Izabella's Blue

Anaïs Nin Ragtime 1944

Anaïs Nin (Ragtime, 1944)

I wanted to share with you.... Keith Lo Bue read this to his "precious little group" at Artfest.

The ragpicker worked in silence among the stains and smells. His bag was swelling.

The city turned slowly on its left side, but the eyes of the house remained closed, and the bridges unclasped. The ragpicker worked in silence and never looked at anything that was whole. His eyes sought the broken, the worn, the faded, the fragmented. A complete object made him sad. What could one do with a complete object? Put it in a museum. Not touch it. But a torn paper, a shoelace without its double, a cup without saucer, that was stirring. They could be transformed, melted into something else. A twisted piece of pipe. Wonderful, this basket without a handle. Wonderful, this bottle without a stopper. Wonderful, the box without a key. Wonderful, half a dress, the ribbon off a hat, a fan with a feather missing. Wonderful, the camera plate without the camera, the lone bicycle wheel, half a phonograph disk. Fragments, in complete worlds, rags, detritus, the end of objects, and the beginning of transmutations...inside the shack rags. Rags for beds. Rags for chairs. Rags for tables. On the rags men, women, brats. Inside the women more brats. Fleas. Elbows resting on an old shoe. Head resting on a stuffed deer whose eyes hung loose on a string...

The brats sitting in the mud are trying to make an old shoe float like a boat. The woman cuts her thread with half a scissor. The ragpicker reads the newspaper with broken specs. The children go to the fountain with leady pails. When they lime back the pails are empty. The ragpickers crouch around the contents of their bags. Nails fall out. A roof tile. A signpost with letters missing...

The ragpickers are sitting around a fire made of broken shutters, window frames, artificial beards, chestnuts, horses tails, last year’s holy palm leaves. The cripple sits on the stump of his torso, with his stilts beside him. Out of the shacks and the gypsy carts come the women and the brats.

Can’t one throw anything away forever? I asked.

The ragpicker laughs out of the corner of his mouth, half a laugh, a fragment of a laugh, and they all begin to sing.

First came the breath of garlic which they hang like little red chinese lanterns in their shacks, the breath of garlic followed by a serpentine song:

Nothing is lost but it changes
Into the new string old string
In the new bag old bag
In the new pan old tin
In the new shoe old leather
In the new silk old hair
In the new hat old straw
In the new man the child
And the new not new
The new not new
The new not new.

Anaïs Nin (Ragtime, 1944

tea party

The amazing Vanessa from A Fanciful Twist~ has started her 2nd annual mad tea party & this year is even better than last!!  It's a virtual overload of eyecandy!!  Be sure to take an hour or so to get lost in the inventive minds of our fellow bloggers~  You will find the links to all the particpating tea partiers in Vanessa's sidebar of her blog ~

do you like sugar? do you like cream? do you enjoy a twist of lemon? or just like it plain?  i love steaming rooibus with a hint of cream, pure heavenly bliss~ xo!!

 

Lemon~Ginger Iced Tea with Berry Cubes

• 1 cup raspberries
• Water for ice cube trays, plus 8 cups water, divided
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh ginger
• 6 white tea bags
• 3 lemons, juiced
• Lemon slices
• Mint sprigs, for garnish

Place about 4 raspberries in each compartment of an ice cube tray, 6 hours before serving iced tea. Fill with water and freeze.

Place honey, 2 cups water and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Let mixture steep for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour, then strain.

In a pitcher combine strained liquid with 6 cups water and lemon juice. Chill in refrigerator.

To serve, place 3 ice cubes in a tall glass and pour iced tea over cubes. Garnish with lemon slices and mint sprigs.

a paper broken heart

 

Today I found this heart in a parking lot...it was trampled on, ripped, scarred, torn, abused, ran over, stepped on & left abandoned~ it was clearly a message just laying there for me... I couldn't resist picking up this broken heart.

handmade recycled journals

 

 

 

sneak peak at what will be for sale soon~ made with recycled vintage papers xo!!

you dance inside my chest

In your light I learn how to love.
In your beauty, how to make poems.

You dance inside my chest
where no one sees you,

but sometimes I do,
and sight becomes this art.

~Rumi

Ashes and Snow

The Vision of Ashes and Snow

“In exploring the shared language and poetic sensibilities of all animals, I am working towards rediscovering the common ground that once existed when people lived in harmony with animals. The images depict a world that is without beginning or end, here or there, past or present.”—

Gregory Colbert, Creator of Ashes and Snow

Gregory Colbert's Ashes and Snow is an ongoing project that weaves together photographic works, three 35mm films, art installations and a novel in letters. With profound patience and an unswerving commitment to the expressive and artistic nature of animals, he has captured extraordinary, unscripted interactions between humans and animals.

