Art displayed at local library

If you haven't seen it yet, it'll be up for another week or so. Thanks to All who have admired it so far!

Merry Christmas to All!

A lady should always be festive! ...or this lady needs to be, at least ;)

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Home for the Holidays

The holidays are so busy and stressful, I had to make time for some art in order to relax. This little Carolina Wren will be a painting sooner or later. I just sketched it at breakfast.

Flyday 2013

Christmas is barely over a week away - my shopping list has been done for a while now, and all but one present is wrapped - but Flyday is only seven and a half weeks away!!!  About a week ago, I tied the bustier onto "mini-me" and today, I started beading.  The theme is Famous Women and I will be Rosie the Riveter.  This is how it looks so far.....

Stay tuned for updates and adjustments in the following weeks!!  

Art on Display All Month!!!

In case you hadn't heard, my art is on display at the Causeway Branch Library all month long!  This is the latest piece I've finished that will be added to the display tomorrow. Working with driftwood has been very pleasant so far. My plan is to continue to experiment with it, and hopefully turn out some really neat sculptures!

Thinking Out Loud

Hmm, just typing the title for this post makes me think that I should use that for project inspiration....like, make it a print or painting.

Anywho, what's been going on?  My life took a turn for the better on Halloween and without saying too much, I will let you know that I have been very happy and busy the last three weeks.  That's also why posts have been less frequent on here and Twitter.

My driftwood collection is really growing.  Although I haven't done any shows or markets this year, I will have my work up in the library (where I work) early next year, so I need to get things made.

Also, I recently attended a party where there were several other librarians. It was a great time, but it also sparked a potential future career track for me.  Those of you who have known me for awhile know that I was very stressed out while I got my MLIS because I was working full time and taking full semesters of classes.  It has been suggested to me that I get a second Master's, but this time in Arts Administration.  Here is more info on it.  The suggestion included using both Master's in tandem to get a fancier job.  Many of the party guests I met have two Master's degrees.  Is it worth it?  I'm not sure.  Would I get paid more for having both?  Possibly.  It's not something I can afford right now, nor is it something I'm ready to do yet.  I've only graduated a year ago with the MLIS, but I'm definitely mulling it over.  My undergraduate degree is in Art Education, so it would be the best of both worlds to use all of my degrees for one job someday.

He's thinking about it (Blarney Castle, IE)

What's Happenin'

It is officially holiday season.  Christmas tree lots are setting up, stores are talking about having early Black Friday sales, and last night driving home, I saw a lit up Christmas tree in someone's house!  Art markets are getting busier with hopeful vendors.  There is a market coming up the Saturday after Thanksgiving in Bush at Ponchartrain Vineyards and another in Covington the first weekend of December.  I thought of doing both, but things are just busy enough without being stressful.  Maybe next time...

This past weekend was the Three Rivers Art Festival in Covington.  There were some of the same vendors that are always there, but a lot of new ones, too.  I was able to find some unique pieces to add to my collection without breaking the bank.  There were a few others, however, that I would've loved to have, which would have been much more of an investment.

Today, the studio got very organized. Got some jewelry projects finished, and I needed the drafting/work table to be cleared off.  Flyday beading will commence soon - believe it or not Mardi Gras is only three months away!  Besides, I kept tripping over things between beer fish supplies and the costume closet.

One of my fave artists from Three Rivers - http://dolangeiman.com/

Day of the Dead/All Saints Day/All Souls Day

Yesterday was All Saints Day and today is all Souls Day.  Mass was packed last night, but the priest's homily was just what I was hoping to hear.  Lately, my grandparents and other family members who have already left this Earthly life have been on my mind, so it was especially important to me to attend Mass and celebrate Dia de los Muertos. A new friend and fellow photographer met me in the Lacombe Hilltop Cemetery last night to capture the beauty of  local tradition of this saintly day.  My version has been posted on Flickr.  

In other news, there was a Halloween costume contest at work on Wednesday, and I came in as second runner up.  The collar and sleeve puffs were handmade by me, and the rest of the outfit was put together from pieces I already own.  

