Fingers to the Bone

There is nothing better than sitting back and taking a good look at all you have accomplished! This weekend the work on our home progressed and we worked our fingers to the bone!! And finally we are starting to see results and that is enough to keep us going a little longer. This week we will purchase our couch and starting orgaizing and moving our stuff over little by little- then I can get back to bloggin about art!! And any day now I will have the advance copy of my book in the mail- I can hardly wait for all of the new exciting things to happen!!

Burnt Out

It is official…I am burnt out. The weeks seem to be blending together for me- I am plagued by impatience- waiting for this time of transition to come to and end- to have a fresh start with new ideas, opportunities, and outlook. The last few weeks have been focused on more renovations (we are so close) but even BIGGER for me is transitioning out of the mentoring program that we live and I work in. The last 3 ½ years of my life have been spent living and working with college students, home has not ever really felt like home to me- I work all day at my job and then come home to work with young adults- I have become accustomed to late night knocks at the door, friendships with people who remind me of my own youth, and lots and lots of drama! Though the last few years have taken a toll on my energy, my daily routine and sometimes even my marriage- I would not trade it for anything. Working with young people keeps you fresh and current, giving of yourself is wonderful, it has inspired my art (which I have amazingly fit into this whole crazy routine) and I leave my role as a “live in mentor” a better, stronger and more confident person. As I say goodbye to my role as a mentor, I cannot help but feel a huge sense of relief and excitement about starting over as a “normal” adult who lives in a normal home that will not have to juggle the responsibility of college student’s health and well-being… Instead it is time to focus and worry about my own. In the meantime, I will try and continue to embrace our renovation, enjoy picking colors and furniture design and continue to prepare for my book release- that is enough for now.

Excited!!!!!!!!

oooohhhhh...I am so excited that you can now search inside my book!!!
Please go check it out for a preview!!!!!!

Robert Rauschenberg

I was sad to learn that Robert Rauschenberg died yesterday at 82. Ruschenberg was a huge influence on my own growth as an artist- I was introduced to his work as a young student in art history and painting classes but it wasn't until I took in a mixed media painting class taught by Mel Katz at PSU that I fully grasped how forward thinking and radical he was as an artist. He believed anything could be art and it was evident in the way that the pushed boundaries of painting and sculpture and used everyday objects and junk in his art. Using his work as inspiration in this painting class, the quarter was spent collecting found objects, putting them into our compositions, experimenting with paint and working very hard to find our own voice in the art we were trying to create. Learning how to strike a balance with collage, objects and paint was one of the most challenging tasks for me as a budding painter but also one of the most liberating. Today I find beauty in peeling paint, old pieces of wood, drips of paint, cast out newspaper, peices of weathered fabric and basic everyday trash. I am still inspired and in awe of Rauschenberg and am sad to know that art world has lost one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.

Sparkly on the Feet

Many thanks to Maryam of Marrakesh for the two pairs of lovely Moroccan slippers that I recently received in the mail (a wonderful trade for a custom tote!) I love these slippers- they are SO soft, comfy and sparkly on the feet. Check out Maryam's blog for more lovely slippers!!!!!!

Today

Not only is today my wonderful husband's birthday but it was 9 years ago today that we met- we celebrated with a little sushi and short walk on the water.

North Light Author Shout Outs!

It has been a while since I extended some blog love and since there are handful of us North Light authors with books SO SOON to be released I thought I would give a little cyber shout out to the fabulous and creative new titles soon to hit the shelves!!

The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girl's Guide to Handmade Jewelry

By Jennifer Perkins

out August 2008

Plexi Class: Cutting-Edge Projects In Plastic

By Tonia Davenport

out May 2008

Taking Flight: Inspiration And Techniques To Give Your Creative Spirit Wings

By Kelly Rae

out September 2008

A Charming Exchange: 25 Jewelry Projects To Create & Share

By Kelly Snelling and Ruth Rae

Out August 2008

Canvas Remix
by Alisa Burke
out July 2008

ArtFiberFest

I am happy to announce that registration for ArtFiberFest begins today! And as a first time teacher at this venue, I am so excited to offer three classes inspired by my soon to be released book- Canvas Remix So if anyone is looking for one-of-a-kind classes in an amazing place, surround by like minded creative souls- consider treating yourself to long weekend of inspiration!

