Amyma's Art Ramblings

Printmaking Sunday with Baby Girl

2012-01-29T18:59:00.000-05:00

Printmaking has been a love of mine for a very long time. I remember that in high school art class, we carved linoleum blocks and printed with them. This was, hands down, my favorite project of the year, and I even won a blue ribbon in a local art show with one of my pieces.

I love to carve stamps. I love to make stamps from fun foam. I love stamping with found objects. I love mono printing. I love collagraph. Screen printing intimidates me a bit, but after an introduction in class with Michelle Allen, I feel a bit more confident about giving it a go.

One of my favorite books on my art bookshelf is Printmaking + Mixed Media by Dorit Elisha. I have nearly worn the pages out poring over the images, reading the instructions and imagining, imagining....

One type of printing I have long been interested in trying is gelatin printing. The artwork produced in this way in Dorit's book is exactly my aesthetic. I also ran across a good how to on the Sketchbook Challenge Blog recently. The clincher was that my sweet daughter was peeking over my shoulder and said "oh mommy can we try that?" So we went for it. The results follow.

I neglected to take a photo of our first application of paint to the gelatin, and I could not get a good image of the gelatin itself. I made it in a shallow aluminum pan I bought from the grocery store.

This first image is the first print we pulled. I learned quickly to go easy with the paint. We cut heart shapes out of index cards to use as masks. You lay them right on top of the paint, and that area will not print.

We pulled a second print on a piece of canvas I had previously painted with some leftover blue paint.

This is what the gelatin looked after pulling the first and second print. The heart shaped masks are still in place.

So Miss. M. pulled the "ghost image."

Here she is stamping into green paint on the gelatin. Ain't she cute?

A Sunday afternoon well spent. Art fun with my baby girl and lot's of cool new printed papers to use in my artwork.

My Current Stuff

2011-10-11T23:08:00.001-04:00

A sampling of the types of work I am currently producing.

Mixed Media Artwork-

Mini Art Prints Earrings and Pendants-

Painted and Stitched Canvas Jewelry and Accessories-

Something...Anything

2011-06-29T08:31:00.005-04:00

Faith is what moves me to create.

Color is my worship.

My art is my praise.

Sketchbook Challenge for January- Highly Prized

2011-01-11T13:26:00.007-05:00

In my high school art class we had to do a pencil drawing every week on a particular theme. I still have some of those old drawings stashed somewhere. I should dig them out and share them. I remember that I always waited until the last minute to do my drawing, and the results were often below par. I would rush through the exercise because the tedious detail was numbing to my pinball game like mind. I had a few successes, but suffice to say pencil drawing was not my favorite activity.

So, I was a bit intimidated by joining the Sketchbook Challenge. After all, I have been calling myself an artist for a number years now, what if I drew ugly stuff? I am sure I am not the only person who felt this way, and I thought the challenge would be good for me on a few different levels, so I am going for it. Right here and now you get to see the results of my efforts, I am opening up and showing the world that I .....Can draw!

What a surprise. I guess with age, I am learning to see a bit better. I was also surprised that I immediately gravitated toward detailed pencil drawing. I guess my art teacher, Mrs. Arbaugh, knew what she was doing.
The top drawing is my son, Adam, drawn from a photo. The second is my coffee mug. The third is my husband, drawn from life. I am most pleased with this one. There are some proportion issues, but it really looks like him. I am happy to leave it and not fix the issues. The theme for this month is "Highly Prized." and was chosen by dear Jill Berry. I am sure you can see why I chose my subjects.

I am going to try to stretch myself a little and be a little looser with my drawings going forward. Stay tuned!

Big Day

2011-01-03T05:45:00.002-05:00

January third is a big day. It is full of all kinds of importance.

Today is the tenth birthday of my muse, my heart walking around outside my body, my son. I am woefully unprepared for today. I am reeling with the thought that we have entered double digits. He is almost a tween! I so desperately wish I could have one more day with the five year old Adam, the seven year old Adam, the infant Adam. I want to relive the day he found his toes at five months old laying on his back on my bed, chubby arms and legs in the air. He grabbed his piggies and the biggest grin ever spread across his face. I am not ready for hormones and the possibility that he might not like me much very soon. I pray that we will stay close and that he will always lean into me.

Today is also the first weekday of the New Year. I am ready for the return to normalcy. I am ready to pounce on 2011, bring it into submission and make it my year. I know, it is just another day and we can make life changes on any day of the year, but doesn’t this time just feel pregnant with possibility? Who will I be this year? 2010 was a good year for me. I did not accomplish everything I had hoped, but I moved forward, I did better. Will 2011 be better? That is my intention.

I start every year with the intention to be better organized and more self-disciplined. I made progress in that area in 2010 by waving the white flag in the area of housekeeping and hiring a cleaning service. I hate to clean, I stink at it, my back won’t allow me to do it for long stretches at a time, and I have better things to do with my time. Hiring a service was one of the smartest moves I made last year. The release from guilt alone makes it worth the cost! This year is no different. I know my greatest challenges lie in the areas of self-discipline and organization. My intention for 2011 is to waste less time on stupid stuff and invest more time in worthy pursuits. Stupid stuff means facebook surfing and online games. Really! How many of us are sucked into that black hole on a daily basis?

Here is my list of worthwhile pursuits-

time with God
time with my kids
creative time
reading books
rest
exercise

How about you? What are your intentions for this new year?

2010-11-30T14:55:00.002-05:00

Would you like to help "Change Their Story?"

I have set a personal goal to raise $500 to help provide food and water to children in Africa. I have raised $200 so far.

Now through the end of December 20% of every sale in my etsy shop will be donated to this campaign. So, you can shop and do some good too!

If you prefer, you may donate directly you can go to my page at the Change Their Story site.

Direction

2010-11-17T17:04:00.005-05:00

Isaiah 48:17 - This is what the Lord says- your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.

I have had a sense of something more.
I have had a feeling of
reaching stretching
peering to see
what it is
just beyond
the limits
of my vision
rumors
fragmentsI don't want anyone to get the wrong idea about this place where I am right now. I am not sad or depressed. I am not struggling. All is really quite right in my world. Lot's of wonderful things are happening and moving and shifting and resetting themselves. I am really a great lover of change. Change feels right to me. I deplore stagnation. I always want to move. Maybe that comes from my ADD brain. Who knows?
Where I am now is an exciting place to be. I feel like I am on the precipice, on the verge of something big. Maybe not big to the world at large, but big to me. I have not been satisfied, and it has been keeping me up at night. I spent years in a place I was not supposed to be NOT DOING ANYTHING.
Now all the doors are flying open and the possibilities are endless. Ministry! I want to minister in the place I am called to in the way that only I can through the power of the Holy Spirit in me with the gifts and talents I have. I have had so many false starts going after what I thought I was supposed to do without really asking God about it. In the last few months I have been spending time just seeking God on this and he is beginning to reveal it to me. He has also been breaking bits of the old me off and casting them into the fire.

So, I am not sad, I am not down. I am hopeful and introspective, I am seeking the direction. I am reading the map. I think maybe I am supposed to paint the map.

Burning in the Bones

2010-11-15T08:36:00.003-05:00

But if I say "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in, indeed I cannot.
Jeremiah 20:9

"The only experience the writing of every song has in common is what I would call a sense of being burdened. Often there is a specific message with which I am burdened. More often, however, there is little or no specificity. What I am to say is not in the least clear to me. There is just a burden to say something. And God help me is I do not attempt to say it."
Michael Card from 'Scribbling in the Sand'

I want a "burning in the bones." I want a message to deliver. That has been the cry of my heart/art lately. I am spinning my wheels. I cannot find inspiration. I am playing, but not feeling fulfilled in it.

I have been watching the PBS series "Art 21" on Netflix. It is a series of profiles of 21st century artists. My reason for wanting to watch initially was just that I like to look at art. As I have been watching though, I am desiring to know more about the artists and what drives their work. I have to admit that a great deal of what the artists say about their work sounds like incoherent and contradictory babbling to me. But almost all of them have a common thread. There is some message to deliver in what they are creating. There is some force driving it.

I think I am stuck in that no mans land between creating something that delivers a message and creating what people will pay me money for. The latter can work for an artist, for me, for only so long. Dryness, staleness, confusion and frustration are my companions in the studio right now. I can make pretty things that people will buy, but my soul is not singing.

So, what is my message? What must I say? The Word. That verse from Jeremiah resonates with me. Indeed, it is burning in my bones. I have been quenching it, ignoring it.

I want to run with it. I want to deliver the message. God help me if I don't attempt it.

With Apologies to William Carlos Williams

2010-11-14T09:06:00.008-05:00

So much depends
upon

two small
children

agreeing to go
along

without
whining

The Process of Unbelieving Lies

2010-11-13T09:06:00.005-05:00

Who I want to be, or wish I were is not who I am. That is a mouthful. I wonder if that is the general condition of womanhood or is it just me who feels that way.

I have been putting off posting on my blog for a long while because I am disappointed by it. It isn't what I want it to be. I want to be a talented writer whose words flow magically across the page and enthrall the reader. I want to be a weaver of stories. I want to be a painter of masterpieces. I want people to look at what I create and say "Beauty" in their hearts. I want people to look at me, my words, my art and see light, see God.

Who I am is a little girl who has been deceived into believing she is not good enough. I have bought these lies. I am "not living/working up to my potential." I am not organized enough to juggle it all. I am not healthy enough or strong enough to manage. I am not clean enough. I am not worthy, I have nothing to give, I am not enough. I am not.

These are lies. I am in the process of unbelieving them.

Priceless Giveaway

2010-06-17T09:31:00.004-04:00

I have mentioned Children's Hopechest and Tom Davis previously on this blog. This is an organization that is really making an impact for orphans. I am highly impressed with the work they do and excited to promote them and hopefully participate with them more as God leads.

Tom has recently been in Moldova and was exposed to investigate the high rate of sex trafficking there. The stories he shared throughout his trip were brutal. Children's Hopechest is working with agencies there to bring these priceless young ladies out of slavery and into the glorious life that God has planned for them.

HopeChest Opens Moldova from Tom Davis on Vimeo.

Tom has written a novel called "Priceless," based on some of his experiences in Eastern Europe. I have to admit it is on my shelf and I have not yet read it, but if it is as wonderful as his previous novel "Scared; A Novel on the Edge of the World." I am sure it is gripping and life changing.

Another Ethiopian adoptive family is giving away ten copies of the book, plus some wonderful yummy fair trade coffee from Saint's Coffee. So drop over and visit My Crazy Adoption and follow the directions for a chance to win.

