One man's trash....

I know it's been a while since I posted to my blog. I also know that if you want to gain followers, and keep them, you have to post often. However, I don't see the point in posting when I have nothing new to say. I now have something to share!

Much to the embarrassment of my 15 year old daughter, I am not above picking something out of someone's garbage if I think I can make use of it. The window in the picture is an example. Behind each of the panes, I have created a collage of my own photography. Photos of vacations and items I find interesting. The shelf under the window my mom purchased for me. It makes a perfect window sill! I started this project some time ago and finally got around to finishing it and hanging it yesterday. I like the fact that the paint is chipped and pealing. It's exactly the way I found it, sitting out by the road in someone's trash.... only cleaner.

I once picked up an antique chair from the side of the road. I feel as though I rescued it. Much to the shock of my roommate at the time who only saw a filthy, worn, dust ridden old piece of junk in the middle of the kitchen. I was in the process of ripping the old tattered upholstery off when he came in. I was covered in dirt and sneezing from the dust. His exclamation was, "What the HELL is that??" It is definitely very old. I'll save the story for another post.

Recently I picked up two perfectly good wooden serving trays from someone's trash. They are the kind with folding legs, so that if you are fortunate, you might have someone bring you breakfast in bed. Apparently the person who threw them away didn't contemplate any breakfasts in bed any time soon. I plan to mosaic these trays and turn them into something beautiful.

So, my question is, why do people throw perfectly good items out in the trash?? Granted, I have been fortunate enough to come across some cool stuff and do something creative with it. However, I simply don't understand why people throw good things away. There is a Goodwill drop off right here in my town. There are churches and homeless shelters that take donations. Why throw it away when you can give it to someone?

Have your cake and bake it too

The past few days I've been helping out with a university event where staff donate cakes for a "cake race" and the people that run or walk in the race all get their choice of a cake at the end of the race. I've never worked the event before, and did it this time because my friend that usually does it had an accident and needed surgery; I took over her duties at the last minute.

I know people are busy these days, but I was surprised at how many people bought the cakes, or other baked goods, they donated. I'm not complaining mind you, we appreciated ALL of the donations, I simply thought more people would bake for an event like this. Since most of the participants on the race are students, and most of the donations come from faculty and staff, it seems as though students would appreciate home baked items rather than store bought. Just say'n.

On the other hand, students will eat anything. I have learned during my eight years of working at a university that if you want students to come to an event, all you have to do is use the words "FREE FOOD" and they will come in droves. Just say'n.

Economics

I started class Tuesday night. It looks as though this will be a good class! What a relief! Economics is actually an interesting subject if you have a good instructor. My current instructor is funny, has good taste in books - even though he chose seven of them - and doesn't make math a part of his class. These are all important factors for me when I make a judgment on a faculty member.

Someone once told me that math and art are very similar. Since I hate math and love art - I disagree. That's an understatement. Since I am good at art, and break into a sweat, develop a rash, and hyperventilate when I have to do math, I disagree.

Economics is interesting because everyone wants money. How we go about getting it, losing it, and the fact that we dream about having it, runs our lives! I'm not saying that's a bad thing, it simply is. We share it, we steal it (that's bad), we spend it, we save it, we move it around. We think about it more than we think about sex. Think about it! It's true! When we don't have it we're ruined, when we get it, it ruins us.

Economics... good class.

Top of the Box - Top of the Weekend!

I did it! I have completed my jewelry box project by the end of the holiday weekend!
This is a photo of the box before grout. Notice that I left what is called "grout lines" - the curved lines in the piece. This is simply another way of directing the eye.


The next photo is the piece grouted and cleaned. I'm very pleased to have finished this project this weekend!! Off to class tomorrow!

The Top of the Box cont...

It's 11:30 pm again, and I've been working on this piece all day. I get an idea in my head and I can't let it go. I'm also under a time crunch because I start class on Tuesday and I have no idea how much homework I'll have. I won't be able to get this grouted before class starts, but grouting is the easy part. It's also a lot of fun!













Grouting is less thinking and more like playing in mud. It's like when you were a kid at the beach making sand castles. You get to mush your hands around in the grittiness and smear it all over working it down between the pieces of glass. It feels good, and it's also the moment of truth. It's when you know if your piece actually works or not.













The color you choose for the grout is extremely important! It can make or break your piece. You also have to make sure you mix enough grout if you mix a custom color. I use plain grout, un-tinted, and mix it with acrylic paint. I'm new at all of this, and what I know I've learned from my Californian friend - hopefully he won't be upset that I am giving away trade secrets...

