See you later!

My laptop is going away today -- back to the Toshiba Notebook Depot.  I have no idea how long it will take them to fix the problem and get it back to me.  So, in the meantime, I will be going to the library a lot to use their computers.  But, I won't be able to download photos, so any posting I do here, will be text only (How Boring!).

While I'm not getting sucked into the Internet's black hole, maybe I'll find some time to clean up my studio and start getting myself ready for the collage class I'm teaching at the end of January.  Now, that would be a big accomplishment!

A Little Bit Crazed!

11" x 14" Acrylic/Collage on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

So now, my new computer is about to leave me for awhile.  It's still working (for the time being), but keeps showing me this box that says that there is a hard disk error.  I took it to my computer guy, and he backed up everything for me and said that it needs to go back to Toshiba and probably will come back to me with a new hard drive.  AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!  I've finally gotten this thing to the place where I'm comfortable.  Now I have to do it all over again.

Thinking I will be without a computer over Christmas, when we will be doing some traveling, made me just a little bit crazed!  Yes, I am addicted!  So, I went to Barnes & Noble and bought the new NOOK TABLET.  Of course, there is a learning curve, so I'm still wired!  But, I will have some electronic gadget with me that I can access the internet with.  Whew!

Back to the new collage:  I'm going to be teaching some beginner collage classes after the new year, so I thought I better come up with some different ways to do it.  This one started with collaging the canvas, adding paint, then adding my own painted papers (the yellow and purple) - and even the black lines are actually painted tissue paper rolled up and glued down!  And I added some stamping and stenciling, and there you go!

I've still got another idea brewing, and hopefully, I can get it done before the end of the week.  If I gon't get back - I hope all of you have a Wonderful, Happy, Merry Christmas!

Abundance

8" x 10" Acrylic/Collage on Multimedia Art Board

Well, I didn't get to collaging with my painted papers - yet!  I wanted to try using one of my magazine girls in a collage.  I have this pad of great papers from 7 gypsies that I love!  Several of the pages have great words on them (also see last post).  Sometimes it helps to have word or color or theme to work with.  Especially for me - I don't seem to be too creative without a boost!

Anyway, it was a fun collage to do.  And, I'm really loving the Multimedia Art Boards! (I'm thinking that I can mount them on a piece of wood for hanging.) The circles are part of some great napkins that I got.  I tore around the whole circle, and didn't really like the way it looked, so I cut the half circles out.  Now, I love the whole one and not so much the half ones - go figure!

Now I'm really going to start something with my painted papers!

Collage Play

8" x 10" Acrylic/Collage on Multimedia Board

After spending the last few weeks making stuff to sell -- I finally got back into the studio to play!  I'm starting to think of my class coming up next month, so I want to play with collage as much as possible in the coming weeks!

I really loved the way this one came together.  I was trying to figure out how I could use this magazine picture of the bird -- and somehow, I found the right papers. 

Next, I'll use some papers that I painted today.

Acrylic/Collage Workshop



I will be teaching a new all-day workshop at the Unity Church of Citrus next month.  If there is anyone out there who lives in the area, and is interested, please let me know!  If you right-click on the picture, you should be able to print the flyer out - if not, just email me at: nbeaton @bellsouth.net.  This is a beginner course as an introduction to the medium.

A Childhood Memory

If you are around my age, you remember a time before microwaves.  And, you probably remember making popcorn on the stove!

I recently read an article in the newspaper about this activity.  The writer helped me to understand why I have never liked microwave popcorn.  So, off I go to the store to get some popcorn!  I remember well making popcorn on the stove (ours was gas then, so it was a little easier to manage the heat) - opening the lid to let some steam escape, and watching as some popcorn bursts out of the pan - melting butter in the pan (we used Parkay Margarine then, instead of butter) - putting on the salt.  Trust me, it DOES taste better!  I've popped popcorn twice since I read the article, and I remember the pan we used - I think it was only for popcorn - and I've thought of the kitchen I grew up in (that house burned down after my parents moved out) - and I think of my mother.  She passed away in 1993, but I think of her every day and miss her terribly!

After I eat popcorn, I always want something chocolate!  My sister reminded me that Mother made fabulous fudge, and we would usually have fudge with our popcorn!  What popcorn memories do you have?

