About Me

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I live in La, work full time and dabble in art when ever I can. I would love to be able to do my art full time--who knows, maybe one day I will. In the past year, I started doing Festivals, trying to sell my Art. It is A LOT of work, but worth it. I have met so many people with the same interests as myself.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Venus Blues Hideaway: This is Henry--My foundling.  He loves his mama so...

Venus Blues Hideaway: This is Henry--My foundling. He loves his mama so...: "This is Henry--My foundling. He loves his mama so much and mama loves him too. Isn't it amazing that spending such a short time doing so..."

Renewal

This is Henry--My foundling.  He loves his mama so much and mama loves him too.
Isn't it amazing that spending such a short time doing something that you love renews your soul.  I haven't been able to get any "art time" in since I came back to work--but last night, after dinner, I decided to say "the heck with everything else" and go up to my studio for a couple of hours.  I just felt like I needed a retreat.  I get so bogged down with things that I have to do, that I put aside the things that I love to do and I can feel it--I get irritable and short on patience and just feel the need to "run away", to get away from all of the weight that is bearing down on me--that's when I know that I have to take time and get away from the office stuff, the house stuff, the garden stuff, the animal stuff, the site stuff and the list goes on and on and on.  Walking into the studio and breathing in the smell of paint and paste is regenerating.  I didn't really get anything done but I got alot accomplished.  I got projects to the next level--primed, gesso applied, even a little painting done.  It put me in a better frame of mind--hopefully it will last for a few day (I know Lewis hopes so too) :).

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

My brain has been working overtime trying to figure out a way to make art for a living.  I have an Etsy store and I need to stock it--I know that my art won't sell in storage.  I have also heard that Cafe Press is a good site for artists to sell their work.  I need to take an inventory, make note of what I have and write a detailed description.  I am not known for patience--in fact, I have very little of it.  I guess that I procrastinate too much when it comes to the marketing part of my art. I hate that part--I want to do the creating, not the marketing and I know that to sell my work, it all goes hand-in-hand.  So, guess what I am saying is that I have to quit waiting around and jump into it.  These sites are up and going and I need to take advantage of them.  So, my goal this weekend is to get into the dreaded back-room and begin posting on the sites that are available to me. My plans sometime in the future includes having my own site but for now I need to have somewhere that I can direct prospective customers too. Will chat again soon.

F.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Well, I have a few ideas for my art projects, problem is, there is very little time to work on them.  I haven't gotten a project out since I came back to work.  I have a few in the making but none are near completion.  I have been thinking about my fall shows--it is time to start booking them.  I just am not sure how many I am going to be able to do.  Inventory is low right now.  If I have the show in Grand Cane in September, the Mooringsport show in October and the Fleur De Lis Show in November I am still contemplating the Jazz festival.  I need to crank out a few more pieces before I commit to any more shows--i think.  Don't get me wrong--I am grateful to have a job, especially in this troubling economy, I just wish that I had more time to pursue the things that I really enjoy.  I guess that we all have pick and choose, and until were ready to take the plunge and say "Hey, this is what I want to do full time", than we have to juggle the time that we have. If the drought ever breaks than it will free up alot of my time, right now, I spend hours every evening watering the gardens and flowers--my gourds are doing good and hopefully I have a pretty good crop to use in my Art.  Until we chat again-F.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Such a relief!!!

A beautif site--a barn full of hay.


 Well,  this weekend I got someting accomplished that I dread ALL year long but have to do every year--yep, that is to get hay for the horses.  I only get 200 bales but it feels like a thousand!!  We started early saturday morning and were back home by about 10. This year was a new experience, we had to figure out how to get it into the barn. If you have been keeping up with my posts, you kn ow that my husband and I were building a new barn.  It is a 2 story and the hay goes on the top.  We did pretty good up while we could stand on the top of the hay wagon and throw it in the doorway--a little engineering had to be performed when we had to rig up a device to get it up to the 2nd floor when the haystack got lower.  We have a pulley hooked to the roof of the barn and used a hook to latch onto the bales and pull them up.  It took a little longer than it normally does, but hey........the hay is in the new barn........yippee.  That means the old hay barn becomes my new work room. I was able to get up to my studio a few evenings this week and even some this weekend.  It refreshes me, and it was much needed. I sorted through some of my stuff and took it down stairs to my new workroom, while I was doing that  I took a few pictures of my treasures that  me and my husband have found at work--we are dredging sand from the Red River and these goodies are some of the things that we have found, yeah I know, it looks like trash to most of you but to me it is a treasure.
I use these goodies in my "salvage art" and asssemblage.  Who knows where they will end up.  There are pieces of old pottery, ceramics, petrified wood, bones, rusty metal, sea glass and the list goes on and on.
We walk the site daily just looking around and I usually come back with my pockets (and Lewis' pockets) full of stuff. 
My pile of Treasures.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Gallary in Grand Cane, La.

For the past year I have been talking to Jody Gore, with the Desoto Art Council, trying to schedule art intake for some of my pieces.  With such a hectic schedule for work and spring and summer shows, I had not been able to "get it together"--finally, last weekend I buckled down and took an inventory of some of the pieces that I wanted to submit to the gallery.  Today, there was a "rain-out" (much needed) and I got a chance to get the pieces deliverd.  Thanks to the great lady that works there,  Jody and her hard work and persistance, I now have my pieces in the gallery.


