, I didn't mean to leave anyone who cared, hanging. As it turns out, I did 6 months of work, learning and getting more excited for my big life changing day to arrive! And then......BAM ! As usually happens in my life, 2 to 3 weeks before the much anticipated day, it all came to a stunning screeching halt and I was totally devastated. That was way back in September and after spending time crying, cussing, kicking myself and having evil thoughts toward others, I'm now finally about over it and giving myself until after Jan.1 to decide what to do.
What I embarked upon had nothing to do with art although I was going to journal each day and didn't do that either. I wish I had. Nothing to do with art but everything to do with that dreaded word....WEIGHT and the damage it can do to your health and even worse your state of mind and self-worth. Most of my life I've dealt with being over-weight. Never by a whole lot until having 2 babies and a string of bad marriages and divorces and then bouts of depression and age creeping up and up. For at least 15 years I studied and longed to have the bariatric bypass surgery so I could stop the yo-yo dieting syndrome and have a life I longed for. For several reasons, usually money and insurance, I could never do it. I started once about 9 years ago, only to get started with a wonderful surgeon, start a few med. tests, get terribly excited and then shot down when the insurance wouldn't cover the surgery. Now I had insurance again that would cover and I decided I better do this while I still could. I had to travel nearly 100 miles 1 way to the hospital and bariatric center once or twice a month, luckily they networked with my family Dr. here for med checks and weighing, also any lab tests that needed to be done so it saved a lot of driving and gas money. There are many different places and centers for this surgery but my insurance would only cover for 2 places and both were accredited centers of excellence with very strict 6 month long programs to get qualified and have a surgery date set! Other programs go faster and are not as strict but then they don't have such a high record of completion without problems.
Well, as I said I made to the very end and a problem for me did crop up and bite me. Again it all had to do with money. I sure wish every little thing worthwhile didn't revolve around that green stuff. It just doesn't seem fair. It doesn't seem fair that you can spend 6 months with a bunch of lovely helpful medical people who do care but then when it does come down to the 'green', it's a tear with a hug and it's been nice to see you, come back if you find that pot of gold! My downfall was with a psychologist. Yes, you do have to meet with a psychologist and testing; if you're really lucky (and LIE ) you can get passed through with just the 1 visit. Well, I didn't avoid some of the questions good enough and with a history of yo-yo dieting and being married and divorced too many times, they decided I needed to see another psychologist. Now, honestly, I didn't mind that and MAYBE I needed it (but I doubt it) but here's the kicker.....my insurance wouldn't pay for the psychologist visits even tho they were mandatory to the program and insurance rules for this surgery. Go figure. So the 1 st visit alone was $600.00 out of pocket as included testing and then a session. Now that might not seem like a hefty amount to some people but it's way over my head. So when he suggested I see the 2nd Dr. I wasn't too agreeable but I thought, oh well, what's another $300, I'll do it so I can get over with and move on toward a surgery date. Anther trip all the way down and within 15 minutes of being with this Dr., she informs me that I don't see her for 1 session it's 3 sessions for sure and possibly more. Ya, see? The 1st Dr. failed to tell me of that nifty piece of information! So this 2nd session became a session of her and I butting heads as she said I had to have 3 and most likely 6, maybe more and me saying it wasn't going to happen! That was another $300 wasted fighting after only 15 minutes of questioning about home life and husbands! I finally got it through her head that I had NO money, not even to make payments on what these sessions would cost. Not to mention that at my age (I'm no spring chicken anymore, I've dealt with all my problems, many more than she was ever going to be told! Yes, I'm not perfect, I have depression and anxiety issues but I'm here, not crazy, not a drinker, not a druggy and I'm too old to deal with life issues now way in the past!) and still she wasn't HEARING me. Is there something plainly funny about psychologists who don't HEAR what you're saying? She didn't get the joke when I told her she wasn't hearing me. So, I left, walked out without making another appointment and started to fret all the way home that she wouldn't pass me through.
As it turned out, she didn't not pass me through nor hold me back. She just reported that because of a monetary issue I felt I couldn't complete her sessions. 1 week later she QUITS and leaves the practice! After my last Dr. visit here and just before my last visit down to the hospital to finalize everything, get ready to start the 2 week presurgical diet and set a date, I called to talk with the director and make sure we weren't forgetting anything. I was so excited, I just can't express how much!! She brought up the psychologist visits and I reminded her what happened and no I hadn't called the head Dr. back because no matter what there was NO MONEY! She says she better talk with him and have him call me the next morning with a decision. I stayed awake all night fretting because this was going to set the final steps and bring all to reality or to a squealing stop. I spoke with him, I explained everything, I told him I had already told HIM I couldn't afford more sessions but at my age I didn't see a problem! He didn't see things my way so I lost all dignity, started bawling like a baby and then begged him to please pass me through, this was my last chance for this surgery (there is a age limit). His answer.....he was sorry but he couldn't do that and I'd have to see someone for 2 more sessions for sure or a counselor for even more. I just said, through a snotty drippy nose and tears, thank you for not understanding and further ruining my life & hung up. That was the end of that. I called the director back and asked her to cancel my next app't in 2 days and said it was all over. She did feel bad and later I did have notes from the nutritionist and PT gal, they were very upset over it all and they are the main ones who know the work you've done and changes made.
