memorial day weekend +

Saturday Night:

a fun backyard birthday party for my lunch club friend Lisa- great food, atmosphere, music and dancing - a wonderful evening...

Sunday:

I went to The National Portrait Gallery, I have been wanting to go for ages and finally got there. We only did two of the three floors, so I must go back. It was amazing, but a few things really struck me. In the middle of the second floor was a curio cabinet filled with miniatures, it was exquisite and stunningly detailed. I have long been drawn to eye miniatures, and in the cabinet were miniatures of these miniatures made like little soldered charms....too cool.


There were also some gorgeous atmospheric paintings by Childe Hassam and another artist - I think I have his name wrong -I will have to go back and check Walter Dewling -there was one of his that was an interpretation of the three graces that just stopped me in my tracks...

Monday:

It was so nice to have a third day for the weekend, along with more beautiful weather. Today was a trip to Home Depot and about $200 worth of plants for the patio and garden - will have to take some pictures...

Tuesday:

Back to work and the rat race. One on one lunch turn with the boss -surprisingly relaxed and good, but followed by the 2.5 hour staff meeting and some new big tedious projects- but hey I am employed and paid and off the streets.....but sadly employment cuts into my art......

patina

A few weeks ago I attended an art retreat called Art & Soul in Hampton Virginia. I was blessed with five blissful days of art making, inspiration, learning and many kindred spirits. I have been struggling to find the impetus and time to make art. This week sent me home fired up to create. It is still hard on days I work, but on the weekends it's back in the forefront of my life.

Even during the week ideas are percolating and I am always trying to look with an artist's eye and heart.

One of the classes I took at Art & Soul was with a very talented artist Jane Wynn her class was called " Dangerous Surfaces". It opened up a whole new world for me, of working with metal, paint with metal in it (not just "metallic") and patinas. I have been having such fun experimenting.

in the beginning....

"ex somnium, color" ?

"from dreams, color" or as close to that as rusty Latin allows.

I am a dreamer, I dream in color. I love those times when I can not completely fall asleep, but my mind is in a dreamlike creative state, snatches of visions, colors, shapes textures all dance across synapses. Inspiration for art as ellusive as wisps of fog that creeps in with deep sleep, but there if I can grasp them before I sink under the surface of the night....
This collage is called "the dreamer" and this is my plunge into the blogoshere. There are so many I enjoy and admire, I was inspired to try this medium of creation and sharing myself. It seems a bit insane, since one of my biggest woes already is not having enough time for artistic pursuits, but art for me is about taking risks. My hopes are that this will be a good one....