http://wherewomencreate.typepad.com
They also publish a magazine/book that I can just take with me everywhere and study picture for picture...word for word.

I love this website!!!
http://wherewomencreate.typepad.com
I love to see where other people create. My ultimate dream is to have my own studio, especially a room in my own house that I can completely take over and make mine.

Bollocks!!!
I just finished typing a rather long post, when I accidentally hit the back button and lost all my work. arrgh.
I was discussing the celebratory dance I performed when I finished a task that had been on my to do list for months. It involved ironing, and dragging out the sewing machine which earned a huge pat on my back.
I managed to get some work done on the Christmas presents this morning. Whew. I cannot tell if they will be charmingly handmade in appearance or craptasticley handmade...there is a fine line and I am not sure if I have crossed it. Fingers crossed.

Artist block over? maybe.
This year..due to financial constraints, there are going to be a whole lot of homemade gifts for Christmas!
I will post the pictures after Christmas, since I don't want to show everyone what they are getting before hand.

Hazlet Art Guild is back in session after a summer break. Last week was our first meeting after a couple of months off. I was happy to see it was crowded with six new members, still no one really my age..but I guess I just need to get past that.
I am working on a large painting right now. I am really liking it..but I am stuck with where I want to go with it.
I am also trying a new thing...mail art. I joined a site that arranges for postcard exchanges. www.postcrossing.com So I have already mailed off three postcards, and now just have to wait till I get mine! I will post photos of the postcards I made soon.
It is hard for me to concentrate right now...I am watching LA INK...I really like that show..but shit man...Kat and her co-workers are sooooooooooo arrogant! It is getting on my nerves, they think they are fraking rock stars. I also wish that they would just fire Aubrey instead of dragging it out all season for entertainment purposes...it is painful to watch.
My biggest creativity block is my very poor time management. I waste way too much time and get nothing done..and it is hard to create when you know there is laundry/dishes/dusting/de-cluttering to do. Arrgh..everyday I get go to bed thinking that I will change my behaviour tomorrow and every day I fail. I fall into the same patterns immediately, it's like sometimes I forget that I made the decision to change. sigh...tomorrow will be different right!!!

I have been painting again. Trying to ignore the voices in my head and just let loose. I want to really enjoy the process instead of analyzing every detail.
Life is short...why do I worry so much?

I have been totally avoiding this blog. I am embarrassed about the lack of any type of productivity in the past 3 months.
I am currently attempting to clean up and sort out my basement art space. I am terrible at throwing things out and I just don't have the space to keep all the stuff I hoard. Although compared to the individuals from the show "Hoarders" I don't have that much of a problem.
I have been trying to teach myself to knit. I have started taking Yoga classes.
I hate the summer and the heat just drains me of the will to live, let alone create. Cannot wait till fall!

The Library show went well. I won Honorable Mention, for my teacup painting. I have sent off Jennifer Anne #2, and am now waiting for photos to arrive.
My computer crashed for awhile so there were no updates...sorry. Also, after the library show I sort of lost my urge to create for some time. I am still waiting for it to return...this happens to me once in awhile.
I think part of the problem is my damp, dank, dark and messy studio. I do not look forward to sitting there and creating...since it has not stopped raining for two months the basement is especially damp, dank and dark. The dehumidifier does work some magic...but it is still kind of depressing.
I am visiting Canada next week..so maybe the vacation will fill my soul up with life again. Keep fingers crossed.

Jennifer Anne 2

This is Jennifer Anne #2. I just have to make her some clothes and then she will be sent off to Long Beach, CA!

These are my two most recent finished pieces. They will be on display at the Hazlet Public Library for the months of May, and June. They are part of the Hazlet Brush and Palette Guild's Annual Art show. I have included two detail shots of the watercolour, and it's frame.

Here is a glimpse of my "studio". You can see the washer, and dryer to the left of my desk area.

In my effort to keep "creative" I took a jewelery making class last night. I was actually pretty cool. I made an awesome necklace and earrings. I took the class a local creative arts center run by the Parks system. They had a really cool ceramics room that I am dying to take a class in. The problem with most of these classes is that they are only offered during daytime hours which means I cannot go. Dang.
But it was a good class, the teacher was a wee bit annoying. She was super nice but had a really bad nervous laugh that she punctuated everything she said with. I was ready to slap her silly. Then she kept pointing out how young I was compared to the others in the class...which was sort of funny but I felt bad for the other ladies who she kept calling old.
But I will admit to enjoying it a little, I have not been called "young" in a long, long time.

