Hope

2" x 3" mixed media collage
-with the following ingredients, some hope and imagination:

collage image
a piece rubber shelf lining (painted with *Modern Options)
aluminum sheet (run through crimper)
picture hanger
Radio Shack resistor
multi-color seed beeds
cool button
metal heart(painted with *Modern Options)
wave crimper
"hope" metal ephemera
brads
wire 24g
metal slide
knock out seal(painted with *Modern Options)

As you see here "Hope" comes in all shapes and sizes.

Here's a photo I took off of Highway 67 in Ramona, CA just after the Cedar Fires in 2003. I wasn't living here then, but we had happened to take a weekend drive and I came upon this photo op. It was fitting for the time and it seems fitting now.


Hope for 2008.
we find each other in good health
we are surrounded by loved ones
we continue to share with others
we reach out to those in need
we practice kindness
we find forgiveness
we practice peace
in this spirit, we are happy

To my friends, Happy New Year! 2008 ... thanks for the visits and your kind words on my blogs :"The Way I See It" and "The Artful Eye"

SuRpRisE!

4X4 canvas Golden Fluid acrylics, gel medium,
7 gypsies-rubber stamps Alpha Stamps - collage sheet

"Surprise"! another from my clown series. I will be posting more from this series in the upcoming weeks.

It's been a cold day here for San Diego, CA. I don't believe the temp has gone above 55 degrees. and I'm enjoying the fact that it feels a bit wintry. Now I'm sure my sunny socal friends would shoot me for saying this and my midwest/eastcoast friends are laughing because these temps are balmy... but this is what I miss about the seasons. Now if it would just snow a teeny, weensy bit.

I guess I need to head back to Julian, CA for snow. Don't forget to stop by my other blogspot for news just in from : "The Way I See It"

Rear View Mirror

8 x 11 journal page  

rubber stamped image from "Paperbag Studios"

Rear view mirrors are interesting, they exist and

people rarely use them.  We pass miles of road, sometimes

daydreaming and not realizing what is now behind us.

Are you ever tempted to look back?

Reflecting back hopefully gives us insight to 

what lies ahead.  Our experiences past and present, 

prepare us for the future.

Today becomes tomorrow.

What will we take away from this moment?

Ever notice in your rear view mirror the etched statement-

"Objects in mirror are closer than they appear"

This notice reminds me that I need to pay attention because 

the answers are right here in front of me.

for next Friday's journal challenge:  "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night..."

Feel free to stop by my other blogspot: "The Way I See It"

OuT Of My gOuRd- Part II

In an earlier post I had mentioned this gourd art medium was new to me. I think I surprised myself in how things turned out. This is the second of three I've completed so far. Closed coil and yarn wrapped coil, embellished with turquoise scarab, shells, beach rock and seagrass.

Another view.

Thanks for stopping by!

I leave you with this "Glimpse of the Day" by Sogyal Rinpoche

"Doubt is not a disease but merely a symptom of a lack of what we in our tradition call the View, which is the realization of the nature of mind, and so of the nature of reality. When the View is there completely, there will be no possibility for the slightest trace of doubt, for then we'll be looking at reality through its own eyes. But until we reach enlightenment there will inevitable be doubts, because doubt is a fundamental activity of the unenlightened mind,

and "the only way to deal with doubts is neither to suppress nor indulge them.""

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to take a glimpse

at my other blog "The Way I See It"

Sunflower

The image of this sunflower calms me.

It brings back a memory of quiet and stillness.

I've been going through a learning curve with my new 

IMAC and I'm not sure it's a curve anymore, it's more like a cliff.

Lot's to learn about this new OS, but I'm sure once I get it down- I'll be a screamin' mimi.

Have a great day!

Take a stroll over to: "The Way I See It" my other blogspot.

"EyE kNoW tHerE pLenTy oF fiSh iN The SeA"

8 X 11 black gesso'd cardstock, golden fluid acrylics
gel pens, stamps, collage imagery, fishing swivels

I had mentioned a challenge a friend and I had commenced upon

in a recent post. The topic for this week was "What I know about fishing..."

What I know about fishing is that it is very relaxing until you get caught fishing without a license. Yup.. Dillion Reservoir, Breckenridge, Colorado. I like fishing but I have a problem with removing the fish once I've caught it. Now to some this may not be a problem, but to the 'lil ole fish, this puts them in an awful predicament.

I have my own graphite rod, a fishing vest with all sorts of gadgets, hooks, fish eggs, spinners, lures, and weights and I've always wanted my very own creel basket. (Don't have one.) and I have not done much fishing lately.

