Artsortments

EYE HEART YOU

2012-02-13T21:37:00.000-05:00

To all of you that have ever read Artsortments , left a comment or just checked things out.......I offer my sincere gratitude and appreciation. Through this amazing world of blogging, I have met the most amazing people. I thank you all from the bottom of my HEART. So HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!!

"Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart." - Anne Frank

"Write it on your heart that everyday is the best day of the year." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

IT"S RIGHT HERE IN BLACK AND WHITE

2012-02-09T10:09:00.000-05:00

While visiting the Riviera Maya region of Mexico this past week, I spent time on the beach working on more circular mandala designs with the black sketch book and white gel pen that traveled with me.

I spent a bit of time looking at the Mayan calendars form so long ago......you know, the ones that say it's time for us to go. I don't believe it and neither do the Mayan people with whom I spoke. They believe everything is circular and keeps recycling. In other words, things will keep going. What do you think?

Did a few sketches ....played golf, went diving in a cenote( underground cave), zip lined, saw the ruins at Tulum, and repelled down a tower. Gotta keep these old bones lubricated.

FOCUSING ON THE MANDALA

2012-01-26T10:11:00.001-05:00

Made from scraps of photos of old pieces of work, painting and stitched. Still playing and focusing.

ELECTRONIC ART

2012-01-14T12:31:00.001-05:00

"Technology, like art, is a soaring exercise of the human imagination." - Daniel Bell

I just returned from Las Vegas and the Consumer Electronics Show. Some of you may know that besides trying to find a moment to be creative, I also work with my husband in our electronics business and the CES show is our big trade show of the year.

Usually I marvel at the newest in TVs, stereos and anything else that I pass.....however, this year, much to my surprise, a few vendors had artists sketching people on their new tablets. Needless to say, I was dying to try it out.

The image at the top is one that I did from a photo I took of some showgirls (I did not draw ON the photo, I drew this from the photo). I used my Kindle Fire, my finger and an amazing application that I actually purchased before I got to the show. It's my first attempt and without a stylus, it's a bit rough. I had seen it being used at an Apple store. It's called........

Drawing Pad

When it comes to drawing applications for the Honeycomb devices, there are quite a few names in the market but none of them really impressed as much as the Drawing Pad. So what is so different about the Drawing Pad, that is the question. Well, this fancy drawing application has a very adorable interface, unlike most. Selection of all sorts of drawing tools seems very life-like and really infuses a wonderful experience. Having said that, if the user wishes to paint using a brush a drawer opens that contains various color-daubed brushes. Likewise, upon selecting color pencils, a drawer full of color pencils opens up before the user. All in all, the layout is pristine and adds the element of fun and excitement to drawing.

While walking past the Casio booth , I couldn’t help but notice a photo of a dog with a snout that stuck out of the frame.
It wasn’t 3D – the snout was literally sticking out of the frame. Apparently the company now has the ability through a complex software engine called “Relief Transformation” to take a two dimensional image or photo and transform it into a three-dimensional work of art.

Some of the examples had very subtle texturing, but then there was that dog snout sticking way out. There’s no plans to commercialize this tech yet. Though, I gave them my card and told them to let me know as soon as it is available.

I had visions of photographing my own art work and.....well, it would seem to me that the sky is the limit. What do you think?

HOLIDAY INSPIRATION

2011-12-20T21:37:00.000-05:00

Once again, I was in New York at the most glorious time of year, the winter holidays. If there is any doubt in your mind that there is no holiday spirit......I was there( the I have no holiday spirit part).....just visit New York, smell the chestnuts, see the crowds, look in the windows, go to the open air holiday markets and be with good friends.


We saw the amazing windows at Bergdorfs (always the best, in my opinion), and went to a number of art exhibits and the Fashion Institute of Technology to see the Daphne Guiness exhibit .The Bergdorf windows always inspire me.( I was just glancing back to last years post at this time and I created some work in response to what I saw in the windows then.) I was intrigued this year by fashion as art and the people that are drawn to it. I have been experimenting with water color paints and yupo paper and found that using fashion and portrait paining lent themselves very well to the medium.

Portrait of Daphnie Guiness from a photograph

Window inspiration

Photo from a Chanel advertisement.......I was terrified to try to draw the perspective of the angle of this model. Is she super thin or is it just the camera lens?

My interpretation

Bergdorf window with "distorted model".

Happy Holidays ...from this crazy window gazer to you. May you find peace, joy and beauty in everything around you.

THERE IS NO SYMMETRY IN NATURE

2011-12-01T21:13:00.001-05:00

" There is no symmetry in nature. One eye is never exactly the same as the other. There's always a difference. We all have a crooked nose and an irregular mouth." - Edouard Manet

"Every time I paint a portrait, I lose a friend." - John Singer Sargent

"When I paint a person, his enemies always find the portrait a good likeness." - Edvard Munch

I am experimenting with yupo paper , an inexpensive completely synthetic paper. I am finding that the water color paints can be manipulated far more to my liking.....you know, smooshing, shmearing, swirling, rubbing out, scratching into....the fun stuff.

When my husband saw this "self portrait", he said "why the heck do you make your head so big ?" Other people have said I look sad.

Well, neither is the case in reality. If you have ever painted a portrait, that's just how it goes. It's not always about perfection. It's about the process.

THE PEOPLE IN MY LIFE

2011-11-21T15:16:00.001-05:00

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

-Thornton Wilder
To everyone out there- Happy Thanksgiving!
I am in the process of coming up with a new look here. So I'll be playing around for awhile. Once I get going on bloggers template designs I can't stop. I will probably end up with something really simple, though.

EVERY STROKE COUNTS

2011-11-13T14:47:00.001-05:00

"Painting in watercolor is like walking a tightrope. One must find the perfect balance between what the paint wants to do and what the artist wants to do, or all is lost." - Kate Wood McCoy

Playing in my sketchbook with watercolors. It is one of the few mediums I have not really embraced for a number of reasons. It's difficult to control. I am heavy handed with everything I do, which is not conducive to watercolor painting. Every once in awhile I like to challenge myself. We will see how long that will last.

"Watercolor is like golf, every stroke counts." - Mary C. Taylor

SO....WHAT'S NEW WITH U

2011-09-12T18:31:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to let you know that I am fine and have been taking a break.......yes, it's been a long break.

I am also excited to say, that you will soon be able to see my work as one of the featured artists in the new book by the multi-talented Seth Apter of the Altered Page. It is expected to be out in about 6 months or so. I am really looking forward to seeing the work of some wonderful artists and read their thoughts on an amazing variety of subjects. If you are a follower of Seth's blog, you have already contacted Amazon and your local bookstore and pre-ordered......if you can :-)

Below are some details of some of the work I did for the book. I used my beloved copper as a base, to draw, paint, sew, emboss, embellish....etc.

CHAMPAGNE OR TEQUILA?

