Studio Friday - favorite quotations...

"Quotes are so inspiring. They give us comfort in rough times or the push we need to overcome our obstacles or fears. They enlighten us and give clarity and "A-ha's". Some we keep around for a life time and let them guide us, others we forget about. We work with them maybe or pass them on to others."
~ Robyn
There are dozens of quotes that I find inspiring, but I chose just two of my favorites...
I first heard this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt sometime in high school. It struck a chord with me because, like many high school students, I had an all-consuming fear of public speaking, and virtually all forms of getting up in public and attracting attention to myself. Most of my attempts up to that point had ended in disaster. For me, this quote is about conquering your fears by facing them head on, and I have never found this piece of logic to fail, both in my art and the rest of my life. I do not display the quote in my studio, because it has become a part of me after all these years. It is a familiar mantra that I repeat whenever I feel anxiety mounting over something that I "think I cannot do."

Another favorite of mine is by Thoreau, whose writings on art and nature are among the truest words I have ever read. (In spite of his unkempt hair and rather homely looks, I would have loved to know the man.) This quote really speaks for itself. I think there are dozens of books and articles written that essentially say, in many more words, what this one statement does. Work hard at what you love and success will follow.

A signature piece...

If you were asked to do a signature piece, what would it be?
At the last meeting of Art Connection's Little Fat Book Club, were were charged with making a 4 x 4 piece of mixed media art that reflected our signature style, to submit to the store for a display "quilt" of sorts. To be honest, when I made my page, I had forgotten that it was supposed to be indicative of my artistic style -- a style which I often struggle with, as I am still exploring so many mediums. After I had already made it, the club's organizer (and my dear and amazingly creative friend)- Marilyn, sent an email reminding us that the piece should be a "signature" piece... and for a second I thought uh oh - I forgot ...but then I looked at it - regardless of what medium I am working in, I tend toward certain colors, a blending of paints, a use of typography as both texture elements and a way of telling a story, and the incorporation of nontraditional materials (in this case, mesh gutter covering from the hardware store)...and to my surprise, I felt that the piece was absolutely a signature piece for me, in spite of the fact that I had not intended it as such.
It reinforced a lesson that I am constantly learning as an artist - you may model yourself after other artists and you may learn techniques that hundreds of other artists have also learned, but what comes from your hands and your heart and your vision will possess a unique quality that is yours alone.

Between the sheets

One of the best things about teaching classes that require demos is that you end up with more artwork to use. I taught a background class at Art Connection over the weekend, and the finished background that I demo'd during class was perfect to use for this month's ATC swap theme - in honor of Chinese new year - Asian-themed ATCs. Three are for the swap and one is for the swap hostess. The background is an adaptation of a technique I learned from Misty Mawn's article in ClothPaperScissors last year. The background techniques create such depth and texture, I never tire of experimenting with them.
The title of this blog comes from a friend who once told me that you can add the words "between the sheets" to the end of any Chinese fortune cookie, and it always makes them funny. So far, it always works for me (and I eat a LOT of Chinese food)...
like this:
You will meet a tall dark stranger... between the sheets
You will get a big promotion... between the sheets

Okay, so it doesn't take much to amuse me ...between the sheets
ha ha

My "Ta Da" list...

Do you ever feel like you're perpetually busy, completely rushed, and yet, at the end of a week or a month, you haven't gotten anything done? I don't just mean my job, and the daily chores that are unavoidable, but the other stuff, the stuff that life is made of, the stuff that gives us joy and fills the well. For me that other stuff is art - making art, teaching art, writing, experimenting with new techniques, exploring new ideas, and spending time with like-minded friends.

During my last coaching sessions, I expressed this sentiment to my coach, and she pointed out that my perception was inaccurate, and that I actually did get a lot done, but unlike my endless "to do" lists, which sometimes weigh me down with their enormity, I never keep any kind of list of things once they're done - and this is the list I really need - to help me see where I'm going and how I actually spend my time. It's not just a way of patting myself on the back, although there's nothing wrong with that, especially since I do my share of beating myself up. It's also a way of seeing how I spend my time, so I can better prioritize. When I look back at the month, I can see how much time I devoted to what is important - and what is NOT important...and if I'm spending more time on things that are not important to me, I can do it differently next time.

Of course, the hard part is doing less of something you enjoy to make room for something you enjoy more. The word "no" is almost universal, and yet it is the most difficult word for many of us to say. (My dog would argue that point if he could talk.)

So instead of a "to do" list, this is my "ta da" list for the month of January -- as in "Ta da, this is what I managed to get done this month!!" I encourage everyone to make a list, or take note in some way, of all the good stuff. What are some of the things on your list this month?

Ta Da!!!!!, This month I...
gave blood
planned & taught Tranz-it demo at Art Connection
planned & taught new class at Art Connection
planned & taught new class (twice) at Stampassion
planned & taught new class at the senior center
spent a day making art with my friend Debbie
made a list of new domain names for our website (see this blog to vote on which one you like best!)
spent some time "filling the well" at Borders books, the library and Ace Hardware (yes, I love the hardware store for artistic inspiration - more on that later)
participated in two ATC swaps
completed 3 freelance design projects
designed a logo for friend's soap business
posted 11 blog entries
quit my two-a-day diet pepsi habit
started exercising again!
...and of course the usual full-time job, daily dog walks, laundry, groceries, house cleaning, etc., etc.


links:
http://kerriposson-artist.blogspot.com/2007/01/help-us-pick-new-name.html

Studio Friday - on Tuesday... Look who I found

I love to discover new artists and often find them through other people's mention of them. So, introduce us, in words and/or pictures, to an artist, craftsperson, or writer you admire and that we might not have heard of before (i.e. not a famous one). What do you like about their work? How does it inspire your own work?" - Janet
I could publish a rather long list in this category, but I'm going to mention just one whose work I just purchased and was so pleased that I want to give her star billing. Her name is Luann Udell, and her company is called Durable Goods. She's a jewelry and fiber artist who also writes an incredibly informative blog that focuses on the business of being a working artist. I actually wrote about Luann in a previous blog, right after she mailed my order, so I am repeating myself here, but her work and her business ethics are so good that I wanted to mention her again.

