Hearts Alight

Wow! 2.5 weeks down after Mikes spinal surgery, and I've left the house only 2 times so far. Banking and pharmacy. You would think that means alot of work is getting accomplished. You would think. However, the reality of it is that except for the week my in laws were here to help out, I've gotten NOTHING done on my list of goals. NOTHING! And I am frustrated! I have tons on my plate, enough to keep anyone busy for a year! And the faster I go the more I get behind. So I decided I WILL get at least one thing done today. I will be teaching 2 separate sessions of "Hearts Alight" at Red Letter Journals- one on Jan 28th, and one on February 11. So today, I will carve out some time from nursing duties and take and post photos of the sample pieces I created for the class. And, I will deliver the samples to Red Letter Journals to go on display if you want to see them for yourself in person.

"Hearts Alight"

A fast paced, yet lighthearted mixed media class. Artists will enjoy combining collage techniques, painting techniques, Distress Inks and Distress Paints, rub-ons, stamps and paperclay sculpting to fashion 3D focal points for their creations.
Supplies needed: Apron, paintbrush or 2, 2 different pieces of printed scrapbook paper. All other supplies will be provided. Artists will go home with a completed piece of art!

The Artful_Losers

The group for artists who want to lose weight is off to a rollicking start! Such WONDERFUL and SUPPORTIVE women. We've vented, we've rambled, we've cheered and encouraged. Information is freely flowing, and the pounds are melting off. Today we started our first 10 pound challenge, and as each one of us hits our mark, the others will send small bits of handmade art, or ephemera for our stash. It's amazing how coming together as a group, we each feel stronger. I feel so focused. It's like an adrenaline rush. I have very high hopes indeed for this great group of creative, fabulous, passionate women!

Gratitude Journal Day 8

Wow! Eight days have gone by, and I truly feel up-lifted. I feel inspired to keep going. I feel as if good things are happening because of this attitude change. (Or, more likely, they always happened, and I took them for granted before.) I feel light and happy inside, although there are things I could be feeling stressed about, they are not really bothering me as much as they would have a week ago. Personally, I am a bit shocked. I didn't think this gratitude attitude would be such a big change. Apparently I was wrong. Counting blessings along with doing art everyday just for myself seems to be the magic endorphin button.

Today I find myself being grateful for those women who broke out of the "expected" roles for women, and made my life easier today. I appreciate not always having to be the snowplow. I appreciate the struggles they had, so it could be better for me. They made being strong look easy. I wonder if I could have stuck it out thru the same challenges they went through with grace. I'm not so sure I could. So I'm grateful that I don't have to.

Flower Art Series

Over a period of time I've been working on a flower series of computer altered photo art. I take the original photo and then alter it digitally with my Wacom graphics tablet and Adobe CS 2 software. I have in mind a calendar, or maybe book of some sort down the road, but all the ideas have not been fully explored. Right now I'm just enjoying the individual pieces.

The Yellow Lillies piece is currently hanging in 2 galleries, as I did a small run giclee series. I feel it is my signature piece and I've used it for many different things, including my own ATC's. The original lillies were photographed in my parents backyard.

The Bougainvillea piece is my new favorite. I just finished it this week. The original photo was taken in February outside the door of our vacation condo in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Feeling Sistery.....

Lately, I've been blessed to "meet" some of the most fabulous, talented people through various online art groups. Two groups particularly close to my heart are The Altered Art Divas and The Sisters of the Secret Fatbook Society. Both groups have given me the opportunity to "get to know" some of the most wonderful, artistic, giving, open and sharing women I've ever had the priviledge to run across. It blows me away, the way they open their hearts and share their art in such a supportive manner. As a product of an "official art education" the support and positive attitude is something I can't quite wrap my noodle around yet. I pour thru their blogs every free moment I get, amazed at their daily creations. Amazed at the sheer quantity of wonderful work they are producing, just for fun. They challenge me daily to create just for the sake of creating, rather than "producing" for an end product, as I must do daily for my job. It is taking me in a whole new direction within myself, a place that I sort of always "felt" was there but didn't quite know the address for. For these artists I am so thankful, in this of all months to express thanks.

This is a piece I did in my art journal, inspired by 2 other tremendous artists, Anne Bagby and Lynne Perrella, and what they were generous enough to share with me. It sings what my words cannot about these artistic sisters.

Altered Book of Hope

For a while now, I've been working in a themed altered book, and I finished the last spread recently. I purposely chose the subject to lift my spirits, and it really did! Not only is it a collection of hundreds of wise sayings about hope, but it also was a place where I tried out new techniques with no preconceived notions. On the Dove spread in particular, I was working with home-made rice paper, and copying sketches from my sketch journal onto it. I loved how the paper disappeared into the background, but gave me my dove's outline to embellish.

For the cathedral spread, I just liked the mindless playing with stamps. It was one of the "background" pages I did that sat unfinished for a while. Then one day, it seemed as is the idea jumped out at me as I was flipping thru, and caught site of that un-blank page.