You asked....

Several people have asked about our kitchen project, how it turned out, specifically all that refinishing I did earlier this year (remember when I was afraid all I would have to put in my booth was cabinet doors?).  Anyhoo, here are some pics.......I had to wait until I cleaned today to take some pictures.  

And yes, I refinished and distressed every single one of these cabinets, even the new ones that we bought to match the pre-existing ones.  Our contractor thought I was stark raving nuts.

See the stained glass lamp above our table?  That belonged to my grandparents and is quite special to me - it was sort of the inspiration piece for the room.  The bar stools are a total kick, aren't they? The color is the same red from my Coke machine which is in our living room and you can actually see it from some angles (not shown in these pics).  The recessed lights are all new and completely transformed the space, oh how I love them.  That boxy area on the other side of the table is the powder room (which is entered from the hall on the left.  The hall on the right has a utility pantry.  We doubled the width of the hall on the left and the hall on the right wasn't even there before (that used to be a large walk-in pantry & wet bar on the family room side).  I wanted "gallery" walls since we have sort of a moving display of art around here.  

Anyway, that is the tour of my new kitchen.  I love it so much, it was quite a project, something that John and I conceptualized and luckily our brilliant contractor figured out how to make it a reality for us.  

(I think the pictures enlarge if you click on them)

I will not feel sorry for Damien Hirst

Just because his auction started the same day the market tanked.  No I won't.  Despite all the world's financial worries with banks failing and AIG about to declare bankruptcy, Sotheby's London made 111 million pounds (over 197 million US dollars) on the Hirst auction.   Who knows what Hirst will get but you can bet it's a bunch.  It is incredible to think that Hirst completely bypassed his galleries.  For someone who is thrilled to obtain gallery representation (that would be me!), it's hard to understand.  

But the sale of all this art just confirms that the rich are still really really rich (duh, like we had any doubt).  If they weren't, I might have had a chance to bid on that pickled shark for my grand kids....

Couldn't have said it better myself

Sunday's NY Times featured an article on digital scrapbooking.  It wasn't that long an article, but there was a section that grabbed me.  It was about Ali Edwards - who is friends w/my friend Dona, I am name dropping here, tee,hee.  I met her, Ali that is, at Artfest last year and she is a total doll, so very nice.  

Anyhoo, here it is....

"Edwards's fans praise her layouts precisely because of their personal touches - her handwriting across photographs and pages, in particular.  Yet when she teaches workshops, she encounters scrappers so wrapped up in buying embellishments that their work becomes "product heavy" and so concerned with achieving the "right" look (like the popular layouts they have seen online) that it "completely stalls them."  She encourages workshop attendees to think of the process as its own reward and to focus on telling a personal story."  

Yep, that pretty much applies to all art, doesn't it?  

Very good advice indeed.  

Rain, rain, rain

I just got back from Cincinnati.  My dad had cataract surgery last week and I drove over to make sure he was OK (it was wildly successful and he doesn't even need glasses now!).  Plus I wanted to pick up an antique table that my parents gave to me.  I drove the truck  and it is embarrassing how much stuff I managed to jam into it (can you say Ikea!?!?).  I think I am doing my part to stimulate the economy.

Luckily, I got back home before the rain started here.  I know I shouldn't complain, when folks in TX have such a horrible situation.  Based on the tiny bit of "Ike" that we have seen, I cannot imagine what Galveston and Houston residents have been through.  This is one nasty storm.  You can see from the first picture that a humming bird rode out the storm on our feeder.  There were actually 3 of the little birds all perched on the feeders; about the only time they've been social with one another.   I think the overhang of our roof offered them a little protection, but you can see this one is all puffed up trying to stay warm.

And later today this spider appeared with it's massive web.  Not to mention all the earthworms trying to flee the water.  Ugh, they crawled under our garage door.  And somehow one managed to get in to our foyer.  Yuckyuckyuck, you should have heard me scream.

I am so glad to be home, even with all these crazy critters; I even have a a few days to make some art, yippee!! Hopefully I'll be able to share some more pictures soon. 

The guts of my biz

I've meant to show this picture forever and keep forgetting about it.  This is how I re-organized my office with the new computer.  I love my mac.  Can't believe I didn't do it earlier.  It is just so great.  

But I also love my office.  It is probably the only room in the house (other than my studio) where I did exactly what I wanted without discussion.  I seriously feel it has helped my business for me to have this special space to work on the mind numbing paper stuff, you know what I mean?

That wave pattern on the wall?  Yeah, well that was free form.  I grabbed a paint roller and just went at it.  Sooooo much fun, I would definitely recommend this sort of painting release!  And my desk?  It's an old distressed table I bought at a local store.  Of course it wouldn't come apart (for some crazy reason) and we couldn't wrestle it through the doorway, so John had to saw part of it's feet off.  But I use those feet to decorate another area which I will show you later....

And yeah, that is an apron draped over my reading chair - so fabulous I just like having it out.  The pencil holder on the desk is a ceramic piece I made when I was a kid.  

The art continues to build across the wall as I collect more pieces from artists I admire.  There are also a few of mine up there and you can probably see the Misty piece that I look at every single day.  It has my favorite word on it.  Cherish.  That word sums it up for me.  

What a show

 Wow, it was so much fun doing a show at home!  So many welcoming faces - friends, collectors, and artist buddies.  

You know those pieces from the last post?  

All gone.  Plus many others as well, including all those greeting cards and more that I made up during the show.  Geez, I never dreamed they would be so popular.  I definitely need to find a manufacturer.

I am also jazzed at the positive feedback regarding my abstracts.  I sold 5 of them which was quite a thrill.  I can't wait to start painting for my show next year, I just want to immerse myself and hole up in the studio.  Unfortunately, I have at least 2 more months of shows and classes until that is possible. 

And oh, the ideas I have!  Just loads of them, but really, play is the best direction (for me at least) because then I will make loads of new discoveries.  And most likely end up moving in a completely different direction than where I thought I was going.  But that just makes it fun.

Beth & Frank brought the grand kids to the show and it was wonderful to have them hanging out behind my booth, both working on drawings.  Aidan is writing and illustrating his own book about fish and dinosaurs.  I am perhaps a little biased, but I think it's pretty fantastic for any child, but especially a 6 year old.  The commitment he has made to this project is unbelievable.  Hopefully I will be able to share some pics one day.

Anyhoo, it was a perfect weekend.  I need to sleep for about a week except I have a studio class on Tuesday and then I leave for Cincinnati on Wednesday, so I will have to make do with a 24 hour rest.  

Thanks so much to all of you who support my path.  It means more than you could even imagine.  I am incredibly blissed.

