R.I.P. PETEY THE WONDERDOG

I am very, very sad and crying. Petey the Wonderful died today. He was running in the woods with Nature Boy, and we think he got bit by a snake. He was running full blast, and just fell over. Rest in Peace my sweet friend.

MY NEWEST PROJECT-- A PEDAL ART CAR!!

This is my latest wonderful find. I traded an antique for it, one that I had bought on the World's Longest Yard Sale--the cost $10!! It's amazing. It's an old steel pedal car for children, and I adore it!! We are going to sand it, and I am going to paint it like an art car! It'll be SO COOL!! I have two options at that point--One, will be to have a sign maker do a tiny "Suzan Buckner Art" wording for the doors, and take it to art shows as my "banner"..OR to make it where it's sellable as a piece of art...Decisions, decisions...But, either way..I am excited to have it, and for the possibilities that it holds...we shall see....
Live Artfully!!

MEMORIES..PAST WORKS FROM THE SOLD SET ON FLICKR..AND TONIGHT'S PAINTING!!

Tonight's Painting..15 x 15 x 3/4 on wood. Done in Acrylics..blah..blah..blah...hehehe.
And.....

WOW...It looks like a crazy person went further off the deep end, doesn't it? hahahah...I was feeling kind of nostalgic..and looking back on my works that have sold, and then started playing with Flickr/BigHugeLabs, and ended up making mosaics of my past work. There was another page, which I didn't save...but, all in all..this is most of what I have sold in the last year and few months. I made my first sale on April 30,2008. Seventeen months ago. It seems like lifetimes ago. I look at most of it, and ask myself .."How did I do that??". This all started when someone told me to start at the beginning again--after I had whined that I was uninspired.

I was uninspired because of an accidental mold situation. (Nature Boy probably thinks I am crazy..) I came back from Folk Fest about 3 weeks ago...and got sick. Then in 3 days, I was well again. Then, I got what I THOUGHT was a serious sinus infection. I was so tired all day, not in a good mood, couldn't think..and was thinking that I probably had something SERIOUS wrong with me. So, the other day, as I laid down for my SECOND nap of the day, I was thinking to myself..what have I changed in the last 3 weeks..did I put a plant in the house, did I change laundry soaps, did I start drinking/eating something different...NO,NO, NO...Then, it HIT me. A small child's table that I had put in my art room. I had bought it awhile back at a yard sale, and had my husband put it in the art room. It had been in there for about 3 weeks!!. I pulled myself up, and went to look at it, flipped it over, and there it WAS---MOLD!!! I immediately had it removed, and sprayed EVERYTHING in the art room with Lysol..and within 30 minutes, I was feeling ALIVE again. I have been so happy (to feel like I'm NOT dying is TRUELY a blessing!!)...and so..Where was I going with this story?? ...oh well..LOST THAT TRAIN OF THOUGHT..maybe I could blame it on the mold...hehehhe.

Anyway..Live Artfully! ~~Suzan~~

NATURE BOY'S NEW BLOG!!

Check it out HERE!

Leave comments...heheheh.

RE-OPENING MY ETSY SHOP!!!

I should be re-opened by tomorrow! Hope you all come and visit.!!WHHOOOOO!!!!!!

Good Morning Everyone!! Well..Nothing much is going on. I have been a slug, and this is all I did last week. It's time to get busy. I have literally stopped working. I feel yucky, and unhappy, because I am not making anything. Today is going to be different. Last week, we sold at 2 different places, for 3 different days, and it tired us out. Of course--Mr. Big Man Nature Boy got 7 assemblage dolls completed, and actually sold more than I did at the Market on Sunday. He's showing me up..heheheh..can't let that happen. I am going to power paint this week. I am going to slap some major paint on some major wood pieces, and make dolls like my rear is on fire. I also have to find the time to make about 100-200 domino pendants, because I am nearly out of those too. So..I am off of here..and in the studio...Live Artfully!

ART JOURNALS--CHECK OUT THIS INSPIRATIONAL ARTIST!!