2011-05-05T23:03:00.000-04:00

"The Scale", from a book round robin called "Signs and Symbols" , subject astrology, sign Libra. Life is about balance. The good with the bad. I last blogged on March the 6th. Geez, time flies after you turn 60. There have been ups and downs since then. This is definitely about the ups. April was a fantastic journey. Paris with my guy and then the Riviera Maya in Mexico with my entire family. Both beautiful trips with their differences and similarities. I had a great time going through the photos figuring that out.

Sailboats for rent to sail in the fountain at the Garden of the Tuileries.

View from the beach bar, yes, you sit on a swing :-)

Shopping at the Marche aux Puces St-Ouen de Clignancourt flea market for vintage clothing

Shopping for hats on the beach

Feeding the birds at the Tuileries Garden

Sleeping macaws in.........Mexico, duh....yes, they come out of the cage often and speak spanish

Walking through the Place de Vosges

Walking through the courtyard near Puerto Moreles

Bob, resting in the beautiful garden of the Place de Vosges...in the sun

You know who, resting in the sea

The cafe

The ping pong game

The art of the paper cut, Musee de Quai Branly, Paris. A most beautiful place inside and out, full of primitive art and magical things. (thank you Lynne Perella)

Paper cut wall divider

Amazing art to see, outside of the Luxembourg Gardens

Amazing art to see outside of a restaurant on the beach

Happy Cinco De Mayo....beer for now.......I mean bye for now!!

DRAWING ON DRAWING

2011-03-06T14:42:00.000-05:00


"There is a great appetite to work, and then my sketchbook serves me as a cookbook when I am hungry. I open it and the least of my sketches can offer me material for work." - Georges Braque

I have artists block. It is a dreary Sunday. Grey. When I am feeling uninspired, I always head back to the basics. I "draw" on drawing or sketching. There is something about making black lines on white paper that is so very satisfying. It saves me from the clouds that begin to gather around the artful side of my brain. What lifts you out of the clouds? Of course, a new pair of shoes and thinking about spring gardening helps as well.

The state of my studio! You see, a sketchbook would be the only thing I could find here. I need serious help. This is what happens when you do project after project and do not clean up after after yourself. I am making myself show the world how disgusting it is. Perhaps that will inspire me to not only clean it up, but will help me begin to create more mixed media pieces.......in stead of mixed UP media, since I can't find much at the moment.

.......and after I am done.

SHEER INSPIRATION

2011-02-22T16:20:00.000-05:00

"Take something. Do something to it. Do something else to it." - Jasper Johns

Back in November, I spent a wonderful weekend with a group of very talented women. We went with the purpose of seeing the Russian Icon Museum in Massachusetts. We worked in a studio together sharing thoughts and techniques. One of the artists in the group was Ellen Kochansky. She is a textile artist and works with objects that have been discarded and reworks them and "sandwiches" these items into beautiful transparent collages and wall hangings made of silk and a natural glue that she cooks up in her kitchen. She was kind enough to share this magical technique with all of us. These pieces are my interpretation of the technique. Of course, I had to throw in some bits and pieces of copper. Thank you Ellen, for your artwork and inspiration.

THE BIG 6-0 AND THE TRITE PALM TREE

2011-02-04T10:10:00.001-05:00

I am about to reach a milestone. The big one. Sixty. I feel pretty darn good about it. No, "sixty is the youth of old age" or "sixty is the new forty" for me. I am just going to be plain sixty. No rose colored glasses.

I am going to celebrate the entire year.

Spending some time in Jamaica is a good way to start. Yes, it is.


Getting away from the cold, damp, snowy northeast, is a perfect way to celebrate.

I laugh at the cold and say goodbye and good riddance. Nothing profound here.

Is there anything better than the blues of the Caribbean Sea?

The lush foliage and ............

....and of course, getting to put on my flip flops.

My and my buds on the most beautiful golf course I've ever played, the White Witch. Not bad being the only girl in a foursome. Yes, an artist and a golfer go together, strangely enough.

Quite a wonderful view from the first tee.

Back at the beach I gather souvenirs in the form of sketches.


I think one of the dilemmas of many artists is to avoid being trite. A palm tree is one if those things that I find amazingly beautiful. It brings me much peace and happiness sitting on the beach looking at the shape, seeing the texture on the trunk, the beautiful greens on the fronds, the sound of the breeze blowing through the branches. What could be better....except that as an artist, it is virtually impossible to create an image of this tree without it being trite.

I have decided that I will do sixty things this year that I have never done. Not just like jumping out of an airplane (which I have done).....it can be something simple, like try eating tripe (yuck) or learn a new yoga move. Perhaps conquering the creation of a not trite palm tree will be on the list.

Ever notice the roots? I think they are beautiful......dreadlock like, eh?

Yes, that is what sixty is about. Warming up the old bones....surrounded by beauty and the ones you love, practicing yoga, playing golf, learning new things every day, drinking a cold Red Stripe, eating some spicy jerk chicken and looking at......

....palm trees.

ART JOURNALING

2011-01-13T00:26:00.000-05:00

Who said "don't judge a book by its cover" ?

-1944 in the American journal American Speech as "you can't judge a book by its binding".

In 1946 the phrase first appeared in the murder mystery novel Murder in the Glass Room (by Edwin Rolfe and Lester Fuller) as "you can never tell a book by its cover."


I am proud to say that I have an article in the new issue of Art Journaling Magazine entitled "The Creative Cover Up- Artistic Journal Covers" . It is one of the many amazing creative publications that are available from Stampington. Their magazines can be found at most Barnes and Noble, Borders and art supply stores. Thanks to Amber Demien and her staff for their support. These photos are details from the covers in the article.

HANDCRAFTED

2011-01-04T14:18:00.000-05:00

“How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon? -Dr. Seuss

Happy New Year to everyone!!!

My plan every year during the holiday giving season, is to create something for everyone. It is an amazing feeling to give someone something that you made. With little time and feeling a bit dry in the inspiration department. I had a trip to New York and checked out the windows at Bergdorfs. One of the windows had a display of these lovely little dolls made of vintage parts. The artists are called Primitive Twig. I decided that the concept was brilliant and that doing a bit of tweaking on my own....such as heading downtown to Pearl River for some new tea tins and hunting through my own selection of doll parts and found objects and of course getting out the copper to make clothing, I got started.

I decided to call my little "frankendolls" TEAmates (that was my daughter in laws suggestion) Thanks Jordana!! A handcrafted gift of a doll, tea and quotes about teas.

Here you can see one of the pieces in the window. I would imagine that they did quite well!!!! Imagine, having your work in the Bergdorf holiday windows!!!

This doll had no eyes, so I cut out eyes from my own self portrait sketch and added them myself.

I bought new tea tins and used sand paper and paint to age them.

Inspiration

This is my favorite. Most of the pieces I found in France at a flea market. I gave it to my daughter and she loved it. The head and base are from a damaged lamp.

