I really miss my old printmaking classes

I had a wonderful time yesterday visiting my sister and niece and mostly my son. It's been a year since I saw him and he looks healthy and buff. Paul will be 40 this June so I gave him an early present of my Ipod filled with old music memories I know he will enjoy. We always loved the same music. He in turn gave me a cd of his latest fav which it turned out I already liked. Maybe we can see eachother more often now that he is living closer to me. I sure need that since he always could make me laugh and cheer me up. I LOVE YOU PAUL!

I did this print in classes oh so long ago. It's where my heart was then. I love the inks and textures you can get from printmaking. Reminder to self take more classes in that art field. I was overwhelmed there was so much to learn. So many techniques and inks. I can't even decipher my notebokk,lol. I still carve the easy to use rubber blocks and make prints in journal pages. But if you have never tried printmaking it's worth while.

Hands

Seems the subject on a few blogs this week is hands. I had mentioned how much I wish I had photographed my moms hands. They were strong hands powerful as she was. Even as I held them as she was dying I couldn't help but think this about them and all they have done. No she wasn't a manual laborer but she could have been if she chose to be. She really had no fear of anything including death. I have my fathers hands more then hers. Sensitive hands. Not feminine hands that I admire but hands that quilted and did art. I think of them as overly sensitive hands. Dad and I could get our feelings hurt so easily but not mom. Mom rolled with the punches. Have I mentioned how much I miss my parents lately?

Painted B&W of mom and dad in 1948

Mom and dad in 1948,Doris n Roy. I am enjoying painting the copies I make of old b&w photo's. How I do it is copy photo and print onto cardstock usually get in 2 photo's on a sheet. Then I paint them with the liquid bottles of acrylic,the ones AC Moore carries cheap. It's hard to do great detail the size I am doing (about 6"x4") but like Lisa Bebi says to do is enlarge them then paint them. But I am thick headed and I don't follow rules well. I like how they look on the K&Company paper background. Seems to catch the colors of the times. It was fun painting one of dads old cars too. He rarely took family pics of anyone without a car in the background. He loved his cars!

One baby lovebird is left and going to it's new home this coming weekend. As I said these lovebirds are at it again (too much Barry White music) so we shall have more lovebirds again. When they are tiny they make sounds like a squeeky shopping cart.

This morning was misty and smelled real green out. Spring is near. Everything is blooming. The doves are around again. Robins are trying to build nests on my windows. I am feeling somewhat manic and getting projects done. Mailed off my art donation to Art for Autism,a good cause. Started a new collage series for next years International Collage Exchange. Life is good this week! Thanks for leaving comments folks and emailing me nice comments.

Wonderful collage link GO SEE!

Dale Copeland does this amazing collage exchange yearly. This year is the 10th annual Internet Collage Exchange with hundreds of artists. She has an online gallery for us and a collages for sale showcase as well. I find it an amazing way to collect art from all over the world and exchange with other collage artists. I have been doing this exchange yearly and I donate the sale of my collage that's for sale to her for all she does for us. I generally work with a series in mind to get together 13 collages to send off to Dale in New Zealand. I start on the next exchange shortly after sending off the current exchange. Each collage is different and original. Please go see her amazing website of her art as well as ours. http://virtual.tart.co.nz/

My back is out this week,OUCH. More later.

Painting old black and white photo's

OK here is my newest thing,inspired by online buddy Lisa Bebi. I am so in awe of what she did with old B&W photo's I had to try it myself. Everytime I saw her stuff in Somerset Studio's I was amazed and thinking I must try that. I have so many great old photo's and a very colorful family of redheads. Also in my drawers tons of wonderful K&Company papers to use. The whole thing just went together for me. I love the effect and these two darling little girls,my mom(the redhead)and her sister. I have also done others of mom and dad,dad little etc. More to come.
The first born lovebird "Sean" is now flying,and may be moving to a new home. I adore him but it seems we will be having more babies soon. The second born is promised to another also. I know I will cry when they go.

