hello artfest 2008!!!!

i'm so excited to be teaching at artfest 2008. it is a great and wonderful honor. and a lot of fun.

North Carolina

i hate flying and here i go again...... tomorrow off to north carolina to do my magic in mixed media for public TV. i will be doing my special technique i call the "paintover".

brooke. part 2

talked to brooke today - she says she is actively reconsidering.

brooke

this painting is called "seventeen pout", as in a seventeen year old, pouting....
this painting is suppose to represent brooke, during her teen years.

but, brooke actually is very rarely sad. and she has been the same all her life. she gets mad, but never sullen .... when she does get a bit sad, it is very heart breaking to me because she has always been a really good sport.

so, a story about brooke:
i had an excited message on my machine from her thursday. she wanted me to call.


"what's up, sweetie?"


"momma, guess what?" she eagerly asks...(she still calls me momma).


"what? are you getting married? are you going to make me a grandma? something else happen? did your cat learn to read? did Gracie (the dog) make it into the movies?"


"No, momma, none of that", she says, delighted with herself...."i quit my job."


"WHAT?!? WHAT?!?! What?!?! that's it?!! that's the news?!!"


"yeah", she giggles, "isn't it great? i gave my two weeks notice yesterday. carlos says he could tell right away that i was much happier."


"WHAT??!?!?! ARE YOU fricken NUTS??? HAVE YOU TAKEN A LOOPY PILL? YOU HAVE A HIGHLY COVETED JOB at (KNX in LA radio news reporter), pays well........why, oh, why would you quit? (i'm trying to disguise my stress)


"because i was unhappy, momma"


"argh, brooke, so? it was a great job!!!! although, i hate to see you unhappy", i manage to dribble out.


"i don't want to work there, AND i don't have to anymore, because i quit!" she was getting more and more pleased with this news.

"oh, i get it, (as i settle down a little) you have a new job offer somewhere?"


"no" she says flatly.

"No? No? what do you mean...no?"

"just , no, momma. now i can walk the dog 4 hours a day and cook dinner and read books and go to the beach..."

"this is no time for a vacation", i practically spit, but hold back. "soooo... do you have any leads n a new job?"

"no", she sang. giggle. pleased as punch.

"but you have bills to pay"

"i know"

i'm totally puzzeled because she is a very responsible daughter. she only once in a while does things "rash".


"well, aren't you worried?"


"no, i feel completely relieved"


*sigh*, "well good for you honey"....(be supportive, she must be having a breakdown).


"are you, uhm, OK?"


"never happier - i feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders, momma. it feels wonderful not to work. i hated that job."

"well, no one wants to work......but.....".

"but, what? i feel great!"

"oh boy."
i hung up and sat down with a heavy thud all in one action.

********


her next work day they asked her to please reconsider quitting.

and i ask myself, why do i get so worried and upset over the affairs of my grown kids? she knows what she is doing. i can't believe i doubted her. i feel so old.

stern look

this painting is only an 8" x 8" entitled "stern look"....i love the color green......sometimes i do whole series in only that color.

green is my favorite color and coincidently the color of my eyes.

and co-co-incidently the color of money!

August paintings

i will be putting up a show tuesday in escondido arts partnership. i haven't counted out how many pieces will go into it.

the BIG show this month will be Adams Ave. Grill. it goes up august 6. i counted from a diagram judy pike gave me of the grill how many possible paintings i could put up and came up with the number 23!!!! that means, i will be showing around town approximately 40 paintings. that's a ton of paintings. even for me.

i better start painting tomorrow.

blog writing

i have been asked - how do you have time to write a blog?

actually, writing the blog has given me more time. i used to email my friends and family. each one would turn into a story. and they would respond and then i would reply...well, you know how it is.

i guess i love to tell stories. i find it hard to limit my storytelling. there are so many noteworthy things that happen in a day.

like, today was the final day of the jr. olympics. (rosie didn't make finals - but did her personal best in most events). the swim scene is tough.

the JO's go on all day long. prelims, 2 hour lunch break, finals, relays. everyday we have been getting home in the evening, while our children swim only one or 2 events a day. so we parents need ways to entertain ourselves. usually we sit around and tell jokes, swap stories - at times the converstations to places you would never tell even your closest friends. or hairdresser. i'm usually the one who blurts out things that gives the laughter pause. and.... then.... laughs errupts again as i realize what i have just said. (god help me for the TV gig). i was going to write today about the parents-bored-at-swim-meets story, but, honestly, it goes on too long. but for those parents who wanted to know - hey, you writing this in your blog tonight? i say this - yes. i just did. i can't help it, you guys, you're going to have to start your own blogs. i need to go to bed.

and to kathy, who warned me not to get sunburned because it will look bad on TV. uhm, too late.

this piece is entitled "dreamer".

a fine romance

this is entitled "a fine romance" because of some words in the collage that say just that (small, up by her head on left).

i really don't have too much to say about this piece except i plan to explain how i create this type of collage on HGTV when i go to north carolina next week.

i will post when the tv show will show. right now i don't know.

i used a stamp of dots (on right in piece). this is my creation - the stamp line soon to be for sale through stampington and company. www.stampington.com

competitions

my young daughter, rosie, swam in the junior olympics today. she did very well in her 100 breatstoke taking off almost 5 seconds from her best time and finishing 6th in the finals (she was seeded 8th). her time was 1:27, long course, in case there are other swimmers reading this.

she has 2 more days of events. The Junior Olympics is a very big deal, there are 2 such meets a year, short course and long course.....she as been working out 2 hours a day/ 5 days a week for 6 years. she is pretty dang fit.

anyway, i told her i would take her to the simpson's movie this evening as an "atta girl" treat , which i did. while standing in the long line waiting to get in i began talking to the man with his small son behind me. seemed nice enough. later, at the popcorn line he was behind me again! i had noticed on his tshirt "familia" boxing gym. turns out, he owns it with his dad. his dad was a world champion light weight. he asked me what i do.......so i showed him my business card. my business card depicts my paintings all over it, including the boxing paintings i had made for my husband. he was delighted to see them. it was nice to meet someone who appreciates the subject matter. anyway, he said he would contact me to paint his dad from the 1950's matches. thats pretty cool.

this painting is of a jack johnson in 1909 - summer -in australia, i think. notice the gloves were a lot smaller then, notice also that jack johnson was a lot bigger than his opponent, that's because it was before "weight-ins". i don't know why the defender has on a bow around his waist....

the skin-tight shorts gets noticed whenever i show this piece - i can't help that that is the way they wore 'em....jeesha.

