The Little Mommies are HERE!

On September 11, 2010, I will be participating in my first flea market. For info on it click here.

The focus of the flea market will be to see how much interest there are in the photo-cards based on my artwork. Then I got to thinking on how nice it would be to have actual handmade cards as well. So I experimented with printing out Blue Angel and decoupaging her onto card stock. Not my best idea. Then when I was sitting outside with my favorite little artist yesterday, I decided to create a mini drawing based on my mother theme. I liked it so much that I painted it on 3 of the cards. The paintings are small, 3"x4.5", but they really do look lovely.

So I will post them on Artfire and see what happens. Then the day of the flea market, I will deactivate the listings and see how it goes. Oh and I did get some nice feedback on my work from a woman on Artfire. She is opening a shop in Ohio and is interested in possibly showing some of my work. Stay tuned for more on that since I don't really know how it will pan out.

That is all for today. Happy creating!

Blue Angel

I decided since there are so many people out there who love angels, I might as well do another one. So now I have two angel designs to be used for cards, journals, etc...

Golden Angel belongs to my cousin but Blue Angel (shown here), 7"x9", acrylic, is up for grabs. If you like her let me know.

Happy Creating!

Two Almost Complete Paintings

Here are the two pieces referred to in this post.

Today was a good art day. Other than applying the gloss medium, I did two paintings. The gloss medium I lent to my sister and I will pick it up tomorrow. Once glossed, I will photograph and post both pieces. It was wonderful to spend some quality time in my studio. It is a good break from the monotony of searching for a full-time job. Supposedly, the economy is getting better but I don't see it. All I find is that the same jobs are reposted repeatedly. There is one position that has been on the jobs for over ONE year! Is the employer really hiring? With the amount of unemployed individuals I find it really unlikely they haven't found a qualified individual to fill the spot. Especially, since the position isn't one that requires rare skills.

Tomorrow, I will continue my search and hopefully will find something that will match well with my skill set. I also hope to go to the library and start a new green mixed media piece.

Happy creating!

Green is Good

For anyone who knows me, I have some green tendencies. Mind you, I am no Ed Begley, and I could certainly do many things in a more green focused way but for the most part I do try and be environmentally friendly.

A couple of months ago I received a packet from a prior employer. The amount of paper contained in the packet was appalling and really uncalled for. What is worse, if I was still an employee of the company the packet would have contained even more paper! Now, understand that there are federal laws and regulations that require employers to send employees certain information, however, it does not always have to be in hard copy. In fact, my colleagues and I tried desperately to avoid having to drown employees in this much paper. Unfortunately, we lost the battle to one very stubborn individual who pulled rank on us.

I really hated the thought of putting all this paper in the recycle bin. But what could I do with it? The answer...create a mixed media work. So today is the unveiling of my first mixed media piece which incorporates re-using a small portion of the mound of paper received from a past employer. The work is called "Green is Good", 10"x12", decoupage and acrylic.

The title comes from a tag line that I include on all my e-mails. To be honest, I copied it from a wonderful woman I used to work with. It is short and sweet and hopefully reminds people to think before printing e-mails, etc.

I hope you enjoy today's piece. Happy creating!

New Sketchbook

It really is an amazing feeling when you finish one sketchbook and begin anew. I started a new sketchbook today which is happiness. The crisp white pages that call draw on me draw on me! So sitting outside I did three new sketches which have the potential to be lovely paintings. But it is not only the excitement about starting a new sketchbook that is invigorating but also the feeling of accomplishment as you look at the finished book.

I took a look at the first sketch I did in the now finished sketchbook, it is of XO, the piece that placed 2nd in the open juried show sponsored by the Art Society of Old Greenwich. :-)

I also continue to work on my mixed media piece, it is not working out the way I had hoped. But I will work through it since sometimes the pieces that give you the hardest time work out the best in the end. Here is to optimism!

Well, enjoy your weekend and check back soon for an update.

Happy creating!

Opening Night

First, a big thank you to Al at the Sapphire Lounge...he did a great job on finalizing the hanging and made us feel very welcomed.

The night was a mix of good and bad so after wallowing a bit, this post is only going to focus on the positive. I was fortunate to have my hubby and my good trusted friend take the trek to NYC with me for the opening. We walked in and the lounge was like a different place from when I saw it on Wednesday. All my works were hung on the walls and the lightening was just right. Candles completed the ambiance and the DJ announced the show a couple times, too.

