Charity Art Auction

If any of you out there want to own an original art piece made by me, AND donate to an amazing charity for autistic children, then now's your chance to do both!  It is the very same piece that I have as my blog header above.  I donated this crown collage to A. Skate Foundation a while back for this purpose.   If any of you are in the area, the silent art auction is this Saturday evening, April 2nd in Venice Beach, CA.  To find out more go check out Upper Class Label (the host of this wonderful event).

















Read about Crys Worley's story and why she started A. Skate in her  bio here.  She is one amazing and inspiring woman.

When I created this piece, I modeled it after my original crown collage with Proverbs shown here.   It reads "Wisdom will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendor"  Proverbs 4:9  I can't remember the exact dimensions, but I think it's around 9x11inches on 1/4 inch plywood.  When I made this I used a lot of copper/bronze along with turquoise and sea foam green so it looks like metal which has that wonderful patina from aging.  I kind of wanted it to look like it has been sitting in the ocean for a while...maybe buried in a treasure chest...or something...

If you are interested in this piece, but are not in the area, let me know SOON and maybe your bid can be included in the silent auction.  Sadly something came up and I won't be able to go myself.  : (  But I hope if you are in the area you will go and support this cause and maybe even go home with a cool piece of art!

Finished Mixed-Media Collage With Gothic Arch

I love inspiration.  I love how it works.  Although I'm not all that fond of it on the days when it eludes me, but I've been learning how to make those days a lot less frequent.  I find the more often I create, the more I stay inspired.  Right now I have at least a years worth of ideas floating around in my head, and in various journals and notebooks.  Ideas for art and jewelry, and even sewing...if I ever bring my machine out of "the closet"(yikes).  

This collage came out of one of those inspired times.  This is the one I showed a lil' peek of in the last post.  I tore a page out of "Frenchy" (my new name for my new favorite French book to use for my art...thanks again Melanie!) to use for a card, when I fell in love with the photo of the Gothic arched window on the page. (I am a sucker for beautiful windows, but if it's Gothic AND arched... sheesh... I'm gone...)  So something made me pick up a water-soluble graphite pencil and start sketching said window straight onto the page.  Oooh... I likey! 

 So rather than getting back to the bird card I was making, I started a collage on a 9x9 inch piece of wood just waiting for such inspiration!  I already had all the papers, etc. out for the card so I used those to complete this collage.  I drew details with the pencil, then smudged the graphite with my finger, and wet some of it with a brush to create shadows.  I added Titan Buff (lt. beige) paint to add highlights, then I glued down an embroidered circle along with bits of trim.   I sealed the collage so the pencil doesn't continue to smudge or wash away.

 The beautiful feather was found months ago in our yard and begged to be a part of this collage.  How could I say no?  I love the pop of blue that it adds to this otherwise monochromatic piece.   To hang it, I added copper wire attached with copper tacks. 

Voila!

A wonderful new collage thanks to Frenchy's beautiful pages and a big heap of inspiration!

Shadow Shot Sunday and Collage Sneak Peek

Here's my shadow shot for this week. 

 This is my favorite time of day... beautiful warm light and long shadows.

This was taken on Colorado St. in Pasadena.

To join in the Shadow Shot Sunday fun, go here.

Today I "accidentally" made a collage that I am loving.  I went into my studio to work on a specific piece and went to tear a page out of the fantastic french book, which I won (see post below), to use in that piece.  Next thing I knew this collage was forming itself.  Love that! (sorry other unfinished piece, I'll get to you another day).  It's not quite done... just needs a few loving finishing touches.  But I decided to give you a lil' sneak peek of part of it...cause it's fun!

Look What I Won!!

I'm the luckiest gal ever!  Check out ALL the fantastic goodies I won for OWOH!!  

I won the bracelet (above) from Deborah over at Deb's Vintage Soul.  I love the brass numbered piece, it's so cool!  I plan on adding some charms onto the chain to make it really jingle!  

Deborah's blog is where you will find her crafting adventures and where she also posts photos of the vintage goodies that she puts into her Etsy shop!  I bought some fantastic vintage flower trim from her that one day I hope to find a clever use for, but for now I just stare at it cause it's purdy!

These books....sigh...oh how I love these books!!  I won these from Melanie of M Ann M.  She described these books beautifully, so I'll just put her description here...

