Signing off

This month could go on record as the most neglected blogging month thus far, but I'd like to think I had good reason. Besides juggling a very steady workload at Daley design, I've been getting to know my new licensing agent and publisher.

As of Friday, it's all official. I've placed years of work in very capable hands and have joined what feels like an extended family over at Penny Lane. I'm so excited to go forward with this partnership. It's a new beginning that I can't wait to have unfold.

Since my studio door has been closed more than open, I'll be taking a few days off to spend with a very patient and supportive immediate family. Have a great week and I'll be back here sometime after the 4th.

Happiness is...

The short list including really good ice cream on an equally delicious sugar cone; night rains so there's no need to remember to water flowers during perfectly sunny days; perfectly sunny days; finishing projects that seemed endless; eating dinner outside; planning vacations; anniversaries; hanging out with old friends; time at the pool with a pile of unread magazines; painting ice cream cones; finding cute shoes in a size 11 (that's not a typo); smores; listening to 5-year-old sandbox banter; sleeping in; being loved; being missed when you go away; having a job that doesn't feel like a "job"; movie nights with buttered popcorn; coffee in the morning; keeping up with the laundry; blue skies; being trusted with preteen secrets; long days and ice cream. It's worth mentioning twice.

"Happiness is..." is available as a print in my etsy shop. Hope you're having sunny days too.

Learning to drive in NYC

Don't take that title literally. I would eat worms before I ever personally drove through the heart of New York City. I'm talking about learning to drive with an art license. Surtex has been forever on my radar as the place to go to figure out the business and put my big foot in the door. While I didn't feel ready to exhibit/invest in a $4000 booth, I did think that it was time to see the show and take in the entire conference program to better educate myself. So I made the plunge and spent the past three days learning everything I could. Art licensing was a hazy, intimidating subject to me only months ago. Now that world is suddenly becoming clear. I made several excellent contacts and I can say with some certainty that my career is ready to take some exciting turns (not without hard work, but I'm feeling ready.)

While I was mainly focused on Surtex, I did have a sliver of time to catch some New York sights. Sights mainly geared to places where I could pick up surprises for my well-behaving...ahem...kids back at home with their Dad.

This impostor had to suffice for the real thing. I'm sure I'll be back some day to properly see New York. In the meantime, I'll keep you posted on what develops. I do believe that the first step to pursuing anything you might want to do is learning everything possible about it. Education brings comfort. Maybe not enough to ride in a NYC taxi without several seat belts strapped around yourself, but enough to hail the next ride with confidence.

The right equipment for Illustration Friday

To be honest, when the Illustration Friday prompt came this morning I wasn't exactly running for my brushes filled with inspired bliss. "Equipment" brought images of tractors, backhoes and other heavy machinery...technical, mechanical kind of stuff that didn't speak to me. However, I was determined to participate. So I looked "equipment" up in the dictionary rather than settle for my preconceived, stifling notions. Definition #2 felt more comfortable:
2, that which equips; supplies; gear.

After finding a way to relate, I illustrated my type of equipment as seen above.

That's what I love about Illustration Friday. A common word is able to produce a wide range of inspiration and images.

And yes, if you're wondering, I do think heavy construction equipment would be happier with more color and of course glitter. Just my thoughts.

Happy Earth Day to you

Love the earth for the sake of us big peeps...

...and the little ones too. What a gorgeous spring day for a celebration.

Prints of Love the Earth are available in my etsy shop.

Not just for showers in April

I just finished the above painting which was inspired by the spring rain and this week's prompt over at Illustration Friday. In case you're wondering about that, the theme of the week was "Dip." However, I read my weekly e-mail reminder really fast and saw "Drip." So all weekend, I'm thinking and painting "drip" which led to water, rain and flowers and how the very toughest moments in life prove to be the ones that reward us in the end with inspiration and valuable life lessons.

I very sheepishly discovered my mistake when I went to submit (whoops!) Regardless, I'm happy with the illustration and the inspiration that came from reading an inspirational prompt incorrectly.

I probably could have skipped the true confession paragraph above and played off "dip" with this painting...(not me, ahem, but: the flowers were dipped in rain drops giving them the strength to bloom even brighter) However, that wouldn't be keeping it real, now would it? And I would never lie to you. Just a self reminder to stop and smell the flowers/slow down especially when reading e-mail. : )

Prints of "Showers often bring flowers" are now available for sale over in my etsy shop.

Brave

This weeks topic over at Illustration Friday is Brave. I've had this idea in my head for a couple weeks so that prompt finally encouraged me to get it on canvas. Here's a courageous bird sailing out to sea on the very top of the boat.

