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I swear I added more journal entries over the past few months but either the server ate them or I am getting senile...I suspect it's a bit of both! I'm happy to say that Spring has sprung here in the east mountains of ABQ and despite seeing a few snowflakes as recently as last week, I am quite sure that Old Man Winter is snoring away in his cave for the time being. The trees are budding, the temps are in the 70's and to my astonishment, I saw what looked like Robins in the meadow...they had the signature red breast...but I didn't think those particular birds of Spring came this far west...maybe it's my bad eyesight and wishful thinking. We are
in the thick of moving to new digs and as much as I despise the actual
work of packing and unloading, I love the esthetics of being in a new
place, with all the undiscovered possibilities it holds. Just dreaming
of painting and planting new flowers, decorating the rooms anew...ooooh,
I love it all! The bestest thing about the new property is the larger
Art Studio I will have - 'O frabjous day! Callooh!
Callay!' She chortled in her joy. There are actually two spots for my
work, one is the huge workshop in the barn, the other is a cute little
one room house behind the barn that could easily be fitted out as a
painting studio for warm summer days. I am SO looking forward to being
settled in and enjoying the amenities. More later after the WORK is
done! December 2, 2007
We had our first snow over Thanksgiving and I got to remember again exactly WHY I hated winter back east! Yuk! I grew up in the stuff but that doesn't mean I like it, especially now that my old bones are complaining whenever the temps dip below 50. The dogs LOVE the snow, however! Merriweather turns into a puppy again and the joyful expression on her silly wee long-nosed face is just comical.
Oh, and PS - check out our new website for Halloween artists! Full of wicked good folk art and creative folks - there's even a blog that anyone can join and chat with the artists. It is www.HalloweenArtists.com of course! Displayed to the left here is one of my latest folk art pieces, a Black Cat FUNctional Tray - now listed for sale on ebay this week! Wouldn't this make a great Christmas gift for a cat lover?! Maybe yourself?! October 2, 2007 Ahhhh, we've spent all summer trying to settle in to our new digs on 5 acres of gorgeous mountain countryside. I say TRYING to settle in because all our stuff is still in storage back east and so we are living with somewhat meager furnishings and accessories. It kinda feels good in a way. You know, the old "Simplify" ideal and all that. We are definitely "simplified"! Only the basic cooking utensils, a couple of old sofas for seating and sleeping on air mattresses until we can find new beds....makes for a simple life indeed. At night, coyotes often howl and each morning we sit on our front porch to watch a gang of woodpeckers searching for their breakfast on our pinon trees. Jack rabbits galore live in our meadow, along with a large bull snake we named Roger (naming a snake makes it seem more friendly). I do have a small art studio set up at the rear of our house and I can look out into the woods as I paint. We fenced off a large yard outside my studio door, too, for my Scotties so they can go potty without fear of being bothered by the coyotes. It is decidedly feeling like Autumn here, with warm days in the 70's but dipping down into the 40's at night. Sure puts me in a good mood for painting jack-o-lanterns and spooky cats lately! May 29, 2007
May 2, 2007
This week, we are hoping to hit the road, Jack and not come back no more....but I'll always have that love/hate thing with central Pennsylvania, so who knows where we'll end up! Life is an adventure! February 20, 2007
Anyone who knows me intimately, knows I would rather be painting than scrubbing toilets (Hello, who would choose otherwise? You FREAK!) so to say this has been difficult for me is an understatement. I would take all my paints, brushes, wood stuff, tools and spread them all out on my art table and try to work and two hours later, I'd have to tuck everything out of sight because some realtor was bringing buyers thru for a showing. Egads! I think I am quite possibly MORE thrilled with the fact that I don't have to show the house anymore than the actually sale of the home! Who cares about money when you can skip dusting and scrubbing out the sinks?! Whoohoo! I'm FREE! Of
course, now the great exodus to a new home will occupy my time for a bit
but at least my mess is my own. Here's to creating exciting new
