Making Art Together

Stupid Sock Creatures

2008-10-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

meet CLAUDEY THE SUPER UNDIE MAN and SQUADDLY ODDLY:

the kids'n'i've had tons of fun making these over the weekend - modelled on John Murphy's Stupid Sock Creatures - he has an etsy shop too - gosh he's so hilarious with his stories about each creature!!!
they are so quirky and fabulous, and have instant personality. we just got the book outta the library, scrounged some odd socks, an old pillow, and my buttons tin and started creating...

... i'm about to dream up an *Angel* one with Woozie's toe socks (for the wings)!!!!!

picking daisies at katie's place

2008-09-23T23:19:00.000-07:00

hey girlies!!!
have yas been making any art lately?
just noticed it's been half a year with no *arty fahty* moments here lol.
this is my latest intriKATE (oh i crack myself up) creation:

yeah, if you fancy some swarovski sparkle, come on over...
mwah X

body art

2008-03-17T23:37:00.000-07:00

two of my gorgeous boys are loving their new look:

Self-Portrait w/Baby in Hilfiger

2008-02-28T14:18:00.001-08:00

(The Hilfiger outfit is a total hand-me-down by the way...)

painting in a (verrrry frrrench) straight line

2008-01-04T22:23:00.000-08:00

well, i think this is *art*...
i have finally managed to apply nail polish in a straight line across the top of my toenails, without having to rely on the little stickers lol
and i am feeling very accomplished and très français and oh! so summery having such pretty toes X

The Most Beautiful Christmas Windows Ever

2007-12-06T07:37:00.001-08:00

christmas belles

2007-11-30T12:14:00.001-08:00

yeah, it's the same title as my blog post at kate5kiwis lol (you can read the whole story over there if ya like, or not!!! bwahahahahahahaha)
cos this morning i have a very uncreative pre-espresso headache, am waiting for hubby to get home from his saturdaymorningemergencydashtowork, thinking i'm gonna have to turn the machine on and up my blood-caffeine ratio.
right then
*peering through haze*

i have got out my wire and suitcase full of beads again and made these two delish concoctions for a Virtual Friend *grin* in FRANCE!!!!!

paua pearl necklace

it took me ages and many tries to get the paua one perfect, i tried wiring a paua flower like the one i made a year ago, but my original supplier has shut up shop and so i had to buy some paua beads at twice the price and they wouldn't work the same, so decided to change the whole style of the necklace, i made it into a miniature version of lizard's, cos it's for a thirteen year old girl. (details, details, always details)

and then i made this

christmas crème brulée necklace

which looks absolutely fabulous IRL (if i say so myself lol), it catches the light beautifully.

and now i'm off to concoct a billion little Christmas things, cos this year is another handmade kiwi christmas.
what are you girls doing/making for pressies this year???

2007-11-20T14:40:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you let your virtually 7yr old (as of Friday) help you with your lovely monochromatic bamboo mural for your almost newly adopted baby girl. Its a bird carrying a worm to her baby. He added music notes coming out of the baby birds mouth and a big yellow sun. Its not quite the modern, simple look I was going for, but how can I paint over that??

we had our first turn at felting yesterday

2007-11-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

well, we've played with felt before, but yesterday we had a wee lesson on how to make *real* felted stuff...
i mostly took the photos and left the experts to the creating...
no jokes, the *Monsieur Monet* pot mitt on the left was originally a rectangular mass of felt and my friend Bella just squidged and squodged it until... voila!!! a lufferly hand shape emerged. totally clever, unbelieveably patient... and now there's a whole lotta love floating around our kitchen!!!!!

kiwi update

2007-10-25T22:56:00.000-07:00

i've been busy whizzy sewing Mnearly6's quilt. the story is here.

yes, my babiest baby is turning *six* in only five days.
hubby and i are off on a romantic 24 hours (sans kiddos lol) starting tomorrow at lunchtime.
as soon as monday dawns i'm making a well-overdue necklace for a friend, and a bracelet as well...
i sat out in the sun for two hours yesterday, my arms got a little bit sun-kissed: thanks for sending me the summer, i'm lovin' it X

Nappy Bag #2

2007-10-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

I decided to make bag #1 a gift for a friend and I made a second one with fabric that seems to fit me a little better. =) I'm really happy with it. I can't wait to use it. Hopefully soon!!!!

The exterior fabric is by Alexander Henry.

Nappy Bag

2007-10-09T07:33:00.000-07:00

I decided to make my own diaper bag using the "Nappy Bag" pattern from Amy Butler. The exterior fabric is also from Amy Butler. It was a big project. Lots of pockets inside and a small cell phone pocket outside. I'm really happy with it.

(We also bought a Skip Hop diaper bag that clips onto the stroller and that husband likes.)

tag team

2007-10-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

inspired by Wedding Girl and the birth of my friend Clare's daughter Kinsee last night, here's my first *taggies* mini quilt...

i found a cutesy vintage print at the fabric shop yesterday

and this side looks like it's covered in baby kisses

A happy shirt....

