Weasel is here!

Yay! Jessica Wiesel (aka Weasel) is visiting for a week! She arrived yesterday afternoon, so we made a nice dinner of a dish I call Bacon Rice (which includes bacon, caramelized onions, roasted peppers, portabella mushrooms an basil...simple and delicious) and a salad of heirloom tomatoes. We spent the rest of the evening catching up and telling stories, a nice way to spend Andrew's last evening with us before heading back to NY. Today we took it pretty easy, I gave Jess a quick wax working lesson and she picked it up remarkably fast. See the antlers she made for her dollhouse animal trophies? So good! I will show finished pieces soon. The top picture is of my new garden castle in progress, its almost done! I can't wait to cast it. It feels good to relax and get back to work chatting with my best buddy after an action packed weekend with my folks. I think the whole goal of the weekend was to spoil Azalea rotten! We threw her another party, with all her friends and the whole family, balloons, cake, presents and an exciting trip to Fun Depot. Everyone had a good time. I think I'm still tired. Well, I'm going to get back to my castle!

Winner

Hi! Look at this sculpture made from paper clay and apoxy resin by Pat Lillich! A little spooky, yet strangely charming in its own boney, pale way. The hybrid creatures remind me of my bird girls.Love them!

Its a whirlwind of production here! Andrew and I have worked like mad to create new art for up-coming shows. He made loads of pmc charms to sell at the Long Island Bead Festival ( september 9). I have fiddled with a sculpture so long my eyes are crossing! Its not done yet. We are collaborating on an small oracle deck (like runes, or tarot) , combining collage backgrounds (Andrews job) with tempera figures and details (my job). I love the idea of mini art that you can carry, with the bonus of divanation! I do love useful art! Greg wants to design a game to play with them as well. Its fun researching symbols for colors, objects and animals. Although its a pain looking for a company to gild the edges of the cards. I thought it would be easy, I see loads of things with gilding: wedding invites, planners, bibles, bookmarks...so frustrating. I really want to find a company to do that!

The winner of this round of commenting is.......Janet! I drew out of a bowl. I was going to film Azalea pulling a name out of a hat but she told me she had 'to make work' and didn't have time. She is so sassy. Yay!Janet! You get a necklace! Yay! I will hold another contest soon! I like getting comments!

birthday

Prize for winner of the comment contest. Just leave a comment of garden art you think we should make, or favorite artists, or add your vote to another request. I will draw the winner on friday.


Greg and I at the Greenville Zoo.


Azalea admiring the tortoises.

We went to the zoo and Chucke Cheese pizza for Azalea's third birthday. We had loads of of fun! She will also celebrate on saturaday, with my folks and all our buddies. Andrew is here from NY, we always have non-stop good times when we get together. The planning for Faery Con has started, we are working like mad to make stuff that non-beaders will enjoy. I'm working on paintings for prints, sculptures and more fairy pendants I can just put on chain (I am the slowest beader ever, it takes me days to finish one necklace - so making beaded jewelry for sale is silly, I never sell finished stuff for fear I might have to do another one). Well, its game time (we play a lot of Scrabble here) good night!

drummer girl

The cover for Greg's band (just finished it!). They have a show coming up September 7, 7:30pm at The Dripolator in Asheville.

We went to a music store today and Azalea tried out the drum set, she could hardly tear herself away!
I'm working on a prize for another 'contest' of sorts. Its fun to get feedback. Plus, its useful. I'm wondering what folks would want in their garden (as far as cast stone statuary). I have my ideas, but I am curious what others would like. So leave me some suggestions, or your favorite sculptors and I will draw a winner. The prize is in progress, so when its done, I will post a pic. I will try to have it done tomorrow afternoon, but my brother is coming and we will probably get up to all sorts of crafting madness!

out and about

We spent the day having fun running around, going to the mall, inspecting our plants (check out our mini bog garden that Azalea is so proudly displaying) and cleaning up the studio. She has a desk set up where she paints and 'makes work' next to mine. She's getting pretty good. We put in a full day of sculpting and painting, I've got two pieces in progress- a painting for Greg's cd cover and a sculpture blocked out. It feels good to be productive.

We are going to Faerie Con! The promoters called back today to let us know we are in. Yay! I'm pretty excited. It seems like a lot of fun. Apparently, two masquerade balls will be held, one for good fairies, one for bad! I better get started planning my outfits. I'm envisioning antlers (I'm on a deer girl kick) but that might not be nice for whoever helps in the booth. Maybe wings, although everybody does wings...I could try wood nymph, with branches growing out of my head. How I love the silliness of it all! Well, I'm thinking of holding another contest, after visiting Jane Wynn's blog and seeing all the excitement. I really like her stuff, plus she seems so charming (http://idolatrieartist.typepad.com/jane_wynns_studio_a_visua/) so I'm working on a prize for a contest. It will go up tomorrow, good night!

recovered

Finally! I've never been sick that long! I'm so happy its over, no more sleeping all day for me. I've been sketching a lot, venturing out to look at gardens around town (inspiration for garden art) just absorbing beautiful surroundings. I used to sculpt garden art ages ago, making things I thought would be pretty, but not really considering it from a gardeners point of view (I lived in an apartment building without so much as a houseplant) . I think this changes how I see garden art now, this new perspective of having cared for my own little sanctuary. I'm excited about this new endeavor, but a touch nervous, I haven't made this type of sculpture for awhile, hopefully it'll be well recieved. I will post pics.

