Life Needs Art

Funky February at Hudson Fine Art & Framing

2012-01-23T18:53:00.001-05:00

Have you had enough of this dreary winter?

Allow me to offer an antidote:

Funky February Art Show at Hudson Fine

Goodbye, 2011

2011-12-31T18:20:00.001-05:00

Thanks for your challenges and opportunities, your joys and sorrows. You've been a good year, tough, but far easier to

Art Every Day Month, Recap

2011-12-02T08:16:00.001-05:00

Because I've posted some of my entries for Art Every Day Month in various places throughout the site, they can be

Day 30 - And, That's a Wrap!

2011-11-30T21:29:00.001-05:00

Here we are on the last day of November. Goodness, how time flies!

November has been Art Every Day Month. And what a

Day 28 - Done or Not Done?

2011-11-28T21:23:00.001-05:00

I've been working on this painting for the past few days, and I really like how it's progressing.

But is it

Cyber Monday Blog Hop!

2011-11-28T18:16:00.001-05:00

I love blog hops! You just never know where you'll end up.

The kind folks at Studio Waterstone have set up a blog

Day 26 - Bit by Bit

2011-11-26T14:40:00.001-05:00

Another day of making progress of several different projects. I've worked on a couple of abstract paintings, started on

Summit ArtSpace Holiday Artwalk Fair

2011-11-26T11:30:00.001-05:00

Summit Artspace and the Akron Area Arts Alliance are sponsoring a Holiday Artwalk Fair to coincide with the December

Day 21 - The Value of Practice

2011-11-21T22:55:00.001-05:00

After a slow day yesterday, today's been busy. Not so much for my own art - I managed to finish off only this
Read more ...

Day 20 - Scattered

2011-11-20T14:20:00.001-05:00

Sigh. It's just one of those days. I have lots of time for art but can't focus on any one thing.

I've dabbed paint

Colors and Lines, Candy

2011-11-16T20:20:00.001-05:00

Is today Wednesday? I've been thinking all day that today is Thursday. I'm so confused.

Regardless, I do know

Colors and Lines, Explosion

2011-11-16T20:16:00.001-05:00

Day 15 of Art Every Day Month.

Another in my Colors and Lines series of 12x12 inch paintings on paper.

It's

Colors and Lines, Pearl

2011-11-14T20:49:00.001-05:00

Another in the Colors and Lines series, this one cheerful and bright.

These are my paintings, so I'm fond of

Colors and Lines, Fall

2011-11-13T15:50:00.001-05:00

Another 12x12 painting in my Colors and Lines series. This one is very much inspired by the windy

Holiday Open House, Dec. 2

2011-11-13T13:20:00.001-05:00

Please join me for a Holiday Craft Show that will benefit The Kaumba Project, an organization that is working to

Days 10, 11, 12 - Mat, Frame, Setup, Show!

2011-11-13T13:18:00.001-05:00

Busy, busy, busy!

I've been doing lots of art and art-related activities, but haven't always found time to blog

Day 9 - And A Box To Keep It In

2011-11-09T20:43:00.001-05:00

Ok, I really didn't do this all today. But I finished it and took photos, so that counts.

Otherwise, I'm still

Days 7 & 8 - Mark That Spot

2011-11-08T22:30:00.001-05:00

Day 7 was kinda sorta art related- I wrote the newsletter for my local art group. Not really the kind of thing I wanted

Day 6 - Paint 'n Frame

2011-11-06T21:27:00.001-05:00

Another productive day. I spent most of the morning working on paintings. Several are in progress and soon to be

The rest of the story ...

Day 5 - New Supplies and Lots of Painting

2011-11-06T21:26:00.001-05:00

So I did some painting this morning and worked on some partially finished paintings. Several of them are now almost

Day 3 – Tying up Lose Ends and Recharging Batteries

2011-11-03T11:07:00.000-04:00

Ah, much better. Got home while it was still daylight and had time to work in my studio.

