Moving On

SEPTEMBER 2011 - Fortunately we were able to salvage a great deal out of the house that night. When the fire chief let us go back in, I started pulling art off the walls and handing it to friends & neighbors to get it out of the house! No AC and lots of moisture is very bad for artwork!! Our neighbors across the street allowed us to use their dining room and we stacked all the artwork there for safekeeping. Hubby's job was to get all the paperwork & other pertinent items that we would need right away. Our insurance adjustor just happened to live the next street over and was there before the fire department left. He was a big help in guiding us through the next few steps - finding a dog friendly hotel for the next few days, putting in a request for interim living expenses, etc. We pulled together a few clothes & papers, some toiletries, & left for the night. Fortunately, the doors could be locked and no windows were broken. All through the night the police department assigned extra patrols along with the fire department checking several times to make sure the fire was truly out. OCTOBER 2012 - One of my new art directions has been hand dyed silk. Silk has such a wonderful sheen and feel. It has a reputation for being difficult to handle but I love a challenge! This is a mixed media piece that incorporates hand dyed silk, quilting, stamping & free form embossed paper & beading. The title - QUIET MORNING

The Aftermath - Rebirth

This past year has been one of many changes. Our house was struck by lightning last September. Fortunately, I had just arrived home and was able to call 911 and get the dog out. By the time the fire department arrived smoke was pouring out of the soffits but no flames through the roof. Just how close we came to losing everything was very apparent when the shingles were removed. Gaping holes where the decking was burned away made it obvious that the fire was only moments away from breaching through the shingles & taking the whole thing down to the ground! Fortunately, there was a lot left to salvage after the fire was out. But that is not a story I want to tell today. What would you do if all of your artwork suddenly disappeared? How would you cope? What steps would you take to get started again? Would losing it all make you want to do things differently? The imagery of a phoenix rising from ashes became all too real in one thunderbolt!

Merry Christmas

No, I didn't disappear off the face of the earth. There has been lots of travel and some commission work that I couldn't talk about. Then there was the daughter's wedding and all the preparations that entails. Oh, and the house fire two weeks before the wedding. There will be more on that later. There will eventually be photos but not quite yet.

There hasn't been much artwork being created in the past few months... the house has seen to that! We were struck by lightning in September and are in the process of rebuilding. Hopefully, all will be put to rights by the end of January and we can go home again. That day can't happen too soon!

Even before all of activities of the past several months, I contemplated making some changes in how, when & why I made art. There will certainly be some new art paths to be explored in the coming new year so some back then to see where this leads.

Until then, may you have a peaceful Holiday Season.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!

Water Dance

This was the last watercolor batik class I taught. It is such fun to get to that embellishment stage and play with heat guns, embossing tools & stamps, scissors & glue! Takes me back to grade school fun - who didn't have fun with scissors, paper & paste? (class photo courtesy of Pam Richards - thanks Pam!)

What's Coming in July!

A few posts back I alluded to different projects in process. This is part of what has been in the works! I was accepted to teach at the Artist Expo Houston this coming July!! I have two classes scheduled and can't wait to get started. Margot has taught at this excellent convention every year since its inception and she will be having a booth on the trade floor as well as teaching. Would love to see you there!

Happy Valentine to You

In January, one of my painting chapter's members taught a workshop on creating your own lace patterns using found objects. This is what I did with that information and I am quite pleased with the results. Instead of using cream or white for the lace, I used the lightest color in the roses - a FolkArt color called Spring Rose. It gives a softer, more delicate look to the lace. There are also several weddings on the horizon so I painted this on a photo album cover. Wouldn't it be a great place to store all those wedding details?

So here is my Valentine to you!!

Cowgirl UP! for 2011

Happy New Year to everyone!

I love the change in perspective a new year brings! It isn't just another day - we tend to view it as a fresh beginning and a time of reflection. Perhaps we welcome it so due to the seasonal excess that has been happening for the past weeks.

So I want to make this first week of the year my point of "reflection" for the upcoming year. And I want to make my primary focus this year center on the idea of "creativity." Most of this focus will be on painting but creativity comes in all forms and I want to document my journey for myself as well as for you.

Last Painting Project of 2010

Is everyone done with their end of year painting? I just finished my last piece today. It will be a present under the Christmas tree. And I finally finished another bucket that went to someone special. This bucket is for my boss to take to his cabin. The name of the cabin is Cloud Crossing and has some of the features of the original bucket. Lordy, those things take awhile to paint!! Glad this one is finished and off to its new home.

May everyone have a special holiday season - see you in 2011!

Hugs from my house to yours!!

Student and Teacher

Being a student is just as important as being a teacher. And I try to take as many classes as possible so I can continue to learn. Classes might be on any topic - mixed media, oils, watercolor, fired glass - just about anything is fair game and what I learn while being a student hopefully makes me a better teacher. And teaching also helps me learn and increases my own understanding of the subject matter.

Our chapter was fortunate to have Janelle Johnson give a seminar in October. I was only able to take the one day but learned so much! Janelle is an excellent teacher and has an extensive list of colored pencil packets to choose from. And her hand dyed parchment paper is a lovely working surface - love it!

The best part? I have a finished & framed piece to call my own!!

Spooktacular 2010

I love dressing for Halloween and enjoy creating something unusual for the event. With luck there will be a party or two to attend as well. This year, we went as The Ghouls. Of course, I have to dress again for the kiddies!