Visitors to my Blog

Every once in a while I check out the cluster map of visitors to my blog. I love hearing form each of you when you post comments but as usual it fascinates me when people stop by to say hi and I see where they are from.  At the bottom of my sidebar is a widget that just pops a big blob of red for their location but I need more than that.

So I copied and pasted the stats below, not to show how many I have (believe you me, that number has never interested me) but to show how far away people are yet we can still be so close. Technology like this rocks wouldn’t you say?

Check it out below….and a big, BIG thanks to all y’all who have visited my little corner of the world (I’ve been in the South too long, love to say y’all now) and continue to follow my journey, I love having you along for the ride.

If you see your country below give me a shout out in the comments section and let me know what kind of art you do. I’ll pop on over to your neck of the woods and check things out. Would love to even post about your work on my blog.

p.s. even my home country, the Bahamas, is represented though it’s probably all my family checking in.  But hey….family rocks too!

United States (US)
Canada (CA)
United Kingdom (GB)
Australia (AU)
Germany (DE)
New Zealand (NZ
France (FR)
Netherlands (NL)
Belgium (BE)
India (IN)
Bahamas (BS)
Spain (ES)
Singapore (SG)
Indonesia (ID)
Israel (IL)
Brazil (BR)
South Africa (ZA)
Sweden (SE)
Malaysia (MY)
Philippines (PH)
Switzerland (CH)
Portugal (PT)
Mexico (MX)
Argentina (AR)
Estonia (EE)
Poland (PL)
Norway (NO)
Denmark (DK)
Turkey (TR)
Italy (IT)
Czech Republic (CZ)
Greece (GR)
Hong Kong (HK)
Saudi Arabia (SA)
Uruguay (UY)
Romania (RO)
Thailand (TH)
Austria (AT)
Ukraine (UA)
Bulgaria (BG)
Pakistan (PK)
Finland (FI)
Japan (JP)
Trinidad and Tobago (TT)
Colombia (CO)
Virgin Islands, British (VG)
Guam (GU)
Luxembourg (LU)
Latvia (LV)
Netherlands Antilles (AN)
Russian Federation (RU)
Chile (CL)
El Salvador (SV)
Hungary (HU)
Taiwan (TW)
Oman (OM)
United Arab Emirates (AE)
Iran, Islamic Republic of (IR)
Kuwait (KW)
Macedonia (MK)
Mauritius (MU)
Bolivia (BO)
Ecuador (EC)
Vietnam (VN)
Slovenia (SI)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BA)
Slovakia (SK)

This is so way cool!

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See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

Gallery Opening Reception

I am so pleased with the very successful gallery showing we had Friday night. Jean, DeLane, Christine, Judy and I had a blast!

It was the first showing for most of us and we are very proud of the work we accomplished. It was a bit strange watching people walk around looking at our work and actually discussing what caught their eye, knowing that I was part of what they had come to see. I was absolutely fascinated by the fact that people wanted to see AND actually showed up to see our art.

Thank you to everyone who came out to cheers us on and thanks also to all the well wishers who couldn’t make it, we felt your love and support from far away.

Now I suppose you want to see some pics huh? I have to tell you that I didn’t get many pics (was too busy looking around and talking) so there are only a few.

Well, as they say, on with the show….

Some of Jean’s work…..as she describes her work, it’s a twist on the traditional….

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Pieces from Delane….and her feet quilt got quite a bit of attention. It’s fantastic close up…..

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Christines work…wish I got a close-up of the piece on the right…it a great landscape with lots of depth…..

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Judy’s pieces reflect nature in it’s finest, the black and white is a large painted one….

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I rarely show pics of my family but this is the only one where you can see my work.I will head back to the gallery in a few days to take some more pics. It was hard trying to get some good ones that night cause I either forgot to click away or couldn’t get a good enough angle.

My art quilts are in the background and the journals I am way too crazy about these days are on a pedestal in front of me. And of course, you can see the outfit I finally chose to wear….everyone said it looked very “arty”. Colours were definitely me.

