The Football Mural

Most who know me, know that football is not my thing...so when I was contacted about doing a football mural for a teenager...I of course thought, uhh ohh! Let's just say, I know a lot more about football now than I did before...LOL. The story behind all this was so wonderful, too. Sharie and Steve wanted to surprise their teenage boy with a mural for his room while he was away at football camp. About 13 months ago, he gave up his room to his grandmother when her house burned down and this was in the midst of her recovering from cancer and the passing of the grandfather, too. It must have been such a difficult time for them all. So this gesture for their son was to show him gratitude for what he gave up for the family. What a wonderful gift.

The best part is that I was able to meet 2 of the most beautiful people anyone would be blessed to come to know. Sharie and Steve's generosity to me and my children was extraordinary. They are kind and loving from deep down and this project was a pleasure.

Their son was certainly surprised when he got home, having no idea what was behind his door. The football player is Tim Couch and those in the stands were renditions of their family. And Sharie made sure that the bedspread, curtains and pillows were all of the Cleveland Browns, too. I have been blessed to have been part of this wonderful gift!

....It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Acts 20:35

Etsy Story is Open!

The new Etsy store is open! Finally! Long overdue, I must admit. We moved since I last wrote, so that didn't help much, but I will have to say I can see the light again. Very few boxes are left, thank goodness. Many things in the works right now and will elaborate further at a later date, but for now, I am uploading items to the new store and am very excited about this new venture. My camera is not playing nice for the most part but it will just have to do for now. Note to self: buy a new camera...a great camera! Can't wait!

These are just a few of the items in the store right now. I have had such a blast making them and have received some wonderful feedback/requests from all walks of life, everywhere! They are all illustrated/hand painted and are sealed with a very thick resin that makes it look like its under glass. The pendant charm is wood and the necklace is sterling silver. And the colors are beautiful....my camera and re-touching just....well, lets just say, didn't do it justice.

You can find them here in my Etsy Store.

......more to upload, so until next time.......

So Much To Tell.....

Okay. I know. It's been like...forever since I posted last. I know. I should be ashamed of myself! And I am! I'm sorry! The only excuse I have is that I have been ridiculously busy! That's a good thing, right? I know...too bad...still, no excuse. I'll try to do better. Promise.

So, how about a recap of some of the happenings lately....

My daughter Hannah won 1st Place in the county for her poem she wrote at the Pride and Patriotism event held at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. I am so proud! I will certainly post her poem so all can read at a later date.....

my little guy, Nathaniel, turned 5 years old......

.....then he broke his arm, ouch.....

made some Christmas gifts with the kids for friends and family.....

gave some gifts to kids around the world....and then Santa brought too many gifts in return....

my sister and her family from New York came to visit. Wish it lasted longer.....got addicted to some pen and ink pieces.....

and some more (I'm really loving the white gel pen.....woo hoo).....

and some glass painting.....

and textile painting.....
and teaching art classes, and....oh my! And that's just some of it. There are a few other pieces I've been working on but I don't have the images yet. Will have to post those soon. The art classes have been great. I've met a lot of great people and look forward to what's next. I'm also getting ready to open my Etsy store and contemplating a couple other sites as well. I've been pretty busy getting all the extras taken care of so I can get it all up and running. Goodness, there is so much more to tell....but will just have to wait till next time.

Creativity...It's Really Ok

Getting back on track after several days away on a little 'mini Halloween vacation' with some friends (I'll try to post pics later today) and this morning, I accidentally came across this amazing and moving video that simply blew me away! I will admit that my emotions poured. The amazing writer Elizabeth Gilbert, who wrote the #1 NY Times Best Selling Memoir EAT, PRAY, LOVE speaks at the 2009 TED conference in this video. I remember seeing her on Oprah several years ago when the book originally came out and she inspired me tremendously then! I never ended up reading the book...but am now committing to reading it!! Sit back and enjoy...

Sammy and Marshmallow

Now that I'm living in the world of healthy again.....well, almost healthy, I guess it's time to get back to blogging and creating. Let me just say, I do not like being sick! And I have to be really sick to even consider being noted as sick in the first place....and believe me....I was!! About a week ago, I seemed to have developed a nice case of strep throat that was enhanced with fever, body aches, cough and congestion (that started to get pretty serious) and an overall weakness that left me....well....pathetic. Not fun! But I seemed to have recovered, for the most part, and am back in the saddle again! Woo Hoo! Prior to getting sick though, I had actually started a small painting that I wanted to do about/for my daughter, Hannah. Perhaps even a 'series' of sorts....we'll see. Anyway, Hannah is such a beautiful young girl and has a gentle, loving spirit and especially has an enormous love for nature and animals. Well, a little over a year ago, she was given 2 gerbils for her birthday that she lovingly named Sammy and Marshmallow. Her first real pets. And......we also have a beautiful white cat named Zeus............

