My Pages in the Book Storytelling with Collage

I took a photo of my pages of the piece I did for Roxanne Evans Stout's book Storytelling with Collage.
I was very excited to get two pages. The other guest artists in the book are wonderful as are Roxanne's photos and her easy to understand instruction. You can buy this book on Amazon. XOXO

New Project Finished!

I have been working on this old type drawer for a few months and finished last week. It was great fun to do.
Did my best with the photos, took details, but if you click on images you will get a better view.
The top bit is packing paper and coffee, the middle section has rust drawings, sewed and burned teabags, rusty bits and an old root and wasp nest.
the bottom bits have Venetian plaster, coffee, and pen and graphite. Measures 32"x 17 1/4".
I loved doing this so much I am going to do another at some point.
I always love to hear from you.
Happy Easter.
XOXO

My collage in Storytelling with Collage

Roxanne Evans Stout wrote a book about collage and she asked me to create a piece for it, so many moons ago I did and I can finally share it! The book comes out March 10Th, go here to order:
Storytelling with Collage
This painting was done with vintage ledger paper, pen, graphite, various papers, thread, rust, oil and acrylic
paint, tea bags on cradle board, finished with cold wax. I am in the section about sewing. Thank you for including me Roxanne!
Titled: Future Archaeology
Congratulations  to Roxanne and all the artists included.
I always love to here what you think.
XOXO

Finally in the new year I finished my 40"x 40", three months in the making and 182 tea bags sewn and plastered with Venetian plaster, also graphite, oil paint and coffee. Finished with cold wax. Unfortunately I had a hard time photographing it as I had to take it outside and the snow on the ground caused a glare, the color between the teabags is much more coffee colored than this light grey it appears to be in the close ups.
Oh well as always my paintings are so much better and yummier in person. This painting is titled Grid # 6, (Colin's Habit) after my friend that provided me with all the teabags! I always love to hear your thoughts also as you know if you double click on the images they get larger. XOXO

Gratitude and Thoughts on being an Artist

With a new year come thoughts about life and where it is leading you/me. I have been on a path of gratitude for a long while, but I realized that I belly ache a lot about the tribulations of being an artist, maybe not a lot, but enough that I sometimes bore myself. Yes, it is sometimes hard and when there are no sales and the bank account is tiny it is easy to get frustrated. BUT the bottom line is I am so grateful for my life and the fact that I am an artist that I have to pinch myself daily to make sure I am not dreaming.
Making art is not about sales, it is not about galleries, or even people appreciating what I do, making art is about the awesome joy I feel everyday that I get to make art, that I am passionate about making art and also that I am passionate about art in general, other people's art, painting, books, movies, all the arts move me, sometimes to tears. I am one of the luckiest people in the world and I know that. Who cares if I can't travel and have no money, who cares if I can't afford a smart phone?! I am living a life of freedom and joy, a life most people would kill for if they even knew it existed. I just wanted to express my gratitude and wonder and love for the awesome life I get to live. I know many of you who make art have these same feelings and not just artists, anyone who has a passion for what they do, it does not matter what form it takes.
We are so lucky! So this year I will not belly ache, I will send kisses to the Gods daily that they gave me this passion. This life. Happy New Year!

Sneak Peek

As some of you know who read this blog I have been working on two large projects for months now, this one should be done by January. I sewed 183 tea bags and here are a couple details. When I am done I will post here, but it will likely be after the Holidays. This Painting is only 40" x 40", but with my labor intensive  process that is large. I have dreams of doing 100"x 100" paintings, but would need help with that, someday it will happen.
XOXO

Happy Thanksgiving

This is my favorite holiday, not because I like what we did to the Native Americans, which is shameful and not because of the food, though it is wonderful, I love this day because it puts a focus on gratitude.
I learned long ago how powerful and magical gratitude is and I make it a daily practice.
Today I give you a short list of what I am grateful for most:
My health
The health of those I love most
My family and friends
My furbabies
The obvious things like a roof over my head, food to eat, heat.
After all that the thing I am most grateful for is my talent and the fact that I am an artist,
I am grateful for having something in my life I am passionate about.
I am also grateful for good art which I am sorry to say is in short supply these days, but that makes it so much more wonderful when I do see some.
Taos Mountain and all of nature in all it's beauty and wonder.
Books
Movies
Cupcakes
Paris
Magic, which is every where you look.
A warm bed
A good cup of coffee
There is so much to be grateful for, feel free to add to my list.
xoxo