Christmas Party for all my fellow Mermaids

I had the best intentions... I layed out the camera and I made sure the memory card was in...all of these were quite a feat for me and once again for the 6th year in a row, I forgot to take pictures at my annual ladies or should I say mermaids only Christmas party. I only have the day after pictures...sorry. These are my favorite bells of Ireland in the kitchen. These are a no brainer...everyone comments and all you do is pop them in a vase! This is my new "C" . I bought it in Tampa....simple but great!

My dear sweet friends bring me great gifts and my daughter opens them. I would like to open them but it has become rather a ritual for her to open them. Oh, to have my 13 year olds life!

I felt compelled to show this one. My fun, "Santa Mermaid" surrounded by the old empty remains of a life well spent. Lol aka wine bottles. I am waxing poetic tonight...perhaps, it is because I am watching an English movie and they speak so eloquently.

This my kitchen... a wreck!

Next blog will be on my Christmas 911. :)

I love Garland!

This garland is so simple, but I love it. I would love to say that i made these ornaments but I did not. I bought them 4, 5 or 6 years ago from Pottery Barn Kids and I love them. I think they are so cute and llok good on my hutch . The hutch and the majolica are a story for another day. This garland incorporates some of the same elemenys accept I have jazzed it up a little with this cute mechy ribbon I found in a craft store aptly named Southern Hospitality. I also used raffia because it goes with everything.

I got myself in this picture for fun wearing my painting clothes....because I am supposed to be in the studio working on Christmas orders and instead I am BLOGGING! I love The Nesting Place's contest too much not to do it. i hope I did it right. I was so excited that i did not really closely read it. Oh well...I am off to be good???

I was inspired by Confessions of a Plate addict!

This is dedicated to Debbie at Confessions of a Plate Addict. Hello...I am Kim and I too am addicted to porcelain. Lol, I love her last post from yesterday and she inspired me to do a post on my collection of Blue and White. One of the things I collect is blue and white. A little lesson for those of you who are not "addicted" Blue and White is a term that can mean a lot of things. It can mean English Transferware like Blue Willow by Spode; it can refer to Chinese porcelain which is often called Canton. Canton is the region where most was produced. It can be Japanese porcelain called Arita, this is the region like Canton. In the pix below the large platter in the center is Blue Willow. The Surrounding plates are Canton and the smaller rectangle plates are Arita. The plates below on the wall are all Chinese Canton.

This is an old plate mixed with some reproductions. I like to have a knowledge of what I collect, but I am not a purist! I believe if you love it mix it and do not worry if it matches. It is all in the mix right!?!

Thanks for letting me put on my old school teacher hat today!

First Christmas Delivery! Adrenaline Rush!!

I am so honored to have been able to share my art with my new friend Carol! She is holding her new Ticklish Mermaid Family. It was so much fun meeting and painting her. She is pictured with her precious daughter and grandchildren. All of you artists know how fun it is to meet and paint truly creative people. Carol is a poet and a nurse practitioner, as well as, a Mother and Grandmother! Vive Creative Women! I am feeling rather French today haha! The bottom picture is better...I should have turned off the flash! I hope Santa or my ticklish husband brings me a new camera for Christmas. I hope it will be like Kim's @ Daisy Cottage...hint hint...

One of my first Christmas orders has been delivered! I have quite a few more orders and I am cranking. I think I work better under pressure??? Does that make me procrastinator or an adrenaline junky???

Milly Loves to sit in Bowls

Joie de Vive!!

Last night was really nice at Picture Perfect. It was in fact "perfect" lol. There were so many fun and interesting people. I have to say that people who love and collect art are usually the most fun and entertaining. They usually have such a "joie de vive" I think I need to title my next painting that. In fact, that needs to be the motto for the rest of the month at least. We all should strive to have a zest for life on a daily basis. We are just a breath away so to speak. I think I need to retitle today's post.

Art Opening Tomorrow at Picture Perfect Frames

Ok, I am tired! I am having my first opening tomorrow with a truly great and well educated artist, Jane Bryant. Next to her, I feel like the generic potato chip sitting next to the high end designer chip like " Miss Vickie's" Haha I am a little nervous, but I have had to learn so many new things in this process like printing, mating, and measuring backer board. I owe Marlene a big hug for having patience with me. I am not a stupid woman, but I could not measure! We finally settled upon a new method instead of saying 4/8ths she would tell me to count 2 little lines 1 med. line and 1 big line etc. I am a visual person.... not a number person! It was so fun for me, not for my teachers though.

