Making Holiday Art Hurry, Hurry!

The Queens of Winter Holidays


Gold and Holy Clay Feet


Joy in What is You


Ancient Angel Dust


Hands and Faith


Pixie and Sugar Plums


Saint Lucia


Sweet Queen of Ice and Snow


Red Haired Russian Skater


Madonna and Child


The South American Chocolate Fairy


The Lady with the Amethyst Cross

I've been away too long! Sorry for that. We celebrated El Dia de Los Muertos at the the Indianapolis Art Center with my family and friends and the Altar Installation I made for my ancestor Lydia last weekend. It was a great turnout and good to see everyone. But, I could only stay for a bit because I had to hurry and change gears to make all my Winter Holiday art now. I will be having 2 shows up that both open on 13 November. One will be at the Ashland Gallery here in Broad Ripple and the other will be at the Big Hat Books and Arts Gallery also in Broad Ripple. I am going to be showing photographs, paintings, mixed media collages and many of my "doo-dahs" which is what I call my Holiday ornament things-must take photos! So, for now, here are some photos of what I have been up too. Some pieces I have had for a bit and am framing and others are new. Whatever the case, It is time for sparkles and snow! I am still working on commissions and dolls as well. Yeah, um, no one can come in my studio or house until spring...
Hope all is well with all of you!

Thanks Audrey Eclectic!

Heather's Lovely Portrait as a Birthday gift!


My photographic self portrait as my ancestor Lydia~


The Necklace Jen Parrish made for me~


Me wearing Jen's necklace(and one of her bracelets) with one of my cats Glastonbury-the baby!


The portrait Heather did of me with my four little cats "The Littles" all so blue-I love this and Heather's spooky take on the portrait. It is one of my favourite pieces of art ever! I am wearing my Parrish Relics necklace and bracelet.

I received a wonderful surprise in the mail from our dear Audrey Eclectic. It was a lovely card based on one of my recent photos I had taken as my ancestor Lydia. What a sweet surprise! It made me think back to another lovely piece that Heather had made for me back in 2006. I love this piece and it hangs in my bedroom. It is a family portrait of me with my 4 black cats only clever Heather coloured them a deep turquoise knowing it is my favourite colour.

I can't even remember how I met Heather now! I really can't! Somehow Jen Parrish of Parrish Relics was a part of it all. After seeing seeing a necklace that Jen had made for me featuring my cats, Heather added this necklace into the portrait and I did my own portrait of Heather with her own kittens. So much has happened since then, but Heather remains the same, sweet friend that I knew back then.

I have enjoyed watching her art grow and as it has become a blooming business. I have been so happy to get the news that a "baby was on the way!" and then to see that baby grow into a beautiful and clever little girl. And guess what? Heather and I have never even met?! Hehe! I really feel like she lives next door. She is just that easy, thoughtful kind of person you can't help but love. I know we are going to fix that someday. I think I might squeeze her to death though!

So, thank you Heather(my 'Tasha Pixie'-she may be tiny but she is a tough one!). Thank you for always thinking of me and thank for you for being you! Wishing you all the best always!
Love you!

The "Poetic Terrorism" Book is Finally Ready for Sale!

The Cover of the Book. Photo by Anna Malina Zemlianski



First page inside book-gorgeous!

Hi All! I am very excited because one of my favourite books is finally ready for sale and I am a part of it! This book is called Poetic Terrorism and features self portrait photographs from 37 different female artists around the world and I am one of them. This book is full of light and beauty and I am proud to be a part of it because I believe we all need to throw some beauty and goodness around in the world today. You can read more about the book and purchase it
HERE.

All of the proceeds of the book go to a Charity in Nepal which you can read aboutHERE.

Here is a statement from the author~

'Poetic terrorism' is a book of self-portraits by 37 international women artists who are professional or not. They have united to share their art and spread beauty, poetry and love with their pictures which often can be read as a visual poem.
This book is made of different soul colors and inspirations.
Poetry is scattered in every human emotions women can feel and I have selected here artworks that talks to the soul, that take you to another feminine world and that tells you stories or reminds you fairy tales.
If you love feminine light of fragile and intense emotions, you will be enchanted by this book & enjoy a travel in each artist's world.'

the author, Hélène Deroubaix

Hope all is well with everyone is blogland! Take care.

