Wax on, Wax off

Signs of Spring...for me its the amazing fiddleheads that emerge through the debris of autumn and winter. I've always had this fondness for ferns, growing up my mother would take us into the woods in spring to harvest these wonderful things. The smell of thawed earth and the crisp snap when we would break off the tender spirals that were luminesce with new life. Oh yes, I love fiddleheads.

We ate them, you know. I remember her cooking them then freezing them and we would have them all year. They're sorta portabella-y in that meaty way.

This painting started out with spirals of tissue paper mounted with white glue on plywood, it sat there for weeks and weeks before the image unfurled itself to me as my beloved fiddleheads. Its a mixed media piece using acrylics, tissue paper, beeswax, oil pastel, pearl-ex.

"Home is Where the Heart is" another mixed media piece. This one is in a private collection in Washinton DC. This photo fails to capture the luminosity of this piece. To the right are squares of joint compound I put on plywood, then engraved elemental images into them. This is one of my favorite pieces, I think because of the black and white parts. I really need to get back to doing some more of these.

These were pieces that I did from my heart right after the fire, they were my therapy, my escape from the reality of losing so much, not everything but so much. Hours I would spend on each one, becoming lost in the movement of melting wax and the blending of the oil pastels and your fingers control which way to bend the colors. These were really the first pieces that I did for me, not caring what they came out like, who would see them and if they might sell.

Lucretia's Good Fortune

Meet Lucretia Nina's Crow. I made her for Nina with Happy Herbs Soap. She almost didn't get her, you know how I am with my Art BUT I did make Lucretia especially for her
so it just wouldn't seem right to keep her myself. Here she is in her new home at 2 Crows Cottage. She seems very happy there.

So What's up with the Good Fortune? We'll it wasn't really my Good Fortune as it was my Daughters' Good Fortune. As we were going to grop off Lucretia, Nina's neighbor was throwing out a whole bunch of toys, a play vanity and kitchen and a bunch of toys perfect for the sand box. Needless to say the girls are outside as I type, playing and setting up their playhouse. Thanks universe and Nina's neighbor!!!!!!

Pepe and Random Things about me.

My Friend Carrie at the Accidental Artist blog painted Ocean Beach and her post was quite moving and poignant. I have this whole amusement park, carnival theme in my life...for instance it is true that for the last 20 years of my life I hear circus music in my head, not the creepy hurdy gurdy stuff, okay that sometimes but mostly the dut dut dut da dut da dut da dut da. You know the one? Also I hum elevator music and frequently sing the words to "Do you know the way to San Jose" but those are the only words I know to that one, which is then proceeded by dodododoodododoododo. Which drives my husband crazy.

Sometimes I sing like a west indian and I do this really mean rendition of Motley Crue's "Home Sweet Home" as sung by Rabbi Filerowitz. Yep this ones for you Carrie.

MeEt MisS piCkLeZ

Okay, so do you remember the post of daughter KeNdaLL's Fairy birthday? Well it just so happened to be the birthday of MiSS PicKleZ, the storytime Fairy. I did not know it then but I was soon to become quite the local literacy phenomenon in our area thanks to the help of Pine Bushes famous children's librarian Vicki and all the girls at Middletown Thrall.
So here I am in Pine Bush Children's library just before storytime, picking out the book of the day. And the picture below is Miss Picklez working on the frog craft after reading the story "Finklehopper Frog." Addie insisted her frog have 3 eyes, evolution , she's a genius what can I say? (a gherkin right out of my own jar!)I am really enjoying storytime, my girls love it too!!!! That makes me happy that I can give it to them. I'm sure soon enough they wont be caught dead with me dressed like that, until then there will be many more public outings throughout Orange County and then some.

My father gave me the gift of never taking myself seriously and to always be able to laugh at myself, THAT truly is the greatest gift I have ever received and I hope to give it to my daughters that as well.

I have been quite busy this month.
Here are some dresses I made the girls. The first 2 are twirly dresses that you sew a skirt onto an exsisting shirt. They came out so cut and a good way to use up a shirt that has a stain or rip. The girls absolutely love them.

These flannel pajamas I made for the girls for winter, They lived in them, I made 3 for each girl. It was a futile attempt at pottytraining-housebreacking Addie. I guess when she's ready she'll go, I only hope its by summer. She starts school in the fall.

I have started and continuosly been working on the Middletown Thrall Library display coming out April 6th. Its a Fairy theme, which I have been having a ball with. I painted a huge backdrop which you will have to wait for but here is a teaser.... These are little dolls I made using...

popsicle sticks, paper clay, used but clean dixie cups, scraps of paper, q-tips for their hands, rhinestones and crepe paper streamers. The ultimate recycled fairy dolls. What fun I had today. The little gnome is named Simon, the rabbit is Pippa and...

her name is Princess FlufferNutter's Nightingale's Song. So for those of you who were curious as what all I have been up too lately there you go! Next Post I hope to introduce you to the infamous Miss Pickle's Pine Bushes Storytime Fairy!!! (Lynne, I hope you have stopped laughing, I could hear you all night!) Toodle Dooodle Mcnoodle.