With that said, I could sit here and dwell on my disappointment or I could be thankful instead for the blessing of family, friends, and art.  These things, combined with running have made a devastating year, manageable and almost tolerable.  So, with that thought I wanted to share this piece I did in KC Willis’ class last month.  

This little girl has such joy, considering she grew up in a time when we were not allowed to vote, lived in a segregated society, and could at best dream of becoming a maid.  She exudes joyfulness and makes anyone that sees her smile.  So, I thought I would reflect on her smile and remember there will be other opportunities and other disappointments much more powerful than a missed race.  And if I can just stay focused on positive thought, I may not be able to avoid the disappointments, but I can keep focused on my blessings and be thankful for what I have.  And that will make what ever the difficulty, better faster than I could hope. 

All the best…

As artists, we know that one of the greatest gifts we have is our hands.  With that said, one of the most positive things that came out of January was a confirmation about my hands.  I spent the tale-end of December, January, and February doing physical therapy for my hand.  My right hand has had issues since 1988.  And with recent work changes, my workload had jumped exponentially.  Because of that, I just didn’t have enough sense to take breaks during the work day.  So, I would just pound away, hour upon hour upon hour, trying to get everything done.  But, my hand knew there was a problem with that.  And in early December, I started back doing physical therapy twice per week (through the holidays and into the New Year). 

As this had been a long term issue, I had to take a test at the end of January.  It was an EMG.  One of the most painful things I have ever had to do.  As they tested both hands, they hurt for two days after the testing that went on for a full 30 minutes.  The singular positive thing was at the end I had a diagnosis and the knowledge that I don’t have to have surgery!!!  YES!!! 

Because I had been doing all this physical therapy, I have done limited art work over the last several months.  But, this art piece due to the image and subject matter, truly resonated with me today.  And I wanted to share it with you.  I created only two, one for my dear friend Kelly Kilmer and one for myself.  Kelly loves hands and is very knowledgeable about the politics of the day.  I think she is awesome and I enjoyed making this transfer collage for her.  

With that said, this art is now much more symbolic for me about being a mother, wanting peace for my children, and wanting peace for myself.  Now that I know I don’t have to have surgery, I have found a little Peace.

Two fun challenges in a row!!  I really liked this week’s challenge.  I originally was going to do a more traditional ornament.  But, I was so taken by my class last week with Kelly last week and all that has happened this month; I decided to do a Little Book of Hope.  

I picked some of my most festive decorative papers.  Then I created the cover using two cool papers and adding this little piece of left over fringe for the bottom.  I then stitched the book together to create a Fukoro Toji (see last week’s Mixed Media post).  Right before I stitched the book together I placed ribbon down the middle to create the hanger for the book.  As I commented a few months ago, “your thoughts create your future”.  As such, inside of my little book of Hope, I am collaging all the things that I hope for now and in the future.  This just puts a smile on my face and lifts my spirit.

What a cool challenge for the week.  I hope all of you have a great week!

This is my first time posting to Sunday Postcard Art.  I found the site several months ago, but just never could get it together.  So I was bound and determined to post this weekend.  And although it is late on Sunday, I am going to do it. 

I loved the idea of a hat and I am really focused on Asian images right now.  So, I searched for an image that might have a hat and I found this fabulous image from ARTchix Studio.  Helga has fabulous images and this one is one of my favorites. 

I used decorative papers as the background for her and laid that on top of a tea stand postcard from a Japanese restaurant catalog.  Then I used ribbon to pick up the color in her kimono and create a focal point.  Then finally, I used metal bits from Creative Underground to anchor the collage.

The piece came out pretty cool.  I am going to mount it on a larger canvas ultimately.  How fun!!!

I have had one of the best weekends, outside of the Obama Rally a few weeks ago.  It was great.  I took three classes from Kelly Kilmer.  I mentioned her earlier this week.  She teaches awesome, creative, innovative classes all around journal making and journaling.  She has been published several times and teaches all over the US. 

I took Snippets – A Unique Artist Book, Goin’ Postal, and Fukoro Toji or Little Bound Book.  She brings practically everything (i.e. paints, papers, images,  pens, awls, gel medium, stamps, super cool tapes, and awesome Japanese pens, etc.)  So it makes taking classes super easy from her. 