"... two vintage publications.  'The Country of Aunis and Saintonge' was printed in 1926 in French and is full of black and white prints on uncut paper.  'Coronet' printed in 1938 is one of only 18 issues and is full of black and white photography and color prints.  This will be great to use in your mixed media art or to actually read for a bit of historical reference."    


Go check out her blog and her Etsy shop.  She makes the most extraordinary things out of paper!!  You have to see her art dolls....NOT your ordinary paper dolls...oh no...you have to see them!!  Truly amazing!!

These wonderful notecards of original collages by Cathy Horner are fantastic!  Check out her art on her blog Cathy Horner Collage Art or on her website Cathyhorner.com.  I love her collages.  She uses vintage images, handmade paper, paint, found objects, etc...  And I'm not the only one who likes her art... she's received awards, had solo shows, and even been in a 9 page article in Victorian Homes magazine.  Very impressive!

And last but NOT least ...this beautiful dichroic glass cabochon was made by the multi-talented Terry over at Aviya Glass.  I can't wait to use it!  She has two blogs (I can hardly manage one at times), Aviya Glass has her latest fused glass pieces and jewelry and Aviya Designs is for her paintings, multimedia collages and beautiful photography.

Thank you Deborah, Melanie, Cathy, and Terry!!!  Thank you sooo very much!  You are all very talented and admired for what you do!!  And everyone, please go and check out their blogs, websites and shops! We must all help and support one another.  xo

Oh, and I've been meaning to share more about the gallery that I'm now in, so I'll try to get to that soon.

Shadow Shot Sunday : High Five

Here's my shadow shot for this week. 

 I love the simplicity of this photo.  I had actually told my son to go "high five" the wall so I could try to catch him and his shadow before he ran away.  Yup.  He's two.  Enough said?

To join in Shadow Shot Sunday, click here to visit Hey Harriet.

Blossoming

Hi everyone. 

 Just a quick post to let you know I'm back.  

I took my art up to the gallery at the end of last week!  I stayed up there overnight (it's four hours north of Los Angeles) and took this photo the morning I was leaving to come home.  

I love this photo...look at those blossoms!  It speaks to me of new growth and beauty and God's light shining down on us...and through us.  

New beginnings.

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us"

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Potential Unleashed

Potential.  We all have TONS of it.  Yet how many of us truly live up to ours?  How do we tap into it... and unleash it?  What holds us back?

We do.  We hold ourselves back.  Oh yes... we have our excuses, but that's all that they are.  Excuses.

Hidden gems revealed

We all have these wonderful gems that we've been given...our true light... I say stop keeping it all locked up inside and let it all come exploding out for everyone to see!  Let your light pour out.  It's time!

I struggled with this painting, perhaps because I was struggling with coming to grips with my own potential.   I've been an artist my whole life.  It was never a secret to any who knew me, but I didn't think I was any good for the longest time...in fact most of the time.

I thought I had come to terms with it, but I still held myself back until something finally snapped in me a year or two ago.  I realized that God gave me this gift, and I thought I was using it, but deep down I knew better.  I finally realized all that I had, all that others saw, was kept in my tight grip.  I was so afraid of messing up and so wanted to please people.  What if they didn't like what I made?  What if I proved that I really wasn't any good...just like I thought all along?

But what I realized was in doubting myself I was doubting what God had given me.  I mentioned it before, but it must be said over and over until it sinks in for you too.  God doesn't make mistakes, so if you doubt your gifts and your potential, then you're doubting Him.

Our true selves and struggles are released onto the canvas...each one a self-portrait of sorts.

To sum this up way better than I could, here is one of my all time favorite quotes.  This is so darn powerful.  It gets me EVERY time I read it.  Copy it.  Paste it where you can read it everyday.  Let it sink in.  It will change you.  It will help you unleash.  Let it.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

--marianne williamson

Shadow Shot Sunday : Fountain

This was taken in Huntington Beach at Bella Terra.  It was just starting to get dark and I loved the way the spot light was hitting the fountain creating some cool shadows.

To join in Shadow Shot Sunday click here.

On another note, I finally finished and photographed the art piece I showed you a peek of last week.  I will post it in the next day or two.  xo