A Walk Through My Wonderland

instead of partaking in my usual schemes, i thought i would take advantage of this year's Mad Tea  to offer a glimpse into my own little *wonderland*; so if you would care and like to indulge, we are off to take a stroll.

Welcome to my *Wonderland*

my *wonderland* is a place that is thick with green wonders, of curious things
and of some i am quite uncertain;

where on the first day of summer, snowballs bloom deep within its thickets.

Where the walls are splattered with polka dots,

and the floors are in tangles of vine and white trumpet.

it is a place where *fairy hats* appear out of nowhere

(seriously. they showed up last year. i still have no idea what they are so, i have

named them *fairy hats*- since that is the only thing that makes sense. to me)

to showcase their own splendor

and offer a resting place for weary travelers.

a place where even the most serious of guardians
have a sense of humor;

and the rocks can't help but show you some love.

a place where grand old trees whisper secrets to the wind

and curiosity gets the better of everyone.

Time is measured by the rust on a wheel

and daisies try to touch the sky.

dragons have breath

chickens stand guard

and all is right with the world.

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if you look closely and believe in your own *wonderland*

i'm sure you will find

a smile lurking off in the distance.

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be sure to check out the many wonderful *wonderlands* on your

way to Grand Mad Tea! You can find the guest list over at A Fanciful Twist

and be sure to send greetings to our delightful hostess Vanessa! 

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For Mad Tea Guests and Participants Only

use coupon code:  MADTEA2011

in the art shop  on etsy (whisperings13) to receive 23% off your entire purchase!

offer expires July 01, 2011

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While you are here- take a look around the newly revamped website! multiple tabs, more information, and a *new* location featuring fresh from the studio work available for purchase. expanded schedule coming soon-

STUDIO NEWS::: The studio was invited to the *Spirits in Sanford* show in early October! More details coming soon. Keep your eye out for details and show reveals in coming issues of  Art Doll Quarterly/Stampington Publications! and check back here or follow on Face Book for up to date details and show listings. :O)

Also: Hot off the Press!! ; Mixed Media Artist and Guru Alicia Caudle's Altered Bits: Mixed Media Art Zine! 21 artists (including the Studio!), 2 themes- available now on Amazon! (for a direct link- go to the 'Exhibits and Publications' tab above)

until next time
.·*´¨)♥live well.
.·*´¨*´¨)♥love each other.

Wrapping up the ghoulies -mini e-class-summerfest 2010

I'm Late! sorry bout that folks- one of the draw backs of being in the middle of no where- is that,

your in the middle of no where. and by no where i mean cable arrived some time in the

past two years- and there is no cell service. As a result i am at the whim of mother nature, who

has been, well let us just say- she has been a bit irritable the past few days- either that or

Thor is auditioning for a new band. This activity results in cable (Internet) intermittent for about

5 minutes every 6 to 8 hours.  But we are back up on line- so here is what i

finally wound up doing.

Once i sat back and looked at my ghoulies, i just wasn't happy with their....ghouliness. so i pulled

out my bucket of molding paste and some cheese cloth and decided to

beef up their ghoul level.

once all the icky stuff was dried up and set i mixed up a concoction of raw umber, quin gold,

gesso and flow release and slathered them up.

 **oh- BIG mention here- make sure you place your

work in a position you want it to stay in before you use the molding paste- it's like putting it in a body cast

and it's mobility drops to about 23% when its dry**

this particular ghoulie wound up carrying a ghost on its back- i happened to have

some dry pumpkin ghosts *the ghosts of pumpkins past* and some cotton fish net in

the same location- you never really know what is going to come together

when you start~

i still have to seal them- a good coat of varnish should do it- and some gloss on their eyes to make

them shine-

i may even give them bases in the form of rocks and gravestones-  possibilities are endless

when you start working with figures.

every one takes on it's own personality- and if you get stuck, have no fear.

sooner or later they will tell you what they want to ; look like, wear,

do or even say. all you have to do listen to them.