New Website Published!!

http://coolbeansart.webs.com/

It is not the one I paid for several months ago with Green Geeks.  That one was not meant for non-technie people.  This site, however, is so easy!  A coworker told me about it today and all that got published only took me two hours tonight!  It would probably have been even more complete if my internet hadn't slowed down (debugging issue).  Best of all, this host is FREE!!!  I'll continue building it this week, so please check back for the finished product! 

Yippy!!!

image from www.antiqueimages.blogspot.com

Queen of Hearts

The ruff is done for this year's Halloween costume. The bustier for Flyday 2013 arrived early so that can be used with this outfit, too!  All that's left to make are the shoulder poofs. Ya know, like Snow White has in the Disney movie.

Felt Things!

The latest and greatest barrette! Now improved with sewn on snap clip and embellishments. No more glue!

What To Do When You're Home Sick

The last two days, I've woken up with sinus pressure behind my eyes.  It makes me want to sleep until ridiculous times of day (for me, at least).  Yesterday, I actually made myself go to work, which was dumb because I could barely keep my eyes open.  I only stayed 20 minutes and came right back home to go to sleep.  This morning, I didn't even bother trying to get ready for work.  I realized within five minutes of my alarm going off that it just wasn't going to happen today, so no need to force myself.  It's hard to be sure when if you're really feeling better or not when you're at home because the things that make me realize I don't feel well typically aren't at home.  To keep myself from going stir crazy, I've read most of Mindy Kaling's book and I've done some small art projects that have been piling up on the work table in my studio. 

This is a t-shirt I finished today - get the pun?

October/November (Mostly) Art Happenings - There's a Bunch!

Everything's got a link for more information.  Maybe I'll see some of you out and about at one of these events!

Art for Art's Sake, October 6
Fall for Art, October 20
Octoberfeast, October 27
Halloween ~ October 31
Day of the Dead ~ November 1&2
Peter Anderson Festival, November 3&4
Three Rivers Art Festival, November 10, 11&12
Thanksgiving, November 22

Day of the Dead, 2010 Halloween costume

That Time of Year

Now that it's "fall" here in the south, art festivals and school and church fairs are starting to sprout up all around. I've just decorated for Halloween downstairs, and am sort of taking inventory of what I want to keep or donate as far as decorations go.  Friends keep asking me what I want to costume as this year.  Believe it or not, I hadn't really thought of it, which is unusual for me. Costume design and making are some of my favorite things to do and that really shows for Halloween and Mardi Gras.  This Halloween, I'm thinking I'd most like to be the Queen of Hearts.  It's not scary, like my costumes have trended in the past, but it does have meaning to me outside of Alice and Wonderland.  To make the Elizabethan collar/ruff, the plan is to use a deck of playing cards.  This photo that I found while researching "how to's" online this afternoon seems like it will work as the best model collar for the playing cards.  I've already got a great skirt to use, and the bustier I'll need for Flyday 2013 will work as part of the top for the Queen's outfit as well.  There's an alternate collar option, but I think and hope this one will work!  Happy costuming!

Building on the Idea: the Creative Process

After bouncing the time idea off of a fellow creator and staunch supporter, I've gotten closer to figuring out how I want to represent time in a less literal sense.  A time capsule was suggested, but I slept on the idea and this morning countered with a timeline represented by or made to look like a music equalizer moving horizontally.  Then the question was, "what medium should be used?"   That hasn't been decided yet.  A painting first came to mind with multicolored bars, but a more exciting piece would be a metal sculpture.  I have metal straps that could be riveted to an old piece of wood, but also stand away from the wood and bend to make slight waves, or I also have lots of old guitar strings that I could do something with.  This could get complicated, but at the same time turn out to be a really awesome piece.  I'll keep y'all posted!

wallpapervortex.com

Time

"Time is of the essence", "Make time...", lunch time, bedtime, day time, nighttime, nap time, play time, "Time", wasting time, break time, This Time of Year, "everything happens in its own time", "things of quality have no fear of time", "Good Time", "time heals all wounds", "Give Me Just a Little More Time", time flies when you're having fun", "time of your life", "what time is it?", "quittin' time", "bad timing", "the right time", "this time", "Hammer Time", TIME Magazine, daylight savings time, telling time, "Time of My Life", time in a bottle, perfect timing, time management, "Nothin' But a Good Time", "Clocks", "I'm late, I'm late for a very important date!", "Hurry up and wait", "I Will Wait", "Good Times" (the TV show), "Time After Time", hang time, "Right Now", "just give it time", and my absolute favorite, "One Moment in Time". 

