peruvian princess...Dans La Maison

garden wine tasting - round 1

2009-07-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

So this was the line up: 1. Maipe Torrontes 2008 2. Alta Vista Torrontes 2006 3. Maipe Malbec 2008 4. Viejo Isaisas 2007 5.Punto Final 2007
And the winners were...#1Maipe Torrontes and #4 Viejo Isaisas! ..Alta Vista didn't do so well, but we did not have a problem polishing that one off did we...

"Le Boulanger" of Dehart Street. Fresh Bread and none left over.

And the matching cheeses: Cashel Blue , Herbed Chevre, Chevre with olives and spicy peppers, Spanish Manchego, goes with this and goes with that, blah blah blah...

Checking out the wine selection.

A garden view, so lovely!

so proper!

oh my! -so distinguished!!!

so full..

The children and the lightning bugs, what a sight!

Later in the evening...

and on and on...

My bayba Keo not feeling so good, but still so cute!

and much much later in the evening... The Airport Acres Poker Posse enjoying the midnight air, and that one left over wine.

~Thanks Ginger for all your help and everyone for all the food and company! Thanks Sarah for the photos!!!

pizza pizza

2009-07-09T19:40:00.001-07:00

Delisiouso! Jim and his oven in their own world. You can just hear the conversation between the two.

Working hands, hard at work. You can hear the mixing of that, the sprinkling of this and the tearing of these here too!

Simple as this.

And amazing as that!

Muchisimas Gracias for letting us be your pizza testers!

summer days...

2009-07-09T18:43:00.000-07:00

Kenji went on his first overnight camp at Smith Mountain, Virginia. It was strange seeing him off but saying goodbye wasn't so bad. He signed up for activities such as canoeing, kayaking, fishing and woodworking. He was gone for a whole week...I packed him a gift that he could open every single morning, little things like a ball, some gummy bears, fun tattoos. I also sent him a package that Monday morning after we dropped him off so that he'd get it by Wednesday...JM says I went over board, but I don't think I did :) I don't know how much he appreciated it though...never said much about it. But he did come home with a new "big" counselor friend above named "Jello" It seems as though they really got along, she said he was so sweet. I keep asking me what he liked about her, and all he ever says is" I dunno"...
My mom made Kenji a welcome home sign there on the post :) Kenji was happy to be home to find sticks and bugs.

My mom winding down from the fast paced week we just had. She found Blacksburg lovely and we had such a wonderful time together. We met so many people while she was here and did so many things. Thanks mama for the beautiful basket there you bought us!

The view from Jo and Gildas house.

And - I sold two paintings at my show. You can actually see them below at my opening show. I'm standing with Veronica in one of them, and Yoko with the other. They were purchased by people I don't even know who were not at the opening show. Funny huh? These people just walked into Mish Mish, browsed around the store, went to the gallery and then said to themselves "ah, yes, I like THIS one! "I don't know who these people were but I do have their names...I don't have there contact info, but...I would like to. One guy named Tom Gordon bought my "an evening in London" - one of my favorites. And the other guy named Harold Jones bought " Vanity Fair" Men bought my work. Both men! Kenji was there when I picked up my check from the gallery. It was such a funny feeling. I was sad first to know they were gone. Gone forever somewhere, somewhere out there in Blacksburg. Kenji and I stood there gazing out into the town and all I kept saying was"Kenji , can you believe my artwork is out there somewhere?, in someones house right now....gone forever!!!" He just smiled with excitment only a 9 year old would have and said "yeah...like in a museum somewhere!" :)

opening night!!!!

2009-06-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

Tada! Here it is. Opening night, 19 pieces total, 6 -ish or so in the evening and people showed up! I was so happy. It turned out so well. It meant so much to me that friends showed up. On the ride home from Michigan that same day I was starting to feel nervous about how late we would be arriving in Blacksburg. But my mom and I made it with the kids 2 hours before the show! It was such a nice thing to not have to really do anything to prepare except show up! Noreen said "it was kinda like your wedding!" It was a funny feeling indeed. Preperations were all made, all was set up, and all I had to do was come and greet my visitors. But here JM caught a quick pic of me secretly showing my excitement!

