Productivity

I did go to the doctor for my pain and of course he gave me meds and wants to see me in a month but the pain isn't totally gone.

However, in my little studio I can find much to do to occupy my mind and take it off of the pain. I carved a new stamp (inspired by a wonderful photo of my mother in law who died less than a year after we were married). I am making cards with it and did a polymer clay piece from it to put on canvas. I just can't decide how to embellish it yet. Any ideas?

Change

Progress?

I have made more art in the last two weeks than any one period in my life.
That's good but I think the use of my arms and hands and the tense way I stand and work is causing my pain. I finally gave in and called the doc and have an appointment for tomorrow at 8:30 AM. I'm weary and ready to get it over and done and get on with my life, my art, and my activities.
Here is a new piece for the journal project and the 2X3 foot canvas I've been working on.

Another day of............

I guess I'm going to the doctor. This head ache is keeping me from progress with my many art projects. I'm working on a canvas book for the upcoming SS theme of nature and I need to know how to keep vellum from wrinkling even though the dampness just came through the backing paper not the vellum itself.
It's looking so good except for that and I hate to think I have to start over. I attached the vellum with brads and then pasted the two pages together to hide the brad backs but now the dampness has come through and the vellum is wrinkled. Can I try to iron it? Blast it with the heat gun? What? I didn't want to stick the vellum even with vellum tape. Any suggestions?
I even learned to do piano hinge binding thanks to Lisa Vollrath's help. If you haven't seen her site TwoTen Studios. Check it out here:
http://tentwostudios.lisavollrath.com/

Here is a recent fun work featuring my son and his girlfriend. Just take a funny magazine ad and alter with heads and paint:

Believing in the healing of God

Although I am only 50 the ravages of time are taking over and I have new aches and pains every day. I need anyone reading this blog to please pray for me. I have had a headache off and on for 5 days now, not the normal, take a pill or rest and it leaves. Please join me and tell me if you believe too.

God Bless you!

If only...

If only I have time to devote a full work day each day to art.
If only I had the energy to give all my free time to art.
If only I had started earlier in my life.
If only...........wait........Carpe Diem.........I have today......I have now.....
I will do all I can
with all I have
as much as I can
for as long as I can
I am now in the process of doing mini color journals.I have begun blue and am going to do the primaries and then maybe go on to the secondaries and so forth.
I have another piece ready to submit to Somerset for their "blue" theme.
Whoop! Here it is!

another publication

I am happy to say I have another piece that will be published in the upcoming Oct./Nov. 2006 issue of Legacy, another Somerset Studios publicaton.
It is from my "Her" Series.
Here is the image and description:

“Her loyalty was awesome” is digital images of my paternal grandmother Hassie Quinn. She was a simple, hard working wife and mother who took care of everyone in her family for as long as she lived. Even after her day at work in the textile mill, she came home and cooked, cleaned, raised three children. I love these images of her. My grandfather Claude was her main charge and she took care of him until the day he died. The images have been printed from my computer. The background of red, blue and white acrylics really emphasize the doll like image of her. The smaller images are mounted on foam core to add dimension and interest in design. The text is stamped with acrylic paint. The images are attached and coated with gel medium. The size of the piece is 17 X 8 inches.

still in love with watercolor

Despite all my recent fun with altered everything art, I still have the passion for watercolor I always had. This piece "She wasn't always blue" began as a collage and now I've done the watercolor version and am very pleased with it.
I hope you never give up your first passions whether in art or life. Each day is precious and you never know how many are left so I encourage you to love them all. Embrace each little fact about daily routine. There is comfort there!



Carpe Diem!
Don't be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. ~Charles Richards

Manifesto

I read about a neat idea on another artist's site about writing a manifesto (Kelly Angard at http://www.creativecollage.blogspot.com/ a really cool site with lots of great images and info.
A manifesto is your own policy or standard for who you are and who you are becoming.
I decided to do a collage of words on an old watercolor landscape painting.
Here it is. I did add one more word after the photo so I just tagged it by cgi. It's a good exercise in deciding what is important to you. Something positive to focus on is better than fretting over any negativity.

