Monday, December 19, 2011

snow balls o fun

looks like the school kids were being creative.....I like how massive these big snow balls are...


Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Archie Bray Foundation

After watching this video by Michael Demeng:



I checked out the Archie Bray website: http://www.archiebray.org/

I came across this amazing artist

Nathan Craven - www.nathancraven.com




I love that the artist encourages people to experience his artwork by taking their shoes off and walking on it....not only that, his stackable artwork can be re-stacked into a different pattern & colors to create a whole new peice.

AMAZING

I love it

Saturday, November 19, 2011

revenge of the panty gods...


I'm not sure what is going on with my underpants these days.....but they keep falling down!
The panty gods must be having some fun with me. They are probably looking down from the heavens having a good old chuckle....especially when I am out and about.....trying to inconspicuously pull them up. I think I need to enlist the help of "Captain Underpants".....and then I will be VICTORIOUS!

Friday, November 18, 2011

angels among us......


UNLIKELY ANGELS

Inspired by the song "What if God Was One of Us", these reconstructed figures remind us that Angels can come in many different packages. These Angels were made from toys that were deconstructed and re-assembled into an "Unlikely Angel".

 
"Liwet" - Angel of Inventions


 " Jamaerah" - Angel of Manifestation


"Barbelo" - Angel of Goodness

These small peices (3" x 4") will be for sale at the show:

December 2 - 23, 2011
opening night Dec 2  6-9 pm

EVANESCENCE GALLERY
61 - 8 Ave  High River  AB (403) 796-4873



Monday, November 14, 2011

in pursuit of the perfect pickle fork......


I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. White several years ago. She invited my sister and I over for afternoon tea and a little visit. Not only did she whip up a tasty snack (baked fresh from the oven), she told the most entertaining stories. It was then I knew I loved her.

This summer, my Mom, my sister and I, once again had the opportunity to have tea with Mrs. White. Not only did she cook up a snackers feast (with the most unique treats...her own recipes I'm sure), she set up her table with fancy china and old fashioned cutlery.

It was the pickle fork that caught my eye. It had a plunger on the end that would shove the pickle off  the tines of the fork. My sister became enamored with it as well. So much, that she played with it endlessly during Mrs. White's entertaining stories.

This gave me an idea for my sister's birthday. I decided to track down such a fork for her and surprize her for her birthday.

Unsure where to start looking, I had heard about Ebay and decided to give it a try.

Much to my delight, there was a large choice of pickle forks to choose from on EBay. Unsure of how to bid or purchase items, I lost the first bid I put on an Art Deco pickle fork from the UK.

And then I found it....an exact replica of the pickle fork at Mrs. White's house!!! I placed my bid and succussfully won the fork. It was being shipped from New Zealand, so I was a little worried that it might not arrive in time for my sister's birthday.


So to be on the safe side....I continued looking and found another pickle fork that was similar. I placed a bid and won that one as well. This one was from the UK. So hopefully between the two forks, one would arrive in time.


I thought I was done with the pickle forks....but no....for some reason I kept on the look. Maybe it was reminder emails that EBay sends about all the pickle forks I looked at or ones that I might be interested in......anyway.....I found this one which had 3 prongs on the end....


Then I went to some local kitchen stores to see what they had.....the clerk showed me the "alien" pickle fork that had little prongs come out of the end to grab the pickle....


Waiting for the pickle forks to arrive.....
In the mean time, the forks would need a special container. So off I went to the thrift store to find a box. Unsure of the size, I took a guess and found a cool pen box. I brought it home, sanded and painted it and got it all ready.

Finally the pickle forks came in the mail...with a few days to spare! The packages were so cool. How these people packed up the forks to send them in the mail was so interesting. They came with little hand written notes, and the hand writing was interesting....giving me a sense of the person who sent the package. I couldn't bare to throw these notes and envelopes away...so I glued them in my journal.

The moment of truth was when I took one of the forks and tried to fit it in the box....a perfect fit! It even had room for two. So the second pickle fork went in as well.

 Needless to say that my sister was more than thrilled to see the pickle forks...and we reminisced about Mrs. White's tea and her original pickle fork we had seen.

Shortly after her birthday, my sister ran into Mrs. White and proceeded to tell her about her gift. Mrs. White was excited and surprized that I was able to find a similar fork.

A few months went by, it was around Thanksgiving....my family and I had the pleasure of visiting with Mrs. White one afternoon. She was busy preparing for company that she would be entertaining the next day. Although we didn't plan to stay long, Mrs. White engaged us as usual with her wonderful stories and just before we left, she said she had something to show me.

She left the room and came back with a really interesting pie server. It had a plunger on it as well! Similar to the pickle fork! Can you believe it? Where does she find these things?!!....