I love some of the new things I painted...hate to sell them and say goodby.

I was inspired by a Magpie!!

My friend, Sheila, just restarted her fabulous, inspiring blog, the quintessential magpie, and I was so inspired by her love of books and poetry that I felt compelled to share one of my favorite poems. I feel like I can hear his Mother speaking directly to me. I was raised by a wonderful black woman, Alvenia White, and I cannot express how much I loved her. She was essentially my Mother until I was eleven years old. I will never forget how I cried when I was going to have leave her and go to kindergarten. I was so miserable that after two days they let me come home and stay with her. Back then, you know kindergarten was optional. I could cry just thinking about the love and comfort that she gave me. She taught me everything that I ever needed to know like how to be joyful, fun loving, and respectful. You did not disobey nor did you really want to because you did not want to risk her displeasure because life was so fun when she was around. I can remember as a child struggling over the fact that I loved her more than my actual mother. It was only as an adult that I realized what a gift it was to have a white Mother and a black Mother. I am truly blessed and now that I am a mother, I say and teach my children things that flow from the well springs of both of these ladies. They are both so intertwined in my life that I cannot really differentiate between the two. To close, God is and was so great to have given me such a life.


A Mother to Son By Langston Hughes

Well, son, I'll tell you:Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.It's had tacks in it,And splinters,And boards torn up,And places with no carpet on the floor --Bare.But all the timeI'se been a-climbin' on,And reachin' landin's,And turnin' corners,And sometimes goin' in the darkWhere there ain't been no light.So boy, don't you turn back.Don't you set down on the steps'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.Don't you fall now --For I'se still goin', honey,I'se still climbin',And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

Auctions, Auctions, and More Auctions!

This is my Margarita Maid that I donated to Resurrection School for their big "Night In New England". I am so happy that it raised a nice amount of money and I need to find out who bought it. It is hard to let my girls go without knowing where they are going. I guess it is a good thing that my paintings aren't puppies because I would have 101 Golden Retrievers!

I cannot believe that I have not posted all month! It seems like I have been going from one thing to another all month. I donated a lovely orange haired mermaid to my children's school and she brought a great price to help fund their building project. Here she is and I cannot remember her name??? Somebody said it reminded them of Lucille Ball. In the painting I posted a while ago of my kids, the one on the left reminds me of Nicolas Cage. I have no idea why.

Happy Halloween!!!

This is one of my all time Halloween Favorites!!!

These are my wooden, whimsical witches!!!

I think she reminds me of Elphaba from "Wicked" I loved that play and the first part of the book. I did not finish it :(

Happy Halloween Ya'll!!!

My Mermaid Family

I painted this of my three little children. They are not so little anymore...17,15, and 13. I do not know where the time goes. I remember when I thought it would all be so easy if they could all put on their own shoes. Now, I love it when they are all home and safe for the night. My life was filled with "Barney" and "Power Rangers" now it is ESPN and Reality T.V. and 17 years later, I still do not get to watch PBS...( my favorite)I am painting more and more children and "best friends" I love it! On a literary note, I am reminded of one of the kids favorite childhood poems.."The owl and the pussycat went to sea in a beautiful pea green boat..."

Life is short!

A boy died last night in a car accident Lakeland. He was a smart beautiful boy. He was one of those kids who shone brightly. You knew him; you liked him; you wanted him to succeed; you worried about him and you never wanted this to happen. Death comes to us all, but when it comes early we grieve a little harder. On this day, as I comfort my family and myself and I hope that everyone is right with God and at peace with all that they love. Once again, I am reminded that life is short, too short to sweat the small stuff. I am reminded of the poem by Shakespeare...." The Seven Ages of Man'...All the world's a stage, and a man in his time plays many parts ... each with it's entrances and it's exits... This is from memory so forgive the mistakes. This boy had an early exit.

