Bold and Beautiful...

I created a Treasury on etsy, and tried to post a link here.  It doesn't work.  Blogger is giving me more and more grievances, can't link, can't comment on friends' posts.  Aargh!  But you can check out the treasury on Morna Crites Moore's fantastic  blog, or go to etsy directly.  Bold and Beautiful...

Mermaid at Home, mixed media collage... how to...

A friend of mine, Marla, asked me to do a commission for her.  She makes beautiful dolls and other kinds of art, a truly creative soul.  She sent me a box of things I might put into it, but I only ended up using some of the background papers.  I knew she likes mermaids, so I thought I couldn't go wrong with that!  :)  So I made a how to post with this project.

This collage is smaller than the usual sizes I work with, about 9x8" so the design got a bit more challenging since the elements have to fit the format.  I tore pieces of decorative papers and glued them on good with medium. Make sure the edges are glued down. The shells are from wallpaper border remnants, the butterfly from wrapping paper, and the others are decorative papers from the craft store.  I have gazillion in every color you can imagine...

When it's really dry, I like to smear on acrylic paints with a paper towel.  I like soft blended edges.  If you want bolder lines, use an old credit card.  Torn paper edges lend themselves well to smeared paint. 

When the paint was dry, I added on elements and blended them into the background with more layers of paint.

I added on more elements and some stamped images with permanent ink, and I outlined the mermaid and painted her tail with paint pens, also permanent.

More detail, and I worked on her hair.  Wasn't all that thrilled, but I kept on going.

 

I ended up adding more details with some inspirational words and two women who are friends at the bottom, symbolizing our friendship that has lasted for many years.   I fiddled a lot with her hair and face, and painted some fish, plus added some fish pictures I found, which were tiny!  Then I let it all dry before I varnished it.  The acrylic varnish really deepens the colors and the details. 

I took the last picture outside, and also captured a picture of my "rioting" mum on the front step.

Art reception at the City Hall...

Had a great time at the art reception, and my art was very well received.  I even heard some people talking about it without knowing that I was the artist.  At least you know they meant it!  :)  As the weather is cooling I'm having more inspiration to work, and my cat is getting friskier.  He ran around like a "mad person" this morning.  My neighbor's cat came in and ate Bailey's food, and then left...  A cat's life. :) 
Here are some pictures from the reception, most of them of local friends, artists mostly. 

 Rhonda Hancock and I.  Rhonda is the director of the City Hall art gallery.   She's also a great watercolor artist.

 Brian Brjibag, photographer.  These pictures were from a mission to Equador.

Jana, Larry, and Diane, and a fantastic quilt.  There's is an ongoing quilt exhibit at the City Hall.

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The spread!  OMG!  Supplied by the Brooksville Junior Service League and the drinks and service ware by Hernando Fine Arts Council.

Angles of the mezzanine.  I like angles.  :)  One of my pictures at the very end of the corridor.
 

"Balance." 
 

Mermaid.  Mixed media collage with polymer clay tiles on the tail.
 

Karen and Joey.  Karen is a fine watercolorist.
 

 "Moon Goddess."

 I'm wondering what Lynne was saying. :)  Pastel artist extraordinaire!

"Rainbow Rose." 
 

"Before the oil spill..."

A great time was had by all, and I'd do it again for sure.  Some of these are going up on etsy for sale.  

 Sitting down....

Mosaics galore!

There are many ways to skin a cat as they say (what a nasty saying anyway...)  There are many ways to put together a mosaic.  I'm a "controlled" addict of mosaics. :)  Some will mosaic anything as long as it doesn't move.  Christmas is coming so I've been making boxes after a long hiatus, and also some mosaic mirrors.  Some are with stained glass, some with broken china.  The boxes are going to a local shop, and the mirrors are going up on etsy.  Not easy to ship mirrors since they are both heavy and fragile, but maybe?  I need to make more boxes to put on etsy and artfire, but I have to say I've been lazy keeping new things in the shops, due to the writing frenzy that I went through lately.  Well, rewrites are A LOT easier, so I'm on the home stretch with those, and I'm really happy with the story. 
The weather finally "broke" here in Florida and the evenings are cool.  Yay!  It's weird to wear pants again.  It was so nice today that I washed my car and detailed it, yessiree.  I deserve a medal or something. :)  It's something that doesn't happen often enough--car washing.  Never ever received a medal, but I remember a few gold stars.
It was a gold star kind of a day today, no procrastination, no excuses, no whining or swearing, a "just do it" attitude.  Aren't those days great?  They should happen a lot more often.  By the way, my car looks like new!

What a deal!  The small boxes are only $32.  Can be personalized.

Smoky blue....

Live from the heart!

Follow your heart!  The only way to live...

Wedding and Mom...

