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Did you witness it?!?

12:34:56 07/08/09

If not, you have to wait 100 years before it rolls around again!

Happy Birthday Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo mixed media painting on canvas by Heather Murray

heathermurrayart.etsy.com

Frida Kahlo ~ Mexican Painter ~ born July 6, 1907 ~ known for her vivid, colorful and sometimes shocking images that often reflected the pain in her life died in 1954 (the year I was born) at age 47.

From wikipedia: 

On September 17, 1925, Kahlo was riding in a bus when the vehicle collided with a trolley car. She suffered serious injuries in the accident, including a broken spinal column, a broken collarbone , broken ribs, a broken pelvis, eleven fractures in her right leg, a crushed and dislocated right foot, and a dislocated shoulder. An iron handrail pierced her abdomen and her uterus, which seriously damaged her reproductive ability.

Although she recovered from her injuries and eventually regained her ability to walk, she was plagued by relapses of extreme pain for the remainder of her life. The pain was intense and often left her confined to a hospital or bedridden for months at a time. She underwent as many as thirty-five operations as a result of the accident, mainly on her back, her right leg and her right foot.

After the accident, Kahlo turned her attention away from the study of medicine to begin a full-time painting career. The accident left her in a great deal of pain while she recovered in a full body cast; she painted to occupy her time during her temporary state of immobilization. Her self-portraits became a dominant part of her life when she was immobile for three months after her accident. Kahlo once said, "I paint myself because I am often alone and I am the subject I know best." Her mother had a special easel made for her so she could paint in bed, and her father lent her his box of oil paints and some brushes.

Drawing on personal experiences, including her marriage, her miscarriages, and her numerous operations, Kahlo's works often are characterized by their stark portrayals of pain. Of her 143 paintings, 55 are self-portraits which often incorporate symbolic portrayals of physical and psychological wounds. She insisted, "I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality."

 

Frida Pink Collage

http://NikkiMcFerrenArt.Etsy.com

Vintage Frida Kahlo Image Pillow Glitter Day of the Dead

RanchoRomantico.Etsy.com

 

Watch these GREAT movies about Frida Kahlo.

Please say a Special Prayer for my Mom

 

My Mom was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. She is an 11 year survivor of breast cancer. Now, in the exact same spot where she received radiation for her breast cancer...she has lung cancer. Bless her heart! She will be going to surgery in the morning. Being 5000 miles away from her, I feel a little helpless, but I know the power of prayer is mighty and I know it would mean a lot to her to know that people are lifting her up in prayer. Her name is Barbara.

My Mom is involved in a "prayer shawl ministry".  She & a group of her sweet friends knit shawls for people who are ill. When the shawls are finished, they pass them around the circle of friends and everyone prays for the person who will be receiving it. They sent me a beautiful pink one when I had my own battle with cancer ~ it was such a blessing & comfort to me.

I will be sending her a "get well" care package in about a week or so. If you would like to make her a card, leave me a comment & I will email you my address so I can enclose your card with my package. Bless You & Thank You!

"Health Peace and Sweet Content be Yours"
~ Shakespeare ~

Look Mom ~ I'm Painting Again!!!!!

My Mom is a FABULOUS artist!!!!! Living in Hawaii, she is inspired by the beautiful & exotic native flowers.



I remember when we moved to South Carolina and were getting a house with a 4th bedroom. I remember that bedroom becoming her "art studio" ~ little did I know THEN how important that is to an artist ~ I was just a silly teenager then ~ NOW I UNDERSTAND. There is just something MAGICAL about having your own creative space where you can have all of your supplies at arm's length, where you can have an "inspiration board" on the wall to post all of your clippings & samples of ideas. In your own studio you can surround yourself with all of your precious trinkets & treasures that will become your art.

I remember my Mom being "lost" in her art ~ concentrating, lovingly applying the paint to make her creation come to life. At that time, I had no idea what JOY art can bring to one's life. NOW........I get it!!!

My Mom taught me to paint, at least she tried.  My attention span then (and now) is pretty much non-existant! I remember doing a landscape in oil using the "pointalism" technique. I remember drawing, I remember using india ink on paper & blowing it around with a straw to create interesting & unique abstract patterns. I remember a big, beautiful black & white abstract I painted of my "crush" at that time....singer/songwriter James Taylor. And for my High School Home Ec Class summer project, I redocorated my room & made an abstract painting to hang.

As the years have gone by, "Life" has crowded out the "Art" as so often happens with women. But now I am "of an age" that I am getting back to my creative passions and I have decided that I WANT TO PAINT AGAIN!!!!!