After you do that, pop back over here and leave me a comment telling me what you did to enter their drawing, and I will enter you into a drawing of my own for one of my hand painted and stitched heart pendants and a 5"x5" print of one of my mixed media painting entitled "Two Birds." Join us in sharing the stories of these Priceless young women.

Home

2010-06-16T11:45:00.005-04:00

This is home.

This is where I hunker down with my family and love them until forever.

This is a place of peace and chaos,

and joy, always joy.

This is where I create, dream, cry, sing, dance and rest.

It is not perfectly clean and neat. It doesn't house all the latest gadgets and nicest furnishings.

I like it that way.

Kids Know Stuff

2010-05-24T21:14:00.007-04:00

This is my beauty. Not only is she a beauty, but she is also incredibly bright and talented. Yes, I am her mom, but it is all true. Getting to know her over the last three and a half years has been a sublime adventure.

Bonding with an adopted child can be an adventure all unto itself. Without going into detail about her story I will just say that when she came to us she had experienced many partings in her short life. She wasn't really all too sure she was going to get to keep us. We read about attachment and bonding and did everything as suggested and over time we could see that she was not searching any longer that she knew she was home. Still, there was a distance. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but there was a gap to be bridged and I was not quite sure how.

Prayer and loving and loving and prayer.

This past year I have seen a shift. How do I describe it? She is beginning to know me. She trusts me to be her soft place. She confides in me. She melts into me. She is being grafted into me and me into her. She fights me tooth and nail at times. I am grateful that she feels safe enough to do that.

Two weeks ago it blew wide open. Again, I won't share the details, but I will tell you that I have never seen such a tiny thing so fierce and angry. The issue was minor really, but I think that she had been holding on so long and finally let 'er rip. We dealt with it. We brought it to a conclusion. Lessons were learned on both sides.

When all had blown over we cuddled up in the bed together, and I began to tell her the story, her story. I told her how much we wanted a second child, a little girl to share our love with, and how we prayed and God told us where to find her. I told her how far we traveled just for her. I told her how sweet the moment was when she was first lifted into my arms. She asked to see all her Ethiopia treasures, so I brought them down and showed her the photo album and pink blanket we sent to her before we were able to travel to meet her. I showed her all the papers from her preschool in Ethiopia, the letter from her teachers, and the fingerprints and names from all her classmates. For the first time she began asking questions about her first family. I talked with her about how they loved her. I told her how special she was to have known the love of two mommies and two daddies. Then she asked about what life was like for her there, and how it is for children there now. This was the first time that she had shown any interest in or connection with her birth country. With sweet compassion she said to me, "I want to bring home all those kids because they don't have anything and I want them to be happy." Her heart and my heart were singing the same melody.
So, Ethiopia it is. Now we roll up our sleeves and begin.

Life and Art and Art and Life

2010-05-14T10:36:00.007-04:00

This is my handsome husband. In August we will celebrate our fifteenth wedding anniversary. It is hard to beleive that it has been that long. It seems like the blink of an eye.
He is my supplement and I am his. He is an engineer and I am an artist, so we look at everything from completely different angles. This often spells disaster in marriage, but for us it has been a strength. Because of our faith both of us are able to appreciate that God made the other one just the way he/she is for a purpose. I know that where I am weak he is strong. I know that I was not created with a head for managing finances. Matt was, and so I let him lead there. I am grateful for his leadership in that area because we are on steady footing at a time when so many are not. He is also better at making decisions on most other important issues. I tend to have trouble settling on one choice. So, I often ask him to decide or wait for him to weigh in with an opinion. I am more of a feeling and perciving sort. I get gut instincts about situations and people. He has learned that I am usually spot on, so he trusts my instincts. My free-spiritedness balances his cautiousness. His cautiousness balances my tendency to get way in over my head . It works. It's good. Life would be difficult and a bit boring if we were the same.

One of his spiritual gifts is helps. He has a heart for coming alongside people and doing helpful things that support them and make things a bit easier. He loves to show up at a friends house with his toolbox and fix something electrical for them to save them a service call.
He is always will to help me with my artwork too. Last week he attached hangers to thirty canvases for my show!

Next week my engineer hubby and I are off to Art and Soul in Hampton to take metal jewelry classes together. The kids will be at Memaws and we have the weekend to be together immersed in creativity. I hope he will enjoy it as much as I will. Somehow I think he will .

Home Again, Home Again...

2010-05-11T09:09:00.006-04:00

I am home from the show. It was a beautiful weekend. The weather was perfect. I realized that it has been a long time since I did a show like this, and I have missed it. It is a big confidence boost to get out in the public and watch people react to my art. I love when people get it and love it. I also love it when they don't. I love the kids who just can't keep their fingers to themselves because the colors are so bright. I love the amazing variety of dogs that come out with their people. This weekend I even saw a bird and a bunny rabbit browsing the show!

One of my favorite customers this weekend was a beautiful lady with a t-shirt that read "Yes they are fake. My real ones tried to kill me." I laughed and then I had to hug her. You go girl! I wish I had gotten her picture.

Let me tell you that Splash Festivals and the town of Dunwoody know how to put on a show! We had so much help setting up and tearing down. Throughout both days volunteers were coming by with cold water for the artists. everyone kept telling us how glad they were that we came to Dunwoody. I will definitely do this show again next year.

Watch my etsy store this week and next. I am going to be lowering some prices in an effort to make my work a little more accessible in economically uncertain times, and also to stimulate some sales to get this adoption fund rolling! I will also be listing many new items.

Come by and See Me

2010-05-06T08:21:00.003-04:00

I will be at the Dunwoody Art Festival in Dunwoody Georgia outside of Atlanta this weekend. Stop by and see me. If you mention my blog, I will give you 10% off your purchase.

I Don't Really Need to Be Distracted But...

2010-05-02T12:25:00.004-04:00

A couple of friends have been posting photos on Facebook made with an iPhone app called Hipstamatic. I had to have it!

Basically it allows you to take photos that have a toy camera or old film kinda vibe. There are three different lens choices and three different film choices.

I was a doofus and forgot to note what combos I used for these. I will do better next time.

Getting it Together

2010-04-26T16:08:00.008-04:00

Painting More of these...

To make more of these....

To take here...

I hope you will stop by and visit me at the Dunwoody Art Festival May 8-9!

The profits from my sales at this show will go into our adoption account.

I made this today!

2010-04-15T17:07:00.002-04:00

I made this today! I like him big bunches!

So much to say.

2010-04-08T01:18:00.005-04:00

Africa haunts me. That is a strange thing to say isn't it? It is true. I have been haunted by Africa since I was a young girl. At the time I thought of it as a fascination with the cultures. I loved African music and art. I loved to read about Africa. Secretly, I actually wanted to be African or at least African American, to have that rich history and that rich culture for my own. As I have grown older and became a Christ follower, I began to recognize that this fascination could very well be a call on my life from God. When we determined that we were going to adopt a child, I surprisingly did not have any inclination to adopt from an African nation. God had other plans for us though, and we brought our daughter home from ethiopia in December 2006. I thought "This is it. God called me to Africa for this child." Boy was I was off. After Messa had been home and settled in for a long while, I began to yearn for Africa again. So, we made some donations. Not it. A start, but not it. Meanwhile I continued to struggle with being a home schooling mom and trying to keep my fledgling art "career" from crashing and burning. Many times I resolved to put my art on the back burner and focus all my energy on my family and serving God in whatever way he called us. I have struggled with these questions for years. "God, what is your plan for me, for our family? Am I doing the right things. Is my art a selfish pursuit? Should I set it aside ? I asked and asked, but I am not sure I was really listening.
A few weeks ago I was on a trip with my family and somehow managed to score some much needed alone time. I had just finished reading a book called "Scared. A Novel on the Edge of the World," and had begun reading., "Red Letters: Living a Faith that Bleeds," both by Tom Davis. Tom writes passionately about the harrowing state of affairs in Africa right now. One line that pierced me to the core from "Red Letters" was this: "An entire civilization is being burned to the ground before our eyes." I am awakened fresh to the need. I feel my purpose. God is calling me to reach out to the needy and the sick, the orphans and the widows in Africa. It is not time to go there long term just yet, but to work here, to tell about it, and to send whatever we can, sacrificially and without reservation. Then the question once again. What about the art God? I will lay it aside." and the answer "Silly child. I gave you this gift for a purpose. Use it to do what I am calling you to." Aha!
So, from this point on, the profits from the sale of my artwork will go to our efforts to minister to widows and orphans in Africa. First we are going to move forward with another adoption . We have had this in our hearts for a long time, and last fall decided to proceed. We are considering a pilot program in Rwanda. More on that later.
So I have renewed vision for my life and for my artwork. I am excited to move forward and see what happens.

A Good Day

2009-12-15T22:04:00.007-05:00

I am in a good space. I am feeling like things are opening up for me again. I am managing my home well, I am managing my kids well, and I am managing my art well. It is a rare place to be, and I am sure it will change tomorrow, but I am riding the wave today.

Pictured above is a new painted canvas that will be turned into stitched accessories. The copper stamping is done with a wooden stamp that was original used to stamp on fabric in the Middle East or Asia, most likely Afghanistan. I love it, and will likely need more of these. Luckily my friend Rayela sells them in her etsy store. I used acrylic paint with it, and washed it off right away.
Another painted canvas is pictured above. This one has been coated with digital ground. Once it is dry, I am going to try printing on it with my ink jet printer. I am excited to see what the results will be. This one will become stitched accessories too. Most likely card wallets since those seem to be in demand on my etsy and in my galleries.

My "Holier Than Thou" Bird print is new in my etsy store today, along with two other bird prints newly listed this week. The originals are still available too at Artist Alley in Southern Pines, NC.

This has been such a "newsy" post. I would like to be a more engaging blog writer, but I just ain't got it in me at this time of the evening. Maybe net time!

Three Years and a Huge Chunk of My Heart is Still in Africa

2009-12-08T15:07:00.004-05:00

The week of Thanksgiving, we celebrated the third anniversary of bringing home our precious daughter from Ethiopia. While we were in Ethiopia, I felt almost as if I was right where I had been called to. I felt at home. I felt at peace. I knew that Ethiopia was a part of me somehow. When I left, I left a huge chunk of my heart behind. That sense has never left me. I am haunted by it almost daily. Of course I care for the people in Ethiopia because my child is from there, but the connection is more than that. I don't think I can adequately describe or explain it with words. Over the past three years we have participated in several initiatives to relieve poverty in Ethiopia and bring the Gospel to the lost there. I have been most impressed by the work of Children's Hope Chest. They are very active in Africa and in Russia to relieve the devastation of poverty and hunger amongst orphans and to protect young children from sex trafficking. I think what attracts me to this organization the most is the heart of Tom D avis (President) for orphans. It's a love thing. It comes through in his writing. He bleeds for orphans. I bleed for orphans. So, I hope you will look into http://www.hopechestpartners.org/ and consider partnering with them to champion to most vulnerable.

