I think that I am fully recovered from long hours of driving, waiting, standing around, more waiting, more driving...you get the idea. The performance of this full length ballet was just totally awesome. And not just because all three of my children were in it. I know because a ballet mom had a friend attend the performance on Saturday the 16th. This friend is a retired performer for the Joffrey ballet. She said it was wonderful, very well done, even the costumes were awesome. If you want to see some of the dancers,sets, and costumes...I am going to send you to a photographers website. Dan Swinson took so many wonderful candid shots of these young performers. Just browse through some of the galleries on Coppelia 2009 and be prepared to see some gorgeous shots: http://www.danswinson.com/Photography/785269. And now I will leave you with a little video I took of my son and his partner dancing a scene from the Judith Svalander School of Ballets production of Coppelia (2009). For this kissy doll number he and his partner performed this at a local grade school for an international day celebration. The second clip, in this post, is of my son demonstrating some basic ballet moves to impress the boys in the audience. Enjoy These posts will take you to my photobucket account. For some reason I could not embed them!
k

Sea Horse Complete : 5-19-09

I finally finished my stick horse for the Main Stay Therapeutic Riding fund raiser. After a whirlwind 7 days of nothing but Coppelia, I was able to sit down, concentrate (an operative word here), and finish. Now I will let the horse sit for a day or two to set. May be I will make some minor adjustments and tack down a few more areas. As a side note, I used hot glue to adhere the seashells and fisherman's net. I know a lot of folks swear by their glue gun but I personally hate the thing. I burned myself about a dozen times and I don't like the look of it. I am not sure how "permanent" it is either. But it is a glue that will quickly adhere something, nice and thick, so I hope it will hold everything together. I just didn't know how to glue all the shells on without it taking a half of century!

What is next on the horizon...I am itching to start another piece. I want to do a series on the inexpensive Ampersand line of cradled boards. Maybe some Coppelia characters:))))

And I want to blog my comments on my children's performance in a local production of Coppelia as well.

K

Main Stay Horse of a Different Color update: 5-7-09

Did you ever start a piece and think that you are progressing but each time you look at it you find a little more that could be added, tweaked, improved. Well that is where I am with my horse. The first side is nearly complete but now that I am looking at it, I want to add more color with the Neocolor crayons and then add a fake eyelash. The second side is definitely a work in progress. If I can get the paintings done then I have to add a mane and bridle and figure out to to affix them. I guess I am too much of a perfectionist!

On a different note, I added a link to a newly discovered collage and assemblage site. The site owner found me and asked me to submit some work to their free gallery. So I am in the process of doing that now. The site is called ARTpjm and I have posted the link with English as the main language. I believe that the main site is in French. The art in the gallery is amazing. You could spend hours there oogling the work from artists all over the world. Check it out if you need inspiration. And finally,

Here is a link to the blog of Aileen. She has a giveaway going on for some beautiful ATC's, hand drawn. I love her style, very whimsical. She also is a store owner and has some interesting supplies for collage and rubber stamp art. ENJOY! http://aileensmusings.blogspot.com/search/label/Blog%20Giveaway

k

Sea Horse part 2- 4-25-09

So the next little bit of work I did on my stick horse, now dubbed "SeaHorse", was to add some fish. Sketches were done using my Generals graphite pencil (water soluble) and as you can see, I am redoing the eye (that came with the horse), ear, and nose. The little white fish are actually painted with gesso and soon they will be green. So far so good and this is a load of fun...It is nice to do something really different and donate to a cause to boot.

K

PS. Lorrie, I have not forgotten about the fixative info. While working on each mixed media collage piece I will generally use Krylon Workable Fixative. This dries pretty glossy. I have to get you the name of the final varnish/sealant I put on. It is a golden product and you dilute with a brush and brush on. It comes in glossy, matte, and satin, satin being the one I use the most. I keep forgetting to dig out the bottle for the product number!