The Top of the Box...

Stage One...

Yesterday, after opening an early Christmas/birthday gift from my dear friend in California - see the tools pictured in the background of the photo? He bought me my own nippers, a glass cutter, and some running pliers. (I was using borrowed nippers). Also a GREAT ceramic coffee mug so I can drink coffee from a creative mug while I work . :0}

After my mom and I listened and watched the same friend play the Warsaw Concerto (From the movie Dangerous Moonlight, 1941) over iChat - the Warsaw Concerto is my mom's favorite piece of music and my friend has been learning it for her for months. He is an amazing pianist and brought my mom to tears.

And, after visiting with my daughter and granddaughter for a bit, picking up my 15 year old daughter and her friend, and making a run to the store to buy oil for my glass cutter, and some Titebond glue, I was finally ready to begin my jewelry box project.

As I said I would, I took the top off of the box, covered the mirror side with newspaper, and taped off the edges. I also used a light sandpaper to ruff up the surface so it would be easier for the glue to grab hold.

I was just going to type the words "Stage Two" when I realized I probably should have taken a photo of my drawing. What I was about to call Stage Two is actually more like Stage Three.

Stage Two...
I drew my design on a piece of drawing paper, and since I don't have any transfer paper right now... which would be a great idea by the way, I cut my drawing into sections and traced the sections onto the lid of the box.

Stage Three...

I then started cutting my glass and gluing the pieces in place. I was a bit frustrated with myself because it has been tough to get the hang of my new glass cutter (the tool at the top left of the photo). Like everything, I have to jump into doing something complicated like cutting curved flower petals. It's not easy!!

To use the glass cutter, you have to hold the cutter straight up, or perpendicular to the table, apply firm pressure, run the carbide blade on the glass in the shape you want, and then snap the glass with the running pliers (yellow handled tool). Let me tell you, it takes some practice! One nice thing about mosaics is that you can always use the scrap pieces of glass for another project!

Another difficult task is keeping my cat Shady from sitting right in the middle of my project. He has to have his nose in EVERYTHING! I had trouble even taking these photos. I would have posted a photo with him in it except that he is black, and it's tough to get a shot of him that doesn't look like a black blob. Especially at night - I took these pictures at 11:30 pm.

I'll be working on this project all day today - stay tuned!

Moving on..

My last project, small but fun, was a complete set - necklace, earrings, and bracelet. I love the large hook shaped clasp. Big, long, and clunky is in!

My next project is going to be a mosaic on the top of this jewelry box! I'm excited about this one! I think I will log my progress on my blog. I'll let you know when I am frustrated, things are going
well, and of course when it's finished!









My first task will be to draw a design. I will also take the top right off of the box. It has small screws which I can carefully take out. This will protect the rest of the box from damage - especially from grout! I'll cover the bottom of the lid - mirror side - with newspaper and tape to protect it while I'm working.

This will be my Labor Day Weekend project since I start class on September 8. My fall semester class will be Economics and I had to purchase seven, yes "7" books for this class!! I may not be making much art during the fall semester... or at least large projects like this jewelry box!

Oh to SELL on Etsy!

Yes my friends, I sold the jar I was so concerned about. The piece I fretted over. The one I thought was going to be a disaster, and thought the band around the bottom of the jar wasn't going to cut it, was my first "real" sale. I say my first real sale only because the first person to purchase something from my site was one of my best friends. She didn't have to do that. I would have given her anything she wanted. The person who purchased the Cobalt Jar was a complete stranger from PA (THANK YOU!). I love that jar...

Broken Compass

Now that I've started this new journey back into the world of making art, I find myself not knowing what project to begin next. I've always been a bit eclectic in my work - I like too many different kinds of art. Photography, drawing, painting, collage, now mosaic and jewelry making. I've done needle crafts such as quilting, cross stitching, needlepoint, and embroidery. You name it and I've probably tried it, and most likely mastered it to an acceptable skill level.

Acceptable. Yes, that's what I said. Acceptable. It has always seemed to me that I should probably pick something and stick to it in order to go beyond acceptable and possibly become an expert. The idea scares me. Maybe it's like the groom fretting over the idea of having to sleep with only one partner for the rest of his life. Do I have a problem with commitment?

I'm usually the one that jumps in with both feet. I'm the one that always says, "Let's make a decision and go with it." Why is it that I can't pick one medium, one art form, and stick with it until it's perfect?

I've always been jealous of artists who have a style. You look at their work and you know. You simply know whose work it is without seeing the signature. I've always wanted that...

Pretty Sneaky...