Another Sale on Fine Art America!

So I just was notified that I sold a print of this painting on Fine Art America!  I hope this one goes through - but they did order the smallest print (approx. 8" square) on Canvas - so it should be ok.  I'd love to see how this looks since the original was done on a piece of wood, all collaged with gloss gel medium.  I think it would look cool!  Anyway, it's nice to see another sale!  Speaking of .. . we're having a small art show and sale after church services for the next 3 Sundays -- maybe I'll get lucky then!

Uptown Girl

8" x 10" Acrylic/Collage on Canvas Board

So, Taylor Swift got a little done-up! (See previous post) This was my second piece for the "Faces in Collage" workshop that I've been taking online.  I've decided that I'm really not creative enough to do it the way that Sharon (and a lot of the others) have done.  So, I'm going to try to figure out how to use the faces in another way with other backgrounds, etc.  Since I'm not very good at drawing, painting on collaged faces is just the ticket for me!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Now comes the craziness before Christmas!  Luckily, for me, it's not too bad.

Trying to catch up!

I just realized that I haven't posted for a week.  It's been a busy one!  I've finished the 4 commissioned "Girls" - made a quilt for church - and have been trying to watch all the videos for my two online classes.  Here is the start for the second one that I'm trying for  "Faces in Collage".  I never did finish the first one - I couldn't figure out how to integrate the background, but I'm still going to try (whenever I find some time!).





Of course, today - which I thought was going to be a gloriously "free" day - is going to be another errand-filled busy one!  But, sooner or later, it just HAS TO SLOW DOWN!

Multimedia Artboards

I ordered these Multimedia Artboards from Dick Blick last week.  Just wondered how they might work for my collage class in January.  They are wafer thin, textured on one side and plain on the other.  I first put some acrylic paint and lots of water on it for the background, dried it - then collaged with painted papers and a beautiful napkin that Sharon Tomlinson sent to me.  I must admit, I think I'll get a bunch of these for the class.  It took a lot of abuse, but did not buckle one bit.  I'm not sure how I felt about painting on it, though - but collage worked great!  This one is 8" x 10" - and I bought a pack of 5 for $4.99.

Step One

So here's where I am now.


I think I'm pretty well done with the face, so now it's time to work with the background.  I must admit, I really thought the hard part would be the face, but I think it's going to be the background.  You really need to have an imagination to do the next part, and I fear that I'm sorely lacking in that department!  We'll see!

A new challenge!

So, I started "Faces in Collage" - an online workshop by Sharon Tomlinson.  This is the beginning of my first project.  If you go to her blog, you can see all the gorgeous paintings she has done, beginning with magazine collage.  I've got my fingers crossed that I can figure out just how to do it!  By the way, it's never too late to sign up for this class, it will be there forever!  Come and play with us!

Sold on Fine Art America!

So I just got a notice that a print of this painting sold today on Fine Art America!  The buyer purchased the print on a gallery wrapped canvas in a 22" x 36" size.  I'd love to see how that looks!  The watercolor original painting was done on 9" x 12" paper, I think.  Anyway, it's fun to get a sale - I've been on that site for 2 years, and this is the only 2nd print that I've sold.  And a couple of cards.  However, I watch it almost daily, and it's amazing how many people look at my art! 


UPDATE:  I just received a notification that the photo of this painting that I sent in is too low in resolution to enable them to make the larger print.  They wanted me to take another photo and send it in, but I no longer own this painting - it resides in another state!  So, no sale for me!  Oh well, I was happy for a little while!

Busy Days Ahead!

I'm working on creating 4 "Girls" commissions,





Making 10 Cardinal cards for a friend,

Sewing in 63 embriodery floss ties for this quilt for church (by tomorrow!),



Tearing out more magazine pages for my class with Sharon Tomlinson,

And, getting my lines and back-story down for the Mystery Dinner Theater play on Friday!

WHEW!

City Lights

12" x 12" Acrylic on textured canvas

Last week, I recived my new copy of Somerset Studio.  In it, is a little article about using Purple, Turquoise, Mustard and Black.  I thought it was intriguing, so I tried a little painting with those colors.  The article was by Dina Wakley, by the way - and she also used a lot of white.  I'm still not satisfied with my abstracts yet - much more practice to do!