We enjoyed good music and were able to talk with some of the patrons who visited the gallery space. The favorite comment of the evening was from another artist who told me he was more into my work then his own. What a way to inflate my ego :-)

The time spent at the lounge was easy and mellow. It was also filled with many laughs. All in all I will remember it fondly. My first solo exhibit, it looked beautiful and I learned a lot.

On a different note, I am attempting my first mixed media piece. It is exciting to add a new element to my style and the best part is that the additional element is from re-using wasted paper. I'll elaborate more once it is complete.

Happy creating!

Garnets & Sapphires

Well tonight is the big night, my solo exhibit opens at the Sapphire Lounge. My works will be up through Sunday.

My mind is a jumble of thoughts as I write this. I am excited, nervous, apprehensive all at the same time. It hasn't been the smoothest of processes so I do hope the end product is worth it. If nothing else this was an eye-opening learning experience, one I am not likely to forget. But for now, I am focusing on the positive...a great night with friends and family!

If you are local I hope you will stop in for a bit. I will be there from 8-10pm.

Happy creating!

Busy Monday

Today was a busy, productive day. My favorite little artist and I started the day by meeting with a photographer to start pricing out having my works professionally shot. Also, it is confirmed, they can convert the slides I have to digital images...WOO HOO. We then returned home to work a bit in the art room before I began the process of picking out the pieces to be shown at the Sapphire Lounge. I am getting excited about the show.

We also managed to sell our old stove, it will have a new life somewhere in the Caribbean. Then it was off to the doctor's office for my favorite little artist's 5 year check up and vaccinations. The check up went well, the shots not so much...I am sure her screams of bloody murder could be heard in China. But in the end, a trip to Dunkin Donuts was all that was needed to make everything right again.

So tomorrow we are off to the Barn Gallery to pick up some pieces which will be part of the Sapphire Lounge exhibit. It is going to be a busy week!

Happy creating!

Smudged

Today's piece is called "Smudged", 8"x10", acrylic on bristol. She was created as a new piece to include in my show at the Sapphire Lounge. I am loving the colors, sometimes they just seem to flow. Although, I am annoyed about the smudge in the piece but it does give it some character. Can you see it, or is it just me? It seems to scream at me.

Anyway, I am thrilled to have a new piece to show and if all goes smoothly this week, maybe I'll be able to create another one before hanging the show on Wednesday.

Yesterday, was such a beautiful sunny today and today is overcast and rainy. But it is ok, I have a pot of gravy (for those non-ItalianAmerican folks that would be tomato sauce) on the stove, fresh mozzarella and brushetta for a yummy dinner so all is good with the world...LOL. Somedays, I totally think with my stomach.

I hope you enjoy today's piece and happy creating!

GO Logo

The week is ending on a good note...

I finished the painting I will use as the GO logo. I am happy with the way it turned out. Hopefully, when it is professionally photographed it will capture all the nuances of the piece.

Monday, my favorite little artist and I meet with a photographer to start pricing out services. After our meeting we get to go to her 5 year check up. She will not be happy when she realizes she gets a couple of shots...ouch.

The focus over the next couple of days will then be in preparing my works for the show at the Sapphire Lounge. If you are local I hope you will join us. It should be a fun art and music filled night. Check out the invite on my Facebook page.

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this beautiful summer day. We had a great day, aside from painting, we had an impromptu visit with cousins. Sun, water and watermelon...life is good.

Well, enjoy your weekend...happy creating.

A Church and a Bar

Ok, my title sounds like the beginnings of a bad joke...so there was "a church and a bar".... But in reality it refers to two venues I am looking at.

First the church, a local church in White Plains is holding a flea market in September so I've reached out to them for more details. The hope is that it gives me some exposure to see if there is a market for my greeting cards as well as my artworks.

Now the bar...you've gotta love Craig's List, I have found some really great places to show my work though the art section. So...drumroll please...I will be having my first solo exhibit at the Sapphire Lounge in NYC. It will run from Thursday, August 19th, through Sunday, August 22nd. It should be a fun experience. So mark your calendar and come "party" with me next week.

Well, that is all for now. I am going to pick up my favorite little artist from camp in a few minutes. I hope she wants to work in the art room today since I am in the mood to paint!

Happy creating!

Lots Going On

Tomorrow is Thursday...where did the week go? Where is the art? Last posting of a piece was on Sunday and the piece was actually done on Saturday! Well, today I made it back into the studio thanks to my favorite little artist who begged and pleaded to please go into the art room. So after dinner we did. So I now have a lovely sketch waiting to be turned into a painting.

