Making Things Right

In my last post I mentioned that the GellyRoll Glaze pens I'd just gotten were leaking. I'm happy to say that I just got off the phone with Rex Art and they are sending me out a new batch of them!

This was my first time buying from them and I did so because they had the Sharpie Poster Paint pens and the Sakura pens that I love for such a good price. Plus, one day last week I spent over 3 hours going from store to store looking for the Sharpies only to come up empty handed. It is so frustrating when a product that you love and buy regularly disappears for all the stores that use to carry it! Anyway, I had to find a source for my pens and stumbled upon the Rex Art site. They absolutely had the best prices on the items I wanted so I placed an order.

What a bummer it was when I went to use the Glaze pens and they were a mess. All is well though because Rex Art has great customer service and were very accommodating about making things right. Forget the big box chain stores. If you need something and want to be treated well go with a small company. They appreciate your business and know how to treat a person right.

Past Few Days

The past few days have been a bit rough. The pain has been out of control, something that's always a problem in winter. But, I've managed to keep myself busy by working on my art journals while laying in bed. Over the years I've learned that no matter the situation you can always make things better. Or worse, if that's what you choose. I'm not one for having a Pity Party so I choose to make things better. I've learned how to arrange my art supplies so they're within easy reach. Having them arranged this way keeps me from having to move my body too much when I'm having one of THOSE days.

Yesterday I completed 5 journal pages, painted another 10 or so, re-read most of 'What It Is' by Lynda Barry (I highly recommend it!!!), watched a movie with my boy and spent some time laughing over re-runs of Frasier. Not a bad day considering.

The downer of the day is that ALL of the new GellyRoll Glaze pens I bought leak like sieves! I went to use them last night and each and every one of them is drippy, leaking and a total mess. Totally annoying!!!

I tried to get a decent photo of the mixed-media painting I recently finished, but no matter what I did I kept getting a bit of glare. I'll have to get out my trusty Minolta and snap a real photo. But for now, this one will have to do. It's done on a wood panel using acrylic paint, collage, stencils and texturing techniques. The heart image is surrounded by carpet tacks adding another dimension to it.

Ho Ho Ho

Yes, I know. The holidays are over. But I never got around to posting photos of the Santa's I made for relatives for the holidays so am doing it now. Plus we've got a big snowstorm approaching and that makes it feel like Yule to me.

All of these are based on Old World Santa's and are painted with multiple layers of paint, wiping off in between layers to create more depth and an aged look.

This Is A Shoe

This is a shoe. The Sea Queen's Shoe as a matter of fact. It's made from an old, ugly bridesmaid's shoe. You know the kind. Pointy heeled, too tight in the toes, shiny satin material. Every gal I know has at least one pair in her closet. More if she's unlucky.



Mine had been kicking around for decades. Stuffed into the box they came in, beneath all my other boxes of shoes, waiting around for someone to don them again I suppose. One day I made up my mind to get rid of those shoes once and for all. Why was I keeping them??? It's not like bright red satin shoes went with anything I had in my closet. Was I hanging onto them in case a wedding party walked by my house looking for someone who owned such a pair of shoes to help them out? Not likely.




As I went to toss them inspiration struck. I could make something cool from them! I could cover them with gook, add some doo-dads and paint and make them into ART! Yes! The shoes would live on in a new, much improved incarnation.



Out came the molding paste, shells, crab claws, fish jaws (yes, fish jaws), crystals, bits of broken jewelry and paints. A mad frenzy ensued, molding paste clung to every surface including most of my arm and hands. But that's OK! I was creating something cool. And when it was over, I heard a sigh. The Sea Queen had finally found someone to make her some shoes. (She's still waiting for the other one because I haven't been inspired to make it yet.)

January 26 Journal Page

Just one today, so far and it was done very early this morning (about 1:00 AM in fact). If it had been much earlier I could've counted it for yesterday!

I received another batch of early reviewers books in the mail today. I adore being a book reviewer!!!! It's a great way to feed my addiction to books and helps me keep my writing skills in shape. Sometimes I miss being a columnist, but then I remember the pressure of deadlines and realize I'm much happier without dealing with that!

I added another item to my ArtFire store. I wanted to get some more photographed today but it hasn't happened yet. Today was focused on updating my library catalog and rearranging books, again! Tomorrow will have to be photography day.

