Onward Ambitious ArtPrize Entry...

"We are each of us born into the arms of mortality, the Lord recognizing our need to be held."~ Robert Brault

...And the need to fly! This being as close as I can get at the moment, making some angel wings.

 More like closer to the 'idea' of flying. Here is the box of 8" long copper feathers after being cut from an 18' long x 3' sheet of 10 Mil copper sheeting.

These are the first feathers after much pressing and hammering (and rubbing on of Tei Fu Massage Cream to soothe my aching hands and wrists...) I am so loving how these are turning out but I may re-think a new hobby of copper tooling? Extreme soreness is only a problem when you don't tend to go into things half heartedly. (Did I mention that I can be quite tenacious?)

I actually experienced a shot of endorphins after seeing how these turned out, even more when I wired the first few on the actual wings to get a look and measure out each one (see below).

So rocking this process and each step of it will be guaranteed to bring more ecstasy. (Yes, if you haven't figured it out already, I am a bit weird, but that is one of the reasons my husband married me and one of the most important life bits to teach your kids: Everyone is weird, some just more than others!) 

So... glad I have a while to process the attaching of the feathers to the wings; It will be a while before I get all these tooled. I ordered a pressure sensitive tape from the copper company and will be playing with that and a bit of wiring I believe. The whole impetus behind my idea of the copper was to keep the wings fairly light; they are already about 40 pounds having been made with rebar, and to add mosaic glass and grout would have made them too heavy to lift and place into the mosaic angel sculpture's back (at least, that is what we thought and didn't want to find out the hard way).

So exciting to start a new project and so sad that I have a real day job. It will save me from extreme carpal tunnel syndrome all at once (except I get my share of that from doing hair).

Have a great weekend, and don't forget to fly;)

Copper Colored Imagination

"Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon. A happiness weapon. A beauty bomb. And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one. It would explode high in the air- explode softly- and send thousands, millions, of little parachutes into the air. Floating down to earth- boxes of Crayolas. And we wouldn't go cheap, either- not little boxes of eight. Boxes of sixty four, with the sharpener built right in. With silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all the rest. And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination." ~ Robert Fulghum

Copper Feather Cutting...with tin snips and must not forget the LEATHER GLOVES! Copper is very sharp, but oh, so shiny.

Next in the process: A bit o' tooling and patination. I will keep a picture log of the process.

Still ruminating how to attach to the wing structure; I have a few options and will play with the center at the back of the angel. I also ordered the first of the mosaic tiles for the angel yesterday. Such a fun and exciting process. Thanks for sharing it with me;)

Artists Begin Registration to Compete for World's Largest Art Prize

The amazing #1 Art Work of ArtPrize 2009. Ran Ortner's "Open Water". Read an amazing interview with Ran here: http://blog.artprize.org/2010/04/21/what-happened-to-the-winner-of-artprize-2009/?utm_source=TwitterPost&utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_campaign=RanOrtner

Artists Begin Registration to Compete for World's Largest Art Prize

Here is my entry from 2009, "Mosaic Poppies". 

It is still hanging in Collins Fine Art Gallery in Grand Rapids, MI.

The wings for my angel sculpture, before being primed.

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Central Michigan, warm enough to spray paint these wings with primer. It says on the Galvanic scale that copper and galvanized steel may corrode if attached and under moist conditions, so I used a "Rustoleum" primer to give them a coating. I will also use pressure sensitive tape where necessary to attach the copper feathers.






"We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing on another."
~Luciano de Crescenzo




Template for copper feathers finished! The copper has shipped and should be here this week. Will keep you updated on the steps to come!

What Makes You Tick?

"I loathe the expression "What makes him tick." It is the American mind, looking for simple and singular solution, that uses the foolish expression. A person not only ticks, he also chimes and strikes the hour, falls and breaks and has to be put together again, and sometimes stops like an electric clock in a thunderstorm."

~James Thurber

This is one of the very many clocks in my Uncle's house; you could say he collects them, or that they collected him? One of the many, many things I love about him and most likely runs in the family;)

Speaking of 'breaking and  putting together again'...

Check out this awesome 'Steampunk' Artist who works with old watch parts to make wicked fun jewelry!

EDMDesigns from Brooklyn, NY 

"For Whom The Bell Tolls"?

Steampunk Cuff - HARDCORE GOTHIC Wrist Cuff - Black LEATHER Textile A

"Tick Tock, Baby!"