adventures! November 21, 2006 I've had some profound life-changing experiences lately. The best one (which is contributing to all the others!) has been watching a little movie online called "The Secret". It's all about the power of positive thinking, believing that the universe is meant to take care of you in abundance and manifesting your own destiny. I know, you think you've heard all this before somewhere. Who hasn't? Any self-help book written has at least a part of the puzzle...but I really think The Secret has the WHOLE. I've put it to work in my own life with some astonishing results, and I DO mean astonishing, nothing short of AMAZING. I feel better (two days of visualizing and asking the universe for healing) and wake up WITH NO PAIN. For those of you who know me, you know I have a degenerative disk disease that plays havoc with my life. So the no pain thing is HUGE for me! I've been worried about my finances for a while (the whole starving artist thing, doncha know) and decided to put some of the practices of The Secret into play. Within ONE DAY, I got TWO unexpected checks in the mail! And just in time to pay my utility bills that were overdue! Whoo-yah! Instead of worries and angry and depression, I'm replacing those negative feelings and thoughts with joy and eagerness to look forward to whatever ELSE my wonderful life has in store for me. Maybe you want to scope it out for yourself...www.thesecret.tv. Or if you're a "Secret" believer too, I'd love to hear from you! Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Well, it appears I'm being stalked. Or at the very least, harassed by an immature young man who can't seem to get over the fact that he lost a client to someone else (namely, me). The sad thing is, we're talking about an event that happened about THREE YEARS AGO. I won't go into all the boring details but suffice it to say that I was approached by a client to do a design job, (a job that this young man had also placed a bid for but the client decided against using his services, for obvious reasons to me when I later saw the sample pages he had created for her), I successfully completed the work to the client's utmost satisfaction and end of story, I thought. Not so, I'm afraid. Anyone else would take losing a job in stride. I've certainly had my share of polite dismissals and lost opportunities in business and in life. However, this particular young man, and I have never met him, understand, just can't seem to let it go and get on with his life. After almost two years of silence on his part, today I received another nasty little email missive from this delightful and charming man. I can only guess that he was having a bad day and chose to dredge up whatever bitter regrets he clings to in the past and nurse them into full fruition of hate and impotent rage at how the big ol' world has "done him wrong". I'll let his ravings slide off once again ...though George, my dear, if you're reading this, please do understand that the next time I hear from you, you'll have a couple of nice big policemen at your door in less than an hour. I think you're a big baby, my design looks NOTHING like the pathetic attempt you worked up, NONE of my images were copied from yours, and bother me again, and I'll consider you a threat to my family, if not my sanity. Stalking and harassment ARE against the law, you ninny. Go whine in your wheaties, why don't you and let the rest of us get on with business. K? November 29, 2005: Turkey Day has come and gone and now we're heading into the home stretch for the Yule holidays. Our weather here in South Eastern Pa. has been typically weird, it snowed the night before Thanksgiving and then this week, it is rainy and balmy. I had the doors open to catch the breeze, for gosh sakes! Next week, we'll probably have an ice storm. God, I miss California!
I'm told that most of the children visiting the shop for the first time love the Scottie on his bike, though there have been a few toddlers terrified at the sight. Hey, if you're only two feet tall, a giant dog riding a red bike and honking a horn could be the stuff of nightmares! Ha! Some day, I would LOVE to visit London myself...it's nice to know my art got there ahead of me! September 2, 2005:
June 29, 2005: Oh dear, oh dear. Heap ashes upon my head and call me vile names....I know I've neglected this page for SOME TIME. Whoops. Also, I despise reading diaries where the writer attempts (vainly and ever so boringly) to play catch up, droning on and on and on about things that no one cares about, as if everyone in the world were intensely interested in every minutia of each dreadfully boring day. Ahem.
