Throwaways?

 Glass sgraffito sketch made with powdered black glass on white sheet glass

This is a photo of a demo sketch I did at an art show somewhere last show season. It's a 'throwaway' of sorts.  Because there is no way to melt the glass on site, it all gets dumped back in the jar or brushed away into the grass when it's time to go.  

People don't like it when I do that, for some reason.

Here is another sketch from a different show, only this time I forgot to bring the powdered glass to demo with.  Aye… and I was on the schedule at 1pm...

This sketch was made from dirt that I found along the riverbank.  Turns out, it works just like powdered glass. 

Can you keep it?  Nope.   Can you sell it?   Only if it's a cornflake that looks like the Virgin Mary. 

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The beauty in these 'throwaways' becomes my sketchbook.  The lessons they teach me while I'm sitting at shows with nothing to do can't be replaced, redone, or made better by keeping them in a physical sense.

I've learned not to get so attached to a piece that I forget to think about why I am creating it.

Blowing these sketches into the wind is very freeing.  I would recommend it to artists in all media.  Smash a pot, burn a painting, build a sandcastle, speak your heart into a dog's ear...You never lose, you only get better.

Another lesson I learned from dirt painting is that it's an excellent way to teach kids to draw.  Dry erase board + dirt + kid,  there is no end to what they can make.

Chameleons and Denim

Fused glass sgraffito painting, 9"x 12".  This piece is sold, but you can check out some others here

She's going into the kiln for the last firing tonight... finally!

Day 8 of 30 "Kiln glass frit paintings" in 30 days

I've been trying out some new color schemes lately, and it made me think about how much light really has to do with how they look.  If you look at each of these photos, they almost look like two different pieces.  Slight changes of color and lighting can really change the way we feel about something we see.  For example, I put on my daughter's denim shirt the other day when I forgot to  take a clean one in for my shower. I don't like wearing blue at all, but after fumbling with a towel and wet hair, I didn't really care what shirt I got out of the dryer.  Later that day I caught a glance at myself in the mirror…
 "Man, that doesn't even look like me", I thought when I saw the blue. Strange.

After pondering this for a bit, my mind landed on chameleons~ and that brings us to the new thing I've learned for today, January 8th.

    Everyone knows that chameleons can change their color to blend in with their surroundings, but did you know that they have the most complex eyes of all reptiles?  I didn't. Chameleons' eyes work independently of each other, allowing them to look at two different objects at the same time, adjusting the depth of field in each eye according to what they look at.  They can see 360 degrees around them at any time!  Pretty tricky to keep one eye watching out for predators from afar, and the other eye sharply honed in on someone's tuna sandwich.  I'm glad human eyes don't work like a chameleon's. Can you imagine driving like that? Or going on a date? or trying to make art? 

Here's a wink for you!  Stay warm friends~

My Best Friend

On the day after Christmas, my best friend moved 1000 miles away to San Antonio, Texas.  Let me tell you about her…

Wendy Garland has been my best friend since we both got stuck in a small country school when our parents moved to the boonies.  She rode my bus, which was full of kids from kindergarten through 12th grade. That was a little weird.  Who on earth would put little kids in the same bus with middle and high school terrors, really. 

 The first day of school for my brothers and I was in November, 1988.  I was a sophomore.  It was not fun walking down the endlessly long driveway to stand at the end of the street waiting for a stupid bus to take me straight to hell.  It was even less fun entering it, making sure my little brothers had a spot to sit where I could be close.  I was the only high school student sitting in the front of the bus, and I hated the feeling I got from the staring eyes of everyone behind me. (still hate that feeling, so if you are staring behind me, please alert me so I can turn around and stare back. LOL.)

Enter Wendy.

Equally miserable, as I found out later… her parents had moved a mile down the road from me about two months earlier.  She had been there since the beginning of the school year and had not been enjoying the new school at all.  We got to know each other and found that hating our parents for moving us out of our happy lives was our common ground.

Turns out, it was probably the best thing our parents could have done.  She has been the best friend I could ever hope for, the sister I never had, and a huge inspiration to me in so many ways.  She is the strongest, smartest, most independent and driven woman I have ever met.  Wendy has stuck by me through thick and thin, when I was on top of the world, and when I was buried beneath it.

She is beautiful, graceful, and most importantly, she DOES right. Standing up for what is true and good is hard in this world, but she is right there doing it. I love her for that.

The piece I submitted for today was made last fall, so I am cheating a little by submitting it today.  It is a tribute to my friend, who I hope to walk with in Paris some day when we are fat and old.

Why is Everyone Throwing Hot Water?