His 21st-century bestiary includes more than 40 totemic species from around the world. Since he began creating his singular work of Ashes and Snow, Colbert had mounted more than 30 expeditions to locations such as India, Egypt, Burma, Tonga, Sri Lanka, Namibia, Kenya, Antarctica, the Azores and Borneo.

The show first opened at the Arsenale in Venice, Italy, in 2002. The Nomadic Museum, the permanent home of Ashes and Snow, debuted in New York in 2005 and is charted to travel the globe with no final destination.

The title Ashes and Snow suggests beauty and renewal, while also referring to the literary component of the exhibition—a fictional account of a man who, over the course of a yearlong journey, composes 365 letters to his wife. The source of the title is revealed in the 365th letter. Colbert's photographs and one-hour film loosely reference the traveller's encounters and experiences described in the letters.

Colbert, who calls animals "nature's living masterpieces," chose to film animals in their native habitats in an effort to be true to each animal's voice. The film can be viewed as a work of art as well as a poetic field study. The film was edited by two-time Oscar-winner Pietro Scalia. It is narrated by Laurence Fishburne, and the musical collaborators include Michael Brook, David Darling, Heiner Goebbels, Lisa Gerrard, Lukas Foss, Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn and Djivan Gasparyan.

The Ashes and Snow exhibition includes more than 100 large-scale photographic artworks, a one-hour film and two nine-minute film haikus. None of the images have been digitally collaged or superimposed. They record what the artist himself saw through the lens of his camera. While Colbert uses both still and movie cameras, the images are not stills from the film. These mixed media photographic works marry umber and sepia tones in a distinctive encaustic process on handmade Japanese paper. The artworks, each approximately five feet by eight feet, are mounted without explanatory text so as to encourage an open-ended interaction with the images.

 

Ashes and Snow at the Zócalo Nomadic Museum closed on April 27, 2008 in Mexico City. The exhibition will open in Brazil in 2009.

 

  xoxo!! Izabella~ http://izabella.typepad.com 

This is a must see website, its slow to upload.....I love the music & the words he speaks...very surreal http://www.ashesandsnow.org/
Be sure to check out the handbound books with his works, that are available for purchase.

 

 

Throw Yourself Like Seed as you walk into your own field

 

Shake off this sadness, and recover your spirit;
sluggish you will never see the wheel of fate
that brushes your heel as it turns going by,
the man who wants to live is the man in whom life
is abundant.

Now you are only giving food to that final pain
which is slowly winding you in the nets of death,
but to live is to work, and the only thing
which lasts
is the work: start then, turn to the work.

Throw yourself like seed as you walk, and into your
own field,
don't turn your face for that would be to turn it
to death,
and do not let the past weight down your motion.

Leave what's alive in the furrow, what's dead
in yourself,
for life does not move in the same way as a group
of clouds;
from your work you will be able one day to
gather yourself.

~Miguel De Unamunu

Featured Artists' Remnants of Olde

Bio
Charley and Kerin are self taught artists who use wild experimentation resulting in many innovative techniques with resins and other materials. As heavy users of found objects, clays of all sorts, metals and optical glass, they make art jewelry and small scale sculptures. They have also been making mechanical and kinetic art pieces for several years and have discovered ways to make previously very complicated mechanisms quite simple to construct. Having recently left their school district and software development careers to relocate to the Southern Oregon coast, they now have more time to make and share art with others. Their creations can be seen in Somerset Studio magazine, 500 Pendants and Lockets by Lark Books and in galleries and shops. Kerin is currently working on a mixed media book featuring her very favorite art material, resin clay, which will be released by North Light Books in early 2010.

Charley and Kerin are changing their Creative Souls profile to fit with the other ning accounts they are using (which is under Kerin’s name). So if you see them twice you are not imagining things. : )

Background:

Charley and Kerin recently made a big move and life style adjustment because of a heartbreaking and life changing loss. Kerin's sister, Diana, lost a long battle with cancer a few years ago. Charley and Kerin met just as she was leaving to take Diana to get a second opinion and learn what ultimately would be the worst news possible.

Charley has since been a great source of strength and this was especially important since Kerin was her only caregiver. Diana had always encouraged Kerin to quit doing software and real estate and do art full time. So to honor Diana and life in general (which is far too short anyway!) they followed their hearts and moved to the southern Oregon coast.

The plan was to work doing art full time in whatever forms it took to make a living. The thing is that no one knew who they were because they really weren’t actively selling or promoting their artwork at all before moving to Oregon. Luckily all the ways they sought to make a living turned out to be immensely fun and rewarding (and definitely challenging as well!!!)

Here are some of the things they are doing now

Mixed Media Art gathering place— Kerin was led to build this site as a place for artists to learn and grow and reach their dreams whatever those might be. The site is just a month old and already has over 300 amazing talented and caring members. Simply put, there is a tremendous amount of love and inspiration on that site. In fact Isabella was member #300!! http://MixedMediaArt.ning.com

Blog and website—the first post is about why this journey to Oregon began and everything that’s happened since. http://RemnantsOfOlde.com

Online workshops – The first workshop they are offering for sale, Resin Clay Pendants, is open during “pre-registration” at a reduced price. There are currently two projects up and many more will be added. There has been great feedback from the students taking the workshops and they all are really enjoying what is up so far.