BTW, that’s hubby, my daughter and my youngest son in the pic. Oldest son had disappeared to somewhere else by then.

The Round Robin (RR) Challenge….this RR was a little bit different. We each cut up a 24 x 36 sheet into what ever shape we chose but only containing 5 pieces. Then the whole thing rotated and each person made a section. We did not have to put it back together the same way and you can see that DeLane (the jacket) and I (lower right corner) chose to use our sections in……let’s say, different ways. Love how each piece turned out.

Jean’s doll “Rose” from the doll challenge and a close-up of DeLane’s challenge jacket from the RR challenge….

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And some the the guest mingling around.

The show will be hanging at Lincoln Cultural Center till July 3rd so please take a moment to go and see it. If you so choose to travel from afar to see out work then by all means come on down…hee hee.

Will be posting more pics son, I’d like to show more close-ups of our work. Thanks for stopping by.

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See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

addendum: does anyone know how to get the pics to enlarge when you click on them…there seems to be no ryhme or reason why my pics are sometime clickable in my posts. The pics in this post are not unfortunately.

Still Plogging Along

POP Art 2008 (16 x 18)

Would love to post some pics of work but most of the stuff I am doing right now is computer work. Uggh!

I have though started new work on a couple of things but no pics to show just yet. First there’s the Orchid Project. I have 5 pieces to make for it and I’m trying to  whittle down my selection.

I want to try some new techniques with them but it all depends on the time frame. The 2nd new work is a larger one of my off-the-cuff pieces.

I don’t know if any of you remember about 2 yrs ago I decided to work small. It gave me a chance to get work done without feeling overwhelmed by the pressure I felt to produce larger pieces (self-imposed of course). Well guess what?

“WHAT”, you say?

I now feel the need to work larger…the smaller pieces I now find are too confining…so I guess that means that my method of pushing myself worked.

I’m find that I’m now comfortable with 18 x 24 and even up to 24 x 30 format (no sizes are written in stone mind you). I’m still struggling to start but that starting time has gotten shorter.

Some of you had commented that you like the ‘word of the year” thingy (it is too a real word!) I spoke about in an earlier post and I hope some of you have found your own words to help you the rest of this year. My two words (intention and self dicipline, the harder of the two) have greatly helped me move forward.

According to Alyson Stanfield (her book above)  we should redefine our goals especially if we haven’t done so in a while. So that’s my next step. Redefine my goals for the next year.

Have you redefined your goals lately?

Do you know where you are headed with your art?

Are you flying blind? or flying straight (a few loop-de-loos not withstanding)?

Talk to me people. Take and assessment and see just where you are headed. Hopefully it’s in the right direction for you.

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See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

A Long Uninterrupted Quiet Moment

Yesterday, after making dinner (something I don’t have to do that often thankfully because my wonderful husband loves to experiment on us..yippee!) we decided we would head to the bookstore for a coffee and some alone time…no kids or appointments looming.

FOUR hours later…..yes a whole four hours….we rolled out of Barnes and Noble quite satiated, complete and whole again. Upon entering the bookstore hubby went off to commandeer the comfy chairs and purchased the coffees (although mine is usually a chai tea latte) while I walked the store gathering my stash of books and mags I wanted to read….all 20 or so of them.

We sat down, comfortably settled into our chairs, sipped our drinks and started reading, occasionally talking or showing one another something that caught our eye. I knew I would be purchasing that night cause for my birthday my friend and neighbor got me a B&N gift card so I was happy contemplating which book(s) I would be bring home to savor some more.

As I got to the cash register hubby noted the time with a horrified “Is that the TIME?????”. I calmly asked him what the offending time was and he broadcast to the unperturbed store clerk that we had spent the last four hours there. Her response, much practiced I’m sure, was “it happens”. Still, we left the bookstore at 10:15 pm a happy crew. The best part of this is that I got 2 new books and a magazine and only spent 45 cents (how flipping cool is that?).

