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Showing posts from July, 2008

Altered Birds

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It's amazing how scrunched up inside I feel when I'm lugging around days and days worth of  pent-up creativity; busy stuff with the kids, company in town, doctor's appointments and a house that looks like  a dumpster disaster movie set.  I've tried sneaking up to the Altered Attic but no sooner do I get the cap off a jar and my kids either need of a referee or are vying for my time. But, with just two weeks left until school starts, I truly do understand that the emergency runs to Dairy Queen, various errands, discussions and debates really are more important right now.  The table can wait... there will be a window of time...  The really incredible thing is that every time my spirits sink below pool (canoeing lingo for water level), I get a distinct 'nudge' of inspiration. A couple of days ago, I logged on to a few of my favorite blogs. While reading a post on  Ragamuffin Girl I  paused when I saw my name listed as the winner of the Fairy Girl Bird Box! Even if

Vintage Light Switch Plates

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One word of warning when using alcohol ink...and most of you probably already know - wear gloves!! I went to church this morning looking like I'd just changed the oil in my car, which wouldn't be bad I suppose.... But, it doesn't wash off!!

Vicarious Vacation?

How many of you use Blog Catalog? I listed Altered Attic hoping to widen my circle will widen and sure enough, heard back from my new friend, Collage Contessa , whose blog shows up in the "similar blogs" panel on my BC page.  If you check out her latest post, you'll see she's been on vacation too! I think I'll invent one, in the hopes that by using a little creativity while traveling through blog-land I can vicariously experience the beach and other cool places.  No pity parties here though! I got to do the deMeng workshop and DH did an illustration conference in New York a couple of weeks ago, so we've had our share of adventures. Summer at home with two kids, a dog, two cats and a hamster makes for some fairly lively days. Trips to the pool, photo-walks and visiting friends... hey, I just saved on accommodations! Now if I can squeeze in some studio time. Fortunately the last half-dozen light switch plates I made sold, so I'm working on another batch. I u

Summer Days

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Ever since I joined Leah in the call to be  Creative Every Day  I have payed more attention to the infinite ways in which we express our creative selves aside from making art in the studio - viewing something as simple as a sign or the beauty of nature, how we arrange our surroundings (notice I didn't say 'organizing'),or finding new ways to meditate. Photography has always been my medium of choice for recording my daily walk and I'm always delighted to notice an odd detail in the otherwise ordinary.  I picked my daughter up at camp the other day and dashed into the restroom before making the hour long drive home. Not sure why I felt compelled to take a photograph of this sign, it just kinda cracked me up that such a formal word was, well, a bit worn. If it hadn't been securely attached (and at a church camp:) I might have considered it a found object and brought it home for a bit more grunging. Oh, the other sign said 'Men,' were they trying to save on lett

deLast of deMeng, for now

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Finally, after two months, my Assemblook  (deMeng terminology:) from the Random Arts workshop is complete. I knew if I didn't finish it I'd put it away and diminish all the time, energy and creative resources I'd spent learning from Michael deMeng, such a fabulous teacher.  Altering a book seemed like a fairly simple task, until I realized that there would be four layers of foam board on each 'page' and that, like the rest of my life, it would be an open book. (It will close - not the huge opening in the left side) but then I'd have to do the cover - ha). After many batches of the uszzzzzhhhh!!, mixing paint to look a bit like verdigris, burnt paper and other tricks of his trade, sticky from adding mica, Wholey Paper and everything else I could get my hands on, I feel a sense of completion. Now, I only wish I could take another workshop.... Left-hand 'page' Click on the Right hand page to view in Flikr Right hand 'page' 

Blog Award!

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A great big thanks and hug to Kristin Hubick, from Retro Cafe Art Gallery. She nominated me for this award, my first and oh, so special. When one receives this award, the following is in order: 1. Put the award logo on your blog 2. Add a link to the person who awarded you (I'd already done that:) 3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs 4. Add links to those blogs on yours 5. Leave a message for the nominees on their blogs A few of my favorites are: Lucy at SweetRepeats , Leah at Creative Every Day , Katie at Ragamuffin Gal , Lani at LaniPuppetMaker , Karen at BioGraphia , Jane at RandomArtNotes , Christine at Artist's Nook , Marilyn at Unshelved Words , more to follow!

Love is a Verb

Nothing like a holiday to remind us how important people and tradition are in our lives. I often struggle with isolation- a chronic illness, making lemonade (art), even buying my supplies online and I got in a funk thinking about my lack of plans for the 4th. I stared back at my prednisone-puffy face in the hair salon (first time in six months) while clusters of tanned, slim gals chatted into cell phones and to each other - is it just me or do other people's parties always sound more exciting? I'm amazed by how quickly I let myself wallow in that 'left behind' feeling. The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays. A dozen or so years ago my hub and I started wandering down to watch the 8:00 a.m. 10K race. From the comfort of chairs in the median, under beautiful old trees, we'd drink coffee, watch the runners sprint out Main Street, loop around and make their way back downtown. One year we invited a few people over for more coffee and brunch after the

Art Spanning the Centuries

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My cousin, Vic Chevillon, is a geologist and artist who lives in Reno with his lovely wife Lynn.He has traveled extensively and has more stories to tell than anyone I know... an all around cool guy.  Vic has created a series of four petroglyphs that are geometrically true to art found in Northern Nevada 10,000 years ago. The petroglyph installation in downtown Reno is part of Artown.  The annual, month-long festival draws 350,000 people and artists - visual, performing and musical - the likes of Ringo Starr, Wynton Marsalis, Mandy Patinkin, the Missoula Children's theater, Street Dancers from Chicago... and my cousin Vic, and the list goes on. Artown was developed to strengthen Reno's arts industry, enhance civic identity and national image, thereby creating a climate for the cultural and economic rebirth of the region. The National Endowment for the Arts calls it one of the most comprehensive festival offerings in the country.  Vic describes his Peace Quest Sculpture as welde