So by now I should be on here telling my post surgery progress and should be at least 50 or more pounds lighter, able to walk a long ways, make my elliptical fly and fit into new clothes I had waiting. NOT! As this started, by New Years I hope to have my head back on straight and a decision on what diet to do this time but hopefully with lasting results. Right now I just can't seem to care either way but I'm getting there.
In the meantime, I do hope to start blogging again and I don't have much artsy stuff to show but maybe I'll at least show just some "Found Words" pages. I might have a envelope that I haven't shared, too. I did do a envelope for a friend and I really was proud of it and yes, I mailed it off and forgot to scan it first!! I couldn't believe I did that! yes I can....but you know.....
So, I'm really back this time, really! I have managed to peek in from time to time on some of you but I am way behind on that too. Just blame it on Words With Friends and other fun FB games! They do keep me sane!
I had good intentions of starting again in my last post and was going to chronicle a life changing journey I was about to embark on. Well, I did go on the journey, I did do a lot of hard work but nope, I didn't even even post a thing about it! Sorry, I didn't mean to leave anyone who cared, hanging. As it turns out, I did 6 months of work, learning and getting more excited for my big life changing day to arrive! And then......BAM ! As usually happens in my life, 2 to 3 weeks before the much anticipated day, it all came to a stunning screeching halt and I was totally devastated. That was way back in September and after spending time crying, cussing, kicking myself and having evil thoughts toward others, I'm now finally about over it and giving myself until after Jan.1 to decide what to do.
What I embarked upon had nothing to do with art although I was going to journal each day and didn't do that either. I wish I had. Nothing to do with art but everything to do with that dreaded word....WEIGHT and the damage it can do to your health and even worse your state of mind and self-worth. Most of my life I've dealt with being over-weight. Never by a whole lot until having 2 babies and a string of bad marriages and divorces and then bouts of depression and age creeping up and up. For at least 15 years I studied and longed to have the bariatric bypass surgery so I could stop the yo-yo dieting syndrome and have a life I longed for. For several reasons, usually money and insurance, I could never do it. I started once about 9 years ago, only to get started with a wonderful surgeon, start a few med. tests, get terribly excited and then shot down when the insurance wouldn't cover the surgery. Now I had insurance again that would cover and I decided I better do this while I still could. I had to travel nearly 100 miles 1 way to the hospital and bariatric center once or twice a month, luckily they networked with my family Dr. here for med checks and weighing, also any lab tests that needed to be done so it saved a lot of driving and gas money. There are many different places and centers for this surgery but my insurance would only cover for 2 places and both were accredited centers of excellence with very strict 6 month long programs to get qualified and have a surgery date set! Other programs go faster and are not as strict but then they don't have such a high record of completion without problems.
Well, as I said I made to the very end and a problem for me did crop up and bite me. Again it all had to do with money. I sure wish every little thing worthwhile didn't revolve around that green stuff. It just doesn't seem fair. It doesn't seem fair that you can spend 6 months with a bunch of lovely helpful medical people who do care but then when it does come down to the 'green', it's a tear with a hug and it's been nice to see you, come back if you find that pot of gold! My downfall was with a psychologist. Yes, you do have to meet with a psychologist and testing; if you're really lucky (and LIE ) you can get passed through with just the 1 visit. Well, I didn't avoid some of the questions good enough and with a history of yo-yo dieting and being married and divorced too many times, they decided I needed to see another psychologist. Now, honestly, I didn't mind that and MAYBE I needed it (but I doubt it) but here's the kicker.....my insurance wouldn't pay for the psychologist visits even tho they were mandatory to the program and insurance rules for this surgery. Go figure. So the 1 st visit alone was $600.00 out of pocket as included testing and then a session. Now that might not seem like a hefty amount to some people but it's way over my head. So when he suggested I see the 2nd Dr. I wasn't too agreeable but I thought, oh well, what's another $300, I'll do it so I can get over with and move on toward a surgery date. Anther trip all the way down and within 15 minutes of being with this Dr., she informs me that I don't see her for 1 session it's 3 sessions for sure and possibly more. Ya, see? The 1st Dr. failed to tell me of that nifty piece of information! So this 2nd session became a session of her and I butting heads as she said I had to have 3 and most likely 6, maybe more and me saying it wasn't going to happen! That was another $300 wasted fighting after only 15 minutes of questioning about home life and husbands! I finally got it through her head that I had NO money, not even to make payments on what these sessions would cost. Not to mention that at my age (I'm no spring chicken anymore, I've dealt with all my problems, many more than she was ever going to be told! Yes, I'm not perfect, I have depression and anxiety issues but I'm here, not crazy, not a drinker, not a druggy and I'm too old to deal with life issues now way in the past!) and still she wasn't HEARING me. Is there something plainly funny about psychologists who don't HEAR what you're saying? She didn't get the joke when I told her she wasn't hearing me. So, I left, walked out without making another appointment and started to fret all the way home that she wouldn't pass me through.