The first painting is on paper, 7×9 inches.
The second is on canvas, 8×10 inches.

I’d started both of these last weekend, so I just finished them up tonight.

Even with the good camera, the colors on the second are odd. I’ll take better photos over the weekend in daylight.

The first is...

Day 2 – Battery Snafu

2011-11-02T22:20:00.000-04:00

So again, I get home after 9 tonight, and have just a short time to get in the studio and work.

Time well spent, though. I managed to finish something that I’d been hoping to get to, and I’m happy with it.

The photo doesn’t do it justice. No sooner had I grabbed the camera than the “battery empty” message flashed across the screen and the camera shut itself off.

Phooey.

So what next?

Art Every Day Month, Day 1

2011-11-02T22:19:00.001-04:00

Today is Day 1 of Art Every Day Month, a challenge run by Leah Piken Kolidas over at Creative Every Day.
I’ve been all excited about this challenge, and was anxious to get home and do some ART tonight.

After a very l-o-o-o-n-g day, I arrived home at 9PM, exhausted and a bit deflated. Wasn’t sure what smidge of creativity I might have left.

Find out what happened...

Arts & Crafts Fair in Solon, Nov. 12

2011-10-30T12:23:00.002-04:00

Join me at the Solon High School for their annual arts and craft fair. I will have a booth, along with more than 70 other vendors offering a wide selection of unique handmade items.

Hope to see you there!

Saturday, November 12

10:00am - 4:00pm

Solon High School

33600 Inwood Road

Solon, OH 44139

More details: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=250532564998439

Art Every Day Month, 2011

2011-10-30T12:14:00.000-04:00

October 30. Is it really the end of October already?! Unbelievable.

The end of October means that it’s about time to flip the calendar to November. (Now, that's profound, isn't it?)

November is Art Every Day Month, led by Leah Piken Kolidas over at Creative Every Day.

Have you done Art Every Day Month in the past? Are you doing it this year? Leave a comment with a link to your blog so I can follow along.

Join the conversation over here: http://www.lifeneedsart.com/blog/art-every-day-month-2011/

Hand-Painted Necklaces

2011-10-30T12:12:00.001-04:00

Can I just tell you how much fun I’ve been having making these necklaces!

I’ve always admired art jewelry when I’ve been at shows, so I just had to give it a try.

These are hand painted – yes, each one is unique. No prints or copies here.

The painting is done with acrylic paints, and then sealed with a triangular-shaped piece of glass. The edges are rounded and soft, and the top is ever so slightly domed. They’re really pretty – at least I think so.

Each one comes with a silver-plated chain, 18 inches long, which is a nice length to wear.

They’re available in my Etsy shop, Necklaces section :
http://www.etsy.com/shop/lifeneedsart?section_id=10468458

Colors and Lines, Purple

2011-09-28T19:36:00.000-04:00

More fun with the colors and lines paintings!

12×12 inches on paper, just like the others. This has some wonderful purple and turquoise colors.

Click for detailed images >>>

Colors and Lines, Circles

2011-09-27T19:35:00.005-04:00

I just love this one! I guess I’m supposed to say that about all of them, but I really like this one.

I used several layers of paint so that the colors have a lot of depth.

The ink has made such interesting shapes; the whole thing is very satisfying.

See the rest of the story >>>

Hand-Painted Necklaces

2011-09-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

I’ve always admired art jewelry when I’ve been at shows, so I just had to give it a try.
These are hand painted – yes, each one is unique. No prints or copies here.

The painting is done with acrylic paints, and then sealed with a triangular-shaped piece of glass. The edges are rounded and soft, and the top is ever so slightly domed. They’re really pretty – at least I think so.

Each one comes with a silver-plated chain, 18 inches long, which is a nice length to wear.