Live workshops – for only having taught at one workshop so far (Art & Soul in Hampton, VA) it has been a very good experience. There is already one class out of three that has sold out at the Art & Soul retreat in Portland, Oregon. And they have received a special invitation to teach at Art & Soul in Las Vegas which was huge since only sixteen instructors will be there. http://www.artandsoulretreat.com

Charley and Kerin have worked very hard to add even more value to the live workshops by offering the same class on video. The “after class party” workshops are free to the students so they can really relax during class and not have to worry about remembering everything. Right now those are only available to the workshop students but they will be available in the future (most likely be when they are no longer teaching the live workshops). The after class party workshops are hosted on the Mixed Media Art ning site.

In addition to the Art & Soul retreats, Kerin is booked at Raevn’s nest this October to teach two classes. http://www.raevns-nest-art-retreat.com/workshops.html

Now that they’ve had a “taste” of how fun and rewarding it is to teach at art retreats they are planning many new workshops and are looking into doing even more venues.

Mixed media art book – Kerin’s book will feature resin clay based projects and is due to be released in early 2010 by North Light Books. She feels that resin clay (a two part self-curing clay) is a magical and wondrous thing! It has allowed her to make things as an artist that she never could have otherwise. So she wants to share this with everyone in the hopes that it will have the same benefit to many more artists.

Automata – One of the things they are known for is mechanical art or automata—a type of interactive hand cranked art that moves in different ways. The pieces they make are a new spin on the old mechanical that were popular in the 1800s and early 1900s. They both find this to be a fun challenge to come up with new ideas for art pieces that also are mechanical. Very few artists make automata and even fewer are teaching it. So they plan to offer a lot of workshops with that are kinetic and/or mechanically based.

Other plans – More collaborations with other artists, doing a lot more with metal clay (bronze/copper and silver), continuing to experiment with combining unlikely materials and finding new techniques, larger assemblage sculptures, seeking out more galleries that are a good fit for their work and most definitely a lot of new automata (mechanical art).

One more thing they’d love to do is make lots of friends on Creative Souls!!! Here is the profile that matches all the other ning accounts. : )
http://creativesouls.ning.com/profile/KerinGale

New Moon 11-20-09

journaling to find serenity

 

 

(journal page by Teesha Moore)

Art journaling is a creative way to help heal your soul, reach goals, deal with difficult situations, improve self esteem, and become a happier person.

I also believe that art journaling can be a wonderful tool to help you find that inner peace & serenity. It doesn't nessarily mean it will solve your problems but can help you find your direction, the hidden path that is hiding within.

I have a little vintage suitcase that has all of my journaling supplies, so they are close at hand when I have the urge to create in my journal. Do you have a box filled with your supplies? In my suitcase I have my art journal and...

~scissors

~small stapler

~different types of tape

~prismacolors

~markers

~rubber stamps

~vintage images

~my lovely pentel pens

~stencils

~crayons

Start with painting a page, add an image, write your favorite quote, or your favorite song lyrics, add layers, color with crayons or markers, paint, write more inspirational words, turn on your favorite music, light some candles, add a lock of hair to your page, add ribbons and fibers, add a hint of your favorite perfume, laugh, cry, sing, rant, rave, hum, cut, paste, fall into that place in your mind that only you & your muse can go~ but don't stay away too long ;)

Did you know...that journaling has a positive impact on your well being? Researchers have also said that regular journaling strengthens immune cells and other positive effects on your mind & body. Journaling can also help clarify your thoughts & feelings, also help solve problems more effectively. It can also help you begin to know yourself better. Art journaling also provides a safe way to express negative feelings. It can also get your creative juices flowing, especially when you have "art block"

I am definately not an expert at journaling and I do need more practice. I have found that it has brought about hidden emotions, good & bad, it also has brought about amazing inspirations.  It's definately a journey into the unknown but anxious to see where it shall take me. I wish for you, to find serenity in your art journaling~

"For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream." ~Vincent van Gogh

 

 

 

Great resources for art journaling ...

Teesha Moore http://www.teeshamoore.com

Suzi Blu http://www.youtube.com/user/suziblutube

 

Be inspired!! xo ~Izabella

love letters collage sheet

A challenge for you.... the first person to come up with the correct answer....no cheating!! no Googling!!  Who wrote this famous love letter!?  The first person to answer correctly wins a free digital collage sheet  xo!!