1988

yeah, so why couldn't i get the big TV gigs in 1988? i know why....because GOD has a sense of humor.

i don't even think i wore pantyhose then either.

check-out my hair! it was a perm and i think i had just learned about mousse.

amsterdam whitney

people have been asking to see more of the NY show. (you can see more of the reception by log on to http://www.amsterdamwhitneygallery.com/
and look at the july event. my pictures aren't posted there....but we were there. it was crowded. (my show is called COUNTERPOINTS of the ARTcetera. it is still going on if you are in the neighborhood.)


so here we are, kathy and me at the big new york gala. we had such fun. can you tell by the photo which one of us drinks? i can....*hic*. can you tell which one of us likes to eat? OK easy question, i would say we are equal partners in that area. can you tell which one of us hates sushi? yeah, its kathy. hahahaha i think that is so funny,....... busts me up everytime i mention it.... since she is japanese.
anyway, this photo was taken right after the ORDEAL to get me dressed, hair combed with my new style of haircut and to get me in pointy-toed shoes bought from (hahaah) hippo shoes (giggle) wearing pantyhose (does anyone ever really wear pantyhose anymore? i mean besides, holdup men.) that all left me walking like the zombie description in other post (see post entitled "this morning"). the ordeal also involved humidity, trouble flagging a taxi and more walking than i had anticipated i those damn shoes.

i found out on this trip that kathy is a very good sport. although she is ultra organized, she was able to "roll-with-it". "it" being me since i find myself employing the "fly-by-the seat-of-my-pants" method of living.

For this picture with kathy, i stood away from the humongous industrial strength floor fan with the ballooning lift it gave my oversized dress. it was very hot for me especially during those unbecoming menopause hotflashes i seem to get whenever i am called upon to present myself, socially.
that floor fan blowing up my dress got funnier as the evening wore on. i enjoyed it anyway. especially with all the expensive free champagne. i know, you can't take me anywhere. (giggle)

i do remember this delightful social faux pas: at one point in the evening, i was talking with a couple of older women art collectors - with perfectly coiffed heads of hair.... and bones - you know, hair sprayed into a helmet, when i decided to discarded my hippos pointy-toed shoes. they said they understood ; they could see i was hurting and standing a bit tipsy.
they were interested in viewing my art, not my feet -although they looked at them anyway.

anyway after viewing my feet, they tried to lean around me and my balloon-dress to look closer at my paintings. i guess i was blocking their view.... (funny thing happens with champagne, i discovered, if someone near me leans to one side to see around me, it makes me lean in the same direction) blahahhaha, that was funny too. once i realized it. (giggle, snicker, snort)
they did get to see my work because kathy helped them and read my bio, etc.

i know, i know, .....i'm so immature. i know this because my jr. high daughter is always hissing that at me.

in spite of all this, the evening was first rate. there had been plenty of interest in my work, my bio was left on a table under my work for people to read about the artist. (er, me) which they did. if i wasn't blocking it. i was asked many times what my inspiration was for these works and why i paint the way i do. and would i please move out of the way.

the best part is this: i didn't have to sell my work; the gallery prices the pieces and sells them. life is much easier this way.

anyway, here is a god-awful picture of me with the beautiful and long-suffering stephanie, kathy's 18 year old daughter. she is pure "sweetie-pie". i think she thought the whole evening was very interesting and entertaining. she was interviewed along with me for the NY TV show "streets of new york" that airs sunday night at 11 NY time on their channel 51.
actually the camera filmed her and my art as i was interviewed off camera.
i really need to work on my personal appearance.....
that is something i have put off for too long.

why couldn't i get these TV spots in the late 1980's when i was fit and trim -a super athlete. ah, well.
i guess the 1980's was a long time ago.
my daughter, brooke keeps saying, you're suppose to look like that, momma, you're a momma. that makes me feel better......a little.
so when i get time, i am going to diet and workout.

smell test

this morning while having coffee, i opened the carton of low fat milk processed by an organics company (i got from henry's) and smelled it. it seemed fine so i mixed into my coffee - and it was great. a new day started right. i had 2 cups.
the expiration date on the milk was 7/6. uhm, this year. at least. my young daughter had advised me to throw this carton out on july 7th...preceded by the word "ewwwwww". i have seen each of my children do this. look in the fridge, read the expiration date on something and throw out perfectly good food. what ever happened to the smell test?
so wasteful. i'm sure the food companies or some money grubbers are behind this brain wash of our children.
i think something went terribly wrong with my mothering that my children don't trust their own snout. you can't believe everything you read, afterall.
like, the other day i bought "fresh" salmon with an expiration date of the future. i brought it home and opened for that night's dinner. that time i didn't need to try the smell test - the smell ripped up my nostils. oh man, that was nasty.
i took the wrapper back to vons for my refund (which i got). i was told to leave the package at the desk of the manager ....oooookkkkay. so i did. it wasn't my concern what the vons check out person had against the manager.
hooo, that was awful. but it made me giggle as i left.
anyway, i was left with the salmon at home to dispose of - unfortunately for me, my family and the entire neighborhood, it happened to be the day after trash pick up. i double bagged it nice and tight.... but this is southern california- summer- a hothouse for stink. especially outside in the closed up trashcan. barf.
so, maybe the joke was on me. and everyone near me.
i was told one time that in the case of "off" meat or other smelly stuff, to put it into the freezer until trash day. good idea, except i don't know about you, but i don't check my freezer that often, and i am cerainly very likely to miss looking in it on trash day. there could be rotten meat in my freezer for a very long time. or worse, i might end up cooking it up! horrible thought.

anyway, i decided to dedicate this painting of the fish to the smell test story.
one day i will tell you my entire theory on why i use fish subjects in my paintings.

Blue Hum

Today someone asked me if i had entered my art in the San Diego County Fair this year, they were looking for my work and didn't see it.....well, the answer was no. i wanted to, in fact, i had even decided on titles for my work and sent in the entry fee.....but then i was gently advised by one of my mentors to move away for the county fair scene if i am showing in high end galleries like Amsterdam Whitney in Chelsea, New York. Also, I have collectors now that are interested in my work for their future value...it would just be wrong to see their "investment" in a town fair.
i have to say---i have been moving up mindbendingly fast into the higher market world of art. Although it is a dream come true; it is also completely unsettling.
I really am grieving about the fair. Each year I had shown there it created a cool whirlpool of excitement for me. It was instant feedback, praise, comments, sales and emails from other like artists. and, I made new friends.
So bummer.
At this point, as i get ready to fly back to North Carolina to be a guest on HGTV next week, I wonder where and what I will be doing in say, 6 months from now. I am fulfilling my obligations to show locally for the year.... that much I know, the rest, the new opportunities and challenges have a grip of me like a starved shark on a lone plump seapup.

