I LOVE MY SHOES

I love my shoes AND my shoes love me! Last Thursday I met with my quirky art group and the meeting was art to wear. We were asked to bring a pair of canvas shoes to paint. When you wear your shoes you are showing your artwork to the world around you. Anyway that is the premise.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to paint; however I decided since it was SHOES I wouldn’t think about it. It is not like I am going to prom or to an inaugural party. SO I just started painting and decided to use lots of color. I tend to limit my color palette and decided these needed to be fun.

Half way through I thought that I would never wear them since they looked like something a 12 year old would wear; however I find them quirky and fun. Wow and it was from the "Quirky Art Group" with the Swell Sister Society. Interesting!

I wore them to the grocer store today. I can honestly say I don’t know if anyone looked at them because I forgot they were on my feet. I guess feeling stupid will not be an issue.

I really like the idea of wearable art. One of a kind pieces of clothing. It is something I would like to explore more. Yeah....Like I really have time right now. BUT I will file it for later. I am thinking that a ball cap would be fun and it would be a little more visible than shoes. At any rate I think it was a great experiment and I enjoyed it. AND I will wear them. I am thinking of wearing them to work tomorrow.

Anyone who likes fun and off beat things should think about getting some acrylic paint a pair of canvas shoes (or canvas tote) and make your own statement. Who knows you may like it and it's useful.

Quote for the day: Aging is not ‘lost youth’ but a new stage of opportunity and strength. – Betty Friedan

Painting On

Well again it has been awhile since I posted. I have been painting and pondering entering more shows. I need to find out if anyone besides me finds my work worthwhile. Not the right word to use but you get the idea.

I thought about entering Freefall in a show back east; however shipping would be a bit daunting to me. I am not sure how it would ship.

I also entered the Pink show at the Tangent Gallery. If they don’t take this piece that is fine and I will keep it. I actually like it. I has been interesting having this hanging on the wall and the many comments

from friends.

I just found out we are invited to show in November at a new gallery in Sacramento. Not much time; but I want to get my work out there so I am painting this weekend when I can. I have had a dream of showing in a gallery and it is actually going to come true. Scary and wonderful at the same time

Oh yeah it is the Folsom Renaissance Faire. Busy Busy Busy!!!!!!

Quote for the day: ‘When one of your dreams come true, you begin to look at the others more carefully.” Anonymous

Friday Too Early!

Well it has been a couple of weeks since my last post. I am only up because I cannot sleep these days. Our economy is in the toilet. although I have been very busy at work and at home. I am thankful for my job. Let me see if I can recap.

I am finishing up a piece for the “Pink” show and hope to send in the submission this weekend. I think it is great. I haven’t heard anything from the “5x5x5” show. Perhaps they did not like my submissions. Oh well I will keep trying. There are a couple of shows coming up that I hope to enter. I am really into my reuse of materials since my cash flow is really dismal at this time to buy anything new.

Here are a couple more pieces in the “little monster” series I am doing. I so love these little guys. There is a show “In Your Dreams” in the spring in New York. I think that would be a fun show to send in a submission.

The Swell Sisters met last night and we worked on our own projects; however I just socialized with the group. It is hard for me to work on anything serious in a group of 30 women all talking at once. It was a blast though.

Our show is fast approaching and I will be showing “Free Fall” since I finally finished the piece. We open on December 13^th - Second Saturday.

Recently I met few of my swell sisters and we had a concrete play date. What fun and it opens up many possibilities. For my piece I just took mannequin bodies form (actually only the front half) and covered it in concrete and

will lay it out in the garden. I guess I need to take a picture to share.

My friend Jilly is willing to show me how to mosaic. I am going to have way too much fun!

Also next weekend is Folsom Faire and the last faire of the year. Busy! Busy! Busy!

Quote for the day: There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality. – Pablo Picasso

Painting Painting Painting

Well golly gee I have been busy. Very busy! I have been so motivated to paint that there are not enough hours in the day. I haven't posted in two weeks.

