The Final Work of 2008

New work, the last work of 2008. These Angels are all on 5.5 x 5.5 rugged wood. I will be listing these on Etsy or Ebay. This year has been magical and I am making plans & goals for 2009 and getting excited. Thank you for all of your support & visits to my blog this year! The wonderful comments and new friends I have made this year have meant a great deal to me! Many Blessings & Happy New Year!

Shaking It Off

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I took a week off but I'm back at it today. I painted all day and it felt great. At Christmas time I always get emotional. I reflect on the year, the past, on people, it all swirls around in my head, like a black & white film that's turned to a foggy sienna color, it makes me feel a little gloomy, but the fog is lifting, I'm shaking it off and now getting excited about the new year, a new chapter.

One of my gifts for Christmas was a DVD my dad made for us, a video collage of our family growing up & pieces of my childhood. *It was in color* I laughed and I cried. I cried some more. I could hardly talk to my Dad when thanking him without my voice cracking. It was so thoughtful a gift and truthfully he's not famous for being so thoughtful. Under that rough & gruff exterior is a big loving heart though. My younger brother Eddie is gone now and it was so good to see him but it made me miss him terribly. Eddie had no idea how much he was loved. Do any of us really? I don't think so. To quote a line in the movie Pretty Woman, "the bad stuff is always easier to believe". Watching it made me realize how very lucky & privileged I have been. I am. I've have been blessed to travel to so many beautiful places, some never get to do that, and I've met so many great people, heard so much great music. It also made me realize that even though I hate having my picture taken that I really should try to get better about that. Grin & bear it.

My husband picked up 4 paintings from a gallery today for me which I will be listing for sale but not sure where yet. My camera is broken and I may have giclees made of them, which are more expensive but worth the extra money. I needed a new camera but it was really an inconvenience breaking down now. All my Christmas pictures are on there and honestly I have no idea how to get the memory card out to save them. The paintings I started today are small so I will be able to scan them to list them but the paintings from the gallery are large.

A big thank you goes out to Ellen Morrow for featuring me in her beautiful Etsy Treasury! Check out her fabulous colorful art!

I'll Might As Well Consider Myself...

... On Vacation! I haven't been painting at all, I miss it, I think about it, but I haven't made time for it lately. I have too much on my mind. It's even been hard to sleep. I have doodled some things I might like to paint and they are right on top of "My Things To Do" list. haha

Today I am tired but happy because I got a lot of shopping done. Next is the wrapping...ugh...(oh yeah I've posted about my bad wrapping) I stumbled upon this Japanese method of wrapping and found it really interesting... don't forget to pause my playlist to listen...


I have one more excursion in the morning and I'm finished! Yippee! I must sound like a Scrooge but honestly I'm not. I am just a procrastinator and overwhelm myself. Every year I say I will buy something throughout the year for someone when I think they will like it and every year I don't do it. So when I do go out I am on a mission. I pretty much know what I am getting, I get it, and get out. My husband shops the same way and he occasionally accuses me of "window shopping" but he's never been shopping with my Mom! I am not a Window Shopper!

My husband & his band made it back from Lake Tahoe safely but had to put chains on to make it home. He said that the snow was about 5 ft high and it was so dry their fingers were splitting & cracking from playing music. They went and bought Krazy Glue and glued their fingers so they could play the last night. Seriously OUCH!

Every Picture Tells A Story ...

I'm still shopping.

Photo by Kristen Wilson. Please check out her beautiful work & shop on Etsy.

A Little Alone Time!

My husband left this afternoon and won't be back until Sunday. The Spotted Dogs are playing 2 shows at The Tahoe Biltmore in Lake Tahoe and another at Northstar. Chains were required today but he got up there without having to put them on.
I have the house all to myself! It was great the first few hours doing nothing but watching tv. The next few hours I slowly made a list of all the things I need to do, while watching tv. Then I realized I'm just sitting here still doing nothing just thinking about doing something! It's one of those days.
I felt a little naughty watching tv. We normally don't have the tv on at all during the day. I happen to catch The Bonnie Hunt Show. She's such a doll, so sweet and so funny! I hope her show will continue. So many good shows are being canceled lately. What's up with that?

Christmas Day And The Nest is Empty

33 years with not one Christmas Day spent alone with just my husband until this year. (I was a teenager when I got married!) It feels strange and I will miss my kids but we'll have a good time together. We talked today about what we could do. We didn't decide. Go play in the snow with a piping hot Thermos of something good? Take the light rail to Old Sacramento? Go to the movies? We have never gone to the movies on Christmas Day like so many do. Stay in our pj's all day, watching Christmas movies & order Chinese food? Walk by the river all bundled up with the dogs in their cute little sweaters? Go have some crab on Fisherman's Wharf, ride the cable cars & soak in some of that wonderful San Francisco's Christmas spirit? ...hum...