However, tomorrow I have an appointment in the city for a possible show opportunity so painting will have to wait till Friday. The space is a nontraditional venue and I am excited to go look at it. I also just submitted 3 pieces for consideration in a juried show in Chicago! Accepted artists will be notified after Labor Day. It is going to feel like forever but there is a lot to do between then and now. Camp ends this Friday for my favorite little artist and we have 3 weeks of summer fun left before school starts. Oh what shall we do??Wanna bet we do something art related??

Well my friends, happy creating!

Golden Angel

So not my usual subject matter but it was done as a gift for my cousin who loves angels. So here is a GO version of an angel and I have to say I do like her. She was lots of fun to paint, especially the wings. She was painted yesterday but by the time I finished her it was too dark to photograph her.

Today, was a "no art" day, it was a cleaning day...ugh. It is interesting how you need to deal with real life every once in awhile :-)

Well, no words of wisdom today so have a great evening.

Happy creating!

Inspiration...

Main Entry: in·spi·ra·tion

Pronunciation: \ˌin(t)-spə-ˈrā-shən, -(ˌ)spi-\

Function: noun

Date: 14th century

1 a : a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation b : the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions c : the act of influencing or suggesting opinions 2 : the act of drawing in; specifically : the drawing of air into the lungs 3 a : the quality or state of being inspired b : something that is inspired 4 : an inspiring agent or influence

The above is the definition of inspiration as defined by the Miriam-Webster dictionary. Why, you wonder, the vocabulary lesson? Well, because inspiration is what the post is about. But to be totally honest, the idea is not mine...I was inspired to post this topic after reading a blog entry by Jennifer Probst, she is a wonderful writer and I have the pleasure of knowing her. Her husband and my husband grew up together. I remember the first time her husband introduced her to us, they had just started dating, and I remember thinking...he better marry her. But I digress...

Jennifer writes romance novels and blogs as Writing Mama. Her latest entry is about inspiration and she ends it with "Drop me a line and let me know what inspired you." So, Jen, here is what inspires me:

• The smile on my favorite little artist's face when she asks "Can we go in the art room today?" - she inspires me to keep on creating art.
• Sitting outside on a beautiful summer day doing nothing at all. - the sunshine just rejuvenates the soul
• Reading a good book that makes you feel like anything is possible. - did you know Julia Child didn't start cooking until her late 30's? (I happen to e reading "My Life in France")
• Letting my pencil find its own way across the paper. - it's a control thing or lack of control
• Getting honest feedback on my work. - thank you my true friend, you know who you are
• Fun tweets or facebook entries that make you LOL. - thank you all my twitter and facebook friends
• Finding out my blog entry didn't make my friend cry. - gives me the courage to keep writing my honest thoughts
• A goodnight kiss from my husband. - self-explanatory

I could go on and on but in the end what inspires me, as cliche as it sounds, are the simple things. The things we tend to overlook in the rush of our busy lives. It's taken me so long to learn, and I am still learning, to appreciate and watch for the inspiration that surrounds my daily life.

So my thought tonight is to be open to inspiration since you never know the form it will take. Thanks, Jen, for the inspiration for today's blog.

Happy creating!

Opening Reception

Last night was the opening reception for the first juried show that one of my works was accepted to. I went solo and at first I thought I should have bought my husband and favorite little artist but quickly realized solo was the way to go. The evening was anti-climatic after how excited I was about being accepted. In a nutshell, it was a nice show. I may enter again in the future...

Today, was a "no art" day but a good day none the less. I got to meet up with a friend for coffee and conversation, which is a good break in the morning. I also went to the library today, haven't been there is years. Did you know library cards expire? Don't worry, neither did I. So now I have a new library card which came with a keychain tag. Two books for me, about 5 for my favorite little artist and I was on my way. My trip to the library is part of my attempt not to spend money needlessly. Borrowing a book for free beats paying for one.

The night ended with a lovely family dinner and now my favorite little artist and I are relaxing. Hopefully, tomorrow will see the beginnings of a painting.

Happy creating!

"E"mily

In 2002, my dear and trusted friend, Bonnie, lost her sister, Audrey, to brain cancer. To honor Audrey's memory, Bonnie started Audrey's Umbrella (AU). The concept is a simple but powerful one...send happy mail to featured friends. A featured friend is an individual who is suffering from brain cancer. This summer, Bonnie asked if my favorite little artist and I would like to be volunteers. We agreed and our friend's name is Emily. She is 13.