Tiny Summer Garden Fused Glass Sgraffito , 2.5"x 3.5" Auction starts at $15

Today, January 6, is the coldest day on record in the past 150 years here.  In fact, the air outside is so cold, that many people have been outside trying this interesting experiment:  

Boil a pan of water. Take it outside, and throw the water up into the air. The water immediately turns into snow and blusters away. WOW!  That is really a cool trick!

It has been fun watching my 100+ lb. golden retriever swim through the drifts too, I can not imagine trying to go to the bathroom in a snowdrift that is waist deep.  Ha.  Even the squirrels seem to have that puzzled,"what the heck happened here?" look when they ran down the tree, disappeared in the snow, then did a quick 180º back to their nest...

I thought a tiny summer garden piece would be appropriate for my 30 in 30 entry for day 6.  I can look at it and think about flip-flops and skirts, and how the summer breeze will be back when it finishes warming the other half of the globe.  It is their turn, after all. Stay warm and happy friends!

Short. Sweet. Wet. Sticky. And a Kitty in the Window

Kitty in a Window  Fused Glass Sgraffito Drawing 5x7 Daily Paintworks Auction 

My post for today is going to be short and sweet, and wet and sticky.  More on that in a minute… 

Today, January 5, I am excited to have this lovely snowstorm blowing in tonight.  Everything is so beautiful and quiet outside, and it was a balmy 30 degrees all day. My studio is finally warm enough to be able to work in without a bunch of sweaters and boots on, and although the temps are supposed to drop to -17F tomorrow I am happy, because my big kiln is loaded with new artwork and warming up as I type. 

 (By the way, I am typing with both hands again, which makes it even better)So here is the wet and sticky part.

When I came in to do my computer work, my lovely husband brought in a nice glass of wine and some almonds for me.  He spent the entire day slaving away scrubbing and resealing grout with a toothbrush, and painting trim.  In comes my daughter (who is supposed to be in bed, but for some reason needs the stapler RIGHT NOW).  She reached for the stapler, and knocked over my nice glass of red wine right into my keyboard, my iPad, my new white Goodwill sweater that I love, and oh no… right onto the new grouted floor. OH Oh oh.

I can tell you that the stuff he got from Lowes to seal the floor worked like a charm and there is no trace of purple anywhere except my lap, which is still soaked. Happy ending to a nearly disastrous event. The new thing I will learn for today? How to change the keyboard back to english.  I must have hit something while I was drying the mess :ñ 

Mixing Media…I Can't Help It.

Tree Study in Alcohol Ink

Purchase this painting at auction, starts at $15

My college advisor told me that if my art was ever going to be taken seriously I needed to settle down and pick one medium to work in.  He said 'concentrate on one thing, so that you may master it'.  In many ways he was right.  The problem is that I LIKE to work in so many different media.  While it was very good advice given by someone I respected, I am still at odds when I look back.I think it's important, especially for children to realize that artists don't just sit down and whip out masterpieces.  Even the old masters.  

In sixth grade my school had a program called 'Mini Art'.  A random mom would come in with plastic covered prints of a master's works, and tell us about the artist, their work, and their (normally sad) lives.  In my 11 year old mind I thought my desire to be an artist was out of reach, because I couldn't make a masterpiece at all. My hands were never able to create what my brain imagined, no matter how much time I spent or how hard I tried.The part they left out of the 'Mini Art' program and my art education in general, is that no artist gets anywhere without regular, concentrated practice.  Artists screw up every time they work.  That's how art is.  It's a series of practicing adjustments, and keeping the best ones.  As an adult artist I wish someone had told me this when I was very young.

My piece for the day is a sketch in alcohol ink.  It is an attempt to quickly study and work out the kinks before I have to make decisions about creating it in glass, which is my media of choice on most days.  I work in any media I can get my hands on to figure these things out. My college didn't offer glass in it's program, and my advisor has since passed away.  I wish I could tell him that I found the perfect media to claim as my love, but I need the other ones in order to make it work..

Tiniest of Trees for Today

Short and sweet today, I'm up to my eyeballs in orders and piles of glass.  This is a great thing!  These little fused glass sgraffito 'sketches' are tiny, only 2½ x 3½ inches, but they're great for testing color in the kiln without wasting a lot of materials. I've been worrying about my baby fruit trees surviving the cold, so sketches of warm weather trees will do nicely.

Today, Jan.3rd,  I learned that I have to set up my keyboard in order to type the 'half' symbol.  I thought I would be smart and copy/paste one from another site, but alas, it has changed my font size.  Lesson learned. I also tried mint tea for the first time and it's not so bad after all.

