St. Brigid's Day

Today is St. Brigid's Day or Imbolc.

I had bit of a rough day yesterday removing carpet...spring cleaning, of sorts, and today I found out that it's St. Brigid's day...a day of spring returning, cleaning, and generally turning of seasons....so it's a neat coincidence....and I made a St. Brigid's cross and put it in my kitchen...

Learn how here.

Wikipedia says:

"Imbolc is the day the Cailleach — the hag of Gaelic tradition — gathers her firewood for the rest of the winter. Legend has it that if she intends to make the winter last a good while longer, she will make sure the weather on Imbolc is bright and sunny, so she can gather plenty of firewood. Therefore, people are generally relieved if Imbolc is a day of foul weather, as it means the Cailleach is asleep and winter is almost over."

Sounds like Groundhog Day...which is tomorrow...

Today is rainy and cold so I guess the old cailleach is still asleep and spring is nearly here!

Note: I'm not pagan or anything, nor do I necessarily find anything wrong with it either....I just like honoring and learning about different ways...

Mixed Media Paintings

Here are some recent mixed media paintings I recently finished. The bird painting is rather about 2 and half feet long and maybe 8 inches tall (I didn't measure). It's painted on a piece of leftover plywood from a project from Jacob.

The Dala horse is painted on recycled book board from a discarded book (and a leftover from a folded art book arts class I taught). It is currently for sale at my Etsy store. Check it out HERE!

But of these are some first attempts at making a mixed media painting. It was really fun and very "painterly"! I have plans to make some more. I'll keep you posted.

Thanksgiving is Thursday and I have so much to be grateful for this year. I hope you do too!

New Painting, Old Drawing

Here are some new things to gander at.....

For some reason I can imagine.......

The blind guide, Sybil leads through the Forest of Hands. She never loses her way...... she arrives at her tiny gray stone hut called The Moon House. It has a small garden beside the gate, the tall yellow stalks of corn ripening in the sun and a pair of goats graze on the hill above the hut....she pushes the door open revealing the dim, cool interior and she says, "Welcome..."


Do you enter?

The Devils will get ya...

The first picture is keeping with the sketch theme and the second photo is really for the sake of color...I made these guys with clay and then baked them in the over, and afterwards were painted...I like that they look terracotta....Even though you can't see it, they have little pointy devil tails on the back of them...

Today at work, we created puppets with children and in my wielding of the hot gun glue I burned the tip of my finger which promptly began sporting a lovely white bubble of a blister.....so that stinks....and still hurts for that matter....

Jack Frost....

Still in sketch-posting mode. Here is a sketch completed quite a while ago....but I still feel like this guy is still outside rattling all the windows....

More Random Sketches

Well since the last post was about unsung sketches, I thought I 'd add some more. That first one really has no meaning, but she seems to be saying something...I just can't quite figure it out.

And the second one is our dog Buddy who just happens to look so cute when sleeping that I sketch him unawares.....this one was done more recently....on Christmas Eve as a matter of fact...before the horrible holidays...

Let me know what you think.....
Thanks!

Sketchy Goldilocks

Whoops, someone got caught. This was a quick sketch, finished rather quickly. It's almost a shame to have all these sketchbooks filled with images that may never see paint or light of day...but I suppose every artist/writer/musician/whatever has those works which need to be gotten out of the way so greater, more refined works can get out....play on paper, is really what it is...but you have to do it, let yourself play, make mistakes, figure things out, allow yourself to make "bad" work.....it's all part of the process, sometimes painful, but what birth isn't. I know what I'm saying isn't groundbreaking or all that original, but sometimes we have to hear ourselves say or think something in order to believe it...own it to believe it....make the world your own.....and play on paper while your at it.........

Take the Step....

Well, let me say that this holiday season has not been the best, house fires and all day hospital visits and various unluckiness has proven to make this holiday very blah, blah, blah, blah, blaaahh........

BUT, I think you still have to close your eyes, lean forward and let the wind carry you........carry you away from it all, otherwise, you become landlocked and brittle and you begin to crumble.......

The wells of depression run deep in my family and every once in awhile I have to remind myself to let go, lean forward and fly away.....

I think that's why wings, hearts, fly-away hair and general escapism imagery pops up again and again in my more recent art......I'm trying to remember to let go....

