My First Collages...and The Wedding

So, like a month ago I decided to "try" to do a Mixed Media collage. I immediately loved it. I don't even feel like I'm really all that good at it, but I do really love it. There're so many different things to try with Mixed Media; it's a vastly new experience with every collage you do. I was really influenced by a book called Taking Flight, by Kelly Rae Roberts. Not only is it full of ideas and how-to's, but it also has a lot of inspirational and motivational direction. I'll post pictures of my first two collages (the ones my husband framed) here. The first one is called, "Serenity", and the second one is called, "Artful Celebrations".

So, I wrote in my last post that we were going to Napa to a wedding...and that I wasn't excited about it. Well, the wedding turned out to be less of a disappointment than anticipated, which only further supports my theory that one should always set one's expectations very low and you'll surely be less likely to be disappointed.

In fact, I met a lady there, who is the wife of one of my husband's good friends, who was very nice and chatty, which made the evening go by very fast. Before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye and head back to the hotel, so I really owe my evening to her. Plus! By some miracle the dinner they served didn't seem to have any gluten in it at all (aside from the bread basket), and as I am gluten-free, I was very pleased that I could eat what was being served. I had been afraid there might be some awkwardness at the table if there was some pasta or something on the plate, but it was some nice (for a wedding) chicken and risotto.

For now, I have restarted the giraffe I am painting and am much happier with the way it is coming along. I have also started a new necklace and a new bracelet and am about 3/4 of the way through a collage I'm doing with a yellow and green theme. I've also started a mermaid collage which I plan to give to my cousin, if I ever finish it (and it turns out nicely!). I'd like to finish the mermaid within the next 2-3 weeks. It could be tight.

An update on these projects, and possibly some photos...next time. If you enjoy this blog, I encourage you to become a friend by clicking on the FOLLOW button on the right, or sometimes it's at the top of the screen. It's really easy, and you'll get updated whenever there's a new post to the blog.

My Studio

A few months ago (I don't know HOW I did it), I got my husband to agree that I should have an art studio. Luckily we had a couple rooms in our house that were good candidates, but I chose a room that the previous owner had used as her quilting room. It has a huge skylight in it, and is really only good for one thing: doing artsy stuff. If a guest were to spend the night in this room, they would wake up bright and early with the sun in their eyes.

So the first thing on my mind was to get a beading desk. The desk you see in the first photo is my beading desk. You'll see my inspiration wall and then my tool storage underneath that, with my basket full of beads on the right side of the desk and my bead board and marble slab in the center. The desk is a little cluttered today, because I have two projects going on...one just finishing up and one about to start. On the floor on the right you can just barely see a painting that I have started of a red poppy. I put it down there for a "rest" because I got frustrated with it.

In this photo, you see my storage area, where I keep all of my books, beads, paint, and a huge list of other art supplies. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have this shelving area to store all of my stuff. It's indispensable. I also have a separate painting desk with an easel and a special surface for watercolors. I'm really lucky to have this studio!

My husband and I are going to Napa for the weekend. We went there about a month ago for the day, and now we're going overnight. We have a wedding to attend. In general, I don't "do" weddings. A big part of me thinks weddings should be private. I didn't want anyone to attend my own wedding, but ended up just having immediate family there. I guess you have to make some consolations where family is concerned. I've missed a lot of weddings in my life, too, most regretfully, but I'm sure all stemming from my wedding-phobia. I have NO idea where a wedding phobia like that could come from, but I've got it bad.

Next time I write I hope to include pictures of my mixed media collages. I've never done mixed media before, but my husband liked them so much he had them framed. Now that I've done it, I really like it, and I continue to experiment with different stuff- I guess that's the point. I'm also working on a giraffe painting, as well as some Vintage Lucite necklaces.

Enjoy your weekend! I know I won't! ;)