2007-09-30T17:05:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we spent a beautiful day in San Francisco to celebrate my husband's new job. I found this t-shirt and an in love with it!! It is hand silk-screened by the artist on American Apparel shirts. She had so many beautiful prints on her shirts, but unfortunately she does not have a website!! The shirt was $28, but I could only scrounge $27.80 out of the depths of my purse, pockets and husbands wallet. Obviously, she let me have it anyway. **She was a street vendor.**

I've been knitting...

2007-09-29T18:40:00.001-07:00

Baby's Got Bibs

2007-09-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

Ok. I promise to stop boring you soon with my endless sewing projects. It's just that I found this super cute sock monkey fabric yesterday and I stayed up 'till midnight making bibs because I was so excited...

Making handbags is not for me. I've decided to move back to smaller, baby-sized projects.

tenth birthday quilt

2007-09-21T14:00:00.001-07:00

inspired my WG's sewing/nesting binge, and my growing pile of fabrics, and a couple of sleeping bags with brokend zips that i found a few months ago, i made this in three days... on and off lol.
yep, i just pieced the six and a half inch squares and machine quilted them onto the sleeping bag... super quick'n'easy... and S10 LOVES it.
it's even got a *secret pocket*. just perfect for a ten year old. his younger brother's getting one to match next month (ah yes, the "one size fits all" birthday pressie)
here he is, snuggled up this morning, watching France beat Ireland in the World Cup.
*ALLEZ LES BLEUS*!!!!!

Charming Handbag

2007-09-21T07:22:00.001-07:00

This is a little embarrassing because I'm totally out of control, but I've started sewing handbags now. I bought a beginner sewing book called 'Bend the Rules Sewing' and this is from the "Charming Handbag" pattern. I love sewing. I can't stop. Fabric stores are my new favorite place to shop. It's a good "waiting for baby" activity for me. I'm having trouble sleeping these days (pregnancy related) so it's not unusual for me to be sewing at 1am.

Tag Blanket #2

2007-09-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

I made this one today as a gift for my friend's 4 month old daughter.

Tag Blanket

2007-09-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

I'm on a sewing kick lately. When I was making the quilt I remembered how much I love sewing. This is my version of the Taggies blanket. I thought it would be a fun beginner project. It's 10x10 inches.

(Taggies products are protected by a patent. Although I've seen copies of them all over Etsy.com, I don't think it's legal to sell them.)

etsy tripsy

2007-09-08T16:35:00.001-07:00

my friend ang has spent the last three years taking trips to cambodia to set up various initiatives among women there. my childhood friend fleur lives there too, so a part of my heart resides in phnom penh.
the other week, ang asked me if i'd like to think about going up to cambodia in april 2008 to be part of a team, perhaps doing craft/jewellery/jewelry lol workshops to inspire other women's personal/business vision.
with that in mind, to raise the $$$, i've tentatively set up my first etsy shop. i am so NOT a business woman, i prefer to give things away, but global tripping is a tad pricey lol...
here's one or two of the sparklies in my shop:

ok, three sparklies!!!
love to hear your feedback, especially whether you think the prices are reasonable... i'm feeling like the water's a bit over my head... mwah X

2007-08-23T22:12:00.001-07:00

Tonight, I test painted a very poor quality artists proof of my print. I used both gouache (sp??) and watercolor. Sweetpea was right, the gouache wins. The color is so bright!!

Lizard's Art Days

2007-08-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

I have put some concerted effort this week into finishing up some artworks that have been languishing.

I finally finished cutting my friend's lino-cut and have pulled an artist's proof.

I finished Kiwi Kate's lino-cut for our art swap and hope to have that mailed out soon.

Finally, the one for me. I finished a landscape I have been staring at for a year. I needed something for over my desk, so I threw some paint on it and said, "finished!!!"

Now, I don't want the reputation for actually getting stuff done, so I plan to slow way down.

8 years.....

2007-08-19T07:17:00.001-07:00

This is a portrait of Wedding Girl taken by my sister-in-law for a photography class they shared at Baylor. (W.G.-is that right??)

Thinking of Adrienne today.....Has it really been 8 years?????

2007-08-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

Last night all the boys took to the front yard to enjoy the gorgeous temp outside and throw a frisbee around. ***correction-Andrew and Sam played frisbee, Ethan got into neighbor's yards, threw rocks and generally just got in the way of the frisbee.***
I decided to pull out my camera and play having been inspired by all my girlfriend's amazing images.

I just have to say...all my boys are gorgeous!!! **If I do say so myself.**

katie's latest

2007-08-08T14:34:00.001-07:00

well, these are a couple of my latest creations:
this bracelet is for my cousin who is unwell, and residing half a world away.

and this necklace is for my longtimefriend leigh who just turned thirty.

i am finding that i can't get away from *symbolism* - making things that mean something to the wearer.

i had an experience last month when a friend's daughter died and i didn't know what to say, but i wanted to bring something of myself to her, so i opened up my bead suitcase and made her a bracelet with three heart beads (she has three children) and some pearls and some crystal sparklies. i know the bracelet isn't quite her style, but she wore it the whole weekend. and i think she felt loved by that.

so i am finding that the whole jewellery-making, bead-threading thing is evolving into a whole different buzz than just making the money from my passion.
i blogged some thoughts about that here.

anyways, we've been quiet for a while, so am just popping my head in to say *hi* from The Sunny Bay where winter is almost over and summer is just around the corner... so inspiring!!
loads of love X

Print in the works....