I am showing one of the two postcards I made in Goin’ Postal.  It is a really symbolic for me.  Since the car accident in August, I have been unable to do art.  Between doctor visits, physical therapy, company restructuring, general life stuff, I just haven’t had the ability to do any art.  I would have ideas, but just couldn’t do anything with them.  And I have been truly distressed about it. 

Somehow I knew that if I could get started creating again, I would feel so much better.  Every since Kelly taught at the Artists’ Nook in 2004, I have taken classes from her every single year.  She always brings something fresh and knew, every year.  And this year was no exception.  And I knew that if I could take a class from her, it would be a great way to restart creating.  And I was right.  I feel so much better, I can not tell you how blessed I feel that she was here this weekend.

If you ever get a chance to take a class from her, do it!  She is awesome whether you are a novice or an advanced artist.  You will love it AND Kelly too!!

Tomorrow, I will have my art show at the Artists’ Nook in Bellvue, Co.  And I will also have work in the adjoining Fine Antiques Store owned by the awesome Bev Perina.  I honestly can’t wait for the show.  I am not sure how many folks will show up.  But whatever happens I will be excited.  My mother will be in attendance.  It will be the first time since I started showing, on April 9^th, 2007, she has been able to attend a show.  I think it is fitting she will be here for my last two shows of the year. 

It will be one of the few shows that I will be able to have all my work in a single venue.   I’ll have my originals, prints, t-shirts, and books.  It will also be very cool, because one of my dear friends will be teaching just across the street. 

Kelly Kilmer will be here.  She is a great great artist and even a better friend.  I am excited she will be able to be there as well. 

This show has so many reasons to be excited for beyond my family and friends.  In one of my earliest posts, I mentioned two women that were pivotal in starting me back on the path to art.  They are Christine Webb and Christi Wich.  Christine is hosting this show and continues to remind me of how my work has evolved into something great.  Both ladies have created amazing spaces for artists to thrive and grow artistically and as people.  If you are ever in town please stop at there shops, they are both great great ladies!

I will let you know how the show goes this weekend.

I dedicate this post to my mother.  Lucy Mae was born the day the stock market crashed in 1929.  She still recalls growing up in the segregated south quite vividly.   She remembers going to segregated schools and having to step off the sidewalk when a white person would be coming down the sidewalk. Her grandmother raised her and her cousins.  She reinforced over the years, that if Lucy Mae could get through school and college she would make something of herself.  And my mother was relentless.  She got funds from church, she cleaned houses, and she worked until she graduated from college.  She would go on to be a nurse, a special ed teacher, a school counselor, and administrator.  All the while she would endure set backs and prejudice, that are still too painful and many to recount here, but with all of that, she continued to instill us with the belief that if we went to school and college, we would have a better life.  We too could succeed.

The night before the election, I called her.  I said “Mama we are going to be voting for history in the morning.”  She said she would be there bright and early on the 4^th .  She walked right up the street to the Catholic School in our neighborhood.  I wish I could have been there to see her vote.  I wish I could have seen that smile on her face and her proclaim “God is Good, all the time!!!”  And finally to see pump her hand in the air for victory.  Victory for all of us is to see this day, when we all stood up and said it is time for us to have HOPE again. 

As I said last night, it is a great great day!!!  Lucy Mae got to vote for History!!  I am so happy my mother, my dad, and my kids could see this History. 

God Bless America for having the courage to change direction and retake control of her own destiny.

This weekend, the town of Bellvue is celebrating its first Dia de los Muertos.  Bev Perina will be hosting a Dia de los Muertos Celebration:   Fine Art and Antique show (Bellvue, CO) -  Oct 10-12^th, 2008, as well.  Bev owns the Bellvue store and host an event every second Friday of the month. 

There will be multiple artists available at both the Bellvue store and also the Artists’ Nook just next door.  I will have three pieces at the Bellvue store.  One of the art pieces will be the Ntra Sra. Milagrosa (pictured here). Ntra Sra. Milagrosa is collaged on a brilliant background of international papers.  And light is emanating from her.  I love this piece, so she is available via commission.  Also being shown is my Mariachi Tipico Grande (you can check it out on my website) and Dos Corazon (see my post titled Dos Corazon in June). 

The show started Friday night.  If you are in the area, please stop by and check it out.