She works in polymer clay, but makes it to look like fossilized bone and stone. It is truly amazing. When I see her work, either in pictures or in person (in the gift I bought for my friend), it inspires me to work with warm rich colors and textures, and to combine things like paper, fabric and beads.

If you have the opportunity to do business with Luann, you will not be disappointed.

And while you're here, I need your help. Please click here to vote on what my friend and I should name our new website Just leave a comment with your choice. Thank you!!!!

Help us pick a new name!

As some of you know, in 2005, my friend Debbie and I had a gallery show featuring our art journals. At that time, we developed a website. It was our plan after the show was over to maintain the website in the pursuit of our artistic ventures, but our busy lives pulled us in other directions - until now. This year, we are rolling up our sleeves and getting our site done... and that's where you come in!

Our original website name (artbookchix.com) reflected our art journaling and journal making, but we have a wider range of artistic interests now, and we want our new name to reflect our broader identity. Although many of our artistic pursuits are separate, Debbie and I find that our talents compliment one another, so we will continue to share the website (and of course to maintain our blogs as part of the site). We've come up with a list of potential domain names, and we'd like to know which one you like best. They're all similar, but we're curious to find out of one really grabs your attention.

Thank you!!

(www.)
twocreateart.com
twoartfulvisions.com
twocreativespirits.com
twoartfulspirits.com
twoartfulsouls.com

My 100th blog post - woo woo!

My first post was on May 5, 2006, and at the time, I naively planned to post something EVERY single day. But as often happens in life, well, life happens and our best laid plans go awry. Still, for me it's an accomplishment to have shown up 100 times in eight months. (btw - blogger numbers them, I'm not so pathetic as to have counted them!!)Blogging has helped me to rediscover a love of writing that I had almost forgotten. ...

On the topic of writing, I mentioned a few blogs ago that I had submitted an article to one of my favorite mixed media art magazines. Well, I was rejected -- okay, my article was rejected, but it's an extension of me, so in a way, I was rejected. But on the positive side, it was a promising rejection that praised my writing skills, so I will definitely try again soon, and I think I'll try to submit this article to a different magazine - one that may not have covered my topic yet, as this one apparently had.

When I wrote the article, I was working with my creative coach, and I was doing a familiar dance - "the Procrastination," (kind of like the Locomotion, but much slower) until she asked me the question that propelled me forward. "What is the worst thing that can happen?"... And for me the answer to that question was to be facing the new year and not have taken the chance at all. So the good news about rejection is that it means that you've taken the chance. And that's life, really. Putting yourself out there, every day, in ways familiar and unfamiliar, and taking chances.

These images are just me having some fun in Photoshop. a couple of before and afters.

House of Collage

In yesterday's blog, I mentioned my symbolic alphabet. House shapes are among the symbols that have been finding their way into my art for quite a few years. Having a home of my own is very important to me. My husband and I did not purchase our first home until 2003, so home ownership is still new to me, and having rented for 17 years, I appreciate every moment of having our own space. I am sure that this is why I am drawn to the house shape as an icon - it represents freedom (to paint, to plant, to make noise); it represents security, warmth and family - all things that are important to me.

So this house is a class that I am teaching at Stampassion in February. If you live in upstate New York, I'd love to have you in my House of Collage class. We'll be cutting the house covers from foam core, and assembling, painting and collaging an accordian book that can hold your own "house" story. Even if houses are not among the icons in your own symbolic alphabet, the techniques can be applied to the icon of your choice.

My symbolic alphabet...

While visiting one of my recent favorite blogs , she used a term I hadn't heard before but with which I immediately identified -a symbolic alphabet - those items, symbols, colors, images, etc. that keep finding their way into our artwork. Some may stay with us for years - or forever - and some will come and go with changes in our selves and our lives as they are reflected in our art.

My symbolic alphabet includes:

dark & mossy shades of green & dark red
shades of orange and pink together
women
women with wings
butterflies and dragonflies
birds and nests and eggs
buttons (particularly mother of pearl)
heart shapes
house shapes
old sheet music
tin shapes
spirals
bits of muslin
doors and hiding places
printed words
natural elements (sticks, rocks, pine cones etc)
paint
texture
digital photography

These are all symbols that I use to tell stories with images rather than just words. These ATCs that I made for a friend include winged "faeries" which are a recent favorite of mine.

Tell me some of the symbols with which you find yourself drawn. What do they mean to you?

Games people play...

That was the theme for the most recent of my Artist Trading Card (ATC) swaps. I had many ideas that incorporated games, but the ones that surfaced had to do with things like head games and deceit, so these cards have an unmistakable dark mood to them. Ilayered transparencies, ink, dictionary pages, and game pieces to mat board to create them.

...and speaking of swaps, I've just been invited by my friend (and talented artist) Laura, to participate in a charm swap that sounds wonderful. No theme, no real rules, just 15 (or so depending on the size of the group) of the same/similar charm, with a jump ring, and we'll all get the same number in return. I think it will make a fabulous necklace when it's done.

...and speaking of jewelry, I ordered a pair of earrings for my friend Debbie, who celebrated a certain milestone birthday, from Luann Udell, of Durable Goods. I cannot expound enough on what a wonderful experience it was to do business with Luann. I sent and email and heard back within the hour. I wanted to mail payment rather than use my already overtaxed credit cards, and she began making the earrings even before my payment arrived. The order arrived even more quickly than I hoped, and she even sent me a postcard and handmade greeting card to thank me for the order... WOW! For any of you who are in the business of handmade artwork or are thinking of it, Luann does it really well. She also has an amazingly informative blog that focuses all about the the business of art, as well as the making of art.

