sisters of the art

Merry Christmas

2011-12-22T10:55:00.002-05:00

No, I didn't disappear off the face of the earth. There has been lots of travel and some commission work that I couldn't talk about. Then there was the daughter's wedding and all the preparations that entails. Oh, and the house fire two weeks before the wedding. There will be more on that later. There will eventually be photos but not quite yet.

There hasn't been much artwork being created in the past few months... the house has seen to that! We were struck by lightning in September and are in the process of rebuilding. Hopefully, all will be put to rights by the end of January and we can go home again. That day can't happen too soon!

Even before all of activities of the past several months, I contemplated making some changes in how, when & why I made art. There will certainly be some new art paths to be explored in the coming new year so some back then to see where this leads.

Until then, may you have a peaceful Holiday Season.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!

Water Dance

2011-03-02T11:10:00.003-05:00

This was the last watercolor batik class I taught. It is such fun to get to that embellishment stage and play with heat guns, embossing tools & stamps, scissors & glue! Takes me back to grade school fun - who didn't have fun with scissors, paper & paste? (class photo courtesy of Pam Richards - thanks Pam!)

What's Coming in July!

2011-02-24T16:42:00.003-05:00

A few posts back I alluded to different projects in process. This is part of what has been in the works! I was accepted to teach at the Artist Expo Houston this coming July!! I have two classes scheduled and can't wait to get started. Margot has taught at this excellent convention every year since its inception and she will be having a booth on the trade floor as well as teaching. Would love to see you there!

Happy Valentine to You

2011-02-13T09:32:00.004-05:00

In January, one of my painting chapter's members taught a workshop on creating your own lace patterns using found objects. This is what I did with that information and I am quite pleased with the results. Instead of using cream or white for the lace, I used the lightest color in the roses - a FolkArt color called Spring Rose. It gives a softer, more delicate look to the lace. There are also several weddings on the horizon so I painted this on a photo album cover. Wouldn't it be a great place to store all those wedding details?

So here is my Valentine to you!!

Cowgirl UP! for 2011

2011-01-01T15:42:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year to everyone!

I love the change in perspective a new year brings! It isn't just another day - we tend to view it as a fresh beginning and a time of reflection. Perhaps we welcome it so due to the seasonal excess that has been happening for the past weeks.

So I want to make this first week of the year my point of "reflection" for the upcoming year. And I want to make my primary focus this year center on the idea of "creativity." Most of this focus will be on painting but creativity comes in all forms and I want to document my journey for myself as well as for you.

Last Painting Project of 2010

2010-12-23T22:45:00.002-05:00

Is everyone done with their end of year painting? I just finished my last piece today. It will be a present under the Christmas tree. And I finally finished another bucket that went to someone special. This bucket is for my boss to take to his cabin. The name of the cabin is Cloud Crossing and has some of the features of the original bucket. Lordy, those things take awhile to paint!! Glad this one is finished and off to its new home.

May everyone have a special holiday season - see you in 2011!

Hugs from my house to yours!!

Student and Teacher

2010-11-17T14:00:00.003-05:00

Being a student is just as important as being a teacher. And I try to take as many classes as possible so I can continue to learn. Classes might be on any topic - mixed media, oils, watercolor, fired glass - just about anything is fair game and what I learn while being a student hopefully makes me a better teacher. And teaching also helps me learn and increases my own understanding of the subject matter.

Our chapter was fortunate to have Janelle Johnson give a seminar in October. I was only able to take the one day but learned so much! Janelle is an excellent teacher and has an extensive list of colored pencil packets to choose from. And her hand dyed parchment paper is a lovely working surface - love it!

The best part? I have a finished & framed piece to call my own!!

Spooktacular 2010

2010-11-01T14:59:00.003-04:00

I love dressing for Halloween and enjoy creating something unusual for the event. With luck there will be a party or two to attend as well. This year, we went as The Ghouls. Of course, I have to dress again for the kiddies!

New Roses

2010-10-07T10:59:00.002-04:00

This past weekend our local painting chapter held one of our fundraisers - the annual container auction. It is always fun to see what artists create with a container theme and this year didn't dissapoint! I will show what I came away with a bit later but wanted to show part of what I created for my auction pieces. Here is a peek at what I created for this event.

Time for Plan B!

2010-09-27T09:55:00.002-04:00

Saturday was my Harvest Moon class at Unique Glass Colors. I pulled in and there was a police car there with Harold, Margot's husband. Someone had cut the junction box power lines going into the building complex - evidently thieves had cut & stripped the wires for the copper content! This is such a horrible thing to deal with - the loss of time & energy to put everything to rights - plus the expense - is incalculable! My sympathy to them as everything is repaired!!

But what to do? I have students on the way!!! At first I was going to cancel the class & try to reschedule another day so I started calling my students. Nancy "volunteered" her cousin's house. And, since her cousin was already in the class, I took her up on it. Fortunately, the class consisted of Nancy's family so this solution worked quite nicely. Thanks Ann-Marie & Tim for such quick work making space for the class!

The class worked out fine & everyone had wonderful paintings at the end of the day! I love teaching this class - each painting is so different from the next.

Harvest Moon Class

2010-09-10T20:50:00.002-04:00

This is my next watercolor batik class - The Harvest Moon. I love this painting and have taught it several times before. It lends itself to many color combinations and sizes which is something not all paintings can do. If you are in the Orlando area and want to give this a try just let me know! Class is Saturday, Sept 25.

Octopus

2010-09-08T16:31:00.002-04:00

So here is the big picture of the octopus - did anyone guess what it was supposed to be? This is a Prismacolor pencil drawing of an octopus from one of my husband's underwater photos. He was in the right place at the right time and got some great photos before Mr. Octo scooted back to his camoflaged lair.

Birthday Present

2010-09-06T11:21:00.002-04:00

My hubby's birthday is today - happy birthday dear! To celebrate I have created a new piece of art just for him. What can it be? Check back for the full reveal tomorrow - he hasn't seen it yet!!

Sandy the Seahorse Watercolor Batik Class

2010-08-29T14:08:00.003-04:00

There were six wonderful students for my watercolor batik class yesterday! And they all did a wonderful job! Don't you think so?

Pat & Jeanette came from the other coast to paint with us - thanks ladies!! Nancy B. & Nancy M. were there, as well as Julie K. & Ivey. And there was chocolate covered bacon passed around & sampled. I think the milk chocolate won out over the dark.

Next up? Another class on Thursday!!

