It's Bead Soup Time Again!!

Every year I take part in several exchanges for my fused glass and lampworked beads.  There's the annual "Magless Exchange" with the Warm Glass Board that I've participated in for eight years (fused glass); the regular exchanges that are organized by various members of Lampwork, Etc. (most recently a "Beach Charms" and an "Earrings" exchange) and my all-time favorite exchange which was created and expertly organized by the Energizer Bunny herself, Lori Anderson.  

Each participant in the Bead Soup Exchange is given the name of another beader/jewelry artist and the two exchange a small package of beads.  The receiver is free to make whatever they want from their offerings, so long as their final piece incorporates the clasp and main focal bead that the sender included.  Here's a photo of what I received from my first exchange partner, Karen Williams.  Karen is an amazing beader and teacher from Seattle, Washington who makes the most exquisite peyote stitched jewelry I've ever seen.  Click on her name and the link will take you to her blog with lots of eye candy!

And here what I made from Karen's wonderful beads -- a beautiful necklace, two pairs of earrings and a matching bracelet (wish the photo was better, sorry!).

Last year I exchanged with an artist from Canada who unfortunately had to bow out before the exchange was finished due to family obligations.  Above is a photo of what my partner sent and below is what I made from her offerings:

This year the partner Lori assigned me to was also beset with scheduling/family issues and needed to back out at the last minute.  I started to feel like I had Cooties or worse!  Two partners dropping out in a row??  I was bummed but I understood -- it IS a commitment of time and resources to participate in these exchanges and not everyone is able to follow through.  So after I got the news, I posted my situation on Lori's Facebook page and Lady Luck showed up......a generous and talented beader named Dot Lewallen said she'd happily be my partner for this exchange.  I was psyched and relieved that I'd be able to participate after all.  Dot is another amazing seed-beader who makes exquisite beaded necklaces and stunning dolls with faces she makes from plastic clay.  I can't wait to see what she sends me....I've got a feeling I'm going to be stretching my humble beading skills to the limit!

"City Celebration" is in the Top 10!!

"City Celebration"

60" x 36" acrylic on canvas

Last weekend was a quiet and relaxing one for me.  I showed some property; rented out one house and continued the purging of "stuff" around the house.  Once again, I began the ambiguous dance around my paints and brushes, staring at them wistfully but not touching.  It's been over six weeks since I've picked up a paintbrush (an artist's one, that is) and I'm mystified at the creative block I've found myself in.  

Switching on the computer to check my emails, I saw a "Congratulations -- you've won!" in the headlines and almost deleted it as SPAM until I noticed the sender was Abstract Artist Gallery.  Clicking on the link, I was surprised and thrilled to see that my "City Celebration" painting had placed in the Top 10 of their International Abstract Art competition!!  You can see the list of the winners here:

I had not submitted my art to a competition before, but decided to do so because I absolutely love this site and the amazing artists whose works are featured there.  Figuring I had nothing to lose, I submitted two paintings along with my entry fee and am honored to have ranked among their Top 10 winners.  

Winning this award has given me the inspiration and energy to keep pushing through the "sludge" that my Muse is making me wade through.  I have a feeling she has something awesome in store for me, and I can't wait!

A Note from a Mentor

One of my favorite abstract artists and most beloved workshop leaders is the talented and incredible Robert Burridge.  Besides making and teaching inspiring art in places all over the world, Bob's energy and enthusiasm is contagious and I can honestly say he played a significant role in giving me the confidence and marketing skills to make the leap from real estate developer to artist. 

When MORE Magazine printed my interview in April, I shared this fact with them and their readers.  Since the article's publication, I've received over a dozen emails from people who have also taken a "Bob" workshop and they all say the same thing -- "he's amazing!"

Last week I was thrilled to open my emails and see the following letter:

"Dear Judy,

Wow and belated congratulations!

A student of mine brought me a hard copy of the article in More Magazine. I am super proud of you and very grateful to you for mentioning me.

It's always great and satisfying to know that I have inspired others to follow their bliss. Many have inspired me to do what I do -- together we can all keep this ball rolling!

Love, Peace and Happiness.

Bob"

 

I learned how to invite my Inner Child to come out and play at Bob's workshops and I haven't stopped since.  Every once in awhile I need Her help in coaxing our innocent imagination to the forefront of my mind but thanks to Bob, I know She's there, waiting for the tasks and worry from the day to disappear so She can pick up a brush and begin having fun.  Here's one of the paintings I created in a Burridge workshop in Mendocino!

