i am really happy with the three above, somehow they worked better than i thought. i got some new blick markers from my best friend in ohio!!  (thanks, missy).  she picked some lighter colors, so i'm excited to use those to do something new or at least a little different. we'll see how that might work with some vintage or magazine images thrown in...

here are three ACEOs i used a bit of collage in:

the eye from a catalog, the two heads from a vintage encyclopedia.

 

 

...and some magic. think i'll stick to the collage thing...

 

i have failed to open my ETSY store on my birthday, may 4th.

i had a description put in, and i went to add my photos, but they were TOOBIG!

so, back to photoshop to chop.

starting to wonder if it's not worth it for the few dollars i'll make?

i have, however, started a FACEBOOK PAGE for art and art friends form flickr, blogs, etc. i hope to make that a place to discuss process and product and maybe turn this blog into a place for discussing and sharing depression and other mental health issues as it pertains to art. or the other way around. either direction, i completely believe in and depend on art as therapy, and want to share that with others who do the same or who didn't think about art as a healing process. there are 198765 things going on in our life right now, so working on this is helpful but will be slow going...i am keeping up with my flickr the most, since i am getting into the networking thing

inspired!

 

 

so, here it is. my last post as someone trying to come off as a happy, well-adjusted "artist" type person. i can't live anymore without making art.  it takes a large part of my time.  most of that time i like to be alone or not bothered. my kids and husband and family suffer, if you call not having me in their face "suffering" (i call it a blessing!)...

here are my first two collages since i made the conscious decision to start making them again. i have been inspired by scrapiteria, fantasyrooms, and craftydogma TO JUST NAME THREE!!!  actually, here is my flickriver box and link-mania where you can spend the rest of your week dreamily gazing at some of the most awesome artists' work....THANK YOU to all of those who so willingly put their hearts out there to share talent we would have never seen if it wasn't for this thing we call the INTERNET (loud deep voice with slight echo).

ps: for more descriptive anecdotes about these pieces, please jump over to my flickr. thanks for stopping by!

pretty much whatever i say today might sound negative.  just the day.  but i have gripes with blogger.  why is it sooo much easier to upload and organize stuff on flickr than here?  the *new* page feature is not much news, you can only make static pages....wanted bad to have the page structure of wordpress. yes, so go there, i know. each has their merits, but neither is really set-up for gallery type pages or art/photography posting like flickr. 

not sure how to proceed....i'm getting a lot of views on flickr and finding an incredible community atmosphere, and it's much quicker than waiting for traffic here.

what i'm debating is, i was opening a blog to both have a place to share art and have a place to talk about depression and OCD. i wanted to see if i could blend the mental process with my art, as a way to promote art as therapy. i haven't been doing that, i'm actually avoiding the mental parts.  maybe if i concentrate more on that here, and focus on just my art on flickr, i can do both.  bear with me as i try to figure it out, the very few of you who so graciously come here!

new direction, kinda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

so since i think my drawings are getting boring, i decided to try harder to add some dimension or substance. i feel ok that these are an improvement, and am newly refreshed and addicted to ACEO-sized pieces. i will even try a bit larger size, postcard or even a few of my vintage book boards. i'm laughing because i would like to do a few ACEOs horizontally, but my OCD is preventing it. i assume ahead of time that it won't work, that it will be odd due to the standard-ness of the trading card.

as far as color, i think it's amusing that "my" colors are really all muted, natural tones. you can't find red or orange anywhere in my house.              

ok.  i'm lying. right this instant i am wearing a red t-shirt. it has paint on it, though, so it isn't official enough to count. i prefer the serenity of earth tones and the peace they bring to my mind. tonight i will use my new colored pencils. i made sure, even though it was unsettling, that i picked some bright colors. i like the brightness of my pieces, so having the option to work in more muted or blended tones will be interesting.  

see? i'm already obsessing.

