dosfishes

Bold Words and a Big Pocket

2012-01-28T16:44:00.002-05:00

While some lovely women
painted and played with journal making
I found these words, bold
words for my journal
page and made a big pocket
too.

Room for lots more words
that resonate to tuck into this big
half page pocket.

More to come.

Pink masking tape is
becoming my new friend.

Speaking of pink, don't
you just want to put on
that bathing cap - or take
off -yes you heard me right-
that swimsuit and dive
into this pink confection.

Makes me think of
those lucite high heeled
slippers with pink puff balls
Doris Day wore in one of those
old movies with Rock Hudson?

Nice pink background to
begin something new.

Have a heart-ful weekend.

Noodling

2012-01-26T17:15:00.001-05:00

Noodling ideas about shadows
what is hidden, what is revealed...

Contemplating texture
roughness and bumps...

Wandering through the sensuousness
of paper, it's curves, it's appeal

just noodling...

Re-cycle Journal Collage Making

2012-01-23T10:10:00.000-05:00

Some prep for a first time
visual journal group coming
Wednesday. Cereal Box journal
cover making as a demonstration
and a re-cycled tea box pocket too.

See that hoop, this is
going to be my RE-duce
journal, one of those is
coming home with me
and were going to get
cracking on some twisty
moves.

Inside tea box pocket.

For the most amazing journal making with
recycled materials visit Jennibellie, you will
be inspired, just like me.

Happy Monday.

RE-Pair

2012-01-19T18:00:00.001-05:00

A certain puppy puppy

Ryder Roo Spunky Dude
ate
my favorite painting apron strap.
So today I got around to a mini
re-pair and a little funkalish upgrade.

The ugly before photo

Strap redo

And the funkadoo.

Now I can mess it up more
with paint and all manner of
stuff.

What did your puppy or kitty eat this week?

Just Journaling In

2012-01-18T09:45:00.000-05:00

Some of this,
and some of this
and some of this...

Ten minutes
fast without thinking
just journaling in...

Stay warm,
and be your totally cool selves.

Hands as Tools

2012-01-16T09:54:00.000-05:00

Art for me is becoming
more primitive and raw, I have
put away most brushes,
most tools in favor of hands.

Hands are us, hands speak
the language we speak,
no need for translation,
interpretation, hands are
the most elemental way we
can express what comes
up, what comes out,
at least for me...

Hands show us where we
have been with their lines
and wrinkles and perhaps
where we are going?

Hands as tools...

RE-zone Ice Blue

2012-01-14T16:58:00.001-05:00

Some days you are just in the zone
giving your mind time to wonder
and wander, like today when ice
blue glitter called my name...

In the studio big guy toes
danced to a different beat...

What ever works to get you
through your creative day.
I call this a celebration, don't you?

Road Trip of the Mind

2012-01-12T10:11:00.000-05:00

An image of a funky old car
(one of those renault or fiat's not sure)
inspired my silly road trip page.

Maps, the car, a coffee cuff
from you know who
(people save them for me
and I pick them up from
those nasty litterer's out there)
Tempura paint, an old paper towel
fragment, glitter glue
stamping, masking tape,
all manner of
fun-ness to create this
page.

A road trip into the mind....

Following RE-d

2012-01-10T13:23:00.001-05:00

Today I decided to follow red
as an exercise as play -
pasting and paint -no agenda
no goal, following RE-d...
thanks to pixlr for the photo enhancements.

What did you follow today?

Journal Juice

2012-01-08T09:45:00.001-05:00

Art journaling at the studio
yesterday with two open
and eager students gave
me the juice to RE-wind
and get my rhythm back.

Orange is never far from
my mind as you can see here
and coffee - rings...love that java jolt.

Check out the studio blog
to see what those gals did,
journal juice indeed!

Less Than Perfect Journal RE-created

2012-01-05T11:25:00.000-05:00

I finished the less than perfect
art journal. Less than perfect
is my way of being. I don't like
directions, really just want to
do it my way,
or the wabi sabi highway
so I never quite make it perfect
which suits me just perfectly!

Ready to add to, draw in,
paint in, create whatever
might come to me in this
re-created journal from
already painted pages.

RE-

2012-01-03T12:10:00.000-05:00

RE- my word for the year.
Back and again and again.
To the source, back to the
creative wellspring that
flows from my soul,
my heart.

Re-entry today.
Painted papers
turning into an
art journal of my
making, to see
where the RE- flows.

Signatures of possibility,
see what shows up, listen
to the whispers floating
on the ether...

Happy New Year and the Winner Is...

2011-12-31T15:23:00.000-05:00

Granddaughter Brianna dutifully
wrote out the names and tossed
them in the magic hat ...

Since she was here the superhero
let her do the honors.

Congratulations to...

Jill Eudaly of
Recycled Daze and of course
Brianna added her own little touch...

Happy New Year Everyone.
See you in 2012.

Letting Go

2011-12-30T16:31:00.000-05:00

Letting go
letting go
letting go,
moving
my hands
my heart,
keeping
my head out
of the way
letting go...

making room for stitch.

Beginning Release

2011-12-26T15:36:00.000-05:00

Today is a footloose day.
Too cold to actually go
barefoot, but releasing
all the buildup to the holidays
was my goal...

Using up paint from the
bargain bin, paint from the basement...

Painting with a really big brush onto a
really bigger piece of drop cloth, 10 x 4 feet...

Painting with my hands,
painting by mono printing
with newspaper, painting
with a paint stick...

No outcomes,
just releasing
and seeing what shows up...

Spilling over
onto paper
to see what
shows up later.

500 It's Time To Celebrate

2011-12-21T04:28:00.000-05:00

It's time to celebrate.
500 Posts.

As we close in on the Winter Solstice
it's time to release
all those thoughts holding us back
all those limiting constructs about ourselves we
no longer need.
A time to banish the critic
and put forth in our hearts what
we truly want our lives to be like in
2012.

What better gift can I give away
to all my friends and followers
than this book...

Brand new and
full of shining goodness.
A way to begin 2012
with wishes in our hearts.

Please leave a comment
by New Year's Eve and
the superhero will pull a
name out of his magic
hat. I will send this book
off to the winner along
with some mystery goodness
of my own.

Release, Rest, Replenish
and Renew the who that
you all our during this
holiday time, I so look
forward to meeting you
here in 2012 and feeling
the giant power of your
creativity as it bursts forth
into a new year.

xox

Wahoo Mail and My 499th Post

2011-12-19T09:40:00.001-05:00

Wahoo Holiday Mail
Merry jolly indeed with
friends like these.

Lyle and her ever bright red
envelope with Christmas Trees,
and so vintage goodies and stamps
and more trees inside.

Kimbucha, bud o mine
and a postcard and giftie
which I am waiting to open
Christmas Day.

Nests from Pamela in SF
mail art queen extraordinaire.

A perky Christmas bird on
silvery branch from Jill,
a recycler's best friend
she is a force of upcycling
goodness. See her in CPS
all the time!!!

Pen pal Linda in Virginia
who sadly does not blog
sent me the Christmas letter
in a bottle filled with
stickers and stamps, fir
branches and berries, so
festive, darn why didn't I think
of that.

Pen Pal Laurie who has
been trading tea themed posts
with me now has an intriguing
reverse security envie which I
will be opening and preparing
and equally challenging envie
to send back.

Childhood friend Cheryl
from now down NC way
sent this cheery bird
ornament card, those
cardinals are right in my
back yard.

And so it comes to this,
499 posts as of today.
Next one is the big 500.
Stay tuned....

Something To Remember

2011-12-17T09:07:00.000-05:00

The Creative Chix Christmas Swap
is officially over. Today this gorgeous
pin was #13.

Pat Winter did
a fantastic job on
this small piece, ribbon
roses, a tiny snowflake
and so pretty lace
around her image transfer
Victorian boot.

I wanted to journal the memory while
everything was still fresh in my mind
so here is my compilation collage
of what this swap means to me
so when I look at this page again
I will visualize the ornaments one
by one and remember the wrapping
and thoughtfulness each artist
put into this swap.

