I WILL TEACH YOU TO FLY

Hello!! I have been working on this for a couple of days now, and finally got it to the varnishing stage. It's HUGE...24 x 36..acrylic on wood..$275. Hope you like it!
Live Artfully!

THREE NEW PAINTINGS

This one is 12 x 12. Acrylic on wood. $60.
"MAN"--I am not sure that I like this one at all. It's 12 x 12 acrylic on wood. $40
This one is also 12 x 12, acrylic on wood. It is SOLD already!

I also wanted to thank the guys at the Chattanooga Market for helping me get the word out for our show. You guys ROCK!! Also, Thank You to the Dalton Daily Citizen and Chattanooga Times Free Press for your write-ups on my show!! Thank you so Much!!!
Live Artfully!!

WANT A CHANCE TO GO TO ARTFEST?? CAN'T AFFORD IT?? CHECK THIS OUT!

I was just over at Teesha Moore's blog, and she has something wonderful going on. Check it out for a chance to go to Artfest!! Click HERE! What a wonderful way to Pay It Forward!!!

AN OUTRIGHT BRAG POST..I HAVE SOMETHING AND YOU DON'T!!! MY FIRST SOLO GALLERY SHOW! LOTS OF PICTURES

Ok..Good Morning..As you all probably know..last night was Nature Boy and I's FIRST SOLO Gallery show...and let me tell you....I AM GONNA BRAG..I have something that NONE of you have...that you CAN'T have...that you probably will NEVER have as long as you live. I have it ALL!!!! I am the bomb!!!! I am the Queen Mother Superior, because I Have IT and YOU don't...Is it talent???? NO... A lot of you have talent that FAR exceeds mine. Is it the SHOW?? NOOOO...many of you (I hope) will have solo shows if that is what you desire....IS it FAME, FORTUNE...NOOOOOOOO...I am not being followed by crazy people with cameras (THANK GOD!)..and I am certainly not rich....hehheheh

WHAT I HAVE THAT YOU DON'T IS ...

BILL.
More SPECIFICALLY...What BILL does for me. hehehee..(teasing you..teasing you...)
BILL ROCKS MY WORLD. Bill and his life partner, Paul are great friends of mine and Nature Boy's. (more mine though..cause they love me best...heheheh) BILL HAS this TALENT...that would make any woman in her right mind SWOON..and makes me (who's not in her right mind)..just giggly with school-girl crush-like emotions for what he does...HE does it better than ANY man that I have ever met. It makes your knees all watery, and shaky...and makes you feel magical things...ANDDDDDDDDD..



HE DOES IT BETTER THAN MY GRANDMOTHER (God bless her soul). NOW, I KNOW you have your curiosity up...Ok...I will tell you..I know that the suspense is killing you. I know you are sitting on the edge of your chair, and wondering if Nature Boy is steaming with pent-up jealousy...heheheehe....

Bill...






BAKES.



Not just anything. BILL BAKES homemade, FROM SCRATCH, mouth-watering, buttery POUND CAKES. Bill bakes these for ME. (See the heart in the middle..hehehe) This baby is 6 inches thick, and the size of a small car. See the crumbly goodness on the top. See it's perfection, and how it is just ready to be eaten off of the top before the rest of the cake. I tell you. If you aren't eaten up with jealousy...you should be. Thank you Bill! Chuck and I (especially me) loves you and Paul with all of our hearts!!!



Now that you all are jealous, and your mouths are watering...Here's pictures of mine and Chuck's first solo show...I want to thank EVERYONE at the Dalton, Georgia Creative Arts Guild for such a beautiful, fantastic reception last night. I appreciate each and every one of you! Thank You!




















It was so nice. They had tables of food and wine, and a lot of people came. We had sold 5 pieces before it started ...which was a wonderful feeling! The exhibit will be in Gallery 111 at the Arts Guild until the end of February, so if you are nearby, I hope you'll stop in and see it.
Live Artfully and eat pound cake!!

THE ART IS DELIVERED! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY NATURE BOY!!

Hi! I don't have any pictures today..Sorry! We got up today, and took our art over to Gallery 111 in the Dalton, Georgia Creative Arts Guild. The place is VERY NICE. It's large with a HUGE main gallery, and then the gallery where will hang is on the side of the main gallery (like a 10 x 20 alcove). The place is just wonderful. The people were wonderful, and Nature Boy and I are excited. I will go early tomorrow, so that I can take pictures of everything for you. We left our work there today, for the gallery to hang.