As it turned out, she didn't not pass me through nor hold me back. She just reported that because of a monetary issue I felt I couldn't complete her sessions. 1 week later she QUITS and leaves the practice! After my last Dr. visit here and just before my last visit down to the hospital to finalize everything, get ready to start the 2 week presurgical diet and set a date, I called to talk with the director and make sure we weren't forgetting anything. I was so excited, I just can't express how much!! She brought up the psychologist visits and I reminded her what happened and no I hadn't called the head Dr. back because no matter what there was NO MONEY! She says she better talk with him and have him call me the next morning with a decision. I stayed awake all night fretting because this was going to set the final steps and bring all to reality or to a squealing stop. I spoke with him, I explained everything, I told him I had already told HIM I couldn't afford more sessions but at my age I didn't see a problem! He didn't see things my way so I lost all dignity, started bawling like a baby and then begged him to please pass me through, this was my last chance for this surgery (there is a age limit). His answer.....he was sorry but he couldn't do that and I'd have to see someone for 2 more sessions for sure or a counselor for even more. I just said, through a snotty drippy nose and tears, thank you for not understanding and further ruining my life & hung up. That was the end of that. I called the director back and asked her to cancel my next app't in 2 days and said it was all over. She did feel bad and later I did have notes from the nutritionist and PT gal, they were very upset over it all and they are the main ones who know the work you've done and changes made.
So by now I should be on here telling my post surgery progress and should be at least 50 or more pounds lighter, able to walk a long ways, make my elliptical fly and fit into new clothes I had waiting. NOT! As this started, by New Years I hope to have my head back on straight and a decision on what diet to do this time but hopefully with lasting results. Right now I just can't seem to care either way but I'm getting there.
In the meantime, I do hope to start blogging again and I don't have much artsy stuff to show but maybe I'll at least show just some "Found Words" pages. I might have a envelope that I haven't shared, too. I did do a envelope for a friend and I really was proud of it and yes, I mailed it off and forgot to scan it first!! I couldn't believe I did that! yes I can....but you know.....
So, I'm really back this time, really! I have managed to peek in from time to time on some of you but I am way behind on that too. Just blame it on Words With Friends and other fun FB games! They do keep me sane!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
I'm Back!
I lost my way for a long while, I guess! Hard to realize that I actually let this go for just over a whole year. Not even sure I know how that happened. Can't say I did a whole lot in that year other than to grow older! I believe I can blame GAMES on FB for taking up a whole lot of my time; can't complain too much about that tho' as I love playing games with friends & family and competing against each other.
Now, I'll still play some but I need to start metering my time much better. I haven't done a whole lot of anything art-wise in that time either. Think I might have 1 or 2 mail art pieces to show that actually got finished and sent. I have a stack of cards and envelopes waiting for me to get to it!! I promised my sister she would get one for her B'day no matter how late it was.....that was in April. I did do some 'Found Words' pages and have been brave enough to show that book and the yet unfinished Fantasy altered book to a few friends and even my Family Dr.! I only showed the 'Found Words' book to the DR., I had a reason for doing so and besides I take it with me so I can fiddle with it while waiting. I was pleasantly surprised when he was completely taken with it, the words, the art and the whole concept of an altered book. I explained how 'Found Words' can actually be very therapeutic while showing him the story I had started but not yet finished and then just the random pages. He had never heard of altering books. I forget not everyone loves art or the many aspects of it. And then, believe it or not, I actually showed it to a Psychologist who thought the idea was wonderful but I guess he either just didn't 'get it' or didn't want to to take the time to really look. I suppose doing therapy on yourself and saving $300.00 an hour didn't sound good to him! I'll tell about why I had to see him in a post to come. So anyway, no painting that I can think of, no more totems finished and now the itch to find my way back to it really needs to be scratched!
I have decided that the totem glass has to go! It takes up too much space and too much time. Trying to sell them here is also time consuming and most just want free directions so they can make their own. Maybe I price too low and should try pricing at $75 to $100+ and see what happens! No matter, I want the glass out of here. Yesterday I did work on one that needed fixing and a part re-glued. Had it all washed and the section fixed and glued back in place. It was still on the pipe and inserted into a (upside down crate so the pipe can insert into a hole)milk crate to dry! I warned Rocket not to stomp anywhere near the totem and walk softly when going past! Later in the evening I was on here...actually looking at some blogs and catching up on gathering some awesome graphics, when the phone rang and startled me. I pushed my chair back too fast and jumped up for the phone and CRASH! There went the totem, just missing my head! I take that as a omen my feelings are correct to follow and stop doing the totems! LOL! That's the first one I crashed! Now I have to re-work the short section I just fixed! Luckily just a clear glass bowl broke into pieces but getting all the broken glass off now to replace it should be fun. 2 years outside in the weather and I smash it in the house!
