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Ferret vs. Guitar

The Last Picture Show

My last outdoor show for the year is hereby over. Whew. What a year this has been. From frigid May to wet and muddy October, I feel like I have been through it all. I am exhausted, yet excited to get going on new work. I have ideas, oh how I have ideas!

Anyway, the Memphis show was a good one for me. In addition to seeing sunshine for two days straight (what a treat!), I also sold one of my 40x40 paintings to a delightful couple. We had a slight issue when it wouldn't fit in their car (ahem) but my brother helped me get that figured out and all ended up ok.

Lots of St. Louis artists at this show and it was fun to catch up with folks I hadn't seen for awhile. Even sat down and shared a meal with friends one morning. I had Sweet Potato pancakes which were totally yum yum and I am going to try to figure out how to make them.

I thought you might enjoy seeing websites of some of the talent from our fine city - we have such an abundance of outstanding artists:

Sharon Spillar
Jeane Vogel
Sarah Giannoble
William LaChance

Arachnophobia anyone?

Very interesting story......not sure I would want to be one of the people who harnesses the spiders though.

Whoopie for Carrot Cake Pies

Wednesday is Hump day and we celebrate each week by having dinner with John's daughter and her family. We bring the food and have a mid-week feast that allows us a chance to see our grandkids and enjoy some quality time. We've been doing this for, geez, I can't even remember how long now, but its a tradition we all like.

Today I was out gathering ingredients for a Mexican feast, Carne Asada and Pollo Asada from TJ's plus a bunch of other things. I saw a package of Whoopie pies and they looked so delicious, yet I was deterred by the $4.99 price for just 6 of them. I knew that cake mixes were on sale for $1 at another store.......so, my adventure began.

Having never used a cake mix to bake cookies, I first called my friend Karyl because she has an encyclopedic knowledge of baking stuff. I caught her running errands (so she didn't have recipes at hand) but she said it was definitely do-able and suggested I would find recipes on Google. There were only 1,531,000 of them.....ahem.

So this is what I did:
Take 1 Carrot Cake mix (or the Spice cake mix I think would also be good). Add 1/3 cup oil and 2 eggs, using a hand mixer cause its kinda thick. Then add whatever you want - I added dried cranberries, raisins, shredded carrots, chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. I also added a little canned pumpkin, maybe 1/3 cup or something cause I was worried about moisture.
Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Cool in the pan then move to a rack. Once they are completely cool, spread Cream Cheese frosting (also on sale today) between 2 cookies. Use tons of icing so it gushes out when you take a bite. I think that's the point, don't you?

River rock mania

This is my recently decorated guest bathroom. I think I should be on HGTV with this one as I did the entire room for less than $250. First I painted our fugly vanity. I used Martha Stewart French Bulldog (Valspar from Lowe's) - just a divine black that is oh-so-pretty.....same one I used on our kitchen cabinets. The walls are a neutral mid range taupe. New faucet was the biggest expense and my 'splurge' was the Marimekko shower curtain. The rug (not shown) is a fun retro look - thick fake FUR!! In black of course. Bare feet required.

I painted the rocks yesterday. Inconveniently, our electricity went out so I was standing on a ladder while also holding a battery powered lantern - a site to behold. I mixed a variety of colors using the wall color, the black and white. It was all free form as I wanted the rocks to dance across the wall with no rhyme or reason. Lots of empty spots because I didn't want it to look like a pattern. Now we are ready for our guests!!

Kentuck is not in Kentucky

Northport, AL is the place to be this weekend. If you're in the area, come on out to see me at the Kentuck Festival of the Arts. The coolest Outsider and Folk art you can find. Not to mention terrific music.
I'll be the artist trying not to spend more than I make......ahem......

More Awakening

Love this hand shot, as the crowd swarmed around the sculpture.

Texture mania with Apoxie Clay

I am all about texture lately and today I started experiments with this product that I picked up at Valley Ridge. This is a neat little clay.....it comes in 2 parts and you take an equal amount of each part and rub it together, mixing thoroughly (I wore gloves). You can then shape it or carve it or do whatever. You have 2-3 hours to work with it. I manipulated mine into some shapes and then stuck it on some blank Claybord.



It will dry on its own, no heat or anything needed. And I believe (or hope) it will remain stuck to my Claybord. I had fun building up more texture than usual. The clay stays pliable longer than acrylic products and I love the fact I can shape it in my hand cause that really isn't possible with any of the molding pastes I normally us. I have tried using using tissue paper which I gunked up with gel medium in order to make it pliable but I didn't have as much control as I might have liked. I think I am going to like this much better. I will see how it takes the paint and post more photos once I finish these pieces.

The Awakening

This past weekend, John and I attended the unveiling of Chesterfield's newest public sculpture, The Awakening. It was a big event beautifully handled by the staff of Chesterfield Arts and also by the community.

For some inexplicable reason, I was initially a little lukewarm about the project, however, after hearing artist Seward Johnson talk about his work, I started getting really excited. I love his commitment to public art - the thought that people from all walks of life be able to experience and enjoy art - and that they connect and relate in new ways. He has such lofty goals, but I watched this exact thing happen as the sculpture was unveiled. Children clamored over it, people posed, boundaries were simply erased. Personally, I was WOW-ed. What an amazing impact, geez, I could only dream that I would touch people in such a way.

