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Showing posts from December, 2009

2010=a RESOLUTION

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

Shame on Me

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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

Winter MUSTS

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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

To all the GOOD Men

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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

Card Dilemna

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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

Hoping for a Snow day

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

Tool/Tip of the Week

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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