Living Art

Sometimes there are days  weeks when I can't seem to get motivated. (See a previous post here).  I have learned to just kind of go with it when that happens.  I went for awhile without doing a whole lot of art, but I put some ideas  together, made some gifts, took a class, wrote an article for a future publication.  So it wasn't like I was just laying around the WHOLE time. No really!!

Then there are ideas that come into my head, that will not be ignored.  It could be a huge project idea, or as simple as a journal page quote.  I have learned to write these down when I can, and when the muse allows, I sit down to see what happens.

This piece is one of those simple ideas that came out exactly how I pictured it in my head.  I had seen a billboard that had huge lettering, and within one of the letters, was a partial photo of a person.  I had been working on some things that required me to use pieces of old work, so I thought, why not do a larger piece using one word, and fill it in with nothing but bits of older collages.

Well right away, I love the word ART..(duh!) I mean, I know I love art, but I like the way the word itself looks in big block capital letters. I printed out the letters and then went back through scanned work and printed out bits and pieces of older stuff.  (I even snuck in a picture of yours truly!)  I like it.

Somerset Art Journaling "Published" button

Just got a cool email from Somerset Art Journaling, with an html button to put on my blog. This button take the reader to their site, to purchase the magazine. If you are having a hard time finding this at the bookstore, and you want to see the amazing eye candy (not just mine :) Then check it out!!!

The one where Carrie can't get off the couch to do anything.

I love the show "Friends".  I could probably watch repeats every day of my life and still laugh.  I especially like the descriptions in the guide, because they always start out with "The one where...."  I love this, because when I am talking to someone, explaining some funny episode, the way I say it is.."You know, the one where............" So I love that the writers of that show do the same thing.
Ok, I don't know where all that came from, except to say this: This is the episode of MY LIFE where I can't get off the couch to do anything.  Save for a few journal pages here and there and an article I wrote, I have literally done nothing artistic.

I have read some good books, went on a couple mini vacations (or long weekends, if you will) and hung out with friends, but nothing much more than that, in the art department.

I need motivation people!!
I have some really cool things I am involved in, with some amazing artists, and I am excited about them.  So why then, can I not get moving?

Maybe it's the ridiculous heat.  Maybe it's my ridulous laziness.   (I am going to put my money on the latter).  Anyway, here are a couple journal pages I did last week, talking about the cool weekend with my family in Havasu. I am going to get busy on more. Or maybe just a little nap first.

I fixed it!!!!

Ok, after much frustration, a whole lot of head scratching, and the overwhelming desire to lay my head on my desk and cry....I fixed my blog!! Yay!  Who knew that it was one previous blog post, that had different formating, that would not allow the new design changes to take place.

Wow, I am so happy right now!!  Anyway, here is another donkey pictures to look at.  This was taken with the Hipstamatic app on the IPhone.  We see donkeys all the time along the dirt road that takes us to the Lake house, but they usually don't hang around once we stop the car and get out.  This momma let us get close, but you could tell, she would have no problem coming after us if we got too close.  Glenn tossed them a couple of apples, and the little one went to town!

Heck of A time

So I got this bright idea yesterday to to mess around with my blog. You see Blogspot had this "new" button up top that said DESIGN your blog or something. I got sucked in, made some changes without saving the old template, and now I can't get my sidebars to show up. SO frustrating!!!!

Anyway, this is a random test post to see if the changes I made worked. This is a picture of some donkeys we stopped to feed on the way to the lakehouse last weekend. It was a momma and her baby, and they loved the apples!!

Shakin' Things up

Ok, so right off the bat, you may have noticed the super bright colors of my new blog theme! Yeah, I know it's loud, but I am kinda feeling it! So we're just going to roll with it, k?
Pam Carriker! Her work is always inspiring!!
There I was again, taking self portraits in front of the magazine rack!! I swear, the peeps at Barnes and Noble must think I'm crazy.
I've got the magazines arranged just right so you can see the cover, behind me, while I am posing with the book flipped open to my article. Comedy, I tell you!! But, it never gets old. It is just as exciting as it was the first few times.
So the article was one on "Journaling within borders". Since I love to frame my journal pages, it was a good theme for me.
It is alot harder to write, though, when I did not have the specific journal in front of me, or know which pages they chose. But after seeing the final outcome, I think it is a good fit.
I love Stampington publications. Their work is just beautiful. And I love that they make my work look beautiful too! Thanks Somerset!!

We'll Begin....with a spin...in the world of my imagination.

I am such a bad blogger. I tell myself I am going to be more diligent, but I am sporadic at best. Ok, I will try. There...I'm over it. Now what's going on with me?

My studio is a mess. It is my quarterly look around and ugh what a disaster. But on the good side of that, it obviously means I have been busy. Which I have.

So these are a few of the pieces I have been working on.

The Michael Buble was for my dear friend Rudy. He loved it and I was honored to be able to do this for him.
The orange koi is a collage in progress that I am working on in Complex Collage: An online class taught by Julie Prichard and Chris Cozen. I am loving this class.
The Alice is a finished piece from that class and the bubble koi is in progress as well. Although, the more I look at this, the more I like it as is. Hmmmm, we'll see.
The assemblage piece was one I had done in a class with Michael DeMeng last month, and I revamped it a little bit.
So that's what up with me.
Ok off to clean my studio. NO, really!!!