There are millions of references to time in everyone's everyday life.  This list/stream of consciousness doesn't even make a dent.  [Nevermind all the uncited references there ;) ].  Time has been a prominent thought in my mind for a while now, and especially since I've gotten back from Ireland.  My body and mind are still readjusting.  Just tonight, I've started to think about it in relation to art; although, I definitely don't want to make a literal piece.  A couple of years ago, I was planning a dear friend's bridal shower and the theme was "What's Your Favorite Time of Day".  The point was to give something from your favorite time of day i.e. kitchen stuff for a meal time, bath stuff for bath time, and so on. How would you represent time in a painting, sculpture, print, photograph, etcetera without being obvious?  Time effects everything we do, all of the time!

Waterford, Ireland

Upcoming Local Art Events

RHINO Auction for KIDsmART – RHINO Contemporary Crafts Co. - Fine Handmade Crafts in Canal Place, New Orleans http://rhinocrafts.com/2012/07/09/rhino-auction-for-kidsmart/

Love in the Garden: NOMA_mobile http://noma.org/pages/mdetail/225/LOVE-in-the-Garden

Sorry the initial posting was so crude.  I did it all from my phone.  :)

PHOTO CREDIT: http://s148.photobucket.com/profile/AlatarielCiryatan

Pinterest and Stuff

Hey Gang!  Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful day -- well, when I went outside at 8 this morning it was nice; not sure what it's like now.  The last batch of photos from the trip are uploading to Flickr right now and will be done by lunch, no problem.  Just now, I figured out that one can "pin" photos from Flickr to Pinterest, also, so I've "pinned" some of my faves from the trip.  Y'all have a lovely weekend, however you decide to spend it!

on the flight from ATL to DUB

Back from Ireland!

I decided to come back home from Ireland ;)  We arrived yesterday evening and yes, I am suffering from jetlag.  The trip was truly wonderful.  Ireland is beautiful.  I think I said, "that's so pretty" about a million times.  Pudding is not our Jello - the black is made with blood (not sure from what) and the white is very salty.  Neither are things I need to try again - haha!  Bangers and mash are good, as are fish and chips.  I found all ground meat to be ground much finer than we do over here in the states.  Oh, and potatoes are really served at every meal, and corned beef is an American thing.  I had a "bit of a lie in" the second day of the trip (I slept in late), and an elevator is called a "lift".  Very surprisingly, no one flinched when I said "y'all".  Irish folk are hard to understand at times, though, but everyone was really lovely. 
Pictures are trying to download, but there are nearly 800 of them and a couple of videos, so hopefully by tonight, they will be up on Flickr.  I also added a new item to Etsy this morning and have been inspired to continue with the art business.  An Ireland photo will be added to this later once I can get things off the camera, so check back for that.  Slainte!

Rainbow over the cow fields in Ireland

Dragonfly Finished!

Just finished the dragonfly! It's a Peace Tea can with a mixture of beer caps on a piece of driftwood.  Colorful and summery.  Have a great Labor Day weekend!



Thanks to my sis in law & a neighbor for the can and the wood



Abstract

This is the painting I finished during Hurricane Isaac.  It's one of three I hope to finish by the end of this calendar year. One down, two to go!  I also started building a dragonfly with caps and cans.  I may finish that this afternoon.  This painting is acrylic on 11x16.  I used Liquitex and some cheapo brands of paint, and two Golden mediums for different effects. 

2011-2012



Bad Moon Rising

That's my hurricane song. It aptly describes the moon tonight, too.  There's a nice breeze out, and the clouds aren't thick yet, but they are definitely feeder bands.  A bike ride and some yoga helped to chill me out this afternoon.  I'm sure the only troubles we'll experience here is loss of electricity.  All the laundry is done, the fridge and freezer are bare bones, and the patio furniture and garden things are stacked so wind or falling branches shouldn't cause too much damage.

