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

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 ...

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 :)

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.

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 ;)

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 ...

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!