How bad do you want to make your buddies feel on your next fishing trip? Well here's a 'fishy tale' for y'all about "the big one" or should I say the basket o' fish I had caught on a fishing trip in the Maroon Bells in Aspen, CO. (area was just like this)

My friends and I parted ways to what we each thought were better fishing locals. While on my own path, I had met a couple who had caught a whole bunch o'fish but were not interested in eating them so they offered them up to me. I put them in my bucket on ice and trekked back to our campsite and awaited my friends return. When they showed up empty handed, I presented them with my bounty (never disclosing how I actually got them). In the end... my story unraveled and we all had some great laughs and so that is my tale.

One day before I transition from this life, I'd like to try fly fishing in Montana standing in a 'cool river' with full set of hip waders, casting my fly rod into the chilly waters, as I gaze into the great blue yonder, hair blowin' in the wind, surrounded by puffy white clouds- that look like this...

Oh.. and did I mention I like "Fish and Chips."

Remember every week Friday we'll pick a topic and set upon on separate ways to create a journal page on this randomly chosen topic. No rules. Feel free to join in and post a link to your collage in the comments.

The topic for next week's Friday collage is "Rear view mirrors"

Please stop on by my other blogspot "The Way I See It" Thanks for visiting!

Hey.. I can make that

I know as artists we've all stumbled upon this quandry at one time or another where you see something you like and think, "Hey I can make that.. then the next question is, "But will I really?" and do I have time etc. etc. You know what I mean. Well this was one of those times for me. A friend of mine had come to work with this really cool vinyl bag and I immediately fell in love. Then after some precise fondling and carefully perusing over the details of how this bag was made I immediately sprung into action. I went to my desk, sketched the details and went to work. I already had the newspaper, I had collage material, I needed large grommets a sewing machine and aquarium tubing and ViOLa! A vinyl bag was born.

Another view and both sides are collaged.

So when the urge strikes, just do it!
(Now do I have to pay Nike for this?)

Oh.. and for those inquiring minds the store where my friend
purchased her bag was Anthropologie a fine purveyor of drygoods.

Thanks for stopping by. My other blogspot: "The Way I See It"

Questions for the Dalai Lama

Vineyard Haven, MA on Martha's Vineyard

"In the present circumstances, no one can afford to assume that someone else will solve their problems. Every individual has a responsibility to help guide our global family in the right direction. Good wishes are not sufficient; we must become actively engaged."-- His Holiness the Dalai Lama

If you had a question for the Dalai Lama what would it be?

My other blogspot: "The Way I See It"

Wheee..

I wish there was snow.. because I love sledding
and you just can't do it without the white stuff.

Here's another acrylic block 2"X 5 ". Reverse painting, collage imagery, gel medium. I'm telling you these are so fun and rewarding you must give this technique a try.

Feel free to stroll on by my other spot: "The Way I See It"

A Place for Everything and Everything in It's Place

My friend Graciela and I have recently created a challenge for ourselves. The idea was for each of us to write down a topic, question, thought, random word, group of words, anything that came to mind. We each had to come up with 50 topics. We placed them in a bag and each week on Friday we both draw from the bag, one of these topics. Our challenge is to create a journal page on the chosen topic. We work on our journal page independantly until the following Friday when we get together to share our journal page and thoughts about the topic. This journey is about finding out who we are, getting to know each other and to produce some critical thinking. We never know what topic we'll pick so there is no planning ahead.

This week's topic was "A Place for Everything and Everything in It's Place".

Next week's topic- "What I know about fishing...

I will post a new journal page every Friday. If you feel like meeting the challenge, please do.. no rules, no committments, just do it when it feels right. Post a comment with a link to your page.

Cheers, off to Monterey until Sunday.

Don't forget to stroll on by my other local "The Way I See It"

:::This just in from my news desk:::

I'm perking up...I just got done posting on my other blog when I decided to look outside and check on our local raging Santa Ana winds. (You know those winds that help fuel all our firestorms in sunny California) and once I recovered from the electrical shock I received through my body from all the static electricity due to the dryness and lack of humidity. I found not one but TWO packages left by UPS on my doorstep.

Inside first package- 3 humongous catalogs from
Rio Grande filled with tons of goodness to buy. Can't wait!



Inside second package:

My recent order from : WholeLottaWhimsy

I'm officially an addict, a "silver clay addict" that is...see my syringe of clay, rubber block, agate burnisher, 45grams of pure silver clay, cork clay, a .999 stamp, 2 cute red containers of smelly liver of sulphur and a gift baggie of candy.

I'm on the mends! New mantra "must get better soon, must get better soon..."

