Art, Soul and a little Portland . . .

"Ready, Set, Go."

Journal Page

The day I've been waiting for has finally arrived . . . Excited Me is about to board a plane to Portland for a week of art & anarchy (well, maybe just a little) with this lady! We'll be taking classes from Jesse Reno and Mindy Lacefield (yay) and hope to sneak in some sightseeing time as well. I'll take pictures along the way and share them with you here upon my return . . . .

But before I go, I wanted to show you what I just got in the mail:

"Little Star"

By Cameron Reutzel

My Mermaid swap from Cameron! Isn't she gorgeous?! Thank you Cameron, she is absolutely beautiful and I'm thrilled to have her!

Gotta go now . . . getting up at 3 a.m! . . . wish me luck . . .

Kristin xo

Somebody's 7 . . .

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

. . . And I'm a mushy mixture of happy and sad. Seven years ago today I became a Mother (happy) and yet it's all going by waaaaaay to fast (sad). Having said that, I am forever grateful for the opportunity to love this little one with all of my heart & soul. I would have never had that chance were it not for the kindness of others. 

So I think it's appropriate to celebrate adoption today as well. Thanks to Sweet Peggy for sharing this special poem with me nearly three years ago:

Once there were two women who never knew each other

One you do not remember, the other you call Mother

Two different lives to make you one

One became your guiding star; the other became your sun

The first one gave you life and the second one taught you to live it

The first one gave you a need for love, the second was there to give it

One gave you a nationality; the other gave you a name

One gave you talent; the other gave you aim

One gave you emotions; the other calmed your fears

One saw your first sweet smile; the other dried your tears

One sought for you a home that she could not provide

The other prayed for a child and her hope was not denied

And now you ask me thorough your tears

The age-old question unanswered through the years:

Heredity or environment, which are you a product of

Neither my darling, Neither

Just two different kinds of Love

-- Anonymous

I love you Kendra Ann,

Kristin xo

Paint Party Friday: Week 28

"Do You Believe?"

8 x 10 Canvas Panel

Happy PPF!

It's been a big week around here. I finally (as in, 6 weeks of work, finally) finished the reorganization of my studio and then actually used it (what a concept) to complete a piece of art! It's been longer than forever since I've created anything new - and just in time - as the Mermaid Swap that this little one was painted for is due to be postmarked by today . . . Thank you Cameron for the inspiration - and motivation - she was just what I needed.

So, here it is: an 8 x 10 canvas panel that was first covered in paint chips and distressed.

My first ever Mermaid 

I then used watercolor crayons and ink to elude to what I hoped would be a eerie, watery feel:

Some bold shots of green acrylic and bright purple Stickles as accents

The necklace was an old charm (from a dog collar of all things!) that was punched through the canvas panel and tied in the back with wire. The rest of the "chain" is comprised of more Stickles glitter.

Bye, Bye little one - I will miss you - and give Cameron a big hug from Me . . . .

Kristin xo

Here She Is (My Studio Tour) . . .

So I finally did it! After nearly 6 weeks of sorting, purging and reorganizing (did I mention the purging?), I have actually finished redoing my work space . . . . wanna see what I did? Okay, but I gotta warn you, there is an insane amount of pictures to follow. Like, insane. . . . 

I started the documentation with some Instagram shots during the process:

Piles of stuff from the room. I took everything out.

Sorting through every single bit and bauble. Not kidding.

Organizing the paper tapes

Lovely Ladies

Years worth of Stampington mags gone through. The artist's papers were saved.

And here we are. The room as it was this morning. Knowing that it will never ever be this clean again, I'll take you on a tour starting from the front door: 

My new art desk. This is the only thing I actually bought. Dave got it off of Craig's List for $30 bucks and reinforced it for me, adding 2 drawers along the way. I was going to skirt it, then thought it would be way cooler eventually covered and splattered in paint. Oh! And the rug is oil cloth - so the spills should wipe right off.

These doors lead to our front patio. The room is actually built as an adjoining casita. It is also our guest room when I am forced to be sociable ;)

Pull out couch - had to keep it in.

The closet. I'm not lying when I say that I couldn't open the door before. Sad but true.

And now for the little detail shots:

Each drawer has a purpose. Here are the ribbon and trim drawers. The rest of the chest is filled with fabric and fabric scraps. The clear, stackable trays were from my heavy scraping days.

This is my favorite part. Recognize The Summer of Color tin (actually an old ceiling tile)? Well, it's magnetic - perfect for holding some of my favorite cards and pieces from you!

Some of my favorite poem books for collage, pencil storage and an art jar.

Other people may think this is rather creepy - faces in jars that is. But we know better ;)

And here is one of the main sources of storage - all cleaned out and organized:

My old scrapbooking cabinet. It used to live in the kitchen.

A picture of my Mom & Grandma - and paints!

Did I mention that I organized every bit and bauble? 

Under storage. Only the favorite books remain.

And just a few more details from around the room (I said insane):

Some of my art. Before you think I'm a narcissist, the framed piece was a gift from Dave when I got my first article (well, paragraph) published. Awe.

Some of my altered books on top of a cabinet filled with rubber stamps.

Brushes live here.

WHEW. We have now completed the tour. I hope you like it. Cause it will never look the same again . . . .

Thank you!

Kristin xo

Sunday Sketches

Mermaid Swap

8 x 10 Canvas Panel - WIP

I'm still alive! (But just barely).

I've been spending every free Mama-minute in the last few weeks working on my studio redo. The cleaning and purging has reached new heights and as a result, I'm happy (no, thrilled) to report that I am finally done! I'll share the incredibly organized (for now ;) results in my next post . . . .

While I was poking around in there I came across several canvases in various stages of completion. This one covered in paint chips has been a favorite for a while, but I had no plan for it - until now.  I'm participating in sweet Cameron's Mermaid Swap, and as soon as I saw the blue chips with names like "Shallow Sea" peeking through, I knew what it was destined for. 

Hoping to finish her for PPF, linking the sketched version now to Sunday Sketches.

Thanks for your visit (and patience with me),

Kristin xo

Sunday Sketches

"Life"

WIP: Moleskine Journal

Happy Sunday Sketches . . . .

I hope the weekend is treating you well! I for one plan to finally conquer the studio redo that I started two weeks ago (I had no idea that can of worms I opened would be so big) and because of it, I haven't been able to create anything in what seems like forever.

As a matter of fact, this was done while I was on vacation last month and although she made an appearance on Instagram, I haven't yet shared her with you here. I started by doodling borders around the journal and followed by writing the word "life" in the center of the left page. At some point, I added a circle to the text and from there a face was born. It's rough I know, but I like the fact that she was made with only one (fabulous) tool: a uni-ball pen. 

Eventually she got a neck, shoulders and a quote of her own:

"Life isn't about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself"

- George Bernard Shaw

I'm not sure where she's going from here, but I appreciate you taking the time to look. 

Happily linking to Sunday Sketches,

Kristin xo