Guess where I went today....

Can you tell? I spent the morning at the Desert Botanical Gardens, one of my most favorite places! I took pictures (have 76 good ones), painted in my journal, ate lunch under a shady cottonwood tree, and had peaceful, quiet time to myself. It was heavenly! Here are some of my favorite shots of the day:
This was my first shot of the day upon my arrival around 8:45 yesterday morning.


I love finding little surprised.. a different variety of cacti growing in the crevices of a sajuaro!

A very rare sight here in the valley but, I understand there are two pair of Cardinals that live at the garden now!
I was very pleasantly surprised to find several cactus blooming this time of year!
And some that I photographed in spring now have fruit. I love the rich contrast of color against the pale green.
There were also several reptile out roaming about but only two that posed for me.
And then there's the evidence of a reptile... way cool. The shed skin feels like thin, fragile paper.
kinda' looks like bubble wrap! hehehe!
love this little guy... he was only a couple inches long sitting in the water. I was thrilled he didn't hop away.
Then, there's the trees. LOVE the tree bark! And it is evident that fall is hear beneath the cottonwood trees.




And then, there are the Monarchs. They were fluttering everywhere in the wild but the garden also had an exhibit where I got some good shots. Don't you love their polka dots?




I'm not sure what this plant is but I love the colors, shape, and textures.

And finally, here are the two journal pages I managed to get painted while I was there. I'm a slow painter, seriously. The one on the left took me a while but since I wasn't "on the clock", I didn't pay attention to time. I got lost in the process. The second one I did in about 20 minutes because it was almost time for me to leave to pick up my kids at school and I was determines to get in at least two paintings for the morning.


And that's a wrap! Hope you've enjoyed the show!
I'll be heading over there again a lot in the near future now that it's cooling off!

What a week!

Well, last Friday, Max woke with flu-like symptoms running fever. He did not get to back to school until Tuesday, when Sam then came down with the same virus! I have been trapped at home for a week now. However, I have used the time well, I think. I got a lot of things cleaned out an organized and have gotten a few projects done. I was commissioned to make a gift journal and finished it yesterday. Here it is:



The recipient loves the sea thus the scripture passage and color palette. On the inside, I added this little vinyl pocket of sand with her name and a single pearl buried in sand.

I also pulled out the art doll I started in Katie Kendrick's class over TWO years ago! YIKES! I finished her today and put her up for sale in my Etsy store. I hope she finds a happy, new home soon.


I also made two more special order dolls for the same buyer who ordered the last ones. I got those and the little tomato costume shipped off today.

Tomorrow, I'll finally have both boys back in school for the day then they'll be back out for not only the weekend, but all of next week! It is their fall break. This weekend, I'll be working on another special gift order and then have more projects I want to complete. I'm trying to get some things made to sell while still trying to reorganize and clean things out in my apartment. I still one one mess art table that needs my attention badly!

I look forward to a morning walk tomorrow after dropping the boys off. The temperatures have been so amazing, I can't wait to have some time out in the crisp morning air! I've been keeping windows open all day and it's been wonderful!

It's Official!

I will be teaching 4 classes in Texas in April 2010!!!! Here are the classes that were accepted:
One Page At A Time - Tab Bound Book
2. Translucent Liquid Sculpy Fused Collage (learned this from DJ Pettitt and have received her blessing to teach the class... but this will be an entire collage fused with TLS so a little different than how she taught it.)
3. Watercolor on Canvas
4. Mixed Media fabric postcard

Over the next couple of days, all classes will be listed on the blog to get ready for registration so check it out!!! (you'll find the link to the right) I'd love for you to join me deep in the heart of Texas! YeeHawwwww!

Too long

It has been way too long since I posted! I didn't realize! I've been so busy. My Wednesday art classes with the home school kids is going great. My best and most enthusiastic student is 3 years old and just an absolute delight! I can't wait to see her. This past week, I put plastic on the floor and we did shaving cream painting. There just isn't anything better about teaching than watching the shear joy of someone being who they were created to be... and this little one is an artist through and through. Before she left, I was kneeling down talking to her and she leaned over, put her arms around my neck and kissed me on the cheek. I melted. I wanted to bring her home with me! LOL!

This past week, I won a couple of bids on Etsy with the Alchemy section. It's where people have something they want made, they post it along with their ideal price and you can bid for the jobs. I won to jobs and just completed them both. One was for very simple cloth baby dolls (9 inches) along with blankets and diapers for them and the other for a tomato Halloween costume for a 2 year old! Remember I have to take pictures with my computer camera since mine was stolen and my husband took his camera back to his house so, these pictures are not so great but it's all I've got.
These things are a little more "crafty" but they've been fun to do. I did create the patterns and everything from scratch so they are sorta' art projects! LOL! I loved doing the costume. I've got bids in on a couple other jobs right now for costumes.

