A Few New Things...

Today it was raining when I went out for my early morning walk. I walked a different route than normal and strolled through an old cemetary nearby. I wish I had brought my camera (isn't that always the way?). There was a thick mist hanging over the back portion of the graveyard, near the tree line. And (how perfect is this in an Edgar Allen Poe way?) there were ravens (ok, crows) standing in the front portion of the cemetary. It felt so mystical and I swear when I breathed in the cool, misty bits of air I felt charged somehow...

The photo above is my new friend...she's very quiet and always listens patiently~I took this on a previous adventure to the same cemetary. Other people may find me morbid, but I love old graveyards; all the ancient stones and sculptures and all the beautiful moss and wear that they often show off. Only OLD graveyards though, not new ones. I stay away from newer stones too, they don't have that same aesthetic beauty to me.

Along the line of new things like my friend above, I'm working on a new blog and a website to go along with it. I've hesitated writing about it here, because now I will have to be accountable for actually going through with it...which is exactly what I need. I realize I've come quite a long way in some regards, to the whole concept of ChicChick. I'm sort of in a transition place...working on changing careers and changing other aspects of my life right along with that. I will most likely keep this blog going, for sharing the day to day simple pleasures, but I feel a real need to begin somewhere with my new career, and a new blog and website to showcase my online portfolio is probably a great place to start. I'll keep you posted...

Seeing it New...

Have you ever seen something a thousand times, but never really SEE it? I'm reading this great book on digital photography called "How to do Everything with Digital Photography" by Dave Huss. I like it because it's (mostly) easy to understand and he gives some great pointers on photo taking...

Yesterday I brought my camera to work with me and kept it with me all day; on my morning walk at break, at lunch, even at my desk. It was amazing how many interesting photos I got during an "average" day.

I'm feeling doubly inspired, as I'm taking a Photoshop Elements course in July. I can't wait to learn tricks and techniques to improve my photos.

Isn't learning new stuff the best? It's one of my favorite things in life...especially if it's stuff I really WANT to learn.

Look around you today, bloggettes and see if you can't see something "average" in a whole new way. That's your homework for Tuesday!

It's in the Bag...

The South Burlington Art Hop is having an auction of bags created by locals to raise money for the fun fall event. A coworker told me about the project, and got me the canvas bag to embellish. Here are some pics of it~I just finished this morning (and it's due today!).

A Bit of Paint Here (and here, and here...)

Do you ever pick up one of your hobbies out of the blue and then feel so enamoured with it you just can't stop?

Last summer I took my first ever watercolor painting class. It was fun, but hard to pump out one painting after another. Also, my fellow students painted these gorgeous pieces that left me feeling a little inadequate.

But last week I pulled out my paints and brushes and thick watercolor paper and just can't seem to get enough of it!

The painting above is my favorite of the three...I'm really into pinwheels lately and I like the way this turned out.

This teapot was the first of the three. I like the red contrasted with the green and the way the shading came out. Shading for me is the hardest part!

The painting to the right is a first for me. I've never painted a human before. I found a very simple sketch of this man, (I think he looks like "The Thinker") from an art magazine and loved the lines and shadows. It was much easier than I thought it would be. One thing about painting (and writing) is that if I set it aside for a bit and come back to it, things really stand out to me that need to be changed. If I just forge ahead and try to finish it all at once, it seems that I miss subtle changes that would have improved the piece.

A Bit of Excitement...

Well, what good news I got this week! I am going to be one of the new correspondents for our local newspaper, The St. Albans Messenger! I'm really very excited about this new adventure. I think it will be a lot of fun to learn more about my community and also to have more of a reason to write. I love writing! I just love it.

Above is a photo I'm playing with in Photoshop Elements. I'm going to be taking a class (I think) in July to learn more about this program. I've had it installed for about a year and I just can't seem to make myself sit down and read all about what it can do. I'm really excited to learn more about it~I think it will be a great asset to my altered art projects.