Morning Glory Cabin

2010-08-24T10:42:00.003-04:00

I grew up in SE Tennessee right in the foothills of the Smokies so the opportunity to paint those mountains was special. This is a commission I have been working on for awhile. It is a rather large galvanized bucket. The scene wraps all the way around and I was given a list of items the painting had to include - a fly fisherman, a bicycle, a golfer, the cabin & a painted sign, the barn and old bridge near the property and deer. Fortunately, I had photos provided for the barn, bridge & cabin. Everything else I had to research. The morning glories were easy. I've painted those before and Ginger Edwards' books came to the rescue for reference.

Landscapes are not my usual painting subject so this was quite a challenge. And each element requested had to help tell the story & make sense. Eventually, everything seemed to work out and the whole piece ended up like a "Where's Waldo" puzzle - some of the elements are really small but they are all there!

So this challenge is ready to go to a new home today... what do you think?

Meet Dandy Sandy

2010-08-06T20:21:00.004-04:00

Sandy is my newest creation and is all decked out in his best beach finery! He sports some fabulous fuzzy stitching and beachside bling. I will be teaching Sandy's class on August 28 - drop me a line if you want to join in the fun! Beginners welcome - this is fun & easy painting...

Favorite Part of the Day

2010-07-09T09:07:00.002-04:00

Right now I am in the process of creating submissions for teaching at a couple of painting conventions for next year so there isn't much I can share right now. I am working on a commission piece that I will be able to share next week so check back then. These are some photos from my back yard from this morning.

There is a certain time on a sunny morning that is special. The sun slants through the trees at a certain angle and light catches the caladiums and surrounding greenery making everything glow. If there is no wind, the pool acts like a cool blue reflecting pool and doubles the effect. It is a quiet, peaceful time and usually the only sounds are the birds singing and an occasional squirrel chattering away. This short interlude doesn't last long... soon the sun will shift position and some of the magic is lost. Until tomorrow morning...

What part of the day is your favorite?

MOO has landed!

2010-06-29T08:35:00.008-04:00

Last month, Jenny Doh put forth a call for MOO cards (moo.com). These little cards are like baby business cards - barely 1" x 2-3/4". I've toyed with the idea of making MOO cards from time to time but just never got to it. When Jenny's call came I decided the time was NOW! It was really easy to upload some photos of my recent artwork & enter the necessary info for the backs. Here are cards from my first batch of MOOs.

And I just discovered one of my cards on Jenny Doh's blog at http://jennydoh.typepad.com. See if you can find it - the photo above gives you a hint of what to look for - it will be found in her posts last week.

Have you MOOed yet?

Hollyhocks Class

2010-06-27T10:54:00.003-04:00

My hollyhocks class was a great success! Everyone had a good time playing with paint, wax and learning a new embellishment technique or two. This was a more impressionistic painting and all the finished paintings turned out great - they all did an outstanding job!! Here are a few photos of them all hard at work...

Hollyhocks in My Garden

2010-06-04T22:27:00.006-04:00

I love flowers. And living in Florida gives us the chance to have flowers nearly year around - notwithstanding the last couple of winters! There are some northern varieties that are hard to come by, though. Most of the bulbs - daffodils, tulips, bearded iris - don't do well in the ground. There isn't enough reliable cold weather for the dormant stage these flowers must endure to bloom the next season. We can get some of them seasonally in pots and I do so every chance I get and photograph them to death! For my iris fix, I have to make the trip home to Tennessee and photograph my mother's iris. Her iris are true family heirlooms and came from my dad's mother. They are truly wonderful and a sight to behold when in bloom!

Because of the harsh winter we had, there was extensive planting required to get the yard looking good again. We spent several weekends (as well as several Benjamins) replanting & mulching the yard. On one of my trips to my favorite - and very expensive - nursery there were pots of hollyhocks just opening their lovely wide open faces. I hadn't seen hollyhocks growing since my grandmother used to plant them along her vegetable garden fence! The flowers are crinkly & ruffled & sheer with the sun shining throug them. They remind me of little girls in their little pink dance tutus. So... the hollyhocks found their way onto the cart and made the trip home to the new garden.

They have pretty much bloomed out now. The stalks sit there and I am hoping the seed heads do their job and there will be more hollyhocks to come. In the meantime, my newest artwork will remind me of twirly little girls in pink tutus.

Working On...

2010-05-17T12:19:00.004-04:00

Thought I would share another piece from the Spring Fling table.

Today I am a little sad. Painting friends are on their way to Wichita. The annual SDP conference is this week and I won't be there this year. I am supposed to be on my way to London with my husband for an international trade show for his company but plans change sometimes. Instead, I will wait to hear from those that made the trip when they return home. Margot is teaching, of course. And another friend, Karen, is in the election for board member at large... good luck, Karen!

So, I am home... making plans for next year. Working on class submissions for next year's conference. Working on upcoming local classes. Working on the two-day seminar I am teaching next month. Working on new art to sell. Working on some magazine submissions. Working on...

What is calling you?

2010-05-12T11:18:00.005-04:00

Here is another piece of silverplate from Spring Fling.

The title of today's blog is a quote from a necklace I just purchased from Kelly Rae Roberts. One of her girlies is on one side and this saying is on the reverse. It is a question I try to answer daily when it comes to my creative life.

I have been a big fan of Kelly Rae Roberts for quite awhile now. One of the things she does best is to tie very thought provoking yet succint verbal ideas with interesting art images. And now she is offering a rare opportunity to share her knowledge about creativity and ideas about the business of it all.

Class starts at the end of May... don't miss out!

The Mystery of the 88 Roses - part 2

2010-05-04T09:54:00.004-04:00

It was close but I finished in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Good thing - since Spring Fling was happening with or without me! All of the tables were beautiful & we had a packed room. Here are a few photos of my table setting. Each person had a handpainted piece of old silverplate and I also painted my stash of Altoid tins for everyone.

Yes, I painted the roses. This was for our local painting chapter's spring fundraiser. It is a LOT of hard work but so worth it!

The Mystery of the 88 Roses

2010-04-28T12:27:00.003-04:00

It is time for my painting chapter's annual Spring Fling - one of our fundraisers for the year. I am hosting another table this year and I just counted how many roses need to be painted on all the various and sundry surfaces on my table. 80 ROSES - good grief!!!

That doesn't even count the roses on my thank you notes, place cards, name tags, etc. At least I take a little help from Mr. Printer for those. But I still had to paint some to download into the computer. Here is a sample of what I am painting.

Spring Fling is Saturday - will I finish in time?

Orchid Exotic is Published!

2010-03-16T17:41:00.002-04:00

I just found my Decorative Painter magazine in the mail and my article for Orchid Exotic starts on page 98! It is always a thrill to see your work published but having it seen by all the membership is especially rewarding. (insert happy dance here!!!)

