fun time scouting for cool stuff

Katherine and I had lots of fun going to thrift stores yesterday. I dumped it all out on the table and added up the receipts. I spent a total of $7.88 I can feel good about it being stuff that no body wanted anymore and the $ goes to charity.

Katherine had done a massive room cleaning and had to drop some stuff off at the Salvation Army and of course since I was there I had to look around and found a whole bag of misc. game pieces, then while we were out we might as well stop in at the Antique Mall- were I bought the Victorian lock, then it was on to the Idaho Youth Ranch, cause I need a lampshade for a project and still had not found one- BINGO! they had a slew of them, picked one out and yes- it fit! Tonight's project is to paint butterflies on it to match the base.

Today I went to find the location of my next art sale. Feb. 12, 13 and 14 from 11-6 at 6521 Ustick Road, Boise. We are located between a sex shop and a Baptist Church! Stop by and say hi.

Inchies

I have seen a lot of different on line "art challenges" and this one seemed just right. The challenge was to create 5 "inchies" I had never made an inchie before...but turns out they are just a 1" collage. 1" is pretty tiny, but it was fun! This could become addictive. I will be making more.
If you would like to join in on the fun go to:
http://myartisticlife.typepad.com/my_artistic_life/2010/01/new-art-challenge-inchies-winners-more.html

These are also posted on my Flicker site along with a category for ATC's, collages, and Found Object Assemblages. http://www.flickr.com/photos/75115793@N00/

Upcycling

Upcycling
A term coined to describe the creation of a product with higher intrinsic value, manufactured from a material at the end of its service life, which had a lower initial end use value.

I had heard this term before but wasn't sure of it's exact meaning, so I looked it up today at http://www.egreenideas.com/glossary.php?group=u

and saw that that is exactly what I am doing as I am purchasing or using things that people no longer want or have a purpose for because it is outdated, or broken or missing parts and by combining it with other items I am turning it into a piece of art, hopefully making something new that someone can relate to and want in their life.

The "Kiss of an Angel" Jewelry Box was a joint effort between my daughter and I. She purchased a plain old used boring brown jewelry box at a thrift store, then painted it white and distressed it and added some crocheted doilies. I made the top out of leftover "greenery" a metal candlestick holder and an angel that looked as though it was missing it's kissing cousin...and antiqued it with acrylic paint. All of this was then attached to the top of the jewelry box.

Ducks in a Drawer

In keeping with my theme of double alliteration...

I bought this jewelry box drawer at the "bins" a warehouse filled with bins of leftover garage sale type items that can't be sold at a regular thrift store. The bins are just stuffed with everything imaginable including lots of broken glass. I find it so sad that things are just thrown in all together in a huge jumbled mess and not more organized. This is kind of like last stop shopping before the city dump. After you collect your items they are put on a scale and you pay 50 cents a pound. I don't think I have ever paid over $2.

Once I found a bunch of cool things to use in my assemblages but the line was really long so I just put the stuff down and left and now every so often, I think of one of those items and try to find it in my studio and how perfect it would be for a current project and then it dawns on me. oh shoot, I didn't buy that because of my aversion to waiting in a line!

I will do anything to avoid waiting in a line.
One time I was at a JoAnnes or Michaels in Dallas and was in line and I heard a woman in a loud voice on her cell phone talking about the rude person that cut in front of her and all of a sudden it dawned on me that she was talking about me! The thing was I am always very polite and I did not cut her off but because I got there before she did, (they had just opened a new lane) she had to call her friend and vent! (She had a full cart and I had one item)

So anyway...I have this drawer and think, what can I do with it...ahh yes....ducks....but now the name reminds me of that Justin Timblerlake/ SNL skit. D....in a box. and I laugh and blush every time.

ATC's

Here are the Artist Trading Cards I finished last night at the studio, they are a mixture of collage and acrylic paint and marker.

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artist_trading_card:

Artist Trading Cards (or ATCs) are miniature works of art about the same size as modern baseball cards,^[1] or 2 ½ X 3 ½ inches (6cm X 9cm),^[2] small enough to fit inside standard card-collector pockets, sleeves or sheets.^[3] The ATC movement developed out of the mail art movement and has its origins in Switzerland.^[4] Cards are produced in various media, including dry media (pencils, pens, markers, etc), wet media (watercolor, acrylic paints, etc), paper media (in the form of collage, papercuts, found objects, etc). The cards are usually traded or exchanged rather than sold.

Productive day and night

After my last post of getting organized and getting stuff done, I hadn't posted or finished any art. Not that I haven't been doing anything, just not finishing anything.

Well I got a lot done today! I finished about 6 new pieces of art that had been in various stages. Including the one above.

Then I went to Kristy's Studio that she is an Artist In Residence in in BoDo. Nancy, Marianne, Kristy and I had fun hanging out and working on our art. I completed 10 ATC's. Kristy has the studio until the end of February so we will probably go back next Tuesday evening.

Some of my other projects have been getting started as a docent at the Art Museum. Getting voted onto the board of directors for a new non-profit starting up- The Treasure Valley Artist Alliance, entering a 3 day recycled theme arts and craft fair held on Valentines weekend and starting a Facebook page for my art titled "Every Little Thing." Guess I haven't been slacking after all!

This assemblage was put together using 2 odd's and ends I had floating around that I had picked up at thrift stores. Playing around with them I saw that they fit together and kind of looked like a trophy. My good friend Sharki gave me a necklace for my birthday/Christmas and the packaging that came with it was too good to throw away and I cut it out and used it for the "plaque" on the trophy. It says "Dear friends are always close to the heart." I also attached some gold beads and caulking and then painted layers of color to unify the piece and make it look old.

What a mess...with a pleasant surprise

So I went to pick up all my art that didn't sell over the holiday's at the Organic Nursery, items to repair... and then had a large tub of art to go through that was picked up for me by Nancy from the Gypsy Show downtown, then I received a notice from the IRS that they didn't receive my sales tax payment from last quarter. My art room is piles high....my husband is occupied teaching a class tonight...sooo...


I'm lighting a fire in the fireplace, (one of the reasons I wanted this house and this room in particular for my studio) pouring a glass of wine and here goes....time to get organized.

But first I have to blog about it...staaallling.....

This ties up the ends on my first full year as a full time artist and I was pleasantly surprised when I added it all up. I sold 52 pieces this year! I was really shocked , I had no idea I had sold that many pieces. Yes I keep track but each event's sales doesn't seem like much but when you add it up, it's one a week for a year.

My next show will be First Thursday in March. Downtown Boise, Place TBA. A good reason to get back on track.

Keep posted for what's next for the New Year!

Treasure Hunting in San Antonio

Well I was 2 weeks in San Antonio with my dad. He was not expected to live more than 2-3 days when I arrived but he is one tough old man and beat the pneumonia. I was fortunate to be there for the big move into a Nursing home and things are stable for now. Of course I got sick for the first time in 3 years from the stress and germs and little sleep one gets from sleeping in the hospital.

I did get to go out a couple times while there. My cousin Nancy and her family came down from NJ and we went to a Mercado were I picked up these cute hand made charms. Now to think what to do with them.
I stayed with my sister Dana who lives in a small town in the Hill Country and while waiting for her son to take his guitar lesson we went into an Antique Store and I found this mixture of items just waiting for a project on the letter "D"...
Nothing is glued down but this is the general idea I came up with, I also have some old dominoes and a vintage picture of children playing dominoes that also fit with the letter theme.
While I was thinking about D's...I found these cute little ducks in my collection and thought they would fit great in this little drawer. "Ducks in a Drawer?"