They’re available in my Etsy shop, Necklaces section :
http://www.etsy.com/shop/lifeneedsart?section_id=10468458

See more images >>>

Colors and Lines, Yellow

2011-09-24T17:58:00.000-04:00

Now this one is just slightly different. After painting the colors and dripping on the ink, I added another layer of paint on top, and then more ink.

You can see the first layer of ink just peeking through the paint in several places, but especially in the lower right. I really like how it shows through ever so faintly. The lines are so delicate.

See more images >>>

Colors and Lines, Pink

2011-09-24T13:56:00.003-04:00

I’m like a kid in a candy store with these paintings! I can’t get enough of them.

This is painted again on pre-printed scrapbooking paper that has been printed with a larger dot pattern. You can see some of the dots in the upper left, ever so faintly.

See the detail images here >>>

Colors and Lines, Red

2011-09-21T22:44:00.003-04:00

Oh, am I having fun with these! I love the ink against the colors.

This one is painted on a 12×12 inch piece of scrapbooking paper. I bought a big stack of paper, the kind that’s pre-printed with stripes and swirls and plaids. This piece is printed red with tiny white dots. You can see some of the dots faintly peeking through around the edges.

See detail images>>>

Colors and Lines, Green

2011-09-20T18:57:00.001-04:00

See the previous “Colors and Lines” post for the backstory here. This one is painted in cool shades of green, with bits of red, yellow, white, and pink.

The black form was made by dropping India Ink on the paper and blowing through a drinking straw to push the ink around. It’s formed these wonderful jagged shapes.

See detailed images >>>

Colors and Lines

2011-09-19T19:16:00.000-04:00

Recently, I was doing some collages and wanted a way to add a fine dark line element to them. Something that looked like it was drawn but not so…controlled…as a line drawn with graphite or pen.

So, being a former seamstress, I fired up the old sewing machines and ran some free-form lines of stitching across them. See “March Morning” or “Surf” for examples. LOVED it.

However, I’ve been wanting to work larger, and I couldn’t figure out how to make a larger artwork fit in the sewing machine. Besides, how would a stretched canvas fit? It has wooden stretcher bars, after all. Hm…

Get the full story >>>

On The Horizon

2011-09-19T19:13:00.000-04:00

Most of the time, when I start a new piece, I have maybe an idea for a starting point – a color or technique – but it’s usually fairly vague. I enjoy the exploratory process of creating an artwork.

Only once in a while do I know exactly how I want the finished piece to look.

Here's how I got there >>>

Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap, The Wrap-Up

2011-08-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

The postcard swap has been fun. I sent off cards of my artwork with a little note on the back. Then, every few days, I’d get a delightful surprise in the mail – a new postcard with a wonderful image on the front and a note on the back. All the cards came from artists I hadn’t met yet, either in person on online, but each one is unique and fascinating. I’ve received 6 wonderful cards from nearby states to as far away as Australia.

See the postcards...

Drawing Exercises

2011-08-17T21:33:00.000-04:00

I love drawings of all kinds – graphite, ink, black & white, color. Doesn’t matter. I love a gorgeous expressive line. Is it any wonder I was a drawing major in college?

Read about my quick draw marathon...

Throwing My Toys Out Of The Pram

2011-08-15T21:51:00.000-04:00

When I’m working on an artwork, it always seems to go like this – it starts out great and I’m jazzed about working on something new. There’s an initial ramp-up period where I fumble a bit, but once I get into a rhythm with the new work, things hum along.

Then about half way through, the painting stops cooperating. It doesn’t respond to what I’m doing. I don’t know what it needs and every thing I do seems to make it worse. I call it “those awkward teenage years”. It’s just a phase. A little perseverance and patience, and we all come out better than when we started.

Yesterday, I was working on a collage. I had started it about a year ago and set it aside when I ran out of ideas. I picked it back up yesterday and decided to try a different approach.

See how it turned out...

Fun Little Doodles

2011-06-25T23:27:00.000-04:00

So, I’ve been having fun playing with my little mini watercolor palette. Here are some colorful little doodles that I’ve been doing.