Graffiti Clutch

Canvas Creatures


Artful Accessories

Light

Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. ~Benjamin Franklin

Oh goodness, life seems to keep throwing us challenge after challenge lately and I am not sure how much more I can take!!! My head hurts, my heart hearts and the days seem to just be blending together.  I cannot wait for this chapter to be over with, to move past the transition, to have stability back, answers to the looming questions and my hope restored.   In the midst of challenge, I must say I have even more appreciation for my supportive and amazing family and am so thankful for such a wonderful husband. On the lighter side of things, we installed this lovely chandelier in what will be our new dining room- it makes me feel a little brighter.

Amidst the Chaos

So amidst the chaos of remodeling (found termites yesterday- just great!) I have actually managed to finally finish and send a custom tote that I have been working on for a while- it is about time!! I think I will officially be putting custom orders on hold until moving day or at least after we eradicate the termites!!

DIY

I am afraid that I am turning into a construction worker (except much better dressed)- Here I am eating fast food for dinner on the brand new freshly hand painted white wood floor, gobbling as much as I can so I can get changed into my disgustingly dirty work clothes and back to work- so far I have blisters on the palms of my hands, blue paint that won’t come off of my toenail, had paint splatter into my eyeball, wallpaper paste all over my arms, crackle medium on my flip flops, used a bucket for the restroom (since the bathroom is gutted) and the list goes on and on and on. But I must say that I am growing more and more fond of all this DIY work- in fact I am getting a little obsessed with our renovation but cannot wait for it to be over with!

Much Work

So much work..the weekend was spent working, working, working and my whole body hurts!

Day One of Cleaning

The bulk of our evening was spent cleaning up after the workers who scraped the horrid popcorn ceilings at our new place which quickly progressed into some crazy cleaning of the hardwood floors- though they are hardwood, they are pretty icky and we will be painting them a bright white- I can't wait!! 

Design Time

It is design time...YIKES! I have been spending the last few evenings putting together sketches, hunting through colors, ideas and trying to understand my husband's personal design taste (still can't figure it out) all in preparation for the huge task of overhauling our new place. Though I love design and my world tends to revolve around it- this is all so overwhelming not to mention potentially expensive! Though I have a number of creative things to prepare for with the book and classes and other fun stuff- the next month will be spent trying to get everything done and my blog will be the place that I document all of this!!

This Chapter

I am happy to say that we are officially first time home owners of a great little townhouse in San Diego . I am still in shock that we were actually able to buy a place in Southern California without going into extreme debt or poverty- and I never in a million years thought we would decide to stay in San Diego but the ease of everything that has been happening lately brought us to a place of being open to embrace the path that we are on and thankful for the life we created in California. Though my heart is often in Oregon and I have HUGE dreams of owning land and an actual house- I have (strangely) found peace in knowing that this is just the beginning and nothing is set in stone. Opportunities (as I have learned over this last year) can present themselves when least expecting it and life can quickly change!! So this chapter in the story is about renovating and moving into our first place. Though we have a home with an amazing view, more space then we have now, a garage that will be converted into my studio- we do have LOTS of stuff to do before moving in. After receiving the keys last week, we spent a great deal of the weekend airing out (why people don’t clean up after their pets is totally a mystery to me!!), cleaning and beginning the first of our DIY projects. The next few weeks will be spent ripping out flooring, painting, laying new flooring, adding unique finishes and of course my favorite part decorating and then finally moving….sigh…this is going to be a long couple of months. But thankfully we will be settled just in time for the release of my book and all of the amazing opportunities that will come next!

For the Sake of It

Today I spent a good part of the day painting just for the sake of painting.

Haute Handbags

Check out the latest Haute Handbags for my article on making textural totes!!

Freshly Cleaned

There is nothing like a freshly cleaned and organized studio to go into a productive weekend!! And the best part is that I took the guest bed out!

Just What I Needed

A morning spent hiking with family at the beach was just what I needed after a VERY, VERY long week.

Too Sleepy

Too sleepy to blog tonight- the never ending exhibition is draining my energy- a day full of labeling, stuffing, sealing and mailing invitations. More to come tomorrow after a good nights rest!

Everything Mixed Together

I try really hard to only focus on my creative endeavors in my blog but it seems that the last couple of weeks everything going on in my life has been all mixed together to make for just about the most intense balancing act I have ever attempted- though I don't want to bore readers with the daily happenings that don't involve my journey as an artist- I cannot help but include them in this post since everything has been smashed into one big stressful glob!!