So this piece (which showed at the fair one year) is called "Blue Hum". I said earlier that I had my titles ready, well this was how i would get ready for the fair each year: (most artists don't do this, BTW)
the titles, size, description, medium and price are due along with the entry fee almost a month before delivery date. so each year i would take a day to consider interesting names....i would select about 10 and submit them with a description, price, fee, etc., of the phantom works.
then i would get to work. I had about 2 plus weeks to do 10 already titled pieces. i like working under pressure and with a challenge. of course, about 3 days before the delivery date, i felt like hell and hated everything that had to do with life. ironically, those pieces i did in the final hours ALWAYS resulted in award winners.
"*sigh* that only encourages me to do things at the last minute.

meredith was with me one time on delivery day....she could attest to the fact that at the final hour i literally race to get my paintings in 5 minutes before closing --- literally on the track in my van going about 50- 70mph, somehow i ended up on the Del Mar racetrack inadvertently chasing the poor racetrack worker guy while he was operating the long armed sprinkler tractor that had freshly wet down the field. And, I believe i was lapping that dude while riding on only 2 wheels. he got out of the way in time. oops, sorry dude, and my paintings all got in. later, as usually, we had the after-stressful-event-hysterical laughter for hours. (meredith and me, not race track dude) it is a fond memory.
another *sigh*.
er, meredith hasn't volunteered to go up with me again.... just as well. and now i don't do it anymore (sniff)...good thing i don't deliver pizza for a living.

so, one year i stuck myself with the title "Blue Hum"...i needed a subject.
i pondeered, but discarded the idea of a blue hummingbird as being too trite, too predictable...finally like an heaven sent joke, she came to me...the lady in blue....she represents the young lady who came to my door that summer after my son had been away to college his first year. she was his girlfriend, young beautiful, trim, big eyes and a continual hummmmmmm sound that came from between her ears. after every question put to her, no matter how banal, her answer was always an unequivocal 10 second or longer uhummmmmmmm as her lovely blue eyes rounded up to the ceiling where i suppose the answer "i don't know" comes from.
"Hi, (my-son's-first-girlfriend-from-college-that-i-can't-believe-he-dragged-home), how are you this morning?"
lady in blue's answer..."Uhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm (eyes to the sky)mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, "uh, good, i guess".
so she is the Blue Hum and the dragonfly is in there too because it is only half as trite as a blue hummingbird, and a radar disk in the sky (in the right-hand panel).....because, uhmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,uh, i don't know.

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tonight's "flight of the conchords"

i had to avert my eyes when jemaine was wearing that silver latex spacesuit being david bowie, sounding like barry white. with a new zealand accent. but not when he sings in a high pitch, then he sounds more like vanna white.
i still think he is hot (although, i wouldn't know for sure because i couldn't look at him in a latex spacesuit.)

my first interview

this article (and interview) was the first time i had been in Somerset Studio magazine. Jana Holstein interviewed me. I was so excited and jazzed over this when it first came out that i went to Barnes and Noble and showed the check out people. That was after i told each and every one of my firends and family --- more than once. well, until I was sure they memorized it (because i quizzed them) anyway, the check out people at B & N were duly impressed. Then after telling everyone on my daughter's swim team and various pool strangers, i ordered milkshakes for the kids at the neighborhood drive thru called Charlie's Burgers and showed my interview and pix to them. they were also very impressed, although, i don't really understand Spanish.
This came out last September, i don't know why it has taken me this long to share it here. (oh, i know why, bacuse i just found my old computer with old stuff on it) but nevermind that now.

quiz on tuesday.
see, www.Stampington.com, click publications, Somerset Studio Magazine, Sept. 2006 you may backorder, if you like.

TV

tonight, i vote for the Glamazons (see amercia's got talent).
But, i can't wait until tomorrow night HBO 10:30 - oh yeah, that's right, i have waited all week to see.... my big crush Jemaine in "The Flight of the Conchords" oh, Jemaine, you have that totally hot half aboriginal half ape thing going on. and a voice like barry white. hmmmmhmhm, yeah.
the HBO show that is on from 9:00 to 10:00 is "John from Cincinnati" a cool surf drama that takes place near my neighborhood in Imperial Beach. well, Imperial Beach is about 20 minutes away. i can only sorta follow it though, its complicated. i think you neeed to have experienced the 1970's surf scene and the drugs too, to understand it fully.

today's email

Dear Lisa,

I hope this note finds you well.

AMSTERDAM WHITNEY GALLERY has been delighted with your beautiful exhibition, and we are truly pleased with the enthusiastic response we have received about your art from our visitors and collectors.

I have received collector interest in your work and will keep you updated.

We thank you for sharing your beautiful art with the New York and International Art Markets and for being part of the magic of AMSTERDAM WHITNEY GALLERY.

With affectionate regards,

Ruthie Tucker
Executive Director- Curator

Amsterdam Whitney Gallery
511 West 25th Street, Chelsea
New York, NY 10001
ph: 212.255.9050
f: 212.255.9020
AmsterdamWhitney@aol.com
www.AmsterdamWhitneyGallery.com

purse found!!!!

Di'Leone's called - they found it. it was in the back of the booth.
YAYYYY oh, what a huge relief. thank goodness....... oh....shoot now i need to have credit cards reactivated! but thats OK.
well, that was about 8 hours of hell.
and both my daughter and my husband went through hell with me, searching high and low.
now they just kinda look at me funny; like they are wondering how they will get me to go to the doctor for the alzheimers test.

deep breath. exhale. now i can paint again.

good news, everything and every cent was in my bag!! i will need to celebrate at di'Leone's with wine and garlic steamed clams.
i need to watch that i don't keep my car blinker on all the way there.

stolen purse

Gawd frickin' damn it!!! i have spent all day looking for my purse, tenderly recounting the last moments i had with it. called the restaurant where we ate last night (di'leone's - was pretty good restaurant, i recommend the garlic steamed clam appetizer) to no avail.

so i have now called the creditcard services to have them blocked. my cell phone and $300 cash was in it plus some earrings my mother-in-law gave me. (that alone is the worse, those earrings had been in the italian family for ....i don't know, ever. oh boy!). ARGHHH!!!!
my cell phone was left on, so i have been able to call it.
no one has answered it. yet. i called sprint to see if they have a GPS system to locate lost or stolen phones, but they don't or at least we don't have that plan with them (although the sprint guy seemed kinda confused on this point) - BUT get this-- Sprint said that if i had the GPS system plan - i would have had to trigger a button on the phone to activate it...!!! how could anyone do that if their phone is stolen? what thief activates it for you?
well, this just ruins my day.
if you see a cute little Fossil multi-colored bag with a cute pink Katana cell phone in it and so old italian hoop earrings, $300 cash, er, my ID in a cute little black Gucci wallet (never realized until now that i buy brand names)and various blocked credit cards, please call me at home, not my cell. or email me at www.lisabebiart@aol.com. thanks everyone.