Paris, December 1795

I wake filled with thoughts of you. Your portrait and the intoxicating evening which we spent yesterday have left my senses in turmoil. Sweet, incomparable Josephine, what a strange effect you have on my heart! Are you angry? Do I see you looking sad? Are you worried?... My soul aches with sorrow, and there can be no rest for you lover; but is there still more in store for me when, yielding to the profound feelings which overwhelm me, I draw from your lips, from your heart a love which consumes me with fire? Ah! it was last night that I fully realized how false an image of you your portrait gives!

You are leaving at noon; I shall see you in three hours.

Until then, mio dolce amor, a thousand kisses; but give me none in return, for they set my blood on fire.

new collage sheet in my etsy shoppe http://izabellah.etsy.com

how to create fiber beads

 

 

 

 

 

 

~How to create fiber beads~

 

This is a tutorial that was shared with me, by Mary Jo of Artistic Avenues http://www.theartisticavenues.com/about.htm

 

These are fiber beads that I created, oh what joyous fun they are to create!!! Thank you Mary for sharing~

 

First gather your materials...

* drinking straw

* white glue

* scissors

* muslin, tapestry, nearly any cotton blend material

* acrylic paints

* 22 guage wires ~gold copper silver

* needle nose pliers

* wire cutters

* beads, charms & glitter!!

 

Tear/cut your muslin or cotton material 1/2 to 1 1/2 inch strips, this will be the width of your beads. You will want different sizes of beads~ Cut your strips to about 6 to 12 inches long(experimentation is best)

 

Proceed to wrap the material around the end of the straw, adding the white glue onto the material as you wrap it around the straw. Make sure it is glued securely & then cut the straw leaving some still within the middle of the wrap. You can usually get 3 beads per straw depending on length of the beads you create.

 

Now let the fun begin!!

 

Paint metallic paints on the material & ends. Wrap fibers or yarn around the bead. Wrap wire pieces 5 to 6 inches long, around the fibers or yarn to hold it in place. You can also add beads & charms to the wire, then add glitter or try dipping the beads in embossing powders!!

 

Have fun creating!!!

 

~Izabella

 

 

this weeks featured artist Kecia Deveney

 

 

Lemoncholy's Studio aka kecia deveney

 

I have a lot of energy. I like to be busy and am rarely ever idle! I also tend to get bored quite easily, so one day I might make jewelry, the next day do a mosaic piece, then onto a painting or an assemblage. I grew up in the military and we moved every 2 years, so I've traveled a lot, have seen much culture ,diversity and experienced things that others will never see. I think that lifestyle plays into who I am creatively and how I see myself. I see myself as a free-spirited, gypsy type of soul. In my mid twenties, I suffered a horrible, life altering experience, when my older son,  Tucker (then age 16 months old), suffered a traumatic brain injury due to medical malpractice. Now age 18, he is 100% dependent on care from my husband and I. My despair, anguish and grief over this traumatic event is what propelled me into the art world. I'll start with the cliche that I am self taught. I began making things as gifts and home decor  and then onto art shows. It was at an art show that a woman put a name to my work, "altered art". I'd never heard the word before, nor realized that other people like to alter things. This was exciting! From there I found art retreats and dreamed about attending them, but didn't.  Then one day I mentioned one of them to my husband, who surprised me by saying, "you should go". So I did - and that was it - I was hooked! I began making online friends who were so similar to me. It really opened a whole new world to me. Slowly I have progressed from classes, to blogging, to etsy, many yahoo groups and currently in the works, a website and now teaching. I'm in my studio every day and I consider this my full time job. Creating is a drug to me. It keeps me sane. I'm passionate about what I do. Through my blog, I've met many women who tell me I inspire them. This fills my soul with joy, that me, this grief stricken girl, can refocus that sadness into inspiration and help other women. It brings me vitality, so I've come full circle.

 

blog: www.lemoncholys.blogspot.com

website: www.lemoncholys.com

etsy: www.keeshagirl.etsy.com

flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemoncholys

 

 

 

to a soldier

The day you march away let the sun shine, 
Let everything be blue and gold and fair, 
Triumph of trumpets calling through bright air, 
Flags slanting, flowers flaunting not a sign 
That the unbearable is now to bear, 
The day you march away. 

The day you march away this I have sworn, 
No matter what comes after, that shall be 
Hid secretly between my soul and me 
As women hide the unborn 
You shall see brows like banners, lips that frame 
Smiles, for the pride those lips have in your name. 
You shall see soldiers in my eyes that day 
That day, O soldier, when you march away. 

The day you march away cannot I guess? 
There will be ranks and ranks, all leading on 
To one white face, and then the white face gone, 
And nothing left but a gray emptiness 
Blurred moving masses, faceless, featureless 
The day you march away.

Grace Ellery Channing

New blog for Outsider Artists!!!

The ladies of Outsider-Artists are exceptionally
pleased to announce that we have a new blog!!