These pieces are available for sale in my Daily Paintworks Gallery

Something Old (sort of), and Something New

"As Luck Would Have It", Kiln-formed glass panel.  Kelly Alge ©2013.

This is my entry for Day 2 of Leslie Saeta's '30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge' … I made this 3 months ago, so it isn't exactly old, but it is definitely not something new I suppose.  To truly be in the spirit of this challenge I should have made it today, but life got in the way and I didn't make anything art related.  (boooooo!)  I'll make up for it in the end.

Anyway, in keeping day 2 of my resolution to learn something new everyday, I can tell you that I've learned several new things today…

I learned how many sorts of sutures surgeons have to learn and what each kind is good for the thing you need to suture.  I read about all the different filaments that are used, which ones are strongest in certain situations, and I learned that some of the self-dissolving ones are made from catgut or beef tendons. Interesting.  The patterns and technical knowledge, along with years of practice develop the suturing skills of the physician until he or she can do them perfectly.  Kind of like art, isn't it?  

Two weeks ago today I had hand surgery to correct a tendon problem.  It's healing nicely, and my sutures were actually pretty interesting to look at. Very precisely done, and surprisingly not like any stitches I'd ever seen.  I was supposed to schedule a followup to have them taken out, but instead I got busy with the holidays and such.  Deciding to try to remove them myself,  I found my tiny scissors and tweezers. When I couldn't figure out where the snips should be,  I resorted to the internet.  How many things do you think go wrong when consulting the internet?  This time things went well and I wasn't "left in a stitch".  

Another important lesson from today… as a new user of a smooth cooktop stove, of course I've been freaking out about ruining it somehow.  After I made dinner I carefully squirted the polish on, then put my teakettle on the back burner to heat.  Wrong burner.  When I turned around I noticed that my polish was boiling and the water was not, so in a dash from the sink I instinctively tried to quickly wipe it off with one of my orange dishtowels.  UMMMM… I won't be buying anything but cotton dishtowels from here on out.  That's all for tonight.

Hello 2014, I've been waiting for you!

Welcome to the New Year 2014!

Last night I asked my kids what their New Year's Resolutions were this year.  Each of them replied,"I don't have any". One said it is impossible for her to be changed for the better, she likes herself as she is.    Another said "Why do we have to make resolutions? They're stupid!" followed by a third "I bet you don't have any, and does Daddy have to make some too?" The last one simply said "I'm not doing that".  Okaaay...

My 9 year old caved first and made her list of the requested 5 things she could do to improve herself in 2014.  Her "Revolutions" for 2014 included improving her school work, practicing basketball, and riding her bike every day in the summer.  My 17 yr old is going to write letters to her favorite singer and do 50 pushups each day.   I'm still waiting on the other two to come up with something before the night ends...

As for myself, there are many things I'd like to change for this next twirl of the world.  I'm definitely not doing pushups or trying to play basketball (I am nearly 6 ft. tall, can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, and I'm still happy:) 

Here are some things I'd like to get better at this time around… and a quote.

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.
Pablo Picasso

 
I'll make a concentrated effort to learn something new each day, and document it.

I'll look for the positive in every person in every situation, and remove myself from the negative.

I'll trust God over myself.

I'll spend more time listening to others.

I'll waste less time on things that aren't important.

For January 1st,  as silly as it seems,  I tried to make homemade tortilla chips with limited success.  I also learned how to take care of the orchid and bonsai tree I got for Christmas from my husband, and read all about how not to kill the poinsettia I have slowly strangled for the last two weeks.  Fertilizer in hand, I hope Jan. 2nd brings some perk in everyone.  I'm going to participate in Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days again this year, but instead of working in oil, I'll be "frit painting" with glass so I don't get behind in my regular art job.  I learned so much from participating in this challenge last year, I'm really happy to be able to do it again.  Best to all of you!  ~Kelly