Icing...

Though it was absolutely treacherous walking my dog the past two mornings, and I'm sure the weight of all that ice is not good for the trees and shrubs, it was a magical sight to behold. I wish I was a better photographer because these images do not capture the amazing beauty that transformed my ordinary shrubs into these fabulous ice sculptures.

I had an amazingly productive weekend, finalizing plans for all my winter classes, and preparing for the demo I'll be teaching tonight at Art Connection - fabric transfers using Judikins Tranz-it transfer medium at the Little Fat Book club meeting. Fun!!

Intentions for 2007

1. Finish reading this book, recommended by my coach.

2. Learn Dreamweaver and build the website I share with my friend Debbie.

3. Read the manual that came with my digital camera (last year!).

4. Write/submit articles and artwork for publication in art magazines.

5. Develop a by-invitation workshop/class to have at my home over the summer, with a group of my favorite art-friends.

6. Swap my small art room with my larger spare bedroom & renovate into a better studio.

7. Spend more quality time with friends and family.

8. Do all of these things with enjoyment, not stress!!!

9. Live, live, live!!!

For many years, I did not write down or formally acknowledge any of my annual intentions (resolutions, goals - whatever you want to call them) because I didn't want to be depressed at the end of the year if I did not achieve them. Unfortunately, I found that I was still depressed at the end of the year because the less I brought my intentions into plain view, the less likely I was to achieve ANYTHING. Just because I refused to write them down didn't mean the didn't exist. My coach (see #1) helped me to admit this out loud and to dig deep to make a list of the most important things I hope to accomplish this year. -- She actually recommended a somewhat shorter list, so that if I only accomplish 3 things, I don't feel like a failure for missing the other 6, but some of these are easier than others, and all are things I want to give attention to this year.

What are your thoughts on this -- do make resolutions or intentions? If not, why not? If you do, what's on your list??

Studio Friday - What would I change my name to?

"I've been reading Twyla Tharp's book The Creative Habit and here's an idea from her book - " the ancient masters of Japanese art were allowed to change their name once in their lifetime. They had to be very selective about the moment in their career when they did so. They would stick with their given name until they felt they had become the artist they aspired to; at that point, they were allowed to change their name. For the rest of their life, they would work under the new name at the height of their powers." So let's presume we are at the height of our careers - what name would you choose and why? - Susan
What a wonderful question!
I will confess that the first name I chose for myself was Mariposa - butterfly in Spanish (because it sounds prettier than English), but then I googled some quick info on the life of the butterfly and learned that the only goal of the mature butterfly was to mate and reproduce, neither of which I will ever reach great heights doing (ha ha).

So then I started trying out other words in Spanish (again, just because I love the sound of Spanish names), and I settled on Ella Vuela, "She Flies." I love the concepts of freedom, escape, and limitlessness that flying represents to me, and I hope that at the height of my creative life, it feels just like I imagine it would feel to fly. Of course, I still love the butterfly as a symbol of the beauty of flight.

525,600 minutes...

How do YOU measure a year?

630 walks with Max
72 classes and workshops taught
125 trips to the grocery store
65 bottles of wine
2555 hours asleep (about 365 hours too little)
60 Chinese take out meals
52 "martini nights" with my husband
200 hours commuting in my car
35 hours in my garden
2,500 hours on the computer
40 hours blogging
200 hours visiting friends and family

525,600 moments so dear

Footnote:
As I tried to honestly estimate how many hours I spend doing things, it was quite an awakening of how I spend my time... I hope to make some adjustments to the quality vs. quantity this year. Happy New Year everyone!!

Happy Holidays everyone!!!

I am not sure I'll have the opportunity to post again before Santa arrives, so I am wishing everyone a very happy holiday weekend. My husband and I will be headed to my mom's family in the Catskills on Christmas Eve, and then to his family's home on Christmas day...then the following week, up north to my sister's for a holiday cousins reunion, and the next day to my dad's where we celebrate Christmas a week late (back down to the Catskills.) Phewf, I'm already tired.

I hope that all of you have a few moments amidst the hustle and bustle to experience the magical, wondrous spirit of the season. That is my holiday wish for all of you (and me too!)

I leave you all with a picture of my darling Max, who posed for me in front of the fireplace last week...

This and that...

With the support and encouragement of my creative coach, and my amazing friend Debbie, I completed one of my big intentions for 2006 - I wanted to write and submit an article to one of my favorite art-related magazines. Until I hear from them, I will not name which one, but even if the article is not published, I am really glad that I wrote it. For me, the worst thing is for the new year to roll around and to look at my intentions for the year and realized that I did not make steps to achieve them. I have no control over the outcome, but if I don't show up and do the work, it won't ever happen!! I am also busy planning my first classes for 2007. I work at three venues, and it's a constant challenge to come up with new ideas every quarter, but I love the give and take of teaching and spending creative energy with like-minded individuals.
The photo that accompanies this post is a project that I completed at Art Connection, during our holiday ATC/little fat book party. It's a house with transparency pockets to display ATC or LFB pages. My favorite part is the pom pom fringe. It's one of my latest favorite embellishments. Although my usual color palette gravitates toward earth tones, my mood has been very pink & orange lately, so this house reflects a new direction for me and my art. I hope to post again this week, but if not, I wish all of you a wonderful holiday season.

How to put air in your tires...

