Merry Christmas!

I will leave you with a picture of Max, waiting for Santa (or, more likely, a squirrel).

Sing it Tammy!

My D-I-V-O-R-C-E became final today (actually yesterday!!)

My divorce is official! The long-awaited paperwork with the official red seal arrived in the mail last evening! And per the New York State Supreme Court, I "may resume use of my premarital surname."

I want to thank you all for your notes of support, encouragement, and most of all, laughter. I am a very fortunate woman!!

Where did this year go???

I can hardly believe it's December already. Somewhere in between holiday decorating, shopping and celebrating, December is my time to take stock... of the year, my life, my art, my journey.
I am giving thought to my "word" for 2011. The one that will guide me for the next 12 months.
This year my word was BELIEVE, and while I am in a very good place in my life, and I think it is a magical word, I am not sure I took advantage of the power of this word as I should have during the year. I could have believed in myself more, taken more risks, trusted the Universe to provide.



So, on this first day of December, I will leave you all with another picture of snow people - these were created by my niece Avery on a recent visit. I should add that when I created my first bunch, with a group of friends, we spent an entire day choosing scarves, headgear and embellishments. Avery, on the other hand, with her youthful enthusiasm and total lack of creative inhibition, whipped these guys up in about thirty minutes and wanted to know "what's next?"

I BELIEVE IN YOU, AVERY WRINN. XO

Thanks, Take Ten!

Every now and then, I send some of my creations off to my favorite magazines for publication consideration. Sometimes they keep submissions until they have the right publication or "fit" for the submissions, and that must have been the case with these. I think I created these cards more than a year ago, and re-purposed a dollar-store box to contain them. So it was a pleasant surprise to see my cards in Stampington's Take Ten Winter 2011 issue (pgs 88-91).

It's always an honor to be included in their publications as the the quality of their publications and photography are unmatched.

Thanks again, Take Ten & Stampington!!

The best kind of snow day...

Not a flake fell from the sky, but it was still a great snow day... I spent much of the day Saturday with a few friends to try our hand at making some magical, glittery snowmen and women. Many thanks to artist Sue Pelletier, whose article (and cover art) in an issue of Cloth Paper Scissors inspired us. This was truly some of the most fun I've ever had with my clothes on!

There really is something about sharing a creative day with like-minded souls that is utterly satisfying. We enjoyed great food, lots of laughter, amazing creativity and an assortment of materials that would make any mixed media artist weak in the knees!!

The first two photos are "group shots" of our creations before we (reluctantly) left for the day. Due to drying time & transport issues, we all had to do our "glittering" at home, so these were taken pre-glitter. The glitter really makes them magical, as you can see in the last shot, which is a line up of my first (but definitely not last, snow people). It has been suggested that they make great gifts, but I do not see myself able to part with any of mine anytime soon!!!

...and as if on cue, today we had our first real snowfall!!! Somehow, looking forward to making more snow people makes an early November snowfall just a little more tolerable.

Post party depression

My incredibly fun and funny cousin Bonnie, (or Zondra, as I prefer to call her), came for an overnight and to accompany me to Halloween costume party on Saturday evening... There is just something (OKAY everything) about this picture that makes us both crack up...



We have always been partners in crime, or if not crime, just general mischief, since we were kids... and Saturday night was no exception. Love you Bon Zon!! xo

Happy Halloween!!

...and happy birthday dad & Unc!!

The most fun I've ever had in a roomful of Lawyers...

Sometimes it's difficult to find the right words -- or words that seem adequate to express the myriad of emotions that this experience made me feel. Two months later, I have no better words, so here goes...



As some of you know, a year ago last August my niece Avery (then five years old) received a heart transplant. More than one year later, she is a happy, energetic six-year old, and regular biopsies report zero percent rejection of her new heart. Avery was critically ill for a long time before her transplant, so our family had a lot of time to think seriously about what it would mean for Avery to get a new heart -- not just for us, but for the donor family, whomever they might be.