I had a great time at my niece's wedding in Sweden.  Isabella and her sweetheart Luciano tied the knot and we all danced the night away!  She's studying to become an Opera singer and a bunch of her friends and teachers offered some GREAT music during the night.  That was really one of the highlights.  I didn't score any Opera wear, but a little black dress and an embroiders scarf.  But I got some good pictures of those who did dress up for the event.
And the cakes ... OMG!  Not one cake, but ten of them!  I gained a lot of pounds during the trip.

It rained, but they say it's lucky...

 

The vows... 

Cute, cute, cute...

 Opera theme, and some dressed like this!

And some like this!

 

Mother of the bride and one of Isabella's buddies from her music program

An entire family of Carmens!

Mother of the groom, his son, and myself..Some of us are tall....

First dance--not such a great picture, but the expression is great!

 

And some like this.  My other niece, Karin, her hubby, my two nephews.  She's expecting a baby at the end of December...

Obi One ...  There's actually a caftan worn in some opera.  My brother checked it out online.

 The picture says it all...
Weddings are such happy events.  I still have a few nephews to "give away." 

I spent lots of time with my mom during my two weeks away.  We had some quality time together.  She was like the Energizer bunny, and I'm pleased that she's better health-wise than she was last year.  Isn't she sweet?

Today I'm jetlagged and tired.  It's raining here in Florida, and fall is definitely coming.  The heat hasn't "broken" yet,  but it will, very soon.  The nights are cooler.  Sweden was in the sixties during the day and about 45-50 at night.  Brrr.  Back to some creativity soon!  I'm raring to go...

First draft finished--Trials of Hallion is born!

Should I take out an ad?  I don't think so, but it should be celebrated with champagne.  I don't have any on hand alas.  So maybe I have a bit of postpartum depression, but only for a day.  It's a great feeling, a burden off the mind, to birth a book, all 425 pages.  It gnaws at you and gnaws until you do something about it.  I made a marathon mental run, and it feels good to be done.  Now I'm going back to the colorful and the visual.  The brain must rest before the revisions. 

I'm going to a wedding in Sweden.  My niece is getting married, and the theme is "opera."  My brother's girlfriend has some connection with opera costumes and it looks like I might score something to wear there.  Yay.  I was getting stressed out about what to wear.  I admit I know VERY little about Opera.  My niece, Isabella is studying to be an opera singer, so you might see her on the great stages some day.  She just had a baby boy in April: Florian.  Sounds opera-ish, don't you think?   New born picture.  Just divine.

The wedding invitation!  Aren't they handsome?

Lazy art journal entry, but so true!  This is what I live by now.

I also get to spend time with my 92 year old mom, and I really look forward to that.  She's such a sweetheart.  I have to say LIFE IS GOOD! 

Even clumsy birds fly free....

I was thinking the other day that "freedom" means a lot to me.  Besides "love" it's up there on the scale of importance.  My business partner bought my part in the furniture store so I'm free to ponder at the crossroads, breathe free for a while.  I love spending the day without schedule or obligations.  Get up in my jammies and sit down at the computer or in my studio and do all the things I love to do.  Creativity of all kinds flow freely in an relaxed body and mind.  That's how we're meant to live--Free!

I'm the queen of my own domain so to speak, not some CEO or other boss, or a friend telling me what they think I should be doing.  When I don't have to be some place at a certain time, I can listen to my intuition and go with the flow.  People's intuition has been clouded for centuries due to schedules and obligations.  I'm not against those per se, but they only work if we love what we do.  I have given way too many years to jobs and careers that I didn't love, but I've also worked for years with things I do love, and I intend to stay that way now. Let my God-given gifts rule!  Be my own boss, create income where I can be my own boss, and continue with my two greatest passions, art and writing!

We have made it so difficult for ourselves as we struggle in this world of unceasing toil.  Do you think that was the purpose for coming here when we were given that first breath at birth?  I think we were meant to be free and follow that guidance inside.  That part was never acknowledged though.  Sadly, it gets completely covered up as we go through school.

I have been writing a lot, but I snuck in some art last week.  I made a mini book for the Cloth Paper Scissors' challenge.  The front and back covers are cardboard with lots of collage and paint. The inside covers are hand-painted fabric.  I sewed some brown paper bag pages inside, and it became an artistic goal setting journal for 2011.  I have a friend who is a fantastic artist, but she always shortchanges herself with her art.  Making money is more important than her creative expression.  I can understand the necessity of a regular paycheck, but the choice to always put that first comes from fear.  It may be an excuse not to create.  There's no real security in a regular paycheck, just as the job could be gone tomorrow.  I have friends who work regular jobs and still manage to create every day, but they are the exception.  She's getting the book for Christmas!  :)
 
What's your most cherished word?