Cries of an angel

"Lord, Why do they grieve you so?"

work in progress

16"x20"

Time Flies

Well I gotta tell you, January is gone and I don't remember most of it. What have I been doing? Sometimes I get through the week, and the last time I checked it was Tuesday. Anyway, I have been getting ready to pack up 18 works of art and head to Phoenix for First Friday Art Walk @ Waldoism gallery. I have never had a solo show before, but I have been to several. After seeing how things were done, extras they had, and running a few of my own ideas through my head, I think I am ready. I have my work all framed, wall info tags done, business cards made, a portfolio of works to show other galleries while I am there, and a pretty good idea of how things will be set up. So I guess that is where January went. But I am excited to see family, and I am driving out with two of my aunts, whose children live in Phoenix, so ROAD TRIP!!!! I have assembled a playlist on my IPod that I am pretty sure won't scare either one of them, (think Paul Simon, MercyMe, Taylor Hicks and Elton John), and I will wash my car!! Yep, ready! I am bummed to be missing my son's open house at school, and a fundraiser that my husband is involved in for a men's recovery ranch, but excited too. I have found a bit of time to do some journal pages for an online class I am taking with Pam Carriker. These are those.

The Direction I go

This is a 24" x 24", acrylic and ink on panel board. I am really happy with the background colors, I think they came out really cool. The oak tree literally took 4 hours to draw with a micron pen, and then again over it with a sharpie paint pen. The compass is a combination, compass rose and a sun. I couldn't find a stamp I liked that was big enough, so I carved my own, and then added the smaller compass stamp right in the center.

So all of these things point to the direction that I go. The heart, the Jesus fish, the oak tree, the words on the house and the compass/sun. Or Son, if you will. I will be showing this piece next month, and several times during the process, I had thoughts of "don't make it all religious, people might not like/buy it" More than once I had to quiet the enemy as he tried to get me to conform to this world. And, honestly I wasn't even going in that direction at the time. But as it progressed, I knew where it was going, and I am really happy with how it turned out.

Gallery Showing Feb. 6

I am excited to announce I will be a part of Waldoism's First Friday Art Walk, February 6, 2009. The gallery is located in Phoenix at 720 N. 4th St #3 Phoenix, Az. (602) 714-0166. From what I hear, the atmosphere is great. Artists, vendors, live music, all around. Come join me!

My latest Purchase

I am super excited about this. My friend Suzan over at ThriftycollageArtist put together this amazing art doll. It reminds me of the toys over at Sid's house on Toy Story. I don't know how long she had it up on her blog, but as soon as I saw it, I wanted it to be mine all mine!! And so it shall be!! I will be taking a class with Michael DeMeng in May at Art and Soul Asilomar, called "The Isle of Demented Toys", and if I am lucky, my piece will look half this great. It's like 15 inches tall, and uses parts of an old desk lamp, and is decorated all the way around. i love the head, and what looks to be the spine! OMGosh, I can't wait.

Cage Me

This is a mixed media collage, work in progress. I have not done much over the last couple of weeks, I think my muse was pouting about the whole published/not published issue. And I don't blame her, but I had to post something new because I get mad everytime I see the last post. So we have to get some creativity so I can push all that negativity out!! So this one is 12" x 24" on wood panel, and I am liking how it is turning out. Happy New Year everyone!!

Color Me.......Whatever.....I am bummed

A couple of posts ago, I wrote about being confused about the Jan/Feb issue of Somerset Studio, that I received notice that I would be published in. After trying to get some kind of confirmation, I figured I would just wait it out, and be surprised. Boy was I surprised. I heard from other artists that were contributors to the issue, that it was starting to find it's way into mailboxes. Not being one to sit around, I called Somerset and asked if they could use my UPS account to overnight it to me. They did, and when I got home and finally had a chance to sit down and go through it, I was devastated. I found no artwork whatsoever of mine. I did find a 3 word editorial that was part of my submission letter published, but no artwork.So I wrote an email to the publisher, and the person who had helped me out overnighting the magazine to me. And the answer I got back today was even worse. Turns out, they didn't just put off the feature till next month that I had submitted for (liked I had hoped), they actually sent the 'Congratulations, your artwork will be published" letter BY MISTAKE!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh, I feel like crying right now. Anyway, apparently the person who does the artist list for each issue, mistook the artwork under my editorial comment as mine.