Of birds and babes

Schlafly Art Outside

Starting today!!!!

I have lots of birds

and babes...

plus some cowboys

and clowns 

thrown in for 

good measure.

Hope to see you there!

Gypsy life

Greeting cards - printed, mounted & packaged 4 dozen

Sound Bites - painted 2 dozen, still need to do phrases & wire them

Reproductions - printed, matted & packaged 2 dozen

6x6's - 6 complete, 4 to go

12x12's - 4 done, 4 to go

my list is getting shorter

I'm working pretty much round the clock at the moment.  Lots of little things because my stock is low.  It is times like this when I wish I had an assistant.  Ah, perhaps one day.  

Schlafly Art Outside is this weekend - 50 artists - check out the site, it is just getting better and better!  I am excited since it's my only outdoor fair in the St. Louis area for 2008.  And you know what, it's OK that I didn't get in to the "big" show this year.  The Schlafly people are really my people anyway.  I mean I loved doing the Clayton show (duh), like who wouldn't want to be in a top five show like that.  But Schlafly is where it all started for me.  Four years ago, in fact.  Geez, it's crazy to think how far I have come since then, specifically the fact I have relaxed enough to truly enjoy this lifestyle - using shows to catch up with artist friends for dinner and to grab a li'l vacation in the towns we visit.  It's a good life indeed.  But it's also good to be home too!  

We will set up Friday starting at noon.  The show itself starts at 5 and runs till 10 on Friday.  It's from 10-10 on Saturday and then 12-4 on Sunday.  I am blissed with  a corner booth, yippee (my lucky number no less, booth #7  as sweet Joe Mohr traded with me because I begged and whined), so I will have some of the big abstracts with me.   

Summer days

Summer always gives me wanderlust.  These days, I don't really have the luxury of much free time, but I used Rhonda's puppies as an excuse to get away for a day.  I finished up the new batch of commissions (yippee!!), threw some stuff in the car, grabbed the big cooler and hit the road.  

Rhonda just lives an hour and a half away, but it seems further because she's in the country and has 16 acres on a lake.  We romped with the puppies, played with her older dog, even lured the cat out of hiding.  I saw all the work in her studio, things in process, prototypes of new ideas, etc.  I would love to show you a picture of her place, but I stupidly failed to charge my camera and the battery died.Luckily, I did get a few good shots before it pooped out.  

She fixed me a lovely grilled salmon dinner with fresh corn on the cob from the Mennonite farmer's market.  I got tons of veggies to bring home (hence the cooler)  and I stopped at the "mile high" place to get some carryout pie which is such a treat for me and John.  Yumyumyum!!!!

Aren't the puppies adorable?  They have tons of energy as you might imagine.  Sooooo very cute.

I drove home via every antique store I could find and that was fun.  Got lots of new material for the upcoming Schlafly show.  I need to pull some all nighters as I don't have much time left.  

We continue to have amazing weather here and more predicted for the weekend.  It feels good to be home (no show this weekend).  We are invited to 2 parties, plus a dinner date.   I will be in the studio during the days.  Don't feel sorry for me, there isn't anything I'd rather be doing.  I feel invigorated after my 18 hour vacation, tee, hee.  

 

Helloooooooo?????

I feel a little boring lately with my blog entries, makes me wonder if anyone is reading or if anyone cares, I mean if I am boring myself (!!!), goodness only knows what anyone else might think?  

My big news is that a very dear friend took me to the Bruce Springsteen concert Saturday night; and yes, I was a "virgin" Bruce fan.  Always liked his music, but didn't think too much about it.  Until this concert.  It was life changing.  I kid you not.  

The lyrics, the passion, the joy, the love.  He is a poet for our time.  The concert was a revival.  Absolutely amazing.  I need awhile to process it, but I am so grateful to have had the experience.  It has moved me in many ways.  I'm thinking and thinking......about many things in my life....and our society, about family and home and friends. 

I wonder if I could be a groupie.  Or perhaps I already am?

 

I was a lady of leisure yesterday as I was treated to a facial (my friend Claire got me a certificate).  Divine, geez, I could get used to that!  I spent half the time hovering in that glorious blissed out state, the one where you are in and out of sleep.  Just lovely.  Not to mention my skin looks really nice and feels oh so soft. 

Then I took my car in to the dealer because there is a vibration/rattle that is driving me bonkers (very short drive I might add).  Anyhoo, one of the mechanic guys took a ride with me and he finally (!) heard the sound too.  Then he popped out the entire center console part.  While I was driving!!!  The sound stopped.  Hmmmm, interesting.  Back to the dealer where this brilliant guy put a little strip of felt along the leading edge of the console and then popped it back in.  We went for another drive and it was perfectly silent.  Yippee!

In other news, I accidentally paid $13 for a bunch of basil.  The guy at Whole Foods was unloading this incredible fresh basil - small basil bushes, they were.  And the smell was so fantastic all I could think about was a tomato and mozzarella salad, how delish it was going to be.  I grabbed one up, the largest one of course, stupidly assuming the price was per bunch, not per pound.  Duh.  Luckily I froze a bunch of it. But I still feel like an idiot.

2 Wholesale or not 2 Wholesale, that is the question

Yikes, I had 2 galleries approach me at the Lexington show, one from Louisville, one from Lexington.  They both wanted to wholesale my products, specifically my reproductions, Sound Bites and greeting cards.  This is one of those, "be careful what you wish for" things, as I have been tossing this around for the past months (in my head of course).  And now it literally falls into my lap.  

Wonderful you might say and yes, of course I am thrilled.  But this means I also need to log some big-time computer hours designing a line of cards and figuring out which pieces to reproduce, etc.  Because my past efforts have been a little casual to say the least.  

I mean my usual greeting card approach is to simply reproduce which ever images amuse me at the time I am making them.  Seriously.  It varies wildly from show to show.  My reproductions have been limited to the four pieces that "define" me, the autobiographical ones, "Don't Play Dumb", Don't Fence me in", "Crack yourself up" and "Wear it like you mean it."  Clearly I need to expand this.  

And Y-E-S, I do want to wholesale my work.  I've always wanted this, it's just new and big and scary and I'm feeling way out of my comfort zone at the moment.  I need to find a printer for greeting cards because I will no longer be able to make them up by hand - we're talking way too big of quantity.  Anyone who would be willing to share a source let me know!

In other show news, I used part of last week's prize money to treat myself to a pair of Piper Sandals.   Here is a picture - I stole this from Dave's website but I don't think he would care since I am talking about how great they are.  Geez Louise, these are great shoes.  I know sooooo many artists who have these shoes, I see them everywhere and now I know why!  Dave was my next door neighbor at the Lexington show and what a fun time we had.  I laughed my butt off cause he is so funny he could be a stand up comic.  That is, if he had any spare time......his sandal biz is booming, they are being sought for, not one, but two upcoming Hollywood movies.    