The Decorative Painter is the magazine published by the Society of Decorative Painters and always has amazing how-to articles along with all the news about what is happening in and around the Society. If you aren't a member of SDP, the magazine alone is worth the price of membership!

If you have been thinking about joining now is the time to do it! Not only do you get an amazing quarterly magazine but new members get a really great gift of brushes, paint, etc. by some of our top vendors - such a deal! Check out SDP at www.decorativepainters.org - and tell 'em I sent ya!

Springing with New Ideas

2010-03-01T16:12:00.002-05:00

Happy March everyone! It is still too cold here in Florida but surely spring is on the way!!! The trees are leafing & lots of green pollen piling up on the porch & in the pool. Spring also means new deadlines looming and a whole bunch of new projects brewing. Besides new classes to teach, Spring Fling is the first of May. I will be posting photos of my table top then. I am also working on a new challenge that is due the end of this month and will post photos of my finished piece as soon as I am allowed. But here is a bit of my inspiration... however will I use it?

we have a winner!

2010-02-15T11:16:00.002-05:00

Congrats to shedreamsbig.blogspot.com for winning my giveaway! It was really fun to play - I have made so many new blogging friends and look forward to participating again next year. Thank you to all who took the time to enter my giveaway. It has been such a great experience!

Curvy Calla Part Two

2010-02-12T12:51:00.006-05:00

This watercolor batik class has two options. Students will choose "warm" or "cool" and use those colors to paint with. Here is my version of the "cool" palette. No, the photo isn't reversed - I turned the pattern over and deliberately painted it backward. Students will have choices to make this time - should be fun! Come join us if you are in the area!! Which one do you prefer?

Curvy Calla

2010-02-08T10:09:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite flowers is the calla lilly. I love the way the petals delicately overlap at the base and then ever so gently flare into a gorgeous elongated bell that ends in a point, curling back under as the flower matures. How can a flower that is essentially a single petal be shaped into so many different configurations? Add in the variety in color and size, and you have endless possibilities. The simplicity of the flower's architecture also provides more of a painting challenge. There is nowhere to hide by tucking in an extra petal here or there.

I found a darling tiny pot of rosy callas at the market the other day. They came home to be inspiration for a new piece of art. This certainly won't be the last of the callas, though. They are still talking to me!

This is the next watercolor batik class I am teaching. Class if Feb 27. Let me know if you are interested!

Betty Ann's Flow Blue

2010-02-03T13:35:00.002-05:00

Betty Ann (BA for short) inherited a very extensive set of flow blue china from her father. The china was given to him as a gift from his cousin. There was a time when his cousin couldn't pay the taxes on the homestead and BA's father paid them for the family. In return, the china was passed on to him as repayment of the taxes.

BA and I have always shared a love of antiques and I knew she had some really wonderful pieces, so I asked her if I could take a few photos. We spent a lovely afternoon just after Christmas creating all sorts of still life set-ups using her china. I brought along several bunches of flowers & a number of doilies & lace pieces to incorporate into the set-ups. From this afternoon, I have enough inspiration to last me quite some time.

And BA's birthday was just a few days following our afternoon of fun. I surprised her with this painting for a birthday present. Thanks for sharing, BA!!

One World One Heart Giveaway

2010-01-25T10:17:00.009-05:00

I love checking out other blogs - especially the creative ones! And I love to travel to new destinations. Visiting blogs is a great way to "travel" and get a new viewpoint of the world - sort of like the "magic carpet" theme of One World One Heart. I was just over at Gail's blog - Shabby Cottage Studio - where I saw this wonderful idea!!! This is a chance for like-minded bloggers to connect and I will be visiting as many of them as I possibly can and making some new blog friends along the way. And click on the magic carpet link to find out more about this event!!

And I love sharing my creations with others, so I have decided to participate in the give away by offering up this pendant. I love taking my original artwork and applying the designs to jewelry. If you are interested in seeing other designs just look back through my blog. For the giveaway, these roses were handpainted then reduced to fit in the pendant. Several layers of resin were applied for a durable finish.

If you would like a chance to win the drawing for this pendant please leave me a comment along with your blog address (& email address) so I can visit you, too. Sorry, I am limiting my drawing to fellow bloggers. If you don't have a blog, maybe now is the time to get started. You have time to create one before the drawing ends!

The event ends on February 15 and I will be drawing for the winner then. If you enter that day, please have your entries in by 12:00 noon EST. I will announce a winner that afternoon!

So, come "travel" blogland with me. Maybe we can make some new friends together!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

2010-01-12T08:23:00.003-05:00

To say it is cold here in Florida is truly an understatement. We have had 11 straight days of below freezing temperatures and still have at least one more to deal with before there is a promise of warmer weather. To show how cold it is - the photos aren't of snow - this is a very heavy frost on a neighbor's roof! About 15 minutes before the whole roof was covered. With just a little sunshine, the frost will be gone but it is still cold! The other photo is my very frozen birdbath. When it warms up more this afternoon I will refill it for the birds.

Yes, my northern friends, I am a wuss!! The weather is what makes Florida a lovely place to live in the winter. We truly aren't equipped for cold like this.

I choose to look at it as one of life's little lessons... if you can survive it you will be stronger. But I am so looking forward to weather just a bit warmer and it is around the corner...

Welcome 2010

2009-12-31T11:41:00.002-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

As I reflect on this past year, I can't help but wonder what will the new one bring? More important - what do I want it to bring?

Magic of the Every Day

2009-12-18T10:49:00.002-05:00

"There is power in the magic of the everyday" is a statement made by Laurell Hamilton on her blog about her new book. This statement really made me think about what is truly possible on a daily basis and how important it is to live in the moment. So often I find myself waiting for those "big moments" to define my life... another birthday, another deadline, the next class to be taught... this list goes on and on!

The new year is nearly upon us. I don't normally make a formal resolution list but I do choose a few ideas where I want to focus my attention. This idea of finding and exploring the power of the everyday magic will surely be foremost in my thoughts for 2010.

Here is a close-up of some roses I just painted.

Snowflake Time

2009-12-07T09:35:00.002-05:00

One of the best things about living in Florida is not having to deal with the cold white stuff on a daily basis in the winter. Most of our "cold" weather is found indoors and manufactured. One of my favorite places to find the "cold" is at ICE at the Gaylord Palms - and that is on our holiday list for Friday night. We did have a bit of a chilly weekend which has helped us get into the Christmas spirit.