Not long ago I discovered Suzi Blu. Oh Suzi! You are such a joyful inspiration to me ~ you tenderly encourage my artistic spirit. Your colorful, creative, playful instruction & inspiration on YouTube rocks my world! I believe I can draw again. I believe I can paint again. I believe I can embrace COLOR!!!!!

So........this week I started Suzi's online class "Les Petit Dolls" for beginners:



I just love these "pretty girls"!!! I want to paint them to release the pretty, girly, frilly, feminine, sweet, glittery, sparkly princess girl that shines within me. Stay tuned...my first "pretty girl" drawings to follow soon......

Art Therapy

Today was so much fun!!! My friend Kim came over & we had some "art therapy". Sometimes you just need to take a day for yourself to do something fun and to create something beautiful. It will bless your heart & touch your soul!

We looked through some old mixed media art magazines drooling over all of the FABULOUS creations & getting inspired by the minute. We chatted about Kim's job at a local nursing home and my desire to teach a craft class there in the fall. The subject of BINGO came up and how so many older folks just LOVE that game! Well.....I just happen to have lots of old vintage Bingo cards.....and in an instant we knew we had the start of our project for the day.

 

Emily's Bingo Queen

Thank you Kim for a fun-filled day of art, laughter, uplifting conversation and all around JOY!!!

Why Can't I be "Princess Tam Tam"

You remember that post I wrote back in March "I'm Boring"?!?

Well.....I am still BORING!!!!

I DID get my haircut and I DID get two new dresses, but I am still struggling with the rest of the promises that I made myself. Why do I always seem to stay where I are "comfortable" ~ not pushing myself and fearful of change & growth. Ok, time to step it up a notch! I am clearing out some of the CLUTTER in my life that I think is holding me back.

I have spent the last several years collecting vintage art/craft supplies. Now, I have so much "stuff" it is overwhelming me & I don't know where to start when I want to create something. So...watch my Etsy shop for some FABULOUS deals on vintage items & altered art supplies. CLUTTER GONE!

I am letting go of some of my "collections". The thrill is actually in the hunt...hunt over...not so thrilling anymore. CLUTTER GONE!

Darling Husband & I have cleaned out the garage & basement furnace room ~ got rid of everything that we have not used in the 2 1/2 years we have lived here. CLUTTER GONE!

I found this definition of clutter: "unwanted echoes that interfere with the observation of signals on a radar screen". I think clutter interferes with the signals of my BRAIN!!!! It brings anxiety, chaos & depression.

I want to be FREE, FUN, EXCITING!!! I want to celebrate life! THIS is the ME THAT I WANT TO BE:

Oh Baby!

Precious one,
So small,
So sweet

Dancing in
on angel feet
Straight from Heaven's
brightest star

What a miracle
you are!

My friend Angie & I are preparing for Viroqua's 2nd Annual "Arts & Crafts Crawl" to be held this Saturday, May 30th (8am ~ 3pm) downtown. We know that Moms will love something for their new "angels". Angie is making sweet little dresses and bonnets from vintage linens and I am making "paper doll angels" to bless their nurseries or to use as a special adornment for baby shower gifts. Each piece is lovingly handmade from our hearts to yours!

"Babies put a twinkle in your eye and a smile in your heart."

My Fear of Color

 

I am a "neutral" girl. I LOVE LOVE LOVE neutral colors. I realized this about 9 years ago when I first saw my friend Joy's space at a Denver antique mall. Everything displayed was white, cream, sepia or black ~ white creamware dishes, white Ironstone pitchers & platters,  brown transferware, creamy white vintage linens, sepia photographs, vegetable buttons, black painted primitive cupboards. When I saw this display, something came over me that is hard to explain. It was not only that everything was from a long ago, simpler time, but my whole being became centered, calm, at peace. I equate the feeling to that which I imagine "nirvana" to be: "awakening, bliss, cloud nine, ecstasy, happiness, joy, paradise, peace, serenity". This happened to me again when I went to Old Glory Antiques in Conifer, Colorado. When I entered a little "out building" located behind the main shop, I actually gasped! Everything was white! The walls, the floor, the merchandise. Everything was old & "chippy" and sweet & beautifully shabby. I sat down & cried I was so overwhelmed ~ I laughed about that later. This realization has changed my life. My home is now decorated in cream, white, sepia & black. My artwork is predominately neutral colors.







Yesterday, I was thrift shopping. I noticed again that everything I had picked out so far was neutral - a white matte piece of pottery, a brown transferware platter, a brown book, a vintage black egg scale, a white creamer, etc. I also found a "flow blue" bowl & a small decorated cup from Germany that was pink, blue & gold ~ I put them in my buggy & kept shopping. But, it kept bugging me that they were "colorful" and that they made me uncomfortable. Even knowing that they were "antiques" and a very good price, I had to put them back! Thus, again....my fear of color.