Finally, A New Post! And, the New Show is Up!

I had to add this photo because I put it in the collage of Lydia's descents and one woman who was looking at all them said, "wow! who was that? she had quite the flair for the dramatic back in her day!". I just said, "Oh yes, she did." HeHe! It's photo of me! Yikers indeed!




I have been busy working on my altar for the Dia De Los Muertos Altar at the Indianapolis Art Center and finally got it finished last night! Whew! I have been either stuck in my studio or out getting supplies. It seems so small and silly now, but I am so detailed oriented-I can't help myself!

I made this altar for my ancestor Lydia Gilbert who came to the British Colonies from England in the 1620s. She was maybe married there or in the Colonies. She and her husband had 4 sons and lived the areas of Salem, MA and Mystic, CT. In around 1650 she was accused of being a witch and hung for it. She was tried in the Courts of Hartford, CT and obviously found guilty of using witchcraft. I am not really sure about the details of her life or how the courts came to the conclusion that she was a "witch". I do know that I am one of her direct descendants so I felt she deserved to have her story told and in a big way.

I took a self portrait photograph and had it blown up to a large size(the frame is about 3x4 feet) because I felt when a person lived in the past like this a painting or drawing is too easy to see as "not real" if that makes sense. I wanted her to be in a photographic and in full colour-something you would never see of her. I made the frame for photograph and painted the boarder for it. I also scanned tons of photographs of her descendants which eventually ended with my parents, my sisters and me and my little nephews. My family never had much money, but they figured out how to get their photos taken! And, thankfully, they held on to everything(um, yeah, like I do too). I made 2 collages of these photos in old frames and put them on either side of her portrait just to show that the "witch" may be gone, but her descendants live on and on.

So, for her photo, I put in a pretty ivory dress that she would never have had because I wanted to give her a pretty dress. I also have her wearing fancy red slippers with red ribbons(surely only a witch would wear red shoes!). I gave her flowers and jewelry too. On her altar table, she has pretty candles and lanterns, a plate of berry scones, maple sugar candy and apples. I also gave her pretty mug with an "L" on it filled with some nice packets of cinnamon tea.

Here are some photos I quickly took of Lydia's Altar. I hope she likes it! I hope all the descendants that have gone on before me like it as well. The "witchiest" thing I can do is wiggle my ears, but I taught myself to do that as a little kid(my grandpa helped me and it was so cool when I finally figured it out!).

And, yes, I know there is the practice of good witchcraft out there that follows the seasons of the earth and all that is good with it. They weren't accusing Lydia of being that kind of witch. They said she was "in league with Satan" and horrible things like that-that she could kill people by putting hexes on them. Well, if she could do that it sure would be a different world. I am pretty sure she was up to her knees in mud trying to make a living out of nothing and take care of her family and herself and didn't have time to "dance with the devil under a full moon". I do hope she can dance for joy now with all her people that love her.

Counting My Blessings-Photos for a Friend

"Counting My Blessings"

I am wearing my friend Schnooks' Grandmother's dress and Schnooks' Great Auntie Gi Gi's(how cool is she for actually having the name 'Gi Gi'?!" gorgeous necklace. Schnooks and I have been friends for about 15 years or more I think. We met as conservators at a museum and worked with the artifacts. She was kind enough to give me her Grandmother's gorgeous dress and Auntie's necklace years and years ago so a photo with them is LONG overdue. Thank you Schnooks!

I am so far behind in everything. I need to catch up with friends, write letters, clean my house and on and on! Working on my next gallery show which will be for El Dia de Los Muertos at the Indianapolis Art Center and I am behind(I made some huge mistakes with my gigantic frames-gah! I have no idea how this will turn out).

In November I will be having a show of my Photography at the Ashland Gallery here in Indianapolis which is a great gallery as well and I am so honoured to be have a show there.

Then I will be working on my beadwork jewelry and Art doll commissions through the holidays and more work with window and interiour displays in boutiques and galleries which I love to do.