THE ART OF OBSERVATION-THE OBSERVATION OF ART-ANSELM KIEFER IN NEW YORK

2010-12-04T10:37:00.000-05:00

"There is a special border, the border between art and life that often shifts deceptively. Yet, without this border, there is no art. In the process of being produced, art borrows material from life, and the traces of life still shine through the completed work of art. But, at the same time, the distance from life is the essence, the substance of art. And, yet, life has still left its traces. The more scarred the work of art is by the battles waged on the borders between art and life, the more interesting it becomes."
--Anselm Kiefer

I dare to try and blend some pages that I have done in a book, with the brilliance of some of the work by Anselm Kiefer, that I saw a few days ago at the Gagosian Gallery in New York, titled, Next Year in Jerusalem. My critique is simple. I was in awe. It was inspiring in so many ways. Installation, sculpture, painting, photography. It was theatrical, interactive and drawing on every emotion.

While taking the time to observe as much detail as possible, I became immersed in watching how other people were observing each piece. They became as much a part of the work as what I was seeing inside the huge glass cases.

Around the corner from Gagosian you will find a building full of galleries. On one floor is the Sears Peyton Gallery. There you will find the work of painter Robert Schmid. The top photo is a detail. he works in oils, combining images from a variety of photos and the result is magical.


I shared this wonderful day with some friends. Elizabeth (who happens to be the wife of Robert Schmid), Isabel and Seth.

ABUNDANT TREASURES-THE RUSSIAN ICON MUSEUM

2010-11-27T09:30:00.001-05:00

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." ~Thornton Wilder


I am thankful to have many treasures in my life. Thanksgiving was spent with my dear family. With plenty of food on our table and many things to laugh about, we enjoyed a beautiful day together.-------- "Black Friday" proved to be a successful one for our business. Being an independent retailer, selling electronics, in what has been a very difficult time eonomically, I would say that yesterdays showing means we must be going in the right direction. I am very hopeful.---------------- The weekend before Thanksgiving, I was honored to be included in a group of extraordinary women, brought together by Lynne Perrella, to spend time together in Massachusetts at the Museum of Russian Icons. We toured this magnificent museum near Worchester and then spent 4 days creating together in response to what we saw.

Our group came together beautifully.

......like a colorful , well used box of oil pastels.

Our tour guide, was well versed in the complete history of this collection, the largest outside of Moscow.

The work is particularly of interest to me because of their use of metals, usually silver and gold, to frame and embellish each piece and the colors used are similar to what I like to use in my pieces.

We shared our own work.

We created new work.

We shared techniques.

.......and proceeded to try them out with creative exuberance.

I have been working on a project for the last few weeks and this experience gave me an inspirational boost that could not have been duplicated.

The last evening, we discussed and admired each others work.

Thank you Lynne and....Anne Bagby, Shirley Ende-Saxe, Ginna Brooks, Leslie Aja, Ellen Kochansky, Barbara Block , Bonnie Benson and Inese Kaufman.

AN ABRIDGED ARTFUL LIFE

2010-11-08T09:52:00.000-05:00


“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure its worth watching.”

Thought I'd take you back to some of the things I've been doing these last few months. An abridged version of my life. Just returned from a trip to San Fransisco and the wine country of Sonoma and Napa.

Visited with friends in Maine in September. The dock, the water, the grasses. Texture and color extravaganza.

Oyster festival in Damariscotta Maine. Imagine , if you like oysters, eating as many as you can swallow.

Earlier in September, I had the most wonderful time in Charlotte Vermont with the most amazing group of women. I fell in love with the roots we found on the banks of lake Champlain. I wire wrapped them and added them to some of my pieces.So organic. So goddess like.

This woman IS mother nature. She creates with unbridled passion with everything around her and she was our hostess in Vermont. This is her studio.

We created books together and she led us in creative writing exercises. I was the first to volunteer to read mine outloud. My english teacher would be.....let's just say, surprised.

We read our work and shared our books. These two........the ever WISE , Judy. ....and the very clever Bonnie, somepinkflowers, were a joy to share those days of art, meditation , music, writing and food.....did I say wine?

.......and right there with us sharing in the joy was Mary. Thank you Mary.

Earlier in September I spent the weekend in New York with the love of my life riding in a carriage through Central Park and seeing two amazing shows......Memphis and......

.......American Idiot. Two very different musical genres, but both outstanding.

Earlier in the summer I spent a weekend at the beach with another group of women I adore. Our artistic venue was to do an Exquisite Corpse exercise. Above are some of the pages laid out and below are some details.

......and here we are, from left, Jerri, me, Kathryn and Joy.

....and even further back in the summer, another trip to New York to meet up with Judy and Leslie at the MAD Museum...now my favorite in NYC, along with the Rubin, of course.

And this is what I am currently trying to achieve in my very busy life. Working full time and desperately wanting to be in my studio. Any tips????

CREATIVE CUISINE IN CONSHOHOCKEN

2010-10-02T09:42:00.001-04:00

"Cooking is an art, but you eat it." - Marcella Hazan

My work is currently being featured on the walls of a fabulous new restaurant called ISABELLAS located in Conshohocken . Whether you are hungry for delicious small plate items, a wood fired oven pizza or to look at some of my pieces hanging on a wall painted with a yummy mustard color, you will be happy.

My beautiful daughter Emily and I at the opening.
Photo by Sari Lifshutz

From Hughe Dillon at phillychitchat.com-

"The Vibe: funky - rustic hardwood floors, burnished copper accents - indoor seating for 40, outdoor flagstone porch seats 16 + features an unbelievable built in brick pizza oven. Walls are adorned by mixed media pieces created by celebrated (and award winning) Philadelphia Artist Karen Shechtman Cole. Upstairs offers a loft style private dining room with floor to wall windows, stained glass, and high ceilings."

Michael Klein: Two new spots opening in Conshohocken

By Michael Klein

Inquirer Columnist

Two newcomers in Conshohocken are on opposite ends of town and approach.
Isabella, a polished but casual Mediterranean, opens Thursday in a former shot-and-a-beer at 382 E. Elm St. (484-532-7470) under local developer Tom Richter. He has installed restaurant veteran Peter Dissin (Henry's and Crazy Horse Saloon, to name two from many years ago) and chef Michael Cappon (whose past includes Marathon and El Vez). Isabella is a knocked-out bi-level with vaulted ceilings and huge windows. Downstairs, the dining room features Neapolitan pizza (mozzarella made in-house and, get this, the oven is outside) and modestly priced Spanish-inspired small plates, plus six entrees ($11 for a Kobe burger, up to $22 for a New York strip steak) - and plenty of gluten-free options. See menu at http://go.philly.com/isabellamenu. Bar includes craft beers, grappa, and a small wine list. Upstairs is a dance studio, where they'll do lessons. It's open nightly.

