Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Publish or not?



Not. To publish, you need to send your piece away for an unspecified length of time. You have to trust it to the mail system and handlding by people you don't know. You don't get paid. You don't have your piece to show. You may get 5 minutes of fame - but how does that compare with showing it to friends and interested people, and letting them handle it? If someone wants to publish something I've created, they can come to me. I'm happy to share them here with nice people like you. Here are newer pics. Janene

Sorting buttons



I inherited buttons. Lots of buttons. As a child, if I was sick, I could play with the drawer full of buttons in my mom's sewing machine. It was fun to sort through them and lay them out on in lines between the tufts of the chenille bedspread. My brother had marbles. But, I had buttons.
I've been collecting my mustard jars, thinking they are just so cute they would make good altered art projects. Snowmen? Holding a little garden fairy? Verses? Meditations? Words to compose poetry? Being in my use it or lose it mode - I decided to sort my buttons into the jars. That way I can admire them and find what I want quickly. Here's a pic. They make a nice paper weight as well.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

June is bustin out all over

Actually, it's bustling by in a rush. So far the major events were Candis' graduation from 8th gradeon the first, Trevor's high school graduation on the 3rd, Candis and I went to an art show at a winery in Woodbridge on the 6th., Quick trip to Timber Trails on the 7th, Pot luck dinner and election of officers at the Lodi Art League on the 8th, started watching Works of Arton the 9th, a TV program on Bravo, new season of Americas next top chef started, also Design Star on HGTV. So You Think You Can Dance started their new season as well. That's three nights I have to watch TV. In the summer. I wish they had waited for winter when I like to be home more.

Mixed Media group met on the 10th and I taught everyone to make the tyvek wind socks, then we had a tail gate party, where those of us with things to give away opened our cars to the others so they could take whatever they wanted. We all got rid of lots of stuff. I have no idea who took what. I don't even care, as long as it left my car I was happy. Lots of good things were changing hands that day, that's for sure.

Friday the 11th Jean and her daughter's dog (an adorable Pomeranian) came up to the country for a few days. Lulu met her with lunges and growls and so we started off with one defensive and one aggressive dog - plus my two neutral ones. We had a nice time, it was her first time there. But, having the dog issue always on her mind kind of wore her out. Lulu eventually settled down and tried to make friends but by then Latte (the pom) wanted nothing to do with her and let her know it at every opportunity. We probably should have just turned them loose and they would have relaxed more. But, since it wasn't Jean's dog, she felt extra caution was needed since she doesn't know the dog as well as I know mine. She only stayed two nights but I stayed over another couple days as the weather was perfect and I had lots of little chores to do - and wanted some quiet time too. I'm in the middle of a good book, and did a couple quick sketches while I was there.

I've been putting lot of time and effort into my new piece. Several people have urged me to sent photos in for possible publication in Somerset or the like. So, I have not been sharing the step by step process as it develops. Now, I think I'd like to enter it into the Haggin Museum show - but have not found how to mount it so it is stable and can be seen from all sides.

On the 17th Jen and Francis and I went to Modesto to the reception for Sam and Pepe at the Chartreuse Muse Gallery. Nancy and Eddie came too, and several other people came down from Lodi. It's such a nice gallery and the spread they put out for the reception was outstanding.

I've spent the last two days digging things out of my closet that I have not worn for awhile for one reason or another. Lost weight, no more working, tired of them, etc. 6 big garbage bags full of perfectly good clothing going to the thrift store. They are already loaded into the car. My closets look so much better, and I can see the things I like now. One bag of old shoes made their way to the garbage and some other things as well.

Has anyone else been watching the Hoarders shows on TV? Pretty scary. some of them live in piles of stuff, and can barely move around their living spaces. I can't relate to that at all - but there are things they say or the mental health workers say that make me think part of the thought process I can relate to. I hate to throw away anything that I think is useful to anyone - I want to find it a good home. I simply cannot put it in the garbage. I consider it wasteful and almost sinful. As long as I can pass it along to someone else - I can part with darn near anything. I know so many people who are hoarders, that it is almost considered normal in art circles. Particularly mixed media artists who see endless possibilities for the most seemingly useless objects, or parts of objects. All of a sudden we are all talking about hoarding and trying to work our way out of our collecting habits (hunter, gatherer). Even public radio had a segment on hoarding and the statistics are staggering. People filling their spaces with things they don't need or even really want, just because they are driven to hunting and gathering, and then can't part with it. Some void in their life seem to compel them to fill it with stuff.

I dont' see me there, but the mixed media artist part is definitely me. Sometimes I can barely part with a little scrap of paper because I like the shape it is cut in, or the color of paint that is on it. I just know I can work it into a piece of art sometime. Most of my best art is done very spontaneously and I utilize whatever I see close by - which may include things kept in a basket that should have been tossed but hasn't quite made it to the trash yet. Occasionally I use only things from that kind of source, and for some reason, people really relate to my scraps. The piece I'm working on now has things like a tiny tin box, some piece of metal with the words "other side up" stamped into it that came off the bottom of my toaster oven. Parts off a wheeled stamp that fell apart - they look kind of like gears. An old latch from a gate, more sudafed "bubbles" for goggles, part of a plastic toy robot, a small computer motherboard, a key, a nail, a rusty washer and a scrap of rusty metal off something that rusted out in the garden, an old perfume vial, a pin shaped like a rabbit from a rummage sale, and some scraps of images from other projects. A little tulle from a swewing project. a bamboo bead with a stamped image. See, it doesn't pay to throw these things away when they can turn into art. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. LOL Until I decide whether to enter this piece for publication, I can't put up photos yet. If you really want to see it though, I could email you a pic. momzart101@yahoo.com

Friday, June 4, 2010

Playing with a new digital toy




Photoscapes is a free downloadable program that can enhance photos. I just downloaded it this a.m. because my friend Roberta had done some wonderful borders and photo techniques on her blog. She has different equipment, but I wanted to capture the "look" withouth buying something else. After spending some time online, I found somthing that works for what I want to do. Here are a couple pics with the new borders and film filters. As a matter of interest the two portraits are of me, one at the age of 17 and one at 71. I have recently reconnected with my high school gradutating class (1956) and set up a yahoo group site where we are exchanging photos, and memories. It's a lot of fun sharing memories with people from the past.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Trevor's graduation book





Since Trevor discovered art this year, thanks to having a really good teacher who lit the spark - I thought he'd like an altered book for graduation. Here are a few spreads ( 4 of 24). Blue has always been his favorite color. In the back are two little matchbox drawers for $$$$$$$ - what he realllllly wants.

Starting a new project






I have this really interesting piece of junk (recycleable) box liner. I'm thinking about making a steampunk meets Alice in Wonderland collage + a little assemblage out of it. Here is a pic of the inside. The outside is just as interesting. Does it give you any ideas? Here are a couple of digital tweaks.

Art friends take prizes at local show





I didn't enter the senior art show this year with all that's gone on this month, I just could not get myself together. My first real outing was to attend it though because my friends were there and I had high hopes for them. They made me proud. Sally took a second place on a collage (and sold it), and an honorable mention on another. Nancy took a second place on an assemblage. And Francis took an honorable mention on a painting. Good going gals.

A cow?


Thought I'd better post a pic of Trevor painting his cow head mask. Here he is, happy with a paint brush in his hand. Hmmmm...... my gate needs painting soon. And it will be summer.....