So my plan is to start blogging more again and get back to doing the art I like. I'll be cleansing the art room of all the crafty things and items I don't want or need any more and then maybe it won't be so cluttered and overwhelming when I sit down to do something. I just want to get back to painting 'stuff' and learning more drawing. I also have a idea swimming around in my brain but I'm scared to try it. Ever since I saw the paintings (LOON) SHARON did on a cabinet door, I've been thinking about this. In the entrance / laundry room there are old cabinets with tall doors. The walls need painting bad as do the cabinets. That room also holds the water heater and furnace (boiler) so there are pipes and such in the way. I did go as far as nearly making the color choices and bought some curtains and a rug to match. They all SIT because of this idea.....I'm thinking the walls are old and not in great shape anyway, so why not maybe do a mixed media collage right directly on the walls? I just can't decide how to start; maybe just gluing on some newsprint first or slip-slap some old paint on and then start adding some print? Anyone have some ideas....easy, cheap ideas? It's a tiny room and just partial walls.
This is getting long so I'll quit for tonight. I mostly just wanted to say "hi" and that I'm back. I did keep up a little bit with a few of you but have a lot of catching up to do. Maybe tomorrow I'll get back on and start on another item I want and need to blog about. Maybe blogging it will help me stay the course and might even help someone else who is going the same direction I am or thinking about it.
Wonder what it could be?
Now, I'll still play some but I need to start metering my time much better. I haven't done a whole lot of anything art-wise in that time either. Think I might have 1 or 2 mail art pieces to show that actually got finished and sent. I have a stack of cards and envelopes waiting for me to get to it!! I promised my sister she would get one for her B'day no matter how late it was.....that was in April. I did do some 'Found Words' pages and have been brave enough to show that book and the yet unfinished Fantasy altered book to a few friends and even my Family Dr.! I only showed the 'Found Words' book to the DR., I had a reason for doing so and besides I take it with me so I can fiddle with it while waiting. I was pleasantly surprised when he was completely taken with it, the words, the art and the whole concept of an altered book. I explained how 'Found Words' can actually be very therapeutic while showing him the story I had started but not yet finished and then just the random pages. He had never heard of altering books. I forget not everyone loves art or the many aspects of it. And then, believe it or not, I actually showed it to a Psychologist who thought the idea was wonderful but I guess he either just didn't 'get it' or didn't want to to take the time to really look. I suppose doing therapy on yourself and saving $300.00 an hour didn't sound good to him! I'll tell about why I had to see him in a post to come. So anyway, no painting that I can think of, no more totems finished and now the itch to find my way back to it really needs to be scratched!
I have decided that the totem glass has to go! It takes up too much space and too much time. Trying to sell them here is also time consuming and most just want free directions so they can make their own. Maybe I price too low and should try pricing at $75 to $100+ and see what happens! No matter, I want the glass out of here. Yesterday I did work on one that needed fixing and a part re-glued. Had it all washed and the section fixed and glued back in place. It was still on the pipe and inserted into a (upside down crate so the pipe can insert into a hole)milk crate to dry! I warned Rocket not to stomp anywhere near the totem and walk softly when going past! Later in the evening I was on here...actually looking at some blogs and catching up on gathering some awesome graphics, when the phone rang and startled me. I pushed my chair back too fast and jumped up for the phone and CRASH! There went the totem, just missing my head! I take that as a omen my feelings are correct to follow and stop doing the totems! LOL! That's the first one I crashed! Now I have to re-work the short section I just fixed! Luckily just a clear glass bowl broke into pieces but getting all the broken glass off now to replace it should be fun. 2 years outside in the weather and I smash it in the house!
So my plan is to start blogging more again and get back to doing the art I like. I'll be cleansing the art room of all the crafty things and items I don't want or need any more and then maybe it won't be so cluttered and overwhelming when I sit down to do something. I just want to get back to painting 'stuff' and learning more drawing. I also have a idea swimming around in my brain but I'm scared to try it. Ever since I saw the paintings (LOON) SHARON did on a cabinet door, I've been thinking about this. In the entrance / laundry room there are old cabinets with tall doors. The walls need painting bad as do the cabinets. That room also holds the water heater and furnace (boiler) so there are pipes and such in the way. I did go as far as nearly making the color choices and bought some curtains and a rug to match. They all SIT because of this idea.....I'm thinking the walls are old and not in great shape anyway, so why not maybe do a mixed media collage right directly on the walls? I just can't decide how to start; maybe just gluing on some newsprint first or slip-slap some old paint on and then start adding some print? Anyone have some ideas....easy, cheap ideas? It's a tiny room and just partial walls.