Some stuff going on in my personal life that I can't really talk about here but pray for my family, will ya'? I'd appreciate the prayers.

Two weeks ago, I started attending a very intense support group that will go for the next 6 months being led by my therapist. Homework this week took me hours to do. Got it all typed in my computer and tried printing only for my printer to die... I mean DEAD! Wahhhhh! On top of homework for this group each week, I have homework for my Bible Study class as well. I feel like I'm in school.

Well, it's been an exhausting day so I'm heading for bed. Tomorrow will be super busy with counseling in the morning and group tomorrow night and a ton of other stuff in between... physically and emotionally exhausting just thinking about my list. I'll try to do better about posting!

update

Well, here's my studio update...


Progress was made but the other art table is still in shambles....

The kitties had a pile up on my sewing table. They often sleep here but not often do I find all three of them hanging out here. It's Kenzy's normal spot with Bob or Marvin visiting occasionally. It's very hard to sew with cats piled behind your sewing machine.
Before I cleaned up all my fabric, I made 10 more heart tags. When my therapist saw photos of the original 20, she ordered 10 more! Now to put name labels on them. I was going to do it tonight but I'm just dead tired. My lower back has a knife stabbing in it and a headache came on this evening. I'm going to bed now. Still have lots to do tomorrow before Sam's big party! He's sooooo excited!

A quick catch up

Well, I'm still in a frenzy thinking it will slow down but am coming to realize that this crazy life is probably going to be my norm. It just is. Yesterday, I started my one morning a week job teaching art to home schooled kids. It was really fun. I will enjoy working with the kids. The youngest I work with are the 3/4 year old age group. Right now, I only have one child signed up in that group so she and I did our thing yesterday. There is nothing like a 3 year old literally squealing with delight as she saw color changing when she mixed paint! :) I wanted to just squeeze her! And it's so fun doing stuff with a little girl for a change. Anyway, this is my every Wednesday morning job and I'm going to love it!



I will begin attending a new support group for woman which is being led by my therapist. It begins Monday night... she had so many women interested, she had to go into two nights for two groups! Anyway, she asked if I might have time to make some kind of name tag so no one had to just do the peel and stick thing. Since the group is focusing on healing hearts, I immediately got a visual of pieced fabric hearts that hang around the neck instead of pin on. Without much thought, I grabbed the first thing on my sewing table to use as a base, which happened to have just arrived in the mail.... recycled black felt. I received it from a fellow artist, Susan, who gets it supplied by a man that works with canoes and such. Apparently, the various boats arrived in this black felt. He didn't want to throw so much of it away so he passes it on to Susan, who, in turn, had so much that she passed some on to me! With this as my base, I began just cutting out hearts with no pattern so all of them are unique, different shapes and sizes of hearts. I then began haphazardly piecing them. As I began working on them, I started seeing underlying symbolism in how these were being made.
1.) the black felt: the color represents the sin done against us, sin we have committed, and the pain we each carry. I also like the fact that the felt came from protection of a vessel. But not just any vessel, one that floats and moves someone from one place to the next.
2.) no pattern: having no pattern for these tags allows the uniqueness to come out in each piece. No two are alike... just like us!
3.) the piecing: having random pieces all put together are like little fragments.. representing all those little fragments of our own hearts that are broken and wounded... but God can take all the little fragments and put them together into something beautiful when we allow Him to.
4.) random paths of quilting with thread... the weaving together; truth as a thread, giving stability.
I will be adding small rectangles of either torn fabric stitched on or paper sewn for names to be added.

I just have to show this... it's a very funky embroidered leather vest complete with a fur trim... 70's, obviously. A friend gave it to me from a yard sale! I'm thinking a new tote bag.....and lots of cat toys from that black fur!

And, here's a glimpse into my frenzied working space when I have so many things happening at once! Since my studio is my main living space and I have a 10 year old's spend the night birthday party here tomorrow night, I have lots of work to do so the boys have room to sleep! Gotta' go get busy!


Still working on one more proposal for AU too... Tuesday is the deadline! OK, off to clear sleep space for a bunch of loud, rowdy boys!

Blog award

I was just given a blog award by my friend, Jeri, from Texas.

I'm supposed to name 5 things that I love. If you know me at all, you know this will be hard for me - I could make a LONG list so this is only the tip of the iceberg!

1. brainstorming creative ideas with friends

2. everything about fall... the smell, the colors, which are all my favorites, etc...

3. the sounds of my kids laughing.

4. my church

5. walking on the beach for hours... whenever I get to go. (it's been over a year and I miss it terribly)

Here is a list of five friends I'm passing this on to:

Joanne

Fran

Cindy

Linda

Judy