You all have heard me talk about my delicate little feet before.  I mean they are so darn sensitive that I get blisters with nearly every shoe purchase.  Plus my foot is on the skinny side and I have trouble finding a good fit.  So imagine my surprise when Dave put these on me and I wore them for about 10 hours straight the first day with not one blister.  They felt amazing.  Comfy yet supportive, like I could walk around in them for a long time.  The straps run under the sole and you can adjust them to perfectly fit any foot.  This is a shoe to keep forever, just get them re-soled  as needed (which includes new straps!).  What a quality product.  Click here to see Dave's website, read his story and perhaps even order a pair for yourself.

Artfest is coming....

I will be teaching 2 classes at Artfest in 2009.  The site is live, so you can click here to see all the amazing workshops that Teesha has lined up.  If you are new to AF, make sure you go over all the registration details - you need to postmark your entry by a certain date, I think it's 9/02?  Anyhoo, all the details are on the site.    

I attended Artfest for the first time in 2007 and instantly felt like I had found "my people."  It was a welcome get-away for me - a perfect adult art camp where I could play to my heart's content.  I came away invigorated and filled with ideas and new techniques for my work.  In 2008 I taught one class and was filled with joy to witness my students produce the most amazing work I could ever imagine.  You can click here to see the post of  the work from my students.  Needless to say, I am thrilled to return for 2 classes on my very fave topic in the world which is Claybord.  I've divided my techniques into 2 sessions because I just have too much to share in one day and I don't want anyone's head to explode (joke). 

So now I just need to figure out what class I want to take on my free day!  

Hey little Birdie

There were three baby birds in this knothole nest a short distance from my booth at the Lake Geneva show.  I could have watched them all day, but alas, I had an art fair to work, tee, hee.  They were so adorable and oh-so-needy as they cheeped incessantly for Mama's attention.   

Everything about the show was idyllic, right on the water, it just doesn't get much prettier.  And the weather -oh my - 70 degrees and sunny?!?!?!?  What a treat it was!  

I hung a bunch of abstracts in the booth to take a new booth photo, here is one of my set-ups.  I didn't leave the booth this way for the show, I kept moving stuff around (I had a corner!), but it gives you an idea of how an all abstract booth would look.  

See the big red one?  It's 44" across, 34" tall.  Gone, sold within the last half hour of the show to some fun and funny folks.  I so enjoyed talking with them and am happy they have the piece.  

And how about this dragonfly?  Isn't its coloring interesting - I had never seen one like that.  It hung out in my booth a lot (I swear it was the same one!?!?!).  Maybe brought me good luck because I won an award, yippee, that even included money.  I was also invited to come back to teach a workshop for the Art League.  I feel honored and blessed.  Life is indeed good.

The Big Boys are here

Since I am working with a gallery now (yeah, yeah, I need to share more details on that, announcements coming soon....) I need to start getting pieces framed.  Thankfully, a friend of mine has recently opened a framing biz, woohoo.  He has been trying to persuade me to frame my large pieces for a few months and I finally took the plunge.  Oh my----even I was impressed to see my work presented this way. I sat the paintings in my family room so you could get some perspective on how large they are.  Forty four inches tall with frame. 

 

They are all traveling to WI with me for the Lake Geneva Art in the Park show this weekend.  If you're in the greater Chicago area or in WI, come on over!!!  The weather is going to be divine!!

The second picture shows my recent work that has returned home from the Art Saint Louis show.  It is wonderful in our house, so perfect above John's chair that I don't think I can sell it.  This bottom piece is on Claybord.  The ones in the top picture are on canvas.  All are mixed media - acrylic, pastel, ink, collage, marker.

Message for the day

Signs of Progress

The Daniel Smith 2008-2009 catalogue arrived the other day.  I reverently placed it aside, waiting for the perfect time to peruse its pages.  And so this morning, with cup of coffee in hand, feet propped on desk, I started to go through it page by page.  Like a child with the Christmas catalogue, I have already turned down corners and marked certain "must have" items along with some real "dream on" stuff.  

Ahhhh, what a perfect rainy day activity.....

OK, since a number of you have written me about my crazy energy concoction.....

I get my yogurts at Whole Foods or at our local nutrition/health store.  I go to Cornerstone, which is out in Chesterfield Valley on Edison, right off of Long Road.  I prefer a low fat yogurt (rather than non fat), but that's just me.  Cornerstone stocks the Hemp Hearts too and truly I think they are the "guts" of this recipe - like if you only want to buy one thing.  For those of you out of town, I would suggest you call around to health food shops and I bet someone has them in your area.  

The Hemp Hearts are really tasty, at least I think so, but you may question my taste buds since I have admitted to enjoying pumpkin brownies.  They taste sort of like lightly ground walnuts.  Definitely a nutty flavor, good enough that you can grab a handful of them and eat them alone.  They have high calories, so I measure to make sure I don't max out and fix a 1000 calorie yogurt treat, ha!  

And finally, if you are at the nutrition store anyway, try CALM Plus Calcium.  I have been taking one dose of this stuff every night before bed (I buy the flavored one so I don't have to mix it with juice).  I swear it helps me "wind down" and have a good night's sleep.  I've been sleeping better that I have in years since using this stuff.  Now keep in mind it's not a sedative or sleeping pill - it just helps you chill.  Plus it's got good stuff in it like Magnesium (which is good if you have migraines) and Calcium, which we all need.  

It's been awhile since I've talked about any of my oddball eating habits.  Some of you may remember last summer when I ate yogurt with bee pollen every single day for lunch.  Naturally I can't give up my daily yogurt, but the ingredients have changed, plus I have switched from the Greek yogurt to artisan yogurts.   A couple I really like - Trader's Point Creamery and Seven Stars Farm are yummy.    

Anyhoo, here's my "recipe":

3/4 cup yogurt 

2 T. Hemp hearts

1 t. Chia seeds

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup Fiber One cereal

This is what I eat every single day for lunch.  Except for today when I had a partial lobotomy (apparently while I was having my hair cut) and drove through White Castle  on the way home.  One double cheeseburger, no onions thankyouverymuch.

The Hemp hearts rock though - they're a great source of protein, give you tons of energy and definitely curb your appetite.  I strongly recommend them!  The Chia seeds have a lot of Omega 3, are a good source of fiber, and are also believed to boost your immune system.  Though I will confess I have this vision I am growing little Chia plants in my belly, tee, hee.