This is getting long so I'll quit for tonight. I mostly just wanted to say "hi" and that I'm back. I did keep up a little bit with a few of you but have a lot of catching up to do. Maybe tomorrow I'll get back on and start on another item I want and need to blog about. Maybe blogging it will help me stay the course and might even help someone else who is going the same direction I am or thinking about it.
Wonder what it could be?
Friday, June 4, 2010
More Totems
I'm still making more garden Totems, slowly. I also did a couple birdbath/feeders, which could also become butterfly feeders. I have a few more of them to make , too.
I haven't done much in the flower beds at all. The weather, except for a few days that have been perfect, hasn't been good for me working outside. We had June and July weather for all of May and now that June is here we're having April and May. It's just plain goofy. And we are in the 10th year of a drought, which is now listed as severe. I'm not watering flowers this year. I did last year, when I said I wouldn't, and it only made for a high water bill (after we ran out of rain barrel water) and the flowers still didn't do good. Watering keeps them going but they don't thrive like with rain. So, most of them being perennials, this year they're on their own. Lost a few plants to late snow and then 3 freezes after that. Luckily TODAY we are having a cool day but our first nearly all day rain! In May we broke records for heat and humidity. I did nothing on those days but sit at the computer or sit out on the deck. Humidity makes me ill and I swell, horribly.
I've also been putting off THE DIET but now I'm trying to get serious about and get going again. Not sure why it's so hard to start and keep going longer than a few days at a time. I have to start back walking, too, but I'm needing a good pair of shoes. Everything I have right hurt my feet. I had to go for a physical (UGH!!) and so far it hasn't been too bad. Almost everything wrong is WEIGHT / AGE related and so the diet. Being heavy I was hating to have the reports come back on cholesterol and triglycerides. I was most pleasantly surprised, as was the DR. to find neither was bad at all. However I was borderline diabetic for the first time ever and also something doing with my heart, high something or other, didn't make him too happy......ergo diet and walking.
I do Medifast for a diet. 2 years ago I did it and lost 87 pounds in just over 5 months. But then there was a family disaster and I quit, then I had cellulitis in my legs and spent a Winter in bed. I ate my through both and found nearly all of those pounds and let them back. It was dumb but it's what I do and what I really do best in my life is eat! I eat happy, I really eat sad, I eat well mad, I eat grief, I eat depressed, I eat bored and then I eat the past. Inbetween I eat regular meals. Eating and snacking is comfort and maybe a tad of security for the few times in my life when I had no food. I gave thought to blogging my progress and thinking it would help push me to get it done this time BUT I think I'm not that brave. Maybe I don't believe I'll succeed and I don't want everyone in the world knowing. I have lost 14 pounds but that's a small dent in what I have to lose.
So here's pics of a few more Totems.
This last picture is of the 2 bird feeders or birdbaths. They aren't mounted on a pole, they just sit on the ground. They're all lined up along the driveway and fence waiting to be sold!
New post and New class!
I'm either a bad blogger or it's SUMMER and I have other things to do even tho' the blog is on my mind. Maybe it's just both!
So the first thing before I start to ramble on is that there is exciting news from Sharon at http://allnorahsart.ning.com/, a NEW class is beginning. I already told you about her FACES class, which is still going and by all means, just take the class if you still haven't!! There's no end so you can begin at any time and even have fun along the way and Sharon is always there to help if you need it. And yes, she'll critique your faces and art as well.....not mushy gushy and say that every one's face is perfect, nope, she'll tell you nicely what you can do to improve it or add to add to it or maybe remove something. It's learning in a fun pleasant way! No FEARS! So now begins another class on faces.....TECHNICOLOR faces, having fun with color and learning where to use color as shadow and highlights. Kinda like going back to Kindergarten or Sunday School and everyone has already grabbed the white, black, green, red and the flesh ......now you are left with purple, yellows and shades of blues and greens to color with. How cool will that class be? So go register and see for yourself. You truly get a big "BANG" for your bucks, too!! If you don't want to check out the Ning site first then just go here http://allnorahsart.blogspot.com/ to read about it and see a peek of what you'll be learning. Just DO IT!!! I really can't afford another class but you know what, I'm gonna do it anyway because I want it and what are credit cards for anyway? It's worth it for the smiles and good feeling Sharon brings!!! And if Summer gets in my way of art, then it'll still be there waiting for me!!
Ok so I was gonna go on but I think I'll leave this post as it is and I'll go start another new one. Two in one day to make up for a month of none at all! So while I go round up some pictures of totems for the next post, just go ahead and check out Sharon's blog or class site.......go......just do it!