Sunday, November 13, 2011

new work....

I just finished a new painting called:  "Girls in the Garden"
ya I know...this is a little off season...or maybe I am just being hopeful

I received alot of positive feedback from the 5 panelled painting at Chianti's called" The Five Elements", so I was inspired to do another one that was similar. These Garden Girls came to life in my favorite colors (green / blue) and I used my favorite iron / rust paint technique on the background pattern. It almost makes it look like embossed velvet.

These will be available for viewing (and for sale) at Chianti's Restaurant - Willowpark Village on & after November 19th if you would like to see them in person.

Chianti's Restaurant
444 - 10816 MacLeod Trial South
Calgary, AB T2J 5N8
Phone: (403) 225-0010
Fax: (403) 271-6499
Email: WillowPark@ChiantiCafe.ca

Thursday, November 3, 2011

my new book.....

I just published another book on BLURB....it is called "My Hare Plane".
If you are interested in purchasing it, you can buy it on-line at:

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2578775

They currently have a promotion on, if you spend $30 or more they give $10.00 off.
Use Promo Code: BIGTEN at checkout

Here is a sneak peek:

Sunday, October 30, 2011

the divorce is final.....


OK....it's final.....I have officially divorced myself from Safeway
I don't know why it took me so long
week after week, I would complain about the price of groceries, but not do anything about it....
Finally I decided to do some research and test shop elsewhere.
I was reluctant to make a change because after shopping at my local Safeway for so many years, I knew where everything was and all the product. I was so loyal...and developed a relationship with some of the staff. But the cost was getting to be too much.
After narrowing it down between Walmart & Supertstore, I found that the selection was better at Superstore and decided that it is THE ONE.
(on average I am saving around $50 per week)


Goodbye Safeway....I will still visit you from time to time
Call me when you decide to lower your prices


Friday, October 28, 2011

new painting for Chiantis....

I just finished new painting for Chiantis.....
"The Merge"

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

more new work....

I deleivered these to Evanescence Gallery in High River yesterday....
if you are interested in any of them, please contact my friend Arlene (gallery owner) at 403-796-4873

Firefly

Inner Glow

Family Lineage
 
In The Weeds

Me and My Dog

Namaste


Thursday, October 13, 2011

New work for Modern Eyes Gallery

For anyone who lives in the Edmonton area, I have recently sent a few paintings up to the gallery in St. Albert:
Modern Eyes Gallery & Gift
#103 , 5 Perron Street
St. Albert, AB  T8N 1E3
(780) 459-9102

"tired"

 "bumper pads"

 "eyebrow wings"

 "the listener"

 "scaredy cats"

 
"letting go"

Friday, September 23, 2011

journal update.....

I have painted, collaged and completed the PENWORK on "16 Page Amazing Journal". Now the next stage is to work on the lettering....adding some inpirational words and quotes.....
 
Here are some updated pictures.












Tuesday, September 20, 2011

more new work....

I am delivering these new peices to Evanescence Gallery tomorrow. If you are interested in any of them, please contact Arlene @ 403.796.4873.

"Ascension"
I have been feeling pretty good lately...almost like I am flying....ascending into the warmth of the sun. I chuckle at this image because it looks like she has her head in the clouds. Sometimes I feel like my head is ALWAYs in the clouds!

 "Lotus Lovers"
Reminds me of my trip to Bali a few years ago.

 "My Hare Plane"
Two great loves of mine are rabbits and flying. I created the pilot first...not sure what he was riding (or flying) and then the rabbit appeared. When I was finished I struggled for a Title. I thought of "Rabbit Travel"...but it just didn't work...then I thought of "Have Hare Will Travel" (mimicing Have Gun Will Travel)...but that didn't work....and then all of a sudden HARE PLANE arrived.....so it became "My Hare Plane"

 "The Quiet One Liked to Wear Noisy Boots"
Have you ever had someone walking behind you that had really noisy boots...so loud that you have to turn around to take a look? This one is in honor of my husband who tends to be a quiet guy....but what lacks in verbal noise, he makes up with noisy slippers and the spoon clanking when he stirs his coffee every morning. My theory is that quiet people like to make noise to announce their presence.

 "Sharing the Magic"
I cry when I witness magic. It could be in the form of anything.....like kindness or sacrifice or vulnerbility. However it shows up...my eyes leak.

"The Comparison"
I love this one. I find myself doing the comparison alot. When I was physically challenged I would constantly compare my strength to those around me. In a way it was a form of measurement for me...to see how much I was improving. I also like to compare creative things to see how other people might approach solving the same problem. 
 
Evanescence Gallery - 61 - 8 Ave SE - High River, AB