Iconolatrie

You may or may not have noticed that I haven't posted in a while.  I started an art blog on Blogger a while back and it seems that it's easier for me to talk about art than talk about my "life in general".  As such I will no longer be posting here - please visit me over at my "no so new" blog.

I made these for the ATC trade last weekend - I used book pages that I received as a bonus in a mail trade. I added copper tape to provide a little bling - and used alcohol inks on the foil. I tried to make a larger piece using the same material - photo, clear gesso, water-soluble oil pastels, gel pens - and it didn't turn out very well. I just did it on inkjet paper - I think I need to mount them on something first and then start the process.
I've been feeling guilty about not posting. Then I was posting a bucn of stuff to my photoblog and realized I'm totally crazy busy - so not feeling guilty any more!

Got some ATCs made for Saturday's trade. Saturday is going to be crazy - we''re having a yard sale, I'm going to ATCs and then a polymer clay group meeting, and finally going to my lovely friend Paula's graduation! Sunday will be spent recovering from all that!

I always get all stupid and self-doubting when I participate in swaps. These are for a Europe Swap on AAO. They are scans of ephemera that belonged to my great-grandmother that I digitally collaged in Photoshop. Then I felt all inadequate "just" having done digital so I coated them with clear gesso, colored them with water soluble oil pastels and then did some random marks with gel pen. And went around the edges with leafing pens (I edged them before doing the clear gesso - the gesso dulls down the leafing and makes it look more aged)

I am creating stuff again. Life has just gotten in the way - and I've been totally blocked. Just started getting in the groove again this week. Today I made a wooden frame out of old fencing wood and I sawed an antler for a piece I'm working on. Ahhhhh - things are finally getting back to normal!

I have a ton of trades leftover from Artfest - my shyness gets in the way of trading. Anyone up for trading - or just receiving? I love these tags soooo much and would love them to go to good homes!

a couple of weeks ago - she has more hair now.

Katie's learned how to clap!  And she loves to do it!  Today I turned on the TV and "Dancing with the Stars" was on and she started clapping with the audience.  Too cute.

I've been back from Artfest for almost a week - and it seems like a distant dream already. Life has crowded in around me and I haven't even had a chance to process much.

I have lots more pics up on my photoblog!  Check them out!

First - I learned sooooo much I had fabulous teachers!! Patricia Seggebruch, Susan Lenart Kazmer, and Stephanie Lee.

Day One with Patricia I learned all about the amazing medium of encaustics - painting with pigmented hot wax. I have used beeswax in collage before - but this is a whole new bag of tricks. I really feel like this might be the direction I want to push myself in. I had soooo much fun and immediately felt comfortable with this medium. It really suits the abstract and textural direction I have been going in.

Day Two with Susan was just as fabulous and just as educational. I have never really made jewelry before and I learned so much! And Susan is such a gifted teacher and has such energy!!! I want to be her when I grow up!

Day Three with Stephanie I was a little fried - and didn't feel like I took in as much as I could have if I'd had the class on Day One. But I did learn some great info on working with plaster and my fave thing of the day was learning how to make molds using Sculpey and then casting things in plaster using the molds. This is something I plan on doing more of in the future!!

Second - I had so much fun with my lovely housemates - Paula, leau_phillips, and Regina. We were all newbies to Artfest - and this was our first time traveling together and we had such a great time. It was like summer camp. We raided the bead store in Port Townsend, took many many pictures, went to the beach, and laughed A LOT!!

Third - I got to meet two of my favorite LJ people brii and bytara!!  I didn't get to spend as much time as I wanted to with Tara - (Artfest is more crazy than I expected and more tiring) but I did get to spend a few hours with Bridgette in Seattle and we had a lovely time.  The next time I get to Seattle we'll have to spend more time together - it was way too short!

Fourth - We spent and extra day in Seattle and I loved it!!  It made me somewhat nostalgic for my crazy youth that I spent in Seattle.  But it was bittersweet seeing how much Seattle has changed - it's much more of a "big city" now.  When I lived there it was a big city that hadn't realized it was a big city yet.  There are so many more hi-rise condos and high-end stores - less of the mom and pop places I used to frequent. And the cost of living is hideously expensive.  I'll think we'll be sticking with Albuquerque.  I think it's at the same place that Seattle was 10 years ago.  Things are really started to speed up here - lots of "revitalization", lots of movies being made here, lots of new big business coming in, more public transportation being built.  We're a city on the rise!!