2009-12-02T06:34:00.002-05:00

I am very excited to be firing my lampworking torch after a long hiatus. I have been focusing on mixed media for the last several years for several reasons. Now, however, I have the space, health and desire to get back on the torch. It is funny how my body remembered exactly what to do.
My Lampwork store on etsy is Amysmithglass.etsy.com.

Photography and Life

2009-10-28T09:21:00.002-04:00

Life is good. I mean really good. I am doing life in a wonderful way these days. That is why I am so scarce here. My blog is suffering, but my family is thriving. A worthy trade say I.

So, a friend is doing a collaborative photography project. My interest is piqued. I am showing more interest in photography lately because it is a means to be creative with less stuff in more manageable time segments. I can feed my need without getting overwhelmed I guess. So, I decided I would join in Chrysti's project... at least for this round.
The prompt was "decorate." Here is my response...

I feel the way I feel

2009-06-19T13:17:00.005-04:00

My friend Debbie had one of those goosebumps kind of connections recently. We were talking about our experiences in the past of being told "You shouldn't feel that way." Now, if you felt a shiver go up your spine just now, you are tracking with me.
We feel the way we feel. There is no should or shouldn't. It just is. I think I still struggle with this old tape sometimes. It was good to know I am not alone in that struggle.

As a result of our conversation, I felt inspired to journal a bit on one of my canvas sheets.

I added a little color. More to come. This will turn in to something. It felt good to spell it out.

Are you feeling it?

I don't have a catchy title.

2009-06-07T13:30:00.003-04:00

I started off trying to write an inspiring and poetic blog post. Then the phone rang, and it was my mom. Then, my son needed my attention so I could try and guess the lyrics to the tune he was humming. It was the theme from Indiana Jones... no lyrics. Then my husband interrupted me to tell me that he is taking the kids on a bike ride and leaving me.....alone? So no inspiration folks. Sorry, I am heading in to my studio.
Oh! The earrings are on my etsy site. You can follow the link in the sidebar to get there. Click on the image to get to my flicker site to see all the new stuff that is not yet listed on etsy- sneak preview style. Oh, and stay tuned for a giveaway announcement in the next few days.

Join me this Saturday for this Special Event!

2009-06-04T13:30:00.000-04:00

The Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild is pleased to present an Indie Business Breakfast in Raleigh, NC on Saturday, June 6, from 9 am to Noon, entitled:

How to Use Social Media to Leverage Your Brand and Attract More Paying Customers For Your Business!

CMMAG member and artist extraordinaire, Lisa Stewart, CREATIVEGoddess of ECStewart Designs in Raleigh will be the featured speaker. She is an award winning designer and illustrator who, along with her husband and business partner, creates an extensive line of sophisticated images that are licensed on all kinds of elegant home accessories and personal products designed to enhance the lifestyle of the sophisticated customer. Lisa is a graduate of Western Michigan University's School of Graphic Design and Fine Arts.
Through the years, Lisa and her husband have become intimately familiar with the challenges artists and crafters face when seeking to make the most of the financial opportunities that flow from their gifts. Lisa and her work have been featured in dozens of magazines and news outlets. Lisa will share from her experience and answer your questions about everything from maximizing online sales to achieving favorable publicity. If you want to learn how to use free and low cost social media tools to entrench your brand in your niche market, you need to follow Lisa's lead! She can help you turn your artistic talent into a vehicle that will help you enjoy your craft while also living a lifestyle you have always dreamed of.

What's an Indie Business Breakfast, you ask?

About Indie Business
Indie Business is where independent business owners connect, collaborate and succeed. We share tips and how-tos, and use the latest branded new media tools to create new relationships and expand our spheres of influence.
Indie Business Breakfast is hosted by Donna Maria Coles Johnson, founder and president of the Indie Beauty Network and Indie Business Media. Known as the Chief Executive Indie and the Original Lifestyle CEO, Donna Maria is passionate about empowering people to maximize their potential through small business ownership. You can follow Donna Maria’s entrepreneurial journey at http://www.indiebusinessblog.com/. You can also connect with her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/IndieBusiness and on Facebook at http://companies.to/IndieBusiness

Interested? Intrigued? Inspired? Join us!

Click here to register. Tickets are $20 in advance, and $25 at the door, and don't forget your business cards!

If you're a CMMAG member, we'll have an area dedicated to showcasing examples of our work, so bring something fabulous to show off. Note: if you're planning to bring something, please arrive at least 20 minutes early to ensure your work is displayed properly.

See you there!

Whee!

2009-05-23T16:54:00.003-04:00

I have had an idea in my head for a very long time of a cuff type bracelet made from my painted canvases. With all the moving and deadlines and such over the past year, I just have not been able to set up my sewing machine and play with it. At Art and Soul I saw a similar cuff type bracelet made with a different material with a way cool closure that I knew would be perfect for what I wanted to make. Today, I finally had the time to sit down and try it out. I have to say I am very pleased with the results. It is probably a good thing that I had to wait so long to play with this concept. I have constructed and deconstructed it many times in my head, so my first effort seems pretty solid.
What do you think?

The cord is waxed linen. It is wrapped around the canvas disks in a figure eight.

The longish beads are paper beads I made from magazine pages that I wiped excess paint onto as I was painting.

This is the underside.

Here is what it looks like laid out.

So, I will wear it for a while and gauge the comfort.

It is so fun to get an opportunity to play and try something new. I have been so caught up in production work lately that I just have not had time to play. Production work bores my socks off. I am quite tired of making paper earrings. Don't get me wrong, I love that people want to buy them, but I am ready to conquer new terrain and come up with my next fabulous thing, or just lose myself in art play.

Fly By

2009-04-22T21:09:00.005-04:00

In the spirit of being regular with my blogging, I am flying by in the midst of pre-show insanity to show you what I have been doing.

These are my paper earrings. I paint papers, and then collage with them, and seal them heavily. These will get a little hole punched in them, and will have sterling silver ear wires. Cool?!?!?

Oh, and just for kicks, the following is my messy table with a small canvas in process on it.

...and the view out my studio window, which should make someone insanely jealous. Will it be you?

A note from Joanna

2009-04-20T17:33:00.003-04:00

Thanks everyone for your prayers for Ron and Joanna. What I didn't mention in my previous post is that Ron was recently laid off from his Job, and thus has no insurance. Keep up the prayers!
Here is a note from Joanna that I copied from their chip-in page.

How do I find the words to express what all these beautiful souls are doing for us? Ron is in a child-like way right now (a side of him that is new to me) and when I told him about this, I wish you could see his reaction. Makes me want to cry just writing this.

How will I ever thank everyone ? My prayer is that God will bless each person who has contributed. I wish I could physically hug each one and thank them in person.

In so many ways this all does not seem real to me. My brain keeps trying to grasp the whole scope of what is happening. I keep hoping I will wake up and it is not true.

My love and appreciation, and from Ron too.

joanna

Prayers for a friend

2009-04-17T16:23:00.002-04:00

I just heard through the art community that our dear Joanna, who has been through so much just learned that Her husband's brain tumor has returned and he needs immediate surgery or he will only have one month to live. Will you please join me in praying for Joanna and Ron? Also, if you feel led, could you please contribute a little to help them get through this tough time. Their finances have taken such a hit over the past years with Joanna's illness. They could use the help just to live in while Ron is receiving treatment, not to mention more medical bills. Thank you!

Look in the right column for a chip-in widget where you can contribute.

Here is what Joanna said on her blog...

"Oh my, how do I even say this. Ron's neurologist explained to us, as we viewed his MRI scans, that this tumor is massive, compressing the brain stem and 4th ventricle. Ventricles in our brain carries the CSF Fluid. That is my understanding. This is what the doctor said:

Ron needs immediate surgery. He has maybe a month to live before the ventricle would be cut off and he would die.

Talk about feeling like a mac truck hits you. I thought I was going to completely loose it. When you hear news like this, you want to faint and not connect to the truth, just like when I heard that my mom was dead. It brought that familiar pain back.

After the doctor's visit we went to the social services office. The quickest Ron could be covered will be next Thursday, a WEEK. A week seems like eternity right now. They handed me more paper work that I have to do and bring back in the morning.

Ron's doctor wants him to have his surgery in San Francisco. We have a nephew who lives in the city, so hopefully I could crash on his couch while Ron is in surgery. Oh my, this is so big to even think about and put into prospective.

If Ron is not eligible for medical treatment, then he will not be able to have the surgery.

Please please please continue to pray. Again, our faith is strong, or at least Ron's is. I keep reaching for the phone to call my mother. It just seems way to big to me and hurts so very much. I have to be strong for Ron. He is hurting over me hurting. And I understand that from when he got the news about me. We have both been on the other side of the fence."

Hooked on Portraits

2009-04-13T22:27:00.001-04:00

So, I think I am hooked. I am hooked to portraiture. I am telling myself this does not need to mean that I will quit creating my whimsical mixed media work. I can do both, right? I hope so. At any rate, I am nearing completion of my second portrait in my Monday night class. Frank gave me a lot of help on this one, bur most of it is me.

New shop at 1000 Markets.

2009-04-13T00:37:00.005-04:00

I have just opened a new shop at a venue called 1000 Markets. It is a lovely site. It is in sneak preview mode just now, but will hopefully go live very soon. I am glad to be getting in early. Click on the screen shot of my page below to visit my shop. Browse around the site and see some of the other amazing handmade goodness available there.

New Stuff! and a question

2009-04-10T14:02:00.006-04:00

I have been loving my oil painting class and all the things I have been learning there. I am still creating my whimsical acrylics and collages though. The new skills I have acquired are bringing new depth to my works. In the last few days, I have felt compelled to create some more strict collage pieces. Here are the results.

Now, for the question. I was working on the background for another floral in this series, and I really love the background on it's own. What do y'all think. Can this be a stand alone piece?

Two New Oil Paintings

2009-03-23T21:57:00.004-04:00

I am meeting myslef coming and going these days. The good news is that I am being artistically productive. The bad news is that if you drop by my house is not likely to be clean.
I am still enjoying my oil painting classes with Frank. This first painting is inspired by artist Alice Williams. A number of us in the class were interested in learning her technique, so we each painted different versions of her paintings. Don't freak on me, this is pretty common practice in learning art techniques. even the masters copied each other.