November 25 2004:
For those of you in the know about my DDD problems, let's just say that the past few weeks have not been fun, in fact, they've been full of pain. Ever since Vioxx went off the market (and I couldn't afford the stuff anyway!) I've been fighting with my stupid vertebrae to cooperate and let me paint and work...but some days the aching bones win and I just stay in bed with a heating pack and aspirin. That's what the past few weeks have been like...but I rally! I can't live without putting brush to canvas or wood and I refuse to let this get the best of me! My son (the last one at home) has gotten used to me making strange guttural Neanderthal-esque noises as I work (back spasms are such fun, you know) so for the most part, I am back at my easel. But folks, if you ever wondered why your art doesn't get shipped right away...that's the answer. I just don't always make it to the post office...heck, on THOSE types of days, I rarely make it downstairs! But I'm trying! Enough about that; what I mean to say is that not a day goes by that I don't feel appreciative for all the little blessings in my life, even those that don't seem like blessings at the time. And you know...taking a minute to stop and whisper, "Thank you for my life" before I go to sleep makes me feel better! Try it some time and see for yourself. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! October 1 2004:
Sales of prints have been wonderful (if you haven't checked them out, you can find a small selection of them on weedogs.com) and thanks to all the great dog loving art collectors out there, we were/are able to protect over 3 dozen wee beasties throughout the summer flea and tick season! Wow! Merriweather and Big Mack say "hi" and "is it time for walkies again, please, ma, huh?" and we all wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season! May 24 2004: Spring may have arrived last month but THIS month the summer of eastern Pa. has descended upon us with a vengeance. Hot, hot, and humid and since I don't have air conditioning (why oh why didn't I buy that nice house by the creek with central air?!) it is really hard to get any work done. Even at night, everything feels sticky and my papers and brushes stick to my arm and get in the way. I have fans running, of course, but they do little to ease the moisture in the air. I've been busy with several new website clients as well. Designing layouts and creating web graphics is fun and I love it but some days (nights) it sure is hard to get back on track with artwork when my mind is buried in pixels and table layouts. I'd like to clone myself but then I'd have to share my Vioxx. April 15 2004:
Perhaps later today I'll leash the beasties and go for a nice long walk down by the creek that runs through the town and park nearby. Note to any pet owners reading this - I am in dire need of new inspiration so please email any pics of your beasties! I love seeing them and you never know when one will turn up in my artwork. I also love hearing stories about pets, especially funny ones...they also, tend to fan the flames of new ideas for paintings. Thanks in advance for any help thrown my way! February 28 2004: Ack! I am terrible at keeping a journal, I see. Here you thought you were going to get dished all the latest dirt and instead, a big fat nothing. The holidays have come and gone and I'm still going crazy, trying to keep up with the old supply and demand in the art world. I should be happy I suppose but when you don't have time to even take your dogs on a proper walk, then perhaps there is something wrong. It can't be that I am amazingly successful and rich or I could hire dog walkers, rather, I must be simply a terrible organizer. I procrastinate. If I'm working on art, I put off other chores - if I try to juggle my day to day responsibilities, then the paintings sit and languish. Louie, our perfectly dreadful Rat Terrier, has taken it upon himself to play art critic by peeing on any canvasses that I set aside on the floor. If I forget them, and leave them propped on the floor by my art table, I return to find them dripping...well, it's not pleasant, to say the least. Everyone's a critic. Dreadful dog. A friend gave me a cute ceramic tile for the kitchen that says, "Cook is not responsible for pet hair in the food". I think I need one that tells my art collectors that "artist is not responsible for pissing on the paintings!" Now back to work. October 23 2003: Ok, I
apologize, it's been some time since I've posted. Can I claim that
I've been busier than a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers? Or
did I use that analogy before? Being a working artist is akin to
retail. Long before the actual holiday arrives, the time for painting
in that theme is long gone. It's not even Halloween and I am working