Today is also our 8th wedding anniversary, we went out last night to celebrate, then went out again today for lunch. If I have made one good decision in my life, it was marrying Nature Boy. It's been a great 8 years!!! I love you sweetheart!!
Live Artfully!

MY NEW HAIR COLOR..hehee.

Please Check out the next post below this one. Thanks!!
Live Artfully!!

MY HIGH SCHOOL FRIEND RESCUED THIS DOG-- MEET PAYTON.

Please go HERE to read about my high school friend, Richard Campbell and the little dog that he rescued. Peyton was hit by a car, which broke (I think) both of his hind legs. Thank God that Richard and his big heart was there. If you wish, please donate. If not, just keep the little guy and Richard in your prayers. Thank you!
Live Artfully!

THREE DAYS UNTIL MY SOLO GALLERY SHOW!

Remember the painting above? I did it in Aug-09, and was quite ok with it...well, for my solo show Friday night, I redid the painting in 24 x 24 inches!!!! (see below.) It was quite a labor of work, painting that large! But..here it is..It amazes me, how much I've changed in such a short period of time...Speaking of which..do you ever go back and look at your blog/journal/notes from exactly a year ago from the day you are looking? It's quite amusing to do this..(at least to my nearly lost, bored mind..) I was looking back on last year's February 2nd, and it's strange that the entire year of 2009 has gone, it's already February, and it's 2010! Time sure does fly.

Please keep Marsha from Tumble Fish Studios in your prayers. She is going through a VERY hard time right now, and needs everyone's love and support.

I had this long, humorous post planned out. But, I am whooped, beaten, exhausted...so I am going to bed...
Live Artfully!

GOOD MORNING HAPPY MUSIC POST

I found this video on Ingrid Dijker's blog, and am borrowing it from her, because I start my every day off watching this...it is so COOL. I love the dancing, the visuals, and the song. I LOVE it so much that I can ignore the fact that the man is dressed like a 1980's high school student..LOL..This makes me want to dance..heeheee. To let you in on a BIG secret..NATURE BOY..well, he's gonna KILL me for telling this....and I may have to come and live with one of you, so I can hide from him...
but, he DOES dance (if you can call it that) to this. It makes me laugh so hard that I almost..well..You women KNOW...LOL LOL...
Live Artfully!!

GOOD MORNING RANT POST TO AMUSE YOU

I thought that I would wake up, and just get out of my system things that I CANNOT STAND. Then we can proceed the rest of the day with happiness and light hearts....hehehe.
1. WOMEN, especially those over the 40 year mile marker that call themselves "girl". GET REAL.. it isn't making you look any younger, smarter, or cuter....Accept your old age, and get over it.
2. Colon cleansing commercials...PLEASE..if my colon needs cleansing, I will search you out. I don't need you interrupting NCIS, and fantasies of Mark Harmon with your crap. No pun intended.
3. Reality shows that are NO WHERE near my reality. I want to see "BORING Housewives of Jackson County"..how are other women coping with living in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by rednecks?? I do not want to watch a bunch of rich, spoiled women cat-fighting over who has the best dinner party..I am living amongst rednecks, ones that shoot innocent animals, and you are worried that your yacht and mansion don't match??? (This includes anything having to do with wifes, surviving,high school reunions, etc..can't you just make ONE reality show? It could be called Housewives of Orange County from High School that Survived...)
4. Online "marketing" people...HELLO!! I am not stupid enough to not know that since you couldn't sell your OWN product, you will sell "marketing". I am not paying you $1, or $1000 for you to tell me how to "market". There is nothing that you can share with me that I can't figure out for myself. So, PLEASE stop sending me emails, twitters, facebook, etc...I think you need to market your own stuff..before you tell me how to do it. (Oh..and saying the word "buzz" doesn't immediately, magically make a million people run to you..just so you know.)
5. People that hurt animals. Hell, you want to beat up something...come up here--I will set you up with some wonderful rednecks..You can even tie antlers to their heads and make them run in front of you, while you aimlessly shoot your gun at them.
4. Artist that act like their techniques and projects are top-secret, national security needed, ideas straight from the vaults of the National Mint. PLEASE..art needs to be shared! I have emailed a man on FLICKr THREE TIMES. All I want to know is HOW you get images blown up to 3 feet tall, come on..spill the secrets!! There's nothing you can do that is SO wonderful, SO magnificent, that it needs to be kept secret. I bet Michelangelo would have shared with us the painting of the Sistine Chapel..so what's so special about your stuff that you cannot share???
5. Cashiers in retail establishments that talk on the phone while ringing up your order. It takes all I can do, not to tell them that the removal of that phone from in between their buttocks is going to hurt A LOT more than the insertion. HELLLLOOOOOO... ME SPENDING my money in your store is providing YOU with a JOB...GET OFF THE PHONE!!