Thanks ladies,
everyone.

Just Moving My Hands

2011-12-16T12:56:00.000-05:00

The holidays have sapped my
creative juice. Like many of
us too much to do, so little time.

Today I made time just to move
my hands, put together a couple
of cards to send off and enjoy
the making.

Vintage ad, scrapbook scrap, watercolor
paper, distress ink, glimmer mist and a tiny
bit of stitch.

Peacock photo I took, printed on acetate,
over some Japanese lettering/stamp paper
on watercolor with glimmer mist.

Just moving my hands.

Happy Friday.

13 Days Of Christmas Swap

2011-12-14T15:53:00.001-05:00

I am so late in posting this
I almost missed it.

Thanks to Elizabeth Woodford,
magical hostess
for creating this extraordinary
swap between thirteen of us.

My photos do it the least justice
so I will share this one and
link you to all the other gals
so you can see the marvels
we have been a swapping.

Please visit all these so talented artists and crafters
on this magical Christmas journey...
Barbara Burkard
Mary Zimany
Elizabeth Woodford
Leslie Brier
Patti Gramza
Martha Brown
Vivian Neroni
Hope Clinchot
Terri Lightfoot
Linda Morgan
Terri Pritzel
and
Pat Winter

Amazing ornaments and gifties all.
If we hadn't been under the weather
you would have seen the glorious shots
these ladies have posted.

On The Mend

2011-12-12T15:23:00.000-05:00

The superhero if finally,
finally on the mend after
almost two weeks of
under the weather.

I finally have some
time to mend my
lack of creativity.

Brown paper packages
tied up with TAPE?
Festive typewriters herald
Season's Greeting to
mail friends far and wide.
Out the door and on
their way.

Post cards and poems
are off today too! So much
is happening is it that way for you?

Pixlr and Prancer,
Philo and Blitzen,
editing edges
for festive description.

My head is a whirl
with kaleidescope green,
tonight to catch up with
my Christmas swap team.

And let's not forget
to put pink in the scene,
some bubbles and bright
lights, Merry Jolly
all green.

On the mend with the sillies!

Wreath Complete

2011-12-09T17:09:00.001-05:00

I had a chance to sneak up to the
studio last night and put up the
new wreath. I decided it needed to
go there. It took this pic with only the
accent lights on and I like the shining
Christmas cone lights on the plants below.

I took Marlene's suggestion and
sprayed the finished wreath with
glimmer mist in sugar maple and
candlelight and it looks
really great, except you can't really
see it in this photo. It is hanging
over that big pink painting I did
a few posts ago.

This should give you
a closer look, although I
still don't think you can
see much of the color.

I could do this again and use book
pages and that would be fun as an
everyday wreath to hang around
the house. Coffee or tea dyed
would give the same effect, don't you
think? Or maybe vintage laces and
paper doilies? The possibilities
are endless.

The superhero is a little better,
and hopefully by tomorrow will
be functional. We hope to have
some friends to the studio for
a visit. This flu has really bogged
him down for a good 10 days.
Mostly headaches and bone tiredness.
Hope none of you get it.....

Happy Friday all. I've got to
play catch up with my Christmas
swap group. I will be posting
all the swap at once since I
am so far behind, but if you
want to visit our lovely hostess,
the ever talented Elizabeth,
you can see what we have
opened thus far. Merry Jolly all.

A New Look

2011-12-07T18:05:00.001-05:00

I have had this grapevine wreath
for about 15 years. Every year
I change it up and hang it somewhere
in the house. This year I decided to
do this....wreath in progress...

We have a gold coffee filter
and no longer need paper
coffee filters, but I had a
package hanging around,
so, they are being stuffed into
my grapevine for this year's look.

I have some gold lame
thread I may wrap this
with, we'll see.
When the holidays are
over, these filters can
be used again in other
creations...I like that.

Not much creating
going on around here,
the superhero got a
really bad flu that has
headaches as part of
it and I have been
fighting to keep myself
from getting sick, just
what we all need at
this busy time of year.

Beginning to play catch up
on all your blogs.

Christmas Shed

2011-12-04T18:34:00.001-05:00

A face for the season,
thanks to hubby
and some recycled
scrap wood.

Merry jolly, isn't he!

Puppy Love

2011-12-02T19:35:00.001-05:00

An indomitable spirit,
soulful eyes, spunky attitude,
puppy breath and puppy sighs...
I am in love.

He flies around and
doesn't even notice
his missing leg.

Is already learning to
come in a few short
hours even though he
can't hear, basic hand signs
are already beginning
to take.

So smart, so sweet.
We are so lucky to
have this little fellow in
our lives.

Biting beast, razor sharp puppy teeth.

Meet Ryder.

Envisioning Happiness

2011-11-30T13:45:00.001-05:00

I had an opportunity to join an artist circle
in my local area here. My friend Eileen
and I spent the evening hosted by Lisa
with a couple of other delightful gals
creating vision boards.

Clipping, ripping, chatting, pasting, sharing....
incubating ideas, leaving room for growth and most
of all for me deciding to be happy, just with right now,
just with myself and what's happening around me.

Big thanks to all the artists
whose images resonated with me.
Thanks for the ideas
and the words
and the colors
and the
warmth
of percolation and discovery.
Thanks to new friends,
strengthening friendships,
learning more about the people
I know and opening up to
BE happy just the way I am.

Trust Serendipity

2011-11-28T12:45:00.001-05:00

Life changes in the blink of an eye.
Things we thought were cast in
stone become liquid and electric.

Thanksgiving is tough for me because
my Dad passed away the week before
the holiday 10 years ago. I don't remember
the exact date(purposely blocked that out)
but I know it's there. Since Man Man left
us this year too, it's been an emotional
roller coaster.

I keep looking for my ancient one
everywhere and dreaming of him
at night and he sent me a message that
I never expected when we decided
to adopt this little guy.

Meet Ryder, a 13 week old
red heeler puppy(translate healer)
who was born deaf and has since
lost this bandaged leg because
it was too damaged to keep.

I pick him up Friday and I
have been doing lots of research
into working with American Sign
Language to communicate with
this little guy and also what it means
to have a three legged dog and
how to care for him.

He is what I was most thankful
for this Thanksgiving. A throw
away whose owner wanted to euthanize
and the bold rescue who not only
saved him but gave him a
chance at a true life.

He won't know he isn't supposed
to have three legs, he won't care
that he can't hear, he will only
care about being loved.

So I created these journal pages
for him. Our Thanksgiving gift.
Zillions more pics soon.

What's Better Than Turkey, Well Mail of Course

2011-11-23T14:00:00.001-05:00

Some great mail arrived here
this week and I am so excited.

My good friend Pamela sent
me a really cool envelope
template she showed on her
blog. I will be playing with
envelopes this weekend,
yippee! The best part was
that she mailed it in a see
through cello envelope.

You can see one side of
this here and a great
postcard from Karen on the
top left and a separate
postcard that came a few
days ago from Pamela
on the right.

This shows the back side of
the envelope template
with instructions in Japanese,
will make cool mail art for
future collage don't you think?

Karen's post card is all
about PIE. Karen is
all about PIE. Does
PIE cause brain freeze
like ice cream? Or do you
just get covered in crust crumbs?
Karen will have to let us know
but I think she may already be
suffering from pie-itis because
she has been eating PIE all
week.

Here is the back side corner
of Pamela's funky red card.
Turkey fun, post card stamp
fun and of course some
maze and a message or two.

This is some spectacular mail, I shall
have to get really inventive for these
two gals - ahem - with some new
envelopes made by hand.

Happy Turkey, or is it MAIL day.

Waiter There's a Paintbrush in My Soup...

2011-11-20T16:09:00.001-05:00

We walked the dogs bright and early

this morning, just after the sun came

up and I had planned a relaxed reading

day, a little outside activity and some

house cleaning in preparation for

Thanksgiving.

The dogs were fed, our breakfast

was in the making and it struck,

paint-brush-anxiosity. I know, not a

real word, but an overwhelming

urge to get to the studio and

paint, paint, paint.