Steampunk Bracelet - Brass INDUSTRIAL GRUNGE Vintage Watch Movement A

Check out all Her Designs @

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=24240&rmore=1&op=new

This artist really knows how to make the best use of her 'time'.

                                                          Peace, out.

Live Life or Take a Picture of It? Hmmmm....

"Life is always walking up to us and saying, "Come on in, the living's fine," and what do we do? Back off and take its picture."

~Russell Baker

This is my wonderful family in the remains of the Rock of Cashel, in what was once the Cathedral. Cashel is located in South Central  Ireland, just East of Tipperary.  Cashel was a relatively large church or cathedral soon after 1101, and was still used by the Church of  Ireland until 1749, when the old site was abandoned. It was taken into State Care as National Monuments and conservation work in 1875. In 1975 major restoration began taking place.

It is truly a beautiful and majestic place to visit. One can understand man's reasoning for tall "cathedral ceilings" standing in this structure; makes you want to look up;)

So, I'm off to live today (at my shop), and I just might also take some pictures. Peace.

Today: Partly Sunny With a Chance of Awesome!

"Plant your garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers." ~Veronica A. Shoffstall

Take a walk through artist, Charis Moblo's "garden" and find inspiration at every turn. Charis has created art for many years which has been displayed in galleries in Grand Rapids & Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Cleveland, Ohio's Little Italy neighborhood, an art lover's dream walk.

As long as I've known her (about 30 years), she has inspired me with her whole being, because she exudes such a beauty from her soul, and it shows in her artwork, no matter how small the piece.

A few of her cards...

Her sentiments seem to grab you & make you feel a connection...

Her decorating skills have always blown me away, she creates the most amazingly warm abode space I've ever had the pleasure of visiting...Here is her dining room, with samples of her little purses.

Here is one of the many inspiring signs she creates to remind us of our own joy...

For a long time she created these and many other incredible "Story Book People", each with a different story to share.

And now is creating a different kind of "Story Person", fun, quirky and lovely ones at that!

A couple of her awesome shoulder bags...

Another view of her dining space with daily inspirations on the chalkboard...

Visit with Charis and her art and you will be a changed person!

Please Visit Charis' FaceBook Fan Page and find out how to support a "Starving Artist"@

http://gl-es.facebook.com/group.php?gid=50293718079

Scenes From a Back Yard...

"By all means use sometimes to be alone.

Salute thyself;

See what thy soul doth wear."

~ George Herbert

Just re-visiting some beautiful, sunny, backyard moments from a few years ago. I love my yard and spending quiet time there taking pictures of those that choose to come a callin'. Anxious to see who comes this year, but will enjoy all the stages. Embrace the "April Showers", remember that it brings May flowers!

Word Perfect?

"...It was that sweet moment between wake and sleep when the dream has only a foot in the door that the day and its duties have left ajar. I wanted always to remember that sweetness, that moment, and knew I could not rise to write the details down-...because the slumber was tightening around me. And I was searching for a word, one word that I could keep and remember till the morning: one word only: a key, a password by which I could return to this moment just long enough to make a poem, a purse made of words to keep the treasure of it in." ~Thomas Lynch

Bodies in Motion and at Rest: On Metaphor and Mortality









I love this sentiment: "a purse made of words to keep the treasure of it in."  Awesome. And since I couldn't find a "purse" to show, here is an excellent artist who makes handmade journals- even better to keep your words in. She is Miz Katie, a mixed media artist who paints people, cities, and the characters in her head. She has originals, reproductions, handmade books and professional prints.  I found her beautiful artwork on ArtFire. Please check her out:

@http://www.artfire.com/modules.php name=Shop&seller_id=11838&op=new&body=1
http://www.mizkatie.com
http://mizkatie.etsy.com
http://www.facebook.com/mizkatie
http://www.twitter.com/mizkatie

And check out some Thomas Lynch words today.

Blessed Be! The Grouting Is Complete!!

"When you possess light within, you see it externally. ~ Anais Nin

Three shades of grout: White-Halo, Tan-Wings/Face/Hair, Black-Sky. I added some "Shimmer Powder" into the black and white grout, so I'll see if it worked after it is dry.

"People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within."

~ Elisabeth Kubler Ross

Now to work on the frame....A bit of sanding, antiquing, painting the backside and hanging hardware (I'll leave that to my capable significant other, because he loves to do everything in his power to please me!) Did you remember that this is April 1? Ok, well, almost everything in his power. All he really needs to do is smile at me.....

"A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you're at home."~ Author Unknown

Have a wonderful weekend 

and don't forget to Show off 

your Streak Free Facial Window!