Yesterday, in an effort to make a "healthy" chocolate dish, I baked this weird brownie/fudge concoction that I heard about.  You take a brownie mix and then add 2 cups of pumpkin.  Bake for 30 minutes, then refrigerate.  It is actually pretty good.  I often think box brownies are too sweet anyway, so this is a nice alternative.  The consistency is a bit odd, a tad rubbery.  But I like the flavor a lot. 

And I crossed off 2 more items from my To Do list, yippee!!! 

I've been trying to get ready for 3 back to back shows, all out of town.  It's going to be a crush and I know it's do-able, but I need to focus.  And have a lot of wildly productive days.  Today NOT being an example of that.  

Good grief, I was trying to do a layout for some new greeting cards in order to get them all printed.  I swear I had some sort of a brain fart and absolutely could not find any of my files, could not manage to use Photoshop like I normally do, etc, etc.  It was ridiculous.  After struggling along for hours on end, I eventually got the job done, but I ended up with a stiff neck and shoulders plus a headache.  And grumpy to boot.  It was only till about an hour ago that I realized I missed my second cup of coffee.  Well duh (smacks self in head) no wonder I was so befuddled!  

In addition to getting the cards under way, I also printed a bunch of the giclees (which I am going back to calling repros as people simply don't get it).  I matted them tonite while watching brainless TV.  Cross another item off the list, woo hoo!!!

I am really anxious to get going on some large pieces, I have prepped 2-30x40 canvasses and also 2-24x24 canvasses.  I have a local gallery that has taken some of my abstracts and they want more (hooray!) so it's time for some all nighters.  Can you say solo show.....stay tuned for more info on that, coming in 2009.  

In other news, my cherry addiction is costing us upwards of $10 per week I swear.  I just love those dark sweet cherries though.  They have become my morning (before exercise) treat.  

I've been dog sitting the past few days.  It has been strangely relaxing.  There are so many times when I swear I prefer the company of animals.  Go figure.  

At any rate, I've been living at Claire's house and hanging out with the adorable and affable, Dudley, a large Labradoodle.  Unfortunately, we had a ton of rain during my stay and we didn't get to enjoy all the long hikes I had planned.  But I could tell he needed some exercise so on day two, I sucked it up and took him to the Dog Park in the rain.  I threw his ball so many times I lost count.  He ran like a beast retrieving his ball over and over, then wallowing in trenches of rain water.  I had to dry him off and comb him out once we got home.  And then he was utterly exhausted for the rest of the day.  Which undoubtedly explains his boredom with my Sound Bites, tee, hee.  

I am replenishing inventory for 3 (yes, that is THREE) shows in a row in August in case you are wondering.  

Meet John Gutoskey

Assemblage artist extraordinaire.  Pronounce it the art speak way.....ahhh-sem-blahj....because this guy is the real deal.  

I met John at the Krasl Art Fair a few weeks ago.  It was his first art fair ever.  He was a wreck from nerves, hadn't slept a wink, practically delirious from worrying about every little detail of the show.  I was doing my usual speed walk of the show, just to see if there was anyone new, something I hadn't seen before, art that jumped out at me. 

And oh my, did it ever.  The color, the intricacy of detail, the repetition.....kitschy yet symbolic, whimsical yet deeply moving.  You could study this work for a long time trying to unravel what it meant for the artist and for you, the viewer.  And I knew that this guy was not just another wannabee assemblage artist. 

Lucky for St. Louis, he will be here in September at the St. Louis Art Fair.  So go and see him there.  He's a doll and you will love the art. Obviously, don't forget to come over to Schlafly and see me too, wink, wink.

You can see more work at John's website......click here.   

Open Studios recap

It was beastly hot.  I never actually heard the final temperature, but let's say near 100?  The media kept talking about heat warnings, don't go out of the house, blahblahblah. 

But what did I do???

Well, I went to my Open Studio of course, in the alternative space provided by the Contemporary Art Museum (for those of us who have studios outside the city limits).  It was a very raw undeveloped space and I would love to have my real studio there......oh those perfect high ceilings....but alas, no air conditioning.  There were a couple large fans, luckily one was right near us.  

The first pic shows "my" corner and the second pic shows how the 3 of us(me, Heather, Greg) staged the entire space(that's Heather sitting at the table).  We, (Heather and I) gave Greg part of our walls because his space was in the middle and would have required him to bring walls, which would have been a total pain.  And we're just so nice we helped him out.  We even did all the drilling into those masonry walls for him because he had an opening over in KC and wasn't around during set up (which was a total horrendous pain in the rear, set up that is, not Greg's opening, but that's a story for another day).  Suffice to say I am not so swift with power tools.  Thank God for Heather.  

Anyhoo, Greg kept joking that we were "his bitches" doing his set up.  But he owes us big time now and Heather said it best, "he is our bitch now." 

Despite the heat, it was fun.  Yes, it really was.  We had beer.  We had margaritas for MB cause I'm not a beer drinker.  Pizza from Imo's.  Good tunes. And good friends.  We talked to folks, made connections with other artists, and just had fun.  Crazy I know. We tore down and had everything back in the vehicles in 37 minutes flat.  I nearly passed out in the back of the truck (under the camper shell) while trying to arrange stuff but nothing that some Gatoraid couldn't fix.  

The "after party" was a Bar-b-q at the museum.  And that was also a surprisingly good time which I only say because my butt was soooo dragging, I felt like I was wearing wet clothing (hmmm, probably because I was) and all I really wanted was a nice shower.  But I digress.  I "freshened up" in the ladies room, where I practically bathed in the sink and snuck my undies into my purse, tee, hee.  Ok, yeah, tmi, but I instantly felt better.  So I enjoyed catching up with lots of my artist friends and even meeting some collectors who attended the show.  We stayed a lot longer than I would have guessed, but then Heather & I left, flew home, I dropped her off, I finally made it into the shower and I swear I was sound asleep by 9:30pm.  

See that green painting of mine, 2nd from the left. leaning on the wall?  It's gone.  Sold to the most lovely couple, it now has the perfect home.   

And oh yeah, someone tried to buy my rug.

!!!!

At first it was really cute when Merlyn started kissing me on the lips.  He would press his little cat mouth up against mine and it was absolutely the sweetest thing in the world.  Since we've returned from vacation he has been more than needy and morning kisses now involve his very wet nose along with a simultaneous head/face butt action.  Over and over.      

Ugh, nothing like being slimed into consciousness each morning.  

I wonder if it's possible to teach a cat to air kiss.

This is my space for the Open Studio event on Sunday.  We are doing the set up tomorrow.  I have no idea how it's going to work as of yet.  Geez, I barely know how to handle a drill let alone this type of wall.  I mean what's up with that bracket thingie???