In this picture above ....I am trying to....explain, something, with my hands to John. Definitely using my hands here. As you can see I'm not really sure what Im trying to explain, it happens often actually. So here John waits patiently as I try to convey something about a piece of art. What could it be that I was trying to say? I have no clue. Maybe he asked my process? and I said something like "well, I mix paint and then get all these colors that I didn't plan on getting and then realize I made too much so I had to use them up quickly before they dried up. Or maybe I said " I cut out paper and glue it together to make an image....kinda like cut and paste in kindergarten...." And John is like "huh, ok."

My mom and I in front of "Love me, love me not" To the right is a cut-out titled " Berry Pickers" It is actually inspired by one of my first days out with Zoe, Zane and Keo together to a berry picking field. In the picture here they are holding their berries in the basket, that day though when I took a picture of them, they were standing exactly like that but with the berry baskets on their head! I have to post the picture its really cute. The cut-out to the left of the canvas one is "Home" It is self portrait of the house we live in. I have the cutest picture of Martha and Neal Crawford looking at it. It was so much fun to make.
I think my mom really liked this green one though. Its the colors I think.

Our wonderful and fun playgroup! Annsophie with Jayme on the left, Noreen , Kyooyoung, me, Ryan and Jeoungwoo in front. Behind us are two more cut outs framed in bleached wooden frames, the ornate gold frame is 'The Little Prince'The other four on the left are part of the "faces" series.
Amy, Jim, Leigh, JM and I and half of Kenji's face. Thanks Jim and Amy for the strawberries and grapes. They were fresh from our garden I could taste!

Veronica and I in front of her favorite piece! I thought it was so sweet that everyone had there favorite and told me so. The one there is "Evening in London". To the right is a garden plot cut out, and now I know whose it is! It's Susie's! She recognized it, or was it Jim who recognized it?

My mom and Keo above and a glimpse of Kenji and his friend Caitlyn to the right. Caitlyn said "I really like your art gisa!" I think it's the best when a child compliments anything on an adult. Whether it's art, what your wearing or your cooking!

Noel came early to help me, she took pictures and mingled with everyone.
Behind her you can see "Phoenix Rises" in the rectangular frame along with four others. Two of them were custom framed, two were not. I'm not sure which ones looked better..
Yoko and I in front of her favorite piece in the show :)
The night came and went, after show drinks came and conquered! We had a fun night out afterwards at Boudreauxs - sans kids. I'm glad my mom was there to share it all with me.

And finally, A picture of me before the show. I love the scenery in the back. It's very Blacksburg. It reminds me of why I enjoyed doing the cut-outs. feel as though I'm standing in one of my own pictures, the green color, the shape of the tree. And also, I'm standing is in such a way that only happens when my mother visits. A very " Gisa! Stand properly" kind of moment.

invitations!!!

2009-06-03T20:16:00.002-07:00

FINAL PREPARATIONS!
My art show postcards! These will be out at the show, still waiting for them to arrive. They will have my name at the bottom in black and the details on the back. Fun!

my signature my dear

2009-06-03T20:14:00.001-07:00

Just liked the way it looked. I almost want to take a bit out of it.

and in the beginning...

2009-06-03T20:03:00.000-07:00

Faced with a show in less than 4 weeks and a few empty canvases!

To see the work in progress from step 1, scroll with your eyes closed!- to the bottom of the page!

preparation phase - DONE!

2009-06-03T19:38:00.001-07:00

All done!
Here they are. The next time I will post is after the art exhibit. I managed to change the date from the 12th of June to the 5th of June.
Enjoy!!!
This one above turned out sweet and simple after all that turmoil I had with it. Like a 2 year old going through it's tantrums.

And this one also turned out nice. A bit busy for my taste, but I do like the mood again. You can almost hear the...crowd at a soccer game. Why a soccer ball up there? Because I was so desperate at one point that I got up from my desk and started digging through the kids craft drawers. It's the colors that caught my eye, the black and white.

And my little prince. The mat does wonders for it. And the frame was one I got at a thrift shop. I tried to dry brush some blue on the gold.....didn't work out so well, had to wipe it right off. But you can see a few speckles here and there.I called this one Shattered. She looks stunned, surprised, taken back...like she just discovered a little mouse in her house!"Oh darling..." She looks heavy eyed, glamorous and ready for a cocktail on her fancy sofa.

A sneak peak above. ....It looks ok right????It;s not all of them, just some of the new ones.