Could the BIG apple be far?

OK still working on another fun art project but had to do a new collage for you. Sean the first born love bird went flump to the bottom of the cage Friday. He doesn't know how to fly yet so like a worried mom I lowered the nest box to the bottom. Now they all walk around the bottom of the cage in their Easter finery. I may have the first walking lovebirds. Now both babies like this idea alot since I also moved the seed down to their reach.
I had on some Barry White music the other day and the adult lovebirds went to town so bad I had to turn off the soul music. I guess Barry gets to everyone!

Working on more art...here is an older collage

Done with paper and acrylics,on matboard. More later,got new things in the works.

Sean is getting ready to leave the nest!

This morning Sean has been peeking out of the nest box. He is also practicing wing flapping inside and chirpies. The other baby is a few days behind. I hear them in class practicing all kinds of communication skills. John and Yoko are outside the nesting box much more often,leaving them alone. It's almost time!!! We have a taker for the second one I want to keep Sean with us,since he is my first born lovebird. But it appears there may be more on the way,ykes. I may need a boy/girl cage before much longer. Since I bought my 2 for $25 each I think it's a fair price if I sell some,huh? Opinion? Looks like Sean has Yoko's colors.

Playing with old photo's.

This is an old photo of my maternal grandmother. I love the photo and the saying so I put them together. I am really having even more fun with old photo's I will show them soon! Been busy learning a new technique and having great results,be back soon!

My recent collage.

Blown off the campground!

A must post pic I found in old photo's of moms

Now this is a very old photo of who knows who these folks are. Tell me if the boy way over on the right is playing the ummm "air guitar". Some things never change huh? Is that just too funny? Wish I had the story behind this photo. It was like it just appeared in the box,never saw it ever ever!

OK I've been tagged by Gypsy Froggie and Neda

The Rules:
1. When tagged, place the "tag-er" URL & name on your blog.
2. Post Rules on your blog.
3. Post 7 different things about yourself.
4. Name 7 of your favorite blogs.
5. Email or leave a comment for those 7 people so they know they've been tagged.

A me-me about me! YAWN!

1.I have been an extra in 2 John Waters movies..."Serial Mom" and "Desperate Living".In fact in "Serial Mom" I spent 2 days about 4 feet away and facing Kathleen Turner thinking to myself "imagine how many men would die for this spot I am in"
2.I have lived my whole life in Maryland other then a few months in Missouri when my ex.had to finish military duties.
3.Mostly men buy my larger pieces of art. One of my largest pieces was sold to a "big wheel" in T.Rowe Price a large financial institution in town. (My larger art is nothing like my smaller art.)
4.I have one son although I always badly wanted to adopt but never got around to it.
5.I prefer cities to country living. Or beachfront to mountains.
6.I was thrilled to be published in Somerset Studios and Legacy magazines and have another piece in an upcoming article that Jenny Doh personally wrote to me for.
7.I am dying to do a road trip across country to New Mexico.
I am now tagging 7 others below:
Jen Worden/Kathy Wasilewski/Kris Cahill/Lindsay Brackeen/Maria Avila/Sarah Winkler/Tracy Roos

What I am reading now.

This is a great book for creative minds! It is the kind of book that makes my head wander off to another place. You must have read books that prompts your brain to relate to something in your life,by something mentioned in reading. I am slowly digesting what I am reading because I can't stay with the book since I get diverted to another place and time. Love the book though. The writer sounds very creative and makes these box journals. Tell me if a book ever does that to you. (makes you relate to something in your life,while reading it)
The third birdie egg hasn't hatched yet,I am sure it won't. But we have 2 cute babys getting bigger now. Wonder if I should remove the unhatched egg?

Ok I am not liking the aging thing one bit!