My other blog "The Way I See It"

Glass House-Vintage Christmas

Front of the house


Back of the house


Side (1) of the house


Side (2) of the house

The glass house front panels are 9" tall
(collage between 2 pc's. of glass x2)

The pitched roof of side panels measure 4" X 7"
(collage between 2 pc's. of glass x2)

The lower side panels measure 5"X 7"
(collage between 2 pc's. of glass x2)
---some sewing included

All individual panels were copper foiled and soldered, then panels were soldered to form the house. The house sits over a "tap" light that can be turned on to illuminate the imagery.

Thought for the day-
"People who live in glass houses should not throw stones."

--- something made of glass can easily break; it is vulnerable. We are all vulnerable in different ways. Sometimes we forget our own vulnerability and "throw stones" at other people in the form of criticism. In other words, check yourself before casting a stone or an unkind word.
I bet you're far from perfect.

BTW -No one lives in this glass house, just good 'ole friendly spirits of the past.

Thanks for stopping by!

Be sure to stroll on over to my other blogspot: "The Way I See It"

OuR NeSt

What I present to you here, is a 9" x 12" collaged shadowbox. There is a glass front to this box which is hard to tell by this pic, which slides open to the right. The small box within shown with stamped writing and image of birdsnest opens to present a small speckled blue robin's egg. There are painted thread spools for the feet. This box currently hangs on a wall.

Off to create some journal pages...Wish me luck.

Be sure to visit my other blogspot: "The Way I See It"

Ada

My sad news today is that my dear mother-in-law Ada passed away yesterday. I contemplated writing a post that comes with such sadness, but the truth is that 'death' is also a part of life so it must be faced no matter how awful it feels. I am blessed to have known such an incredible woman, one who has met many challenges in her lifetime... and throughout these challenges was always inspired to bring joy and comfort to so many others. She lived a pure life, filled with unconditional love and faith. I'll take good care of your son. Rest in peace, dear Ada.

Please stop by "The Way I See It"

Wild Turkey

I found this beautiful painting by Rebecca Latham while I was searching for turkeys online.
This particular painting is acrylic on panel.

Top 3 reasons to be searching for turkeys online:

1) cooking instructions
2) to see what a wild turkey really looks like

(the wild turkeys in my neighborhood don't look this good) I think this is a Hollywood Turkey!

3) to see if it was anyone I knew

Check out the beautiful wildlife artwork done here
"The Wildlife & Nature Art of Latham Studios

Happy Thanksgiving One and All!
Don't forget to visit: "The Way I See It"

WhEn I GROw UP I WAnt To BE a PiLoT

5X5 Acrylic Block, vintage photocopy,Golden Fluid Acrylics

My plan is to work 1/2 day tomorrow- Wednesday.
There..I wrote it down, that should bring me closer to my intention.
Now listen and watch below.: Don't forget to fly by: "The Way I See It"

A Mother's Love

5X5 acrylic block, Golden paints, gel medium, vintage image

This is one of my favorite all time projects. I took a class awhile back from Chris Cozen at Stamping Details. Chris is a working artist for Golden Paints. If you ever get an opportunity to take a class from her, just do it. I loved this project so much that I went out and bought sheets of 1/4- 1/2 inch thick acrylic and had it cut up into many assorted block sizes so that on any whim I can create a little masterpiece. When these pieces are placed near a window they look like stained glass.

Check out my other post: "The Way I See It"

If I had a hammer...

I know right now there's a few of you humming that song and you know which one I'm talking about. Okay... It's getting to be that time of year where the desire to 'illuminate' is great. Here's a fun project for those of you with time on your hands and a hammer.

What you'll need:
coffee can (who drinks canned coffee? check around the office)

water
hammer
sharp nail or awl
10 or 12 gauge wire

I spray painted a cleaned out coffee can to look rusty. (inside and out) Using a combination of matte brown, green and copper Krylon spray paint (any brand will do) You can use sandpaper to scratch through some of the paint and add some worn looking texture to the can.

Once dry, fill the can with water and freeze to a solid mass. Now here comes the fun part...

Using your hammer with a sharp nail or awl start tapping a design into the can. The tough part here is holding the freezing cold can. I sat on the concrete on a nice sunny day and placed a towel on the ground around the can securing a good position to hammer away. Once you are satisfied with your pattern. There is one more thing to consider and that is, will this luminary stand or be hung. If you decide you'd like to hang it, tap side holes for your 10/12 gauge which you will attach to the can. Let the water melt and pour out. warning : Be careful when trying to dry out the inside of the hammered can because of sharp edges caused by hammer and awl. You can use a metal file to smooth those edges down. Now it's ready to make it's debut at your entry, on your patio table, around the pool. Insert votive and viola! These are very pretty when lit and can stand being outdoors for long periods of time. Now if this seems like to much work and your desperate to illuminate, go buy a Yankee candle. By far the best fragrance candle ever made.

