Working Like Mad

Here's a quick peek at some of the paper mache sculptures that I've been working on. I've been working like mad (I love that word; it sounds so British. Well, it is of Old English origin.) to get a good inventory going for the Art Extravaganza that I've been invited to attend in August.

The Art Extravaganza will be held at Ehrhardt's Waterfront Resort, 205 Route 507 in Hawley, Pennsylvania on August 29, 2010. So, it's off to sculpt I go.

Have a wonderful weekend!

It's Good to Be Home Again!

A visit to Home Again in Luzerne is always an adventure. I don't know how she does it, but every time I stop in for a visit, Mary's store looks fabulous. Here's one of my primitive boxes sitting on a new jute rug by Capitol Earth Rugs.

The primitive box in this photo is one that I just dropped off last weekend. An art student gave me this vintage art supply box, which is fully functional and may be used for display or for actual use.

Now I bet you didn't know that Mary is an artist herself. She's a fantastic photographer, and the two patriotic framed photographs are hers. Mary has a keen eye for taking pictures. Be sure to check these out in person. They're beautiful.

Home Again has the best selection of vintage folk art.

Here's some beautiful milk glass.

And, of course, Home Again is an authorized distributor for Bella Taylor handbags by Victorian Heart.

I couldn't resist taking a photo of this cute, little cat. He seems to be Mary's mascot.

Sharing More of My Students' Artwork

I received so many nice comments on my blog about my students' artwork that I posted last week. I appreciate all the kind words, and my students were thrilled to learn what people had to say.

I thought I'd provide another update on some of the works in progress. The picture above shows Melanie's lovely flower painting that she started last week.

This is what the painting looked like when Melanie finished it this evening. Melanie did a fantastic job on this piece.

Mark started a new painting of the Lehigh River Gorge, which is a favorite recreation spot in northeast Pennsylvania. The painting looks great so far, and I'm sure Mark will get a lot done by the time we meet for class in two weeks. I'll be anxious to see what he accomplishes on his own. Knowing Mark, he'll have the painting done when he comes back to class.

Rachael always creates such whimsical paintings. I like her style and the subject matter. All of her paintings have a fun and lighthearted feel to them.

Eleanor is basically done with this painting. She just needs to add a few more branches and limbs to some of the trees in the back on the left-hand side of the painting. The tree in the middle is so beautiful! It looks like one of those trees that you'd find in a fairytale, but Eleanor actually saw this tree in person and photographed it herself to use as her reference.Any gnome would love to call that tree home.

Lisa put her painting aside tonight to look for some new reference material. She just has to do a little bit more work on the bird and on the pink flowers. Then she can call it finished. The painting looks great so far.

I hope you enjoyed this update. As always, we love to hear from you all!

What's New at Home Again

I just dropped off this prim box at Home Again in Luzerne. Mary said she'd like to see more of my primitive artwork in her store, so I decided to dig out this old box that my dad gave me several years ago.  I thought a cozy, little landscape would work well on the box, which was once used to store micrometers. The box would look great propped up on a shelf or mantel.

I have more prim goodies in the works for Mary, so I'll be sure to keep you all posted.

The Cats Are Back!

They're quirky, fun, and just plain cute. And just like your favorite furry feline, each of these original cat paintings will add love and warmth to any room. Stop by Art Street USA to see these paintings in person. Art Street USA is located in the Flower Warehouse in Forty Fort, PA. MeoW!

Merry Whatever Giveaway

Stop by the Babycakes Merry Whatever blog for a chance to win one of five giveaways by five different holiday artists. I'll be donating a piece of artwork for the Valentine's Day category. The drawing will be held on May 31, so you have plenty of time to enter. Hope to see you there!

Vintage Fillmore Concert Posters

On Wednesday night, John came home with two of the best finds I think I've seen thus far: two authentic Fillmore concert posters from the '60s. Once I saw them, I knew I just had to keep them. John agreed after doing some research online and discovering that one of these babies is a first print.

I've always been a fan of this poster artwork because it reminds me of the work of Alphonse Mucha with all the heavy lines and curves, the repeat patterns, and the elegant ladies.

If you look closely, you can see that this poster was announcing the concert for Captain Beefhart & His Magic Band, Chocolate Watchband, and The Great Pumpkin at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Fransisco. Talk about wild names for bands. Gotta love it!

~The artist's name and copyright year~

~The artist's name and year within the artwork~

John knew I was going to flip over this "flame" poster because it contains the name of one of my favorite '60s bands: Quicksilver Messenger Service. The poster also names The Association and The Grassroots.

The bottom of this poster lists some of the many places where tickets were sold for this concert. 

Imagine being able to purchase concert tickets at a pharmacy.

This picture shows the frame shop on the back of each poster.

If you've never heard of Quicksilver Messenger Service, check them out on YouTube. Quicksilver's rendition of Who Do You Love is the best jam version. I love the sound of that raunchy guitar.



Dino's Song is so cheesy, but it's so good. This song has a great garage-band feel to it. I love the mangy cat lurking around in the beginning of this video. Gotta love that tripped-out van too. Ah, the artwork in the '60s was so cool.

Some Talented Students

I've been teaching a watercolor class for adults at Crestwood High School in Mountaintop for a number of years, and I wanted to share some of the works in progress. The painting above is by Lisa. She just started this lovely piece in class tonight.

Eleanor is working on a majestic tree.

Here's Mark doing what he does best.

~Melanie's sunflowers~

Finally, this was the beautiful sky this evening overlooking the mountains. What a view!