See the rest of the story...

Mini Watercolor Paint Palette

2011-06-21T22:40:00.000-04:00

I’ve never been one to paint outdoors or in public, though I admire the paintings that are done that way.

But I’ve been taking classes in journaling, and following blog posts about sketching in public, and I’m gathering up the nerve to do it.

My reading has led to a variety of websites that talk about the supplies that artists take when working on location. Maybe having the right supplies will give me some incentive to try painting in public.

Find out how to make your own mini paint palette.

A Kind Gesture

2011-06-18T21:25:00.000-04:00

I had an unexpected moment of kindness today. The Clothesline Art Show was today in Hudson. When I stopped at the show this afternoon to work my shift, the members of my group told me that a family had been in, and one of their daughters had spent some time looking at my drawings.

Read the rest of the story...

Ooo, Look What I Bought!

2011-06-17T23:57:00.000-04:00

I’ll admit – it was love at first sight. I came ’round the corner, and, ah…there it was.

At the Avant Garde Art & Craft show last Saturday, I wandered away from my table to see the other vendors. I went out one door and when I came back in the other, there was Andrea Rogers at her Blue Highways table loaded with gorgeous blank books. I mean GORGEOUS!

Read the story and see more photos...

Clothesline Art Show, June 17-18, 2011

2011-06-14T20:37:00.000-04:00

Hudson Society of Artists is sponsoring its annual sale of small, unframed, original artwork on June 17-18, 2011. All artwork is by members of the society. Typically, the show has about 250 pieces ranging in price from $10 to $200.

The show is held along with the Garden Shop which is part of the Hudson Home and Garden Tour.

The shop is at the Middle School, 77 N. Oviatt Street, in Hudson. Hours are noon – 5PM daily.

Get a map and directions to the show.

Find out more about the Hudson Home and Garden Tour.

Miles of Paintings

2011-06-13T17:20:00.000-04:00

Ah, the sense of satisfaction of completing another batch of paintings for Art-o-mat! Miles and miles of cheerful little paintings just make me happy, no two ways about it.

Read more...

Avant Garde Art and Craft Show, June 11

2011-06-01T19:14:00.000-04:00

The summer art show season is upon us!

Come see me at my booth at the Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show on Saturday, June 11.

The show will be at the Middleburg Heights Community Center, 16000 Bagley Road, Middleburg Hts, OH 44130.

For details: http://www.lifeneedsart.com/blog/avant-garde-art-and-craft-show/

Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap

2011-05-15T15:10:00.000-04:00

Kat, over at The Kay Eye View, is having a postcard swap.

It’s open to artists of any medium. All you have to do is send in 5 printed postcards that feature your artwork, and you’ll get 5 postcards in return.

Details are on her site:

http://www.kateyeview.com/p/liberate-your-art-postcard-swap.html

It sounds like fun, plus you get to put your artwork in front of new people and get to see some new art in return.

Win, win, and win.

I’ve already signed up. Hope you’ll join us!

Muses Magazine

2011-05-13T20:20:00.000-04:00

Muses Magazine (http://www.musesmag.com/) delighted me recently by doing a feature on me and my artwork in their April 18 issue.

Read all about it here:

http://musesmagazine.com/april18_lifeneedsart.html

and

http://musesmagazine.com/april18_finenine3.html

Muses is a really gorgeous magazine showcasing art and design to provide inspiration for your lifestyle. It's such a treat to browse each issue.

Unfortunately, I missed this particular issue as it was published while I was on vacation. Thank goodness they post back issues on their web site!

My thanks to them, and best wishes for continued success.

Wish You Were Here

2011-04-05T20:31:00.001-04:00

The National Collage Society is holding its annual postcard show, running April 8 - May 14, 2011.

