In Progress

Tags In progress. Will be adding words and fiber and hopefully I'll be done this evening. They most likely will end up as Christmas presents.

They say it takes 30 days of practice to either break a habit or create one. So here goes nothing! My intentions are to post frequently and create daily. My latest project involves old cigar boxes. I love their smell and the idea you can stash almost anything inside of them. I took a free class with Mystele and began making portraits of women using a technique called gut art which is pretty amazing. I've created over 20 mini portraits and now I have to apply them to a surface and I'll use the cigar boxes that I've had taking up space. If you haven't heard about Mystele check her out you'll be amazed. I began following Mystele at Studio Thrive. Her folk art paintings are brilliant - her painted ladies are quirky, soulful and beautiful.

Paint-over "Life Book"

Finally finished and I can't be more pleased with the outcome. Have more in the works. And, also purchased new supplies! Maybe I'll post a picture of my pretty paints and glittery sprays.

I finally finished my first page of "Life Book". I don't think the light in this photo is a good representation of the color. The color is brilliant and shimmery because I used shimmering H20 paint on top of the first layer of watercolor. I'm pretty happy with it but think the words on the right are a bit redundant and maybe should have left them out. However, I'm loving the color under the words.

I was trying to think of a cleaver way to put the words down on paper and thought hard about a background. My inspiration came from a book I purchased on Amazon called,"Doodles Unleashed: Mixed-Media Techniques for Doodling, Mark-Making & Lettering" by Traci Bautista. It's full of inspiration and beautiful images. I'll be playing around with her techniques more in the very near future.

One last image to show. I have been playing around with color and lines and made this piece a few days ago. I love how it looks childlike and fun. I didn't have a set plan - it was experimental and I really love the outcome.

My paint-over project "the beginning"

She is just about finished right - all she needs are words. I've written a poem and I'll add a portion of it to this painting.

Some work I'm completing. Young Elizabeth from Suzi Blu's class "Piety and Passion". I have young Henry almost to completion as well. The 2 pieces will be a matched pair - they look really great together (will add picture). This Elizabeth needs some fancy paper for her headpiece - still looking for that special piece of paper. I have some pearls for her and I will eventually add some writing - currently working on a poem especially for her.

This is young Henry. I think he's a keeper. As I mentioned Henry needs so much more work, but his image is solid.

cre·ate verb, -at·ed, -at·ing, adjective verb (used with object) to evolve from one's own thought or imagination, as a work of art or an invention.

My mantra is now, create. I've joined two workshops recently and have begun to create art work once again. One is Suzi Blu's Art Journaling Extravaganza over at Le Petite Academy over at ning.com. You can sample her workshop here: http://suziblu.typepad.com/a_lovely_dream/-912011.html. I love Suzi Blu's unique brand of quirkiness - her deep, profoundly rich journal pages with maximum grunge and multi-layered loveliness. She is offering 8 months of classes for $55.00.

The other fab class is on Willowing and Friends and it's called “Life Book, a celebration and honouring of YOU”. "Life Book" is a year-long art class that includes lessons from 15 incredible teachers, (yes, I said 15 teachers). We're making 1 or more pages per month and we'll be incorporating these pages into a book by the end of the year. I'm super excited about this class as she has some really talented people, that I have been watching, on her team. Life Book can be found here: http://willowing.ning.com/page/life-book-2012-open-for-registration

I plan on documenting my progress - got lots on my creative plate and loving it.

My first page in my Life Book - "goddess superpowers"

Eons

I'm dusting off the cobwebs and sweeping up a bit around here because it has been eons since my last post. I fell into a hole and have been slowly creeping out of it - said hole was very dark and deep.

My husband suffered a stroke December 7th 2010 while he was doing some work in his sisters house in Cambridge. I wasn't with him when it happened - I wish I would have been there. There is no turning back time - the damage is done. He waited too long and insisted that he would go to the emergency hospital in the morning (he thought he had a back injury) - I insisted he go immediately because he couldn't walk - I was over-ruled but should have called an ambulance from home. By morning not only could he not walk he was found curled up in a ball on the floor in a puddle of urine. An ambulance was called he was rushed to Mass General and it was there that the rest of our lives began.

It took months for him to learn how to walk, feed and care for himself. Weeks in rehab hospital and then to a secondary rehab then home. No longer the strong man and doer he was. How life has changed.

Now a year has gone by progress is measured in the smallest of increments - the 2 year mark will tell us how much he will regain and that door is shutting quickly. We can only remain hopeful and grateful that he escaped with his life.