 

 

  

one more mandala and a 2 x 2 incher. i reeeally like how the greys turned out.  i used my bics and sharpies, including the new cafe colors (latte?) i don't do coffee, but i loove these new shades. i have enjoyed some of the monotone detail drawings i have found on flickr, i wonder what it would do to my system to work in one shade for the whole piece...

OH, WAIT!

i forgot to mention that i worked on my my FLICKR page, and now have all the things i have posted here (art-wise) on my FLICKR page so that whoever doesn't want to read stuff can go there to view everything together.  the colors actually look better here, because if you watch the slideshow version of FLICKR, the black is nice, but the size reduces the clarity too much.

but i have to say, that i am COMPLETELY HOOKED on FLICKR and have been trying to soak up as much art and photography as possible, building up my favorites list.  i will be posting both my FLICKR and ETSY favorite sellers badges here on my site, prolly on the LINK page. (i'm not overusing the word FLICKR anymore).

more ACEOs and mandalas

  

  

i'm stuck on making these little things.  they are the perfect size for my attention span.  i wish there were more colors in fine tip markers to work with, at least ones i can afford! more hues and shades of the same colors would be fine. someone at bic and sharpie should get on that.  

i have also been setting up my flickr sets, so if anyone comes and wants to read, they can, or they can go straight to the colored stuff. i made tags, and i have a nice favorites collection, and again, i have trouble leaving when i start looking through others' collections...i drown in all the awesome art and photographs.  i am going to set up a FLICKR badge to show off my favorite items by other flickr members. i also have to put up an ETSY favorites badge....and then there's the ETSY store i promised myself...

so, since i can't seem to get past this phase, i will try to make myself do something new. i'd like to pull out an old bookboard and alter it with my new caran d'ache neocolor IIs.  or should i try the oil pencils....

ACEO batch 5

 

hi!  i have soo much more than this to post, but i wanted to start collaging some of these.  this style is getting boring to look at, although i love doing them, it relaxes me and the markers make me a little fuzzy.  i do like the 2" square size, and have done a set of new mandalas, i'll get those up too.

i adore the smell of oils, and am looking forward to getting my new oil sticks, pencils and pastels out to try. i bought some odorless turp alternative to do some messing and blending.  that will hopefully take me in a different direction...

i also want to pull more magic and illusionist stuff into my drawings.  i have been collecting some old images of tarot cards, ouija boards and zoltar machines. 

storage like no other

 

  

  

 well, i do have this thing for old wood cabinets, boxes and shelves, like apothecary kinds of shelves.  these i adopted from a Pearl art store that closed downtown.  i was sad that although i had not been there until now, that a piece of history was disappearing.  i heard lots of customers recalling fond memories of shopping there.  best wishes to all who lost their jobs.

so, i was there with my dad on a trip to see what goods were left for 75% off.  

(75% !!!)

once my stomach settled and the panic left my every muscle, i spotted these and my dad and i had the same thought.  a little while later they had my name stickers on them. the plastic ones on top are pen displays, so you have an idea of size.

they are sitting in my garage, waiting to be given new purpose.  i haven't told them that there is no room for them in the inn.  my house is full. i will find a way.  i have been looking for the plastic type for a while, for my pencils and to store my markers horizontally.  i am going to need a big bottle of goo gone and some bees wax to restore some of the life to the wood.

75 % OFF -what would YOU have done???

 

 

  

 

  

 so, you hear the local art store is closing - and everything must go.  after you find your inhaler, you see it's all 75% OFF !!  so, i call my dad and we go....thinking there was nothing left....

well, we walked in casually and both had to remind ourselves to breathe.  then we split up and filled our baskets.  here's how cheap i am - i spent some time in the CLEARANCE aisle!!  doiy!!  

after i came to my senses, i hit the pastels, pencils and markers...the paints were cleared out.  i also bought inks, alternative turp. (alternaturp?), a shiny new metal pencil sharpener (with refill blades), a big bottle of collage glue, 2 brushes, an oval template, 6" metal ruler for ACEOs, some cool tapes, a nice gift-box of acrylics ($5), and the very best part, i finally got my Caran d'Ache Neocolor II collection.....jooooy.