In August of this year, while vacationing together on Martha's Vineyard, our family was able to personally thank the family of the little boy whose heart now beats in Avery. More than just an opportunity to thank them for making the decision that saved Avery's life (and the lives of several others), it was a chance for us to learn about and celebrate the life of their oldest son, Dalton Lawyer.

Spending time with his parents and three younger brothers was at once, poignant, comfortable, and quite simply, fun. I don't have many opportunities to be around "little boy" energy, which is much different and laid back than the "little girl" energy to which I am accustomed...

From the arcade: you need MORE quarters????
To the beach: closed for E-Coli????
To shopping: where are your shoes???? and, Was that Obama???
To Texas hold 'em: so you're a 6-year old card shark???
To arts & crafts: peace, love & Beadniks!!
To words of wisdom: "I just don't get her sometimes!" (and alas, you never will, Austin!)
...I think it's safe to say a good time was had by all.

Thank you Jim, Jeri, Ty, Miles & Austin. I think of you all, and of Dalton, whom I've never met, and yet feel like I knew, more often than you might imagine.

Rockin' the Monoprint...

Marilyn and I had a fabulous time sharing our monoprint techniques with an incredible group of enthusiastic art lovers. Here is visual diary of the class, and the hundreds of monoprints that students created...











A special thank you, as always, to the Captured Moments family, and their fabulous workshop space & store.

Fall fotoshop fun

Charlotte, before photoshop...


Charlotte, after photoshop...

A fall weekend...

These were taken on a recent visit to my sister's house Massachusetts. Max and I got out for a leisurely stroll at a nearby state park.

Another peak at a monoprint...

turned greeting card...
Another sample of the type of printmaking that Marilyn and I will be teaching on Oct. 17. See details on the sidebar at the right to sign up.

In addition to the Elastack printing plate that you will get to keep, you'll make dozens of prints on an assortment of paper substrates. We'll also be providing handouts that include printmaking tips.

Getting ready to teach monoprint class

Whenever I start to plan a new class, I like to do a little bit of research, followed by lots of experimentation. I love asking "What if...?" "What if" I use this instead of that?

The monoprinting class that I am preparing to teach with Marilyn (see sidebar on my blog for more info) is a perfect example. Monoprint techniques have been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, but there are always new materials and techniques, that when combined with -- or in place of -- age-old traditions, can yield some exciting results. I can't wait to share our discoveries in class on October 17. Sign up now! Space is limited!!

If you want to see a brief sneak peak, check out this link on Marilyn's blog.

Marilyn will also be giving a brief demo at the Captured Moments open house on Saturday, Oct 2, Her demo is just one of many that will take place that day, so stop by!! The Open house runs from 10 am - 3 pm, and Marilyn will be there from 10 to noon, just fyi!!

More monoprints...

..with some Pitt pen line art enhancements. I am working on a monoprint class (that I'll be teaching with my pal Marilyn). Stay tuned!!

Some monoprint fun.

...and an excuse to use my new camera!!

I am head over heels in LOVE!!!

... with the sexiest thing on the planet...

My camera broke in the spring, and I have finally replaced it with a new and improved version of the same one (in this fabulous green color!!!). I just took it out of the box and charged the battery, but lunch hour is just about up and I have to wait until work is over to read the manual(ugh)and figure out how to take panoramic images and video (oh, and just plain old pictures too!!)

PS -If you were expecting declarations of another kind, I apologize for the tease. That's just about the only thing off limits on my blog!

PPS - But I do have a post in progress to tell of my time on the Vineyard with some really amazing people (not the Obamas!)

I'm the boss!!!

I was recently reminded by a long-time friend (that would be you, Victor) whom I haven't seen in years that I was a totally bossy, uncompromising bully of a kid growing up. -- These are my words, by the way, not his (though I am fairly certain that he would not argue with my choice of adjectives). He merely reminded me that I was "the Boss" of the neighborhood "clubhouse" when we were kids. The "clubhouse" was actually a small shed that my dad erected at the far corner of our property. I believe his intention was to house wood & tools from the elements in the Northeast, but we quickly moved in little chairs and a rusty make-believe kitchen set, and, presto-change-o, we had a clubhouse. I think dad exercised his property rights in the winter, but for several summers, it was our little fiefdom in which to inflict childhood insults and injuries.