The more I thought about 'brave" I came to the realization that putting yourself out there is one thing. However, the true test of bravery is the ability to keep your spirits and your head held high even when those unexplored waters turn rough.

Prints of "Brave bird" are now available for sale in my etsy shop.

Adventures in print

I am honored once again to be included in the latest issue of one of my very favorite magazines, Cloth Paper Scissors.

My article is about the making of a mixed media series featuring superheroes or to be more exact: Women superheroes. I had so much fun creating these pieces. They made me feel like that 7-year-old girl who...

...adored/idolized Wonder Woman. I recall crafting WW bracelets and tiaras out of paper and wearing them everywhere. I *believed* if I spun around really, really fast in a circle, I'd actually become her. Needless to say, I never could spin fast enough. However, seeing these pieces in print inspired by my idol was pretty satisfying just the same.

I had a limited number of magnets printed up of "I Wear my Cape." They're for sale over in my etsy shop. These look especially cool on a black or stainless steel fridge. The juxtaposition of the 50's housewife in her apron and heels with a modern mixed treatment framed on a steel fridge...totally love that.

Now getting back to my little world of capes, tiaras and a bird or two...I have to paint today. It's been over a week and my hands are starting to twitch. Time to save my world with dioxazine purple and quinacridone gold.

Art & Soul in Vegas?!

I realize that retreating in Vegas (with two fabulous girlfriends) sounds slightly suspicious. If you happen to be sitting there with a smirk muttering "yeah right" (like practically ever person who listened to me try to explain VegasArtRetreat) here's posted proof that art was indeed made.

Mind you, the art came after breakfast. We LOVED this particular Paris buffet so much that we dined here every single morning. I can't think of any breakfast favs that couldn't be found on one of the many bountiful buffet lines along with the delightful waitress and new friend, Debbie. After a delicious breakfast topped off with a made-to-order crepe we were pretty much (minus girl scout cookie breaks) set until dinner.

Day one class was "Perching Pixies" taught by the fabulous Stephanie Rubiano. Stephanie's wry sense of humor was a good match for the three of us as she showed us the ways of a jewelers saw and bench block. I happened to be extremely skilled in securing my bench block to the table. In fact, it took all four of us to get it off the conference room table at the end of the day.

Here we are with the freed bench block and one of my favorite instructors : )

I completed my little Nora pixie (now a sturdy wooden cutout) in class. Isn't she a cutie sitting in great Aunt Ev's china tea cup? Heather freaked out *quite a bit* that I had the nerve to glue a pixie to one of great-Aunt-Ev's-china-teacups, but what's the point of having heirlooms all stashed away? Pointless I say. Besides I have 11 more...plenty for a proper tea.

Day two was "Gridlocked" with Lisa Kaus. I loved this class and Lisa...an organized, professional and helpful instructor. This piece, painted and built on a wooden block surface, is all about my family of five and the sweetness of home. I had so much fun attaching little bits of this and that including an original doorknob from our house.

On day three, we explored the feminine icon with Katie Kendrick. Katie is the warmest soul and a patient teacher. I painted this forlorn gal, who refuses to give up on love. I'm not quite sure were she came from...I kept thinking how she looked a little KellyRaeRobertsish (another artist whom I deeply admire.) Whatever the case, this girl doesn't feel completely mine, which isn't necessarily the point when taking classes. By repeating what's learned in a class, eventually art that's unique to the artist will surface. The whole point of classes and workshops is taking in new techniques, being open to experimentation and not stressing so much about the end result. Plenty of time for stressing back in Kansas (or Cincinnati.)

On the very last retreat day, we made dolls from clay with Jan Harris (Judy Wise's stand-in.) Judy couldn't attend due to health issues and even though she was deeply missed, Jan did a great job of instructing the class. For whatever reason, Heather and I chose to make extremely large dolls (see doll head in oven compared to rest of the class! yikes.) The Vegas air (bigger is better, more is more) must have been starting to rub off or something. Here we were, all intent on getting these girls done, so what do we do? Well...make the biggest versions possible of course. Completely logical. The right brain had clearly taken over.

Here's an in progress shot...mine is the doll on the left. And as you may have guessed she did NOT get finished that day, but hopefully very soon. I'll be sure to post the end results when she's complete. This was such a fun class...kindof makes me want to get a pasta machine and toaster oven all my own to devote entirely to clay. hmmmmmmmm.

So that wraps up my five incredible and inspirational days with proof that art can be made in this sleep deprived city. The fun part, involving stomach-hurting-laughter, was a given with Heather and Claire. I'm soooo looking forward to the next "retreat"...right after I recover from this one. ; )

Smart Marks

I have to tell you about the brand new 'art just for fun' that has arrived over in my etsy shop. It's a set of wisely affordable owl bookmarks that I designed using the owls I painted back when.

