Windy City Report

I had a great time in Chicago last weekend and will look forward to returning. This week has not brought much art at all, although I am diligently working on my calendar for the month. I had to upload this piece from my demo in the resist class. It never ceases to amaze me how breaking up a design can really "make" it into what it should have been in the first place. The hand lettered quote at the bottom really sums it all up! Now I have used that phrase on the last two blogs. I think I have a theme.

Thanks to all who took my classes and I will let you know if a stamp company ever wants to use my handwriting for one of their fonts!!!! You gals rocked and so did the Moon. Those going to Chicago shouldn't miss a trip to Carolina Moon.........I'll be back in October. Below is my current schedule for the rest of the year:

We had a wonderful time in Cayman........It was a great time to renew,rethink, reconnect while asorbing all the vibrant colors that are daily part of life in the Caribbean. I wonder if their good humor is due to the saturation of color and sunlight in their lives every day? It is good to be back, although I am excited to be teaching in Chicago next weekend. I love that city and am ready to meet all sorts of new people. This weekend is taken up with Sammi's 13th birthday and all the preparations that are required for that. Art will take a backseat to Laser tag, pizza, games, ice cream cake, snacks, cinnamon rolls, etc...Most of my time will be seeing to her teammates needs, but it comes once a year and it is good to see her so excited!!!

Spring Fling

I can finally say spring appears to be here in our area. I might add that I say... FINALLY! Of course, that is just before we head to Grand Cayman on Friday, but hopefully spring will be here when we return. I spent some time playing with some submissions today to get them where they need to go tomorow. Definitely my results were fueled by the weather. They were very cheery and fun to go along with the cloudless sky. I do find that my art is influenced by my environment. I wonder what I'll do in the Caribbean??

Addition and Subtraction

I sat here tonight thinking how much of my life revolves around addition and subtraction even though very little of it has to do with math in the traditional sense. I received new inks today from Lindy's Stamp Gang so now I have 17 bottles of Moon Shadow Ink added to my supply of about 500 or so other paints. Because of these paints, I'll need to move or "subtract" other supplies that I am not using regularly. Of course, this company has many other products that can be used "in addition to" the ones I have so I am sure more will be making their way into my studio. Composition-wise I also seem to return time and time again to the addition and subtraction of paint and inks. The ones I worked with today work really well to add and take away to create a mottled effect. I can't wait to sit down again and see what else they can do. That will be more time in the studio and less time doing the household chores..........what else is new?

Harlequin Redux

I continue to wonder what fascinates me about Harlequin design over and over, but at least once a month I do some kind of design that incorporates it and I never seem to get tired of working it. This one is the last spread in my altered calendar for February. I had a lot of fun working with the patterns and mylar accents. I wonder if others find themselves returning frequently to a design scheme.....write and let me know so I know I am somehow normal......

Fairy Tale

If I have the time I normally don't have any problems coming up with Valentine's. I have done everything from black and white ones to non-traditionally colored ones, depending on my mood. This year I decided to go brightly covered for my husband in one that is titled, "Fairytale"........ Our life hasn't always been a traditional fairytale, but even with our ups and downs, we have had our moments of magic. This one was fashioned out of scraps from some of my other seasonal work. NEVER THROW BITS AWAY! I keep scraps of work in a special tub to pull out when needed.

Valentine Mingle

I finally had some time to do some Valentine mingles for some special people and really enjoyed doing them. So much so that I am considering taking this project style and selling them later this year. They sold really well on the Arts de Mer cruise last year and really are a great size for gift giving. I am still thinking it through though, since I consider myself more of a teacher than a seller.

My teaching schedule is filling, although I am still working around family schedules:

A Time to Dance

While normally art focused, I find myself pausing to celebrate my daughter's personal victory at her first gymnastics meet of the year. Since 3 years old, gymnastics has been her life and I have watched, with admiration, her courage and dedication through illness, injury, and the hardships that all gymnasts go through. She has won events before, but last weekend won the all-around as well, which meant enough to her to bring tears of joy to her eyes. Those of you who bought my book might have noticed that my dedication about "taking the chance to dance" was for her. Well, as an addendum......I saw her take that chance and she did dance. Her work ethic and willpower paid off, a skill that will serve her well through life. I am so glad I was here to see it.

Lamentations or Resolutions?

This is THAT time of year where I take stock of what I did and didn't do last year while trying to plan what I am going to do this year. The key problem in that is the word "plan". I have never done that very well, leading to all sorts of predicaments throughout my life. Plans sound great in theory, but when they go awry, they let me down. I am pulled (voluntarily and involuntarily) in so many different directions these days, that plans seem to be unmade as quickly as they are made. I am great at getting my deadlines met, but not so great at anything else. So I have decided that this year will be a "random" year which is a word my almost teen daughter seems to use with zeal these days. I like the sound of the freedom in the word and hope that it doesn't let me down. No resolutions except that I will accept where my life takes and detours me, without worrying about whether I am getting enough done. So, yes, I will have a random year of art this year and will see where that takes me.

Earthen Alphabetika

I spent some time today getting my first collaborative puzzle ready for framing. I am so pleased with how the project came together and so grateful to all the artists that participated. After the new year I'll post another one but I am still thinking up ideas.

Joy

The holiday season is in full swing...or is it swinging me? Actually I am keeping up pretty well. Getting next year's Stampaway classes done in November really helped out. I've been having some fun playing with holiday ideas and rediscovering the "joy" in creating. That has been a wonderful December gift for me.

Enjoy the season.........

Miracles Happen

It still never ceases to amaze me that I unblock at the very last minute and produce some of my favorite work when I am down to the wire. I wonder if the synapses fire faster or some chemical revs up the creativity a notch. I worked today on the final samples for the new mixed media ATC class and I am very pleased with the outcome. Hence the text on the card.

