Glitter and Grunge

Be sure to check out Glitter and Grunge on September 1. I'm really excited because it's my debut at G and G, and I have an exclusive piece which will only be available there. Just putting the finishing touches on it today, but here's a tiny peek. Other projects are in the works too. These are busy, fun days.

Inspiration

Here's an old ad I bought somewhere a few years ago. It's a bit tattered, but I liked it because the image of the little girl is just so sweet, and I loved the color of the background. (The scan just didn't quite capture the robin's egg color of the original.) I'm always on the lookout for vintage postcards and pictures from old books. And it's inspiration for a vintage book swap in which I'm participating, hosted by The Polka Dot Pixie. I know a couple of little shops in my area which might have a candidate for the swap.

And here's a book I"ve had since I was a little girl. It's really small, which is probably why it was always one of my favorites. The price in the corner says 5 cents. Wow, can't get much for 5 cents anymore, but I'm a bargain hunter.

New Things

New things at The Primitive Gathering coming September 1. Here's a sneak peek of one! He's a papier mache "nodder," part of my "Hardscuffle" series. Be sure to check him out in September. Also, check out all of the other great artists there!

The Name Game

I've been tagged, so I guess that makes me "It". Here are the rules: You have to post these rules before you give the facts. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog post containing your own middle name game facts. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

E --- Excited about the possibilities that await

L --- Love to laugh – it’s what I enjoy most about my children: we just enjoy hanging out and laughing together

I --- Inspired – I love to look around for things that inspire me


Z --- Z Z Z Z Z Z Z– I never get enough of it!


A --- A wife, mother, Sunday school teacher, friend, artist, coffee lover


B --- Boring – I’m having a difficult time thinking of ways to describe myself


E --- Enjoying learning new things and meeting new people


T --- "Technically challenged" – I’m still getting my "sea legs" in all of this techno stuff!


H --- Happy my middle name is not any longer–Whew!


I've done my best to abide by the rules. So now I've got to tag someone. Since I'm new to the blog-o-sphere, and all the people I've connected with so far have already been tagged, I guess I lose. (And, of course, my parents had to give me a middle name with 9 letters! Such poor forethought on their part :-) It was a fun game--thanks Elaine!

Have a blessed day!

Angels Unaware

I've been trying to work on new things for my website and hope to have them ready early in September. (Fingers crossed!)

Also I am making a very special piece for a silent auction (September 16-22) for a dear little girl with a rare genetic disorder. Many artists are pooling their talents to raise money to help defray little Ava Grace's medical expenses. Please see this link for more details and be sure to mark your calendar. I'll send out a sneak preview when it's ready!

McGregor's garden

It's been a real challenge in the garden this year especially, as Georgia has been in a drought. And what the crows and deer didn't get (all of my okra--not one plant left!) the 100 degree heat did. Our watermelons were thriving and just about ripe, when Mr. Sun decided to microwave them!



Here are a couple that survived.
I did manage to get some corn, a few tomatoes, a "mess" or two of green beans, and a good bit of squash before the really hot days arrived. We planted a vintage variety of cucumber, and had tons of it. We also had some volunteer gourds come up and I'm watching to see if they will produce anything useable. They just came up where I swept the porch of our garden house last fall after a few of my gourds split. They've made such a valiant effort to survive after being trampled a million times (and suffering through the ill-effects of my unwitting husband and his industrial-sized weed-eater)-- I just didn't have the heart to pull them up this Spring.

Dog Days of Summer

Our two dogs, Georgia and Maddie, enjoying an afternoon swim in one of our ponds. They go for a swim almost every day. (It's been 100 degrees here for almost two weeks, so cool places are few and far between.)

I'm working on some new pieces for my website and hopefully they will be done by the end of the month. It's been a hectic few weeks here!

So, my nest is getting a bit smaller. Our daughter is leaving for college in two days--the weatherman says it will be 101 for move-in day. The good side: maybe my tears won't show through all the sweat.

Tadpoles and Teacups

Okay, just a bit about me.

I have never known life without a pencil or paintbrush in my hand. From my earliest memories, I’ve loved to draw and paint; and I often had a 3-D project or two cluttering my family’s dining room table or garage. (In elementary school I even made a life-sized pony out of papier mache). As a child I spent almost every Saturday with a wonderful art teacher, Mrs. Tibbetts, who never, ever taught her students how to draw, but gave us every imaginable medium with which to explore and experiment. Her enthusiasm for the journey of creating has had a lasting impact in my development as an artist. I don’t think I ever made a conscious decision to be an artist; it was just what I did.

After studying art at the University of Georgia and graduating with a BFA in graphic design, I worked as an art director for many years. During that time, I continued developing my drawing and painting skills. The pencil renderings I draw are mostly of people, and sometimes take weeks to complete. My watercolor paintings are very small, and depict mostly rural themes.

Eventually I found my passion for papier mache. I was inspired by vintage children’s books and German papier mache Halloween figures, and began making my own small pumpkins and glittered snowmen. Many of the stylized, whimsical pieces I make have a down-home, vintage look, while some reflect my roots in graphic design. Hours of loving labor go into every work, and I often rely upon the advice of my three young daughters to help me find just the right childlike personality for each piece.