New project : A horse of a different color

I am a sucker for good causes and when you combine a good cause with an artistic challenge, well I pretty much have no choice but to participate. We have a wonderful program here in northern Illinois that essentially involves horse therapy. The program works with disadvantaged and disabled kids or adults to help them relate in a positive and caring way to their world through the use of horse. Main Stay Therapeutic Riding Program http://www.mstrp.org/ is funded primarily by donations. So the organization is sponsoring a new fund raiser called a Horse of A different color. It is sort of like the Cows on Parade that was done in Chicago or the Trail of Painted Ponies that was done in Santa Fe New Mexico. Some beautiful resin like carousel horses are being painted by select artists. Then there are the stick horses. This is the one that I decided to get involved in. I paid for a stick horse and now I can decorate it. As I usually do, I am going to record the process. These are wooden stick horses. As you can see by my first step here, I have given a couple layers of paint and have begun to build up an ocean floor complete with a sea plant or is it see weed? Anyway. Both sides of the head will be decorated pretty close to the same. I have a lot of ideas in my head and I am really enjoying this process.

When the stick horse is finished, it will go on display in a store window that faces the historic Woodstock, IL. square. Then on June 10th there will be this huge celebration on the square. My children and their class will dance in it along with other performers. The stick horses (a select few) will be auctioned and others will be sold outright. I think the same is true of the carousel horses. It will be a magnificent site to see these painted horses all around the square. Do visit the Main Stay site just to read about the program. I am thrilled to be a part of this wonderful cause

k

More to follow!

Completed Work: "On the Wings of Faith." 4-19-09

Finished!!!! YEA. I really love this piece and I am struggling with giving it up. But I made it with the fund raiser in mind and so it came from that part of my heart, specifically for that purpose. So, I give it up. I wish you could see and feel the texture on this work. I really love using tissue and napkins to build up layers. While the scan does not show it, she has a tiny bit of glitter on her wings, not a lot, just enough to hint supernatural. As far as the artist crayons and blending (asked Lorrie), I will blend them primarily with water. You can keep working them without losing pigment. But I have also blended these crayons with acrylics. After blending with water, if the color needs to be enhanced, I have then resorted to using neutral acrylics to blend. That works just fine. If you want to add other media on top of the crayons, what I do is use Krylon workable fixative to hold the crayons on the substrate and then paint over or use a media over them. Before I seal my work I will spray with the workable fixative so nothing runs as I seal it with varnish. I also use graphite and of course if you don't fix the piece before applying varnish, the graphite smears and runs. THe writing on the side of the painting says: "Live by faith-one day at a time." Now all I have to do is seal the work and it is good to go. I hope who ever wins the piece will appreciate the symbols and emotion that went into it. Lorrie, if you have any more questions on the crayons, give me a holler. You can buy them individually too if you just want to experiment.

I am sooo tired. Colin and Claire turned 14 yesterday and IT was such an action packed day and we kept on going till about 11 PM. They had a final dance/mixer at their school in the evening. After the dance, which was emotional because they will soon graduate 8th grade, the kids surrounded them and sang Happy Birthday, hence the photo. Then it was out for dinner and more celebration. Too much partying for me!

Finally, if any of you are in Palatine this Sunday, I will be in a group show at Emmetts Ale House

http://www.emmettstavern.com/contact_us/contact_us.php. Stop by and say "Hi" and have a good beer, micro brewed of course!.

k

Breast Cancer Donation step 6 4-15-09

I am about 90% done with my piece for the breast cancer fundraiser. I incorporated a single flower in her hair (thanks Kris) and started a halo. Still need to tweak background, add some text, modify wings just a tad, and maybe retouch the face. I think I finally captured this earth angel features. I was going for really delicate. Note the slight color and change of shading in her skin tones. I used a current fav, Caran d'Ache Neocolor II crayons,
http://www.dickblick.com/products/caran-dache-neocolor-ii-artists-crayons/. These crayons blend beautifully with a touch of water and appear to be more rugged or durable than the water soluble oil pastels. In other words you can achieve a beautiful blending without loosing too much of the crayon. Oil pastels can't take heavy blending (in my opinion) but I still use them. After I lay down an acrylic underpainting of the skin (face, hands etc) I then go over those tones with the crayons. I love the effect, it adds a lot of depth to the face. I am really pleased that this work is coming all together. Hopefully she will be finished by the weekend. I would love to bring her with me to a small gallery show that I am in. K

