Fall Musings

Golly....I think St. Louis has been deluged enough over the last month. We've had few days without rain and have seen blue sky rarely. What else is new? Well during the rainy time I did manage to find my desk in the studio and have kept it about 80% clean. I also was lucky enough to have Charla in from Boston for a bit so we were able to have some fun when she wasn't busy working to clean out a house. I had a spider bite that went toxic and within two days my car was totalled (and then totalled reversed) on a poor young deer when my husband was picking me up from a concert because I couldn't walk. Nice run-on sentence from the former English teacher. On a positive note, the husband was able to walk away and I have a new Highlander because of it. Artwise I finally delved into some repousse after having the supplies for two years. Teresa Holt, a longtime friend and incredible artist challenged us to do some metal atcs for the month after demoing it up close and personal. Well, I had a great time doing them and have all sorts of ideas in my head for more. ENJOY ...................................most of the rest of them are on my website

Beginnings and Endings

A heavy post written with a heavy heart. I am blessed to have a core group of people in my life that I love and would do anything for. My life is richer because of these people. I learn daily how to be a better person and thank God every day for teaching me through them. I understand why they have been brought to me. What I don't understand is why those that focus on the negative and tearing people/places down must also be a part of my life? I guess I am supposed to learn from them, too, but these lessons are oh so painful. For me, nothing can hurt worse than the betrayal by someone I considered a friend. It hasn't happened often in my adult life so this took me by surprise. I hope the pain and anguish that is inside subsides for her so she can get on with her life. I will get on with mine. The artwork for today is aptly titled "Life's Beginnings". Happenstance.........

The Perfect Risk

Watching the beginnings of another artist's journey is an intense experience for me. Musicians have always been close to my heart. I have followed my nephew, Jon's, exploration for years and found each phase really interesting. I have admiration for the creativity involved in not only writing the stories in the music but the music itself. What a process it must be. I also have admiration for the songwriter whose lyrics let you see exactly who he/she is in the story. That honesty and vulnerability is at the core of all art. It's simplicity is compelling and the purity of the emotion takes your breath away. I heard a new song by a dear family friend, Eric Sommerhof, last night. Eric spent the last year + with Sammi and his song, The Perfect Risk, will draw you in and make you remember who we should be. Enjoy...........

K A R M A

It has been a jampacked couple of months since I posted anything new. Stampaway was a blast as usual. I had so many wonderful people in my classes and had fun mingling with old and new friends. I couldn't have asked for better weather or company. I stopped back into St. Louis for four days and then left on a 10 trip to the Outer Banks with Jim and Sammi. We met up with my sister and family for a wonderful time. Our house was a former model so it was definitely HGTV perfection. The beach was wonderful and the ocean was peaceful until Bill the Hurricane showed up. But still it was a great trip. School preparation, some teenage drama, and a death in the family of a dear friend dominated the next week before school and then it happened....I have a junior in high school now. Actually one who sometimes thinks she is wise beyond her years. It has been a roller coaster at times. So school is now in session and I am trying to find my studio once again. It looks like a cyclone blew through it. Enjoy this little ATC and I'll try to be back soon.

Diffusion

I have a teenager. Today a driving one with lots of evolving ideas, wants and needs. I feel like I am spending an inordinate amount of time diffusing that teen angst while trying to accept her and foster her growing independence. That's my story and I am sticking to it.

Summer 2009

Could it get any hotter in St. Louis? Of course, when it was 70s and beautiful, I was too busy with the last part of Sammi's season so yesterday in the 100 degree heat, Ibought flowers to plant. The three of us planted 5 pots last night and by the end of the half hour I was a drippy, drippy mess. Sammi kept sponging me off...I felt like a surgeon in the middle of surgery. The posted artwork today for the alphabet workshop (letter B) came out of my floral experience last night. The rest of the uploads from today: C, X, S, F can be found on my altered website under the Alphabet Workshop book.

ENJOY!!!!!!!

Nuances

I joined an international artist journal project, Alphabet Discovery Workshop...the first one I have been in besides the calendar since we moved. It is the brainchild of a wildly artistic artist in England, Trish Bee, who has an incredible blog and website.I am so glad I did. I am really enjoying what everyone else is doing and can't wait to have a finished product that expresses where I am at now. Fun!!!!!