I kissed the dogs, kissed the

husband and tore out of the house.

The drive seemed to take forever,

paper set up even longer as the

masking tape refused to cooperate

but after a frustrating 20 minutes

the paint began to flow.

Four hours later, rockin tunes,

dancing, singing at the top of

my lungs and brushes, hands,

forks, and flinging, here is

what emerged.

Trust the PROCESS

84" x 40"

Is there a paintbrush in your soup?

Well be all means dig it out and use it!

Playing with Mail

2011-11-16T18:02:00.001-05:00

Deconstructed, reconstructed
security envelope collaged
both sides and two
cereal box post cards
covered with scraps
from the studio table,
colors with xrtreme crayons
stamped and sprayed with misty ink.

Randomly creating some play.

Odd Fellow

2011-11-15T09:11:00.001-05:00

This odd fellow showed up in a
painting the other day and I couldn't
help but think Christmas Man.

Where he came from I do not know
but here he is. Collage, finger painting.

Empowerment

2011-11-12T16:29:00.001-05:00

I was working on a mantra
to use with the kids in the studio.
Something simple, that they could
recite and remember that would
help empower them.

There is nothing new here, but
I realized it worked for me and
could work for just about anyone.

So I put it in my art journal.

Small hands raised in the air, yes I am creative.
Little hands pressed together over their hearts.
Tiny voices rich with timbre
showing muscles in their growing arms.

We are all creative, yes we are.

The Gentle Nudge of Friendship

2011-11-09T10:40:00.003-05:00

A good friend of mine,
someone I became close to
at Squam this year
has been encouraging me
to put my work out there,
do more of my own thing.

Sometimes the gentle nudge
of friendship is all you need.
Thank you Shawn.

" The crack where the light slips through"
that's how I think of this painting.
Maybe a crack is all you need to begin,
to start a new journey that is open ended
that leads you to a place you haven't discovered
yet. I am now on this journey and will be
opening my own etsy shop soon, stay tuned.

In the meantime, please go visit Shawn
she creates beautiful mixed media art,
is a crack photographer with some haunting
images in her Whisper's series, coaches Irish
Dancing for her two incredible daughters and
has a dynamic new business Pretty To Boot.
If you want a great gift for your daughter's
and granddaughters(or yourself because these
are just so cool), check out her fashion
toppers for ugg style boots.

Thanks Shawn for that gentle nudge.

Children As Teachers.

2011-11-07T12:50:00.001-05:00

I had the most incredible weekend at our
open studios. The universe gifted me
with an amazing group of families
who came and painted with me.

I wasn't thinking about kid's classes
in the studio but I enjoyed myself
so much and was ignited by
the children's so evident passion
for free expression that I agreed
to the requests of many of the
parents to start a parent/child
intuitive painting class.

Here is what I wrote about it on
my studio blog.

The Wisdom of Children

Children are bold, wildly alive, authentic
and fearless. They know what they want
and they express it with abandon.

Painting with exactly what brush they like
saturating the paper and gleefully making
color come alive.

They paint what is in their hearts and
speak in a true voice. Their wisdom
about themselves is awe inspiring.

When kids paint, I want to be a kid
again and feel that free wheeling
creativity that shoots forth from
little fingers, little hearts and big,
wise minds.

I had the pleasure of painting in the
studio this weekend with lots
of great kids and great parents.
I witnessed the interchange of
love and listening between them
and I am most grateful to all of
them who painted with me.

To see an incredible magazine
that celebrates just this feeling
go here.

Big Kids Magazine***

BIG

Bravery, Imagination and Generosity

Their words say it all, don't you think?

*** I want to thank Maya for introducing this

magazine to me on her blog. I ordered a copy

right away and it is just brilliant. We could

all use our inner child to emerge. Get a copy and

read it and be amazed.

Remnants

2011-11-03T10:56:00.000-04:00

What do the things we leave
behind say about us?

Remnants

Generator of Ideas

2011-11-01T09:30:00.000-04:00

Thanks goodness for the generator,
we still have lights OUT.

Looks to be that way until Thursday
anyway.

Time to sit back and reflect
and generate some new ideas.

That's a good thing, oh,
and a fabulous mystery
by Jo Nesbo from Norway!
"The Snowman" how
fitting.

The pig thinks so too.
He lives at our local farmstand.
This pic is for Nina Lise.

Time to go ruminate on the day.

Lights OUT

2011-10-30T10:01:00.000-04:00

Light's OUT,
power's gone
limbs are down
generator's humming
fridge is chilling
wood stove is smoking
coffee's hot,
mobile hot spot
lightening speed
technology rules
whether we like
it or not.

Think like a dog
smell that trail
embrace what's
in front of you
and explore.
Sun's shining
we're okay,
life is beautiful
today.

Totem For Snow

2011-10-27T18:39:00.000-04:00

Arctic air spilling
flakes aloft
may find ground.

Totem for snow
one eyed witness
whispers true.

Frenetic Christmas

2011-10-25T18:56:00.002-04:00

Frenetic Christmas on the way
a journal in two pages
that's where my brain is
right now, glad I got rid
of that...

Recycled magazine collage, finger painting
bubble wrap and rigid kraft stamping into
wet paint, monoprint page to page, more
stamping.

Letting go...

Cloudy Saturday

2011-10-22T09:14:00.000-04:00

Cloudy Saturday
pre-dawn darkness
with a glint of sunrise
expands my view.

New friends, these
journal pages
intuitive musings
play, moods
releasing.

Payne's gray, white
and recycled magazine
pages, finger painting.

Rain Cancels Foliage

2011-10-20T09:28:00.000-04:00

It rained leaves yesterday
as the gusty winds and
torrential downpours
stripped the trees.

The ground is a yellow
and brown blanket
sleeping, awaiting
the rake.

The birches are bare,
the oaks brown and
a mere few maples
still show the oranges
and red of Fall.

Funnily enough there
is more green than color.

Journal pages reflected
this canceling out of the
foliage.

Hope some sun peek through today.

The Way I Think Of Fall

2011-10-18T12:07:00.000-04:00

Fall is my favorite season bar none.
The air fills me with energy, the crisp
breath make me want to be outside
as long as possible even though the
days are growing shorter.

Leaves drop like gold coins
onto the water and the
rusts and reds are the view
from my windows to the
maples across the pond.

Turquoise for me is everywhere,
on my walls, in my furniture,
in my closet and even though
our water is not that vivid it
is what my mind's eye sees
when I think of water.

The circular nature of the
seasons and our lives, the
the living elixer that is
water and the decay
of the falling leaves
and the rebirth that leaf
mold provides.

Journaling what's
floating in my mind
the way I think of Fall.

Crafting Green

2011-10-14T17:46:00.002-04:00

Okay, admit it,
you save magazines
forever. Right?

I do, I realized
that I have holiday
magazines that are
20 years old.

Time to destash
upcycle and create
something cheery
and **green**.

Kraft bags,
images from an old
Country Living
and voila
goodie bags for
the holidays.

An hour

A glue stick

A paper punch

And your done!

Creativity Lost? Nah, Just Sleeping

2011-10-13T11:02:00.000-04:00

Creativity lost.
Akin to paradise lost
that is for sure.
Maybe just sleeping.

While I haven't felt
creative at all it was
time to put that toe
into the cold water
and begin.

Intuitive collage
with bits of this and
that, cut and paste
washi tape, fingers
painting just to
smoosh paint around.

Dipping the creative
toe just a little...

Budding Runner in the Family

2011-10-11T09:57:00.000-04:00

My son Jay completed
his first ever half marathon
on Sunday. The race
was a benefit for the
Dana Farber Cancer Center
in Boston.

Congrats to Jay and the other
6,800 runners who completed
the race. Wahoo!

Gifts From The Left Coast

2011-10-07T16:00:00.000-04:00

A while back Jan
from Laughing Dog Arts
won my 400th post
giveaway.

Last week I received
the most amazing gift
from her in the mail,
made from the box
of fabric swatches
and scraps I sent off
to her.

Never one to be
shy anymore, here
is the glorious gift.

