Patti Edmon Artist

Just shy of two months  after the Michael deMeng workshop in Saluda, NC, I've finished my Morpheus box. It certainly did morph... We started the boxes on the second day, which, given the fatigue that accompanies this illness, I should have known would surpass my ability to make a sentence, let alone construct anything creative. But, I did get a good start.  I brought it home with a voo-doo looking mask on one side of the rotating bar, and a transparency of a little girl and clock face on the opposing side. Hmm, how was I going to connect the two wildly disparate images? After stewing for a few weeks, I realized that, though I liked both sides, one of them had to go. I had dremeled out a niche for the mask/emblem, which was cool (love the flying dust), so I hated giving that up, but, not having any related objects, out it went.Once I cleared that hurdle, I began to think of morphing, changing, seasons.   I have a very dear aunt, who has been more like a second mother, and she is pas...

I've enjoyed chatting with friends who were kind enough to share their true Valentine's Day sentiments - the hoopla, extravaganza - romantic and thrilling,  for some. Me? I stood at the door, waving. My daughter and her buds helped chaperone a ballet babysitting fundraiser/party; my husband took my son to a concert deemed by the music critic as ideal for those inclined to wear their heart - and/or spleen on their valentine sleeve, music befitting the original ancient Roman Lupercalia festival, a raucous affair involving goat-skin whips and fertility chants. Ahem. I ate red licorice and watched Sweet Home Alabama. Again. I love when Reese Witherspoon decks Candice Bergen. Anyway, about 30 minutes in, unable to prop open my eyes, I went to bed with a good book and promptly fell asleep. But I was honored!  I felt loved! My daughter made a poster-sized card wishing me a Happy Day and my son made me a Rice Krispie... treat. (I tinted it pink for visibility of the detail). Did he use...

So what makes art fine, anyway? Is it fine art photography, like the panoramic photo published by my friend (and recent groom) Jeff Rogers, that appears on the coffee table book, Kentucky Wide ? (for which I wrote the forward:) What makes art, for that matter... Is it my son marching with the Thriller ensemble, channeling his passion in rehearsed and spontaneous rhythm through his drumsticks? Or the grace and amazing beauty of my daughter, who has been a ballerina for 7 of her 11 years... I admit it may have been a bit petty to even post the cartoon below, and Jane's comment is beyond perfect. But after living for years as an 'invisible' artist, with a painter who has a BFA in Fine Art (and earns our living at our graphic design business ), I was curious to see what kind, if any, response it elicited.  According to my dictionary an artist is "a person who produces paintings or drawings as a profession or hobby; a person who practices any of the various creative arts, s...

I love the first days of fall, when the nights are chilly and the mornings crisp, the mums and summer blossoms that linger as the trees begin their transformation. I love walking around the neighborhood and discovering all the different ways people express their sentiments about the changing season. I love Third Street Stuff , which now carries my art pieces (yay), always has a warm and inviting atmosphere and a coffee shop that serves freshly roasted brew and a kind of cake - I don't know the name of it but it should be called instant addiction. And pumpkin chai. I also love Hendrick, who makes my pumpkin chai, latte or whatever I'm drinking that day. His smile, like his attitude and his spirit is, well, the best word I can think of to describe him is real. A deep and positive word and a hug from Hendrick have made more than one of my days. I love enchiladas. Especially when my mother makes them and my dad drops them off.  She has been sending me dinner once a week, knowing th...

This is one of my favorite photos, taken during a heavenly late-September vacation in Vermont, a place where one can easily pause in the midst of sublime beauty. If only I could time travel... Found the video at the bottom of this post on Sherry's blog,  Esprit d' Art ,  she'd found it on another blogger's site, who'd gotten from another blog... at any rate, it's well worth the watch.  How often do we take time out to really think... about what might be going on with people we encounter on a casual basis, whether or not they cause us a delay? One of the benefits of living with chronic illness is moving at a slower pace than many people. Over time, it results in living in the moment, paying more attention to the small stuff and taking in more detail. On a bad day it's like standing on the ground while the rest of the world whirls by on a merry-go-round; no stops, no tickets. Invisible illness becomes invisibility. After three years I've learned to appreci...

I came across this logo while reading My Vintage Studio , one of my favorite blogs, and it was like - WOW!  I've never heard about this before and it's the week, too late to do a lot aside from posting the info and reading the daily blog and spreading the word as widely as I can through my own blog and emails. Having an invisible ailment - and I know of several blog friends who live with chronic illness that isn't readily apparent - is unique and presents different situations from, say, being in a wheel chair, or, God forbid, having a terminal illness. I'm not sick enough to be bedridden or homebound, though I don't travel too far or for very long. But I do have a handicapped tag hanging from my rearview mirror, and I get some pretty odd looks when I'm in a huge parking lot and actually use it; I miss out on long, late dinners and pretty much everything that happens after 7 or 8 at night. I have been isolated socially for a couple of years now, and my old circle...

