Sunday's Projects

I spent the afternoon creating some holiday sculptures. I have a few snowmen and pumpkins in the works. I have yet to place a face on the large snowman. For now, they're all drying on the window sill in my studio.

Restoration Work Done

I just completed restoring this African clay pot this morning. The person who asked me to restore it asked that I paint the pot black, and she left the rest up to me.

This is what the clay pot looked like when she brought it into my studio. I tried everything to remove the flower decals, and nothing worked. The only alternative was to sand each decal down to a rough finish so that the black spray paint would cover the pot. The sanding process was messy, and I had to be careful not to breathe in the dust. You never know what these clay pots are made of.

Rather than paint the entire clay pot by hand, John suggested that I use spray paint. That's where my dad enters the picture. He's the master of spray paint. As you can tell by this picture, Dad did a fantastic job. Thanks for your help, Dad!

I created a zigzag pattern. It took three coats of white paint to cover the black paint.

This shows the second color that I used before applying the final color in the middle of the pattern. This was a lengthy project. Now we're on to other things. Enjoy your weekend!

Junk, Junk, and More Junk

Junk, junk, and more junk and maybe a treasure or two. That's exactly what you'll find at the Berlin Market in Berlin, New Jersey.  There's nothing like digging through boxes, bags, and piles of junk to find a little something to call your own. Check out these fantastic beads and baubles. 

Hubcap, anyone?

The glass paperweight was pretty in person, but I'm not in need of one right now. If you saw my desk, you'd understand why.

What a fantastic sight it is! Countless vendors and row after row of little treasures lie waiting for new owners.

When all is said and done, relaxing at Auntie Carol's is the best. She has the prettiest yard in the neighborhood and the best cats.

Here's Nicky. He's adorable.

In this picture, Nicky reminds me so much of Chiseler. They could pass for twins from this vantage point; however, Chiseler has a unique stingray pattern on his back that is undeniably his.

Simon loves hanging around. He's a cutie too.

When in Bethlehem

I couldn't leave Bethlehem today without a quick visit to Tallarico's Chocolates. They have the best chocolates, and I absolutely love, love, love these wasabi nut crunch dark chocolates. They are to die for, and they're worth every penny.

I also recommend the raisins covered in dark chocolate and the pistachios covered in dark chocolate.If you enjoy good quality chocolates, give Tallarico's Chocolates a try.

Earrings Bootcamp

Here's a look at some of the earrings my students made in today's earrings workshop at The Banana Factory. Felicia did a wonderful job with her earrings. I like the way she displayed her earrings from her desk lamp.

Liz made the earrings above. I think she did a great job.

Here's some more of Liz's work above.  I like all of the wonderful colors she used.

I love the color choices that Missy used for her earrings, and I also love the way she displayed them on one of her jewelry totes. That purple makes a great backdrop.

Caitlin made my Egyptian earrings, which are featured on pages 48 and 49 of Barb Switzer's book titled earrings, earrings, earrings. I think she did a great job forging those head pins and putting everything together.

Deb did a wonderful job on her interchangeable earrings. I love all of the different beads she used. I especially like her use of the turquoise-colored seed beads. Nice job!

I'm confident all of my students today will go on to create some more fabulous jewelry.  Here's a picture I took from the jewelry studio. It was such a beautiful day today. I'm glad I had good traveling weather. I always enjoy visiting Bethlehem.

Earrings, Earrings, Earrings!

If you're in the Bethlehem area on Saturday, join me for my all-day earrings workshop at The Banana Factory, which is located at 25 West Third Street in Bethlehem. We'll be there from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. making a lot of earrings. We always have a great time at The Banana Factory, and the shopping on West Third Street is always exciting. I can't wait to visit Tallarico's Chocolates after my workshop.

For more information, call the Banana Factory at (610) 332-1300. Here's a direct link to my workshops.  See you all there!

Painting Faces

Here's a peek at one of the paper mache goodies we'll be showing at the Fine Arts Fiesta in Wilkes-Barre. I just painted the face this afternoon, and I still have to put some finishing touches on him. Then I'll be in search of some nice ribbon or decorative fabric to use as the hanger. What a cute, little ornament or wall hanging this little fellow would make.  Meow!

Totally Wacky

The other day John brought home a stack of old stickers from Wacky Packages. If you grew up in the 70s, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The witty spoofs on everyday products coupled with the exaggerated and insane artwork on each of these stickers brings back many childhood memories.

Now I understand why John and I get along so well. We have the same warped sense of humor, and we're not afraid to show it. We always love a good laugh.

The Clammy sticker reminded John of an old neighbor we refer to as Clammy. It's a long story.

Regarding this "Hippy" tea, John loves the line "Gives you the energy to loaf, hitch hike, and avoid work."  Heee! Heee!

~Dim Lights for Dimwits~ What a great tag line.

Gotta love the look on that dog's face. It's so twisted.

When I was in school, everyone used to skip classes. I think I was the only nerd who didn't. I was always afraid of getting caught, and I didn't want to miss any of my schoolwork. Kids used to skip school every year when the circus came to town. I never understood that.

This card actually sends a good message to kids about the dangers of skipping school. How about that? I love the warning on the side of the cigarette pack that reads "Warning: Playing hookey can be dangerous to your health." Lesson learned. Stay in school, kids. Check out that dumb look on this kid's face. Priceless.

I don't think I'd like to play with moldy clay, but then again, I'm not a dope, jerk, or dummy. 

Gross!

I love all kinds of artwork, so I'm certainly not an art snob. My favorites range from Rembrandt and Rubens to Mucha. I also like primitive folk art, textile designs, repeat patterns, and insane illustrations like the ones above.

When John and I were flipping through this stack of stickers, we realized that the artwork reminded us of one of our favorite artists by the name of 14. You can see her artwork on Gallery of the Absurd. This artist has a keen sense of observation and has a fabulous way of conveying what we see in the tabloids, on television, and in everyday life. If you love a good laugh, be sure to check out her artwork.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

As we celebrate Mother's Day, I give thanks to the wonderful mom that I have been blessed to call Mom. I love you, and I'm grateful to have you as my mother.

More Students' Works

With just two more weeks left in this art class, my students are moving right along. Mark finished his painting, and it looks great. He did a great job with all of the intricate details in this painting. Good job, Mark!

I love this painting. These lilies remind me of an Alphonse Mucha painting.As always, Eleanore paints with such beautiful, vibrant colors. Nice job, Eleanore!

Lisa just started a new painting, so it will be exciting to see what she accomplishes in the next two weeks.

Mark started to work on another painting. I can't to see how this painting turns out. As always, I'll be sure to post some updates.

Keep on Sculpting, Painting, etc.

I'm still working on a number of Halloween sculptures. The painted pieces aren't quite finished yet, but this picture gives you an idea of what their little faces will eventually look like. I spent several hours in my studio yesterday afternoon working on the two big "blanks" up front. They're drying on the porch as I write this post. 

I have to be careful that Julius doesn't sink his teeth into the two blanks. One time I caught him sniffing and clawing at one of the blanks that I left on the counter. He couldn't get enough of the fresh clay.

I'll keep you posted on my progress.

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!