The next painting is a potrait of Daniel, who we met in Ethiopia. I love this one. I think I might enjoy portrait painting.

What do you think?

Waking Up

2009-02-08T10:27:00.005-05:00

I finished it. I am very pleased. I am learning so much in this class. I have learned alot about capturing light and shadow, mixing colors, using complementary colors to create contrast, loosening up, emplying some Picasso tricks and some cheating secrets I ain't telling. Best of all, I have learned that I do have a natural talent for art, that my success thus far is not just a fluke. I feel confident that I can continue to learn and grow and produce better and better paintings. The only struggle I am feeling just now is how to take what I am learning and apply it to what I have already been doing. Or should I just chuck it and go another way? At any rate, I am on a grand adventure and I am grateful to God for gifting me with it.

I have had some happy company over these last weeks....

Flynne and her cat.

Jennifer and her dog.

Sarah and her rock.

Everyone has come away with beautiful paintings, and are starting new ones this week. So, more to come.....

All about my friend

2009-01-21T12:18:00.003-05:00

I don't have anything new to report about me, or rather no time to report it.
There is a wonderful interview with my friend Jeanne Rhea on the Carolina Mixed Media Artists Guild blog. You should read it. I particularly love the part at the end where she writes President Obamas speech about the arts for him. Check it out here- http://carolinamixedmediaartistsguild.blogspot.com/2009/01/january-member-interview-jeanne-rhea.html

Oil Painting Class

2009-01-16T22:25:00.000-05:00

I have never tried oils. Can you believe that? So, I am taking a class with local artist and friend Frank Pierce.

My hope is to gain a better understanding of capturing light and shadow.
I have never been a realistic painter, but I think that is because I never thought I could. I am learning that I can.

I am painting an image of sunflowers in a clear glass vase. I wanted to learn how to paint the glass and the stems in the glass as well. So far so good. I am pleased with what happened during my first evening of painting.

what say you?

More fun with friends

2009-01-03T23:59:00.007-05:00

I do love a party. Lucky for me Jean Skipper (pictured above) at Artist Alley in Southern Pines throws a party on the first Friday of every month. I look forward to the "First Friday" Opening all month long. It is a marvelous opportunity to interact with customers and collectors in a festive, social atmosphere.

It is also a great time to hang with my art buds. Below is the talented and funny Penny Arrowood who makes th most kickin" body products and candles.

This past Friday, Jean had an "Anniversary Extravaganza." The place was packed. Even some of the local media from Pinehurst Magazine were there. Speaking of Media, congrats to Jodi Ohl
(pictured below) who has an article out in the new Cloth, Paper Scissors.

Debbie and Nanette were there!

Dontcha wish you had been there too?

Play Time with the Girls!

2009-01-02T13:18:00.004-05:00

Last Tuesday my dear friend, Jodi, invited me over for little creative play time. I really needed it because my studio is not yet functional in the new house. I have been itching to create. I didn't do much. I just worked on some of my painted paper earrings. The best part of the evening was just relaxing with creative friends.

My friends Nancy and Nanette were there too. We talked and munched and created, and just generally had a blast. We all resolved to do this more often. I plan to hold them all to it!
Creative community has been so important to me in the last year. I have grown tremendously because of my art sisters. We encourage each other, and hold each other accountable. Mostly it is just good to surround myself with people who "get it." So yay for my art sisters!

I am so lame!

2009-01-01T20:16:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year!

Is it just me, or can the beginning of a new year be just a tad intimidating? There is alot of talk about resolutions, and goals, and intentions. I am going to admit that I am not the best at keeping commitments. I mean well, but my disorganized and distracted state of being often gets the better of me and I miss my mark. So the thought of setting goals or announcing intentions for a new year makes my palms sweaty. I want to be deliberate, but I don't want to set myself up for a fall. It's a conundrum I tell ya.
So, I have set some soft goals for this year:
First, I want to be more organized with my time and resources. I spin my wheels alot. I want to do that less. I have some more specific plans on this topic, but I am not going to announce them to the world in case I crash and burn.
Second, I want to be quieter and gentler. I have a bit of an Irish temper, and tend be a bit of a loudmouth. It serves me well in some instances, but for home school, not so much.
Third, I want to take better care of my body. I got a good jump on it last year, so I just want to continue the trend.
Fourth, I want to be a better friend. I have reconnected with old friends this year, and bonded with new ones. I want to make that a priority in my life.
So, that is what I am dreaming of accomplishing this year. I know it is all well within my reach. Cheer me on, and hold me accountable friends!

Chaos and Peace

2008-12-28T01:07:00.003-05:00

What an incredible year this has been! There have been so many transitions in my life. I am happy to report that in spite of all the upheaval, I am happier and healthier at the end of 2008 than I was at the beginning. I intend to stay the course in 2009. I am sure it will be a crazy ride once again, but entirely worthwhile.
In 2008 I grew tremendously as a mom. I made the decision to home school this year based on what I felt was best for my kiddos. I knew that I would be sacrificing alot of my prized quiet time alone, and frankly that scared me. We forged ahead though. The result has been that I am more peaceful and less busy, and my kids and I are growing stronger in our relationships with each other. They are learning and growing more respectful and self- disciplined. I count this as a good decision.
Also this year, we moved, twice. We left our peaceful home in the country, and have settled in a 1970 brick ranch in a subdivision. So far, I count this as a good decision also. We are closer to everything, and their are lot's of kids around for my kiddos to play with. The house needs work, but I am looking forward to the challenge. Check back in a couple years to see if I still feel that way.
Another major change is that I have lost 30 lb. I feel stronger. I have more to lose, but I feel confident that I can keep it up.
I have grown tremendously as an artist, and have had some modest commercial success. I have come to some important understandings about what I want to accomplish as an artist, and what I don't need to do. I am looking forward to more wonderful growth in 2009.
I have loved and received love this year. I have reconnected with old friends, and grown closer to new ones. I have drawn closer to God. I have cleared hurdles, and torn down walls, but also erected new boundaries where needed. I turned 40. I am at peace. Bring it on 2009!

Another Post about almost nothing

2008-12-15T17:12:00.003-05:00

Nothing artsy to report. Wait, that isn't true. I will be at Artist Alley doing a demo this Saturday, and hope to have new earrings with me. Stop by if you are in the area.

What is making my socks go up and down is that there are 6 kids playing in my new yard. Part of why we moved back to town was for the kids to have other kids close by. We found them. Laughter is such a glorious sound, isn't it.

Hmm, I Dunno

2008-12-12T19:03:00.003-05:00

I really have nothing much to say. I am at a creative standstill until we are settled in and the studio is set up.
I am in such a state of flux. I am looking forward to getting in to paint up to my elbows.
am looking forward to the new year and new adventures. I am excited about the wonderful community of artist that has been growing here locally. I am excited to be back in Southern Pines. I am feeling very much at home in this house.
Good space. That is where I am today.

Still kicking. and Seven things.

2008-12-10T10:58:00.004-05:00

I am sitting amongst piles of boxes again. This time it is because we have moved in to a new home. I have not posted in the interim, because I have just been too stinkin' busy. I am too stinkin' busy now, but I am posting because I am looking for a creative way to procrastinate, and because Jeanne tagged me.

So, here are seven things you may not know about me.

1. I turned 40 last month and it is no big deal.

2. Like Jeanne, I don't mind discussing things that many people are uncomfortable discussing. My caveat is that everyone in the conversation must be nice to each other. I don't have mainstream viewpoints and opinions about things, so people tend to get mad at me for what I believe. I am not threatened by or offended by what anyone else believes, I just believe what I believe. Which leads me to...

3. I am a Christ follower. I don't say Christian, because that conjurs an image of people who are mean-spirited and hateful. That isn't me. I do believe in the Bible as the infallible word of God. I believe we were created by God in his image. I believe that there was a global flood, and an ark, and the dinosaurs were on it. I have very reasonable arguments to back my beliefs up, so feel free to ask. I believe that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," but that a baby was born of a virgin for the purpose of spilling his blood to pay the price of all the sins that have ever been or ever will be commited so that we can be reunited with our Father who made us and loves us more than we can possibly imagine. I believe that human beings will always falter and fail each other, but that Christ never fails.

4. I believe that some people won't get past reading #3, and some folks might even leave mean spirited comments about it, but it's no skin off my nose.

5. I love everyone. Really. I don't LIKE everyone, but I do love everyone.

6. I was a cheerleader in high school. (that may scare the rest of you away)

7. I have a nose piercing ad two tattoos, and a third one planned.

I don't know who to tag.
How about Jean at Artist Alley. She is the only person I can think of who hasn't been tagged!

Moving

2008-09-17T07:21:00.011-04:00

I am sitting amongst piles and boxes, surrounded by mixed emotion. We have lived here for about four years. Adam was two when we moved here. Messa came home to this place. But now we are leaving. The last time I did this, I was glad to move on. This place has been different. But, it is not where we need to be right now. So, we are moving in to town.

Town means a small rental house on a small lot with neighbors closer than I care for. It also means friends for my children to play with, and short drives to their interests and activities. No wild turkey or coyote will cross my yard, but I can get to the downtown historic district for a cup of coffee at Flynnes and first rate people watching in three minutes. Matt will be able to come home for lunch, and in the evenings he will be home at 5:35, not 6:15. There is a little park right up the road that the kids and I can walk to. I can take the dog, and give her the exercise she needs (me too!) My studio space is in the sun porch on the back of the house. I have lot's of natural light, and I will be able to work late into the evening without feeling isolated like I do in my current studio, which is in a seperate building.
So, we sacrifice. We compromise. We know that in a very short time, the kids will be grown and on their own and we can find a spread somewhere that offers the peace and beauty we have loved here.
Now, don't get me started on the whole packing thing....

I'm a reject!

2008-08-14T16:02:00.002-04:00

I just found out that my piece "11 Houses" was rejected by the Junior League of Raleigh for their Town and Country show. That is my second jury rejection. It would be interesting to hear why I was not accepted. Did they hate it? Did they like it well enough but had to cut it due to space constraints? Who knows?
Most interesting is that I am not really bugged. I had a momentary icky feeling, but that is it. I love my art. I have collectors that love my art. I am not really upset that this particular jury did not love my art. I will keep pushing and growing and trying and learning. It is amazing to me that I have come so far in my confidence. Just a few years ago, I would've been scared to even try. I would've been crushed by the rejection. I wonder what has given me this confidence? I think it has alot to do with community. Having associations with other artists who support my vision, and will be honest, yet gentle in their critique is essential in my growth as an artist. I have been a part of online groups in the past, but most recently have put my energies into some local groups of artists. If you an artist, and want to build confidence in your skills and vision, I encourage you to find a local group of artists for support. You will be amazed at what it can do for you. Make sure you don't associate with anyone who sucks your energy, or holds you back though. I have run across some of these in my time as well. Stick with people who have similar goals and vision as you. Good luck!