Ok..five RANTS are enough...I basically need to turn off the TV, do ALL my shopping online, and stop looking at other artists' ..and my life would blissful..Have a great, happy, wonderful day!
Live Artfully

FINISHED PAINTING..SO EXCITED!!

This is what I did today. I MEAN ALL DAY!!! Good God, this thing is big, and took me a very LONG time to finish. I think it's one of my better pieces, and it's ALL painting. I didn't collage on it at all...I loveeeeeeeeeeeeee painting biggggggggg.........I am exhausted though..feel like I have been in a marathon...it took a lot out of me..
Live Artfully!

::::SIGH::::

Wow...it stormed like crazy last night, enough to wake me up several times. I need a nap..Of course, I need a nap every day (just like a pre-schooler...LOL). It's one of the guilty pleasures of my otherwise mundane life..LOL. I love to sleep, and I love to nap. Almost every day, I will be lying on the couch, bundled up, and Nature Boy will ask me if I am going to sleep..and every day I say..."no honey, I am just cold"..(doesn't matter if it's winter or summer..hehehe) Then, I go to sleep. He must ask me out of habit...LOL...and obviously I just answer out of habit, because we always have the same conversation..and the result is always the same...zzzzzzzzzzzz....a nap.

Yesterday, I painted two large paintings. I am learning some new things...One, painting LARGE is MUCH easier than painting small. Two, it is definitely easier painting when your painting is in an upright position and your arm is slightly out in front of you. I have always painted with the wood lying flat on my art table, and since I am rushing to get enough paintings with a show (I have done 8 this week!!)...and they are larger paintings than I am accustomed to..I am having to change my evil, lazy ways. I have been a lazy artist this past year, and I say this because it is much harder on your arms and shoulders to paint the proper way, with your painting standing in front of you...but it's better. I was stressing because stupid me sold my easel last year, thinking that I never used it, so why have it sitting around....and so I have been painting right handed, while holding my painting on the table with my left hand. This was murderous to say the least...LOL..So, I had to find a way to work. I asked Nature Boy to PLEASE build me a tabletop contraption to lean my paintings on...and as he was doing this, I spotted a big wooden thing that we had picked up at an estate sale a longgggg time ago. I had bought this large, heavy triangle shelf thingie..and it has been sitting in our garage for years. It wasn't practical to use the little shelves, and so there it sat..until yesterday. It's about 3 feet tall, weighs a mega ton, and is only about 12 inches wide. It's triangular, with the backside being straight up, and it works beautifully!!. I just had Nature Boy put it on my tabletop, and now I can prop my larger pieces with the greatest of ease!!! It should increase my production by 100% at least.

The devil painting above is acrylic on wood, and it's HUGE...29 inches long. It was fun, fun, fun to do..I am going to continue to paint larger. I like it!

Well, The DOG THAT ADOPTED ME ran away. He left about 5-6 days ago, and hasn't returned. I am not sad about it. He was more wild than domesticated, and needed his freedom. We did look for him, and we went to the county animal shelter and made sure that he wasn't picked up, or taken in. He wasn't there, but I think I am going to start volunteering there one day a week. It'll be good to get out of the house, and I can love all of those animals, and not get two attached.

On the bloggie front. I have compiled a list of all the things that you all wished for, and am going to be working some tutorials up for you all as soon as I get this gallery showing out of the way.

That's about all folks..I have rambled about useless nothingness for long enough this morning. I need to do one of two things...I either need to go paint, or take a nap..I wonder which it will be..hehehe.
Live Artfully!!
suzan

NEW PAINTING

Working, working..back to work...
Live Artfully!

HARROD and HARROD...

This is Harrod. He is a large 15 x 15 painting that I did last night, on the request of Nature Boy...who for some reason wanted a large bald head...(I guess the one on his shoulders isn't enough--hehehhe). I like how Harrod turned out. The colors are good, and I am ok with this painting. BUTTTT.......................

I was playing with Harrod in Photoshop..mainly because I was bored, and it was late, and I was procrastinating going to bed....and I LOVE WHAT CAME OUT!!! I love "altered" Harrod, love him so much that today, I am going to try to actually paint altered Harrod. He just makes my heart sing.. I think I love him...Here he is...
Live Artfully~!!~
Suzan

IF FACEBOOK GAMES DON'T GET ME...FLICKR WILL...