I have a brand new Suzuki SX4, and the "check tire pressure" light keeps going on in my car. On Friday, I was going to visit my friend Debbie for an artist's date about an hour away in the country, and I didn't want to find myself broken down in the zero-degree wind chill with a flat tire, so I took the car to the Mobil station to get gas & add air to the tires. Only one tire looked really low, so after getting gas, I asked the attendant if they had an air pressure thingy. She said, "yes, it's on the air pump." Okay, so really I meant to ask, "Where is the air pump?" I found it around the side of the station and parked next to it. Believe it or not, if you're not a customer, YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR AIR. I had just purchased gas, so I knew the air would be free- lucky me - but I had to return to tell the same attendant that I needed her to turn on the air pump. She did. I returned to my car, and proceeded to do what I had seen done by various men. I detached the hose and unscrewed the valve on my tire, and connected the two. In less than a minute, my tire was almost completely flat, because in all the years of watching others use the air thingy, I had never noticed that they TURN ON THE AIR. So I was actually letting air out of my tire. Fortunately, a man waiting to ADD air to is tire came to my rescue, and I asked him to show me how it's done. I am posting these instructions for any woman who, after years of driving, still doesn't know how to do this. I think we should know some of the most basic skills if we're going to operate motor vehicles...

Let's assume that the air is free...
1. Look on the side of your tire for the number that indicates how many pounds of air your tire is supposed to have. Mine is 51 pounds. You don't want to go over this number or you can explode your tire.
2. Push the big black ON button. You'll hear a compressor turn on.
3. Remove the cap on your tire valve.
4. Press the compressor hose to the tire valve, and press the handle next to the nozzle of the hose.
5. To check the pressure, release the nozzle handle, and look at the number that pops up on the gauge. Keep checking until you have a pound or two under the maximum allowance.
6. Screw the valve cap back on your tire.
Leave with more dignity than I did on Friday.

Cleaning Catharsis

I am off this week. Taking a week in early Dec. has become my own personal holiday tradition, so that I can take my time decorating and making art before the holidays. I like to ease into the spirit of the season, which is also why I am not doing any shopping this week.

But before I could decorate, I had to clean my house - desperately. I love a clean house, but I truly hate house cleaning. I mean, I do the perfunctory vacuuming, mopping and surface dusting on a regular basis, but you know how it is when you start to really notice all the nooks and crannies - yuck! I began with my utensil drawer in the kitchen, which is a depository for every crumb and food particle that falls off my counter. That led me to every other drawer in the kitchen, and then the refrigerator, which was coated in soup spills, and contained a collection of vintage condiments - maybe I could auction them on Ebay?

Anyway, I continued this micro-cleaning from room to room & closet to closet, and endedd the day with a sense of immense satisfaction, even if it will only last a little while.

And that gives me the rest of the week to make art, plan classes, and perhaps make some gifts for friends and family. Just a note to my readers, my digital camera hub is at work, so I will post pictures of my art & class plans when I return.

I wish I'd thought of this t-shirt first!!!

While visiting one of my favorite artist's blogs (Luann Udell - her link is at the right in my list of faves), I learned of this t-shirt, available from this online store. I wish they made a v-neck, or a more girly style shirt.

If I find this in a bumper sticker, I'm definitely going to get it!

The little fat book club...

Hello my faithful readership! Yup, that means both of you. Sorry I've been so lax in posting to my blog. The holiday season is upon us and I am busy - although, I haven't done a single thing for the holidays so that's a pretty flimsy excuse. Mostly I've been making art in my spare time, while watching the housework accumulate. I am on vacation next week, so I plan to catch up on both housework and holiday planning, and more art at that time!

I've been busy making pages for my little fat book and writing a draft for an article I plan to submit to one of the major mixed media magazines - I should really be working on that now, but I need to let it rest a bit!

So last week, I attended my first 'little fat book' club gathering at my friend Mel's studio/store, Art Connection... and it was, not surprisingly, a blast. Once a month, the group gets together for a two-hour art making/sharing session Pages measure 4 x 4 inches, and eventually get bound with rings into a little fat book. I only made one page during the evening - I spent a good deal of time looking through other people's books - but I made more pages over the weekend. Much like the artist trading cards, I like the small format for experimenting with ideas. Here are a few of my pages. The holiday page is for a secret Santa swap at Art Connection this weekend. I made 3 of the same/similar page so that I could keep one, swap one, and give one to my friend Debbie. It's a fabric transfer, along with paint, rubberstamping and collage.

Time to make art!

As I've mentioned in some previous blogs, I participate in a monthly artist's trading card (ATC) swap at one of the stores where I teach, and I am still amazed at how much I love this artistic forum. This month's theme is party hats & beads. Here are my submissions. If you zoom in and look closely, the background of each card is made up of tiny microbeads. I used Artgirlz charms for the faces, and of course they're each wearing party hats and party dresses adorned with various seed beads etc. I only need three for the swap, but I make six every month -- 3 for the swap, 1 for Marilyn, the swap host (visit her picturetrail site in my links at right), 1 for my friend Debbie, who so often encourages and inspires me -- Oh, and one for me, so I can keep a sample of the techniques that I use! The silver one (if you look really close, she has a martini with a beaded olive)-just my kind of party girl- is the one I am keeping. I would let my friend Debbie choose her own, but she is off jet-setting around Scotland, so I am going to pick one of the brightly colored ones for her, as she is a very colorful woman!
I had a rare opportunity to make art for almost three full days straight this weekend, and it was pure joy. I am always stealing time for my art these days, and this weekend I just ignored the remainder of leaves that fell onto my lawn, ignored the dust bunnies that swirled about on my floors, and made art. One of the things I was reminded of is that an artistic body and mind in motion stays in motion - creation fuels creation. Sometimes it takes me hours, after I've been out of my studio for awhile, to get back into the swing. Not the ideas so much as the rhythm, for me, takes some time to recapture. So that by the end of a weekend like this, I am brimming with ideas, and I just want to hole up in my studio for days on end. It reminded me how much I love the process, as much as the finished pieces.