Here are a couple of pieces I sent off to a juried show in Virginia. We’ll see if they accept me. Right now I am not using a paint brush with these and I am not sure why. I use everything but a brush. I really just pour the paint. I am reusing interior acrylic house paint from a dentist office remodel. I like the fact that it is limiting my pallet and I love the consistency. These are 5x5x1.5 and they are part of the little monster series I am doing.

I went out on Saturday and helped a sister move from one storage space to another. She is also and artist and writer and she had some great stuff in storage. She offered me anything pretty much I wanted; however I already have too much stuff. I did take a couple of old boxes that held print type. Here is a picture of one in progress and is about 7x7x1. This is fun since I was struggling with a different piece earlier. One of my assemblage pieces was going down the toilet so to speak. I decided to put it away for now and move on. It will be revisited later.

I am also working on a piece for the pink show at the Tangent Gallery in November. The deadline is coming up and this piece is all spray paint. What fun and a little hard to control. I guess I need more practice.

These are just some of the work I've done lately and I will try to post more works in progress. Oh... and I finished Free Fall. I will post her tomorrow. She will be in a show in December with the Swell Sisters.

Quote for the day - Every Artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures - Henry Ward Beecher

I have to agree since I find that most of my work is light in nature unless I get mad at our government and then I do a political piece. Not going there!!!!!!!!

Friday No Work!

I haven’t blogged in a while. I have actually been busy. Go Figure! Work has been pretty crazy. We are setting up our reading conference for November and buying books and contacting with the hotel. I took today off because yesterday was my birthday. Now I know I should have taken yesterday off; however I had a meeting in Sacramento and thought if I have to drive there I might as well go to work. That gave me today off. No driving to Sacramento. I am going up to Cameron Park and have lunch with one of my Swell Sisters Janet.

Anyway........... "Happy Birthday to me."

The Swell Sisters meeting was great last night. We had another Sacramento woman artist speaking about her art. She has a great sense of humor and it was very enjoyable. Her name is Gioia Fonda and she started her own holiday called Pink Week, fifteen years ago.

Per Gioia the second week of November is the week that we should celebrate Pink in all it’s glory. The holiday is to get people aware of color. However if you love green than you wear green all week etc.

Gioia is co-owner of the Tangent Gallery in Sacramento http://www.tangent-gallery.com/ and the Pink show opens on the 2nd Saturday in November.

I have been taking a basic print class at CSU Sacramento and here are some pictures. I know some out there in web-land will think these are primitive and mediocre and they would be right; however it is new skill I am learning. It keeps me in the classroom with young college students and at 62 it is invigorating because I do not understand them at all until we discuss art. Then we can all connect. We started with corks (wine and champagne), erasers, potato (the hardest by far), and we graduated to the EZ Cut which is like eraser material rolled out flat and about 5X7.

The first picture is of the corks and eraser and the second is my first print that I actually cut. I really don’t think it is to bad. I like the cutting part....the printing not so much. I really need to work on that since it is a print class.

Have a GREAT weekend!

Quote for the day: Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after. - Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Work In Progress

I was hoping to sleep in today. Unfortunately that was not the case. I was out late last night at the 2^nd Saturday Art Walk in Sacramento. I didn’t get home until almost midnight.

It was really fun. I met my Swell Sisters at the Verge for the 2^nd Annual Circus Show. The Circus Show was sponsored (or co sponsored) by Gale Hart a Sacramento artist and animal rights activist. All the proceeds were donated to animal rights programs. It was fun with great art, great people, live entertainment, and carny games.

Then we were off to see a collaborative show that one of our sisters was showing in. She did great and sold everything I believe. Good going Laurelin.

Sacramento was crazy last night so many people out. I am not a crowd person normally; but it was fun. I am not sure how anyone sees all of the art shows in one night.

Yesterday I started some new pieces. I am back to assemblage for some reason. I promised myself I had to vacuum before I could get into the studio. I had to take the dang machine a part to change the belt. I hope it lasts as long as the last one!