1. I finished my final author review for my book and seeing all of the pictures and layout just makes me even more excited for it to be completed but so challenging to know this is the last time I see it all before it is final...YIKES!!

2. Exciting opportunity to create a tote for a lovely person who works here- talk about pressure...more details to come!

3. The bulk of my craziness has come from my day job- my boss came down with pneumonia which meant the installation of our gallery exhibition fell on my lap and all last week was spent in these galleries- trying to place art, moving things around, sweeping, cleaning, formatting checklists, etc, etc, etc ugghhh- an INCREDIBLE task for little ol' me.

4. Lots of running back and forth to the San Diego Museum of Art to drop off/pick up artwork loan paper work..uggghh!

5. More house buying stuff- man this process is like another full time job!! Last week it was the inspection, paperwork, paperwork and then crunching numbers and more paperwork- there went my evenings!!

6. And last but not least- I turned 33 on Friday (March 14th) there was not a lot of time to celebrate just enough to fit in dinner with my hubby and bro at my favorite Restaurant- Tofu House- there is nothing like yummy Korean soup for comfort after a crazy couple of weeks!

Push Pause

This last week has been spent running in all sorts of directions- from busy work filled days at my job, to home buying responsibilities, to some AMAZING opportunities that have recently come up with custom purses (that I will share later) to getting the last draft of my book to review.....I feel like jumping in and out of all these different worlds, knowing in the back of my mind there will be an end to this juggling act and if I can just keep up the momentum a little longer I will make it through. Today, I had to take a breather and I stepped out of my office to admire the sunny day, the blue sky, the blooming tree outside the door and I had to snap some photos just to remind myself that it is ok to pause.

So Cute

No time to blog yet today but in the meantime I came across this video and it has made my crazy, stress filled day a little lighter!!! So cute!

March 15th Workshop

I am excited to announce that I will be teaching a class on March 15th at my favorite local shop GeeGee's in the lovely Village of Carlsbad- So if you are looking for a fun filled creative afternoon in North County, San Diego- please join us!!!

Paint Your World!
March 15th
11am-2:00pm
GeeGees Stamps 'N' Stuff
$46.00

This class will introduce you to simple and FUN painting techniques. Learn tricks and tools that painters use- techniques that range from using abstract images to mark making to incorporating collage, to making a mess with paint! You will have the opportunity explore your own voice with paint and canvas and be lead through a series of exercises that will result in creating your very own personal and expressive paintings that can be hung on the wall

No previous experience is required.

Advance Registration required
Call early to reserve your seat. (760) 729-1779

Mission Accomplished!

I have FINALLY added purses to my etsy store- and there will be more coming soon. I have slowly been trying to make use of all kinds of plain zippered pouches, paintings and canvas scraps and that have built up and are taking up space!! So I decided to start turning each of them into an original work of wearable art!!

Bad Back

So once again I have been absent from my blog...sigh.....but this time it was not because of being busy it is because I threw my back out and have literally been out of it, barely moving, barely walking, stuck on the couch with a heating pad and the remote control and lots of advil.  I can't figure out if it is from hours of sitting in an odd position while sewing or crawling around on the floor for hours while I paint or from my bad fall last weekend (see entry below) or just because I am getting old.  I will be turning 33 in a couple of weeks and maybe this is what happens- I don't know- but I have been miserable and finally today I was able to walk and move and finally got around to taking lots of pics of all sorts of fun stuff I have been working on- including some purses for my etsy shop which I am going to try and post tomorrow.  Life has a funny way of working- I have been working so hard, running around trying to juggle a million things and when I am not smart enough to stop to take care of myself- my body literally makes me stop!! I have gotten more relaxation, peace and calm in the last few days of pain and lack of movement than I have in the last 6 months so in a strange way thank goodness for my bad back!!

Attack of the Reoccurring Mess

This is the story of my life right now- my creativity, paint and projects have spilled into every nook and cranny of our tiny apartment- literally! Something that looks so simple, like paint splattered, dripped and swiped across canvas is really a complicated and messy process especially when you don’t have lots of space. Our little extra bedroom is packed to the ceiling with purses, fabric, paint, sewing machines, and enough crap to make your head spin!