Stage 4 of Breast Cancer donation. 4-10-09

I was fortunate enough to have a precious 2 hours in my studio today. I made some progress but the face and torso look really wacky to me. This work is very different in terms of the face and the full length figure. I am use to working with larger features. Her features are so tiny but not quite right. I will be fiddling some more for sure. The skin tones need artist crayon work yet and I have more to do in the background and more work on the little bird that I added as an after thought. I added more dept to her clothes and those have shaped up nicely. Kris suggested flowers in her hair and I like that idea too. So hopefully I can hit the studio tomorrow. Although, I may be heading to the clinic for a throat swab. My throat is on fire and this cough and congestion is hanging on like a demon!

k

Breast Cancer donation Mixed media and collage work. Steps 3 and 4

I worked a little more on this piece this past week even though I am still dealing with a huge virus of some sort. You can see how I am building up layers on this earth angel's dress. I have also subdued the background with some neutral acrylics. The work is definitely in progress and I would say I will busy with it for several more "days." Note nothing more has been done on the face. I usually work the face first but she is not speaking to me just yet. I think I want to flush out more in her dress and shawl. Hair needs something... and I want to add gold leaf somewhere. You get the idea...I am lost right now. I tend to over think everything because I try to work out what the final product will look like before the first papers are glued down!
My heart will find the way eventually. I keep thinking of Cindy while I am working on this. The piece is supposed to give the message of faith and instead, all I can feel is sorrow.

k

A Cyber Toast to Miss Cindy

It has been a long sad week at the preschool where I work. I have really been out of it and not able to concentrate on much of anything. So, Kaitie, Colin, and Claire, when and if you read this entry, I hope you can maybe understand how Miss Cindy's death really affected me. As you know, she died a week ago Friday night. The accident was tragic and senseless. So many emotions came and went all week. Shock, disbelief, sorrow, sadness, and depression all mixed together in my heart. Now I am really angry now because I think Miss Cindy should have had more sense than to be in an attached trailer, asleep, on the highway, while it was raining. Blessedly she was pronounced dead at the scene and all those that were her feel that she died pretty much instantly once the trailer started to dove tail. So this past week I just trudged to work...no smile, no quirky look, no funny stories...they all went away once Miss Cindy died. A bunch of teachers and myself stopped at Fernandos, a little whole in the wall Mexican Restaurant that makes the best "Ritas" and drank a real toast to her. I did not order a "Rita" but rather a small Sangria. Miss Cindy knew that I never had one glass of any alcohol if I was driving but I made an exception this time. I do love Margaritas though...so I am toasting her right here.


Yesterday was dreadful.. I was feeling sick anyway and it was so darn cold in that Funeral Parlor. I sat there for 3 hours just starring. I think I talked some but really don't remember to who. Maybe the fact that I was running a fever had something to do with it. My immune system must have been way off. I slept little last week and with all that I do and all that I am exposed to , I suppose everything caught up with me. When it cam time for the eulogy about hours after I arrived, I finally lost it. It was when Pastor read my little email that I sent to the office at Shepherd of the Hills (where I work). I wasn't prepared and when I heard my words...I was gone. And I did not stop for the next 35 minutes. You did not really see me when you guys got home, but I was a mess...swollen eyes, a pasty face streaked with makeup, and sicker than a dog. I went to be as soon as you walked into the house and have been pretty much there ever since. When I was asked to write something about Miss Cindy, it was the hardest thing I have to do in a very long time. Here is what I wrote about the my friend and colleague:

