Where Is Spring?

We had snow showers this past Saturday night, waking to a dusting of snow on the ground Sunday morning. The sun has been out since then...but it's been cold!! Today is a repeat of Saturday...cold, gray, and it's snowing!! Not much...but enough to add to the gloom...even the spring flowers look all huddled up in the cold....

I feel so depressed and blue...I am a Leo after all and I need my sun and warmth!! I so long just to escape to warm, sunny secluded beach somewhere and just soak up the sun in my all-together...a week of this might just do it...for awhile...

A Fine Print by handmadewithfaith

My thanks to handmadewithfaith for including my photo, "Athens Morning" in her newest treasury! Check out all the fine works that are in this treasury at: A Fine Print

Coming Back At Me!

A little while ago I sent out "destash" packets of ephemera to members of my mail art circle with the missive that they had to "do something" with the materials in the packet...do anything...but I didn't want it back...at least not in its original state....

Well...it is starting to come back to me....but in very wonderful and creative ways! Here's two that have come back so far....

Misty

Misty not only used some of the materials in the packet to adorn the envelope...she also made this really cool ATC....Very nice indeed!!

Jen

Jen also used the materials I sent her on the front and back of this card...but she also used a piece commemorating her adventures with a pinhole camera! (I'm sure you can guess which element this is!!

As I've said before...really wonderful stuff coming through the mails! Thank you Misty and Jen for these very fine pieces!!

It's Friday night...I hope everyone has wonderful plans for not only tonight but for the entire weekend!!

New Mail Art!

I'm a little late in posting some great new Mail Art that has just crossed my mail box. So...here it is!

This fun mini-tag (front and back) are from Misty ......

And this great card is from Jen !

Thank Misty and Jen...it's great to receive such wonderful mail!!

I Don't Suffer From Insanity by CrimsonPresence

Here's a wicked fun treasury! My thanks to CrimsonPresence for including my photo, "Insane Asylum" in this great collection. Check this treasury out at: 

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d86a35eb5008eef20b93e22/i-dont-suffer-from-insanity

Collections - My Dolls

A "family portrait" of my assemblage dolls. (l to r: Elgin, Maggie, Pretty in Pink, Ginger, and Push Me/Pull Me

I have always been fascinated by assemblage or altered dolls so when I read Linda and Opie O'Brien's book, Who's Your DaDa - Redefining The Doll Through Mixed Media sometime ago I was hooked. I knew I had to start making my own! 

When I set out to make one of my dolls I start with a loose idea of what I'd like to create usually by looking over the various parts and pieces I have in my bins. (My goal is to use what I have on hand without going out to buy something to create a doll. I'm usually successful with this but not always....) Then I let the "personality" of a doll show itself....and go from there. 

Here are some close up shots of each of the dolls....

Elgin

Maggie

You can read more about Maggie at:  Sister of Helen - Episode 1, Sister of Helen - Episode 2, Sister of Helen - Episode 3 or "Getting Rusty", Sister of Helen - Episode 4 or "Sister Gets Drilled and Bent!" , Sister of Helen - Episode 5 or "She's Alive" and Welcome Maggie!

Pretty In Pink

Ginger

Push Me/Pull Me

I've not made a new doll lately, Maggie being the last. But I do have a couple of ideas and the parts and pieces for a couple of new members to the family. Stop by my blog from time to time 'cause I'll make sure to show you what's up!

There are many more wonderful collections on display today over at Seth Apter's blog, The Altered Page. Take some time to enjoy these at:  Collectors Edition: Chapter 12. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

These pics were actually taken early evening this past Tuesday...but I thought I'd save them for today 'cause what would be more appropriate for today than a rainbow! I didn't go looking for the pot of gold at either end of this rainbow...but I'm sure it was there!!

Have a great St. Patty's day...don't drink too much green beer!!

"Bumped" (Or...It Fell Off!!!)

Back in January, I wrote about putting two plaster sculptures my daughter, Cary had made out into our back garden bed to "decompose". ("Bumped") I also stated that I would occasionally post on the progress of this decomposition....

Well....I haven't done this...sort of forgot about doing this 'cause they really didn't look like they were doing much of anything. Boy...was I wrong!!

Taking advantage of a warm Saturday afternoon, I went out to doing a little cleaning up and moving around in the garden. It was then that I noticed that the forms were developing some nice cracks...and....on one of them....I saw that IT had fallen off....just lying there in the mud!

Talk about decomposition!! And from the looks of things...the other might be on it's way as well!!

I moved the forms to a new position, propped them up a bit...and will now keep a closer eye on how they're doing...the spring rains are setting in...all sort of things might just fall off!!!

Remember to Play!

I had this terrible thought the other day....that I may be forgetting how to play!

