Earlier this Month

My friend April had her 55th birthday earlier this month and celebrated with a group of friends by having lunch then going to a pottery place.  We all picked out our piece of pottery to paint then got started with the glazes.  The following are pictures of some of us working- I didn't get pictures of April's daughters and  granddaughter :)

 April the birthday girl and Carol waiting to get started.

Traci picking out pieces to put on her lightswitch

this is my square bowl that will go in my art room

Traci's Swithplate cover "after"

my bowl "after"

mother /daughter working away

painted, then painted over and scratched away

Carol's bowl-square like mine

Carol's "After"

April working on her bowl.

Art Day

here is the table before we got started

On friday-(May 10th) i went to my friend Traci's house to paint and embellish some fabric.  She had seen some fabric painting I did from an online class and wanted to take it a few steps farther for a different project.  So we got out paint, stencils, stamps, and "objects" to use as stamps.  We wanted to paint on
printed fabric to see what look we would get-by using that as our background.
The first piece of fabric we used was heavily printed w/text and graphics.  We each painted "our" side of the fabric and then embellished.  Once it was dry, Traci cut it in 1/2 for us to each use in our own projects.
 The second piece of fabric we painted was a black polka dot on white.  Traci opted to tone her side down with a thin layer of gesso before she started her painting.  I decided to just go for it-hoping once painted it wouldn't hurt your eyes as bad.
We had a lot of fun painting and chatting-a successful "art day" for the two of us-reminded us of the days when a small group of us would get together and have "art days" to try out a new project/product or just work on something individually.  and eat chocolate.  and talk.  girl talk.

printed fabric after we painted and added papers/fibers

another view.  traci did the right side, i did the left

polka dot fabric after painting-again traci-right me, left

close-up of a portion of Traci's side

close-up of my side

 

RIP George Jones

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5216FZHLcsU

loved this song from day one...

More From Last Week

Wall Hanging 1

chain detail

wall hanging 2

fiber detail

These are two wall hangings I completed last week before I got sick.  One is a verrry late Christmas present for a friend.  The other is a birthday gift for someone.  I've started a third that may be "promised" to someone too~ Hopefully the next one will be more wispy~

Productive Week

 It has been a productive week.  Finished a piece of art someone asked about on Etsy. If she decides it's not quite what she's looking for i'll probably list it on there.  Here is a peek at the progress of that piece. I had to fabricate a metal heart-none of my metal pieces were big enough for what i wanted so i cut three pieces and riveted them together to make the heart.  

metal piece for bottom of heart

sides of heart ready for rivets

figuring out placement of bottom piece

 The strips were painted with an acrylic wash then adhered to plywood that was stained.  Once everything was secure the heart was attached for the final look.  metal hanger on back.

Little Bit of Art

I haven't felt very artistic since january.  I've wanted to work on something, but just couldn't start anything-just stood at my table and looked at all my stuff.  Then decided to clean.  I got my fabrics organized and all shelved-started rearranging some of the items on bookshelves-things that needed to be done-but not creative.  At least i was among my "things."  This week something finally hit me and I worked on this flower piece.  It's for my art meeting this weekend.  I made one, tonight i will start on the other 3.  They may vary a bit in color but will be similar-our theme was "spring" or "eggs"-you can tell which one i picked.  
     I also started cutting down some of my rusted metal "stuff" that i got several yrs ago. Antique barbed wire, old fencing, metal pieces.  Cut some things down to "usable" size. Some pieces i cut ended up become this funky metal house. I haven't decided yet what i will mount it on-what kind of background, but something needs to be behind the window.   

the whole house.

Here is the piece-layered with paper and paints.  I painted stripes on the sides-black and white and each side has one colored stripe.  Each side has a different color.  Had fun just slapping paint down to see what came of it. 

Time Goes By

Linda Newman (glare from picture of a picture)

It's been a month now.  Linda passed away Feb 4th and not a day goes by that I don't miss this woman.  Her infectious laugh, her zest for life, the ability to make everything seem like a party.  It doesn't seem real.
I keep waiting to get a text or email.  "did you feel the earthquake? I heard there was one near you"  My reply was "no"  her answer was "Man, you texans are hard to impress"   She sparked my interest in photography.  I bought my first 35mm because of her.  She showed me tricks with the camera.  She encouraged me to write a children's book summer between 6th and 7th grade (i wonder if that is in my parents' attic or if it went to the trash pile during a move)  My first (and only) Jr Bridesmaid gig was for her. I still have the bridesmaid charm she gave me for my bracelet.   I have happy memories of that summer we drove from texas to st louis with her and her student.  I remember the drive we made with her and 2 girlfriends.  3 kids, 3 single women and cases of Coors in the back window ledge.   Many men tried to pick them up-you couldn't get Coors in missouri back then :)   I won't list everything here.  The memories mean much to me-not others.  Believe me when i say i miss you every day Linda.  