Keo was also inspired to paint. So serious!

art preparation - phase. "almost there"-

2009-06-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

At this point I had gone over that hump of no return and pieces were well under way. I knew which ones where coming with me and my framing situation was finalized. I got some framed properly and it cost a good amount and also got some ready made frames at Michaels and that seemed to be just as good for looks. My canvas pieces were not framed and that saved money and time. I learned SO much about framing and mats. Thanks Jess for your tips along the way...
Here they are almost done!Bright and colorful one really gave me a headache. Finished it just today. Whew!
The cut paper ones were fun to make and required me to go into the "field" for inspiration. Watching the kids play and swing on trees was really fun cause I got to think about how I would go about making just that scene, so I was really attentive.

I thought these old ornate frames would look good, but then thought they made the picture a bit dark? So I opted for unfinished wooden frames from Michaels. At least for the 5 cut paper pieces I did they all have the same frame. Unity, unity, unity. whatever...

The final steps! Retracing an eye with pen and ink, adding a jewel to the headpiece. How glamorous indeed!

art preparation -phase 4

2009-06-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

I had also decided to experiment with a technique my friends sister in New York does. I LOVE her artwork. You can see her great site here. I used her technique of painting bristol paper and then cutting images out and arranging them on mat board. I like them a lot. Very simple and clean to look at. A good break from my other art.lots of cutting, lots of gluing and lots of little sharp pieces of paper stuck on arms and knees.

art preparation - phase 3

2009-06-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

From this....to this...
you can see her form coming through on the first one. I titled it : "Evening in London" I'm so happy with it. Yippeee!!!

art show preparation - phase 2

2009-06-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

Here is my art desk, the one I can mess up and spill paint on. I'll have to post my super duper design desk one day. The one I do all my computer art on. It's a nice large super desk! But this desk has had it share of everything. This piece of art is the one from before, the one I was not liking. And even today, I'm just "ok" about it. It's maybe too dark? To busy? To much of something. Anyhow, this is my space where I did some painting. But actually I spent a lot of time here doing my cut outs work. It's so messy! Kenji keeps asking "mom....when are you going to clean up your art room?" I'm like " I will, I will....soon."

And here is that long canvas piece that was going somewhere and then took a wrong turn! I was hating it for being so stubborn!
and then it came to something like this. Something I kinda liked but still I didn't. But at least it was better than it was a few days earlier here below! Yikes!!!!
and then again, here is the one I thought I was so sure of (sigh...) It looked so promising. But no. not today, not next week.

art show preparation - phase 1

2009-06-03T18:21:00.001-07:00

I thought I would have enjoyed blogging my way through this month of art madness, but I haven't even had a moment to pet my poor doggy petunia, who is going sadly blind. She also can't hear very well :( She can see but only 5 feet in front of her. I've enjoyed having her by my feet as I make some art and then her following me off to bed in the wee hours of the morning. I did take some pics of the work in progress. It was an interesting month. I was excited to do show my work, take on this challenge. Then I got a bit desperate thinking I did not have enough pieces and that my stuff was not good enough, then I would get my confidence and plunge forward making trips to Home Depot and buying 4X10 large pieces of plywood to create something....only to find that I probably did not have enough time to embark on that project. So I kept my sites on my few pieces of canvas I had around the house and worked on those instead. It did though manage to make frames for the larger wood pieces and coated them in primer , just in case, and of course for my next show...Here was the start of something that I thought would come through. The one in the red head dress was my favorite for such a long time. And well, it never made it. It got left behind somewhere in the midst of the other pieces. I enjoy working on 5 or so pieces at a time. Gives me room to experiment, use up extra paint, and move off one piece when it is driving me mad. And the one to the left of it I hated for sooooo long. Now it happens to be one of my favorite.Here were two others I was working on simotainiously. I was not liking the one on the left at all, so I changed it. The one on the right I love so much. The finished product is even better.

dress up of sorts

2009-06-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

Dress up has never been so popular. Keo is either Spiderman, Batman or Power Ranger, Zane is recently obsessed with soccer clothes and Zoe...well it's usually princess or fairy something, but here...I'm not quite sure with her Peruvian hat. - Maybe a Peruvian Princess?

good morning!

