June is Gone in a Flash!

 Happy 4th of July everyone!! June was full of lots of work, lots of family and very little art.

 I did find inspiration all around me. The beautiful horses in the parade, the animals at the zoo and all the colorful butterflies at the SB Natural Hist Museum. I saw so many familiar faces at the parade.

The Solvang Bakery had a totally awesome float! I got to see their new location and it is so pretty. I find myself wanting to go back again and again. Sure wish cake was not so crazy high in calories. The multi colored cakes are so pretty! I almost drool just thinking about them. The lioness Ginger jumped up on this rock like it was nothing. I had no idea they could get up there.

I chased this butterfly around and never got a clear photo. I felt a bit silly chasing it with my camera all poised. My daughter got some great photos. The American Kestral is one of my favorite birds. There were 2 of them with a Perigran Falcon on display as went to the butterfly exhibit. I want to sketch so bad! I have just not found the opportunity lately. The journal I carry with me always is all full and my next journal is about 1/3rd done. My sewing machine just stopped working after completing half of one signature out of 3 signatures. Pretty frustrating. I am sure it just needs a tune up....it's never had one and I've had it since 1997. My next project I am focusing on is some paper mache birds. I am really looking foreward to getting into some art projects. It feels like it has been forever! I sold a necklace at the Art Hus which makes me pretty happy. I also sold a few of my paper packs from my Etsy shop. I sure hope she likes them as much as I do.

My Mom and her friends are all in France for 2 weeks and sounds like they are having a wonderful time! One of those once in a lifetime things I think. So fun! Maybe someday I will do something like that. I am pretty sure my daughter will go with my Sister to Paris, when she is old enough. I cannot wait to see all the pictures and hear all the stories! I get to visit my Sister in Seattle next month and I am getting pretty amped!!

Trailers Finished and a Chalk

So the trailers are done and have, hopefully, found their new owners. I only wish I had better photos of them finished. I drew one last picture of the Burger Bus in my pretty full and almost finished journal. I think this was my quickest sketch of it yet.

After a late trip to the zoo, we got to check out I Madonnari at the Mission in Santa Barbara. It has been a long time since I have made it there on the actual day. The last time I made it was a week after the day and there was tire tracks on the pieces.

It was fun that there were still some being worked on. I love to see all the different processes. I hope my daughter enjoyed seeing them work too. If I had had more time I think she would have liked to go to the kids area and play around.

It was a fun, yet long, day. The weather has been so nice aside from the wind and allergies. It has felt good to work on some jewelry and finish up the projects. Here is one more sketch from the Sunstone Winery from the 19th. I hope to clean up my work area at my place tomorrow, have a healthy lunch with my mom and get some headway on a new journal. Tall order for a limited amount of time. I took the day off in hopes to get some stuff done and get some much needed, recharging, me time. I have not had enough of that lately and I am withering a bit. Wish me luck on getting stuff done and I hope to post some too.

Making Jewelry!

Here they are! Imagine Gallery has ordered a couple of my sterling trailer pendants. These are pieces I make exclusively for them. So much work and a lot of my hardest techniques goes into these.

 These take a lot of clean up work. They are remenicent of silverstream trailers. Their wheels will be made of black shrinky dinks ;)  Today (not shown) I added some more details and they are very close to finished. Just need to finish their finish hehe.

 Very nice sketch day today at the Sunstone Winery. It was gorgeous. There were so many subjects to draw (and not enough time). The weather was perfect aside from bugs and allergies. Seems like a popular place. The manager was super nice too. I want to go back soon. Hands are sore from all my work today. Time for a nice shower to get rid of some allergies and off to bed. I will post the finished trailers real soon!

Wow April is Gone...Happy May!!

Teesha Moore came to the Art Clinic April 28th and gave an awesome journal class that I totally loved! It was a nice shot in the arm. I felt so rusty and out of art shape. The class was 10-5 and I was withering away by 3:30.