on Christmas art! Supply and demand...and a little odd craziness
thrown in for good measure. PLUS I just finished two new web sites for
clients that was exhausting work late into the wee hours, while
simultaneously sketching frantically for new paintings. But I can't complain. I get to stay home with my own wee beasties (spoiled rotten brats!) and the only drawback is they follow me around from studio to office and back again like they are made out of rubber bands. Silly things. I just adopted two NEW Bengal kittens (dear god, what possesses me?!) and they have quickly turned my entire house into their personal playground. This is Jack...isn't his coat beautiful?! Can someone out there donate a big cat tree to save my sanity? PLEASE! LOL September 28 2003: My neighbors are having some sort of drunken party on their front porch tonight and it's making me insane. It's 1:00AM and while that certainly isn't late for MOI', being as I am a night owl and working on art...it is WAY past any semblance of decency. Did I mention that our front porches are right next to one another? I really want to open the door and yell something vulgar but my stupid upbringing (genteel and all that nonsense) prevents me. So I sit here and steam instead. Oh, not to worry...eventually I WILL open the door and I WILL say something...but it won't be vulgar because that would be sinking to their level. Did I mention that it's not the revelry that I object to but rather the heavily sprinkled deleted expletives they pepper their every sentence with? Argh! My son, in his infinite middle school wisdom, calls the neighbors the "PWT's" which stands for poor white trash. I often gently rebuke him for this....but not tonight. September 16 2003: Good grief! The middle of the month and not enough accomplished! Not enough by far! With the pre-holiday art season fast approaching, I always seem to be behind. When I DO finish a painting that I particularly like (and I am not easily impressed by own work) there's no time to sit back and rest on my laurels (some call that part of your anatomy something else....). It's get it varnished! Get started on the next! It's wonderful to have commissions for your paintings but it's also a little intimidating...some nights I want to work on an idea in my head rather than the one that is already sketched out with a patron eagerly waiting for it. I do work on multiple things at once, of course...what woman doesn't who has a career and a house full of kids? Juggling is an art form in itself. Hey! That gives me an idea for a painting..... September 8 2003: 11PM and I am sitting here eating a roll of Mentos® browsing the web when I should be WORKING. I have web clients and art patrons, all calling my name, in one way or another...and yet, here I sit, munching Mentos. Which BTW, is my all time favorite candy. I don't eat very many sweets anymore but Mentos (peppermint) are the food of the gods! Now, if someone were to want to get on my good side, all they'd have to do is send me a case of Mentos. (Blatant wink wink nudge nudge) I talked on the phone with a new friend for TWO HOURS this morning. It was wonderful! SO nice to know there are real people with similar interests out there. Sometimes it's hard being a single parent. The only thing open to you is to drink yourself silly, beat your kids or join a cult for friendship. Or you can bury yourself in your artwork and read Ed Gorey after hours. I don't drink and I'm not into organized religion....though the kid beating is starting to sound mighty attractive. September 6 2003: Today was the annual Arts and Crafts Show and the entire downtown was full of artists and artisans displaying and selling their wares. It was a beautiful day with just a touch of fall nip in the air. Perfect for browsing! Too bad about the darn yellow jackets, though. Those pesky bees were everywhere and made it a little unnerving to stand still for too long. August 31 2003: Last day of August and in many ways, it feels like the true end of summer. With Labor Day tomorrow, the local community pool is open one last day but it just doesn't seem fun anymore. I'm feeling a little sad for a lot of reasons. Fall has always been my favorite time of year but there is a certain loneliness to it, somehow. We have harvest festivals here like the annual Farm Show with the entire town pretty much closing the streets to traffic. Main Street becomes the midway with games and amusement rides and food stands for a week long celebration of Harvest Home....a rather jolly farewell to summer. We can watch the parade from our front porch. I wish my children were all here to enjoy it with me. Alas, all save one are still in California....seems like a million miles away some days...and Tyler, if you're reading this...you never write!! SHAME!! Congrats