"Although I have only worked with Cindy for a few short years, I feel so blessed to share in a small part of her life. She endeared herself to so many and I was lucky enough to be included. Cindy had such a huge personality. Just one of her smiles could change the mood in dour room. We had so many "little" talks over these last few years and I came to learn how much she adored her daughter and husband. When she talked about them her whole being glowed. She adored them. She loved anyone lucky enough to be her friend. I remember that just a few weeks ago, Miss Cindy was sharing one of her friend stories with Miss Andrea and myself. She described a recent visit she had with her woman doctor friend. When Miss Cindy talked about her friends, she always became so animated. She described her doctor friend as a very serious person...rarely taking the time to smell the roses and rarely spending anytime just having fun. So Miss Cindy drove to her home with a variety of costumes and the two of them played dress up that evening. Can you imagine two adult women playing dress up. She said her doctor friend never played dress up as a child and this was something that she liked to do with her. That story really epitomized the type of person that Miss Cindy was...a wild and free spirit who deeply cared about her family and friends.

Miss Cindy cared deeply for those close to her and it showed because she was such a good listener. Many confided in her their deepest troubles and she listened with great compassion and deep concern. She offered advice freely and was there when you needed her most. She put her faith in God first followed by family and friends.

I work three mornings a week at the preschool and I knew that whatever kind of mood I was in first thing in the morning, it would be greatly improved after receiving my morning greeting from Miss Cindy. Without fail, each morning that I worked, I would walk down the long stretch of hallway to Miss Andrea's room and see Miss Cindy sitting at the children's table in one of those little orange chairs. Upon hearing me trudging in, she would lean back in her chair, cock her hear, and say "Good Morning Miss Kathy!" and then flash one of her brilliant smiles. Thank you Miss Cindy for brightening my day.

It is so hard to make sense of all this. I know though that Miss Cindy was needed for a greater purpose. Slowly I will accept what is..for it is our Lord's will. Prayer now comforts me... The words from this Lennon/McCartney song ring in my soul:

"When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of Wisdom, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, Let it Be,
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be."

I love you Miss Cindy and I will keep you close in my heart always.

Miss Kathy"


K

graphic taken from http://www.devilgraphics.com/pic.php?n=margarita/&b=Margarita/

A Happy Birthday, A little further a long and Spring break. 3-27-09

First, Happy Birthday Tigger... My sweet Tigger is 7 today. He is getting special treats all day long and of course my other two greys are sharing. Second..This week is spring break. With the three kids home, my hubby and I have been playing Entertainment directors. You would think that at 16 and almost 14 (the twins) that sleep would be a good thing. No, my poor under privileged children are bored. We have taken them on day trips which have included hitting the mall and that has helped some. In the same breath, I need my own personal vacation! No art work has happened all week. Yesterday we hit the Field Museum in downtown Chicago. My oldest could earn extra credit in her Spanish class (which she is getting a D in) if she visited one of the special exhibits there. We decided it would be a great learning experience for everyone and hit a very special exhibit on the Aztec culture, called the Aztec World. The exhibit had many artifacts from Tenochtitlan and it's sister city of Tlatelolco. I have been to see the Pyramid of the Sun and Moon and the Avenue of the Dead. I was there in 1978 just as archaeologists discovered one of the most important finds ever...the Templo Major. Anyway, the exhibit takes the viewer through the entire history of the great Aztec empire, from its origins, to it's demise at the hands of the Spanish. We learned about daily life, warfare, the societal structure, and religion. One of the most interesting things for me was seeing what is currently going on down in Mexico City. The excavations of the Zocalo (the major plaza, if you will, located in the heart of Mexico City) are going on in earnest. It is amazing what they have unearthed there. And I would think this excavation is a bit tricky because the National Cathedral sits over this site. Regardless, to have discovered the major religious site of the Aztecs is incredible. I hope we can see more of the unearthed treasures from the Templo Major as they are discovered. I learned more about the Aztec at this little day trip than I did when I was at the actual sites back in 1978! I took this photo at the museum. I am not sure about copyright here but I place it on my blog for educational purposes only. Please do not use it. My gut feeling is that the Field Museum would not be too happy about that.

