It has been 20 years since Amy left this earth. I am a little in my feelings this year more so than other years. Every year, this is a tough day...but this year in particular. Grief does not have a time limit, and I am okay with being a little more aware of how I feel today.
And today...I miss my best friend. ...again...we're backtracking here, folks...so...let's go back to...ummm... YESTERDAY.
2:30ish After the beach it was time o meet Miss Sharon at Gallery 2014. Hard to believe exactly one year ago I was going there with my artwork loaded onto a tablet to see about getting representation with the gallery. And now- my work is there and I have sold something every month! My pieces don't go for huge amounts...they are great for folks looking to start collecting...they are small, personal, affordable. Every sale, no matter how big or small means so much to me because I know that someone came in, selected my #heART and liked it enough to purchase it. (Yay...thanks!) So the goal for this meeting was to deliver some 'new' pieces. Currently the gallery has over 200 pieces of my work from 2012-2014, but I took some of the work I have made this year. We decided on bascially all of my 'Mermaid Series'...a couple of pieces from my 'Many Hats Series' and a couple from my 'Surfaces Series'...*many works are framed and ready to hang, so go snatch'em up! *There are SO MANY mermaids...seriously... so I framed some of them and the rest are in a nice presentation book...ask to see them! They are all either 8x10 or 5x7 so super easy to mat/frame :)
Another thing that I was focusing on...making sure I also coordinated with my show. I found a great lavendar dress on clearance at Charming Charlie a couple of years ago, which I wore my SIL's bridesmaid luncheon. I thought that pulling out this specific color, lavender, would be a great accent to my artwork so I hand painted portions of the dress with 'fashion' and added that to my 'opening night' secrets. After the hand painted dress...it was all about accessories! My vision was to create upcycled Tshirt necklaces for my girlfriends to wear at my opening. They came dressed all in black to really make the colors pop, and I just love the idea that my art was on the wall AND walking around the room! I took the 'scraps' from their necklaces and combined it with gray T-shirt necklace to tie in everything together...and of course all the pieces has various embellishments...from hand stitched beading, to re-purposed broken jewelry pieces to small crystals. As for my shoes...I just had to turn that into a DIY project as well! I needed silver shoes but couldn't find any that I liked, so I finally settled on some gold wedges that I spray painted with silver glitter and then hand glue clear crystals on for extra sparkle. (More details about all of this on Instagram, @artinw_damuse ) And...well, here it is...my show! And...well...that's it. That was my show. Oh wait...one more thing. Before the opening I walked about the area right around Harold's and left some #AngelDropART in pastic bags tied with purple ribbon in honor of my grandma, 'Flossie', and in honor of all those affected by Alzheimer's. Granny really started my love of fashion and sparkly things...and I won't ever forget it, even if she can't remember. ...I love you, granny!
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November 1, 'November Blue', The Avett Brothers The first piece in the series, and what I chose to name the series after- a band from NC that is special to all of us ECU School of Art and Design Alums 'cause we are all super proud of all of these NC boys, but especially Scott Avett- he's one of us! When I was in undergrad he shared a painting studio across the hall with my roommate, Sally, it was right across from he surface design studio and down the hall from the weaving studio where I spent all of my time. I actually entertained the idea of doing an all-Avett themed series...but I really wanted to work with monochromatic blue and I didn't feel like all of their songs would fit, and I didn't want to be restricted...so...maybe in the future I will still do that series. November 2, 'Sorry I Am', Ani DiFranco This was my girl Gin's suggestion...anything-Ani was always my go-to female empowerment jam anytime I wanted to be reminded that I too could be a 'righteous babe'. I also shared this love of Ani with my college roomie, Sally, so I always think of her and Gin when one of Ani's songs come on. November 3, 'Day Old Blues' , Kings of Leon I mentioned this already on Instagram...but KOL is basically the soundtrack for my month in Japan in the summer of 2009. My iPod somehow lost ALL of my music...like...EVERY...SONG. My husband sent me a flashdrive and I just asked for KOL...and so it came to be that every trip on the Shinkansen, every walk to and from the temples...looking at the ancient structures with the modern skylines in the background, all of that experience...in my earphones Kings of Leon was playing. November 5, 'Stella Blue', Grate Dead I actually wasn't really familliar with this song until I started my month-long (and some change) exploration of the GD's music in preparation for the Fare the Well Tour this past summer in Chicago. Anytime I hear their music I remember that moment at the show when they opened up with 'Box of Rain' and I just cried it was so beautiful. (To see that whole 'Grateful Dead Series' click here) I still tear up when I think about it...and I don't mind because it reminds me of how amazing that experience was. November 6, 'Tangled Up In Blue' , Bob Dylan Well, my girl Gin snatched this one up even before the paint dried...but I made I thinking of my husband, John. (no worries, I am painting him a larger version!) He reminds me so much of Bob Dylan, he is an old soul and has a way with words...a ramblin' man...kind...and has a poetic spirit that many folks would never know about. |
...so that's where I am at with this series. From time to time I may mention significance in a song if there is something specific...but sometimes...heck, I just like it. Some of the suggestions will be mine, and some will be from my 'jam gurus'...in no order: Johnny Nice, Gin, Brian, Fish, Ryan G, Justin, Ryan H, Joey, Kyle, Mino...there may be more, but these are the main folks that contributed to my 'OCPD Spreadsheet Madess'.
And I love'em for that.
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