GO HERE.

Start on page 4. This lady makes me want to journal again. Her stuff is amazingly cool.
Live Artfully! ~~Suzan~~

THREE NEW PAINTINGS!!

Hello!! I forgot to put these up..as I have been throwing away my studio this whole past week, and cleaning it up, and fighting HUGE piles of STUFF...good lord--I could make 1000 art dolls, and not touch the mess in there...I want to streamline, and ORGANIZE..Anyway..the top two paintings are 15 x 15 inches, wood, done in acrylics. The bottom one is a 8 x 8 "doodle" painting. You know--the one where I was sitting there watching tv, and swishing paint around.

We sold at our town trade day this morning. We had our stuff out about 3 hours, when we got rained out. It ended up raining all day..but I sold one piece of art, and a few pieces of good "junk". Tomorrow it's off to the Chattanooga Market..and I can't wait. I hate doing the town square thing, there is no fudge, no ice-cream, no pizza, and no one who I really consider myself friends with. Which is quite different than our Sunday Market...which has fudge, ice-cream and pizza (a junk food junkies DREAM), and it also has a wonderful air of camaraderie and friendship.

I am working on a doll...wait till you see him...HE's gonna be SO FUNNY!! He's got a fat, pouty face, and a huge squash/gourd looking body.

On the sad side..I found out today that some bad things are happening to a psycho, ex-friend of mine. I really feel sorry (as in pity) for them. But, it seems to me that you get what you deserve out of life, and what goes around--always comes around. I said my prayers for this person, wishing GOOD things for them. They have had their fair share of bad. Maybe one day, they will change the way they live, and things will get better for them. Then again, maybe not. It just makes me a bit sad.

Nothing much is going on here...Petey and Nature Boy are still having daily adventures, and I keep wishing that I was as spoiled as those two...lol..

OOOOOHHHHH!! Today, I bought an OLD METAL PETAL CAR...well, I didn't actually BUY it, but I traded an antique thingermabobber for it. It's really rusted, but in great condition otherwise..Nature Boy is going to sand it, and I am going to make it my project. I am going to paint it (like an art car, not like a paint job), and I am going to build a doll to drive it. It should make quite a statement...Of course..I am going to have to go buy a bigger vehicle just to lug it around..LOL...but, I need a bigger vehicle anyway...so..

Ok..I am just rambling..making no sense. I just missed blogging, so I came here.

Live Artfully!! ~~Suzan~~

ANOTHER MISTAKE and AN ART DOLL!!!

Well..I spent the day working on the above piece. It was a beautiful photo transfer of an old house, with a pen and ink bird outline beside it. My problems started when I tried to do a faux encaustic technique with Gel Medium, and it wouldn't dry. I waited..I waited...I waited..for hours..I hit it with the hair dryer, I ran around waving it in the air..and I could not get the streakes of murky stuff to clear up...So, being the brilliant (dripping sarcasm, here)artist that I am..I decided that taking a piece of rough sandpaper, and some paint stripper to it would repair it, and leave me with a beautiful masterpiece. IMAGINE MY SURPRISE when it STRIPPED it ALL off...Hahahhaha...After I finished banging my head onto the table, long enough to give myself a sustainable concusion--I FINALLY said FORGET IT. Then, in a headachey haze..I picked up a pen, and then some paint..and this is what I did. The GOOD NEWS is that I LOVE IT...the BAD NEWS is....I sure did travel a million miles to take a few steps...

On another note...I have been holding out. I have been having a horrible week (my artistic brain isn't working)...I have done 9 pieces. With the two I showed you earlier, and the broken fish thing, the one above..that's 4 and this one makes 5. I finished this Wednesday, sat her aside, and immediately forgot about her. She measures about 10 inches tall, and is a cutie!!