2007-07-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

I have been commissioned by a friend to do a lino-cut for their newly remodeled house. This is a portrait of their family. They have 3 gorgeous girls represented by the 3 flowers in the center. My friend is represented by the taller flower on the right side, her husband is the sun. The image is framed by bamboo. They are Chinese so I wanted the imagery to reflect that. I am planning on hand-painting it. Gouache or watercolor???

I have been working on a print for our Kiwi friend, Kate and have nearly finished, but I think I may send her this instead.

William Wegman Exhibit

2007-07-12T08:56:00.001-07:00

I've been making an effort lately to go to museums and keep up with current exhibits. I always feel inspired afterwards to be a better artist, but without making an effort it seems I only go to museums once a year or less. I find I need a lot of inspiration when I am drowning in wedding photography.

Last week I went with a friend to see a William Wegman exhibit at the Addison Gallery of American Art on the campus of the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.

It was a fantastic exhibit and we were very impressed with the beautiful museum. I found out later that some of the Notable Alumni of the Phillips Academy include Walker Evans, Oliver Wendell Holmes, George Bush, George W. Bush, Humphrey Bogart, Jack Lemmon, and John F. Kennedy Jr!

Lizard and Sweetpea, we'll have to go there next time y'all are in town. It's really beautiful.

© William Wegman
Connector, 1994
Polaroid
24 x 20 in.
Private collection

Progress on my panels

2007-07-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

So, I have not yet finished my fairy. I continue to have trouble seeing what I want in my mind's eye. So, I decided to take a break from it and to work on my butterfly and my dragonfly. I have drawn the dragonfly but have not painted it yet, so I don't have pics of that. However, here's the pics of the butterfly and the fairy. The colors did NOT translate when I took pictures, so they look a little bit weird here.

Anyways, I love my butterfly, but it is much more color-blocky than my fairy and so now they do not go together...I am not sure which way I want to go at this point, but I think that the color-blocky idea may win out as it is more readily pleasing to the eye and because it will be easier for Honor to see and enjoy. Eventually, I will have three square panels that I will mount in a horizontal row with an inch or two between them on the wall (which is a deep red wine color).

I have not painted anything in the fairy's wings yet, although I have outlined them in a pale yellow.

Also, I really had wanted to incorporate orange, but the couple of times that I have tried to include it, it just looks all wrong. Bummer.

Any thoughts?

My Fav Flower Girl

2007-06-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

She came down the isle crying with Burt and Ernie in hand. Sweetie.

WG's Pregger Avatar

2007-06-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

Wedding Season 2007

2007-06-09T11:45:00.001-07:00

June officially marks the beginning of my wedding season here in the Northeast. Today is my last free Saturday until August and if I wasn't going on **maternity leave I'd be shooting weddings almost every saturday through mid-November. It's a busy time for me, but I love what I do.

I have a few crafty projects in the works for the summer, but mostly my creativity will have to be channelled through the camera. Mazel Tov!

**Maternity leave = Rox is too pregnant to carry 10 lbs. of camera equipment without knocking guests over.

for "my FrogKing father-in-law"

2007-06-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

has anyone seen SHREK THE THIRD??
that's one of my fave lines lol.
it's a bit naughty i know, and my Father-in-Law isn't a Frog King either:
he's rather special, and this weekend he's just celebrated his 65th birthday.
i wanted to make him a special pressie, cos he and Lovely Mother-in-Law live in The Big Smoke, 200 km away and don't get to see the 5kiwikids much.
so i came up with a photo montage:

it's layers and layers of paint and shellac and photos and words on 10" x 12" canvas.
it's the essence of our little kiwi-family.
and of course, i had to put some sparkly beads on there, lol.
so now Nanma and Nandad can gaze at the grandkids any time they wish...

my winter project is to make a h-u-g-e one for our own dining room, with lots of levels and colour and bits of interest. and i've bought some gold leaf too, which i'll try to incorporate into the artwork.
it's one of those *watch this space* moments.

Talented Neighbors

2007-05-31T22:10:00.001-07:00

My next door neighbor, Gemma, has a new shop on Etsy. All her clips are handmade and are very sweet. She is constantly coming up with new ideas. Today, I got to see a beautifully embroidered pillow she plans to post, so stayed tuned!!

A Few More Photos...

2007-05-22T10:39:00.001-07:00

Beautiful Lizard

2007-05-18T14:26:00.001-07:00

From the photo shoot in Boston.

My Best Friend

2007-05-14T14:20:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to show y'all one of the photos I took of my beautiful friend, Jana (sweetpea) while she was here visiting me last week. Isn't she lovely?

Lizard, can I show one of the photos of you? I want to brag about how gorgeous my friends are. =)

Sweetpea and Lizard both let me practice my photo skilz on them.

Guess what came in the mail???

2007-05-07T16:50:00.000-07:00

My Kiwi made necklace!! I love it!! Thanks Kate. I wore it out to dinner last night.

I am getting set up to print-bought the paper this weekend!

