Posts

Showing posts from 2010
Image
This photo album was my last creative output before Christmas. It was a commission, for which I am most grateful, and the last in a series of have-to projects that, along with the rest of the seasonal duties and festivities, left me a bit, well, uncreative. I'm sure it's still in there somewhere, beneath layers of exhaustion, though a break is certainly much needed and will hopefully be restorative. I haven't cleaned up the mess. Yet. The entire house is oddly rearranged with clutter and goodies amid the decorations; there are two teenagers upstairs that don't know it yet, but today we are going to restore order. Then comes the cleaning and organizing in my studio. A fresh start... yes. I believe that is what we are granted every day, but especially when looking toward a new year. I haven't made a list of resolutions but when I do, they will be very different from those of years past. Whatever this day finds you creating, clearing, renewing, I hope it is calm, mindf

The Ice before Christmas

Image
I just deleted 30 emails... aside from the swap group I belong to, a few blogs I follow and one from Alice's dance studio, they were all offers I could not refuse. Free shipping... only four more days.... last chance... save 50%... final clearance. Last Sunday's snow storm was followed by an ice storm and my kids spent a day and a half at what was to be their finals - and fun - last week before winter break. I had my projects lined up and my plan in place for each day... wait, like John Lennon said, life is what happens when we're making other plans? To infuse a bit of holiday spirit, Alice and I baked cookies yesterday afternoon while dancing around the kitchen to Harry Connick, Jr.'s Christmas CD. Squishing the too-sticky dough through her fingers between pirouettes and kicks she felt like a little kid again. We had fun. But her dance class was canceled and by early evening she was not happy. She wants to DO something. I empathize. What is this called...

'Tis the Season

Image
No matter how many times I tell myself it won't happen, it does. By early December I've savored three Thanksgiving dinners, celebrated my son's birthday, decorated my parents' house for Christmas and, Sunday night, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a party at a fabulous restaurant - photographer and all. I have lost most all of my (prednisone) weight and I'm in good spirits but the auto-immune situation plants the brick wall in my path. And here I sit, more blessed than so many, yet... the shopping, decorating, unfinished art projects that I can't post and who wants to hear a lot of whining anyway? This advent, Dr. Woody Berry, our Senior Pastor, is centering his messages around being still... listening, no, listening deeper. So, after spending an entire day without checking one item off my list, I silence the noise, the chatter and stories I tell myself whether or not I mean to*... and what is it that I hear? The peace of knowing that I am loved,

The Winds of Change

Image
Most everyone reading this is familiar with Seth Apter and the myriad projects he manages, along with creating his own art... does he ever sleep?? He spends so much time and energy on connecting the mixed media community, through his visits to studios, book reviews, and giving us a window into the 'hearts and minds' of so many talented artists. I wonder though, if you have taken a moment to check out his book, created with Roxanne Evans Stout. I haven't yet 'met' Roxanne, but the collaboration between these two is amazing... seamless. The depth of each piece of art makes me want to reach in and, not touch of course:), but study it again and again. A phrase written by the artist accompanies the art in The Winds of Change . They share their reflections, sentiments about Autumn, change, evolution, staying on the path... such an inspirational vision of a time, a life stage, a season, that is often fleeting but lingers in the soul. Earlier in my life, fall was

Skirts for Salvation

Image
Back in August, we got a call asking if Jim and I would create Christmas tree skirts to benefit our local Salvation Army. How could I say no? The days were long and hot and the studio was the coolest place to be. My immediate thought was to create snow people with funky hats... This endeavor was a big shift from the wedding project and I didn't even start until 2 days before the skirts were to be delivered. Fortunately, my darling husband, Jim, had finished his prancing reindeer skirt in plenty of time to help with the background and mounds of snow. Making the hats was my favorite part. Even in a time crunch I never knew there were so many fashion variations! I didn't even use half my ideas, which made cleaning up a royal mess. If you're so inclined, visit Bluegrass Home Interiors , view all 32 skirts and cast a vote. Or two. It's for a great cause! Real snow people wear hats! And Jim's fabulous contribution - reindeer prancing for charity. A few of my favorite h

I now pronounce thee finished!