Tami and Marty met me at my booth.  Special Events, had set up my booth and left two tables for me (and they come and tear it down after the show).  We put out my wonderful linens from Santa Fe, my art, prints and t-shirts.  The booth looked great. 

The show officially opened at 11 am.  Marty and Tami stayed the morning to help me with the booth.  That was awesome, as that was a big lesson learned from Santa Fe.  I need to have more than one person with me during a show.   Rose, her two sisters, Monica, and George all came by and hung out as well.  I had a smile from ear to ear, because it was just great to see everyone. 

I did try to step away around lunch to take a quick break.  And not long after I had, I got a call that James and Eric (of James Judd & Son Vineyard) were in my booth.  I ran back.  They brought me one bottle of each of the wine labels.  They are beautiful!!!  It was wonderful to meet them both for the first time.  It was almost exactly a year ago that James contacted me about designing their wine labels (see my post “Commissions – A Cellar Full of Noise”).  They are going to be doing a wine tasting later this month in San Diego.  And they will have my original art there as part of their booth.  How cool is that?

They left and in the midst of that, I sold two originals, a few prints, and t-shirt.  The show wasn’t as strong as last year, but it was just great to see everyone.  The lady that purchased my first original at my first Castro Street came by again on Sunday.  And she re-introduced herself.  She talked about the art piece “A Good Place” and how much she loves it.  It hangs in her kitchen.  She invited me around to her house, the next time I am out.  She also bought a print as well.  I am truly happy she came by. 

One of the coolest things is that my friends from Seattle and Orange County, flew in and hung out with me in the afternoon.  We ate Sushi from Osaka Sushi, while we sat on the curb and watched amazing people walk by.  They were also there when I sold “What is Life without Honor?”  It is the art piece I highlighted on my e-newsletter, events page of my website, and in this post.  It went home with a very nice couple. 

At the end, we tore down the booth and I shipped everything home right after.  Then Jacci, Jaime, Sara and I all met for dinner at Boulevard (on Mission) in San Francisco.  The goat cheese raviolis are the bomb!!! 

All in all it was a very good day.  I couldn’t have done it without the support of my awesome family and friends!  I am blessed…

It is about time that I start blogging again.  You are probably wondering where I have been.  Well quite frankly, I have been on the Race to Craziness!!  Yes after my post about the accident, I hit a level of overload, I haven’t seen in quite some time.

To catch you up just a touch, my anniversary, my son’s birthday, and my birthday were all in August.  The key accomplishment was to throw a Darth Vader birthday party for my 8 year old.  It went quite well.  The only tiny issue is that the Darth Vader cake was a deep blue/black.  And after all the festivities, the kids sat down to eat their cake.  And I started to hear immense giggling.  I turn around and to my horror, all their little mouths, plus my husband, and my son godfather’s mouth were black from the cake!!!  And it didn’t come off for a good twenty minutes!!  LOL!!!  The kids loved it and I apologized profusely to the parents.  That was how August ended for us, with great laughter and really dark teeth.

Then in the first week of September, I found out I had a job, which was really positive AND overwhelming.  For the next two weeks, people would ask “how are you doing” and I would say “I’m sucking from a fire hose.”  And oddly that hasn’t seemed to stop!!!  With that said, the week after I found out I had a job, my husband found out he did not.  That sent distress at multiple levels through us both. 

My husband started his job search instantly and my job was to make sure the house kept running, the kids made it to school on time, keep working, and work to keep my husband and I both positive.  With all that going on, you would think I wouldn’t do anything else.  But, no!!!  I also did canvassing for the Democratic Party here in town.  That was really fascinating to walk up to people you don’t know and ask them if they were supporting the local and national democratic candidates.  It actually went really well.  We only had one cranky lady in all the 40+ address we visited.  Honestly, I was really proud to do it. 

The last exciting thing in September was to go to the doctors for my accident.  It was the first time I could get an appointment to see anyone.  They examined me and promptly gave me a script to see a physical therapist.  I am physically starting to feel much much better.

Now we enter the month of October.  Well I started the month with a new newsletter, a website update to highlight my new prints, and I did the Castro Street Fair in San Francisco.  I just got home last night.  To our absolutely joy, my husband got a new job!!!  After 15+ interviews, he was offered a new position within the company.  We are all feeling a little bit better….  And I am remembering that we are blessed…