Wonderful Holidays - Happy 2011

We've had a wonderful Holiday Season around here, even though it's been hectic beyond hectic.  Family, friends, carolers, cookies, did I mention family & friends?  It's been snowy and promise, yes I do, to post more often in 2011.  I'll have some news as we begin 2011.  Right now I'm putting together pictures, cleaning the house from the visits, and smiling at the wonderful time.  As the sun sets on 2010, all in all, it's been a great year!

MaryBeth Shaw is having a giveaway - go there and sign up!

MaryBeth Shaw, the great teacher & mixed media artist, is having a giveaway on her blog.  She has great stencils & sells wood icing on her "Stencil Girl Products" web page.  I've used 'em, and they're great.  So, go sign up! (and check out her new smaller size stencils - I know I'm going to ask Santa to bring me some!)


The Common Denominator: Holidaze are here!! Hip Hip Hooray for a Give Away!

I have some other news, but it will have to wait a day or two.  Tonight it's snowing ever so much around here - it's lake effect snow at it's very best (???).  Hope it's warm where you are!

http://mbshaw.blogspot.com/2010/12/holidaze-are-here-hip-hip-hooray-for.html

In the newest Gallery Show

My two pieces have been placed in the "Healing Arts Gallery" at our local hospital.  It's a wonderful hallway in the main area of the hospital, that people pass on their way to routine tests or to visit those in the hospital.  I feel very honored to have pieces hanging there.  It's a wonderful show, with all different kinds of media displayed.  Our show will stay hanging for the next two months.  Yes, I'm excited!!  


Happy Halloween to everyone!  

Juried Show & more news!!

Well, the Juried Show here in Manistee at our Manistee Art Institute is closing today.  I can't tell you how much fun it has been to be a part of the 36 amazing artists at the show.  As you can see, the space is beautiful in this over 100 year old hall - beautiful woodwork all around - and the art, well, there was art in almost every media.  There were some wonderful pieces that won prize money.  And although I didn't win any prize money (and would have been very shocked if I had), I had my two submissions chosen to be a part of the show (you could submit up to two pieces), and was very honored when I saw the quality of the work, and the artists whose work was chosen.  So many working, professional artists.  What an honor to be included in a group like this.

The show ends today, which means, of course, that I must go pick up my pieces.  But wait -- I received a call yesterday from one of the wonderful ladies on the MAI Board.  She asked if I would consider having my pieces taken to the local hospital to be put on display in their "Healing Arts Gallery."  And, they'd like to take both of my pieces! 

The local hospital has a hallway which everyone must go down who is receiving treatment, having tests, or visiting someone staying in the hospital.  The MAI has for a number of years, filled the hallway with delicious art - bright, cheery, and always original art, often done by local artists.  Any time I'm in there for those routine tests that everyone must take from time to time, I always budget an extra 15 minutes or so, just to take in all the new art.  Each new exhibit hangs in the gallery hallway for two months before it is rotated with the next exhibit!! 

Needless to say, I said that I was honored, and yes, they could take my pieces!  Imagine this, I'm in a gallery for two months!  Wow!!  They said they would display a price, if I'd like to offer the pieces for sale while on display.  For sale!  Well, since that was never a part of this experiment, I declined.  Mike likes these two pieces too much, and he complains that I don't hang much of my work in the house, I give it away to charity auctions and the like.  I'm so excited to show my in-laws when they are here from Georgia in December.  The only problem will be pulling in  the hospital to show them, and saying all right, everyone, let's get out and go look at art!!.... LOL!! 

More soon - hope every is well in your neck of the woods and enjoying fall.

Getting to #101

So, it's been almost two months since I posted.  Perhaps I'll just be a "sometimes" blogger for a while longer.  I'm sure you, gentle readers, will understand.  Those duties associated with a full time job call me often. 

But... I have news, and will soon have pictures.  Our town has a non-profit art group - the Manistee Art Institute.  They have a yearly juried art show, which is a fund-raiser for the organization, and a way to bring local artists in & local art lovers in.  The show is held in a 100+ year old beautiful hall, which is just made for an art exhibit. 

I saw the "call for exhibitors," for this year's show about a week and a half ago, and the submission dates were last Friday & Saturday.  This is a juried show, and while there is an entry fee, the fee is nominal - but it was clear, not everyone's submissions would be taken - in fact, there are specific times listed for the non-selected pieces to be picked up. 

Yes, I went ahead and selected two of my pieces (one made at Art Unraveled, one made at home), and took them & submitted them last Friday.  I awaited my mail to see if, just maybe, something might be selected by the juror, a professional artist, for the show.

When the form came back, earlier this week, yes, BOTH had been accepted.  **Grins** I will be going tomorrow night to the "meet the Artists" reception for the show opening, where I will be one of "the artists!"  I'm very excited, and while a small step, I can't tell you how exciting this is to me.  

The show runs this weekend and next, and I'll take pictures and post them.  I'll be going tomorrow night for the "Meet the Artists" and then back again on Saturday to take Mike - he can't go with me tomorrow, as he has a home football game (the life of a band director - I'm just glad I do NOT have a home football game tomorrow night!) and will need to see me pieces hanging in the show.  Or more like, I'll have to show him my pieces hanging in the show!!!

That's my news!  

Post #100

I'll be honest, when I saw that I was getting close to post #100 a few weeks ago, I was a little intimidated.  I follow several bloggers, and it seems that in blog-land, when you reach a milestone post, it's like a milestone birthday....  Well, I now know I'm not particularly good with either!  (LOL!)

