I was pinning images to my Pinterest Boards earlier, focusing on the 'Inspiration' board.  I am still deciding how I will use this tool in my work, for now it seems to be a good way to gather images together in one place, to save physical space and also paper.  The images I pinned today were mostly artists who I think are awesome, mostly mixed media artists since that is my focus for this month. This is a whole different world for me, so these visuals really help to give me ideas. 

And of course I had to pin some of my influences from art history, such as Gustav Klimt and Alphonse Mucha.  I found this AMAZING close-up of Klimt's piece entitled, Water Serpents (1904-1907) and fell in love with the gold line work...and the fact that it is actually slightly raised from the surface.  Hmmmmmm.... that could be an idea for my large painting I am working on...

I am an early riser.  I really do have a hard time sleeping in, regardless of how late I stay up.  8am this morning- I am up.  Per usual, I get up and start my day…but the mix of the early start and the blah weather brought spurts of productivity.  (Right...randomness at casa de Gironda....Mackie thinks he can fit in this box.  I didn't have the heart to tell him otherwise. It doesn't have much to do with art, but it was pretty cute.)  ...uh, I digress...this is what my morning was like...easily distracted...

I don’t know where the time goes…all of a sudden its 12pm and the new canvas is set up on the easel.   I must say, it felt like Christmas morning taking the wrapping off of the canvas, it is a bit of a chore since it is larger than I have been working…30x40 to be exact.  Grabbed my pencil and my Sharpie marker and just started drawing…pretty soon I had the beginnings of a tree.  And somewhere along the way the word LOVE appeared on my tree. Then I stopped around 1pm…at some point I sketched out a few designs on some small canvases (posted farther down) ...and now here it is 8pm and that canvas is still in the sketch phase…not a scrap of paint on the surface.

But I did do some art-related things today, the usual trip to Michael’s (I insist that I do NOT need a reason to go there…) and…oh yeah, WE LAUNCHED TIPSY ART TODAY!  Yes!  Now that is where some of the day went.  It feels great to have set out a little over a month ago and today make that idea and reality.  The website is live, the Facebook page is ready….sure, we will add some things to both, but it’s really there.  Don’t believe me?  Go to www.tipsyart.com. It is for real.  We did it!

(Right) A few little things I quickly sketched out...will be examples for the T'Art site at a later date....

Preparing for the week…Halloween tomorrow, my favorite holiday…gotta get ready for FAEA conference in St. Petersburg, I can’t wait to see the new Salvador Dali Museum…but I know my mind if going to be on this new painting…my eyes living in each shape, wondering what colors will live there…and where this work will take me.  I love this feeling…inspiration.

My friend, fellow artist, and muse Jessie posted this on our new web and the truth in the statement haunts me, so I will share it;

 "If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."-Vincent Van Gogh


Yep, it’s kind of like that.

ummmm.....so we did it.  We held our first T’Art (Tipsy Art) event.  What we came up with a little over a month ago actually happened- we taught folks how to paint in a small party setting.  I couldn't sleep last night I was so excited about it.  What started out as just a passing observation after Sofia had a bad experience at a local paint/wine event (not naming names, but she paid a good amount to attend)…’you guys could do that’…she said to myself and Jessie during our art making madness…we glance up and say ‘yes, we could'…'WAIT, YES WE COULD DO THAT'…fast forward to staying up all night building the beginnings of the web site (launching tomorrow), discussions on our business model, our roles in the business, msc. discussions on the how-to of making this thing work…talk of brand identity (thanks to my husband’s PhD articles that I have been checking out)…random texts and phone calls to stay on track, a short apron painting session at my place, lot’s of visits to Michaels…and at 5:30 last night we were doing it- setting up for our first T’Art event. Tables set up in a U-formation, black table cloths ready for whatever mishaps might come, water cups, extra napkins, brushes, palettes of paint, two easels up front and we were ready. 

Now, if you know me, you know I am not a fan of landscapes, I mean- where am I going to put the cheetah print and rhinestones, you know? So when we got Sofia’s text with the picture the client was wanting…gulp…a landscape…a pretty tough one…I thought to myself, no worries, surely Jessie’s thing is landscapes, we’re all good.  (Meanwhile, across town, she is getting the same text, making the same gulp and thinking that I must be able to handle a landscape…oooh, no way girl) But you know what?  We totally made it happen.  Jessie started a painting at school, started the water, land and background sky and I was able to jump on that painting while she started another one from scratch so everyone could see the process.  Sofia is taking pictures, making sure everyone has paint, trouble shooting…and at the end of the night everyone seemed happy, their paintings were great, the three of us worked as a team…and it was pretty awesome to get paid to paint.  (…and a landscape at that!)...and hang out with good people, YES.

So, it’s still early but we came up with this idea the weekend of September 18th, made plans and last night we had our first event.  The web is going live tomorrow now that we have pictures of what we do, and I will be up tonight painting some additional samples of what T’Art has to offer.  Feels pretty good.  My concept of syntax is shot at this point and I know I am going crazy with the ellipses and my comma use is out of control…but I am just really happy with the way things worked out, fell into place...all of it.  

I am not going to say much...but..I am working on something with some girlfriends...a little venture...just had a fun Saturday art/planning session...more info to come...