Thanks Hidu!

2008-08-04T07:38:00.003-04:00

My dear buddy Jodi has posted to her blog about our adventures this last Friday at Artist Alley in Southern Pines. We had a wonderful time. Go read about it.
Here is my Artist Alley wall. Thanks Jean!

I am so grateful for the creative friends I have around me. I crave time spent with adults who get it, who understand why I am at my best when up to my elbows in paint. They inspire me to try new things. They motivate me to push myself creatively and professionally. I would definitely not be having the success I am having without my circle of friends. Thanks Gals! Jean, Jodi, Nanette, Penny, Olivia, Jeannie, Joy, Debbie, and Kathy I thank you!

Another Fly By

2008-07-26T20:49:00.004-04:00

This lovely has been toted to the Campbell House Gallery in Southern Pines, NC for the Fine Arts Festival put on by the Moore County, NC Arts Council. It is titled "Tree in the City." clever aren't I?

Quick Fly By

2008-07-22T16:29:00.003-04:00

I am working in a series right now of buildings/houses with trees and flowers. I didn't set out for it to be a series, but it seems to be evolving that way. each one I paint is more complex, layered and detailed than the last. I particularly love playing with interesting color combinations, and light and shadow on the building facades.
The piece picture above was painted for entry into a juried show held by the Junior League of Raleigh. The show theme is "Town and Country." I am sending my entry this week. I'll let you know if it juries in.
Sorry for the quick fly by. More soon!

More Up-Catching

2008-07-10T08:02:00.007-04:00

Matt and I attended the Summer Opening at Circa in Asheboro, NC on June 25. I am very pleased to have my work shown there. Mandy Sloan and Amy Keith Barney own the gallery and are terrific artists as well. I currently have 5 canvas pieces there, as well as some of my jewelry.

They have an eclectic mix of highly talented artists. Stop in for a visit if you are in the area. You will be glad you did.

This 6x6 canvas is hanging there just on the wall to left as you walk in the door.

I Feel So Special

2008-06-30T14:56:00.004-04:00

I feel so Special! The lovely and talented Nici has given me an award. I have always wanted an award! The Arte Y Pico award was designed to be given to bloggers who inspire others creatively. I like the idea that what I share here inspires others. I am honored! Thank you Nici!

Now it is my turn to pass this award along to others. There are so many with such a generous creative spirit. I choose the five following wonderful creative bloggers to share this award with:

Jeanne
Andrew
Lucy
Lia
Toni

If you have been selected for the award, please pay it forward, following the steps below:
1) Choose 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award based on creativity, design, interesting material, and overall contribution to the blogger community, regardless of the language.
2) Post the name of the author and a link to his or her blog so everyone can view it.
3) Each award-winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award.
4) The award-winner and the presenter should post the link of the "Arte y pico" blog so everyone will know the origin of this award.  
5) Please post these rules!

The Arte y Pico blog is in Spanish. To read it in English, clickhere. The translation is not perfect.

Featured!

2008-06-29T09:03:00.001-04:00

I am a featured artist on the Mixed Media Street Team (Metsy) blog today. Take a look and check out the great artists on out team!

Too Much to Tell You

2008-06-25T09:13:00.006-04:00

Have you ever had a moment when you feel like you have hit your stride? I don't mean that everything is perfect, and there is no trouble. I mean when you feel like you are moving through life gracefully and taking the bumpy and the smooth and accepting it all as a gift? Does that sound way too far out? I feel that today. It is a peaceful place to be.

I have been happy as a lark in the studio lately. I am working diligently to keep my galleries supplied, and beef up my etsy shop. I am succeeding. Most importantly though is that I am enjoying every moment of it. The painting above is acrylic on canvas. It is 24x30" and is hanging in Circa in Asheboro, NC. Matt and I attended their opening last night. It was well attended, and I have high hopes for the gallery and my artwork to do well. I will post more about the opening at a later time.

My birds are taking on new personas. As the kids and I have been feeding and watching the birds this year, I have enjoyed getting to know their little personalities. I think this new familiarity is coming through in my artwork. This guy above is in my etsy shop, and I will be offering more like him there soon. The scrap of paper above him is from a vintage letter and reads "want to do something every nite." I guess he is a bit of a party animal.

Finally, let me introduce you to a new addition to our family. We have another nest. It is the same kind of bird as built the last nest. It is not a Junco, it is a Northern Rough-Winged Swallow. I believe there are three babies again. This one popped his head up to say hello yesterday. Sorry for the fuzzy pic. I had to zoom.

Summer at last!!!

2008-06-14T09:22:00.002-04:00

Wow! It has been a crazy few weeks. I was very sick after coming home from Art and Soul, then we launched headlong into end of school year activities, then ran away to the beach for a week. I am home, well, and beginning to settle into a summer routine with the kiddos. I so enjoy being with them. They are the greatest kids in the world. In the Fall, we will be homeschooling, and I am so excited. More on that later.

As far as my art life goes, I have managed to fill an entire wall for Jean at Artist Alley. I am in the process of creating and gathering work for a new gallery opening later this month in Asheboro, NC- Circa. So things on the gallery front are quite good.

I am also working on my etsy presence. Many artists do very well there. The key is consistency. I am participating in a "yart sale" currently. I have thirteen items marked down for the sale here-http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=650&section_id=5413074. If you would like to see more yart sale stuff, just search for yart on etsy. There is a ton of stuff on sale.

Empty Nest Syndrome

2008-05-13T12:28:00.003-04:00

Last Evening I peeked at the babies and thought they would have to be flying off soon because it was just getting too crowded in there.

I went to check on them this morning, and this is what I found...

I miss them, but I am trilled that they all made it and flew away.

I promise I will post pictures of art soon. I was at Art and Soul in Hampton last week, and I have been busily painting for the last couple of days. I had the best teachers. My faves were Albie Smith, Diana Trout and Carla Sonheim. So, stay tuned....

Still ticking

2008-05-08T05:27:00.004-04:00

I a freshly home from Art and Soul 2008 in Hampton, VA. It was wonderful to see my art sisters, and learn lotsa new stuff. I wore myself out, however, and now I believe I have a sinus infection, so I am off to the Dr. today.

I arrived home to discover that we have three new babies at our house.

They are Juncos. Mama built her nest on a downspout from the gutter right near the front door to the house. They are so precious.

I have also had visits from a new friend who was the inspiration for my most recent tattoo.

Yes, the picture is bad. I took it through my sliding glass door. But, you get an idea of the glorius color, right? Did you know that Indigo Buntings are actually black? The refraction of the light from their feathers gives the illusion of this glorious blue.

Oh, and since I am supposed to be posting about my artwork...

Simple Gifts

2008-04-03T09:05:00.004-04:00

I am grateful for simple gifts today. I have been feeling alot of pressure, but I am realizing that all of the stress and pressure I have in my life is a result of all the goodness and abundance I have.

This grainy picture was taken this morning through the sliding glass door off my dining room. I have enjoyed my birds so much this year. This fella came with his mate this morning to bring a splash of sun to a dreary, rainy day. I am grateful for the rain though, as we have been in a drought all winter.

I have been wrapped up in keeping the house neat and clean while it is on the market. My house keeper quit last week. I have hired a new one to start work next week. I am grateful to have a house to clean, and the resources to hire someone else to do it.

We are expecting an offer in the next couple of days, and a second couple is showing interest. I love this place, but it is no longer where we need to live. I think I have gypsy soul. I just have to move from time to time. I am grateful for a husband who is gifted with budgeting and finances so that we are in a position to be able to move and change when the time comes.

Finally, I am grateful to be alive and unharmed and for my children and Mom to be alive and unharmed. We rode our van down an embankment a couple of days age. It was miraculous that we did not roll. I was not even much sore. That my family is safe is truly a gift.

Shameless Marketing!

2008-03-21T20:39:00.005-04:00

Many of you know that prior to my mixed media and painting career, I was a lampwork bead maker for many years. I still have all my equipment, and will get back to it sometime, but for now, I have put the torch and glass aside in favor of acrylic mediums, paper and paint.
I do still have a huge number of wonderful beads from my days of doing bead shows. I maintain an etsy shop for my beads called AmySmithGlass. You may have noticed my etsy mini in the side column. I have marked down a number of beads for a Spring Sale I am running through April 15. Check out the mini below, and go take a looksee. Some of the discounts are 50%.

And now, because I feel guilty for blatantly marketing my stuff...why?...take a look at these favorites of mine from other sellers on etsy!

Whee! At least I am enjoying the ride!

2008-03-20T09:38:00.004-04:00

Spring is here. Everything is changing.

The last two weeks have been wrapped up in getting the house ready to put on the market. It is now for sale, so I am having to be diligent to keep it neat, and cracking the whip on my 4 year old and 7 year old kids and 38 year old husband to pick up after themselves. So far so good.

I have also hired a house keeper. What a stroke of genius that was. With the extra help, the house stays neat, and I can still get some creative time. I recommend this to any of you who are struggling with finding the balance. You see, I want things to stay neat and clean, but I am a lousy housekeeper. I was constantly finding myself trapped in the middle wanting to make art, needing to clean house, and not making progress on either. Hire somebody! Things are so much easier!

In other news...We will be homeschooling the kiddos next year. The boy has excelled academically this year, but I can feel that his self esteem has been damaged by being in trouble all the time. He tries so hard, yet still is in trouble so frequently. He is a good kid, but struggles with some compulsive stuff, and desperately needs consistency in discipline. In talking with the headmaster, I have found out that his teacher has a hearing problem which leads to some inconsistencies in discipline in the classroom. This may have affected the situation. At any rate, I need to get him home. I am excited about it. We are all seeing it as a big, new adventure.

So, many changes are afoot. Spring is the time isn't it?

More artwork coming soon!

Tagged!

2008-03-10T20:53:00.002-04:00

Kirsten tagged me. I don't mind being tagged, but I always have trepidation about tagging other people. I'm doing it anyhow, and hope for the best!
The Rules:1.You must share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.2.You then tag 7 people (if you can) and at the end of the post you provide links to their blogs.3.Lastly, let them know they are being tagged.

