Today is day 92 and the Baltimore Oriole

Today is day 92 !!!  Almost there and today my life feels a little more normal and I am painting again in the MORNING!!! yes I have discovered the time of painting joy yet again!!! I decided to paint this bird because everyone .. lots of people love the birds. I love nature and I love birds too. This is painting is on a map that I have sewn to an old photo folder the ones where they open and have a paper mat for a  photograph. This one probably had a family portrait in it at one time but more then likely was put into an album and my mom decided to keep the folder. The map is of Virginia and Maryland and Washington D.C. Two states that I lived in. Virginia was a little town near Haymarket where I went to school and the other in Maryland where I graduated from High School. SO the Orioles are Maryland's state bird. They have such beautiful orangish yellow feathers .. so lovely. This is a young bird. I like the background of the map and I loved living in both states. We were close enough to visit the wonderful museums in Washington D.C. I spent many trips going to all the art museums there when I lived in both states. Maryland is where I lived my art.. I entered my portfolio into scholastic art awards and got my portfolio picked for judging out of many that were entered. It was the first time that anyone entered portfolio's at our school and three students entered and all three of us were accepted for review. Two of us won something we were told. We would find out at the awards ceremony. One was for a full four year scholarship to an art college of our choice. I couldn't sleep for a week. Sadly I didn't win. I think it would have changed my life and the course that it took over the next 30 or so years. I do still wish I had won but I am who I am because of all that happened. When I paint .. i try to paint my heart and soul right there, no matter who or what I'm painting. I'm really very grateful to be painting every day for the last 92 days and there were some bumps in the road but I've kept true to my commitment. I am amazed when I see all the work there in front of me that I haven't sold yet. I have eight more paintings to do .. and I'm just going to have fun with it..

If you would like to own this painting today of a Baltimore Oriole bird face please email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. See you tomorrow .. !!!

Day 79 and Feeling Transparent

Today is day 79 and I have been feeling rather transparent.. to tired to explain . .. just suffice it to say I am here . you can see me and sometimes i feel like you see right through me ..  ..                                                                                                                 If you would love to own this portrait just email me at www.iwilldream4ever@ao.com/See you tomorrow..

Turtles

Today is day 61.. I'm still kind of tired but glad to have my art to keep me going and focused on something good and fullfilling.

I painted the turtle because it always reminds me that it is ok to slow down and take care of my self. To retreat into the shell for a just a time until the danger or whatever is lurking has passed. There was a post on my blog a few years ago .. I think called It's been a turtle week.. I had seen a series of turtles about three in a row. I like to think about the messages that nature can bring me. I love how the Native American Indians interpret the symbols of nature. I know for me when the turtles showed up in my life I realized how much I loved nature and it caused me to go outside and really look at the nature that was around me there where I lived. I loved doing that. I even saw a tiny turtle.. things I have never EVER seen there. This really gave me so much happiness. I enjoyed looking at them and letting them be themselves and just feeling so honored to be able to witness their magnificence. I know that I will always love nature.

If you would like to own this turtle painting. Email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. Today's painting is $61. See you tomorrow.

New Year and Stitching Hope

 Happy New Year!!! I always love this time of year because I feel like the slate is cleared and I can start over. I know that I can start over every day if I want but there is something about the end of something and beginning of another. I'm grateful for all my experiences in 2012 and looking for more of them this year. I didn't spend a lot of time blogging last year but I do miss that. I thought about doing it every day but .. aaacccckkkk here it is the 11th already!!! So .. i'm going to start now and see what I can muster.
I love having creativity in my life every day. I still enjoy so many different things. I wonder if this makes you less if you don't focus on just one thing. I find it keeps me from ever being tired of creating. I think the biggest thing is feeling like I have so much to make ... how will I ever get it all done? I'm just going to keep going. Stitching, drawing, painting, sewing...
Hopefully, the new year will bring more structure and I will have the means to continue doing what brings me joy.

                                                                              
I love the feeling of stitching silk onto a blanket remnant I just love the texture it creates. The red above is a silk dress that I dyed .. it's never recommended to dye fabric that has commercial color because there is no way to know if there is something toxic in those chemicals but heck, we wear it don't we? I'm still committed to using recycled material to create with. As time goes on my mind is flooded with possibilities. I just loved the red color. It's going to be a small bag. I love making different bags. I have two started to share with you here. The second bag is all recycled material along with some over dyed fabrics. I guess the photos show the detail .. these make me happy. Thanks for stopping over and sharing my joy. I hope your year is filled with the same!!!

Functional Art

WEll even though I haven't been posting I have been so busy creating. I have now been creating garments that I am trying to sell. I have been reconstructing some gently worn clothes into new and fun styles that I love. I have mixed them with fabrics that I have altered with dye or reverse dye if you will. I finally spent a little time photographing a few of them. I was able to use the dress form that I created a few years ago and used my front yard as a backdrop. The yard looks so beautifully green and lush. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get outside as much as I have in years past. I have had so many bug incidents that I am inclined not to go outside and even though I love taking photos of bugs, I am not happy about being stung three times by wood scorpions and one yellow jacket sting on the bottom of my foot. And no I wasn't walking outside barefoot. :) I have been sewing like crazy though.

As I go on I am hopeful that I will be able post my garments in an online shop. If you are interested in these items .. let me know!!! THanks for stopping over and as always I love hearing your comments.