Hello Spring!

We have had a wonderful spring, lots of snow, lots of rain, and FINALLY some nice

weather!  Dan and I loaded up the RV and Marley and did a 2 1/2 week road trip to Florida and back.

It was delightfully fun.  We avoided the freeways, and found ourselves traveling through small towns and seeing the most beautiful green scenery.  It was so relaxing.  We stopped for a week in Valdosta, Georgia

to visit with Dan's daughter, husband and our sweet grandkids.. which was so fun.  We got to see Jillian

horseback riding and Seamus doing his karate.  Then we headed to a beach with everyone and had a wonderful weekend camping near the ocean.  Then we hugged and kissed everyone goodbye and 

Dan and I and Marley headed south into the land of palm trees and retired people.. Florida.  We stopped

to visit some distant cousins of Dan and enjoyed cooler than normal weather and saw so many great things.

Manatees, stingrays, a real live armadillo ( I have seen a zillion dead ones on the highways) and we ate and drank and laughed... it was just the best time.  I loved spending quality time with Dan.. he is such a happy go lucky guy and and I am so grateful for that energy of happy that is his natural state.  It was what attracted me to him in the first place.  I am very blessed.  And Marley was such a great dog.. all 100 pounds of him.  

Thank goodness we have a big RV!  I now understand why most RV folk have little dogs.  But of course, we wouldn't trade Marley in for the world, but he is a big, adorable galoopa.   

But, dang it,  it was time to head west towards home and jobs and we almost made it  but then hit a snowstorm so we stayed the last night of our vacation in a small mtn town and then headed over a pass with an elevation of over 11,000 feet early the next morning arriving home on Sunday.  

We are back to our normal lives now, and enjoying some great spring weather.  After I cleaned the deck last weekend, Willie our cat, promptly claimed the swing as his favorite napping spot... as you can see.  We are now in the process of cleaning the yard and getting ready for summer.

The apple tree is in full bloom!

The cherry tree somehow managed to survive all the snow storms and we

have baby cherries and now keeping our fingers crossed that we don't get a frost.

No frost would mean we will have a bumper crop of cherries... always an iffy

thing with our mountain spring weather...but I am hopeful.  

I am working fast and furious getting orders out and doing a show this weekend at the 

Four Mile Bed and Breakfast.. the annual spring Whimsical Women of the West show Friday and Saturday.

And tomorrow I will be doing another art demo day at Confetti Designs.. a wonderful women's boutique here in town.  Here I am doing the art demo last month.  It was really fun.

They are doing a big window display today at Confetti with my art and when I go there tomorrow, I will take pictures of the window.  I am going to be art painting the outdoor wooden bench!  Taking a big tarp and lots of bright colors, and will have a blast painting outdoors.  I love doing this kind of thing... and that's a big step out of my comfort zone, because the actual "doing" has always been a very personal thing for me. 

Next month I will start doing two farmer markets a week.. whoopie.. there comes a busy summer.  And I am  starting two new exciting adventures..more about that another time....  It's never a dull moment around here!

artfully yours,

linda

Weekend art!

I worked a show in Denver for three days and part of the deal for the entry fee was I had to demo my art.

I grabbed a bag of  art supplies and during the lulls, I would work on some art.  It was a wonderful way

to pass the slow times.. and I thoroughly enjoyed working instead of sitting idly between customers.

I have decided this will be a tradition for me when I am doing these shows.  

It was a decent spring show though three days is a bit of a haul.  I met some really wonderful artists and

that is always such a bonus when I do these shows.  And of course, the customers are always so fun to chat with.

One woman in particular, caught my attention.  She was near my age I think, and nearly bald.  In the world of  what many would call beauty, she was not a likely candidate.  But she had such an aura of joy and beauty that she brought tears to my eyes.  She was with a group of her friends and they were laughing and chatting and I was so awe struck by this woman, I had to step out of my booth and approach her.  I told her she was so beautiful that she brought tears to my eyes and I hugged her.  She was surprised but smiled her glorious smile and told me I gave her goosebumps.  There passed between us a sense of heart touching.  I am continually struck at how shallow some people are.. there seems to be a great deal of presentation and little heart.  But here was a woman who had transcended surface beauty and let her inner beauty radiate from her.  

