NOTES FROM THE NEST
OR
SUNDAY MINUTIA

I have not accomplished one piece of artwork
(yet....remaining optimistic)

I can also say that I have done only minimal housework

• bathrooms and kitchen all sparkly and inviting

• laundry accomplished

While going through my closet that holds more art supplies than clothing I unearthed a little paper mache box I did several years ago.

In doing so I thought about the artist whose work I collaged on to the box and it prompted me to
share some thoughts and info on him.

Hieronymus Bosch

(1450-1516)

An extraordinary Flemish painter whose work is vivid, symbolic,

and even terrifying

in a time when his peers stayed within the realm of

peacefulness and serenity.

His work, surreal....morbid,

is the type of art that you have to study so carefully

and even then you will always find something new in his pieces.

Like a bad accident that you don’t want to really look at,

and yet you can’t help yourself……I look at his work,

appalled and yet drawn to his imagination and technique.

I cannot look for long periods of time, or even that often,

but this was a man who could fit in today’s art scene quite easily.

I collaged this paper mache box back in 2001.

Top view

Front view

Front - hinged top open

inside painted black

One side view

Back view

I had just begun altering items that year

and creating pieces to swap on Yahoo Art Groups.

I thought I would give it away, but never seemed able

or willing to part with it.

Unusual for me.

It has moved with me four times since then

and today I take it out of my closet and study it once again.

I think this little box symbolizes a strange time in my life.

And like Bosch's work

I can only look back on that time

in short intervals. I don't stay there long.

It was a bad relationship that never should have been, really.

A poor choice on my part resulting in needless emotional pain.

(In conversation to myself I typically say: "What WERE you thinking?!")

Something I feel I did to myself while stumbling through an uneasy

and unfamiliar place in my life.

This odd box reminds me

of a curiously bizarre time

and the result is gratitude for all that I learned

about myself...

about friendships through that time...

about how strong I really am...

and the importance of listening to that small voice

and heeding 'red flags'

~~

and that now brings me to a lovely luxury

I have previously shared here with you my discovery

and love of Metromint water

This is their latest addition to the line

CHOCOLATE MINT

May I just say

OUTRAGEOUSLY WONDERFUL!!!

If you crave the taste of chocolate

but don't really want to eat any

and feel quite thirsty

this little gem fits the bill.

$1.65 at a local gourmet store it's not cheap

It is flavored with chocolate mint essence

zero calories no sweetener of any type

just water with essence

MAGIC

My little winged kitchen friend is awe struck

The trip to Michaels turned into a trip to JoAnn Fabrics
having a 40% off coupon that I was sure I could utilize

AND Fimo clay was 50% off.

Off I go and enjoy the date
with ME...

up and down many isles, but not all of them this time
and probably out in about an hour and a half.

I was heading out the doors as the sun was setting

temps still triple digits.

To the South an amazing cloud was looming
Science Fiction-like
and crazy me........
I thought a rogue storm was brewing in an otherwise
blue sky.

That can happen out here,
unlike back East when a storm is coming
the whole sky is dark and gloomy.

Here....you can turn your head one way
and the sky is blue
and turn yourself about and see a dark storm and
lightening.

Incredible.

So when I saw this..............................
( click on images to make scary bigger)

Holy Moly..........
I'm thinking I'm glad I am heading in the OTHER direction

the one with clear blue night sky
and stars beginning to glimmer

"Toto, are we in Kansas??"

And I begin to drive.....East

thinking about this looming storm

WHEN IT HITS ME!!!!!!!!!

This isn't a rogue storm
or a tornado!!!!!

IT'S A FLIPPIN HUGE FIRE THAT BEGAN TWO NIGHTS AGO
when there WAS a bit of a storm
with lightening
which touched off the inferno that is still burning

Summers are dangerous

FINALLY FRIDAY

My favorite night of the week.

It used to be date night until the cafe kept my 'date' away
with expanded hours.

Some day I will write about life surrounding the cafe these past
four (going on 20) years

On any given day the title could be:

• THERE IS LIFE OUTSIDE THE CAFE

• SO YOU THOUGHT OPENING A CAFE WOULD BE FUN?