MVP

2007-05-07T06:06:00.000-07:00

I took photos for writer James Boice late last year and now one of the images is printed on the back of his new book, MVP. I haven't read the book, but it's gotten good reviews. It's just fun to see my name on the back cover.

pearl organza twist

2007-05-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

hello gorgeous artistes,
this delicate necklace has five strands:
two of organza ribbon, threaded with light pink and clear glass crystal-cut beads, and three of jewellery wire, threaded with a mix of crystal shimmer beads, pearly seed beads and faux pink pearls.
i know, i'm on a bit of a bender with the jewellery thang.

Update on the Fairy

2007-04-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have no pictures to show. This is because I really don't have much to actually show. However, I did want to give an update on the paintings I am doing for Honor's room. I finally painted them all green and re-drew the fairy I had initially sketched. Unfortunately, the green is simply not right and it's my fault for mixing it in bad lighting (I don't really get to paint when the sun is shining anymore since the only time I really feel I have free for this is after the kids are in bed). Anyways, I gave in and just bought the color I wanted instead of mixing it myself. While I was at the art store, I also bought several other colors. I thought I would share the names of the colors with you all both because it helps me to be motivated on this project if I know other people are in on it with me and because I just thought you all would enjoy the opportunity to imagine all these colors together.
So, here goes:
--leaf green
--pale yellow
--mediterranean (a blue)
--barn red
--espresso
--magenta
--deep lilac
--poppy orange (sweetpea, I thought of you and chose this instead of tangerine)
and last but certainly not least,
--Santa's flesh

REALLY???Santa's Flesh? what is with that as a color? I find that name odd, but fanciful, which seemed to somehow fit. Besides, in some cultures, Santa is elvish, and that seemed distantly connected with fairies for me. Besides, they were out of the other "flesh" options.

I usually mix all my own colors and enjoy that almost more than the painting, but I find it difficult to get a color to be the same the second time around. And, since I want all three of my canvases to have the same colors I decided to go ahead and buy the colors I wanted to use.

So, here's to beginning again, and this time with colors I picked out during the day. Now if only I hadn't already drawn the fairy! I will have to paint the new background around her and that, ladies, is what daunts me.

summer lovin' for lizard

2007-04-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

ok, girl, i am officially sending you the sunshine.
it is finished!! sorry the photo is so naff, the necklace is simply gorgeous. i almost kept it lol.

it embodies all the inspiring things of *summer*
sand, surf, paua, pearls, sunny days.
and it's yours...
email me your address !!!!!!!!!
love love X

Wishful Thinking

2007-04-13T05:11:00.000-07:00

This is my avatar wishing it was a little more spring-like in Boston.

New Linocut

2007-03-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

Here is a new linocut I'm working on. My idea was that the tree represents our family and that the flower is our baby who will be grafted in to us. She will grow from our tree. Now, how to cut it.......?

jewellery muse

2007-03-18T00:28:00.000-07:00

as summer creeps past (we just said goodbye to daylight savings), i have been finding myself yearning for things that are sparkly and sunshiney.
so i've made two sets of jewellery this week:

*ode to coco*

*heartbeat*

they are both re-fashioned from table napkin rings (!) that i found at a local interiors shop.. and unwired and re-designed... and i've been wearing them *every* day, loving the sparkles.

Smocking

2007-03-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

The Deep South has gotten to me and I'm smocking. It's actually really fun. :o) Will post pics as things develop!

2007-02-27T07:08:00.001-08:00

Check out our artist friend at redclay and her newest work....

Trees anyone??

2007-02-19T15:37:00.000-08:00

I have recently been wanting to do some large scale drawings. (Sweetpea will tell you I specialized in large scale in college.) I feel like I can really stretch out in large spaces. I can breathe. I decided our living room needed trees. So yesterday I slapped up some white paper held beautifully in place by painters tape and went for it. On the right side of the door is a tree with its branches extending to the left side of the doorway with a small tree just beginning to grow. (The left side is still very light.) I think as a stay-at-home/frustrated artist I fantasize about the perfect timing to make art. Its part of my soul that has been bottled up for a long time. I need to learn to throw perfection out the window and just get jump in and get messy!

A few WIP

2007-02-19T12:19:00.000-08:00

too much?

truly a WIP -- baby is not born yet, this just matches his nursery.

Fairies

2007-02-19T12:10:00.000-08:00

So, here's a rough sketch of a little painting I want to do for Honor's room. The color of her walls is a deep red wine color (some of you may remember pictures of this), and her bedding is off-white, red wine, and a green that is somewhere between sage and lime...more sage than lime. Anyways, i was imagining a matching green background, but I am having trouble deciding on the colors for the fairy. I thought I would throw it open to suggestions from you guys. This will be on a small square canvas (about 12"x12"). I have two other identical canvases that I will be painting as well (identical in size and shape, but not content). I am imagining a butterfly with the same family of colors as the fairy on one of them, and perhaps a flower or a dragonfly on the third canvas. All of them will have the green background (and I may even paint a white matting and a black edging around them each...I haven't decided on that yet, but black and white just POP against red walls....)

Anyways, throw out your suggestions and inspire me!