I was so grateful I had spoke to her.  It's one of the perks of getting older I suppose.  And it truly was a moment of encouragement that humans have the ability to be real.  And when they are REAL, their inner

light shines strong and true.

ta.

Finished the "topper" from the scrap arch shaped wood I found

in the woodshop's dumpster.  I bought the wooden feet at Lowe's

and attached them to the base just to give it a more finished look.

I attached the middle heart cut from painted linoleum as are the two red leaves using

 copper finishing nails.  The copper makes a nice contrast.  The two hearts on either side of 

the middle heart are cut from dictionary paper and painted with watercolor and then sealed of course.

I used my favorite pencil to draw the swirls and curls and a few leaves.  I had collaged some other

hearts but was not happy the way it was turning out, so I painted over them and started all over again.

Much happier with this combo. The top of the arch is about 2 inches thick and it's painted black and

white stripes as well.  I should also mention the black and white stripe on the front bottom is paper that

I collaged on.  When I need striped black and white paper, I make my own.  I simply take a sheet

of paper and use my Sharpie Magnum marker.. it's huge btw, and make the stripes.  Then I can

make copies to use in collage.  I like that the stripes are loser and not so precise.  I finished the 

piece by spraying it with my favorite clear acrylic spray that looks so glossy.  Love this stuff.

Will make more of these for the upcoming show in May 17th & 18th  at the

Whimsical Women of the West.

It's at the picturesque Four Mile Bed and Breakfast on the road to

Sunlight here in Glenwood Springs.  A wonderful group of women

with talent galore and I plan on having some different art this year besides my

usual kitchen towels etc.  

OKAY MONDAY
seriously need to get to work.

ta.

Just finished this fun bird this morning...

I am blooming with COLOR!

A few tweaks to my garden angel..

She needed a skirt bursting with ladeda.

Adore the colors.. the "I can't keep from smiling"

kind of art 

that makes my morning studio time shine!

Decided to add a skirt on her as well..

It ties the four pieces together for the trunk show

tomorrow @ Confetti Designs here in Glenwood.

Doing art makes me smile and raises my spirit.

That and a  few cups of coffee..

Here's the sunrise that greeted us this morning when I 

let Marley out to get the morning paper.

WoW!

It's gorgeous, isn't it?

ta

art time today in the studio

prepping boards for something ART-y to follow!

Flower girl

ready for spring and barefeet.

Silver belt buckle for her head and then a tea stainer for wings.  A heart made out of linoleum

painted red.  The handle of the tea strainer is her body wrapped in blue silk fabric.  Her skirt is

a metal cut-out lampshade and her feet are metal painted.  Her arms are wire jute wrapped in fabric and 

she is holding a wire metal leaf from an old candle holder.  

garden angel

the wings?

two sock stretchers put together

and the hangers are her feet.

Then I attached a deep fry screen?on top 

and wove fabric through the screen for her body.

The handle of the fry screen is her face

and green jute wire for her hair.

She's ready to bless Spring!

Today was SPRING.

Then WINTER.

Then SPRING.

Then WINTER..

let me check....

oh it's

SPRING

again.

ta

More journal art designs coming off my drawing board this morning.

I am in the "get it done" mode for the upcoming show in Salt Lake next Saturday March 9th.

It will be a 6 hour drive (more or less) but the weather looks good and I can head out early Friday morning

and thankfully going down in elevation means easy peasy until I get into the mtns in Utah which will be later morning so no problems.  My trusty Subaru Forester ( and I do LOVE that car) will be loaded to the hilt for my one day show.  I was so blessed to hook up with a FB art friend who has graciously invited me to stay at her house!!!  We have only met online and are both looking forward to meeting in person.  I love FB for the connections.  I joined FB with the intention of promoting my art and it works over and over again.  

