Stickin' Ideas Together

In spite of noting that my current art is "status quo" I feel it's evolving. I am continuing to explore the concept of creation via pregnancy; the concept of growing a human within our own body and as well as the fact that some couples cannot have a baby. Some choose to adopt, some in vitro and some simply hope & pray. It's all deep soul and heart-aching material that's beautiful but not pretty. In fact it's usually messy & often tumultuous. And it stirs me. To support my interest not only do I have my fairly recent status as Mother to inspire me, but close relatives, friends & a family member of mine have also become proud parents after years of trying. I feel humbled by the ease at which they have adapted to their new roles & their new lives. The deep joy of having their heart's desire fulfilled makes most of the common new parent challenges seem like a walk in the park compared to the past pain of living month to month wondering if thi...

Well 2011 is well underway & I'm only just surfacing to say hello. Hello! I thought I'd chat about a fav collage artist of mine, Tisha Moore. Tisha, who BTW I've never met but been a fan of for a good 10yrs, lives in neighbouring Seattle. She has evolved her art way beyond personal interest. She is integral to a number or annual retreats, such as Artfeast & Fiberfest. She holds workshops & is a guest speaker at many events. Additionally she's designed for Stampington . Before I go further, check her out . How cool is all that? What I love is Tisha's use of colour, her "jaunty" juxtapositioning of elements. I love how she seems to design with abandon. Always a strong focal point but energy & vibrance abound. And of course her ever present & obvious love of typography! She offers a great overview of her style on her journal pages . I'd like my bedroom to feel the way that looks! After immersing myself in her Journal Pages for t...

OK so this blog is off topic. It's not about art. Well perhaps about the Art of Living or even the Art of Living Sanely. My daughter is 2 1/2 years old. Of course she's lovely & the most beautiful, talented, cutest etc. ever! However, did I mention she's 2 1/2 years old? What an age. Curious, expressive, busy, demanding, bossy, defiant. Yes I am digressing here. I'm exhausted. Apparently from the age of about 2 until maybe 25 we know EVERYTHING. I vaguely remember my own mother complaining about my attitude. OK so I'm saying it, she was right. I was a royal pain. And now I get another 20+ years of payback. Sorry my dear daughter that I'm complaining about you online. However, maybe the Art of Living Sanely is partially accomplished or reached through such expression -- an "installation" that expels stress through the act of typing out one's frustrations. Perhaps it could be interpreted as public journalling. Whatever. All I know is that I ...

From Canada to the States, print is alive & well. Currently I'm crazy about these two mags. Uppercase  is published from Calgary. Yes, I too was surprised that Cowtown could be so design-stylish & typographically sensitive. But that shows how ignorant/prejudice I can be. The mag features designers and artists from across the globe. Additionally interviews include folks that run their own business in a creative manner, such as the British family whose business is to refurbish retro trailers and caravans and rents them out for personal & business use. The mag is delightfully detailed with illustrations and graphics that support each story. The stock is hefty and over-all a joy to soak up. Where Women Create is fully American. But don't let that leave you feeling excluded. The stories are warm, inspiring, & drenched with rich, detailed photography. Each page I turn leaves me enthralled. I envision myself in each studio (and secretly, being featured i...

I am absolutely crazy about retro illustrations. Specifically late 1950s through 1960s. I love the colour-ways, the loose illustrative approach and equally loose print registration. I recently tripped across this site, Uptown Avenue , that showcases a few samples. Great, eh? Admittedly I have confiscated a few books that friends have given our 2 year old that have super illustrations in them. I'm not proud of that. And I do periodically take them out to read to her. Don't judge me : ) Anyway, this is just a quick note to introduce you to these works in case you hadn't noticed them before. Enjoy!

Does this name sound like a rock star's? In the art world of "live painting" Jesse Reno is exactly that. Jesse paints with his hands, with crayons, pastels, kid-quality paint & brushes. He paints on canvas, cupboards, wood panels - anything he can get his hands on. In addition, Jesse has painted many murals, done live shows (both public and private commissions), publishes his own books of his art as well as a line of running shoes! His work is primal, soul-filled, naive & honest. He is a music-loving, tattooed-frenzied artist. And he's driven to succeed as a self-supporting artist. And successful he is. Last summer I had the pleasure of attending one of Jesse's workshops. It was liberating, inspiring and frustrating. Jesse's approach is to demonstrate his techniques, provide gentle guidance and offer a class crit at the end. The liberation I felt was attributed to the techniques he employs: mixing paint right on the painting surface and often wit...

Art cards are a wonderful, affordable way to share artwork; they are a gift and greeting in one. What I love most about printing my own cards is having multiple images of my work. Since I create original artwork for sale, the concept of "more than one" is novel. And once they are printed palm-size, the images appear extremely tight and crisp and brand new all over again. Cathy Church at Tartooful and I are currently investigating the possibilities of broadening the sale of my cards beyond her gallery boutique and my close circle of supporters. I hope you'll check back soon for an update of where you may be able to purchase your own palm-size collection of art cards.