The Canvases

This week marks the week I dedicated to photographing, editing, putting on a CD, getting into flickr all the canvases so far....not an easy feat.  I had to break it into three sessions so not to get finger blisters.  haha...

Next week I'll be focusing on the invitations.  Getting them out that is.  I've already got the invites and envelopes on order!

I also decided on the charity this week.

I've not painted the canvas yet.....

Would you like to see all the work in one place?  It's pretty cool I have to admit.  I need to get into flickr and move some around to get them in order.  I uploaded in order but somehow they got scrambled.  Wacko.  But love that flikr.  Click HERE to see.

As soon as Vero gets the images onto my page in the website we'll go live with sales.  Yep.  You can pre-buy a canvas!  At the show end she'll ship the canvas to you.  So head on over and pick a favorite.  Remember, your sale is going to help some amazing teenage girls in our community.

I'll be back later in the week with a new canvas.  And perhaps some other surprises!

The Charity

I've thought about who I wanted my portion of the sales from the show to go to for...well...a year.  I'm not sure why I've had a difficult time deciding this.  I guess there's just so many deserving organizations.  It was hard to single it down.  It's not going to be some insane amount of money either.  So what I can give I want to be received well and used well.

The Angel's House.  You can read more about their story here.  Interestingly enough when they opened the house I was an active Junior League member.  Our group was in charge of furnishing and decorating the playroom in the basement.  It was such an amazing experience.  At the time I was teaching 5th and 6th grade at the Heritage School.  I had a bunch of my students meet me at the house where we turned the walls into an African rainforest.  It was a beautiful mural for the kids to enjoy for years to come, but best of all was the interaction between myself and the students.  I still run into kids who say, "Mrs. Horne, do remember when we painted the monkeys and trees in the Angel House?"  Several of my own paintings and collaborative art pieces decorate the main area of the house.  This weekend the Angel House is hosting their annual Run For Angel's.  A 5K and 10K race followed by a yummy chicken-Q to raise money to keep the house going.  I signed up to run of course.  And then it hit me square in the forehead......duh!  The Angel House should receive my money!!  I am so overjoyed that not only will the money be going into my own community, but I personally know that the money will be used appropriately. 

If you feel led to give on your own please go to their site here.  This tab allows you to donate online or through the mail.  You can also donate any of the goods listed here.  The list is quite lengthy. I am thinking of asking anyone who attends the opening to bring an item on the list we could then donate.  This way it's not just money coming into the house.

Well....the details are being checked off the list quickly.  In a very short 6 weeks the opening will happen.  I am getting teary just writing this now.  It's going to be an amazing weekend indeed.

Week 46

"Rainy Days Can Be Fun When Shared With Friends"...Oh how true.  I've got another friend going through some serious rainy days right now.  This makes #4 in the past 3 years of dear friends going through this same rain storm.  I have a hard time wrapping my heart around it.  I guess because I simply can not imagine life without Billy and the kids.  On the flip side though, I am SO proud of them for making these tough decisions and moving on.  My mother held on for 12 long years.  It was pure hell.  Seriously.  I resent her in so many ways for staying with my Dad, not just saying GO!  Or I'm outta here.  And then we had to endure the almost 8 years of her hate and mourning.  As a married person I get her sorrow, hate and desperate need to hang on.  I do.  But as an adult child in the middle of it all it sucked the life out of me.   So in other words since I was around 18 until about 2 years ago my mother has not been an easy person to know or love.  And then there was my Dad who finally married his love and is crazy happy now.  Talk about being torn in two.  Just saying.  Not easy. 

So each time my sweet friends have told me they were leaving I seriously say, "I am proud of you."  Because being the child of a long drawn out divorce near about killed me.  Right now she just needs someone to hang out under the umbrella with her.  Help navigate the storm.  Listen when needed.  Use kind words at other times.  And every-once-in-awhile have fun.  I'm pretty good at sharing my heart.  Especially in times like these.  Last night as I crawled into bed though I was ever thankful and ever grateful that God placed Billy into my life.  I slept soundly knowing that any storm I had to ride out in an umbrella he'd be right beside me.....

Week 45

"Sometimes Love is What We Need to Reach New Heights"....my words.  I was going to stamp them onto the painting but lately I've been hesitant to add words.  There is such a trend right now to put thought provoking words onto your art.  It was certainly ALL over the mart.  In college I just remember that being the biggest NO-NO.  I suppose those professors really got into my head in regards to words and art.  As a viewer of art you should be allowed an opportunity to decide for yourself the meaning in art.  Heck, we probably wouldn't really want Vincent van Gogh putting words across his art.  Right?  But seriously, I was talking to Tiffin about this just recently how we feel pressured to place some deep thought provoking make you cry words onto our art.  When really, the art itself is such an expression on its own.  I told her I write on the back of my canvases...often a quote or an elaborate title.   Galleries have been known to giggle at some of my rather long titles.  I believe that as a viewer you should first approach a piece and enjoy it with your eyes.  Then let your thoughts mull over what the artist was thinking or trying to say, at this point letting your brain work.  And then glance at the title.  Sometimes the title makes you go, "What?"  Other times, "Ah....that's what that is."  Either way, I am finding myself running back to my art roots and not jumping on the trendy train.  I'll let you discover meaning in my art.  There is always a gentle reminder in my work.  With the underlined meaning always coming back to joy.