Don't forget to stop by my other place "The Way I See It"

Have a great day!

"In the Spirit of TOO"

Tasks, Overwhelming, Overload. It's that time of year folks, where there is "TOO" much going on, "TOO" much to prepare for, "TOO much stimuli, "TOO" much food. Aye... why does it have to be this way...and I have so many excuses as to why I'm here at "TOO" time. Only to blame myself. Lately, I've really tried to pay attention to how my days are spent and I was surprised by some of the many 'timewaster' activities that distract me. Try it sometime, try to pay attention to your every move. You'll see what I'm talking about. TOOday I'm trying to stay on task. TOOmorrow is another day.

Here's a pic from Aquinnah on Martha's Vineyard to slow us down. Cheers!

Be sure to check out my other blogspot- "The Way I See It "

Take a Breath

" Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy"- Apollinaire

Grace

This is small 3X3 pre-gesso'd canvas. I like to see these as "collage on the fly" they are small enough that you don't get wrapped up in the details. Doesn't she look "Madonna-esque"?

How Do You Like Me Now

This is an 8 X 8 wood board, about 1/2" thick. I started this piece with absolutely no plan. First I spackled board with heavy gel medium to create texture, leaving a circular area in center for something. Then I gesso'd the board. I starting laying down color- starting with my usual Golden favs and then got bold and threw in some Cobalt Blue. I did a gel medium transfer on top of the color. Used rubber stamps with Stazon and layers of collage pattern paper.

Evening Talk

This little 3"X 3" canvas collage incorporates an aged and handtinted photo, beeswax and acrylic paint. Snippets from a textbook attached to canvas with beewax. Small glass vial attached with beeswax house tiny watch part elements.

Taught by the fun and fabulous: Tim Holtz here at Stamping Details

All You Need is Love

I love this site. Go there now Typogenerator.net and check it out. Type in text and blammo, out of the generator emerges this cool graphic. Who thinks of this stuff? I love you.

Fetish Necklace

I've been working to complete so many projects I had started when I enlisted myself in myriad of classes at my favorite local craft supply store Stamping Details. This particular class was taught by a wonderful artist named Sandra McCall. I have to say, this necklace was no easy feat for a beginner like myself. All the wire work is handmade and most of the embellishments were also handmade with wire and found objects. If you ever get a chance to take one of Sandra's classes you should. Thank you Sandra for sharing your knowledge.

Flower Meditation

"The sun came like gold through the trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in heaven."

-Harriet Tubman

New Beginnings

With every day's end there are new beginnings. I recently celebrated my 50th birthday, September 5th, 2007 in Cape Cod, MA. This photo was taken at Truro Beach just outside of Provincetown, MA. My first memory of the Cape as a young girl was in 1962, now 45 years later I wanted to go back to that place, which was free spirited and bohemian, take in the salt air, and clear my head for my next 50 years. That's right.. I plan I being around for a long time and yes... it was exactly like I remembered it.

My Superman

My husband, Gerard.

He is my rock,

my sanity check,

the calm in my storm.

Thank you. xo

My Teachers, My Mentors

This was truly the beginning - a love affair for my parents, their first child and my thirst for all things art.

My parents met as freelance artists, early 50's at an ad agency called Tobias, Meyer and Nebanzhal, in Manhattan, N.Y.C. , my father was an art director. After they married my mom took a job at J.C. Penney ad agency. In those days married people were not allowed to work at the same establishment. Soon after I was born my mom was working from home, I would sit on the floor by the art table and wait for the scraps of letraset, pantone colored paper and black and white layout imagery to fall to the floor. I'd borrow the rubber cement and ask permission to use their art pens and then go to work creating collages from scraps in delight. The one pen set I could not get my hands on was their rapidograph.

Mom and Dad, I owe it all to you.

About Friendship

"A friend isn't someone who will carry you to your destination, so much as someone who will walk along with you for awhile."

-Arlo Guthrie

I hope this is the beginning of many new friendships. I begin my blog today with some apprehension. Not sure what I'm fearful of, never been afraid to write or meet new people. (coming from someone with a real gift of gab) I guess it's just 'putting yourself out there'. Airing the dirty laundry, no worries - there won't be dirty laundry here. Just good clean fun.

Welcome to my blog, "The Artful Eye". I'm going to attempt to post something everyday, whether it be a completed project, a work in progress, a random quote, photo or just something I'd like to share. I do hope you'll stop by for a visit.