BELLE ARMOIRE JEWELRY

2010-09-07T22:25:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone. Hope all of you had a great summer. I can't believe it is September!!! I am definitely a summer fan. In fact I decided July is my favorite month. No matter what you do, July is ALL about summer, no ifs ands or buts.

But now we are almost in autumn. I know this because I just picked up my new copy of Belle Armoire Jewelry, autumn issue 2010 at my Barnes and Noble. Drum roll..........for the shameless plug.......I have an article in this issue "What to Wear to an Art Opening", featuring some of my neck pieces. It's a beautiful magazine. I love the crimson word "jewelry" on the cover and of course, Ruth Rae's cuff is stunning. I am a huge green and red fan.

SKETCHING THE LIFE FANTASTIC

2010-07-27T08:47:00.000-04:00


I have mostly been working lately, but have been lucky to have spent time at the beach with my family and in Italy with my husband and friends. I love to get back to my roots and just take out a drawing pen and sketchbook. When a "mistake" occurs, I simply work with it , hence the unusual position above.

FANNING MY FLAMES

2010-06-16T23:23:00.000-04:00

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well” - Voltaire

I am proud to say that my work has been published in L.K. Ludwigs new book -

Order it right here- http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Wildfire-Introduction-Journaling-Basics/dp/1592536018

She has written some of the best books out there regarding art and journaling. I have always admired her artwork and the fact that she shares her techniques, thoughts and ideas with us, is a gift we should all treasure. I am honored that she has admired my work and asked me to be a part of her journey.

The book also includes the incredible work of many other artists that I admire and the techniques that we all use.

This post includes some of my work in the book and other views that were not.

Portfolio cover

Detail

Pages

I have had a bit of a blog and sloooooooow down. I would like to thank LK and others for fanning my blogging flames and my creativity in general.

Coming soon-

Where the heck have I been since April............??????

Thanks to all of you wonderful bloggers that have emailed me to see if I fell off the face of the earth. My appreciation goes out to you .

Hint-

........and here-> www.wwstereo.com

.........(my husband and I own this business)......photos are mine......like movies? MUSIC?.....check us out.

THE ART OF REALITY

2010-04-27T19:45:00.004-04:00

"

"Reality is an illusion, albeit a very persistant one ." Albert Einstein

Art matters. Work also matters. That is, work outside the home. You know, the economy and all. Reality, I am getting a huge dose of it lately.

"There are many ways to be free. One of them is to transcend reality by imagination."- Anais Nin

Art matters. My meditation. My way of leaving the world of reality and traveling to anywhere my imagination wants to go.

My latest work has consisted of two collaborations with some amazing people. These photos are some details of some of the work.

DOWN TO EARTH WITH MY JUNK MAIL

2010-03-22T22:18:00.016-04:00

I have come back down to earth after my two weeks of flying and floating down the mountains of Telluride Colorado. It is so true how fresh air and exercise can release the endorphins and make you feel as happy as can be. I am not kidding.

Do you know what can make you feel like you have returned to reality? A huge pile of junk mail in the mailbox.
.
What can you do with it besides throw it out? Recycle it and make a book!!! It helps to get those endorphins flowing again.

Especially if you are down to what feels like your last dollar.

Get between the covers when you are done and read a great book........"The Help" and "Little Bee".
Don't you just love those little independent book shops?

Can't think of a thing to say here, other than I loved the shadow of this sign against the mountain. Besides, Telluride has a wonderful "wild west feel"...........it's pretty peaceful now, though..........which brings me to .........

...........Yes, they now have 4 medical marijuana shops. It is not a large town. They serve brownies and tea........if you have a card.

Times have certainly changed.......

My best moments, were with my family.

Didn't even have time for art making .

Just enjoyed the view.

BACKBONE AND FAUX BONE AT 9500 FEET

2010-03-12T12:35:00.011-05:00

" Never grow a wishbone ,where your backbone ought to be."
- Clementine Paddleford

I took two wonderful classes with Robert Dansik. He has developed an incredible product called Faux Bone. Please click on the links to check it all out.

I loved working with it. It was another case for me, however, of "I am never going to do that". I did it and was fascinated with learning the techniques of using the Faux Bone and I actually learned how to rivet.......about time. Don't look too closely at the riveting, remember, I am a newbie.

It is a book, of sorts. I have not yet finished the inside.

I am currently in the Rockies, the backbone of the United States........all 3000 miles of it.
The view from my window this morning.

I have had a few injuries in the last few years, but I managed to get myself back on the mountain. Skiing is akin to flying for me. My endorphins are at their peak.

Showing where I cut this piece out of the Faux Bone.

I riveted a found object to the Faux Bone and added etched lines and paint.

..... etched and painted copper of course!

A view from the top of Telluride, Colorado.
Peace.

NEVER SAY NEVER-PART 1

2010-03-02T17:00:00.024-05:00

"Never say never, for if you live long enough, chances are you will not be able to abide by its restrictions. Never is a long, undependable time, and life is too full of rich possibilities to have restrictions placed upon it." -Gloria Swanson

I always thought that I would NEVER get into making dolls, altering dolls or playing with dolls, for that matter. That changed last week in Las Vegas. Forget.....whatever happens in Vegas , stays in Vegas.

I traveled to visit friends and take a few classes at Art and Soul. I did not sign up for anything to do with dolls, but my friends Joy and Kathryn did.
I decided to keep them company.
We had fun.
Taking apart those "pretty" dolls, with fancy dresses and curly hair , making them grungy and far more interesting.

There were three more classes that will be parts of other posts.
We also went to Boulder City, site of the homes where the people that worked on the Hoover Dam were housed.

We stopped at a vintage shop that displayed old hats.....and a few old "bags", I see.

Paris?......or Paris?

Hoover dam is a short ride. What an incredible structure.

Preview of the ballet de grunge group I put together. it is being shipped.

Viva Las Vegas and thank you to Leighanna Light.

I will tell you about other classes in future posts.

WEATHER-YA GOTTA LOVE IT....

2010-02-13T09:31:00.025-05:00

"Don't knock the weather. If it didn't change once in awhile, nine out of ten people couldn't start a conversation." - Kin Hubbard

Hello friends! I just spent the last two weeks, first in Florida, visiting some friends and then home.......shoveling and playing in the snow, snow, snow, snow and more snow.

Thanks to the weather, my flight was canceled home from Florida.....oh, yeah..... I spent two extra days in the sunshine.

Compare and contrast....where would you rather be? Are you are warm weather blogger or a cold weather blogger? Do you care?

Harley loves the snow and it loves her hair. It's a pain in the butt for us both. Reminds me of marshmallows.

What's a girl to do if there is no mountain to ski? Ever try snow shadow dancing?

The photo below is my attempt to get my profile in shadow. I was struck by the incredible likeness, even though it is just my shadow.

Below- My friends and I in Florida after a few frozen margaritas and lot's of laughter. I will take the warm weather and a frozen margarita anytime.