paint, paint, paint....paint

it's insane.....i have two month's worth of paintings to do within a week. i'm seriouosly thinking of a new method, perhaps Andy Warhol's factory.

and, I'm still working on an idea of something to push on TV by the end of the week too.
what's that?!?
oh, it is the end of the week.

ok, so i have until midnight.

i was a bit distracted yesterday by the Aaron Brother's penny sale on canvases..... and I might as well confess, i blew my diet on the chocolate dipped cone at Derweinersnitzel. or however you spell it. now, i have to squeeze in a swim.

sisters

this painting is to all my girlfriends who have been so supportive recently during my personal trials, and my ongoing craziness. these women mean everything to me......thank you for being my friend.......amd mostly for being you and letting me have a peek into your life as well.

so to Kathy, Meredith, Mary (daughter Ashley), Toni, Renee, Joan, Annie, Denise, my sweet neighbor Julie and baby Josie, and to my daughters, who are more like sisters; Brooke and Rosie, my cousin Anita, Mazie, Rona, Kaye, Sylvia, also Marian and Rita (my sister-in-laws)...and new dear ones; Nathalie, Jenny, Jana, Karen, Laurie, Elaine, Shelly, Brenda and Diane.
Just thank you,
hugs, kisses and warmth and God bless you,
lisa

i didn't do it....

i am not in anyway responsible for any steam pipe breaks in Manhattan.....

thank goodness we got out of there before this, right kathy?

television

the producers for cutters production and "paint, paper and craft" (PPC) tv show said that i may push my product when i appear as a guest on their national TV show. (taping is august 3). man,. that's great news. i just got this gig last week.

so today i called my trusty print and production man named dan. dan is my man. dan mashburn of letter and print (or it could be print and letter) in san diego near USD. i have known dan since our little girls were best friends in preschool. they are now thinking about boys and about to enter in 8th grade. time flies.
But anyway, dan, the man, and i talked on the phone today.

"dan, i will be appearing on national televison in a few weeks and they asked me if i had a product to push, and i don't...but i was thinking of inventing one. what do you think?"
"that sounds great, lisa, what do you have in mind, uhm, but keep in mind i leave on my vacation to africa next week...uhm, tell me your specs."
"well, dan, here is the problem, i don't have any specs or for that matter ideas"
"lisa, that's still no problem, why don't you give it some thought and email me tonight some specs and i will see what i can do in a week. of course, i might mention, i don't have an entire week to work on this because i have a few errands to run before i leave and also i will have to pack...."
"OK dan, i will think it over and when i have thought of something i will email you specs and see what you can do...."

"that sounds good, lisa. i think ew can probably come up with something. hey, it is always good hearing from you. and i want to say, we are all very proud of your art success."

"thank you dan. hey dan, you're my man. say hi to the family. don't worry i will get those specs to you....."

"yeah, don't forget to email them to me tonight..."

"ok - will do"
dang. anyone have any ideas?

forgot to mention

august schedule:
i will be teaching children collage techniques at san diego art dept. the second week only of august.
sign your kids up now.

schedule

this saturday i will be doing something i never do...teaching at the STAMP ADDICT. i will be co-teaching actually with Kathy Olsen - a book making class. the STAMP ADDICT is in san diego (on el cajon blvd.). i think the class starts at 1 and we play until 4.
august 1 - 31 i will have a show of my newest work at escondido arts partnership.
august 6 i will have a show up at adams avenue grill for the month. i will also show my newest work there too. in fact, i have nothing but new work coming out now because i have sold out of old stuff.

august 1 - 6 i will be in raleigh, north caroliina for a segment taping of Paint, Paper and Craft - a national TV show.
i'm totally psyched.
also, soon, is ARTFEST sign up. www.teeshamoore.com check out my class - it is a dilly.

don't forget i will be at my escondido studio,
Joan Irving Studios
451 E. Valley Parkway
Escondido, California 92025
Phone: 760.735.8890
each second saturday for open studio from 5p.m. - 8p.m. refreshments and wine served.

leaving

sometimes, i feel this way.

not too often, but just sometimes. leaving and alone.

page 2 of dish-y divas

thought you might want to see a few more of my collage-y dish towels. They are in the advanced copy of Somerset Home publication. you can pick one up August 1 at barnes and nobles or michaels or other favorite magazine selling store or even online at www.stampington.com.

i'm sorry to say, the collaged towels, are not for sale. they are each my own creation.
i'm proud to say, however, i bought the unworked towels themselves from BIG LOTS !!!!!

dish-y divas

I got my advanced copy of Somerset HOME magazine and look at my dish-y diva dish towels, and article...did you know i can sew? and i can collage AND stamp and use my scanner!
i have to hand it to Stampington and Company; they make art look excellent in their publications. i'm so happy for my art to be a part of that.
i'm a lucky girl.

here's one more......

britt and jermaine:

best show on TV, ever

Flight OF THE CONCHORDS. HBO sunday nights at 10:30 - 11:00.

i think it repeats during the week.

genius.

i think i have a crush on jemaine. but who wouldn't.

this morning.....

i woke up giggling uncontrollably. my husband was already up and on the computer - he was wondering what i could possibly be laughing about as i awoke. i waved him off as i ran past him to the toilet. (it isn't a good idea to wake up after a full nights sleep giggling as far as bladders are concern, but i digress). i tried to stifle my laugher but it only blow through my lips like an elephant on a whoopie cushion. i tired to say, "oh only something i was thinking about that kathy and i did..." pppppffffahahahahaha. my husband is a dignified man, these things would never be funny to him. hhhhhmhmhmha. he only said that i must have had a fun time....
i went downstairs to get a cup of coffee and my 12 year was on her computer.."what's so funny...?" i waved her off too. hmhmhmmmhhma then i hear, "jeez", then "momma you're being annoying, you know it isn't funny to people who don't know what you are laughing about".
ppppppffffhahahahahhaaaahooooooo - oh boy hmmmmmmmmmmmffahahahahaha, oh dear, (dab eyes dry), pahahaha. ah-HAHAHAHAHAHA sorry again. (snort) (snort) (snort - blahaha)
ok what had tickled me so much was this: hmmmmmmmha
when i was waking up this morning the first thing that popped into my head was a visual of the photo i posted last night of me at the NY show in my frumpy dress looking like a stranded mrs. puff (see, spongebab square pants, mrs. puff is spongebob's driving teacher and she is a blowfish - whenever he wrecks the car she blows up and floats away). hhhhhhhhuuummmmmhahahaha, oh sorry.heeha
anyway, i was thinking about how it must look to you readers. hmmm after all the red, white and blue outfit complaining (hiccups, now) and masterful efforts by valorie at distinctions dress shop (sorry valerie, i didn't wear that outfit) and kathy's help and also, i'm sorry i can't mention the many names of those helpful people who wrote to me in private about combination-color-combining-dressing-and-practicalities ....hhhhuuuummm, fahahahaha, i ended up in a very roomy sized 2X or 3X dress that kathy had brought for me ("just in case....")....hhhhhhuuummmhahaha. i decided to go with that dress the very last hour before leaving for the gala because the weather was so hot and humid....
so, i decided i should go for "roomy" instead of tailored. then i had an epithamy, i could really fancy up the roomy dress with a nice pair of high heeled shoes at hippo shoes (see earlier post)hahahha - sigh. by the time i reached the gala, i had wrecked my feet in these pointy toed high heeled shoes and was walking like a forward leaning zombie (i'm not sure why i had to walk with my arms out in front of me, though)
i was so hot because of the walk from the cab to the building. (the humidity was outrageous) that i was sweating like iced tea on a summer sunday .....
and, it was very crowded and noisy at the show. this made me feel even hotter. thankfully, there was this large industrial strength sized fan on the floor where i was standing.mmmmmhahahahammmm i tilted it up my dress. AHAHHAHAhahahahahahahahahahaha. giggle, hiccup. and, stood like that all night. whoooowhoooohahahaha. i was mrs. puff after the car accident.
i think i might have frightened off the french prince who was there and, probably french marque as well. hahahahaha
ahhhh, heavy sigh.
that laugh felt good.

