I'm dreaming of my Flight to Florence

"Take Flight to Florence" mixed media on watercolor paper

I am dreaming of my flight to Italy. It's less than 3 weeks away!! Did I raise all the money with my paintings???? (for those of you who are new here that was my goal)

No. But a little more than half. About $2600.  Which is more than I would have raised had I not tried at all.

But if you count the clothes, and the spending money I'm taking with me, I think my farming actually paid for my trip. But YAH! anyway.  Every year I want to raise a little more money with my art. And I did that this year ...again.

Of course, I started out the first year with like- hmmm...$85.00.

I've never told this story but one of the first paintings I sold was actually a painting I did after reading an article on Kelly Rae Robert's art  in Cloth, Paper Scissors magazine. Once someone said they wanted to purchase it (exciting day)... I wrote Kelly and asked permission to sell it as it was practically a copy of her original (a bad copy) and she graciously said "yes". Since then, I've learned that a lot of artist start out that way , I mean, copying other people's stuff. I've always been glad that I asked permission and I also gave her credit on the back of the painting and told the girl that purchased it about Kelly and her art in case she wanted other things.

I am really enjoying my Layered Impressions class with Katie Kendrick . She is the QUEEN of creative texture and artistic play. If you want more of that in your art take her on-line class, or order her DVD or buy her book. It has been very freeing for me and I am exploring new paths and loving my paints again.

Big woop that Nourish Your Mind was entered in the Eastern New Mexico State fair by a friend who purchased the original and it won a section (mixed-media) prize ($25.00) and so has a chance at Best of Show. 

I hope you're finding ways to enjoy your art and enhance your life.

Come to Autumn

mixed media

I want to come to autumn with the silver in my hair,

And maybe have the children stop to look and me and stare;

I'd like to reach October free from blemish or from taint,

As splendid as a maple tree which artist love to paint.

I'd like to come to autumn, with my life work fully done

And look a little like a tree that's gleaming in the sun;

I'd like to think that I at last could come through care and tears

And be as fair to look upon as every elm appears.

But when I reach October, full contented I shall be

If those with whom I've walked through life shall still have faith in me;

Nor shall I dread the winter's frost, when brain and body tire,

If I have made my life a thing which others can admire.

        Edgar Allen Guest

Odd Chick paints a rare bird.

Okay. I did a little painting that I can say I'm proud of - finally. It seems most of my time with my art is spent in practice and then one day, I put some new skills together and make myself do an actual painting. It's so easy to never risk anything and just play in my art journal.

It makes me realize that special things in my life actually happened a long time ago. First, in my imagination. Second, in my preparation. And finally, last of all, something happens extra-ordinary. We spend most of time thinking and wishing about the latter. But really most of our time is spent in the first two steps.

It's much like farming. You plant the seed but you don't get the crop until months later.

We have pumpkins but we had to plant them in JUNE. Who thinks of pumpkins in June?? They are no fun in JUNE. But everyone is getting excited NOW about our pumpkin patch.

I took the photograph to Picnik and added the text.
I printed the painting on fabric (use muslin with no sizing taped to a stiff sheet of paper and send it through your ink jet printer. Enhance the colors or go for a more watercolor effect as it fades a tad on white muslin) and made a pillow of it and gave it to a special girl-friend. I could see it printed on an apron or magnet or coffee cup. Zazzle is a fun site for all that.

Then, I made some cards for my girlfriends and special females that have the saying:

You Are One Fine Chick

 Just for a little encouragement. Or when other artist send me their art cards, I have something to exchange. Qoop makes beautiful cards- they're a little pricey but still cheaper than a good card and they use professional quality paper and printing.

For me, it's another way to share and exchange my art. It's not showing off. It's adding a little more beauty and encouragement to the world. And that's the best seed I can plant right now for a future crop of blessings to come back to me.

Falling for FALL

I'm so falling for FALL this year. For some reason, this season is bringing an extra amount of joy to my spirit. I find myself smiling deep inside at the smallest things.