Beacon Gallery in Savannah

I had such a good time down at Tybee with Debbie in her over the top Gallery! I am so sorry that I did not get a picture of her and her shop! It is such a surprise to find such a great quality shop on Tybee. I swear I have to laugh because she is right down from where a corner bar named "Kitten's Corner"used to be. I remember as a kid the door was right on the corner and it had that 60's black siamese cat on it. You know the one that looked kinda sexy. You could not see in the frosted door and I always wondered what it was like inside? Right down the street was a small amusement park... really small... a tiny ferris wheel is all I remember. All of this was on Butler Avenue. People used to walk up and down the beach selling boiled peanuts in little brown bags for a quarter and you could rent these huge rafts for $.50 a half hour.

Great Road Trip to Savannah

The Tybee Lighthouse

I went to Savannah. I went to take my mermaids and witches to a gallery on Tybee. The shop is owned by Debbie and well worth a visit. She has a little bit of all kinds of art. I love it! I took two of my kids with me and we shopped on Broughton Street ate in the City market and did a lot of people watching!

Metal Witch

I just drew this witch today and I am starting to rust it. This was step two and it was supposed to show the rust, but it is too hard to see. I am going to Savannah on Sunday.

Rusted Mermaids, I love instant Gratification!

I have worked for three days reading about how to create RUST!! I am shocked at the number of sites that discuss how to create rust! It is a very interesting process....it feels a little like a Junior High Science fair project. First, you have to burn the Zinc coating off the galvanized steel. I did this using muriatic acid. It smelled awful, but I was gloved up and wore a mask and glasses. It was a little scary, but it certainly was effective. Then I washed it off and sprinkled it with table salt and Clorox. Who Knew?? I left it over night and then sprayed some peroxide on it, as per instructions. I was mesmerized by the whole process. I had to drag myself away because I am... "Instant Gratification Girl" and the whole thing started rusting right before my eyes.

Japanese Imari and Things I miss.

I am still playing with my camera. This is a pix of my Imari. In the background, is a painting by Allen Fireall. He is one of my favorite Artists from Savannah, Georgia. I have three of his paintings. I love his vibrant colors. His art speaks to me because I am from Savannah and I miss it terribly. I love Florida and being in a great small town, but it really is not the same. I miss fried oysters from Williams Seafood. ( It burned down). I miss people saying "Yes Mam" and it not being commented on or thought strange. I miss the change of seasons where it is cool in the morning and hot in the afternoons. I miss the leaves changing even a little. I miss everything being old and familiar. There are just some things that don't change in Savannah and in some ways that is very comforting. I need to turn off the news...it is making me too sad and nostalgic for a simpler time.

I got Adobe Photoshop!!

I am trying out a new camera tonight, as well as, Photoshop. As evident by this first attempt, I am having trouble focusing. I seem to have that problem a lot... These are part of my collection of Chinese Canton. I liked the pattern that the iron wall made. I collect Antique Chinese blue and white porcelain. I love it because each piece is different and made by hand. I also like the timeless beauty and the intensity of the blue.

I am excited about Halloween!

I love Halloween. I think it is the colors and the whimsy. I have been meeting so many creative people lately. It inspires and humbles me daily. I am going to learn how to make a banner this week... maybe.

I had a tree fall!!!

I cannot believe that a tree fell on a calm day w/ no wind. My family was so blessed that no one was hurt and there was not much damage. It really was frightening since it fell right where my family hangs out and it crushed out trampoline. It missed my Mermaid shed and my house by inches!!! Mark me down as thankful today!

Halloween

I love Halloween ! Here is the only Halloween Mermaid that I have had time to paint so far and I have already sold her to a nice lady in Tampa. I have so many fun ideas and not enough time to paint. I am ready to get all my decorations out...I had a tree fall this weekend and it has thrown me for a loop.

Hospice Fundraiser

I cannot say how much fun I had at the Good Sheperd event! I met so many nice people from Tampa and Lakeland and everyone was so nice! It was great for me also because it forced me to buy display racks etc. Thanks to Georgia, Marlene, Angie and of course Blake! for all the help! Angie, I love the Vintage clothing form...very cool!!! I am ready to do another show!

Things are really cranking around here.

I have to say that I am very busy with Ticklish Mermaids which is so great, yet so surreal at the same time. I have met someone really nice at a new art gallery in Lakeland. Georgia is following her dreams and has started a great retail and teaching studio. It is called Burst... I love it and I think that it just what we need.