• THE DAY WE LEFT 'NORMAL'

(the crazy things customers say)

• CAFE FOR SALE (cost: arm, leg, heart, life, )

• WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
  

• A HARSH MISTRESS

• SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

hahahaha I threw that in just to see if you were paying attention.

I still honor that time
and keep the date with myself
as it is still a celebration of the start of
the two days of bliss away from the desk I call 'Crazy'

are you confused at this point??

I work at a crazy desk job to pay the bills

Mr. J. runs the cafe
hey, that rhymes.

which used to be an adorable octagon shaped building
of about 1,000 sq. ft.

manageable

now it's four times the size
in a plaza
at the main attraction of the town
The Fountain


At this writing, 6:30 a.m., my plan (which may change)
is to head to Michaels and pick up
some art supplies.

Maybe stop for a great margarita and bite to eat
then head home to
see what the brat...uh...I mean cat has been up to
and play with her a bit.

I am inspired to create a doll after watching one of my favorite shows
So You Think You Can Dance.

Why...do you wonder?
I am not a dance nut, that's for sure.

Music, however, is another thing..........
and brilliant choreography...
An amazing jazz number to Marilyn Manson's
Beautiful People was off the charts!!!

and occasionally mind blowing costumes!

I always find new music with that show.........
I have paper and pen close by to jot down an
artist and song I will later download from i-tunes..

and I am often inspired by the
costumes to create something.

Last night was awe inspiring.
the opening act was a cross between Tim Burton
(just my all time super creative freak fav)

and Cirque de Soleil.

I wanted it to go on and on.

Wednesday's dance by Chelsie and Mark
to Bleeding Love (Leona Lewis)

a Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed piece

gives you those fab chill bumps

It was over the top good.

and.........now for a peek at who is emerging

after a long sleep

a new Mothie




She will be presented here this weekend

and then will be up on ETSY

I FEEL A STORY COMING ON

I am driven to create a set of sprites, and their little houses and things.
Parallel to that is the desire to create a story.

This is the first of the series.
I sketched her on my most new favorite thing =
a Kilimanjaro 4X6 block of 140 lb. cold press paper.
10 to a block.

I love the size and the way the block is glued on all sides keeping the top page pretty protected from the next while I work.

Here is some info I got from Cheap Joe's.
In case you have not heard or worked with this item.

I like ordering from Cheap Joes, prices are good.

And I truly love looking through the catalog
I had mailed to me.

It's my dream book.

Artist Watercolor Blocks
by Cheap Joe

What is a watercolor block, you say? Why do you need one? Well for one, a watercolor block can make your watercolor painting experience much easier. Many watercolor students love blocks because they are great to put into a tote bag and take back and forth to class.

Here’s some information that may make you fall in love with a watercolor block. A watercolor block is really just like what it sound like, a block of watercolor paper that is attached together. The sheets of fine art paper are trimmed to some uniform size and stacked up. That stack of art paper is then attached to a backing board with a padding glue. This glue is applied to all four sides of the paper. If the glue is applied to just one side, that is called a watercolor pad. Because all four sides of the paper are glued into place, you don’t ever have to stretch your watercolor paper prior to painting. Just paint and go! If you are painting on a watercolor block made of 140lb. watercolor paper then you must wait until your painting dries completely before removing it from the block. If you are using a watercolor block that is made of 300lb paper, you obviously have great taste in your art supplies. Cheap Joe’s Kilimanjaro blocks are the only watercolor blocks available with a 300lb. paper. Paintings done on these watercolor blocks can be removed immediately and set aside to dry since the heavier watercolor paper will not buckle when wet.

But, what happens when you want to take your masterpiece off? How do you get to the sheets underneath that one? Just flip back the cover of your watercolor block and along the top edge you will see a space where the glue has not been applied. This space is probably only a couple of inches wide. Use a Cheap Joe’s "Unblocker" or even a plastic picnic knife to slide in between the sheets in that small space. Then, gently run the knife around the edges, Voila! Your painting is ready to frame for your gallery show and it your watercolor block is ready for you next creation!

