 #1 travel partner, John! ...just some pics from our recent trip...not a ton of time to blog (or relax, nap...all my favorite things! boo!) because...we are MOVING! Aughhh!!! Tomorrow! So...umm...before I start freaking out...too late...here are some pics from our recent travels. After some artin' on the plane the first stop was Virginia to see my good friend and sorority sister, Lauren. She has twin girls and this was our first meeting, they are fun little girls, into everything! I managed to get in a nap, make friends with her three cats (which made me feel better since Pumpkin, Ed and Sarah's cat, hated me!) , personalize two chairs for the girls and turn her kitchen table into an art studio for the night. I love our friends, we just pick right up no matter how long it's been. I LOVE YOU LAUREN, B AND THE LITTLE ONES! TAKE CARE OF FRANKIE AND FRANNIE THE FLAMINGOS! 
Next up, drive on up to Delaware to see Bryan and Kristen before they move to Washington state. Bryan and John have both gone through the PhD program together, and now Kristen and I are friends, too...we have suffered together through this dissertation process! TBryan and Kristen have a laid back spot at the beach for the summer, it was a much needed mini-vacation. Adventures incuded crabbin' (if you know me then you know I am NOT outdoorsy, so you can imagine me out there...I did okay, and it was actually fun!)...yep, turning the coffee table into an art space...much coffee and even some angel drops. GOOD LUCK IN WASHINGTON, DEPTULAS- CAN'T WAIT TO COME SEE YOU! 
And finally...a little sight-seeing in DC before our flight. John had never been to the capitol and we did our best but we will have to go back, that's for sure. Highlights of our teeny tiny trip to DC include leaps at the FDR memorial... tears in my eyes at the MLK memorial...being moved at the WWII memorial...and giving ol' Abe a thumbs up. Good times. 
So...that might be it for a few days while I finish packing and help get all this stuff down south. I am sure I will still post to IG, so check that out (@artinw_damuse)...and I don't plan on letting this moving business stop me from making my art- no way! Thank you in advance to Jessie, Adam, Sof and Tyson for helping us tomorrow...omg, THANK YOU!!!! 
...latest piece, CED13-206...starting to just focus on the eyes...because everything is so chaotic that is all I can focus on, aughhhh!!
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Back from a MUCH NEEDED mini-vacation (more on that later, when I have more time to blog) ...I sat down last night when we got back home to finish up all the work that I started when I was traveling...added a little watercolor here, a little acrylic there...got up this morning and added a some more layers of color, did some outlining.... then took pics of the work... I was just sitting here editing the pictures to post to my FB and web and I realized that I hit the 200 mark. Just like that, 200 days of art making, being CREATIVE EVERY DAY, have come and gone...and this isn't the last pic I have to add today! I still have a few pieces to finish editing, and keep in mind that there are about 70 pieces out there in addition to the daily pieces...winter ladies, crazy cat ladies, eyes, msc. commissions and, of course, fashion illustrations. But I just had to stop for a minute and have this mini-celebration for my commitment to making art. I feel good, but there is more art to make, enterpieces for a quinceañera to finish, boxes to pack for the big move...maybe even a nap somewhere in there....  ...new work pattern for this week...teach art camp all day...nap...work out...pack...freak out because I have to pack...shower...start daily drawing in pencil...go over with pen...finish the color work the following day...REPEAT. 
Okay. So I have alot of clothes. Like...mucho. But one thing that I think I do well is keep it all organized. Everything is seperated by color (I like to use this order, W, ROGBV, Gray and then Black)...short sleeved shirts are all together, then long sleeved shirts, cardigans, dresses..tanks and t-shirts on a shelf (stacked in color order) handbags groups by color, strappy/halter and strapless tops together in bins...I have been called OCD...but I have also been called to help organize a closet or two, and it is something that I love to do. Wow, what a nerd, huh?  My closet, separated by type and then color...making use of the space at the top with crates. But the thing is...regardless of how organized it all is...I still have to move it, which is stressful. So I have devised a way to move my clothes and accessories based on the way that I organized my closet, making use of crates and containers. I have been using this technique for a little while, and with the invention of Pinterest I have been able to see that there are other organization-obsessed folks out there doing basically the same thing. I have a few additional crazy details...but they work for me. I have been texting pictures of my packing progress to my close friends, really just so I have some accountability...and because they keep me motivated. Out of our group of friends, three of the couples are moving either this month or next, so we can all relate/freak out together. Anyway, my friend Jen said I should share my technique so here goes. (and BTW...she is an AMAZING writer! Check out her blog, http://www.jenscrazylife.com/ ...happy anniversary to my wonderful husband, John! I love you! 
