Man (or woman) in the Mirror

Christmas eve has arrived!

 Honey man says I am crazy to arise so early when my long winter’s nap will not begin until about midnight, but there is much to do and I couldn’t sleep thinking about the tasks at hand and about those who are not as fortunate.

Aside from my annual holiday feast, my purpose today is to lend a hand where I feel it is most needed.

A very wise young man reminded me recently that we are never done growing and that our purpose in this world is to wage the battle against our own cynicism and try to make positive changes in our own lives. This is remarkable coming from one who has endured so much in his young life and I will try to heed those words.

If you want to make the world a better place...

I do.

Morning revelations

There are some who lament the absence of family members who cannot be with them during this holiday season. I believe it is important to enjoy the presence of  the people who can be with you. It is sooo vital, my friends, to be thankful for every day you are feeling well enough to look around and count your blessings. So I choose to see the glass as half full and although I will miss those who cannot be here, I plan to thoroughly enjoy the company of those who are willing and able to celebrate the holidays with me...

like this little lamb who visited with me this week and helps me to recognize the importance of living in the moment.

.  These last few weeks have been filled with holiday preparations.  I do so love to unwrap the boxes of vintage ornaments collected over the years.  My favorites are the petite ones I display on a small golden tree, placed safely upon a table out of the reach of the littlest one. 

These next few days will be consumed with preparations for my annual Christmas Eve dinner.  The Italian tradition of a seafood extravaganza is alive and well.  I will serve the traditional family fare of linguine with clam sauce, calamari with peas and Shrimp Danielle.  I have, however, discarded the preparation of baccala (dried, salted cod).  I compensate by trying a new dish every year.  Last year I prepared Fritto Misto di Mare (Mixed Fried Seafood )and while it was absolutely delicious, it was quite labor intensive considering my guest list topped out at 25 people.  This year I will prepare Dungeness crab roasted with herb butter.  I always test my recipes with my family before deciding on the final menu and this one was well received. 

And so I am off…to generate shopping lists, finish the final gift wrapping, clean my house (necessary but not my favorite activity), set up tables etc.  My guest list is currently at 18 for this year and while I will miss the Alpine sisters, the celebration will go on.

Oh, the weather outside...

I wrote much of the following post yesterday, but alas, with no Internet service I was unable to publish.  So I am leading off with a picture of our newly constructed wreath. 

and a closer view...

Ah, it is a wintry day in Michigan.  The snow is falling and blowing.  Our power is threatening to go out.  The Internet and cable are already down.  And yet I am having a great day.  My baby girl and I picked out loads of glittery ornaments yesterday and the wreath making is about to begin.  I will post pics as soon as we are satisfied with our creation. 

In the meantime...

It is truly beautiful outside the window.

We braved the weather this morning to venture into the village. It is only about a mile from home to some of the quaintest stores around. I bought this yarn today in order to knit some mittens. I really should have finished this project by now…obviously.

I love this yarn.  I worked on the mittens and they came together fast...so I'll be ready for the frigid temps coming our way.

I made these leg warmers last week and they did come in handy today.  I just love my combat boots but they are not the warmest.  The leg warmers help. 

A Work in Progress

Aside from all of the holiday preparations, I have been trying to squeeze in studio time to finish several new pieces and I thought I would give a sneak peek at one.  I have been contemplating a new idea for this blog starting in the new year and hope it will not go by the wayside as many of my resolutions seem to do.  One of my resolutions from last year, though,  is just about to come to fruition. So, without further ado, here is my newest project.  She is a work in progress...much like me. 

Happy Holidays!

A Thanksgiving road trip to Atlanta last week to visit loved ones resulted in a stop over and I was able to stock up on some novelties which are sure to inspire me in my studio.  A downtown shop specializing in rare books was the perfect spot to spend a rainy morning.  I would have taken photos but a mischievous pixie had pilfered my photo card.  Along with the goodies I gathered,  we spent some time exploring the historic areas in downtown Lexington.  Dream houses galore!

Time to get out the sugarplums...

I made this advent calendar last year and have been scouting the area for confections to fill the pockets.  I fashioned the pockets from recycled sweaters and added embellishments.  What fun we will have savoring the secret sweets!  Frosty helps us count down.  Click on the images for a closer peek.

Whirlwind

Wow!  What a wonder-filled week.  I spent the weekend celebrating the birthday of an adorable little jester!  Oh, the characters who visited my home to help celebrate!  My house was filled with enchanted children, beautiful ladies and chivalrous gentlemen.  All weaved in and out through narrow passageways, smiles abounding.  Tempted by sugary confection, the littlest one couldn’t help but dive right in…

I have been overflowing with ideas for my shadow play.  These enchanting creatures whisper their dreams to me as I work to unveil their charming personalities to the world.  They become a part of an ongoing fairy tale.  Their stories only hinted at, possibly revealed over time.