The HOURS I spend looking through flickr, and playing facebook games....that's ALL I'm saying..LOL.

EEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!

Hello! Above is the same picture that I had previously shown, except this one is played with in Photoshop...just messing around...because the Lord knows that I haven't been very creative at all...BUT NOW...I have news....The "EEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKK" is because I have 15 DAYS to put together...are you ready?? ....I have 15 days to put together...my.....
FIRST GALLERY SHOW

Oh my God..I am hyperventilating...excited...scared..terrified...

I just got a call from a friend and he wanted me to do a show for the whole month of February!! It will be at the Creative Arts Guild in Dalton, Georgia in Gallery 111. They have two galleries, and I (and Nature Boy's assemblage pieces) am in one of them!! By ourselves..Alone...in 15 days..WHOOOHOOOOO!!!

This is so exciting...

Live Artfully!!

EVOLUTION OF A PAINTING...

Ok...started with this. (I showed it to you all a few days ago...) Watercolor on paper. Regular paper--not even watercolor paper.

Then I mounted (glued) it to wood, and added some acrylics....HATED IT.

Then tonight, this is what I did to it...same picture, same painting..just painted over the entire thing, except the face.

Live Artfully!

TA-DA!!!

hehehehe...::smile:::::taken by Nature Boy in our "backyard"....

THE DOG HAS QUIRKS

Well..the dog is still around. He isn't living in our house, and probably won't. He likes the outdoors, the freedom, and the cold. Also, he has a few quirks....
1. This dog carries around a dead opossum carcass as a toy. It's been dead long enough to be petrified, and Nature Boy has buried/thrown it away 3 times. It always shows up. It was encased in ice on Friday, so..the dog carried it around. It looked like a large chunk of ice with a opossum's head poking out. (This could be because THIS IS WHAT IT WAS).
2. This dog can eat an entire leg from a deer. From the hip joint all the way to the foot. Bones, flesh, skin, etc...the dog ate it. He did share a morsel (and I am being generous here) with the neighbor hood dog that got out the other day. I don't know where the leg came from...I imagine the dog just ran a deer down, and ripped it's one leg off...so, come spring..I won't be surprised to see a 3 legged deer hobbling around...LOL.
3. The dog goes into his house on our porch at approximately 8pm EVERY NIGHT, and sleeps like the dead, until approximately 5 am. He doesn't come out or wake up for ANYTHING. You can call him, conjole him, tantalize him..NOTHING. His eyes don't open, and he never moves. Weird, if you ask me.
4.He is not an Alpha dog. The dog down the street (HERSHEY) was loose, and treated the dog that has adopted us, like a sissy girl. The dog that has adopted us, let him. (Petey used to tear into HERSHEY, even though Hershey was twice his size).
5. The dog that adopted us is obviously a puppy. He's already as big as Petey was. This is kinda scary. One or two growth spurts will turn the dog that adopted us into A BIG DOG THAT ADOPTED US.
6. He is HIGHLY intelligent. I have already taught him to speak, and the meaning of no...I think he knows how to sit, but is stubborn and WON'T...hehehe..he waits until I turn my back, then sits. Nature Boy suggested obedience training today...I told Nature Boy that at 62, he was too old to be trained..OH!! You mean you were talking about for the dog???? (Honey, you have to clarify these things for me)...hehhe.

Well..that's about it. The jury is still out about me keeping him. I am not running him off, but I am also not letting him in my house. I keep thinking of Jack London's, THE CALL OF THE WILD...and am thinking one day, he'll run off..and we'll never see him again...which is ok with me...A three legged deer is one thing--a one legged Nature Boy or Suzan is not.
Live Artfully!

WORKING WITH WATERCOLOR

Good Morning--It is COLD. Bitter, icy, snowy, stick-my-head-under-the-covers, hibernating COLD. I am miserable..LOL..I am FROZEN....I am also whiny, and a cry-baby...LOL...But, anyway-- Good Morning!

Last night, I was playing with watercolor pencils and crayons while watching the National Championship football game..(Yea!! for Nature Boy!!! His team took the National Championship title--happy for him!!!)..Well..as I was saying..I was playing, and this was the end result! I think I love watercolors!! They are so easy to work with, and I love the look. This is done on a scrap piece of cheap paper, and I used acrylics for some of it. It was quick, easy, and fun!