So the first thing before I start to ramble on is that there is exciting news from Sharon at http://allnorahsart.ning.com/, a NEW class is beginning. I already told you about her FACES class, which is still going and by all means, just take the class if you still haven't!! There's no end so you can begin at any time and even have fun along the way and Sharon is always there to help if you need it. And yes, she'll critique your faces and art as well.....not mushy gushy and say that every one's face is perfect, nope, she'll tell you nicely what you can do to improve it or add to add to it or maybe remove something. It's learning in a fun pleasant way! No FEARS! So now begins another class on faces.....TECHNICOLOR faces, having fun with color and learning where to use color as shadow and highlights. Kinda like going back to Kindergarten or Sunday School and everyone has already grabbed the white, black, green, red and the flesh ......now you are left with purple, yellows and shades of blues and greens to color with. How cool will that class be? So go register and see for yourself. You truly get a big "BANG" for your bucks, too!! If you don't want to check out the Ning site first then just go here http://allnorahsart.blogspot.com/ to read about it and see a peek of what you'll be learning. Just DO IT!!! I really can't afford another class but you know what, I'm gonna do it anyway because I want it and what are credit cards for anyway? It's worth it for the smiles and good feeling Sharon brings!!! And if Summer gets in my way of art, then it'll still be there waiting for me!!
Ok so I was gonna go on but I think I'll leave this post as it is and I'll go start another new one. Two in one day to make up for a month of none at all! So while I go round up some pictures of totems for the next post, just go ahead and check out Sharon's blog or class site.......go......just do it!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Newest Totem and sign
I finished the 2nd totem for this year and hope to work on the 3rd today. Sometimes finding the right fitting & matching pieces takes a bit. I have assorted color groupings put together all over. LOL! Also did the for sale sign to go with these totems. The weather is supposed to finally be nice and be done with this rainy cold snowy stuff by Saturday so maybe people will come past and see my sign. Every year people stop and ask about selling but I never have. It always seems that they want you to give your pieces away.....yet they'll go to one of our many festivals and craft / art shows and pay way more there. I don't get it. It's fine tho, what doesn't sell gets to go in my flowers! So I did a cobalt blue and now a Aqua color so today will be crystal and red, I think. Also going to do some short pieces for bird bathes or drinking water. Sometimes you have pieces of gathered glass that you think you'll never be able to use and then all of a sudden while you're playing and stacking various pieces a "DUH" moment comes on you! Hence the birdbath/water keepers. I bet they'd be good for mealy worms/grubs for the bluebirds, too!!
Speaking of which, yesterday I finally had a pair of bluebirds here checking out a home for nesting. It's on the opposite side of the yard from the house they chose last year. It's a Prim house. Every year I have the same wren....Mr. Buddy Wren....come and usually nest at least 2 times. Last year he tried for 3 but just couldn't get a 3rd GF in time. He's such a slut! Anyway, he tried to give the bluebirds a hard time last year but now they're here and he's not. It's worrying me. Sure hope nothing happened to him. I loved watching him and he sings so pretty. Maybe I need to finish the birdhouse I was painting and give him a new home to build in. Some of the others are getting kind of shabby now. I never saw a oriole this year either.
And....were having puppies again! Just pretend puppies thankfully! I have a tiny Teacup poodle....Ebony (Star's Ebony Jill) and never had her spayed. I should have but wanted to breed her and then found out we couldn't, did have an app't made for spaying and a knee fix but that day the vet she was seeing was not nice and hurt her with a shot ( I believe he nicked a bone, she still has a lump after several years!). So I brought her home and cancelled the surgery. So it never got done. The bad thing is that she has always had FAKE Pregnancies! Every year she goes into heat and then a while later she starts licking herself to bring in milk and then at the proper time she has babies! Yes, ALL of her toys instantly become her new babies. For 13 years the first toy she ever had becomes her 1st baby! It's a terribly dirty squeaky yellow cowboy! It's so old I can't get it clean anymore and it's getting brittle but you don't dare take that toy away at any time. She makes nests under the beds, behind the couch and up on my bed. You don't dare move them unless she wants help. She gathers them together in a circle, climbs in and feeds them! If she's really proud of a particular baby she will come show it you! Then you have tell her how good she did and what a pretty baby before she'll go decide what nest it goes into. Just having the babies and then feeding and moving them goes on for over a month! I'll try to see if I still have pictures of Ebony and her babies. So now at night I not only get to sleep with Ebony, there has to be a mound of 'puppies' to feed and you best not kick one off the bed during the night!!
For sale sign. I can never paint my lettering straight or the same size! But I like this sign anyway.
2nd totem in aqua colors.
Cobalt totem (and please ignore the shabby house!!)
As always, click for a bigger pic.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Catching Up & stuff
I've been on reading blogs every day but still I'm behind. Didn't have a whole lot to say here either. Spring arrives and it's a tug of war between inside duties and outside work and or sitting on the deck watching the birds and enjoying the sun!