Exploring Chagall...

2007-02-16T14:12:00.000-08:00

"I like being an artist."-Sam

Designer: Ivy Glass

2007-02-16T06:59:00.000-08:00

I met this girl last night at a Fashion Industry Meetup group. (I'm networking for potential fashion photography gigs.) Her name is Ivy Glass and she makes these hats and other clothes from recycled sweaters. She's super cool. Check out her hats on Etsy. She said she'll have some more items on there soon.

scarfy-scarf.

2007-02-15T16:06:00.000-08:00

When your friend sends you a lovely handmade scarf in the mail, it is so helpful if she includes written instructions and a photo illustration on how said scarf should be properly tied.

How'd I do, WG?

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T12:37:00.002-08:00

I'm frustrated lately with how intangible digital photography can feel, so I've been doing a little paper collage for fun. This is a Valentine for my hubby.

It says, "Amor de mi vida, te quiero mucho..." which means "Love of my life, I love you very much."

Self-Portrait Tuesday: WG's Socks

2007-02-13T07:41:00.000-08:00

I put these cute socks on today and thought, "oh, I should take a picture." And then I noticed how scarred my knees are from old soccer injuries. I guess I never really look at my knees.

in transit

2007-02-08T19:16:00.000-08:00

hey all... remember me? after my home computer died and i lost the abilty to insta-photo post i've not had much to contribute. and now we are on the road - and what a time... i'll post over at mtnmama soon. just wanted to touch in. i've been taking alot of pics the last few and falling in love with my camera again. (my REAL camera) now trying to package some up and work up the nerve to sell my soul through the work. pat has been pushing me (in that loving supportive way) to get my stuff out there. it's working. folks - i sold my first photo last week - and it felt really good. had to share. wish i could post photos... love!

NYC Fashion Week

2007-02-07T07:05:00.000-08:00

It's fashion week in New York. If you're interested you can check out the collections
here.

I love this outfit by Carolina Herrera (left) and dress by Oscar de la Renta.

T-Shirt Challenge...

2007-02-06T08:32:00.000-08:00

I have been searching for an adoption themed t-shirt for awhile, but, frankly, most of them are pretty cheesy. ***Even my baby was made in China*** Huh?? It gets worse from there.

So I've decided to create some of my own. And then I thought of my creative friends over at Sweetpea's franchise of blogs. What if we all contributed ideas and then created shirts at Cafe Press to be sold through Bringing Mei Home and Sweetpea?? My thought was the little funds it created could go to adoption expenses or be donated to an adoption organization.

So here is what I have in mind. I was thinking of a floral theme, like plum blossoms, chrysathemums etc with wording like, "Waiting for Mei", "Bringing Mei Home, 2007". Since most of you are more writerly than I, I'm sure some clever ideas could be thought of.

The images could be drawings, photographs, woodblocks, etc. Funny pics like on Jones Soda, anything. It could be specifically about our adoption or adoption in general.

Sooooo what do you think????

2007-01-30T13:03:00.000-08:00

Check out this online art newpaper.

WG is knitting again...

2007-01-29T07:55:00.000-08:00

I'm working on this scarf/wrap that I started for myself last summer. This is the first time I've tried this lace pattern "Leaf Patterned Lace" with moss stitch on the edge. If anyone's interested I can post the pattern. It can be tricky, but it's doable.

One more birth announcement...

2007-01-23T10:31:00.000-08:00

because I like it and the person is local and a friend and I can't put it in my portfolio until she's sent them out!

Kellsey's Avatar

2007-01-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

So, my husband is cuddling with Honor and my son is at preschool, leaving me a moment to check out fun things online. Roxy, I loved your avatar so much I had to go and make one of my own. I consider it my dream avatar, of what I may look like again some day (they didn't have any body styles to choose from that matched the "I just gave birth 5 days ago" body that I'm stylin' right now). tee-hee! Anyways, my avatar will give me something to aim for in the future.

VERY FUN!

My Avatar

2007-01-22T12:57:00.000-08:00

Making Art with little people...

2007-01-12T20:03:00.000-08:00

....we've been painting pictures of ourselves!

Admired by Beckstead

2007-01-06T06:28:00.000-08:00

Hello friends. Happy new year!

I haven't been making art lately because I've been enjoying some much needed time off with my family. I have some fun news to report, though. One of my wedding images made it to a cool website hosted by famous wedding photographer David Beckstead.

His site is called Admired by Beckstead and he created it to be inspired by other photographer's good work. It's the sort of site I go to before a wedding to get my creative juices flowing. I entered a few images and he chose this one. If you put your mouse over the image you'll see my name.

I don't think this is really art...

2007-01-02T22:37:00.000-08:00

... but my only creative endeavors lately have been in the photo announcement department. I did a lot of Christmas cards. Some were nice and looked good. Others were... not so much. Some terrible enough to not even make the flickr portfolio. Part of the trauma of working for people.

I've been working on some new birth announcement ideas since Christmas card season is done.

(poor dd#2 having to model as a boy)

(she's a girl again)

(a recent order)

2007-01-02T22:13:00.000-08:00

Things Red...
This is the only thing I have painted recently: our guest room/nursery. At some point, it will cease to function as a guest room, but for now it is a little crowded as it has in it an adult dresser, bedside table and queen size bed as well as a portable crib, a changing table, a glider and a tall baby dresser.