New Studio Part II

Still evolving and organizing and planning and cleaning and whew! I'm tired. I had to stop and make art. Cleaning out your art areas or obtaining something new for it is a great catalyst. Yesterday alone I:

• finished a collage
• started a full sheet watercolor
• prepped pages for the collaborative woman journal
• planned another piece
• sketched new ATC's for Artella swaps
• sketched heritage women on a 2X3 foot canvas

I'm telling you. It works! If you haven't cleaned out your studio in a while or haven't went through that old box of stuff you were saving for "someday" or found a new item for you studio organization, then do it now. You will suddenly be making art so fast you want hardly be able to stand it. Just do it!

Here is a sample of that list:

Heart Felt Wishes

New studio

Well, not new but in the process of adding a huge work table and rearranging and discarding all the junk. I will post a picture when finished but for now.........here is some eye candy.....

How to stand out??????????

My art is growing with leaps and bounds but I still feel like my work looks like a take off on other peoples' works. So how do I make mine different?
I would love to have you browse my blog and give me some constructive ideas for finding my own style or tell me mine are very unique. I love what I'm doing but I need to step out of the crayon box and go for the WOW-I NEVER THOUGHT OF DOING THAT response.

Be thankful

I am thankful for my husband.
I am thankful for my son.
I am thankful for my mom.
I am thankful for my dad.
I am thankful for my God.
I am thankful for His Son, Jesus Christ.
I am thankful to be who I am.
A CHRISTIAN!

Creativity

I have been working on a zine about creativity. I am happy to share it with anyone reading this blog.Just email me and I will gladly send it to you. cqt144w@mindspring.com
It is a word file so most can open it easily.
Here is a sample page.

Time for Art keeps me sane

In all the commitments and things to do I keep finding new stuff to do with my art and I am having a ball. Here is the latest and another version is in the works on canvas to give my friend.

Monday isn't here and my schedule is full!

I taught all last week and thought this week would be free for my own art and regular chores but now I'm doing a backdrop for church, teaching one day, meeting a friend, getting oil changed, and on and on and on.
When will I ever learn to say NO!(?) Probably never!
Meanwhile here are some more of my funny heritage women.

another day another dollar

I am teaching an art camp this week and I really would rather be making my own art but instead I am trying to get 13 busy elementary kids to appreciate art, instruction and opportunity. Four days left and I am wiped out. I still had time to work on some lettering last night as I sat in front of mindless TV trying to unwind and get ready to sleep.

I think I'm on to something new

How in the world can I get my ideas out there and published and start making a living doing what I love? Is it even possible. I keep trying and dreaming and playing and maybe someday.....Here's a new image, using markers, Crayola Colorwash, regular Crayola and various others.

New series-Name?

I have been obsessed with a female doll pattern from Somerset Studios Workshop. I have traced it, doodled on it (inspired by Traci Bautista's new book - Collage Unleashed), put it on canvas, watercolor paper, etc.
I don't know where it is leading but I am having fun and know a new series is developing. I even think I will buy a HUGE canvas and paint it (my design teacher is always telling me to work larger.) I also learned that the Crayola Color Explosion markers will erase some other markers which really adds lots of neat detail to drawings. Try it and let me know
what you think. And what do I call the? At present I am calling them Heritage Women for lack of a better name. Here are some samples.

I need more time and energy

My mind is exploding with ideas and there just isn't enough time and energy for it all but I AM NOT GIVING UP! Why can't I just admit I am a full time artist and punch the clock at 8 AM, go to the studio (spare room) and create for 4 hours. Have lunch. Paint, collage, sketch, frame, etc. for 4 more hours and even put in overtime at night?
One day I will! And maybe even make a living at it! Here's a self portrait I did last year about this time!