i'm sorry for this silliness. the NY show was a very big deal, seriously. i think that now that i am home, i might suffering from having those pesky after-stressful-event giggles. fffffahahmmmmmmmmahhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmaha.
ahahahahaahha (snort) hahahahahaha

ok, i'm done. hiccup. sniff.

today's email

Dear Lisa,
I wanted to write and thank you from the bottom of my heart for celebrating your wonderful reception with us and for making the special effort of traveling to New York. Everyone enjoyed meeting you and loved your art as well.

The Champagne Reception was magnificently well attended by influential luminaries in the art world as well as prominent VIP's in the business and social world. Important collectors attended as well, including prominent judges, lawyers, doctors, Wall Streeters, a French Prince, a French Marque, and a Russian Baroness. 50 bottles of Champagne were enjoyed by our guests, along with 25 lbs. of Zabars imported cheese, and cookies, chocolates, fruit and cake. We were delighted that Daniel Reton, Producer of the NYC TV program, "Streets of New York" filmed our glamorous Party.

Your exhibition is beautiful and has been very well received by Amsterdam Whitney Gallery’s collectors and visitors. Your art is extremely thought provoking and visually challenging, and we are so proud of your exhibit. I shall keep you updated about sales activity.

Please find attached fabulous party photos which will serve as visual mementoes of a glorious evening.

Sending you a "Five Star Salute" and a "Star Spangled Hug!"

Love,

Ruthie Tucker

Amsterdam Whitney Gallery
511 West 25th Street, Chelsea
New York, NY 10001
ph: 212.255.9050
f: 212.255.9020
AmsterdamWhitney@aol.com
www.AmsterdamWhitneyGallery.com

SOMERSET HOME publication

i got my advanced copy in the mail today and i have a 3 page article with art entitled Dish-y Divas, kitchen towels.
i hope you like them.

ah, back at the home studio....

i feel much better in just navy blue, as in a tshirt.

the next day....

we got home this afternoon. we were up at 6 a.m. new york time to catch the shuttle to the airport this morning...as you can probably figure out by reading the earlier post of today, i got about 3 hours sleep. and if you have been reading my posts you might have also noted that i am like my daughter brooke, who only gets more wound up with lack of sleep instead of ...say, like normal people who get tired simply fall asleep.

ALSO, when i think about the total and wholehearted giggle attacks that overcame kathy and me most of the trip.....and then remember suffering the ensuing violent hiccups, in addition to the lack of sleep, i feel properly workedout as in 500 or more tummy crunches.
but nevertheless, i know clearly that last night was weird; but in the most delightful sense.

BUT lucky you, looks like you might be able to see the stranger than real event and judge for yourself because it will be on airing on new york public TV, THIS sunday night at 11 p.m. on channel 57 (NEW YORK TV), a reporting show about the art scene in chelsea called "STREETS OF NEW YORK". checkout
www.danielreton.com....

luckily.......

...they sell shoes for people who eat cheesecake.

let me explain.......

when i left san diego to go to new york i was a size 6............then we had a few of these......

at the show

the really big show...we had to clear the room to take this photo.

the big show

what a big night it was. finally, tonight was my big opening at the amsterdam whitney. let me tell you about it:
it was very, very crowded. it was filled with ruthie tucker (the gallery owner) and her husband ambassador amsterdam ( a real ambassador)'s old time friends, collectors and art appreciators and minglers. there were filmers from a saturday morning New York tv show, filming for a show regading the newest art stars in the chelsea art scene. there was good champagne, little edible tibits nicely arranged and lots of red, white and blue balloons....it was a total gala atomosphere. the place was buzzing.

i think stephanie was the biggest hit...she might eve be on NY t.v. introducing my art. i asked the camera man to please keep the film rolling on her and not me, as my personal image rather sucks. he obliged. he filmed her and panned across my art while i talked about it. thats good.

so, i think it was one of the wildest two hours ever. the new york scene is so very different from the west coast scene. the west coast in my experience, just isn't into the gala pomp and festitiveness. i had a hard time, as you readers know, just gearing toward wearing the red, white and blue outfit. the NY people seem to love to act out the theme - as though they like the theater of the idea.

anyway, tomorrow morning is the back home trip.
let me see it i can upload a picture or two.

the really big show

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we were walking down 5th ave., minding our own business .....

......WHEN out pops the apple store, right next fao shwartz toy store next to central park.....it called us over...it pulled us into its vortex, suctioned us to the laptop counter and the iphone counter and the next thing we knew, there were boxes flying and numbers whirling and credit cards a-leaping out of our hands until stephanie exchanged her mother's credit card for an iphone....and somehow i ended up with this wonderful new macbook pro.

please don't tell my husband...

but this is very very cool. the iphone is awesome too. stephanie was reading the new york times while waiting for our diner tonight. she also checked the weather and talked to her friends. i want one of those too, but i restrained myself.

come to think of it, don't tell anyone in my family. i think i'm going to hide this little baby under my bed.

we also went to MOMA, and central park and trump tower, garment district...but that was so pale in comparision to the mac purchase.
later we went to the huge macy's department store- i almost bought mac makeup to go with it.

start spreading the news.....

i wanna be a of part of it....NEW YORK, NEW YORK...........

