A New Girl In Town

Vintage Tulle, Lace and Buttons

FASCINATION WITH CROWS

I found this video here.....don't know who made it and would give credit if I could, so if you happen to know, let me in on it and I'll post credits but in the meantime I sure like it.......

A SUCCESSFUL SHOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do I look whipped? This was hard work !

BUT............

I SOLD EIGHT PAINTINGS !!!!

THIS WAS MY FIRST SHOW EVER SO
I'M PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME.

THE QUEEN OF EVERYTHING

SHINE !!!!

SHINE
12 X 24
MIXED MEDIA ON BIRCH
click image to enlarge

I've got a lot of stuff going on here,
but then life and nature is
like that.

LIFE DOESN'T GET BETTER THAN THIS

My son Dallas and my grand daughter Iris.

What a wonderful weekend.

TOTAL STUDIO CHAOS

those crackers are critical
to the creative process

see that tube of green
tulip paint?
I'm thinking that stuff
has some fun possibilities....
have you ever used it?
Actually I'm not so
excited about the green
but I had to buy the
whole pack to get the
white. I bet some place
like Hobby Lobby sells
individual tubes but I was
at Wal-Mart and didn't
want to drive down the hill
to the other stores....
so back on the topic, have
you used the tulip stuff?

Oh wait, that wasn't the topic,
was it?
The topic is my
messy studio !!!!

pizza boxes are great for storing flat paper
I went to the pizza place and they
gave me some unused boxes. they
thought I was nuts but since
I also buy pizza so they like me....
BTW, those pizza boxes
are empty.
I'm easily distracted, I guess.

See that Holga camera?
Someday I'm gonna give
it a whirl.

these drawers started out as a cool
place to keep small things
organized, now there is so much
miscellaneous stuff in them,
well I guess better there than
on the floor, right?

I don't even know what is down there
could be anything,
wait,
I think that is where I've been
keeping my rusty altoid tins
I've been looking everywhere
for those !!!!

Total Chaos

The space where I'm sitting is the only
clear area in the whole room.

It is a teeny tiny room,
yet I manage to cram so much
in here that many times I have to turn
sideways to get out the door.

I know, you're saying I need a bigger studio.
You are right.

NEW MIXED MEDIA

Meet "Martine"
Isn't she lovely?

Check out her lovely silk skirt
and vintage lace shawl.

Audrey the "studio assistant"
helped pick out her skirt fabric.

Saturday ~ my second stop.
Sandy of vintage button fame
invited me over to her place for
a viewing and selection of silk
ties. Of course I thought
of skirts for the girls.

There weren't 100,
or 200,
but more like
2,000.

Imagine my amazement!

Of course I asked Sandy if
she has a will......ha!

First the glass graveyard and
then this! How much better can
life get?????

ADVENTURE ~ OMG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So yesterday morning, Saturday, a day I usually sleep in. I got out of bed
early, pulled on my sturdy shoes, grabbed my rake and bag.....

Off to pick up my new friend Leau Phillips who is going to give me a tour
of Albuquerque's best kept secret "The Glass Graveyard".

Make a couple of left turns, go past the caboose, look for the big tree and
hang a hard right between the two salvage yards......and you're there.

Doesn't look like much at first.

But then................OMG

Even my husband who went with us got into it. I saw him off in the distance
dropping items into his bag. Later I mentioned to him how surprised I was
that he had stuff in his bag and he then admitted to me that this was his second
bag and that he'd already been back to the car to unload !!!!

Who'd a thought?????

Michael DeMeng......you don't know what you're missing !!!!!

And that's not all.........check back later to see what I picked up after I
left the Glass Graveyard !!!!! It is equally amazing.

NOW THIS IS SO COOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday afternoon......watching the clock.

Can hardly wait to get outta here !!!

Ready for some cool art?

GO HERE !!!!!!!!!!!!

SELF PROTRAIT WEDNESDAY

IT IS LIKE CHRISTMAS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Sandy

Sandy makes fabulous beaded jewelry.

Her handmade quilts are to die for,
especially the one made from her dad's
vintage silk ties.

The other day she gifted me with
buttons and lace ! I'm still stunned
at the beauty of the items and the
generosity of this wonderful friend.

SELF PROTRAIT WEDNESDAY

LYRA COLOR GIANTS !!!!!!!!!

Back when I took the Jesse Reno workshop I discovered these colored pencils. So after the workshop I started looking around for the "sacred jesse pencils". None to be found. Jesse came to the rescue. He gets his pencils from Muse + Design in Portland. Call Peter up ~ he'll send them right out and your life will NEVER be the same again. BE SURE YOU GET THE COLOR GIANTS. I seriously love these pencils. They are BIG......kinda like being a kid again....you'll love them, I promise !!!!!

STILL WORKING ON THIS ONE !!!!

I'm still working on this one.....
below is Wednesday's version.....

Comments???????

MIXED MEDIA MANIA ENSUES

NEW THOUGHTS ON ART

I'M ON FIRE WITH A RENEWED
SENSE OF CREATIVITY....