"Kootash dai na, aja nilo. "

[translation] "Take my hand and I will spare your friends."

                                                       ~The Mummy

Thank you Juliet! i am glad you enjoyed it!
Kristal-Hey Girl! no worries~gather your supplies! i am going to keep these up for a while- and after that, there will be a direct link on the side, so that you can refer back to them at any time!
Di~ you are the sweetest person on the planet! and i thank you for your kind words. i am speechless at the role model part- i've often been referred to as a bad influence :oP - as for a role model i am honored, and humbled. you are an inspiring work of art yourself- and i am blessed to call you friend.


Have a wonderful week all~ I am in the overwhelmed part of the process here- working to stock a new gallery **the studio is hitting the west coast! formal announcement to come- listen for the squeels of delight*  and trying to stay afloat in the mean time with the rest of you~sometimes the simplest thing we can do to be happy is just smile at the blessings we have~ and i have so many, of which you are included.

live well.
love each other.

On a creative journey in the north east and Adventures in Oil sticks and water

It's February! And the buzz around the world (ie: twitter/FB/Bloglandia) is that February is the new January. I'm not so sure about that - but I will take it.  I think that any day is a chance to start anew- but after the stress,strain and expectations of the holidays- I think we should have a month of reprieve- ie: January- before plundering on into a brand new year. All that excitement in one month is just overwhelming! So- I concur- January should now be known as the month of relaxation and recuperation and we should all start fresh in February!

You will note the jar of gesso as the opening picture to this post. It comes with a lesson. Too much coffee, too much art clutter and dancing like a wild person comes with a price. It used to be full. it is now empty. 'Nough said. just know that the trick to extracting gesso from a vintage oriental carpet is 4 quarts of water to every one pint of gesso, loads of paper towels to pull the diluted gesso from the fiber all the while making sure to mutter various words not fit for children under your breath (this is crucial as it lets the gesso know that you are serious).

I went to check my PO box this past weekend- to recycle the junkmail that gathers there- when what did my wondering eyes find- but a copy of this quarters Art Doll Quarterly sitting there.  My first thought was "what in the world?" I haven't submitted anything to ADQ recently. I can't remember writing any articles lately sooo why is this here? ( I have to admit that the postage charges for ADQ scare me so i always pick my copy up at the local B&N.) Still befuddled- I rifle through the pages to find that my up-cycled sculpture"A Modern Day Medusa- on a woman's mind" has made an appearance! HOOT! Who knew?! I surely didn't! They did a lovely little story on her and her creation. How it wound up in the ADQ- I may never know- but I am not going to complain- no ma'am.! If you have your copy, keep flipping pages- she's in there! Though, this is what she really looks like:

So- that has just about made my month- and it has barely started!

 I have been playing around with oil sticks - alot- lately. I have found that they are wonderful for bringing out texture and color and depth. wonderful depth.

Layers and layers of modeling paste and  acrylic paints and oil sticks and WATER! (yes- i will prove that oil and water DOES mix!) and you wind up with this warm, deep coloring over fabulous texture! It is quite addictive, I assure you!

one step further though. add a heavy gel medium.

Without Gel medium

With gel medium.

It adds a whole other dimension to your work. yum.

It also helps with the depth of the entire work- as you can see with the "cliff" there- the gel medium adds enough dimension to highlight the "glow" and add that extra POW. good stuff.

This  gel medium/oil and water technique can also be applied to other forms. My two passions are mixed media and art dolls- so obviously (LOL) i would attempt to marry the two in a most perfect union.

Ok- so I would actually try anything if it meant that i didn't have to sew- but I really think this is cool. It is messy and color-filled and fills all of my requirements! Give it a try. there is no particular order that it needs to be applied in- i have tried all possible- just make sure the gel medium is last.