A few scenes from today...still have to start my daily piece, the one posted is from last night...gonna be a late start, but a start nonetheless, even if I have to finish it tomorrow sometime...anyway, I am also posting two fashion illustrations that I worked on today. A note about last night's piece. I purposefully added the rose colored glasses and the tear based on events in the news, I was working on this piece around 10pm last night, Saturday July 13th. I am not going to go into any explaination, but there is meaning in these two details Besides the two fashion illustrations, I worked on...yep, packing. I took some pictures that I hope will show a few helpful tips for moving...will post in a future blog. (man, packing really wears you out!) Better start my daily work so I can get some sleep...I am teaching art camp tomorrow!!!! zzzzzzzz  CED13-194 and FI13- 55 (Christian Dior FW13) and FI13-56 (Carolina Herrera FW13)  ...not a burrito...keep readin'! I have been making my art, but truth be told...I have been making a GIGANTIC mess around here. Folks, I am moving, and it ain't pretty. Deep breaths, I can totally do this. Maintain some sense of decorum? Maybe not...but the move will happen, it has to...first things first. For starters, I just have to get this off my chest. Mackie and Scooter are no help. Now, my good friend Jen said that she thought if they had opposible thumbs they would be helping. Maybe. Yeah, okay I would like to believe this. However, they could at least help cheer me on, keep me motivated, focused on the overwhelming task at hand. What do they do, or what don't they do? Here, you be the judge... 
See that top pic? Well, movin' ain't easy. No sir. Can I get some help here, kitties? Geez...
Okay...before I get to my art, I just want to write one more thing about moving, because this has kind of taken over my life for the past 48 hours. We don't do the 'big' move until closer to the end of the month, but we are going to try and start moving some small stuff starting next week, some of those areas that are a pain and take time to set up, like the kitchen and our closets...and I am teaching art camp next week so that is why I am torturing myself right now, since I won't have as much time to pack next week. (also...in some kind of weird twist, as stressed as I am and physically exhausted..I actually kind of love throwing stuff out...and all this sorting and labeling appeals to my OCD tendencies and love for organization. Weird.) Back to that last thing about moving. I don't know if it is anywhere else on the interwebs, or Pinterest specifically, but I have a way that I move my jewelry that I have used for years and it's cheap, simple and WORKS...and I want to share it. It's aluminum foil, that's all. I buy cheap aluminum foil and roll my jewelry in in in sections, laid out, pressing the foil down on each section to keep the pieces from moving, and tangling. The reason this is such a big deal to me is I love jewelry. I mean...LOVE. It's kind of my thing. Not fancy jewelry, no m'am (or sir) ...just affordable (even super cheap) costume jewelry. But I love each piece, I usually pick up different accessories when I travel, so there are lot's of memories in those baubles. I am obsessive about keeping my collection organized, it is all sectioned by color...necklaces hanging on the wall (with a mirror in the middle so I can see how it looks!) Bracelets sorted, earrings in small bags color coded...seriously, it's kind of my happy place. I think I started doing this when I was still in college, especially after being frustrated when my necklaces would be all tangled when I moved. (and I have moved many, many times) I would have to sit and try to untangle them, adding to the frustration of the moving process and slowing me down. So I started wrapping the necklaces in aluminum foil, rolled like a burrito, then labeled by color to make it easy to set up my new 'necklace wall' in the new destination. So anyway, it works. If you are moving try it! 
