RECYCLING AT ITS BEST

I must confess I cannot toss out an item or pass a pile of junk without thinking what it could be recycled into. I am always thrilled when I come across websites that show really unique ideas for recycling everyday items many toss away. You have to check out this site where aluminum cans are resused as siding on a house! Really...check it out. Pop over to ECO-ARTWARE blog.

You also might want to check out these neat Rag Chairs made by DROOG.

PAINTERS BLOCK?

Okay I've heard of writers block and I think that I may have painters block. You know one of those times when you can stare and stare at a canvas and just cannot bring yourself to pick up the paintbrush? What a strange feeling. It's not that there aren't ideas swimming around in my head, they swim so fast I get dizzy! But something, sometimes just stops me from picking up that brush. I think sometimes it is lack of confidence that I can bring the image swimming around in my head to life on that big blank canvas staring back at me. I think the canvas and I are having a battle of sorts. I feel it staring at me saying...go ahead, do your best but it won't be good enough. Grrr...I wish it would be quiet. I tell myself, okay pour a cup of tea, get yourself comfortable and settle down to paint. Well, I go get the tea but when I come back that canvas is still staring at me, challenging me. So being somewhat intimidated I decide to go throw a load of laundry in instead. A few minutes later I come back, tea somewhat cold, and settle down once again to begin painting. I pick up my brush, turn to face the canvas...and there it is...glaring at me again. Okay by now I am getting severely annoyed. How dare it try to intimidate me. I am the one that adds the paint to it's surface to make it colorful and come to life. I am the one that decides whether to use it or relegate it to the back of my closet. How dare it challenge me! I once again pick up the paintbrush dip it into my paints and take a swipe at the canvas. "There, take that!" I think to myself. Crazily I start to dip into the various colours swishing my brush around on the canvas losing all track of time. When finally, I stop and sit back, slowly becoming aware of the world around me, I look once again at the intimidating canvas and lo and behold, it is ablaze with colour. Colour put there by me. I stand back and take a look at what I have created and am instantly filled with satisfaction. Once again I have managed to beat the dreaded blank canvas and turned it into a work of art sure to be appreciated and loved by someone somewhere.

LATEST FUNKY MAMA

Well here is the latest in my "Funky Mamas". No. 3, Cheyenne, a Native American girl. I had a lot of fun creating her as I do with all my work. I created a suede fringe to edge her in, added some hand beaded earrings, feathers in her braids and she was born. These women are so much fun to create I can't wait to get started on another. She is for sale at my ETSY store or at my website Simply Art. I can also custom design them with specific nationalities, hair colors etc.

FLIGHT OF THE RAVEN

My sister's husband was facing surgery for cancer and it was a really rough time for them. I wanted to do something special for him so I told her I would like to paint something for him. They both love spiritual pictures along native themes. She also likes colors more in the pastel shades rather than bold and bright as I usually paint in. The above painting was what I came up with.
Their last name is Raven so the image of the Raven in flight is somewhat symbolic. He loved the painting and I think for a short time it gave him a lift.
They continue to struggle through their battle. I hope they draw some bit of comfort from my painting.

ZAZZLE ME!

Okay I know I said I Love Etsy and I do...but now I also love Zazzle! I am really excited because my products bearing my artwork are really starting to sell. Okay, it doesn't mean I am making much money, as I explained in an earlier post the income is minimal. But it is a reassurance that people like/love my work and that in itself what thrills me the most. My father's and mother's day aprons are the biggest hit. On the father's day apron I featured one of my hockey paintings as there are so many Dad's and Grandpa's out there that really support their children's exra-curricular activities. The painting below is the one that appears on the Mother's Day apron.

On a man's ball cap I have this picture of a painting I haven't quite completed. It is a 1957 Red Chev. I can't quite seem to decide how to finish off this painting and then I will put it up for sale.


Anyway, even though I don't do it for the money, I guess I do it more for the exposure and the pure thrill of knowing people enjoy my artwork since that in itself is the reason I paint.

FUN WITH MOSAICS

I have also recently experimented a little bit with mosaics. This is really a fun medium also and there are many wonderful things you can do with it. I took this boring wooden shelf and used some broken china, a discarded watch piece, some jewellry and I really like the way it turned out. Unfortunately, my camera is acting up and the shot is not very clear. Another bonus I discovered in working with Mosaics is now my friends don't ask me to help with the dishes. Gee, I wonder if they are thinking I might 'accidentally' drop their china??? :)

I LOVE ETSY

After years of selling on another auction site I have switched over to Etsy just recently and I am loving this site. One of the features I love is the ability to 'reserve' items for people or to offer 'custom' items. I decided that since I loved making my fairy house shown here that I would take orders for them. Etsy makes that easy to do. You have to love a site like that! So, if anyone is interested in ordering a fairy house pop on over to my Etsy store. Although I posted this picture in an earlier blog here it is again so you can see what it is I am offering.Growing up with a Celtic family I listened to stories of faeries and their doings. We had a ritual we use to do, that my daughter and I still do that involved the faeries. Growing up every time we misplaced something my Aunt would say..."It's those darn faeries again...they must have hidden it." The only way you could get it back was by stomping your feet and demanding they return it. Then we would toss a few coins into the room and leave, allowing them the time to put it back. A few minutes later we would stomp back into the room and say..."Okay Faeries..where is it?" Sure enough we would find the item we had been seeking. Believe it or not. My daughter and I still do this :)
So it seems only fitting to offer them their own wee house to reside in. After all, faeries need their own 'space' too.
So next time you misplace something...ask the faeries...:)