Bullseye Glass Portland Trip~ Part One

I am home from a wonderful week of Educator's workshops at Bullseye Glass, and now it's time to fill you all in on everything... I'm finally feeling 'back to earth' after a super busy week so to warn you ahead of time, so much happened that it's going to take several posts to share all of it~ Our class was a unique group of very talented and successful kiln glass artists from as far away as Scotland, England, Massachusetts, Florida, Texas, and more. It was interesting to see the scope and range of everyone's work as we all got to know each other. I feel blessed to have been part of such an accomplished group of artists. I'll link all of their websites later so you can check them out too. The first full day of class we worked on a kiln-forming 'forensics' type project (KSI) where we inspected around 35 glass pieces and had to match them to the firing schedules to find the problems. It was a bit overwhelming at first when we were handed the big stacks of kiln programs, but in the end it was really pretty easy and kind of fun. We returned to the research and education center and found that we each had a huge clean space to work in, and that there were 'shop fairies' who came along each day and completely cleaned up our workspaces. How I would love for them to have followed me home! Throughout the rest of the week, we were taught how to effectively teach new techniques in screen printing with powdered glass (Stacy Lynn Smith), pattern bars, cold working, and casting (Jim Weiler, Louise Krampien, and Bonnie Celeste. We had full access to Bullseye's entire product line and were allowed to experiment with new colors and products, (my favorites being the new half-millimeter stringers and new 'cream' non-reactive glass). I learned a lot about planning curriculum, teaching effectively and was given a lot of time and resources to create class samples on my own to use in my teaching. This talented group brought a lot to the table for the workshop, and I appreciate the immense amount of information we all took from each other during the week. I have to thank my personal tour guide and new friend, Chris Lally who took a huge chunk of her time to pick us up from the airport and show us the beauty of the Portland area. She is an accomplished painter and I met her during Leslie Saeta's "30 in 30 painting challenge" earlier this year. More to come on our Portlandic adventures with Chris and her husband Tim and all the terrific people I met...along with more glass stuff, of course!

Wonderful News!

Student projects from last weekend's Fused Glass Sgraffito Drawing workshop~
Look at all this fantastic work!
This was a really fun group to work with, and their pieces are all extremely well done. Hats off to you ladies!
Artwork from left to right:  Shirley Cole, Laurie Mueller, Gail Stanforth, and on bottom, Gloria Moses.

Next workshop is scheduled for August 9, 10, & 11, and we'll be doing something a little different! We'll be designing colorful cityscapes by incorporating powder drawings into a larger work of art.  You can find out all the details and registration information on my website   HERE.

Wonderful News!!!

As many of you know, I have been given the incredible opportunity to work with other glass artists and teachers for a week in Portland at the Bullseye Glass Factory next month.  I have had many sleepless nights worrying about how I was going to pay for the travel expenses to be able to do this.  Lots of my artwork has sold, but with 4 kids and bills it has still been really hard to save for the trip. 

Then came a huge surprise...

I got a letter in the mail saying I had been selected to receive a Palmer Scholarship from the Toledo Museum of Art, which will pay for ALL of my travel expenses for the trip!!!  I am so thankful to the donor who sponsored it, and I can't wait to be able to tell them how much it means to me.  I feel a huge weight removed knowing I'm not going to have to sink into debt to make the trip, and I'm going to learn EVERYTHING I can possibly soak up while I'm there (without the added worries)!  Thank you, Thank you to everyone who has supported me, and to TMA for offering these opportunities to help artists grow in their discipline.

Fear and Creativity... Shattered Glass and Success

Guess what I learned this week?  

Reverse enamel painting with 

Cappy Thompson!

Working on adding color to the inside of my vessel~ It's challenging to paint on the inside without disturbing what you've already painted!   We used sawed off brushes so the handles were short enough to keep the end from bumping paint that had already dried.  Cappy also taught us how to burn bristle brushes to make them curved like the inside of the vessel.  Pretty stinky but very effective!

 This was a fun week,  after spending 4 straight days at the Toledo Museum of Art's famous Glass Pavilion with master glass artist Cappy Thompson,  I feel artistically 'recharged'.

I've never had the opportunity to learn from a glass master before, so I was thrilled to hear that she was coming from Seattle to Toledo to teach.  Most of what I know about working with glass is the result of countless hours of crazy experimenting on my own, lots of reading, and not being afraid to screw up royally.  

Fear is something that burdens everyone.  Fear of the unknown, of being hurt, disappointed, unsuccessful, or misunderstood affects each one of us.  In a classroom setting, the fear of failure is usually lurking heavily in the background.  It tries to steal our confidence and it stifles our creativity...We get a few days to learn something completely new in hopes of leaving with a piece of artwork we can be happy with.  Even more intimidating is to be in a class with experienced people when you know big fat... nothing.

When I have the opportunity to try a new technique, I want to learn and understand EVERYTHING in a ridiculously short amount of time.  My mind races into creative 'what ifs' and swirls with ideas to the point where I can't think at all.  I want to skip over all of the beginning stuff and jump into the sea of major undertakings.  I don't care at all about bringing home something pretty.

