my fabulous wall of art by Lisa Bebi

The best present of the year came from Lisa Bebi. I can't stop looking at this wall of art of my family. The wall had been waiting for just the right pieces of art. We just repainted to a better shade of gold, more modern then the last. Not liking to hang things too fast til they call out for a particular space this wonderful box of art of my family came in the mail! Thank you so much Lisa!!!
Today my book that Dale Copeland did for us of "Portrait of the artist" came and my self portrait collage looked so nice in it...thanks so much Dale for all you do for collage artists!

The wonderful Dale Copeland has our art online

Please tell me what you think of my piece in the artist portrait exhibit online! Thanks! (click right above to go to the site)

A DAY AT THE HIRSHHORN

Back aches feet ache but what a fun day in DC...Trying to get in a museum weekly, but it has been 2 weeks now. Takes alot to think about and recovering from walking.zzzzzzzz

Sometimes its the little things

Lately all I have energy for is small projects. I loved Teesha Moore's videos on how she does her booklets. With weeding out magazines(hoarder of mags) and needing to try something new I did some of her style. I can't stop sitting out on the sunporch and enjoying these fabulous fall days of long shadows and changing skies. Knowing that I will miss these days of open windows and shade trees too soon...I have been doing lap projects...having alot of fond memories and enjoying the simple things of life.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET

Help my husband is retiring soon!!!!!

Things I adore about him...
1. He can watch the same movies 10 times but we can never agree on a new movie.
2.Mowing is meditational for him.
3.He watches movies SO LOUD but he can't hear me yelling for him.
4.He adores the dog but the dog growls at me.
5.Now you see him now you don't...he is all over the place when he is home.
6.He hates going out.
7.He thinks my movies or shows are too loud.
8.His snoring can't stand my snoring.
9.He loves food shopping...he is surrounded by the things he loves.
10.He can fall asleep when we (rarely) go out together...like I am that interesting to him.

Somerset Studio Gallery summer 2010

An artist buddy in San Diego who I met online,Lisa Bebi, is in this issue of Somerset Studio Gallery,summer 2010. She does these fabulous paintovers of photo's, magazine pics,etc. I have admired her from her first article in these magazines and told her so. This issue is another set of my family she did in her wonderful style of paintovers. Though she teaches her techniques everywhere she has a style not to be duplicated...we all try. I so appreciate her using my family as often as she has. God knows I own the mother load of old photos.

I just know my parents love her and would be amazed they are in magazines and on peoples walls. The article she wrote about them was so touching to my heart. LOVE YA LISA, I am sure they do also!

back to some original forms of LOVE

I've become a gardener and I never had a green thumb. It all started with some Irises that grew in my yard,from the previous owners of this house. I fell in love and read up on them. I dug up the old bulb in the fall and seperated and replanded these extras I got off the overgrown original bulb. They LIVED and flouished to my suprise. Now I am in love with Irises.

I also pulled out unfinished projects recently one of which is a quilt. "the OJ Simpson trial quilt" it was always called...when I started it the original OJ murder trial was on. Then my niece reminded me the second time he was on trial I worked on it more. You can't see the stitches but there are hand/glove stitched imprints in the centers of the color squares. I could elaborate more but I wonder if he is due for another trial ? because I am ready to finish up on it. I think I may add another outside border,even though this was to be a wall hanging,way back. I have always loved quilting.

Another unfinished thing is a large painting that needed colors changed for me to like it. No pics yet on it.

One of the pieces for the ICE exchange

I really enjoyed doing my "Talking Heads" series this year for the International Collage Exchange. I often get stumped with backgrounds,being a minimalist. I used some saved papers from my collection and magazine art that resembled faces. I then added cut out words from old books that I normally turn into poems. The hands were to give a sort of expression to the words. I must say bizzare is my favorite way to express in collage. Pretty is not my thing. Hope you enjoy all 13 of them in the exchange folks,I sure do enjoy my return envelope of yours yearly.

Caught my collages on the wall at Climate Gallery

So I can now add Climate Gallery in NY to my list of shows I have been in. I love seeing people looking at your own art in shows. I didn't add a price for the "rejection factor" lol. I am sure Dale Copeland will soon display our Internationl collage exchange on her site. I did a fun bizzare series called "Talking Heads".

Let it snow...let it snow...let it snow

Small dogs hate snow! My dog held his bowels for 2 days til Ed shoveled him a pathway. As you can see by the car pic it's rather deep and more on the way!