A Creative Journey

I call myself the perpetual student because I am always on a constant quest to learn anything and everything. I gladly take in all I can to help myself succeed in life and in business and would take a course on a subject in an instant if time were on my side most times. So instead I devour books.

My new book that I’m recommending to all is….”The Creative Entreprenuer” by Lisa Senora Beam. Lisa takes you on a visual journey rather than just a read-what-I-wrote-here-and-follow-it journey.

The publisher says “…the book offers a dynamic left brain/right brain approach to developing a business focus. [Lisa] helps the artistic types develop and harness their business savvy and takes readers on an inner journey of creative exploration”.

At first Lisa has you answer a list of questions that explore different pathways about you personally and you the artist as a businesswoman. Catch is (which I think is so cool) you have to turn your left brain off when answering these questions and just write….write without  thinking…..without worrying about punctuation and grammar. I think they call it stream writing or some such thing.

As I get more and more into mixed media and paper arts, combining it with my love and use of fabric, I am encouraged by Lisa’s informal but strategic approach. I have read a few places where you are told to visually map out with magazine pics and such the life you want.

That is what this book helps you do…visually mind map what you wish for yourself.  And, as this is a year of INTENTION and SELF DISCIPLINE for me, this guidebook fits in well with how I like to approach things, without having to re-read my goals and aspirations for the coming year. They’ll all be in pictures on my wall just above my desk. Nice!

Mind you I have not even begun to get into the book (only perused it in the part of the four hours at the bookstore),  but from what Ive read so far…it’s gonna be a good ride. Go check it out for yourself.

See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

I’ve added another journal to my etsy shop. My husband practically commandeered it for himself he loved the vintage quality of it so much. Like before it’s filled with 4 signatures of fantastic art papers.

Along the edge I stitched blue seed beads and then attached metal letters that spell the word “ARTWORK”. I really like this one. I know, you’re thinking….she says that about each one…but I really, really do! I can’t help myself.

See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

Word For the Year

Earlier this year, back in January, I began hearing about Christine Kane. First from my FAB friend, Judy, then on a blog I read quite regularly, Lisa Call. I admire both these women and trust that they knew what they were talking about when it came the inspiration of Christine Kane.

They were right.

She is very inspirational.

Around this time of year we all go thru a regular and uninspiring year-end ritual of choosing  our New Year’s Resolutions. Christine Kane has a new take on New Year’s resolutions….

CHUCK the darn things out the window!

Really…cause none of us ever really follow thru with any of them anyway. Instead, she suggest we pick a word for the year.

Just one word. That’s all, she says.

“Then hold that word in your mind throughout the year, and let your word guide you to take action” (feel free to read more about it here and here).

I had all intentions of doing that this year, 2008, but obviously my life and mind had other plans. Next year though, in 2009, I intend to follow thru. I might need reminding from time to time but the INTENTION will be there.

Ah…you have just read my first word.

INTENTION

In order to start the year off right one should prepare beforehand. A few days ago I wrote down a few words and phrases that I thought might work for me: being present, choice,  discipline, focus, presence, allow…nothing resonated. I closed my eyes and got in touch with my goddess soul.

She picked: INTENTION and SELF-DISCIPLINE. (didn’t she realize that it was only supposed to be one word?).

No matter how I tried over the next few hours I couldn’t shake that 2nd word and kept coming back to it time and time again…..so I’m going with it. Enough of letting things slide (business or personal). State my intention, live my intention and be self disciplined enough to get the work done so that it can be completed.

At the end of the previous 2 years I found I could label each year. The first was the “Year of Me”. In looking back I saw that I did things that pleased me as concerns my artwork. Obviously I needed to find out more about me,, the artist, now that I had nerve enough to call myself one. The second year I labeled “Finding my Muse” cause boy did she ever talk to me …even though she did disappear from time to time…the nerve of her!

INTENTION

For 2009 I intend to begin at the beginning….at the beginning of this new year instead of the end of it.  I intend to start how I mean to finish. Wish me luck on my new journey.