1. I am not afraid of spiders. When I was a kid, I used to let little ones run around on my hands.
2. I saw the Dave Matthews Band the first time they ever played a gig publicly. It was in a small upstairs bar on "the corner" in Charlottesville, VA.
3. I used to be a telemarketer. Talk about a thankless job!
4. I hate the feeling of raw wood. Popsicle sticks give me the willies. I just shivered from even thinking about them.
5. I was a cheerleader in high school. Don't hold it against me.
6. I love playing board games. I am not competitive. I just enjoy it.
7. I can't stay in one place for long. After 3-4 years, I need a change of scenery and routine.

So, who do I tag? Jeanne, Lia, Toni, Pattie, Brenda, Cindy, and Nici. Please forgive me friends!

From Big to Small

2008-03-04T20:23:00.004-05:00

After working on bigger pieces for a couple of months, I felt the need to shrink a bit. I worked on some ACEOs today, and my shipment of mini canvases from Jerry's arrived today, so I am anxious to get to them.

The ACEOs are a continuation of my stitching experiments. I love to create highly patterned and colored painted papers. I had wanted to combine the papers into some graphic collages, but they seemd so busy. Then I tried stitching around each bit to set them off. It works! At least I think it does.

Acrylic Background with Hand Carved Stamp- Mini Tutorial

2008-03-03T09:50:00.004-05:00

I created this "Forest Bird" painting for the Visual Arts Street Team (VAST) March Challenge for Etsy. The Theme is "green." You can click on the image to go directly to this listing, or search on etsy for the tag "vastgreen." to see all the entries.

Frankly, it was a struggle for me to use so much green. I like green, I just don't gravitate to it as a primary color in my artwork. To get my groove I just decided to play with a background technique. I actually remembered to take some photos to share the technique with you here!

This technique assumes you have some idea about hand carving stamps. You could do the same thing with a commercial stamp with a deep carve to it. Just make sure the company you got the stamp from is an angel company that allows you to use their stamps in artwork you plan to sell. (If enough people want a stamp carving tut. I will post that as well. Just drop me a comment.)

The first step is to paint your canvas (or paper) with you base color. In this case I used green. (no pic.)

In the photo below, I show my metallic olive green paint from Lumiere by Jaquard. I wanted to have a monochromatic background that had some patterning and texture, so I used the green metallic over the plain green base color. Also pictured is my hand-carved pattern stamp. I simply brush a thin layer of the metallic paint and press it onto the canvas. I turn the stamp this way and that to vary the pattern, I reload my stamp with paint after every third press. I have a limited amount of the Lumiere paints available for purchase in my Etsy shop.

Below is the result. Not earth Shattering, I know, but it is a simple yet interesting background technique that will add a bit of interest behind your focal subject. In the finished piece, you can see that I also added the suggestion of foliage by brushing on leaves lightly in a darker green shade, then wiping them off before they dried completely. This recedes them into the background so the bird can "float" in front of them.

The next picture shows the result of pressing my stamp onto a paper towel after I was finished pressing it onto my canvas. I don't know about you, but I think it's cool looking. This will show up in a project at a later date I am sure.

In an unusual twist....

2008-02-27T15:45:00.008-05:00

I managed to get alot done on the aforementioned canvases. Here are the WIP photos. They are still not finished. I need to add detail to the flower, and stare at them for a couple of days to see what else needs attention.

More Big Canvases

2008-02-27T09:02:00.003-05:00

OK, so this is not such an exciting picture. This is where I am today though. I have promised two large paintings for an auction to benefit my son's school, the Sandhills Classical Christian School. These canvases are 20" x 60". I have finished the background. In this picture, they are upside down. I am planning to have bird on one, and a black-eyed susan on the other.

Working bigger is an interesting adventure to me. I have only begun working on larger canvases in the last year. I am a bit ADD and impatient, so smaller canvases were fun because I could finish a piece in one sitting. My acrylic paints dry quickly, and I could help them along with my heat gun. With the larger pieces, the background can take several sessions of painting and drying before I can start adding the focal subject. With my schedule being what it is. I do one scetion at a time, then go pick up kids, cook dinner, etc... These two panels have been in process for a couple of weeks.

Tonight or tomorrow, I will add the focal subjects.

I am not put off, by the process. I think the methodical, bit by bit, with lots of waiting is good for me. I am learning to be more deliberate with my art. The finished pieces have more depth and attention to detail.

And the Winner Is....

2008-02-14T13:26:00.002-05:00

Moon! Whose blog address is http://pbetouffee.blogspot.com/.
I had 164 entries, which made me feel great since y'all must love my birdies!
I enjoyed participating in OWOH. It was fun to look at everyone's blogs. I hope y'all will come back and visit again!

And Poppy again

2008-02-11T13:46:00.000-05:00

I am continuing to work at it. I am not happy with the background. It is too purple, and the copper is not subtle enough. I need to clean up the bottom dirt and water sections and add detailing there. I am happy with the bloom and the stem. Phew, I wanna finish this!

Once it is done, I am planning to have it photographed, and offer Giclee's via my Etsy site. I am also going to offer the poppy, and a couple of my bird paintings in giclee.

And for the curious, I am adding a picture of my work table. I am not happy with my lighting situation. I need to add a diffuser to the light I think. The glare is bothering me.

My Studio is a nice space that is separate from our main house. I have two work surfaces, and plenty of storage space. The only drawbacks are the lack of good heat, and no running water. I heat with an electric space heater or a kerosene heater, and I run back and forth to the house for water.

It is working for me!

Oh, and yes, the string of lights are bass. My FIL gave them to me for Christmas a couple of years ago.

Poppies, Poppies

2008-02-10T19:01:00.000-05:00

I hope that this one does not have the somatic effect that the field of poppies had in the Wizard of Oz! I think it is starting to pop! Hee Hee!

I thought I would snap another picture and share it before I got too far. The picture is not very good because it is night, and I had to take it indoors with my peculiar mix of incandescent and flourescent light in the studio.

One World One Heart Giveaway!

2008-02-08T22:21:00.001-05:00

**** I am closing to any new entries. I need to go to bed, and will do my drawing tomorrow. Thanks everyone!*****
OK, I am in. Everyone else is doing it, so I must as well! Besides, giving is good for what ails ya. Right?
So, I am joining the One World, One Heart giveaway.
Just leave a comment on this post, and you will be entered into a drawing to win one each of my 3 amazing bird print pendants with an 18" silver plated chain to wear them on. I will announce the winner on February 14. Good Luck!

Poppy Beginnings

2008-02-08T10:02:00.001-05:00

Here is the mate for the Peony. I started it a week or so ago. I thought I would share the beginning before moving on.

I will try to remember to photo it as I go to share here.

I have not posted to my writing Blog for a long time. I am processing some stuff, and made a post there today. Take a look if you wish- Experimental Blathering

I am going to paint now. Have a creative and jubilant day!

Wear My Art!

2008-02-01T10:28:00.001-05:00

Jewelry! I have been having fun making jewelry! I have had an idea in my head for these paper pendants and earrings for a long time. So, I decided to go for it, and I am thrilled with the result.

They are paper collage done with mostly my handpainted papers, and text. I have added glitter or micro beads to some. They way fun and very light.

I have also refined my technique on these pendants featuring mini prints of my bird art. They are super cute, and quite popular.

If you like these or the paper collage pieces above, they are available in my etsy store, and in Southern Pines, NC at Artist Alley.

Artist Alley is having their monthly first friday opening. She is featuring jewelry artists for February. If you are local, stop by and enjoy the fun fro 6PM to 9PM. See you there!

Peony Progress

2008-01-28T10:35:00.000-05:00

So, I am working on two more paintings to complement the tulip and daisy. This is the first of the two. It is a peony. I love peonies. I have my Grandmother's peony in my yard. This is the 3rd house we have had them at. We move them everytime we move to a new house. They have been happy here. We are putting the house on the market next month. I hope they will survive another move, and that it comes quickly!

Anyhoo, I am happy with the progress of this painting. It is not finished. The colors look a little off in this image too. The background is more purple than blue.

Now, what should I put on the other canvas? I am thinking of a poppy, or a thistle, or.... Time to find some reference images.

The Real Thing

2008-01-24T08:30:00.000-05:00

In November, a couple bought two large paintings from me at a local show. They asked me to come over and look at their space to see if I am inspired to do more for them to acquire. Of course, I am!

I got to see my work hanging on their wall. This was a first for me, and it made me feel very affirmed.

Interactive Valentine on Canvas

2008-01-23T09:31:00.000-05:00

It is COLD in my studio this AM. My kerosene heater is just not doing it yet. I am afraid by the time it warms up in here, it will be time to retrieve a small person from preschool!

I am continuing with my interactive hearts. I posted the genesis of this idea here several months ago. It was inspired by a Bible verse.

Proverbs 4:23 -Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

I am enjoying these pieces. Lo and behold it is nearly Valentines day. Here's hoping folks think they are perfect Valentine gifts!

The one above is available in my ETSY store. It is on a 6"x6" Gallery Wrap canvas with a 1.5" deep edge.

I used my hand carved stamps and a new printing technique with old lace samples that I am super excited about. Anyone want a tutorial? I may need to post one!

Blessings!

New Year, New Plans

2008-01-19T16:57:00.000-05:00

It's 2008! I know I am late in making this announcement. I have just been tremendously busy. Changes are afoot in my life and art. It seems that people like my stuff, and are willing to pay me for it. This is a good thing! So, I am finding it necessary to shift my focus. I am making the hard decision to move away from swapping with online groups, and focus my creative time on my art for galleries and my Etsy store. I am going to step up my marketing efforts for my Etsy store. I am particularly focused on working with the Visual Art Street Team (VAST) on Etsy.

We have a lovely blog for the group here- http://vastgallery.blogspot.com/

Take a look. There are some seriously talented folks in there!

I am also thrilled with the recption my artwork is getting at Artist's Alley. I need to ride this wave! I hope y'all will enjoy the ride with me.

Of course, I hope to blog more this year, but I refuse to promise!

Go make art!

2007-12-19T09:14:00.000-05:00

I have new art! Matt gave me a gift certificate for my birthday last month for ADI tattoo . So, I had a piece done that has been brewing in my mind for a long time. I thought I would share it here since I have not had much time for creating myself with all the kids holiday activities.

This is on the outside of my left calve. It wraps around from back to front. It is an Indigo Bunting, and I happen to think it is spectacular. It took around two hours. And, because I know someone will ask... YES! IT HURTS!

Jim did this piece. He is awesome, and has 25 years of experience. If you are looking for a good studio, and artist, go see Jim!

Skinny Book Pages WIP

2007-10-04T19:34:00.000-04:00

I have been diligently working on my pages for Chrysti's skinny book swap. I love, love love, my design. I hope everyone else does too! Look at pervious posts for a hint at what I am doing.