The plan is to watch movies until the power goes out, and then read.  Candles and flashlights have been dispersed all around the house.  If power is out for a lengthy period (days), I may even try to do some art. In the meantime, enjoy this photo I took this afternoon of some carefree youngsters.  It wasn't that long ago that I can remember getting excited about a hurricane coming because there was no work and no school.  Once you become a homeowner, that all changes. Anyway, keep up with Flickr since I'll post photos from my phone throughout the storm.  Good luck and be safe!

canoeing on Lake Ponchartrain pre-Isaac

  

Don't Call Me Jill!

That's going to be a t-shirt I make one of these days.  Just plain old black and white, comic sans.  It's a pet peeve of mine and people who think they know me always shorten my name.  It happened twice recently, so that's why it's on my mind. 

Anywho, I lied.  I renewed some Etsy items.  Some will definitely expire and not get renewed though.  Not much is going to happen artwise before my trip, but as always, there are ideas for things when I get back.  It's crazy how fast time is going by!  So many things to take care of!  Later!!

Continuing the Trend

I can't believe that in three weeks I'll be leaving for Ireland!!  I've already started getting things out to pack!  I also need to get serious about doing yoga everyday before going so I don't whine/cry like a kid who needs a nap from walking so much everyday while I'm there.  ;) 

New ideas have come to me about can/cap sculptures, so not quite ready to list things for sale on Etsy yet.  If I go forward with them and make enough stuff, I'll try selling at the Mandeville Trailhead Community Market one weekend in October or November.  The ideas will allow for a range of prices that will hopefully help to make some sales. 

As far as Etsy goes, I've moreorless decided to let all the listings expire.  The link will always be good, but only my favorite listings from other sellers will show unless I decide to list my personal items again.  The investment is minimal, but it's just one more thing that takes up a lot of time and isn't getting the return I hoped for.  Maybe if I'd figured out and allowed international shipping that would've helped make a few sales. Who knows.  The site is just so full of crafts people and artists that listings get lost in the mix - a great problem for the creators of Etsy to have, however. 

The website will get built and be up by Christmas for sure.  After my return from travelling, I will make myself sit down and finish building it with the help of my former webmaster.  The address may have to change a smidge, but we may also find a way around it.  Alternately, if anyone has a recommendation for a cheap website building human who could get it all done for me in a weeks time, I'll go that route.  By cheap, I mean, they just want some more experience to add to their resume and will do it for an art trade, or less than $50. 

Wishing everyone a great week!  The Olympics have been thrilling to watch, but the sitcoms on NBC are biting at its heels to get the new seasons started.  Looks like Mon-Wed nights I'll be wrapped up in TV land ;)   

Some coworkers and I came up with this whole scene and Tweeted it to our favorite Saints players

Upcoming Cap Projects

Day of the Dead skull and a dragonfly on a piece of driftwood.

Housecleaning and Maybe a New Direction

Happy Friday to all!

Today I've had major motivation to get rid of things both material and metaphorical that don't fit anymore.  Closets are being cleaned out, dontation and consignment bags are getting filled, things are being returned, etc.  I also found out that while Abita thinks my beer fish are great, they are too expensive to resell in their gift shop.  It was worth a shot, even though I was not surprised by their decision. 

That whole price thing may be why I've never made a sale on Etsy, and why everyone who wants a beer fish or any other piece of my art has not bought something.  This topic was included in a post before, but I can not fathom how these other artists and craftpersons are selling their creations for so little.  At the same time, Etsy is not the cheapest place in the world to buy things - it's often quite pricey - but the things that are similar to what I make are cheaper than what I feel comfortable selling mine for.  Maybe I'm too proud or too idealistic.

Either way, this cleaning out mode that's struck is causing me to consider getting rid of all the cans and bottle caps I've been collecting for the last several years.  I can always get more if I decide to take up that type of sculpture again.  I've done the math.  Over the last 8 years, I've sold 8 or 9 fish total.  It's not worth keeping all this stuff around for that since I don't like having backstock sitting around.  Maybe I'll try to sell all the supplies on Etsy rather than throwing it all in the recycle bin for folks who like to make bottle cap earrings and whatnot.  There are a couple more projects I'd like to make for myself before I make my final decision, but that's the direction my mind is headed. 