All entries

March Morning

2011-03-27T20:58:00.001-04:00

This small collage had me thinking of a typical morning in Marc - sun coming up through the cold air, trees still

Mini's in a BOX

2011-03-11T20:46:00.001-05:00

The Ohio Collage Society Show, 3.5 x 2.5, opened tonight at the BOX Gallery in Akron. It's a show of small

Hills

2011-03-09T21:16:00.001-05:00

This collage is made of bits of torn paper with some machine stitching along the bottom. The large white threads

In The Distance

2011-03-08T21:25:00.001-05:00

This collage reminds me of looking across the ocean toward the hills in Puerto Vallarta. It's made from bits of

Surf

2011-03-07T21:06:00.001-05:00

This paper collage has a bit of stitching along the bottom. It reminds me of the waves in Puerto Vallarta, where

Moon Rise

2011-03-06T20:47:00.001-05:00

I've been working with collages lately. This one is bits of images cut from magazine photos and store flyers,

Every Vote Counts

2011-03-05T15:10:00.001-05:00

During the 2010 election campaign, I got so much literature from people running for office - it was piled up in

2011 Members Art Show

2011-03-05T14:18:00.001-05:00

Hudson Society of Artists is having its annual Members Show. Stop by and see the wonderful artwork by local artists.

Spring Omen

2011-03-05T13:56:00.001-05:00

Spring Omen is a collage made from bits of paper, a photo, some leaves, and a few lines of machine stitching. I

The Sketchbook Tour Dates

2011-02-16T19:18:00.001-05:00

The Sketchbook Project, sponsored by Art House Co-op, opens Saturday, Feb. 19.

The project, as you may recall,

Art Studio

2011-02-06T13:24:00.001-05:00

I have a great little studio. Want to see?

I was planning to take photos after I'd cleaned it all up and made

Studio Mascot

2011-02-05T12:34:00.001-05:00

In honor of one of my words of the year, I've adopted a studio mascot!

This clever little character is sitting in my

2011 Words of the Year - Step, Cupcake

2011-01-31T06:58:00.001-05:00

Now that the year is 1/12th over, I'd better set my goals and intentions. I always set a Word Of The Year to be my

Cheeks and Noses

2011-01-30T06:06:00.001-05:00

This sketchbook project has made me realize that I need practice drawing people in general, but cheeks and noses

Sketchbook Project - Sherri

2011-01-29T06:14:00.001-05:00

My friend Sherri is the cover model for the sketchbook.

Take a look at the finished

Sketchbook Project – Amanda

2011-01-28T06:07:00.001-05:00

Amanda and Kevin responded to my twitter request for help with the project.

Check out their web

Sketchbook Project - Spencer

2011-01-27T06:41:00.001-05:00

My nephew Spencer.

Take a look at the finished

Sketchbook Project – Virginia

2011-01-26T06:01:00.001-05:00

My friend Virginia.

For reasons I can't figure out, this looks nothing like her. Drats.

Take a look at the

Sketchbook Project – Ted

2011-01-25T06:00:00.001-05:00

My brother-in-law Ted.

Take a look at the finished

Sketchbook Project – Heather

2011-01-24T06:54:00.001-05:00

My friend Heather.

Take a look at the finished

Sketchbook Project – Kevin

2011-01-23T06:01:00.001-05:00

Kevin and Amanda are also twitter friends who volunteered to help me with this project. Amanda's pic will be up

Sketchbook Project - Vanessa

2011-01-22T06:00:00.001-05:00

Vanessa is a wonderful artist I've met through Twitter. She was kind enough to help me out with the project.

Check

Sketchbook Project - Rose

2011-01-21T06:23:00.001-05:00

My friend Rose.

Take a look at the finished

Sketchbook Project - Zoe

2011-01-20T06:06:00.001-05:00

My niece

Sketchbook Project - Rupert

2011-01-19T06:15:00.001-05:00

My nephew

Sketchbook Project – Me

2011-01-18T06:04:00.001-05:00

Over the next few days, I'll post photos of the individuals who are included in my entry for the Sketchbook

Sketchbook Project 2011 is Finished

2011-01-17T20:39:00.001-05:00

My sketchbook is finished! I've kept you all in suspense long enough, so the full story is below. I will continue to

Life Needs Art Blog has moved

2011-01-14T19:11:00.000-05:00

If you're wondering why the blog is looking a little...slim...these days, it's because I've moved it into my web site. Full posts are over here: Life Needs Art .