Speaking of which...I'm entering a contest to design a logo for a physical therapy group. I'm not quite sure what I' m doing yet; just playing with ideas at this point. It is at times like this when I really wish I had mastered a graphic design program like InDesign. I dabble with it here and there at work, but I'm about, oh, 40 pages into the manual! There is SO much it can do and I haven't even scratched the surface yet. I'm such a hands on learner though...reading about something just doesn't do it for me most of the time.

Well, I have the house to myself tonight and I'm off to play in my creative room...wish me luck!

A Bit of a Long Time Coming...

Blogettes: First and foremost I must apologize for my lack of posts lately. Life has just been getting away from me, or at least that's how it feels lately. Class finished up (sad!) but I've started some other creative projects, not the least of which is our annual Victorian Tea which we have had for the past 2 years (this year is our 3rd) to raise money for Shared Hope International an organization which is working to end sex-trafficking worldwide.

These photos are from our tea...we had so much fun! As always it astounds me how much work is involved in something so short (2 hours) and how many hands are needed to pull something like this off, even on a small scale. Our hard work paid off though; we raised just under $300 for this incredible organization.

Spring Sale (continued)...

A couple more things to add...this "virtual flea market" is quite fun!

Here is a vintage-looking urn (I think it was actually new when I bought it but made to look old). I've never seen anything like it before, it's very eye-catching. It measures approx. 11" x 6" and is covered with soft velvety material on the bottom (no need to worry about scratches!) Would make a beautiful vase or place to store dry toiletries or love notes! Cost is $15.00 plus shipping.

This antique quilt was purchased at a roadside market...I fell in love with the striking combination of black and faded silk pieces. Imagine the work that went into making this? It's really lovely, but fragile. As you can see some of the material is worn and shredded from age. I have it on a hanging rod but for shipping would need to remove it (unless you wanted to pay the extra shipping for such a large package!). It measures approx. 53" in length by 43"in width. Cost for the antique quilt is $20.00 plus shipping.

A Little Spring Sale...

Well, I am trying to make a little extra money and thought I would weed through some of the items left over from my little vintage shop. Thanks to the kind suggestions by one of my fellow farm girls at Mary Janes Farm Please let me know if you are interested in any of these items...email me and I will send you the mailing address, check/money order or Paypal all happily accepted!

The first item is this adorable spring-y birdhouse, painted and distressed and embellished with pretty pink cabbage roses. My husband hand made this house and I prettied it up! Although this is a sturdy little house, it would be best used indoors (plus the hanger is already secured on the back for easy display!). It measures approx. 8.5" in length and approx. 11" across. Cost is $15.00 plus shipping.

The next item is absolutely adorable! This little porcelin doll body is planted right on top of a silky pin cushion. She's approx. 7" high. She's in perfect shape and would look lovely on your sewing table or maybe on a shelf holding some antique hat pins! The cost for the pincushion is also $15.00 plus shipping.

This little seashell pink dish is absolutely beautiful! It's fully covered with tiny, delicate seashells, bits of silver glitter and measures approx. 3" x 5". The inside is painted a delicate gold. The cost of this beautiful little dish is $10.00 plus shipping. Please contact me at chicchickbiz@yahoo.com if you are interested in any of these items. Thanks!

Where Does Time Go...

My goodness~the beginning of May already...time has literally been flying right off the clock for me lately. Partly I'm sure, because I have been so busy with my art class and spring cleaning. Have you started yours yet? It's WONDERFUL to see something all clean and shiny and new looking...at least for a day until something spills on it or the cat throws up on it!

Tonight is my very last 2-D design class and I'm sad and happy all at once. I'm sad because I will miss the instruction and my incredibly creative teacher's ideas...and happy because I feel like I have had very little (like, NO) time to work on my own projects lately.