From left to right, Karen, Dara, me, and my friend Paula, who we think looks a bit like Sarah Palin.........definitely doesn't think like her.

Happy Valentines Day to all!!!

EYE HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT...........

2010-01-27T18:19:00.016-05:00

.......the people of Haiti. Having given donations to a variety of organizations, but feeling like I want to do more. Wishing that the distribution of aide could be more organized and fluid.

I was in New York on business the other day and became entranced by the rooftops. Which then prompted me to think of the lack of roof tops in Haiti.

How lucky are we?

Eye have been thinking..........

ASEMIC MANDALAS

2010-01-14T21:47:00.011-05:00

My latest project is a book round robin. I love the collaborative process. My theme? ASEMIC MANDALAS.

I am entranced by circular design and I have been really enjoying using the written word as a basis for the lines that I draw into my work, so I decided to combine the two for my theme.

It's all in the details.

Truly mixed media. Above, felt that has been stitched, painted and melted.

I have been so excited by the lines my sewing machine makes..... have never sewn more than a hem in my life, I made a bag to hold the project.

May the sacred circle of life help the people of Haiti come back from this terrible disaster. My heart is heavy.

COLOR THE NEW YEAR RED

2010-01-08T21:01:00.023-05:00

Neck piece...in the works. Photo taken with "color accent" mode.

"Red is the ultimate cure for sadness."- Bill Blass

"Artists can color the sky red because they know it is blue. Those of us that are not artists must color things the way they are, or people might think we are stupid." -Jules Feiffer

Happy new year everyone!! I am starting off this year by thanking people. It "bloggles" my mind when I look at the counter on this blog, how many people have looked here. A HUGE THANKS to all of you that leave comments. I feel truly blessed.

There are some of you where a thank you is particularly overdue.

There is red in Vermont. Elizabeth Bunson made an amazing journal for me that I commisioned , with a back pack. I would Be, Dream and Play with her anytime.

Emphasizing the red on a studio shelf. Love those old books and clock parts....and there is the Scarlet Letter, just noticed it!!!

The clasp for my backpack.

My happy muppet self. A gift from my husband......not really sure why I added this but she looks so happy, so it's keeping with the theme.

This is something that I should have done MANYmoons ago. Dear and talented Lynne Hoppe, sent me some tree flags that have been gracing the trees in my woods. Thank you so much Lynne!! I very much apologize for the delay.

Stephanie from vlaDtheBatsattic in Belgium sent me these great earrings. I have been blogging with her from day one, just about. Check out her wonderful jewelry. Thank you Steph.

There is red on my messy studio table......everything is messy at the moment, I dare not show you.

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day." ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

"The proper behavior all through the holiday season is to be drunk. This drunkenness culminates on New Year's Eve, when you get so drunk you kiss the person you're married to." ~P.J. O'Rourke

"The merry year is born
Like the bright berry from the naked thorn."
~Hartley Coleridge

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right". ~Oprah Winfrey

"People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas." ~Author Unknown

For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
~T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding"

Harley says Happy New Year and bring on the snow...........errrr, show.

42 DAYS

2009-12-26T10:58:00.016-05:00

Where have I been, what am I doing and what will be next?

It's difficult to believe that it has been so long since I have posted. I have been here. 24/7. We have a retail business. A great one. One that some people call a "mom and pop" operation. The kind that is a pleasure to shop. Sales staff that have been with us a long time. That care. That know everything about the product. NOT a "big box" store, where you are just a number. The economy has brought me back to work. Those big box stores are trying to crush us, but they won't succeed. Now it's all about the discount. Does anyone care about quality and service anymore? We do.

Did you know that in the 50's , 60's and 70's, only about 5% of items were ever discounted. People cared about the quality of an item. If it would last and could they count on a merchant to stand behind what they sold. In the 80's and 90's it became all about how fast can you get rid of something......just discount it and throw it away.

I could go on, but I know one looses their audience quickly here. My point is that I have too busy working to post, let alone visit anyone. It's been making me crazy.

Below are some photos of where I have been spending my time. Visit our website www.wwstereo.com, you'll see what we do.

I have been getting into my studio at night. Between 10 and midnight I created some gifts for my family. Below is a tribute to my mother in law for my husband. She is a dear soul who was a miracle worker in the kitchen, especially when it came to holiday ravioli.

Painted and photoshopped portrait with copper, fabric, stitching, found objects, acrylic medium, antique brass ravioli cutters found in Italy, acrylic paint.

I am thrilled to say that I will soon be appearing in L K Ludwigs new book "Creative Wildfire". I feel honored to be a part of such a talented group of artists. You can pre-order at Amazon.com.

I am currently appearing in Artful Journaling by Stampington. the article is about travel journaling. I also have work in the holiday issue of Somerset Studio.

I am also thrilled that my work has been juried into the show "Contemporary Voices" which will be opening at the Woodmere Art Museum in Philadelphia in January.

May all of you experience a healthy, joyful, creative and peaceful New Year.

With love,
Karen

IMPRESSIONS OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC

2009-11-17T21:40:00.014-05:00

A new piece I did a few weeks ago. Copper embossing, drawing, acrylic paint, acrylic medium, vintage found objects, stitching, vintage history journal page, watercolor paper. Title - "Impressions of the American Public". Size - 18"x 24"

Last week, on the way to New York for the day, I ran into Kecia ( Lemoncholys Flight of Fancy....great jewelry) at the Secaucus train station. Small world. I had only met her once before. She was on the way to the city with her sister and niece. I just happened to be in Secaucus for business.

While in New York I saw an amazing show at the MAD........Museum of Art and Design, called "Slash-paper under the knife". A very exciting show of art crafted from cut paper. No photos were allowed. Check out the website.

I also must admit I am an ABC Carpet and Home store junky. Shhhhhhh, don't tell anyone.

Checked out the beach in Long Branch New Jersey on the way home during a huge nor'easter. The sand was blown all over the roads and sidewalk like drifting snow. The ocean was wild.

Have a calm and creative week.

BIRTHDAYS, QUEENS AND DOGS

2009-11-12T09:39:00.009-05:00

Been away at a conference this week and have been behind in blogging.........like FOREVER.
While I wait for this mornings meeting, I miraculously have a few moments and would like to first honor my dear friend Susanna. Who has been spreading her warmth and good cheer around the world with her winged messengers. Above is the one I carried with me to Venice.

This is a photo from Susannas birthday, which brings me to my next and most important part of this post, my beloved husbands birthday......TODAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOB!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM YOUR THREE BITCHES. WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!

.....AND, last but not least, for my wonky friend Bonnie, HERE"S HARLEY......she sends you many licks and swishes.

DIA DE BLOGLANDIA -> REMEMBRANCE

2009-11-01T16:42:00.012-05:00

Remembering my mother. Helen Dorner Shechtman 1914-2009, with love and appreciation for who she was and who she became.

