Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Thank You 2014…..


it took losing my job for me to begin living.
most of my adult life has been spent obsessing over
money…or the lack of it. for me it was never about
keeping up with the Jones…it was about keeping a
roof over our heads…dependable transportation…and
food on the table. i lost my job through no fault of my
own. the day i was given my walking papers should 
have debilitated me with fear…but it didn't. i never once
got that chills in the gut feeling because i knew….i
KNEW... the Universe would provide for me…and it
has. i have been blessed many times over since then.

my days are now filled with art…books…long walks
and a wonderment for life. i am so thankful for my
blessings…and the more thankful i've become…the more
blessed i have been. this has been a wonderful year…

thanks for all the answers 2014….



Thursday, December 18, 2014

I Need A Do Over….


There is an African proverb that says "When an old
man dies…a library burns to the ground." 

I was never blessed with a Teller of Stories in my family.
I collected bits and pieces of the more legendary family
tales through the years without ever sitting down to question
the whys..whens…and what fors…from my elders. As I
ease into my senescent years there are so many regrets for
all the unasked questions..the missing puzzle pieces…
the loss of my history. I am lucky enough to have the
family bible (above) with recorded births and deaths
of my Mothers family…but I want the stories…the day to
day living of life goings ons…the silly..the sad..the brave…
the cowardly…I want to know about all the blue highways 
on the map to this thing I call…me. 

I've waited until the last library has burned to the ground….
I need a do over..

Monday, December 15, 2014

dEaR SaNtA…...


Alice decided telling little white lies this time of year
couldn't hurt….

allowed my inner child to make an appearance
tonight with her unabashed drawing…
i miss her...

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Oh Deer…..


I always like giving meaningful gifts…
especially something I've made myself.
This Christmas I called upon Deer Spirit
to help me with my gifting. I used cast off antlers…
once used to connect these beautiful animals to the
higher energies...and crafted this key chain…
some earrings…and a necklace… in hopes of
 imparting the Grace…Gentleness…and 
the Intuitiveness of Deer Spirit into the lives
 of the recipients. 

As they carry with them the Magic…
Sacredness... and Peace... of the forest..
I ask that Deer Spirit give them guidance
in their daily living of life.




Sunday, December 7, 2014

Decorating for Christmas


Well….I finally finished my Christmas decorating.
….this is it!
   LOL

Friday, November 28, 2014

Feeling Blessed…..


I love to greet each day on my porch..
coffee in hand…listening to the feathered
ones chittering amongst themselves as they
prepare for a new day. I sit…wrapped
in a blanket against the chill…
feeling blessed…


Thursday, November 27, 2014

Thanksgiving 2014


Feeling thankful….
feeling blessed….

Monday, November 24, 2014

Alexander Jansson





i am simply in awe of Alexander Janssons art……..

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Searching For Mr. Right


i got a little paint under my nails tonight…
i'll have to say i'm learning it's not so easy
to collage in a planner. i guess i need to
do a tip in with my collage and just do
the glue/sticker thingy on the pages.
still….i'm having fun!

Thursday, November 20, 2014

The Living Studio - Yes Please!


Do you have a portable studio?
Jeanne Oliver is giving one away to celebrate the launch

I've never had the privilege of attending an art
retreat. I can't even imagine how wonderful it
would be to spend time learning and talking 
with so many kindred spirits.

For those of us who can't make it to her retreats
she will be hosting a free online series featuring
videos of a variety of artists showcasing their 
techniques…Awesome Sauce!

Head on over to Jeanne Oliver Designs to read
all about this deliciousness and leave a comment for 
a chance to win your own portable studio!

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Still….


You are much on my mind today…
I will look for you first in our next life...

Monday, November 17, 2014

The Meaning of Life Explained by Third Graders


The Meaning of Life Explained by Third Graders…

You don't have to be great to get started
but you have to get started to be great...

Friday, November 14, 2014

She had Colorful Dreams


dreams….
wakeful or shape shifting
among the stars
i hope yours are
colorful

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Mr. Owl



Hoooooo doesn't love kids art?
One of my grans gifted me with Mr. Owl. 
She and her sister were born on the same
day…two years apart. For their birthday
this year I made them both an art journal
with prompts and pictures to color…a 
whole lot of silliness went in to those
journals. I also gave them scissors, glue
sticks and magazines so they could make
pictures from bits and bobs. One of the 
printouts in the book showed how to
draw an owl….I think she did a great
job and hope she continues to keep
art journals.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Sunday, November 9, 2014

A Little Bovine Love…..