I was so excited to paint this room the color "Red Red Wine". It is so scrumptious! I was disappointed, though, that the pictures make the red look darker and more brown that it does in person. The picture of Honor's fuzzi bunz is included because it shows the red color on the wall a little better than the other pics.

if I could get away with painting every room in my house a different shade of red, I would do it. I LOVE red walls! There is something so rich and full and warm about having red walls. I especially like being in a dark red room at night with just a few lamps on to add that warm rosy glow throughout the room. it makes me feel embraced. Red is simply so . . . alive.

2007-01-02T22:06:00.000-08:00

A recent work of art

So, I haven't been making much art lately, at least not in the sense of anything frame-able (is that even a word?). However, my husband and I did decorate this gingerbread house together and that was a very fun and creative endeavor. So, I thought I'd share a picture before I tossed the lovely little candy house in the trash. I do have to wonder, though, just how long one of these things can hang around before it begins to disintegrate...anybody know?

HARK! The Herald Angels Sing.....

2006-12-30T17:39:00.000-08:00

Today we spent the day in Monterey, CA. We went on a whale watching trip in Monterey Bay and just beyond in the Pacific. I will post some of my whale pics, but let me warn you I do not have a future as a nature photographer! Anyway, all around the Wharf and the historic areas they had these beautiful angels hanging for Christmas. I loved them and just wanted to share them with you!

Sweetpea Arts.

2006-12-29T16:40:00.000-08:00

I've gotten my etsy store up and running and will be gradually adding art for sale....so stop by to say hello....I accept paypal and money orders, and if I know ya, I accept checks. :)

SPC: red

2006-12-23T00:12:00.000-08:00

Hey chicks, clear up my confusion: is this supposed to be a self portrait?
or just something *red* ???
For me, *red at christmas* is fun and fruity and luscious and sexy.
Red is strawberries.
Strawberry picking and strawberry eating. Strawberries dipped in dark chocolate, white chocolate. Strawberries crammed onto the top of a pavlova. Strawberries dropped into a glass of pink bubbles.

(What a boring photo, but we did drink these today.. check out this sugarplum fairy for pretty and strawberryish. HT: the very talented cozy posie)
The fresh, sunshiney mouthful of a luscious strawberry (or twenty-five) makes Christmas *Christmas*...
just like the song says: Have yourselves a berry little Christmas!!
*mwah*

My first ATC

2006-12-11T17:29:00.000-08:00

Today I made my first tradable mini-painting. You guys should google "Artist Trading Cards."

This image is 2.5 x 3.5 inches!

More pics of the bazaar.

2006-12-11T13:31:00.000-08:00

Saturday night, Miss Hannah and her brother John (of gigantic Garippa family fame) brought some special little people to my booth. Valissia is the delightful fourth grade student I'm mentoring--she came along with her siblings Victoria and Vicente. If you look closely, you can see that Vicente's afro ponytail was causing some hood problems. Anyway, we got to walk around a little and sip hot chocolate. It was a special treat to have them there. On Sunday, our friend Ryan stopped by to sip some Mexican hot chocolate and hang out with us in the rain. He and M. managed to have an in-depth convo about Chaucer while crammed under our little tent. It was hilarious.

You can see in some of the pics that the weather was, *ahem*, inclement on Sunday. The misty fog conceals the skyscrapers of downtown. It was quite lovely, actually. We stayed until the table cloth was soaked and my work in danger of ruining.

Work.

2006-12-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

2006-12-06T13:56:00.000-08:00

Ethan contemplating Rodin's The Three Shades.

Some paintings by Lizard

2006-12-04T16:47:00.000-08:00

I have recently completed two small paintings which is pretty remarkable these days. The Bird painting was a birthday gift for a friends baby who was turning 1. They call her their little birdie and she had a birdie b-day party. I painted the apple with some left over tempera paint from a project I was doing with Ethan and my friends little girl.

Wedding Photo Contest (one more)

2006-12-01T12:37:00.000-08:00

I just added this one to the contest entry in the "Reception" category. I think that gives me a nice range of photos. Good luck to me...

Wedding Photo Contest

2006-12-01T08:12:00.000-08:00

Every year I enter PDN's (Photo District News Magazine) "Top Knots" Wedding photography contest. I haven't won anything as of yet, but I haven't given up. (they will announce winners in January, I believe) PDN is one of my favorite photo magazines and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to get a photo published in their magazine.

"Entries will be judged on the basis of creativity, photographic quality and effectiveness in expressing the contest theme."

I tried to look through my hundreds of favorite images to find the most interesting...the most unexpected. It's a tough process stepping back from your work to look at it in a new way. Here are four that I chose to enter in this year's contest. The first two for "portraits" and the last two for "getting ready."

SPC December

2006-12-01T07:26:00.000-08:00

From the SPC website:

"Ah how I love the colour red. What better way to finish off the year than with a cheer. And red is the perfect colour for it.