While I don't think her
hat does me justice, a little
too large for my small head,
I did want to share it with you.

It is amazing, reversible
and can be used as a bowl too.

Isn't it incredible. Please visit Jan and tell her so and
check out her garden pics today. Thanks again Jan,
it is FABULOUS.

With everything that has happened in the last week
I had to share this pic of baby Ella and grand dog
Brubear sleeping together in the den last night.

Now that's the way
to make my day!

Shifting and a New Way To Be

2011-10-06T09:05:00.000-04:00

Living in a house with
five hounds is like living
in the real life version
of Dr. Suess's
"Go Dogs Go",
which needless to say
was my favorite book
as a child.

One dog going out,
three dogs coming in,
"Do you like my hat?"
"I do like that hat."

Dogs going here and there
all the time, everywhere.

Now that Man Man has
gone to hang with his
brother and sisters,
over the rainbow bridge,
life in our house is
shifting.

Now that we are four,
humans don't count of
course; there is less tension,
which must have been a holding
for Man Man.

Everyone is softer
a little more civil,
less likely to bark
just for the sake of
being heard.

There will be less comings
and goings at the door, Man Man
was by far the most curious
the one who went out 25 times
a day or more.

There is more play, less fear
as if they were waiting for it
to be okay. I am continuously
amazed at the subtly of animals
and their wisdom that far
surpasses ours in recognizing
shifts in almost everything.

So while I am still so sad,
my little light has gone,
I will try and pay attention
to their shifting and make it
my own. A little more play,
a little less fear.

Thanks so much to all of you for
your kind words and thoughts
pouring my way, it has eased
the way. xox

Over The Rainbow Bridge

2011-10-02T18:45:00.001-04:00

My little ray of sunshine has
passed over the rainbow bridge.

Man Man
July 1996 - September 2011

Trash Picking at Squam

2011-09-30T16:02:00.000-04:00

Sometimes inspiration comes
directly from the trash bin.

A friend and cabin-mate
was dissatisfied
with a piece she worked on
and I found it in the trash
on the way out the cabin door.

I couldn't see it moving
on to the landfill, she had
worked hard on it and
her creative spirit was
there even though
she had ripped it apart.

Salvage I did, and
I decided to let my muse
dictate a finished painting
with the thought of her
in mind. She gave me lots
of texture to work with and
some pasted flowers and
a snow man type figure
down on the right. There
are also some papers on the
bottom and sides which I left
as well. A collaborative
effort. Painted with my fingers.
I am enjoying the rawness of it.

I thought I would show it
to you before I sent it off
to her. Hope she likes it.

A Yellow Sun and
Two Green Moons

Stitch as Meditation

2011-09-27T13:59:00.000-04:00

Katie's hand dyed fabric
inspired me to do some
meditative stitching.

Some thrift fabrics from
the stash, an old felted
sweater piece and some
batik from friend and
fellow intuitive painter
Carolyn and this is
what I did on Sunday.

Working by hand
mind left to wander
and a free write session
of a couple of hours
afterwards.
Perfect!

Thanks Katie and Carolyn
for simply being in my world
and
for being part of
my meditation and
moving me forward.

Exercising My Glue Stick

2011-09-26T09:40:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite activities to get
unstuck it to play with my
glue stick and paste random
images across a white sheet
of paper.

I always keep a shoe box full of
magazine pages that resonate
with me whether because
of mood, color, or pattern.

I tear these into random shapes
and paste away. White they
are not copyright free, they
make great backgrounds for
mail art and give me a chance
to flex and free up creative juice.

Here is part of the original paste up.
I especially like the hand sticking out
and the paper with writing on it
at the bottom.

I took this photo into PSE 9 and started to
play with the pattern.

Same image desaturated
and with a film grain
adjustment.

Same image offset
into a more complex
patter and made
black and white.

There are endless permutations of course.
This last pic reminds me of giant paper clips
fluttering curtains and x ray ghosts of things,
people in the lower half.

Mindless play often ignites intuitive
thinking, what ignites you?

Gotta go, time to do some writing
with all those ideas that popped into my head.

Glorious Splendoriforous Gifts

2011-09-24T08:38:00.000-04:00

I am always amazed at the genorosity
of spirit I find in this blogging community.
There is a never-ending well of sweetness
that flows outward always.

I had the good fortune to win two giveaways
from my friend Katie at The Red Tin,
who felts, makes amazing dolls, quilts
beautiful pieces and send really cool
mail art. Katie sent a box larger
than my head, much, much larger
and some home made raspberry preserves
which the superhero is gobbling up.

A second giveaway from new
blog pal Cathie Carroll of a pair of gorgeous
earrings, and what came not one but two
pair of gorgeous earrings. Wow, and wow.

Please feast in the eye candy below and
visit these lovely ladies and their blogs.

Fabric, ribbons,
buttons, cloth, paper
ephemera, post cards
and lavender sachet
that smells as only
it does from Washington
State, one that she made...
Raspberry jam, a photo frame
a fun tin, a sewn envelopes....
the list goes on...Not to mention
her post cards, her fiber art,
see what I mean!!!!

Golden pearls and garnet stones
glittery jewels have found this home.

Thank you thank you thank you both.

Squam Art Looks

2011-09-22T16:00:00.000-04:00

Besides basking in the glow,
and staying warm by the roaring
fire, and did we need it Friday night,
I actually did make some art
to share
with you.

Pixie Medicine
moved us
"Into the Wild"
and these spirits
showed up.

Going home with Kim to Arizona.

Maya Magic
"Art and Spirit Boxes"
and more spirit in the form
of my grandfather, my original
muse, the one who always is there
for me.

Some pipe tobacco, a map of his birthplace,
some sticks, silk ribbon, found objects(via Maya)
and his heart sits there for me to feel.

Susy Whimsy
"Play and Process"
A box, a sketch, some
collage and paint = heaven.

Painting with my fingers for
three whole days, no need
for a brush, feeling the paint
seeping into my pores (pours), my
body a part of the work,
connection.

Lastly, something I needed to keep.

A collage of ink
and paint, leftovers,
yet I found it a memory
worth holding onto.

Seth Stacks

2011-09-20T20:00:00.000-04:00

Seth, as always, has a great
project on his blog
The Altered Page.

Photograph your stacks.

While I wish my stack
was a tall as a two story building,
alas, it is not, but is is odd
shaped, slightly wild and wrinkled,
covered with glitter and strangely
intriguing to photograph.

Here is my stack versions 1 and 2

Please visit Seth's blog
and see all the stacks out there.

I came, I SAW

2011-09-19T10:35:00.000-04:00

One cabin
eight hearts, one mind.
High Pines

A reunion already
planned. Dates
and times and a
place so close to
the southern border
in an arty little bit
of heaven.

Like this slice right here.

Pixie medicine
Maya magic
Susy whimsey

Taking in the light
opening, opening
my eyes to new possibility
to new sisters on this journey
to scent and crackling wood
and haunting loons and
release.

Expecting the
unexpected.
Bear medicine and
letting go of holding
and rediscovering how much
a glue stick makes me relax
and smile. Repetitive acts
of pasting, and pasting and
losing myself only to find
a new me at the end of the
retreat with deep work to do.

Squam Art Workshops.
Smiling faces everywhere
including me.

Going...

2011-09-14T09:07:00.000-04:00

Going here...

Can you hear the loons calling
Squam, Squam, Squam?

I will be with my roomie Kim
who's fabulous lampwork jewels and collages
you know well.

Looking for creative
bliss in this land of
water and light.

See you next week.

Feeding the Muse, Living Now

2011-09-11T11:48:00.000-04:00

The great thing about getting
stuck in your work is that it
makes you stop. Stop and sit
with whatever is holding you
back.

When you learn to sit
with the uncomfortableness
(big mouthful here) of what
you are NOT doing, you begin
to figure out ways to feed
your muse.

The way that is most effective
for me is to practice my intuitive
painting. Even though sometimes
I have to sit in that mud puddle
that is my painting is, not wallowing
in the sweetness, but feeling the
mud seep into my pores, sinking
me into the earth, movement
always shows up, even in ways I
might not expect.