In other news, I'm starting a new class soon -  "Faces in Collage" by Sharon Tomlinson!  I'm kinda scared (I usually am!) cause faces are so new to me, but I'm gonna give it my best try!  Also this month, I'm taking another online course from Christy Tomlinson (no relation to Sharon) - this one on SheArt2 - doing more with the girls!   I think I'm starting to love taking online classes - they never end, they are forever on your computer - and you can do it at your own pace.  I'm sure that I'll be posting soon with new paintings from these classes!


Oh, and just so you know, I did receive the Birthday Flowers from my hubby, and they are gorgeous!

What a Birthday!

So, today is my birthday!  This plant arrived in the afternoon from my daughter (who lives in Kansas City) - I thought it was a little different, but I kinda like it.  The card on it said it is a Money Tree.  I called Serena and was describing the plant, and she asked me to send her a photo of it, so I did.  Later, I received an email from her saying "This isn't what I ordered!"  Later we spoke again, and she said she had called the florist here in Dunnellon, who told her that no, this isn't a money tree!  It's some kind of gardenia.  So, the florist will call me tomorrow to see what I want to do.


On top of that, my dear husband (who NEVER orders flowers) took it upon himself to order me flowers for my birthday this year.  Of course, the flowers never showed up -- and when he called them, (long story short) they discovered that the order was never put through!  So, after much huffing and puffing, he agreed to getting my flowers tomorrow - at a 30% discount, of course!


But, I did get a chocolate cake from my sister!  That's the good news!

Hannah

This week I finished and delivered my first "Girl" commission.  My friend, Becky, ordered a girl to give to her daughter, Hannah, for her birthday next month.  I first met Hannah when she was about 2 years old - she'll be turning 10 in November.  Here's a photo of her taken this summer at our Mystery Dinner Theater at church.  She's such a doll!  I hope I did her justice with my painting!

Perchance to Sell!

I showed some of my stuff to Nancy Meyers at Grumble's House on Monday - and she agreed to put my "Girls", these 2 paintings that are on 12" square wood, and my fabric bowls and coasters in her shop through the Christmas season.  I'm hoping that after the first of the year, she'll have some space that I can rent, and put all my stuff in there.  I'd love to have a place to show and sell my paintings and other crafting that I do.  Right now, I'd just love to be able to get all these things out of my studio!   And, Grumble's House is the busiest place in this little burg.  They have customers that come from all over the state.  Wish me luck!

A Tale of Two Torties

That's Penny on the left and Sheba (the new one) on the right.  As you can see, they really don't look a lot alike!  Except, at a distance you have to look at the size.  We're still having a lot of hissing from Sheba whenever Penny is in her sight.  And, Heaven forbid if Penny ever gets up close!  Then it goes to screaming like she's being killed!  And, I know that it's only been a week, but I'm getting a little fed up with it.  The good news is that Barney (the dog) can actually come up to her and touch her without so much as a sniff!  Praying for Peace!

Serena

This one is for my baby girl, Serena!  She always was a sweet little girl - and now that she's a woman with 3 kids, husband, dogs, cat, and trying to work 3 part-time jobs, she still finds time for her friends or anyone else that needs her.  She wears me out just thinking about all she does!  So, Serena, I salute you!

Now, this is a photo of my Studio!  How in the world did it get to be such a mess?  It seems like I clean it up and organize it several times a year, but still it manages to get to this state quickly!  Do any of you have this problem?  Yikes!  No wonder it's hard for me to get in there and try to create!

Trying to save a life

Caught her yawning!

It's so hard to be a SuperHero! My neighbor has been telling me about this little cat since before Ziggy disappeared. She has been living at the Rainbow Springs Private Beach by the Rainbow River. My neighbor and a lot of other ladies often go there in the mornings to float down the river, and they bring the kitty food. They all have been worried about her, with winter coming, not very many folks will be going to the river to feed her, and there are alligators there, also. And don't forget the coyotes, foxes and bears!
So, when Ziggy vanished, she felt it was my duty to save this little cat. I went there yesterday, and the kitty was so sweet and loving - so I took a chance and brought her home. And now, she has decided that I am the enemy! Lots of growling and hissing going on.
I've kept her out on the screened- in pool deck, but all she really wants to do is get outside! This morning, though, she came to me and rubbed up against me and wanted to be petted. Progress! Then I let my cat Penny out and it was kinda cool. They just ignored each other till Penny gave up and came inside. Unfortunately, my dog, Barney got out and scared her to death! Two steps back. Now, it looks like rain.
I think it's interesting that she is a tortious - just like Penny. Except Penny has long legs, tail and face while this one has short legs, tail and a kind of Persian shaped face! I'm still trying to figure out a name for her. Sure hope she warms up soon - I'd love to get her in the house and become one of the family!

