ROSES: Out and About

Every time I post, I just don't trust that it can really be this easy!:)  Yesterday while I was waiting for my almost 17 year old while he was at his bass lesson, I meandered my way down to one of the only neat shoppes I have found here in Johnstown.  Anyway, The Blacksmith's Exchange is predominately a knitting shoppe.  (I am a terrible knitter, but have found myself spending my pennies on their beautiful hand spun and dyed yarns.   They also have some wonderful vintage wares.... there are some really beautiful ornaments.  These are the candy containers I couldn't pass up.  What really caught my eye about a few of these was that they still had the "F. W. Woolworth price tag of  "10 cents" still attached.  (excuse my poor spelling and grammar.  Screaming baby in my ear is not helping.)  The illustrations on these just tore at my heartstrings as well as the glitter.  (you just don't see glitter like this anymore.)  They probably aren't worth much, but I will treasure these for years to come.    I am still working at trying to get some decorations up.  Yikes!!  A film crew will be at my house Monday to interview Tim on his new Christmas album.  (Laurel Mountain Christmas.  I was glad to do some instrumentals on this as well.)  Sooo...this has been motivation to TRY and clean.....will try to shoot more shots tommorrow.

     The weather here is frightfully warm today.  It is around 57 degrees.  I LOVE snow this time of year, not dreary,wet, rain.  Well, here is a little snow house I made last year.  I absolutely LOVE mixed media.  I haven't done much at all in the past year and am aching to get back to it.  The little snowgirl is hand stitched.  I am CRAZY for paper.  My friend Kriss has also peaked my interest into rubber stamping and would like to dig those out as well.  I am going to try take pics of some decorating I have been doing.  While I am busy decorating, Ethan is busy "undecorating".  It has been a challenge.  The older kidz keep asking, "how many trees do you REALLY need mom?"hmmmm.....good question!!:)  Anyway, the little house was fun to make.  My fave part is the little antique button card I used on the roof.    I am in the long process of going through all my supplies and truely leaving out only what I will need (or think I need) .  I have very, VERY limited space upstairs, so I bought some organizers.  That which was in "cute" baskets or open bowls must now be stored away from "little hands."  Sooo...back to work!!!:)   

Learning as I go...

I I wanted to archive a work I did this past October.  I was one of three artists from the area asked to create a vessel for a silent auction to benefit the Ethnic Bottleworks in Johnstown, PA.  Since the Bottleworks was created in an old bottling company, we were asked to make a "bottle" on our speciallty area.  (The bottlesworks is an oranization formed here to preserve our rich, ethnic heritage of our town.)  My first thought was to create a piece telling a story from my family who owned another bottling company just down the street from the Bottleworks site.  My grandfather was one of thirteen children.  (A German immigrant family.)  The family horse also delivered the various sodas around town.  Her name was Dodie and was VERY protective of the children.  (From what I hear these kids where a wild bunch!!)  When my greatgrandmother would try to discipline the children (hollering to "settle down" etc.)  Dodie would go crazy and try to protect them!  Anyway, I just had a mind block about this and may address this story in a future work.  Instead I picked crows.  There are a kazillion neighborhood.  I was babysitting for my friend who has a 10 year old daughter.  She is very bright at 10 years old and very into animals.  She told me that she communicates with a crow that watches her in her back yard.  She recognizes this certain crow and feels as if it is kind of a "pet".  I told her of a lady who owned a store around where I grew up.  She took in a random crow and trained it to talk.  The crow lived at the store for many years.  I know that crows are very intelligent and although they can be a pain, I really think they a beautiful.  I still wanted to keep the idea of my bottle telling a story, but I wanted the viewer to interpret it in his or her own way.  The "story" becomes your own.  I liked the idea of the crows taking on human characteristics, kind of watching us from a distance.  I see them as gathering our "rubbish" and somehow using it in a thoughful way.  I built the piece from a vase I found.  If I had more time, I probably would have built the whole from paper.  I cheated!!:)  I used some vintage pieces from the area.  I pounded down some little molds, used buttons, stones, paper, and paints.   I was glad for this experience.  It has helped me grow some wings myself.:)

Snowy Sunday

This is my first ever post in "blogland".  Yikes!  I am kind of skeptical that I can really do this...but I guess I will see.  I am busily trying to create some time to work on Holiday gifts and things for Etsy.  The sketches are taking longer than the actual paintings.  I am trying hard to transfer my ideas from my head, to paper...to the canvas.  I am STILL struggling with this.  I am trying for a more "sketchy" , "pencily" look if that makes sense. 

  I am getting over strep throat and sinus infection.  The only good part about the last week was fever induced ideas brewing in my head!!LOL....well, my ever-faithful assistant needs help with some stinky "paper work" to be done!:)