Category Archives: Stories

A Retrospect of an Artist

Image
October 18,2014

October 18,2014

 What happened on Saturday night, October 18th?

The middle of  October, Art Beat on Main Street in Vista, Ca. had a reception for our dear friend  Maxine Custer.   The entire show has been in the making for months, and was spearheaded by another dear friend, LaRetta Small Zamora.  It became clear recently that LaRetta needed the help of three of the Fabulous Five Divas to pull it together.  That meant that with the exception of Maxine providing her paintings for the show, the remaining four of us needed to share in the pulling it together!

Only part of the food!

Only part of the food!

And…..

After dividing up the catering responsibilities between Karin deBaay, Susan Kopp, LaRetta, and myself it made it much easier on LaRetta, and was actually fun.  One person would have gone crazy…ier than they already were, so it worked out perfectly.

Maxine Custer, LaRetta Small Zamora

Maxine Custer, LaRetta Small Zamora

After placing announcements on Facebook, and group emails, not one of us even had a clue as to how many people might show up. So many invitations went out, that we lost count.   But we were ready for a fabulous party!

For those of you who couldn’t make it, you missed a great party, but you still will be able to see the show!

Time Out for Art

Image
Mixed Media

Mixed Media

I’ve been experimenting with some new ideas lately, and this is one of them.  I particularly like the pencil showing in my sketch, and the stencil work in the corners with molding paste.

Time out for Art has been inspired by Zebra Designs & Destinations.  

Holding it Together……

Image
"Holding it Together"

“Holding it Together”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I look through the Daily Post for Writing 201….

I have come across the following quote..   Somehow it hit home with me, maybe because  growing up in our household,  art was not an option, or maybe because I’m such a rebel.  I don’t even remember bringing art up, it was so not an option!  I never had the nerve or inclination to be gay, but as a child,  I was a pretty good artist, and quite creative.  Somehow that creativity was  watered down, and pretty soon I found myself  involved with a family,  kids, and didn’t even have the time, or energy to look back.

Sadly it took me years to find myself, only to get lost in the teenage revolution.  Amazingly, I survived three kids going through their teenage years without  many headaches, or meltdowns!

Eventually,  freeing myself after the kids left home to find my heart was in my art once again.  I’m still finding art, and still looking for myself in the way I paint, and express myself. I think that’s  called growing? They say it’s the  journey,  not the destination, and it’s an  interesting journey at that!

“If you want to really hurt your parents, and you don’t have the nerve to be gay, the least you can do is go into the arts. I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.”

            A Man Without a Country

This  quote was taken from the Daily Post, and written by Kurt Vonnegut

 

In taking this two-week class I have discovered new ideas, some I have implemented, some  were already in place.  I’m still learning, and making an effort to create a blog that is interesting, and full of great content.    I love to write, but I love painting and creating as well.  I’m getting my mojo back, and starting to create more often. It is on my mind constantly now, and each thing I do during the day, or experience I have, my mind goes to how can I relate that to a painting!   This is what creating is about, weather we are a writer, a musician, a painter, or wherever our creating process is……

Have a beautiful day full of ideas, and lots of creating!

Day of the Dead!

Image

IMG_1854

A few years ago I decided to have a fall party.  Not wanting to be like everyone else, I decided to make the theme “Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead!”   But being a white girl, and having many friends who didn’t understand this theme, only my “Artsie Fartsie” friends showed up.  They really get me!

 

 

IMG_1777

 

I did this for a few years, and still, only my “Artsie Fartsie” friends showed up, with few exceptions.

IMG_1860

So today I’m going to post some of the skulls I created for these parties.

IMG_1789

They were fun to do, and though time-consuming, it felt really good to complete some dozen or more skulls.

IMG_1826

I think we had four large, and ten or twelve small skulls……..

IMG_1819

All decorated differently.

IMG_1764

 

I hoped you had fun seeing a different kind of artwork, and  that it will give you some inspiration to create something outside the box.

Note:  Outside the box probably depends on where you live, and what you already create!

Time Out for Art!

Image

Today being Thursday, it’s once again Time Out for Art Day!  I thought I’d throw in a little abstract painting I did a couple of years ago.   Maybe I’m trying to inspire myself to keep painting, or maybe it’s an attempt to get some of you to paint abstractly.  Abstract painting is  fun, and it finds its own way….

Sunshine of the Lake

Sunshine of the Lake

Time Out for Art has been inspired by Zebra Designs & Destinations, I know you’ll find them as inspiring as I do!