 

 

 "Mendocino Fences"

18" x 24" acrylic on canvas

- SOLD -

I love Craigslist

Temperatures reached 105 degrees in  Sacramento this weekend, and I spent most of the time indoors, running all the fans and occasionally turning on the central air-conditioner.  It was the perfect time to continue the purging mode, and this time I concentrated on my bedroom.

In that room, I had an espresso-colored contemporary sideboard from IKEA that I used for storing my CD's, batteries, household tools, extra keys, etc.   I had used the surface for my unopened mail; books; dirty clothes and whatever else I could throw on there.

On Saturday, I determined this sideboard must go away and I called a couple people I knew to see if I could unload it on them.  No, ummmm......they didn't want anymore furniture and were in the same "simplifying" mode that I've been in.  My neighbor said Goodwill would take it, but that would mean getting this heavy thing moved, which was not high on my To-Do list. 

So--I took a couple of photos and wrote an ad to put on Craigslist.  Since I didn't want any money for it (I just wanted it gone!), I listed it in the FREE Classified section.  Within half an hour, I had 32 emailed responses, and I called the first one who left a phone number to see how soon they could pick it up.

The woman and her husband arrived within 25 minutes, and were thrilled with their new find.  I was excited about having the extra room, and the energy of the bedroom has completely shifted.  It feels lighter and cleaner and last night, I slept like a baby - something I haven't done for ages.

"Night Dreams"

- SOLD -

I know I just said this in my previous post, but seriously I really don't know how I've managed to accumulate so much stuff.  Even though I've gotten rid of SO MUCH, there is more that needs to go. 

Next purging session is my studio/office.  Even though I haven't picked up a paintbrush in weeks, my mind has been mixing colors and patterns as I've been cleaning and I can't wait to start painting again!

Clearing the Mind by Clearing the Stuff

It's been a busy month since I last posted the news about closing my studio.  June 10th was the official end date for Bell'Arte Studios and I'm finally able to relax now that everything has been moved and inventoried.   We had a final closing sale where I sold 25+ paintings and a lot of fused glass items, but even with the sale, I managed to bring home quite a few paintings and supplies.

When I found out we were closing the gallery, I was overwhelmed at the thought of taking everything down and hauling it back to my house.  I live in a small 842 square foot 2 bedroom, 1 bath home with a detached 1-car garage that is my fused glass studio.  To make a long story short -- there simply isn't room to store more stuff!!!

The news prompted me to go through my closets, drawers and rooms to eliminate what I didn't want or need to make room for the things I did want to keep.  I got rid of a complete set of dishes and silverware (when was the last time I had a sit-down dinner for 12?), 2 grocery bags of worn linens and rags that I had saved for cleaning up when making art; 4 bags of books (some that I've never read) and a ton of art supplies that were constantly staring me in the face, challenging me to stop working on my current project to go play with them.

I managed to whittle down my shoe inventory from 42 pairs to 19, and happily donated them and 7 bags of suits and business clothes to charity.  I gave away a complete set of golf clubs to a friend (I rarely play with 1 set--why was I holding onto 2??); shredded files of invoices, taxes, and bank statements from 1995 to 2007 and happily tossed the skinny jeans and clothes that I'm just not going to guilt myself over anymore.

My niece and I had a garage sale with some of the nicer items, and after 2 hours in the heat, we packed it all into the car and dumped it off at the Goodwill.  All of it.  What a good feeling it was to put that chapter behind me!!!

I'm enjoying the cleared-off tabletops and empty spaces on my bookshelves.  I can actually see all of the clothes in my closet and the shoes I have now fit on the shelves.  The energy in my home has become "lighter" and my mind chatter is becoming quieter and more thoughtful.  New ideas are starting to form and instead of feeling overwhelmed at these concepts, I'm feeling excited again.


This morning a friend of mine announced on Facebook that her daughter's school is accepting donations for an upcoming garage sale.  I sent her an email letting her know I'd have least one carload of things to donate - if I look hard enough I'll find more stuff that I don't need/want......and if we're both lucky, I may just have two.