Blog Interview

Hi all! Happy Friday!! So a few weeks ago, I got an email saying my blog had been recommended for an interview at Blog Interview.com. I was not familiar with the site, so I went on, checked it out, and read some of the other blog interviews. Looked easy enough, so I answered the questionnaire, and the interview is up this morning. Although I did notice that some of the other interviews were way longer than mine. I guess I should have noticed that before I answered the questions, but I am not entirely comfortable when it comes to describing my own work. Needless to say, it won't take you but about 15 seconds to read my interview! LOL, Oh well, hopefully you will spend more time on my blog anyway. You can go check it out here, and while you're there, hit me with a thumbs up...I think I could win something!!

Online classes, Cub scouts and Demented DeMeng!!

So lets see, what's going on with me? Well, I recently signed up for an online class with Chris Cozen and Julie Prichard called "Complex Collage" and I am really enjoying it. These ladies do a great job of instruction, materials and support, and I have learned a ton already!! When I have some finished pieces, I will post them here and you guys can fall over each other getting to Julie's site to sign up for the next one!!

I was invited by my friend Kendra, to come to her sons Weblos/cub scout den meeting next month, as they are earning their Art badges, and talk to them about being an artist. Wow, seriously excited. My first Art lecture, and they have to listen to me or they don't get their badges!! LOL, just kidding!! I am sure it will be a blast. I would love to do the same with my boys pack too, when they get that far.

Saturday morning I will be joining a few other artists at Zinnia in Pasadena for a class with Michael DeMeng. I love taking classes from Michael. Even though his realm is a bit outside my comfort zone, when it comes to media, I learn a bunch, and always come away with a project that is unique, bizarre and always a little bit demented! And I like taht about it!! I took two classes with him at Asilomar last year for Art&Soul, and had a blast. Michael is a very generous artist with his style and technique. He just wrote a fabulous blog post about teaching, and what should be the end result. You can hop over here, and check it out.

So we took off for the boy's Easter Vacation last week, and heaed out to Havasu for a little R&R. The weather was a little wonky for a few days. Cold and windy, but with the sun shining. and when I say windy, I mean WINDY!!. Anytime we were on the boat, I couldn't tell if I was windburned or sunburned!! We did get a chance to go riding though, since it wasn't too hot. Connor loves riding and exploring, and I love to take my camera and shoot some nature. Since I don't have a grown up camera yet, someday, I have been using and LOVING my Iphone camera with my new favorite Hipstamatic app. It takes pictures like the old toy cameras of years gone by. I think it's funny how we used to look at the quality of those prints, and complain because they were crappy. Now we pay to have camera that give us the same effects. Anyway, these photos are taken with the Hipstamatic app, and I love them!!Click on my links and cruise around the blogosphere, you will be glad you did!!

Huge Goal Attained.....Now what????

Five years ago, when I began to get serious about being an artist, I thought about what I wanted to do with it. I knew I didn't want it to be something that I started and gave up on. I knew I wanted to learn stuff I didn't know, and I knew it had to stay exciting. I also knew that if I didn't set some goals, I would not continue to push myself. These were my goals 5 years ago:

1) Sell some artwork

2) Show my art in a gallery

3) Get published in my favorite magazine.

So now it's 5 years later, and I have achieved these goals. And let me tell you; the first was just as exciting as the second and the third. What a huge ,blessing!!

In life, as in art, I need to set goals for myself to continue to grow and change. With this in mind, someone got the bright idea that I should get my General Contractors License. Hmmmm.

My husband is a commercial GC, and I have worked for him for the last 15 years. I love the business, and I love my job. During the last year, through a series of events, we came to the conclusion that I should also get my license. There are a whole lot of opportunities for a woman with a GC license, believe it or not. There are huge companies that we do work for, that have to spend a certain amount of money per year, with companies that are either minority owned businesses or women owned businesses.

This is where it gets hard. In December I started school, and thus began the hours, days and weeks of studying. Now I don't like to study. I didn't study in high school, and I did ok. I marginally studied in college, and did great. This was different. This was hard.

In order to pass the State Exam, you have to study the law side and the trade side. Now I have no problem with the law side, like I said, I have been doing this for 15 years. The law is the business practices, the employee financial requirements, and the legal issues of contracting. NO problem.

The trade side, being that it is for a General Contractor, meant I had to learn basics of the 8 major trades: Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, framing, drywall, insulation, roofing, and concrete. Let me tell you what I know about these trades: I know how to call my subcontractors to answer any question I might have!! Needless to say, about halfway through this process, I figured I had bit off more than I could chew. But I'm stubborn like that. I would continue to work hard, and when the test date came, I would be prepared the best I could.

Well, I passed. I am the State of California's newest Licensed General Contractor! Whew!! Boy am I glas that's over. But the question is: Now what?

This piece is titled "STRONG".........11"x14" mixed media on canvas. Because I am!