So far this has bee a great weekend. Here are a couple of pictures of my work in progress.

Quote for the day: For the serious artist does not satisfy needs – instead he creates values. Values, to the world at large, have – alas, alas, and again alas – no value at all – Anthony Burgess

Paint Paint Paint

Today is Tuesday and I think I lost a day or two. That is becoming a habit. Maybe I stay younger that way and only age half as fast. Interesting thought don’t you think?

On Sunday at the St. Ambrose Guild meeting we painted the dags on the pavilion. Yes friends I took pictures. And you say “Yippeeee.” I will also take pictures at the Folsom Renaissance Faire to see how it looks once it is up.

When I arrived at the home of a friend that stores our pavilions I saw that the pavilion was actually up. I though we would have to stand on ladders to paint the dag. The pavilion is 8 or 9 feet tall….at least at the bottom of the dag. The top is probably 15 feet maybe. After asking a few politically correct questions (not my strongest trait) I discovered it was only up to dry out from the Golden Gate Renaissance Faire. Yes friends that faire was a very drippy wet cold affair. Just like northern England and after 90 to 100 degrees here in Sacramento it was very invigorating. Sorry I digress.

Here are pictures of the ladies painting the dags on the pavilion with a wonderful Tudor Rose. I made the stencils and we are saving them to complete the painting. We only finished the front and one rose on each side. The best news is that we will never wonder again which is the front of the pavilion top.

Also the men were painting the portable car garage (not sure what you call it) something other than shiny silver. We use the car garage behind the pavilion as a storage area and dressing room. That allows the full use of the pavilion for chairs and tables AND to keep out of the sun.

The day went pretty fast once we started and with a potluck in between it was a very nice Sunday in deed. Spending the day with friends is never wasted.

Quote for the day: It's a lot like nature. You can only have as amny animals as the ecosystem can support and you only have as many friends as you can tolerate the bitching of. - Randy K. Milholland

Ain't that the truth?

Whew!

Hello all I haven't posted in a few days. Been so busy. I was back at work this week and sometimes after a vacation you have twice as much work at before. Well I was overwhelmed. It was a short week and didn't really feel like it. It seems like there is not enough time. Gosh it seems I say that a lot.

Today I made stencils for my Renaissance Acting Group. The stencil is of the Tudor Rose and we are going to paint the dags on the pavilion before Folsom Faire.

I agreed to make the stencils because after the meeting tomorrow, and after the pot luck, and after a couple of beers it needs to be as easy as possible. No really it is so we can get done in a reasonable time and make it look uniform. I am going to try to remember my camera and take pictures. The pavilion top will only be on the ground so better pictures will have to be taken at the Folsom Faire.

I also worked on my Swell Sister collaborative projects. Actually one is a skull I worked on by myself so I am not sure where collaboration comes in. (see the above picture) I am actually quite pleased with the look. I may have trouble giving it back. The large skull was made by my sister Jennifer out of sugar. She passed it on to me to paint. I was afraid it would melt; but I kept the paint minimal and realistic.

It was to hot to work in the yard; but I did water today since I cannot water again until Tuesday. We are in a stage 2 water alert here in Folsom. I also cleaned the kitchen floor, did laundry and I would have vacuumed; however that machine seems to have a broken belt.

Have a great weekend.

Quote for the day: Avoiding the phrase “I don’t have time...”, will soon help you to realize that you do have the time needed for just about anything you choose to accomplish in life. -Bo Bennett

Back

I am back from vacation. It was a great week in the mountains. First in Twain Harte and then in Strawberry. A great way to beat the heat.



At senior camp I was introduced to gourds and wood burning. I believe wood burning is now called pyrographics or something very similar. I know as a kid I did some wood burning; however this was great fun. I burned the outside of the gourd with a design and then stained it with leather dye. Now I know why people talk about the Gourd Festival in Folsom. The gourds must be amazing since I think mine are and I am novice. I am going to the gourd festival this fall to check out the artists that do this work all the time. What new fun at 62!