The skirt above is my final project for class...I wish you could see it in real life, it's actually much better looking. It was fun and a LOT of work to put together. I took the idea from a Journal Skirt like this artist makes and made mine into an inspiration skirt. I didn't take photos of the back but I did cover that pretty well too...

Wonderful Woman...

I just came across this site "A Place To Bark"~WONDERFUL! All you animal lovers, be sure to check it out along with the accompanying blog. I found an article in my old Cloth. Paper, Scissors magazine I was perusing tonight...what an incredible inspiration this woman is.

Also, if you are an animal lover, be sure to visit the Humane Society of the United States . The annual Seal Hunt has begun again and they are desperately trying to stop this cruel practice. Plus, it's just a great place to check out...they are trying so hard to help animals everywhere.

Night-night...

The Dentist...

Today I went to the dentist. This is not my most favorite treat, but seeing as I like having teeth, I do try to make it to the requesite 6 month visits. Normally the hygenist says things like "My! Look at those gums bleed!" and (while scraping mercilessly at my now bloody gums), "Are you flossing? How often? When was the last time? Do you know how?" She literally showed me how to floss my teeth today. Now, if I, at thirty, still can't floss my own teeth, what chances do I have for a full life?

Next the dentist comes in...supposedly I have some problem with a bit of my jaw missing (I know, imagine MY surprise!) possibly from a not-very-well-done root canal many years ago. So this man who I have seen once before in my life, comes breezing in and frowns at me. "You have a huge hole in your head. If you don't go immediately for oral surgery you will lose your tooth. You may lose more than one." I, in a quiet panic, am struck mute. "See this opoppoijoiust region here?" He points aimlessly at a grey portion of my x-ray, "this is your sceotopitiso. Why, it's nearly gone! It's probably full of inflammation and disease. It is most likely oozing pus into your mouth, even if you can't notice it." I mention that I really haven't been feeling any pain in this area, that it's been this same way for several years. "Bah! You have that surgery or you'll be sorry!" (Exit, dentist). It's little cause for wonder why dentists are so hated. I once read that dentists have the highest suicide rate of all professions. Now, as I lay there in my squeaky, plastic covered chair, I thought I could maybe understand a few of the reasons why.

1) Have you ever noticed how god-awful the wallpaper is at the dentist? Is there some horrible wallpaper store specifically for dental offices out there?

2) Terrible, terrible music, made worse only by the accompanying sound of high pitched drilling and the "ughhhhh, uuuughghhghghhhh" of the poor person the drill is attacking.

3) Hygenists who poke your mouth with sharp instruments repetitively, and then ask you why your gums are bleeding.

4) The strange, sickly sweet peppermint/cherry/latex smell, hovering in the air.

In the end I asked for a copy of my x-ray and a second opinion. I think I saw my dentist wipe his eye on the hem of his blue coat before pasting on a grin and accepting his next victim into the chair...

To Cut or Not to Cut...

Well, I have to tell you I'm absolutely enthralled with restructured clothing. This is a GREAT site if you are interested or looking for inspiration in this area.

When we were away 2 weeks ago for Girl's Day Out, I fell in love with this beautiful little cream colored top which had a long flounce of red and white polka dotted sheer fabric along the bottom. Though it spoke to me it's price tag of $70 said "run!". I left it behind, but very sadly. My sister, Faith said it seemed easy enough to make. Above is my first attempt. My other sister, Celeste gave me a few old sweater tops she didn't want anymore. I used one of those, cut, sewed and viola! A pretty new spring top. Very easy project...I used a scarf cut into two sections so that it was already hemmed along the bottom. I like the raw edge look a lot, so I left the top raw and did a simple zig-zag stitch there.

I'm so excited~I want to try something else! Now, where can I find some more scarves???

Oh, What Fun...

I'm having such a blast in my 2-Dimensional Design class...and to think, I nearly wimped out! New things are cool but sometimes I get so scared/nervous/flightly ahead of time that I miss out. Other times I say "yes" to too much and then I feel like I miss out in a different way. It's hard to balance life sometimes, isn't it?

