Monday, June 16, 2008

Coming out of the craft room ...

I am going to just put everything on one blog. I will actually share my "art" with the people that actually know me, instead of only sharing with those that happen to stumble upon this blog.
Linda Woods ... you better be proud :) Now I just have to make something to share ... maybe when Katie's cast comes off I will have a moment to myself. I hear that is when the pigs are going to start flying as well, so be on the lookout for flying pork!

My BLOG

Thursday, May 15, 2008

I've been making ... stuff

My first attempt at a "taggie" type thing,

Turned one of Katie's too short jeans into a skirt.

played with one of my many sets of drawers that I have an addiction for ...

I was playing around with layering the background, decided to actually use it for a painting. This is still in pregress obviously.

I painted this background months ago, but I am working on putting the foreground in ...

Friday, April 18, 2008

Magpie


Just decided to play with whatever was in reach at my desk. Started by painting the canvas black, then punched out circles from a few catalogs (DickBlick, Anthropologie, and Land of Nod). Drew some circles from a scrap of paper I had punched out the other day, which reminded me of beaded necklaces, which made me think of Magpies. The white is just layers of tissue paper put on with matte medium. Painted the magpie and glittered my beads. Oh, and the border is masking tape.
This is one of my favorite pieces so far. Not that I have any idea what I will do with it. May have no choice, my daughter requests everything I paint. I asked her why she wants everything I do, and her answer was simple "because I like it". I am glad that someone does :)

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Owning It

I have been thinking a lot lately about why I have two blogs - one for my everyday life and this one for my crafty life, and I think I have come up with an answer. I am ashamed of wanting to be artistic! How stupid is that? Okay, now the reason. My sperm-donor/father was (and as far as I know still is) an artist. I have such a loathing for this man that I have suppressed myself for YEARS! The reason I did not know what I wanted to do at college was because I did not want to say ART. My mother encouraged me in art. As hard pressed as she was to support us she let me do so much, including a watercolr class. She was proud of my artistic side ... but I was not. I still am not. I hide what I create. Even my scrapbooking stuff, hidden away. I have spent so many years pushing any tie to him away that I have buried myself. I am slowly trying to overcome that. I have posted a link to this blog on my other blog, whether or not anyone has ever followed it remains to be seen. And along the same lines I have put a link to my real-life blog here for anyone who happens by. In the huge batches of photos I send my Mom through KodakGallery I have slipped in a few paintings. I am trying to own the fact that I AM AN ARTIST ... because I want to be, and because I say so!! Still, not so deep down I am still ashamed that it is so.

Monday, April 07, 2008

Playing with Paint - Again:)

This is me trying to layer. I have this irrational fear of layering. I absolutely love how it looks when other people do it, but I am so afraid of covering up something halfway decent with something horrid. Anyways, best thing to do is jump right in, and do it on something cheap :) This is just one of those cheapy canvas panels from Walmart. Now if I could just figure out how to paint a nose ... among other things!




And this was actually done first. Katie wanted to paint, and who can say no to that? So, she climbed up on my knee as usual and away we went. My husband may grit his teeth about our crafty projects, but who cares? I love my little artist and want to encourage her as much as I can. Who wants a life of prose when poetry is so much prettier ;)


Sunday, March 30, 2008

Start with a Flower



Okay, just cuz you say so Suzi Blu I will :) I cheated a little. I did not have an actual flower in front of me. i just thought of a flower, and pulled out some paints. I usually make everything pink, so I wanted to do something more vibrant. About two seconds after I started painting my 5 year old wanted to help me. So, I opened out my journal and let her paint on one side. She painted Scooby Doo, a heart, and a smiley face. The heart she said was for me! Awww! And of course as soon as she was done she wanted me to be done, so it is strictly a flower painting. I was wanting to experiment with layers. I have the hardest time forcing myself to cover up something else. I love the way it looks in other peoples art work, but I think mainly I just have this fear that I am going to cover up something decent with soemthing that is crap. Gotta get over that ...

Friday, March 07, 2008

Lil Dancer






I think I finally finished this. I was trying to figure out what to use for the quote ... not the wording, just the lettering. Found the black letters in a box of my old high school stuff when hubby was clearing out the garage. The white rub-ons I have had for years, and I am surprised they had not dried out. Oh, and the little heart tattoo is from one of Katie's own stash of temporary tattoos. Anyways, guess it is ready for my daughters wall, if I can ever figure out where to hang it!
Quote is one I came up with :
We dance not because we can hear the music
We dance because we can feel the music!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Martha is a BAD influence!

Remind me, when I already have too much that I "should" be doing, not to pay attention to Martha!! Of course I mean Martha Stewart!! As much as I hate to admit it, that woman INSPIRES ME!! Why do I hate to admit it? I don't even know. Jealousy perhaps :) She has built an empire being CRAFTY! How awesome is that? Oh how I would absolutely love, love, love to be able to make a living being crafty. I could not be Martha though ... she has so much energy! She does more in one day than I could do in a week! I can't even keep up with the housework! Sure, I don't think that Martha is running around trying to mop her kitchen and pick up Polly Pockets, but she does so many other things!
... but I got off the subject.
Martha always inspires me to want to do something. Whether it is something she is doing on one of her shows, or if it is something that I just use as a leaping off point in my head, she makes me want to get out some craft stuff and play. I want to run to my sewing machine. I want to make candle molds! (I blame Martha for the fact I ate way too much cotton candy - it was in the perfect size plastic containers) I want to pull out paper, and glue, and paint. I want to get my hands dirty. I want to play and create until my brain is exhausted. That would not take too long considering I am half braindead from lack of sleep.
One of these days Martha, one of these days ...