Which brings me to my QUESTION: to all of the photography hounds that visit my little blog here. I am more of a "point and shoot kind of gal". My camera is much smarter than i am. So- how do i get the glare to stop on the paintings? It seems that I have tried every direction possible with the lighting- however I know i must be missing something because BAM- there it is every time. The Gel medium refracts/reflects the light so intensely the only way i can get it to stop is to shoot at a hard angle- which- we all know throws the proportions off and will lead me to troubles when listing things for sale. Do any of you have any suggestions? A little hint to the secrets of your world?

And so the last lesson for the day is this. Know your pens. seriously. the writing kind- not the "GO PENS" kind. I have this habit of just picking up a pen when i go to sketch or draw something. I learned to draw using a regulation bic ballpoint- so, me and fussy- not so much. It's not really important. right? Until the day that you get lost in what your doing and can't remember which pen you used to do what with. This is an important thing with mixed media- a little insider secret- as everything reacts with everything else.


Remember this gal?




After I did the inital sketch- i even remember saying to myself- self- which pen did you use? Since I just pulled out of my pen can- I had no idea. and as a result- she now looks like this:











OOPS.
I had grabbed the Sharpie fine line instead of the PITT. The pastel and colored pencil I used for the shading, over the past three weeks, has pulled the ink out of the paper and absorbed it.
Fixable? I can probably salvage it with a few hours of color manipulation and highlighting- but more importantly- i have now segregated my pens. PITT on one side- everything else on the other side. Sometimes the smallest thing can have the greatest impact.

What new things have you learned on your creative journey? How many "Oops" can we come up with?

enjoy each other.
Live well.


addendum: had to "reboot" the tweeter twit there- got stuck on 5- I appreciate the retweets! Thank you!

I reject your reality and substitute my own. a/k/a- okay. I will come home.

Seems like just yesterday- okay- maybe last week, but definatley not almost a month since I posted last... really? are you sure? I feel like the White Rabbit. and yet- So much, so busy, such news! (Word to the wise- prepare yourself. if you are planning to give up working for "the man"- you are going to need to work much harder, much longer and much faster. at least in the beginning. BUT- you'll have a great boss and love what you do- so it's a pretty decent trade)
Well, I couldn't possibly touch upon it all in one post- and really- lets face it- anything to make that "things to blog about" list longer without inducing lethargy and comma to the readers- yeah, good thing! So- lets just take a gander over at the side bar ------> that side
All of my local fans, friends, followers and stalkers alike should take in the Emmaus Farmers Market- a plethera of yummy wrapped in ecofriendly goodness- ok, do you really need an excuse to go to make an early morning jaunt to a farmer's market? really? Sundays- 10am to 2pm (tip: the in-season specialties are usually sold out by noon- so get there early!) through Thanksgiving! Plenty of time to head on down. Stop by Perk on Main while your there (directly acrossed the street- follow the foot traffic) Best coffee and espresso and so much more!

Speaking of Farmers Markets and Perk on Main- another gander at the side bar (psst. --->) and you will note that the Farmhouse Restaurant is hosting a "Taste of the Market"- (Big Tip- Get your tickets soon!!) Amazing Chefs (lead by Chef Michael Adams) preparing spectacular dishes from fresh off the farm (if it isn't Farm fresh local- it isn't used) and an art auction! This event raises spectacular funds for the Farmer's Market and local farmers. SO- Lets recap. Spectacular ambiance (seriously- have you ever been to the Farmhouse? Heaven!), Amazing food created by this regions most talented chefs, fresh off the farm ingredients, conversation and mingling with the areas movers and shakers and the chance to bid on creations from the many talented local artists ALL for only $30.00. Sounds like a date to me!

And of course speaking of Emmaus-It would be bad manners not to mention that this delightful little town is celebrating its 250th Anniversary. Much more festivities to follow! Schedules of events can be located on their anniversary page- follow the link.