These are photos of a "Personal Map" that we did 2 weeks ago. Mine is on the Creative Process. We weren't supposed to use much text, and the images/symbols that we selected were supposed to mean something to us, not necessarily to anyone looking at the piece. I chose the eggs in the nest first, as my ideas tend to start with a little incubation period. Then I selected images of nature (the sun being the clock) because I need time/relaxation/quiet to reflect and really think things through. Next comes the bird, hatched and walking upright...then the birds are flying, but if you notice, one bird is still in a stationary position. This is because often an idea feels like it's nearly there, but not quite. There are moments of "uh-oh's" and "ooops's" throughout my creative process. The mostly all flying birds/butterfly goes through the final door (reality?) and into the creative magical place of color, fun and experimentation. I ripped up bits of my "pallette" (waxed paper) globbed with paint from where I dab off my brushes, game pieces, pinwheels, a girl's dress, pom-poms and anything else that caught my fancy and made me feel kid-like and fun. I love the shocking colorfulness of it.

My teacher is stupendous! She is so encouraging and inspiring and for being an incredible artist herself, is so down to earth, friendly and fun. I'm having a blast!

This week coming up is book making. I've got one small Chinese book complete (minus text/graphics) and two more that I will finish up this weekend. One is going to be based on a kids story I created about a little elfin girl named Rubanna Lee, the other???? Not sure yet...stay tuned and I'll post more later !

Artful Mail...

Have you heard of Mail Art? Here's a quick definition from wikipedia: "Mail art is art which uses the postal system as a medium. The term "mail art" can refer to an individual message, the medium through which it is sent, and an art movement. Mail artists typically exchange ephemera in the form of illustrated letters; zines; rubberstamped, decorated, or illustrated envelopes; artist trading cards; postcards; artistamps; faux postage; mail-interviews; naked mail; and three-dimensional objects."

Check out this wikipedia link for more information and cool examples.

Last week in my 2-Dimensional design class our teacher (who is extremely cool and very talented) gave us a handout on mail art. I have seen examples only in Somerset Studio and Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazines, but never in real life...though as I write that, I remember my sister Aimee and I decorating our envelopes to the hilt back before there was email...she did an incredible job with her envelopes...I wonder if I still have any? So, perhaps I was an unknowning mail artist, before the title was ever created (how exciting!).

I've just come across a Mail Art collection here in Vermont and now, of course, I'm anxious to participate. I'm also really excited that I can now make my own envelopes~thanks again to my teacher, who gave us a simple pattern last week. The envelope shown here is one I made out of a 1/2 of a manila folder at work today (it was a rather slow day).

Now I'm off to finish my homework before bed. Tomorrow is another full day and class tomorrow night...I think we are creating books and binding them (!)...which reminds me, I have to find a needle and some thread to bring...

A Lovely Day Out...

Last Sunday was Girl's Day Out, something my 3 sisters and I try to do every so often to stay in touch and spend some quality time together. We were trying to meet up monthly, but now we just try when we can.

This trip took us to Middlebury, Vermont where there are lots of cool little shops, artsy places, and yummy food options.

The doors above (which I LOVE!) are the entrance to Frog Hollow . I LOVE it there! There were lots of beautiful items, my favorite of which was probably this pottery which, I think, is absolutely fantastic. I LOVE all the color (of course!) and the way that it's just dripping with it. The maker is Eleanora Eden. Find her pottery online here. Gorgeous!

I should be in bed...

I should be in bed; it's past time for me. I just got back from an a local art forum meeting and as I'm coming to see, these art situations leave me full of inspiration and despair.

I think I've posted this photo before, but I'm too tired to go back and check. Please forgive me?

