In the studio 3-30

Not too much going on in the studio today. I did start a painting tonight though. It is a faux mosaic (floral w/ a bird and butterfly) on a nice thick canvas. Similar to the painting above. The sides are painted black and I have quotes on the edges. Guess you would need to see it huh? I'll upload tomorrow.

Discovered another blog today (shocking I know). www.kerismith.com

She has a post of 100 ideas of creative things to do. I think I will share one per day with you. Just for fun.

***For one week collect the items you find on the street.

I think if you did this just for one day it would be worth a blog prize. Promising blog prizes that I had not made yet did not work so well for me, so let's see.....how about a faux mosaic easter egg painting? First one to show me their finds (in person or by photo) gets the prize. It's waiting right here on my hutch for you.

Do what you love and love what you do...

In the studio 3-29

I spent alot of time in the studio today, but I just realized I did not paint anything. I'll have to fix that problem tomorrow. I did some more cleaning, but need to spread the love to other parts of the house.

I had fun sharing ideas with a friend tonight around the art table. I've joined a group of ladies right here in Haynesville to create altered art. We have some really talented leaders and I've found someone who loves magazines as much as I do. So, we're swapping magazines back and forth. LOVE it.

The first 2 pictures are notecards I made using the same concept as the painting I posted last night. One list is mine and the other is Kirk's. What will be on your list?

The other picture is a corner of the studio. I have a sewing machine that was passed down to me. There are also 2 pieces I purchased at Thrift Stores (my new favorite hobby). The black piece on top of the sewing table was only $12 but the magazine stand under the table was only $5. Do you know there are TREASURES at Thrift Stores? Plus most are ministries. My recent find was a copy of the Giving Tree book we're using at COLOR SPLASH this summer for 10 cents ! And, the cute wire basket with the fabric...yes, that too.

So, what inspired you today? What color was it?

"Do what you love, and love what you do".

In the studio.....

Wow, where do I begin? First I cannot believe it's been so long since I've blogged. I love reading others almost daily and have been inspired to share again. I'll work on getting the pictures posted in order, but until then, hope you enjoy.

Okay, I have named 3-27-11 as my "Day of Epiphany". I'm not sure why, but the last few days creativity has been flowing freely. It could be because I'm cleaning my art room (which I'm now referring to as my studio...sounds better), or it could be because I have been working on one of my top 5 all-time favorite paintings, or better yet it feels supernatural. The Lord has blessed me with some answers I've been waiting on. A new vision for my art. So, here goes....

1. I just finished a painting that I've put off about 6 months. It is a huge sofa sized canvas filled with words. Definitely a modern piece. The background is "grungy" and the words remind me of a circle word puzzle. I used about 100 words the customer provided. Things such as favorite quotes, nick names, places, color, ...you name it. I will share my "list" soon for you to get the idea. THIS piece is the most conceptual piece I've ever done. Interactive Art. I love how you MUST stare at the work, read it like a book and figure it out like a puzzle. Even my kids want one which is um, huge.

2. I have chosen a company to submit some ideas/art for publication. I am hooked on their magazine publications and they have a new one coming out filled with children's art and project ideas.

3. ART CAMP..... I've had 2 project ideas for a couple of weeks, but on my Day of Epiphany the theme for this year's camp came to me. This year art camp will be COLOR SPLASH 2011. We will create projects inspired by the BLUE dog artist, a GREEN community project based on the book The Giving Tree, and another surprise. Think color. The dates will be the end of June through the first of July. Please contact me to reserve a spot. I will be mailing information soon to previous students, but as always please feel free to pass the information along. Join me at the ART FACTORY...where we build creativity.

4. I'm working on getting some work ready to present to a gallery. Hopefully by the end of the week I can share more information. It's something I've had on my list for a while and know which gallery I would like to start with. Just a minor change like using a thicker canvas has given my work a more professional look.

5. I scheduled 2 classes last week at the library to create Easter paintings. It was a last minute thing and I thought the classes were full, but it's a busy time of the year. Sorry if I did not get the information to you, but I did not advertise for this one. It was pure happiness for me...to see people who have never painted create something that looked better than mine.

I prefer to teach kids and therefore am not looking to do alot of these classes, but they are fun and I look forward to doing a few during the year. The next one will be late April and will be for mothers and daughters to come paint together. The floral painting somewhere in this post :) will be the subject. More information soon, but again, please call to reserve a spot or to be added to my contact list. There are also a few of us starting to go to Painting With A Twist in Shreveport if you would like to join us sometime. I'm all for anything creative and I love being a student myself.

6. I did a photo shoot with the talented Ms.Heather Lee last week. Totally out of my comfort zone as I do not particularly like having my picture made, but all artists have their picture on their website and I hope to make an artist card to include with my work. I can't wait to see what she does with them. I haven't seen them yet, but we did have some cute props and I love our locations.

I hope my post has inspired you in some way. As I teach my students, art is all around you so start looking. You'll be surprised at what you can find in Haynesville or anywhere else you're lucky enough to be.

My word for 2011 is HAPPINESS. I was going to choose something like "re-treasure", but I kept coming back to this word. After all the Lord has done for us (John 10:10) the least we can do is enjoy our life.

DO WHAT YOU LOVE and LOVE WHAT YOU DO.