I created a new pendant to wear to some of the holiday parties. It is a large snowflake on a premade coral pendant purchased at Michaels. The snowflake design is created with Margot's Miracle Mud from Unique Glass Colors. This is an amazing new product that I will certainly be using on lots of future projects! You put the mud into a cake decorating bag with a very fine tip and pipe it out just like frosting. There is enough open time to use a paintbrush to manipulate the mud into all sorts of shapes. It also dries hard, is paintable and can even be fired in a kiln. Talk about versatility!! If you want more information, just follow the link in the right hand column for Unique Glass.

Magnolia Dreams

2009-11-17T12:03:00.002-05:00

Is there another flower that speaks "Southern" the way a magnolia does? It is such a simply elegant flower and a favorite subject to paint in any medium! This is another view of the magnolia class I have been teaching lately.

Ghoul's Nite Out

2009-11-01T11:55:00.002-05:00

Halloween is a very favorite holiday! What's not to love? You get to dress up - give out candy - scare the beejeebers out of everyone!! We had a great party to attend this year which gave me a chance to put on a "different" face - that's me on the right. Made my dress and the bat on the necklace. The fangs were interesting to put on. They were individual teeth that you mix a temporary epoxy which sets to the individual tooth. Once it hardens after about 10 minutes, you break the seal and the fake tooth slips on and off. There was one moment of panic when I couldn't break the seal on one of them, but eventually it came off - whew! That would not be fun to explain to my dentist!!

How did you celebrate?

I'm Ready for my Close-up, Mr. D!

2009-10-10T10:27:00.002-04:00

At the auction I was rushing around so fast that I almost forgot to take photos of all the auction pieces before they disappeared! Luckily I did get a decent shot of this clock I painted. It was a fairly thick piece so there was lots of surface to drape roses across. I love freehand designing pieces like this - no pattern applied so the roses tell you where they want to go!

Auction for the Painting Chapter

2009-10-05T12:48:00.003-04:00

Our painting chapter - Creative Artists of Central Florida - had our annual auction of painted items this past weekend. We have some very talented artists in our group and they contributed some absolutely wonderful artwork for the auction. Here are a few photos...

Masquerade Rose Part IV

2009-09-21T17:23:00.003-04:00

For the final reveal...

Painting from your own still life set-up is a wonderful challenge. It teaches you so much about problem solving. Color, object placement, lighting, line of design and more! Each painting is a learning opportunity. Try it sometime!!

UPDATE: This painting just won first place in the First Annual Kingslan Art Classic! I am so excited!!

Masquerade Rose Part III

2009-09-20T09:31:00.003-04:00

The variety of masks we found in Venice was astounding! There were way too many to choose from. One of my most favorite looked like some sort of laser cut metal. The delicate & precise cutting was so incredible - and expensive. Oh well, maybe on my next trip. In the end, I chose this lace mask. It was romantic & elegant with a hint of sparkle. Plus it was a lot of fun to paint - challenging but fun.

Masquerade Rose Part II

2009-09-15T10:24:00.002-04:00

There was a masquerade party on the ship the night we left Venice. It was really fun to see all the different masks that everyone found - such variety! This is another piece to the painting. The full painting will be revealed shortly!!

Masquerade Rose Part I

2009-09-01T10:42:00.003-04:00

During our trip to Italy last year, we carefully selected souvenirs that would remind us of those faraway places. Some souvenirs were of the edible kind such as olive oil from Croatia - which was a pleasant & lovely surprise. Rome was more about shopping for our Catholic friends at the Vatican, but my hubby did find a nice piece of leather for himself. There was lace from Burano, glass from Murano, and Venetian handmade paper and masks.

Venice was by far my most favorite city. The romance of the gondolas, the mystery of the masks, all the bridges, palaces and secluded courtyards were magical. Extra thought was used in selecting those special souvenirs from Venice because I knew they were coming home to be part of some future artwork. This photo is a small portion of my first painting of my memories of Venice. The rest will be posted as though a mask were being slowly removed... to reveal the Masquerade Rose.

Margot's White Roses

2009-08-24T09:32:00.006-04:00

This is a new necklace I created for Margot. It features two of her gorgeous white roses and will be offered for sale as she rolls out her new painting DVD on how to paint these roses. I've had the privilege of painting with Margot for years & she is an incredibly gifted teacher! And I am so grateful for her friendship.

The necklace is something I created with the new Patera jewelry pieces, combined with crystals & freshwater pearls. This particular necklace is a limited edition - there will only be 50 of this design created. So if you want a necklace (and/or the DVD) let me know.

Right now I have two looming deadlines for this week - gotta get back to it!!!

Magnolias - a New Twist

2009-07-30T10:43:00.005-04:00

Creating a new piece of art sometimes takes a great deal of time & effort. Preparing to teach that same piece of art takes even more time - prepping a pattern, writing instructions, taking clear photographs, and sometimes assembling all the materials needed! If you are really lucky, the finished work turns out even better than expected & becomes versatile as well.

This happened with the magnolia watercolor. Besides being a nice piece of art, I found out that the design can be reversed and the pattern divided into two separate paintings. Not only that but the design holds up to being reduced to a miniature size for making jewelry. It won't be mass produced - just a few individual pieces hand made. So if you are interested, please just ask!

Magnolias

2009-07-13T12:04:00.002-04:00

I've been working on some new stuff as usual. This is a piece I finished last week just in time to take to my local painting chapter for show & tell. It will be the subject of my next watercolor batik class for later this month.

It is hard to believe that July is here and nearly half over! Before we know it, school will be starting and the holidays will be upon us again. I sat down to update my calendar for the last half of the year and was amazed (and a little frightened) of just how much is already on that list. How far out do you plan?

Back from Peoria

2009-06-27T10:32:00.003-04:00

What a whirlwind of a week! Although my plans to blog from Peoria fell through - the internet connection was very difficult! - we had a great time!! Margot, Penny & I had a 2 room suite at the Staybridge and were quite comfortable. We did manage to just about walk our feet totally off and kept some crazy hours. We met up with fellow chapter members and got to spend time with Kate, a former chapter member who now lives in Colorado - Hi Kate!!

Here is a photo of Margot teaching the tulip class. Margot taught 2 classes and Penny and I had a full roster of classes - Penny & I even had a Sharon Hamilton class together on Tuesday. We learned new techniques & even new words - my new favorite word is Orpiment - what it does to a painting is magic!

Unfortunately, none of us passed our certification boards - but it is a learning process for sure! I already have my packet for next year and am already thinking about how to approach the exercise. Hopefully the others will join me in trying again.

Peoria is quite a lovely small city on the banks of a beautiful river. There was a Riverfest going on while we were there - if only there had been more time to explore a bit. The three of us did make it out to a really nice steakhouse on Saturday night - with Kate & some other painters (there were 9 of us total). This was the closest thing to a real meal we had seen pretty much all week - lovely salad bar & steak! There were grill stations set up in the different areas - you could cook your own or pay a small fee & someone else would cook it for you. Needless to say, after being on our feet for days we all opted to have someone else do the cooking!

