A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ARTIST............

Hi to all of my friends, family and fellow artists! As always..........I have gotten so busy lately, that I have neglected my blog. I am horrible at blogging..........but at least you don't have to find time to read all of mine! I recently joined a group on flickr called 'A Day In The Life Of An Artist...' . The goal of this group is to upload frequent photos of yourself that show who you are and what you do, rather than just showing your artwork. I think this is a great idea and a fun way to get to know the artists that you have come to know over the internet art world. So I thought it would be fun to blog those photos that I upload to this group. you will get to see VERY RARE pics of me......cause I hate being the subject of photos, I am much more comfortable collecting photos of family and friends for my art! I hope you enjoy the ones that I show you.....

This photo was taken a couple of nights ago at a basketball tourny in Anderson CA. My husband and I went so he could take pics and so I could jump up and down and yell alot.

I have always loved sports and played basketball, volleyball ,softball and track. I started playing sports in grade school and continued through high school and college. Bill was a football and track star in high school, so he loves going too. All three of our boys played basketball, track, baseball and football and our daughter played volleyball and was a cheerleader. This allowed me to feed my love of sports after I no longer played. We went to every home game and most of the away games to support the kids. Bill and I continue to go to as many games as we can even though all of our kids have now graduated. Bill is a hobby photographer and started taking photos at the games and sending them to the newspaper in our small home town. Our town was not the 'main' town of the newspapers coverage and we were frustrated that our town's athletes were not getting the same coverage as those in our neighboring community. He continues to do that now, even though we no longer live in our home town and county.

I was happy that Bill was nice enough to take this photo, instead of my 'NORMAL' pose, of mouth open yelling and jumping up and down. LOL I am going to try and have bill take more photos that will show who I am, my loves and what makes me tick, as well as my love of art! hope you are well and happy.................sandy

just finished some chunky pages!

well..........after another long bout of no computer, due to a wonderful virus........I finally uploaded some pics of some chunky pages that I finished. the pages were from a swap called 'you've been challenged'. it was a fun swap, and a tad different than most. first you took 4 bags and put 5 misc. items into each one. those baggies are then mailed off to the host, who then sends them out to those in the swap. you get four baggies back with other artists 5 challenge items in each one. you are 'challenged' to incorporate those items into the chunky pages you make. you may embellish your pages with other items as you see fit. they were really fun to make. it is good for someone like me who is obsessive compulsive and always takes everything to the extreme degree, and the descriptions to a 'T'. I loved having the challenge items to make me work outside of the box. I made one page for egrobeck....the challenge items were a shell, a starfish charm, a seahorse charm, aqua blue beads and a black and white print of a lighthouse and quote.

I used chalks and photo pens to color the print, and added distress ink, threads and buttons to accent the multi medium page. it is one of my favorite pages.

The other page I posted was made for landofnodstudio. the challenge items were the bird image from a vintage napkin, a gold heart jewelry piece, vintage music sheet , the stamps and vintage book page. I used the music sheet and book page as background, accented the edges with a stamped image of tree limbs and distress ink. I used stamps and a scrabble piece to add the quote. embellished with a gold crown, glitter paint and matching threads.

both pages are 4"x4" in size and such a fun multi medium project. I love collage and chunky style altered art and these pages are just the right size for a project.\

once the pages are all done, you send them back to the host who then separates them and send the four finished pages that others made with your own 'challenge' items. I have pretty good number of pages that I have made into books, and I love turning the pages and seeing the art and styles of other artists.

My Hang Out and My New Table

Since dropping of the planet this last week, I have been a busy bee. I normally write about my artwork or my family but I thought I would share my latest project with everyone. Sorry I went overboard witht the pictures.......I am a photo fanatic, what else can I say. In my art room I have a draftmans type desk and a table that Bill made for me. I came up with the idea to 'spruce' up the table. Those of you who know me , know that I love to collage. There are many giant collages in my art room and in the homes of family members. I am obsessed with photos and love to put them together in one piece of art. So I decided to use a few small family pictures and then I dug out a slew of doodle drawings I did, prints of some of my art and notes and cards that Bill and the kids have given me over the years all together on the table top. After all of the collage work was done, I used a pigment ink pen and did the scroll and accent artwork. I used a finish over the entire top and then when that was dry I put a clear adhesive over the table top to make it more durable. I love the way it turned out. After it was finished I decided to get ambishous and clean and organize my art room as well, so I thought I would show them off too.

Family photo from a couple of thanksgivings ago. Bill is about 80 pounds lighter than that pic and I am now about 50 pounds lighter as well...but we have not had a chance to do a family pic since then.

This picture is of Tony the middle son with one of my cards I saved because I loved the fairy, and I never...never ....ever throw anything away. I also used one of my many hand written quotes that I have been sticking all over my work area for years. Whenever I see something that is funny,interesting or inspirational, I write it down and cover my work area with them.