That was a photo of my mom, AKA Syd McCutcheon, AKA Sheep Floozy looking at Teesha's journals. The next one is my daughter photoed with her contribution to my journal made at the class. I started a new journal full of more personal writings that are more about stress and struggles than any of my other journal (I do not carry it with me, it stays at home). The cost of silver has gone up so much that it seems to be hurting my business...yuck! I am still working on some silver box trailer pendants and I am starting on my time line...2 weeks left to finish them! I will try to post the progress as I have time to do so. I have sold some pieces at the Art Hus last month and got a check! Wow! I was not even thinking about that part...SWEET!! It is very much needed. I need to do more paper mache soon too. Always too much on my plate...sigh. I am a happy kid though :) See you soon!

Making Stuff!

I had a lot of fun finishing up these birds. I have given them all to the Art Hus for sale in Solvang. I kinda miss them all on my desk. I did not make the Mocking Bird I wanted to do and now I want to do a Red Winged Black Bird and a Barn Swallow, so I hope to make more soon. Oooo, maybe I should make an owl too. Having trouble getting any work time in.

 Had fun doing a quick sketch of my Birthday bouquet with some Copic markers.

 I am still enjoying my new nail stickers. I like the way they look holding the birds :).

Had a nice sketch day at Cachuma Lake with the sketch group. I was not feeling very inspired to sketch, but the birds and nature all around was very nice. I felt a stronger urge to sit, watch and listen than I did to sketch. Another nice way to start out a day. I am so excited to take a class from Teesha Moore this Saturday! Stay tuned for some photos. I got my silver order in to start on some special jewelry pieces, but the sheet is the wrong gauge. Stay tuned for that too ;)

Rejuvinating

I am never a huge fan of photos of myself, but my Birthday is almost here, and self reflection is important. I also did a super quick self portrait in a new book I got that was made to draw in. It was another beautiful day! The rain has brought dramatic skies and mind blowing foliage. I think I am finally getting some art ability back into my veins. My paper mache birds are slowly coming along. The first one is done and has me hot to finish the others.

 I got 2 hours of much needed alone time thanks to my baby's daddy and my awesome mom! It was so needed and was very enjoyable (big happy basking in sun sigh...aaaaaaahh!) I got little really done done, but my head unwound a bit and I could see me a little better. And what a bonus to come home to my daughter and smiling family with my kitchen table all set with these beautiful protea flowers and a HB card my Baby made me.

 The cake was super cool! I love the way my mom tops cakes!! So fun!

 Went to Avila and SLO yesterday fro some great family time. Baby rode a pony for the first time and she was a natural! The weather has been a lot of fun! So awesome in a way only nature can create. Photos cannot quite capture all the magic. Makes me feel so fortunate to have eyes and to be an artist. Happy April everyone!!

P.S. I have a big silver order coming to make some very special jewelry pieces that I make exclusively for Imagine Gallery. Stay tuned!!

Quick Post

I have been trying to get some art made for days and today I finally sat at my desk and picked up a brush.


I have still been trying to shake a funk that has squashed my productivity at night. I have sat here at my desk for what seems like weeks getting nothing done. I hope to finish these birds soon and get some journals started. I sure hope this funk is behind me.

Super Busy March

 I got my paper packets made and photographed, now I need to write a description, crop and resize them. I hope everyone likes them as much as I do. I get so many compliments when people see them in my journals.

 My daughter will be turning for this month so I am making her a special crown. I make a new one for her every year. This is the first wire one. It is not finished yet, but I am liking the way it came out so far. I am so pleased, that I am having thoughts of making more of them to sell. If I do end up doing that, I might make some fabric ones too like the one I made her for her 1st birthday.

 Now no one wreck the surprise for her. I will be adding some flowers next.

I had a purchase on my Etsy shop and they asked me to change it to say "heart" instead of "love". I was worried about the lettering, but I think it came out okay. I am sending it off tomorrow. Well...I had a big list of stuff to do tonight, but passed out for 2 hours and now it is midnight. I had like an hour and a half more to do...oh well. I feel a headache coming on. It was a real nice day off of work and I even got stuff done. Yay me! Hehe. This is such a crazy busy month for me. I cannot keep up with all the stuff!!! Off to bed for me!