Everyone had a great time and is looking forward to next year's convention in Wichita. Come join us!

Off to Peoria!

2009-06-13T11:13:00.002-04:00

The bee was quite fitting to represent what is soon to happen - members of our local painting chapter will be winging our way to Peoria for a very busy week.

Next week is my annual conference with the Society of Decorative Painters, so I will be blogging on the road. I'm rooming with a couple of friends, so it tends to be a fun "girl's getaway" with a lot of hard work involved! There are lots of classes to take, other artist friends to make or catch up with old friends. There are several of us waiting to see if we passed a certification board - we find out Wednesday morning! And, of course, shopping!!! Can't miss that trade floor. There are also lots of different parties and the banquet on Friday night.

Come along and get a taste of what convention is like. My plan is to take lots of photos & post every day, so let's hope the laptop cooperates and the camera holds out!

See you in Peoria...

June at Mind Wide Open

2009-06-08T15:57:00.004-04:00

Found the time between deadlines to submit another entry into the Mind Wide Open challenge again. Gail hosts a really great challenge each month - she supplies the image & then the creative frenzy begins! I created the cover for a small journal. It is a perfect place to jot down those little sayings that strike your fancy.

Check out all the entries at www.mind-wideopen.blogspot.com & vote, vote, vote!!

Belle of the Ball

2009-06-01T06:58:00.002-04:00

We went to EPCOT's Flower & Garden Show over the weekend and the photos from yesterday & today were taken there. Lovely weather - yay, no rain in sight!

Invitation to Tea?

2009-05-31T12:31:00.005-04:00

Welcome to my summer tea party - would you like a cup? Miss Ladybug will be happy to serve you and Miss Honeybee will be providing the sweets! And the fairies will be sprinkling their magic over the festivities... won't you join in the fun?

It's About Time

2009-05-22T10:25:00.003-04:00

There are so many new things in progress right now but nothing that can be shared just yet. Until then, here is part of a new piece that I can share with you. The background is one I created at Margot's last Art Experience. It has been altered a bit & is now at the embellishment phase. With a "time" theme, I may pull this canvas off the stretcher bars & mount it to a more sturdy background, then mount up a battery operated clock mechanism. An art piece that talks about time should keep it as well, don't you think?

Happy Mothers Day

2009-05-10T12:17:00.003-04:00

Here's to mothers everywhere! My mother has always been a source of inspiration & comfort. She is my cheering section as well as the voice of reason...whether I agree or not! We laugh together & cry together - sometimes at the same time.

My husband occasionally complains that I am just like my mother... and I can think of no better compliment!

I love you, Mom

Spring Fling Part Two

2009-05-04T09:24:00.004-04:00

Penny & I created two separate tables for Spring Fling - yes we are crazy!!! Here are photos of our second table. This table was a lot of fun to put together - we each had elements to provide for the bags. Penny's sewing skills rock!!

The contents of the make-up bag are not in the photo. There was a small round mirror & beautiful hand made earrings by Margot's niece, Heather, & her friend, Amanda. Heather & Amanda's work can be found on Margot's website (see sidebar for address). They make lovely jewelry out of hand made paper beads & each item is a one-of-a-kind creation.

I am so blessed to be surrounded by such creative people...

2009-05-03T12:43:00.004-04:00

Spring Fling is finally over!! It was a LOT of work but everyone had the most wonderful tablescapes, we had a great lunch, and everyone had lots of fun at the auction... and I am TIRED!!! Here are a few photos of one of the tables my friend, Penny Brown, and I put together.

Roses, roses everywhere!

2009-04-30T09:40:00.003-04:00

Still working on the Spring Fling stuff but there is light at the end of the tunnel... which is fast approaching. See the light on the roses? That tunnel end is in sight!

I'm a Little Teapot, Short & Stout

2009-04-29T08:23:00.003-04:00

This weekend is the Spring Fling luncheon, a fundraising event for our local painting chapter (CACF). I truly need my head examined this year because I volunteered to do not just one table but participate in two!! My friend, Penny B, and I are collaborating on two very different themed tables - and I have stuff in various stages of completion spread all over my kitchen and dining room. One table is called "Harvest Rose" and contains elegant roses & lace. The other is "Whimsical Teaparty" and is more vintage & funky. These little teapots are ceramic pins that will go on the whimsical table.

I have a scary amount of work still to be finished before Saturday, yet here I sit posting photos & blogging. I must be nuts!!! Why do things always sound great in the planning stages & the execution of said plans sometimes ends up feeling like - an execution?!?

Will post photos (if I survive this) of all the table stuff, so check back after Saturday if you want to see how it turned out, what we did, and if my sanity is a total loss.

Butterfly Dreams Part 2

2009-04-18T08:26:00.004-04:00

OK - Maybe just a bit more... this turned out better than I anticipated & I just can't resist! This design is on an ACEO that has been sent somewhere special. More about that later...

Just got back from 10 days in Mexico and I am still trying to get caught up. There is a lot going on right now! Our chapter Spring Fling is May 2nd and I am painting furiously to get stuff ready for TWO tables - photos to follow on that. My friend, Penny, and I are collaborating on two very different tables - should be fun.

Also, the deadline looms for the SDP certification boards - May 18 is the deadline!!! I am working on a master floral board this year - keeping my fingers crossed!

April Fool

2009-04-01T13:02:00.003-04:00

In the spirit of April foolishness, here is the outside of a new little piece of art I just finished. Can't show the inside quite yet so this is just a little bit of a tease... more to come shortly.

The spring holidays are upon us. One of my most favorite memories is hunting Easter eggs in my grandparent's very large yard. I don't know who hid all those eggs but all the grandkids would gather together & have a fine old time of it!

My husband's family celebrates Passover and I can remember some special dinners with his family when we still lived in California.

However you celebrate the season, Happy Spring!!

Spring Tulips

2009-03-13T10:36:00.002-04:00

The warm sunshine has been a tonic this week - lots to do and much accomplished! I decided to make a jacket that I have had planned out in my head for several months. It uses several fabrics from my stash - most notably some of the wonderful batik cottons brought back from the last trip to Hawaii. There was an amazing quilt store (looked like an old barn it was so big) on Kauai that I only had a few minutes to shop in. I could have spent a LOT of money in there as it was stocked full of batiks & Asian fabric. What I did bring home I have hoarded until now & some of this is worked into the jacket - photo coming but it is not ready yet.