Moving? Need to move your necklaces without getting them all tangled? Wrap them in aluminum foil them label by color, makes it easy to transport them and also to set them up in your new space!
Ummm....so....yeah, besides PACKING...I did make some art, of course! I completed my daily pieces, still working with the turban/sunglasses/gypsy/bohemian idea...using pencil, Sharpie Marker, watercolor...I think I might play with patterns and textures in future pieces...
Wait...gotta keep it simple...(talking some sense into myself) Okay, so I might not venture into too many materials, I am trying to keep it manageable since there is so much going on the rest of this month. Besides the daily pieces I also worked on two bridal shower invitations for my sister-in-law. I combined a few ideas I saw on-line to create two watercolors that I painted in each of the shower's theme colors, then scanned the images (thanks, Jess!) and put them into Word to add the words. Boy, I can't wait to get that new Mac laptop for my new job...I have a feeling that me and Photoshop are going to be BFFs. For real. Besides the daily pieces and the invitation art, I did take some time on #textiletuesday to start another small piece, another hand-dyed, fused fabric heart with wings. I managed to get the heart completely covered in red beads, each one sewn by hand. I love beading. It is very calming. I am glad that I am taking a little bit of time each week for textiles. For the weekend...I need to make some more fashion illustrations! Oh my, it has been too long! And I want to make at least a few more 'Crazy Cat Ladies' so I can pick out my three pieces for the upcoming show at the Green Room. But now..back to packing up my jewelry. I finished the cool colors, black, gray and browns...gotta tackle my warm colors, white/clear and multi-colored pieces next...well, after a run.  Here's a hint about my new series... ...and a shameless plug for my article in the new Art Hive Magazine, of course! But first...the new series. The Creative Every Day suggested theme for July is 'Summertime'. I peeked at the site as I was finishing up my June series, the smell of melted crayon permeating throughout the kitchen. Summertime? OMG. What in the world am I going to do? Well, I knew that I wanted to continue to work with female faces because, frankly, that is my favorite thing to draw/paint. Ever. And I knew that I wanted to stick with a fashion-inspired series...another one of my loves. Lastly...I am going to be traveling during July, so that is another thing to keep in mind, portability of supplies. I was actually leaving for the NYC/NJ trip the next day as I stood there contemplating what to do. I decided to sleep on it. When I was getting settled down to go to sleep that first night in Brooklyn...I saw my sunglasss sitting on the table and thought- that's it! Sunglasses! Then I started to think about summer time accessories...hats...special occasion jewelry...hats...then I saw a gypsy/bohemian lady somewhere (probably Pinterest...my ECU friend Laura Sutton always post the best pics in this style and my inner gypsy soul is always drawn to those images, she has a great eye for art and style)...then I started to think that this gypsy-vibe also went with the traveling and moving I will be doing this month...and of course my love for baubles and sparkly thangs...and...well...the theme was decided. The first four images were just fun girls with big ol' sunglasses...but since July 5th I have included a turban...makes me think of some sophisticated lady, young at heart, loves to travel, off at some resort of exotic location being fabulous.  July 2013...'Summertime'...images and inspirations... So I am not sure how long the turban will stay in the images...but for now it is all about turbans and oversized sunglasses. As for materials, the first eight images have been drawn with either pencil or Sharpie Marker in a Moleskin Sketchbook, which I am noting because that will explain why the color in the images is not pure white. (also...not scanning the final pics before posting, just photographing them in my sketchbook so I can keep them together) The size of the images is manageable, only 7.5 x10 inches right now. I am trying to keep the size and materials fairly simple right now since I have lot's going on this month. Which isn't to say I won't revisit some of the images and re-create with additional materials...but for now, keeping it portable...because after all, it is summertime, right? Okay...last thing to mention....the new Art Hive Magazine is available to view on-line! Hooray! Physical copies are being distributed right now, but if you have a moment, please check out my article, there is even a fun Instagram challenge you can participate in! Click on the picture below to go directly to the newest issue!  |
AuthorArtist and Art Teacher 
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