Studio Friday - Interconnected

This week's topic for Friday November 3rd suggested by Nancy Bea: I AM INTERCONNECTED!
" I am not thinking of connections one might feel to other "great artists" of the past or inspiring, high-profile contemporaries, but the connections that help keep you happy in the studio. Artist friends you get together with for critiques or just coffee and supportive conversation.
For instance I am in a group of four women who get together for all of that, plus find venues to occasionally show together, and we encourage each other in every possible way. Maybe you are part of a class or group that gets together to try out new techniques once a month...We are all interconnected and honoring and recognizing that is an immense comfort and inspiration and source of strength for me, and I am sure for others too."
Oh, Nancy Bea, you hit such a chord. Yes, yes, yes. (And you know that you are one of the artist's with whom I've connected recently. Thank you!!)

I have too much that I could write for this, so for the sake of brevity, I will just make a list of some of the most important art connections in my life right now...

1. Debbie Wachel - My most enthusiastic supporter and one of my dearest friends, artistic or otherwise. We get together for artist dates every month or two, which consist of talking, eating, laughing, shopping, critiquing and oh yeah, making art. In between artist dates, we email, at least several times a week, often about art, but also about life and keeping art in life!

2. The Studio Friday artists!! - and all of my online contacts - I have found the internet to be one of the most amazing ways to connect with other artists all over the globe, and I'm sure I won't be the only one to mention this. Through this connection, I have corresponded with artists whose work I've seen in magazines, I've recently purchased a print for my niece from Hungary (from an artist I might never have discovered otherwise), and I've received (and given) more encouraging words and support that I could ever have imagined possible.

3. My teaching venues - Ironically Art Connection is the name of one of the stores at which I teach, and it lives up to the name in so many amazing ways. I love the connections that I make with the students I teach. Their enthusiasm feeds me, and they always have creative ideas that help me improve my methods. It's a totally rewarding exchange and I would feel lost as an artist without it.

4. My creative coach. I've had the opportunity (thanks to my friend Debbie!!) to work with Sheri Gaynor, of Feisty Females, and this connection has helped me to remove obstacles that I continually seem to put in the way of my artistic goals.

A Myth Grows in Brooklyn...

In a previous post, I mentioned that Grammy Mac had a funny "Brooklyn Story." Fellow blogger Gabi inquired, so here it is...

Grammy Mac passed away in 1989, and Grandpa Mac passed away several years earlier, in NYC, where he had returned after they had split up, sometime in the early 70s. I think he returned to the general area of their original apartment in New York, which I'm not sure was ever in Brooklyn - one of my aunts or my mom could confirm this.

When my dad retired, about 6 years ago, his party included a number of people who had not seen our family in years, including Mr. and Mrs. Brown. Mr. Brown had worked with my dad early in his career, and the Browns' had been my grandparents' neighbors when we were young children. The Browns' had four daughters around the same age as me and my two sisters. One daughter, Marybeth, (Beth) accompanied her parents to my dad's party.

During the cocktail hour, Beth spilled a glass of Cabernet down the front of her ivory suit, so my sister Cheryl offered her hotel room for Beth to clean up. She accompanied Beth to her room, and Mrs. Brown joined them, seeing a good opportunity to catch up with our family. Shortly into their conversation, Mrs. Brown asked, "And how are your grandparents doing?"

My sister was taken completely off guard that the Browns', having moved so far away so long ago, did not know that my grandparents were long dead -- and in a split-second, she decided that she could not deliver this news to Mrs. Brown in the middle of my dad's retirement party. So instead, my sister said the first thing that popped into her head, which was "They're great!" And Mrs. Brown said, "Oh, wonderful. Where are they living now?" And my sister said, "Brooklyn!"

Of course, my sister immediately regretted what she'd said, but it was too late to take it back. So she fled from their company before Mrs. Brown had a chance to ask her any more questions and she was forced to concoct an entire life in Brooklyn for our long-deceased grandparents.

When Cheryl returned to our table and told us what she'd done, we got a great chuckle out of it, and I spent the night avoiding the Browns' as well, afraid that I'd be obligated to perpetuate my sister's story. As far as we know, the Browns' still think my grandparents are happily retired in Brooklyn, so Brooklyn has become the metaphorical heavenly resting place of Grammy & Grandpa McElroy.

And there are two funny sidebars to this story -- The first is that my Aunt Mary (one of Grammy's daughters) had not heard the Brooklyn story, and months after it had happened, we were at a family gathering where we were jokingly wondering what Grammy was doing in Brooklyn, and my Aunt choked on a glass of wine and nearly fell off the sofa since this was the first she had heard that Grammy was "alive." (You might also notice that glasses of wine are a recurring theme in my family stories.)

The second is that the Browns,' were known for one eccentricity -- Mrs. Brown's given name is Mary Lee, and they named their daughters Mary Beth, Mary Ann, Mary Lynn, and Mary Kristen. (Their father's name was Jerry, and at work they used to call him Mary Jerry, according to my dad.) - Tell that to George Foreman!

Studio Friday - Collections...

Ooh, collections!! I would certainly be remiss if I didn't mention my accumulation of rubber stamps, which certainly qualifies as a collection due to its sheer size -but as much as I love them, today I prefer to highlight my collection of CHOPSTICKS!
My love affair began as a young adult, when I decided that I would learn to eat with chopsticks as a method of weight control. My logic was that I would eat slower and feel full sooner. Instead, I just became very adept at eating with chopsticks. I love Asian influences in design, and I love Chinese food, and I can speak fluently with a fake-Chinese accent. (My famiry insists that I ras Chinese in anover rife.) I love both the simplicity and decoration of chopsticks, and my collection includes inexpensive but colorful plastic chopsticks, handcrafted and inlaid wood versions, and even a set made of china!