I was also quite intrigued that he was first a painter before moving into 3 dimensional work. This is what he and I were talking about in this great picture taken by my friend Bud Hirsch. Isn't it cool how you can see part of the sculpture above our heads?

I snapped tons of photos myself, of The Awakening and also of the other Johnson sculptures around Chesterfield. I am making a piece to be exhibited at Chesterfield Arts. Obviously I will update you with photos once I am finished. In the meantime, click on over to Chesterfield Art's site to see the full sculpture including shots of delivery and installation. Way cool, I am glad it is here and thrilled to have been part of the event.

Happy Anniversary

To my dear sweetie, my solid as a rock, nearly too good to be true best friend......thank goodness I got lucky and met this man. Sixteen years of marriage and our life together just gets better and better. I love you, John.


(pic taken by Bud Hirsch last year on our 15th)

Hyde Park Recap

My show season is winding down with only two more to go. I am actually off this weekend, but last Sunday was the Hyde Park show in Cincinnati. John and I went together and that felt nearly like a vacation for me since I have put my tent up by myself so many times this year. Geez did I ever feel spoiled!

It was a lovely weekend all around. We arrived in Cincinnati on Thursday and I dropped off projects at North Light, then delivered product to Indigenous, then did the show. All while hanging out with my Mom and Dad. We had good quality time which was delightful; many laughs were had by all.

I met fellow blogger Rhonda Carpenter when she and hubby Jerry came to see me at the show. They are both oh-so-nice, the kind of folks I would want to hang out with if we all lived in the same city. Anyhoo, thanks to Jerry for snapping a nice shot of my new blue/green work and also this good picture of me and Rhonda together. I hope to cross paths with her again some day.

Blame Mary Ann Moss

I love to take classes. Unfortunately, with my show and teaching schedule, it is hard. Until I heard about Internet classes. And let me tell ya, the chance to take a class on your own terms in your own house.......well, it just rocks.

I signed up for a Stencil class by Mary Ann Moss. I have been reading her blog for awhile now and enjoy the work she does with stencils. I am no stranger to stencils myself, but I wanted to explore more and see how Mary Ann does it. My oh my was her class ever worthwhile. If you are even remotely interested in stencil work, you should definitely sign up the next time she offers it.

This book was the first project I made in her class, a little cardboard portfolio. I love the simplicity of it, my kind of binding - duct tape, yeah! The cats appear to enjoy it as well. As I progressed through the lessons, I kept thinking of more and more things I could do with paint and stencils and one thing led to another which is how the mirrors came about. And that is also how I got a sore throat from doing too much non-stop spraying indoors without the proper equipment (bad idea, she says smacking self in head). Hence, John asked our son in law to build me a baby spray booth in the basement. It has a kick butt exhaust fan so I can spray whenever I want without any ill effects. I also now wear a respirator, having learned my lesson the hard way.

And I blame (or maybe that is thank) Mary Ann Moss for sparking a new obsession.

Can a girl live on Popcorn?

When I was at Valley Ridge, all the peeps kept talking about popcorn they buy from a shop in the area. I didn't pay much attention and didn't even think a whole lot about it cause I like popcorn, but it's not like I'm obsessed with it or anything.
Ahem. Strike that.
When I left VR, my car inexplicably drove right there.......to the RR 1 Popcorn store. Naturally I had to taste all the flavors and got a small bag to eat in the car. I also bought buckets and tins to dispense as hostess gifts to folks housing me on my journey to Squam.
Needless to say, by the time I got home, all the popcorn was gone and I was left with a big ole hankering for a tub of RC Snakle, that's the one that is sweet popcorn & cranberries, smothered in white choclate. Nirvana.
Thank goodness I was able to order it. So now I have a tub of my own (snort, snort) in the fridge as Beth suggested - it is even better cold, if you can imagine.
I am having it for breakfast this morning. Delish with coffee, I might add.

Dance, Sing, Floss & Travel

I am inspired by the above quote, which is on my water bottle. It came from a store, Lululemon, which recently opened here.
Cool stuff, mainly for Yoga and other athletic endeavors. I wanted to get some nice Yoga pants, hoping they would propel me back into a regular practice (I suppose that's a lot to ask of pants, huh?). But alas, they were upwards of $120 and that was a little rich for my wallet.
I adore the wisdom professed on the water bottle though, all sorts of sayings ranging over multiple topics and covering every inch of the bottle.

"Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself"

"The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought."

and finally.....

"Do one thing a day that scares you."
Hmmm, that one is really food for thought, eh?

Squam

Such a conundrum as to how and where to start when talking about Squam.

First of all, I didn't take enough pictures of my classes. I got all wrapped up in the experience, which is good, but forgot to pick up my camera nearly as much as I would have liked. This 1st pic shows some work from Day 1.

Some of these other photos were sent to me from BJ Lantz, an extraordinary talent who happened to be in my class on day 1(the last picture is her work). She is a sweetie although she did snicker when I ate dessert instead of a meal on Friday night. I would urge you to click on over to her blog to see more photos because she documented the overall experience quite well.