This is me,no not the body I am in right now. I am really not liking aging at all! I am tired of feeling like I do and yeah looking like I do now. They really didn't tell us we would get old did they?? I think baby-boomers,(aka:Pepsi generation folks) are just finding out how bad it really can get. I don't remember thinking one day you won't be able to keep a thought more than 5 minutes,or wake up with hurting joints,or get wrinkled and fat. Oh and yes the days started with "yes mam" and went down hill from there. Amazing the tests Doc's can find to run on you and the meds to remember to take daily. I am not happy one bit at this aging process. We are next in line to die and I haven't done all the projects I've written down to do,yet. Not nearly finished it all! Where is all this high blood pressure,hypothyroid,anxiety,depression,constant dental work,weight gain no matter what you do stuff coming from? Sadly I know it will get worse,because I took care of my mom for so long. She couldn't believe it was happening to her either. One day you are young,skinny,relatively attractive(though you never thought so) banning the bomb,and angry at the world,next you are old,fat, banning the bomb, and angry at the world.
This pic was me in my 20's and too skinny,I was told,belonging to womans lib,raising a child,and still planning to move to "The Village" and be a beatnik,and write poems for Dylan to turn into songs. But I got to California that year and didn't have flowers in my hair and be a hippie and live on a commune,another plan of action.
Oh where does the time go when that person is still inside you?

Someone turns 3 February 23rd,2008

HEY YOU PETERPAN psssstttt!!! You turn 3 Saturday even the vets office sent a card to you! You are so adorable but onery. We got you as a baby and still you act like we are going to take your toys from you(have we ever?) You have a large batch of toys,all over the house. You take inventory of the toys and know some by name. I know we spoiled you rotten,but we love you. You traveled to Florida with us in the car and stayed in a lovely beachfront hotel with an elevator and the cleaning service knew you, as you walked by, tail in the air (and smoking jacket,um no)and head proud. We ate outside in all the fun restaurants and you sat in a chair and they brought you a water bowl. (no not a finger bowl) The neighborhood knows you as the dog who stands up on his hind legs a long long time and turns to watch anyone or anything across the street. You love car rides and the sunporch and sleeping sideway in the bed between us. You are beyond jealous of the cat,birdies and everything alive. Happy Birthday Pete,we love you! (aka:P P)

2 little tiny pink fuzzy babies now!

We now have 2 babies and doing well! Mama "Yoko" rarely leaves the nest box. Couple days back she came out for air,(and a shampoo and shower,joking), and I grabbed the flashlight and saw the second one and an egg. By the way yes they do love mashed eggs! and whole grain bread. I also make tiny salads at the salad bars and bring them home for them,fresh. Did I mention the dog is major jealous when I give them any attention? Imagine the neglect our poor cat feels around this dog. Muriel (the cat)runs by when the dog is outside. I have never had such a jealous dominant dog before,he needs "the dog whisperer".
These scrawney babies are adorable,but there is one more unopened egg. Hope it's ok. More soon. OH the above collage is from a vacation, I travel with papers and scissors and glue,etc. Never know when something will just come together!

An old collage about priorities.

I started a collage journal over the weekend and anything new is going in it. The paper works for the 5X7 sized collages I do in the mornings. Most get posted on "Scrapiteria" collage group blog site,eventually. I am posting an old collage I did that deals with druggies priorities in life. I may have nothing but "hey I got a great watch". It is called Stairway to Heaven.

WE HAD A BABY!!!

So far one of the 3 eggs hatched on Valentine day! It is small and scrawney and pink. Mama lovebird lays on top of it and feeds into it's beek. If it survives it will be named Sean. Little John helps feed it also. I did a little caracature of them and the 3 eggs. I can't wait to look in with my flashlight to see again. Now this is odd,in reading up, it says feed them mashed eggs so they can give it to the babies. Birds eat eggs??? Oh no!

I could not live without music in my life

Most of my art journaling is very private. This is a page about a song I love called "stars" by Simply Red. Old wrapping paper with stars on it and the song were the inspiration for this page. Alot of my pages are about favorite songs. I am also working on my Bob Dylan art journal since his words always inspired me thru life. My poor son knows all his words too. I raised my son on Dylan words and meanings. He got so tired of all Dylans quotes,lol.