ok kathy, stephanie and i landed safely in the big apple about 11 p.m. their time. pretty dang exciting. our shuttle driver from the airport was over excited himself. he almost got into a fist fight with a new mercedes driver. i kinda missed it cuz i was jabbering away to kathy about the fleas i think i picked up in the baggage collection aisle, but poor young stephanie was horrified and silently praying for her life since she was the sole witness to this road rage. too bad kathy and i were preoccupied, we could have explained to her that road rage here probably isn't like road rage in southern california. so. cal. there are no close calls, like tonight's "....ok step out of your car and say that to my face.." stuff. in so.cal, there is a shot heard then someone else is veering off toward the nearest hospital or ditch. there is no time for "cheap talk" in so. cal.

we are staying in a hotel across from "the garden".....interesting people hang out around here. it must be a popular place for down and out pugilists and bouncers.......at least in our hotel lobby.

i could use a nice manhatten martini....with an egg cream in the other hand.

last entry about red, white and blue....promise

believe it or not, i have been getting phone calls and private emails from readers who want to help me find the perfect outfit for the big art opening. or, at least guide me toward something to wear, albeit, j.c. penneys, or walmart or a blue light special that could work and to get me off this subject, already! i just want to assure everyone that i have now got my outfit together. in fact, i have 4 outfits in red, white and blue...more than enough of them.

this is the story of my life..... i freak out about something i have to do that i resist doing, i.e. wearing red, white and blue, then somehow it all turns in on itself and next thing i know, i only wear red, white and blue. the truth is , l have freaked about the red, white blue for so long, that those colors are taking over my life. its like swear words to someone with terrets. for instance, i now own patio chairs in red, white and blue with a matching umbrella. i now own a red car. i have bought red, white and blue headbands, shoes, notecards, pillowcases, watches and luggage. crap, i have backdoored myself into being patriot.

BUT, i was finally saved from myself today when i made one more desperate trip to Distinctions dress shop in grossmont shopping mall. they specialize in high end, artsy clothes for the more shapely woman. this place is a dream come true for me. and indeed i found plenty of clothes. i really trust valerie who works there to dress me. she knows exactly what i am looking for and what will work for each occasion. she is my dresser. she dresses other people too, like marty emerald and i think ex san diego mayor, wats-her-name oconnor.
so now i have a keeno-cool outfit of a white linen duster, white shell top and dark jeans with white pearl details, artsy silver jewelry of doves flying around my neck. i also got a foxy haircut.......oh ok, i got just a haircut, not exactly foxy and black rimmed glasses and a bit of MAC makeup. so, i think i'm ready to fly jetblue tomorrow. audios amigos. but i'll be back.

god willing.

kathy's check list

Things not to forget: Cell phone charger
Money
I.D. a drivers license
Laptop & cord for power
Some reading materials
The list of places we need to eat at from your husband
Makeup
And of course your suitcase.

girls just wanna have fun

this will be kathy, stephanie and i in new york. well sorta.

yankee damn doodle

guess what? i still don't have an outfit and i leave tomorrow morning.

this is why:
this morning i called my assistant Kathy..."Good news, Kathy, i have the solution to the outfit problem, i can wear my navy blue dress suit, red camisole, white scarf."

kathy, stammers, "i- don't- think- that- will- work, Lisa".

I'm shocked, "what? why not? what could possible be wrong with this idea? its NY, afterall, they are stuffy dressers, not like southern CA."

"well", kathy edges toward the truth of the matter, "you have to think, Lisa, you have a little problem with hotflashes and sudden sweats, and what if you get too hot in the crowds, even if it is air conditioned, you'll be talking to people and you might need to take off your jacket, uhm, i don't think a thin camisole will work."

"But," i sputter, "I have a matching red bra".

she just sadly shakes her head no.

damn. i know for sure a shirt under the jacket wouldn't work for 2 nano seconds, i get too hot. i need that portable fan that was part of the campanion kit. (see previous post about kathy's universal strap-on artist care kit)...
so, at this final hour, i'm still working on the outfit. god, what a pain.

waiting

This painting is called "waiting". this is one of 78 paintings (thats right, 78) i'm doing for a tarot card deck with T.L. Orcutt, master tarot card reader and psychic. T.L has written many books already and now we colaborate on this deck and book. he is a very dynamic man. I think he is more than just psychic, i don't know what else he is though.......hmmm. he has a good sense of humor, too.

but, anyway, I can't wait to get this project done and into the publisher. i'm hoping for september, or at least by the end of the year. he is more ready than me to have this into the publisher.... he has already done his half of the work, written the accompanying book.

North Lights is interested in doing a book on me doing this book. oddly, they aren't interested in publishing tarot card decks and books, though. only on me, the artist, learning about tarot and doing the art for the deck. wow! that's a lot of mileage out of this project. a book about me doing a book.... perhaps, then i could do an article on me doing a book about me doing a book. yes, i think that can happen too. so this is a painting of you readers, waiting for the many books about art and tarot cards and me doing books and me doing books and me doing articles about books. this is sounding like one of brooke's bedtime stories.

yeah, that makes sense to me at this hour.

somewhere...... is an outfit

i still don't have my red-white and blue out(frickin') fit. can you believe this? i'm exhausted. so, for christ's sake, i'm wearing my usual blue tshirt and the jeans with white paint on them. maybe i will wear red socks - but that's as star-spangled as i can get.
i should have had my show last march, then i would have worn just one color - green.
i have never liked dressing in red, white and blue. do you think i have an issue with this? maybe this is stirring up a deep seated problem i have regarding having to wear costumes for parades when my mom wanted me to be a tap dancer and baton twirler. that was a miserable time. (see wanda, last month's post called "father's day")

today's email

Dear Lisa,

Your exhibition is radiating such joy and we are so excited to celebrate your exhibit at Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's Gala and Glamorous Champagne Opening Reception & "America Hurrah!" Party on Thursday, July 12th. Guests are invited to dress in "Red-White & Blue." We are so excited to greet you!

Sending you a "Five Star Salute" and a "Star Spangled Hug!"