Fat Chance...

I thought they said there'd be snow! Everything was frozen this morning, it's cold... but NO SNOW! The sun is shining!

Thank you VinK for my new "Blog Bling"! It's always such an honor and surprise to get a Blog Award. They mean a lot to me and I will proudly add to my bling below. I will post my nominees soon to pass it along soon.

I made paper clay this morning but it's still super wet so I don't know if it's going to turn out or not. If it does, I will post my recipe and picture of my creations. So stay tuned...

Let it Snow!

Told ya I'd say it again......I hate shopping! I am on a mission now. I pretty much know what I am shopping for and that is actually a good feeling. It's when I don't know what I'm buying, running down the isles, with my eyes wide and crazy on Christmas Eve that I really hate. So I talked myself out of going out today and instead I packaged gifts to mail to my family in South Carolina. I love flat rate boxes! It is cold today too! Jim was headed to Walmart to buy wood pellets so he even mailed them for me. We have a pellet stove in our fire place and pretty much heat our house with it throughout the winter. A bag of pellets cost approx $6 and lasts for 2 or 3 days. This year the pellets are plentiful but last year they were hard to find. People were buying them up like crazy because the news media said that the supply was low. If the media says something is running out then people run and gobble it all up which makes it worse. Remember the rice several months ago? The news said we may get snow tonight in this case I hope they are right. Our regular heater may come on because it's cold cold cold out there! It does kick on if the stove it's keeping it warm enough. I live just below the snow line, 9 miles up the mountain in Placerville there is always snow but we've only had it snow at my house only handful of times in the last 13 years. It's always exciting but never lasts long enough. This picture I took in January while Jim was taking the chains off my car. We were on our way back from Lake Tahoe. I'm looking forward to a snow day!

Oh What A Night!

The Swell Sister Society gallery opening at the Coffee Garden was awesome! There were so many people that came you could hardly move around! It was so much fun! I've mention before how I am always forgetting my camera or batteries for my camera ...well I did it again! I got a few pictures before my camera pooped out. My oldest son Joe (plaid shirt)managed to get one picture of me hugging my youngest son. All you see is the back of me so I guess I'll remain a mystery for now. I hate my picture taken anyway! I was super proud of all my "Sisters" and grateful to all of the collaborative work from each to make this a great night.

I got a little shopping done today, 2 paintings mailed to Italy and 2 crocheted cuffs to Florida. I have lots more shopping to do. My husband is going to be playing 3 shows in Lake Tahoe this weekend with the Spotted Dogs so I will get the rest finished when he's up there.

Little Time? Delegate the Christmas Decorating...

My husband put up lights on the front porch this year and I didn't have to delegate! Retirement may not be all that bad!

I'll Fly Away...

I have been working for days on this moving Gypsy Bird Box. I have been fascinated with kinetic toys lately and decided to work on something a little different.

When you turn the crank the bird goes up & down and a bell knocks and rings. I started it for the Tangent Gallery bird show but may list it on Ebay I haven't decided. It sure would make a unique Christmas gift!

It is made with found objects and bits & pieces, glue & glitter. The box is an old cigar box, the mosaic is made with eggshells, the legs are bottle caps, the top is covered with old buttons, black feathers and the crank is an old wine cork.

A Few Things I Forgot I Was Thankful For...

... Jeans & self tanning products. I think the Devil made panty hose. I can't tell you how much I hate the thought of putting on a pair. Just the thought creeps me out now. Back in the day, while working my way up the ladder, I added it up once and determined I spent approx $1000 on them one year. I wouldn't wear the cheap ones that really feel creepy and crunchy. It doesn't matter what they cost they all run. Even the ones that say they won't run do or get holes. Mandatory suits, Dress to Impress seminars, getting your "colors" analyzed and high heels, pearls & pumps. Ugh. How did I do it? Most companies are business casual now or have dress down days on Fridays. I don't know what happened or remember when it all changed I just know I was thankful when it did. Now I hardly have anything to wear that doesn't have paint on it and I am perfectly happy and comfortable with that! But I have to go shopping for something nice for the gallery show. I hate shopping. I know I have said that before and I'll probably say it again. One of my Swell Sisters suggested we wear a cocktail dress and I was the first to scream with terror in my voice NOOOOOOO! Whatever I wear there won't be panty hose underneath. Many kudos for those of you that endure them.

What's A Girl To Do?