So, that is a little tad of information about watercolor blocks. We hope that it helped you with understanding more about the selection of art supplies that we offer here at Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff. Educating yourself about your art supply choices is a great way to learn more about art and how to make a smart decision that suits your personal painting style.

O.K.......on to the project

You will notice that I am doing this sketch in ink
AFTER I did a light sketch in pencil.
I still need the 'erase factor'.

I also have another motive for doing the basic outline in ink.......but that I will not share yet as
I am still in the baby stages of THAT very exciting possibility.

Once I have her sketched in, I begin the watercolor addition.

She is an old soul named Ulie.
(pronounced you-lee)

So there you have it.

First in a series.

EASY PEASY FUN POSTCARD

140 lb. watercolor paper is a great weight to use for postcards!

So using black StazOn ink, and the super cool
Stampotique 'Art Girl, #6056R,
(remember her from the shadow box project?)

I stamped onto a 4x6 piece of watercolor paper
and then added
some color to her with my watercolors.

Once dry, I added bits of color without any plan,
EXCEPT I knew there would be flowers
at her feet.

With that in mind,
I dabbed different colors here and there.
Let it dry.
(or use hair dryer if you are in a hurry)

Now I just looked at it for a bit
and it seemed to me that I could sketch in a wall
and
the top colors would be obscured trees with sky peeking through.

Out comes the fine point Micron pen and the flowers 'blobs' come to life.

The wall is outlined
and very subtly,
the background tree tops
as a 'suggestion' of trees

Quick, fun, and now it's ready to write a little message and address.

You take a deep breath at this point

and trust

that there will be no rain
(I mailed within the desert- so I felt a bit confident)
and pop it in the mail box.

Now, if you are not that confident about the rain part,
you could mail it in a
see through protective envie.......

but be sure to put a regular first class
stamp on it
as it is not technically a post card but an envelope.

POSTSCRIPT

Sharon's comment got me to thinking...
matte gel might possibly smear the watercolor..

possibly..

BUT
I remember something I read recently
regarding protecting non waterproof ink
when addressing a hand written letter

(I have a new Signal fountain pen that I adore)

Rub a white candle over the writing
to protect it from the elements.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Now some of you have bees wax and the melty thing for that
but I don't know if the liquid wax would ruin the watercolor or not

So I will try the candle hint
and get back to you.

Post Post Script

I had a white votive candle
which I think is the perfect shape

and I was able to rub it over the
front and back of a watercolor postcard I did this afternoon
and
IT WORKS FABULOUSLY!!!!

HAVE YOU EVER...............



settled down

surrounded in the blissfulness of silence

with a hot cup of coffee

and turned on your laptop....

beginning the daily ritual of blog hopping

and catching up with friends

and

suddenly

a
rocking loud
piece of music
jumps out at you
and
knocks you upside the head..........

and

startled out of peacefulness,
you spill your coffee all over yourself????

have you?

Well I have.

and today,
finally,
after having this happen

TOOOOOOOOOO often......

I zipped over to the control panel of the 'puter

and switched the sound to MUTE.

I wonder what took me so long to utilize that magical control panel setting??

ahhhhhhhhhhhh, back to bliss.

Sharing an OM

The Friend We Want To Be
Evaluating Our Relationships

There comes a time in all our lives when we may need to evaluate our relationships, making sure that they are having a positive effect on us, rather than dragging us down.

Without realizing it, we may be spending precious time and energy engaging in friendships that let us down, rather than cultivating ones that support and nourish us along our path.

Life, with its many twists, turns, and challenges, is difficult enough without us entertaining people in our inner circle who drain our energy. We can do so much more in this world when we are surrounded by people who understand what we're trying to do and who positively support our efforts to walk our path.

We can begin this evaluation process by simply noticing how we feel in the context of each one of our close relationships.

We may begin to see that an old friend is still carrying negative attitudes or ideas that we ourselves need to let go of in order to move forward.

Or we may find that we have a long-term relationship with someone who has a habit of letting us down, or not showing up for us when we need support.

There are many ways to go about changing the status quo in situations like this, having a heart to heart with our friend showing through example.

This process isn't so much about abandoning old friends as it is about shifting our relationships so that they support us on our journey rather than holding us back.
An important part of this process is looking at ourselves and noticing what kind of friend we are to the people in our lives.