My poor little cats are going through their fall allergies-they were just at the vet and they still have extra goop in their eyes, noses and ears-every year this happens! Poor babies. Thankfully, I am just like my Nonnie and stuff tissues up my sleeves.

The weather is finally cooling off, migraines are worse and I am going to try to say away from the doctor but am caving. There have been some sad times and a lot is changing. I am crying a lot-at sad things, surprising things and very good things. I was happy to find that several of my friends have always expected this of me-the whole "laughing and crying at the same time thing". I'm not fooling anyone. My 7 year old nephew "Baba Baby Boy" or just "Babe" is like looking in a mirror for me-he even has my beauty mark! He keeps tissues for me! We had a big talk about some sad stuff-whew! Then he made me a big surprise-a wonderful drawing of an ice cream cone with a cherry on top! It is just gorgeous! I will scan it and post it. It made my day-I was so happy I could have cried all over again, but I need to just go to bed!

Hope all is well with everyone out there. Wishing you all the best.

The Scream Heard Around the World

Finally,She's Ready

The most amazing gift showed up at my door the other day from my younger sister Fox. See, I am turning the big 21(yay! drinks in public!) soon and this gift was on my list of " the most divine pieces of art ever". When I saw how it was wrapped I knew right away what it was and I was so giddy that I almost started crying. Then, I was so overwhelmed that I had to wait a few days to open it to let the whole idea of it sink in. I knew it was one of my favourite paintings done by the artist DJ Berger. You can read about his paintings on his blog HERE
He is also a writer(la-tee-da!) so you can also read about his writings too which are also fantastic and can be very funny(some lines of them are etched in my brain! They make me laugh in my sleep! Thanks a lot DJ). OK, I will break down opening this amazing gift, but first here is a photo of DJ himself with his equally talented and gorgeous wife C. They are most definitely the fancy and beautiful people with lots of book learning and smarts.

DJ Berger


His gorgeous wife C

So, first I got this big box of goodness into my house and just looked at it for a few days and debated if I was worthy of what was inside. Then, after a late night at the gallery, I was kind of down and worn out and needed to see something FANTASTIC and decided that the next morning I would opened it so I did. Here I go!

Bienfang-I know you are not in there! There is something far more unique!


OOh! I love this artist! A little sleepy person on the postcard just like me!


Interesting, a conversation between a giraffe with glasses and tiny cat...


Oh my, I can just see the goodness!


Ack, So wonderful my eyes are burning! Must look away!


Here she is! "Finally, She is ready" by DJ Berger.
Mixed media and Oil on canvas, 16x24 inches. Part of the "String Series".
I love this so much! Check out her awesome mask and black lips! OK I just love everything about this painting!

Here it is from another angle. I just really love her-more than I can explain. Currently, I take her from room to room so I can stare at her. I drag her around like a blankey or something!


Remember this piece? DJ also did this one of me based on one of my photographic self portraits-the ones of me in the feather duster turned headdress. I love it so much and think I look gorgeous with that adam's apple and mossy green skin-seriously! This one is titled "The Adventure Friendship Costume Club". Wait, I don't think I got that title right. Anyhoo, this one sold-BOO! Anyway, DJ left some cryptic message about the Tooth Fairy or something. I love how I look like a wounded soldier because I feel like one. I have worked in Vet hospitals(war vets, not animals) because I felt like I was with my people. I would surely be the soldier who would run the opposite way though and be a total pain.

Anyway, Thanks DJ! I will build you that Art Shack! Red right? It can be for your bigger paintings and the "man room". I can do that and my twin and friends say I am really good nanny too so it will all work out fabulously!

Big Hat Gallery Show

So, the Big Hat Books and Arts Gallery Show Opening has come and gone. It was an amazing night full of surprises! I was surrounded by friends and family and some amazing artists. The gallery looked amazing and it was a beautiful night. I am really pleased with my sales too. Some of my pieces have been shown before and for others it was their first show. Most of them won't be coming home and I am very thankful for that. Now I must get ready for the Dia de Los Muertos Show which opens in just a few weeks! Ai! Here a some photos of my pieces in the show and from the opening night.