The 2nd picture is Morgan (facing) and Angel (hard at work) making book covers in the Painting without Paint class. Ok, so I guess its a silly class name, huh? But I was trying to prove that you can achieve painterly effects without even using paint. As evidenced by Angel's work. She has such a lovely hand, I truly believe she should do illustration as I could see a children's book in her future, wink, wink.

Finding words about Squam is tough though. Here I am, a week later, still feeling its effects.
I am Joyful. Blissed out. Invigorated. Inspired. And all this after teaching 3 days straight and driving 1500 miles!?! It is that good. Evidence by the incredible sunrise picture that I took. Yep, I leaped out of bed on the final day and ran down to to dock in my flannel jammies to witness this beauty. I think there must be something in the air that makes you gaga while you are there, ha!



Much more than an art retreat, the spirit of Squam runs deep yet simultaneously
uplifts if that makes any sense at all.

Today I honestly feel like I am a new person, a better version of my previous self. Maybe sounds woo-woo, but truly, that's how I feel.

I am just so grateful - to all my wonderful students, my roommates at the Eldorado, my bunkie Peg and especially to Elizabeth - what magic she creates!

Working hard

The mirrors have been a hit at my recent shows. Thus I spent today working on a batch I previously texturized (I don't think that is a real word, but I bet you all know what I mean). They are not quite finished and the mirror part is still taped up but I think you get the idea.

In other news, the iPhone continues to amaze me. John and I are like kids with new toys. We have loaded a bunch of apps, most free, but some had a small price. He loaded a weather app that shows a TV style update of the current weather. That's not really my thing of course (I am more a 'weather out the window gal') but instead I've loaded camera stuff, Facebook, a doodle app, and Bejeweled. Plus a level which is useful.

I am trying to use my thumbs on the keyboard as I heard that is the 'cool way'. Apparently use of your index fingers immediately tags you as older, translation, not hip. A dork of sorts. I've lived the majority of my life as a dork, so its really no biggie for me, but I have found that thumbs are oddly efficient.

Out and About

A site from The Lou - the Pageant and new Moonrise Hotel (note to self, dress funky/cool and visit again to enjoy a martini). This is my first picture with the new iPhone - had to wait till I got home to edit. Anyone have suggestions about a good editing app?

I am quickly becoming addicted to the phone and definitely get all the hype. Still haven't quite figured out which apps to use for mail, contacts, etc. I fear my data is not nearly as complete or organized as I want. Currently, I use Google for contacts, mail, calendar. The Google app for iPhone falls short in transmission of data in that its not complete. I also tried to sync the Google calendar to iCal, then put on my iPhone, but then I had dupes (like tons of them) plus I was missing pertinent dates too. What's a girl to do??? Suggestions are welcomed...I am clearly a newbie.

Favorite things

I have added a new section to the right with links to some of my favorite things. Check it out for blogs that I read and maybe find someone new. Right now I have just a few things posted but I will keep adding to the list in the coming days.

Today I feature a LOVE LINK to Rocio Romero pre-fabricated homes. I have a big ole hankering to buy a piece of land right here in Missouri.......rolling hills run amok with wild flowers, a babbling brook, sunrise and sunset views, a vast private space......and on it I will place one of these fantabulous modern homes. They are absolutely TOO COOL, at least in my estimation.

My piece of heaven will be a sleek get away for me & John (and perhaps a kitty or two). It will be restful and quiet and will house a light filled secondary studio space for moi. I will walk the perimeters of my land with camera in hand, journal my thoughts, indulge myself in arty adventures and then build a fire at night to cuddle with my honey.

A girl has gotta dream and dream big.

This American Life of mine

Wowza, wowza, what a journey I have been on.

During these last 2 weeks (when I've been mainly absent from this blog) I have traveled from my Wildwood, MO home to Wisconsin, then through IL, IN, OH, PA, NY, and VT to New Hampshire. Then from NH through MA and NY to south New Jersey/Philadelphia and then all the way across PA (that is one big friggin' state!) to WV, OH (hi Mom & Dad), IN, IL and whew, finally back home as of last night.

It was beautiful. Amazing. Transformational. I have never done anything like this before. It was interesting to have so much time alone. Time to reflect and t-h-i-n-k. Geez, seems like I don't get to do that so much anymore. I found comfort in my own company. I loved watching the landscape roll by while listening to podcasts of This American Life. Our country is so gorgeous and so very rural - for some reason I forget that - hills and valleys and cows and horses and goats, oh my, oh my.

Anyhoo, I am home now so indulge me while I step back to re-visit Valley Ridge.
Here are a couple of my photos; needless to say, I found inspiration at every turn.
I guess you were probably expecting photos of the student's work, weren't you? Ah, well..... lucky for me, sweet and generous Marge made 2 amazing slide shows of the Valley Ridge experience. Click here for the first one, which features the beauty of the site. And Click here for the second one which shows my class and the incredible art made by my students.

Lucky me, I get to go back next year, how cool is that!??!
And stay tuned, Pics from Squam will be posted soon.