Thinking in Black & White & Backwards!

I had so much fun yesterday! It's not a surprise that in addition to color color color that I also love black & white. If you haven't had a visit to my blog Sometimes Things Are Just Black & White, I hope you visit soon & follow! My friend & fellow Artist Carol Rogala came over for a visit. We had coffee, chatted about knitting, and then she gave me a private lesson in linocut prints! I am so hooked now! I laid in bed last night thinking in black & white, thinking of what I'd like to do, portraits using deep cuts, crabs crabs and more crabs, chickens, the scene on the bay bridge with San Fransico peeking through the wires just before you reach the city, ... I couldn't stop! When I'm finished painting for the Olive Hyde Gallery show next month I'm going to get some lino, a few tools, ink, brayer, scraper, & paper and really give it some study. I'm a little embarrassed to show my first pieces, I need lots of practice and have lots to learn! It will take practice getting my brain to think backwards too. haha She started me off with the black background, the angel, and my 2nd print, the crab, taking more off, working on the white areas. Carving was more satifying that I thought it could be. I was totally absorbed. I hope I wasn't making weird faces but I probably was! LOL Carol's pieces are so amazing. The one she was working on is very intricate and a powerful social comentary piece which she excels at. She made me a print of her bee piece "Leaving Town" that I love so much. I'm going to frame it & hang it with a little bee ACEO she gave me as well. Isn't she adorable!?! and check out my wonderful bee print! She's my print Sensei! Clicking on her name above will take you to her website to see more of her art. Carol's art was recently chosen for the California State Fair's Fine Art Exhibit and she is showing some of her pieces at the Marco Fuoco Gallery next month. I can't wait to see what she shows. Last week when she visited I gave her one of my hats, and in return for this random act of kindness I got a wonderful lesson and a fabulous print! As she drove off, with her printing goodies and a few of my "May Pops" (passion vine pods), I couldn't help but feel very blessed to have her in my life and can't wait to play again!

Big Shout Out's & Thank You's go to Graceful Moments for featuring my art in an Etsy Treasury & on her wonderful blog! Fabricated Family for featuring my beauty shop girl in her fun fractured fairytale Treasury, SammysGrammy for featuring my art on the Cast Team Blog! and to BewitchingDreams for including my art in her yummy sushi Treasury!

The Buzz.....

... I finally finished my pieces for the Bee show! Today is the deadline to deliver my pieces and I literally finished a few minutes ago. If you are wondering where the vintage looking angel I was working on is, well she's gone, after weeks of painting on her, I painted over her 4 days before the deadline & started from scratch to complete this piece. I must like stressing myself out. The piece is a large canvas 18 x 24 and the initial angel was sweet but I wasn't digging it being just a great big head with a big hat. I think they are great for smaller pieces but I thought there needed to be a lot more interest on a big canvas. Obviously there is a lot more going on now. Everyone loves this final piece better and I think I do too. I am selling 5 x 7 prints of this piece in my Etsy Shop. If you are interested in purchasing the original before the show & helping bee research you can email Laurelin Gilmore. For more info & all the press on the show please click on this Link.

"Bees In Her Bonnet"

More buzz ..... Thank you StoryBeader at a Stroll through Storyland ! It is such an honor to be chosen to be featured on your blog in such a manner! Please check out her fantastic blog & her feature on me Here! Warning...you will see my messy studio!

And more buzz!... My son won 2nd place a salsa contest today using my original salsa recipe! You know how I love peppers and all things hot. I have lots of original salsa recipes. This is a green salsa with ginger & cucumber. I may share the recipe one day so stay tuned!

To whom it may concern...if you're still out there... It feels like a week ago, but probably not, time is passing so fast, someone, you know who you are, sent me a message and presented me with blog award. I meant to respond & post it I really did, I appreciated it too, I really did, but somehow I spaced it out. Now I can't find it or find you! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!