Live Artfully!! Suzan

MIXED MEDIA COLLAGE PAINTINGS

I switched things up a bit today..trying to get out of a rut..I have done 5 paintings this week, and aren't happy with any of them. This is #6 and #7, and I like them ok. I just am bored with what I am doing. I have this urge to start working with air-dry stoneware clay..which I don't have..so, I am just passing time until I can get some ..(deciding what to buy is killing me..so any suggestions are welcome!) Anyway..Here's the product of today's labor..have to run. Live Artfully! ~~Suzan~~

NATURE BOY DOES IT AGAIN!!

Her name is Abbie, and she stands about 3 1/2 feet tall. She's a cutie. Made from the tip of a huge old satelite dish..(the kind that use to sit in the yard)...LOL.. I think I love her!
Live Artfully! Suzan

NEW PAINTING!! IT FELL AND BROKE IN HALF!!

Well..sometimes you have to salvage your own stuff. I was happily painting fish this morning (on the smaller center piece), and I took it outside and sat it on the porch rail to see how I liked it thus far, and I no sooner turned around, and the damn thing went flopping to the floor. It split it right in half!! But, I liked my fish (you can't see it in this photo, but the two black areas have the fish drawn in, and it looks cool)...so, I decided I had to "fix" it. I mounted both pieces of the painting to a 12 x 12, added a rusted piece, stamped numbers on that, and painted polka dots on blue around the back. I kinda like the way it turned out!! Live Artfully!! Suzan

FINALLY!! SLOTIN FOLK FEST PICTURES!! LOTS OF THEM!!

First--Some of the wonderful business cards I acquired at the show. I didn't get to see everyone, as I was partly busy in Paradise Gardens booth--but, I did get a few. (I will list all the sites at the end of the post.)

I didn't take any pictures at the show, so I borrowed from my new friend Tina, and artist Terrell Powell, from Austin, TX was nice enough to give me permission to his photos of the show.

This was one of my absolute favorite artist at the show. His name was William Skrips, an artist from New Jersey. You can see his website HERE. His work spoke to my soul, and I wanted every piece that he had. They were beyond wonderful! This man's work is completely awe-inspiring, breath-taking beautiful!

More of Mr.Skrips work--

These beautiful pieces are from Terrell Powell--the man nice enough to loan me his pictures.

This person's work was also one of my favorites..and has inspired me to try my hand at claywork. (Of course--this probably won't be in the near future, but maybe in a month or two).

Another of Terrell Powell's pieces.

This was the sign at the front door of the show.

This guy (I found out later) is actually from Chattanooga. He was the sweetest person to talk to. He does this awesome metal work, the "clothes" that you see hanging are actually made from rusted, painted metal. UNBELIEVABLE GREATNESS!! LOVED HIS WORK!! His name is Chris Beck, and you can see a few more of his pieces at WWW.CEBSTUFF.COM.

The man in yellow is called Mr. Imagination. He was super nice, and very interesting to talk to. He does the coolest faces with paint brushes, and much more!

I don't know who this artist is. He paints blue cats, and everyone was buying one--I think he has a wonderfully cute face..hehehe!

This man was SO COOL!! His name is Haint, and he does the most detailed, intricate work that I have ever seen in my life!! AMAZING.

This was part of our booth at the show. Half belonged to a woman named Tina (who was the other sweetie that allowed me to use her photos), and half was Paradise Gardens.

Some more of Paradise Gardens stuff..These are mostly Whitney Jones work, and you can see a bit of mine and Nature Boy's things at the edge of the photo.

Here's a very large Howard Finster piece. It was for sale in our booth.

The woman sitting in this picture is Whitney Jones. She owns and operates Paradise Gardens. This is such a rare shot. Whitney NEVER sits still! I have never seen any one person that goes and goes and goes like she does. She's so wonderful!! HI WHITNEY!!:::WAVING::::Thank you for allowing me to go to this show, and be a part of it!!!HUGS!!!!

This was one of the artist' trucks. She calls herself The Chicken Lady. Her truck was Cool!!

and here's Whitney's trailer. She painted it herself!!

Ok..this has taken me most of the morning, so I am gonna stop now. I will list some of the artist, and their websites and more later. I need to get busy now.

Live Artfully!!Suzan