Our Spring here came way too early....the flowers are coming up too soon! Now everything is growing, the weeds and leaves haven't been tended to and I have too much to do. Of course, as usual we'll be going down into the 20 degree range this week end and they're calling for 2 to 3 inches of SNOW! I can't cover the whole yard so it's not going to be good for the flowers. Gardening here in the Northwoods is a definite trick! It's had me in tears more than once thanks to late freezes (until the 2nd week of June) and critters and deer making snacks of my plants! I have learned they're only plants and things could be worse!
I haven't done too much art wise. I did do some Found Words pages but haven't tried to scan them yet. And then, finally I just got started on making Totems! I have the first one done and I'll show it. It'll be put outside for sale but not until after the week end and the weather clears. Tomorrow I'll start another one. So this isn't a great picture but you can see it ok, I guess. Please ignore the messy house showing! Other than that, I haven't worked on Sharon's faces class anymore but yet I have faces drawn on every scrap of paper around the house!!! I'm still uncluttering a bit, too. Although, I went for lunch and to the $ store again today so came home with MORE glass! I needed certain colors!
Our Spring here came way too early....the flowers are coming up too soon! Now everything is growing, the weeds and leaves haven't been tended to and I have too much to do. Of course, as usual we'll be going down into the 20 degree range this week end and they're calling for 2 to 3 inches of SNOW! I can't cover the whole yard so it's not going to be good for the flowers. Gardening here in the Northwoods is a definite trick! It's had me in tears more than once thanks to late freezes (until the 2nd week of June) and critters and deer making snacks of my plants! I have learned they're only plants and things could be worse!
I haven't done too much art wise. I did do some Found Words pages but haven't tried to scan them yet. And then, finally I just got started on making Totems! I have the first one done and I'll show it. It'll be put outside for sale but not until after the week end and the weather clears. Tomorrow I'll start another one. So this isn't a great picture but you can see it ok, I guess. Please ignore the messy house showing! Other than that, I haven't worked on Sharon's faces class anymore but yet I have faces drawn on every scrap of paper around the house!!! I'm still uncluttering a bit, too. Although, I went for lunch and to the $ store again today so came home with MORE glass! I needed certain colors!
Besides gathering the glass and roaming outside, I've been visiting the DR. I have meds now to combat the wonderful latex allergy and other allergies that keep showing up. Just had to take my wedding ring off as it's eating my finger! Poor finger was all blistered and raw where the band was. Jewelry does that to me now and then. Also got started on a anti-depression/anxiety med and I think it's just starting to help a bit. On the next visit we'll double the dose and see if it helps a lot more. Then also got help for sleeping! Must be a sign of old age because now every morning I have a handful of darn pills to take. Also had to start a physical to appease the insurance so had blood draws and a mammo and soon a darn colonoscopy, too. Then, after all that I started back on a diet. That's a whole post by it's self! This a must diet and will take a while!
So that's what I've been up to!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Pretty Gifties
I know I haven't been on again in a while. I was here, just didn't have a lot to post, I guess.
But today I do have some pictures of some very nifty gifts that were given to me by my step Son who came to visit for a week end! I have to tell you that he always brings me the most wonderful gifts....he totally 'gets' me! He's also a wonderful step Son and not just because he gets me and brings me such wonderful things. He's just also fun to be with and his visits are always pleasant and interesting.
This visit he brought me a most wonderful big wall calendar....ZOZO the Magic Queen! If you haven't seen this artist or her works just Google it! Then there's gorgeous ceramic sphere on a iron rod for the garden, a box of different blank ATC cards, a big bottle of glitter glaze and it was all packed into a very shiny pretty satin tote bag that he made! Yup, I was in heaven!! So here's some pics to show of the calendar and some of the page art, the sphere and a not so good shot of the tote, but at least it shows the pretty colors of the satin.
But today I do have some pictures of some very nifty gifts that were given to me by my step Son who came to visit for a week end! I have to tell you that he always brings me the most wonderful gifts....he totally 'gets' me! He's also a wonderful step Son and not just because he gets me and brings me such wonderful things. He's just also fun to be with and his visits are always pleasant and interesting.
This visit he brought me a most wonderful big wall calendar....ZOZO the Magic Queen! If you haven't seen this artist or her works just Google it! Then there's gorgeous ceramic sphere on a iron rod for the garden, a box of different blank ATC cards, a big bottle of glitter glaze and it was all packed into a very shiny pretty satin tote bag that he made! Yup, I was in heaven!! So here's some pics to show of the calendar and some of the page art, the sphere and a not so good shot of the tote, but at least it shows the pretty colors of the satin.
The calendar!
ZOZO Queen Art
another page
and one more!
ceramic garden sphere!
Luscious tote bag!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
More Mail Art
I finished another card and envelope today. Isn't it funny how some days you can sit down and everything just comes together; you're in a fine mood and you're off in La La land, humming away and the art is just almost making it's self?
