sunshine and plaster

live well.
enjoy the sunshine.
wherever you find it.

Winter Visitors!!

Look

who has come to spend the winter with us!

They have found themselves a 'crack' in the ice and seem to be having a grand time of it.

i just can't help but think how cold that water must be!

brrrr.

live well.

love each other.

unpacking. or not.

i believe it is going to take the next 20 years to unpack everything. so after watching the change of two seasons, i have decided to take things a box at a time, and just spend the next several months rooting and trying to remember where things are. i am not quite embracing this new philosophy. that is to say that while my A.D.D. is loving this new idea- the obsessive compulsive side of my nature is throwing quite a tantrum. full on stomping tantrum to be precise. The shear volume of the studio itself has led to this madness (we are going to ignore the house and the attic and the garage for the moment). It is a good thing the need to create (and, let us be honest, to add coin to the coffers) outweighs the OCD and sends it sniveling to it's room. in the basement. to hide behind the furnace.

Besides... look around.

Its snowing!!

there are places to explore, things to discover and everything is so beautiful when it is topped with a bit of white. everything is more defined. clearer. quieter. 

it is a time when you whisper to the birds for fear of disturbing the silence.

live well.

love each other.

Silent Sunday

There is Always an Exception to every Rule

Those of you who know me, know that I am usually marked as a "no tag" zone. Not that I don't appreciate the sentiments- I do.. very much! I just have not mastered time yet - and never seem to have enough of it. But in this instance, I am going to make an exception. Mainly because of the person who has bestowed this honor on me.

She is an amazing person, an talented artist and a kindred spirit of sorts. She hails from my birth state, which automatically makes her a GREAT person (lol. Yeah Texas!) and our similarities are uncanny (even she doesn't know this one - but we actually look somewhat alike!) Beyond all of that, she is a wonder when it comes to supporting fellow artists. Always there to lend an encouraging comment and always with a great big smile! So many, many thanks to Sonia over at the Dark Ravens Nest!! Not just for the award Sonia, though it is lovely- but for all of your support through out the year and for just being you!

Of note: Sonia has started a new "ritual", as it were - Sonia will be showcasing "new" artists every Thursday on her blog. "New" meaning artists that she has sought out, tripped across or in someway have caught her eye in her travels in Bloglandia- all in the promotion and love of the arts and fellow artists. I have to say... Sonia Rocks!

If you haven't been to The Dark Ravens Nest make sure you check it out- http://darkravensnest.blogspot.com/

and with that: here we go::

Seven of my favorite things (in no particular order):

1) My little stone cottage beneath the tall trees;

2) My son- who makes me laugh every day;

3) Conversations with my Pop- who keeps me grounded and focused and supplies endless encouragement;

4) My studio- An "up cycled" delivery truck with a huge open porch, where I can hear the babbling of the stream below;

5) Possibilities and opportunities- and the amazement I have in the amount that are presented to me on a daily basis;

6) That moment the Seasons change; when you step outside and feel the sun on your face and smell the earth thawing, and you can't help but smile because you know what wonders are about to happen;

7) Unexpected encounters- with people, with things, with life.

Now - I am going to break protocol here (like you expected less? I have never met a rule I didn't feel the need to break! :o) )- And as such, I am refusing to list seven blogs and/or artists to pass this on to - instead - I hereby pass it to everyone that visits this blog! I could never make up my mind- you are all so creative and inspiring - So Please- Accept this award, check out Sonia's blog, smile as much as you can, pass it on and have a wonderfully creative life!

Changes, Challenges, Beginnings and a List

Well, it is officially Spring, and as the buds start popping (and the pollen starts blowing) things are starting to go crazy here at the studio and changes are in the wind. It is inevitable (change, that is) and yet when it happens all at once it can be over-whelming, even when you know it is coming. The first big change you will be noticing, is of course the outline of the blog itself. I have found that there is so much going on, in order for me to make any kind of attempt to keep up and keep organised, I needed to do a complete format change- so over the next several weeks, I will be tweaking and adding tons of new stuff- so keep checking back! I have heard tons of feed back from people about elements that I have to keep because they are so loved - and rest assured - they will stay as they are - just adding a bit more of the fun and informative. And since the business end of things are taking off- I will be listing the business end of things here as well - as my web sight is under construction - and this will the main connection site - for now. As for the other changes, I have decided in order to make it quick and painless, I will keep up with bloglandia's obsession with lists. Numbers, subjects only, no vapid gushing or superfluous detail-straight to the point. I like it.

