Times, they are a changin'

Well hi! I've missed you!

Since my last post, so much has happened! Let me give you a quick low-down:

• School is back in full swing and I am now teaching with my beloved former art teacher.  We make a great team!
• After 6 months on the market, I finally gave up trying to sell my house but rented it out to a friend instead. I'm glad to have it occupied for the winter.
• Matt said adios to teaching and has accepted a new job as a uniserv director with the Illinois  Education Association.
• I've said goodbye to my lovely and trusty Volkswagen Jetta. (Matt got a new car and I inherited his Honda Element.)
• I rocked it at a local art fair and sold a lot of work!
• I've scored a killer art commission.
• I celebrated a birthday and now am half way through my 30's. (How did I get so old?) 
• There's a move in the works! 

Well, you should be hearing from more regularly now that life looks to be slowing down a little bit. I'll leave you with a few newbies I made for my last show.  Ta-Ta!

New Art and Loosening Up

Greetings art fans! I just finished this piece and boy,  was it a struggle. There is so much going on, so much detail and tedium that I wasn't sure I was going to be able to pull it all together. But I hung on and finished it up. Now that it's done, and I've had some time to really look at it,  I'm happy with it. "Happily ever after" will join 5 other pieces in my new and still unnamed chair card collection. Once I have a name for this set, I'll be sure to share it here and make good on my offer of a free set of cards for the person who comes up with its name.

I was pretty burnt out after finishing "Happily ever after" and I felt the need to loosen up artistically. I wanted to do something fun and free, that I didn't have to think too much about. "Loose" is a little out there, but it was fun to make. I think there might be a few more of these in my future.

I plan to get back into the studio today. So much to do before the Greenwich Village show in one month's time!

Ta-Ta.

Best Wedding Gift Ever!

My dear friend and fellow artist Jeanne Ludeke gave us this amazing, original painting as a wedding gift. She is so talented! I literally screamed when I opened this up. Wow!

I have been in the studio much of the day today cranking out a new piece. I hope to have something to show you soon.

Ta-Ta!

New Art: Favorite Place

I finished another Eames piece last night. "Favorite Place" features the Eames molded plastic chair.  

Hands down, my favorite place to be is at home. Though I do like to travel and explore,  my home calls out to me if I'm gone too long. Yep, I'm a homebody!

Where is your favorite place?

Crafted to Last

Matt's love of Scandinavian design has certainly influenced my own design sensibilities.  I find myself more and more drawn to the clean lines and simple forms signature in modern design.

My latest piece features the mid-century modern classic Eames Molded Plywood Chair.  Designed in the 1940's by husband and wife team Charles and Ray Eames, this innovative design still looks fresh and modern today.

"Crafted to Last" measures just 6" x 6" and was created with paper, adhesive and a good ole Bic pen. This one of a kind work is mounted on a 1.5" deep cradled wooden box and comes ready to hang. It is finished with a protective UVA/UVB coating, so that the papers and ink won't fade over time.

"Crafted to Last" is available for sale in my Etsy shoppe.  Stay tuned for my Eames chair varietals soon!

Ta-Ta for now.

I need your help dear Readers!

Ciao friends. It's another sweltering hot day here. The weatherman is predicting 100 degrees with a heat index of 114. Eww! The only good thing about this heat is that it keeps me inside, working on art.

So I have a favor to ask of you, dear readers. I've created a new set of cards, and I'm having trouble coming up with a name for this collection. I'm hoping that you might be able to help me with this. (There's a chance at a free set of these new cards in it for you!)

So, I'm a big fan of alliteration, and my other card sets are aptly titled the "Funky Floral" , "Tempting Tree" and "Comfy Chair" collections.  I'm hoping to come up with a catchy alliteration for this new set as well.

The new cards feature some of my most recent chair/room pieces that were all created with just paper, scissors, adhesive and my trusty Bic pen. Included are:

 "Wish I Could"

"It's easy to be around you"

 

"Meant to Be"

 

  "Picture This"  and "Design Your Dream".

Each of these images has a sparse, clean lined and modern look. I would like the name to reflect that. Can you help me out? 

If you have a title suggestion, please leave it as a comment on this post. If I choose your title idea, I will send you a set of these new cards, so please make sure there is a way for me to contact you. Thanks so much for your help! Stay cool! 

Ta-ta for now.

Our Wedding Proofs are Here!

Good Monday morning to you friends!

Our wedding proofs have arrived from California. So exciting! I will be sharing more with you when I have a chance to go through them all.

I particularly love this shot of us walking through the vines.

Ta-Ta for now.