Last night we signed up for a show called Faerie Con in Philadelphia this October (www.faeriecon.com). I'm keeping my fingers crossed, its late to be signing up, so spaces are probably sold out. I really want to go! I would love to try new venues, different cities, maybe meet new people. One of my favorite artists will be there, the wonderful Brian Froud (http://www.worldoffroud.com/) ! I've loved his work since I was a kid. I'll bring him one of my fairies. Have a good night!

lucky girl

I'm extremely sick. I'm lucky because we work at home, so Greg can take care of me and Azalea. I'm also lucky to have my sis making me her awesome comfort food. My buddies Tony and Lisa have been wonderful with my girl and making the best chicken soup in the world. I'm grateful to have good people around. I'm miserable, but thankful to have the most understanding customers! Greg has a necklace on the cover of Stringing (his second!) alongside my brother Andrews piece, which, as you might've guessed, makes for busy times around here.


I've been pretty set down, sleeping endlessly but trying to sketch when I'm awake. I have a few ideas for something I've long wanted to pursue, but never had the time or energy to really put forth the effort required to do a good job. I don't half ass anything, if a project is worth doing, give it all you got or don't bother (sounds strong, but is annoying, loads of things stay in my sketchbook for this stubborn behavior). So I'm putting forth my best efforts and compiling sketches, making new ones and doing research to make cast stone sculptures. I used to make the originals for a company way back when (when I was naive and silly, allowing another artist to sign my work!) and have literally made him millions. My hope is to produce work that could function as indoor/outdoor sculpture and stand the test of time. Anyway, I'll show my progress as I get better.


I was doing a little bit of research today and found an interesting bit of mythology on mermaids www.sideshowworld.com Our friend Anne Choi shared an amazing story about a girl who lived to 800 because she accidently ate mermaid meat - supposedly she is alive today, living in a temple in the mountains. The mythology comes from Japan (land of the most lovely and strange folktales ). The site is strange, but interesting. I feel like going (soon as I'm well and finished with all my work-some time 10 years from now) and meeting the nun. I hope she'll still be around.

sick days

What do you think of the new floor? Azalea likes it a lot. Greg and Steve did a great job! It was a dusty blue vinyl before (so hideous) but now I think its more contemporary, less country. I would have taken a pic of the countertop and sink, but its busy right now. I for one have been the opposite of busy- set down would be a term for me. I think I've slept more than a groundhog in hiberantion these last couple of days. I told my doc that I was sick due to all the hippie kids running around ( he has hippie kids ) he was only slightly amused. I'm trying a natural home remedy tonight- red wine, which I hear has antibacterial effects. I'm imagining it to burn my throat into submission. So I've done nothing of any value all day, except watch a very informative program on venomous spiders, to add to my list of things to avoid. Here is the current list of things I like to stay away from:

• Deep, dark water-I can't swim for this very reason.
• Street grates, especially ones I can't see the bottom-you never know, the metal could collapse.
• Crowds, a festival of theives, germs and other unsavory beings.
• Chinese food, the way to endless diareah.
• Lazy folks, nothing irritates me more than seeing nothing getting done.
• Listening to 'deep discussions on art'-why talk?
• Spiders, snakes, scorpions....anything that bites.

That's a small list, any longer and everyone would think I was weird hermit, shaking my fists at kids and hippies. I'm not. I leave the house at least once a week.

small things

This is one happy girl! The tattoo isn't real (some folks asked - I wondered if they thought all the tattoos in movies were real too) its from one of our favorite restaurants, Mamacitas!


I filled these tiny little bottles (about an inch tall, the tall one still under 1 1/2") with little drawings, clay robin eggs, jewels and gold thread. I made silver caps for them, but they shrank too much and don't fit. I'm so annoyed I could start some really unpractical project and stay up all night (to squash the lingering agitation of the failed project).....I'm considering making a necklace of birds. Tonight. I have days like this all the time. I think I'm getting sick, woozy, itchy throat, no fun. I hate being sick, it hampers my work. Speaking of work, I've got a list as long as my arm of things to make. I have a lot of root babies to make, I'm already bored with the process (which is tedious building tiny armatures out of wire and aluminum foil) so if your waiting for one, don't bug me, or yours is last! ;) Well, the night is young, everyone is sleeping and its time to get to it.

Biltmore Art Festival

Hi! Today we jumped in the van with our buddies Tony and Lisa to head over to the annual Biltmore Art Festival. I was pleasantly surprised, I guess I expected fewer vendors. The heat made it hard to think straight, we were wilting within 30 minutes! The highlight of the show had to be the moment we walked into a booth and I exclaimed "Hey, I know who you are! I watched Project Runway like it was job!" to one of the stars of season 3, Angela Keslar. She laughed, we talked and I discovered she is super nice and the quality of her goods is outstanding! I bought a top for me and a cute reversible skirt for Azalea. Her bags and belts are really nice, check them out here www.angelakeslar.com The festival will be up tomorrow, too, if your in the area, come early to avoid the heat (which is strange for Asheville, its usually cooler in the mountains). Well, its time to get to work!