Artful Blogging Feature

This was in my mailbox yesterday.  Yep.  Talk about a heart stopping moment.  You see the magazine comes in a plastic sleeve with a letter on top saying, "Congrats for being featured here's your advanced copy".  I couldn't see the cover.  When I ripped off the plastic and the letter and saw that my little hot air balloon was on the cover....well I just about cried. 

This journey has been amazing.  Really.  And seeing my work and words in this gorgeous magazine makes me realize how fortunate I am to have been given this gift.  Creative people don't ask for the gifts, they are given to them you know.  Sometimes it's difficult to be this creative soul.  Always wanting more for my art and what I put out there, wondering if it's enough, praying it'll be well received .  Reading the article I truly became emotional.  Even though the words came from my own hands and mind, they were words that touched my heart with their truth.  I can not thank Jennifer Jackson Taylor enough for publishing the words and pictures.  It is a beautiful layout. 

Again, the Show Opening is literally around the corner....March 15th and 16th at the Naked Art Gallery in Birmingham, Alabama.  Vero has been so gracious with my entire artful journey since the beginning.  I can not wait to share this journey's end right back at the root of my personal journey as an artist.

Week 44

Week 44....Chose.  I love to paint portraits of old Mason jars.  I just line my real jars up and sketch a few compositions out.  I've a variety of shapes and sizes, and prefer the good old blue tinted ones over any other.  Actually one of my favorite paintings so far in this journey is the Mason jar one with the firefly in it. It says, "let nothing dim the light that shines within".  Not sure what week it is.  I need to go back and see.

Anyhoo, this week marks Billy and I's 17th Wedding Anniversary.  I know.  Seems unheard of this day and age.  In my own little world many of my friends didn't make it this long.  Sure, there are plenty of times I wish he would mold into the mold I imagined the perfect husband would fit into.  But honestly he's mighty fine the way he is.  He accepts me and ALL my quirks.  He really likes my ...well should I really tell you this?  Oh why not.  He likes my thunder thighs (which I hate).  He lets me be who I want to be and has allowed me to fail miserably only to be standing right there not saying "I knew this wouldn't work" but rather saying "What's next?".  We mesh pretty well with the kiddo raising.  And still manage to gross them out with our kissing sessions in the kitchen.  He is painfully moody once a month.  But I imagine I am painfully moody once a month as well.  That leaves 2 weeks of happy.  Haha...

I chose this life.  I did.  He asked.  I said yes.  There's never in my married life been a time where decisions weren't mine. Oh we've made plenty of decisions together, and compromises are a part of any marriage.  But in the end I am choosing my own path.  Whether I'm running or walking it, it's MINE.  I can not judge the path you are own, because it is the one you chose for yourself as well.  Nor should you ever let anyone choose for you.   Because people, the right to CHOSE is a GIFT.  A gift we shouldn't take for granted nor let go of.  We need to embrace our ability to choose to be happy....choose to be strong...choose to be amazing....choose to be loved....choose to be who we are destined to be.  The 3 jars represent this....jar one has 1 daisy, jar 2 has 2 daisies and the last has none.  I chose this jar because I want to fill it with my own wishes and dreams.  Daisies are my favorite flower, so it's hard to pass them up.  But ultimately the empty jar has much more potential to fulfill my dreams.  (Oh and the 3 little daisies can also represent my little family.  That I really like keeping close by.)

This is a picture of us leaving the reception and heading off into our new lives together.  I wanted sparklers, but Mom was afraid people would catch me on fire.  So we threw pink rose petals.  So sweet.  Dang...17 years.  16 of it we grew in one house.   Now we nest in a new one.  And look forward to filling the empty jar for the next 17 together.  

Week 43

 

Another week...another silly happy painting.  Yep.  One day I'm gonna paint something dark and scary just to prove I can.  HAHA...This idea was in my sketchbook and now it's come to life.  I just love the way the birds are holding onto their hearts while others hearts are swinging in the breeze. It's how I feel about the willow tree.  There's something about those trees that remind me of swaying hearts.  Swaying hearts ready to be grabbed a hold of.

You make think I'm going a bit off the deep end...but seriously school has been making me very happy lately.  Teaching school that is.  The kids are very calm and sweet finally (even the Wednesday classes which I thought was unthinkable).  It's like they've figured out my strengths and weaknesses.  And I them.  We are bonding.  They are my little willow tree.  Hearts swaying in the wind...catching me off guard with hugs.  Taking my breath away with the beauty they create.  And calming my soul as I travel this creative life.  They give me purpose everyday as I walk through the doorway.  They've made me realize that making art is important, but teaching art is even more important.

Yep....seems my swaying hearts have been caught over and over again here at school.  And I'm pretty sure I've grabbed a few hearts myself.