Poor Jennifer Anne is lost in the mail. I sent her out a few weeks ago..to the wrong address! D'oh!
Mom brain? I am working on Jennifer Anne number two. She just needs a dress.
I am getting ready some artwork for a small show at our local library. Should be interesting. I have two pieces that I feel good about. My art supply addiction has gotten out of control...I love these paints called Twinkling H2Os, but the company that makes them is going out of business...So I ordered a ton of them. Spent way too much money, and am still obsessing about them. sigh. I need a cheaper hobby.

Trying to make time to make art everyday, and I am actually doing pretty well. I am actually pretty excited about it.
In June I will be getting together with some of the people I went to art school with 15 years ago!
I am so excited, they are some of the best people I have ever met. We might even have an art show in one of the local artist run galleries. Sweet. I guess I am going to have to get my act together.

I am working on a new doll. This one will be sent to California. The last one was sent to Ottawa. I want to take this global.

Wandering Jenn

Here is my most recent project: Jennifer Anne doll.
I have made a doll that bears some resemblance to myself and sent it off to a friend. It is to be a project much like "Flat Stanley", but not so flat, and not Stanley. I made it all by hand. I painted her/me some fancy undergarments and made her a funky boho dress. I even included my tattoo. I did not give myself glasses, because I was short on time, and those were going to be way too hard...anyways..I don't always wear glasses so I don't feel to bad about inaccuracies. I really enjoyed doing this, I am going to make some more dolls and send them off to friends. I think it is a fun project for everyone. Then the friends take pictures of the doll all over the place. I plan to send them to friends who know how to play. All the dolls will be similar, but not exactly the same.

My foot. Three years ago. I just love it.

Oy.
Been so very sick. Cooper even sicker. This is the longest, and sickest he has ever been and it is making me crazy. He just lies there. I decided to skip my first watercolour class tonight because I had a feeling he might need me, and yup..he threw up...which he never does. I am just so drained. My basement art corner is crazy messed up right now, I cannot even get near it. I had company on and off for almost a month, then we all got sick. I am so full of excuses. But there is always tomorrow.

My mom has been here visiting for almost two weeks now! I love it!
I really miss having my parents near by. She is showing me how to quilt which is awesome. I am dragging her to my art club tonight. It is just a business meeting tonight, but I am hosting it and she made green cupcakes for the occasion! My mom totally rocks.

Cold, colder, coldest.

Holy Snow Batman!
It snowed quite a bit here a few days ago, and it has been bitter cold ever since. I am a failed Canadian since I cannot handle the cold anymore.
I had my art club meeting the other day, and I feel better about it. I am trying not to feel judged, and I do serve a purpose in that I am introducing them to new art processes every time. They have pretty much been a strictly watercolour/pastel group and are just now trying the occasional acrylic paint. This is where I come in handy...I am an art supply addict. I have everything you can imagine. I love buying and using all kinds of supplies, and every time I come to the club I have a different project I am working on. Since I love the process part of art I am always experimenting with different techniques that I have learned about through books or magazines. Some of the other women are interested in looking at what I am doing which is cool. I know it makes some of them uncomfortable, but I have to not take that so personally. They are just completely new to the concept of altered art.
I am off to putter in the basement!
Ta Ta

Definitely feeling the creative juices flowing lately. I think it comes from letting go and just making as much art as I can, whenever I can.
I will eventually post some photos. I forget that for me, the joy is in the process of art making, less than the final product. I am feeling very inspired, which is so not because of my art club...it is more in spite of that club. They are so not my people. Not sure what to do with that...hmmm
I am tired of them walking by and looking at my stuff and just going blank because they don't know how to respond to my work. blah.
but it does get me out of the house, and I get to work on my stuff. So I will keep with it for the rest of the year.

Just so you have an idea of the general age of the art guild i belong to...they announced a calender contest for the AARP and I was one of two not qualified to enter.
Good Grief!
I am not trying the slag these kind ladies...but there is a generational gap that is proving quite hard to get past.

I am in pain. I have been working out with my new Wii fit. Goodness gracious but it can be quite a workout.
I have started a daily sketch journal...and have kept up with it pretty well for the past few weeks. It is fun to do. I will post some examples soon.

I am getting over another cold, and feeling pretty good. I think this is the year I will get all my stuff sorted out. I will organize till my head spins. I think I am finally ready to get rid of a whole bunch of crap that I no longer need.
I am also so happy that Christmas is over. This was a strange year for Christmas. Glad it is over.
I am all for embracing my inner cheese. For instance...I loved Mamma Mia, I also love to watch Ghost Whisperer (I am watching it right now, that is why I mention it)
I am also loving this Green Tea Ginger Ale, it is really good. Hmmmm, what else? That is it for now.
Namaste!