Simple pleasures….
a silly cow creamer found
at the junk store filled with
the last of my flowers makes
me a happy camper.

What are some of your
simple pleasures?



Saturday, November 8, 2014

Wolfgang Laib Beeswax Room

Can you imagine meditating in a small room.. illuminated
 with a single light bulb... the walls and ceiling covered
 in beeswax? 


The aroma and energy of this room must
be simply amazing. It's an installation at
the Phillips Collection in Washington DC
by German artist Wolfgang Laib. 

Oh how I'd love to have one of my own!


Friday, November 7, 2014

Spend Money on Jody Day

Thought I'd jump on here and share some of my finds from my
 Spend Money on Jody Day.


I found this Orange Circle Studio password logbook at 
Target. I'm planning to use it as an art journal. I love the
images on the dividers:




I did a walk about in Tuesday Morning and scored these:


And to the Dollar Tree for some Christmas themed tapes:


Wooo Hooo….I feel like I've won the lottery!

Ooooh…I'ma have so much fun!

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Grayson Perry Makes Me Happy!



there are some pictures that just beg for a little digital magic.
this one of Grayson Perry was one of them! i did a little
manipulating with iColorama to get this image. he is such
a fun and interesting person…also a wonderful ceramic
 artist. want to take a peek into his world…
check out this interview.



Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Red On My Mind a Digital Collage Tutorial


Geri Centonze over at Art of Mob issued a challenge
on instagram to create a face collage using parts from
different photos. this is one of my favorite things to do
so i created Red On My Mind. i thought i'd walk you 
through my creative process to show how i made this piece.

i began with a picture taken with my iPhone at a ceramics
exhibit.


i opened this in iColorama app and changed it
to a painterly look.


opened this in Procreate app and then opened
my color outside the lines collage as another
layer and erased everything except the eyes.


below is what i ended up with. i also brought in a layer
with a letter written in a childs handwriting and erased
it all except what you see on the cheek.


then i opened the above image in ImageBlender as
the background and opened the picture i did below
as the foreground.


i played around with the opacity modes and
slider and then masked out all but the hair and glasses.


i took this photo back to iColorama and again
applied a painterly look. next i wanted a better
background so i opened my Tintype collage
in ImageBlender as the background and then 
brought in the above image that i had painted.


i moved the woman off center and then masked
out all but her figure. next i took the combined
photo back to iColorama and used brush/paint
to do a wash of color over the numbers to
make them fit my colors. i wasn't too happy
with top of her nose so i took the picture back
to ImageBlender and brought in the original
painted ceramic picture on top and masked
all but the nose to cover that light patch under
her glasses. i like how it turned out. i'd also
like to say that i'm sure all these steps could
have been done in iColorama…i'm just not
that good with the app…it's a powerful app and
one that i would suggest you add to your
collection.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Hello September….


for those of us of "a certain age" september always
heralded the return to school..our year was september
until june. i could have cared less about new clothes and
 shoes but the school supplies…oh how i loved them!

the new book satchel (we didn't have book bags)
smelling of vinyl…


pencils..paper and the box of fat…flat backed crayons…
all added to a sacred brew of smells that
morphed into a great love of art supplies.

it doesn't feel very septembery today…the thermometer
on the screened porch reads 93 degrees.. but just knowing
that it's september and autumn is around the corner causes a 
little quickening in my soul.








Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Standing to Applaud Lucy Hilmer


vulnerability….scary stuff



why is it that we would chew our own foot off rather
than expose ourselves to others?
this was especially the case in my younger
years although as i age it becomes less of an issue…
(which is kinda scary considering a glimpse of my younger
 self was way easier on the eye). 

i think for women body image is one of our greatest 
vulnerabilities so when i came across photographer
Lucy Hilmers series of selfies taken each year on
her birthday…dressed in only her underpants..socks..
and shoes…i wanted to stand and applaud!

she began taking her pictures on her twenty ninth
birthday and continues today at the age of sixty nine.
she did admit that she kept them to herself until
recently but is now publishing a book of the series.

at an age when society tells us we should just fade
into the background Lucy Hilmer has the courage to
shout…
look at me….
i'm still here…
i matter…
i am enough...

