Michael De Meng Weekend part 1

Left VT on Friday afternoon, after a 1 and 1/2 hours ordeal of getting the summer tires put on the car ( in VT you could probably leave the studded snows on till july- it felt cold enough to snow on thursday that's for sure.) made it to absolutely everything, in topsfield mass in a little under 3 1/2 hours. just in time for "paint like mike class." the first class in my three day weekend with Michael de Meng.

i, of course, left my black and white at home on my desk, and had to buy two more tubes of paint (so much for good packing.) But Michael taught us some great painting techniques. Which was way cool.

Finished with the class, i found my hotel which was a huge challenge, and prepped up some rusted altoid tins. i have my work cut out for me for the next month. i need to make a ton of pieces before the stowe street art fest in july.

today was assemblage with transparencies. michael is a great teacher. he is funny, friendly, very approachable. he makes the process, every accessible. his critic session at the end of the class was fair, insightful and comprehensive. i was very impressed.

i was a little nervous, but very focused and just ploughed through the class. i am so happy with the piece a made. i hope the inspiration stays with me when i get home.

a group of us, including michael, went out for dinner after class tonight. what a hoot! can't wait till tomorrow!

WOC Round #2 Christy's Book

Finished Christy's just in the nick of time

Mail date is tomorrow- so much for being gone for a whole week.

Just a little break till the next book rolls in....

I'll need to make more copies of Joanni. Trying to mix it up for each one that comes my way. 

Let's see what happens next.

Under the Influence

My trip to NYC has been incredibly inspiring and invigorating. I've found that so many thinks that have sparked my thought process. things that have made me look at the worlds differently. it's been amazing. i went to the whitney, MOMA, the American Folk Art Museum, 

the center for the book. i took in a lot of interesting architecture that i had taken for granted. i went to the anthropologie store at rockerfeller center and was very impressed my the book as art displays. very cool. all and all it has been really amazing.

So now that i am home- it's time to get back to work- make more art and get ready for my class this weekend. I feel completely re-energized.

i still owe a post on the friends of mine book that it did for my reunion. i will scan and upload pix later today or tomorrow. i handed them off to jennifer, patrick, ted and mike. i have to mail to chris and heather. the reconnecting has been incredible for me. it's given me a "spark" that i cannot comprehend- and will not pause to "analyze."  as some say i do too much of.

more info on urban alchemy artist collection in  park slope to come as well. my meeting with imaan went really well. she even has some boxes and a book in her store.  spending time with adam and angela in bklyn really helps to get a sense of what is going on outside of VT. the mountains are great for creating in, but sometimes you need that outside influence.

Cassandra WIP- C'est fini!

and (she) knows the things you think about

Cassandra

a mother of two

the hand above the hand below

dreams take flight

she sees.....

She's done!

Don't know why she took so long to complete. But she's done and I feel really good about her. Unfortunately the scanner is not long enough to get the very bottom of the page. It's the best I can do considering....

Off to the land of nod-

Tomorrow there's more work to do....

Mother of all yard sales

Yesterday the boys and i went to "the mother of all yard sales." Put on by the volunteers for the Central Vermont Community Land Trust. All the proceeds of the event went to support the development of affordable housing in VT.

Definiately kicked off my summer yard sale season. I kept my purchases under $10- which is how I budget things lately. Found somethings to list on EBAY, and some to make into art. Other things, like a fabulous red hobo bag, just for me...

There's a set of four vintage cocktail trays that I am going to use as the bases for a series of collages, sort of their frames. Five very cool old books to alter. A neat little armoire, to make into a shrine, the door hinges need some work. A large card tin. A strange little bunny, a plastic goose ( I don't know why, I just really liked it- Might need to do a shrine for Leda.) Tibetan prayer flags. 2 pairs of brand new Frye sandals.

Afterwards, we had our first T-ball game of the season. Go Oriels!

Summer must be finally coming....

Laura-WIP Finished

Laura is finished- finally- she's done drying and is scanned.

I'm working on Cassandra tonight. I feel like I am finally getting my groove back- somehow-

the last few weeks have been tough emotionally- I feel like a cartoon character who gets run over by a steam roller and then flatten. I need a air pump to fill myself back up. But I walked

 today for a long time. Felt a little like Forest Gump sans the beard. I just need to stay focused

 on the things that are important. I can be hard to do that in a world full of IDIOTS! Did I say

 that...

so here's laura....

If you loved me

all it touched trying 

climbed up

shut away the sun

kissed many a night

innocent dreams, living

heard whispered

comfort

peacefully the first to greet 

morning

to be 

Cinderella

and then there are two St Joan's

one for the dark and determined

and one for the light and dreamy

both equally strong 

both my muse today

be the change you want to see in the world

Joan is my protector

Be the change

my message for today is simple and direct, albeit, not very orginial

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD.

this is simple. it requires one things- you must be brave enough to TAKE ACTION.

if you don't like the way the world is developing around you. CHANGE IT!!

only you can be the instrument of change. no one else is going to do it for you....

WOC- Round #1 -Lin's Book

I mailed out Lin's book to Linda today- procrastinating as usual, but it's done and in the mail- on time. Lin's book blew me away-it's about her Mom and she did three pages up front about her. She survived Nazi Germany during WW2 and immigrated to the US- What a great story- Lin's color theme was blue- so I kept my St Joan and tried to bring in the blue as much as possible- Although, I did have a big happy accident. What I thought was blue glaze was really green- so when I was NOT paying attention and liberally applied it to the page- and then looked down! OMG! it was an oops! moment. But all and all, i think the green actually helps make the page have a little more life-

It is a challenge-trying to find a way to mesh my visual aesthetic with other people's.

The quote that I included, is by Ayn Rand and reads:
Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplacable spark.
In the hopeless swamps of the not quite, the not yet, and the not at all,
do not let the hero in your soul perish
and leave only frustration for the life you deserved,
but never have been able to reach.

The world you desire can be won,
it exists, it is real, it is possible,
it is yours.

I happened on this quite unexpectedly and now have it taped to the window in my office. It is my inspiration these days- I think, if St Joan had lived when Ayn did, she was say it herself.

It is like the litany against fear.... so simple and so powerful....

In other news- I have still yet to finish my reunion book and I am headed back down to LI/NYC at the end of the month- I really wanted to finish- so I could give to Ted, Patrick, Jennifer and Mike- in person. I know why I am dragging my feet- but, I really need to get over it and move on- I need to look at this project like all the other AB projects that I had- a real deliverable that must be a quality product done by a certain time. Hard to think of art as a deliverable, though.

Michael de Meng's class is at the very end of the month. I need to start collecting supplies and stuff for that! I am really looking forward to going. I still need a place to stay- I should figure that out REAL soon....

It is so wonderful to report that as I am writing this, I am sitting out on my deck, listening to the traffic go by, the birds singing, watching the sun set over the green mountains. The lilac bushes have sizable buds on them. The world renews itself, without man's intervention. Oh spring, what joy!

the inventor

a little steampunk inspired. made with some rusty pieces from the freecycle lot i got last month.

i just noticed he's holding something in his hand- what could it be?

Simplicity

New Aceo

got a few more in the mix

this one is very simple.