OtHER SpRInG pRoJEcTS

So besides scrutinizing my eating habits and ridding that foul sugar from my mouth.. lol..
I have actually been working on some artistic projects. I created three largish (for me I work small) pieces to jury for the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival happening May 1- 3 at Seattle Center.
I have participated in SEAF in the past years both in the main gallery and in the gallery store with various naughty, erotic, or dirty assemblages. Its always been a success and a "hoot" to not have to censor my dirty thoughts or images in my artwork. I am confirmed to be in the gallery store again this year and have not yet heard the results of the main gallery submissions. So this years submissions included a recycled/ repurposed art doll that addresses some gender stereotypes. (cropped for Blogger consumption you will have to go to SEAF to see the good parts) In my cropping I also seemed to have gotten a bit distracted playing with photoshop...

Then two collage paintings that combine my love of Catholic imagery with the divine female.
Painting... painting... painting, I really struggled with these paintings, I had very clear ideas in my head, but had a hard time getting it translated to canvas. I just haven't spent enough time painting. I needed to paint these images about ten times, instead of just once each. I have a mental love affair with the idea of being a painter, but the reality was hard and frustrating. So I have no perspective with these two pieces and alternately love them and then hate them.. But they are finished and submitted and the rest is out of my hands.
(again cropped for Blogger consumption you will have to go to SEAF to see the good parts)

Then lastly a few glimpses at some past years pieces displayed at the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival.

WhAT HaVE i BeEN dOInG? / ThE sUGaR ShOW dOwn

So what have I been doing with my early spring? I have been enjoying some down time, spending time with friends and family, and working on some projects.
I decided to dedicate some time to taking better care of myself and to looking intently at my long term addiction to ..... SUGAR. I know that the amount of sugar I consume or don't consume greatly affects my moods and energy and I have adjusted and noticed its affects on my body for lots of years. I have cut back, I have switched to less refined or healthier options, I have "gone off" all obvious sugar i.e cookies, candy, soda, etc. All for varying amounts of time and success, but always to return to my old habits of using sugar as a drug. Using it to medicate my moods and soothe my disappointments and always wanting more and more once I got started. This year I decides to systematically remove all sugar or sugar acting substances from my diet.. No honey, no splenda, no maple syrup, no evaporated cane juice, etc. Your probably glad I wasn't blogging much in Jan, it wouldn't have been a very pretty story..
Did you know that there is sugar in planters peanuts and MSG ? Who knew! The grocery store becomes a kind of treasure hunt looking at the labels trying to find crackers that don't have sugar in them...
Well I am now almost at two months off of sugar, there have been a few concessions made,, a couple of Ricolla cough drops for a wicked sore throat and Hoisen sauce in my pho a couple of times as well. But I feel accomplished and empowered. I feel like my moods and energy levels have evened out but sometimes it is hard to tell when your so close to the changes.. I still feel a strong emotional pull towards some sugary things, in particular anything with frosting on it. So I am continuing to abstain completely, but hope to get to a place where I can occasionally indulge in a healthy dessert, without falling into the sugar abyss. What are your stories with sugar? I talk to some people who don't seem to care at all about sweets? and then others that can't fathom why I do such a torturous thing to myself as to avoid sugar...

NEw gALLeRy!

A couple of new pieces on display at Art and Soul Gallery

So amid the chaos of the Christmas season I picked up a new gallery to carry my work,

Art and Soul Gallery located in the Country Village at 817 238th ST suite A/B in Bothell, WA

They have an amazingly diverse selection of art in a relatively small space. Its like a fun treasure hunt. The owner Susan, who is super sweet and professional, found my work on Etsy and carrys several other mixed media artists from Etsy as well. So if you in the Bothell area stop by and check it out.

Where can I find you work? is a question I get asked a lot. Well you can always give me a call and set up a personal appointment. I do not keep a showroom but I am more than happy to pull things out of boxes. The best selection and most current pieces can usually be found at an upcoming local art show. If you email me I can add you to my email notification list or the side bar in my blog. I also have a limited selection of my pottery hangings and tiles at Good Earth Pottery

and now some mixed media works at Art and Soul Gallery. Of course you can always shop in your pajamas from my etsy site as well.

I am on the search for a few other galleries to represent my work. If you have any suggestions drop me a line...

Absent Blogger

Wow!!! I haven't updated my blog since Nov.. Damn! Trust me I have been doing things and making art, just haven't had what it takes to blog about it.. Forgive me???
So Christmas... lots and lots of artwork made and sold.. It was a really great season for me and I was a bit concerned with all the talk of the economy and such. It turned out to be my best Christmas season so far and 95% of that was through local sales at the Allied Arts Holiday Festival... SO THANK YOU ALLIED ARTS AND ALL THE WONDERFUL LOCAL PEOPLE THAT SUPPORTED ME!
and after/during the actual xmas holidays we were buried in fuzzy white stuff which was pretty and sweet for awhile and then annoying and tiring. Then the white stuff melted and WA tried to float away. My home and studio are on a hill and fared fine, but unfortunately some dear friends of mine did not fare as well.
If you know me or follow my blog you know I don't think much of the traditional Christmas holiday. But I did enjoy a little holiday get away with my sweetie Jay, we went to Harrison Hots Springs and soaked and soaked in the springs while the snow fell and fell.. It was a relaxing sweet end to the rushing and working of the Holidays..
Alright, I am back on track, at lease sort of ... more posts to follow talking about what else I have been up to... and maybe for a change not talking about myself as well...