2009-04-27T18:46:00.001-07:00

And good morning it is! ...Although, someones not feeling the groove...
Moving onto some news, I'm trying my hardest to get myself organized for my show in June. What was I thinking? Really. I could have picked July,or August, but I picked June. That's like in 30 days and I am starting to get a wee bit ...afraid. Nervous, maybe. Feeling unprepared. yes. I have gotten myself in over my head yet again. My husband seems to think it's a good thing when this happens. I'm feeling a little in the dark about what to do and I'm asking myself what the h*** I was thinking! Uh! I'm so annoyed with myself for just jumping into this. So now I have to figure out how to frame my things without lets say spending a fortune. Not only do I have to come up with about 10 new pieces of art in the next few weeks but I have to think about how to: 1. frame things 2. Making Ad Cards to hand out3. My theme, my focus 4. My artists statement (no clue) 5. And Pricing!!! This was suppose to be just for fun...I'm not interested in selling anything, although with the amount of money I may have to put into this, selling one thing would be nice. So, I'm sitting here wondering where to begin and what to begin with. HELP.My only time to work is at night when my kids are in bed. I'm forgetting about TV for this next month and am totally going to get into this. I have to. I am going to put on a professional show. I am. Yes I will.
To get my inspirational juices flowing we went out to Roanoke this weekend for and Open Studios event. This happens once a year at the end of April in the city. Many artists open their homes to the public for them to see their work and how they work. How exciting! It was so much fun and I met a few really interesting people that I am going to email this week, just to keep in touch and hopefully see again. I met one lady that finds frames anywhere and then nails her board to the back of the frame and then paints from there. Frames first then paints. Really cool. Another lady had her exhibition up all over her house. She had so many pieces and none where properly framed and they still looked amazing. I asked her how and she said she double matted them and then shrunk wrapped them. And the reason being it was more cost efficient. These are some really good ideas. I'm so glad I went. So now I'm off to....ponder about what I am going to do next. And that next being.....I don't know what yet. Medium is on tonight...

sun and sea

2009-04-22T12:25:00.000-07:00

Oh, did I ever mention where we live? This is our backyard :) ....sure. Actually this is the amazing "Boutique Hotel" we stayed at in Cocoa Beach, Florida called "Beach Place and Sand Dollar Guesthouses".
We woke up every morning and took that 10 second walk to the beach. Literally right on the beach, open your door and there you are.
Our Easter holiday in sunny Florida was great. The Easter bunny came and hid eggs in our rooms AND at our house in Virginia (at 2am...). What lucky children.
Our stay here was much fun and extremely inspirational. The place was done in the fashion of Antonio Guadi, the Spanish architect/artist of Spain. It was a very jungle like environment and the kids had a blast. Kenji spent his afternoons between catching reptiles with his fishing net and body boarding, and Keo just followed Kenji everywhere he went, thumb in mouth.

This is some of the work Antonio Guadi does that I saw in Spain long long ago...

Inspiring? I would say so!

catching a rainbow

2009-04-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

A rainbow flew into our house this morning at top speed. Went straight for the wall and landed at perfect height for little hands. The morning monkeys came rushing over trying to catch it. To make it theirs and to call their own.

happy

2009-04-15T08:21:00.001-07:00

This bright and cheery dolly makes me jump right into my good mood. Always happy and ready to take the day. She'll give you a good pep talk when you need it. Waiting with a smile on her face, rain or shine. I want to hop on her back and go wherever she goes.

midnight smoothies...

2009-04-15T08:17:00.001-07:00

Velvet strawberry and banana smoothies just before bed sprinkled with dots of the rainbow.
I found this such a pretty sight. Something that made me feel...grounded, happy, hopeful.

a blank canvas

2009-04-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

What is this blog to me? Why do I write and why do I post? I have been asking myself these questions recently. Before, this blog was a way for me to keep a log of my artwork and share with family and friends. Recently, it has been a way for me to document my daily life at home with the kids this year. I buy journals, rarely to write in them, but because they look so pretty sitting on my shelf. I must have 30 or so empty very beautiful journals. I have a few that are filled and Kenji, my 9 year old finds them quite interesting and amusing to read and has now taken up journaling himself. He loves to read what I thought when I was 12. Really gets a kick out of it. Hides in a corner giggling like he really is reading a very private and very secret diary of a girl...
Anyway I am going to jump once again on the art making wagon and see where it takes me. I will also post pictures of moments that I love. I never thought myself much of a writer and you may not either :) but I think I quite enjoy it.
Also, I have been asked to do a solo art show in town. And I haven't a clue what to show. Much of my work is from last year or so and I feel that I need to produce some new pieces, something fresh something fun. I haven't a clue when and what I will do. Maybe some cut paper experimentation. Maybe some daily scenes. I think it should reflect my daily life. I'm thinking fashion as well. I'm thinking kids too. I'm thinking simple and clean lines. Because I have been granted this opportunity and it is coming upon me so quickly - in June, then I must get to work.
Where o'where can I find some inspiration...
I will start today.