Angels

Heaven gained another angel last night and we lost a wonderful woman.  My aunt loved life, loved kids, loved her family.  She was the kind that if she had a car full of kids and saw a fire truck on the way home from a movie would say "lets follow it!"  and she did.  We stayed with her in Bland Mo part of one summer.(think it was after her first year of teaching)  She let us plan meals, shop for the groceries, play "restaurant" when we cooked-menus included. Go to the "pool hall" or whatever it was to play on the pinball machines. We went to the "dip" to swim.  We sang at the top of our lungs to songs on the radio-we had fun.  She would do things at the spur of the moment-making the most of every moment.  She made memories.  A million memories that will live with me forever-that will keep me until I see her again.  She was an inspiration to many-and will be missed more than she could know. 

Musings

This was on the wall in the Oncology Unit

Just returned from St Louis.  My parents and I drove up last week.  While it is always good to see family, this trip was bittersweet.  My mom's youngest sister has cancer.  She was diagnosed last March.  We don't know that she will live to see this March. After her chemo, the cancer has accelerated and she has had other complications. Her doctor told her in December she may only have 2 months.  We basically went to say good-bye.  How the hell do you walk out of a room knowing you will probably never see that person alive again?  It is hard.  Someone who is so vibrant and creative and full of life shouldn't go like this.
   When we all heard the news last spring we were stunned-as anyone would be-or has been hearing those words. We thought chemo, surgery, she'll beat this.  We didn't think that after surgery.  We just hoped for time.  How many people have thought about what they would do if they got that diagnosis-me, i often thought i would take a trip somewhere i hadn't been but wanted to go.  The reality is, you stay home and fight your illness.  You feel like crap half the time and just struggle to get through the days.  You see your friends and family.  There is no "one last trip."  There is only fighting one more day-day by day.
  I've been through the death of family before-sudden and drawn out.  You expect it with grandparents.  They have lived a life.  The younger ones-that's not easy.  (Not that death is easy, but sometimes  is more "expected" and easier to accept.)   I can't talk about her or think about her with out crying.  She was such an influence on me.  Some of my earliest childhood memories are of her.  The time she did my hair and make-up.  Dressed me up in a fancy dress and shoes.  Announced to family at dinner that "Cinderella" had arrived for dinner.  I walked down from her room upstairs to my grandmother's kitchen and felt like a princess..(the 1965 version of Cinderella had been on tv prior to this) but it wasn't '65.  It was later, '68 maybe.  I know i was older than 2.  Anyway, many memories flood my head these days.  I dread the day the phone call comes and we make the long drive back to say the final, final goodbye. 

The Middle of the Month

 Here it is the middle of January and i've posted no art yet.
 I have a few projects i've dabbled with~almost finished something I started over a year ago, finished up some things from december and played in my journal (backgrounds mostly)  I've been reading a lot.  11 books in december and I think i'm on my 4th for this month.  The days are short and chilly and some things going on in life that have sapped the inspiration.  It stinks when there is nothing you can do.  I won't go into it now-some already know what i refer to-the rest, well, i'll tell the story later this year but not now.      










Journal snippets-I think i've been influenced by Robin Marie Smith lately.  I took her online "Clutch Play" class (see more bags below) and i love her colorful, playful style.

 I seem to have a thing for circles lately too :)

another finished clutch/book combo

My 7th one!

close up

Happy New Year

All I ask is that this year be better than the last. and the one before that.  and the one before that....

journal page

 At least the dogs started it off clean. Well, 3 of them anyway.

Jack..his bored look

Yawning-but it looks scary

Nala.  "whatever"

Sitting nice for a treat

 I recently took an online class "Clutch Play"  by Robin Marie Smith. (class is on her site)  These are the results of round one as I like to call it-because I have more in the works. Four of these sets were sent to Missouri for Christmas-

free-hand painting

This was more of a free-hand painting process.  I really liked just adding more and more color  

back of the free hand painting

 This was the first one I painted after watching the class videos.  I love the process-with this one I followed her method.

This was the second attempt-when I didn't like the way it was looking I just painted over what I didn't like and just covered the cloth.  

front of "silly girl" bag/notebook

This was the last of the 5.  I had seen a blog post online where the artist had done a series of hearts and I decided to cover the fabric with colorful hearts on this one. 

This was a bit different than the others-it had "panels" that I painted-with the "trees" and "flower"