What I wish for you, however, is a year of intention and meaning…in your life and in your work. I wish you peace, abundance, focus and clarity. Finally I wish you JOY and the courage to find your word for the year and let it become your guiding force.

BTW, the tag line on Christine’s blog reads:  Be Creative. Be Conscious. Be Courageous.

I love it…why not just BE!

See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

Creative Art Journey

Remember me talking about an art book I had recently bought , Kelly Rae’s “Taking Flight“? Well I so thoroughly enjoyed the book that when I saw that a group had been formed from it I had to join. So when Laura from the takingflight group asked us to share our “Creative Art Journey” and also posed some questions to help us along I felt compelled to respond.

Some of the questions she asked were:

How long have you been creating art?     What & where do you like to create?     How do you get your inspiration?     What are your favorite themes?   What are your creative goals?     Share anything else about your Creative Art Soul.

What truly resonated with me was the use of the word “SOUL” because I truly believe that’s where my art comes from….my creative soul. So here is my response:

My Creative Art Soul is always a work in progress. I started off with quilting (15 yrs now) that then evolved into art quilts (and pattern designing) and that has now evolved into mixed media, hence me finding (and loving) Kelly Rae’s book.

When I get stuck in my creative journey I like to visit new blogs (I regularly read about 50) and get inspiration from a new technique or the way a particular colour is used or the way an image (or artwork)
resonates with me.

My latest muse is using artists canvas to make my new mixed media art pieces. I love the serendipity of what can be done with these little gems. Just like my art quilts I work in a mosly abstract manner but I do have favorite images I like to use in mixed media pieces.

These last 2 years I have dubbed the “year of me” to find out what I like to do, what I want to do and to see where my art takes me. I love creating new pieces whether in fabric or paper. A long time passion of mine however, is to find a way to inspire other women to find their creative soul. Wish me luck in my journey…..the same I do for you.

So now you have it, a little about my creative art journey. Where is your journey taking you?

See ya next time, “In the Hayloft”,

Standing S T I L L

There much to be said for standing still,

listening…

being…

contemplating silence…

and really S E E I N G all that the universe has to offer.

New Direction

My artwork has taken a turn. I seem drawn to create mixed-media/collage art on artist canvas. I have always love looking at paper, seeing the textures and, of course, eventually purchasing that paper. When I enter a craft store I am inextricably drawn to the scrapbook paper aisle and usually take a stroll down the aisle down to try to spur ideas for my art quilts. In an art store I like to touch the wonderful papers others make (mulberry, rice, etc.) then it dawned on me I can use them in my work along with fabric. Who says I have to make scrapbook pages, right?????

Anyway, my new favorite things are gel medium and the oh-so-gorgeous Golden Fluid Acrylic paints (and no, I haven’t forgot my Lumieres). Some of you might know that I treat myself to a book a month…mainly reference books of ideas or processes (not books with patterns in them). Two that have caught my eye are “Taking Flight” by Kelly Rae Roberts and “The Art of Personal Imagery” by Corey Moortgat. Both offer kinda the same thing but in oh so different ways.

Kelly Rae’s book is more introspective with an intention of helping you find your own artistic spirit. Each chapter features a different artist and goes on to tell how they explore their own creative paths.  Kelly poses questions to the reader at the end of each chapter called “Winged Thoughts” then heads into techniques to inspire and experiment with.

Corey’s book gives you a myriad of ideas for telling stories of your life (or those of your loved one) thru collage and, in doing so, giving your artwork more personal meaning. She openly shares stories of her family life with the reader..the joys and the sorrows… and tries to personally connect us with the artwork that comes from this.

The Poem

Why the poem at the beginning? An excerpt from chapter 4 in Kelly’s book begins: “…look closely at the moments of our ordinary lives….find the sacred in the ordinary…” These words resonated with me so much that after finishing Corey’s book, I had to make a piece to voice this same sentiment. This one is called “Standing S T I L L”.

My first love will always be fabric but I can now employ the two fibers in my work and be a happy gal. How’s your art journey going?

See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,