For the background, I scanned the wise entry from a really old dictionary. Then, I placed the owls in miniature in sequence on top of the entry with a shadow effect (all done in Photoshop.) Wise and Wiser are on the front of the bookmark while Wisest has the back all to herself.

The bookmarks have been offset print (front and back) on a heavy coated stock with rounded edges for extra charm. When they came back from the printer, I hand punched each top and added a cord. These bookmarks are available in sets of four. They're perfect to stick in a card (Valentines maybe?) or enclose with a gifted book. Or maybe you'll want a couple for yourself to mark various places...wise cookbooks, wiser craft magazines or the wisest decadent novel.

I've also made individual 8" x 10" owl prints available if a larger, frameable version is preferred. Fly over to my etsy shop to check out the goods. And as always, thank you for stopping by to see what I've been up to and for supporting my artistic journey. I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate each and every one of you! I am so grateful for a community that never fails to inspire. Thank you.

A nice reminder to have aRound

"The grass is greener on the other side of the fence" is a timeless proverb. Trying to keep up with the Jones' can leave your head spinning. The phrase happens to be permanently stuck in my head after years of hearing my mom repeat whenever I chose to whine about whatever bugged me about me at the time. Of course I knew the true meaning was that the grass might seem greener for other people, but seldom was greener when you came right down to it.

I've been wanting to paint a circular canvas for awhile. When this idea popped into my head, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to break out of the box : ) I chose a 16" round canvas and started the piece by adhering ripped map pieces along with flowery and grid (fence-like) decorative paper.

I wanted my choices including canvas shape and materials to work with the whimsical nature of the idea. Raffia was a given for the grass. I also happened to have those cool wooden sticks (kids building sticks from back when). And have I mentioned my latest obsession? Much like half of the crafting universe... it's GLITTER! (check out the Martha Stewart vintage line...ahhhhhhh.) The point here is to think creatively when on a mixed media adventure. Sure a fence is simple enough to paint or make with paper...but what about a painted fence from actual wood...hmmmm.

This process shot is a behind-the-scenes as to how I work. A little paint and then a little adhering (with gel medium), then more paint and more adhering, etc. I build up the layers plunging right through that awkward-i hate-this-piece moment that happens at right about the halfway point with every painting I do.

In the end, I'm very happy with how this painting turned out. I'd keep it if I had more wall space. Until I figure out how to get more of that, I've listed the original over in my etsy shop. No prints will be made of this one. It's a circular one-of-a kind.

*bonus points* if you can answer why most paintings are square or rectangular. I really wanna know because circles seem more fun!

Happy New Day

I've been thinking about beginnings and endings a lot lately. Freebie calendars with the new months of 2010 have been popping up in the mailbox for weeks making me think about all of those days. Days that have shaped and formed who we are, but how we still determine who we will be in the days ahead. I thought about new year resolutions...starts and hiccups to becoming who we want to be. My whimsical translation? A broken shell of old days resulting in a renewal of sorts...a fresh beginning.

While I did intend for this piece to be new years appropriate, I think it's even more important to remember that fresh beginnings can happen any day. Taking on a whole year and placing all of that resolution weight on January 1st is too overwhelming. If we don't get it right today, there's always tomorrow.

*prints available in my etsy shop.

Secrets Revealed

The ultimate "who-done-it" was held two weeks ago and all was revealed. Cincinnati's Secret Artworks auction (blogged back here) is a fundraising event featuring the exhibition and sale of original 5" x 7" works of art from local, national and international artists. The 'secret' behind each piece is the identity of the artist which is revealed after purchase. I contributed three secrets to the cause. So without any further chitchatting, here they are unwrapped...

My three wise, wise, wise owls.

One is just a little smarter than the one before (or at least that's what they think.)

All flew off the boards and into the hands of some very appreciated buyers (thank you if you happen to be one of them!) Nothing worse than a 'wise owl' hanging around too long at the party.

And is it really December already???!

Turning the pages

I'm so pleased to have my art included in the latest *gorgeous* issue of Cloth Paper Scissors. There is a ton of amazing work in here. I especially love the "Stuffed Horse Ornaments" by Samantha Jenkins and "Everyday Women" by Nola Hart, but that is naming just a few for sure.

My article included in this issue provides a step-by-step to creating art with flashcards. I promise, it will get you thinking about equations in a more artistic way.

The original flashcard pieces featured in the article are now available for sale over in my etsy shop. These pieces have been created on vintage self-hanging plaques so there is no need for additional framing. Prints of the originals are also available.

