In a whimsy painting mode

I finally got out my acrylics and two 16 x 20 canvasses and committed to making a mess. I have been wanting to paint again for the longest time, and so I used some of my recent cat doodles for inspiration. Blythe, Alice in Wonderland and a certain kitty named Tinkerbelle also served as inspiration.
Some techniques used were learned in a February class, including stenciling,  mark-making and adding texture. Not sure either one is quite done yet as I usually like to add some tiny 3-D element. We shall see. The good news is I can't wait to paint again!

I'm so excited! I finally 'did' some art.

I woke up just itching to paint...which is fantastic, since I've barely touched a brush in probably 10 months or more. Just haven't been motivated. But today I knew I would paint. Something big. And big-eyed.

At first, I thought I might paint a picture of a Blythe doll and started out with a face and eyes of that ilk. Then I remembered my Suzi Blu class and all the wonderful mermaids on her Web site. I had painted two 16 x 20 canvasses already from a class I took last winter: Marie Antoinette and also Rodeo Girl. And I had one empty spot next to them anyway. So I looked at some of the mermies in Suzi's group for inspiration and also a gorgeous Mermaid ATC I had received from Shonna Bucaroff of Twisted Figures. And then I was off!

I sketched; I mixed colors. I painted; I glittered. I smashed sea shells to attach along with a net-like piece of ribbon and little bottle (message in a) I had just gotten in a swap with my Zettilicious friend Jade Adams. I dug through cigar boxes for treasures and found a couple of gold 'things' for earrings and a hair ornament. I smudged with charcoal and graphite pencils. I sponged with punchinella and paint. I made bright circles for bubbles.

And then I made myself physically leave my property so I would quit touching it! Cannot wait to hang it up; I am happy. Happy to be making art again. And ideas are exploding in my head. Zentangles! Felt matroyshka ornies! Journal pages! A stitched journal cover! A china doll head with art canvas body! I am so ready.

ZNE Does NOT Rhyme with Halloween

I don't know which is crazier: that I am still blogging about the ZNE Convention (that's 'Z,' 'N,' 'E," not 'zeen') or that I am already blogging about Halloween.

The darling house canvas says 'Home is where the heart is' (so true) and 'There's no place like home' (true too). I bought it from Cindy DeLuz of http://www.apurpledaisy.com in California. Her work just makes me swoon. I love the colors and the richness and the messages. We really hit it off. Anyone who knows me knows I like the whimsy style anyway, but Cindy is so sweet you can't help but adore her. Check out her Web site for more of her work. I can hardly wait to receive the canvas she is sending me in exchange for one of my bracelets from etsy http://www.hpsgsmith.etsy.com. I definitely got the best end of the deal, but of course I hope she feels otherwise! Don't worry, I'll be blogging more about her art.

The Halloween pages are 25 five-inch by five-inch double-sided pages I made last night for The Faerie Zine Halloween Opera fat book page swap. How great it will be to get this finished book back with pages from 24 other artists and an amazing cover from Lisa Kettell http://faerieenchantment.blogspot.com. As it is, I cannot wait to get my circus, bird and dollhouse books back from her. She's crazy; she hosted all of those swaps.

I got the Halloween crepe paper at American Harvest in Pleasanton, CA. The entire store was jam-packed with Halloween stuff during the ZNE convention. I'm already making plans to attend next year, which will be April 29-May 3. http://www.znecon.com. The instructor lineup is incredible and includes both new and old art friends. I'll get to meet Lisa Kettell in person there if not before.

The orange Halloween ribbon with pumpkin faces is vintage, and I got it at the ZNE vendor fair "Pleasantries and Paperie" from a booth that sold nothing but vintage ephemera. Some of the other collage images I used are from Lisa's Altered Art (different Lisa) http://www.lisasalteredart.com, Teesha Moore http://www.teeshamoore.com, Retro Cafe Art http://www.retrocafeart.com, Paper Relics via Hannah Grey http://www.hannahgrey.com and Artchix Studio http://www.artchixstudio.com. Nothing like plugging people and virtual places I love!

Speaking of plugging, with all the ZNE love going around, I was excited to find that I was mentioned on three fantabulous blogs: Dawn DeVries Sokol, editor of 1000 Artist Journal Pages, gave me a mention at http://dblogala.typepad.com/dblogala/2008/08/ajf-the-big-sho-oe-an-ed-sullivan-ref.html, and Kris Hubick pictured 'us' here http://krishubick.blogspot.com/2008/08/longest-post-ever-zne-convenzione-2008.html. Also, the very talented Mica of Garboodles, who will be teaching at ZNE in 2009 blogged about the china head/paper doll box I swapped with her here http://garboodles.blogspot.com/2008/08/private-poppet-swap.html, and it looks like she has pictured what she is sending me. I may just have to tackle the mail person; it is adorable. Artists really are good people.

Paper Box Has a Bad Hair Day

It doesn't really go together, but this paper whimsy box was created with background inspiration from ABC's "Private Practice" and "Dirty Sexy Money." I think Tim Daly, Donald Sutherland and Peter Krause were my muses tonight. Such serious eye candy on mindless TV.

The box is a paper-covered wood box with two different sizes of aged rose florals. The face is courtesy of Sandra Evertson's book, Fanciful Paper Projects. I decoupaged the face to a wood ball that I had painted dark pink. Thinking I would make a hat or hair, I spent about an hour curling tiny strips of paper, only to end up with frills that look like they belong on turkey legs, or feet, or whatever it is that sticks up.