This pic shows a small photo of our youngest son Tyler and a note he wrote me way back when he was in lower grade school.

This shows one of my favorite elf drawings and of course a picture and saying that Bill used on a homemade Valentine.

In the center you see a small picture of our beautiful and only daughter Kryston. Her picture is at the top of a homemade Valentine she made me when she was very young. Around these is several pieces of my art work.

My favorite theme has always been joker/jesters, gemini, fairies/elves and gnomes. they are in alot of my work.

This one shows an old birthday card with the number 6. My favorite number, I was born on 6/6/64, only if I had been born in 66 would it be more cool. Next to the charcoal drawing in the bottom photo, is our oldest son Travis. He is much older now, but I love this picture of him, it is my favorite from when he was in high school.

Artsy Gemini's Crazy World: just finishing up on one order and starting another....

Artsy Gemini's Crazy World: just finishing up on one order and starting another....

just finishing up on one order and starting another....

I just finished up my latest art projects for singer 'Amanda Palmer' and Post-War Trade. I had fun designing and making some new items for her. I did more altered art mini lunch boxes with a different theme than last time, different color scheme. and than I also did some promo items also. now that these pieces are all packaged and ready to mail, I have moved on to work on a canvas that is done in the 'steampunk' theme. It is a multi-media piece with collage and 'chunky' aspects. I will post it when I have it totally finished. then I will try and finish a painting that I am doing for someone. staying busy between the art projects and working out at the gym.

just an update.........

hiya friends and fellow artists. thought I better check in and blog something, rather than waiting for six months and then feeling overwhelmed about what to say. along with being busy with the 'steam punk' journal, I have been working on another shipment of altered art mini lunch boxes for singer 'amanda palmer'. I am happy to have them done and ready to ship out. the last bunch I did was for the band that she sang in 'the dresden dolls'. now the group they put together (post-war trade) to sell great art items on, is focusing on just amanda. I also did some promo items for her and will upload them in my flickr. you can see the lunch boxes and other stuff on my flickr or the group is also on flickr. it has been fun coming up with ideas for her. I am also working on a painting for someone. they wanted a theme that is fun and funky, but it is also a little out of my comfort zone. I am much more comfortable on collage, drawing or acrylic painting on items, like saw blades or wood items. painting on a canvas is something I do only once in a great while. since the theme is abstract though, how can you go wrong. not being perfect or a little wacked is ok in the world of abstract. lol I will upload it when it is done. thank god there is not a deadline on it. I am fitting it in between several other projects.
bill, kryston and I planned on traveling to hayfork, our other home, and joining in on the big ball tourney fun. lots of people return for the softball games and seeing old friends. but of course our car chose this weekend to go kaput. we were disappointed to not get to see everyone! but I got alot done around the house and in my art room. we are still going to the gym alot, and bill was going so much that the staff decided to hire him part time to work there. he goes so often that he might as well work there. he goes 6 to 7 times a week. the kids and I go more like 5. bill has lost an amazing 80+ pounds and is still on a roll. I am lagging behind with losing about 50 pounds now. I am happy to say that I weigh less than my kids now. that was a blast to be able to say. tyler has been right on my tail though and getting back into good shape. he gets to run though, so I tell him it is not fair. the kids are busy with work and dating. tyler and megan are doing well. so I can happily say all is well..............til next time. ;0) sandy

my first journal book

hey I finally got a blog that is closer than months apart....there is hope for me after all. I just finished my first journal book for a swap. it is in the style or genre of 'steampunk'. it is kinda a funny story, I was reading an article in the last 'somerset studio' the may/june 2009 magazine by stampington. the article is called 'collages honor the spirit of steampunk'. when I saw the pictures of the artists pieces and read the article.........I had that feeling of finding my way home. I have always loved to do collage and altered art, I often try to put my own emotion and flavor in all of my work. when asked what style my work is called, I would often respond 'a vintage altered art collage style'. I never really thought my collage art had a 'real' style, but after reading this article I realized there is a name for the style and theme work that I love to do. this article talks about the genre and work called 'steampunk' and it is me! my style really does have a name....woohooo. the altered art collage work that uses vintage photos, old buttons, gears, movable pieces and ephemera that is along the style of the steam engine era. then not even a week after reading this article, I was lucky enough to join a swap with some other artists that is a journal book in the steampunk theme. how cool is that! getting to do my very first journal book and in the theme I love. in the swap each artist makes a cover front and back. you make a sign in page on the first two pages, for the artists to put their personal info. and I did a two page spread at the end of the book that is my artwork. I send the journal off and each of the other artists in the swap do a two page spread in their own steampunk style, then send it to the next artist to do the same. after each artist has done a two page spread in your journal, it is mailed back to you and you have a wonderful finished and one of a kind book. I took a whole lot of pictures to show my cover, sign in pages, and two page spread before mailing it off for the other artists to do their artwork. this project was a blast and I enjoyed it alot. if you would like to see all of the photos, I uploaded them in my flickr page. you can see them at www.flickr.com/photos/artsygemini . I hope you can take a second and look at them, and if you have time tell me what you think!