I wonder if it is my up-coming trip to Italy. The knowledge I have gained from my research and dreaming anticipation have added so much to my life.

It could be my new photography class. It's forcing me to use my eyes like a fine lens to scan and scourer my normal surroundings for the perfect photograph- not a snap shot. I want to take PHOTOGRAPHS in Italy.

My teacher came out to the farm and made us find something boring and make it interesting.

Sweet Farmer being loved on by the bar ditch dogs of  Krantz Farms!

of course, this was not boring and very interesting.

It could be that I feel better because I've dropped about 10 pounds of annoying weight that I've been carrying around for a ridiculous amount of time.

Or my new tan fingernail polish. ( i'm not usually a girl who gets into nail polish)

Or seriously. My faith is getting richer and deeper and the Spirit of Christ that promises to feed my soul like a spring is something I greatly rely on and it always makes me FEEL ... better.

I just WANT to feel.
I want to feel deeply about the goodness and the sadness in my world.
I know some people must take pills to feel MORE or feel LESS.
It's not always easy to FEEL. It's not something we should take for granted.
This FALL , I want to feel everything as if it were my last FALL.

I'm only a little scared of dying, getting sick and old or terrorist attacks. What I'm really afraid of?? Losing my ability to feel deeply in love with my life in every season of my life.

I choose to FALL in love with FALL and let it take my heart and turn it into a thousand different autumn hues.

This season of my life will

                                   NOT

                                               GO

                                                            Unnoticed or Un-celebrated. I will decorate my spirit, not just my home, and carry the crispness of a new Fall morning in my heart. Will you carry it with me?

Gettin over it and around it.

Have I mentioned how much I love Joint Compound?? I took my plain ole moleskin and a stencil and joint compound and added some yummy texture. It even feels like carved leather.

I've missed my blog.
I realized I was trying to do great things before I presented them to you and somehow they never looked great enough all the sudden. (Well, you are really special after all....)


GEEEZ.  You'd think a girl would get over it.
And I am now. For now. Until that big mouth inner critic creeps up again.       SHUT UP ALREADY.
 "Life is like photography; you use the negatives to develop"
It's just me, odd chick, playing with her paints, her journals and sometimes coming up with amazing, but mostly just trials and errors. I can't let comparison steal my joy of learning to paint. And maybe, somebody out there feels just the same on this journey.

I went back to an old journal where I had made a pencil drawing and dressed it up with some paint, ink, etc.

I'm still into sparkles and magic and texture. I think I will call her: "Passion Seeker" until I find a better name. She looks like a MUSE of some kind. Any ideas? She could be fun Halloween art.


I took her to Picnik and I think I like her black and white too, cropped, with the deep red. I love taking my sketch art to Picnik and use their fun tools to take it further and further- I learn so much from playing with it and changing colors, intensities, applying different art styles. Try it. There is nothing to lose by tweeking your art a little. And you might find something that really ramps it up and you won't be so scared to try it.  I love finding ways around that scaredy-cat artist in me.

click to make larger cuz it's cooler that way

Check out this amazing blog: I heart shabby chic  and get you some fun, fabulous, ideas for fall decorations. 

Finaly, finally got to get my mess out and paint. I started my 10th art journal. (My first one began on the first day I blogged).

WHAT a journey an art journal addiction becomes!!

AND I am having me some IPAD fun, yes I am!!

It comes with a PHOTObooth app and a built-in camera. I made this pic of my feet on my favorite rug and twisted up the above previous journal painting.

wouldn't this make a pretty valentine?

Playing with Nourish Your Mind

Other apps artist will love: Penultimate. Your IPAD becomes a sketch pad and all you need is your finger.

and you can let little kids draw on it in church. the best etch-a-sketch ever!

For lots and lots of  visual dreaming, with or without and IPAD- try Pinterest. My daughter got me caught up on it and now it is like crack to my inspiration addiction.

If you can share any fun apps with me in your comments, I would love it!