She would have never understood the traditional skeleton representation of Dia De Los Muertos therefore, I chose to use one of her favorite photos. I made a breastplate/neck piece that uses some of her old jewelry parts and a piece of her crochet trim. She loved "bling". The bigger the better.

The staff at Elm Terrace Gardens, where she lived, had this to say when she died. Something I treasure.

"Karen, your mother shared a world of warmth and love while living out each day........

.....She had her share of tougher times, yet never lost her way....

....she showed the world what a great person she was in everything she did......

....and for the joy she brought to all, today we honor our dear Helen."

A special thank you to Susanna and Stephanie for organizing this and putting it all together.

With love,
Karen

MANDALAS MATERIALIZE IN MANHATTAN

2009-10-26T10:17:00.029-04:00

I am inspired by design that radiates from a central point and was thrilled to discover that the Rubin Museum in New York was having two special exhibits that I thought would be the perfect venue to maximize my inspiration, Mandalas and Carl Jungs' , the Red Book. It was a great starting point to do a workshop with friends and work on copper technique with found objects. I highly recommend this museum. it is one of those "little gems".

After spending the day at the museum and seeing the beautiful intricate patterns and vibrant reds, blues and greens of these amazing works of art, we went to work on our own variation on a theme.

My finished piece.

Joy Snyder

Jerri Weitz

Kathryn Gilbert

Happy Halloween wishes to everyone!!! A Halloween Mandala, of sorts.

ART STEW

2009-10-15T19:44:00.009-04:00

"Society is like stew, if you don't stir it up every once in a while , a layer of scum floats to the top". -Edward Abbey

I have already mentioned that when I attended Squam Art Workshop, I met many wonderful people and had an inspiring time. I did manage to make a few things in the workshops I attended, as well.

Above is from Elizabeth Bunsens' "Positives and Negatives" class (journaling with photographs). In this piece we tore up a photo, passed pieces of our photos around and then put everything together in the way we thought best. I ended up making another layer on mine with a transparency I brought, of a black and white drawing I had done.

Took a great class with another wonderful woman and teacher Judy Wise, called "Waxy Layers" (collage, painting and encaustic). I love using photos of my own work to make new work. I did that with each piece I created.....hence the title of this post," art stew". If things sit around my studio for too long, I need to "stir it up" a bit. How about you?

More from EBs' class. She gave us many creative prompts to get us started on each page.

More encaustic.

This last page is from Judys' "Playbook" class. We simply played in our sketchbooks using many ideas for loosening up......funny how you forget how to do that.

Don't forget to stir things up a bit!!!

WHAT TO WEAR TO AN ART OPENING

2009-10-05T19:45:00.024-04:00

"One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art". Oscar Wilde

This past weekend I was honored to be a part of the opening of a wonderful art show, "The Found Object". My work was very happy hanging on this particular wall, next to the work of an artist that I have long admired, Cathy Rose. Her figures are pure magic. I was delighted that this figure was placed there with its hand extended, as if to say, "look here". The turnout for the show was huge. Thank you to everyone that came out to see me.

I had decided long before, that I would wear black. Somehow, in my mind, I wanted the "cool reserved" artist look. I suddenly realized that if I didn't do something, I might be the "invisible suburban housewife" instead. I decided to create something that would say, "hi, I made this and I also made what you see on the wall".

I decided to make a medieval "breastplate" type piece that would partner with my theme of heraldry. Not being much of a wearer of jewelry, this was a bit of a stretch, but I had a sense of humor about it. I decided to make use of something my blog readers may have seen before. I'll surprise you at the end of this post.

Some of the first people to arrive were Isaiah Zagar and his wife Julia. I have been a fan for years. My out of town visitors usually end up visiting his"mosaic wonderland ".

My dear friend Paula is also exhibiting her fabulous glass pieces. Each piece is story full of masterful detail , humor and surprises.

Fellow blogger, creator of beautiful dolls and figures and friend Mo'a came by with her husband and brought me the most beautiful bunch of peach colored roses.

How wonderful to be surrounded by so many wonderful people and do what you love to do. Life is good.

Remember the disintegration project? It is still alive and well and continually reinventing itself.
See anything familiar?

BOOK IT

2009-09-29T19:19:00.010-04:00

I decided that before I went to Squam, since I was taking a few journaling classes and I do not usually bind my own sketchbooks, that I would create artwork for the covers. I used my small-scale assemblage work on copper technique.

Can you find the word Squam in this photo? Hint....tilt your head to the right.

I thought I had completed this piece when I left home, but I found this heart shaped stone on the shores of Lake Champlain.

The edge of this piece is tree bark from Squam Lake that was given to me by Elizabeth Bunsen , collector of all things, extraordinaire.

Reminder- if you are near the Philadelphia area this Friday night, please come out and say "hi" at Snyderman/ Works Gallery . I dropped my work off today and saw some of the work by the other artists in the show. It's pretty incredible. I'm thrilled to be included.

The time on this invite should be 5:30- 8:30 and the show will be there until the end of October, not mid November.

GOLDEN MOMENTS ON GOLDEN PONDS

2009-09-23T17:47:00.022-04:00

"I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore, I hear it in the deep hearts core."
-William Butler Yeats

I had a magical time last week. I spent a few days on lake Champlain in Vermont visiting with dear friends and at Squam Lake in New Hampshire (with those same friends) at the Sqaum Art Workshops. A few words and photos follow.

Remember to fluff your hair before you arrive.........anywhere.

It's about being creative with others and laughing until you can't breathe. Then looking back and being amazed at what you did together.

My aptly named cabin. Smoke and pine , the smells that are everywhere.

Beautiful on the outside.

.......and from the inside.

Bringing friends with you that couldn't make it.

Crazy, but lovable roommates, out on the dock at 6 am. trying to take a photo.

Glorious photographic opportunities...Leslie, Isabel , Elizabeth and myself.

Great teachers, wonderful people and dear friends....eb and Judy Wise.

New friend and a wonderful fiber artist.

My messy works area. ..........so what else is new?

Finished work with the delicious smell of beeswax.

Share a glass of wine or two.

Sit in an inspiring place.

....and glory in a blazing sunset.

TO WATCH OVER ME.....and YOU ARE INVITED

2009-09-13T21:58:00.006-04:00

A piece I just completed entitled "To Watch Over Me". Size 11"x15" Copper, vintage found objects, vintage fabric, acrylic medium, paint and water color paper.

If you are in the Philadelphia area, please come out to see me in a group show "The Found Object" at the Snyderman-Works Gallery. It opens on "first Friday" October 2. I'd love to see you!!! ..........headed to Squam Art Retreat......:-)

THE RECYCLED DOOR

2009-08-30T15:47:00.008-04:00

A few years ago, I used a piece of brass to draw and paint the door and a portion of the gate , windows and roof because I could not find any copper. I thought the brass worked pretty well but I never felt that is was complete. The last few days I attached it to copper and water color paper, added some found objects, drawing and more paint and then finished it off with some stitched "drawing". The finished piece is 11"x 15".