Now I know what it is like to get back your artwork with the "Hey keep trying" letter, and the email rejections with "Hey we don't really have a place for it right now" letter, and especially the "you know your work is not getting used 'cause you didn't get the email confirmation withing 3 weeks of the deadline" So these things I have come to know well over the last two years. But to get "THE LETTER", you know ,the OMGosh I can't believe it finally happened, gonna show it to all my friends and family, and YOU KNOW I AM GONNA BLOG ABOUT IT LETTER !! And then to have it be an "oops, sorry we made a mistake", well I gotta tell ya, it's pretty lame. So I am really trying to accept it, just get over it, and not let it get to me.

So I went shopping.....and found the coolest little Betsey Johnson makeup bag that is perfect for my journal pens. I have been looking for something else since my little pencil bag was not big enough and I had to dig around to find what I was looking for because I could never see anything. Well not anymore, it zips open and it is fabulous!! Plus, I got it for a ridiculous price because the store was having this huge gajillion percent off sale. It is all I could probably afford of Bestey Johnson's line (gosh I love her dresses), so I have a little bit of a spring in my step, yes I do, because it's MINE. Check it out.

Somewhere Tonight

My husband is friends with a Pastor , who has had an amazing vision of how the Lord wants us to reach our community. It involves coming together within every denomination, and offering our community hope through Jesus. I have never met the man, but from what I read of his vision, and from what my husband has told me, he is truly anointed. Part of the vision is to have the same response when anyone asks us why we are doing this. The answer is "This is for people about to divorce, for the people bound by drugs, for the people who are so miserable they drink themselves to sleep, for the people ready to commit suicide: to bring hope to those who feel like they have no hope"

This piece is my interpretation of that and borrows (altered) lyrics from a singer/songwriter named Michael Lord, (who is an independent musician in the L.A. are. And seriously, this man's music is so amazing, I don't know why he is not a Grammy Award winning artist.) 9"x12" mixed media on gessoboard

'Tis The Season

This is Connor's contribution to the Christmas decorating around the house. He came home from school last Friday, and asked me for some white yarn that he could wrap Baby Jesus in, for a "man-a-ger". Oh, I thought, a "manger" scene, OK! So I gave him some white fabric, and away he went. He even went so far as to make sure the Wise Men had their "gifts." He is such an awesome kid! Did you notice Mary's sassy new hairdo? Cute!!

Bring The Rain

I can count a million times, people asking me how I, can praise You, with all that I've been through. The question just amazes me, that circumstances possibly, could change, who I forever am in You. Maybe since my life has changed, long before these rainy days, it's never really ever crossed my mind. To turn my back on You oh Lord, my only shelter from the storm, but instead, I draw closer through these times.

So I pray, bring me joy, bring me peace, bring a chance to be free, bring me anything that brings You glory. And I know there'll be days, when this life brings me pain, but if that's what it takes to praise you, Jesus bring the rain.

I am Yours regardless of, the clouds that may loom above; because You are much greater than the pain. You who made a way for me, by suffering your destiny, so tell me what's a little rain.

So I pray, bring me joy, bring me peace, bring the chance to be free, bring me anything that brings You glory, and I know there'll be days when this life brings me pain, but if that what it takes to praise You, Jesus bring the rain.

"Bring the Rain" MercyMe: Album: All That is Within Me

For an entire blog post from MK Ludwig, sharing the songs that mean the most to us, go here