Here I am talking about a jacket & Hawaii - so what is the relevance with the photo above? Not much I guess. However, I am planning my flower purchases for my pots on the front porch & back patio. These pink tulips were painted from a lovely large pot of flowers I put on the back patio several years ago & couldn't help taking photos of them. They were lovely, reminded me of spring growing up in Tennessee, but sadly are only found here in Florida in captivity! It just doesn't get cold enough (except for this winter maybe!) to grow them in the ground here.

But they are Spring Tulips! What says Spring to you?

Spring Will Come

2009-03-03T09:02:00.002-05:00

One of the things I like best about living in Florida is the "usually" warm winter. This year has certainly been an exception! Now I realize that most everywhere else has been freezing but we aren't used to that down here. This winter has been much colder and managed to freeze all the vines off my back fence. Normally a little freeze doesn't bother them too much - the top layer might turn brown but there is green underneath and the first sign of warm weather encourages new growth. This year, the damage was so deep that hubby had to cut back all the vines off the fence down to the main root ball. Our fence looks bald & naked like a really short buzz cut.

Still, there is something to say for the promise of new beginnings. The weather will soon be warming up and those vines will begin to reestablish themselves on the fence. It will be interesting to see what survives and how the new growth shapes itself. There are several different types of vines - jasmine, bleeding heart, passion vine, clematis - and over the last few years the passion vine has covered over pretty much everything. The bleeding heart has cowered at the base of the fence. The jasmine peeks through at the beginning of the bloom but quickly gives up the fight. The clematis has its own space on an arched bench but managed to find its way up into neighboring trees and along a side fence, trying to outrun the passion vine.

So now we have a more level playing field. Everyone has room to grow & thrive - if they can survive the cold weather & severe pruning. The similarities of the vines and the current state of the world is not lost here. This is a time for reinvention and is something that we can do with a little help from one another... and Spring will come.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T09:12:00.002-05:00

Even though I live on the outskirts of a major tourist destination (the Mouse in all its glory - 4 theme parks!!) there are still pockets of a slower way of life in evidence. One of those pockets is just a mile or so from my house in the form of a pick-it-yourself strawberry patch called Pappy's. If the weather cooperates there are usually fresh picked berries starting around Christmas all the way up until late April/early May. There is nothing like a fresh picked berry right out of the field. What passes for fresh berries in most markets doesn't even come close!

These were picked yesterday and had a little chocolate bath this morning. Margot's spring Art Experience starts today and these beauties are on their way over to her house to be enjoyed by her peeps. Of course, a few fell off the plate and will be enjoyed by my sweetie tonight.

Happy Valentine to all &

Hug someone you love!

New Work for 2009

2009-02-12T17:08:00.003-05:00

Lots going on but not a lot I can post about right now. However, I do have a newly finished piece that I can share. This is a new painting I just finished for my husband for Valentine's Day. Nothing says you love your man like giving him a predatory creature of the deep!!! This shark is from one of his underwater photographs. Love ya toots!!

Time Flies to Christmas

2008-12-10T09:25:00.004-05:00

Wow - where did this year go? It seems like we just got back from Europe yesterday and here it is December & almost Christmas. This is the part of the year that time seems to hit hyperspeed & there are just not enough hours in the day for everything!

Last Saturday was my painting chapter Christmas party which turned out to be one of the best we have ever had in my opinion. Our theme this year was Angels and there were lots of "angels" in attendance. Even with a half hour delay in set-up, we were done in record time & even had time for a group photo before opening the doors. The Christmas Committee provided the angel table decorations (some of us did multiple angels even) and it was a lovely presentation. Here are a few of them.

Traveling the World

2008-09-21T09:42:00.003-04:00

No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth - it only felt that way! We have been traveling and the photo might give a hint of where we went. (hint... lots of wine involved!)

Yes! We went to ITALY and parts nearby. Spent nearly two weeks on a cruise ship starting in Rome, then on to Naples (& Sorrento, Positano & Pompeii), around the boot to Dubrovnik (Croatia), over to Venice!!!, down to Sicily, back up to Barcelona, then to Monaco, Livorno (Florence), and back to Rome. Yikes! We are tired!!! And it was all amazing.

I have lots of photos to share & stories to tell... more to come!

Artists Opening Reception

2008-08-01T08:27:00.005-04:00

Last night was the Artists Opening at the Daily Grind in Apopka for Margot & SJ. There were LOTS of people there to view the art & shop! The art pieces look like there were almost made especially for this particular show, but I know for sure that Margot & SJ both used pieces from their personal stashes. It was a wonderful evening!! Congrats Margot & SJ!!

Open House in Orlando

2008-07-08T18:06:00.003-04:00

If you are in the Orlando area, check out the art opening at the Daily Grind in Apopka on July 31st. Margot & SJ are the "artists in residence" and will be having their grand opening reception!! There is artwork ranging from paintings to fired glass and their work is amazing!! Just click on the image for more details. See you there!

Remembrance Art

2008-07-08T16:19:00.002-04:00

Another great idea by Gail regarding the Mind Wide Open contest - techniques used!! There were several new techniques & products I had purchased but hadn't used yet & this was the perfect opportunity to give them a try!

I started by printing off the image Gail provided onto photo paper and tore the edges using a deckle ruler. This was mounted onto a piece of 8"x10" matboard in a soft green. I used OmniGel by Houston Art to coat some sheet music printed on parchment paper. About 3 coats of the gel gave enough thickness. Let dry thoroughly. Then soak paper in warm water bath face down & begin to peel off paper backing. What you have left is a translucent image of the sheet music. Pieces of this were glued down with more OmniGel. Different colors of paint - soft green similar to background color, raw umber, burnt umber, raw sienna - were drybrushed around perimeter of image to soften into background.

I used gold & silver metallic stamp inkpads and different rubber stamps in 2 different dragonfly shapes & various scroll shapes to add extra surface embellishment. I also cut out one of the dragonflies that had been stamped onto extra parchment paper to add as a freeform embellishment at the end. The words are printed on ExtravOrganza by Jacquard, a printable semitransparent silk with paper backing for computer printing. I played with the orientation of my text as well as color & typefaces. Once the words were printed, I cut them apart & the organza frays very easily for a different effect. Using short choppy strokes into the frayed edges gave a bit of movement and I then rolled the strips into a little bundle & rubbed the frayed edges over the stamp pads to darken. The organza strips are left loose on the front and the ends wrapped to the back & secured.

My last embellishments were Grungeboard scrolls painted in the background color with random embossing ink applied & silver embossing powers added. There are 3 small plastic translucent tiles in the lower right corner that also have silver embossing from one of the scroll stamps. Frame as desired!