DISINTEGRATION IS A BEACH

2009-08-25T20:33:00.006-04:00

"Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think." - Robert Henri

I thought I would give you an update on my disintegration project (ala Seth). Since I was a bit short on time to create a new art form from it, I decided to create a new world for it, if you will.

May I present the traveling disintegration project. We had a beachy time in Ocean City. Wonder where we will go next? Wish you were here.

A VISIT WITH JUDY

2009-08-12T17:48:00.018-04:00

Isn't it amazing how small the world is today. In 2006 I met Judy Wilkenfeld in Italy for the first time in a Michael DeMeng workshop, she from Australia, me from the U.S. We have kept in touch in a variety of ways, emails, phone calls, blogging (duh!) , she has visited a few times and we worked on an altered book round robin . Above is a part of a page I did in Judys' round robin book. Her theme was "Protection". The full photos are at the end of this post.

She just spent another week with me. She was in town to teach a workshop. If you have not taken a class with her, DO SO!!! Check her blog to see where she will be teaching in the future. I also highly recommend going book shopping, eating at great restaurants with amazing talented women...and men (and eating my husbands cooking as well) and laughing often.

Judy, Leslie Marsh, Michelle Ward, Judi Riesch and yours truly.

These books are just the tip of the iceberg.

Showing my terrific and appreciative better half , one of her fabulous purchases.

Instructor extraordinaire. It was a great group.

Seth aka, the altered page , pouring on the glue.

Leslies' busy hands.

Kecias busy hands.

Janes' tucking in her velvet.

Pamela Huntington admiring her work.

Since I have not finished the book I made in class, here are the pages from the round robin.
I decided on a totemic theme for Judys protection book. There were two sides that needed to be completed. One side had flaps that were tied together with string and ribbons that I beaded. I drew the design in copper and attached it to an old quilt piece. When you open the flaps there was a painted and collaged totem village inside.

Keep an eye out. My next post will be the continuing story of my disintegration project.

ARTFUL EXCHANGE

2009-07-31T09:06:00.007-04:00

Two years ago, I was invited to participate in an altered book round robin with a group of women, half of whom were from Australia and half were from the U.S. We completed the round a few months ago, so I thought I'd share one of the pieces I did.

We each had a different subject that was chosen by the artist. In this one, the theme was chosen by Deb Lewis. It is called "Winged Messengers". I did the piece in January of 2008.

I was doing the work directly in the middle of the book and since it was going to Australia after I was done, I decided to use the representative birds of each country as a starting point.

DRAWN TO MAINE

2009-07-29T20:27:00.025-04:00

I am "drawn" to Maine. I am" hooked" on Maine. Call it what you will. I enjoyed EVERY beautiful minute of my visit.

My husband and I planned to visit good friends and I discovered that an artist that I greatly admire, John Whalley (check out his incredible paintings and drawings), was teaching a class at the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland while I was there. I signed up. I also arranged to meet up with the beautiful , inside and out, Susan Tuttle (check out her amazing photography and art).

Maine is about-

PEOPLE

Susan and I had lunch, checked out the beautiful town of Damariscotta.

I attended two days of a four day intensive drawing class with John. Not only is he an amazing artist he is a great teacher. Here he is explaining the golden mean.

Below is an example of Johns' work, a graphite drawing of my friend Walter. It is available at the Vose Gallery in Boston.

Dear friends, Walter and Arlene. Notice the resemblance. Pretty incredible, huh?

Maine is about-

ART

If you are in Maine , don't miss the Jamie Wyeth exhibit "The Seven Deadly Sins" at the Farnsworth . He uses seagulls to illustrate each one. Fantastic!! The show will be coming to Delaware in the fall.

Maine is about-

LOBSTER

Maine is about-

WATER

Maine is about-

FLEA MARKETS AND TEXTURE

WASTE NOT

2009-07-15T08:16:00.002-04:00

Hey all of you savers, junk finders, flea market junkies and whatever else we call ourselves. Just saw this article in the NY Times about an exhibit currently at MOMA (that's the Museum of Modern Art in case you don't know, though you should). It's an amazing installation.

Check out the slideshow here.

KEEPING MYSELF ARTFULLY BUSY

2009-07-04T09:31:00.024-04:00

I've been working on a few projects in my studio. I can only show glimpses at this time.......yeah sure. Some people hate that. Me? I think the small sections of work that people sometimes show are little GEMS in themselves.

I have also returned to my roots by going back to sketching. I can thank Barron Storey for that. I returned yet again to see his sketchbooks at the Society of Illustrators and spent a few more hours checking out the magic of his mark making.

Below you will find an "artsortment" of my"glimpses", PLUS my garden, that because of all of the rain we have been having, is looking better than it ever has. Also, when I was in NYC to see the Barron show again, I also went to The Met to see the incredible Medieval drawings. They will be on exhibit through the end of the summer.

Garden glimpses-

Hey Judy, check out the Prato Haggadah circa 1300. Have you guys read People of the Book? It's a wonderful story. Below images from The Metropolitan Medieval drawing exhibit.

A NEW YORK........."STOREY"

2009-06-17T20:15:00.009-04:00

The above is a study for a project that is currently "all over my studio" . Just thought I'd let you know that I am still around, even though I haven't been visiting or posting much lately.

I spent a great day in New York yesterday. RUN.....do not walk, to the Barron Storey (he has both a blog and a website) show at the Society of Illustrators on 63rd, between Lexington and Park. It is a collection of his journals and sketchbooks that you can actually pick up , touch and feel, an amazing thing to be able to do in this day and age. It is there until the end of July and it's FREE. Be prepared to stay for awhile. I plan to go again.

"T" FOR THANK YOU AND THERAPY

2009-06-04T13:21:00.020-04:00

"I found that I could say things with color and shape that I couldn't say another way- things I had no words for." -Georgia O'Keeffe

The "T" above, done with dye and leaves at a wonderfully zen workshop with LK Ludwig this past weekend, stands for a huge THANK YOU to all of you that sent your thoughts and loving wishes my way after the death of my mother. As the quote above states, I have no words that could possible express my gratitude.

The workshop was held at the beautiful studio of Bee Shay and I was surrounded with dear friends Jerri, Joy, Kathryn and Leslie.

LK taught us an array of her techniques including nature printing with dyes, mesh printing with patinas, painted pages, and her book binding techniques.

Below are some of my pages, an assortment of hands busy at work and my book cover (a VERY old school book cover) followed by some of my painted pages.

Thank you again!!

BUTTERFLY OF THE UNIVERSE

2009-05-22T10:27:00.008-04:00

It is with great sadness that I tell you of the passing of my dear mother. She died on Wednesday night in the arms of myself, my husband and daughter. With peace and dignity.