As I was saying these art events, while stimulating and interesting to observe, leave me feeling a bit...behind the 8-ball. First of all, when I introduce myself to someone I never know what to say. Artist? Aspiring artist? Creative person? Wanna be? I'm not sure so sometimes I just say my name. Then they ask me to repeat it (Perrino isn't very common in these parts). Plus, I have to tell you something. When I go to these events there are often "famous" artists present. Do you know all I can think of in these situations is how silly my art would seem to them? Then I feel horribly guilty for thinking mean thoughts about my "baby art". That is how it feels to me these days, like baby art. It's not fully grown. It's like the promise of good art...does that make any sense? But how can it be this great, breathtaking art I want it to be when I'm so impatient with it? When I feel embarassed that it's not like other people's?

Good grief~sorry for the rant. I've really been in quite a positive mood lately, not sure what happened tonight.

Regardless, here is the link to the gallery show that I'm part of. Mine is the itsy bitsy tiny piece to the very far right in the 2nd photo (I think!). There will be a reception held tomorrow night and I'm planning to stop by for a bit. Perhaps that's what all this is; nerves?

Night-night. XOXOXO

What You Think About...

Have you seen "The Secret" yet? Read the book? Watched the Oprah show(s) featuring it? An interesting concept to be sure..."What you think about, you bring about" as one of the experts says on the DVD. It's fascinating to me~based on the Law of Attraction which basically says that what we focus on and put our energy into multiplies. True? I'm doing a little test right now to see: Last week I focused on flowers. I wanted someone to give me flowers, or to find some flowers (not likely in our snow-covered state), send me a floral note card...something to do with flowers. I shared my item of concentration with my husband and instructed him to not buy me any flowers. I wanted to see where they would come from...

Today I found out we won second place in a photo contest and guess what one of the gift certificates is for? A flower shop. Are you surprised? I was, I will admit it. And thankful. It feels good to know that God cares about even the little things, like flowers.

This is an ATC I have been playing with. It's for someone special. Shhhh, I can't tell who! It's a secret...

Montreal Art Museums...

We had a great time traipsing around the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Modern Art Museum. Here are a few photos of some of our favorite pieces of artwork:

A Lovely Weekend...

Here is a photo from our B&B in Montreal, The Victorian Heritage. It was so lovely...don't you like the green paint? It's so cheerful and chic.

Some miscellaneous photos from around the city:

An Inspiring Day...

Wow~how beautiful is this place? Friday I was lucky enough to get to attend the Helen Day Art Center (as seen above) for a "Futures in Art" conference that my friend Suzanne told me about. She wasn't able to make the conference (waaah!) but I contacted the woman in charge and made my arrangements. What a day! I can't believe how wonderful it was to listen to other artists, some working in the field, some aspiring...I felt so connected and just this deep "thrum" of excitement.
























It was a gorgeous day and the sunlight was just perfect for taking some outdoor photos during lunch. Plus, (I'm embarrassed to admit it) I felt too shy to sit with the other conference attendees...even though it would have been a great time to network and learn even more. I had that "new kid at school" type feeling...would someone see me coming and put their books on the chair next to them? Cowardly, yes. But it was nice to get some fresh air and a little quiet time to process everything I had learned during the morning session.


























Here are a few of the most important things I learned (or was reminded of):

1) Organic Education is extremely important (i.e. one doesn't necessarily need formal art education to be a great artist, but they do need to be exposed to great art/artists).

2) Having a support system of other artists is very important.

3) You must become comfortable with being uncomfortable.

4) What you put out there will come back to you.

The statements above (loosely paraphrased) were from a professor and head of art at University of Vermont who also mentioned his core beliefs which I strongly agree with. They are:

a. People are happier doing what they like-this is possible for everyone if they choose
b. We have an obligation to make the world a better place
c. Talent may not make you a success. You will still have to deal with the clumby process of finding your own way.

I AGREE! Especially with "We have an obligation to make the world a better place." I think that is one way that I can feel justified and "useful" making art...sometimes I feel that it's too frivolous, or others infer that it's not a worthwhile use of time...I beg to differ!