I've long been a fan of the Quotable product line. I have a journal that says: Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over it became a butterfly.  I have a magnet with a Churchill quote: When you're going through hell, keep going. The folks there find some pretty darned compelling quotes, to be sure.  I was in a fabulously cute boutique/gallery in Louisville this past weekend and walked by the card rack and this one stopped me in my tracks. Fear of failure is the number one wrench thrown into my works all my life. And I don't think I'm alone... to some degree most all of us fear failure, or worse, fear success. So, I wonder how many of know the heart-answer to this question? And how many of us are actually living / doing whatever it is, regardless of the potential for failure? Of course there is no guarantee. Ever. But, if I'm totally honest, the ideas that float along on the fringes of my mind are going to change my life view - hopefully the way I spend my...

Every time I do a swap, I find that I'm trying something new, which isn't that amazing since I have only belonged to art groups for a couple  years:) From inchies, Artist's Coping Kits, to ATCs, fairy jars and, last week on Art-e-Zine, trash outside the box.  Like many of the projects I've so enjoyed, there was a lot of freedom, the only requirement being the box. So, I found a heart shaped yard sale cast off and went to work. I got out wAy too much - paper, tissue, scraps, trims, beads and found items, then I sat and stared. I tried planning, holding things against the surface to see how they blended, if the colors matched. That got me absolutely nowhere. I glued a layer of paper on all the outer surfaces, ending up with purples and greens. After some serious stewing and procrastinating, I finally found that switch inside that turns off the monkey brain and lets the hands work as though unattached from the circuits that try to control, er, perfect the process. I began ...

I don't buy tickets for the lottery, cake walks or raffles - unless it's for charity. I experience at least my fair share of good fortune, but I'm just not one of those 'lucky' people. How does one improve odds? Or is it luck or coincidence anyway... accident or fate? A bit of research reveals beliefs that are as varied as they are fascinating.   There are schools of thought that ponder whether fate can be explained by  mathematical occurrences ;  some believe that every move is guided by the hand of God, driven by fate. Then there is Deepak Chopra's  Synchrodestiny , the magic of connecting with the underlying field of infinite possibilities; the ability to see amazing potential in every moment. If, in fact, we study these convenient occurrences, we can even increase the number and quality of our daily coincidences.   From a mathematical perspective, I had fairly decent odds of winning the Fairy Girl Bird Box, a beautiful creation by Ragamuffin Gal, (she picked...

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 ...

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' 

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...

for Aunt Grey spirit seeks freedom from the shackles of time on the prison of earth Flower Dreams breath on the night sky fragrant petals drift inside my deep dreams flower Daughter Love my daughter fills the  well with love and her smile waters my heart

Check out A New Angel, the fabulous piece of art that will be given away by Kristin Hubick at Retro Cafe Art. Click here to get to her site. I put my name in the hat because I'd love to own a piece of her work and I find her inspiring. The giveaway is in honor o the angels, unacknowledged by name, at work in her life. What a way to ensure the circularity of kindness and blessings.

A glance at the cover of any women's magazine reveals how obsessed we are with our bodies, more specifically, the size and shape of our bodies. Each month a bounty of new pointers to guide us in the war to conquer the bulge, shave the fat, eat without starving, exercise without breaking a sweat. The magazines don't matter much to me, note that I referred to the covers. In my case, medication that has delivered much needed health benefits also packed on an 40 extra pounds in less than two years. Prednisone has eased this roller coaster ride of life with an auto-immune disorder. It has reduced inflammation and provided energy to meet deadlines, extra fuel for major holidays, travel and busy times, like my stints as a ballet mom. But after three years, I can no longer ignore the fact that the side effects outnumber the benefits. So, I think I am finally brave enough to start tapering off, hope my adrenal glands haven't atrophied and will jump start, begin producing appropriate...

All I can say after witnessing last night's performance of Stomp , the amazing percussion troupe based in New York, is, well, if you ever have a chance, don't miss it!! The entire event was inspired to say the least. Speaking of inspired, I'm looking at my supply list for the upcoming Michael deMeng workshop in Saluda, North Carolina, hosted by Random Arts - the delightful, enormously talented kindred art-sisters I was lucky enough to meet during our spring getaway to Saluda (no coincidence btw). I came away from my time in the store with so many ideas, new techniques and materials, I can't imagine how amazing it will be to get to play there and do a workshop with an artist of deMeng's caliber. Hmmm, Dap Quick Seal Tub and Tile, 5-minute epoxy putty, dremel, wire cutters, mica, waxed paper... this sounds very promising indeed. I was reminded this morning by my friend Diane, a sage and very funny pastor, that the journey takes place every day. I have to remember that...