Mojo

Just whipped up this card to go in my new mixed sets of holidaygreeting cards for One of a Kind. Cafe Press only lets you order sets of one design andpeople always want mixed so this year I will give the people what theywant! Running out to Xpedx to see if I can find boxes or bags that fitbetter than my current stock of clear bags.

Adrenaline is coursing through my body...This always happens, I worry for 3 weeks prior to an event but the mojo always kicks in at the last minute and brings all these other great ideas along with it! The clincher, I only have 'x' amount of time so I can only do so much...and in the middle of my short time to pull it together we are running up to WI to be with my family for the Thanksgiving Holiday (which I am VERY grateful for - but the timing is always tough). I'm just relieved that I'm back in 'super anne' mode, I was getting worried! okay..now I sound a little manic depressive don't I?

Wishing you & yours a wonderful holiday filled with lots of laughter and good cheer!

Glaze Experiments...

I'm always trying to use glaze like acrylic paint, this is silly of course and the colors often end up a disappointment to me...so tonight I made 2 test tiles and tried to play with the underglaze and experiment. If these retain the look I want after firing I will go ahead and use the same treatment on my Sugar & Mr.Cream below..

I'm liking the rough sketchy feel of these tiles...

Crazy Smiling Dog + Free Shipping on Etsy!

We've all met a Crazy Smiling Black Dog at one time or another! This is one of my best selling Prints. It's inspired by Sidnee, a very silly Black Lab and member of my host farm family for 2 different years at theFields Project. This Ready to Hang Print would make a fabulous gift, and you can't go wrong with my new Free Shipping offer!   ***Free Shipping on everything in my Etsy Shop through December 31st***

Sketchbook Study for Damen...

A recent peek at my sketch book.I incorporated studies of an adorable rescue named Damen for a Pet Portrait Order. (digitally enhanced in shades of gray)

Tagged: 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Me

I was tagged by Natasha Westcoat for "Seven Things..." here goes from my childhood:

1. I was a Barbie Doll fanatic, I built a Barbie city in my basement,creating homes and furniture out of boxes. I even confiscated bybrother's G.I. Joes' to add to the mix.

2. I was not a baby sitter, I was a lawn mower.

3. My early drawings were of Snoopy, Ziggy, Holly Hobby and models in the Sears & JC Penny catalogs.

4. I was a Brownie but not a Girl Scout: I was afraid to leave home to go to camp.

5. My favorite place to be in the summer was in the water, I swamat the pool three times a day and on weekends my family boated and camped onthe sandbars of the Mississippi.
6. My CB handle was "The Mississippi Cat". (I had many cats over the years: Kelly, Koko, Frisky, Brooke, Mandy and Katy)
7. Ispent countless Sunday mornings sitting in a Catholic Church mesmerizedby the stained glass windows...I only recently realized what a strongeffect this had on my painting style.

I'm tagging:
Kathy Frey and Susan Hinckley

Dogs Rule Fat Book Auction!

Back in July I blogged about the pages I was creating for the Dogs Rule Fat Book. This project was a collaboration of 13 dog artists who each contributed an original work of art. 

We each received one of these treasures, all masterfully crafted & bound by 

Jill Beninato

of Sit, Stay, Smile Pet Photography. L

ater this week I will share photos of my copy. 

But TODAY...

the 

14th Book

 is up for

Auction on Ebay

 and available to YOU! All proceeds will benefit 

A Place to Bark

, a rescue in Tennessee run by our fellow artist and tireless animal advocate

Bernie Berlin

. She saved and placed over 575 dogs in her first 2 years of operation and will add 400 to that number by the end of 2008. 

Watch the video below to learn more about

A Place to Park

and to see this incredible book

:

Better Late Than Never...

Just finished my Holiday Show Postcard...a week late! Hopefully GotPrint.com will come through for me, probably not in time for my November 30th Open Studio Sale...but hopefully in time for the One of a Kind Show, December 4-7.

s.o.f.a. chicago 2008

Detail above of Lure (titan) by Leigh Taylor Mickelson of Sherrie Gallerie.

This afternoon I took the chilly trip downtown to attendSOFA Chicago (Sculptural Objects & Functional Art). Too often I do not take advantage of all that is offered by this wonderful city, today Idid and I was greatly rewarded with an inspiring visual cornucopia ofart and talent. I was most intrigued by the jewelry, ceramic and glasssculpture. So many fabulous artists: Wesley Anderegg, Judith Hoyt, Margaret Wharton,and so many more. It made me realize I have to quit playing it so safe,I need to take some risks and bring some of those wacky ideas floatingaround in my imagination to fruition. Also so fun to see my friend Kathy Frey who was their representing her sculptural jewelry with the Mowen Solinsky Gallery of California. Santa Fe artist Geoffrey Gorman had some amazing dog sculptures on display, this one really spoke to me:

©2008 Geoffrey Gorman