And speaking of collections, today my husband Scott and I celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary, so in keeping with the Studio Friday theme, it's the perfect time to think of all the memories we've collected in 17 years. Like many collections, my collection of memories includes ones that I take out and admire; some memories that I use more than others; some that would be better given away; some that make me laugh out loud, and some that I keep to myself and don't show others. In all, it's a cherished collection like no other. Happy Anniversary, bsm!! Thank you for the priceless collection of memories. Love.

Remembering Grammy Mac - 1922-1989

Several of my previous blog posts have included tributes to my paternal grandmother, "Dambi," and it occurred to me that I had yet to mention that I was fortunate to have two wonderful grandmothers for most of my life. My maternal grandmother, Velma Josephine (DeWitt) McElroy or "Grammy Mac," could not have been more different from Dambi, but she taught me just as much, in entirely different ways. And today would have been her 84th birthday, had we not lost her in 1989 to a heart attack at the age of 66, so I thought I'd remember Grammy today, in this post.

I was her first grandchild, just as I was Dambi's, a position which brought with it certain privileges, not the least of which was her undivided attention until my sisters arrived on the scene, as well as an (inaccurate) assumption on her part that I was more mature than I actually was, so that I was always given more freedom (a.k.a. lack of supervision) during frequent overnights at Grammy's when I was a child. My mom's youngest sister (Roberta) was only 4 when I was born, which may have accounted for my grandmother's lack of keen attention to my behavior. I was treated more like her fifth child when I was around, rather than her first grandchild. And those late life kids always get by on benign neglect, which suited me fine, because as the first child of very young parents, I was smothered with attention and overprotection at home. On a typical sleepover when I was about 7 or 8, "Aunt" Roberta (I called her Bert as we were so close in age) would go roller skating in the evening, so I was left to my own devices. Grammy would pull out the sofa bed, and I'd stay up late (anytime past 8 pm when I was a kid) and watch M.A.S.H., Bob Newhart, and the Mary Tyler Moore show. I felt totally grown up watching these shows by myself. When Roberta returned home, we'd burn a batch of Jiffy Pop on the gas stove, and then go to bed. On Saturday morning, Grammy would let me bake my own cheese on toast in the toaster oven, while she fried up an entire pound of bacon.

In addition to giving me my first taste of independence, Grammy taught me how to dress stylishly (albeit, it took me many years to catch on - we won't talk about the 80s). In spite of her humble beginnings -- she was born to a very poor family in Augusta, Georgia -- and struggled financially most of her life, she was a brilliant bargain shopper and could look gorgeous on a shoestring budget. I accompanied her on countless shopping trips before it became un-cool for me to hang out with her, and then my sister Jennifer stepped in where I left off. She bought me my first grown-up trench coat, and my first pair of lined trousers - both inexpensive but classic, so that I owned them for more than a dozen years before I finally stopped wearing them. I am the only person in my family who can find a decent shirt or dress at the likes of WalMart or JC Penney, thanks to Grammy.

This photo of Grammy was taken in 1963, at my parents' wedding. Incidentally, I cropped my grandfather out of this photo, as I'm sure Grammy would have wanted me to - but that's a story for another time.

I have a million more memories of Grammy that all came flooding back as I began writing this, but I will save them to post from time to time on days when Grammy Mac is foremost on my mind - there's a turkey story that begs telling, so perhaps I'll post another Grammy Mac story on Thanksgiving.

Happy Birthday Grammy!
Hope you're enjoying Brooklyn!! (this is a family joke - a whole blog post for another day)

Note: I actually made a collage on canvas with this photo, but I my digital camera hub is at work so I can't post the collage until Monday.

Studio Friday - Autumn Inspiration

"Autumn inspiration - According to my calendar, today (Sept 22) is the "Autumnal Equinox," and it's my favorite season, so show me what you love about the fall - the colors?... the leaves?...etc." - ME
When I suggested this topic a few weeks ago, I thought this would be an easy one for most, because I love the fall and its many inspirations are so obvious to me, but since then, I've heard from lots of people in my day to day travels who (gasp) "hate the fall," so I will be interested to see what everyone has to say on this topic. (Incidentally, those who told me they hate it usually cite that it's because winter is not far behind, but I refuse to blame the autumn for the winter.)

My love of autumn engages all of the senses...
I love to watch the leaves change from green to shades of yellow and red and rust and brown. I love to watch them tossed about by the wind and collected in piles along the edges of my garden. I love the sound and feel as they crunch beneath my feet. I love to see wagon loads of pumpkins, fat and orange, round and oblong, big and small, at farms and roadside stands. I love to see them adorning the porches and stairways of the homes in my neighborhood. I love to see them carved into jack-o-lanterns, grinning wildly at me as I walk my dog. I love their heft, and their smooth surface and prickly stems, as I choose the ones that will sit on my porch. I love that I am not sweating bullets, as I walk my dog. I love the smell of autumn, sometimes crisp, sometimes loamy, as the leaves begin to mulch. I love to feel the cool air on my face. I love a cozy fall sweater, a hot cup of apple cider. I love to pick apples at an orchard with my husband and maybe stumble upon an antique store or junk shop on our trip down a winding road on a cool fall day. I love our wedding anniversary - October 27 - a wonderful fall day 17 years ago. I love to see pots of mums in yellow and rust and burgandy, lined up in rows at the farm market, waiting to be sold. I love gourds in all their odd shapes and colors. I love my mom's recipe for acorn squash, baked in halves with butter and brown sugar. I love warm soup on a cool autumn day. I love the last burst of warmth and color before the winter comes.