Free OOPS charm

2007-09-27T08:20:00.000-04:00

I have been playing with making charms out of prints of my artwork. They are super cute, and I am hoping they will sell well on etsy, and in my show coming up in November.

The bird on this charm is from an ACEO that sold on ebay ages ago. It looks great, except I put it onto the scrabble tile upside down. The "E" on the back is inverted. OOPS!

If you want it anyhow, be the first person to comment, and I will send it to you. You will need to send me your address too, so don't just comment then run away to wait by the mailbox.

Next Step

2007-09-21T10:49:00.000-04:00

I gritted my teeth and cut up the canvas I created and posted in my last entry.

I have been experimenting with stitching on my artwork, and have found that I love using painted canvas to stitch. It stitches like buttah!

Memaw is just excited that my sewing machine has come out to play!

The bird is 4 x 5.25".

The Heart is an ACEO (2.5" x 3.5")

Playing Again

2007-09-18T19:54:00.000-04:00

I have been at it again! I am enjoying the freedom of just experimenting with paint. In this second exercise we used different tools to paint with. The first thing I did was to paint my canvas paper with a layer of orange and gold. Then I experimented with a few different tools.

This first image shows the results obtained by painting a square of plastic canvas with Lumiere Halo Blue Gold, and pressing it onto the paper over the orange.

Next, I pressed a length of embroidery string into a line of different colored pint globs, and pressed the string onto the page. In some spots I held one end of the string stationary and rotated the other end in an arc.

Next, I used the end of a wooden spool dipped in the paint to stamp onto the page.

Here is the final result.

Not a masterpiece by any stretch, but I enjoyed the playtime, and some new ideas may be sparked.

I have had such limited time lately with hauling kids to and fro from school and to appointments and gymnastics that I was desperate to complete something. I made an interactive ACEO with a "shaker" window of stars and glitter and micro beads. I love it! If you love it, you can buy it on etsy!

Paint Play!

2007-09-04T20:01:00.001-04:00

I am working with a group in a book called "Acrylic Revoultion" by Nancy Reyner. We have just started. The first thing we are doing is just experimenting, or playing. Sheesh is that ever hard!
So I dcided to work on some canvas pad I have had in my studio for millenia, and fiddle around with some pouring. I love the result. I have been wanting to begin delving into abstracts a bit more, and I think I may be on to something.
Here is what I did:
I started with a blank sheet of canvas from a cheap Fredrix pad. I used all Golden acrylics. I brushed on cadmium yellow medium heavy body with a big dry brush. I put it on very thin and spotty. Then I took a botle of red oxide fluid acrylic and squirted it onto the page straight from the bottle. The I folded the page top to bottom, side to side and corner to corner to mash the red around. Next I took heavy body phthalo blue (red shade) and mixed it in a palette with water. I poured it into the center of the page. Some of it was runny, and some was gloppy. Then, I turned the page this way and that letting the colors run and mix. Thigs started getting a bit muddy, so I sprayed the page with a mister of water. This somehow unmuddied the colors. I continued to let the colos run while turning the page. The excess ran off onto another waiting blank page. Finally, when I was happy with the result, I dried the whole thing with a heat gun. I think it was the heat that caused the crackling.
Cool, huh?!?!?

Courage to Create in the Raw

2007-07-26T11:25:00.000-04:00

The following is an excerpt from and article House and Garden magazine entitled "Give us Courage and Gaiety..." The article was published in May, 1966. I don't kow who the author was.

"Nothing of beauty was ever created by anyone afraid of making a mistake. You can copy the tried and proven, but almost certainly you will miss, if only for lack of that one-of-a-kind horseshoe nailthat was so much more important than you ever would have guessed.
You can adapt someone else's ideas,
but timid adaptations are the surest road to stodginess.
Only the courage to venture gaily forth on your own will be rewarded by a full measure of freshness and delight and by the abiding pleaseure of living with what you really want."

I find this fabulously inspiring. I read it whenever I feel myself in a bit of a creative block and tempted to look at ebay and flickr to see what everyone else is making.

I want to strike out and do my own thing. I want to make something truly original and all me.

These days I see alot of lovely things made using vintage images, and commercial imagery. Many of them are highly creative and exciting. They take the image to another level, and really show an artists heart. Some are formulaic and leave me cold. I often wonder if the widespread reliance on these images is making it easy for those who are fearful to avoid stepping out. Are we afraid we don't have talent enough to rely on our own imagination? So what if we don't? Are we creating art just to look lovely to outsiders, or do we want to express something that our heart wants to say?

Here challenge to anyone reading this who uses commercial or vintage images in your work:
1. Don't get mad at me. I enjoy alot of work done with these pre-made images. I just want to encourage you to stretch beyond them if they are a crutch or hinderance for you.
2. Examine your artwork and see how much of you is in it. Is it all about a picture taken by someone else and framing it? Are you taking it to the next level. or is it holding you back from the next level? If you are holding back, and ready to try to bust out, go on to #3. If you are satisfied with what you are doing or afraid to make a change, stop reading now........
...are you sure?...

3. Yay for you. Lay aside your premade imagery. Decide that for the next week, you are going to allow yourself to experiment.
4.For this week, stretch yourself by allowing yourself to make your own marks. Take a sketch book with you wherever you go. Doodle, sketch, draw shapes. Journal about it.
5. Finger paint. Take a piece of paper and your acrylic paints and make a lovely mess.
6. Pick something you have always wanted to draw or paint and do it. Don't worry if it looks right or not, just do it. Then do it again, and again. Journal about it.
7. Tell yourself every day that you are creative and talented, and your heart has something to say and the right to say it. Journal about it.
8. At the end of the week look back at what you have made, and see how far you have come. Look at what you love about what you have made. Ignore what isn't perfect. That stuff improves with practice. Journal about it.
9. Don't give up. You can do it. I did!

If you would like to share with me the results of your experiments, please email me at Amymasmith@gmail.com. Let me know if it is ok to post your stuff here.

Not much from me. Visit my Friends!

2007-07-14T11:49:00.000-04:00

I am still here. My internet was doen for a week, then I went out of town. I don't have alot to share, but my friends are doing great stuff. Take a look!

Beth is working on narrative quilts!

Kelli takes the (cup)cake!

Kirsten talks about her new etsy venture with Wendy.

Nici is charming as usual!

Joanna continues her brave journey!

2007-06-20T20:28:00.000-04:00

Lot's of people know that Cat Steven's recorded this song in 1971. Did you know that it is a traditional Gaelic Hymn composed by a humble woman named Mary MacDonald, and that the lyrics were written in 1931 by a woman named Eleanor Farjeon?
It is a favorite of mine, and when I finished this guy, I just thought he looked like he was taking his morning constitutional and feeling very much at peace with things.

Morning has broken, like the first morning

Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird

Praise for the singing, praise for the morning

Praise for the springing fresh from the word

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven

Like the first dewfall, on the first grass

Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden

Sprung in completeness where His feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning

Born of the one light, Eden saw play

Praise with elation, praise every morning

God's recreation of the new day

Being Mommy

2007-06-19T07:57:00.000-04:00

"To be Queen Elizabeth within a definite area, deciding sales, banquets, labors and holidays; to be Whiteley within a certain area, providing toys, boots, cakes and books; to be Aristotle within a certain area, teaching morals, manners, theology and hygiene; I can understand how this might exhaust the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it. How can it be a large career to tell other people's children about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone and narrow to be everything to someone? No, a woman's function is laborious,but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute."

G.K. Chesterton from What's Wrong with the World.

Should or Want?

2007-06-15T20:19:00.000-04:00

Should, or want…which comes first? I find myself paralyzed between my shoulds and my wants. This week I should have done laundry and cleaned up the house to get ready for the company that is coming this weekend. What I really wanted to do was go to my art table and make. The conflict of emotions this created in my already overloaded brain put into a state of irritation and paralysis. As I result, I have neither done my housework nor my artwork.
In the “real world” women are expected to take care of the home first, and their creative pursuits second. I don’t think that works for me. When I make time to make, I always have more energy and desire to be creative in my caretaking at home. It I don’t make time to make. My energy dries up, and I feel bitter and irritated that I have so much and so many to care care of. My blessings feel like burdens. I can very easily lower myself onto the sofa, remote in hand, and shut out the world.
So, tonight after the young’uns are safely tucked in bed, I will slip out to the studio and make into the wee hours. In the morning I will vacuum….maybe.

WIP Skinny Bird Pages

2007-06-06T10:44:00.000-04:00

I worked on the backgrounds for half of my skinny book pages before I left for the beach. Now I am fleshing them out. I have had a germ of an idea of what I want my pages to be, and I am trying to work it out. I am getting close. Not sure if this is it or not, but I am going to sit with it a while and see how it feels.

Nicci and Maralena have been working on their pages, and have posted about them at the Embellished Circus blog here. Kelli posted about here pages in her blog here.

Who else is working on their pages?
I heard from Ang

2007-05-23T09:14:00.000-04:00

Early summer in North Carolina. It has been a cool season thus far thankfully. I am not a girl who likes the sweltering heat. I do love my garden. The best part about it is that I didn't have to plant it. The lady we bought the house from was a horticulturalist. I have every variety of lilly you can imagine, and hundreds of other things I can't name. It is glorious in spring and summer. I have added a bit to the garden.

I can see this vignette through my front door. It is a little courtyard at the entry to the house enclosed by a lovely rock wall. The contrast of the flowers, along with the faucet stuck in the ground, and the beautiful metal hummingbird and flower stake by my friend Lewis just make me smile right down to my toes.

Turning Around

2007-05-21T10:40:00.000-04:00

It is Monday, and I am in my studio in town. I will be moving out of here after I get home from the beach week after next.
This is such a season of change in my life. My baby boy is in his last week of Kindergarten. I can hardly beleive it. He has grown and matured so much this year. He has learned so much too. He is reading well above grade level, and I am thrilled. I was always able to find escape in books, and I hope he will love them as much as I have.
On Satuday, we are off to Holden beach for a week. It will be my daughter's first time at the ocean. I can't wait to see how she likes it. My parents will be there with me, which I am thrilled about. They are my best friends, and there is noone else I would rather spend time with. We will spend our days walking the beach and playing in the sand, looking for critters and treasure. Holden Beach is one of those quiet places where there aren't millions of people. It is a very restful and restorative place for me.
The piece above is in the journal I started at Art and Soul. I have been trying to give myself time and permission to journal. It helps me keep my peace. I just write and layer over it. It is almost like doing artist pages for me.
Not much else to share. I am in a good space, and hope you are too!

You want to know 7 things about me?