Sunday, February 10, 2008

just thinking

I was blog hopping, thinking how wonderful it would be to live in all of these beautiful places that people post photos of ... when it hit me that I probably do live there! If I took the time to explore, if I took the time to really LOOK around me, then I just might live in that beautiful place. I spend so much time in the house, looking at a tv or a computer (or the huge mess that is my living room). I need to go OUT! I need to explore the areas around here. The little parks and gardens. The touristy areas of Memphis. The wonderful architecture that I am sure could be found with minimal effort just by being OUT. The gorgeous groups of plants and animals, fields and streams, PEOPLE!
And I think all the time as I am surfing around, reading about great finds and vintagey treasures that I should stop by my Goodwill or Salvation Army, hit some thrift stores, explore the antique/junk mall. Once a week I should make an excursion to one or more of these places.
Maybe if I got OUT of the house, explored the world around me. GOT MOVING! The pumping blood would kickstart my brain. Give me a creative jolt. Burning a few calories would be a good thing, too!!!
SO ... I am making a commitment to GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!! Once a week, even if it is just to browse through a thrift store or walk around the park. And I am going to have my camera ready (not just tucked in my bag where I never pull it out to use)!! I will do this! I will learn to see the beauty that is around me, not just yearn for someone elses beauty!

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

It was stormy ...

so I turned off the computer and unplugged. Cleared out the closet under the stairs and settled in for some tense tv weather watching. We got so lucky and everything went around us. I was terrified that I would have my 5 year old and my (almost) 4 month old in a little coat closet under the stairs. Instead I got to play with crayons and paper and gel pens, OH MY :)

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

my first lady


I was surfing through blogland last night and got the sudden urge to paint ... which is how it always seems to happen. For some reason I enjoy painting by "blog light". This is how my little lady ended up looking in paint. Well, most of her. My scanner could not fit the whole thing and then I decided to play with my frames. I will edit later with a full pic of this little miss.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Playing with the Girls

These are just a couple little drawings I played with while sitting at the computer. I was thinking of doing one for each holiday. I would do them in something other than a No. 2 and Crayons ... but you get the idea. And of course, my Katie girl had to get in on the act. She has a different vision for her girls, apparently she thinks we should make zombies with green teeth. Who am I to say no?


Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Word Up #18 : Still



Word #18 is STILL . And, instead of just planning to do this challenge, I decided to do it right away. I grabbed what I had on my desk and around it for this page. Okay, so the fact that I have my easel right next to the desk helps with the paint, but other than cardstock I did not have any papers to use. So, this layout consists of :
Plaid "Apple Barrel" acrylic paint
Art Studio by Battat watercolor and acrylic paints
Sharpie marker
Crayola crayons
Glue Stick
The Paper Company cardstock
File Folder (for backing)
After painting the background the paper was wonky, so I used an old file folder to straighten it out.

The word "still" made me think of a few different things. The word was supposed to be meant as "still" in the since of time ... not as in standing still (though I am sure it would not have mattered if I chose to use it that way). I first was thinking that I still love to get messy, painting and crafting. So, I started slapping some paint down, and when I painted the heart I thought about my family. I thought about how it still amazes me that everyday I can love them even more. Each little thing they do endears them to me. My daughter dancing and singing along to YouTube videos of her favorite songs. Her little feet pressed up against the shower door. My husband snuggling our son. My daughter and son together. Watching Katie do her own crafts. And the pic of her in my sons bassinet reminded me that she is still my baby. Be still my heart? NEVER! Grow and grow!!!

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Stealing Inspiration

One of the bloggers that I absolutely love and have to stop by everyday is Suzi Blu. Well, about a week ago she had a post about a new painting she had put up on eBay, and it is gorgeous! So I rushed right over to that eBay link ... but there is no way I can even enter into a bidding war on her piece. I would LOVE to buy some original art. I have NO art on my walls. I have two mass produced sepia-toned shots of flowers in the living room, and while they do seem to be my 2 month olds favorite thing in the world, I don't think they qualify as art. Also, my daughter is a little green-eyed blond with a penchant for dressing in black to dance and sing (Ali and AJ style). So, hopefully Suzi Blu will not mind that I am ripping her off. Isn't imitation the sincerest form of flattery?? In this case it really is! Anyways, this is what I have so far for my daughters wall. It is 14x22



Saturday, January 05, 2008

BE complete


Decided to use this very first canvas to do my one word for Ali. And then my daughter decided that she wants it. Is there anything that makes you feel good like a five year olds praise??? I could just glow with how much she loves this. Sure, she is no art critic (thank goodness) but she is my love and her opinion is so much more important!! Now if I could just be sure that she won't try to paint/draw over it!! Might be an improvement ;)

Friday, January 04, 2008

Playing

I was surfing through crafty blogs and got a sudden bug up my butt to play with some paint. I have been spending a lot of time at Donna Downey's blog , Paulette Insall's blog , and just stumbled onto the Journal Revolution blog. I have been all over the web. Jumping from one blog to another. I just LOVE when people include a list of blogs they like!! Anyway, I decided to bust out some of the stuff that came with my new easel. So, I popped the top on some watercolors and acrylics and played. Learned something right away. When I finished my watercolor background I wanted to have some lighter spots, so I dribbled some water on the canvas and then lay a Bounty papertowel over it to absorb the excess ... made a really cool pattern! Oh, and I also learned that I have A LOT TO LEARN!! I am not exactly the most accomplished artist out there ... I just hope I am not the worst!!
Here is what I have so far :

Wednesday, January 02, 2008