As of July we are ending our website endeavor,
it just didn't seem personable, it didn't feel
alive like a blog does & it was a nightmare
to maneuver around in the inner workings of that
website, so we are all very excited about this
new venture!

Every week one artist will post something new!!

(Thanks sweet Lynne for allowing me to borrow some
or your words;).....

We are a collaberative of 9 artists who have been
cyberfriends for quite a while.

In that time, although we have never met
face to face, we have become like sisters.
We are the very best of friends and seem
to bring out the best in each other.

Many of you have visited our parent site
http://www.outsider-artists.net
and this blog is an extention of that site.

We will have art and collage sheets
for sale, musings, inspiration and more
interactions with our online friends!! 

our new blog home Outsider Artists

Amy is the first to post & she is having an art giveaway!!

Call for art journal submissions

I wanted to share this with all my wonderful art friends, received this note today from someguy 1001 journals.....

Call for submissions: Share your journals, share your stories

We're putting together a 1001 Journals book proposal to shop around to publishers, and need your input. To get the publishers excited, we'd like to share some remarkable journal entries, and stories that go along with them. If you'd like us to consider including your journal / entries / story in the proposal, please email us the following:

• Your Username
• The journal number
• Your city, state, and country
• A brief description of the entries, and why they're amazing (make sure they've been added to the 1001J site, where we can review them)
• If there's a story, please include it with as much detail as you can

The deadline is June 9th.
Email submissions to someguy@1001journals.com

Don't have anything to submit? You've got time, create something unique and interesting. This is your chance to get published. Not on 1001journals.com? Sign up and start sharing journals.

Journal Contributions could range from amazing art or writing to controversial entries, humor, raw emotion, confessions, interaction between contributors, conflicts, rants, oddities, and so on.

Journal Stories might be something interesting that happened with the journal, or in your life involving the journal. Was the journal left in a library? Taken on spring break? Was it used as a marriage proposal? Perhaps you discovered it for sale in a thrift store, or shared it with reformed convicts. Let us know.

Thanks, and keep on journaling,

someguy
www.1001journals.com

new collage sheets

 

new collage sheets in my Etsy Shoppe~ http://izabellah.etsy.com

With Grateful Hearts - Gift Giveaway

I wanted to share,  JoAnnA Pierotti is having a giveway for those who chipped in money for their fundraiser, these are JoAnnA's lovely words......

This is the first piece I've created since finding out Ron has a brain tumor again.  I just have not felt creative at all, until today. 

I don't know how to write this, and I get very uncomfortable talking of this, but some of you know that my dear friend started a Chip-In for us which we have now ended.  So many of you have chipped in not just through that, but to us directly.  Oh my gosh, our hearts are overwhelmed.  Thank you so very very much.  I really don't know how we would be surviving right now had this not happened, but God has always been faithful to us in time of need, that is for sure.  And in these tough times for so many due to our economy, this all means that much more.

I've read all your messages too and they touch my heart!

A small way to say Thank YOU!



I wish I could make each and everyone of you something, and thank you all personally, but that is impossible.  I offer this  8" x 8" deep edge canvas fabric collage as a small way to say thank you.  If you have contributed and this piece is something you might like to have, please just leave me a comment below.  If you feel uncomfortable doing that, please just email me privately to enter.  After Ron's surgery I will randomly pick someone to send it to.  I hope I will be able to do some more to give away while he is recovering in between the two surgeries.

Ron would like you all to know that you have helped ease our burden.  In a time like this, not to have to worry about the finances, getting to the city, staying there, food, bills, etc., oh my.  Because of Ron's medical aide, we are only allowed to live on a very small amount of money so we will spread this over several months.  Most likely it will take him a good year to recover.  That is how long it took last time.  I do plan to continue to do my online workshops, add more and make art this next year. 

Please feel free to use these pictures and my words on your blogs to get the word out of our thanks and appreciation and this giveaway.

JoAnnA's blog ~ http://mosshill.blogs.com/joannas_journal/2009/05/with-grateful-hearts-gift-giveaway.html#comments

 

a mothers kiss

 

My mother's kiss, my mother's kiss,
I feel its impress now;
As in the bright and happy days
She pressed it on my brow.

You say it is a fancied thing
Within my memory fraught;
To me it has a sacred place--
The treasure house of thought.

Again, I feel her fingers glide
Amid my clustering hair;
I see the love-light in her eyes,
When all my life was fair.

Again, I hear her gentle voice
In warning or in love.
How precious was the faith that taught
My soul of things above.

The music of her voice is stilled,
Her lips are paled in death.
As precious pearls I'll clasp her words
Until my latest breath.

The world has scattered round my path
Honor and wealth and fame;
But naught so precious as the thoughts
That gather round her name.

And friends have placed upon my brow
The laurels of renown;
But she first taught me how to wear
My manhood as a crown.

My hair is silvered o'er with age,
I'm longing to depart;
To clasp again my mother's hand,
And be a child at heart.

