Set the table - LET'S EAT!

Here is my plate design for Week 2 of the MATS class.  I had fun creating this piece - I would love a matching tea mug!  These really are my favorite colors - I should try and break free of them and play with different colors - think I will challenge myself to do that ......next week.

So much going on!!!!

The past few weeks have been whizzing by- so much going on.  My son Joel graduated from college - Yeaaaaaaaaaa Joel!! We are so proud of him!! We had a nice graduation party for him and were surrounded by friends and family!!

I had another chemo treatment (boo-hiss) - I've rebounded and I'm off creating art once again!

We added another puppy to our family! His name is Miller - when we adopted him we believed that he was a Catahoula Leopard Dog x Aussie mix - turns out he is part Great Dane - Which parts you ask? The BIG parts I answer!!!  LOL He is going to be a big boy - oh boy! (take a peek at the paws in this picture) He is a love and fits in well with this crazy family!

I finished the first part (Mod 1 - Mod 2&3 are still to come!) of  Rachael Taylor's: The Art & Business of Surface Pattern Design (amazing course! highly recommend it) and now I have jumped over to Part A of Make Art That Sells (working hard at trying to extract info I didn't already know - I have been hoping for something more to sink my teeth into) - first week was Bolt Fabric - here is my design. I will keep my chin up and keep working hard - I do love working on a deadline again, I have missed that!

A picture of my "at the moment" spotless work space - don't let people fool you with squeaky clean studio shots - an artist makes a mess! Much time and effort goes into clean up!!

More Designs

Continuing to have fun!  These designs were done using Photoshop and Illustrator. Not sure which is my favorite  - but I'm loving the black!

Excited about Creating!

I'm in the second week of Rachael Taylor's amazing class - The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design!  Having a great time - putting my all into it - and creating up a storm!!!  The field of Surface Design has had my interest for YEARS and I have finally taken the steps to learn all I possibly can about it. My dream for as long as I can remember has been to design fabric or sheet/comforters/wrapping paper - anything printed with a design or pattern - I want to do that!

Here is a bit of what I have been working on -  Is it possible to have too much fun! 

Talent - A New Favorite!

Going through Chemo these past two years (with one year left) has become my new normal way of operating - and to sum it up, it kinda "SUCKS" but I stay positive and really don't complain. While I was in the hospital in 2011 my sister had given me a set of very cute pins (badges) one of them said "Chemo Sucks"  - I pinned to my purse. I never realized how much strength and Super Hero Powers it gave me until I discovered that it had fallen off and was GONE for good! That pin was a reminder of all I have gone through and what I still have to face and it made me feel strong and it spoke to me - Hey girl you're a warrior and let nothing stand in your way!

A while ago, thanks to Instagram & Etsy, I came across an amazing artist in Manchester, England. (she creates, she runs, she swims! impressive stuff!)

----  Nicola Rowlands ----

Etsy Shop = MsSpanner

Website 

Blog

I simply adore, adore, adore her work!  So I sent her a message and told her about my lost pin and asked her if she would design me a new one. I am so excited, it should be here in a few weeks!!!  Thank you Nicola!  Here is a peek at what she created for me!  I also ordered a print of this to hang in my studio and some other pieces of her work. Click on the links above and check out her work. She has wonderful, creative, fun things in her Etsy shop!  I will post again when my goodies arrive!

Illustration Friday

I have really loved the two past challenges that I participated in and I thought it would be fun to play alog with Illustration Friday.   This weeks word to play with is WILD.  Below is my illustration.

Had fun creating these two boogie fools! Wesley & Issabelle Love 2 Dance

Day 5 - Creativity Challenge

Sorry that Day 5 is a few days late! Life sometimes gets in the way.....

Here is the creativity that has blossomed from Day 5.  Enjoy - this has been fun!

Everyone keep creating - the world must see what you can do!

 

Artist: Fran Traina

Artist: Christine Phelps

Artist: Sharon Bloom

 Artist: Brianne Boyd - Sweet Limes

Day 4 - Creativity Challenge

Day 4 brings us these beautiful creative pieces! Another batch of incredible work!!

 Artist: Sharon Bloom

 Artist: Christine Phelps

Artist: Fran Traina

 Artist: Lauren Cerretani Desrocher

 Artist: Sherry Hall

Artist: Sue Mattero

Day 3 - Creativity Challenge

More amazing work......Great job ladies - 3 days down 2 to go!!!! 

Artist: Christine Phelps

 Artist: Sharon Bloom (blog)

Sharon's Etsy Shop

 Artist: Fran Traina (blog)

Fran's Etsy Shop

 Artist (Master Knitter): Lauren Cerretani Desrocher (blog)

Lauren's Etsy Shop

Artist: Sue Mattero

Artist: Brianne Boyd-Sweet Limes

Day 2 - Creativity Challenge

Here are the wonderful pieces created for day two!

~ WOW ~

Such talent!

 Artist: Sharon Bloom (blog)

Sharon's Etsy Shop

 

Artist: Brianne Boyd - Sweet Limes 

Artist: Fran Traina (blog)

Fran's Etsy Shop

Artist: Christine Phelps

Artist: Sue Mattero

Artist: Lauren Cerretani Desrocher  (Etsy Shop)

Lauren's Blog

Creativity Challenge!

Calling all artists!!!  Spur of the moment - Lets create!  This is a quick one - 5 days - get your creative juices flowing - create what makes you happy! (write, paint, sew, draw, sculpt) Anything goes - I will post them here!  These challenges really help to get you going!  Lets have fun!!!!

Fun with my friend ART!

I had a great deal of fun with color and design today. These circles are quite addicting!

Day 8

Not much to say today other than - I love this one!!!! I'm keeping it!

Day 6

As day six of this painting challenge rolls around I'm excited to see that I have the start of a collection of color forming!! Its fun to see them all together and see the colors that I have been gravitating towards. Maybe I need to challenge myself a bit more tomorrow and try a different color palette. Not sure how that will go - these seem to be my signature colors and where my joy is. But I will try!

For Day 6, I painted another of my vintage trays. These are great fun to collage with fabric and then paint - they make a wonderful "catch-all" for your stuff!

Day 5

Here is today's art - mixed media on 8"x8" cradled board - Love this one it sort of has a floral motif. Stay tuned more to come...

Day 3 went missing -

I have no idea what happened to my day three post - either I plain forgot to post it or it was eaten by the internet monster. Here is day 3!

Love meeting new artists!

One of the great-great things about being an artist is the networking community of other artists you get to meet along the way. Many years ago, I met one of my dearest friends who is now part of my family, Sharon Bloom simply because we both admired each others work. Not sure who emailed who first but so glad that we did because still to this day she is a very important person in my life!

Just last week, Debra Schoch, of HopHopJingleBoo fame, an artist that I have admired for years, contacted me through my Etsy shop and wanted to buy a piece from me and asked if I would make her a second one - I was very excited! Today she added a link to my Etsy shop in her latest blog post and a mention about my work with photos. It means a great deal to me - love networking and sharing the love! Thanks Debra. Keep the circle alive! Below are a few pictures of her work - if you haven't checked her out - do so - she is an amazing talent! Here is a link to her Etsy shop.