 I seem to have lost much of my 'art fear' somewhere along the line, and I feel almost free.  I learn new things,  I don't care if my pieces turn out. (Of course it IS a bonus when they do turn out)  Truly, I only want to see if what I had in mind works, or does not work.  In fact, I could spend days, weeks, or months on a project... once I see it completed, success or failure I am satisfied.  The process is so much more important to me, and I really enjoy being part of the processes of others when I'm in a classroom.  Everyone is in the same boat, but our own fears and lack of experience can make us feel like we're in a canoe instead of an ocean liner.  

I wish more artists could ditch the fear.  Fear should not dominate creativity;  rather, creativity should put fear right back in it's place. FAR away from our studios, our classrooms, and our lives.  Something to think about, isn't it?

Creativity builds our skills and brings passion to use what we learn from our failures to create real successes.... 

I dropped my most successful piece from this class on the kitchen floor as soon as I brought it home, shattering it to pieces.  I was frustrated because I wanted my husband to see how it looked finished.(maybe in attempt to justify what I had been spending all of my time on this week...)  Anyway, it is true.  And I really don't care that it's gone because what I learned by making it cannot be shattered.  Every unsuccessful piece has brought me closer to something I can truly be proud of...

The group was fantastic, lots of very talented ladies here~ 

Love and dread? Yes.

This is the time of year I dread and love at the same time.  I love making things without the constraint of having shows every weekend.  I dread the art show applications (and inevitable rejection letters) along with the happy "you've been accepted' letters that also require a $500 payment to secure my space to exhibit.  I don't think most people realize that artists truly do gamble our lives each day.  We present new work to the jurors each year, and they collectively determine our potential for income.  It is a crapshoot, and I am happy to play.  So far I've been accepted to four shows with no true rejections, but I know those rejection letters are going to come.  It is hard to plan.  We never know what juries want to see, and hardly ever get feedback that helps. It's horrible to get those letters that say "We're really sorry" I'm really happy with the work I've been producing this month, and for now, that is what matters to me the most.

Want to help make a stranger's day?

"The Phoenix", Oil on Gessobord,   6"x 6"

Participate in this auction in my Daily Paintworks Gallery!

A friend and I went to this cafe for breakfast when I was teaching a glass class out of town.  A man came in while I was there, he was apparently mentally challenged and he looked cold and hungry.   I asked him if he was hungry and he said no but I could tell that he was.  He wanted a small cup of water.  

We secretly bought him a coffee and bagel and left without him knowing.

I think about this man often, wondering if he is cold and hungry a lot.

I want all of the proceeds from the auction sale of my painting to go to this coffee shop in Benton Harbor, Michigan, to start a sort of "kindness fund" in honor of that man. 

 It would be a great way to offer any random person the opportunity to have a free cup of coffee,  be warm, and feel cared about for awhile.  

Please, please share this story, and put in a bid if you're inclined.  You can do so by clicking the link under the photo.  You could get the painting and help a lot of people in the process! 

 It's going to be so great to surprise them...

Remember the Soup Nazi? Today's Landmark Painting Challenge: Wilson's Restaurant in Findlay, OH

Wilson's Sandwich Shop in Findlay, Ohio
Photo reference credit: Andrew Thomas Lee


  Well, today's painting challenge was to paint a local landmark, and I chose to paint Wilson's Hamburger Shop in my hometown of Findlay, Ohio.  My family came here a lot when I was a kid.  It was here before McDonald's, Burger King, or Wendy's, and popping in for a cup of coffee and a slice of pie is still a daily routine for many people here in Findlay.
What does this have to do with the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld?  Read on....

As a kid, we used to go sit down with Mom to 'hold the table' while my Dad went up to order.  I always got a 'special', which is a burger with lettuce, tomato, and mayo, and a malt or a 'frosted'.  It seemed like forever passed by while we waited for our food, and we would impatiently jump out of our seats at the table and go for a spin on one of these stools until we were dizzy.  Wilson's was always loaded with old people, and there weren't many kids around.

It wasn't until I was older that I realized that Dad didn't want us at the counter for a good reason.  The staff wasn't so patient with kids, especially the 'stool spinning' sort, and you had to order correctly to make them smile.  There is a certain way to do it, and you don't dare 'stray from the way'.  Ha!  So here is entertainment at it's best, a blog post with video!  You can check out the true scoop on Wilson's in Findlay by clicking this short video  link (starring my sister-in-law Angela), and then take a look at some of the Soup Nazi scenes, have a laugh and decide for yourself!

What about Wilson's? 
Seinfeld's Soup Nazi Scenes

 By the way, if you'd like to buy my painting of Wilson's Hamburger Shop, you can bid on it this week on Carol Marine's Daily Paintworks, bidding starts at $15!  