I have always loved a good scare. I love scaring people, and I love it when someone is actually able to scare me. Especially since I don't scare easily. However, this new found addiction I have - Etsy - has lead me to discover a new way of sneaking up on someone! It's called the "Sneak Attack" and it's so darn cool I can't stand it!

Here's how it works. There is a guy, Michael Phipps, who got a bunch of other Etsy sellers together one day and they all bought a bunch of stuff from another Etsy seller who wasn't expecting it! In other words, one day this seller had lots of stuff for sale but had barely sold anything, and the next day they checked their email and all of a sudden BAM! their inbox was full of sales! How cool is that??? Now they hold Sneak Attacks on a regular basis. I'm going to go broke because I feel I need to purchase something during each one! I can't keep doing that.

If you want to join the fun, go to: http://www.handmademovement.com/

Mini Art!

I've discovered something amazing! ATC - or Artist Trading Cards! Also called ACEO, or Art Cards, Editions, and Originals. I think they are the coolest thing since Panera Bread with free Wi Fi.

ATCs are 2.5" x 3.5" size pieces of original artwork for trading. Most of them are quite inexpensive, under $10, which means anyone can buy and collect pieces of fine art. That's right!! Even YOU can have a mini art gallery in your own home! Some of them are amazing! Truly.

As you know, I have just begun my journey back into making art. I've just finished my first three ATCs and they are okay... they don't live up to some of the others I've seen, but they are a start. I had a great time creating them, and since I believe with all of my heart that art is about the process, not the finished product, they are a success!

I've purchased my first two ATCs from other artists on Etsy, and I am anxiously awaiting their arrival! I can't wait to have my own little art gallery in my studio! Especially since I have, for the first time ever, a room in my house that is my own art studio (also a guestroom w/futon but what the heck).

Tick Tock

This is a pretty unusual piece. My 15-year-old daughter hates it. My 19-year-old daughter thinks it’s cool. It was fun to make! I took apart an old broken clock… well, I don’t think you can even call it a clock; it was the guts of a clock that was my uncle’s. He’s now in a nursing home and rambles about the Canadian Government (we live in the USA) and the nurses that work for the CIA. He seems happy in his world of secrecy and espionage… he gave me permission to take his clock before his stroke.

When I was pulling apart the old clock, trying to get all of the gears out, and looking for interesting parts I could use in my art, there was an old spring wound up tight. My mom was sitting there looking on. She said, “be careful that doesn’t spring and hit you.” It wasn’t two minutes later and that thing made a shrill “shriinggg” sound and sprung! It didn’t hit me, in fact it didn’t come all the way unsprung (if that’s a word), but it threw dust everywhere! The old clock was dusty, greasy, and covered with many year’s worth of time keeping collected in all its parts. A good soaking in WD40 cleaned everything up nicely.

I have two more clocks – one that was still ticking when my cousins brought it down from my uncle’s room even after he’s been in the nursing home for over a year – and another that is broken. I plan to use the parts for more jewelry, mosaics, and other artwork. I don’t know why my uncle had all of those clocks. My mom says my grandfather would be happy I’m using them. He used to repair clocks. I never met my grandfather, but I’ve always had a fascination for clocks and clock parts… I wonder if it’s genetic?

In Case You're Curious...

I was working on this piece when I wrote the “Falling off the Edges” post. It was a birthday gift for a friend, so I couldn’t post a picture until I gave it to her. Fortunately, she likes it… “LOVES” it, which makes everything worthwhile. :0}

My Little Bumpy Journey

Okay, final exam aside (literally), I finished my problem piece (pictured above). It may be a little weird to critique my own artwork… which I am selling… which I have a link to this blog on my store site… but maybe not. I mean, that’s actually the point of this blog – to map out my journey into the art world, or back into the art world. I used to be an art student. First all kinds of art in high school, then interior design and architectural drawing in college until I gave up on that idea because those people are too cutthroat for me. I then moved on to the idea of becoming a high school art teacher, but met my ex-husband and got married and had kids instead. Notice the “ex” in front of the word husband. He wasn’t into art at all… or anything I was into for that matter. After the divorce, I went back to school and ended up with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, and now I am half way to my Masters in Public Administration… if I finish my final exam that is.

I digress. The question at hand is, how weird is the band of cobalt blue mirror and grout at the bottom of this jar? I thought I liked it until I grouted it. I thought it was the grout color I didn’t like, but I’ve decided the color is fine. The lid of the jar is quite nice actually. I’m rather proud of the beadwork. It’s that darn band around the bottom that has me troubled. However, I have posted it “For Sale” on Etsy. Someone might just find it quite interesting and pluck it off my site.

