Patti Gibbons Art

2010 is almost on our doorstep. It seems only yesterday that I was worried about Y2K. What happened to the past 10 years? How did they slide through my fingers so fast? I become frantic and think, what were the most memorable moments of that time? What have I done in the last 10 years? Have I made the world a better place to live, or have I added to the chaos, negativity, and environmental destruction of the planet? This year I am making a resolution that goes beyond me and my hedonistic behaviors; it is a resolution to help heal the world, or at the very least, do my best to recognize and stop irresponsible and wasteful behaviors. This year, I can't afford to break this resolution. I have vowed to take responsibility for how I affect the earth. I will educate myself about responsible consumerism, and do my best to purchase goods from companies which are organic, who recycle, and give something back to the world. I will do my very very best to use a minimum of chemicals in my ...

So....want to hear how busy I have been? By now you must think I have given up writing as I only post a few times a week if I am lucky. Well....I have been SO busy that I totally spaced out on paying some bills, and it has cost me my phone, possibly for the holidays. I have NEVER had my electric, phone, or any other utility (not counting cable once) shut off in all the years I have been living away from home as I am a responsible bill payer. Sometimes I will forget a month, and then send two payments in (however this does not work for car, house or credit card payments) and all is well. I abashedly called the company, admitted to my great sin, and told them I had made a payment online. They guy was very kind, but then hit me with the news. It will take 2 or 3 days to be turned back on. I was mortified, for a moment angry, then I realized I caused my own problem, and to buck up accept the consequences of disorganization and over stimulation. It isn't the worst thing in the wor...

I have reached the age where I no longer care what I look like. Though I always make it a point to have some panache in my style, I strive for comfort, and in the winter - WARMTH. I don't care if I am wearing boots that look like I am ready to hike the Yukon with my black velvet skirt, or that my coat has no shape and I could be 50 lbs heavier or thinner and you could not tell. This year I decided that if I had to live in the great northeast, it was time that I had the gear for it. And, it's a good thing, as the temperatures have plummeted this week, giving me a slap upside the head to remind me that winter HAS ARRIVED. At the end of last winter I bought a pair of tall, insulated, waterproof boots on sale in Great Barrington. They aren't sexy, but so far they have proven warm and waterproof during the last two storms I had to help clean up after. This is my second pair of Canadian boots...if our northern neighbors can't make a winter boot, then no one can. A few ...

I don't know if it is age/wisdom, or facing the fact that life is so precious, but as of late, Step 4 and 5 of the 12 steps to "sobriety, strength, and serenity" have been haunting me. I am fortunate that I have a low addiction risk considering the pretty serious issues that permeate my lineage, and I have spent many hours in the halls of Al Anon, ACOA, and in AA itself as support for those whom I love. I am grateful that I have only been brushed with some of these issues, and have had the wisdom and strength to stay relatively clean and sane. Out of those hours I have come to see the wisdom of the 12 steps, and believe them to be a really good basis of living life. And, let's face it, most of us have some kind of problem in our families and lives, and can use some good guidance. #4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves # Step 5 - Admitted to our higher being (if we have one), to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wr...

After reading about DOONCARDS in an article on Facebook sent to me by a friend, I realized that I need to redesign my business card to include the urls of my blog/website/twitter. My old card is for Catskillpaper, (shown here) which has a fun design that I use in my Etsy shop and on my website), but focuses on my antique papers and my collage cards. I may keep that for now (have to change email addy however as the one on the card is the one I use for my websites for all the junk that comes through them, and I sometimes miss emails that are important) but I need something more serious. As my art shifts into a different direction I realize that it is now time for me to present myself mainly as a landscape painter and collage artist, with the cards and ephemera as an off shoot/side business. Which leads to the question...how do I depict this on one card? I want to show my paintings, but I also want to show my collages as I also work in that medium too. I could do a few things. 1) D...

I need a day off. I worked hard last week, working 12 hours days. There were some days I did not even have the energy to go out and have dinner. Collapsing on the bed was more gratifying. But the show is over. Considering the economy, I did well. The studio will be heated for a few more months thanks for the patronage of my faithful buyers and friends. I am done with production work and have a period of rest, even though my mind starts jumping ahead to Valentines Day..... I showed both my fine art and craft items, and sold a few smaller pieces of art. I got some good feedback on my paintings, and met and enjoyed the best people, both vendors and buyers alike. It is a show I love to do once a year, as we all have a good time, no matter the weather or crowd. And now, as the dust from my whirlwind two weeks clears, I find that there are just 2 weeks until Christmas. I have not shopped much, and need to get my ass in gear. That is what tomorrow will be for. I am PRAYING that we have a ...

I have been in the studio working away. It is the week that I finish what I can, package, label, and price. Each year I wonder if I should have made more of this, or more of that, but in the end I end up taking a deep breath, and muttering "it is what it is". I made a few collages which have some 3-D attachments, and am framing them in vintage frames, but not putting them under glass. I love them this way, and the art seems more accessible if it isn't hidden under a layer of glass and framing spacers. The problem was how to attach the items. Glue? Wire? Glue is a tricky thing. Its composition and color can change over time, discoloring the art, or becoming brittle and no longer holding. Other than the Acid Free Bookbinding glue that I use with most of my collage work, I usually don't like to use glue. (save for the hot glue gun that was a necessity gluing vintage tinsel rope onto antique cards ) I decided that glue was not an option. I bought out my trusty Dre...