Now...I've always been the "responsible one"...the one who does his chores/errands before he plays...the one everyone claims was "born old"...but even still I have always managed to play...

Many years ago when I was a banker...a very serious occupation that I found to be an amusing challenge for awhile...I had my photography and my wife and I traveled a lot....

When banking stopped being fun....I became a teacher....another very serious occupation that I found to be a delightful challenge...for awhile...I added painting and collaging to my photography...and a Harley when I turned 50....

Now that I'm retired...you would think I could play! Yet...I am wondering if I have made my ART too much of a JOB to enjoy it as I once did. Too much worrying about selling my work and not enough just enjoying the process...the play! Hmmm....this has got to change! I need to start playing again, don't I? Time to get the bike out....and ride! Time to play!

Woke up this morning to find this scene outside my upstairs window! After days and days of 50's and rain who would think there would be snow!? That's March for you!! Sun came back out today and it warmed up a bit...snow is all gone. Suppose to warm up this week-end as well. Who knows...maybe I'll be able to get the cover off the Harley sooner than I thought!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

You know...all the cold, rainy weather we've been having in my area is really getting to me! And there seems to be no end in sight....rain, snow showers, and outright snow are all in the forecast through the weekend. Yuck!

So I went looking for something to cheer me up  today...without having to go outside. I worked on a couple of paintings hoping that would do it...which it did...a little. I visited all the blogs I followed...and realized that it had been awhile since I had done this. Oops! Looks like I missed some great postings...fortunately they were still there, waiting for me. Good stuff everyone! Great ideas, great postings, great art work. Reading all of this helped....

This also helped...a Facebook posting by my friend Chelsea C., a recent grad of DAAP, who's looking for her big break. Recently she received a commission to design artwork for Macy's Music Festival that takes place every summer in Cincinnati. I was fortunate to see her earlier sketches so it was very exciting to read her posting and find out that they are using her work as the banner art for the festival's website! Isn't this great stuff! A big congrats to Chelsea!!!

You can see more of this at: http://www.macysmusicfestival.com/

So...I don't feel quite so glumpy...still a little....maybe chocolate will help!

Ephermera!

Okay...so I got into a groove building treasuries! It's been awhile and I needed to return some favors after all the treasuries I've been in...

As someone who loves to collage, ephemera is something I have tons and tons of...too much actually...but on the other hand, there is really no such thing as too much of a good thing...so check out this treasury at: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d754a24d8e38eef0c4e7a98/ephemera

Road Trip!

It's that time of year...I have cabin fever big time and want to take a road trip! Somewhere warm would be nice right now, but later this spring and into the summer...I just want to take that proverbial "road-trip". This was very much on my mind yesterday afternoon when I created this treasury....

Do check this out at: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d74fda307298eef8fcb22d0/road-trip  and join me on my road trip...

Black White and Silver All Over by fabricfreak43

There are times when I think my favorite colors are black, white and silver. This new treasury certainly shows off these colors! My thanks to fabricfreak43 for including my photo, "Leaves".

Check this out at: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d72dee6f4698eefea6040f6/black-white-and-silver-all-over

Let's ride together by santosleather

My thanks to santosleather for including my pic, "Heritage" in their newest treasury! Now if the rain would only stop so I could get my bike out and ride!!!
Check this treasury out at: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d715e59c8008eef1b198b70/lets-ride-together

Wednesday Ramblings

I was going to title this posting, "Would you like a little cheese with that w(h)ine?" 'cause my day got off on the wrong foot and I just felt like whining! Pity party time!!! 

I woke up feeling grouchy and achy...not even that first cup of coffee helped. My desktop computer...which has been acting up for awhile now...finally did die on me this morning...just won't power up!! 

The painting I started a little while ago just won't work! I threw in the towel last night and decided to paint over the figure with a base color and start all over again....

And it's not like this painting is the only thing I'm working on right now...I have at least 5 active projects going on right now...and a notebook full of ideas that I want to do...but "life" keeps getting the way...like overflowing gutters over the weekend from the heavy rains which flooded the landscaping beds around my house that then leaked into various places in my basement...where my studio is located...and it sounds like it's going to cost lots to get the gutters fixed....

But....I didn't sit down to write this until this afternoon. First, I read some great blog postings which always gets me fired up and inspired...and it's been a sunny day...so life looks a lot better now. I don't feel so grouchy or achy...the painting is fixable...I've been through this before...and it's great to have so many ideas to work on...I don't have to get them all done right now...and as for the w(h)ine...I plan to have some of this later...

Oh yeah...I'm working on my next mail art set....here's a hint of what I have in mind...like all the pieces I've done lately...I don't know where this one will  go...but I'm having a blast putting it together!!

Thanks for letting me w(h)ine...I promise to be more upbeat in my next posting...have a great rest of the week!!