Darn Masters Degree Anyway

Once again, that pesky degree I’m working toward has put my art on hold. I have to wait to work out my issues with ugly grout to take a final exam. Sigh. I do love school, but it does get in the way of other interests – so does housework. Stop by my house on any given day and you will find me either in my studio or sitting under a pile of books and my laptop, but most likely not vacuuming or doing dishes. Instead, my house is messy, my lawn needs to be mowed, and I have pickers growing amidst my roses. A pretty picture this does not paint. However, I make a point of inviting friends over, or holding a holiday or two at my home a few times a year, which forces me to do a deep cleaning. I suggest this tactic to anyone with many outside interests, lazy teenagers, and whose income will not support a maid service.

Here We Go Again...

Well, I made it through the project with the falling pieces, and now I have a project I simply am not sure I like. I started out liking it. I started out quite impressed with myself and my wonderful gift for design, eye for color, and good fortune at being born with both. Until I grouted with a gawd awful color and the design idea I had may have turned out to be a huge mistake. Ugh. And to make things worse, while I was mixing the grout, that little voice in my head - you know the one - was whispering, "this is a bad color." But, the other voice in my head, my mom's voice, was whispering, "you've started mixing it, you can't waste it, you have to use it now." Sigh.

Honestly. It was about two tablespoons of grout. I could have thrown it out and no trees would have died, no animals would have suffered, no children would have starved, and I would have bought myself some time to rethink things. Now I have to work with what I have and try to salvage the situation. ...I know, I know... I said it myself, this could turn out to be a great piece because of my mistake! Right.

The Virtual Art Show

This new venture of putting my art out there for sale is quite exciting! The whole Etsy experience is exciting! I’m not trying to be an Etsy poster child – honest – it’s just that I’ve found this whole new world of artisans that I can visit right in my own home! I don’t have to physically go anywhere, yet I can visit the best art show/craft sale around! And, I can be a part of it for pennies! It’s amazing!

I have 18 photos in my little Etsy shop, but last night I put my first piece of mosaic work on my virtual store shelf. Don’t get me wrong, I think I’m a pretty good photographer even thought I know I have a lot to learn, but my real confidence is in other forms of medium. As I said in my last post, I am new at mosaics, and I have much more to learn, but I believe I am already better at mosaic work than photography. I also feel there is a bigger market for the kinds of things you can “make” rather than photos.

Keep your fingers crossed! I’ll have more items on my shelves soon.

Falling off the Edges

You must understand, since I am new to mosaics, my panic when I began to grout a piece I had been working on for a week and my tiny pieces of glass started falling off the edges. All of the care I had taken nipping those tiny little gems and painstakingly gluing them down flashed before my eyes. I immediately called my dear friend who had gotten me hooked on this hobby, but was greeted with his voicemail instead of the reassurance I craved.

Having no idea what to do next, I started scraping the grout out of the spaces from where the pieces had fallen and frantically started gluing them back in. Wet grout, wet glue, a pounding heart, and my black cat looking on. My message to my friend in California had sounded something like, “I’M GROUTING AND PIECES ARE FALLING OUT AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO SO CALL ME BACK!” In what I’m sure was a shaky, panicked, somewhat screechy voice.

Art can definitely be an accident. Sometimes our best work happens because we make a mistake. Like lens flair in a photo, an improperly mixed paint color that turns out to be the perfect shade, or a mistake that has to be worked in or around and ends up being a focal point. Life works out that way sometimes too. We screw something up, or something screws us up, and we have to work with it.

I finally was able to talk to my friend who reassured me that my piece would be fine. I simply had to wait for the grout to dry, glue in all of my pieces of glass, and regrout. He also said I need better glue! DON’T SKIMP ON GLUE! Was the main message here.

Do you hear that? Don’t skimp on the glue.

Here I am at Midnight

Okay, so here I am at midnight posting my first message on my first blog. My cat is on my desk - in my way as usual. I have to keep pushing him out of my line of vision. Tonight I have sewn curtains for my 15 year old daughter's window, and started this blog, and now I should be sleeping, but no! I have to post my first blog message! Or is it called a post? Do you post a post?

Life is an accident? Yes, that is the name of my blog. I wanted to name it "The Accidental Tourist" which is the name of my little shop on Etsy.com, but the name was already taken. Apparently there are others who enjoyed that book as much as I did. However, I like the name I've chosen - I think it fits me. I actually don't believe life is an accident; I believe life is what we make it. I'm working at making something of mine while I'm making art.