easter splashes

2009-04-11T05:41:00.000-07:00

As we were getting ready for our trip to Florida I realized we hadn't had any time for Easter egg painting before we left! And just at that moment a knock came at the door. My dear friend had made a quick stop to drop off some Easter egg paints!!! What a delight. Kids were about to rise from their naps and their surprise they would find an Easter egg painting station all set up and ready to splash into. And splash they did. No fighting please! You each get 5 eggs to paint and embellish all you like, and to call your very own.
Sweet pink eggs, magnificent bluish purple eggs, whatever your pleasure!

a moment of peace in the house...

2009-04-07T21:46:00.000-07:00

A very rare and absolutely wonderful 5 minute moment. Snacks were being eaten in peace, letter learning on a spiderman laptop was underway, homework was done, and lego building was going on in the distant. Everyone had there space and no one was getting in anyones business. A sight to see and hear. If only everyday we had a slice of life like this, and if and when we do, to sit back and watch, to enjoy and soak in, and if the camera is handy take a picture.

spring flowers and bulldozers in my garden?

2009-04-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

What can be more fun than having bulldozers, dump trucks and diggers in your own front year? And the noise? It is music to a 4 year olds ear. This is better than Bob the Builder, better than any cartoon, better than school, better than lunch, better than ANYTHING - trust me. This isn't across the street at the stoplight, this is right here, right now, all day. We will now make use of all our fun yellow digger trucks and watch and play along. But - wait..."why doesn't my digger truck pick up up rocks exactly like that one? and why doesn't my truck make the same noises?" and why why why....

snowy day..sunny day...snowy day

2009-04-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

Imagine all the things we can do in one week with this quick change of seasons. Summer for the first half of the week, then sledding over the weekend! "Hey Keo! Let's jump in the mud!" not the snow...the mud.

toe dance and a school art contest

2009-03-31T19:57:00.000-07:00

He sat there not one bit interested in following my 'directions'. From the moment he got the the paints out and the smock on he had not intention of listening to the what I had to say. The rules? forget about it. The colors? forget about it. He was going to do it his way or no way. I pretty much had to stand back with my hands crossed all huffy and upset that he was not into the project I had set out for him to do. Then! he broke out with the pen in toe dance. It lasted a good 20 minutes. He didn't need me one bit. Maybe just to put the red sharpie on his other toe every once in awhile.

Art room madness. He lay there cutting paper for hours on end. The topic being "What the Future Holds for Me" a school contest being held that challenges its students to answer this question any way they feel inspired to do so. Kenji choose an art project. Not sure if he is keeping the topic in mind... as he constructs these robots and alien looking figures. hmm. What he came up with was very Kenji-like though: spaceships and robots blasting off into outer space, underground tunnels and armoured minors in search of something and spikey spined dinosaur fossils rooted in the ground. It was a good break from video games and cartoons on the weekend AND it inspired him to work towards something artistic that had a beginning and "due by date". He was definitely in "the zone" that week.

inspiration

2009-03-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

dinasour anything please

2009-03-16T18:13:00.001-07:00

the chrysalis stage

2009-03-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

"Just living is not enough." said the butterfly. "One must have sunshine, freedom and little flower." - Hans Christian Anderson

tree hopping

2009-03-16T18:03:00.001-07:00

secrets...

2009-03-16T17:58:00.000-07:00

tree swinging in the middle of febuary

2009-03-11T20:54:00.000-07:00

It's sunny today and snowy tomorrow. Why not go swing on a tree in Virginia in a valley where cows roam near and listen to tales about black bears and black widows.

pile on the kids and the icing

2009-03-11T20:50:00.000-07:00

A day out, on top, over and around.

it's all about the icing

2009-03-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

Something about homemade sugar cookies decorated with a madness pile of sprinkles and "metal beads". The perfect icing? Some say milk, some say bit'o water, Ina says Lemon Juice... I say, let's try them all and get a sugary high.