Red is a colour charged with emotion - fierce and stongly felt emotion. Extreme feelings, hot tempers, blood and violence. Red is the colour of radical barbaric deeds, and of love and passion. Red expresses energy and fire and excitement and exhaustion. Red is excessive and rich and hot and sexual and exciting. Red is fun and fruity and luscious and sexy. Red is the colour of desire, of anger and of power.

So Red - go forth and show us what you have - have a little fun - its the holiday season after all."

Should we play along this month or come up with our own themes?

SP: glam momma

2006-11-30T21:06:00.000-08:00

Hubby snapped this in Paris in July.
it was a bit of a joke really.. we were SP'ing ourselves riding in those big red double decker buses, and he zoomed in for a cleavage close-up.
it's the glam-est photo in my archives, hope it's not too curvy for yer sensibilities...
ok i'm gonna post this now before i chicken...
happy first day of winter tomorrow (we just had our first day of summer today: sunshine, beach...)
loads of love from NZ
mwah

Self-Portrait with my Curtains

2006-11-29T09:31:00.000-08:00

I want you to see our new "theater-style" curtains. We have a door-less doorway in between our living room and office and with the help of my mother-in-law we installed curtains that we can close for a little more privacy. When we need a guest bedroom, Stephen and I can sleep in the office next to our computers and the guests can have our bedroom in the back of the apartment. It works out great. (Note: I know they look green, but they are not green...more of a dark warm khaki.)

California Poppy Print

2006-11-28T19:31:00.000-08:00

afewnewthings....

2006-11-22T21:37:00.000-08:00

...i've had such fun making these. i've learned a lot and generally feel all these pieces have served to get me back in the saddle. obviously these haven't been signed or cropped yet.

Elle: wedding belle...

2006-11-21T13:54:00.000-08:00

pardon moi for hogging the blog
but: i've finally finished

katie's brave retro exhibition

2006-11-16T12:06:00.000-08:00

Ok, Lizard: because you asked...

It may sound a tad eccentric, but whenever I make *stuff* for myself, it has to have meaning.
Things usually go in fives (for my kids) or sevens (for our family). And it has to have *texture*. I'm a smeller, a feeler...
So these cushions (strips of material, pieced horizontally), which rest on our couch ("Don't sit ON the cushions, my dahlings, you're popping the buttons off. Sit BESIDE them..") tell the story of our family's move from The Big Smoke (hubby and I lived there for thirty-odd years) to The Sunny Bay.

The gang (seven petalled flower)

moves to a new life (koru shaped buttons)

in The Sunny Bay (buttons in waves)

So then I made this pink/brown bag (the seven-petalled flower again, and the L-O-V-E for hippie me) last October to go with me to Sydney to see one of my favourite people for a decadent girls' week. Oh I have fabulous memories of that week!!!

.. and in July this year, I took it to London/Paris for my brother's wedding.
It used to have funky little pink flower sequins all sprinkled in the centre of the flower, but the tulle ripped and they fell out during our travels.
I'd like to think that I left them, like little memory-petals, dancing around Europe.

two hearts beat as one..

2006-11-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

oh i do have a thing for bono
ok, i confess i didn't make it.. it seems i can't get this paua shell/wire koru stuff outta my system. in NZ the koru (spiral) symbolises new life/harmony, so it's a perfect wedding present, imho. i took the kids into a local art boutique today for a bitta culture, and this leaped off the shelf and into my arms. the photo has come out a bit naff: in real life it's really *classy*..

.. it's a gift for two of our fave people when they tie the knot next month.

My Photo Professor

2006-11-14T21:04:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law gave me one of the best presents ever for my birthday: One of Susan Dunkerley's prints. Susan was my photo professor when I was getting my BFA at Baylor. She was/is an incredible teacher and artist and has continued to be very encouraging and inspiring in my photography career. I have always loved her work and I am excited and giddy to have one of her prints.

I emailed her to tell her that I was excited to have a reminder of her in my home and she said that she'd love for me to be a visiting artist for her students next time I'm in town. She has several students interested in wedding and portrait photography and she would like for me to impart some of my wedding photography "wisdom."

I feel really honored and excited and unworthy, but I love what I do and would love to share that with younger photogs. We'll see if it works out...

Reflections on THIN

2006-11-14T20:28:00.000-08:00

I just finished watching the Lauren Greenfield documentary, THIN (I mentioned it in an earlier post) and I have to say it was really well done. I thought it was successful in communicating the severity and complexity of eating disorders. I found it easy to relate to the girls going through the clinic. I saw some of me in them and it made me want to be more conscious about not putting a lot of stress on physical appearance. (I have never had an eating disorder, but I am obsessive about exercise and eating well--sometimes for the wrong reasons.) And it reminded me how important it is to influence other girls around me in a positive way....by not making comments on how fat or thin people are, by not talking about how many calories something has, by not putting myself down, etc.

I think you should all see it if you get a chance.

Printing Day.

2006-11-14T11:32:00.000-08:00

I spent this afternoon in silence, printing the first of my finished blocks. *sigh* It was so great. I don't care if anything sells!

A cardinal and poppy, to be hand colored later, and the first of some prints which are self-potrait-ish.