It could be that my take-charge attitude stemmed from the fact that the shed was built by my dad on our property, and that I was the oldest of our group of neighborhood kids, and I took full advantage of that esteemed position. But whatever the reasons, I remember now that I liked being the boss. I made and enforced rules, instituted dues, and changed them all to suit myself. I was a perfectly corrupt little dictator, to be sure, but I was also a confident. outspoken, take-charge individual, and this recollection surprised me.

Because somehow, slowly, over the years, in the process of becoming an adult (and a woman) I have frequently abandoned my obvious zest for leadership. In so many of my life's roles, I have taken on a passive or secondary position, even when I would have done well for myself and others to take the reins. Victor reminded me that I was once a force to be reckoned with, and as I (FINALLY) approach the signing of some very important papers that release me to the next chapter of my life, I needed that reminder.

Art Saves!

Hi there readers. I was recently invited by the talented and inexhaustible Jenny Doh to be guest curator at Crescendoh this week. Please visit. Her site is filled with artistic inspiration and each day I've selected some of my favorite online links for you to explore.

I am off to Martha's Vineyard for a very special family vacation, and I hope to have some photos and stories (as well as time to post them) when I return!!

Hope you are enjoying the second stretch of summer!!!

On the one-year anniversary of Avery's new heart...

Excerpted from a letter written by Avery's mom... (I could not have said it better!)

Life, loss and new beginnings...

Hi everyone!!

A year ago today, (Aug 6) Avery received the gift that would save her life! At 2:00 am this morning we received the page we never thought would come to let us know "the perfect heart had been found!"
At 5:00 am she went into the operating room at Children's and 18 hours later at 11:30 pm she came out of the OR and into the cardiac ICU...bleeding and very very sick - to spend the following few months healing and recovering.

As you may remember - Avery was also 100% sensitized to her donor due to the 9 open heart surgeries (8 of which required CV bypass) , 4 ecmo runs and thousands of blood products in her 5 years life. This basically placed her at a VERY (the highest) risk for rejection within her first year especially.

On Monday - Avery had her 1 year biopsy and her results were 100% CLEAN !! No cellular or humoral rejection -- her heart function is perfect and for the first time in her entire life -- she has run , bounced, jumped and giggled as much as she can without turning blue...gasping for air or coughing to catch her breath.

She truly is celebrating a new "birth" (life) day and we are so incredibly fortunate for the miracles we have been blessed with!

What makes this year a DOUBLE gift for us...is something beyond anything we could hope for last year at this time.

A week from today - we will be meeting Avery's donor family for the first time. We have been fortunate to be in touch since last Thanksgiving -- having sent a letter through the New England Organ Bank.

Next week - we will meet his family. We will spend a week together...celebrating the life and getting to know more about the beautiful little boy who now "beats life" into Avery...as well as the extraordinary family who are beyond incredible to share what they have and will with us.

So - as we reflect on how fortunate we were to see Avery start the life she never had before this day last year...we are reminded intimately at what cost that came to another family and what they were able to gift to us at the most horrific time of their life.

They are and will always be our family...

(I will be joining them for part of this trip, and I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity.)

The next phase of my liberation!!!

Below, my recent horoscope. I think I loved this because of the phrase about my liberation, plus, I am so tired of seeing didactically.

It's time to think comprehensively, not defensively...to see futuristically, not didactically...to fantasize fantastically, not diplomatically. Your assignment is to stop reacting to every little blip that leaps into your field of vision, and start surveying the long-term cycles of your life from an expansive vista. Be a proactive visionary, Libra. Be a high-minded explorer. Weave all the disparate threads into a tapestry that reveals the big picture. The next phase of your liberation requires you to slough off petty concerns and trivial details.