Meditate - #4

2008-03-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

Number 4. More cut and paste and less paint. I like the way cut painted paper stands out. What if I did an all cut and paste? Finished this piece while my mom was visiting. We spent an evening painting and talking. She started 4 pieces. She has her own very distinct symbolic style. I love her:) We had fun painting, talking, taking the dogs for walks, playing with the kids, decorating the house, shopping, and having Cafe au Lait late at night.

Girl with 3 Flowers - #3

2008-03-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

Number 3. The paper cut outs is working for me lately. Paint, then Cut and paste, what could be better? Fun :)

Flower Cutout Girl - #2

2008-02-07T20:54:00.001-08:00

Numero 2. Here she is. I'm really pleased with the result. For awhile there I was losing hope with her. Something was missing and I couldn't figure out what and where. I do cut out shapes once in awhile and here it is again. The blue shapely flowers added that extra bling. I'm going to start experimenting with cut out painted colored paper and see what that adds to my drawings. She was feeling so flat and now she's not. The blue did it too I think.
Im listening to Blue October. Song: Calling You. I absolutely love this song and can't stop listening to it. The original utube version of of the man with the baby is good too.

Mama and Baby - #1

2008-02-07T20:20:00.001-08:00

Madre y Bebe. Estoy haciendo 6 pintoras al mismo tiempo. Esta aqui me parece que viene de Africa, o del Peru. En las Montanas del los Andes.
I started these 6 drawings last week. This is the first. I work on around this many at a time so that I can jump to another one if and when I get 'stuck' or its not speaking to me any more. Ones that appear so engaging in the beginning don't always stay that way, and others like this one that appeared lost and lifeless at first have now come into it's own. I have 5 left to finish. I'm journaling my work as I go. Every couple days I write what I have done to stay on top of my artwork. With my new job :) I want to make sure that I don't leave drawing behind. I Went to an art exhibit yesterday ;A Colombian artist who has been here for only 5 months. Her work was wonderful and vibrant. Also, my Chilean friend recommended visiting this South American Artists Website. I did....and fell in love. Renatte Neumann: http://www.renate.cl/main02.html

Heavy - Illustration Friday - Trinkle Trinkle

2007-12-10T21:18:00.000-08:00

Feeling inspired and heavy with thoughts at the same time. All the bits, all little pieces, how can my head hold so much? It just pours off my hair and down my arms. I get lost in it, covered by it. It can be soothing at times though, and burdening. Flowing and tickling as it sheds. It's shed itself onto the paper tonight.

2007-12-06T21:41:00.001-08:00

Excess

2007-12-04T20:28:00.001-08:00

Derriere le Frou-Frou. Tout Sa. Excess hair, excess stuff, we have an excess of everything. I like to say 'On est dans le Frou-Frou".
To view the painting in whole click here :)

Women of Color

2007-10-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

Charcoal face girl thinking "What?"

2007-10-21T19:44:00.000-07:00

Half hidden away but totally there.

Unsure

2007-10-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

A bit unsure and self-conscious today. What will the day bring? So much going on in my head, and look at her hair! It's busy enough.

Pastel Hippie Boy

2007-10-14T22:28:00.001-07:00

This is the girl belows friend. They like to make music together and dance and they live in Argentina..or Venezuela...or en Peru. Me gustan los colores. Me gustaria visitar otra vez el Peru y mi familia alli. Y me gustaria vestir como ellos.

Pastel Hippie Girl

2007-10-14T22:21:00.001-07:00

More than 4 months since my last sketch or artwork. It's fall and it's getting cold, time to settle in and hibernate in my 'art space' . Let's see what comes out. This little hippie girl is dancing away. Her boy - friend is above. Friend that is a boy.

Older Work, first pieces.

2007-10-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

This link will take you to another site, my very first attempt at blogging my art that I don't update anymore in order to keep all my pictures and artwork in one place. But it's worth a visit and..it's too much work to transfer all that over to this blog. The artwork and sketches there, on this other blog were my very first postings and artwork as a matter of fact. Posted between Jan and March of 2007, although they were probably created a few months before. I tend to do a bunch of artwork post them all in one go, then let my blog go stale as I get busy on the art again, then post. I'm trying to get out of that habit starting....today? I'm also trying to get at writing a bit more on my art and posting more than just artwork, but more pictures that I take and life around. Also some more journaling in, with or without art and pictures. Let's see how it goes.
Visit my very first blog here :)

Transportation

2007-10-14T20:39:00.001-07:00

Paris is full of car congestion but now they have bikes you can borrow and return at any location to ease your transportation. Above, this miss doesn't seem to happy about her bicycle ride...she'd rather have taken a taxi!