2006-11-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

Been making prints! I feel like I'm warming up. Most of what I've made is fairly decorative....not that there's anything wrong with that. Last nite I started working on a self-portrait. Moving away from safety. Pictures later.

SPC November

2006-11-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

"Lets ditch those imperfections and go all out GLAM. Yes lets glam it up with some disco, diamonds and glitter.

I suggest some gorgeous shots - really over do it on the posing and makeup and dressups and show us the extrovert you. The sexy mama in the kitchen with the peek-a-boo apron or how about some diamontes on those dungarees, stillettos, feathers and lycra. Looking for ideas then go no further than Glam Rock as your inspiration, KISS, David Bowie, and Queen and Garry Glitter. Glam means dressing androgynously in make up and glittery, florid costumes such as David Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust phase or The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Get Glam everyone!"

(copied from selfportraitchallenge.net)

I'm not sure about the androgynous dressing, but taking fashion to the extreme sounds like fun...OR just some shots of clothing/outfits that make us feel fun, confident and beautiful...

THIN

2006-11-05T20:18:00.000-08:00

Lauren Greenfield (one of my very favorite contemporary photographers) has just released a photographic essay and documentary film about the treatment of eating disorders. The book was released in October and the film will premier on HBO November 14th, 9pm EST/8pm Central.

Her work is very raw and uncomfortable, but draws much needed attention to the important issue of women and body image. You can get more info on her website here.

The travelling exhibition of the work debuts at the Women's Museum in Dallas in February 2007. You Texas girls should check it out.

News

2006-10-31T05:37:00.000-08:00

Just found out I was accepted into the Urban Street Bazaar. They gave me my second choice on booth size, which means I'll have a 5'x10' rather than a 5'x5'. Yikes, I've got some work to do! :)

SPC: daisykate

2006-10-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

i have a thing for daisies.
to me, they symbolise freedom and life.
for my thirty-fifth, i celebrated with a daisy, tattoed you-know-where.
it has seven petals for the people in our family, plus seven is God's number, and it's pink (cuz i'm a girl) and yellow (for the sunshine)..
it was a cathartic experience.. i waved off a few bad memories that day.
hubby got a celtic eternity symbol at the same time.

i made my first necklace a year and a half ago.
it's a five-pointed flower (for my five kids). it's mostly pink and brown beads.
i think i shoulda been time-warped in the seventies.

and today i've been making a paua and wire flower pendant for a bride and her maids.
it's still under construction. i have four necklaces to make, and four sets of earrings. i think i might put more of a wiggle in the petals.

Brainstorming Sketches and Ideas....

2006-10-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

2006-10-20T12:42:00.001-07:00

SelfPortraitChallenge:
Okay, so here's a photo of me that I am not so jazzed about. It reveals the part of me that is scarred an stretched and won't every go back to what it once was. The stretch marks are barely showing up at this point, but I've got 3 more months to go and they will be fully visible soon. After having Aidan, I lost more weight than I had gained, but my belly was never the same and I often felt embarrassed by this. I hate that I can't just accept that this is a part of me having babies. I am embarrassed by the fact that I am embarrassed by it, and by the fact that I long as much as I do for when I was small and flat.

spc: in smoke

2006-10-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

sometimes the bad habits are the ones that feel the best...
sometimes the brightest light in this darkness is from the end of a cig...
sometimes... this is as good as it gets. and i rest content. knowing i could do better. knowing i could do worse....

Stepping out.

2006-10-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hoping to get a tiny booth here. If my stuff is accepted, that is. Say a prayer for me for good ideas and lots of productive hard work.

EDITED TO ADD: My friend, Superchica, is a pro at all this, and is helping and encouraging me. Check out her site!

My Home Part 1: New England

2006-10-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

As a part of my home project, let me show you one of the places I call home--New England, USA. I was in western Massachusetts this weekend shooting a wedding and the colors of the trees were amazing!! I drool over these colors!! No wonder this is the busiest of the wedding season. The weather is cool and crisp (in the 50s during the day) and the scenery is lovely.

We won't have time for apple picking this year, but this weather makes me want to pick apples and pumpkins and bake yummy things.

SPC: eye spy fear

2006-10-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

i have had imperfect vision for as long as i can remember.

i've worn glasses since i was six, and now i'm a minus nine in one eye and a minus ten in the other.
minus twenty is complete blindness.. so i can see clearly up to about two-thirds the length of a new pencil in front of my eyes, and anything beyond that is blurry (sorry, lost my ruler, had to resort to a pencil-measure lol).

three weeks ago i smashed my glasses on the tile floor of my bathroom, and since then i've been wearing my really old, huge, nineties specs.. or my contact lenses, which give me excellent vision but make me really grumpy: it's like having a grain of sand permanently wedged in behind my eyelids.

today i viewed a dvd on lasik eye surgery and promptly burst into tears.
the idea that i could have this miracle blew me away..
and all for only $NZ5600, payable over three years..
tempting, so tempting.

but: holding my eyelids open while a light burns into my cornea??
freaky.
and will my eyes be able to be operated on, or will they say no??

"Your Westley is dead. I killed him myself."
"Then why is there fear behind your eyes?"
(any Princess Bride fans here??)