Closing the Gallery Doors

It's official -- we're closing the doors at Bell'Arte this month and while I'm sad to do so, I'm also somewhat relieved.  Having a "retail" outlet is like having a piece of you out there, constantly nagging for you to pay more attention to it while restricting the creative flow (at least for this artist!).   I tried it for 3 years and met a lot of fabulous folks; sold a lot of art I wouldn't have sold locally; and made a lot of friends in the art community.  Now it's time to pursue some other avenues that I've wanted to do but haven't had the time or the extra income to do.  I've got a gallery in Laguna Beach that wants to show some of my work, and before I make the final decision I want to take a trip down there to see if it's truly the right venue for my art.  I have the licensing contract with All My Walls in place and they finally have some of my works featured on their website.  I've been in contact with two art consultants about my glass art and paintings, and I also want to start wholesaling my fused glass Christmas ornaments that I've designed and sold for the past 12 years to other retail outlets.

So there is lots to do and truthfully, I have not taken the time to properly follow up on all of these avenues because of my commitments to the studio.  The extra $400 a month rent that I was spending will allow me to better position my site on the internet and free up some time that I can now spend in my home studio or take workshops with.

They say when a door closes, another one opens and I'm excited to see what will be behind that new door.  Stay tuned -- I have a feeling there's some big news right around the corner!!!

Making Lemons Out of Lemonade

Yesterday I lost a very near, dear friend of mine.  Her name was myturn@prodigy.net and this wonderful, beloved friend was my very first email address that I got when I started using the internet and sending out emails in the very early 1990's.

I still remember when Myturn and I first met and became friends.  I was living in my Carmichael home, and was in my front bedroom/office with my wonderful dog, Henri (Matisse) lying at my side.  I had spent several hours researching the benefits of joining Prodigy versus AOL and a couple of other servers I can no longer recall the names of, when I finally decided to go with Prodigy.  First I tried to use my own name; then several variations using initials, birthdays, lucky numbers, etc. but every name I tried was already taken.  I must have tried 20+ different monikers before I got very frustrated and like a spoiled little girl, typed in the words "MY TURN"  At last, the name was accepted and I swear to you, this is how my loving friendship with my first email address began.  

Over the years, Prodigy was ultimately gobbled up by Yahoo who then teamed with AT&T, who just two days ago cancelled my email account without notice.  Boom, bam, WOW -- just vanished, gone, nada, nothing.  No "hey -- we're taking you out" notice of any kind -- or "call us to discuss your account".....just a nasty gram stating my account had been "temporarily suspended."

WHAT?  In? The? World? Was? Going? On????

I didn't need any coffee to wake me up after reading this notice Tuesday morning -- I was wide awake and wondering what could have possibly happened to MyTurn.  Hmmm....I had made a change from AT&T to Surewest on Valentine's Day but had been assured by AT&T that they would still allow me to use their email in the event I ever wanted to return (AOL has had this policy for years and AT&T claims they have it too).  No problems with my final bill -- in fact I had overpaid the account and had received and cashed the refund check.  

On Tuesday I spent over 2 hours talking with AT&T's customer service reps who at first assured me there must have been a mistake on their end.  I went through customer service; then tech support; then billing; back to customer service who then sent me to their advanced tech support team; who ultimately sent me back to billing who told me they hadn't cancelled my account properly, and that I should wait 24 hours and my account would be restored.

At last, I was able to breathe.  I knew they were going to take care of me -- after all, I've been a customer of PacBell/AT&T since 1976 when I first moved out of my parent's home.  My Mom used to work for the phone company and still owns stock with them.  Of course I could rest easy because I had been assured all would be OK.  I slept well that night, rejoicing in the fact that MyTurn was going to be OK.

Yesterday, I found out AT&T eliminated MyTurn in cold blood.  It took me nearly 2 hours of being transferred all over the AT&T customer service departments again before I finally got a supervisor named Cynthia who timidly but gently broke the news to me.

MyTurn was dead.  Gone.  No explanation -- just vaporized into the internet Heavens. 

Yes -- I seriously cried.  I'm in mourning as I'm writing this.  I'm hoping I'll feel better after getting these memories out but I'm not promising anything.

MyTurn was my friend and confidante for over 20 years.  A vital piece of me is gone and I feel empty, sad and very betrayed.  MyTurn had been holding onto files I'd kept for many years including emails from old boyfriends, business deals, important tax information and more.  I would often hold onto letters and documents thinking I might need to refer to them one day, and had always trusted that MyTurn would have them waiting for me at just the right moment.