New Fused Glass Sgraffito Work in Progress Slideshow

Hey! I learned how to do a slideshow on my blog, this is great!  Now everyone can see what goes on while I'm working on a new piece.  Hopefully I can shed some light on the process for those who aren't able to attend a class:)  However, if you ARE thinking about taking a glass sgraffito class, don't be fooled by the photos~ it's not nearly as difficult as it might seem, and I can show you the tricks.  I will try to post sllideshows of works in progress more often if this works well.
 OK, short but sweet today, I'm off to visit the 3rd and 4th graders at Trinity Lutheran School for their weekly recorder lesson.  Love me those kids...

Freshening up in February, Here are some of the pieces I have available for sale

Monet Path, Fused Glass Frit Painting, $1495

 As I am freshening up around the studio, I wanted to post a few of the fused glass pieces I currently have available.  These are on display at Coffee Amici in Downtown Findlay during the month of February, and are available for purchase in my online gallery at Daily Paintworks.  If you are interested in learning about my process, you can check out my website or register for one of my upcoming classes in fused glass sgraffito drawing or "frit painting". 

Some really exciting news, (and words can't convey how excited I am!) 

PORTLAND!!  Bullseye Glass has invited me and 9 other glass artist/teachers to come to their factory's Research and Education Studio for a week in May for some in-depth training and collaboration.  More on that later.... But be prepared to hear about some fun specials I'll have coming up this month to help raise some money for a plane ticket and lodging:)  Planning to have some new work up by the end of the week!  Blessings to you...

Garden Party, Fused Glass Frit Painting $595 SOLD

Farm Storm, Fused Glass Collage $2300 SOLD

Paris Boat Dock, Fused Glass Powder Sgraffito Drawing $395

Sing Song City,  Fused Glass Collage $4295

Autumn Foliage (Unframed) $495

Paris Carousel $395

Starlight Boy

I finally got a decent photo of this glass sconce all nicely lit up~ and thought I'd share it with you.  Time to get back on track and in the mood to fire up the glass kilns again...

30 in 30 Painting Challenge is Finished... aw man.

This is my last painting of the challenge, and now I don't think I'll be able to walk away from painting entirely.

Well Rats... The Challenge I thought would be horrible is finishing up tonight.  30 Paintings in 30 Days    sounded like an insane thing to do, and I was so mad and frustrated when I began!  How on earth has it happened that I really don't want to stop?  I've learned a lot in these 30 days, watching the others involved in this challenge post their work each day has given me a new 'puzzle' to think about.  I wish I could watch each one in progress as I try to pick apart the way the piece came to completion.  I found that although I really don't know what I'm doing at all, it is becoming part of my day and like my coffee, I'm not sure how I'll be without it.  Just going out there and trying has been a really hard thing for me, as I expect perfection before practice.   I have learned a lot of what not to do, and am slowly getting a grasp on what 'TO" do.  The practice is becoming less painful all the time.  Hopefully some of the others in the group will want to continue at a more decent pace and still keep posting beautiful things for me to look at, and provide me with that much needed 'kick in the butt'.  Maybe the winter will go by faster this year...

Money on Trees and an Accidental Lemon Yellow incident involving a Dog with a Cone

Ok today was just silly, but read on, it's a good laugh.

I started out painting on Day #24 with the knowledge that I only had about 2 hours to fool around with this 30 paintings in 30 days challenge and the rest of the day needed to be productive since I have a show this weekend.  I had one canvas board left, and of course it was an 11x14, so it was going to take longer than I wanted.  I decided on something simple.  Money plants.  

I like money plants.  I remember my parents growing them.  For months they looked like a pile of weeds, and when the whole summer had passed, we got to help peel the leaves off to reveal the shiny insides.  I was about 5 years old and completely convinced that if I were careful enough, perhaps there might be some real money inside one of them.  Why else would my parents plant such a thing and spend so much time on them?  Looking back, I remember hearing someone say "Money doesn't grow on trees" and I was so disappointed for my parents, who kept trying to grow it.  Ha!  Anyway, I had a nice time reminiscing and painting along, thinking "dang, these things are HARD to paint, why did I pick this anyway"  when suddenly the front door of my studio flies open....