Tears are inevitable as I write this. All I can think of is my favorite little artist and the happiness that fills me from the simplest things she does. My heart is breaking as I think of the fight Emily and her family are going through and I wonder how as a mother you survive something like this. Then I think of Bonnie and wonder how do you survive losing a sister? I have three sisters and have fought with each of them throughout our lives but I could not for one second imagine my life w/out them.

So today as part of my alphabet project, I painted and "E" for Emily. It is done in her favorite colors and I will mail it to her along with fun artworks and such done by my favorite little artist.

Please keep Emily in your hearts and prayers and if you are interested in being an AU volunteer please e-mail Bonnie at bonnie@braintrust.org. It is a very simple way to make a huge impact in the life of a fellow human being.

Kiss and hug your loved ones today.

Blue Moon Mama

My very trusted friend gave me some very honest and needed feedback the other day regarding my self proclaimed "break through" piece, "Mother Moon". It was not that she didn't like the piece b/c she did, it was just that she felt it was missing the simplicity of my previous works. She kept trying to envision the piece sans the arms, head and hair... So with that feedback in mind I created "Blue Moon Mama", acrylic on bristol, 7"x9".

Not to sound conceited but the picture does not do her justice. As of this moment in time she is my favorite painting! The interesting thing is if my friend hadn't given me the feedback she did I would not have created this gem. And to think, she almost didn't tell me her true feelings! I am so glad she did.

Honest feedback is invaluable when you are creating. Everyone who says a piece is fantastic doesn't really help much. Without feedback you can't grow and I want my work to grow. So my trusted friend please let me know what you think of "Blue Moon Mama" and never worry about hurting my feelings.

But aside from this painting, while cleaning my brushes today my thoughts were preoccupied with how happy I am not to be working at a company that was sucking the life out of me. I was amazed at the turn of events my life had taken. When I was an undergrad, I fought so hard to be able to study art. I battled with my mother over it. For her it was just not a viable major. But I fought and got my degree in art and then went on to get a masters as well. Then as life continued I began to work in an office, slowly burying the artist in me until she only came out every once in awhile. A drawing here or there while on vacation or over the holidays when I wasn't working. She was ignored and deprived and thoroughly UNHAPPY!! What I fought so hard for as a young adult, I totally buried as an adult. It is totally and unbelievably sad how easy it is to let dreams fall by the wayside. I have had the unique privilege of indulging her and letting her out to breath since February. My body of work has exploded, it is amazing.

The reality of the situation is that I do need to return to work sooner versus later. But the lesson learned is that I cannot deny such an integral part of who I am. So, I will find the right position at the right company and I will continue to paint and share my creations with you.

Thanks for listening and happy creating!

Epiphany

So today's big "idea" is relatively simple but if it works it will be epic! Ok, exaggerating just a bit :-)

A couple weeks ago, I met with Sue Newton of the Barn Gallery. Part of my preparation was to go through all my works and pull out my portfolio. After cleaning the dust off the portfolio, I opened it to find a plastic sleeve of slides. Slides of my artwork done by a professional photographer! So some quick research on the internet and I found out the slides can be converted into digital images. So if that really works, I'll have some great pics!

The only downside is that the slides are of old works so I still need to work on better pictures of my newer works. But still it is a step in the right direction. So stay tuned to see how my "epiphany" turns out.

Oh, and I started a new painting today! It was a good day.

Happy creating all!

Thoughts on Retarder

So a few posts ago, I mentioned experimenting with retarder and now I wanted to share some thoughts on my "experiment"...

It is amazing the difference retarder makes when working with acrylics. What's even more amazing is how long it took for me to try it. I had an unopened bottle in my studio for years (yes, I said years). Now, I don't know how I ever painted without it. Just a few drops makes an incredible difference in the workability of the medium. And with that workability comes more control over the paint. I don't think a visible difference can be seen from the works I used it in to the ones I didn't, the difference is in the painting process itself. It has become more fluid and natural, no longer a race against time to work a section before the paint dries.

So if you paint in acrylics, I recommend two things: 1. use retarder during the painting process, 2. use gloss medium or a glaze over the finished piece. The difference these two things make is astonishing.

Tomorrow should be an exciting day which I hope is filled with good things.

Happy creating!