to Jessica on the birth of her new daughter, Katrina. Can't wait to see her! Where DOES the time go?! August 25 2003: I'm getting really mad about the spam emails I get, especially those about the California race for new governor. Personally, if I was still a Californian, I'd vote for Arnold. Hearing him called the Governator is stupid. I guess folks just don't realize he's a smart guy, making his first million when he was about 22 not to mention that he's in the Kennedy family. Like hello. I'm pretty sure they'll be giving him some pointers and support. And heck, if we did ok with Ronald Reagan as Calif. Gov. (he was an actor too, remember) then I think Arnold couldn't do any worse. August 24 2003: My back hurts, my neck hurts and my phone keeps ringing with telemarketers. I am not in a good mood. I need to paint but can't concentrate. I need to go grocery shopping but I don't feel like it. All we have in the house is rice and frozen peppers. Now what can I make with that? Nothing my kid would want to eat! Ok, I give up, where's the number for the pizza place? --top
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As
always, this time of year is more hectic than usual. Many of my web
clients need holiday updates to their sites and it's also that time when
my art painting schedule bumps up a notch due to the same phenomenon of
holiday buyers shopping for gifts. I love being busy but at times, I
sure wish that sheep that got cloned, you know, Dolly I think her name
was...well, I wish I was her...or she was me...or maybe just that I had
an extra pair of hands! Don't laugh, I can't help it if my brain is
turning to oatmeal these days in all the confusion and stress! (That's a
joke, it's not oatmeal, more like cold barley soup.)
After
several fits and starts, we finally got on our way to exploring the
country and this week, we are in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We arrived in
the city at dusk and the purple and gold skies with the setting sun were
awesome! One silly little thing about the city caught my attention;
instead of graffiti on the freeway underpasses, ALB has colorful
southwest designs inscribed in the adobe colored concrete. Lovely!
It's
been an interesting past month since I sold my house in Pa. with plans
to move west. So far, we've moved about 10 miles north and got
stuck....waiting to tie up loose ends here! The beasties and my son and
I have been living the gypsy life in various motels these past few
weeks. It was such a relief to have no boundaries after all the stress
of selling a house, dealing with buyers, the paperwork, the scheming and
dreaming.
But
while I am still enjoying the freedom of having no deadlines other than
the ones I set for myself (yes, I have more web clients than I can shake
a mouse at, so I'm working every night in the motel room or local cafe
on my wireless laptop, cool!), I find it's getting a bit tedious to
share a room with a teenage son and two small dogs. Going out to eat
every day has its perils as well. We've happily tasted all the different
foods available and it shows. Time for a reality check. 
My
art has suffered under a mountain of "should's" and "ought-to's" this
winter. I put my house on the market and the good news is that it
recently sold! However, the prior weeks (nay, months!) of time leading
up to this propitious event had me in a tailspin of drudgery. First, the
cleaning, sorting, preparing to move syndrome, then the "keep the place
clean for the buyers" daily chores...how can anyone work creatively when
every minute is spent fussing over the house?
Happy
Thanksgiving Day to all my friends, clients and patrons! I was one of
the lucky folk privileged to be invited to someone else's home to
share their (fully cooked, no work by guests needed) feast. Good
company, good food, good wine (just a little and I walked home so...)
no clean-up and the day was most enjoyable!
Ok,
I REALLY need to just take this journal thing off of here...I never
have any time to write in it! Spent all summer just getting along,
little doggies and now it's the usual pre-holiday madness! I'm trying
to play catch-up with several commissioned pieces of art (sorry folks,
really!) as well as prepare for the annual ebay hectic sales time. I
just recuperated from a two week long bout of flu and thank you to the
MANY nice folks who actually emailed me asking if I was all right
since they noticed there were very few ebay auctions of mine online!
Spring
has finally arrived here in the east along with daffodils and robins
on the lawn. I only wish I had the time to go outside and enjoy it
more! Alas, I have overdue art commissions to finish, other assorted
deadlines to keep (don't feel TOO sorry for me, after all, I really
REALLY enjoy what I do!) and so I am stuck inside in my studio. 
