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It's HALLOWEEN!  I mean...it's October!

9/30/2016

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I gotta let ya'll in on a lil' secret...

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#RealTalk ...I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!!

​Seriously, it's one of my favorite holidays! 

I mean, I love holidays in general...but Halloween has always been one of my favorites and fall is my favorite time of the year.  Wait...about fall.  Well ,now I live in South Florida so I will not be feeling any 'crisp autumn air' any time soon, but Halloween decorations make me think of fall...and costumes...and candy...and scary things- yikes!


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Remember those plastic costumes with the masks? It was so hard to see out of them!

Second secret...I am actually a pretty big 'fraidy cat. 

But I wasn't always.  Growing up, I loved to read Stephen King books and watch horror movies, probably through about 8th grade. I stopped reading/watching scary stuff for a while and years later I found that it scared me more than it used to.  But I still love Halloween, always will.  I have very positive associations with trick or treating as a kid...that one time mom let me have a Halloween party when I was in elementary school and my friends all came...decorating...those little glow stick thingys...watching Charlie Brown wait for the Great Pumpkin...and making my own costumes...as a big kid AND an adult!

Man, I love Halloween! Did I say that already?
​
Sometimes I struggle finding a theme for my monthly art series.  I never have to think twice when it comes to October- I always have my inspiration.  I hasn't always been specific to just Halloween, but I have hints of the holiday in each series;

  • October 2012- 'Tree; series, has a spooky vibe!
  • October 2013- I incorporated iconic 'Halloween' images into my work
  • October 2014- I focused on 'Day of the Dead' art...now, this is NOT part of Halloween, but the timing is close, so I decided to go for it!
  • October 2015- 'Frightening Fashionistas'...that was my fashion-inspired series and I also created a shoe each day for 'INKtober'!
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A piece from each October series, 2012-2015.

...which brings me to right now...October 2016...


I knew that I wanted to use Halloween inspiration...but that's about it.  Lucky for me, Micheal's (one of my favorite stores) started decorating super early.  I noticed the cloche jars.  I guess they have always been a part of the Halloween decor but maybe I didn't pay attention.  Once I noticed them...I kept seeing them pop up, in other stores, in my Pinterest marathons...I just kept seeing this cloche-bell jar thing. 
(And side note, I realized I have never read the Bell Jar, so I guess I need to do that, too)

So I started looking them up and pinning them when I saw something fun.  And I kept seeing them in store displays. I started to think about a series based on these...but there were challenges;
​

Challenge 1- Cost

Did you know that bell jars...cloche jars...apothecary jars...they aren't cheap.  

Especially if you have to buy thirty-one.  

​Whenever I am planning a series I have to think about materials, travel, and cost.

Cost is very important.  I'm a teacher so...let's just say I am always on a budget. It seemed like this was just one idea that I would have to let go, too many challenges.
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This cloche jar was in Target...and it was kinda pricey.
As luck would have it, I was standing in line at Dollar Tree (another favorite store) and in the 'impulse items' (you know, the mess by the register that you really don't need...until you see it) and I saw some plastic wine glasses that were in two pieces.  

Actually- I didn't see a wine glass, I saw a bell jarl waiting to become my daily art. So, I bought all of the wine glasses at my Dollar Tree, then traveled to two more to get enough for the month, and a few extra just in case.
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My Dollar Tree haul!

Challenge 2- Tops and Bottoms

Next challenge- the base.  Bell jars have bases.  Luckily, my father in law is a woodworker, so when I was back home I enlisted his help with the bases for my pieces. I'll be picking those up later this month.  (thanks, Papa!)

Another challenge that I will have to address is the top of the jar.  I am thinking that I will use some polymer clay or paper mâché to create a knob or some type of detail for the top of each jar.

Not sure how this will go down, guess we'll see!

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Putting in my order at 'the shop'

Challenge 3- Assembly


The last challenge is putting the works together, especially considering the bases will be in NC until mid-month and I haven't figured out the top of the jar yet.  I am just going to go forward, make the daily piece that will 'live' in the bell jar.  The pieces might not be fully realized until later in the month, but I am okay with that.



Challenge Accepted!

So I am just gonna go for it.  I started the first piece last night, I am not sure yet about backing it or what else might go in the bell jar but it's a start.

Oh, and just for fun- gonna refer to the series as 'belle jar' instead of 'bell jar'...you know...since I draw ladies! 
​

Stay tuned, and Happy Halloween!

I mean...Happy October!  

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The beginning of my new series!

#BelleJarArtJLG

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#AngelDropArt at Stitch Rock 2016!

9/30/2016

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Call me crazy, but I decided to paint angels for the swag bags at this year's Stitch Rock.  There were a hundred of them. Yup, 100.

My arm hurt for a few days but...it was well worth it.  Amanda Linton (Queen of Stitch Rock) is super sweet, this is the 10th year of the event...and I like the idea of folks opening the Art Hive Magazine that was in each bag and finding a lil' extra surprise :)
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Angels in progress...I work in layers, laying down one color at a time- well, a hundred times...I don't know if this is the best way to do it but it works for me. (Please note, Scooter was NOT helpful at all!)
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Yay, Stitch Rock! 10 years, baby! Congrats!
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I was all excited about attending Stitch Rock...but alas, it wasn't in the cards. I wasn't feeling well so I sat this one out, but here are some pics from years past with the Art Hive crew :)
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September 2016 series wrap up...

9/29/2016

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My September 2016 series has come to a close... when I finish a series there is the period of uncertainty where I am am closing up that series but thinking of the next one- always thinking ahead.