The biggest space issue seems to be the guest bed that is about 5 feet high (with great storage underneath) but it has evolved into yet another surface for working and keeping piles of canvas, paperwork and projects on-

this eyesore proved to be quite dangerous recently- this weekend I was up on the bed opening the window and I literally slipped on a pile of canvas fell all the way off the 5ft bed, hitting my work chair on the way down- unfortunately I don’t have any pictures of this episode since I was all alone with a confused cat watching me from the hallway as if I was insane-but I do have bruises and a sore body from this terrible fall!!

Now that my art room has become so crowded I can barely paint in it- I have moved to the kitchen floor- I am much more comfortable working on the floor anyway so this is a corner in the kitchen that has become another work surface.

And where do you put purses wet with paint and yards of canvas dripping with color when they need to dry when you are living in 525 square feet??? Well anywhere they will fit like in the shower or on the tops of doors or on our bed frame or even on the curtain pole in between the living room and hallway!

This creative mess has literally gotten out of control and I feel like I am living inside of a box- a paint box!! But with all of this said, we are hopefully counting down the days until this changes- I am glad to announce that we entered into escrow yesterday with the condo that we want, it is NOT huge but it is at least a quite a bit more space with an amazing ocean view but superstitious me doesn’t want to jinx it by talking too much about it but will definitely be so EXCITED when this stage in out lives becomes a little less messy!!

Commission Dogwood Purse Series-Finished!

Whirlwind

I just got back from a whirlwind trip to CHA in Anaheim and what an experience it was! This is all such a strange experience for me and I am still processing it all- coming from the fine art world it is quite bizarre to see the corporate fingerprints all over supplies, products and the craft industry- I knew it was a billion dollar industry but CHA really made it hit home for me!!!! Not that I am complaining about being involved by writing a book but it all made me really think about how I want to move forward in this whole new world. Not to mention, I am a total newbie in all of this- it seems that everybody knows each other and have been on the "circuit" for a while so topping off my few days was this overwhelming feeling of being "the new kid on the block" even though I have been a working artist for the last 15 years!! It felt like the first day of high school in a new town all over again. But I did get see Tonia and Jessica (F+W Editors) I also got to connect with the lovely Jane Wynn and her husband Thomas who were an absolute joy to hang out with at the F+W dinner, I also saw Gayle from GeeGees Stamps and Stuff the local Carlsbad shop that I teach at (by happenstance she walked by my demo) I also was able to connect with Jenny Doh of Stampington and after all sorts of the online correspondence it was great to finally meet her in person.
The best part is that my demo went great, the minute I dipped my brush in paint and started creating, everything else fell away and I was in my own world! I had lots of lovely people stop to talk and watch and hopefully sparked interest in my book. Overall it was a good experience for me because it has helped me to redefine my creative path and inspired me to look for alternative ways to create success for my book and my ever evolving art career but it is going to take me a while to process this experience! I had to get back last night and jump back into the house hunting and signing papers process and the reality of getting the place we want- (but I don't want to jinx it by talking about it so I will wait to make the official announcement!!

Insanity

I am officially a very, very bad blogger (how many times have I posted the same sentiment??) Life has become INSANE!! And today has been the culmination of it all...had to deal with getting yelled at by an upset person at my day job this morning (even though I am just the messanger people love to take things out on the messanger!!) and randomly a quite famous movie star called our office early this morn that I have been dealing with all morning...WHAT THE HECK?!?!?!? The last few weekes we have spent all of our free time house hunting and this has proven to be more of a process than I EVER imagined! Lots of looking, talking, crunching numbers, making offers, its enough to make me scream especially when I am used to using all my free time working on my art! But thank goodness for our awesome realtor Chris- he is like a personal trainer who keeps you motivated and inpired to keep going even when things aren't feeling so great.

On top of all this I have been preparing for CHA and since this is my first time at a convention of this nature I am nervous but also excited- like everything else in this book process...I have no idea what to expect!! I will be at the F+W booth on Tuesday at 1:30pm doing a techiques demo from my book and will also have a "make-n-take"-where people can make canvas medallion earrings to try their hand at working with canvas and paint- fun and easy project! I am excited to spend a couple of days walking around and exploring the show as well as meeting and connecting with people I have corresponded with online AND maybe I will sneak over to Disneyland if there is time...I need to have some fun!! More to come....