Quote for the day:
Aging is not 'lost youth' but a new stage of opportunity and strength.
Betty Friedan (1921 - 2006)



Folsom Gourd Festival
http://www.folsomgourdfestival.com/festival_news.htm
Check it out!

On Vacation

Sorry! Out of the blog until Friday August 29th. Going camping.

Wednesday is my Thursday

Today is Wednesday which is really my Thursday. One more day of work and I am off until after Labor Day. Yippee. Now.....I would love to say I am taking all this time off to paint; but I can’t. I am off to Twain Harte for a girlfriends only weekend. Girlfriends I haven’t spent real time with in a long time. Back on Sunday then off to Tahoe camping.

Sacramento County has a summer camp in the El Dorado Forest just below Tahoe. The last two weeks of August are senior camp. Yes friends I am a senior. We sleep in cabins and eat in the dining hall and have workshops during the day. It is really very pleasant. I take my art supplies and draw or just read a book.

The reason I bring this up is I may not get a chance to post until Friday the 29th. And you say “Oh Well So What.” Well shame on you. This blog is riveting right?

Enough about my vacation see the attached picture of my on going project called "little boxes.” True to my nature they are re-used cigarette boxes. I am trying to make them really durable so I have a proto-type in my back pack. It is wearing well. Enjoy!



Quote for the day:
He who does not get fun and enjoyment out of every day... needs to reorganize his life. – George M. Adams

Is it Monday?

Hello Monday and all you cyber geeks. Well I had a very busy weekend. Saturday I was at Folsom’s new dog park for opening ceremonies with city officials and all manner of political folk. The dogs were so good. We had a few hundred for the first day and they ranged from the extra large to the teeny tiny; but they all got a long. Why can’t we do that? Inquiring minds want to know.

Sunday was off to San Francisco to the Golden Gate Renaissance Faire. It was definitely a bit chilly there. We had drizzle in the morning and it was cold all day. However it is a really nice faire with a good selection of guilds and vendors. The food could have a bit more variety and more than one coffee vendor; but all in all a good show. I give it two thumbs up.

Now that that is over I can concentrate on my painting. The Swell Sisters have a show opening in December on 2nd Saturday. If you are reading this and not at all familiar with Sacramento, let me tell you we have an art scene here. Yes a real art scene. Every month on the 2nd Saturday all of the galleries open their new shows with some sort of reception. Some folks in town make it a mission to visit as many galleries, in that one night, as possible. However I wait and go after a week or so. I prefer to see the art not the back of someone’s head. Crowds are not my thing.

Now I can concentrate on what I want to show with the sisters. I am jazzed. I also started another collaborative project with my sisters and will post as they come along.

Quote for the day:
I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive. – Gilda Radner

Art is Collaboration

I have missed a couple days of my blog here. Not sure what is up with that.

Oh yes I know. I have been at work all day and meetings in the evening. That pretty much uses up my time. I haven’t even had a chance to paint. I might need a sick day to feel better.

The Folsom Dog Park opens on Saturday and we are getting the last minute details together for the grand opening ceremonies. The committee has no idea how many people will show up with their dogs for the event. I haven’t been a part of the Folsom Independent Dog Owners (FIDO) for very long; however I am told that this dog park took eight years to complete. We may have 50 people or 500. It should be interesting.

My Swell Sister Society is meeting tomorrow and we have a speaker from a gallery in Sacramento. We are also ending the collaborative art project "Indi 1” and starting “Indi 2.” The project involves several artists that start a piece of work and pass it on to another artist to work on. We continue to pass the pieces until all have worked on each of them. I thought the process would be easy; however after several people have worked on a piece it becomes more difficult to make changes. The finished pieces I think are amazing. I will take pictures tomorrow of Indi 1 and post.

Well that is it for now. I still need to get back into the studio before I explode.