Photo taken from this site via Google image search

Blonde at the Roots

I think that's a book title....
Anyway, DUH!!! I just changed "my website" on Twitter to the Etsy shop instead of having it set to the blog.  That will help make a potential sale more than the blog will.  Heyyo!!  Been very dinghy lately...my brain must still be at the beach ;) 

Also, still waiting to hear from Abita about the beer fish idea.  Apparently, the big chief is very busy, as to be expected. 

It kept loading funny, but how hilarious is this?? Gulf Shores, AL

In Real Life....

I just got back from a short yet relaxing beach vacation with my good friend and travel buddy.  Real life didn't waste any time slapping me back into the daily grind either.  This has nothing to do with art - although, I will let you know that I have to take a break from that right now for a little bit to get the rest of things back on track - this has to do with my day job.  Pretty humorous if you're interested in reading this from 2008......

http://annoyedlibrarian.blogspot.com/2008/02/best-careers-of-2008.html

Sand Pipers at Gulf Shores, AL

Aubergine

It's almost finished! Perfectionism and meticulousness are the only reasons I'm not saying it's done. Side note: painting has never been one of my favorite mediums and I think I discovered why today. The colors are great, but brush control is a challenge.

Happy Friday!

Friday Stuff

Dropped off the Abita beer fish to the Visitor Center this afternoon! I'll know in a couple of weeks if they're interested in selling them or not. 

Two trips are coming up soon. Gulf Shores in August and Ireland in September. I'll be taking lots of pictures, and will probably get tons of project ideas. In the meantime, I've gotten some ideas from this book that I'd like to expand on.

Y'all have a great weekend!!

Here Comes the Sun -- and What's a Lithograph?

All the books on this stuff say you shouldn't title your blogs after songs because it's probably irrelevant.  Guess what?  I don't care.  I feel like using this particular song title because I'm glad the sun finally came out this afternoon.  We needed all the rain, but it's also annoying after a while.  At least my plants are happy. 

Anyway, after further polling art and non-art friends, (and yes, it's totally biased), I've decided to keep the beer fish and litho at cheaper prices BUT ONLY FOR JULY!!!  So, if you've been wanting a fish or that litho, or even the dragonfly now is the time to buy because come August 1 the fish and dragonfly are going up to $50 (where the dragonfly should've always been and the fish have been since I started selling them) and the litho is going back up to $150. 

Honestly, I don't know how these other artisans can be okay with pricing their work so cheap on Etsy.  It's handmade, yo!  Not mass produced!  The other lithos I've seen, especially, are listed for way too cheap.  So what if you made it in a college art class.  I made mine there, too, and none of them were quick and easy projects.  By the way, a lithograph (literally translated to stone drawing) is an image transferred from a stone (in this case, limestone) to whatever print medium (in this case Arches cold press or Arches hot press papers) via printing press (yes, the same type of contraption the Gutenberg Bible was printed on).  It's hand-cranked and the stones are hand-cleaned.  It's really interesting but also really not easy.  Plus, you use different chemicals for different effects if you so desire, and just the drawing or image itself is likely something that took a significant amount of time to come up with or produce.  That's why the "Outside Looking In" litho(graph) is the most expensive one I made.  It's got the most detail and took so long to get how I wanted it, it was actually the first assigned project in the class that I turned in as the last project for the semester.  Seriously. 

Long story short, get it while it's hot (outside) - and cheaper - because in a few weeks, I'll be putting prices back on these works that more closely reflect what I think they deserve.  Not because I'm trying to make money - literally, I have not sold a thing on Etsy since I opened shop in April - but because I take pride in my work and really believe that's what it's worth.  Happy shopping!!

Completed Fish

Just finished this Abita fish!

Also, the price of the most expensive lithograph has been lowered from $150 down to $120. Why the huge jump? I want to make a sale and make my Etsy listings move. Honestly, I think the litho is worth $175, but no one will pay that at this point in time.C'est la vie!

Oohsparkly on Etsy

Good evening...err, maybe a really early good morning.  I'm on a roll sprucing up the shop on Etsy thanks to Starting an Etsy Business for Dummies.  I will be calling it a night shortly, though.  Anywho, just wanted to spread the word that I have lowered the price of the beer fish to $40 from the regular price of $50.  My decision was based on potential customer comments and a marketing strategy I read about in The Handmade Marketplace, which I got for my birthday.  The original price of $50 was based on my ideal salary of $25 an hour.  We're in a recession though, so $20 an hour is still sweet.