Sometimes it is an easier transition than others...sometimes I feel like I am floundering, sometimes it is seamless.

This was not my original plan for September, I have a special trip coming up that is related to the original idea...that trip was moved so I needed to move the series, but once I decided on fashion illustration, it all made sense, it was very organic.  

​I knew once I did that first illustration for the series that it was the right choice.  
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...getting closer to that goal of 1826 consecutive days of daily art...gotta finish strong!
After spending the month focusing on fashion it only confirms what I already knew- I love fashion and fashion illustration.  I missed it.  I produced over 200 illustrations early on in this whole art every day gig, and then I hit a period of just...nothing.  I made my daily art and other msc. pieces, but limited fashion illustrations, few and far between. Moving forward, I would like to continue to create these, and I need to learn so much more to improve my skills and my general knowledge base.  That will be part of my goals for the rest of 2016 and looking to 2017.

Having said all that, here are my finished pieces from this month, which includes thirty daily pieces, four mixed media pieces and two finished fashion icon portraits. (not pictured, one hundred sixty #AngelDropART paintings and the two portraits of my granny I gifted to my mom and sister);
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I got a little ahead of myself and started two side-series, the mixed media pieces and the fashion icon portraits.  I lost steam on the mixed media pieces, I was originally intending to create one of those as a companion piece to the daily piece...every...day.  I very quickly realized this would be too much and stopped, only to start ANOTHER side series, what I am calling the 'fashion icon' series.  I have a list of different designers and iconic people of the fashion world that I would like to depict- I finished two and have four unfinished ones staring me down;
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I was really beating myself up about not finishing this side series, I wanted to complete thirty this month and was really disappointed in myself that I didn't meet that goal. However, I am going to put them aside and work on them at some point, either as an on-going project or even as a future monthly series since I already started the research part.  Some ideas that I have are focusing on just one or a couple of people each month and really trying to learn more about them and then drawing pieces from their collections if applicable.  Just a thought.

I also wanted to post another pic of the final piece in the series, an illustration of Erin Robertson's winning design.  Just for fun, I added some 'black light' details!  


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It was tough to get a pic of the 'black light' version of my illustration, but...you get the idea!

...and now...  
​On to October!!

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Artwork updated... #DrawnToFashionJLG

9/26/2016

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Sunday Motivation from an unlikely source...

9/25/2016

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Seriously...he was staring me down.
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I was a total bum...hung out in my pajamas ALL DAY (it was fabulous!)...I watched waaaay too much 'Bring It'...and I worked on a little over a hundred angels...Sunday Funday, indeed! Oh, and I DID eventually shower and change...into another pair of pj's!!
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'I'll fly away'

9/23/2016

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...back from what a trip home to NC and what seemed like the longest week ever.  A week ago today my granny passed in her sleep after almost a ten year battle with Alzheimer's.  The wake and funeral services were on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, and they were just like she would've have wanted them.

Two things that are very much the core of who I am came from my granny- my love being creative, working with my hands and my love for jewelry and sparkly things.  I know that these things are a direct influence of her, and I am proud of that.
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...an angel granny made me many years ago...

And I will keep doing those things...creating and being sparkly.

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Granny throughout the years.
I continued to make my daily art while I was back home.  It can be tough to keep up with it when I am on the road but luckily the materials I am using this month (watercolor and black colored pencil) travel pretty easily.  Here are the daily pieces from this week; 
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Making my daily art in a hotel in Jacksonville...on my nephews bed while my niece yelled gibberish at me (and ran off with my ring)...at my father-in-law's house while watching Italian TV (and later getting a nice Italian dinner with sauce made from scratch!)...and on the road back to Florida. It was a busy week.
In addition to my daily art, I wanted to make something special in memory of my granny.  On the morning of her funeral, I woke up at around 8:30 and started working.  I made 36 angel paintings for a special #AngelDropArt at the service (...actually going to make more this weekend...) and I also painted two portraits of granny from scratch.  I wasn't sure that I could get all of this accomplished- but I did.  Thirty-six angels and two pics of heaven's newest angel- Julia Deaton, aka 'Miss Flossie'.
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In-progress angels...and my niece again...she tricked me into giving her yogurt...
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Portraits of granny in her teens and in her eighties, gift to my mom and sister.
Earlier this summer, John and I went to see Willie Nelson.  I remember Willie playing the song, 'I'll Fly Away' and it brought me to tears because it made me think of my granny, and I felt that she would be flying away.  That was this summer.  And she did, on September 16, 2016 at the age of 86.  I will miss her, but I do feel like she is free now and that brings me peace.

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#TBT

9/21/2016

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Wings.

9/19/2016

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Heaven gained an angel on Friday, September 16th.  There is much to do, and so much to say but no time for that right now.  To my family, I will see you soon as we pay our last respects to granny and celebrate her life and legacy. 

To my students...please check the 'Studio G' page for your options, which includes the second sketch options for this nine weeks. -JLG
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September 15th Updates...

9/15/2016

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...I just updated my daily images in the #DrawnToFashionJLG gallery...and posted some pics from two side series that I kinda started-portraits of fashion folks I admire...and some mixed media 'fashion angels'...more to come, but not now...gotta get ready for the new Project Runway!
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9-11-01, never forget.

9/11/2016

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“If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.”
— Sandy Dahl, wife of Flight 93 pilot Jason Dahl

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#AngelDropART

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    ...just a gal trying to get this art out of my soul to share with the world on a DAILY basis...no big deal...check out my ramblings!-JLG

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