Well, without going into detail, let's just say Zeus and Marshmallow had a run-in of sorts. It wasn't pretty! And then, as gerbils do, Sammy died several months later as well. Hannah still talks about them fondly, so I wanted to include them in my little painting. She is actually writing a book called The Adventures of Sammy and Marshmallow in which she is quite the talented writer, especially for a 10 year old. I told her I could illustrate it for her. How unique would that be! This little painting is 8x10, done in acrylics and was so much fun to do. Not my usual type of work but enjoyed it just the same. I may play with this idea a little more and see what I can come up with. You just never know.......

During my recent episode of being sick, we were blessed here in Florida with our first few days of cold weather (actually got into the 50's). I didn't get to enjoy it much, sadly, due to being totally incapacitated....but the kids couldn't wait to spend their time outside and soak it all in!


I had the windows open (love that!) and for the first time, probably, ever....they were quiet outside. Hmmmmm......had to get up and take a look. They had taken several blankets out of the van that we use for picnics, laid them out in the front yard, loaded up a handful of toys and books and just hung out together. Quietly, none-the-less. It was soooo very sweet. I didn't want it to end. They really didn't want to come back inside.

It's amazing really, how a gorgeous day of cool weather brings out such beauty!!! What a blessing!

....God, who gives us richly ALL things to enjoy.

1Timothy 6:17

Welcome Autumn

Even though our days here are still reaching above the 90's, with humidity giving us some 100's, there are very few things around that give the necessary clues that October is here and Autumn is upon us. You won't find leaves in multitudes of colors on branches and on the ground, you won't see anyone in sweaters or jackets or find piles of firewood waiting its turn in the fireplaces. No, you won't find these things....but you will find pumpkins!

Our church, Grace United Methodist Church, sells pumpkins every year and after service this Sunday, the kids and I spent some time in the pumpkin patch. The pumpkins are so beautiful this year. Such a huge collection in every shape and size. Hannah and Nathaniel were so excited as they ran up and down the aisles trying to find that perfect pumpkin.

Nathaniel didn't want the biggest pumpkin though....he wanted the smallest! He kept holding it up to his cheek repeating "oh, you are soooo cute"! It was so very sweet. The colors everywhere were very inspirational, too. So many beautiful oranges, yellows, reds, greens and browns. It's often hard to get into the seasonal inspirational mood since we basically have just one season here....hot! I so look forward to heading a bit north and experiencing the changing of the seasons. It won't be long! Well, much to do, so until next time....Blessings to you!

Teacher, Teacher

Just call me teacher! I am so excited about a new venture that has entered my world recently. I was on my way into one of my addiction stores for some supplies, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store (yes, they carry a lot of art supplies too), I happened to notice a little sign stating they were needing an artist to teach painting and drawing classes. Hmmmm....this sounded like a possibility. I have often been told I should teach art classes (and have at many a casual settings) and although I am still learning more and more every day, I am sure I would have something to offer. So I met with Ann, the delightful education director and after some discussion and examples of my work...I was in! I'll be working as an independent and although there is a schedule in place already, no one has signed up for the painting classes yet due to their lack of teacher. But that should change soon! There will be your basic painting and One-Stroke painting classes and then I will also offer, what they call, trend classes. Sort of a specialized class. This will be one of the trend classes I'll be offering...

It uses a combination of media, embossing powders and watercolors, which are both great fun to use. The image can be created freehand, from a template or even rubber stamps into many things such as this Christmas card, or framed artwork, ornaments, and decorations. The possibilities are endless.

The embossing actually creates a masking, of sorts, which makes the watercolor process extremely simple! This is a project for even the beginner, believe it or not.

And the final piece has a beautiful, sort of, batik or silk painting look. The embossed areas create a dimension and shine when the light passes it. It's really very beautiful.

When I brought it to the store and Ann was mounting it for display, several bystanders were giving quite a few oohs and aahs and when they found out even a beginner could do this, they became interested in the class!!! Can I get a Woo-Hoo?! Off to a good start! Well, it's time to get back to work. I'm in the process of finishing several pieces for other classes right now, so once done, I'll post those too. So until next time.... Blessings to you!

Art On Vintage Bible Pages

Yes, believe it or not....I'm back, all in the same night! WooHoo! Don't expect this to happen again for sure. Many who know me, know I love books, old books especially. There is something very exciting and mysterious to me about a book. The paper, the binding, the story that lay between the pages. Older books are often so beautiful in its text styles and covers, which is what inspired me recently to use pages from vintage books for my art.