A few weeks ago, when the inspiration hit me, I designed this scrapbook paper to give to the students in my fall faeries class...

Studio Friday - FEAR!!!

This week's topic for Friday October 13th suggested by Casey: FEAR!
"I have been away from Studio Friday for a while, and I really struggled with the toot your own horn topic. It actually made me do some free-writing and I thought of another topic that might be helpful for some of the studio friday artists: Fear.



On the lighter side, I am afraid that my studio will never be big enough, and I fear I will eventually run out of paper or gel medium or glue dots, which is totally unrealistic given all the stuff in my crowded room.

I could also talk about fear of the blank page or artist's block but right now, it's about so much more than that for me. It's a topic I am grappling with all the time these days. Being in my 40s has been a real turning point in how I spend my time - an awakening of sorts, to how fast life is flying by. I truly can't believe I'm in my 40s. Just yesterday, I was in my 20s with time to waste, and then, where did my 30s go? In my 40s, I am impatient. I am much less tolerant of chores and things and people who waste my time. This may sound cruel, but it's not meant to be. It's really just prioritizing.
I just finished a book entitled "The Moth Diaries" by Rachel Klein. It's the story of a diary kept by a teenage girl at boarding school, and in one passage a character says "You wake up one day and you're just like them -- amazed not to have lived the life you imagined you would. Do you think anyone is satisfied at the end?"
...and that is my biggest fear... that I will wake up one day, much older, having spent 21,900 hours doing laundry, and 6,240 hours cleaning house, and 63,000 hours at the wrong job, and I will regret that I didn't spend all those hours more meaningfully, .. and that's assuming I am lucky enough to grow old....
And then I iimmediately feel miserably ungrateful, because I really do have a great life - a wonderful husband, a beautiful little home, a great job, good friends and family, my health. But still, I fear not spending the time I have from this point forward on the really important things - my family, friends, creativity, health, community.
For those of you with children, you may feel differently. Raising a child, putting another human being on this planet, is to me the ultimate sacrifice and also the ultimate gift to humanity (well, sometimes.) But I chose not to take that path, and while I don't regret it, I wonder, then -- what is my purpose, and is what I do ever enough?
...Incidentally, I didn't really have any artwork in my studio that illustrates this theme, so I am posting a note that a friend slipped under my door at work one day when I was talking to my creative coach on the phone. She's really a very supportive friend with a scathing wit.

I also love the website www.despair.com, which plays fun at those motivational posters with de-motivational products. I love this kind of humor and these things never cease to amuse me... I tried to post a few of my favorite posters, but they must have it blocked, or I am an idiot... (entirely possible, and I'm sure they have a poster for it!)... so here are the links to my favorites, related to this theme...

regret

fear

failure

ATC Exchange #3 - Fall Colors

Fall colors - reds, golds, greens & browns, are by far my favorie and most familiar palette as an artist, so the hardest part of this artist-trading-card swap was deciding on the subject matter. I didn't want to do a traditional fall subject with the fall colors, but I wanted it to be fall-like, which was a challenge.
After the disappointing turnout at my seniors class, I had lots of pre-conditioned polymer clay left over, so I began by tinting and stamping clay tiles, which I cut into little house pieces. Using mat board, I painted a fall colored background with twinkling H20s and added the clay houses with a swirly stamp that looks like smoke coming from a chimney on a blustery fall day. I had lots of tiles, so I made six of the same card this time, with minor variations. I almost never make two of the same, but I really loved this design. It's a bit dimensional, with the clay tiles, and the colors are rich and warm. And the house shape is such a warm and inviting icon.

Studio Friday... Stick it...

TO THE BOARD

" It would be interesting to see the variety of bulletin/memory boards in our studios. What is pinned to them? Photos? Notes? Reminders? Ideas for future projects?"
~Jill

Well, here's my bulletin board, which, like just about every other square inch of my studio, is used for the storage of "stuff" rather than a place to tack memories and ideas. Although I do have lots of storage bins and drawers, I like some of my materials to remain in plain view -- to spark ideas and to remind me of what I have. If this looks too neat and organized to be believable, it's because I spent last weekend cleaning up my studio, as is necessary every few months so that the clutter doesn't swallow me!!! But never fear, I'll mess this up in no time! I also attach more memories and photos and chatchkas to my lamp, with magnets. Essentially, any surface is game!!

autumn inspiration...

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I am teaching a class on Saturday at Art Connection called Fall Faeries. As a gift to everyone who takes the class, I have designed this fall-inspired decorative paper sheet. I am a graphic designer by trade, and though I prefer the tactile arts, I do love to design computer generated art like this... and it usually begins with tactile art, as this one did ... I've created a digital library of found objects that I scan and turn to line art... like the torn edge paper & the leaf that appear in this sheet. I've been known to scan acorns, milkweed, buttons, bobbins, thread spools, my hand (I had to do that one one-handed!), etc... I then work in Photoshop to turn them into black & white line art and adjust the brightness/contrast until it highlights the best silhouette of an image. Then when I want to create a collage, I use either Photoshop or Pagemaker to colorize, layer and collage the pieces. I am interested in feedback on this design - are you a scrapbooker, stamper, mixed media artist - non-artist? - and would you/could you use such a sheet? or not? All constructive comments - or outright flattery welcome!

Studio Friday - toot your own horn!