This blog will continue to have snippets with a link to the full post. You're welcome to stay with me here or join me over at the new address. I appreciate your readership either way.

Sketchbook Project - Lisa

2011-01-14T18:16:00.001-05:00

It's funny how different these pages look when they're scanned and reduced in size and viewed on a computer

Sketchbook Project - Ollie

2011-01-12T21:16:00.001-05:00

Isn't he just the cutest thing ever?

Sketch is done with pencil on a page taken from an old redbook map (trimmed

2010 Accomplishments

2011-01-04T19:33:00.001-05:00

I’ll be frank – 2010 was a rough year personally. My mom was in the hospital frequently and then passed away in

Goodbye 2010. Hello 2011!

2011-01-01T17:25:00.001-05:00

I sit here ushering out the old 2010, though it is almost 18 hours gone. I fear it might linger, so I feel the need to

It's Cold Outside!

2011-01-01T15:30:00.001-05:00

Anne, from MetalWorksJewelry on Etsy, has been kind enough to include one of my ACEOs in her treasury called "It's

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T15:57:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year to you and yours! May 2010 bow out gracefully and 2011 be the start of

New Life Needs Art Web Site

2010-12-29T14:26:00.002-05:00

After many years of living at my old web site, I have finally taken the time to upgrade it.

Pair of Pears

2010-12-27T16:05:00.000-05:00

These two pears were sitting on my kitchen counter this morning, and I thought they looked rather nice. I liked the warm colors in the pears against the cool colors in the counter and tile. They look almost peaceful. A pair of peaceful pears?

New Products and Sale in Gift Shop

2010-12-11T22:01:00.000-05:00

Check out the Gift Shop for some new products - iPhone slider cases, large thermos bottles, yoga mats, and water bottles.

Also, save $5 on orders over $40 using coupon code SEASON40. The sale expires December 12; the new products will be around for a while.

Visit: http://www.cafepress.com/life_needs_art

Black Friday - Cyber Monday Special

2010-11-25T23:57:00.005-05:00

Just for you, I'm offering a special coupon code that's good for 15% off anything in my Etsy shop this weekend!

Use THANKS15 when checking out.

Happy shopping! And, remember, the coupon is only good through Monday, November 29.

Here's the link to my shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/lifeneedsart

Happy Thanksgiving - Day 25

2010-11-25T14:28:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope your day is filled with warm memories and good food.

The pumpkin and apple pies and carrot souffle are all done and ready to be packed up so I can head off to spend the rest of the day with family and friends. Can't wait. This is without a doubt my favorite holiday all year.

Trees - Day 21

2010-11-21T19:38:00.000-05:00

The inkblots from the other day reminded me of trees and a landscape. I added a few colors and lines to enhance that image. Otherwise, the original inkblot remains unchanged.

Take $10 Off Gifts, Nov 20-23

2010-11-21T12:55:00.001-05:00

Just letting you know about a Friends & Family Sale in my gift shop (and throughout CafePress) from November 20-23. You can shop for gifts and save among my designs and many others.

You'll save $10 on orders of $50+ (use code: Friend10). So buy gifts and save.

You'll find my shop at: http://www.cafepress.com/life_needs_art

Reflections - Day 19

2010-11-19T21:18:00.000-05:00

Silly me! I'd almost forgotten these photos until I was cleaning off my phone just now. I took these on Friday the 12th when I went to the Cleveland Art Museum. Any guess what it is?

When I parked in the garage at the museum, I'd backed into my spot. When I left the museum to go home, it was almost 5PM and very sunny. I hopped in my car, stuck the key in the ignition, put the car in drive, and looked up. THAT was right in front of me!