Back to normal-- kind of....

Bill came home from the hospital on Tuesday - a day earlier than expected.  He is recovering nicely, but still in a lot of pain.  He is such a good patient!  He does everything he's supposed to do, and never complains.

So, today, I finally got back in the studio and started 2 more girl canvases.  These girls will be "S" and "T" - I'm almost to the end of the alphabet!  And, I've got 3 orders for some specific girls - those will be fun to do!

Mid-morning yesterday, I looked out my back window and saw a large coyote in my back yard!  I made a noise, and he just stopped and looked at the house - and stood there until I started yelling at him to go away!  I've never seen one during the light of day - which makes me think that he was the one that got my poor little Ziggy, and was coming back for more.  So, from now on, Penny will never be going outdoors.  She can go back to spending time on the screened in pool deck, and if that isn't good enough -- Tough!

Hospital Update

Bill's surgery went well. He got out of ICU this morning, and moved to a room. He'll be in the hospital until next Wednesday. I got booted out of the hotel because of a home game for the Gators - no rooms in Gainesville, period! But, I'll check back in on Sunday.

I'm still having issues with Blogger not keeping me signed in, so that's why I haven't been commenting on anyone's posts -- but I am looking at them! Also, still having some problems with this computer, and with the wi-fi at the hotel. Hopefully, when I get back home, I can get these problems taken care of.

Quinn & Rosie

"Rosie"

"Quinn"

Ok, so I got my new computer. The photo program I always used is no longer on it. They did save my pictures from the old computer and I did get to upload this from my new "viewer", but I can't resize them, so if you click on them,they're probably huge. Still have a ways to go to figure all this out - I've used the same stuff for over 10 years, so this is giving me a headache! I'll keep playing all weekend, and see what I can do.

Bill will be going into the hospital Sunday afternoon, and his surgery will be on Tuesday morning. I'll be staying in a hotel in Gainesville all next week, so I should have plenty of time to work on this computer. I am glad that I now have a laptop to take with me -- I'm sure I would have gone in withdrawal if I didn't have a computer with me!

More Frustrations!

So, I guess it's not enough that I lost a cat this week -- I also had to lose my computer!

Last night, we had another Florida Thunderstorm. I was trying to comfort my dog who barks incessantly when there is thunder, and lightning struck really close! Of course, I hadn't unplugged my computer (like I usually do) - so it got fried! Off I go to Best Buy today, and spent three hours getting terribly confused - I think I'm too old for this! Finally, it was done - I bought a new laptop. They're going to transfer all my stuff from the old computer, so that's a good thing. However, I'm learning that most of my programs can't be transfered, so I have a lot of work to do before I'm really back to where I'm comfortable!

Today, someone in line at Best Buy reminded me that things happen in threes - I really didn't need to hear that. The only thing coming up is Bill's surgery next Tuesday. I hope it isn't jinxed! I think I'll go now and have that meltdown that I've been feeling all day.

I Am Heartbroken

My fabulous boy-cat, Ziggy, has vanished. He went out as usual on Tuesday morning. However, usually I make them wait till it's light outside, but that morning he was raring to go - so I gave in. It was about 6 am, and still dark.

Ziggy had proven to me that he would not run off - he always stayed close to the house, with an occasional visit next door with his cat-friend, Max. And, he always came when I called him.

He usually was in the front yard when Barney and I went for our daily walk at about 9am, but on Tuesday, he was not there. I figured he was with Max. Then, we needed to leave at 3pm, so I called and called, and nothing. So, when we got back at about 7pm, I called and called again - no luck. So, we started searching. More nothing!