Mind Wide Open Contest!!

2008-07-07T17:34:00.008-04:00

Oh, my lost Love, your faint music follows me on tiny wings of Remembrance

Darling Gail from Shabby Cottage Studio has created a new blog called Mind Wide Open. Gail has set forth a wonderful challenge for any & all artists to let the creativity loose to create a new piece of art using a design she generously provides. You can then go to the blog & vote on your favorite. I certainly couldn't turn down such an offer so here is my entry. If you have a blog, come join the fun next time and create your own artwork. There are prizes to be had from Shabby Cottage Studio.

Gail will post all the entries starting tomorrow and give everyone a week to vote. Don't pass up the chance to see what will surely be some amazing & creative artwork!! Click on the link in the sidebar for Mind Wide Open to see all the entries and cast your vote. Can't wait to see what everyone has created.

And don't forget to vote!!

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-03T11:33:00.003-04:00

Have a wonderful 4th of July everyone!

Our 4th will be celebrated with family & friends coming by for a BBQ out by the pool. There will be fireworks in the street as usual courtesy of the big boys (dads) and all the kids. This has been a neighborhood event since we moved here 15 years ago and everyone looks forward to it every year. In Florida, we don't see our neighbors as often during the summer months due to the heat & humidity, but special times like this seem to bring us all together.

Here is a new clock I just finished. Enjoy the holiday!

The Cracker House

2008-06-06T15:20:00.003-04:00

No, the title does not mean this is where you go when you have truly lost your mind... nor is it a place to score illicit drugs. A cracker house is old style Florida. The houses were built on a raised foundation and designed so that natural breezes could flow through. This is a colored pencil drawing I just completed. A friend has a newly refurbished cracker house on their property and wanted artwork to mark the completion. This isn't my usual art medium but was a very nice change of pace. Have you tried a new art medium or method recently?

Celebration of Discovery

2008-05-24T09:10:00.003-04:00

Power of the Purse is an annual fundraising event for a local women's philanthropic group. The monies collected throughout the year is endowed to different support groups dealing with women's issues - ranging from literacy to legal and medical aid. The grant process was very thorough & the presentations by the recipients showed that the money will be used for worthwhile causes.

I had the opportunity to participate this year by donating a piece of art (enclosed photos) for their silent auction. The theme is purses - functional or nonfunctional pieces - and the amount of creativity in the entries was inspiring! Recycled materials was a definite ingredient in many of the pieces. We were invited to an artist's reception prior to the auction and it was really wonderful to get to know some artists that I wouldn't normally meet.

I had a wonderful time and am looking forward to submitting a piece for next year!

Roses & Denim

2008-05-13T13:06:00.002-04:00

Two weeks from today Margot & I will join other decorative painters in Tampa for the Society of Decorative Painters' annual conference. Margot is teaching a class and is part of DecoArt's big event. The Decorative Arts Collection is also displaying a new book on handpainted carved Santas and Margot has a wonderful Santa in this book!

I have been busy painting a floral master board for submission in the SDP certification process - which is the reason for no post for so long!!! These submissions pretty much dominate your life for a serious chunk of time and I always seem to wait until the last minute to finish - must allow more time for next year!

Being in such a creative atmosphere for nearly a week can be very heady stuff and we are both working hard on our preparations for departure. I finished my handpainted jeans to wear to show & tell for our chapter's May meeting and wanted to share with you as well. Here is a close-up of the leg. There are a number of techniques included: hand painted roses, stamping, pen & ink, and vintage lace, button & fiber embellishment.

I have a commissioned piece I am working on right now that I will share when it is completed next week- something a bit out of the ordinary.

Okay, I am off to finish some more deadlines before we leave!

Do you have an upcoming creative pursuit coming up in your life?

Vintage Rose Collage

2008-03-13T15:26:00.002-04:00

Today is a bit of a play day. I bought these wonderful clear stamps from sweet Gail at Shabby Cottage Studio and they have been "burning a hole" on my painting table for way too long. They finally came out of the wrapper today and became part of my artwork du jour! I started with a piece of wrapping paper that had a bit of a collage thing for starters. Various stamps were used with ink colors ranging from metallics, burgundy, rose & coffee, then embossing powders in an aged gold and white pearl were randomly sprinkled on, then heated with a heat gun to bubble away merrily. Before the heating, I discovered that I could take the sharp end of a wooden skewer and clean out areas where I really didn't want the embossing powder to stay, especially inside letters. I had the makings for some quick little mirrors and used a template to draw circles for the mirror backs. Before cutting out the circles, I painted some soft little pink roses in and around the embossing. When dry, cut out circles & assemble the mirrors. Voila! Quick & sweet & ready to give or sell. Hmmm....

Comments please...

2008-03-04T09:43:00.003-05:00

Sorry if I have missed posting your comment... blogger doesn't seem to be cooperating today! It's been tweaked a bit so hopefully will behave. Please repost if your comment does not show up - we LOVE getting feedback from you!

Hot Glass

2008-03-04T08:53:00.003-05:00

Margot had her first ART Experience in her new studio last week! It was a whole week of creativity - LOTS of new painting to do!! And we were exposed to some new stuff out of the normal such as..... HOT GLASS! This was just too much fun. There were tons of glass colors to play with as well as all kinds of ground glass and other things to put in or on the glass before firing. Our special glass teacher, SJ, was wonderful and encouraging... can't wait to do more of this! Here is the piece I designed from one of my butterfly patterns. I quite liked the loose result I achieved and already have plans for more! More photos are coming from this wonderful week of learning.

What techniques or new materials have you tried?

A Sunny Disposition

2008-02-10T12:06:00.000-05:00

We just returned from a week in Cozumel for their version of Carnival - a much more family oriented affair than the Mardi Gras in New Orleans! We spent a wonderful week with lots of beach/reading time for the gals and diving for the guys. Our friends from Idaho, Nancy & Eric, were glad to get out of the cold for a few days and we had a wonderful time visiting with our friends, Christy and Chucho - and their adorable little sweetheart, Sarina. Here is a photo of Sarina enjoying some wave action. She is a true water baby!

Light a Path to a Happy & Creative 2008

2008-01-01T14:32:00.000-05:00

This is the time of year for new resolutions, but I prefer to think about which direction I want my creative self to travel. Are there new mediums & techniques I haven't tried yet or maybe old techniques just need to be revisited in a new way. My brochure is here for the Society of Decorative Painters convention held in May... do I want to try new techniques & teachers or do I want to further challenge and refine my knowledge in my current painting mediums?

Do I want to teach more classes this year? (of course!!) And what do I want them to learn?