Now, just a wee bit of background here.  I have a little compulsion for musical instruments, and need to sell a few of them.  Mainly, 3 trombones.  My husband's friend, the high school band director was coming over and my husband decided it would be good to drag these trombones into the studio to see if he could tell us what they were worth.  My studio is set up for working in glass, not oil painting. I have no place set aside for paintings to dry, and as the end of this challenge draws near I have a pile of wet paintings lying about wherever I can find a place.  There are paper towels covered in turpentine and wet paint right outside my door so as not to cause a fire inside.  I have palette paper covered in paint from the last painting lying on a low table, and my cello is standing in it's case right near the front door. There is no room for these trombones.

Fast forward...

Mr. Honse comes in the door, which means the cello has to quickly be moved and I warn him (too late) about all the wet paint rags he just stepped in and now it's all over his shoes.  Then WHAM here comes my overly protective golden retriever in his CONE to see who is in the studio.  Cone drags through the palette paper, grabs a nice glob of lemon yellow all over, and in a matter of a second this poor guy has bright yellow oil paint all over his black coat and black dress pants.... aye...

So here's to today's painting effort, to all dogs who have been banished to cones, and to band directors everywhere.  Love you Buddy:)

My Dad's Paints

My Dad's oil paints from college~ that makes them 50 Years old and he is happy to see that they are being used again.  I am very proud of my Dad, and love that I have his paints:) I know we are all genetically influenced by our parents, and I am certain that I got my love of art from him.

Today's effort was to finish this, and I like it.

This is an "underpainting", which is a strange concept to me.  I am learning that my mind doesn't automatically think in terms of what to do in order of steps, so this is hard for me to begin from.  I don't like outlining things and would rather just start throwing in areas of color, but am finding that unlike underwear sticking out of someone's pants, 'underpainting' is nice when you let it show through the top layers of paint. 

30 in 30 Challenge Update...

 YEA!! I am finally getting it!  Painting every day is getting to be more fun now... I wonder if I'll have trouble going back to glass next month when this challenge is finished? I joined Carol Marine's Daily Paintworks this week, & love looking at all the 'real painters' works on the site.

The Phoenix cafe in Benton Harbor, MI.  I am enjoying palette knives and trying to paint glass and shiny things. I like a lot of Leslie Saeta's knife paintings on her page, and I am going to try more of these.

Another wet street in progress.  I think I found a subject I like.

My Brother's Rescue Husky, I got this far and realized that I didn't have room for his nose and ears on my board!

Painting, Painting, Painting

Last night something finally clicked... I learned that I am supposed to wipe my brush clean after every stroke, and that oil paint is it's own bird.  I can't expect it to behave like watercolor or acrylic, and now I can understand how watercolor might be difficult for an oil painter.  Pressing on, I know I am behind, but I am looking at this challenge in a more excited state of mind.  Finally I can begin to grasp these little things that are helping me see what I am doing wrong so I can correct them... 

30 in 30 Painting Challenge is stinking HARD!!!

 So... This idea I had of joining Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 Days Challenge was crazier than I suspected.  I am finding out that although I am struggling, I am learning a lot.  Starting out in a new medium is always frustrating as you learn the 'ins and outs' of what works and what does not, and patience is elusive.  Of course, I know exactly what I want to do, and think I can make it happen, but my lack of experience and high expectations are at war with each other...

The painting on the left (the wiped out one) was supposed to be part of a payphone. It looked easy in the reference photo, but quickly ended up to be 'simply impossible'.  I was mad,  then I quit.

A few days later, I un-quit and decided to suck it up and try again.  On the left is the painting I did of the failure earlier in the week.  Really, no matter how bad my paintings get I am still learning, and my brain is thinking in wonderful ways that are causing me to be more attentive to things such as stacks of orange barrels and backhoes, and inattentive to important things like...driving.  I am going down the road thinking about the juxtaposition of everything around me... values, colors, textures, lines...  Wondering what colors would I mix to get that blue tone I see in the snow, and what order would I lay out the colors... UGHHHHHHH!  Everything is suddenly beautiful and interesting enough to stare too long...  I am no longer safe to drive or be out in public.

I will vow to finish my painting for today before midnight, which is a scene from a vacation photo my parents took while in Europe.  Even though my paintings keep getting screwier, I will finish this challenge if I have to paint 10 paintings on the last day.

Painting 30 in 30? But I'm not a painter..

Well the new year has brought some great resolutions for 2013, and some fun challenges too!

I like to try new media here and there to jump start my creative side and throw me into the 'uncomfort zone'.  This year I signed up for a painting challenge, 30 small oil paintings in 30 days.  Crazy!
There are hundreds of people doing this, can you imagine 300 people doing 30 paintings?  That's potentially 9,000 paintings in only one month!