The car opposite me had pulled into its space with its nose up against the concrete wall. Sunlight was reflecting off the hood of the car onto the wall. Don't remember what type of car it was - some SUV crossover van thing I guess. Wasn't paying much attention to the vehicle.

I turned the car off, hopped out, ran across the garage, and clicked a couple pics while dodging traffic exiting the parking lot.

The photo below shows an uncropped version of the photo - you can see a tiny bit of the car in the lower right corner; the upper edge of the wall is at the top of the photo.

Darn cool, if I do say so myself.

Smoosh - Day 18

2010-11-18T23:03:00.001-05:00

So I took Leah's advice over at Creative Every Day, and tried making inkblots. Yes, this is just like you used to do when you were a kid - pour a bunch of paint on some paper, fold it over, press hard (smoosh), and open it up to see what happened.

Great fun!

First Attempt:

I started with a piece of watercolor paper that I'd poured acrylic paint on several weeks ago. The paper is ungessoed, so the paint soaked in and made a soft puddle. I took alcohol inks and drizzled them on the right side of the page, folded it over, and pressed.

Hm. Lesson #1: alcohol inks dry soak into paper and dry almost instantly. They don't hang around long enough to do much blotting. (See the tiny green and purple dots on the left side.)

Since the blotting business didn't work, I drizzled more ink on the paper wherever I felt like it.

Second Attempt:

Fresh sheet of blank watercolor paper. I poured fluid acrylic paint - transparent red iron oxide and interference oxide green - in random shapes. Folded the paper over, a little smooshing, and here we are!

Third Attempt:

Again, another piece of plain blank watercolor paper. This time, dioxazine purple and interference orange. Fold, smoosh, open. Cool, but tough to see the interference orange; it's almost transparent and adds just a sheen in areas - nice but not enough. So I added a few drops of vivid lime green. Refold and resmoosh. Oh, now we're talking!

Some paint held onto some of its body, creating lovely veining that looks organic, like bare trees or the veins in leaves. I can't wait to see what they look like when they're dry.

Call for Artists: Hudson Library Gallery

2010-11-18T19:57:00.000-05:00

The Hudson Library is accepting proposals for its gallery. The library has a really nice gallery space at the front of the building - it has windows that face the street, excellent lighting, and a Walker hanging system.

If interested, call the library during weekday mornings and ask for Sue Kissack.

Hudson Library

96 Library Street

Hudson Ohio

330-653-6658
http://www.hudsonlibrary.org/

Map Link

National Collage Society Book Signing

2010-11-18T10:00:00.011-05:00

Gretchen Bierbaum, author of Creating Collage in All Dimensions and president of the National Collage Society, will be be making two appearances to signs copies of her book.

Stop and out see her - the book is fantastic (I have my copy) and you'll enjoy meeting her.

You can get the book here:

http://nationalcollage.com/bookstore/book2.html

Saturday, November 20th, 5-7 pm

The first book signing will be held at the Peninsula Art Academy. In addition to the book signing, there will also be a reception for the exhibit of the collages featured in the book!

1600 West Mill St
Peninsula, OH 44264-171
www.peninsulaartacademy.com

Sunday, December 12th, 1-4 pm

The second book signing will be held at the Hudson Library Gallery.

96 Library Street
Hudson Ohio 44236
www.hudsonlibrary.org

Designing a New Website - Days 16 and 17

2010-11-17T22:49:00.001-05:00

So, I haven't been making art for the past couple days - instead, I've been making a new home for my art.

I'm working with someone who designing and building a new site for me. I've been wanting to redo the site for about a year, but just haven't been able to get it to the top of my priority list. My old site was lovely, but I put it together on a snowy Saturday afternoon many years ago using Notepad and Paint, and, well, it showed. It was fine for a while, but I'm ready to grow and take my art to a new level, so it needs an appropriate showplace.