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK

FURTHER ADVENTURES OF AUDREY THE STUDIO CAT

The further adventures of Audrey the Studio Assistant
AKA "stinker cat".

Check out the painting behind her....I made these to
use as portfolio covers.....

SOMETHING IS DIFFERENT

TOMORROW IS MY BIRTHDAY

introspection

shifts

movement

centered

as though I have finally
arrived in this world
after all this time
all these years...

I am.

SELF PORTRAIT WEDNESDAY

self portrait wednesday
well sort of,
a day late........crap

The Studio Assistant

Meet Audrey,
my studio assistant

She likes to chew on my
brushes, I wish she'd wash
them.

Monday And Mixed Media Withdrawl

Well, after a great weekend in the studio I'm back
to work as the mild mannered HR Manager....

Actually it is more like
MIXED MEDIA WITHDRAWAL!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

It is hard to make that transition from creative mind,
moving with what flows from my
creative core back to
square . pegs . in . square . holes....

The Sisters ~ Mixed Media Primitive Dolls

Well, the sisters are complete.

Check out the skirts !
I made a trip to the local
thrift store and found a
skirt with this wonderful
beaded border......viola!

Ribbons and other do-das
also re-used.

Click to enlarge, you'll see lots of nice
detail, crackle glaze, aging, they
have totally cute little under garments
but they are too shy so you'll just have
to imagine !

Hope your weekend was as good as
mine was!

Day #2 - Spirit House Shrines

Spirit House Love

I have a thing for these treasures.

What about you?

Seems appropriate for this time of year.

Thanks to Deryn for the nest tutorial...
I think it looks nice here.

I'm never sure if these photos are any good
I have a terrible computer
screen so it never looks right.

Click on the images to
get an up close and personal
view of the art.

Day #1 = WIP Spirit House Shrines

Day # 1

This is what I've been up to.

Four days of studio time
is just wonderful.

I've been working on these
little "spirit house shrines".

I'm hoping the NM Museum Shop buyers
will like them enough to sell in
their shop.
They still need lots of
"stuff".

Not the best photo I've
ever taken. I think if
you click on the image
you'll see a larger version.

No wind yet
~soon though~

Audrey the studio cat is taking
a short break.....in the bathtub
bouncing around with one of
her mice.....ahhh the life!

Still working on the "Sisters".

I've got four full days away from the day job.
Woooo Hooooo !!!!

Lots of studio plans.

Spring time here in beautiful
New Mexico means
wind, wind, and more wind....
My tulips are looking
pretty sad at this point.

What is Spring like in your
neck of the woods???

WIP

A Lovely Bird's Nest....

Isn't this just the prettiest little bird's nest?

Audrey, my studio assistant seems to think
I made it just for her.....silly cat.

I bought this tutorial for a
mere $8 from the lovely
and talented,
Deryn Mentock !

Check her out at
her blog and her Etsy shop.

This woman makes some
really cool jewelry. I know
I need some, what about
you?

I also bought her tutorial for
wire wrapped links.

Seriously folks, this is not
rocket science but I would have
never figured it out on my own,
so Thank You Deryn !!!

My Art Filled Life

Sometimes things just happen.

So far 09 has been a good art year for me.

!.) Jane DesRosier ~ aka Gritty Jane. I learned some new techniques for doll making. I've always been attracted to dolls, have made a few. More than anything I was simply taken in by Jane's tender soul, infectious laugh and ability to help me feel I can do anything I set my mind to.

2.) More Jane only now with Maureen ~ Creative Textures....what a great experience this has been. Together these women have corralled the world of texture in art. It has been a blast and sometimes feels a bit like science class, but oh the pay off !!!

3.) Jesse Reno ~ OMG. Jesse is the man!!!!! Look this guy up. Do whatever you have to do to take a workshop with Jesse. You will never regret it. Life changing moments for me with this tender and humor filled soul.

4.) Mary Ann Moss ~ La Dispatch and the Stencilry group.....this one has yet to begin but I can feel the energy building and I know that combining this technique with Jesse Reno style and Gritty Jane soul will launch my creativity.....as if it wasn't already soaring.

5.) New Mexico Art and Craft Fair ~ June 26, 27, 28 ~ these folks invited me to join them in what is a wonderful juried venue for "New Mexico Artists". This is a first for me. Yikes.........I'll keep you posted ! I wonder if they realize they have a tiger by the tail.

6.) New Mexico Museum Shops ~ I wrangled an appointment (thanks to Paula Manning-Lewis and Chroma Studio and Gallery). I'm showing these folks some dolls, some shrines and some paintings......yippie! I just know they are going to love me. Paula M-L, you rock, girl. Thanks.

7.) Still have an association with Paula M-L over at Chroma Studio and Gallery....they are coming up on their one year anniversary. In this economic climate I say WAHOOOOOO !!!! I daresay Paula's infectious spirit must have rubbed off on me........she and I met out in blog land. Imagine two Paula's, both from the same town in the American Southwest bumping together via blogs from Vienna, France, Canada !!!! Paula has been a huge inspiration to me and I look forward to a long and fruitful association with her.

