Button, button.....

Ok, so I went a bit overboard making buttons! I decided to make some of my own, when I could not find ones that I liked to embellish my jewelry and other pieces. Then the light bulb went on and I had one of those lucid moments. Here is the result so far. I made dozens of button shapes ranging from tiny to ginormous (is that a word anyone over the age of 10 should use?). Some have single holes, others multiple, but all are hand formed and imperfect. The way I figure, I will have more to choose from as I am inspired along the way and also have some to put in my Etsy store. There are a lot of options for surface decoration, so I am already spinning at those possibilities! But first these babies need to go into the kiln and to be  bisque fired. Fingers crossed, needle threaded.

Halloween & Vine Sneak Preview!

Before you know it, Halloween & Vine 2011 will be here. It is best Halloween Folk Art Show on the west coast, hosted in an old hall in Petaluma, CA. I get excited about it every year without fail right around January. This year is no exception. I have been making new pieces for months and these are a couple of wall hung sculptures that will be joining me this year. If you never have been to the show, consider coming. It is worth the trip. Here is a link to the official website:  www.halloweenandvine.com At the show you will meet approximately 32 of the greatest folk artists in the country and have a good old fashioned Halloween time!

For The Birds

In my last entry, I posted a photo of this wreath prior to kiln firing. Here it is fully glazed and ready to hang! I made several of these wreath pieces with different themes, but I like the birds so much. There is something magical about taking a piece from the initial idea, then to dimensionality, and lastly making it come to life with colors. I love the process. Sculpting these pieces is fun too and takes me away from surface painting and keeps my hands in clay. Sweet.

It's The Little Things

On any given day you will find me with something in my hand: a paintbrush, a hammer, a sculpting tool. Lately, since I have several weeks off from my job, I have been working non-stop on my ceramics, getting ready for upcoming fall shows. It has been a fast-paced week, and when I look at the pieces in progress I am pleased with my progress thus far.

Today, I took a breather and stood in the back doorway. I watched as a Jay bird eyeballed the bowl of cat food I had left near the entry. As it keenly watched my every move I stepped back out of view so it could swoop down and grab a bite. This little bird inspired this sculptural wall wreath. So remember to take a breath, look around and find inspiration in the little things every day.

One Bead At A Time

Another day another bead, or should I say BEADS?! I took a mini workshop on this beaded bead pattern using right angle weave stitch. It was challenging at first, but let me tell you, after making six of them I can do it without looking at the written directions. That's how I learn stuff. I have to physically create it and then it is embedded in my brain forever. I like the way the units come together. They somehow remind me of Japanese patterns and this bead can be created with a lot of variations. That's good for someone like me that suffers from never ending curiosity and bead obsession.

Signs of Summer

Today is the first day of summer vacation from my teaching job! A Second Grade student gifted me with the above drawing. I loved it, so I am posting it here. Another sign of the approaching summer are the hot air balloons that float over my yard every morning just about daylight. It is quite a sight to see and hear as the balloons "breathe" right over the rooftops of my street. I never get tired of this sight. The sun is shining and the road back to the beginning of a new school year seems far away........

It's Not the Destination, It's The Journey

Who would have thought that I would spend days working on this little beaded flower! Not me, that's for sure. I decided to overcome my fear of following written instructions and attempt this beaded pattern. I am so visual and learn quickly if I can see the object first. So this was a real challenge to follow a numbered sequence and finish this piece. It only took  four times! I love to bead. It is intimate and portable. The textures and colors of beads intrigue me and distract me. Now I can move on with a bit more confidence and make some more pieces and expand on this idea.

Tools Of The Trade

A spool of baker's twine, a worn brush. a rusty washer, an Ebony pencil, a well used eraser, some beach treasures, and a rubber tipped shaper are some of the tools I use to create art with. I seem to find  a use for just about anything that crosses my path. But these are just a few of my favorite things. I love the look of worn tools used by human hands and wonder what others made with them. What are some of your favorite tools?

I am also a slave to technology and would have difficulty not having that one big tool, a computer. Once in a while I am tested, like today when it seemed like my whole pc had crashed and there I was faced with a black screen and not a lot of options. Fortunately, it was not as bad as it appeared and I am once again connected with that invisible electronic highway. I panicked for a moment, feeling like I lost an appendage. Silly I know, but then comforted by the much more primitive tools that I am surrounded with each day and have some control over. Ahh bliss.

Rainy Days and Art Delights

It's raining here in "sunny" California today. Actually it was pouring and then sunny, and then windy. A good day to stay indoors, look out the window, sit, and paint. I don't mind the weather a bit. In fact I enjoy the dramatic visuals of dark and light through my front window. It gives me a breather from the outside "to do" list to being able to create indoors. I have painting a lot and here are two new Miniature Masterpiece mixed media paintings now available in my Etsy store!

One day a long time ago.........I was born.

Yesterday I celebrated another year on this earth. It was a great day and this is going to be a great year. I can feel it. Being grateful for the small things and trying not to over process the world at large helps a lot. Once I have aced that, I will write a book and give it away to everyone!

Thank you for all joining me here with your interest and support of my art!

The winner of my blog card giveaway is...Margaret from Sacramento, CA !!

Congratulations and thanks again to everyone who subscribed. More fun to follow............

Blog Winner!

Hi Everyone! Thank you for all of your subscriptions. I have selected a winner for my blog giveaway. I wrote everyone's email on a piece of paper and put it in a bowl and pulled one out. The winner has been notified and when I hear from them, I will post it here. I plan to have more blog giveaways in the future, so please stay tuned and I hope you  enjoy following my musings and artful creations!

Blog Giveaway!!

I'm having my first Blog Giveaway! All you need to do is "subscribe" to my blog and you may be chosen to win these 4 neat cards created from my original paintings!! Subscribe to my blog on the upper right side of page. Winner will be selected and notified on May 5, 2011!! Good luck............

Bubbles

Here is another new small work I finished this weekend. Carefree and calm. Painted on a canvas panel with texture on top using acrylic and pencil, 6" x 6". Trying to catch bubbles is tricky, but a lot of fun!

The Peacemaker

Another day of painting! Life is good and sweet for sure. I painted this piece, or should I say "peace" on a some handmade  watercolor paper with acrylics,ink,and colored pencils. It measures about 5" x 7" and may a donation for a fundraiser. Take flight and enjoy your day!