So, then I tried to make a cone hat, which of course made her look like a Conehead. So I started to draw on black pincurls but stopped myself from going black by using a gold marker, thinking I could always go darker later. Not sure I am happy yet, but I sprayed on some gold glitter for good measure and will study it in the a.m.

Of House and Home: Living In Color

Never one to miss an opportunity to get two birds with one stone (not really, would never hurt a flea, and BTW: what is it with me and birds lately?), I decided to do my ZNE Book Club http://www.znebookclub.info/ third week assignment to blog about "Home" and my ebay CaaT group, Complementary Art And Things Blog Cafe assignment on "Color" together.
Although we have only lived in this house two years out of more than 20, this is the first one that truly feels like home. Before that, I would often think of my childhood home as "home." But, this one - this one grabs me, gets me, and satisfies, for the most part, everyone under the roof. It is like living in the country, while still living in a subdivision.
Although it is an older neighborhood and older home by today's yuppie standards, it is so SOLID. I just love that. I feel safe, secure. It is is quiet. If you don't want to enjoy a storm, crickets, a train, whatever, you don't have to. But, if you do, we have two patios and a deck, although modest, they are outside with beautiful views. We have had deer at our front window (yes, looking in) and bunnies coming on to our patio, not to mention the neighbor's two golden retrievers, Grace and Ellie, who were used to handouts from the previous neighbors. Apparently those folks thought throwing bones in the yard was a good idea. (We spent weeks on cleanup and rehab).
Although there are some older features like non-buried power lines, the inside is thoroughly modern, Millie, and the 32' foot long kitchen is a dream, and was the selling feature (as the green and gold shag carpets were not). We are lucky enough to have a living room, family room and finished basement great room, so everyone has a place to go. The 4th bedroom in the finished basement is perfect for adult daughter, Pookie. (OT- I love the blog Pookie and Fig just for name's sake http://pookieandfig.blogspot.com/).
Another funky older feature is that the first owners had a chimney, mantle and wood stove in what was formerly the kitchen or family room, and is now the laundry room. Not too many people get a stone chimney and mantle in their laundry room (see pix). It is the perfect place for my Americana, basket and primitive collections in red, white and blue, of course. I do love color, and my son's bedroom is also r/w/b, although mostly because that is what it was before and this house came with a bedroom with red carpet - the ONLY carpet we kept. Lucky him.
Most of my walls are all off white, also old-school but so much the better for decorating. However, the kitchen does have two cranberry and two faded mustard walls, which I love.
Most everything else is a muted mix, earthy tones of tans, sages, browns, faded blues. I love my ocean bathroom and the brown bathroom. The main bedroom is robin's egg blue with some bright salmon paisley from Land's End, which somehow works great. My office has touches of lavender and is where I keep a lot of my whimsy stuff.
Although all my other country cutie crap has been relegated to garage sales, I just couldn't part with some of these red, white and blue items. I especially love my prim Americana angel I've had so long I don't know where I got her, and I am proud of my cross stitch sampler, a county fair blue ribbon winner. Also love the r/w/b fabric crow on an antique doorknob base.

Jewelry Art

Here are some of my favorite bracelets I've made using handmade ceramic beads from earthenwood studios.http://earthenwood-gallery.blogspot.com/. Check it out!

The Halloween one is my favorite and also includes a sterling web and spider from Penny Michelle http://www.pennymichelle.com/. Check that out too! Most of my other findings are from Bead Source in Fort Wayne. Some of my jewelry is for sale at Canal Street Gallery in Winona Lake and Boutique Exchange in Warsaw, both in northern Indiana. I used to also sell at Inspire Me! in South Bend and Park Boutique in Goshen. I probably should get some around on ebay or etsy! I need a business manager!

Melanie at Earthenwood pictured these on her blog, and http://earthenwood-gallery.blogspot.com/2007/08/by-gina-smith.htmlI am quite flattered. I just tried to take some better pictures to send her, so I thought I would go outside. My Kodak Easyshare usually works pretty good on "beach" setting for anything bright, but it was just toooo bright. The camera even fogged up- now that's humid and/or disgusting! Back inside in the cool..... taking a little time to add this to my blog.

Melanie also reminded me about another great artist: Karen Fincannon, who made the ceramic cat on my desk. Check out her beautiful beads, ceramics and paintings at http://www.karenfincannon.com.

There are so many things I want to make I don't know what to do first-plus, so many great magazines to read. I just got Art & Life #8 by Teesha Moore, an art journal zine in full color, and a back issue from 1992 of hers called "Play." She has great stuff for sale on her website.http://www.teeshamoore.com/.

I also got Somerset Home and Somerset Studio Gallery and Somerset Memories. But, no time to read if I am going to make stuff.

AWLA on ebay is having a challenge Aug. 10-17 for the best piece of art made with the theme "rock." I have some ideas so must get busy. I am also in a secret swap there, and would like to find a fat book or ATC fat book swap. If anyone has one, let me know.

Plus I just got some new rubber stamps and need to mount them. Stamp On It in Grand Rapids has nice, inexpensive blocks. Really, who has time to work? Good thing I love my job! Happy Creating. I am going to cook a fabulous birthday dinner now. Certainly food can be art as well.

More Artist Trading Cards!

I can't believe I finally made some ATCs. I have been resisting for months. I love seeing everyone else's. The talented people on ebay, ZNE, and in some of the published books, such as by Bernie Berlin, are amazing. I didn't think I could work that small, but I am pretty happy with how these turned out. I want to list them on ebay just to gauge a reaction, but I kind of don't want to part with them. I think the lady at the scanner place thought I was weird when she saw these, but I am hoping fellow ATC artists will think I am pretty O.K. The first one below is called "Free Bird."

My First Artist Trading Cards

What I Do