Dance With A Skeleton

Here are a few sharings.


I've almost finished physical therapy after my car accident March 7th - seems so long ago.  I've had a wonderful therapist who does a technique called, Counterstrain.  I am still in pain - but I always am from chronic pain condition.  I feel so much better though and this week I have been fully participating in my Movement Therapy classes with deaf children with disabilities.  I've also taken two dance classes - JOY, JOY!


Want a laugh?  Here we go....  Entitled:  PHYSICAL THERAPY PHOTO SHOOT!  

Here's my therapist, Bernie, bringing our friend out into the lights - no makeup for him, though.

I wanted him to put his arms around us.  Here she is doing the limbo!

Here's we are with our buddy.  Bernie is leaving the practice today - unfortunately.  We've had so many laughs.  She has taken me through pain and relief.

Since I have pain in my ribcage, I thought it fitting for him to embrace me there - but darn those fingers hurt!

Shall we dance?

As for ART........

Here is a sketch I did maybe for a painting on canvas - yep, no felting involved.

We'll see about this becuase...

THIS WEEKEND IS THE SHEEP AND WOOL FESTIVAL IN HOWARD COUNTY, MARYLAND.  It is time for my annual trip.  Since I haven't been felting, I doubt I'll buy any roving.  But there is so much more there - buttons, yarn, etc. etc.  Of course, there are sheep and of course there are those darn stands selling lamb kabobs....I hate that....just don't see why people don't make the connection between "oh, look how cute" to "give me a big leg and a coke".

So, we'll see if the felting bug gets to me..........in fact, I may just felt something today - oops, see there it is - ahhhhhhhhhhh, wool.

NewCreatioNZ - a Great Etsy Shop

NewCreatioNZ is a wonderful Etsy Shop that I'd like for you to get to know.

The creator is Jocelyn Friis and she hales from Auckland, New Zealand...so far away but close to us via the wonderful computer waves and ETSY.

New Creationz
Her shop has been open since 2009 and she creates a wide variety of art from paintings, fabric art, cards, bookmarks, photography, family trees, ACEO's, Digital Stationery, manets, photo jewelry, Christmas and Valentines, stationery, tags, banners and boxes.  Phew, now that's some talent.

.

"Sea shore acrylic mixed media paintings with real New Zealand Paua shell

Texture and sea shore colours abound in this set of three acrylic paintings on canvas board. Real New Zealand Paua shell gives the finishing touch to these beachy abstracts. Inspired by photos I took on my local beach early one morning. (You can see them here http://www.flickr.com/photos/jocelynfriisart ) Made with artist quality acrylic paints, paste, glass beads and sealer. Size each 5" x 7""

http://www.etsy.com/listing/52110889/sea-shore-acrylic-mixed-media-paintings

BEAUTIFUL

Here are her words about these lovely photo tags......

"Five beach theme gift tags, using photographs taken by me, printed professionally on photographic paper and adhered by hand in a 3D fashion onto white card. These tags would be lovely attached to a gift or, for sellers, included with your Etsy sale. Or how about wrapping them up and giving as a unique gift to someone who "has it all". I am able to do custom tags with your shop name or other wording on too."

http://www.etsy.com/listing/31998696/beachy-gift-tags

She sure lives in a beautiful place!

I certainly do appreciate an artist who is multi-talented and gives her buyers a taste of each of her gifts.  The personal attention that an ETSY seller gives is way beyond the normal buying experience.

Please visit her shop.................NEWCREATIONZ.....

http://www.etsy.com/shop/NewCreatioNZ

Sketchbook and Inspirations

I've never showed you sketches of my artwork.  I remember seeing a website where a woman did just such a thing and she inspired me to keep my own little book of sketches.  I frequently get my inspirations from flowers and photos others have taken.  Maybe it's a scene I wish I had been a participant in or a scene from a children's book.

My Felted art collectible never started out to be detailed renderings albeit in roving of flowers - nothing detailed - more muted with a touch of embroidery.  But over what seems like many months (but really isn't at all), I found stitching.  Then I carefully played with just how much to put in a felted.  Like with any art, the key is to know when to stop - I face that continually.  Sometimes, I think that something might sell because it needs to be guilded when I really prefer to have it more ethereal and impressionistic.  I've written about this before so won't go into it.

Sometimes, detailing with stitching does just the trick taking something from boring to interesting!  My stitching repetroir is not extensive - mostly because I found this art at the beginning of the rev up for the holiday selling season.  I look forward to doing more of it - there are two great sites I refer to.

Here are a few pages from my sketchbook.

The one on the left is on Etsy now and pretty much looks the same - the idea came from a plate I saw when I googled the Star of David.  The one on the right came from a suggestion from a friend - dreidel and gelt.  This also came out pretty much the same and will be listed tomorrow.

The one on the left is inspired by the Tree of Life - I'm not sure how this will translate to a Felted Collectible - I really like this quick sketch, though.  A Few minutes ago I finished the one on the right - just the front though - not the whole thing - that comes tonight.

The one on the left is inspired by a picture of a rug in a catalog.  We'll see if I get around to it.  The other one has been done and sold.

The one on the left is about apples and leaves in the Fall - never got done - but the one on the right certainly did and I added a gourd - now also sold.

And this is a watercolor I did of an apple orchard on a farm we stayed at two years ago in Vermont - in the summer.  It is there that I bought the sketchbook!  I also got many inspirations from the photos I took of flowers there.