Rembember - IF (Illustration Friday submission)

2007-04-30T10:53:00.001-07:00

I find myself sitting in this position quite often lately.
I need to get back into my art. - noun or verb? "Art is a verb., not a noun, it is a state of being...with momentum. It is the perfect balance between 'doing' and 'not doing'." I sit like this and remember what it feels like to be creative, to feel alive, and well. To dream and paint, to think and feel and paint, to converse with myself and all that stuff that comes along with feeling good. And I do suppose we all need a break from the act of doing.
- This girl here is in deep thought. You'd almost have to pinch here to get her attention!

Total

2007-03-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

Total conciousness.

Wired

2007-03-12T18:07:00.000-07:00

This weeks submission for Illustration Friday's theme : WIRED

Hide - Illustration Friday

2007-03-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

Here is my submission for this weeks Illustration Friday theme on : HIDE

She's hiding!!!

Illustration Friday - Communication

2007-02-25T16:36:00.000-08:00

Here's my submission for IF: Illustration Friday's theme on COMMUNICATION:

Makes me think of ...Astrology ...and Communication. Astrological Communication? Stars? Meditation? Vibes? Close your eyes and feel the energy around you!
Read your Horescope and have a grrrreat weekend!
Visit more art here!

Crash

2007-02-12T15:34:00.000-08:00

Here is my submission for this weeks IF: Illustration Friday's theme on: CRASH

CRASH!!!!!!

Crash

2007-02-12T12:16:00.000-08:00

Oh my! Oh la la!!! Apples rolling, Baguettes flying and eggs cracking!
This piece was inspired by the beautiful outdoor markets in europe and the amazing architecture that housed them. We'd walk on Tuesday, Thursdays and Sunday morning to grab a fresh brioche, some lovely cheese and maybe some charcuterie to take home for lunch or some chucrute and sausage!, or...some wild mushrooms and herbs. And of course, get some pastries for dessert - The Bellifontian! Delicious!

Sprout - Illustration Friday

2007-02-07T11:42:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you need a bit of it all to help you grow.

*click on image for better viewing :)

Red - Illustration Friday

2007-02-01T20:54:00.000-08:00

A line of Red shoes! From Paris of course. This painting was done using acrylic for the background, drawn shoes - cut out of paper and painted in water color, paint markers, and oil pastels. What fun it was to experiement with all the different media. Oh La La...

Super Hero - Illustration Friday

2007-01-19T21:53:00.000-08:00

My sons 4th birthday comes to mind. I had no clue what to hand out as a goody bag/gift. The theme was Super Heros! Buzz, Spider Man, Superman, Wonderwomen, even Tiger and Pooh. And then it hit me! Make red capes for all the little boys and girls. So I went and bought tons of red material and string. I sewed the edges and placed every ones initial on the back with puffy paint and tied string around the collar. Then I handed them out at the end of the birthday party and the kids absolutely loved them! Some preferred to be little red riding hood rather than superman and it still worked out! They zoomed around the house and it seemed like that's when the party started rather than ended!
So it was quiet nice to cut out the red material for this piece, sew it a bit, brought back good memories :)

80's - Illustration Friday

2007-01-17T15:36:00.000-08:00

"Big Mac Fillet-a-fish, Quarter Pound and french fries, icey coke, milkshake and apple pie, and the spoon ran away with the fork..." that was an 80's commercial rememmmmber? As far as fashion was concerned ; high bangs ... and lots and lots of hairspray, legwarmers for sure, keds too, and safety Pins in keds- with colored beads! puffy jackets and sleevelss shirts, Spandex and mini skirts, Pink lipstick and Jelly Bracelets! And I remember my pink Ghetto Blaster! Got it the same year I got my pink 10 speed. I was too young to fully appreciate being a teen in the 80's, but I sure do remember that ghetto blaster...

Phoenix - for Illustration Friday (())

2006-12-31T13:02:00.000-08:00

Here is my post for Phoenix. Hope you like it :) a bit funky. Haven't used my oil crayones in ages! and its a cutout and then i placed it on a painted surface - with that flower thing beside it. On the other side, there were flames, but it didn't all fit in the picture. Kinda looks better on my desk than it does here :( oh well, enjoy!

Peace - for Illustration Friday

2006-12-25T21:19:00.000-08:00

She withdrew... and found peace.