Karma

I am in the throes of reliving seventh grade with my daughter and find that she uses the word, karma, all of the time. Part of it is probably due to Alicia Keyes song that was a favorite and part of it is due to the many talks that she and I have had about things coming back around to haunt other people. When working on the pieces for Jan's With One Word puzzle collaboration, that word just jumped out at me.

It's Puzzling

I remember doing jigsaw puzzles as a child, when my mother was in intensive care for an extended stay, and most recently, watched my sister and husband become totally obsessed and immersed while on vacation in the Outer Banks this summer. I did not expect to be bitten by the puzzle bug, yet it happened recently when I saw some collaborative work posted online. This is my first piece that will be part of a collaboration called Scary Halloween. I had a blast working on this one and can't wait to send out my own. They are gorgeous when put together, each piece unique yet contributing to the whole. What a fun sojourn on my art journey.

Exploring color and pattern

Just about every month I play with colors or patterns I pick out from magazines, catalogs, or whatever I have lying around. Often I use my pieces as part of my altered calendar RR, but I rarely ever scan them before they are a finished product. There is something hard about letting people see works in progress, but this time I decided to scan the squares. There are two sets in the jpg, both being from Coldwater Creek's fall catalog. The top three, I was just cutting, gluing, and providing some contrast for fall patterns and in the bottom, I was focusing more on contrasting pieces as I affixed. These were affixed to 8" x 5" cardstock and then punched out wherever I found a pleasing design. I then took black permanent marker and outlined and defined the perimeters and interior of the bottom designs, but choose a more muted brown for the top three. I'll post when these are used as well.

Angelina

I had a chance to play with the Angelina fibers a bit this weekend and they are simply marvelous. I bought the hot fix ones but soon will be ordering the other non-thermal ones to mix in. I can tell that the acquisition phase isn't over.

This is a canvas on canvas experiment.....4 x 4" on 6 x 6". Other charm and metallic fibers also were adhered before I sewed a alcohol ink drenched button through the melted fibers.

Acquisition

I saw Angelina fibers yesterday on the ATC demo on Simply Quilts and immediately I had to have them. Do I have time to focus on them right now? Is my studio a mess? Have I put away the class materials from my Stampaway class? No, to all of the above. Nevertheless, I spent an hour or so finding a vendor and ordering so I could have them. I've been in the business for a long time, yet I still react like a brand new stamper when I want something. It has to be here yesterday or I can't focus on anything else.

Stampaway was my big focus in August. I can still remember the days that I traveled from St. Louis and it was like a big adventure to go, arrive early on Saturday to trade pins, to try to figure out what I was going to do with the pins once I got them, and the reoccuring struggle to see demos and make it to every booth. This year my shopping was more laid back but I did buy some metal working tools from Bonnie's Best (a wonderful person and terrific vendor... http://www.stampsalad.com ) and a few new stamps. I wouldn't let myself buy unmounteds since I haven't finished putting last year's new ones on Halos. I had to draw the line somewhere.

My classes went well and I was able to take a great class from Pam Sussman who told me she has a Rockport book coming out in November (Fabric Art Journals: Making, Sewing, and Embellishing Journals from Cloth and Fibers). As with all of Pam's classes and kits, I am sure it will be done with precision and artistry. I hung out with Tracy and Deb after my classes. They were really helpful not only with keeping my classes on track, but with their own suggestions for my students as well. I am lucky to have them and we have a great time when we get together.

Artvent continues and the artwork pieces I have received have been awesome. Not only are they wonderful pieces of art, but they are also pieces of the artists themselves. I am so glad I participated.

Artvent

The dog days of August are here, but I am happy to say that I am participating in a wonderful collaborative effort with a talented group of St. Louis artists that still let me keep company with them while I am in Cincy. This project, brainchild of Karyl Howard, had us produce a piece of artwork or the like for everyone in the group so that each day of the month we have a surprise to open. We all have different art backgrounds and passions so I would expect that there will be a wide range of creative offerings that will make me smile every day.

Flow

I spent some time today working on some watermedia canvas art, but since my computer is on the fritz, the pic I have included is from one that I did to sell on the Arts De Mer cruise in January. Eventually I titled it "In the Pink" and it was the first one to sell on the ship. I find that I am attracted to flow these days so these little pieces are perfect. Hopefully in a couple of weeks I can post the ones that I did. I plan to take my watermedia to NC next week and play a bit here and there. I haven't sold much artwork because of the time commitment to the teaching, but it is something that I would like to explore more.

Deadlines

I was talking to a neighbor late last night and the discussion turned towards deadlines and creativity. In evaluating myself I think I am more creative when I am pushed to the wire with a deadline than when I am coasting ahead of time. She felt she had the same strength (or is it a weakness??) Does panic raise an awareness level within the subconscious or does it release adrenaline and that makes the synapses fire better? Hmmmmm, anyone with any thoughts on that, write a response. I'll give you a deadline of 7/25 so that will encourage other "deadliners" to post.

With vacation looming ahead next week, I spent last week working on my altered calendar for the month and finishing a niche spread for another RR. Both made it out in the mail on Saturday, actually on the mental deadline I had set. i had a couple of gifts that I wanted to make for special occasions to I did a couple of mixed media fiber collages while sitting at the gym with Sammi. It felt exceptionally good to be doing art people again. I haven't done much of that this year. This week will be focused on prepping at least one Stampaway class so I am not so pressured when I return home from the Outer Banks. Prepping for both would be great, but doubtful since I procrastinated on all the other prep for leaving. Household deadlines are just as necessary, I guess.