So here goes:

New assignments, challenges, accomplishments, changes and other various things that have otherwise kept me on the verge and out of sight:

1. Studio overhaul (winter to spring)
2. Teenager with a driving permit
3. Grand package from a long "lost" perfect friend (photo-ey goodness supplied later)
4. Paintings to be published in a book (there are loud screams of delight w/ this one) -update in August
5. Same paintings to go on a continental tour (more screams of delight)
6. Paintings aforementioned- yeah - still have to finish some of them- (I think it's the whole publication pressure)
7. Loss of a family member (a blessing that has ended long suffering)
8. Teenager with a driving permit, hormones and a girlfriend (this one deserves mentioning twice)
9. Starting to teach classes- update June
10. Artfire shop- stocked April
11. Etsy shop overhaul- this week
12. No more frozen pipes (yeah!!)
13. Planting garden this week (double yeah!)
14. Show schedule being finalised (anyone who does this knows this deserves a triple yeah!)
15. 2 months 2 weeks till school lets out -Woo Hoo! (vacation starts)
16. Purchased a dive boat
17. Purchased new dive equipment (it is gonna be a great summer!)
18. Almost done working my butt off at a job that is sucking the life out of me
19. Purchased a bunch of fabulous artwork from three amazing artists- update when received
20. Article written for a grand magazine
21. New laptop - just to make sure I have no down time. LOL
22. New 21 inch flat screen- just cause I'm getting old....NOT :0)
23. Planning a 3 week inter coastal waterway sail, from FL to??? (leaving room for Heather to stow-away)
24. Working on two challenge pieces for two fabulous groups (MMMM and Wendy Froud Sculptors)
25. The Nine Modern Day Muses and a Bodyguard
26. Creative Awakenings
27. Kaleidoscope
28. Art Guilds
29. A wedding
30. A divorce
31. A commission for a cake topper (that should be interesting, I mean, fun- definately a new one!)
32. Altered Bits

Ok - I think that will do for now. I thank all of those wonderful friends and bogging buddies that have phoned and emailed -wondering if I were bound and gagged in a closet somewhere. I appreciate the good thoughts and concern - as you can see I am merely going out of my mind- blazing bravely into my new world- armed with nothing but a stock of clay, a paintbrush and a smile. Hang on- it's going to be a wild ride!

We took a look.

We saw a Nook.

On his head he had a hook.

On his hook he had a book.

On his book was "How to Cook."
We saw him sit and try to cook.

He took a look at the book on the hook.
But a Nook can't read, so a Nook can't cook.

SO...

what good to a Nook is hook cook book?

And now good night.

It is time to sleep.

So we will sleep with our pet Zeep.
Today is gone. Today was fun.

Tomorrow is another one.

Every day, from here to there,

funny things are everywhere.

-Dr. Seuss

As promised...

Organics

based on the Elements

Some are in a state of "more done than others" :0)

just a snippet.

Pieces of parts- to get your imagination going.

a tease.

(Hey, a woman has to maintain some sense of mystery!)

I should have completed photos next week. They have to be finished and delivered by Wednesday. Until then.

The Change of Seasons a/k/a The BIG Purge

With the change of the seasons comes an inherent change of self. When the cold winter months turn to spring – one tends to look to the out of doors. A primal force emerges: to plant, grow, shedding the layers of dust (and clothing), all in preparation to receive the warmth of the spring sun. The windows fly open to welcome the fresh air, the comforting smell of the thawing earth and the celebration of its rebirth.

Conversely, as the summer rounds the bend and the wheel turns once more, there seems to be another mystical force at work. One that leads me to the purging of, well, let us just call them "collected items". An idealistic fantasy, that I can somehow achieve the Scandinavian mentality of minimalism (and maintain this lifestyle for an extended period of time) in an attempt to markedly match the sparseness of the impending months. Autumn is a time to give thanks for the bounties yielded and cast off encumbrances. The shifting of energies and priorities; chopping wood and stacking into piles, blowing leaves, fluffing blankets and pulling sweaters from storage, and the complete and total renovation of the studio.

Wait. What?? Yup. The complete renovation of the studio. Necessary? Maybe. Crazy? Absolutely. Planned – well, no. Anyone that knows me well knows that I am no stranger to over whelming flat out ball-busting manual labor- most of which is self-inflicted. (Which means I come up with these hair-brained projects) Head on. That's how I like to handle them. This one kind of snuck in there on me, side-ways. To make a long story short – it all started with one mouse, 8 rolls of paper towels, a bottle Windex, Lysol, some steel wool and a shop vac and ended with the entire contents of the studio outside, in a tent, a bit left of center. Now that doesn't seem so bad, except that, I am now faced with a "blank canvas" – and with it all being out of the way anyway… hmmm, how bout that new carpeting I have been waiting to put in, those lights need to be re-wired over there, a few new shelves, how bout a window for some more natural light? Upgrade the ventilation system…(how long until the snow flies?) While I am at it – I have the surround sound I wanted to put in –SOMEBODY STOP ME! My next deadline isn't until October – so there is still time. Thank goodness! My driving force at this point is completion and sleep. I think I can pencil in the latter a week from next Tuesday. How is Congress coming along with that Bill to add a couple of extra hours in the day? Any word?

Before::: UGH!