Tonight is the last big Swell Sister meeting before the show. I am finishing up my donation pieces which we are calling "Little Treasures" that are due tonight. The proceeds will be going to the Women's Wisdom Project of the Sacramento Food Bank. I painted these on 5 x 5 recycled wood. I am debating on whether to get the glitter out & glue mass quantities to the sides of the wood for something different. I have fallen in love with glitter. I used to think it was cheap and slutty. haha (see previous post) Nice glitter, however, is now costly.
I just listed 2 pieces on Etsy today. One is "Angel in My Rose Garden" on 11 x 14 canvas panel and the other is on 5 x 5 recycled wood with sides painted called "Good Morning".

I am picking up my Pink Aura Angel from Tangent Gallery today. Another SS that was also in the show told me that none of the art sold. This was surprising. There was some fantastic art on display. Gallery vs selling online... As a full-time artist I can't afford to have a lot of original paintings in galleries at the moment. Hanging there waiting for the right person to happen to walk into the gallery and happen to like my art and buy it. I have to sell online and I love it. I get to meet people from all over the world and the wonderful emails I get everyday are priceless. I love the gallery experience too. So what's a girl to do?! I am trying to build up a portfolio of originals for the galleries because I have been approached by several more galleries *very honored* but it's hard to resist the urge to list them online to make ends meet. I am selling prints on Etsy & Ebay of them though. If only there was more time in a day! Next week I will be able to concentrate more on painting originals to sell online. Prints are great but it doesn't compare to owning the original. Everything will be pretty much taken care of for the Dec 13th show on Saturday after I drop off my pieces. I will be listing the Pink Aura Angel for sale on Etsy or Ebay or I may even decide to keep it for myself because I really like it, however, none of my art actually matches my home decor. Surprised? From my art you would think that my home would be full of contemporary pieces (which I love) but on the contrary it's rustic, woodsy, cabin like, warm and a bit masculine. There are some originals that are hard to let go of, a little piece of you goes with them, however, judging from the wonderful buyers & collectors that I have met so far, I think all mine live in happy homes!

If The Sauce Sucks...

I found a new activity to keep me busy next time my husband's blues band plays at Lucille's!

Tahoe on My Mind?

"Day of the Race"

I finished this painting today that I almost put in the bone yard but she wasn't gonna beat me. I kept at it. The look on her face is almost like she's going from being afraid to bring it on! Don't ya just want to reach over and pull the hair that's stuck to her face off for her? I listed a print on Etsy.com

Totally Busted!

My face is still red. I went to have some prints & scans made today and while waiting, a man noticed my paintings. He started the conversation by asking if I painted them. He asked if I could paint a mural *would love to* and said that he was going to check out the galleries! He got me all twitterpaided when he compared me to Diego Rivera *blushing* and asked for my card. That feeling of dread began at the top of my head, went through my whole body then radiated throughout me. I'm sure my face turned red because it does that easily. Busted! Yes I committed the cardinal sin... out in public without a card. I fumbled and fumbled, going through my purse then finally pulling stuff out. Maybe he was thinking geez lady what have you got in there!? It was awful. I finally gave up and gave him an old card, which was bad enough, but something possessed me to grab a pen and proceed to mark it all up. It looked so bad I had to apologize! hahaha I gotta laugh uncomfortably about it now but I won't be caught out in the world again without cards. Whether he will go to the galleries, commission me, or ever make any purchases, he was put in my path for a reason... to teach me that lesson!

Thanks again to Liquidilluzion for the blog award! Here as promised are a few blogs that I have found to be fun, entertaining, creative, informational.... not necessarily in that order.

The rules are:

1. Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.

2. Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.

3. Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.

4. Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit This Post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List.That way, we’ll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!

5. Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog. So I am passing along the award to the following...

http://suziblu.typepad.com/
http://www.hillbillyartist.blogspot.com/
http://www.kalapohl.blogspot.com/
http://cherriesrockmysocks.blogspot.com/

http://geelizzie.blogspot.com/

I have to have my little paintings that I am donating finished by Thursday and my final gallery piece finished and delivered on Saturday. I decided to put "Garden Party" in the gallery as my 2nd piece instead of the angel in the meadow. I haven't finished my 1st large gallery piece yet or even started the small ones. So I will be locking myself into my studio this week. I had to fill out a card for the pieces and I didn't really have a name for the large one yet, so I put a stupid name on it. If I can think of something better today I may have a chance to change it. I have quite a bit more painting to do then varnishing. I will post the final picture when I'm finished. Any name suggestions are welcome!

Oh yum! Look what I did with the turkey leftovers last night! Turkey Tiki Masala. It turned out awesome! I almost like it better than chicken!