catching up.....

The past few months have zoomed by at super sonic speed and some lovely things have happened that I can finally share properly. The first is a fabulous trade I did with Counsel Langley. The first photo is the ultra sparkly front -



then you turn it around and this is the back or maybe the front depending on the day. Notice the little gear thingy at the top?

Well that is a crank for a little tinkly music box that plays 'My Way'. Now you know why I had to have this piece.

Then there was this.

A fabulous zine from Cynjon Noah at Varietist Muse. I was lucky enough to be included in this fabulous little book. Thank you Cynjon!

Then about a week ago, or more now, I got this very lovely little collage from Leslie Avon Miller at Textures Shapes & Colors.

I was one of the lucky 'First Five' that turned into more like the first 15 or 20. And actually, I wasn't one of the first five, she was just very generous and included me. This is a little 2" x 2" collage. Can't imagine working that small. Thanks Leslie. My photo doesn't do it justice - the lighting this morning was weird. Visit her site to check out her work. That's a little bit of catch up. Jim and I are leaving for a few days. I'll be back here next week sometime. Make art!

UPDATE! Okay, I have to say, I might have been a bit hasty about the 'new' followers widget, BUT, I just found out how easy it is to become a follower. I was at a new blog for me and I decided I wanted to be a follower - "oh, look, I can click a button on the widget and I am instantly a new follower!" Okay, I like that. I didn't have to come back here, fiddle around in my layout and dashboard. I'm still not a lover of the design, but the ease of use has just jumped up on my list. So I move my ugly little box higher up my sidebar to allow anyone who wants to become a follower that easy option.

ugh!

Okay, so not only did I wake up to a blanket of snow this morning,


but I also found an ugly new box on my sidebar containing my fabulous 'followers'. Ugh! The snow?, well, it's just an inconvenience,


but the new followers widget?, ugly. I think its fun to see who follows my little world and it also gives me the opportunity to find new sites and new people, but, alas - this newly designed widget? is just plain garish! I have made the choice to move it toward the bottom of my sidebar or remove it altogether. AND the last thing I want to do is connect it to my social site. I opened a Facebook account a few months ago so that I could see pics of my niece's family and chat online with other family members. But! as anyone who has a Facebook account knows, you are so busy with new friend notifications, pokes, crushes, long lost family members, etc., that I only log in about once a month! It's exhausting! I hope blogger rethinks their new widget design and allows us to have a choice. I choose the old widget!

UPDATE! The new followers widget now shows my uTube account. Interesting!

back in the studio.....

I have spent the last two days back in my studio working. I have several things started, but this piece was my main focus. I only took three photos of it. Beginning, middle and end. It felt so good to paint.

back stage.......

We open tonight! A long journey almost complete. One of the plays has a backdrop of camouflage netting and it created some really interesting images. I stopped counting how many pictures I took. Here are a few. Back here on a more regular basis next week!





Some of the set units backstage.

o m g......

I drug my 'germy, cold infested body' out of bed this morning and headed for the kitchen to get the coffee started so I could infuse myself with caffeine to at least fire on 2 cylinders! I have been sick for the past week and that ole cliche? - 'The Show Must Go On'?, well, unfortunately it is true! It has been a brutal week, dragging myself to the theatre day after day when my body screams, go to bed! Okay, so poor me. Anyway, I've got my laptop in one hand and the laundry basket in the other, round the corner to hook up my computer and there is this gorgeous bouquet of pink roses and lillies with a very sweet note.
OMG! It's Valentines Day! Well, that's not what the note said, it's what I said! How could I have not remembered? I mean every store is festooned with hearts and flowers and angels and candy, etc., etc., etc. Alas. So while I'm making my caffeine hit, I find the closest red/pink paper and cut out a few little hearts and scrawl a note. I finish making our coffee, which is our morning ritual, call Jim to come and get his and he finds his little hearts.

Not quite the same as a beautiful bouquet or a real gift, but he is amused. The heart has started to roam the house and he is finding it in many unexpected places. My game for the day. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!

blogland......

By the time I get home in the evening from rehearsal, my brain is pretty much fried! I have used every creative idea I can think of and then some. Basically I check in with Jim then sit in front of the fire and just stare. Since I can't focus long enough to keep a book plot in my head, I drag my laptop to bed and hit blogland. I check in on my friends and if I can form a sentence, I leave a quick comment and move on. There is so much variety out there. Amazing art, educational and interesting places I will never see in person, but can visit from under my duvet! - Inspiration from all corners of the world, just a click away. I am never bored or disappointed. I want to mention just a few of the places that I have visited in the last few days because they made me go wow!
Number one on my list is my bestest friend Mary Lou's NEW website! www.marylousanelli.com. Check it out.
Over at Caroline Douglas's blog, she has a video (an apartment worthy of display)that is just amazing. Don't miss it.
Cynjon at Varietist Muse has published a zine and you can now order it online. Definitely worth a sneak peek!
Robyn at Art Propelled has a post on giraffes that will knock your socks off!
Elsa over at Life In A Handbag has some beautiful cards for sale. I'm definitely going to order some!
These are just a few places to check out, but I highly recommend every blog on my blog roll. Some of you have asked for photos of some of my work now up at AOT so this last pic is one of the pieces I'm showing.


Have a fabulous Tuesday everyone!

opening.......

Lisa and I had our opening last night. It has been one of those hellish weeks for both of us in the everyday of our lives ! Our work has been up at the gallery for a week already and so last night was more like the big sigh when something finally concludes. We have both moved on in new directions with our work. In fact, at our after hours gathering, Lis showed me a pic of where she is going with a new piece, and it just excited me so much! It was so absolutely crazy last night, that I didn't take as many pictures as I would have like to, but here are a few! The gallery was so packed at times that you couldn't even move - shoulder to shoulder!
This first photo is the AOT window. The dress form is wire and Lisa waxed a piece of fabric and covered the form then cut out a section in the front for her assemblage and light. This is actually a lamp!
Here is my creature sharing space in a jewelry case with some very fabulous baubles!

This is a shot down the center of the gallery.
Here is fabric man in between two of Lisa's pieces.
This is the front window right after we hung the show. You can see our work going down the wall.

Our fuel for the night! Will be posting more pictures on my sidebar later.

I want to say to all my bloggy friends 'down under', my thoughts and prayers are with all of you during this time of great crisis. Please stay safe!

dance of joy......

I've known for a long time that I am one of the luckiest people walking the planet. Yesterday afternoon confirmed it again. Remember the 'red' installation at the hotel? I was negotiating for a Caroline Douglas sculpture? for my payment? Well, they agreed and look what now resides in my home. Teresa delivered it yesterday! This magnificent piece stands over two feet tall!




Here is a detail of the creature and rider!


Another view! The fabulous piece of art sitting next to it right now? is by artist Gloria Lamson. She is an amazing installation artist and will be my next artist interview after my theatre piece goes up. This work is done by laying gun powder on paper and lighting it! And may I just add, that working your ass off? on any job, pays off! We have one more install for the hotel, but the hard work is so worth this type of reward! Dance of joy, dance of joy!