I always jump right into this kind of craziness thinking "I'm gonna do it!"  and also that miraculously I will be good at it.  Well, I can tell you it is going to be a long month.  I am a glass artist, not a painter and it shows.  LOL

Day One.
My husband suggested I paint a fire hydrant.  I said that a fire hydrant would be nice, but it would mean nothing to me.  He said "It would if you were on fire".  He is right, so here it is.

Day Two.
Learning about dealing with globs of paint and wet city streets.  

Check out some of the other artists' work at Leslie Saeta's blog:  http://www.lesliesaeta.blogspot.com.  This is the main site for the challenge, and we all admire her amazing paintings.

So far I've worked on 2 paintings, neither of them are great, and I am kind of disgusted at my lack of ability to handle oil paint (somehow it is everywhere, on every surface possible, and it looks like it's not going to be drying anytime soon)   However, I am determined to complete the challenge, and learn something with each attempt.  Follow along and see what happens!

What's Next? Well......Cliff Jumping.

Well another summer show season is winding down, and I am looking forward to putting away the tent for a few months~ I have happily loaded and unloaded all of this stuff into my tiny minivan more times than I can count; in sun, rain, heat, cold, thunder, lightning, wind, HAIL, in three states, and even into an airport hangar!  There are surprises at every turn,
      and I love the life I have. 

2012 has been a year of firsts. 
It was my first show season in 12 years without being interrupted by tornado sirens, (thank goodness) as well as the first time I've had unexpected 'visitors' in my booth overnight.... muddy raccoons.  2012  was also the first year I really screwed up my calendar.  I actually drove through the wee hours of darkness to arrive before the crack of dawn in Delaware.... a week late.  
This also marks the year that my two oldest daughters were big enough to be recruited as show hands; It surely is much easier and much more fun setting up with them now than it was when they were in diapers.

This year will be different...
Like me, I think that most artists have difficulty balancing the time we spend making things that we know will sell, and the time we allow ourselves to create things that are true to our hearts, regardless of whether or not they ever sell.  It is largely a situation of economics, and it can be very frustrating as an artist to succumb to the side of sensibility.  I find myself wondering how many artists are kept from doing their best work because they feel they have to make widgets to pay the bills. I decided that win or lose, this year was going to be different.  It was an easy thing to say, but doing it felt a bit like jumping off a cliff.  I have never jumped off an actual cliff, but I had a few preconceived notions about cliff jumping... 


1. Before you jump, you probably look closely at your feet.  I imagine I would have details of all the pebbles on the ground memorized too.

2. Once you've jumped, you can bet you're going to land somewhere else. It's just a matter of whether you land safely in one piece, or dash yourself into the rocks.

3. When you are in the air it is pretty much impossible to start over.

I looked at my feet and then I threw my sensibility out the window. I bought a bunch of materials that I couldn't afford and I made the things I needed to see come to fruition whether or not anyone cared to buy them.  

Cliff jumping turned out to be a very good thing for me. I looked at my feet until I understood them.  I landed in a different place, a better one.  I discovered that it really isn't a matter of landing safely in one piece or dashing into the rocks after all; because as an artist, I would much rather dash into the rocks as myself than to safely land somewhere not knowing who I am.   I am definitely going to jump more often. Maybe even yet today.

Full Speed Ahead

Wow, it's already June... how can this be??

It's been a great start to these busy summer months~ the nice weather has brought large, happy, non-sweaty crowds to shows in Cincinnati and Indianapolis.  I have met some very lovely people, and some of my favorite pieces have gone home to live with their new caretakers.

This week begins an exciting time for glass artists, the International Glass Art Society's convention is coming to Toledo to celebrate the roots of studio glass in America.  I am very anxious to go, it is practically in my back yard and it will be my first time to be able to attend.  It is hard to sit still in anticipation of seeing in person the works of so many very talented artists I admire from all over the world.  I traded working time for a reduced admission fee to the convention, and I will be assisting on the tour busses.  That sounds like a great place to meet new 'glass friends' to me.  I'll be sure to post LOTS of details from the week, and heaven forbid I should have my camera with me... Ha.

Tomorrow and Sunday I will be at home in my studio (my favorite place in all the world) with a new class of sgraffito folks.  I am really looking forward to sharing the technique and seeing what they will come up with.  I truly love teaching, and I never tire of witnessing the A-ha moments when creativity is happening right before my eyes.  

Next weekend I will be taking off on Friday night from the GAS Conference and heading to Worthington, OH for an art show with my glass and jewelry work.  Last year it poured rain and hail the entire weekend and still the crowds came... with really cool artsy umbrellas!

I should probably be going to bed sometime in the near future.  Until tomorrow....