Today I'm sad and reeling from the shock of how quickly this dear friend and lifeline was taken from me.  I wrote about the experience on my FaceBook page and even Tweeted my dissatisfaction with AT&T for their callous handling of the matter.  But none of my bitter musings will bring MyTurn back to me, nor will I ever see my beloved saved/sent emails or InBox again.  My Address Book is bye-bye too, and I have anxiety about all the people who will try to reach me only to receive the scary "fatal error - unable to send - addressee unknown" email.

My lemonade to this sour lemony story is I have been made painfully aware of how easily and quickly someone close to me can be taken without one single lick of notice.  And if there is indeed a silver lining to this story (or lemonade) -- it's the fact that I didn't lose a human or furry friend or family member.  What I lost was a cyberspace loved one and we never hugged or held hands, or shared a meal or a glass of wine.  

And at the end of the day, I'm relieved and grateful that I have been enlightened about this fact, and that my friends and family are (to the best of my knowledge) here today, healthy and breathing life and love into my world.  Yes -- MyTurn is gone, and there (according to the tech-support team at AT&T) is no resurrecting my baby girl.  But her memory and sudden death will live on in my life, and I promise to cherish every waking moment with my loved ones from this day forward.

Lots of New News for You!

I have a lot of exciting things to share with you but will begin with my interview with MORE Magazine that was published this month.  What an honor it was to be featured in this wonderful magazine.  The lead for this interview actually happened on 11-1-11 -- the very first day after I left my real estate development job to follow my passion of being a full-time artist.  Over a period of 4 months, I traded dozens of emails with the journalist and her editor in addition to numerous telephone interviews, and never ceased to wonder when they would stop and say "you're not interesting enough for our magazine!"  But they never did.....and judging from the numerous emails I've received from readers of the article, others were inspired as well.  I'm eternally grateful and blessed to have had this opportunity to share my story with others.

I returned last week from an amazing 5-day painting workshop in San Francisco by Tesia Blackburn where I began work on 13 new paintings.  I explored using lots of gel mediums and polymers, in addition to metallic paints -- all by Golden Paints.  What a wonderful class -- with a great teacher and talented classmates!  I am so excited to start using these new textures and mediums in my work and can't wait to share the results.  Here are two paintings I worked on in that class:

"A Fiery Road"

36" x 24"

Acrylic on canvas

"Raining Gold"

30" x 30"

Acrylic on canvas

Lastly, I'm thrilled to announce the birth of a new start-up company I've founded along with a talented fellow artist and businessman, James Cameron.  The business is called Original Art 4 Rent -- where we'll be renting, leasing and selling original art to homes and businesses in the greater Sacramento area.  Besides featuring our own paintings and my glass art, we'll be adding talented artists from the area including my studio mate Dianne Poinski and her spectacular hand-colored black and white photographs.

I can't wait to launch this new business and will be updating you as it progresses.  I've started a Fan Page on Facebook--please LIKE it if you get a chance.  I'll be updating it with more information and photos this week, and would love to hear from you if you know of any homes or businesses that might benefit from our services.

Happy April Fool's Day -- can you believe we're already 25% of the way through 2012 already??  Time flies by fast when you're running around like I've been doing -- hope you're enjoying it too!!

Working Big, Working Hard

Here are two more 40" x 30" paintings to go with the former "Zoom" painting that was posted awhile back.  I've been painting big; painting fast; and painting often this past week.....These two paintings are part of a triptych I named "Falling" -- with names like Zoom, Splash and Gravity, the name for the series just felt right.

In addition to these two new beauties, I managed to sneak in 5 more smaller works.  Crazy, I know!!!

Why all the creative energy?  I could push the blame towards Keith Richards again (damn caffeine drinks from HELL!) or I could let you all in on a little secret or two I have been keeping lately......

#1 -- I'm working with another talented artist friend to open an Art 4 Rent business for lobbies, model homes, residences, and corporate settings in the greater Sacramento area.  Details coming very, very soon.

#2 --  MORE Magazine is publishing an article next month (April, 2012) about women who leave their jobs to follow their passions -- and I'm one of the featured women!!!

#3 -- I've got a MAJOR case of Spring fever, and it's manifesting in painting instead of Spring cleaning.