I'm in this book!! I have 10 ATCs in it and 5 of mine are the very first images in the gallery!!! WOW! Too cool!
I have lots of updating to do but don't know when that's going to happen. Artfest was awesome but seems like a distant memory as Chris had knee surgery on Wednesday. He's attached to a perpetual motion machine for six hours a day for the next two weeks and can't even pick up the kiddos - so we're just muddling through right now.

Me and my trades are outta here! Hope everyone has a lovely week!

This is my favorite so far - so simple

More from the series - these are glass negatives for the early 1900s that I scanned and placed over my own photography

A new series I'm working on

It's been weeks since my last post - and I haven't even been reading my friends page either!  Sheesh  - life has been tooooo busy.  The show went awesome!  I had a great time, sold some art, schmoozed a little.  Went out the next night for St. Paddy's Day and had a blast then too.  Since then I've done a little freelance work, taken care of babies, worked at the "real" job - we are currently doing work for the National Hispanic Cultural Center for a show that opens this weekend - I'm sad I can't go to the opening, I've decided to try selling my work at a new outdoor Saturday market that is going to start in April downtown.  And I am applying to two art festivals as well.  Made a lot of trades for Artfest - we're leaving tomorrow at 9am!!!!  And my in-laws are in town.  And Chris is having surgery next Wednesday on his knee.  OK - I'm going to post a pic now.  I have been posting regularly to my photoblog so you can check that out to see what else I have been up to!

A book I submitted (and was rejected by) Cloth Paper Scissors for their accordian book challenge. I'm a little sad about this - but that means I don't have to ship it away and get to keep it with me! so that's a good thing - I'm really in love with it right now!

ATCs for tomorrow's trade. The theme is "Fast Food" - but, ever the rebel, I chose not to do the theme. I made these last night in one big burst of inspiration. They are made with my current favorite things - clear gesso (over the main images), water-soluble oil pastels (over the images), and gel pens (I like smearing them to make splotches of color). Then I used my brand new Home Pro to attach the rhinestones.
I am not a vintage girl - but I love the main images - they are from a shopping bag I got at some store - I've had it for ages. I am not a rhinestone girl either = but received these with my Home Pro. The Home Pro rocks!!!!

This is a tag I made for the first week of March for my "Las Semanas" group. The flat paper format is really hard for me - but I am slowly getting into it.
Our show opening is next Friday -and I have to figure out prices for 52 pieces - haven't even started thinking about it. My plan is do it Saturday and Sunday evening. Luckily I chose a different concept every month so each month's pieces are similar in media and size - so really I only have to come up with 12 prices and then make all pieces for that month the same price. We're hanging on Tuesday then I can chill until Friday - I'll probably spend that afternoon finding the perfect outfit.
The tag says "Look what the cat dragged in" - I made it during my recent icky cold.

1. Finish charms for Artfest - 4 down/16 to go
2. Make hotel reservations for Artfest - talking about this on Sunday with the girls.
3. forward stuff to Judith re:invitations
4. work on shrine
5. work on ATCs
6. work on 2 more tags for the month
7. work on website
8. see if I have enough time to make accordian book for Quilting Arts - not happening
9. work on doll for new round robin I'm in
10. Design business cards.  Moos are cool but I can get a really good deal from Vistaprint on biz cards. ORDERED!
11. Saturday - get final bits of supplies for Artfest and get frames for 4 prints for the show
12. Sunday - Artistas meeting and Artfest meeting

Even being sick I'm being rather productive!

Between the two of them the kiddos have been sick for two weeks! Will is totally fine now and Katie is still a little snotty. And now I have it -and I CANNOT be sick right now - too much to do! My show is next Friday - we're hanging next Tuesday. I have to get some ATCs made for Saturdays trade and I have to work on the shrine for the round robin. I just packed all this stuff in a box to help clear out my table so maybe now I can get some work done!

Pic is all my supplies and trades for Artfest! 23 more days to go!