To roam with her the glory-land
Where saints and angels greet;
To cast our crowns with songs of love
At our Redeemer's feet.

~Frances E. W. Harper

vintage nudy girl

 

divas and lovers

 

 

A must have book~  I finally received my anticipated copy from Amazon~  My book pic of the week ;)

The Erotic Art Of Studio Manasse Divas and Lovers

This seductive volume features a recently rediscovered cache of captivating portraits from another time and place: a golden age of cinema and cabaret in Vienna of the 1920s and 1930s. The Manasses, a husband-and-wife team from the Vienesse beau monde, used retouching techniques to create surreal and noir images that seethe with an erotic symbolism barely concealed beneath a mask of glorious styling, elegant poses, and extravagant costumes. Photographic historian Monika Faber examines this work as part of the world of a cinema-enthralled Vienna, while an accompanying D.H. Lawrence story enhances the erotic climate of the images.

Do not mistake kindness for weakness

 

This piece is dedicated to my friend Andy Emmitt~ 

Good friends are like stars.  You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.
                                                                                

"Do not mistake kindness for weakness"

 

A strong man loves,
A weak man hates.
A strong man needs only one woman,
A weak man needs many.
A strong man is respected,
A weak man needs to be feared.
A strong man can be himself,
A weak man has many faces.
A strong man can judge himself and
A weak man only judges others.
A strong man earns his freinds,
A weak man buys them.
A strong man can face his fears and his conflicts,
A weak man runs from them.
A strong man can stand aside while his woman shines and,
A weak man stands in front, for he must shine.
A strong man can forgive,
A weak man cannot.
A strong man is what a woman needs

~Victoria Sikorsky

theatre of tragedy ~ A love triangle

He is stark mad, whoever says,
That he hath been in love an hour,
Yet not that love so soon decays,
But that it can ten in less space devour;
Who will believe me, if I swear
That I have had the plague a year?
Who would not laugh at me, if I should say
I saw a flash of powder burn a day?

Ah, what a trifle is a heart,
If once into love's hands it come!
All other griefs allow a part
To other griefs, and ask themselves but some;
They come to us, but us love draws;
He swallows us and never chaws;
By him, as by chain'd shot, whole ranks do die;
He is the tyrant pike, our hearts the fry.

If 'twere not so, what did become
Of my heart when I first saw thee?
I brought a heart into the room,
But from the room I carried none with me.
If it had gone to thee, I know
Mine would have taught thine heart to show
More pity unto me ; but Love, alas!
At one first blow did shiver it as glass.

Yet nothing can to nothing fall,
Nor any place be empty quite;
Therefore I think my breast hath all
Those pieces still, though they be not unite;
And now, as broken glasses show
A hundred lesser faces, so
My rags of heart can like, wish, and adore,
But after one such love, can love no more.

~J. Donne

ZNE Art, Paperie & Pleasantries

This weekend!! Art, Paperie & Pleasantries is being held at the Alameda County Fair Building in Pleasanton, CA. There will be lots of vendors, live music, book signings, make & take classes, coloring table for the kiddies and lots of pretties to buy! All the sparkly goodness happens Saturday May 2 & Sunday May 3, 2009 Noon - 5:00 p.m. both days, $3 admission, but get the dollar off coupon on the website. You can find more details here http://www.artandpaperie.com/index.html

Artella Land

Download a FREE copy of the Artella eBook, Peace by Piece: Collage Your Way to Inner Peace and Harmony. This workbook guides you through several collage projects, each one designed to bring you closer to your true self and your powerful ability for manifesting your dreams and desires. Download your copy here!

a note from JoAnnA

thought I should share JoAnnA's words with all of you, I know she is so overwhelmed with details & organizing things, Her heart is so precious I know she would rather be writing each one of you personally to thank you!!  Remember ...you can keep up to date at her blog http://mosshill.blogs.com/ 

this is what JoAnnA writes.... 

How do I find the words to express what all these beautiful souls are doing for us? Ron is in a child-like way right now (a side of him that is new to me) and when I told him about this, I wish you could see his reaction. Makes me want to cry just writing this.

How will I ever thank everyone ? My prayer is that God will bless each person who has contributed. I wish I could physically hug each one and thank them in person.

In so many ways this all does not seem real to me. My brain keeps trying to grasp the whole scope of what is happening. I keep hoping I will wake up and it is not true.

My love and appreciation, and from Ron too.

joanna

Emergency!! for JoAnnA & Ron Pierotti

Please see JoAnnA's blog for more information http://mosshill.blogs.com/  Ron has a brain tumor & it is much worse than they expected, they say if he doesnt have this done immediately, they give him only a month to live!  JoAnnA & Ron are beautiful souls & would take their shirts off their back for anyone...I feel it's the least we could do is...chip in a dollar or 1000 dollars, Please please pass along this widget to help them in their time of need.  And prayers are desperatley needed to comfort them in this tramatic time~

You can also use this link to add in forwarding emails, this will take you to the page where you can pick up the embed codes for your sites.  http://ronpierotti.chipin.com/ron-pierotti  Please forward this to your friends~  Thank you so much

Michelle's Dolls

My sweet silly sister Michelle Renee...just found this in her Etsy shop!  This made me laugh out loud!!