Ruthie Tucker
Amsterdam Whitney Gallery
511 West 25th Street, Chelsea
New York, NY 10001
ph: 212.255.905
0f: 212.255.9020
AmsterdamWhitney@aol.com
www.AmsterdamWhitneyGallery.com

quinacridone burnt orange

every once in a while there is a specific color that just radiates and sings and does no wrong in my opinion. that for a time was this color for me; quinacridone burnt orange, by golden's paint. i use their fluid acrylics. of course, my luck, the reason i no longer use this color, is because they stopped making it. UGH! this piece is called 1923. i sold it some time ago after it made it through a number of shows. just look at that orange, ahh, thats nice, isn't it?

brooke

i love my brookie. she is a special special person. usually happy, very witty, smart, warm and has a big heart......but she has one thing that does her in........every time. every single time! lack of sleep. it totally changes her personality. once she gets behind in sleep, it goes into a spiral downward. that's because then she gets upset over things that normally wouldn't upset her and when that starts, guess what? she can't sleep. she gets more and more wound up. so, finally it stops, but not until she crashes which could be days later because she is physically strong with a ton of staminga.

meanwhile she says and does things she wouldn't normally do.

i know this syndrome very well because afterall she is my daughter, but also, i am prone to the same damn thing. when this happens to me, i recognize it in myself and take a half of a sleeping pill that night at bedtime. she doesn't believe in them.

but poor little brookie, when she was a little girl, i would just put her to bed when i noticed she was starting to tailspin. i would rock her and sing her a soothing song and tell her it was OK to "shut your pretty little (giant) peepers" which were staring up at me while burning a hole in my face. then i would whisper little stories about made-up characters who were on some very exhausting mission and with the story ending with them finding a soft warm place to lay their heads and the dark night would caress them and keep them safe.
this usually worked as she always loved stories.
i think her job might be responsible for some of her sleeplessness these days. or maybe the dog. could be her age.
its harder now that she is a grown woman. she doesn't really like to climb in my lap in the rocking chair anymore, she's a much better story teller than me now too. but i think i should still have some authority when it is time to tell her .."go on to sleep now, sweetie, and shut your pretty little (giant) peepers", if need be. after all i am brooke's mothership.
so to you, brooke, sweetie, don't worry about anything, its late you need to shut your pretty little peepers and sleep off that outrageous booze party you helped put together on july 4th in malibu. nighty-night sweetie pie. and don't let the bedbugs bite.

email about t.v.

first was this email:

Thank you so much for your interest in our Paint Paper & Crafts show!! I have forwarded your information to our show host for review. We have had such a great response with guest inquiries for this season! You are very talented and I love your work!!! I am not certain how many spots are remaining for this season but if they are booked please keep us in mind for the next season in the spring. You will be hearing from us either way. Thanks again and have a fabulous day!

second was this email:

Dear Lisa Bebi,

I am so happy to say that we are so interested in having you as a guest on the “Paint, Paper Crafts” show. The day we have you scheduled is August 3, 2007 and please let me know if this date does not work for you. We would like for you to fly in on August 2nd and arrive at the studio by 7:30 so we can ensure all your supplies are fine, not broken or missing. The taping ends at 3:30 on the 2nd but we ask for you to make sure you can stay until 5: 30, just in case we run over time........
then the third one said: (after i thanked them)
You're welcome. its an honor to have you on our show.

isn't that nice.

national TV!!!

OMG!!! looks like i am going to be on national TV with my art.
i just got accepted, i will be flying to north carolina next month for taping!!!!
it's cutter productions. i will let y ou know more as i find out more.



i better learn to drink and fly. i hate flying.

sky express

darn another glare on the left side of this painting. really have to have a word with the photo dude. oh well, i hope you get the idea of this piece. this was going to be last year's xmas card, but i it was showing somewhere when i needed it for the photo shoot. this is a crazy piece of my mom and her brothers and a wife riding around in a convertible, but i made it into a giant xmas toy of the 1940-1950's. a rocketship on wheels. just one more way i have my mom flying the skies. (she's driving)

speaking of which, i have the freakiest fear of flying and i leave next week on jetblue. to make things worse, i fly back on jetblue on friday the 13th. holy momma, i'm coming for you!!! i sure hope no one gets the grand idea to fly into the trump tower, or something. i will be whiteknuckled all the way and nervously eyeing the oxygen mask holder. not to mention the nervous looks i will be giving teh left wing. i'm old enough to remember that one "twilight zone". hope the captain doesn't sound like ron serling.

one time, i flew to london and we had a drunk pilot. i know he was drunk because he sang all the way there. told a few corny jokes. also he said he was enjoying his hard liquor. that was a special cheap charter flight out of LA. that was also the one where the pilot had everyone (from the front of the plane) go stand in the back of the 747 for take-off. he informed us that they had over-fueled to make up time. the standers were the counter-balance. and thats the time i realized i can't stand airplanes. i wanted off the plane very badly-and you know what....no one lets you off!!!!!--i really felt sure it was a bad day to fly. i think someone suggested i breath into a brown paper bag. i forget the rest...but i made it to london and back. somehow.

fireworks, not

what a lazy, sleepy day today was.... its just so hot. and the wine at lunch didn't liven anything up.
our neighbors who live behind us (family of four) put in a new pool about a month ago. the dust and development of this pool went on FOREVER... they refused to use dynamite which is necessary on our granite hillside and would have sped things along. instead, they had workers rat-tatting daily with jack-hammers. i think my teeth have ground down because of this. the sad news for them is that they ran out of money before the pool was more than 4 1/2 feet deep. (they were paying the rat-tatters by the hour), so they have a shallow pool. and THEN they put in the world's longest waterslide. whao, thats a lawsuiut waiting to happen.

they had to cut down the trees that separate our properties (for the monster slide). the back yard shade trees, ugh. i thought there was a firelane between us and the trees were growing there were safe, but apparently not.

so today they seem to be celebrating their new backyard with a load of cannon-ballers and whoopers. since about 10 a.m. so, every once in awhile i checked out my second story window to see if their party was wilting. it didn't. i have seen grandpa in the same chair all day. another lawsuit brewing. poor gramps started out today as a white man.

as the party went on, so did the sounds of large bodies slamming into their pool from unheard of heights.

the man who lives there is a wreckless drunk. i say this because of a re-ocurring incident that's happened over the years on late saturday and/or sunday summer afternoons. the scenario is this: my husband (and i) will be/would be sitting under our umbrella by our pool enjoying the quiet and calm of our sweet haven.... when, without forewarning "next-door man" puts out my husband's cigar with a garden hose while claiming to be "watering his trees". yeah, those trees that are no longer there - the firelane trees!!!!! that's a real pisser-offer. next we would see his wobbling head atop of our wall..."ssssooorrrry", he would slur, "i was just trying to water our trees."