Third...Here is what little I did on my latest (last weekend). This is simply a roughed in drawing of the figure. The background will no doubt change quite a bit as the picture evolves. Facial features are lightly sketched in. I want these features to be delicate and innocent rather than over exaggerated as some of my portraits have. Not sure if I will be successful. The face does not have to be highly detailed just suggestive. The work looks really busy right now but that will for sure change. Kids will be back in school next week but alas, I have filled my 2 days off with errands!

k

In the zone... Live by Faith

I started, yes finally, I started. It has been a great while since I stepped into my messy studio. But after slathering some gesso on an ampersand panel, I am off. Let me begin by saying that I was having a hard time with some details about this work and they were really stupid. I could not decide what substrate to use and then I was worried about how I would present it. I get so caught up in stuff that I should not have even worried about till I am done! But that is how my mind work. I have finished the collage in my brain and am trying to frame it before I even start. My original thought was to go with what I like to use the most and that is 300 lb watercolor paper....mmmm I love Arches. But I knew I did not want to donate the piece without making it ready to hang. I had the paper cut and was prepared to start when I decided to take a trip to Michaels (dangerous I know) to pick up some clear gesso and a frame for a picture of my son. Now, I love the museum board quality of anything Ampersand but those panels are very expensive. I rarely purchase them even for works that I am going to sell unless there is a big sale. But I found myself wandering in the direction of canvas panels and papers. And there they were...I had never seen the lower end line of Ampersand products. Where have I been! I bought a 6 by 12 panel mounted on a 3/4 inch cradle of some inexpensive hardwood. It took me about 30 seconds to pay and get out of the store. All I did to it when I got home was sand the sides and then apply several coats of gesso and boom...ready. Here is about 3 hours worth of work. The background is more or less established. I have the main figure to draw and then will also draw some free elements in the background...we will see how it unfolds. I absolutely love this unusual size and it is perfect for what I envision. Just hope my stored away in the brain imagine looks as good on the wood panel as it does in my brain. Yipee I am excited. I definitely have to become more aware of art materials out there....

K

Slum Dog Millionaire

My husband and I finally got a break and had an entire Saturday afternoon to ourselves last Saturday. We went to see this years big academy award winner, Slum Dog Millionaire. I heard all the hype and after watching the awards, was intrigued. How could a relative bunch of unknowns hit it so big with Slum Dog. Well, after seeing this movie, I liken it to the story of David and Goliath. David was a nobody, through his faith and quiet determination, became the King of all Israel. Slum Dog had a limited release before the awards and now has been viewed by millions. The story is so timely and poignant. It transcends, it soars, and it inspires. This "little" movie touched me, made me cry for many reasons, both happy and sad tears. There is so much poverty in the world and here it was on the screen coming to me in technicolor. Thankfully the story was so much more than making me brutally aware of the dire need in India. I fell in love with the actors, Danny Boyle, and the music. Here is the official clip of my new favorite song and if you cut and paste the link below, you will see a clip of the Pussycat Doll's new release of the same song. Enjoy and please please please, go see the movie.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzH1ApYJ7-Y

K

OWOH Thanks and an Award.

Gee it has been so long since I have posted. I have been sort of busy I guess, and not very artfully motivated. It is tax season and the last couple of days I have been getting all the paperwork in order for that lovely task. My show is still hanging at the conscious Cup (thank you Mike). No sales to report but that is the state of affairs right now. Art is not a number one must have on ordinary people's list right now. Am I bummed, not really. It has been nice to hear all the wonderful comments. I even received an inquiry from Barb of the Palantine-Inverness Art council about displaying my work at an annual show in the autumn:http://www.palatineinvernessarts.org/ . Once my show is taken down (in the next couple of weeks) I will post some originals for sale in my Etsy store. It is really hard to create more art when I have so much now. Although I guess I should be thinking in terms of my series and new venues to display the work.

