Ok, so I am not very good at jumping on here weekly and typing something worth reading. I rarely have a lot of down time and at the present I am stressing at work and avoiding the holidays like a bad hair day.
I admit that I keep myself very busy with random projects aimed at exploring my creativity and singing in the choir at church, but I am very excited to think about an upcoming week off from work where I plan to have at least 4 "me" days! Let's hope that works out.
The Crows and Ravens Fat book project is now behind me. Each artist contributed something very special to the book and it has become a real treasure. Most of the artists count it as a favorite, which makes me proud of all of us. A lot of work and love went into the project. I hope to post some pics very soon!
A shout out to my friend Emily who is coming home today after fighting and winning over breast cancer, her reconstruction surgery is over with. My friends The Reynold's who are praying that their little Cadon will have good news with the Dr's. My new nephew Wyatt Christopher, who was born October 26. Shout out to Holly who is due in January with her own baby girl and her husband Warren who is serving all of us in Iraq, My friend Peach who is looking for direction and new employment opportunities.
I hope all of you have a more focussed Christmas. Keep your eyes on Christ and you will be blessed!
12/11/07
9/1/07
Old Friends are special keepsakes:
I spent the day with some of my oldest friends. It has been a long time since I had the chance to see all of these women at the same time. Maybe....20 years? Of course, I've seen them all at different times individually... but all together? It's been awhile!
We spent the whole day shopping at one of those meandering outlet malls. Very busy with loads of shoppers grabbing back to school bargains. Not like my usual shopping spree's out searching for funky and dreamy supplies to use in my art.
We ended the day with a nice dinner and I spent some time showing around my art. None of them had ever seen it. Now some of the ladies want lessons in book altering! If we can pull it off, it will definitely be much sooner than another 20 years!
It's fun to watch your childhood friends get older. It's good to see that we all feel right together even if we don't see as well as we used, possess gray hairs and fluffy bottoms.
I spent the day with some of my oldest friends. It has been a long time since I had the chance to see all of these women at the same time. Maybe....20 years? Of course, I've seen them all at different times individually... but all together? It's been awhile!
We spent the whole day shopping at one of those meandering outlet malls. Very busy with loads of shoppers grabbing back to school bargains. Not like my usual shopping spree's out searching for funky and dreamy supplies to use in my art.
We ended the day with a nice dinner and I spent some time showing around my art. None of them had ever seen it. Now some of the ladies want lessons in book altering! If we can pull it off, it will definitely be much sooner than another 20 years!
It's fun to watch your childhood friends get older. It's good to see that we all feel right together even if we don't see as well as we used, possess gray hairs and fluffy bottoms.
8/20/07
A shout out to those who love to roam the cemeteries
I have to admit that I have always had a fondness for cemeteries...headstones, statues, flowers, hillsides. The solitude, the loneliness. There is something greater than the sum of all of it's parts. It's memories. Some fresh, some long forgotten.
If someone was loved, it shows in monument. If someone was a stranger, a loner, or the last one standing in a long line of dead family members, it shows in simplicity.
I like the shrines of mourning we build to the departed. The spirits of the dead have long travelled from this sphere, but those of us left behind come to these places to feel closer to the ones we miss desperately. It's a place where you can go and talk out loud to no one at all and nobody thinks anything of it. More likely, no one even knows; save the groundskeeper. He's probably not talking.
Over my vacation some friends and myself took a sojourn to explore some of the beautiful cemeteries in the Chicago area. My friend Heather said it was like someone let a bunch of Golden Retrievers out of the car, everyone scattered in different directions. It took forever to round us all up!
It was a photographic adventure. We took pictures of angels, maidens, Mary's and Jesus'. Headstones, crosses, mysterious mausoleums and other oddities we stumbled upon.
It was hot (in the 90's) peaceful, beautiful and mysterious. We visited one cemetery where the graves were covered in weeds and over-growth as tall as myself. Every once and a while you would come across a grave that had sunk into the earth about a foot. Wooden coffins. Eventually, they rot.
The plan is to use our photographic treasures in our art. Sometimes the pieces stand alone. I'll share a few of my pictures.
If someone was loved, it shows in monument. If someone was a stranger, a loner, or the last one standing in a long line of dead family members, it shows in simplicity.
I like the shrines of mourning we build to the departed. The spirits of the dead have long travelled from this sphere, but those of us left behind come to these places to feel closer to the ones we miss desperately. It's a place where you can go and talk out loud to no one at all and nobody thinks anything of it. More likely, no one even knows; save the groundskeeper. He's probably not talking.