Izabella Blue

This doll reminds me of my sister. Delicate and lovely! :) She is 28 inches long and is in great condition. (Not much bigger than my sister:) Her face is smooth with out any crazing. She doesn't have any cracks, just a few holes from where they had the staples holding her dress. Her DRESS! It is beige with gold accents and lovely flower applicaes with a gold rhinestone in the flower. The bottom of the dress and the sleeves are frilly and beautiful.

Her hat has flowers, ribbon and a auroraborealis rhinestone treasure in it. She has compostion head, hands and feet. Her body is stuffed muslin and is in great condition.

These boudoir dolls are valued up to $350-$450 and are a great investment.

Michelle's etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5450209

death tears easter

 

gypsy moon

 

 

 

 

 I love purple~

I adore the faded, not quite tattered, vintage style

gypsy moon http://www.gypsymoon.com/

Featured artist of the week Julee Hermann

 I have begun a new feature at the Creative Souls site. Besides the monthly main page featured artist~ a weekly featured artist in the forums.  If you know of someone you would like to see featured, please drop me a note at the Creative Souls site http://creativesouls.ning.com

This weeks featured artist is the beautiful & amazing Julee Hermann. She is such an inspiration. Everyone who meets her, has her forever etched in their hearts, she is a beautiful shining star!!!

Julee Hermann is a local artist who works in assemblage, jewelry, and 3D inspirational art. Julee inspires creativity with her energy and her wonderful sense of humor. She knows how to connect people with their inner artist. Julee spends her weekends playing with her young family and teaching around the US helping students create one-of-a-kind shrines reflecting memorable moments in a life lived. Students walk away feeling as though they've created something to treasure. Julee's motto is “...make the two foot drop from head into your heart and work from there." ~written from the heart Gina Gabrielle

this is what Julee says..... I love to impart my enthusiasm for all things mixed media thru my workshops. I weave silliness and permission to play and express your self into my classes. My motto is “make that two foot drop from head to heart and work from there” art is made in the heart not the head. I like to remind people to just check in with where they are and to let the muses tickle them into creating for them. This month I'm teaching the skill of soldering through two different classes. The first of which is the Mermaid Reliquary Workshop at A Work of Heart Studio in San Jose class is on Sunday April 19th and runs from 12 – 4pm we'll build tiny boxes with a small scene inside and then enclose the pieces with mica and solder. $65 You can register through their fancy schmancy website at http://www.aworkofheart.com The advanced soldering class is being held at the lovely Tangerine gifts and ephemera shop in Dublin this will be a soldered bracelet comprised of vintage watch crystals, tiny images embellished with glitters (oh joy!) all soldered together in the most delightful way! Class is Saturday April 25 from 10 – 3pm cost is $55 and includes tea and cookies! Have a peek at their charming site at http://www.elevenmorningstangerine.com/services.html Call Gina Gabr... to sign up to play! I'm excited to announce for the first time, that this Summer, I will be sharing workshops with girls(and guys, too!) of all ages through my Mermaid Warriors Summer Camps. For 5 weeks from the end of June through the beginning of August we'll be pLaYIng MeRmAid Style... tentatively I'm working on Mondays and Fridays in Orinda and Wednesdays in Dublin and will be specializing in empowering people to express themselves through art and silliness!

Julee Herrmann Teacher/Artist HeArt Collective http://www.heartcollective.etsy.com http://www.heartcollective.blogspot.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/juleeherrmann/sets/72157615900316626/

theorna faery dress

 

a tattered medley of stitches & lace, the theorna faery dress is an elegant map of antique patches. made in the muted colours of pale blue, cream, tan & white, it looks like it could have risen from the river on the body of a water spirit! the bust is a textured decollete' of crochet, lace, & stitches (adorned with tiny vintage buttons, of course). the straps are adjustable and the dress is slip-style, with no zipper. there are remnants sewn in from the early 1900s, and there are tattered bits of cursive writing lurking about as well. there is a very old thread sampler stitched to the bottom left of the dress for another touch of ephemera & history. truly one-of-a kind, this garment could be a patchwork river faery's daily attire. model: theorna photos: selene 425.00 Selene's online shop http://www.gibbousfashions.com/shop.php

hush

 

a luscious hush
a heart tomented
a thousand tears

Artful Blogging Magazine

 

oh my goodness!! Can this really be happening!!??  The wonderful Christen, editor of Stampington's Artful Blogging Mag~  contacted me!! I am in total shock, they want to do an article about me...little ol' me, out of this big huge blogging community they chose me...how truly honored & extreeeeemely frightened I am...hmmm... how many people subscribe?  how many magazines will be on the shelves of Barnes & Noble & Borders?  how many in all the fabric stores, Michaels craft stores across the USA? how many will be in different countries...ok..I am feeling a little woozy~  I really don't want this to be all about me..blogging never has been about me...I love my online friends...it's always been about my tribe, my like minded soul friends~  Writing is not my thing, oh my ..to write an article, the thought makes me shake to the core~ 