On a brighter note, I received two of my prizes from the One World One Heart give away event. Thank you to Elizabeth. You can see her lovely collage here:

http://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2009/01/one-world-one-heart-giveaway_21.html. The collage with the key in it is the one I received. Really nice! I like Elizabeth's site. She has some wonderful "how to's" on her blog. I really appreciate those instructions because I am one of those artists who will try a technique or new medium once and then forget about it. Elizabeth's blog is loaded with a variety of techniques that are great for backgrounds and collage work. In addition, I received my second prize from the Altered Pages site: http://www.alteredpages.com/. Jackie has a variety of collage sheets that will be perfect for some of the collage that I do. I especially loved all the images of windows, doors, arches, and gates. This gift certificate (of $50.00) was offered through the Collage Contessa's blog: http://www.collagecontessa.blogspot.com/. I thank you Kris for introducing me to some awesome collage sheets!

So you would think with these wonderful prizes I would be really motivated to get my act in gear. I need to get started on another piece that I wish to donate for this years Susan Komen's Walk for the Cure. Our church group, The Pink Ribbon Angels, are gearing up for another walk. This would be my third year donating to the Cure. My friend Michelle suggested a theme of faith. I have a quote I want to work around and even a thought or two in my pea brain but I can't seem to get myself motivated. I need to finish by the end of April. I have time....

Last but not least. Through the OWOH give away, I rediscovered some "old" (sorry Lorrie) art friends. And a couple of days ago, to my pleasant surprise, Lorrie gave me an award for my blog. Lorrie's bog: http://lorrieabdo.blogspot.com/, is indeed very creative. I have been an admirer for several years. She makes the most beautiful paste papers, she teaches workshops, and her work is very different. I am honored that she would think that my blog is creative. From what I understand about this blog award, the recipient should list 7 items that inspire them and then pay it forward to other bloggers. Lorrie chose three others that make her stop and stay for a while. So my 7 inspiring items are:

1. Santa Fe: I have been there over the years maybe 8 or 9 times. After arriving home from a stay there, it would take several days before I could empty my heard of all the ideas I formed. The landscape, the mountains, the people (both Native American and city dwellers, the artifacts, the archeological sites, the air, the water, Georgia O'Keefe, the art gallery scene, Canyon Road, the smells...you get the pciture...I could go on and on. If I could, I would relocate there and die with a smile on my face.

2. Great Artists: like Frida, Pablo, Rivera, Redon, Johns, Matisse, Van Gogh, Da Vinci....are but only a few whose works have inspired me to draw again.

3. Great writers like Harper Lee, Shakespear, Jane Austen, Victor Hugo, Hemingway, Tolkien, Dickens, Burnett... If only I could use words the way these authors do. Their stories can carry you away..their prose is magical.

4. Color: Lorrie mentioned that color inspires her. I love the colors in nature. The greens and soft shades of brown. I also like contrasting or shocking color combinations, like the bright red cardinal a top a redwood roof. I saw that one last Spring...I had to look twice.

5. Music: All kinds. When I am in my studio, I listen to a variety of music from Led Zepplin, to Josh Grobin and everything in between. I love Mozart and have been on a Mozart kick having just watched (for the third time) Amadeus.

6. Dance: As my readers may remember (LOL) my children dance. My most recent series of paintings revolve around ballets that my children have performed in. I will be watching a performance and all of a sudden I will see a fairly like being that will become a new mixed media piece.

7. Other bloggers: Misty Mawn, Rosa Murillo, Linda (undaunted), Kelly Rae, and so many others whose art work and words touch my soul. I wanna be just like them. No just kidding...life would be too boring if we were all alike out there in bloggers land.