I started this painting...

As a kind of tropical flower
on one page(which of course
I neglected to photograph), but
it transformed into this eight page
being-ness of sorts.

Anyway, the feeding part is the important part.
It doesn't matter at all what this looks like, not a
lick, I don't even have to like it, because the
painting of it, the getting my body in tune
with the paint, my hands, the brush, my hands
masking tape, my hands, paint, see, it doesn't
matter at all.

Losing myself in the paint
is what feeds the muse, what
energized me to continue
to paint, to create beyond
this painting, these hands,
this brush, this breath.

Feeding my soul, my muse
one color at a time, one hand print
at a time, one moment of wallowing
in the sweetness of that paint, of living.

Layering, layering
layering and filling
up my muse to overflowing
so I can just get on with whatever
in my life wants to be doing, making,
feeding, playing, praying.

On this day of all days, 9/11/11
the most important
thing I can do to honor the sanctity of this
memory, of all those lost, all those left behind,
is to live each minute, use it up, fully, completely
in the NOW. Create whatever I bring into this
world in the NOW, with my heart on my sleeve,
with truth and integrity. Love fiercely and fully,
give to my friends, and be a true person in this
world, this now and forever.

Morph Variation One

2011-09-08T14:27:00.000-04:00

After fighting the dank lighting
due to the weather, I finally
found a spot to photograph
this final iteration of the collage.

A light box is going to
be created soon!

Morph Variation One

Finis!

Morphing Collages

2011-09-07T15:51:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite things to
do is cut up my collage's and
use them in other ways.

The photos you saw the other
days were parts of larger pieces
one of which has been sacrificed
to morph into these.

The first one has been painted.
Bali Pop batik pieces, felt background
collage and paint.
Where it goes from here is up
in the air...

The second is ready for paint.
Vintage 60's sheet piece, felt background
felt strip from a friend on the face, collage
piece.

Sorry about the photos, it's very dark here today
and the light from my skylight obscured some of
the typography. Still better than a flash.

Morphing collages...

Inspiration Station

2011-09-05T15:08:00.002-04:00

Inspiration station. That's
how good my new creative
den feels at the studio.

I sat right down at my table
got my gel medium and some
papers and got to work, having
fun, getting it done.

These collages were fun,
but there is more to come.

Stay tuned.

Thanks so much to my new followers
it's so fun to meet you!

Permission To Expand

2011-09-01T16:02:00.000-04:00

Expressive art is elemental.
Your body moves through
what is happening inside,
brush, or finger, or feet
covered with paint,
expressing the feelings
that you hold intuitively.

Colors explode in
your vision, all things
are on your palette, everything
is available through your heart.

Listen, can you hear it,
the sound of your heart beating,
the voice of your story waiting to
be told?

Then why oh why was I waiting
for permission to expand?

I realized in some fundamental way
that this glorious studio I had created
with my own vision was too BIG!
I felt lost in it, not sure of where to
put my own creative spark. I saw it
as teaching space, not creating space.

In some real way there
wasn't a place for me and
that's because I was so used
to creating in a 4 x 6 foot
bear den, that I didn't know how
to be here, how to expand.

After a conversation with my tribe,
my group heart, my sisters,
I gave myself permission to expand,
to put that nook into this larger world
and find my place, my zone in it.
So today I created this...

A niche of my own,
taking shape, still more
to work and organize,
but a beginning, a step.

And a sacred space

On this recycled chunk
of wood table built by
the superhero. Drums,
rattles, a talking stick.
A place for community,
with permission to expand.

I Am Grateful

2011-08-30T11:49:00.000-04:00

Thankfully our power has
been restored and we escaped
Irene unscathed.

I am grateful for the mighty oaks
and maples that ring our house for holding
us in their reaching arms.

I am grateful for the clean, clear water from
our pond which we filtered and drank
and bathed in.

I am thankful for the wildness
in my days and the wildness in
my ways.

I am grateful for the sun,
the stars and the moon.

I am grateful to my friends who called and
emailed to make sure we were okay.

My heart goes out to those whose devastation
is not yet over and whose lives will never be
the same.

Are You Curious?

2011-08-25T18:14:00.001-04:00

Are you curious?
Do you want to feel totally alive?
Do you want to call the shots
and explore your own story?
Do you want to envision your
authentic reality?

What happens when the muse
deserts you, the critic bounces
an eraser on top of your head
and creativity is the last word
that comes to mind today.

Ask me, because that's exactly
how I feel right now. BLAH
BLAH BLAH.

But...

I went into the studio anyway.
I have been seriously neglecting
my mail art buddies and I was
hoping for a jump start, a
eureka, a what if.

I did get a twinkle, a minute
creative pop that lasted
all of twenty minutes, but
it's a start to clawing my way
back up, kicking that critic
in the kiester and making
something.

"Stay in your heart,
stay in your heart, stay in
your heart".

Repeat after me.....

"Stay in your heart,
stay in your heart, stay in
your heart".

I could use a cheerleader about now,
how about you?

Night On The Lake

2011-08-24T15:53:00.001-04:00

Chicago by night.

Lights of the city.

bustle, hustle, traffic,

jammed bodies on sidewalks,

river, boats,

lights of the ferris wheel

on the Navy Pier.

We played tourist.

A sunset cruise on

Lake Michigan.

Two hours of fading

sun to brilliant lights

as the city became one

long view.

It was a blast. We met

a couple from Massachusetts,

a couple from New Hampshire

and another from Michigan

who were celebrating their

25th wedding anniversary.

We chatted and

we admired the view.

The Wrigley building. Just below on the

river where we picked up the boat.

Ribbons of concrete

around this

residential building

forming concrete

patios like flowing

waves around the shape.

Bodies craning upward

as the light began to fade.

The ferris wheel,

lighting the night

like a firecracker

as we moved through

the lock out into the lake.

River of lights

as the mist followed

us through the rolling

waves of a lake more

like an ocean in it's

grandeur.

Cupcakes and starbursts,

building more energy

than substance as the

boat surged over rolling

waves and continuity

was lost.

Magical.

Pixie Boots

2011-08-23T10:49:00.000-04:00

The superhero and me(aka the pixie)
spent the weekend relaxing
no, make that sauntering, cruising
and walking in Chicago.

This year we decided to explore
neighborhoods. We have been
to the city so many times
we really wanted to see
the city from the inside out
not just the glitz and glam.
We did hop to Michigan
and see the Mag Mile,
but just to people watch
not to shop. Chicago has
77 distinct neighborhoods
in the city proper.
77 neighborhoods each one
so different from the next.

Strolling and more rambling,
Wicker Park/Bucktown, where
we ate the most glorious brunch
at Feast.

Breakfast burrito
with fresh avocado
and ciltrano just picked.
Yum, Yum...

Purple facade, overflowing
flowers and seating outside,
fantastic, until the rain began
to pour. Luckily we were
under the awning, but it
made walking impossible.

Before we hopped in a cab and
headed over to Ukranian Village,
I snapped some funky signs on
the street.

See those clouds,
the lightening was more
impressive!

Wicker Park/Bucktown
are youthful and fun, bars,
clubs, restaurants, shops
galore and an easy 15 minute
subway ride from the loop.

The Ukranian Institute for Modern Art
was most unusual. We saw this exhibit here.

Found object sculpture
by Mike Helbing blew us
away, it was most intriquing
and energetic. Paintings with
gold, silver, copper and iron
dust by Roxane Legenstein
line the walls. Light box space
wonderful curators and
a lively, edgy neighborhood
provided this jewel in
the most unusual place.

Now about those boots....

If you want western wear
in Chicago, there is only one
place - Alcala's - around since
1972 and family owned. If you
want it, they got it.

These beauties came home with me.
Pixie Boots indeed.

Yes they were half price,
good thing, or they would
not have gone in the bag.

8,000 pair of cowboy boots
3,000 cowboy hats, the friendliest
family of owners and some talented
artisan tailors, hat makers, and customer
service folk ever. We spent over two hours
here just taking it all in. Take a look see.