More snow in the forecast, as if we don't have enough already. My sister, who moved to Florida last October, texts me her beach report almost every day. And now our folks are down there visiting her so I get a beach report from them too! I am so jealous.

No Time? That's A Load of Bull!!!

It's been busy here. Just few of the things that have been keeping me occupied are the annual Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, breaking up ice on stairs and walkways, cleaning the wood stove, making pizza, taking care of lots of critters and creating, creating, creating! No matter how busy life gets there is ALWAYS time to create. If you have time to make a cup of tea, you have time to slap some paint on a page. If you have to wait at the bus stop, you have time to paste a few pictures in your journal. If you have time to send a bunch of e-mails, you have time to do some journaling or make some ATC's.

Too many times I hear people say they don't have time for art making. Well, yes they do!!! All the time that's wasted complaining that they have no time could of been used to make something. Anything.

So, even though it's been busy, busy here I've still had lots of time to create. I painted a few dozen journal pages, finished a painting on wood I had started and stockpiled a bunch of images for collages. Oh, and finished 5 journal pages too. Not bad for two days that were filled with other "must do" activities.

Oh, and for anyone who's had to deal with shitty, art snobs criticizing their art or making them feel like they weren't good enough, you HAVE to read this: Finding Your Voice Seriously. Go read it NOW!!!! You'll be glad you did. (Thanks Kelly for being wicked pissa!!!!)

A Page In Progress

I thought it would be nice to show one of my journal pages in progress. I have many different ways of working, so this example is just one of them. Sometimes I start adding images to a blank page, other times I write or paint first.

Here I've painted the page using multiple colors of acrylic paint:



Next I did some journaling using Sharpie Poster Paint Markers. I turned the page in a different direction each time I changed colors so the text becomes more of a design element than an expression of words. This is a good way to write when you have a lot to say or if you don't necessarily want everyone being able to read what you've written!




I've added my main (focal) image and a few accent pieces of decorative paper to help draw the eye toward the focal:

Finally I add more journaling using a regular Sharpie and a gel pen & create some accents around the focal image. The accents help draw your eye to the focal even more:

And that's it! A completed journal page.

Setting Up Shop!

I took the leap and set up an on-line shop! I've been wanting to do so for quite some time now, but always held back. What if I didn't sell anything? What if nobody liked my stuff? What if....??? I would've done it long ago, I could've done it long ago, I should've done it long ago.......

Obviously, a bad case of the "What Ifs" and too much time hanging with the Would've, Could've, Should've Sisters kept me from doing what I wanted to do.

BUT My creative, EMPOWERED self finally kicked the What If crew and the Would've, Could've, Should've Sisters out and told me to JUST DO IT! So, being the ever obedient person I am, I did it.

A new art selling site, ArtFire, was offering a great deal if you signed up. So I went headlong into the fray and created a space there for me. Yes, me! The site is only in BETA right now, live but with glitches galore. But that's OK. As the site managers get up to speed I'll have time to gather my art, photograph it and get it listed.

I did manage to list 3 paintings today,which is all I asked of myself. A few things today, a few tomorrow and in no time a whole lot of stuff. If you want to check it out, click below. In the meantime I'm going to DREAM BIG and make my art sales a reality.

Hopeful Journal Page

My pages are reflecting the hope I hold in my heart for peace in the Middle East and the dreams of hope flowing through my own nation. With the Inauguration behind us I think most Americans are looking toward the future with hope in their hearts.

I never expected to be emotionally moved watching the Inauguration on television. Hell, I'm not the highly emotional type. I rarely get all worked up unless something major is going on in my life. So imagine my shock over the appearance of tears in my eyes. You could've knocked me over with a feather!

If my dad, the die-hard Republican, ever hears that I got all chocked up over a Democrat being sworn in as President he'll probably keel over. Either that or he'll assume I was all choked up because it WAS a Democrat and not a Republican.

January 19th Journal Pages--Gaza

The conflict in Gaza, in the Middle-East in general, has been on my mind a lot lately. There has been conflict in that part of the world for longer than any of us have been alive. WHY???? Why all the killing over land, religion, resources??? We are all human, we are all the same inside. Acceptance of each other's uniqueness is needed. NOW.