New Art Work

recently i did something really fun.

i painted.

i painted some paintings.

large paintings that i put into frames.

it has been almost a year since i have worked on large paintings and it was FUN!

i have missed it.

i worked with large reclaimed frames.

the body of the painting was on mdf - i love to paint on it's smooth surface.

i incorporated layers of color and textures.

i used smooth rocks that i found while walking along the beach.

maybe - as the gray days of winter push in a little heavier on me in the winter -

maybe i can look at these paintings to remind me that summer will eventually return!



More reclaimed frames and Jamal

Have I introduced you to Jamal?

A few years ago, my daughter was out with her friend.

They were driving through the parking lot of the local movie theater.

Lying in the dirt under a tree was a . . .thing.

A human form of sorts.

They stopped the car to investigate.

They found a mannequin - you know the kind -

no head, no arms, and partial legs.

She brought him home.

It was going to be an art project for her.

Instead - he ended up getting dressed up.

The black biking shorts, the rainbow suspenders, the paisley tie . .

the headdress and mask were part of his Halloween costume.

Jamal is a very busy guy -

He has gone on trips with my daughter,

he moves around the house,

he shows up in unexpected places . . .

Doesn't everyone need a Jamal?

Reclaimed Frames

have i told you that i love to work with reclaimed frames?

these are all 8 x 10 frames with canvas boards, paper, three dimensional elements and whatever else feels right.

I feel so Lazy today!!

I would love to woo you with clever words;

tell you funny stories or share with you the daring adventures I have been on.

If I could - I would.

But what you see is what you get.

Lazy Sues . . .

These are a few that you can find at the Made In Oregon stores.

Now it's back to the paints and brushes . . .after I change the very murky paint water!

Everybody's Working for the Weekend!

New custom mirrors . . .

The weekend is upon us.

quite frankly, i feel like i have earned a weekend.

it was a very long week indeed.

last night we headed off to a certain store that i won't name here to buy lazy susans.

we received a large wholesale order this week and we are preparing for our winter shows.

so off to the large store that won't be named.

we loaded up our cart with all kinds of strange items.

mirror tiles, lazy susans and items that could be used for display items.

and did i say lazy susans?

over 30 of them. . .

if you ever want to spur on a conversation with total strangers,

 just load up your cart in a store with 30 lazy susans!

i guarantee - total strangers will stop to chat.

so what are the weekend plans?

for my friday night plans - my daughter and i will attend the play "anne frank" at her high school.

there will be lots of painting - (did i say 30 lazy susans?)

there will be lots of eating - a breakfast out with a friend in the morning on saturday and then dinner family in the evening.

and then for a little variety - i think i will paint some more!

who says i don't know how to live it up on the weekend?

WOW! How Long Has It Been?

Some new pieces created with reclaimed picture frames, paper, ink and acrylic paints. Measure at 11 X 17 each.

So you have your favorite blogs that you frequently visit.

You pop in every couple of days - and in some cases, every day.

And then - you notice there is not a new post.

You check in again - still no new post.

Days go by . . .weeks. . . a month . . .

Are you kidding me?

Do they not understand that this is important to you?

Sheesh!!!

Ahem - yeah - it's been over a month for me.

I feels so guilty.

I figured no one would be visiting me since I haven't posted in so long - but it appears that people keep dropping by.

Which of course makes me feel even more guilty.

I knew that it had been a while since I had posted - but over a month???

 Good grief.

I promise - I will be more understanding of other bloggers in the future.

And if you look back over my "blogging history" - I think the same thing happened right about this time last year.

Obviously, this is a crazy time for me.

I found myself in a situation where I have not been able to keep all of the balls in the air.

Something had to give.

This and my Facebook and a few other "time sucks" like that were among the things that were neglected.

 And what has been keeping so busy?

Well . . .

my day job has ramped up to a whole new level and has been ridiculously busy - early mornings and late evenings;

we have picked up another wholesale customer and the wholesale accounts that we already have are ramping up for the holidays placing bigger than usual orders;

we had a great sale over in Sisters, Oregon the beginning of October;

it was a great sale - almost too great - it really wiped out our inventory;

we are frantically working to rebuild our inventory;

we are juggling family, business, work, and life in general;

it's a crazy ride - but well worth it.

and now we are preparing for the holidays! how did that happen?

but there is no denying it -

the seasons have changed, the rain is starting to move in, the chill is in the air

time has marched forward

oh - and one more thing that has been wonderful and taking up some of our time . . .

Meet Redford.

An amazing labradoodle that we found through a doggie foster family. He is about 5 years old and quite possibly the perfect dog.

Aside from the fact that we can't leave butter anywhere on the counter or leave the door to the cupboard where we store the garbage open or he thinks it is his personal buffet, he is extremely well behaved.

And then there are those EYES!

They look deep into your soul.

It feels so good to have a dog back in the house. We feel complete again.

Upcoming Events:

November 19th and 20th

Trinity Artisans in NW Portland

December 3rd and 4th

Art Over Macleay Park in NW Portland

December 12th and 13th

Salem Holiday Market

Oregon State Fairgrounds

More details on the above to come . . .

Now it is time to get back to work!