One last mention here- before I head back out into the great unknown (at least for 5 more days!) Hang on to your lanterns ladies!- Get out your disguise guys! 'Fest up that studio and dress up those.. well anything that isn't running away screaming into the night actually.... I stopped by V's the other day and distinctly saw a pair of black hook-toed heels sitting in her hallway! You know what that means!! It is (almost) time for the Hauntingly Magical Halloween Party at A Fanciful Twist! (October 17th- mark your calendar!) I am beginning to plunder old chests as we speak- hmmm- what should I be this year??? oh and speaking of Miss Vanessa..... wait to you hear of her good fortunes and fun times- I am not going to spoil it- head on over yourself, say hi and don't forget to sign up for her party. So much fun, so little time!

Ok- back shortly. Have much news on the studio front. "alone with my thoughts" series on its way to completion (photos/listings soon)- finally photographing for the Artfire Grand Opening and... oh - a huge list of "products you are gonna LOVE" I have finished my final tests and trials and hmmm. good stuff out there in play land!

Hope all are well and recuperating from Vaca time. Just remember- "Back to reality" isn't so bad when you love what you do.
Creative Blessings!

Welcome to the Studio!

Welcome to Wadsworth-Noll Studio! The gracious and talented Karen Valentine, over at My Desert Cottage, is hosting today's event- and has given us this great opportunity to take our noses off the glass, open the doors and invite everyone in to our creative spaces! So, please, do come in, we don't stand on ceremony around here- please make your self comfortable, take a look around, please touch everything - there are interesting (and some odd) things in every corner. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to yell them out- okay? I am going to go about my business here- but I will check back with you guys and see how you are doing. The photographs are unlocked- so if you want to get a better look at things- click away!

As many of you know, my studio gets its name from the women in my family. Their strength and fire are inspiration to me in so many ways. Independent, loyal teachers of integrity and honesty and the passers of wisdom. May I follow in their footsteps. Their influence is everywhere in my studio. I am the collector of their history, of my history- and this is what inspires me to create. Warm remembrances of their presence in every corner.

My sewing corner: My great aunt's sewing machine. I used to dread sewing. hated it in fact. Seriously- if there was sewing to be done- it would come last... way last. Then this lovely little machine came into my life- whirring smoothly as the day it was first used. I think of all the things that were made on this machine, all of the little baby clothes; the trousers that were mended; the shirts repaired- and now I don't hate sewing sew much. I still would rather not sew- but at least now I feel connected when I must.

I have a serious thing about mason jars. All of my collections of tesserae are in mason jars- they are not only functional (you can see the contents at a glance) but they also make quite a colorful display adding texture and light to my space.

This was one of the first things in my studio. The inspiration board a/k/a the collection point of all sorts of clap-trap that inspires me, reminds me and just makes me happy. The board is 8 feet long and 4 feet high- and I am proud to say that I made it myself! Now that may not seem like such a large feat but, alas, I do not measure...anything! It's all eyeball for this girl! So when things worked out, all the frames fit, I cut enough fabric and batting and ribbon- well- It was a major accomplishment for me!

Great googly moogly bins of paint! I used to have them in all kinds of containers and such- but I found that I could access them better if they were in open bins; grab what I needed and throw them back! It has had quite an impact on the cleanliness of the studio! No more piles of paint tubes everywhere!

Do not forget the pile of art magazines: instantaneous gratification when a surge of inspiration is needed! A must for those days when you just need a little push to get moving!

I think the trick to a creative space, is not the size of it or how "pretty" it is- I think it is what you put in the space that you have. How you surround yourself with the things that inspire you most and how you feel in your creative space. Do you feel comfortable where YOU are. Looking through your own eyes and not someone elses. Creative space really isn't about impressing anyone but yourself and the Muses of your life.

A huge part of my creativity is inspired by books... loads and bushels of books. Shelves upon shelves of inspiration:

And, so- okay- when the shelves get overloaded they move to the floor- I guess you could say I have books to the ceiling!

Even if the only space you have to create in is a table in the kitchen, or a closet in the hall; the important thing is that it is YOUR space and that you are creating. Fill that space with things you love, things that are important to you and things that make you laugh.