Over my vacation some friends and myself took a sojourn to explore some of the beautiful cemeteries in the Chicago area. My friend Heather said it was like someone let a bunch of Golden Retrievers out of the car, everyone scattered in different directions. It took forever to round us all up!
It was a photographic adventure. We took pictures of angels, maidens, Mary's and Jesus'. Headstones, crosses, mysterious mausoleums and other oddities we stumbled upon.
It was hot (in the 90's) peaceful, beautiful and mysterious. We visited one cemetery where the graves were covered in weeds and over-growth as tall as myself. Every once and a while you would come across a grave that had sunk into the earth about a foot. Wooden coffins. Eventually, they rot.
The plan is to use our photographic treasures in our art. Sometimes the pieces stand alone. I'll share a few of my pictures.
8/1/07
Class Reunion
Last weekend I attended my class reunion. I'll let you guess what year it was.
I had so much fun seeing my old classmates, too bad more people didn't attend. My closest friends did this time. (most, anyway) I have to admit that after the last reunion I was never going again. This one faired better for me, but I decided I was going to make a bigger effort to talk to people.
It's funny...10 years ago an old friend named Jeff acted like I was an unknown entity. This time he was very warm, chatty and kind.
For me the fun is in seeing how everyone has changed, or in some cases not changed. Talking to them was just a bonus. I never got too in depth with anyone. I felt like all everyone wanted to know was, where do you live? What do you do? Do you have any kids? Pretty surface stuff. I don't think people want to take the time anymore to get to know one another.
I think it's pretty great how the artsy-online communities do take the time to get to know one another through blogs and online groups. A great medium for people to connect and dig a little deeper into the who behind the eyes.
I had so much fun seeing my old classmates, too bad more people didn't attend. My closest friends did this time. (most, anyway) I have to admit that after the last reunion I was never going again. This one faired better for me, but I decided I was going to make a bigger effort to talk to people.
It's funny...10 years ago an old friend named Jeff acted like I was an unknown entity. This time he was very warm, chatty and kind.
For me the fun is in seeing how everyone has changed, or in some cases not changed. Talking to them was just a bonus. I never got too in depth with anyone. I felt like all everyone wanted to know was, where do you live? What do you do? Do you have any kids? Pretty surface stuff. I don't think people want to take the time anymore to get to know one another.
I think it's pretty great how the artsy-online communities do take the time to get to know one another through blogs and online groups. A great medium for people to connect and dig a little deeper into the who behind the eyes.
7/21/07
Great fun
Went to a class today at my LSS (local stamp store) and had a blast. Wonder-woman Nellie Wortman taught three projects today, one was a vintage calendar cover, one was a cool vintage clothes pin note holder and we also made fabric greeting cards. I was not sure that I wanted to work with fabric, I have been avoiding my sewing machine like the plague - however they were a right up my alley because precision was NOT NECESSARY!
Artistically, I like things to be a bit on the random side. This was not me "back in the day". I used to paint watercolors and sell them at local galleries and with an art group. I wasn't happy until I had glommed every detail possible in my paintings. I sold quite a few pieces, but when I finally let go and started painting abstract, free-flowing and splashy, I sold mass quantities of my work.
Lesson learned, sometimes letting go is worth the loss of control. Happy accidents can be of value!
Lori
Artistically, I like things to be a bit on the random side. This was not me "back in the day". I used to paint watercolors and sell them at local galleries and with an art group. I wasn't happy until I had glommed every detail possible in my paintings. I sold quite a few pieces, but when I finally let go and started painting abstract, free-flowing and splashy, I sold mass quantities of my work.
Lesson learned, sometimes letting go is worth the loss of control. Happy accidents can be of value!
Lori
7/13/07
A Blog by any other name
I was certain I would not have the time to do a blog. In fact, I was convinced that spending time creating one was going to take away from my art time. The time in my busy schedule that I covet the most. In fact, why would anyone who spends 9 hours a day already in front of a computer want to spend anymore time doing that when you could be doing ANYTHING else?
I'm starting to realize that if I want to market my art in any way, shape or form - a blogging I must go. Besides, right now I am in a creative lull. My studio space is screaming for me to organize again, so in defiance I am doing this instead.
I'm planning to use this place to express myself, share my latest creations and connect with those who have a similar bent. Eventually I will market my work again and this may be a helpful resource. Welcome to my blog. Maybe next time I will say something interesting!
I'm starting to realize that if I want to market my art in any way, shape or form - a blogging I must go. Besides, right now I am in a creative lull. My studio space is screaming for me to organize again, so in defiance I am doing this instead.
I'm planning to use this place to express myself, share my latest creations and connect with those who have a similar bent. Eventually I will market my work again and this may be a helpful resource. Welcome to my blog. Maybe next time I will say something interesting!
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