Of course, seven things that inspire me really does not cut it but this award made me stop and think for a while... I try to inhale all that surrounds me...There is so much beauty. OK for my thoughts on who I would give this award to... I am thinking Rosa Murillo http://rosamurillo.squarespace.com/rosa-murillo-journal/, Undaunted http://rediscovering-art.blogspot.com/, and a newer blog that I discovered in the OWOH give away, Cetta who lives in Kauai http://cettacheese.blogspot.com/. I love Cetta's photos. Those in themselves are inspiring. She writes well too, not to mention that there is plenty of other eye candy on her blog. I hope that covers everything...Lorrie, thank you!

K

Grosgrain: The Conservatory Overcoat GIVEAWAY!!!!

Grosgrain: The Conservatory Overcoat GIVEAWAY!!!!

Wow, this is so cool. I found this link on another blog I frequent! Have a look!

k

OWOH Winner

Using : http://www.random.org/integers/ I generated that magic list of random integers. And the winner is Melanie, AKA TwinsMom. Melanie left me a very personal and heart felt message as did so many of you (see below). Thank you Melanie for participating. I will keep your aunt in my prayers and I hope she enjoys "Hope." Please visit Melanie's blog: http://88designs.blogspot.com/ . She is a digi scrapbooker an Mom of twins (3 yrs old) and an 11 year old. As many of us, she has got her hands full!


"that is truly heartwarming! My aunt is undergoing treatment for breast cancer right now. she is about halfway through her radiation treatments. she was lucky that they caught hers very early so she didn't have to go through chemo, too. she has done remarkably well. AND, I also have a set of twins. They are boy/girl twins and they are three. And a set they are!!! Please enter me in the drawing for this picture!! I would love to be able to give it to my aunt. It would have a very special meaning to her!!!" Melanie.


I will look forward to next years event and am truly grateful for discovering so many new blogs.


k

In the Classroom of Silence. Completed.

I completed this mixed media piece last week but have been so busy with the One World One Heart event that I have lost all track of time! As a last minute update...the event will culminate with the drawing for my give away as well as the other participants give aways at 11:59 PM tomorrow. So even though the event is ending for this year, I have discovered so many wonderful blogs to enrich my soul for many weeks into the future, I feel that the actual prize will keep on giving through these wonderful blogs.

A bit of history here about this work. I was asked to donate a piece to my twins school for a raffle type fund raiser. No problem... I had my same doubts (see entries below) but no problem. As I was working on this piece early in January, I received news that a good friend of our family and in particular, my husband, has pancreatic cancer. The prognosis is not good at this time. And so I wanted the work to evolve into something that reflected how I feel. I looked for quotes but found nothing that really conveyed what was in my heart. So I wrote my own using a graphite pencil:

"It is in the calm before the storm when we find ourselves, when we learn just how strong the human spirit is, when we realize in order to march forward we must enter the classroom of silence to converse with our Lord, when entrusted in His loving arms we fine peace, not peace as in the calm before the storm but peace as the calm during the storm." KL.

While these words aren't earth shattering, worthy of a Pulitzer, or even note worthy, they convey a sort of helplessness as we face a storm in our life and a realization that sooner or later we must give it up to the Lord. I have been praying day and night for our friend. Cancer is a terrible thing, any kind of cancer.... There is symbolism in the piece and I hope whoever wins it feels and sees it.