We might find that as we adjust our own approach to a relationship,

challenging ourselves to be more supportive and positive,

our friends make adjustments as well

and the whole world benefits.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

It is opening week of the Theater Troupe over at Catherine Moore's Blog
If you have about 10 minutes, get comfy and click

HERE

Be prepared to be dazzled!!

22 artists (including 'yours truly') have created, with passion,
each a theater inspired by Marie Antoinette
and all that is
girly
and
fru, fru.

I believe my theater presents right after Catherine's

......a really hard (gulp) act to follow

My theater, created in a little wooden cabinet
(much earlier post reveals the start of the creation)

represents Marie's smaller theater at her
garden cottage.

I believe she felt more of a free spirit when in residence at the cottage

more familiar to her with her upbringing.

All an extremely interesting read
and thanks to Catherine,
I delved in much farther than I might have

otherwise.

Here you see Marie on opening act

rhinestone studded curtains part as
she sings a magnificent aria

while her garden swing glides back and forth...

Her skirt,
fashioned from white silk gauze
and white feathers

flutters in the breeze

Her wig fashioned of mohair

and sporting one luscious feather

is not as ornate as Marie would have worn to a ball
or on an outing

but certainly a bit fussier than when she walked the gardens
freely and in simple dress.

A bit of glitzy flower decorates her tiny waist

Love birds...
tail feathers perfectly
fru-fru'd up for the occasion....

help to decorate the garden theater

with vines and flowers
gathered from Marie's own garden

even donating one of their own plumes.

So, enjoy the show over at Catherine's blog
and DO take a moment to leave her a comment
'applause' if you will
for a magnificent job.

SHE IS FINISHED

Whispers of Butterflies

The piece measures 4X6 on 140 lb watercolor paper

The faint text behind her above her head are the whispers only she can hear

And I like her cropped down to 4X4

Shown in an 8X8 matte with 4X4 opening

If I can part with her I will put her up on Etsy.

~~

On a totally different spectrum

back outside of 'the box' again

a new paper doll is being created

there will be no shadowbox

but she will have a wooden stand like the last one

with an outrageously funny statement

and this is my fair warning

do NOT have food or liquid in your mouth at the point of

first viewing

you may experience the uncomfortable snorting out your nose

which is also dangerous for your keyboard!!!

SUCH A MINX!!

More to do on the background...
dress and adornments

And I may be able to call it quits...............and work on something else.
I JUST CAN'T HELP MYSELF SOMETIMES!!

"DESIGNER...MAKE IT WORK"

I Love Tim Gunn
O.K......he's not about hair, really
but he sure is fun.

So, I did some quick hair designs this afternoon.......
which made me crazy to do a whole set of sprites
(Adding one more thing to my list what I want to do)

.......and then I came home and went a totally different direction.

Let's see where she goes from here.
She has a mind of her own and has informed me
she wants two earrings in one ear and none in the other,
a particular wrap to her ponytail that may
include flowers....
she is trying to nix the white dress,
but I am doing my best to hold on to that at least.
I have some ideas for the background additions

and her dress

maybe some text...

who knows where it will go before I put her down
and say....

like my art sister a few states over

ENOUGH!!!!



I find sprites to be strong willed creatures
accustomed to having their own way

...............the red headed ones especially.

But
they are my favorite.

Give me an intelligent, independent, spirit any day!

AN IDEA I HAD

Last night I came home, excited to work some more on my little sprite.
You probably cannot see the difference, but I added a bit more to her
eyes and some more color wash to her face.....and I stopped to let
her dry and to decide on her hair.

You see, this is where I stumble. I usually love them without hair!!!
Crazy.

Mr. J. comes home and takes a look as says......."hmmmm...throw another
ear (imagine??!! 'THROW'!) on her and she's done!"

Well, after giving him that incredulous look...........head slightly cocked to the side
(translation = "You're kidding right?!")

I said........"well, she doesn't really need to have the other ear THROWN on as I know that
her hair is covering it"...........and without hair she will seem to be an alien!"

Then is shakes his head in an understanding way and says
"Oh..........you already know what she looks like in your head.........I see"

And that's it, really.
I know what she is supposed to look like.
Translating that now, is the challenge.

