Really, every post could have that title...because on some level every time I pick up a pencil, or a brush, or needle and thread...I am always thinking about my friend. Amy would have been 34 today. I wonder how would have celebrated? Where would she be living? Who would her husband be? Would she have any children? We will never know. I think about her everyday...but on her birthday my thoughts are on what she would be like today, sitting in front of me.
Amy, if you were here I would make you a piece of art. Well...I did make you a piece of art. If you were here I would make sure you had a cake, a really cool one. I doubt I would make the cake, you know I can't bake or cook for that matter. Amy, if you were here right now I would have presents for you, with sparkles and feathers on the wrapping paper, and a card letting you know how much I love you, and how amazing it is to be getting another year older with you as my best friend. It would be a funny card, probably with some old ladies on it...saving a serious card for next when we are turning 35. If you were only here. So...that is my post for today. I miss my best friend. Happy Birthday, Amy German, wherever you are. ...not sure if I will get back to artin' later this evening, so just in case... Here is where I am leaving off at 7:38pm:
Wait...just remembered I need to get the pieces to Gina for the Dead Celebrity show tomorrow...okay...I may use some of my Bettie's I have already made...buy some nice frames...that would take some stress off! The one and only Jessie Prugh I know a very, very busy bee. My friend, Jess. One of my business partners in Tipsy Art, colleague at the Armory Art Center, fellow middle school art teacher and just in general one of my biggest artistic inspirations this year...yeah, she has been a busy bee. See, she started an art publication. The website launched last night and the first print should come out this coming fall. The magazine will feature local artists...the whole idea being to provide a venue to get MORE ART out there. ...and the website looks a-ma-ziiiiiing. Really. I mean she IS a graphic designer. She also designed our Tipsy Art site. And I am crazy excited! Here are the links: http://www.arthivemagazine.com (Web) https://www.facebook.com/ArtHiveMagazine (Facebook Page) In addition...I will also be a very busy bee as I will be contributing in each issue. I am going to be writing about just staying inspired and motivated to be creative. After the year I have had, I really felt like this was something that I could speak on. It is almost a year since I posted my first blog entry...since I gave myself the kick in the tush to start creating art again and I am doing it. I am 'making' again. I would love the chance to motivate anyone else to do the same.
Now that I have a minute to sit and process...even though it's almost 2am on June 6th...I am going to rewind and go back to June 5th. One of the first things that was significant was checking my email to find that my angel paintings from my first Etsy order made it to Missouri and Nevada- and that they liked my work. (see pic below) More important- the work served as a tribute to their friend. Awesome. Looking at that email, and seeing my work in the hands of the folks that I made it for, and feeling like it really did serve the purpose for which it was created...truthfully? I teared up. I got a little verklempt. I.love.sparkly.flamingo. And then it was on to my adventures in flamingo embellishment, which I wrote about in the previous post. (scroll down) I really would love to go all Sandy Skoglund style and fill an entire room with an entire flock of these fabulously sparkly fowl. Hmmmmmm...maybe I will. I started off really motivated...worked on the flamingos and then, well...there was some lost time. But I did get back into my creative zone, started pretty late, but I made some art nonetheless. Well, let me back track...I figured out what I wanted to do for the next ANE show. It's a Star Trek theme and I had some ideas, but I wasn't 100% sure of what I wanted to do...and I will post more about it later as I start creating the work, but let's just say that the pieces will fit my pinup theme for the month of June. Back to my CED #157. It's done. Found a cool picture of Bettie that really inspired me...and well, here is the work, shown as I worked on it (below) Bettie+ flamingo. While I was working on my CED I had the idea to combine my Bettie-esque figure with the pink flamingo that I worked on earlier today. It isn't finished, but it is well under way. Just something for fun. Or maybe this is a small-scale study for a larger work? Either way, you can bet that there will be some sparkle. And finally...when I was getting my workspace ready I found some old sketches in one of my pinup books. I have no idea what I was planning, or when these three pages were completed...but I felt like I found buried treasure. Even though these may not go with my current projects, I may revisit them for future inspiration for works.
...I was out running errands this morning and I saw some pink flamingos at Target. I must say, I am a sucker for a pink flamingo and a good price. So I tried to pass them by in my cart...and...well...all I could think is, 'I wanna bedazzle a pink flamingo. Today.' So I did. Then I posted it on Facebook...and....well, folks wanted to buy'em. So, well- I guess I am going to sell some. Not many though, gotta get ready for the CA trip. So I am making ten more to sell. If you happen upon my blog and love sparkly pink flamingos, well, just email me to order one. ([email protected]) I have a PayPal account set up. Not sure if I will post to my Etsy page, especially since there are just a few and I was going to try and mail them out this week. I do need to update my Etsy page, though. Adding that to my to-do list. Details...Pink flamingo from Target, sparkled and feathered, about the size of my cat, Scooter. $25.00 each. And....guess who woke up, on her own, at 6am? Yep, me. Sigh. Sleeping in would have been awesome, but I woke up wanting to create. I kind of have this idea that I want to paint a bird of paradise flower..but then I had another idea to paint Bettie as my own personal painting muse for the month of June...you know Bettie won.
And I went ahead and finished my CED #156 this morning. John and I are heading back to FL this morning and I wasn't sure about how much time I would have...so...that's all done. For now...this gypsy is hitting the road, again. ...about to head out and start visiting folks this morning...but I did get up and do a little painting....
Leaving Greenville in a bit, but I did get up this morning and draw a bit...will write more about that later on. In the meantime, CED #154 is all done.
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AuthorArtist and Art Teacher
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