Grand Cane is such a nice town, so clean and quaint.  I love visiting there.  Jody asked me if I would be the featured artist of the month for September--I was so flattered.  Of course, I accepted.  I do need to get a couple pieces done for it.   I feel like I have gotten so much accomplished over the last few days.  Yesterday I went to the Blueberry Farm and bought 12 lbs. of Berries, I froze them last night and today-before I went to the gallery, Lewis and I put up 11 bags of peas.  I have a few spare hours this evening-a rarity, and I am going to go up to the studio and work on a "pair of shoes", my latest future project.  Be well and happy creating.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Rain today.........

Rain, Finally.  I never thought that I would be so glad.  I have been working during the day and watering the gardens/plants every evening.  It feels like I am working to water--I hate to see my water bill this month.  There is nothing like a good rain to refresh the earth and plants and we need one so badly.

The picture on the left was taken at Melrose--it is a commissioned painting and the lady in the picture with me is Alecia.  She had requested that I paint her a large sized angel.  She lives in Lafayette, we met at melrose so she wouldn't have so far to drive to pick her up.

  This is a sewing apothecary that I made--my best friend ended up buying it from me.  I do have a request for another one from someone who visited the Fleur De Lis show but have to come up with a shadow box first.  I think sometimes that I enjoy creating these pieces more than I do painting.  When I was young I would create doll houses out of boxes and decorate the inside of the boxes with all sorts of little trinkets and findings until I created my doll a home--assemblages are sort of like that.  You sort through all of your "treasures" and "trinkets" until you find just the right one to add to the piece.  This piece has treasures from the Red River--my husband brought home beautiful pieces of broken ceramic, pottery, glass, stones, shells and lots of other odds and ends that he picked up from the job site. The site that we're on now is being filled from dredging  the Red River.  Sand is being  pumped onto the site to build it up.  On windy days the top layer of sand blows off leaving the glass and other items exposed for us to find.  Every day is like a treasure hunt.  I have found so many beautiful rocks, sea glass, pottery and ceramic pieces.  Anyway--back to the piece above.  If you look closely you will see a wisteria pod (given to me by a good friend and neighbor)--she is another one who brings me countless treasures for my art, old lace and even a shell decorates one of the shelves (also found here on the site).  I have spent very little time in my studio the past few weeks--hopefully, that will change soon and I can get back in there doing what I love--breathing in the smell of paint and paste. Happy creating to you all.

Monday, June 20, 2011

In my Garden



 Painting and Gardening are two of my passions, of course, there are many more and I squeeze them in when I can.  I love to decorate the yard with unusual finds.  The alligator above is one of my favorites.  Lewis found it on the job site and brought it home to me.  It was buried in the tall grass and weeds.  I call him Alfred.  He guards the entrance.  The pink creation above and at the right is an original--She came from Melrose.  I bought her at my last show from a man that was set up across from me--I call her "Pinky", of course :)
 This little guy also came from Melrose, he is a bird feeder and we call him blaze ( his colors look like fire).

 Paul, Jr. found this old bike for me and those of you who know me, know that I adore old rusty things.  I have this beauty parked by the tree just on the other side of my porch.  The ivy on and around the tree came from a neighbor that I used to have.  She gave me a couple of sprigs and I planted it around the trees-it has taken off.  We have had a tough, dry summer but hopefully there is rain in the future.  Guess I gotta get out and do a rain dance.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Plant Tower

I bought this plant tower at Melrose when we did our last show.  I know it doesn't look like much but it creates a beautiful display.  I took down the measurements and made photos of it, I am going to get Lewis to make me something like it to do some other things with it.  On the right you can see that I began by adding a  12" pot filled 3/4 up with rocks and the remainder with potting soil--I put sweet potato vines in the bottom pot.  The second pot is filled half way with rock and the remainder with dirt, I put Verbena in this one. The third pot is just soil and I put mint in that one. The fourth pot is a 8" pot and it is filled with just soil and I put mint in that one also and last but not least is the top pot.  It is 5" and just filled with dirt and I planted thyme in that one.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Melrose and Garden

Our Gourd Patch by the house is really struggling to survive--exceptionally hard year, but maybe with enough watering, I will get enough to at least get seeds and make a few things.


Gourds


Sunflowers

Sunflowers and Gourds













East side of the Barn

Before Crows




 We have been finding so many damaged Melons that we decided to build a scarecrow--Hence, Mike was born.

Mike


Watermelons after crows

Fleur De Lis Show








Melrose Plantation


Clementine Hunters House
Clementine Hunters House
We are well into our garden season here and I HAD some beautiful watermelons, unfortunately the crows thought the same thing.........you can see from the photos above that they had quite a feast.  So, I tried my hand at a scarecrow.  My hubby and I spent the morning creating "Mike".  He can guard the garden and hopefully keep the crows away.  This year has been a tough garden season-the drought, heat, bugs and birds have been quite a challenge.  I did have a good squash and zuccinni yield, though.  Lewis picked two five gallon buckets of purple hull peas this morning. Today is our anniversary--6 years.  We are going out tonight for Sushi......mmmmmmm, I love it.  I bought "Red Riding Hood" last night when we went out on the town and tonight we can watch the movie and shell peas.  Got the evening all planned :)  I attached some photos of the Fleur De Lis show and also the Melrose Show.  Melrose Plantation is so beautiful.  I took a picture of the house that Clementine Hunter stayed in.  It is supposed to be the oldest house in still remaining from the Louisiana Purchase.  My gourd patch is doing okay but the heat and drought is really taking a toll.  I do water every evening but am having a hard time keeping up with the demand.


Barn that Lewie and I are building
Through Clementines Window
Melrose Plantation
Melrose Plantation

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