Barat

My daughter's sophomore year is coming to a close and each year I do a piece of artwork for the school. This year I went more with graphic doodles. The broken heart symbol is the school's graphic and the words are the ideals they hope they pass on to the students.

Sammi

I celebrate my daughter's tenacity in overcoming injury and family obstacles during her first level 9 season. She represented her gym and her family well at the Western Championships in Bartlesville, OK. In the process, she brought home a medal from beam at both the regional championships and again at Westerns. Well done.....now she gets some much needed rest...........

It's back to art for me now. I haven't been to a store lately but am just dying to get my hands on the new Ranger refillable alcohol ink pens. Anyone have them yet??????

Limbo and beyond

Many times I've wished for a crystal ball but March was definitely a month that I am glad I didn't have one. March was a month of bad weather, of two last minute flights to Pennsylvania, of a wonderful quick trip to Tampa for more tropical gymnastics, and also the month that I spent my last days with my father. I am so grateful for the time that my sister and I were able to spend with him the last few days of March. Hospice said the last sense to go was hearing so we spent lots of time reminiscing and helping him to let go. Donald Munro Sanderson, our dad, a consummate whistler and harmonica player, a tinkerer who could fix everything, a lover of Whitley's peanuts and fettuccini alfredo passed away quietly while we were with him on April 1 and will be missed.

Fiddle Faddle

February is almost over which means we have reached the downward slope of winter. Thank goodness. I spent a lot of time in the studio this month doing this and that. It has been very therapeutic for me. I was very happy with my non-traditional VDay cards this year. I don't think I had done cards for the past couple of years.

Sammi competed her first meet finally after missing three and did about as expected. As a new level 9 and an injured one at that, she isn't going to do any damage until her skills are stronger. We did have about five minutes of drama after she narrowly avoided going down on her neck during vault. You could have heard a pin drop while everyone waited for the medics to allow her to get up. I am not sure I was breathing much. She did finally get up and then proceeded to compete the entire rest of the meet. That's my daughter.

ART NEWS: I was pleased to have an email from Stampington regarding some wall art that they are going to publish in a new specialty publication called Black and White in November. I am currently writing a feature article for that work. And, I am pleased to announce that I will have three classes at Stampaway this year: Elementz, Play it Again, Sam and Resist 2009. More on that to follow.

Will You Be Mine????

It is February and love is all around.....well, it is all around when we get through algebra, gym practice, snow, a puppy who is into pens and is not particular about what kind. You get the drift. I love Valentine's Day and love to doodle so without further adieu, you can peek at one of my cards for 2009. They are all different and fun to do!

On the "must have" front. I am waiting ever so impatiently for Ranger's alcohol ink refillable pens. For more info, take a look at this video and prepare to be intrigued. Be very afraid.

Snow Day

I had some extra time today while nursing Sammi back to health so I uploaded some new art on my main website and one pic for this blog. I had two great classes this weekend at Rock Paper Scissors. I hadn't taught my advanced resist for a while so it was great to get back into it. It is snowing visciously here today so we are bundled up watching The Bachelor. What a day.....................

I've been reading all about CHA and can't wait for a lot of the new products to come out especially Ranger's new refillable pen and the new alcohol inks. Anyone else waiting for anything new???

Elementz

H A P P Y N E W Y E A R !!!!!!!!!!!!! I think the holiday season was a whirlwind for us and I am sure we are not the only ones. We made a quick trip to PA to see family and then came back for the myriad of practices that she had to be at. New Year's was a meal at Shogun followed by Valkyrie and some Korbel. We celebrated with Sammi and ber boyfriend and then took them on New Year's Day to Dave and Busters. Much fun was had. Now it is back to business and reality. The canvas artwork here features Ranger's new stickyback canvas and some mixed media applications. Enjoy....it is the flagship for my Stampaway class in August.

I have two upcoming classes here in St. Louis on January 24 at Rock, Paper, Scissors. Then I am on hiatus traveling with Sammi for her season.