Then other days, sometimes in the very same day, you walk away, come back, start something new and BAM! the magic is gone. So it went with this next card. I just had a horrid time trying to bring it together; finally got the card done and it's ok but I'm not excited over it like I was over yesterday's. This isn't balanced right and what I had in my head didn't quite make it on the paper. Then I went on to the envelope and oh boy, made a disastrous mistake but I guess I managed to fix it. I thought, I would've sworn, that I had sealed the little corner face. So I grabbed the gel when putting it all together and as soon as I made a swipe across the face.....it pulled and smeared the paint...hair, eye, skin; everything smeared! I won't say the naughty words that took over the humming sounds! I don't know why I do such things more often than not!
I want to be one of you who can (seemly) just sit down and dash off a pretty little piece of art sometimes!
But anyway, it's fixed as much as it can be and I did remember again to scan before the address went on. So that was good.
Then other days, sometimes in the very same day, you walk away, come back, start something new and BAM! the magic is gone. So it went with this next card. I just had a horrid time trying to bring it together; finally got the card done and it's ok but I'm not excited over it like I was over yesterday's. This isn't balanced right and what I had in my head didn't quite make it on the paper. Then I went on to the envelope and oh boy, made a disastrous mistake but I guess I managed to fix it. I thought, I would've sworn, that I had sealed the little corner face. So I grabbed the gel when putting it all together and as soon as I made a swipe across the face.....it pulled and smeared the paint...hair, eye, skin; everything smeared! I won't say the naughty words that took over the humming sounds! I don't know why I do such things more often than not!
I want to be one of you who can (seemly) just sit down and dash off a pretty little piece of art sometimes!
But anyway, it's fixed as much as it can be and I did remember again to scan before the address went on. So that was good.
This the front of the card
This is the envelope front.
I didn't do art on the back of this one or the one yesterday, either.
Both faces were on tracing paper lining my art tables. They were both just practice, sort of doodling things but I decided I liked them and so saved them to use. Flowers and butterflies are napkins and then the usual caran d'ache for the faces, colored pencil and stamps.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
New collage mail art
I just finished this card and envelope for my middle brother. I guess it's safe to show it on here because I don't see that he comes to visit very often. This card is late....nothing new for me....his b'day is today and I'm just now sending the card today! Better late than never! I kinda like this one. This is only the 2nd card I've ever done. I do wish I could learn not to smudge or get marks in the wrong places.
I really like the envelope. This time as I was out of time, I just did art on the front of the envelope but used it as the back so I didn't have to incorporate the address and postage. The other side is just plain with address this time.
And now I'm working on one for my middle sister who also has a b'day this week!
So no more writing, gotta get back to the art room.
I really like the envelope. This time as I was out of time, I just did art on the front of the envelope but used it as the back so I didn't have to incorporate the address and postage. The other side is just plain with address this time.
And now I'm working on one for my middle sister who also has a b'day this week!
So no more writing, gotta get back to the art room.
This is the front of the card. it's collage using paper background prints and of the phrenology heads. The words are from a Dove's promise chocolate and then touched up with gold ink, markers and buttons. It's on a deckle card.
This is the mail art on the envelope to match the card. I do like this one a lot!!
It's just typical collage, all prints and cut-outs with a touch of stamping and water soluble pencils.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
More Garden Art
I was over looking at Emelie's blog and her newest lovely picture http://emeliesartandsuch.blogspot.com/ when she made mention of a weather vane and it reminded me that I still had a few more pictures I could show for now. These are just some pictures of more garden art features.
This is the gate into the front yard and the taller gate is to the back door and yard.
It was due for a over-haul last year and it didn't get done....maybe this Summer I can re-paint and tidy it up again. What I really need is a new gate and fence! I wouldn't need the taller gate/fence to the back but because we have a tiny doggy, it keeps her from running out into the driveway.
Not the best picture, I had better ones, but lost all the pictures in a computer incident because someone (who me?) didn't back everything up correctly. Anyway, the wind was whipping around as I tried to get this picture of my little Caged fairy who flutters around in her cage hanging off the arbor.
And this is just a little gnome watching over the flower bed. He's a content little guy. The old window was retrieved from a friend and it marks the end of a pathway and the 'window' into the flowers.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Yard stuff
I'm always waiting for Spring and then when it arrives I'm impatient for the flowers and greenery to appear. Once it does appear, I start to lament that it'll be short lived and darn Winter will come too fast! I want to place a huge bubble over the yard to preserve and keep the prettiness and warmth all year long!!
Here's some pictures from last year showing what I'm longing for:
Here's some pictures from last year showing what I'm longing for:
This is another totem....I covered a bowling ball with mirror tiles and it's sitting on a glass punch bowl with crystal dangles. I sprayed the inside of the bowl with stained glass paint for color.
This was a old pump from my family's Hunting camp in the U. P. of Michigan. My dad was going to throw it away!! I think not!! I left the paint on it just as it was at camp for years and years.
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