"your trees!!!! i would yell, "those trees belong to the fire dept."
it is hard to see eye to eye with a wobble-headed drunk. my husband meanwhile would already be inside the house drying down, then soothing himself with the channel changer and a glass of blueberry flavored vodka trying to drown out the sound of slob-drunk and me continuing the argument about land encroachments. neither of us understood what we were saying....nor understood what we meant ourselves. oh well, the argument was heartfelt at least.


turns out later tonight my husband was walking the dog when he ran into a different neighbor who was bragging about this bitchen 4th of july pool party on his block. i'll be darned if it isn't booze-boy's party he was talking about. dang-it-all how come we weren't invited if he was inviting neighbors? that just really burns me.
can't wait for fireworks tonight - i hope a cherry bomb hits their pool-deck.
but first, i will yell - "heads up, gramps!" i have grown fond of gramps.

danny's wagon

this painting of my brother is showing in new york right now. (per cousin fred's request). ah jeez, there is a bit of a glare on the left side of this picture. note to self: better improve on digital shots. its hard to get all the things pulled together when you're an artist - so many facets to the profession. lots of expensives, if your not careful. not only are you an artist (coming up with something to create, fighting with yourself over what you have created or not and endless internal struggles), but you have to self promote which means, checking daily for places to submit your work, must have CD of images sometimes slides made, transporting the paintings, entry fees for juried shows, hobnobbing. hobnobbing with the right people. its no good to hobnob with bums, i.e. other artists who only want to steal your style. having a website, blog, and maintaining them. teaching and demonstrating is good. bz cards, postcards flyers....bio, artist statement. keeping paintings from being damaged. new pieces constantly reinventing yourself without being all over the place. and on top of all that maintaining a family and the home. ok, i think i will go back to bed now.

beach day

i was born and raised in san diego, california. not everyone from here can say that. in fact, it is hard to find a native. this is a collaged/painting i did awhile back of my mom and i at the beach, probably, july 4, 1955. funny that was back in 1955, because i am only 28 years old right now...................... and have been for years.

new york show countdown

the sweat-down (leave on the 9th!!) for my new york show is turning into a sweaty, frantic, manic mess as i still don't have a red, white and blue outfit to wear.

this outfit is the closest i have come to finding one that would work (see pic)...........what would wonder woman do?

kathy's universal strap-on artist's care kit

this is kathy's olsen's invention. she sees this as a "must" for every serious artist-on-the-go. this trusty little artist-hang-around-the-neck companion has everything you need.

it has a cell phone pouch for those who always seem to lose theirs. and, in case your loved ones are likely to put out a search party for you after a few days , so you may call and calm them down...., or possibly and sadly, you may need it to call 911, in case you don't know where you are. or have fallen and can't get up.

and memo recorder that you speak into without even taking it off your neck...you use this to remind yourself to put something on the calendar later or simply to remind yourself what you were thinking only 3 minutes ago. er, something like that.

the water bottle on the neck is a very imporatant feature. not only can intensely creative moments become dehydrating with the artist not wantin gto break for water, but it also acts as a safety feature...... if the water bottle is around the neck, then the artist is less likely to put his/her brushes in it instead of the watercan.

the strapped-on personal fan is something i asked her to add to mine since i get hotflashes.

and kathy, herself added the labeller because that is who kathy is.

the back side of the pouch has a place for i.d, cash and creditcard. for emergency use only.

want one? it's just $19.95, plus tax.

ah, nothing like the smell of a new studio and gallery

toni torgersen and i have made the move into what we like to call our own piece of heaven. we have set up shop at the vons shopping center, inside the memories in the making scrapbook store. i don't know the address yet, but it is on the corner of la mesa blvd and university ave. in la mesa. come visit us!! we have studio space and gallery space and best yet, frontage window space!

now i don't want anyone freaking out about this, but now i have 2 studios. you might wonder why 2? the reason is a bit convoluted, i admit, but basically, the north county one in escondido is my painting studio and the store front is my neighborhood studio where i will be doing all my magazine work. that's right, i feel a bit divided or schizo, but it becomes more meaningful if you see the kind of junk i have at one vs. the kind junk at the other. there was just not enough room for all that junk in one studio.

my time will be divided about equally between the two studios. its rather like having two children.

toni on the other hand has just one studio ----- so far.

so today we both bought our stuff in from our home studios. about 45 minutes into it, things were looking a bit beyond us. so, i made a desparate call to - you- know- who, my saviour from any calamity, kathy olsen. she is my organizer (she will organize anyone) and my calendar girl. after i talked to kathy and realized i dragged the wrong stuff down there - i brought stuff from my garage instead of my dining table that i was currently working on. she helped me realize the point of the excersize of getting this studioin the first place.... that is, to get art stuff out of the house.

so i made an excutive decision, i decided to wait for her to come in and direct me.
that decided, i sat down and created for the rest of the day (so did toni)....ahhhhhhh! that was lovely. i actually got a lot done, even though the boxes stuff were this way and that.

i haven't menitoned yet my long time artist friend and cohort, meredith. meredith and i have been meeting and creating every other friday for years. meredith, i am hoping will join us, but if not, she will be around sometimes just for good measure......to play, to help with her wise critques and enthusiasum and to show.
later this year, my cousin anita (from san clemente) will come and show her fabulous watercolors with us at the gallery for a month.

also, once we get it all put together, i wanna have an "beyond paper dolls" party. see, http://www.stampington.com/, beyond paper dolls. doesn't that sound like a blast?

ou la la !!

i am going to be teaching a workshop for Artfest 2008 www.teeshamoore.com/artfest.html in washington state (on one of the islands) next april. this class, entitled "family paint over", will require the artists to bring photocopies of snapshots from their family photo album. i will help them create an interesting story out of it. for instance, this piece i created here entitled "la petite fille", (a commissioned piece).

this started out as a ugly photo of a girl just standing in front of her house about 1963. it was a real boring snapshot.

i decided to make her a cute young french fille enjoying a fanicful day in paris. i couldn't help it, i had to give her this goofy hat too. the buildings are created from old french love letters. the lower skyline has funky cars. this piece is 8" x 10" and on birchwood panel. the paint used was acrylic, the rest is collage - which makes it, therefore, mixed media

look at this!!!!

i just got my advanced issue of stampington's catelog and inspirations magazine all in one. i am very proud to say my work is on the cover. and lots of my samples are inside too, with details on my techniques.

you will be able to pick this up at b&n's and other book stores as well as from michales or order it straight from http://www.stampington.com/, click magazines in a couple of weeks.

for this particular magazine project, i was given 3 stamps (surprise stamps - meaning i had no advanced idea or choice of what subject matter i was to get) and i was asked to create 3 pieces each of these stamps. the stamp for the cover here is of the tree, and i took it from there.

the other stamps were davinci's dragonfly and a venice facade. i love these kind of challenges.

for this one, i worked on clayboard.

generally clayboard is used for scratchboard technique, but i used to paint on because the clay absorbs or satsurates color . the background was done this way:

i completely coated it with acrylic cadmium yellow medium, once dried i painted with hookers green, before this could dry, i filled a syringe with alcohol and squirted it on the bottom half of the green to make wormhole and tree root appearance . then i painted the middle portion with warm white, stamped the tree image and glued down a found a picture of a bird, and a quote about trees. painted chipboard (i bought the frame shaped chipboard from memories in the making, a scrap book store in la mesa) in burnt sienna and glued on top as a frame for the birdie.

do you like it?

bad mom

so do you think it makes me a bad mom if both my daughters want to participate in this:

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