2007-05-20T08:25:00.000-04:00

This is so hard! But a good exercise in introspection. So, thank you Kelli Perkins for tagging me for this 7 things thing-a-majig. I will try to make it interesting.

1.The feeling of Popsicle sticks on my skin, and some other raw wood gives me the heebie-jeebies.

2.I am a disorganized neat freak. I hate to live in clutter and mess, but I am no good at keeping it under control myself. Consequently, I am always at war with myself and everyone else in the house about the mess and clutter.

3. I was co-captain of the JV cheerleading squad in high school, but also a loner and outcast at the same time. I was quite full of angst and conflict. My senior quote for the yearbook was from David Bowie- "and these children who you spit upon, as they try to change their worlds. are immune to your consultations, they are quite aware of what they are going through."

4. I love to go fishing, and have no fear of baiting a hook or taking the fish off. This was amusing recently when we had guests out to the house. The kids went fishing, and I was the one running around doing all the gross stuff while the menfolk watched.

5. I have always felt called to Africa. I would live there if I could. I am always praying the Matt will be called to missions there. We adopted our daughter from Ethiopia. When we went there to meet her I felt entirely at home.

6.One of my pet peeves is when people use the word "regime" when they should be saying "regimen." I hear it all the time on TV. "So and so is starting on a new weight-loss regime." Although having a regime ruling my weight loss might not be such a bad idea.

7. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, one holy church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
Amen.

Now, if you got through all that I tag...
Lia, Wendy, Chel, Gene, Tejae, Tracie & Brandie

Joy!

2007-05-17T13:14:00.000-04:00

I am feeling superdeedooper about my decision to move my studio home. I have been working at home for the last few days getting the house cleaned and straightened for the onset of summer. Adam finishes up kindergarten at the end of next week, and we leave for the beach the following day. I want to have things in order so when we get back, I can move my studio home, and feel organized and not overwhelmed. So far, so good.
This summer promises to be a great one. It is our first summer with Messa, and I can't wait to take her to the beach, the zoo, the waterpark, and swimming in our backyard at "Cabo san Redneck." She and Adam will also be going to a 1/2 day camp a few weeks this summer, leaving mommy at home to be creative. Yay!
Things a bright ahead! What are you planning for your summer?

Coming Home Again

2007-05-11T09:26:00.000-04:00

I have been away at Art and Soul in Hampton, Va for a week. I am just beginning to re-assimilate into daily life. The trip was exhausting and overwhelming. I met a lot of really fun creative folks. I hope that some of them will remain close friends.

This trip came at a good time for me in my art life. I have made the decision to pack up my rented studio and move everything back home. Having a rented studio space in town has been a great adventure. It has taught me a lot about myself as an artist. I have just come to a point where the negatives are outweighing the positives. The stress and pressure of having to create to sell to make rent is such a burden that I feel it is stifling my creativity. I need to be free to make what makes my heart sing. Also, my kids are not getting enough of me. They will only be small once. I want to be more present for them, and more present in caring for the home we share. I guess the bottom line is that I can't hold everything together- house, family, studio, faith. I am not calling this defeat though. I see it as a call back to the center of who and where I need to be. I made this decision before I went to A&S, but the trip helped me come to a comfortable place with my decision.

The artwork at the top is from a journaling class with Juliana Coles called "Word- the Extreme Art of Lettering." There were a lot of things about this class that did not speak to me or work for me. What did work was a return to working quickly and intuitively. This type of fast, thought free, art play releases my spirit to create authentic work.

Another thing that was reawakened in me was a desire to be more mindful of maintaining the friendships I have found through my artwork. I need to be better at being in contact with the lovely souls I have come to know and admire and love on the journey. So, if you haven't heard from me in a while, don't be surprised to see an email in your box. You are all still precious to me, and I apologize for not making you a priority.

Birds! Skinny Book Project

2007-04-30T09:37:00.000-04:00

Whee! I am taking this on! What am I thinking?
I am hosting a Bird themed skinny book, details to follow below. There are 19 spots. Please comment on this post to request a spot in the project, then email me with your name, mailing address and phone number.
Thanks to my fellow Circus freaks for helping me iron out the details for this project.
(If you have no idea what a skinny book is, check out this free tut on Artchix- http://www.artchixstudio.com/create/classroom/class_skinnybook.htm)

Birds! Skinny Book-

You- create 20 original (no copies please) pages on heavy weight watercolor paper 3" wide and 6"tall. The theme is birds, but you may be loose in your interpretation and focus on eggs, nests, birdhouses and the like.
Please do your best creative work and send pages that would make your socks go up and down if you received them in a swap.
You may create on both sides of your page. Please make sure you include your name/signature on the back along with an email address.
The pages are intended to be bound on the top 3" edge, so leave this area free of embellishment. Dimensional embellishment is welcome, but should extend no further than 1/4" from the surface of the page.
Due Date- In my posession on Aug 5 2007.
*Along with your pages, please send a SASE with sufficient postage to cover the returns. If your pages are lightly embellished, you may want to add extra postage to your SASE to cover extra weight from pages from other folks who have a heavier embellishing style.
International particpants may send a self addressed return envelope and well concealed American cash, or you may pay me for return postage via Paypal to Amymasmith@gmail.com. Please add 3% enough to your payment amount to cover paypal fees. email me if you need advice on how much to send. I am not sure how much these packages are going to cost to mail.

I- will send you back one of your pages along with one page from each of the other particpants. You will receive a total of 20 pages.

You- will bind the book yourself in the manner that pleases you most.

Once I have all the spots filled, I will email everyone with details, and gather addresses and phone numbers for contact.

Participants:
1. Amyma
2. Kelli Perkins
3. Ang
4. Kellie
5. Chel
6. Joanna K.
7. Chrysti
8. Diane
9. Linda
10. Maralena
11. Jan
12. Carol
13. Martha
14. Nicci
15. Katie
16. Jacky Williams

17. Jean Skipper
18. Lia Kent
19. Joanna Pierott1
20. Charity Auction

*If your name is on this list, please email me with your mailing address and phone #.

2007-04-25T11:33:00.000-04:00

In a book I am reading, I just read that the Chinese pictograph for busy-ness is "heart killing." That thought pierces me today. How do we do this? I mean how do we women make a life of busy-ness into a life of beauty and wonder. How do we keep the demands from pressing in on us and suffocating us until the spark dies out? That is where I am today. Children, home, husband, business, health, all of it is spinning around me as I try to find my balance and give just enough to each one while still nourishing myself with my faith and my creativity. I am starving. The specific circumstances of my starvation are too complicated to post here. I know alot of what I need to do has to do with juggling space and time. In the meantime, I just need to find a way to carve out that space for myself where I can breathe and eat and drink food that sustains my inner spirit.

How do you do it?

Forever busy!

2007-04-16T20:54:00.000-04:00

My focus is still heavily on managing my online sales this week. I have listings on ebay, Etsy, and Just Beads. It is amazing how busy I can stay with the listing and shipping etc... I am looking forward to a break. I have one coming very soon. I am running away to Art and Soul in Hampton at the begining of May. I am looking forward to the classes, but also just getting break from the daily busy-ness of being a full time mommy and part time artist.
I am still obsessed with the birdies....

2007-04-06T14:23:00.000-04:00

I don't have much to tell ya, except that I have been exceptionally busy. I have opened an ebay store to share my supply finds, and my art work. Please stop in and browse- http://stores.ebay.com/Magpies-Treasure-Nest_W0QQssPageNameZl2QQtZkm

I am still creating birds almost obsessively. I have started trying to do some more realistic work in addition to my more whimsical stuff. The Indigo Bunting ACEO above is an example.

I also invite you to investigate my Yahoo group called the Embellished Circus. We have been a small closed group for about 2 years now, but have recently opened to outside applications. It is a fabulous art swapping group. You can visit the group Blog here- http://embellished-circus.blogspot.com/ and click the link toward the bottom right of the page if you would like to apply to join us. Sooner or later, I will add a link to join on here...It will probably be later.

For the Birds

2007-03-10T17:25:00.000-05:00

I was feeling stuck today. I couldn't quite figure out what to make. It is Saturday, and I get to be in the studio ALL BY MYSELF! No small children, no husbands, nobody but me and my schtuff. My time was limited, and my stomach was churning because I couldn't figure out what to do. My studio is in the back of a gallery, and Debbie, who was working today, came back to tell me that someone had come in specifically to buy one of my little birds. She had bought one last week, and was back for another. Debbie brought her back to my space an introduced us. She was very quiet and very sweet. She saw some abstract collage pieces on my wall that I had moved out of the main gallery recently. She looked and looked, and chose one to buy, then she left my studio, and grabbed a bird on the way out. So, I sold two pieces today. I got unstuck. I made a new bird to replace the one that flew away today. Since he is still wet, I will show you the Love Bird pair that I have listed on ebay right now.

Chaos

2007-03-06T09:42:00.000-05:00

Life is craaaaazzzeeeee! I am trying to accomplish something, but I seem never to be able to complete a task. Everything remains half done. I guess that is how it is with small children. Being a Mom is my #1 priority, but I am not a very good mom if I am not taking care of my creative needs.

So, I am in the studio this morning trying to accomplish something. I just want to finish one thing. So, I am blogging, just to stay in the habit.

These ATCs are for a swap at Altered Art Obsession. The theme is symbols. The symbol I chose is a bursting Pomegranate. It is a symbol related to my faith, so I hope I don't step on any toes with it. It is not intended to preach or force my point of view. It is just what I really wanted to make. In Christianity, The burst pomegranate symbolizes the Bursting forth of Jesus from the tomb, or the bursting forth of the Holy Spirit. The pomegranates are made using a stamp I carved by hand.

gold

2007-02-23T10:25:00.000-05:00

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
-Robert Frost

I love this poem. As I was working on the page for the gold inchie swap at Altered Art Obsession, I couldn't help but recite it in my mind over and over again. Winter is turning to Spring here in North Carolina. The light is pale golden, and tender shoots are pushing their way up through brown earth.

Take Time

2007-02-13T11:20:00.000-05:00

Do you remember a time when you really stopped to enjoy the flowers, to smell each one, to appreciate their beauty? My six year old took me on a date to the horticultural gardens at the college this past weekend. The daffodils are up! We took the time to walk a small labryinth that someone had created out of overturned terracotta pots. We ran through the holly maze. We lay on our backs on the middle of the path to look up at the 100+ foot tall longleaf pine trees. We stopped to smell the flowers. Our faces were radiant with the simple joy of taking time to enjoy each other and the beauty we usually drive past in a rush on our way to something "important."
This bird has stopped to smell a flower. She took the time to notice and enjoy. Her face is peaceful and content.