It is a beautiful day in Michigan.  The proverbial calm before the storm.  The holiday storm, that is.  Very soon, a flurry of activity will begin and continue throughout the year’s end.  It will very likely be filled with elfin magic, marvelous journeys and scrumptious feasts.  I can hardly wait. 

In the meantime, I will be content to laze this day away with my cat Loki, who seems intent on contributing to this page.

Shadow Play

*****

Shadow is a colour as light is, but less brilliant; light and shadow are only the relation of two tones.

Paul Cezanne

 

I choose not to use many colors when I create my subjects.  It is the use of varying shades that create the 3-dimensional effect I am looking for.  If you view my pieces from across the room, you may believe you are looking at a photograph.  Upon closer inspection, however, you will see it is only an illusion. 

Autumn Walk

I have been enjoying the autumn weather.  I tend to wither when it's too hot and the frigid cold has never been a favorite.  The snowflakes in the air yesterday tell me it is at it's end and I want to post a few pics of my recent walks. 

being sincere

 
                                 *****

A sincere artist is not one who makes a faithful attempt to put on to canvas what is in front of him, but one who tries to create something which is, in itself, a living thing.   William Dobell


Quite frankly, I don't seem to have enough hours in the day to accomplish all of the ideas that are currently coming my way.  I sometimes wish sleep was optional.  I realize I don't blog as much as I should.  I get caught up in the creative process and although I do take many pics along the way, it usually takes them awhile to make it onto my pages.  Alas, I will try, yet again, to be better. 

 I was frankly a tad disappointed at not winning the CPS Artisan of the Year 2011 contest but in reality I am still thrilled at being one of the finalists.  I did make my goal and will be published in the Jan/Feb issue.  The fact is I don't know if I was ready to be Artisan of the Year because I am just hitting my stride and haven't been creating my unique collages for even a year yet.  I did, however, create the following piece just after finding out the results.  She is a new favorite.

Adding embellishments is becoming easier as I go.  I coffee dyed the vintage lace I used to enhance her skirt. 

 

One of these days, I will receive a comment on one of my posts.  Who will be the first one to break the silence?  All are welcome. 

 

And on that note...

 

 



 

Hope your Halloween was as curious as ours. 

 

Too Shy

*****

“The way you overcome shyness is to become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid”

Claudia Lady Bird Johnson quote


 I am just beginning to understand why I am drawn to the subjects of my art.  In preparing for a piece, I browse through dozens of vintage photographs and eventually settle upon one that whispers to my soul.  It is only when my piece is finished that it dawns on me that my inner feelings have been captured.  I then realize how connected we all are and despite the fact that my subjects are long departed from this existence, we share a humanity that cannot be denied.

This piece speaks to the unbearable shyness I sometimes feel when I share my work. I began this project just after learning I had been selected as a finalist in Cloth Paper Scissors Artisan Search 2011 and I had to send my originals out into the world.  A little overwhelming, but also very exciting. 

Perhaps Lady Bird was right, the cure is at hand.  It beckons to me behind the curtain that leads to my studio. 

*****

Something Different

I have been busy with new projects but want to take the time to document a project I am currently working on as well as a fairly recent, very different project that is a tribute to individualism...

First - Some new endeavors:

A work in progress.  This is a little experiment I have been working on for several weeks.  Both the girl and the fish are created from fabric.  Her dress is vintage lace.  I painted the silly sea life and embellished them with some vintage silk yo yo eyes I picked up at a flea market.  Now I think maybe bubbles?

 

Below is a project heralding individualism that I worked on for several months.  It involves a printers drawer, some scrapbook paper, photographs, quotations printed and haphazardly cut and other relevant items.  It was probably the most time consuming project I have done, but I am happy with the results.



Treasure Hunting

Although my studio is already packed with items, I can always find room for a few more vintage items to inspire me.  Estate sale yesterday yielded some excellent finds...

A vintage tin,

A treasure within a treasure!

Many, many vintage buttons and beads.  The price alone gives away their age.   

Thread-a Matic, created to thread needles, and the kicker is it really works!

Vintage thread in yummy colours.

And the icing on the proverbial cake...

Haven't cleaned these up yet but I believe they are antique French lithographs. What a find!

And I do want to introduce my studio companion.

She may seem a tish unfriendly but I assure you, she approves of my endeavors.

and her original

The Uninvited House Guest

I just wanted to share a photo of an overnight visitor.  Don't know how he got in but the fam found him this morning, just hanging out on the towel bar in my bathroom. 

He was safely removed to more comfortable accommodations in the garden.

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!

I am pleased to announce that I have been chosen as a finalist in Cloth Paper Scissors Artisan of the Year 2011 search.  I am thrilled to be included among such talented people.  You can view my entries at the following link:  http://www.clothpaperscissors.com/members/lolabu/default.aspx

I have been busy moving my studio to its new location in the room previously known as my dining room.  I am no longer relegated to the basement with the spiders.  Here are a few peeks...