I do have the right drill bit and supplies though.  And you gotta love the windows!!  I am working with my friends Heather and Greg and we will actually combine our 3 assigned spaces into one group presentation.   All because we bought a keg of beer to share with our guests and we thought it would be easier to stage one "party."  Imagine that!?!  

So, come on by Sunday from 10-4 and see how we have transformed this space.  There will be a bunch of artists and I'm going to do demos and will have art supplies to play with.  Should be a lot of fun.  

Contemporary Open Studio - Alternative Space

Sunday, July 20 from 10-4

750 S. 4th Street

St. Louis, MO

Contemporary Preview party

Last night was the Preview party.  Here I am standing next to my piece - I love the way it looks like I am holding the name tag in my hand (thanks Darryl for taking the shot!). Yes, I stood right there in the museum and allowed myself to be photographed next to my piece. Cause who knows when I will next be in a museum show and I'm not too proud to be proud, tee, hee.  

This piece is 8" tall by 24" wide, titled Haven Knows - it was part of my show at Jacoby earlier this year.  It is so oddly reminiscent of my Stick a Fork in it Already piece of a couple years ago(click here if you would like to see a picture of it) and this landscape/body shape comes up over and over in my work.  I have come to accept it as a personal symbol.  Stick a fork in it piece hangs in my studio these days.  It is such a highly personal painting as it has a lot of journaling (right on the face of the art) about my struggle with weight, my stomach specifically, and how I really want to learn to accept and love my body.  Haven Knows is an abstracted continuation of those thoughts.  It comes from a more peaceful and grounded place.  

So here I was, at this party, thinking about all this stuff, like I do - brain of mine that I simply cannot manage to turn off for one moment, yee gads.  

We walked out of the museum and what do I find on the ground but one of Jennifer's wish pennies.  Click here to read more about her very interesting project.  The penny I found was about wishing to be thin without being anorexic.  That lil penny has provided a lot of food (yes I'm food obsessed, what can I say-smacks self in head) for thought and how synchronistic I found it just then.  

I have waaaayyyy digressed into other areas here, we can just call this the post that went astray, ha!   

Suffice to say the party was fun.  I caught up with several of my collectors, talked to other artists, just generally had a good time.  And my headband/grey root disguise worked marvelously.  

Summertime/Open Studio this weekend

Thought I would share one of my vacation photos today.  Isn't this a lovely little spot of paradise?

I am relaxed, energized and full of new ideas.  The show at Krasl was good - there is something kind of cool about going on vacation and ending it with a show so you come home with money in your pocket.  The sweet life indeed.  

We drove over 6 hours to get home last night.  Yeah, it's a little crazy, but I've got to get ready for the Open Studio event at The Contemporary.  While we were gone, I got an email that the alternative exhibition building (which is where I am showing my work and I've never seen the space) will be available for viewing today (Monday) from 11-1.  Well  duh, I obviously want to see it, measure my linear feet, check on what type of lighting I need, etc.  So, John and I boogied home as quickly as possible and I'm headed down there shortly.  Thank goodness for laptops and being connected.  It's absolutely vital when you are in biz for yourself, I swear.

I'm also going to check out spaces for my buddies Greg & Heather, who are also exhibiting on Sunday, but can't go today.  Greg has a photo shoot - imagine, he has a day job, tee, hee.  And Heather's van broke down coming home from her Chicago show.  Thank goodness Amie's with her, but their big adventure has gotten a lot bigger as they are now stuck in the middle of Illinois, camping until the van can be fixed.  I feel horrible as we apparently drove right by them last night.  Ugh, we talked on the phone later and nothing could have been done since our truck was packed to the gills and we couldn't have wedged them in if we had wanted.  Plus they more or less need to stay there to bring the van home.  But darn it anyway, wish we could have helped.......the least I can do is let Heather know what to expect from her space, so I will email her photos later today.  And keep my fingers crossed that her van can be fixed for a minimal cost and she and Amie get home soon, safe and sound.

SO....If you're here in St. Louis, definitely mark your calendar for this SUNDAY, July 20th from 10-4 when I will exhibit at Chouteau's Landing, 750 South 4th Street from 10am-4pm.  The building will be jammed with all us "alternative space" artists so it's a great opportunity to see a bunch of art under one roof.  I'm bringing a variety of new works plus I'll do demos and serve snacks and drinks (yes, some of us went crazy and bought a keg!).  Expect an art party.

And, while you're at it, come on down to The Contemporary on Tuesday night for the Preview Party.  It should be a blast; it was last year - 5:30-9:30 at the museum.  I'll be one of the many artists spazzin' out about seeing their work on a museum wall.  

Doors open and close

We are heading out on vacation, woo hoo, yippe, ki- yay, and all that stuff.  A few days in Saugutuck, MI and I should be back to normal whatever that might be.  Then I'm in the Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff.  You can click on the link over there in the sidebar for more information.

I have packed a tote bag of books like you can't believe, most from the library, but a few art books that I own and want to study at length.  I have trained myself to read while John is driving, so I hope to move through a few of them at least.  Plus my journal for writing and my journal for art.  Plus my knitting.  Plus CD's, etc, etc.  You might think I was going to be in the car for weeks the way I have packed.  And I suppose I could also do these things on the beach too, but I know what will happen......I will hear the lull of the surf.....and immediately fall to sleep.

Click on over to Artsmith's to read about a show that I recently attended.  If you're in St. Louis, check it out.  If you're in MI, come see me at Krasl.  And I'll see you all back here in a week or so.  

Happy Happy!!!!

Click here for more information on this incredible quilt.  Sure wish I knew how to make one.   And yes, those are my adorable grandchildren and their parents at the neighborhood parade this morning.  How sweet is that!?!?!?

(ps........this is a part of my self taught Photoshop training.  I know it looks rudimentary, but I am happy with how it turned out)

  

You might wonder where I've been.  I'm still here, just fiercely busy getting ready for my next show, trying to get ready for vacation(I am sooooo ready!) and also juggling to make work for the Contemporary Art Museum's Open Studio event.  Plus my parents were here.  Plus I have pieces in 2 shows.  Plus new works wanted by galleries.  Plus I have a commission pending. Blah.Blah.Blah. It's all good.

I do have news though!!  I am thrilled to announce I will be teaching 2 classes at Artfest in 2009. Yippee!!  Watch my blog for more detail; the Artfest website, with the entire class list will be posted on August 1st.  I am teaching the same Claybord class from last year, plus a new claybord class that will have even more techniques.  They are stand alone classes, or you can do both of them.  Details coming soon...

