A Big Project is Done!

I have officially entered Cloth Paper Scissors magazine's Artisan Search 2011. I've spent quite a bit of time on these collages. I don't even know if I like them anymore, I'm just glad to be DONE! If you need a distraction, check out the link. Hope you enjoy!

Clean It Up!

The studio was scary. I could no longer locate even simple items like a pair of scissors. So... a clean up had to take place. Here are the before and after pics to prove it happened.
Now that it is neat, I feel a little uncomfortable working in the space. But I know it will not take long to make a mess again. The experience reminds me of a quote I found in a magazine one time, "I try to put things away, but they come back out again." In my case, messiness just cannot be helped.

She Carried It in Pretty Little Boxes

I finally caved and started using Facebook a few weeks ago. While I love reconnecting with old friends, the entire experience has tapped a reservoir of guilt and regret that has been nicely packaged away all these years. We moved a lot when I was a kid, every time leaving solid friendships and circles of dearly loved people. Over time, I learned to package up all the feelings and forget about them.
Once I came face to face with names and faces of people I cared about, I felt a mix of joy and terrible guilt and regret. I suppose some of that is normal for a woman with 40 years under her belt. Still painful.
My painting is called "She Carried It in Pretty Little Boxes." The painting expresses the discovery of all these emotions so neatly packed away in my life. My hope is that by unpacking the boxes of emotions, I can snip the lines that tether them to my present life. I am ready to let the guilt and regret go. Life is about moving forward.

Random Interruptions

Here's a new one. I am experimenting with color. I am naturally drawn to bright and very colorful, so this was an attempt to tone it down and use some different and experimental techniques. I am calling this one "Random Interruptions" as it represents all of the unrelated images and thoughts that constantly run through a person's head.

1962 Typing Manual Treasure

I have been at it again with the old typing manual. I love the random sentences used for typing practice. I made a series of collage pendants to add to my etsy shop. They are quirky and weird and were so much fun to make. I layered acrylics, charcoal, fabric pieces, and random text from the typing manual, then coated with a layer of gloss medium.

The Quilt in My Head

I just entered a mini book in Cloth Paper Scissors magazine's "mini book challenge." It was fun to make and forced me to learn a few new techniques that I will incorporate into other pieces. I don't know if anything will come of it, but I am learning that my focus is on the process anyway. I can imagine and doodle all day long, but I need to do something with those ideas and doodles. Even if the result is ugly, it is all important to the process.

The Buzz of Junebugs Filled the Air

We just got back from a trip to my parents' farm in Southwest Missouri. It is a beautiful place and a welcome change from life in the suburbs of Atlanta.


The sights: cows, chickens, gardens, flowers, hay, old farm equipment baking in the sun.








The smells: hay and bacon.

The sounds: junebugs buzzing in the morning, putt putt of a 1956 John Deer tractor pulling us on a hay ride, voices of family, laughter.












I asked my children what they enjoyed the most about being there. Their answer: just being there. Perfect.