My heart did have wings, look at these!

Rambling and pixie boots, the dust has settled firmly on my shoulders.

More neighborhoods, next post.

Put your pixie on.

Putting My Pixie Dust On!

2011-08-18T11:42:00.002-04:00

One of the things I discovered
about myself in this last teacher
training session is how often I
am the "good girl", the responsible
one. It was something I knew
about myself, but not something
I was willing to change.

Well world, after this low
down, deep well, pit, pile of
#$%^#%$# week where the
painting went below ground,
I have decided once and for
all that I am....

Putting my pixie dust on.

Thanks to these crazy
(said in the most loving
way of course) ladies,
deep friends, traveller's
on the painting journey,
we spent an afternoon
of pure silliness and
fun. One of those days
you remember for the
rest of your life.

Coffee, talk, pastry,
bijoux, thrifting, shopping
and wild goings on. People
stared at us wanting to be
part of the inside joke and
we just left them hanging
giggling as we went
merrily along in downtown
Calistoga. Pure bliss.

I wanted to share some of
this afternoon with you as
we all put our pixie dust on.

Damini and Linda

Ms Carolyn and me.

As Damini strode the town with a rhinestone
crown bought at the thrift, and inquiring minds
kept asking "is it your birthday?" Of course
we all just laughed and walked away.
That crown brought some pretty funny stares.

The gals made me buy this.

So I could try on my
pixie Romany soul.

The most fun you could have
for $20...

Then in another shop this Collage Dress called
to me, another bargain too, just not a thrift store price.

This is just so fun to wear....

Talk about fiber art.....

This bracelet called asking me to be

the hero of my own story.

I couldn't not show you Damini in her crown.
This pic is from our graduation ceremony.
Dear mentor Chris in the floral head dress
made from flowers
from the ranch
which we took turns wearing.
What a blast, and oh,
yes that's me in the collage
dress in the background.

And finally the most fun of all....
we all came home with these.

Want to join the tribe of the
tentacles anyone?

Sing Your Song

2011-08-16T16:49:00.002-04:00

On our last day of the training
we listened to a powerful
spoken poem about singing
your own song. (Thank you
Victoria V) I am not
even sure who performed
it or even remember most
of the words, but the message
came through loud and clear
in my painting.

It was a primal poem,
for a primal week in which
I painted completely without
glasses, and mostly with my
hands.

Dark in the roots, well
below the weeds in some
burial of sorts in which
I could re-emerge
elemental.

This painting sure felt
elemental, done with my
finger and by rubbing the paper
onto itself over and over...

Singing my own song.

Yes, it is about
six feet wide and
about four feet high.
Creased and folded
from my suitcase.

Her head dress is a paint
encrusted paper towel.

The song "Cry Me A River" has been
in my head all week and in my voice to
as I sing it mightily to the dogs, don't know
why, just is.

What song is in your head this week?
Are you singing your song?

Down The Rabbit Hole

2011-08-14T08:27:00.002-04:00

Down the rabbit hole,
dark and deep,
dim light, cold feet.

Scrabbling upward
toward the light,
took some days,
took some might.

Still processing...

Home Again, Home Again Higgedly Pig

2011-08-12T06:46:00.000-04:00

Not quite yet, but here's the ancient
(1780's Witch Hollow Farm) and our
long dirt road.....

Just after some haying at the bird sanctuary field.

The huge granite boulder that marks the entrance to the road,
larger than my truck folks.....

Two roads diverged and I took the one on
the right??? That doesn't sound right does it?

Wood done...

Wood to go, boy
I've got work to do.

See you next week.

Hope you enjoyed the
tours.

Tourist in My Back Yard continued....

2011-08-10T06:34:00.000-04:00

After Old Newbury I drove through Byfield and
onto our local farm stand...

Ancient barns with weathered wood
showing their histories greet me on this
route.

Wild flowers, wetlands and corn.
Sheep and goats, flowers and
goodness at the farm stand.

Tourist in My Back Yard

2011-08-08T06:23:00.000-04:00

Since I am a tourist in California at the moment
I thought it would be fun to show you my favorite
drive back from Newburyport and be a tourist
in my own back yard.

The summer marshes in
Old Newbury...

More tomorrow.

By The Time You See This Hand...

2011-08-06T09:42:00.000-04:00

By the time you see this hand...
I'll be in Calistoga.

Last trip, bittersweet,
evolving, empowering,
growing.....

But I didn't want to leave
you without some
eye candy.

More PSE9 and Pixlr play.

The painted hand lends itself
to so much manipulation.
What resonates with you?

Original photo

PSE 9 using
offset feature.

Electric hand-o-matic.

Hand-o-web.

Celestial hand....

Endless possibilities eh? Let me know what
floats your boat?

Intuitive Response Shows Up Everywhere

2011-08-03T18:02:00.000-04:00

I have been consciously trying
not to think, not to let the head
get in the way of the heart.

One of my favorite ways to do
this is to lay out a pile of materials
I feel speak to me and use those
materials to create without letting
my head, my critic get in the way.

With very little brain power,
more instinct and gut, I try
and let the process flow
on it's own, let the materials
transform themselves without
too much judgement.

I started to work on another
fiber piece(oh you sewing gals
and your insidious influences),
and put a pile on the table next
to the machine, some painted,
some upcycled, some new bits
and here is where the process led...

And some fun with pixlr too!

Come a little closer...

Not exactly true to color,
but not far off either. The scratch
effects are pixlr.

And just because, some digi manipulations
that took it even further...

This may get further exploration at a later date
in PSE9.

And one more for the road.

I Hate It When Work Gets In The Way

2011-08-01T17:47:00.000-04:00

I hate it when work gets in the way.
Seems like I haven't been here
in ages. I have so much catching
up to do with all of you.

But after a frustrating morning
playing with a database and trying
to send out an evite for a work event,
I flew down to the studio
aching for some creative juiciness.

This is what resulted.

Painted muslin,
upcycled wool, denim
and leftovers from my
book cover, batting really.
Some felted wool from Dian.
A recycled paper flower I
ripped off another canvas.
Some silk sari yarn and paint.

I hung it all off a driftwood stick
I found at Plum Island in Newburyport
which has been drying for a year.

Quin nickel azo gold,
turquoise and indian yellow
acrylic with some titan buff
to tone down the colors.
YES, I said tone down
the colors. Not me really,
but it seemed to be
the right direction to go
to meld it all together.

The denim got some
paint and pouncing to
mellow it out...
The flower got mashed on
purpose to make it more of a
texture than a bloom.

A little glitz,
a little bling,
some silk sari yarn
to add some zing.

Oh gosh, my brain
is in melt down.

Off to read what you all
have been up to. Maybe
work should get in the way
more often, it certainly
cranked the juice.

Happy mojo creating all.

Silly Me Doll

2011-07-28T15:49:00.002-04:00

I needed to make something humorous
to go along with a gift and this is what
I did...

Painted, glittered papers,
printed photo punched out
wire beaded arms
with acrylic drop hands.
Bamboo skewers for
legs, dyed scrim for the skirt
(which came from Linda
Vincent)

Looks just like me...
I think I have a dress just like that in
my closet somewhere?

Loving pixlr.

Digital Summer

2011-07-27T17:54:00.002-04:00

***Edited***

And of course Geri had an even more amazing
thing to play with... here is my o-matic creation...

Sooooo I will be playing with this some more....

Playing with PSE 9 this afternoon, trying
to get a better handle on working with it.

I love the offset feature because it turns
photos of collage into other collage, like
and endless stream of options for combining
and shifting. Like moving paper scraps
around and seeing what develops for
composition.

I used the shadow pics from the
last post combined with some images
of my banner that I was working on.
Here is what evolved.

I love that you can see the
canvas itself - gives it a more
painterly effect for a digital
composisition. Makes me
think of tutti fruit ice cream
with these colors.

This one has a layer
of crackle texture to
it. The background
looks like paper towel
texture to me.

Some cool blues and greens
and some hot pinks and purples.
Summer baby, summer.

Put On Your Sunglasses

2011-07-24T19:30:00.000-04:00

Beware, put on your sunglasses
before you view this post.