k

OWOH

I have to say that this event was a brilliant stroke by LisaSwifka (see entry below). I have discovered so many new blogs, filled with wonderful stories. I have been moved by the many comments about by own give away. So many out there have been touched by breast cancer. This disease is everywhere,. Wendy in New Zealand is a survivor. She has been cancer free for over a year! Yea way to go... Brenda (AKA Dragonlady) is a breast cancer survivor, another Brenda had a Mum and an aunt with the disease, seahagsstudio has a sister with a 3 1/12 years old and a one year old currently fighting this cancer, Mistress Girly has a friend recently diagnosed with breast cancer, Kathy has three friends with the disease, Melanie's aunt if fighting the disease, Stampgram has a friend who lost her Mom to the disease, and Carol has friends with the disease. These are just some of the comments under my OWOH give way entry on this blog. I am truly humbled and I want you all to know I have read every comment and taken them all to heart. You are all amazing. In my own world, Jean is still fighting the disease but going strong. In the autumn it will be a year since her diagnosis and we are all hoping for a good mammogram! I have just started to think about this years breast cancer fund raiser. I think with so many comments I will have plenty of inspiration.

Thank you new blog friends for your artistry and wonderful stories. I am blessed to share the Internet with so many kindred spirits. Please know that whether I "win" a give away or not, I already have won a prize...you, all of you! I will leave you with my last years donation entitled: Lean on Me

You can find the story here: http://artful-musings-of-kathyl.blogspot.com/2008/04/work-of-hope-and-love-for-michelle.html. And here: http://artful-musings-of-kathyl.blogspot.com/2008/04/lean-on-me-work-of-love.html

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One World One Heart Blog Event!

It was just today that I came across this wonderful bloggers event called One World One Heart. You can read about it here or click on the icon: http://oneworldoneheart.typepad.com/one_worldone_heart/2009/01/index.html. This event, which is in its third year I believe, involves a blog give away but those who participate are linked through the One World One Heart blog over 600 participants and going strong). Lisa, the woman who started this event, explains the concept and why she started it here: http://oneworldoneheart.typepad.com/one_worldone_heart/2009/01/from-my-heart.html. Basically the event brings a variety of bloggers from all over the world together to share their stories. The giveaway part is just icing on the cake. I thought that this was a really an awesome idea. There are so many talented people out with with a story to tell. I have a handful of blogs that I follow rigorously and I know that it will be fun to add a few more! I will definitely leave a comment on some of the wonderful blogs who are participating in the hopes I just might win a little something. Some of the give aways are beautiful. More importantly though, is the good reads I am experiencing through so many new blogs.

So here is how it works. Below is a scan of the original artwork entitled Hope. She was donated to a breast cancer fundraiser but I would like to giveaway an Art Print of this work. The print is about 5 by 7 and is centered on a 8 by 10 paper, archival, very high quality matte, and printed with archival inks. I will title and sign the print on the front. I created this piece because a good friend had been recently diagnosed with cancer. This is one of my favorite mixed media and collage pieces. The poem quoted is by Emily Dickinson, "Hope is a the thing with feathers that perches in the soul..."

What you need to do if you would like to have me send this to you, is to leave a comment on THIS post. Please include your email address or some way that I can contact you if you should win. You can post up to midnight on Feb. 11th . I will draw a winner at random on February 12th and post his or her name to my blog. That is all...Simple! Happy commenting!

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Conscious Cup Show: Jan - Feb. 2--9

I had my little artist reception on January 17th. It was not advertised so the turn out was low. I sent an email out to some of my good friends and was happy to welcome them. The pictures look wonderful on the wall. I was pleased with the installation. So far, there have been a lot of nice comments but no sales. I am not surprised. With the economy and it being right after the holidays...who has disposable cash for art? Oh well. It has been very gratifying to have people walk up to me when I am in there to ask me about the work. That is way cool. I love to interpret my pieces. So here are a few pictures from the reception. The youngster is my son Colin and the dude is my husband. I am also on the website of Conscious Cup here:

http://www.consciouscup.com/joomla/ Thanks to the Jack and Mike for the plug :)

And just a short note to make it official...I now have an Etsy shop. I thought that I would give it a go. Original art will not be put in the store till after the show. I have to say I find the environment at Etsy a bit more easy going than eBay. I really did not want to list my art there. So many of the atists that I admire have shops on Etsy...so why not?

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