Art Marketing - Artists Helping Artists

 

10 Things Artists Can Do to Help Market Their Art With Other Artists

Artists have an important job. They inspire people. They create joy. They create vision and beauty. They take interesting materials and turn them into something that people can understand and learn from. They generate topics that agitate. They like to shake things up and make people think! Creativity is their passion! But to get their ideas and art out into the market place, artists need to market! And a lot of artists aren’t good at business...they’re good at making ART!

But here’s an idea -- artists helping artists! Successful artists can enroll help so they don’t have to do it all themselves. And who better to help than another artist? Below are 10 ideas that an artist can implement with another artist or group of artists that can help with marketing their work.
1. On your artist blog, web site or newsletter, ask another artist to do a guest spot. Interview them on their style and process and have them talk about their art. Or else feature another artist’s work on your blog with your favorite piece of theirs and have them feature you on theirs. That will double both your exposure. It makes an even bigger impact if you have actually purchased a piece of their art and can talk about it in a heartfelt way. Be real because people will know if you're not.

2. You can also exchange links to each other’s web sites. And you can comment on each others blogs, or art selling web sites such as at imagekind.com or heart each other on etsy.com. This creates links back to your own artists page or blog.

3. On Twitter, tweet about another artist’s new painting, blog or web site and have them tweet about you. To be helpful, retweet an artist’s info if they’re having a drawing or they have something newsworthy going on such as a new exhibit or booth at a tradeshow.

4. Have a show together. Sometimes an artist doesn’t have enough new pieces to put up in a show at a local business establishment. So look for another artist whose work compliments yours. There are many cafes, banks, hair salons, restaurants, and corporations that like to show art on their walls. Create a show proposal, and present it to the business owner about putting art on their walls.

5. Do a mailing together. Split the costs of a postcard or greeting card. Many people love to get a hand signed real paper greeting card in the mail. Two artists can split the printing and postage so it doesn’t seem like a huge cost. Focus on your collectors. They will be happy to see your work and be treated to something special. Also they will appreciate seeing another artists work that may interest them if you create a card with both artists work on it.

6. Connect with people. Create a special event. Have an Artists Studio Progressive Dinner. This can be a fun way to share your art with your friends and collectors. Join with a couple other artists who live near you and move from art studio to art studio for each part of the meal -- appetizer, salad, main meal, dessert. Invite your collectors and art loving friends. You can have an Artist’s Tea Party or a wine and cheese party. Just put your artwork into the mix.

7. Do a class together. If you have similar techniques or styles, doing a class together can create a following and a way to connect with the community.

8. Create an art book with a writer. Sell it on your web site or at your art show, or give it to your collectors to thank them for their loyality, or as a free drawing on your Facebook Fanship page, or blog. You supply the images and you could ask a writer friend to create the words for it, whether it be poetry or just a finely worded introduction. It could be a themed book such as bird art, landscapes or abstract. Be creative. For self-publishing books online check out http://www.blurb.com, http://www.lulu.com, http://www.instantpublisher.com/

9. Share and exchange your talents. If you’re good at understanding how Facebook, Twitter and Linked-in work but not good at photographing your art, exchange your talents with another artist. For example, if you’re good at WordPress but not photographing your work, exchange your talent with a photographer friend. They can photograph your work and you can show them how to use WordPress for their blog.

10. Create a unique web site with other artists if you share something in common with them. This group of artists showcases small art -- see http://smallartshowcase.com/index.html but maybe you can do landscapes, or dogs or abstract art. Use your imagination!

There will always be people who buy art. You just need to find them and get in front of them. Marketing is key. I’m sure there are lots of other ideas you can do with another artist to market your art. Sit down and brainstorm, think of ideas you can do together! Share the legwork, cost and production to get your work known to your market. And have FUN cause that's what it's all about and people are drawn to others who are enjoying what they do. One also needs to give up any jealous or hoarding feelings about sharing your ideas with other artists. There are enough people who want to purchase art to go around. Hoarding your ideas and not sharing them with other artists and people that can help you should be avoided. There is enough!

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If you have some more art marketing ideas artists can do with other artists, please leave them in the comments of this bloghttp://www.lgruger.com . If you would like to share this blog post, I would be happy if you would but please mention my name and web site http://www.lgruger.com Thanks!

 

~written by Lindy Gruger Hanson