Speaking of the fish, I started making an all Abita one today in hopes of selling it to or in the Abita Brewery shop.  I also plan to make an all Abita dragonfly for the same purpose.  All the business reading takes away from actual art production, so I'm pushing myself to make art more often. Keep watching for more goodies to come!

Post Fireworks

I hope everyone had an enjoyable and safe 4th of July!  It was my birthday so I had to see the fireworks over the river last night.  The crowd was thick in the Quarter, but it quickly cleared out once the show was over.  Near the end of the night, my friend and I experienced a very magical, storybook like moment.  The moon was waning, but still close to full from the night before, and we viewed it under a palm tree while standing on the edge of  the French Quarter in near silence.  There was a white cat at our feet that had come to greet us from a nearby yard.  I conjured an image of a black cat rowing a boat made from a huge leaf in a lake and the rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle" was in my head.  I may try to sketch that later....
The plan is to start cranking out beer fish today.  Some will get brought to Abita in hopes of selling them there, and the rest will get listed on Etsy. The photo I've included with this post is from last night.  The moon was a prominent fixture for the night. 

Neat Book!

Starting to read this now. What a cool idea for a book. Cameras fascinate me.

Art Shows & Fine Tuning

This is one of those things that's maybe so conceptual, it's hard to explain, and it's not my first attempt to do so.  My dearest friends want the best for me and look out for me in all aspects of life.  Their love and support truly mean the world to me.  They also urge me to put my art more out there, including getting it into galleries and shows.  While I do question how some people have become famous with their style of art, I am not looking to have my work in a museum - ever.  I am also not interested in creating works specifically for a show or festival because by doing that I am only doing a job.  The passion and inspiration is in not in it. 

The beer fish are things that I make not minding just turning a profit.  They didn't start out that way, but that's what they've become.  And if I did a festival, I would most likely make a ton of them to sell.  They are somewhat of a novelty, though, so getting recognized for that is fine.  When I'm really feeling inspired, I paint, pull out my printmaking supplies - do more time consuming and in-depth projects.  Another example, is that I will never sell my pottery.  For one, I use it and two, I made it just for myself.  The reason I sell my lithographs is because I had six of each print.  There's an edition of each in my personal collection, but I sell the rest because I didn't need six of each one. 

I do most art for myself.  It is my hobby, and my passion.  While I obviously want to make some kind of profit from it (hello, Etsy), I feel that if it would take off and become wildly successful, the passion and enjoyment I get from it will disappear.  Making art is personally satisfying for me so I don't want to lose that by having to mass produce pieces for clients, galleries, festivals, shows, etc.  There's a delicate balance I want to achieve by putting my work out there on my website (which I swear is slowly but surely coming along), selling it on Etsy, or blogging and Tweeting about it; although, I can not say specifically what it is other than a feeling or inner comfort meter. 

Hopefully, all of this makes sense.  I take it as a compliment when people introduce me as an artist, and I do consider myself one, but I'm more than likely not the kind you think of physically or metaphorically.

Party Rock

The Perfect Mix of my Two Worlds    -- I've emailed the person in charge of this and hopefully she'll like my stuff and include me in her book and project. 

And I finally reupholstered the chair!  It's not 100% finished, but I needed it mostly done for a party I'm throwing tonight.  I'll go back and stuff the seat more later, and then nail in more tacks to make it totally secure. 

Fashionista?....maybe....

I bought this dress at Jazzfest several years ago and I paid a pretty penny for it.  It's all handmade.  I've never fit into it because I tried it on over my clothes at the fest.  It's about two sizes too big.  The belt was added by me, by the way, but the rest of the dress is scrap fabric sewn together.  I can't decide if I want to have it taken in by a seamstress or consign it, or use it for scrap fabric for future projects of my own.  Whenever I do get my sewing machine (it's on my birthday wish list), I'll be making dresses and skirts.  If all goes well, I'd like to try making all sorts of clothes.  Maybe that's the direction the art business will go in.  I would love to be a costume maker and designer.  Designing and creating my outfits for Dragonflies every year has led me to thinking about that.   

                                       
The artist is Andrea Loest and it's called "Pin Up Cowgirl 50's Sundress".  I found the tag when I was cleaning out a closet at my parents' house tonight.  Ha!  I also see that I paid WAY more for it than I initially thought!!