Quote for the day:
“Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does the better.” – Andre Gide

Back to Work Tomorrow

Sunday evening and the weekend is over. Where did it go? All day yesterday I as at a St. Ambrose Guild meeting. We are going to paint the scallops on the pavilion, at the next meeting, so I volunteered to make the stencil.

On the way home I stopped at a thrift store. I had a little fun looking to find things to recycle. Unfortunately nothing grabbed me and I saved money.

Today I went to the Antique Faire or is it the Vintage Faire? It is under highway 50 and 21st on the 2nd Sunday of the month. What fun to see all kinds of things and what people are willing to pay. Again I looked for things that interested me visually. Here I did spend a little hard earned cash. I found some really old curtain rods that look like spears, a stamp for Sheila in Swell Sisters. Also a window latch that was painted white at one time and is now all scratched off. I plan to use it in an assemblage in the future. I found some very little Hans Christina Andersen books and the best of all is the cow vertebrae. Yes girls and boys vertebrae. I thought the shape was so interesting that I bought three. I think I will hang them on my deck in some way. It certainly will be a conversation piece.

I found some wonderful things that would be great in the studio for organizing (ex. an oak library card file); however I don’t really have the room. My house is very small.

The friends I went with today want me to paint a small mural in their bathroom. I will take a picture and post when it is done.

Well it is back to work tomorrow and I did not paint at all this weekend. However it was a good weekend with friends and those are rare are they not?

Quote for the day:
"When you choose your friends, don't be short-changed by choosing personality over character." – Somerset Maugham

Almost Friday

As you can guess Friday’s at 5 pm are my favorite time. I am off work and on the light rail home. But today is only Thursday and I am at work waiting for Friday.

I had a productive day yesterday. I painted on my newest piece called “forgiveness” and it is a bit of a political piece. I am struggling with not enough OR not obvious enough politics in the piece. Maybe I am too chicken and afraid to be right up in your face. I struggle because if the content is not strong enough no one will get it.

I took a break from the little boxes to do this piece. I need to get back to them since they are so easy and fun. It gives me a lift to accomplish them. I have a couple of other pieces in mind; but need to finish my current work first.

Thought for the day:
"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death." - Thomas Paine 1776

For those of you that have forgotten your history: 1776 was the Revolutionary War or War for Independence. Interesting thought for today. We don’t call them a war anymore now do we?

Wednesday Already

I had Monday off to take care of some things that needed to be done. I had the oil in my car changed and the car washed. It is now a happy camper. I don’t’ name my cars like others; however I am sure if it had a spirit it is singing right now.

I also renewed my driver’s license with a new picture and a thumb print. Oh Joy! I guess now the FBI will be able to find me with my current picture.

I have been tired for a few days. I am not sure if I am sick or a bit depressed. Probably the latter. I am trying to keep myself up by painting; however that gets a little dark also. I am in the midst of a political piece.

It is a bit depressing how many young men and women we have lost in the war with Iraq (and Afghanistan). It is even more depressing that most people are oblivious to the deaths. It is a world away from our everyday lives unless you are a military family. G.W. makes sure we do not really know how many have died. We have lost over 4,000 men and women so far. That is unconscionable in this day and age. Haven’t we learned anything?

Well enough rambling for today. But think of those serving our country and keep a good thought for them

Thought for the day:
“Wars have never hurt anybody except the people who die." – Salvador Dali

Sorry Salvador; but war hurts everybody, they just don’t know it! Or worse - don’t care!

Saturday was Fabulous Darling!!!!!!

I went to San Francisco yesterday to visit the Frida Kahlo exhibit at the MOMA. It Was Fabulous! She was woman a step out of her time. Her work is wonderful and thought provoking. She had health struggles (some major) her whole life and perhaps that gave her the strength to go against the norm. Great show!