I was originally inspired by a vintage bible I have that is falling apart, with torn pages, etc. It wasn't able to serve its original purpose, but hopefully I could help the pages stay alive (my apologies for the not-so-great photos.) Several of these were 'test pages' of sorts because I wasn't really sure how different medium would take to the pages, especially with the fragile nature of the paper.
I was surprised though. Even watercolors worked well. I also used acrylics, ink and colored pencils. Then I thought perhaps I could create a further message within the text of that page so there were random words within the page or art that I left open, so together it created a message. I'm going to have to scan these and get better images so I can use for prints.
I'm going to continue to work on this concept and see what transpires and I'll post more when done. I really think it's unique and could be quite beautiful.
There is even more to post, but I am just going to have to wait until later. I still have much to finish so I need to get busy with that too. Until we meet again, Blessings to you.

Painting And Drawing And Creating.....Oh My!

Painting and drawing and creating....oh my! Painting and drawing and creating.....oh my! We're off to see the wi.....oops, sorry about that. Got a little crazy, there. Well, let's just say, it's been busy around here lately! Many new ventures are in the works (more info later) and there have been a lot of creating going on. I am in my 'happy place' for sure!

This is a great little project that I just finished 'just for me'! You see....I have an artist pen (and pencil) problem....urhhh....addiction! And I know it will get even bigger as time goes on. It's a sickness! I have been looking for some time now, for a sort of 'holder' of sorts to store them all in. Something that will hold them flat (or preferable at a slight angle), has dividers for the many types of pens/markers and a convenient size to sit on my drawing table. Not to be found! Well, I've been left no choice...I guess it's time to make it myself! I had bought these great little wooden boxes a while back, that I had planned on using with images of my work. But when I looked closer, I realized they were perfect for my little project! I can still get more, so my other idea can still happen.

After sanding them, gluing them all together (with a small lift to give it a slight angle), and spraying them with a sealant, it was time to turn it into 'something special'. Once I started, I couldn't stop. I had so much fun with this.

It was done with a black sharpie and contains some special words.......

Inspire...... Art......

DZine......

Dream......

and Create!! I really like the way it turned out and it was a blast to do. Not only that, but I get to keep it. Love that! I really think I'm going to use this concept on some further pieces too. We'll just have to see. I still have to get the photos together of some of the other pieces I have been working on, but here is a new pendant necklace I just finished. Well, almost finished.

I still have to add a layer of resin, but for the most part, it's finished. I've worn it a few times for feedback and I received many, many comments...all positive. It doesn't really show it in the photo, but the color comes from underneath and the black lays on top, so it has a very unique dimensional look. It measures about 3.75 inches across. It's a real fun piece to wear. Looks like I'll be making quite a few more. Gotta go for now. Until next time....Blessings!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Well, I'm back. Got a bit off course for a while when my little Nathaniel came down with pneumonia. There were concerns of more serious issues as well, so he was my #1 focus for a while. He's better now, but they're going to watch him closely over the next several months. Then school restarted, Hannah in the 5th grade and Nathaniel in pre-K. It was a wonder there was time to create at all, but there was. There are so many projects that I have needed to post and I'm going to try to play a little 'catch-up'. Not sure if I'll get them all posted today, but I will certainly try! Not off to a good start though, I spent most of today just trying to get everything off my camera and sorted through. Boy, do I need a new camera. My computer wasn't playing nice today either. Egad! Okay, here we go....let's see...well for starters, some time ago, me and my daughters' group leader at church were talking and somehow, after all this time, we realized she and I had never formally introduced ourselves to each other. We had talked many times though. Well, much to our amazement....we both have the same name (first AND last!). I almost fell over! And here's the clincher....she's attending college to be an artist!! God works in mysterious ways!Well, she contacted me later for a project she was working on with her class at FGCU. They were collecting artwork to donate to a thrift store in Naples that benefits a shelter for abused women and children. The objective was to raise awareness about abused women and children, provide funds to support an organization that helps these women and children and to demonstrate a way in which the art community can contribute to a cause. What a great project. I did a quick watercolor and printed it with the scripture Matthew 6:25-32 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life....". Somehow, I thought this was a message for this organization. Having been in an abusive relationship, God's promise that He was there and would take care of me and my children gave me the courage needed to make some very difficult choices during that time. Some alarming statistics from just this shelter last year....the two thrift stores have accounted for over 30% of the revenue for the shelter, the shelter answered 4,652 crisis hotline calls, developed 6,459 safety plans with adult and child victims of domestic violence, educated 8,689 individuals through one or more of the educational programs and provided more than 14,000 days of shelter. And this is just one shelter in one city. Most think it's easy to 'just leave' or call for help, but I can tell you, it's at times impossible. So these numbers only represent those that took a leap of faith and called out for help. There are many that never do! I'm so glad I got to participate in this great project and donate something.This is another graphic watercolor that I finished at that time, too. It measures 6"x6". Below is a sneak peak into a big project I'm finishing now. More to come on this later.....

I still have a lot of pics to take so I can post some of the other finished pieces. Let's hope my camera cooperates! If all goes well, I just may get it all posted tonight.....okay, well, it sounds good in theory! 'Till we meet again.....