The new site will be something crisp and clean and modern. Easy to update. Searchable. With room for expansion.

I'm ever so impressed by those artists who can do it all with grace and ease, but I've come to the very real realization that I simply can't. My time is limited and I have to choose wisely how to spend it. So outsourcing website development makes an awful lot of sense.

It was a lovely feeling tonight to walk away from our meeting tonight knowing that my website was in good hands.

The new site should be up in a week or so.

Just Can't Leave It Alone - Day 15

2010-11-15T22:35:00.000-05:00

I just can't leave it alone. This collage needs something - I tried adding some new elements, but decided against it for the moment. The new element felt distracting wherever I put it.

Instead, I'm making some darks darker and lights lighter. As usual, my photo taken late at night stinks.

I'll take more photos when I'm closer to being done and can find some daylight.

Belated Days 13 and 14

2010-11-15T21:03:00.000-05:00

Saturday and Sunday won't get their own posts, and this one is coming in late. I took a quick road trip with the fam this weekend to go visit my aunt for her 80th birthday. A lot of driving in 2 days.

It was fun - I haven't taken a road trip in a long while and had nearly forgotten how much I enjoy them. A beautiful day, an easy road, some unexpected stops and a detour - love it.

In the few spare moments to myself, I did a little sketching. This little green spiral, plus some other thumbnail ideas in my journal. Nothing major, just enough to keep my commitment to art every day. And enough to keep the ideas flowing.

Enjoying Art, Take 2 - Day 12

2010-11-12T21:35:00.001-05:00

Today started out with the best of intentions of creating art, maybe making progress on something that's in the works.

Well, instead it ended up with another attempt at enjoying art. I found out that an artist friend of mine, who I haven't seen since college, was going to be at the Cleveland Museum of Art today for a few hours.What luck!

So with a quick change of plans and a few phone calls to rearrange some other activities, I dashed off to the museum. We had a short visit, 30-40 minutes, but it was great!

It started with the "tell me everything you've done in the past 2 decades. In 30 seconds. Go!" game. After that, we got down to discussing art. Good conversation.

I took a few minutes afterward to wander the galleries and check in with some of my favorite pieces.

Made my day.

Sketch - Day 11

2010-11-12T21:23:00.001-05:00

24 hours late, but here's a quick sketch I did last night. Wasn't much in the way of art, but that's all I could do.

Wrapped and Ready to Ship - Day 10

2010-11-10T21:50:00.000-05:00

Ta Da! The paintings for Art-o-mat are done - finished, labeled, wrapped in cellophane! All shiny and ready for shipping. Nothing left to do but seal the box and slap on an address.

And put my feet up for a few minutes. Ah-h-h!

Enjoying Art - Day 9

2010-11-09T18:00:00.013-05:00

Art isn't only about the act of creation; it's also about the act of enjoying it. For me, and I think many artists, we have a need to show someone else what we've done and get their reactions. (I got a really awesome comment on my Day 1 post...check it out and see what I mean.)

I also think it's important to refill the well, recharge the batteries, you know. I can't go go go constantly; I need to stop to see (and hear) what others are doing. My art grows in response to other art.

So in the spirit of art appreciation, I'm off to a performance tonight. I'm going to hear the State Symphony Capella Chorus of Russia at E.J. Thomas Hall in Akron. Based on the description, it should be a fantastic performance, and probably unlike anything I've heard before.

http://www.ejthomashall.com/eventsearch/event_detail.php?id=1003

What kinds of art do you enjoy? Have you taken time to appreciate any art lately?

Update: So much for good intentions. I met my friend (who'd invited me to the concert) for dinner beforehand. During dinner, she got a call from her son's wife saying she was taking him to the emergency room. The hospital was right down the street from the restaurant, so we quick paid our checks and met them at the ER. We sat there for a couple hours with him, waiting.

No news on his condition, but we're optimistic that he will be fine.