First Time For Everything...

Hey everyone,

This is where I will be this weekend. Come along for various handmade crafts and invite your friends as well.

Sunday, July 21, 2013
12:00pm until 5:00pm

Outdoor Market at the Wet Whistle
1900-A e. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX


https://www.facebook.com/events/392780004172409/

Stop by and say hello!!

Damn Did I Have Fun!

Yesterday was a great day!

What made it so great you ask?

I had the best participants come by and check out the demo that an artist could ask for in all the world. They seemed to have walked away with some really good images, and seemed happy and hooked on the process. I also had a young lady show me a new trick using salt, like you would for water colors. I am going to try it out!

I ran out of magazines, and the store sold Citra Solv, which means people are going to try it at home. I ran out of business cards and I see I have a few new people stopping by here to check out the space, which means I have to be better about updating the blog.

I asked everyone to send me pictures of what they end up with and how they incorporate it into their art, which I truly hope they do based on what I saw yesterday.

I also sold 5 pieces of art, which is a first. I usually donate the art, so it was a weird feeling have someone hand me money for something I created. But the good news is that 100% of the proceeds will be going to a Native American school in NM, which have been hit very hard by the sequester. So, the art is still helping others, just in a different way. The schools were featured on NPR and it kills me they are always hit first and the hardest. I can't stand injustice and want to do my little part in helping set it right.

Brittany, at Jerry's Artarama in Austin, has also offered to let me hang the rest of the art, for sale in the store to help out with this little fundraiser, so if you are in the area and want to check it out, please click on their link for the address.

I also want to give a shout out to Melissa Zeitler at Citra Solv. She does an amazing job supporting artist who use their product for such an alternative purpose. The company has an artist page and really work hard to promote the artist and this artist is very appreciative.

If you are interested in any of the art click here and scroll through, each piece is priced at $30 and all proceeds will go to a school, that really needs basic supplies like pencils and paper. If you want to purchase, please contact me and we will work out the details for shipping.

Thanks for stopping by and supporting me. Here are a few pictures of the pages I had turn out yesterday.

 

As always,  thank you for stopping by and taking a peek at what I am doing. I will be working with the images above in the next few weeks, and bring them back around for sale soon.

Peace and well being!

Update for April

Hey Arties!

I just wanted to provide a quick life update for you, since I have not posted much the past few months. I have been really busy with several projects in the works for various schools all across the country and have had no time to really sit and write or post. I am hoping the new iPhone app will help me with this problem, as I can now post photos from the app and post a blog from time to time as well.

In other news, I am in the process of selling my house, which has taken away my art studio for the time being. I had the entire second floor dedicated to making art, but needed to put everything in storage for awhile, until I am settled in a new location. This means I am working out in my garage, or in the kitchen, neither being ideal for working in long stretches.

At the moment my walls are bare of any art, and the walls have been painted white, which is not my favorite thing. It makes me itch to paint something right on the wall, but think that would be frowned upon....

I have contracted with a local school to help them with their first art gala and auction. It is on a very limited budget and I will most likely sponsor the art supplies we used to create the projects, but it is all worth it. I love working with the kids and watching them light up, when they contribute to a class project or a school wide canvas. The pictures from the last post are the items they created for the auction and I am hoping they do well. 

So, stay tuned and thank you for stopping by and sticking around or subscribing. It means a lot, when you give me your feedback. I will try to do a better job of trying to update this site, even if it is a non art related topic.

Until next time, here is some personal art I am working on. This one seems to change colors, depending on the way the light hits it. I am not quite finished with it, and have not decided what the next piece of it will entail, but I don't want to lose the affect.

These next two, were custom pieces created for a couple of schools to use in their upcoming auctions. I used Citra Solv altered National Geographic magazines for the first one. The second one is my attempt at a sketch.
 

I started playing around with some sketching options with my Silhouette machine and loved this old barn. I may sketch it out on white paper and then use water colors to color it in for a finished look.

So Arties... that is all for now. I hope I have given you a good reason to check back soon. Peace and Love!!

"The Struggle"

I just finished a piece for JDRF for the Hope Ball. It is a great organization, with a mission that couldn't be better.