8.) Lizard Lounge Shops ~ Bernalillio New Mexico ~ Lynn has carried a few of my pieces over the past few years. I've not been a big seller, but she has stuck by me and I've truly appreciated having her little haven as a place to get my toes wet in the art world.

9.) Miz Katie ~ we bumped into one another in blog land many years ago. She was moving east and I west. Then one day just recently we bumped into one another again....some things are just meant to be. I don't miss a single day of MK and Lola and Big Red.

10.) And most recently, Misty Mawn, Nina Bagley, Leighanna Light and Deryn Mentock. I am so inspired by these wonderful, talented women. What a gift to have found them. You, ladies, ROCK !!!!!!

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ~ I'm sure there is something else I'm missing simply because it is late and I'm tired. But here's the thing. I was over at Corey's site the other day.....you really need to check her out.

And it occurs to me what a gift each day is and what a miracle every moment offers. Now this may be a recurring theme for some of you.......it is more frequent for me these days. Maybe that is because I'm getting older, but I'm here to tell you ALL. You can't un-ring the bell!!!! Once the day is gone you don't get to take it back for a do over. SO DO IT GOOD NOW !!!!

I'm sure this is the longest post I've ever made and with no pictures to boot !!!!!! I guess something just came over me and it just needed saying. I even surprise myself.

So if you are still here, reading along, then I applaud you for hanging in here with me. I'm a good person, you won't regret it!!!!!

I'm blessed. I look forward to passing it on. Love you madly.

Mixed Media Shrine ~ Love Will Find You

JESSE RENO - MAKING ART AND WOW !!!!!

Above is the piece I created at the Jesse Reno
workshop I attended this past weekend.

Holy cow !
I had a GREAT time !!!

If you ever get a chance to
learn from this guy, take advantage of
the opportunity......fun and challenging.

What a lovely person with a delightful sense
of humor and an artistic style that
is beyond comment, you just had to be there....

Visit Jesse here......

Feelin' The Love !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you ever been over to Deryn Mentock's blog, Something Sublime????? I read her post about being positive, feeling happy and sharing that with others. Just makes me happy to think about it.

Today here in New Mexico we are enjoying really warm Spring weather. My garden is greening up. The birds are singing.

There isn't much in my life that I can label negative. Or I should say something "I am willing" to label negative. I tend to look for the silver lining......what about you?

What I think today ~

Spring is in the air here in New Mexico......

I'm eating those little tiny oranges.......

Gearing up to play Chutes and Ladders with Iris............

Gearing up for Jesse Reno workshop...............

Art marketing, art marketing, art marketing...........

I left one of my good paint brushes in water overnight.........crap............

I feel an abstract coming on..................

Thinking about making some more Gritty Jane style dolls....those babies rock..............

Checking for holes in my eyelids is a good thing...............

Later............

A Great Book ~ Mixed Media !!!!!

Go on over to Susan Tuttle's place and get on the list for a book giveaway.

On Mixed Media Art and the thin skin............

Thin skin?

Acrylic skin? Well, no.

Man, I tell you what, it is so difficult when I put it out there. Work hard. Produce something of meaning and quality only to hear "they think it is overpriced". I guess in this economy I should be grateful that they are even willing to look. But you know, I think at even a lower price they still would not buy.

It is difficult to not take it as rejection.

Makes me want to go to bed. Sometimes I think about quitting. I've got so much art piled up around the studio, I am running out of space. I'm tired of looking at it all. I'm just about willing to give it away.

What about you?????????????????????

blah blah mixed media blah blah more art

blah blah blah blah

blah blah blah blah

I'm amazed by some bloggers who post every single day and never seem to be at a loss for words, images and something to hold my attention.

I, on the other hand, not being a person of words often struggle to make this blog a happening thing. I'm an introvert by nature and just don't have a lot to say. Not that I'm not interesting, or smart or remiss in the relationship field.

I just don't know what to say !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is a bit like talking on the phone......I'm just not big on it. Recently I've embarked on repairing a horrible relationship with my mother. Years ago she banned me from communicating with her but recently she has fallen quite frail in her old age and I've decided that I'm going to be the adult in this thing and make an effort to be there for her.....like it or not. I call her and OMG, I don't know what to say, what to talk about. I'm thinking maybe I need to make a list of safe topics for those phone calls........maybe this will work.

Maybe I should do that with the blog.....make a list of possible topics. OR.......maybe some of the visitors (I'm not confident there are many) would like to suggest some topics that they would find interesting......how about that???????

So, until I can think up something interesting and catchy to write about..........

Later, dudes and dudettes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More on Faith ~ Mixed Media Art

The Sunday School Sisters
Sold

The Spring Nest
Sold

Something New ~ Mixed Media

Mixed Media On Wood 10 x 11
click on image to enlarge

This piece is wonderful and I've had a tough time
getting a photo that really shows the wonderful
texture.

I don't know for sure if this piece is really
complete yet. Guess I'll sit with it for
a few days and see what percolates.

Spring seems early here in New Mexico
this year.

The birds are everywhere and the
garden is full of green sprouting
announcements of days to come.

Watching the seasons pass by my
stuido window is such an inspiration.

I hope all is well in your world.