Okay back to sick kids. That certain flu has officially hit our house...yes it's definitely multiplying which means my undivided attention has been focused on sanitizing and taking temperatures. As a result, we had to subtract our weekend travel plans. Nothing more to add to that (except of course to bug you with math puns. Sorry about that. : )

Flattening Humpty...

...like the poor guy hasn't been through enough already. Actually no nursery rhyme violence happened here. It's all good, so keep reading...

You might recall (if you've been hanging out for awhile) my appearance on HGTV's "That's Clever" when I created my 3-D wooden version of Humpty for the cameras (I just noted it will reair on October 28th, 7:30AM e/p. Enjoy with coffee.) That episode was originally taped almost three years ago. Since then, I haven't been doing as much in the way of wooden carved art (or tv appearances, darn) but I do continue to have a soft spot in my heart for Humpty. I wanted to recreate him with my "back together" sentiment, but this time as a 2-D piece with a collage type of treatment.

And here's how the latest Humpty painting turned out. He's all flat (with an attitude) and ready for framing. This Humpty print is available over at my etsy shop along with an original 3-D version (making Humpty for TV involved many, many step outs which produced a very extended family of Dumptys. I've still got one or two of those hanging around.)

See he's happy flattened, even standing tall. So much for those Kings men.

Extra! Extra!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Ours went about as fast as the rest of the summer which was pretty fast. Now it's time to look for pumpkins and gourds and to settle into the routine that the school year brings. errrr...excuse me...what did you say? ohhhhh...you're wondering about that wooden newspaper carrier?! Well, I'm glad you asked. He holds under his arm my very first e-newsletter which is almost ready to deliver to subscribers.

If you haven't yet signed up look over to the sidebar on the right of my blog>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
see that little box that says "subscribe to my e-newsletter?"

All you need to do is enter your e-mail and you too will receive the "art just for fun" e-newsletter which includes insider tidbits along with valuable coupons for my etsy shop. Plus every once in awhile I'll be having subscriber giveaways. It'll be fun.

I promise you will not be overwhelmed with mail as my goal for e-news is just once every month or two. And so you know, this guy has strict instructions about spam...no credit card applications, no silly jokes, no chain letters, etc. Plus you can always unsubscribe. (I'll be a little sad and miss having you, but I'll understand.)

Now I've got to go catch that carrier. He has deliveries to make.

I wear my cape + free chocolate

Here's another painting of mine in the Superhero exhibit opening tonight. "I wear my cape" celebrates the modern day mom and/or wife...our very own superheroes. Maybe whipping up dinner isn't something Wonder Woman ever did to impress, but in today's hectic world a sit down dinner is a feat indeed. And what about the power to overcome five baskets of laundry and then put that laundry away without stepping on even one Lego? The ability to make boo boos better with a hug and a band aid? The extrasensory vision to find the remote control in the far depths of the couch cushions?! Talk about heroic acts. This print is now available in my etsy shop if you happen to know any heroines like that.

And I'm sure you've done something heroic already today...made it out of bed with one eye open? That counts. Hop over here and get your free chocolate reward starting at 9:00AM ET every Friday through September. The first 250,000 to sign in on Friday will get a coupon (4 coupons during the offer per household) mailed to redeem for the Mars chocolate bar of their choice (deciding between peanut m&ms and twix...hmmmmm.)

Alright, it's time to put my cape back on and wake the sleeping...an operation not without peril and pain. Wish me luck. Up, UP and AWAY...

A Super Show

When I first got this call for artist submissions in my inbox I'll admit I wasn't sent running for a paintbrush. I knew many artists could illustrate Batman and his friends far better than I. However as the deadline approached, I started thinking more about superheroes and what us mere humans (particularly women) had in common with them. That's when the ideas started coming and in usual fashion I decided one week before the deadline to get started. I submitted my work last Thursday and just heard that three paintings and a 3-D sculpture have been accepted into this AMaZing exhibit.

Here's one of my paintings in the show. "Often Invisible" was the first piece I completed...part superhero inspired, part funk-of-a-mood inspired (yes bad case of poor me'isms...underappreciated, undernoticed and overwhelmed...you get the idea.) Invisibility would no doubt be an interesting superhero trait to possess, but this piece speaks to a less glamorous sort of invisibility shared (I'm betting) by countless other women from day to day.

This not-in-the-show piece is one of my favorites. Not only have I adored Wonder Woman for most of my life, but I had forgotten how therapeutic art is for me when I'm feeling grumpy. After getting the invisible thing out of my system, back came my sense of humor. "The Power of Accessories" is more of my whimsical self. Can't you tell I'm happier?!

If you're around Cincinnati stop by the opening this Friday night from 6pm-9pm to say hi and see the entire show. Wear your superhero costume and get 50% off all beverages. Now how SUPER is that?