Monday, August 25, 2014

You Sure Did Grow Up to Be Old…...


i had a good laugh today as a read a journal entry from
a couple of years ago on my birthday. one of my grans
told me "you sure did grow up to be old"….i wonder what
that makes me now?

i was looking for a new journal when i found this one on
etsy by ZeebenDry:


i MUST have this!

Sunday, August 24, 2014

We'll All Become Stories…..



today finds me beginning my 61st year.
my inner child looks out the portals of this faithful old body…
filled with the battle scars of life (physical and mental) and
tries to reconcile the inside with the out. how is it that we
have a Peter Pan spirit while our physical body breaks
 down with the living of life.

i spent the day quietly…listening to soft voices whispering the
stories of my past ….sensing somehow that the best
is yet to come with the turning of this new blank page…my pencil
is sharpened…poised to scratch out the rest of the story.

in the end…we'll all become stories…..




Friday, August 15, 2014

Finally……an Update

(image via wildwomansisterhood.blogspot.com)


Just to let you know….
this is what I've been up to….

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Just a Shadow of Myself

I found this guy on my walk today and brought him home
to do a little digital magic on him. I was both creeped
out and fascinated with him and found myself waiting for
him to strike out as I shot a series of photos. 


I used Snapseed, iColorama, and Mextures to get 
this effect. Here's the original shot:


I carried this guy all around the yard shooting in 
different places. This shot was on the concrete
in front of my steps. When I started shooting I
noticed the shadow which I thought was wonderful.
After loading the photo on my laptop the one I wanted
to use was blurred….I have such a hard time taking
pictures with glasses on but don't manage well without
them for close up. Carried the little guy back out to
try for a clear shot and the clouds had rolled in so
I lost the shadow. I had to wait for about a hour before
the sun reappeared to get this shot.

Ssssssssssss!

This one was done with ShockMyPic:



Friday, June 13, 2014

Sea Salt…Thyme..and Chocolate

Yes….another unexplained Missing in Action
Sorry….

I found this on Pinterest today…
oh my…



Thursday, May 22, 2014

Lucid Dreaming


Lucid Dreaming
Shamanic Journeying
Time Traveling
Soul Walking
Aho...

Composed with iColorama, Tangent, 
Tinned Cam & ShockMyPic


Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Summertime...


I'm not a country music fan but Kenny Chesneys
Summertime was stuck in my head today. Played around
with icolorama brushes again then opened the 
image in Oggl to add a vintage camera lens and 
film effect. Added some texture with DistressedFX and
finally the lyrics with Word Swag.

I know….it's not a Ford….but it's the only shot
I had of a truck.

Yoo-Hoo!

Monday, May 19, 2014

The Ancient


I've been looking at the icolorama app for a while
now. I've seen some wonderful things done with it
so I finally plunked down the $2.99 to add it to my
arsenal of photo manipulation tools. 

This is my first piece and to be honest I can't really 
tell you how I did it! I opened one of my digital
collages and played around with brushes in the
artist mode….I think….

After getting something that caused that little
"yeah…that's it" kinda thingy in my stomach
I saved it and then reopened it in Tangent and
added the geometric elements….and 
The Ancient revealed herself.

I've got a LOT to learn about this app but it
looks like a great purchase.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Rainy Morning Walk….

Here are a couple of pics I took this morning on a 
walk around my yard. 



Yes….I HAD to snazzy them up with a couple of apps.
I've become quite obsessed with apps….BIG bang for
little bucks!

Here's the raw shot of the succulent:


I used Oggl (Hipstamatic) to get the effect above.
I have Hipstamatic on my iPhone…it lets you shoot
using a combination of lens and old film types but
I like shooting raw and opening the image in Oggl 
to see which combos I like best.

And the chives:


I opened this image in Snapseed and converted it to
HDR then saved and opened in my new favorite…
Tinned Cam and added the light effect and color
change. Easy peasy!

A little snazzing up makes all the difference!