We live in an area of town called "The Woodlands". It's called that for a reason - there are areas in the neighborhood that have lots of trees and woods. It's why we spot deer once in a while. Also, there have been known to house coyotes and foxes - and this year, there has been a black bear running around. But, for some reason, I was never worried - of course, I never let the cats out in the dark, either! Don't bother beating me up - I'm doing a fine job of it by myself. Yes, I KNOW BETTER!!!

I had convinced myself last night that Ziggy had probably met his demise by one of the critters, and I just had to accept it. Then, I had a dream that I saw him at the neighbor's house, and he was hurt. I woke up with a new purpose! I figured that no one would be able to pick him up (he runs the other way whenever anyone tries) - and we live in a very small town without a shelter. But, IF he was attacked and hurt, maybe someone would take him to one of the vet hospitals in town! I just knew that he was sending me a sign! I impatiently waited till they opened and called, expecting him to be there. But, alas, no one has brought in a sweet black cat with white paws. So now I'm back to trying to accept this. I miss him terribly.

Olivia and Patsy

Olivia - she's crazy in love! And, I love her pink and greeness!

And here's Patsy, made for my hairdresser. I'll be taking her to Patsy tomorrow - along with the cards I made of all these girls!

And, here is the gift idea my friend Gretchen came up with! Now, if I can just find a place to put my paintings in, along with some of these flyers. I took them to church on Sunday, and got 2 orders from a friend for her granddaughters for Christmas!

Mary & Me

First up is Mary. She is dedicated to my sweet daughter-in-law. She's a kindergarten teacher, so you know she has a lot of patience! She has been married to my son, Eric, for 18 years, and is mother to my grandsons, Alex & Zack. She's the perfect partner for my son - and I love her dearly! But since she is surrounded by all that testosterone, I thought her phrase should show the girly side of her!

And, of course, I had to make one for myself! And the phrase says it all: I do have a wonderful life! A great husband, 2 fabulous adult children and 5 grandchildren - what else does a girl need? Except more shoes, maybe?

My friend, Gretchen, came up with a super idea for me to make these girls to order for gifts. More on that later!

The Cards

So, this shows you how I cropped the paintings to fit on a card. I copied the photos on simple white card stock, so they still have that kind of vintage feel. You really can't see it, but there are some seriously beautiful scrapbooking papers acting as mats on these. I'm pretty happy about them - I'll take some into Patsy's on Wednesday and see if there's any interest.

Kathleen and Lauri

I know you all must be getting really tired of seeing these - but I'm afraid it's all I'm doing right now! My goal is to make a girl for every letter in the alphabet, and I'm not even half way there!

I did discover that I like it when I use a friend or family member as a muse. So Kathleen was made for my friend who takes care of my dog, Barney, whenever I need it. She used to have her own shop - "The Barktique" - here in Dunnellon when I first moved here. She's just a delight, and writes a column for the local weekly paper. I don't know what I would do without her to take care of Barney - he loves her, and it makes me happy to know that he's very well taken care of!

And, I also like the idea of giving these pieces to the person that inspired them! It certainly is better than having a ton of them take up space in my studio!

The minister of my church, Lauri Gist, was my subject for this one. She is the most calm, pleasant and loving person I know. She has helped me in ways that she doesn't even know - so I thought I would dedicate a girl to her - and I'll be giving it to her soon.

Jenny

I finished up Jenny this morning. Now, the fun part! Starting 2 more canvases! I like making them two at a time - I use a lot of the same paint on both, so there's not so much waste. Also, it gets my juices flowing, having to figure out what will be different about each girl. I usually name them before I start, so they have a little story.

I finally figured out how to crop them for the cards. I'll post a card next time so you can see how they are turning out.

It's been raining here since 4:00 this morning, so it's a great day to get into the studio and play!

Isabella

OMG! Blogger has a new interface to post on. I went through the whole thing, and my post did not post! I thought I was done for. After lots of searching, I did find out that I could use the old system - so here goes again!

So, here is Isabella! These are so addicting! It reminds me of when I was a little girl and I would design paper doll clothes out of old wallpaper books! I would have to have just the right paper doll - she had to be an adult, with her arms away from her body, and have on a strapless bathing suit. I was so picky! I wish I had some now to look at!

I'm working on Jenny now, and she should be ready by tomorrow.

I wish Blogger would quit changing things - it's very disconcerting for an old dog like me!