And in other news, I painted with Kool-aid tonite.  Yep, I really did.  It was a project my step daughter heard about.  So easy - basically you take 2 tablespoons of water and mix with a package of Kool-aid.  We made up 5 colors.  After they are dry, all the painted spots become scratch and sniff!?!?!?  Isn't that cool?  Seriously, it was way fun.  Too bad I can't find a way to work that it into my usual repertoire.

Chris Jordan, Photographer

Every once in awhile I hear about something that makes me so very proud to be an artist.  Proud to be part of something bigger than myself.  Because I like the idea that I am part of an ongoing commentary that has existed for thousands of years.  It is my belief that artists, when performing at their highest levels, offer a mirror to society, through their art.  

Of course I don't do it all the time, but with my Common Denominator series, I have tried to explore something deeper.  Sure, the work is light and funny, but there is more beneath the surface.  It's fundamentally about people and how we are all more the same than different.  People of different times and circumstances, the same, just people.  

And my trash work is a commentary.  An attempt to forge beauty out of trash.  To challenge myself to re-use material, take every day objects, the discards of life - and view them through different eyes. 

Sorry I digressed for a moment there, talking about my own work.  I mainly want to share this amazing video clip with you.  Because here is an artist who is doing it.  Someone who is making art that offers social commentary and allows us to all take a look at where we are.  His work is absolutely amazing and thought provoking.  It's an 11 minute video and is well worth your time.  It made me think.  And think.  And think.  

To watch, CLICK HERE.  

Weirder than weird

I have set up Google alerts for my name (MB Shaw and Mary Beth Shaw) so I know every time someone "talks" about me on the Internet.  It is actually pretty cool cause then I know when I am mentioned in other blogs, etc.  I've made some interesting contacts and have been able to acknowledge and thank folks for mentioning me.  

BUT.

Yesterday, then again today, I got the weirdest ones ever.  Both were blog mentions from two young people - I have no idea their age or location - who are at summer camp.  They had participated in an evening of scary activity, campfire, stories,  ghost walk, etc.  Remember that kind of stuff from camp, where the counselors try to scare the piss out of the youngsters?  

At any rate, the "ghost" was named......yes, you guessed it......Mary Beth Shaw.

Yee gads.

The Princess (that would be me) rarely puts gas in her own car.  Yes, it's true.  My sweet husband anticipates the need and somehow always has my car tanked up and ready.  Just like he always has a wallet full of money and serves as my personal ATM machine.  

But anyhoo, we had been out of town (at shows, duh) and the car needed gas.  I drove it on Monday and saw that it was low.  Tuesday it was still low and the gas price had dropped down a bit, but I thought I would wait.  

Stupid.

Wednesday I definitely needed gas and so I filled up the tank at $4.15 per gallon (I use the middle grade).  It cost $57.  Yikes, I couldn't believe it.  

Thursday we were driving to Ian's t-ball game and the price had gone down 2 cents.  Now why do they even bother to patronize us with that!??!?!

Last week when I was working round the clock, it occurred to me what a very strange life I lead. I had barely slept at all when I awoke quite early and stumbled into the studio wearing my nightie.  I find that viewing my art very first thing in the morning helps me find a fresh approach.  After one look at the painting, I knew what I needed to do.  I grabbed a paintbrush out of the filthy water (yeah I know, leaving them in water is not recommended) and peeled a used Tootsie pop stick off the tarp to mix my colors.  Seemingly minutes later (really more than an hour) I had fixed it. Of course I also had paint on yet another item of clothing and on top of my toenail polish.  

That last 40x30 sold in Nashville by the way.  It's all about big abstracts lately.  Which is fine with me as I love to paint them.  

  

I'm a celebrity in my own mind

John and I are in Nashville, TN this weekend, at the American Artisan show. There are 4 of us from the St. Louis area and we all ate Cuban food last night, yum, yum. The restaurant, Calypso Cafe, is one block from our hotel and I swear I'm just going to eat there all weekend.
We are so wiped out from recent shows that we both crashed at 10 pm last night; the room cooled to meat locker temp and the puffy bed provided perfect sleep conditions. Now I am energized and back in action, ready to roll!

So, I got an early phone call advising that I have been featured in the local paper. OMG. Who knew!??! John ran downstairs to find a copy for me.....geez, Louise, it rocks. I think I love Nashville!

So, if you are here, check the Tennessean - the Weekend section. And come see me at the show in Centennial Park -Friday, Saturday, Sunday. If you want to check out the article online, here's a link.

Chicago rocked, despite the unbelievable winds and rain.  Needless to say, I got to witness the integrity of my tent first hand as John and I huddled inside during the onslaught.  

We are headed to Nashville this week, see the sidebar for details.  The show is in Centennial Park. I am really looking forward to it; I'll be able to catch up with my friend Rhonda and another friend, Jeane Vogel, will also be there.  That makes it so nice, to hook up with other artists.  Chicago was like that too, lots of people I knew.  John and I had the opportunity to be with Mary Smith and her hubby Gary.  They are lots of fun and easy to hang out with.  We had many laughs; some of the "misery loves company" type regarding the weather.    

Here are some booth shots from recent shows - I've been changing the layout slightly each week, hanging the art differently.  I enjoy switching it around.  It is also interesting for me to see how the abstracts blend in with the rest of my work.  You can see I am still playing around with this green/yellow palette.  All the diptychs shown have already sold - in fact, everything on the back wall (in the first picture) sold this past weekend, yikes!  Needless to say I'm at work on some more abstracts but it's questionable whether any of them will be done before we leave.  I may have to varnish on the fly.

Patterns & Pixels at Art Saint Louis/57th Street

Finally, here is the triptych that is in the Art St. Louis show.  The Preview party was terrific tonight, extremely well attended.  I thought the show was quite nice and the new gallery is fantastic, a huge upgrade with amazing high ceilings.  Just beautiful.  I felt proud to be part of the show.

The piece is 30x30, each section is 10" wide by 30" tall, on claybord.  They are acrylic, collage, molding paste, ink, spray paint.  The title is "Wondering and Wandering on the Lunar Path."  We were invited to submit a brief artist statement if so desired and here is what I said about my work.  

"I have a nearly obsessive interest in cycles, repetitions enacted and observed daily.  marks on canvas - intentional, intuitive - what is random?"

If you happen to be in Chicago this weekend, come see me at the 57th Street Art Fair.  A link can be found at my sidebar.  If you happen to be in St. Louis this weekend, go support Art Saint Louis with their official gallery opening on Saturday, link also on the sidebar.

New Diptych

If you've been paying attention, you will see similarities between this one and the recent one I sold at 4 Bridges.

I wanted to work with the same colors.  I'm still trying to make a piece for our family room, so one of these days I may get to keep one.  I have to say I really dig these colors plus this hieroglyphic marking thing I have going on right now.  I just can't.stop. doing.it.