hi friends, fellow artists and loved ones! I have been off line for several weeks, due to another computer crash. God I need a new one bad! my son travis came up from san jose to visit and fix it for me. I hope it lasts longer until it happens again. things have been busy in our world. bill's ankle gets better and better all the time. after joining the gym in feb. he has lost 80 + pounds, I call him the incredible shrinking man. I have lost about 40, which is not bad since I can not do most of the stuff he does. between swimming and a stationary bike that you do not use your arms, i am getting stronger and stronger. if i get to gung ho, i still get the migraines, but am learning what I can do and what I can not. bill had a doctor apt. in san francisco last week, so we spent two days there. we had not ever been to alcatraz, so kryston surprised us with tickets to the island for our anniversary this month. (24 years!) we also met up with bill's old friend kelly , and his favorite cousin leslie.......had a nice dinner on the wharf. we went to the pier and wharf on our honeymoon, so it was fun to go again. we had a blast on haight and ashbury st. bill's inner hippie really showed. we took pictures of each other in alcatraz in a cell also. bill named his on his facebook 'from cop to convict' . i collected more street sign photos, that bill pointed out that I have collected since 2006 and not done anything with yet, but I really do plan to do a large collage with them 'someday'. since bill is the great photog....he got many many great shots. megan and tyler took a trip to oregon again for her little sister's graduation. travis has a new girlfriend, from the redding area, so I have a feeling he may be moving closer to home again. kryston has been busy with work, and unfortunately had a somewhat minor car accident the night of the redding fireworks. she had some minor bruises and did some damage to her right wrist, but is ok thank god. i am starting a new order of altered art for the singer amanda palmer (the band dresden dolls). I have also been doing some swap art and a couple of special orders. I am going to do a painting for someone local. an abstract, which is not something I do all the time, so it will be fun. anyway , at least I have kinda caught up a little and hope to do another blog soon showing some of the art I have done while I was unable to get on line. hugs to all! sandy

HI to all my artfriends.........sorry I kinda been falling flat in the bogging. I am almost as bad about blogging as I am about writing in a journal. life is wizzing by as usual. oldest son, travis is home for a visit. kryston, tyler and megan have moved into a very nice town house apt. they even have a garage.........big time improvment over their last place, not counting home of course. lol kryston and the people she works with have left their old company and formed a new one on their own. they were lucky enough that most of their clients followed them. she really enjoys working with develomentally challenged adults and she is good at it. tyler is still plugging away at walmart and is doing well there. he is still trying to decide if he wants to go to the CHP academy when he turns 21, or if he wants to go to school to become a physical trainer. he would be great at either. megan was promoted at her job to asst. manager, she works at a maternity shop in the mall. travis has been working in sanjose at a construction job. tony is in arizona finishing his time in the army. he is going to be a dad too. bill has become the incredible shrinking man. his ankle has done so well that he is able to work out at the gym and ride a bike often with some of our friends. he has lost 50+ pounds and is looking amazing. I am still plugging away in the pool. I am even able to ride a stationary bike that you don't use your arms, for some times. I have lost almost thirty pounds now. much slower than bill, but as long as I keep getting smaller, I am ok with that. with the spring and now summer weather, I am a much happier person. enjoy the warm weather so much more. the whole family has been passing a flu, back and forth. bill and I have not been as bad off as the kids, but just have no energy and a sore throat. tyler and megan are taking a trip to her home in oregon for her little sisters graduation. they are looking forward to that. bill, kryston and I are traveling to ukiah for our nephew caleb's graduation. that will leave my only niece amy still in school. she will have two more years to go. wow the kids have all grown up. bill and I have been watching our kids friends little girl off and on. krystal was in tyler's class and blue was in travis' class. their baby girl kasi is almost 6 monthes old now. they do not live far from us and when their jobs overlap, we look after her. she reminds me of kryston when she was a baby. never cries, never fusses and is a beautiful little girl. because my neck is always an issue with me, bill has been the one to lift her and do alot of the work with her. been awhile since either of us took care of a baby, but she is such a doll, that it is pretty easy. her mommy lived with us for awhile when she was young, and so it is kinda like having a grand baby. I have also been working on different art projects and things to sell in my shop as well as my sites where I swap. sooooooo life is busy as usual. I promise to get on and blog sooner next time...........really!