I am compiling my list of things that you all asked for me to show you. I will be doing a couple of tutorials starting next week, and I hope that they help you. A lot of you wanted "how to do faces". I probably am not the one to show you this--because most of my faces are kinda wonky looking, but I will give it a shot. Ok..going back under the covers. I wish I could stay there until March. (WHY didn't God grant humans the ability to hibernate?????) Live Artfully!

NEED YOUR HELP!! I WANT TO GIVE BACK!!

Hello!! I have been thinking..I run to the blog...say.."woohhoooo..I did this, I did that...blah, blah, blah...and..." then I'm gone. It's been this way since last April or so, and it's just simply because I have been so busy. I am sorry!

I would like to do some new tutorials...but, really don't know what to tell you all...SO..HELP ME. If you would like a tutorial on something..just leave a comment on this post. If you can think of anything...please tell me. I am willing to "give back" to the blogging community while I can...so..put your thinking beanies on.....(PS..I can't tell you how to spackle the Empire State Building...or anything like that..so, let's keep it REAL..hehehe)

Live Artfully!!

NATURE BOY'S ART IS GOING IN MY ETSY SHOP...REVISION OF THE PAINTING..

I have started to put Nature Boy's art in my Etsy shop, and have listed one of his assemblage art dolls (they are so cute!)..also..I made revisions to this painting, and it's now listed. I am going to try to list a few things daily...so please keep checking back!

MYSTERY DOG...

Good Morning!! I really have debated showing these pictures. They may disturb you, and give you warm, uncontrollable fuzzies..causing shortness of breath, and heart pitter patterings....but, this little fellow showed up about 6 days ago. I tried to ignore him, but had to feed him..tried not to let him get friendly, but put down blankets in Petey's house on the porch, so he wouldn't get cold....I personally think he's a young wolf pup..Nature Boy says I am crazy..we'll see. (Let's just hope he eats the one that didn't KNOW what he was -- when he huffs and puffs and blows our house down..heheh). We are thinking of naming him ELI..or Sirius (from Sirius Black on Harry Potter). Let's NOT get attached to him..and let's NOT let him in the house........:::SIGH:::::...we'll see...

Live Artfully!

FIRST PAINTING OF 2010!!!

15 x 18 acrylics on wood, mixed media..not sure if I like it yet or not..hehehe.

FIRST POST OF 2010!!

2010

Well..here we are. 2010. A new year, a new chance to make things fresh and new again. I didn't do art journaling much this year, didn't do much online, but all in all..it was a great year. I had some wonderful opportunities, and basically worked my fingers to the bone to sell at the Chattanooga Market. Nature Boy became an artist this year!! That was exciting.

I have to get busy. The market starts again at the end of April. I want to do shows this year, and lots of them. I have to get some inventory built up, and I want to continue offering paintings and art online. I miss my online communities, and friendships, and can't believe 2009 is gone and done with, and so much time has pasted.

Some of the wonderful highlights in 2009...
1. Having the opportunity to sell every week at the wonderful Chattanooga Market. I met so many FANTASTIC people, whom I came to love as dear friends.
2. Meeting one of my online friends--Mary Freeman. Such a beautiful person--inside and out!
3. Being able to be part of the Slotin Folk Fest in Atlanta. (Such a mind-blowing experience!).
4. Watching from afar as SHE WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING knocked out almost all of her time through nursing school. I cannot believe my daughter is going to be an RN..I am proud of her, though I don't think it's really sunk in yet. She will always scare me, if she has a needle in her hand..hehehe.
5.Nature Boy got news that his daughter will give birth to his 5 grandchild in April.
6.I was published for my first time.
7. I had many offers --some of them I took seriously, others (you know who you are)..I simply laughed in their face. (A MAJOR company, I am talking about here).
8. I sold a great deal of my art this year. That makes me happy.
9. We purchased a NICE vehicle..and gave my car to SHE WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING. (I hope it last her for at least another year!)
10. Thanked God every day for the blessings in my life.

I guess the only real bad thing that happened this year was the passing away of Petey the Wonderdog. I still miss him everyday....but if that is all the bad that I had to deal with (not counting the flu that lasted 3 weeks)...I consider myself content, and blessed.

I don't know what I want yet out of the new year. I haven't really thought about "resolutions", or what I need to do. I will get it all straightened out in my crowded head soon. But, whatever it is--I hope you'll join me...and take the ride with me. I appreciate ALL of you so much!! Thank you!! Love, and Live Artfully! ~~Suzan~~