I found Kathleen Lolley on Art Star and would love to own all her work! I can see we share many influences: owls, pods, Remedios Varo and strange beasties. Looking at her work puts me in the mood to paint!

Lake Lily

Happy to feed the ibises.


Look at my baby girl in action! It is a family operation- note my mama, inspecting our work.

The show was a little slow today, so we went outside to walk around Lake Lily (which is right outside) to feed the birds. We saw loads of red striped turtles, black cormorants and my favorite, white ibises. Oh, and one gator.

I bought some simple cut green amythyst and coin shaped smokey quartz to add to my ginormous collection. I also bought a couple of fancy cut crystals that are 'tools for enlightment' or 'magicians stones'. I like things like that, the hang tags so full of hope, so sure of there amazing powers. Descriptions are so much fun to read! Catalogs with carefully worded descriptions are some of my favorite things to read, I love Sundance Jewelry and

Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs...the way they describe the products make me want everything. Why wouldn't I want a 'mermaids hairpin' or smell like 'spun sugar'? I really need to work on our descriptions, I used to make a catalog with folklore and stories, but that would be outdated within a couple months. I will add it to my things to do list.

Small and sweet

Look at my new acquisitions! I bought these lovely gems from the talented Jeremiah Ketner. They are about 5" x 6" and painted with acrylics on woooden board. His work will be available this weekend in Miami at the Bridge Art Fair represented by his co-op gallery GardenFresh and also at the Red Dot Fair represented by Melanee Cooper Gallery. You have to see his work in person to really appreciate how luminous his pieces are, there are layers of irridecent paint the camera just cannot pick up. I showed them to my girl and she said "Oh, that's a painting of me! See? Look at my belly." So dang cute.

In Orlando

I'm in Orlando, sitting in a bookstore, amazed yet again at how much things change around here. I grew up in these parts, so its weird to pass once familiar places and see them transformed into slick, commercial outposts. I passed our old house and was surprised to see a new building in its place. I was instantly reminded of afternoons spent up trees and in the rafters of ancient barns, investigating the nest of a speckled owl. I'm reminded of what little it took to entertain me, to make me happy. I didn't need much, a good book, a shady place to rest and maybe a few tangerines from our grove. Its easy to forget how beautiful it is to live simply, to be grateful for small blessings. I think of myself as a kid and remember its ok to play, to make things, to enjoy this life. Interestly, these small shifts in thinking have lifted the fog that has settled around me. So, with my new clarity, I'm off to spend some time with my sketchbook.

A felted Totoro I made for my girl.

Studio in the process of organization. This is a view from the entrance, standing in the closet.

Another view, from the back corner. Still needs work.

New earrings for the Orlando show.

Hi there! Busy around here, with the holidays and all. I find that this time of the year I feel like hibernating and not coming out till spring. So I've been putsing around the house, getting nothing done, feeling totally uninspired to do anything. I've slowly organized my studio, so that its easier to find things. My space has a tendancy to pile up wherever I'm working, not with trash, but with things that inspire me, or tools and materials. I like having it close on hand, but when you switch crafts as often as I do, things get a little confusing. I had been making felted cupcakes and cartoon characters when I realized that in a couple of days we would be leaving to go to Orlando for the Maitland Show. This happens fairly frequently, I tend to misjudge time. I always think I have loads and loads, then I have to work like a maniac. Thank goodness I'm fast. When I'm in a slump, when I can't manage to make anything good, when I lose things continously, I find its best to just give in for the moment and stop. I watch loads of movies when this happens. Its kind of like meditating, because I can let go of everything crowding my thoughts. I watched the Firefly series again and loved it even more than the first time. It was fun to escape for awhile. Although I don't recomend watching it while felting, you'll poke yourself silly. Anyway, if your in Orlando this weekend, stop by and see us!