This past year resulted in traveling down some very different creative paths. At the beginning of this past year, who knew I would have my artwork hanging in a fine art gallery in downtown Orlando? Didn't see that one coming at all but it was a direct result from challenging myself to follow a path never before attempted. For that matter, who knew I would start a blog and put forth my art for all the world to see?

My creative path is illuminated by many sources, but just a few are... very creative friends willing to generously share their time and ideas, the many and varied creative publications we have accessible in today's market, and so many creative blogs that provide so much inspiration... all have been invaluable.

Where does your creative path lead you?

Wishing you a Happy New Year and a richly creative journey.

miss harmony

2007-12-10T14:20:00.000-05:00

Wow - who stole November and how can it be only about 2 weeks until Christmas? Margot & I are preparing for a new show at the City Arts Factory in Orlando that opens on the 20th. The theme is shades of Black & White! This is definitely not a normal style for either of us so the challenge has been quite intriguing. Here is a portion of my entry. It is a reverse glass painting with a mixed media background.

What have you attempted lately out of your comfort zone?

Frog-O-Rama!

2007-10-26T10:54:00.000-04:00

This is another element from the 7 Naughty Witches trunk designed by Bobbie Takashima. There are frogs of all shapes and sizes found in this design and this is one of my favorites. These little guys were just too much fun to paint!

I am off to a SCUBA trade show for the next few days and will return in November just in time to post some Christmas stuff. Until then, HAPPY HALLOWEEN AND TRICK OR TREAT!!

Watercolor class continued

2007-10-15T11:57:00.000-04:00

Next we have Beth's finished work. Beth wanted to use Kathie George's design but wanted the layout configured differently. Part of the class was creating art to fit specific predetermined design parameters. This is only a really fancy way of saying we were using an existing frame size and wanted the art work to fit the available frame. Kathie's original design was resized, flipped & partially redrawn to fit into the design space.

The second photo shows Beth working with Prismacolor pencils during the embellishment phase. Here is Beth's completed framed piece - the mood of this painting is so different from Kathie's original.

How do you determine the size of your work of art? Do you create art to fit the size of a finishing technique or vice versa?

Watercolor Wonder

2007-10-03T11:12:00.000-04:00

Continuing with images from Saturday's class, Judy and Nancy collaborated on a design layout featuring dragonflies. Once the wax was ironed off Judy's painting, she experimented with metallic paint and markers to embellish her painting. Since she brought a frame to class, we were able to get the finished painting matted & framed. Judy's finished painting resembled antique Japanese kimono fabric - delicate but graphic at the same time - simply stunning!!

When you think you are done - maybe you aren't!

2007-09-30T11:25:00.000-04:00

Several of my painting friends came over yesterday for a watercolor batik class. Little did they know, they were in for a more challenging painting session than they expected! We did not stop at the batik process. After the wax was removed, the real fun began. Everyone worked on a different design so the embellishment process sort of evolved as we went along.

This is Margot's painting at the end of the session. She has a bit more refining to do but it is looking gorgeous! Margot normally paints very soft so this much color was certainly brave of her. Once it is matted & framed I will get a photo posted.

More photos of the other pieces will be coming up soon!

And do I have the iris from the previous post completed? Of course not!! The embellishment process takes awhile but should be worth the wait. Until then....

New techniques & directions

2007-09-25T14:36:00.000-04:00

Normally I paint in acrylics but was reintroduced to watercolor batik this summer. I signed up for a Kathie George seminar at the annual SDP convention and thoroughly enjoyed the class. It was so inspirational, I came home and started using my own designs with this technique. The technique is fairly easy and the application of wax layers means the finished design is a bit of a surprise. I am taking the process a bit further by incorporating metallic acrylics, Prismacolor pencils and/or chalk pastels along with stamping, etc. This photo shows my current piece with the wax ironed off and no further embellishment. I will post the finished piece for comparison in a day or so.

What new techniques have you recently tried?

regifting with a twist

2007-09-23T12:54:00.000-04:00

Today is a special birthday for my friend, Penny. She is a very creative and special "sister of the art" and her generosity knows no bounds. Penny's talents extend into fine dressmaker quality sewing and her love and appreciation of vintage sewing & lace, which we have both incorporated into our work at times. Over the years, she has shared many of her creative treasures with me and is always on the lookout for new junque that I can use in my artistic creations. Last year she gave me two wonderful teak trays. They were a bit worn and scratched in places but were very well made, and I knew they would be transformed and repurposed at some point in time. I brought them home and found a place to store them which was not an easy thing to do at all - my storage ability reached critical mass some time ago - but that is a post for another day.

While searching around the studio for a gift, I came across one of those trays and realized it would be perfect for my needs. What made it even better was I had already started the painting process. I used a lace pattern from one of Arlene Linton's wonderful books and painted the lace runner on a dark green background. The rose came from my garden and creates a bit of a trompe l'oeil effect.

The finished tray turned out great! Penny is sure to love it. And the best part for me? It is one more piece out of my studio!!

Happy Birthday Penny!!!

Bad Moon Rising

2007-08-31T12:07:00.000-04:00

Halloween is a most favorite holiday and Margot and I wanted to do something special this year. I found a too cute Bobbie Takashima pattern at convention this year titled "7 Naughty Witches" and we decided to work together while creating our own "heirloom" pieces.

This style of painting is sooooo out of our comfort zone! We also never get to paint together just for the pleasure of it... usually we are working!!

Here is my little moon man. He is painted on canvas which was then cut down to size and glued into the tray bottom inside my trunk. It was easier to apply this way rather than trying to paint on the inside surface while struggling with the edges. He is painted in grayscale colors - the appearance of color on this photo is due to the flash. Color will be glazed on before he is complete!

What do you create just for the pleasure of creating?

Travel Home

2007-08-18T11:49:00.000-04:00

Traveling to far flung destinations is always enjoyable, but it is always good to return home. We have been away for a few days... the piles of laundry have been seen to and it's back to the daily routine. The big difference is bringing a fresher perspective to the creative process after a few days away. New vistas and experiences can't help but influence how we see the world and that is oftentimes reflected in what we choose to create. These experiences are added to our daily lives... sometimes in subtle ways... or not...

To me, one constant as a reminder of home has always been a magnolia. Being Southern born, the majesty of an old magnolia tree speaks to the heart. I created this design a number of years ago for a small trunk (the full design wraps all four sides as well as the top) but had the opportunity recently to rework the design a bit to fit a canvas for a private class I taught.

How does travel affect your creative process?

Creative Sharing

2007-08-02T10:03:00.000-04:00

After following quite a few blogs and being so inspired by all the wonderful creativity out there, this is a "dream space" for more of the same to share...