Starts

So today, I started two more canvases for my girls. This is the part that I think I like the most! Putting on papers, paint, stamps, texture - trying to get a feel for what these pieces will say. At this point, I have no idea what the girls will look like, or what the words will be. Right now it's all about making a great background. But it will speak to me ... soon!

Gretchen & Haley

These two little ones are named for (and made for) my friend, Gretchen (left) and my granddaughter, Haley (right). I'll be sending these to them ASAP. Hope they like 'em!

I met Gretchen in Houston in the early 80's, and we were both in advertising at the time. We became fast friends, and even though I moved away in 1988, we have remained close. When I had my quilt shop, I would visit with her and her husband, Sam, every October during Quilt Market. I remember her visiting me in Kansas City during a snowstorm, and she walked our dog in the snow. Having lived in Southern California and Houston, she never really got to experience that kind of snow! Then there was the infamous road trip that she took with us from St. Petersburg, FL, up the coast to Destin. I got so sunburned, I laid in the hotel for one solid day! Fun times!

And, of course, when I needed a name that began with "H", who else would I choose but my wonderful granddaughter, Haley! I blogged a bit about her when she came to visit this summer, but I have to tell you I think she's just great! Just starting to be a teenager, so mood swings abound - but we had a grand time anyway! She loves to draw, and she was moved up to Art 3 (instead of Art 2) right after school started. Love her!

As far as the paintings go, these were done on 6" x 12" canvases, and now I know why Christy likes them so - the size is just perfect for these little gals. Unfortunately, they're not the right size for me to use them for cards - so I think I'll do a little creative cropping, and I think I can make them work.

Two More!

"Emily" - 9'x 12" Mixed Media

"Francine" - 9" x 12" Mixed Media

I finished watching all the videos of Christy Tomlinson's SheArt Workshop. It was so much fun, and I learned a lot of new fun things! Now, my goal is to try to figure out how to make these into MY original artwork. I'm always excited when I get to learn someone else's art processes, but then I feel like I'm just copying - and I really don't want to do that!

Also, Christy does her art on 6" x 12" canvases. I ordered some and they just came yesterday. So, the first two were done on 12" x 12" canvas, and I didn't like it -- too much background, girls too little. These were done on 9" x 12", and I like them better, but am anxious to try the smaller canvases.

One way that I have personlized these little girls is in the phrases. I've tried to come up with phrases that express me and my life. So, we'll see how the next phase goes. I might figure out a cool way to make it mine - or, I just might change it all together!

Danielle

12" x 12" Mixed Media

Here's my next little girl - "Danielle". I forgot to tell you that the "Sisters" names are "Beth" and "Chloe". Do you sense a method to my madness? Also, I decided to include numbers for each one in this series. I think it will be fun to see if I can make enough to put on cards that I sell in my local beauty salon. I've had very good luck with my watercolor cards there, but I think it's time to do something different.

On another note, we had a post-op appointment for Bill today, and the news isn't very great. Looks like we will be seeing a big operation in his near future. I won't get into the details, but life as we know it will start looking a lot different soon. To his credit, I'm sure that HE can handle it all - I think I'm just worried about ME! Gulp!

Sisters

12" x 12" Mixed Media on Canvas

OMG! Two posts in one day! But, I started this one yesterday, and finished it just a little bit ago and was so excited that I just had to post it!

I'm still not quite where I want to be with this technique, but I have a lot of goodies coming in the mail that just might help me. And, I still have several of Christy's videos to go through.

I have a goal of making a lot of these gals, and I hope I don't get side-tracked by some other new, cool technique! Pray for me!

Anna

I absolutely love the internet! Case in point: Don't remember quite how I found her, but I did find Saundra Lane Galloway's blog - from reading her blog and comments, I then found Diane Salter's blog - and after reading some of her older posts, I came across Christy Tomlinson and her fabulous "She Art Online Workshop"!!

So, for the last couple of days, I have been glued to my monitor, watching videos of Christy teaching this marvelous way she has of backgrounds, textures, girls and words! While I waited for the videos to load, I went into my studio and started playing around in my art journal. So, the first of my She Art girls, "Anna", was born there. And, I'm not too happy with the background, but I still love her!

There is still a lot more to learn, but now I will be putting these girls on canvases, and exploring what else I can do for them. Stayed tuned!