This week's topic for Friday September 22nd suggested by Gabi: TOOT YOUR OWN HORN... LOUD! "Studio Friday, for me, is a network of artists from all over the world. It's a fabulous way to communicate ...I would love to see a showcase of what YOUR art is. ...I'd love to see a piece that you have created that you are most proud of. SHOW off your STUFF!!" ~Gabi
This is hard, particularly for women, I think, because many of us were taught from an early age to be modest, but as working artists, I think a certain amount of horn-tooting is necessary (so thank you Gabi for the suggetion)... and my blog is definitely a place where I want to show my art - not just for exposure, but also for inspiration and feedback, and to allow me to feel that I am a part of a larger artistic community.
This is an altered book that I created last year, as a featured piece in a juried gallery show that I was fortunate to be able to do along with my friend, Debbie. The show was entitled "Facing Pages" and included swap journals, individual journals, handmade books and altered books. Although my personal journals are a treasured source of inspiration and therapy for me, this altered book was my favorite piece in the show. It tells a rather sad story, however...
A year after my husband and I bought our first house, we found a bird's nest in a large hanging pot of impatiens on our front porch. Every day, for five days, when I would take the pot down to water it, a new egg appeared in the nest. I very carefully watered around the nest to keep it dry, and I patiently awaited the arrival of the little birds who would be born among my flowers. I was so pleased that mama bird had chosen my porch as a safe spot for building the nest, and that my daily watering had not deterred her. I saw this as a symbol that this was indeed a wonderful home in which to live. One morning after watering, I returned to my kitchen and poured a cup of coffee. Moments later I heard a dull thud outside. I looked out toward our mailbox and driveway, thinking it might be a car door, or our mailman.
I saw nothing and forgot about it. About an hour later I went out to run some errands and saw what had made the sound. Because of the very hot summer day, I made sure to really water my impatiens pot well, so that the flowers that hid the birds' nest would not wilt. The pot was so heavy from the giant blooms and water that it crashed onto my porch, tossing all of the eggs onto the pavement. I was (and still am) heartbroken. I felt so sad for the bird who had so carefully crafted this perfect nest, and had so patiently sat on her precious eggs day after day. The nest was still sitting perfectly among the flowers.
I left it for a few days, hoping that perhaps mama bird would forgive me and return to start again, but she did not. So instead, I decided to memorialize the nest in an altered book that I hope tells a story of the importance of a home, and the simple perfect beauty of nature.

Studio Friday - on the outside...

"I'm curious to see what is just outside everyone's studio. I face a wall so I don't have a view but I have the desert to inspire me if I need it." ~ Lilie

My studio currently has two windows facing equally uninteresting views. One faces a chain link fence on the border of our neighbor's yard, and from the other window you can see our Rubbermaid shed. So I'm going to venture a little beyond the windows of my studio to some of my favorite views of late.

These are some pictures I just took last weekend at the town park, where I've been hiking with Max on weekend mornings. For the first 15 years that I've lived here, I never ventured beyond the park pool, but I've recently discovered (thanks to Max) wonderful hiking trails through the woods and along the river. No matter how often we follow the paths, there are always new things to see and hear.
Nature is never boring. Last week, I took pictures of tree man during our walk.

Fabric ATCs etc.

This is my second round of ATCs for the one swap I am participating in. I am loving the ability to try new techniques in a small format, and also then giving away my creations. I like that they're 'out there' for someone else to enjoy (at least I hope they're enjoyed.) The first swap was themeless. For this swap, the theme was FABRIC! (ooh, such fun.) I created these using Judikins new Tranz It transfer medium. Very much like gel medium except that it seems to work with a larger variety of originals - everything from color copies, to b/w copies, to color lasers - which never worked for me with gel medium. I created the transfers on muslin and then hand-sewed the muslin and embellishments to pieces of wool felt.

Studio Friday - A Floral Treat!

Thanks Leslie for this fun topic - I love flowers (who doesn't?) I originally hoped that I would have an opportunity to paint or otherwise create a piece of floral art, but this is my busiest month at work, and was busy in a thousand other ways I won't bore you with, so I snapped a few pictures of these magestic sunflowers that have grown in the community garden down at the grade school where I walk Max.
The garden was created by the sixth grade class two years ago, and now each year, grade school students, their families, and volunteers from the community tend it and watch it grow. The garden is still quite new and not yet very artistically laid out, but each year the sunflowers grow to eight feet tall, and I never cease to be amazed by them. I had a little Photoshop fun with these pictures, but they are actual shots that I took, about a week ago. This phrase came to me as I was playing, but I probably stole it from someplace else. Does anyone else do that? - make something up, and then discover later that they really saw it or read it or heard it somewhere else before? I do it rather frequently, and I'm always annoyed when I discover that I'm not as clever as I'd imagined.

Polymer clay tile cards...

Once a month, I teach a class at the local senior center, for a lively and energetic group of women who could run circles around me, and usually do. I take summers off, so last night was my first night back since June. We've been meeting for about a year, making greeting cards, and assorted small crafts that involve painting, rubber stamping, and other mixed media techniques. After our summer hiatus, I thought it would be fun to do something different, so we created polymer clay tiles to make a jewelry pin and several greeting cards. Unfortunately, my class was left off the weekly newsletter, and only three of the twelve women scheduled to attend remembered that we set this date back in June. Of course, the four of us had a great class, but I am really bummed that the majority of our regular attendees missed learning about stamping on clay, because it was a cool technique that I would like to work into future classes, and now I'll have to do the intro all over again -- not to mention that I conditioned and prepped clay sheets for 12 people - can you say CARPAL TUNNEL?! I do have a pasta machine, but the clay still requires hand-kneading before it will even go through the machine. Ugh. Anyway, I'm just venting.
On a completely different topic, for those of you who want a tiny glimpse into where I came from, read the comments associated with my previous blog (A walk in the woods with Max). These are my family members - mother and two sisters, all of whom I adore, by the way - who are vacationing right now on Martha's Vineyard. Apparently, after a few glasses of wine - and more than a few for my mom, it seems, they visited my blog and left comments. I am sorry that I am not there, but this is my busiest month at work, so I want to believe that's why I was not invited :>) - love you mommy & sissers & Avery!!