Happy Father's Day, Dad!!

So, in case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm pretty close to my parents.  They are great people, and everyone who meets them loves them.  Today is the day that we all pay homage to our dads, whether it's being the father of pets, human offspring, or whatever other combinations of family apply.  You have read about my art influences from my mom for Mother's Day, and as some of you already know, much of my art interests come from my dad, as well. 

My dad was an architect all of my childhood.  We lived in New Orleans and he had his dream job.  Over the years he worked on the creation of so many New Orleans architectural icons - the Superdome, Tulane Medical Center, the Sheraton on Canal Street, and Hard Rock Cafe on N. Peter's.  Dad was also a photographer at family events growing up, and of nature.  Guess where I get my enthusiasm for nature photography from?  I remember when I was little and Dad was working on projects in the garage, I liked to hang out with him while he was working and he let me play with some of his tools.  He gave me a scrap of a two by four and let me hammer way too many nails in it so I could make a table for my Barbie's.  Oh yeah, it was awesome - hahahaha!!  Dad's not an architect anymore, but he's still always working on projects at he and mom's house or in the garden.  Guess where my joy of gardening comes from, too?  He's helped me stretch a canvas, he fixes things at my condo and teaches me how, too, and when I feel like giving up, he pushes me to go further.  I'm so glad he's my dad. 

Happy Father's Day, Dad!  I love you so much!

Yippy!!!

I'm finally redesigning the website!  I'd forgotten my passwords, and everything regarding the site transfer wasn't working. The old site still needs to get redirected, but I can build while that gets worked on by my former webmaster. 

This has been a nice rainy weekend here so I've been creative in the kitchen. Experimenting with food is something I enjoy, by trying new things and with recipes. So far, I've made lasagna with eggplant, cottage cheese, and 100% lean ground meat; mango juice from a fresh mango; and banana nut muffins with a mix, but eaten with Nutella. This afternoon, I hope to make either lemon pound cake or fruit tarts from scratch.

Reading and yoga are on the agenda, too!

Like the drawing says...

Just a sketch before bed.  Don't be afraid to dream HUGE!!  You never know what might happen. I always dream in color, too! ;)

Uno Momento

There was an issue with the website transfer.  The site builder used for the original website does not allow FTP, so the DNS directions have to be changed and then I can start building my new site.  The reason for the redirection is so the web address can stay the same.  Othewise, I'd have to really start from scratch.  That's not a huge deal except that .com was already taken, and now .net would already be taken, too.  Sigh.  That part should get done this week - it's really quick - so I'm really hoping to start building over the weekend.  I'm becoming somewhat of a techie afterall.  It'll serve me well in libraryland, too, and help beef up the resume <wink>.  All the other new forms of media are doing well, though, so send some good juju this way for the website so it can be on it's merry way to life again!  Have a great evening!

What's That You Say??

I've finally chosen a different web host for Cool Beans Art!!  Green Geeks seemed to be the easiest for me to understand, the best priced, it's well rated, and it's really green (windpower for the environment: see their site).  I don't know HTML yet, so I'll be using the free templates provided with the hosting service.  **Apparently, I also need to learn SQL**  The transfer is literally happening right now.  I hope to have it fully updated and running by the end of this week, but we'll see how things go.  Right now, I'm excited, but keeping my eyes wide open and putting on my thinking cap since I have no experience in this whatsoever! My brother is the techie, not me.   

Slowly, but surely, the site will get revamped and updated.  It will serve as homebase for this blog, the Etsy shop, and Flickr.  It will also be updated regularly.  I've signed up for Twitter and for Pinterest as well, so there are lots of ways to follow along now.  I feel like this is the key to attracting more of a fan base.  Please follow along with my progress and thank you for your support over the years to this point!  I'm really excited about all of this finally coming together! Cheers!

Good News All Around!

Happy Sunday!  My professional business cards have arrived and look quite spiffy.  Along with my Etsy shop came with a few deals, one of them being Moo cards, and I got the choice of using green (sustainable) paper for them, which I totally did.  Mom was so impressed with them she suggested I use them as part of my portfolio (I love that she dreams big for and with me).  Itoya is my favorite brand of portfolio because it's so professional and sleek looking, and they make a business card display folio, too.  I'll be at Hobby Lobby with the next 40 % off coupon I get to buy one!