Go figure.

Each piece is 24x24 on canvas.  It's acrylic, collage, molding paste, ink, marker, spray paint.

It needs a name.  Ideas?  I was thinking about patterns and pixels as I painted, not as the name, but as the subject matter, you know what I mean.  That was the theme of the last show I painted for and I can't get it out of my head.  The one where I delivered it to the gallery and forgot to shoot it first. With a camera, not a gun.  But you knew that.  A photo will be forthcoming after Thursday night.  Which reminds me.....I need to tell you about the Patterns & Pixels opening and the brand new Art Saint Louis Gallery.....  

There's a Preview Party this Thursday night between 5-8pm.  I will be attending it if you care to stop by.  I need to photograph my piece, ha, but seriously, I also want to see the show and especially the new digs!  If you think you might go on Thurs, please rsvp to kate@artstlouis.org 

And don't forget the real opening Saturday night from 6-9pm.  I'm sure it will be great fun but I'll be in Chicago at 57th Street.  Also having great fun, at least I hope.  

Patterns and Pixels

Art Saint Louis

555 Washington Blvd, Suite 150

I'll have whatever she's having

I don't venture into the political arena on my blog, but I need to say something about Hillary Clinton.  

And it's probably not what you are expecting.    

I want to know what she's ON?????  

And what kind of make up she wears.    

Geez Louise, after campaigning like a maniac for God only knows how many months, she looks better than ever before, perfect make up at all times.  Plus she has some other-worldly energizer bunny thing going on.  Which strikes me as so unusual for a woman who must certainly be menopausal or peri-menopausal.   

OK, rant over.

Check out my Calendar of events in the right-hand sidebar.  LOTS of new events have been added, yikes, I need to get busy, huh?  What am I doing writing this blog anyway!??!      

Inside Out

There are times I wish I still lived in The City.  That being San Francisco of course, the only city I've ever really known.  But New York would suffice.  Or possibly Chicago or LA.  My desire is primarily about availability of stuff that adds to an interesting life experience.  Stuff like Art - Movies - More diversity in Ethnic Food - New Theater - A wider range of Incredibly Fresh Fish.  Things that don't make it to my part of the country, that being the Midwest, a place where coastal types (possibly) imagine we are all naive and so un-hip we wouldn't know what to do with a leading edge lifestyle.  Hmmm, I guess maybe I hang with a different group, but I know lots of us who would enjoy such a lifestyle.   

But I digress.  

We subscribe to the NY Times so I can read about all this stuff I'm missing.  Like a new exhibition at MOMA (NY, not SF) called "Glossolalia: Languages of Drawing."  It is described as a mix of drawings by "outsider" artists and "insider" artists - professionals who have been conventionally trained.  There are no such labels on the art nor is it segregated in any such way.  The link-up for the show is the simple premise that all the exhibiting artists work from internal inspiration and that each artist "has created a unique language with which to express his or her own experience."  

I am interested in seeing the show because this is how I work.  It all comes from inside, sometimes with little rhyme of reason.  I am still working on my "language" as I find it develops more and more  each year.  I have never called myself an outsider per se, although I supposed I am on the cusp since I lack conventional training such as an MFA.  But I have sought foundational training such as the drawing classes I took at UC Berkeley, plus I have taken workshops here and there.  My painting, though, is largely self taught - kind of "girl let loose with art supplies."  

An interesting distinction about "outsiders" (at least per the article - here is a LINK if you want to read it) is that "outsiders seem not to worry too much about how their creations will appear to others..."  I find this fascinating and it also distinguishes me from outsiders as I do tend to care how my work is perceived.  

I have seen a lot of outsider art during my last 2 years exhibiting at Kentuck.  The art I have observed there (at Kentuck) is all so completely raw.  I admire the artist's ability to reach deep within and to express themselves with no apparent edit function.  Personally, I love this loose approach, but I know there are folks, such as my husband, who simply don't get it.  They prefer their art to be more easily accessible.  

I think I admire the raw and loose so much because I have this insane tendency to work and overwork and even, perish the though, think about my work.  I finished (perhaps) a new diptych yesterday and displayed it for friends last night at dinner.  I talked to my friend Bud about whether it was finished and he said yes.  I said I wasn't sure.  He probed for my reasons and I admitted somewhat sheepishly that I hadn't bled on it enough.  I felt I should have struggled more and messed it up, then salvaged it before pronouncing it done.  He just shook his head.   

Something a little twisted about that, eh?   

Layers of Color store opening June 1st

It's almost time, so I want to give a shout-out to my blog buddy Laura who is opening her brand new shop on June 1st.....she draws fantastic detailed designs that are now being offered as clear stamps.  She's such a doll she sent me a set of the architectural ones.  They are so cool!  I've never used clear stamps before (geez, I don't get out much) but you just stick them to a hunk of lucite and shazam, you have a stamp.  The architectural ones are absolutely gorgeous and right up my alley.  I can't believe how clean they stamp with all that detail!  The straight edges in combination with the clear stamp allow you to easily line things up so you can create larger images.  Click on over to Laura's store and take a look for yourself.  Check out her samples and her cards.  She has great color and design sense - her creations are lovely.

I wish her absolutely the *best* of luck with the store! 

Louis Armstrong, who knew??I

Thanks to my friend Jeff for this link regarding Louis Armstrong's collage work.  No, you didn't read wrong,  Satchmo made collages in his spare time.  Click here to read the article and see some examples.  Of course now I want the whole issue of Paris Match so I can see the rest of the article and pictures.  Looking at Louis' work allows me a brief glimpse inside his head.  I love the image of him cutting and taping (that old yellowed tape is divine!) these works together.  

So sweet.  

Through new eyes

On Friday I took my 6 year old grandson to the St. Louis Art Museum.  It was his first time; he's been talking about it for awhile, wanting to go, so I was thrilled to be his guide.  One of the great things about St. Louis is that so many of the museums are free.  Yes.  As in No money required.  I just love that.    

Anyhoo, back to Aidan.  We rambled somewhat aimlessly and checked out art in several areas.  He is particularly drawn to paintings that depict nature so we looked at a range of styles, from very traditional to more folk art and modern.  We saw Monet and Seurat and I talked about fuzzy pictures (that's what his Papa calls them) and all the dots/points of paint in the Seurat.  I had to pick him up to view this close and then we backed away so he could see the full effect.  He loved one of my favorite pieces which is a tree sculpture by Roxy Paine, you can see it by clicking here.  