Somehow I got thru December and January

I have had my car plowed into and still not fixed by "her" insurance yet...took forever. Tomorrow the car finally goes into the shop. Never had a claim take so long,guess she thought my car went sideways into the front of her car....(seperate incident)Wound up in the hospital for what felt like true heart attack symptoms,including near syncope. Was on a monitor and had a stress test everything passed,whew it was scarey. I have a very high tolerance of pain too, so it felt very real.
Got myself into a very fun long term group collage with all the scrap goodies from many other artists. Sending that one in soon to Somerset Studio. Submitted to the "Climate Gallery's" upcoming mixed media show. Finished my 13, "International Collage Exchange" collages and they are almost in the mail to Dale Copeland in NZ for this coming exchange.
It's been a most unusual winter for me. Pretty sucky but I am managing to get some things done between facebook,online scrabble and naps. Missing all my blog buddies lately and all the amazing art online in their websites.

Stairway to heaven,a collage

Oh how I wish this wasn't a reality in my life. The world has become a strange place. I just saw a special on "HAIR" the stage play. I remember how everything seemed possible back then and how our kids would be raised in love and peace...

My MUSE IS BACK!

I love the fall/autumn and this weather. My crazed muse has returned all hungover,covered in tattoos and blood red and black hair. She gave up cigars and martini's ok and some wine and whatever. She is settling down since I cleaned her up and made her change her shortie tops and stopped dancing on bar tops late at night. (she is a mess) I am trying to write a book on all her activities,should be funny?

Tonight is the harvest moon! Warm days and cool nights,just perfect weather. Is anyone getting flu shots this year? I can't make up my mind.

Got an invite to go to peter Max's studio!

Actually its a whirlwind 2 days of things...and I am too poor to go. Sniff. But I own a Max and his personally signed book and would decorate my walls in his art if I could. He was a true icon of the baby boomers.

Too hot and too painful

The pic is my niece Molly and her boyfriend in front of the pyramids on her world travels this summer.
I have spent most of the summer doing nothing much but sleeping in air. All my joints hurt lately and my esophageal reflux has been nasty at night. OK I am hating this aging thingie. Spend my time looking at my nieces travel pics online,that lucky lady!
I painted the canvas for my big group collage piece and hope to start it soon. I vision it in my head and spent lots of time thinking it out. If anyone else is sending me painted scraps do so now please.
One nice hot weather thing is sitting on the sunporch and ordering from catalogs. Since I hate shopping this is the way to go.

Need some painted scraps art buddies!

The painting is by Will Wilson one of my all time favorite pieces!

I need some painted scraps size 3,4,or 5 inches,just a few. I have a "idea" for a group collage and hope to finish it and submit it to a mag by January at the latest. Keep in mind I may need to cut and glaze the piece depending on the colors I get. I will give you credit if this happens at all. So far 2 people have sent me envelopes already. I will notify you when it comes in the mail and post a pic when its done. Don't make my muse mad she is a redhead!!!

Lovely mornings hot afternoons and nice evenings.

I am going to Atlantic City for the fireworks this year! Got a couple of comps for rooms and I am excited! The ones who do olympics are doing the fireworks there. Not that the rooms are ever "free" with all the money you throw in their machines. I hear they aren't doing well so I must go help them out hehe. Their rooms and bathrooms are so fabulous and huge at the new chairmans tower at the Taj Mahal I want to live in them. Even the art all over is amazing. I saw fabulous pieces of art in a hallway of Bruce Springsteen and Jimi Hendricks,and Sinatra I wrote the painters name down and went to his site,lost the info sorry. The lobby and hallway art required some studying also. No wonder they have major guards all over.
Happy 4th and enjoy my flag collage above!

Summer heat and humidity!

I got a few summer reads from the library yesterday. One of them is a Mary Higgins Clark book. Easy read and yet why can't I ever figure out the ending? I say oh thats the one when a new character is introduced,but no!
I added to my summer wardrobe at the Library also,T-shirts for sale. Don't know about you but its too hot and humid already. Good art show at Towson University so thats a fun trip one day soon. Spent 4 hours deleting IE8 last night,it's not compatible with much,so don't bother. Frankly I am already tired of facebook(my son talked me into that one)and Twitter,who knows those people??? I never even liked the phone,prefer in person chats.

My child is 41 today

Above is a fav pic of Paul in Key West a few years back. Where did this time go? I am so glad Paul is turning his life around and making me proud. I am glad I was there for his birth,the whole thing,ouch. He came out 9lbs 5 oz and I was not much bigger then,lol. He has always been a clothes hog,now in suits and ties for his job. Paul you have aged me quite a bit but somehow you came out more sensitive and improved and I am again happy. Love you,mom!