"The caterpillar dies so the butterfly could be born and yet, the caterpillar lives in the butterfly and they are but one. So when I die, it will be that I have been transformed from the caterpillar of the earth to the butterfly of the universe."
-John Harricharan

Helen Dorner Shechtman
June 28, 1914 - May 20, 2009

HAIKU FESTIVAL

2009-05-11T09:45:00.003-04:00

brick wall in spring
graffiti blooms -
the museum is open

Thank you, Elizabeth!

FRENCH FLEA MARKET FINDS

2009-05-06T16:58:00.009-04:00

Flea market
The origin of this term, which first appeared in English in the 1920's, most probably lies in Paris, where Le Marche aux Puces (literally, 'market of the fleas') was a popular shopping venue. Le Marche aux Puces took its name from the semi-humorous (and probably at least partly accurate) popular perception that the market's ragtag goods were more than likely to be infested with fleas.

No fleas here.......and for those of you that have been here before.....it's not from Target!!!! I was in Paris three weeks ago.

The piece at the top of this post is my favorite. I believe it was a belt buckle of some sort. Maybe.

This lady is the top of an old lamp that had a fire of some sort, in it's electrics. I fell in love with the details on the top of her dress. Do you know what she is thinking? I can tell you. "What in the world is this blogger going to do, with all of these wonderful things?"

TIME IS A DRESSMAKER

2009-05-03T10:04:00.016-04:00

"Time is a dressmaker that specializes in alterations."
-Faith Baldwin

Thank you Seth, for a jewel( better than Target) of a project.

Results-

*Ribbon stretched out, barely holding it up. The tree is helping.
*mold and dirt on paper......now the the lawn is being mowed add grass clippings
*rusted metal wire
*extreme paper warping paper was heavy grade water color paper
*enhanced patina on metals, copper and brass
*Target brooches............sigh, still intact.

Before-
After-

PARIS OR MY SHOULDER..

2009-04-22T16:48:00.025-04:00

so yesterday i had my shoulder operated on to repair a torn labrum. i am typing with one hand, so please forgive my lack of caps.

i returned from an amazing trip to paris last week. i figured that it would be better to post some of my trip photos than my shoulder mri or xrays......ha, ha.

line for tickets to the top of the eiffel tower....it reminds me of an edward hopper painting

we went to the top of the eiffel tower at midnight......oooo la la

the opera

paris comes alive at night

an assemblage by picasso at the picasso museum

a special treat, the vanves flea market, escorted by tara bradford of paris parfait

the magnificent flying buttresses of notre dame

an amazing international graffiti exhibit at the grand palais

everyone wants to be french in paris.......duh.....the berets

bike sharing.......an excellent idea

beautiful day at luxembourg gardens

great friends to share it with

so i know i was there and it wasn't a dream

FOUND-IN THE YEAR 2109

2009-04-07T17:32:00.012-04:00

" I have always looked upon decay as being just as wonderful and rich as an expression of life as growth." - Henry Miller

Hey everyone, I am just giving a little update on my disintegration project, a la Seth over at Altered Page.

The copper and metals are aging very nicely, thank you. I DO love that copper. The patina of "life" just works so well.

The paper is curling and getting moldy......WOO HOO. Some of the wire has rusted.

If you look closely, you can even see some of the mold. What fun......

The "BLING"? Well that's another story. They are left overs from a time when I was making jewelry and adding brooches to necklaces. The brooches were purchased at Target!! I was hoping that they would rust.....that the stones would fall out........discolor, bend, fall off, break...ANYTHING!!!! I figure, when archeologists come to my neighborhood someday, 100 years from now, 1000 years from now, those damn Target brooches will still look as good as new.

Happy Holidays to everyone!!!

See you next week after I've been........here.

"SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY" -THOREAU

2009-03-28T08:57:00.011-04:00

" The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak."
-Hans Hofmann

She agrees.

Here's what happens sometimes and I am only mentioning this so I can look back on this post and try an remember what I told myself, since this blogging thing is a journal, of sorts. When you are into a "groove" with a particular technique, that doesn't mean you should just keep adding more and more to a particular piece. Does that make sense? Does it happen to you?

I enjoyed doing this piece and sometimes pieces like this have their place, but I feel that I am more successful using fewer objects and drawing more on the copper.

Perhaps if I eliminate the color?

Harley wants my friend somepinkflowers to know that she would love to come visit, anytime.

SCHOOL DAZE

2009-03-21T14:35:00.012-04:00

"In the dime stores and bus stations, people talk of situations, read books, repeat quotations, draw conclusions on the wall. " -Bob Dylan

I'm into the second week of an online graffiti workshop with Alisa Burke. Still having fun, just don't have as much time as I did, when I was on vacation last week. Practicing my juggling....as in work AND play.

This week we did some exercises with stencils.

HERALDRY- emblem, symbol or insignia

2009-03-13T12:14:00.010-04:00

" We may talk what we please of lilies and lions rampant and spread eagles, in fields of d'or or d'argent, but if heraldry were guided by reason, a plough in a field of arable would be the most noble and ancient of arms." -Abraham Cowley

I have been wrapped up in this wonderful world of copper, old jewelry parts, found objects, paint, etching and stitching. In trying to develop a name for this process, I came upon old coat of arms and heraldry. Items used for war initially and now symbolic of families and other things. And yes, each marking on heraldry has a particular meaning, even the color.

These things very much reminded me of the look that I am attempting to achieve. I am calling these pieces my Heraldry Series. They are peaceful symbols in every way.

I am planning to open an etsy soon. Keep your eyes open.

ALTITUDE WITH ATTITUDE

2009-03-11T10:07:00.016-04:00

There I am, perched high above the town of Telluride Colorado, riding the wonderful free transit system gondola into town. Can you tell the view is spectacular. If you have a weak stomach or a super fear of heights, that first scene over the ridge can be a bit tricky.

While I am here, I decided to sign up for Alisa Burkes Graffiti Chic, on line class. It's a treat. I have a difficult time being "messy", she helps you get over that by using great videos and blog sample lessons, instant chats and other things to get you on your way.

Our first assignment was to photograph some things we found inspiring and use the photos as a jumping off point to dig into her techniques.

Below you will find a short sequence of photos showing a bit of what I did for the first two pieces, starting with the photo.

I used whatever paper I could find as a base.

It's all about layers....paint, text, stamping, scraping and so much more. I felt pretty "tight" on this first one. I admit I sort of liked the initial painting, so it was hard to move on.

Next photo and subsequent painting.

Have NO IDEA where the 66 came from, but I got rid of it fast.

I had more of a sense of freedom here. We'll see where the next exercise takes me.

Besides the spectacular mountain views, there are some typical Telluride sights.

Boards with tons of posted events.

The Free Box is a great place to get rid of what you don't need and pick up something else........yes, for free. I got a brand new journal the other day.

Then there is the white out snowstorm which can sneak up on you.

Mostly there are beautiful scenes like this.