Or......ALL of the above.

In any case, I've been slinging paint; cutting glass; torching rods and firing enamels like there is no tomorrow.  Yes -- I have a lot of new work to show for it.  And yes -- it's about freaking time this "cold, empty" spell broke.  Now I've got to manifest some of that energy into updating my websites to add the new works and to start marketing some of these new pieces.

I'm looking for businesses and people who want to hang original art but who might not be able to afford to purchase right now.  If you know of anyone in the greater Sacramento area who might fall into this category, please let me know!!!

Making the Marks

"Zoom"

Acrylic on canvas w/graphite & spray paints

40" x 30" on gallery-wrapped canvas

I've been on a painting frenzy these past couple of weeks (thanks Keith!!) and have edged my way into a whole, new series of works.  They're non-representational abstracts, with acrylics, graphite, and spray paint.  The spray paint is what I use to make the letters and numbers with (think stencils), and the lines and oval shapes are from a brayer and the lid of a deodorant stick.   

Numbers, letters, equations and calligraphy have always fascinated me, and it's been a lot of fun incorporating them into my paintings.  I call these new paintings my "Hidden Messages" -- even though they don't have any special or hidden meaning to me.  Perhaps they will have meaning for someone else, but for now I'm happy with the way they complement the compositions of my work.

Here is another set that I did -- it's a triptych called "Playground" -- made with (3) 12" x 12" canvases.

I think this new series would look great in a lobby somewhere.....or a really cool loft with tall brick walls.  Stay tuned for more photos -- I'm on a roll!

To Keith -- "A Burning Love"

"A Burning Love"

36" x 12"

Acrylic on canvas

I've never been much of a "heart" person but recently picked up some new acrylic paint pens and just had to go a little crazy!  Here's "A Burning Love" that I made late one evening/early morning a couple of weeks ago, when I couldn't sleep because of Keith Richards. 

The Keith Richards in question is not a new man in my life, but instead a high-octane caffeine drink made by a local coffeehouse.  A Keith Richards is 2 shots of espresso with Shasta cola, poured over ice.  I generally save this treat for special occasions, or for when I have a long day ahead and know I'm going to need some extra fuel to make it through to the end.  I usually get one of these beverages between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m., as I know I'll have an active, busy 12-hours ahead with a caffeine buzz.  Unfortunately, on this particular day I chose to get one of these cups of liquid speed at approximately 11:00 a.m. and I will swear they must have added an extra shot of espresso!

Named after the talented though sometimes troubled Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, this drink is legal liquid speed.  And thanks to Keith, I broke my "dry spell" and am painting again like a crazy artist!  "A Burning Love" is my tribute to Keith, to Valentine's Day (aka Singles Awareness Day) and to hooking up again with my muses.  Enjoy!

SOLD!

"Kelp Garden"

"Moon over Miami"

I know the economy has been slow and unemployment rates in California are still through the roof.....but for this artist, 2012 is turning out to be an awesome year with art sales.  I really have to sit back and count my blessings.  On Friday, a friend stopped by the studio and purchased these metal/fused glass sculptures that I did last September with fellow metal artist, Ed Haag.  (sorry about the sucky photos -- obviously I took them myself!)  Last month, I sold two of my personal favorite paintings -- "Glimpse of Spring" and "Fires Down Below" to two wonderful collectors in addition to several small glass art pieces. I have also been collecting steady checks from the galleries that I've been showing my glass work in, which is another added bonus. 

Amazingly enough, the majority of my bills are managing to get paid with the proceeds of my art sales, and I'm eternally grateful, humbled, and astounded that I had the nerve to walk away from a successful career to follow my dream and my passion. 

I've got so many ideas and artistic money-making opportunities brewing.....there's the interview I did recently with a national magazine as well as the licensing contract with All My Walls.   I've also got several galleries asking for more works geared towards Spring, plus the show I just hung at 58 Degrees Restaurant & Bar in addition to another "secret" idea I'm brewing with another extremely talented abstract artist friend.  I need to be careful not to get too carried away with the business end of things and concentrate on making more art!!!

Over the past few months I've come to love a popular 4-letter words in the English language....SOLD.  And I hope to be saying that word on a daily basis!  A year ago I would never have dreamed that I'd be doing what I'm doing.  My only regret is I didn't do it sooner.