I went with five of my Swell Sisters and we had a wonderful time. After the Kahlo exhibit we went to Scraps. Oh My Gosh! If you like to recycle in your art this is the place for you. Many people would see it as the ultimate junk store (actually trash). I felt like I had gone to recycled heaven. I have so much stuff already I had to contain myself. Not easy to do when I am around other peoples cast offs. I almost bought two stretcher frames for canvas; however there wasn’t enough room in the car. Sigh! Next time maybe.

I did spend a whopping $3 for my treasures. I am so jazzed about the zipper pulls and don’t have a clue what I am going to do with them. Yes zipper pulls. Not zippers! Just pulls! I also picked up some cool gold paper and I am anxious to see how it works with different mediums. I love the adventure of creating art. Especially since I make it for me! The best thing I found is a blank book that barks when you open it. That will become a book about my little dog Sadie. How fun is that?

AND then we went to the Dick Blick Art Store in Berkeley. What a day for a bunch of crazy artists. I did pick up some canvas to stretch. Man I wish I could have bought the stretcher frame. Next Time!

Well off to do the mundane chores around the house and then to the studio to paint.

Quote for the day:
“A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often – just to save it from dying out completely”. – Pam Brown

I really need to contact a couple of old friends!

Friday At Last

Yes in deed it is Friday at last. I was at the Folsom Thursday night market last night and it was really hot. I normally do not complain about the heat; but last night the sweat just poured down. Every once in a while the breeze would come up and we would get some relief.

Ah-Natural AC: wind on sweat. Gotta love it!

I was out with FIDO again helping spread the word about the new dog park opening in Folsom. The park is close to my house and right now I drive a bit to get to any dog park. My little dog loves to run and play with the other dogs and the socialization is great. We have the big opening on August 16th.

A couple of extra volunteers showed up so I left early. I thought to my self that I could go back to the house and either take the dog out for a walk or continue to paint on my current projects. (yes more than one)

Neither happened! I was so tired I sat in the big chair and dozed off with Sadie in my lap. I know the TV was on and I can’t tell you what I watched.

I am so glad today is Friday and I have three days off. Yes three! I am taking Monday off to get my car serviced and my driver’s license renewed. My days are so exciting…be still my heart.

Tomorrow is the SF MOMA with a few of my Swell Sisters. We are going to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit. I am so looking forward to the trip that I am even willing to get up early on a Saturday.

Quote f or the day:
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. – Confucius (551 BC – 479 BC)

Great Day in the Neighborhood

Today I missed the 6:30 am light rail to work. I don’t know what I was doing this morning to lag behind. I thought about driving; but gas is still too high to drive when I can take public transportation. I’ll save my gas for the things I want to do instead of work.

I was scheduled to go to a meeting last night for the opening of the dog park in Folsom. I really did not want to go; but it is sooooo close to home and a very short meeting I decided to “just do it.” Well the meeting was cancelled and when I saw the note on the door I was very happy to be going home again. All of this took maybe 10 minutes. It was great to go back home and to continue painting my current project. I need a day with more than 24 hours in it.

“Little boxes” is the current project. It is painted recycled cigarette boxes. I love to recycle trash into art. They all have a modern art feel. No subject since I am just looking for composition in the small scale. The project is actually fun with no redeeming political or social value. Hey we can’t protest all of time right?

I do have an idea for a political piece in a recycled wooden box; however I need to be in the right mood before I start. I will have to start watching CNN or some other news channel to get me fired up. I need to check in ans see what our politicians are doing or actually NOT doing.

Yep that is how my life is going right now. Not bad at all.

AND two more days until I visit Frida at the SF MOMA.

Quote for the day or actually definition for the day:

Definition of Politics: "Poli" in latin meaning "many" and "tics" meaning "blood-sucking parasites." – Anonymous

Pessimist? Maybe!

Another Day

Good Tuesday....................... as Tuesdays go.

I painted again last night which is always a plus. Tonight I have a meeting; but will get some painting in I hope.

This weekend is a trip to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit. I am looking forward to the trip with my fellow Swell Sisters. It should be great.

Quote for the day: Between too early and too late, there is never more than a moment. – Franz Werfel