"JDRF is the leading global organization focused on T1D research. Driven by passionate, grassroots volunteers connected to children, adolescents, and adults with this disease, JDRF is the largest charitable supporter of T1D research. The goal of JDRF is to improve the lives of every person affected by T1D by accelerating progress on the most promising opportunities for curing, better treating, and preventing the disease. JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners who share this goal."

Go check out the links and think about attending this more than worthy event. If you can't attend the Hope Ball, think about clicking and giving here. You will be helping someone else, which will make you feel good!

What To Do When Your Art Is Stolen...

I have been pretty busy creating for myself and for others as of late and have not been in the mood to post anything. Sorry about that....

Yesterday was different... I worked on a couple of things for a show coming up in June and worked on a new idea involving QR codes, which you can see the results of in the new header. Go ahead and scan them with your phone, so you can take my art with you everywhere!!

Now, back to the post... My art is mine, even though I display it here. It does not belong to you, nor do the pictures of the art.

The art comes out of me, through my interpretations of the world around me, or through expression of a particular idea, concept or need. This includes the art used for auctions!

I get it, you may be doing an auction for your kid's school and need to come up with an idea and the Internet is a great place to search. I know that is how you found my site, by the search terms you used, because I have a tracker.

This tracker gives me the search terms, the pages you looked at and yes, the artwork you right clicked on and saved to your computer. It also tells me if you did a "Print Screen" kind of copying too. On top of all that useful information, it gives me your IP address, how long you looked around, how many times you have been here, every page you have seen and where you went once you left my site.

IT tells me everything, sorta like Santa, but better!

So, here is the deal. I know you would not have stolen the work unless you were very, very excited about the work I have done for auctions, and for that I am flattered.... BUT stealing my images and using them to duplicate art for your auction IS NOT OK!

If you had asked me, I would have given you permission to use the photos, as long as you link them back to me, and I would have requested that you change some aspect of the projects you are working on, like the color scheme. Easy... right?

All you have managed to do is make me mad, because when you take my art... you are taking a part of me and that doesn't feel so good.

Next time, ASK me if it is OK by sending me an email. Rest assured, you will be getting one from me later today, as soon as I track down the school in Wisconsin.

Friendly House LA

Hello Again!

I wanted to take a minute and share a video with you! This is where the "Sober" piece is going... to Friendly House LA, and I could not be happier that some small thing I have made might raise a buck or two for them.

Russell Brand was on the new Rosie show on OWN and much to my surprise he visited the house. I was really glad to see him do so, because this non-profit is one worth the publicity.

For me personally, the nice thing about seeing this segment was I saw someone I know. She looks fabulous and healthier than I have ever seen her and for that I am forever grateful to Peggy and the wonderful people who helped her.

It is one thing to hear about a great program, hear from someone who has gone through the program, but something better to actually see the results in someone's eyes when they are in a program that works. Having known one of the people in the segment for a long time and seeing her struggle with addiction, it was amazing to see the difference in her eyes this time.



If you can, take a minute to go check out Friendly House LA and read for yourself the wonderful work they do and ways you can help! If you suffer from addiction, please go here and read about getting help, it is so worth living your life to the fullest!

I am hoping the art sells well and I can find out how much the fundraiser was able to bring in for this amazing place of hope! I will of course keep you posted with an update if and when I find out!

Please go click the links and check them out more fully! Remember, I am like Santa with my Stat Counter and know where you have been and where you go from my site... so don't disappoint me!!

Sober...

 

Hey there!

I know it has been awhile, but I have been in my studio creating, so there is a good excuse. But, my exciting news is that I have a piece of art going out to CA for auction. It is going out there without me, but you can't win them all!

The organization is Friendly House LA and I can't think of a better place for this piece to do some good. They have their annual awards luncheon, where Russell Brand will be honored with "Man of the Year!"

"Founded in 1951, Friendly House LA is the oldest women’s recovery living home in the US, providing a safe harbor for women suffering from the destruction of alcoholism and drug abuse, and has earned a world renowned reputation as the model for sober living."

This cause is one dear to my heart, because I have had several good friends and family members fight with addiction. Some of them won the battle and have been living in sobriety for years, while others fight daily to maintain their sobriety.

I love that this organization offers women a safe harbor, and I know it works. I am honored to donate the art, in the hopes it will be auctioned off and raise money for their continued good work. I am also pretty thrilled something I created will be in the same room as Russell Brand...

Anyway, that is the update, and now it is back to work for me.