An explosion of color.
Hot pink orange summer,
blooms while water
shades fish who shadow
my feet, hoping to nibble.

I am a contrast, dark
light illuminated through
the lens of color. Lazy flies
buzz my head, dogs roll
in moss.

Wet suits drape the line
feet and fingers puckered
pink skin freckles
lolling in the lounge chair
taking in the view.

(This poem is for Deborah-
she'll know why
just put it out there.)

Channeling Damini, Embracing The Heat

2011-07-22T12:55:00.001-04:00

On of my dearest friends
and fellow teachers in the
intuitive painting process;
Damini
paints with her body.

No holes barred, full out,
rich, bold and outrageous.

Last night she posted a pic
of her hands covered in paint
with a heart showing up smack
dab in the middle.

The universe works in
mysterious ways.

I hate the heat, and today
it was sapping my strength,
but as most of you who visit
me know, I live on a pond.
So I threw myself in, put on
an apron over my wet bathing
suit and began to channel
Damini.

I was using these...

Jazz Gloss Tempura because
as you also know, color is
my thang....fluorescent brights
which I used to brighten up
this banner I was making as
a sign for the studio.

I started the banner
a few weeks ago and was going
to cut off the top half
but I got sweating, dripping sweating
and my hands were moving and
the paint took on a life of it's own.

And this rather dull,
okay super dull, banner
became this...

And look what showed up...

Thanks Damini...

And any of you who live in PA anywhere
near Damini's studio, visit her, paint with her
and be amazed at this powerful force
of nature, intuitive arts teacher, shaman
dog whisperer, friend I love. xxx

The Cat in the Hat? No, A Winner...

2011-07-20T16:16:00.000-04:00

The Cat in the Hat, NO - in this case
superhero's baseball cap with
a beagle on it - a WINNER.

CONGRATULATIONS TO
Deborah of While I Was Waiting.....

A mystery box of goodies I know she
will like will be heading it's way to her.

I want to thank each and every one
of you for your kind, sweet, marvelous
comments, they all made my day, my
week, heck my month many times over.

You are the BEST!

artsee bloggers so much more ...

2011-07-19T12:10:00.001-04:00

Thank you Geri Centonze for creating:

ARTSEE BLOGGERS

A visual delight

A portal for creative juice

A interactive playground
for friends to meet

An information extravaganza

A place to learn and relate

A jump start, kick butt,
wild world place for us
creative junkies to unite
and view the world from our
unique perspectives.

ARTSEE BLOGGERS rocks!!!

Go ahead, click that button
and see what I am
talking about...

And thanks to Teri from
Pringle Hill Studio
for leading me there.

Feeding My Soul

2011-07-16T07:08:00.000-04:00

Not a day goes by when my
soul is not fed by reading
the blog post of others.

There is community,
support, friendship, love
empathy and genuine
authenticity in this world.

This blog has been
a joy to write and a
personal force for me
that ups the juice of my
own creativity.

This week, I have topped
100 followers and I would like
to thank each and every one of
you for visiting, commenting,
just being there in this virtual
playground as friends.

So....a giveaway is in order.

I will leave it a surprise for now.

Just leave a comment and your name
will be thrown in superhero's hat
for a drawing next Wednesday.

Be well, stay happy and keep creating.

Kitchen Collage

2011-07-14T12:10:00.001-04:00

Last night, at the kitchen counter

I began building

Using sections of
that larger collage
I hung on the line
the other day

A series of pieces

Using the original collage
cut up, some additional
papers, recycled Seventh Gen
dryer sheets and on the larger
piece, Tim Holtz tissue tape.

Building this page for my
gift, my fabric book, preparing it for
stitch.

More to be added
which cannot be
revealed unless I
want to give the
surprise away.

Iced Tea and Stitch

2011-07-12T12:47:00.000-04:00

A little Tazo mango iced black tea on this 90+
humid, New England day.

I have been sitting inside, under the skylight
and the front cover is done. The photo in
the center is blocked because I don't want
to give away the surprise, but you can see
the raw stitching, which was purposeful,
to evoke raw emotion and energetic change.

The inside cover
includes this pocket
from an old doily, the
second in a pair. The
first I used to mend my
puppy chewed linen pants,
and the second makes this
nifty pocket for holding some
future love tokens.

I took a couple shots of the
details, to show you the stitches and
the wonderful Pima flower used at the top.

You can see the various stitches
here...

Keep cool and drink
your tea, coffee, milkshake,
um that sounds good, or come
and have a swim with me!
Don't worry the fish only
nibble on your toes!

Lazy Sunday

2011-07-10T11:23:00.001-04:00

Collage backgrounds on the line.

Adirondack blues beckon my time.

Sunny blooms and a cup of joe.

I think you know where I'm going to go....

Lazy, sunny, blue Sunday calls to me.

Meet Kesha Bruce and Stroll the 6x6 Blog Tour

2011-07-08T07:00:00.094-04:00

I first witnessed the amazing Kesha Bruce
when she posted the ART FIX In House
Residency Challenge on her blog to
be a resident in your own studio,
be creative and use up your stash!

When I heard about 6x6, a hip
new way to think about art
taking place in NYC in September,
created by Kesha and her business partner
Charlie Grosso at Baang and Burne Contemporary,
I asked her a few questions about
her creative inspirations.

Here is what she had to say...

6x6 is an innovative concept that asks artists to
rethink their view of themselves and how they
get the world to notice them. How did Baang
and Burne Contemporary come up with the
concept?

Kesha: "The idea for Baang and Burne was
born completely by accident.
One night, a couple years ago,
Charlie Grosso and I were having
one of our usual epic conversations
about art and art business,
and all the things we loved
and hated about it.
At some point the
conversation came around to
"Wouldn't it be cool if...?"
We basically built Baang and Burne
based on our own dream gallery and
our own ideas about how art should
be sold."

Do you have a regular creative practice
that jump starts your ideas?

Kesha: " In college I had a drawing teacher
that made us do, do what at the time,
felt like an excruciatingly boring
drawing exercise. She made us do 50,
five-minute drawings of the same image.
At the time I hated it. Now it is pretty much
how I start every new project.
Momentum is a powerful thing,
but you have to begin somewhere."

How do you move the inner critic
that we all have out of the way
to free your creative spirit?

Kesha: " The inner critic is all about
fear and judgement, and
unfortunately I don't think it
ever goes away, but there are
definitely some ways you can
learn to turn down the volume!
When your thoughts go to that
negative place, it's a sign that
you need to STOP and
regroup and get your head back on
straight. You need to take
some time to refocus your purpose---
the reason you make art in
the first place. Get back to whatever
your core reason is for being an artist.

Whenever we have those
moments where the inner critic
takes over, you need to take some
time to slow down and get back on purpose,
and then get back to work.
The only way to turn down the volume
on the inner critic is to keep working."

Thanks Kesha!!!

To read more about 6x6,
read Kesha's weekly articles on art,
art marketing, and creativity and to
download a free copy of
her guide "The 5 Step Art Career Make-Over"
visit here blog at www.KeshaBrucestudio.com

If you are anywhere near NYC in September you've
got to be part of this experience.

Coffee and Stitch and a Little Slice of Heaven

2011-07-07T10:53:00.000-04:00

Good, strong, Pete's French Roast
and some stitching.
By machine a little,
by hand and with embroidery and thread.

Once side of the cover shaped
and stitched raw edges
to signify raw emotion,
more to do, more to feel.

More thread to move
through this side by
hand, feeling the antique
linen, the smoothness of
the tightly woven batik,
the energy of the caffiene
and spirit of the stitching
juice moving along.

A slice of heaven in last night's sky

Clouds almost too beautiful to behold.

Comfort in the grace and power
of something larger than ourselves
out there, some bigger purpose
we may never understand. I watched
in awe at this changing dream sky.

Just Paint and Play with Bria

2011-07-04T18:51:00.000-04:00

Our fourth of July celebration began
with some paper and paint. Bria
came for a visit with Grandma and
Grandpa and off we sent to paint
and play.