When I  choose clothing it is always cream, white sepia or black! I wear black Mary Jane shoes. My dresses are black & white. My purses are black or brown.

I looked up the synonyns for neautral: aloof, calm, clinical, detached, disengaged, easy, fair-minded, non belligerent, nonpartisan, pacifistic, relaxed, uncommitted, unprejudiced. These words do describe me ~ I HATE confrontation, I can seem aloof & detached and in my old age I have become more tolerant, more relaxed & more of a pacifist.

Lately, I have been trying to embrace more color in my life...I subscribed to Artsymama's "Year of Color" blog which is FABULOUS by the way!



I have introduced some pink & blue to my artwork ~ pink & blue pocket mirrors, a pink paper doll angel and a blue handmade purse. AND...I notice that a lot of my "favorites" that I have bookmarked on Etsy are all PINK!

What is YOUR favorite color and how does it make you feel?

Happy "Odd Day" ~ 05/07/09

 

Puella Animo Aureo

The Art of Mark Ryden


Odd

differing in nature from what is ordinary, usual, or expected

singular or peculiar in a strange or eccentric way

fantastic; bizarre

05/07/09

Three consecutive odd numbers make up the date only six times in a century.

How to celebrate you ask ?!?

An Odd Day contest:

http://www.oddday.net/

Read the Odd News:

http://www.oddnews.org/

Rent an Odd Movie:

http://www.oddfilms.com/


 

Exodus Study

The Art of Ray Caesar

The Blessings of Yard Sales

* JOY *

Patron Saint of Yard Sales

I don't know exactly why I go "Ga-Ga" at the sight of a yard/garage/rummage sale sign...but I do! Just the thought of finding a small "treasure" that someone else has cast aside sends a thrill through me I cannot describe. I know......I am sick. I cannot resist. I will dig for hours through boxes of worthless junk, just to find a piece of old rhinestone costume jewelry or a piece of antique lace. Vintage buttons, antique angels of any form, vintage white matte pottery, vintage wedding cake toppers, vintage linens, ephemera & sparkly doo-dads for art projects  ~ oh honey!

This weekend Viroqua (Wisconsin) had a town-wide YARD SALE!  My first instinct was: "Oh goody! Lots of treasures, lots of fun!!!". Then, my practical side kicked in.....what more could you possibly need?!?!? I have been trying to downsize recently, donating some things to local charities. Sometimes I feel so ashamed knowing how well I live compared to others in this world. My Art Studio is full of vintage supplies ~ more than I will ever need. So........I decided to hold my own yard sale to raise some $$$$$ to pay down my ART SUPPLY habit/debt.

What fun I had! My neighbor came over & brought some things of hers too. Our other neighbor, next door, set up in her garage. We advertised in the handout that you could pick up at the local convenience stores ~ ads with a map showing locations of all the yard sales. My neighbor's husband made us some great signs for the highway & our yards. We had fun setting up our displays & agonized over pricing since we KNEW everyone would offer us LESS.

The first day of the sale it was cold & rainy, but just as I lifted the garage door at 7:30am, the rain had stopped and there was the most beautiful rainbow across the heavens. Surely, a good sign I thought! People were already waiting outside...let the fun begin!

We had so many people! But we noticed that mostly, they were just "looking". Our visions of quick, easy money were soon dashed ~ HAHA. We soon started just to enjoy the day and forget about the $$$$$. The weather cleared and it soon got to almost 90 degrees, a welcome break from our long, cold winter, but the wind started blowing about 35+ miles an hour! You just never know what the weather will do here in Wisconsin.

We chit-chatted and met so many nice people. During the slow times we re-read the Somerset Studio & Home Companion magazines I had put out for sale. We enjoyed a lunch of warmed-up-left-over-homemade lentil soup & salad.

Funny thing happened...my friend left about 3:00. At 4:00 I closed the garage door & thought "finally, I can go in, relax, and get some rest". WRONG! I had locked myself out of the house! So I waited patiently until my husband came home from work & let me in.

The second day was very cold & rainy. The high temperature was about 45 degrees. Let me tell you, when you sit outside from 7:30am - 4pm, 45 degrees is COLD!!!

All-in-all it was a good yard sale. We made a little money, we had lots of fun. My friend & I ended up swapping some items because she liked some of my junk & I liked some of hers. The strangest thing was though, that the best stuff we had ~ vintage beds, shabby chic style decor didn't sell at all...but we sold lots of old candles, curtain rods, grapevine wreaths, plastic bins, books, cheap knick-knacks and "garage junk", etc. Fun yes, but next time.....I will be the one shopping I think.