He was also intrigued to see artists sketching in the galleries and perhaps he and I will do that when he is a bit older.  One of my defining experiences (when I was a child) was at the Cincinnati Art Museum.  I was taking an art class and they set us up in the middle of a gallery, right on the floor.  We were each given a huge piece of paper - in my mind I'm thinking it was bigger than my body, but I suspect it was just a 24x30 or some such thing.  At any rate, I had never even seen paper that large and I couldn't believe I was allowed to draw on the entire page.   

After the museum, I took Aidan to Artmart, our locally owned art store.  He had never been there either and his eyes were saucers when he spotted the 5 and 6 foot tall canvasses.  He said that he would paint the ocean on one of them. He looked at all the paints and markers - his tools of choice - and when I saw the desire in his eyes, I knew this urge for cool supplies must be innate.  He navigated right over to the mongo set of Copic markers (this kid has good taste!) that were waaaayyyyy out of my price range at $400+.  

We ended our day at Sonic where we ordered Lime-aides.  It was pretty perfect.

Alyson Stanfield Blog Tour & Free Book give-away

Today I am honored to be hosting Alyson Stanfield, author of I'd rather be in the studio! The Artist's No-Excuse Guide to Self Promotion.  I've been an Alyson groupie for years.  In fact, (and I'm sure Alyson doesn't even know this, tee hee) if you open my filing cabinet you will find her Visual Artist Kit plus class notes from  Shameless Self Promotion and Double Your Audience.  I value all of my "Alyson resources" so much and don't know how I could ever have written my first Artist Statement without an Alyson guide by my side.   

I am thrilled she has now written and published this amazing reference for the professional artist.  This book is a must-have!!  So, without further ado, I am pleased to extend a warm welcome to Alyson Stanfield - here today as part of the blog tour to help promote the book.  She is also giving away a free (did you'll hear that!?!?! ) copy of her book - more on that later.   

But first, she has kindly invited me to pick her brain for advice, so here goes.....

mb:  How can an artist transition into a different distribution area without losing income?  For instance, breaking into a wholesale business is an all-consuming venture that may require an artist to cut back on art fairs or other shows.  How is this best managed?

as:  Oh boy.  There is no easy answer to this one, Mary Beth.  It's kind of like the artist who is transitioning from a "safe" job that comes with a steady income to the "real" job of being an artist.  Both are, as you put it, all consuming.  

mb:  Well leave it to me to try the impossible :-)

as:  Before starting any new venture, I would encourage you to dig deep and make sure it's really what you want.  Because you have to want it badly enough in order to succeed.  And are you willing to give it 110%?  If the answer if Yes, you might need to decide what you're willing to give up.  Sleep?  Free time?  Time with family?  Money?  Then figure out what your limits are for each sacrifice.

To make the transition, start your new venture while you still have steady income.  You must realize that you will be overloaded.  You will basically be performing two jobs at once and you can't neglect either.  Commit to researching and taking classes that contribute to the knowledge you need for your challenging path.  Meet and talk to people who are involved in the direction you're headed.  This stuff is legwork.  With the results, you can create a business plan and put everything on paper.  

1.  Write down everything you need for your new business.  This would include people to hire ad help, training, equipment, materials, marketing matter, a Web site and so forth.  Estimate costs and a timeline for each.  Be realistic and question your assumptions.  

2.  Make a list of everything you do that someone else could do.  Whether it's priming a canvas, mowing the lawn, or cleaning the house, there are certain things you don't need to be spending your time on.  Estimate what it costs you to continue doing it and what it would cost you to hire someone else.  Prioritize these tasks (which you would release first, second, third, etc) and write a detailed description of the type of person you might hire to do each job.

3.  Plan to cut back on your other commitments.  What's bringing in the least amount of income?  Drop it first!  As you're cutting back......

4.  Start building your other business.  You can do it by task ("I'll research wholesale shows this month") or by time ("I'll spend two hours a day, five days a week wearing my wholesaling hat").

While you'll be working harder than ever, your transition doesn't have to be all-consuming . Balance and self discipline are required for any new venture.  But don't forget what is putting food on the table.  And don't forget about your well-being.  Take care of yourself--financially, emotionally, and physically--throughout the process.

mb:  Gosh, thanks so much, Alyson, what a terrific answer! 

Interested in winning a copy of I'd rather be in the studio! The Artist's Guide To No-Excuse Self Promotion?  All you need to do is CLICK HERE and follow the instructions.  You can visit other blog tour stops as well and read more questions/answers from Alyson.  And get the book.  Seriously.  If you strive for success with your art career, you need this book.

Thanks so much to Alsyon for sharing her expertise with us.   

57th Street here I come....

My first Chicago show, 57th Street, is coming up in just a few weeks.  As you might imagine, I have been working on lots of new inventory.  I am thrilled to finally be participating.  Since this show has a street jury each year, they only accept about 10% new artists and I've been trying for a few years to get in.  Woo hoo am I excited!  It will be nice because my friend Mary V. Smith also got into the show and our booths our next to each other.  

Check out the website to see some of the other artists who will be there; some great Mixed Media for sure and I look forward to catching up with folks I haven't seen yet this year.  

Check out Artsmiths to see how our members define themselves with ONE WORD. The art is fantastic and I love learning more about each person. It is quite interesting. Bet you'll never guess what word I use to describe myself?

Here is the art that I made. It started out as a piece from several years ago that I digitally altered. I have been reading this book, Scrapbooking Digitally. And yeah, yeah, it may look rudimentary, but it took me forever to figure this out. I am such a Photoshop novice I swear. This is a pretty cool book by the way, it uses Photoshop Elements and comes with a trial version plus some cool scrapbooking doodads. I have learned a lot with the examples shown.

To make this, I scanned my original art first and opened it in Photoshop. Then I dropped the background out of the photo of me (the little girl image) and added it to the previously made art. I got the swirl and the stars from the DVD with the book. Adjusted some color and I was done. Just that easy, about 3 hours is all. LOL.

Blog Tour

On May 20th, I will host Alyson Stanfield on the Blog Tour introducing her new book, I'd rather be in the studio! The Artist's No-Excuse Guide to Self Promotion.
The book is a must have for every artist's library. I haven't finished reading all of it, but suffice to say it's embarrassing how much I can relate (blush).

The book is organized, not by chapters, but by excuses, tee, hee, hee....I mean does Alyson know artists or what!?!?! And she not only anticipates, but then answers every single excuse you can think of, from "My art speaks for itself" to I'm an introvert" and "I don't know where to begin." So, no matter what your experience level, you will find loads of useful information in this excellent reference.

You can order it by clicking over to Alyson's site where you will see a link. Sign up for her newsletter while you're at it and be sure and stop back right here on May 20th! If you have any questions for Alyson, just let me know (via a comment) and I will make sure we get them answered.