Mixing just the right shade....

Some serious creative juice
at work.

It's amazing what you can do when
you let yourself go.

Philo's first visit as studio dog...

Not sure what he made of the whole thing?

We both had a little fun, then off
for some ice cream, or course.

How was your fourth? Celebrations
all around I hope.

Let fire light the sky tonight.

My Stitching Friends

2011-06-29T15:27:00.000-04:00

I am continuously influenced by
my stitching friends. If you look
at my blog roll you will see how
many stitching women reside there.

Lorna, Anne, Heloise, Jan,
Deborah, Nina Lise, and Suzi. Dorthe
and Victoria
just to name a few.

Each of these women innovate,
explore and excavate from a wealth
of creative juices to amplify
the desires of their souls.

I always think in my head that
I will sew more, be more like them.
Maybe because I find it difficult
and it is something I admire, or
because my Mother sewed while
I learned to cook,
but let's face it friends,
paper and glue-stick are my thing.
As I work to create
the studio of my dreams, I realize that
those stashes of fabric probably won't
end up in their intended projects
over time.

But I did have one special gift to create
as a thank you for someone and I decided
to break open that pretty package of
bali pop batiks and do some slow cloth
to make this book cover. (You knew it
was never going to become a quilted
bag right?)

Today was a quiet day, people scurrying
off early for their 4th of July vacations
and I was able to spend a little time
laying out the beginning of my idea.
Here is where we are at...

Colors of the sea,
azure jewel blue. Summer
light and sand, greens
of growth and abundance,
some tea dyed vintage
linen showing through.

Thanks gals, for your inspiration
and the dance with cloth, for showing the
world you got moxie and a whole
lot more. I am continuously amazed
and what you bring into this world.

And So It Begins...

2011-06-28T17:01:00.000-04:00

Steel sunflower in the sun
from our shady glen,
summer comes again.

Bullfrogs line the pond
croaking all night long
their low blues sleepy song.

Mini mights have come
campers every one. Orange
life vests tight, floating in
the light.

Beach towels bright and
blue light the forest
cheery, wet feet on the
deck.

Kayak it does beckon,
see ya later I reckon.
Time to see what' new.

Hope you like my summer
rhyme, not quite right every time
enjoy the summer view.

I'm Back, More Work, Big Joy

2011-06-26T16:52:00.000-04:00

Cold, sinus, whatever the heck
it was, didn't keep me down long.
Some additional napping, long,
sweet napping and I was ready to
go today and continue with progress.

The superhero and I headed up to the
studio this morning, he to build the first
table and me to paint the rest of the
stations.

Some pale green oops
paint from Home Depot
and a little fun tempura
painting on my own.

I had to test them out for
good juju, didn't I?

This group awaits
a test run. I ran out of
the pale green so mixed some other
small oops cans and came up
with a cream color. The panels
looks so much fresher with paint.

Eight places for
eight exploring
goddesses await.

The superhero got
busy with half a sheet
of birch ply and some
recycled fir 2x4's from out
house reno 15 years ago.
Their last life was in our wood
storage bin, which we decided
needed replacing, so upcycle,
upcycle, win, win, they are
being used again.

Some sanding, some
sealing and funky worktables
are ready to go. He has one more
to construct and then we are there!!!
Lessons learned and re-learned:
it always takes longer than you think
It always costs more than you think
expect the unexpected and you will be fine.
And....don't forget to have fun while you
are doing it.

Happy Sunday all, glad to be among the living.

MIA

2011-06-23T14:10:00.000-04:00

I feel like I have not been here in ages.
Down with a summer cold in rainy
New England, feel like yuck!

Back soon when I have some
juice back.

xox

Finger Paints

2011-06-19T18:39:00.000-04:00

Studio christening today
and what better way
than by finger painting.

Superhero husband built
the rest of the painting
stations and I decided to
christen some by finger
painting away some back
ground papers to play with
for something that will
come alive over the outside
door to the studio.

I also sprayed a piece of
canvas with acrylics last night
to create a banner that will
act as a sign for the studio.

Papers side one
and the canvas
underpainting.

Papers side two
ready for more...

All the paper will be torn, manipulated,
painted, glittered and finished off with
gel medium to stiffen them up to become
something that I won't reveal just yet.

I was so relaxed and began to really love
the tempura paints for their fluidity,
inexpensiveness, and huge
variety of color choices to play with.
I am liking them so much
I think they will become
a regular part of my
practice in all my work
even the collage.
They dry in a second,
(well in 10 minutes)
and if you are careful
can be coated with gel medium
or glitter glue
and will then be more permanent.

Fine arts no, but art play and mail art,
yes, yes yes...

Hope your Monday begins on a sunny note.

Portals of Energy

2011-06-17T18:50:00.000-04:00

Portals of energy,
glitter paint, hot orange,
cool purple, fluorescent pink
and teal.

Whimsical energy has
entered the studio.

Colorations glitter paint, soooo much fun.

Find it at Discount School Supply.

I used tempura over the latex on

the doors and added Liquitex liquid

medium and smooshed with

a sponge brush. This was terrific

fun and pushed the energy

right through me and it felt good.

Shelves are filling up with additional

paint and collage materials.

Superhero husband is building painting

stations for the walls tomorrow.

What a guy and on Father's Day weekend.

Here is a shot of the superhero as rocker

at his blues group concert at the music school,

doesn't he look great!

The Blues Brothers ain't got nothing on him.

Happy Father's Day to all those great dads out

there, Superhero's all.

Sometimes A Half Hour is All it Takes

2011-06-16T16:16:00.000-04:00

Sometimes a half hour
some recycled magazine
strips, some ink pads
and a glue stick is
all it takes to get
some mail art juicing
going on.

Between phones, emails,
rumbles of thunder,
dogs in panic,
who need to be walked,
a little boogie to get
the heart rate going
and
maybe
having lunch.

A half and hour
my goal for today
and I'm feeling good.

Blowing Off Steam

2011-06-14T19:09:00.000-04:00

Can you see it coming out
of my ears!

The last couple of weeks have
been a whirlwind of activity
and I realize it is just the
beginning of the process
to create the ambiance
in the studio that brings
about the energy balance
I am seeking.

I also have not left much
room for just creating and
today I was about to explode.

My art journal was nearby and
while not as dedicated as most
of you out there, once in a while
the steam has just gotta blow.

So...

Third eye, single focus
basket of seeing, who knows
but it felt good to smoosh
oil pastels and scribble
with a pencil.

Gosh, why does scribbling
feel so darn good.

My best friend Linda made
an insightful comment while
we were working in the studio.
She said I think in color, and my
energy revolves around color,
maybe she's right? I know that
color has such power, orange,
turquoise, sunflower yellow,
yellow/green and red/orange
and don't forget pink.

What about you, how do you
blow off steam? What do colors
do for you?

Cause I wanna know.....

Sneak Peak's

2011-06-13T11:08:00.000-04:00

MIA for a few days.....

My best friend from college
has been visiting and helping
me in the studio. I thought
you would enjoy a few sneak
peaks of work in progress.

The energy of doors was bothering me
so they are going to be getting
some special energetic painting
which I have started here.

The red door unsettled
me against the coral pink
walls so
it's transformation has
begun.

First layer of underpainting done
with a sponge. Looks textured but takes
a long time.

The other door is gray, and that too is being
transformed.

Here is the before...

Again, the sponge underpainting
which will continue and I have some
ideas about a sculptural thing happening
over the tops which isn't quite worked
out yet. And of course, lots more color
to go on yet.

The steel storage shelves are up and will be
covered eventually with painted canvas
a la Alisa Burke style wild painting
and the sink and painting area are
beginning to come together too.

I think the sink will
get a skirt of painted
canvas as well. And
the mess under the
table will disappear.

Believe it or not more glitter
and paint to come. Here
is a bit on the walls.

Painting stations and work table being
built by superhero husband next
weekend and we will set up our
lounge area to chill and have
a break.

Thought you would enjoy a few
progress photos. Now I have to
check in and see what I have missed
in the last three days, which I am sure
will be amazing!

xox