Image
Once in a while, fortune does smile; while I didn't sell any canvases at the gallery show, a woman who loved my journals was also busy with the details of her daughter's impending wedding. She commissioned me to create three projects - the guest book, a box for envelopes and a photo album. Aside from two belts and a bag of jewelry and knowing the colors - ivory and aubergine, she gave me no direction whatsoever. Just do what you do... if you love it, I'll love it. I must admit that, four weeks before the wedding, I was a bit daunted, however, I've never turned away from a challenge. I purchased a 9 x 12 sketch book, blank photo album and pulled a cigar box from my stash. I'd like to say that it was a breeze, but any artist who has ever had a commission with a deadline knows better. I started on the guest book. The background was not a problem, of course, that's always my favorite part - gluing, sponging, dabbing, adding more layers.... The belt buckle decided to

transitions

Image
It is inevitable... autumn paints fiery colors across the trees, winds shift and chill, light disappears early in the evening. Yet each year it feels like the first, as does every other change of season. I suppose for those of us who do not transition easily, this isn't a negative, as it allows a fresh eye, open to seeing new detail in well-familiar sights. Other transitions are not quite so simple. From fairy princess to teenager, cute little skeleton to rock band drummer... OK, they did dress for Halloween, but aside from the costume, the shifts are seismic and not always pleasant. Does anyone tell a soon-to-be, or new mother that her angel baby will morph into a stranger along about age 13 or so? That so many conversations escalate into arguments... that my 'style' will soon be ridiculous? I suppose the magazine articles were all there, I just didn't read them. Not much for Woman's Day or Good Housekeeping, I went along my merry, blissfully ignorant way in total

Adhesive Question

Image
Lyle Lovett was the ideal voice to wind down the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games. "If I had a pony, I'd ride him on my boat..." He and his Large Band performed for visitors from every corner of the world who came together to cheer, volunteer, or compete for the coveted world titles. Horses have been the focal point of Lexington in more than one way; 82 fiberglass horses are situated across the city adding a colorful and artistic element to the games and photo ops for countless tourists (and locals!). The horses, which began appearing across the city and at the Horse Park in July, are as diverse as the countries represented in the games. Two of the designs - both in the 'top ten' - were created by my good friend Debbie Westerfield. Nonesuch, named for the tiny rural town where Debbie lives - and also the famed English castle built by Henry VIII - is the first of the two shown below. The second, Midway, is a reference to the small art town midway between Lexington

Doors and Dinosaurs

Image
I actually had the energy to take a photo walk the other day. The weather has changed fairly fast - as it usually does here - but it was a beautiful morning. Not the 100 degree days we'd had so many of, so I set out on my mission. My photo walks are a challenge - depending upon how far I can walk, in this case around the block - to see. Really see, notice small changes, details that might otherwise be missed. What a metaphor for living a creative life. I'm not sure my vision has improved but I finally had a 'happy' studio day. Something about making pieces for a gallery or hopefully to sell is very unnerving. I realize that I'm still fairly green, when it comes to making art anyway:) and I have to say that this is the first time I've experienced 'Monkey Mind' in the studio - questioning every move, not sure if I like or not, which color, etc. In my writing history, I had a similar experience while attending a series of advanced fiction
Image
Everyone whose blogs I visit show so much activity. art-making that is; and now, National Invisible Illness Week has passed, and believe it or not, I have been making art! Having such limited time to spend in the studio certainly takes away from blogging, commenting and visiting all the wonderful artists who stop by, laundry, cooking, all that good stuff. Most everything, aside from the frame and wings, which came from ArtChix Studios , is found. However, in keeping with the no copy policy, I snipped out a lovely photo for the frame and now cannot recall from which sheet it came. The inside of this box was a piece of cake compared the one on which I am now working. Working on the cardboard cigarillo boxes proved very helpful, as a learning curve; however, the real wood has proven an entirely different, well, cigar. Hinges that can't be removed and reinstalled, rough, nearly shredded wood along the inside edges and corners that are too rough for sandpaper alone, not
Image
Here we are, September 19th, the last day of National Invisible Illness Week. I end the week filled with joy at the comments to my posts, the messages from friends and the dialog that I hope will continue until next September. I have learned so much from reading the blog posts of others. Lani Gerity Glanville , mentor, friend, moderator of online art group I am proud to belong to, read my post and wrote an amazingly powerful piece. An Art Therapist, Lanie has a wealth of experience and uses her incredible creative talents to live, learn, share and teach. She has continued the conversation by delving a little deeper into resilience, one of her favorite topics. Well worth reading. Also, a post by a young, too young, gal who has Lyme's Disease (and a host of others) but who uses her illness to spread good. Victoria is her name and I was heartened by her words. The bottom line is, for every person dealing with an Invisible Chronic Illness, there are countless others invol