The lure of Saturday afternoons

So it's saturday afternoon and I have the time and childcare in order to go down to the studio and work on some art. However, I am choosing to relax a bit and share some of what I made yesterday! This is one of my petite paintings that is on a 3.5" x 3.5"wood block. I really am loving making these little waxy gems, and will have them available for the Southeast Area Artwalk in early March, as well as on my Etsy store now.

For now, I'm going to do a little more slacking and some art-making later on. It's just one of those days.

Busy Times in the Studio

It's funny how things go. I hadn't been down in the studio to MAKE art for quite awhile. I was teaching classes, getting other projects done, etc. But not actually MAKING art of my own. Well, that has changed in the past few days. I've gotten the winds of inspiration under me and I'm busy making some fun new pieces for upcoming shows and sales I will be having in the upcoming months.
I have been making some new pieces on reclaimed lumber blocks - nice think blocks about 1 1/2" thick to stand out from the wall, with sides coated in colored wax! I am having a blast making these!

I currently added all these to my online store and I hope the public likes them as much as I do. I will be busy in my studio the next weeks to get ready for a bunch of shows and sales. I will try and share more images as I complete them! Stay tuned!

A New Year, A Cleaner Studio?

I've been busy with "life" lately, and the studio surely shows it. There's stuff everywhere! So, I've been rolling up my sleeves, tying on the apron, and getting to cleaning and organizing. I mean, I teach a Beeswax Collage class there on Saturday and I need to find my students amid the chaos!
Here's my favorite little nook of the studio currently. Functionally, it stores all my painting brushes and doo dads, but I just can help but smile everytime I pass my little skull buddy! He is a fabulous creation by my friend Michelle Gallagher, a Portland scupture artist working in ceramics. The coolest part? Light a candle and the light shines through the eyes and nose. I can't wait to really show him off on my yearly Dia De Los Muertos altar. Whoo hoo!

Here's to tackling all your new year's projects (and cleaning) with gusto!

In Memoriam

When I was a child in my "old life" - that is, when I lived in southern California - I attended a small catholic grade school. It was there that I met one of my dear friends back then; Stefani Garza. We would play at each others' houses, sneak sips of beer from our fathers while they talked woodworking, and would play in her backyard oasis of a giant avocado tree and a dilapidated old model T car. It was a great sunny childhood and I missed her after our family moved north to Oregon.

As most kids after such a large move, I lost all contact with those kids in sunny California. As one always does, there were reminisces, wondering "what if" to everyone I used to know, etc. But life has a way of always keeping you busy in the moment, and that's where I was until this week when I got an email from out of the blue.

Another schoolmate had found me on the internet and sent me an email letting me know that my dear old friend, Stefani Garza, had passed away. She couldn't have been older than 33, and I was just shocked and saddened that this sweet soul couldn't have enjoyed more time on this earth. Worse yet, I found out her parents had both preceeded her. I sat there, reading the email, just so grateful for all I have - the joys and the pains - and that I get to wake up again and enjoy life once again. And how I wish that could be the same for dear Stefani.

I remember her house so well - 60's era cinderblock walls surrounding a really cool patio with a palm tree and some odd tropical plants with little seed pods we'd play with, a large stand of bird-of-paradise flowers that I would always play with. We spend many sunny afternoons playing around in that yard; innocent, carefree. That is how I will always remember my dear old friend. I always missed you Stefani and I always will. Your spark will always live on in my heart.

And Now for Something Completely Different

As you might be able to tell, I'm not doing much in the way of actual art-making. The studio is still in a disastrous state from special projects and the holidays and I have been knee-deep if just "life" right now. However, that does not mean a crafty challenge goes unheeded! I spent yesterday evening giving my old white built-in cabinets in the dining room a new look - with paper! whoo hoo!

The lovely blue patterned paper is from Martha Stewart Crafts that I bought on the clearance rack awhile back. I cut it to size and using some double-sided tape, added a cool funky backdrop to my collections - all without the hastle and extra cost of wall paper. Best yet, since I am SO finicky about changing things, I can simply pull it down in a few months and re-use the paper for crafts and still have my crisp white walls beneath! whoo hoo!

Here is a shot of MOST of the built-in wall. I used another fabulous art paper on the two long shelves. It was something I picked up at a local paper shop that I LOVE. Every winter I get the urge to decorate with a lot of cold icy colors - light blues, whites, silvers...and of course some of my favorite shades of green. But so many of my little white treasures just disappear on the white wall. So, I guess this is how this whole madness began.

This is the other angle shot of the built-ins, so you can see more of my crazy little collectibles. I'm sure I'm going to be bored with this scheme in a few months but for now, I am just basking in my cheesy pleasure of it all. Next, I'm tackling a wall in my dining room and filling it up with all my "little" art I collect. Stay tuned!