SOOOOOO....

I am taking her to work to scan her in the computer and print her out
a few times

and then experiment with hair.

ISN'T THAT BRILLIANT?!!!!

Now, I am so sure I did not just invent that little idea.

But I thought I would share it here because I bet there is someone out there who would benefit from this brainstorm.

I'll let you know how that works.

Later.

Still so much to do to her face.

IT STARTED TODAY WITH A LITTLE SCRIBBLE WHILE I WAS ON 'HOLD'

I usually multi-task while I wait
on the phone.......
enter information or jump into some type of search for an obscure journal article
that simply MUST be found and put in someone hands that day

But today lacked the typical drama and I picked up a pencil and a scrap of copy paper
zippitydodah....a little fae

Which inspired me to pick up the fabulous watercolor pad later
and start a new piece......
then pull out my little travel watercolor paint set and water brush

and here is the beginning of a new sprite.

But it's late now
and as much as I so want to work on her some more
I know that I only have enough awake moments
to stop here and share.

It's been a long day
but a good one

and I hope that I said or did something today
that brought at least one person a smile or even a little bit of joy
I hope I laughed enough and spoke more positive words than negative

and I really hope that my dreams are peaceful . I will put that out to the universe...for myself and for you, my friends.

An Angel for an Angel

Elizabeth Rose


Love never dies.
heartstrings are forever.

CAPTURED HEART

JUNE 9, 2008 captured with my Motorola cell phone

Heading in to dinner last night at one of our favorite haunts,
I look up at this incredibly tall cactus just before the entrance of the door.
How did I miss it the countless times I've passed this way?

One might speculate that I don't look up from my 5'3" point of view.........

but that would be wrong.

I have tripped many times along life's path

.......................looking up.

But I guess this was the perfect time to see,

in the shadow cast at THIS time

the opening lovingly created.

How many birds have nested high up in that bit of love?

How many little ones have taken their first flight?

Now going backwards
to when I began the shadowbox


you see the size. Simple wooden box with hinged door front.

I thought I would gesso and paint, but changed my mind and
went for a very soft look
The reason: I did not want to detract from the doll character.
I wanted everything else to be secondary.


I painted the box with a cream colored acrylic
Note the hotel post-it notes that work beautifully as temporary paint guards.
I often use post-it notes to mask or protect something while stamping or painting.

for the backdrop of the box I had two papers to choose from

and went with the crackle look using double-stick tape to attach it to the back rather than a paper glue
to keep the paper from getting too wet and buckling
in the drying process

to that, I added a bit of paint in a dry brush sort of technique Later I added tiny bits of blue and pink to give some more dimension, but I did not take a picture of that process as I think
you understand that part.

Black pigment ink for spider webs and spider

and printer text for the words on white paper
which were then colored with pigment ink
to allow the paper to blend in better.

The swag at the top is a stamp that I added some pink chalk ink and touches of
turquoise pigment. After cutting it out, it was glued directly to the top frame after checking
to make sure the door would close without a problem.

In hindsight I think I would have embossed
not only the paper doll, but the spider web, and the swag.

I think it would just 'pop' more.
I would suggest taking the time to do that.

Remember the hacked off cork?
It had two more uses as I went along.

One to ink up with brown StayzOn ink to hit the wood randomly

Second was to prop up the open door
to alleviate any pressure on the hinges

I've had hinges like these come undone while working
with the door open

I don't need Two Strikes to learn something. Once is typically enough!!

The random brown ink was not enough and I went in with the pink fresco chalk ink and
then later with a turquoise pigment ink.

So there you have it.
Little missy can come out of the box on her stand
and be placed anywhere.........

or she could be displayed in her shadowbox.

Getting a good picture with the door closed was impossible. So you will have to settle for wide open door shot.

My head is about to implode from taking so many photos of the latest project
that I wanted to rest my eyes and mind
and snap a random shot.

Here we see a little fae that was a sweet gift last summer from Lyn
when we got together at Art Unraveled...
she found a new resting place atop the slipper box of Lorraines
from the Paper Whimsy Faerie Slipper Exchange.