Then an even bigger show in April - a 3 day show in Denver.  That one will be amazing and I was so

fortunate to get in. And side attraction..I can stay with my mom who is happy to have me.. thanks mom! Having the big spring shows is wonderful because I usually am not doing shows in the spring.   So I am thrilled to have these on the calendar.  

My goal for this year is to create more flow with production and get my name out more.  I was so busy 

working last year, that I did little in the way of promoting.  I have several new ideas for products and at these spring shows I can test their sellability -- if that is even a word!

The studio is being used at it's max with extra tables holding WIP that I am working on daily. And I am happy to conquer the to do list everyday with a smile and and song in my heart.  

ta for now

Journal art that I pull into photoshop and

create a new design.

I love the assurance of this saying

because we all have our struggles and concerns.

Worry can be such a monster in our lives.

I think it's good remind ourselves to

breathe and trust. 

ta

This has been fun working on wooden wall prints for Lunar Designs.  I am experimenting on trying new

products for wholesale.  Here's a few of my pieces.

These are ceramic tiles .. trivets.. that I am working on techniques for.

I am setting my booth tomorrow in El Jebel at the Winter's Farmer's Market

at Eagle Crest Nursery and will be selling these for the first time!  I 

am really pleased the way they are turning out!

A beautiful sunrise this morning!

I took this standing at our front door.  The colors are pale

in the photo compared to the real thing.  But

so gorgeous to start out my busy day.

I was still in my robe sipping coffee and watching the

sky just go vivid.  Snow storm on the way.  

"Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning...."

ta for now

BUSY day ahead of me!

My ART at a really sweet wonderful fun shop here in Glenwood Springs!

 YEAH Confetti Designs!

so.  whoa. 

 It's been awhile... I have been sooooo busy with ART, LIFE, FAMILY, WORK..  I have not

had much time for this poor neglected blog.

But

I am back.

I am trying to get more balance in my life.

Important things will always get done, one way or another.

But the essential for my soul "stuff", I have been sorely neglecting.

Doing my morning ART has been scarce.  And that is not a good thing for me.

I started doing more art last week and I swear I could FEEL my world coming back into balance.

Colors began to brighten, vistas came into focus, LIFE just got better, birds started singing,

coffee tasted better, my husband fell in love with me all over again, you know, that kind of thing.

To catch up.. I did a LOT of holiday art fairs this past fall/winter till Christmas.  It kept me running

7 days a week.  I managed to stay healthy and pull it off, but I have to admit I was ready for a break.

But I am now rested and restored and jumping back into more show schedules. Can't keep me away for long!   Just signed up for a show in Salt Lake City March 9th called the Vintage Winters Market.  That will be a trek to get there (about 5 1/2 hours) but I was so fortunate to be invited to stay with an online  artist friend (FB) who has graciously invited me to stay with her.  wow.. lucky me.  I love hooking up with other artists on FB... we got to be friends virtually and now to have the opportunity to meet her in real.. it's just icing on the cake!

And I have been playing with new product development.. testing the waters to add to my array of products.

Doing coaster and printed pictures and playing with techniques.  Nice that I have places I can test

them before considering them in my wholesale lineup.  

Have also been toying with the idea of teaching some workshops on doing art fairs.  It's a learning curve and I feel very confident in how far I have come by doing so many.  Booth design is so crucial and I have often 

noticed artists trying to sell their wares when their booths are just sad looking!!!!  Kind of like you tend to focus so much on the trees, you aren't seeing the forest.  Understandable, but a part of marketing your 

art is the presentation.  It's that HOOK factor that you have to really work on.  I have been doing our local Farmer's Market here in town now for 3 years.. a weekly market and that's where I really learned a LOT!  I just kept improving on my displays and it helps with your sales!  And that's what we are trying to do, right?

So Life is wonderfully busy and exciting.  My new world for 2013 is 

BREATHE.

Do it all, but take time to take those big cleansing breaths and just be in the NOW.

And I will make a point to get back into blogging more.  

ta for now..