Bezel Class

Hello! Check out the work made in the class! I forgot to take pictures of the backsides (which were carved). We had so much fun! I really enjoyed working with such enthusiastic and talented people - a really amazing group. Everything went over perfectly, down to the after party (which was loads of fun!). I got my fortune read by one of my students husband (who happened to have his deck) and was blown away by what he read in the cards. Things I knew, but ignored, of course. Sometimes hearing something that has been echoing in your in mind- helps , it provides the nudge to stop doubting and do what you know you need to. In my case, this story that Ive carried around for years, which is comforting to go to again and again, but is scary to let go into the world. Its fun to build, my little escape world, but its time to finish it. So thats my next project. Everything else can wait.

Fun in Chicago

Hi

Hi there! This is my long -time friend Jeremiah Ketner at his studio. The super cute boys belong to him. I dropped off Greg and Azalea in Cincinatti, while I contiued on to Chicago to prep for the bezel class. We had a great time shopping for materials and catching up. It was fun working in a different enviroment with another artist, so much energy! Jeremiah and I have been collaborating on a kids book for about a year now, it was good to to re-examine our work.

clay head

This is a hollow piece of stoneware. Its still wet in the pic, I'm curious what the finished sculpture will look like. I'm imagining the glaze to look like rock (maybe with a raku technique) to go in my flower beds. Hopefully it will survive the kiln!

River District

Hello! This is a sample for the class Lisa and I will be teaching this weekend. Lisa will share how to sculpt lovely silver bezels and I will show the numerous ways to fill the box. I could call it 'Fun with Polymer, Paint, and Resin' but that wouldn't really cover all the techniques. Anyway, we have loads of good things to learn! Only a couple spaces left!

We went to the River District Art Walk today and had the best time. Azalea and I met up with Tony, Lisa and Deborah near a warehouse called the 'wedge' which was filled with artists spaces. Now I knew Asheville had a thriving art community, but I was unaware of all the sweet studios they were sporting. I've lived here for four years and never did the art walk, so I was pleasantly surprised by the numerous buildings jam packed with artists of every category. Also surprising/aggravating was to walk into a space we were considering renovating,( but thought it too much work) and see it completely finished. It was $700 a month for about 3000 sf. Sometimes its good to jump on an opportunity when you have a chance (obvious, I know, I'm still kicking myself). On the other hand, it's now I nice place to take art classes, like 'Mommy and Me', which it wouldn't have been if I ran it. What would we have done with it? Casting, fabricating, moldmaking, and we would have good ventilation....ah, to dream. So it was fun to see art being made and shown, so much enthusiasm! I'm on the lookout again for space over there, hopefully we'll get lucky.

New Doll

Greg bought me a Blythe Doll a couple weeks ago and she arrived yesterday. Azalea has been begging to hold her non-stop since, so I let her pose with Blythe and her new reversible pinafore from Etsy shop Lassie Girl. She has another on the way, printed with owls. I like this design, its easy to put on, it goes with loads of things and since its reversible, its perfect for travel.

I love my new doll! I love dolls in general, but I particularly enjoy bizaare ones. It seems there is a whole community of people devoted to these dolls. I wanted one the moment I clapped eyes on her at flea market about 20 years ago. My mom refused to buy her for me on the grounds that she didn't like " her 'steering' at me" (said with a thick accent). I wanted that doll probably more than I wanted the utterly pathetic creature called 'Little Miss No-Name' another doll from the seventies with ginormous eyes on an equally humongous head. It never bothered me a bit how piddly their bodies were, I had loads of other big-headed dolls. My older brother always enjoyed telling me the medical conditions my dolls had...elephantitus of the head, water on the brain, or some other obscure malady. I didn't care, I loved my little collection.

We have been reorganizing and rearranging my studio and working on samples for an upcoming class in Chicago. I will be teaching silver bezels with sculpted interiors with Lisa Blackwell. I'm really excited to be going back to Chicago, its been awhile since my last visit. I'm also nervous about teaching, I have a tendancy to give information overload, for fear folks won't get their monies worth. I have a lot of secret techniques to share, so if you're in town sign up, there are a couple spots available.