I didn't always have this great creative space (believe me- I know exactly how blessed I am at this point in my life!) Circumstances change through your life- my last creative space was my bedroom floor! The space before that was a converted (I hung cheap muslin on the walls) 5x5 garden shed. To this day when I think of when I moved out of that little shed studio- I am amazed at the amount of stuff I hauled out... It was as though it was enchanted (remember the tent in Harry Potter....)

I also keep reminders around... This was my first newspaper publication. Out of the blue- there were my little creations front of the "Our Favorites" section of the local newspaper.

Things will ebb and flow- as with everything in life- and these little reminders show me that I never know when something great is going to come along and surprise you!

A color copy of my first full color two page spread in a magazine (Art Doll Quarterly)- I cried.

It is always good to set firm studio policies:
These are mine: There will be a 5.oo charge for whining and a 10.00 charge for just being a really big pain in the butt. I think that is fair- don't you?

Did I mention that it is good to have a supply of paint brushes? A Large supply of paint brushes, in fact is better.

Having back-ups to that large supply is perfection!

And Affirmations. Lots of affirmations. Little words and phrases that remind you on a daily basis of all of the great things that can be accomplished; reminders of the things that are important. So often with the day to day of things that we "have to do"- it is easy to get lost; distracted from the good and pulled to the mundane. Affirmations are a great way to keep focus.

My grandmother needle-pointed this for my grandfather in 1942. I think it pretty much sums things up.

Remember I mentioned about things that just make you laugh?

This little guy is a candle- I just set him inside of that antique juicer cause he fit- but guess what he does!

He glows! Now who in their right mind could burn that?

This angel was made by my great aunt (she is still alive- 98! WOO HOO) I am showing this to you because she made this 40+ years ago! It is made out of a Styrofoam ball and a bed sheet. with a bit if brickabrack for embellishment. Best that I can figure out- that is 35 years prior to Paverpol! At the time- it cost her 47 cents to make (today= approximately 5.00) Want to know how she did it? well- OK- but it will have to wait for a future post! check back for the secrets of the angel!

OK- back to the studio:

Thorton here is guarding the oven. (Thorton will be available on Artfire in August!) GREAT oven! No need to spend hundreds on an oven to bake your polymer clay- but you do need something other than a regular toaster oven (they tend to not regulate their heat- and things burn- a lot; that and they are just too small!) can everyone say... Target? Not only was this glorious piece of fine element engineering cost under 75.00 but it also has a rotisserie adaption.. why would you need that you ask? because it is "built-in" hanger bar! just pop the bar in- and Poof- instant hanger for your larger pieces, arms, ect- that you don't want to have a flat spot on! Cool- huh!

Those baby tubes of water colors kept getting lost in the googly moogly bins of paint- Since I only use them as a layer on mixed media paintings; and have a few favorite colors- this old wine carafe seemed to be the perfect fit for them- and I always know where they are!

The MOST important piece of equipment in MY studio! LOL

Late nights, early mornings, constantly testing and playing and pushing the envelope with products- I have had the, eh-hem, pleasure of using these babies twice so far in my studio!

Believe me- there is NO bigger wake-up then the realization that something has gone amiss and you have just set the back of your studio on fire! Whew! luckily- there are five of these bad boys in the studio- always in reach- so no actual damage has ever been done- just a bit of a heart flutter on my part! (sheesh)

sounds good to me!

Well, I hope you have enjoyed your little tour of the studio! Make sure you check back for tips, tours and travels! Soon to be on my 100th post! I will be having a special give away and I am putting together my show/gallery schedule as well as a grand opening special for Artfire! Be sure to check out Etsy, as well- lots of new things being posted there as well! As for me- I am off on another sailing excursion! There is a limited opportunity to feel the water on your face and the wind at your back~ take advantage of it any chance you can!

Make sure you stop over at My Desert Cottage and visit Karen; say hello, check out all of the other great studio tours and give her the kuddos she deserves for putting this all together for us!

Live a Blessed Creative life- anywhere you can!

Merry part and Merry Meet again!