Sail Away! Sail Away!

I absolutely love those books and movies that take you away, show you new worlds and sights you would never see otherwise. The authors and artists that create these worlds are absolute magicians. It is these people that I look to for inspiration and wonder and guidance. And it is my desire to attempt what these artists have already achieved, to follow in the paths that they have laid out before us. I want my art to transport if not our bodies, then our minds to new places, new sights. I want my art to tell stories that speak to different people in different walks of life. Perhaps this is a bit ambitious, but what is life all about but trying to raise yourself up and set out to accomplish those goals and dreams that map out our paths........

I suppose these are deep thoughts for Christmas, but sometimes I think the greatest gift is the freedom to follow our dreams....

And so I say Thank you, to those who have gone on before, to those following and to those just tagging along for the ride. Thank you to everyone and everything!

And not least of all..............

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas is Coming!

Christmas is right around the corner. Over the past year so many wonderful things have happened. I've taught book art classes, starting selling my own art at open air markets, met new and inspiring new friends. Ended and started jobs. Experimented with new art forms/techniques. This year so far has been quite an adventure. And I carry hope in my heart for the remaining days and the start of a new year.

First Friday's tonight! Hopefully, it won't be as damp and I won't get a cold (I'll be very cold but that's quite different). Also, my mom will be there selling her items!

Yeah!

Wish us both luck!

Two Picture Day!

Rainy Day today........ Rainy days make me want to crawl in bed with a good book or burrow into the couch under lots of blankets and watch movies. But, alas, that is not to be my fate for this rainy day. Off to work it is....*sigh*


But...

I hope you get wings!

I like this spunky little guy...no fear..... just doing what needs to be done and soaring above it all.... may his example give us all a little courage and spunk of our own......

Have a great (albeit a rainy, at least here) day!

Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving to everybody! I hope you get lots of good eats!

And while you're celebrating, take a moment to remember all those folks around us that are less fortunate AND those that work really hard to make our holiday's and lives a lot brighter.

And last of all, remember all our furry little animals friends that (whether or not you believe it) depend on all of us so much....

Donate a bag of pet food to your local animal shelter (and maybe pick up a new friend!) and help our furry little friends have a great Thanksgiving, too!

Gobble, Gobble!

See! It's a Sea-Horse!

A Sea-Horse! A Sea-Horse! And quite a literal translation. And full of greens, and blues and waves of all sorts.

Hint of things to come: Jacob and I have been working on some stop-motion animation and hopefully, I'll have a clip of it to put on here soon.

A Light in the Dark

So, I'm a bit torn. One part of me wants to paint, create, whatever and woe to him who disdains me, the other part of me wonders why in the world I DARE to put brush to canvas when there are so many better and more talented artists out there in the world.... Now, I know it's foolish to play the comparison game but I think competition and comparison are all part of human nature.

I read a section of a book that seems to sum up the "torn" feelings. It said that a lot of artists try to be both hero and victim at the same........(Is it any wonder that artist have gotten a bad rap for being crazy or depressed?) Reading that quote really hit me...it seemed that on some levels I do this a lot of the time. At one moment, I'm ready to take on the world and the next all I want to do is sleep. (But maybe that's overwork!)

As a little kid growing up, when I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I always said artist and that is still my wish, but sometimes life gets in the way and you need a light in the dark to help show you the way.......Be it a friend met, a song heard, or a book read, these little inspiring "coincidences" that lift you up and reveal the light, really help you to stay on the path no matter how many weeds get in the way......

And a one, and a two, and a three....

Here's a happy trio a kids dancing, playing music and making all sorts of merry.

Interesting Tidbit: The uke kid was inspired by my husband who plays a ukulele and all sorts of other instruments. And who usually has shaggy hair.

Riding in the Catbird Seat

This is one lucky cat indeed. I wonder where he's going?

The Feeling of Floating and Flying in Space......

Well, I've been sickly over the past few days (due to First Friday's yucky weather) and I feel as if I've been floating and bumbling around with a bowl on my head.....so here's today's picture. Enjoy!

First Friday!

Well, tonight is First Friday and yours truly will be there trying to peddle her goods.

Wish me luck!

Sunny Days....chasing the clouds away.....

Here's a quick, happy little painting. One to hold you over on chilly winter days......