Other fun and excitement is that I finally, after years, started going through my closets at my parents' house.  I made room here in my costume closet for fabric samples I got from my brother years ago when he sold futons.  There is even more fabric hidden at Mom and Dad's but we haven't been able to put our paws on it yet.  I've got a significant amount already, just today, though!  One piece is to recover the dining chair downstairs.  It was sanded a few months ago, and has been patiently awaiting a new seat cover. 
I also came across three brand new photo frames that match others I have here at my house.  I could definitely use them, and it was a nice surprise.  Oh, and another tiny surprise is that I now have three book screws from a bolt of fabric (if I make two covers, and choose awesome art paper to put inside, the book is literally bolted together with these screws), so I'm looking forward to that project as well because bookmaking is fun!

Lastly, I remembered that the St. Tammany Art Association offers clay, a kiln, and even classes for a small fee.  There are so many clay and ceramic projects I've been needing and wanting to tend to....woo!  I will be one busy little artist here this summer!  May as well be, though.  The job market is terrible, and it's too hot to stay outside for very long on days off. 

Hope everyone has had a great weekend!  I also hope that you, too, can find some treasures that make you happy and inspired! 

Fridge Art

I was having fun in the kitchen cooking this afternoon.  Once everything was cleaned up and put away, I decided to have fun with the colored chalk on the freezer door.  FYI - I painted it with chalkboard paint a year or so ago.  It's been fun ever since!

I'm Unique, Just Like Everyone Else

I'm reading about branding - not the cattle kind and not the fraternity kind - my business.  I'm thinking about the Cool Beans Art logo and the colors and style we chose for it.  Aside: a friend from work was my webmaster and logo designer. She has graciously let me continue to use the logo even though I will be my own webmaster, soonish.  Anyway, the logo has bright colors, which I have always loved, but has a brown background which all represents nature. I love my garden, spending time outside, and I love photographing plants, insects, the outdoors in general. The colors and design also represent my personality. I'm fun and outgoing, but I'm also reserved.

Taking all of this to another level: my drawings, paintings, and lithographs truly show my style - attention to detail, the whole picture and everything working together is how I'm happiest and most productive.

The alcohol related art is newer than my lithos and maybe what I've focused on more in the last five years or so. Does it mean I've become an alcoholic recently? Not at all; however,  I have grown up a lot and lost a lot of my naivety. When I was a teacher, my goal was to reach the kids with self esteem issues and show them there's a way up through and with art. After teaching for several years and seeing how undervalued art really is, I lost those great ambitions. Then I got into the wine business, and that is how the alcohol related art began.  Drowning my sorrows and crushed dreams? Perhaps.

Where'd the name come from? I used to say "cool beans" all the time growing up, and one of my nicknames is Jillybean.

Now you all know much more about me.  My brand, ladies and gentlemen, is Cool Beans Art.

Sunday Evening Post

So, I'm reading this book...

and hoping for ideas to get things moving on Etsy and ideas in general. More and more favorites are being made by viewers of my shop, so that's encouraging.

I met with a friend for drinks the other evening and she said that one of the things she's always liked about me is that I do my art for myself. I greatly appreciate her noticing. If other people happen to like my stuff, too, I may sell it, like I'm attempting on Etsy. Or if I have extra (lithography), or am not limited to how many reproductions I can make (photos). I'd probably never sell a painting though, because they take so much time and I get attached in a way.

Another friend mentioned to me recently that I should copyright my work. By definition, once a work is in a tangible form it is considered copyrighted; however, if someone were to copy the work and pass it as their own there is no legal recourse unless the work has been copyrighted by the government. My thesis was all about that, so it is something I'm considering, especially for my bottlecap art. It's so great to have friends who understand and support. If I could someday live in a place where I had likeminded neighbors, that'd be heaven....but that's a whole other story. Dream Studio Equipment in this wonderful place would include:
A kiln, a potters wheel, a collagraph press, a large work table, a sewing machine, and a photo area set up for taking pictures of completed projects.

That's enough rambling for now. Hope everyone has a safe and relaxing Memorial Day!