Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Spring Fever

Oh, have you yet begun to daydream about warmer days and bright flowers ? Are there doodles of Easter eggs on your notepad ? How about a recently purchased short sleeved blouse that you would just freeze to death in right now? Sigh..... I am all of this right now. It seems to be the time of year for change...a craving for change, a vague impatience padded in a dreamlike wrapping. Oh, I am hoping the sun will shine on me all day today.
This lady has gone traveling....off to warm and sunny California with three of her sister pieces to audition for a magazine article. I swallowed hard as I handed the box over to the kind lady at the post office. I usually send out books I've sold on Amazon....uninsured, media rate. Oh, not for this package. I would have preferred to fly out there with it in my lap all the way, but that couldn't happen. So with tons of insurance, return receipt requested, overnight me please...wow..I could have had a sushi lunch on what all that cost ! Now the really rough part is waiting for a reply. I am so bad at that...like a teen ager waiting for an invitation to a prom, I will be checking the mailbox, the inbox and any other box that gets in my way on an hourly basis....and, it could be a month before I hear anything and months before anything happens..oh but when it does there will be dancing in the moonlight. Oh yeah !

This will be a busy week. I have company coming.....beloved nephews and brother for just a day or so, but we will pack in the fun. I am baking a triple chocolate cake and a quail pot pie. Dear One and our Demi have bagged us a good collection and the freezer is full, so there will be bacon wrapped quail, Quail pot pie and probably fried quail and potatoes for breakfast. these guys are going to be so happy to get back on the road and stop at a Denny's !!!!! We will be off to the Orchid show and hunting in antique malls and maybe a little shooting on the side. Now you are asking can an Artist really enjoy hunting........if there is something good for the dinner table..yep, I am suited up and hiking with my Berretta with the rest of them. That's what happens when you like hanging out with the guys and painting.
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Thursday, February 18, 2010

new work in Etsy !

This piece didn't show up on my last posting..sigh..and I tried to download it again into that posting but my techie skills are still a bit lacking. If you go to the website for the magazine, "Cloth, Paper, Scissors" this one is in their gallery of artists.They had posted a challenge for creations based in your New year's resolution so this is it...Begin and begin again. I decided to place her for sale as I believe she is a great inspiration piece. The face and body are in oil stick so the look is very soft. The rest is acrylics and collage. I enjoyed doing a bit of lettering as well, after years of calligraphy classes, at least I have an understanding of letterforms better than I did a few years ago. I never quite fell in love with the detailing in calligraphy and much preferred the master calligraphers who free wheeled it a bit like Laurie Doctor. I have fantasies of doing her class in Greece this Fall. You never know...I am putting it out to the Universe and watching for what stars may fall into my lap....
I almost didn't want to place this lovely angel of Patience up for sale,but she seems to want to go out into the world. Someone is waiting for her ....I know it down deep. she has an iridescence about her I really like. she is worked in water based inks..usually used in stamper's ink pads, and white acrylic paint. The color is very intense in the inks which is at once a challenge and a wonder.

We are still deep in snow here, though it is sunny today and there seems to be a melt going on. My car is trapped at the shop getting fixed up after a hungry, cold mouse made its home amongst the wiring in the dashboard. I may have to build a mouse house and fill it with mousey buffet items so it will leave my car alone. This is the second time I've needed to serve an eviction notice to the critter. I wish my faithful furry companion was a mouser, but Demi is much better at birding than mousing. She and I have been running around the snowy trails behind our house, both of us trying to outrun a mild case of cabin fever. she is very quiet about wanting to go out..just silently coming up behind me as I work a sticking her fuzzy nose against my hand...time to go outside,Mom, for a fun run....please. So I suit up and away we go. She heels very nicely when we are walking on the street or sidewalk but she is off and running once we hit the trails. That pup can actually pull me up a hill.

I am deep in my Leonardo Da Vinci book and just loving it. I think I would have loved both Leo and Michelangelo. they must have been such creative spirits, always curious and trying new things and thoughts. No fear of stepping outside the box with those two. They are an inspiration to just be yourself...do what you love and enjoy the life you have.

Let me know what you think of the new additions at the Etsy.
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Monday, February 15, 2010

...and the winner is......


What a wonderful world !!!! One world, One Heart and I heart everyone who visited my site and left such generous comments. The Red Queen was flattered. so many wonderful invitations to every corner of this amazing planet. I wish I could hug each and every one of you ! I am most grateful for being able to participate in this event and thank the Whimsical Bohemian for organizing everyone and everything. A big hug to you !

So this morning I asked my darling husband to choose the magical number indicating a winner......who is Sue from Barton Originals !!!!! Sue, I have sent you an email, please forward me your address so I can set the Red Queen off on her journey to your own magical kingdom. If you haven't been there, please visit Sue (#162) and enjoy her wonderful blog and see her own amazing creations...the most beautiful art dolls you can imagine. Thank you, Sue, for visiting my little world. The Queen is packing her bags and ready to be off on her journey to you.

The world seems to be snowed under and I am cozy warm this morning with my cup of wonderful coffee, thanks to my darling husband's Valentine gift. He knows I am happily addicted to rich dark coffees. You know, the kind that feels like chocolate going down. SIGH. That along with a box of artisan chocolates, an orchid plant and a day at the Orchid show all sparkled this grey Valentine Girl's day. I can hunker down quite well at this point. My gifts to him included a homemade pistachio cake, a plate of his very favorite deviled eggs and a special dinner cooked with all the love I could pack into it.

Just to catch up, since I haven't posted since the event began.....I just finished a month long online portrait class with Misty Mawn. She is a generous and talented instructor and an amazing artist. If you are so inclined to improve your painting and drawing skills, or just have a great deal of fun being inspired by her assignments and challenges, I heartily suggest you take one of her classes. This one was my third in a year and each one has been an inspiration and fuel for my own work.

I cleaned up the studio and it seems to be full once again with a painting in progress based on one of my drawings for the Sketchbook project. It has been interesting to see how changing mediums really evolves the image in ways you just wouldn't expect. I also have a few painted boxes going, a new sketchbook for just drawing studies, and a project going for my church. I have been creating a series of banners and hangings for our contemporary services, which has been great fun and very rewarding for me. At Easter services I will create a huge banner during the service...yep, right there in front of God and everybody. I did this a few years ago and it was very spiritual experience for me. I am very honored that they have requested a repeat performance.

Books...oh with all this snow I have been reading every single night, tucked up in blankets in front of a toasty fireplace. I just finished the Stephen King "Under the Dome", a huge book with dozens of interwoven tales perfect to read while the winter wind is blowing about outside. Also Paul Coehlo's "Brida", a parable about a metaphysical journey well worth reading. I enjoy his books very much. They are thought provoking and enchanting. Right now my nose is buried in Kenneth Clark's"Leonardo Da Vinci". Clark is an amazing person in his own right and this was one of his first major books. there has been so much written about Da Vinci, but this particular book has lovely reproductions of Da vinci' drawings and brings together his writings and paintings in an insiteful manner. I am enjoying it as a look into a master painters thoughts and work.

Now I am off to the studio to prepare the Red Queen. Have a wonderful day and thank you for visiting !