So, in 100 posts, what have I learned?  Here's 10 things:

10:  It's all about making time for what's important, even just at that moment.  
9.  Once you get started, the task at hand doesn't take nearly as long as you thought it would.  (Or else it takes two or three times as long, but never, NEVER what you thought! LOL!)
8.  Computers take a toll on our eyesight - be careful & take lots of breaks!  I mean, keep reading the blogs, but set a timer.
7.  The world is a lot smaller than I ever imagined.
6.  The inspiration I receive from others is amazing - it's so fun to see what everyone else is up to, and hear about their lives and what inspires them.
5.  Art, like music, is a wonderful creative place to be!  And it is a place, as well as an activity, to me.  A state of mind, as it were.
4.  Friends build you up & keep you going.  (Knew that already, just it's so fun to have blog friendships over such long distances - how cool is this??)
3.  I love looking at blog pictures & need to remember to take lots and post them!
2.  There's so much out there in the world that I want to explore.

And the number one thing I've learned since becoming a blogger is....... wait for it..... wait for it....

1.  It's fun!  

I know, I know, nothing profound.  But, in the end, taking time for ourselves to do something that enriches us or helps us grow is indeed profound.  

And to that end, I wish you a day of fun, wherever and whatever that may be!  As for me, I'm going to do a little in the "craft house" and maybe go explore a new place for lunch.

Til next time!

Summer adventures

So many things to tell about!  What a jam-packed summer it's been.  


Art Unraveled was a truly inspiring experience.  I spent time with my art-buddy Kim from Phoenix who I met on the very first day of the very first Art Unraveled we both attended, five years ago.  (We were in line to register together & started talking - we haven't stopped since!! LOL!! )  We sure had fun & I look forward to when we can "play" again - she's such a lucky gal to get to go to Journalfest & Artfest this year - I'm going to want to hear all about it!

To my teachers at Art Unraveled, I just want to thank each of you - what an inspirational week we all had, and I can't wait to get busy practicing what I learned from each of you.  Although eleven classes in eight days is LOT to digest, I just can't believe what we were all able to do in those eight days.  

Linda & Chuck are the organizers for Art Unraveled, and they do a whale of a job!  Thanks to them!   

My first class of the week was "Hard Candy" a wonderful class on copper enameling by Melissa Manley.  Melissa did a great job in helping us transform sheets of copper into baubles that we could transform into other things.  Just look at what I brought home from this class.  I'll post pictures of what I make with these little gems, and the additional copper enameling I plan on doing.  Love it!

I also took two classes by husband and wife team Thomas & Jane Wynn.  In Jane's class, called "Science Under Glass," we worked on floating solder over a brass or copper sheet, and then adding a bezel, which then housed a beautiful butterfly wing.  It is to be a pendant, and I have yet to finish it, because I also made a round bezel, and added some pearls to the bottom, and a connector to the top.   I'm going to add something fun with a little Ice Resin into the bezel - I think it's going to be stunning!! I LOVED soldering!  

 

 C. R. Radding did a wonderful class on making a heart pin from wire and beads.  Here's my pin, which I just couldn't finish that evening - too much close work for one day.  My eyes just gave out mid attachment - that's why you see a piece of wire sticking out from both sides of the round thing (button) on the right side of the heart - I just had to stop.  When I finish it, I'll post again. 

Carrie Imai did a GREAT workshop for five of us gals, titled "Art for the Non-Artist."  Too many cool things to show from the class, but I will show two things (I came home with a pile of papers almost an inch thick from that class!):  First, we worked on using watercolors to make clouds -
 

Then, we worked on a water color painting of grasses or weeds.  I just LOVED this technique!
 

 Speaking of watercolor, I took Jane LaFazio's workshop on watercolors journal style.  Her style is so wonderful, and she is such a good and patient teacher - I went into this class on Kim's suggestion, even though I kept saying, "But Kim, I can't draw.... I CAN'T draw."  


Kim very nicely told me that Jane could teach me to draw.  See what happened when I listened to Kim!!:

Okay, so maybe I CAN draw - a little!!  (**snort!**)

I have followed Mary Beth Shaw's work for quite a while now, and last summer went to see her booth at the Nashville Art Fair while we were there for the ASBDA convention.  It was hotter there than I can ever remember being (or at least for a LONG time), and we didn't stay nearly long enough.  THEN, the Art Unraveled class list came out, and guess who was on it?  Well, Mary Beth's class became one of my "non-negotiables" for this AU, and look what I did in her class, "Moving in the Right Circles": 

 

I had so much fun in that class, and look forward to working with her again in the future.  

Serena Barton is another artist whose blog and work I follow - she taught her "Wabi Sabi" process at AU, and again, that was just another "non-negotiable" for me.  Kim and I got to take the class together, and it was so much fun!  Here's two pieces that I did in Serena's class:   

As I mentioned, I took eleven classes, so I have more to show you, and will do so in an upcoming post.  In addition, I have more pictures and stories to share from other summer events & travels.  I look forward to sharing.

To those friends that I made connections with again while at AU - it was fun to see you and see how you're doing.  It seems like the few days that we are there just fly by!  To my new friends that I made, from both near and far, I enjoyed meeting all of you, and look forward to "arting" with you again in the near future.  

And for now, I have to get thinking about my next post - I can't believe it, but my next post is Number One-Hundred!!  See you soon!