Martha Stewart Monday

I felt like getting crafty today and made this necklace. Lately I love multiple strand necklaces. This one is made with onyx glass seed beads and rock crystal. I may switch this pendant out and either do something hand molded in silver art clay, or try a soldered jewelry pendant. It's a beautiful thing. . .

Photo Friday: Emotion - hope

I took this picture of my friend Tamieka last spring, she is such a fabulous model don't you think? And she is just as beautiful on the inside as she is outside. I love the way the light and shadows play on her face, it evokes a feeling of promise and hope to me.

IF: Pet Peeve

A pet peeve of my pet cat.

I have 3 adorable kitties that I love dearly. They love to seep with me at night, but my Russian Blue male kitty named "Boris" is very bad and I'm forced to lock him out of my bedroom. He basically will do anything to keep me awake if he's in or if he's out. And since he is so peeved that he can't come in, he tries to coax me to let him in throughout the night by bringing all of his toys up to the door and meowing his little head off. He especially likes the ones with the bells. Lately, I've been getting presents from him other than kitty toys. Isn't he sweet?

Inspire me Thursday: Wallpaper - Some days she just wanted to blend in with it.

This image was drawn in Illustrator, then brought into Photoshop where I applied the wallpaper background. The wallpaper happens to be a scrap piece of paper I have in my collection of decorative papers. If I had wallpaper in my house, it would have to be paisleys. . . with swirls. Lots of swirls.

Sketchbook Saturday: Lotus with swirls

I don't watch much tv, but lately I've been getting into the show LA ink. I think this sketch was subliminally inspired by that. What do you think. . . do you think this would make a cool tat?

Photo Friday: Found Objects

Exploring the beautiful island of Garrafon in Mexico, I found a random piece of pottery sitting in this very spot blistering in the hot sun. I think it's perfect for "found objects".

Inspire me Thursday: Inkblots (and wine!)

"This week our creative prompt is Inkblots, specifically those used in psychological evaluation tests such as the common, yet controversial, Rorschach Inkblot Test. Choose your paper, add some paint or ink in the center, then fold in half to create your own inkblot."

What a fun combination, a good wine buzz and messy inkblots! After a few glasses I decide to tear out my paint and glop it in my sketchbook. At least I had the sense to put some wax paper on the opposite pages so that the moisture didn't seep through. And this is what I saw. . . a lunar moth and irises.

I decided to only finish one side since what I saw mirror-imaged each other. It's very rough and done quickly but I like the concept and I might try to plan out and redo this image on canvas.

Photo Friday: The Good Life

Another Seista Key, FL beach pic. How much better could it get than to watch the sunset on a perfect beautiful tropical beach with the one you love most? In our busy hectic lives, moments like these that are so few and rare seem to stand out most to me.

I managed to snap this pic counting down the seconds before the sun went down as this couple passed by, as I shared this moment with my husband.

IF: Garden - Twilight Garden

I did this painting a few years back for a friend and thought it would be appropriate for the theme garden.

Inspire me Thursday: Kitchen - Veggies

Some kitchen still life. Cooked up very nicely after I was finished painting them!

Sketchbook Saturday part 2: Portrait of my Husband

I felt inspired to do a sketch of my Hubby Mike, since we had such a fun weekend together. He says I sketched his forehead too high, and of course he's right. He is always right. I told him I had to make room for all of those brains he has, being the smart man that he is. I don't know what I would do without him, he is always keeping me in check and that drives me crazy and he absolutely loves me unconditionally. I am a lucky girl.

Sketchbook Saturday part 1: First blooms of spring

I did 2 new drawings today for Sketchbook Saturday. The one above is a flower drawn in conté my other friend Dawn (I have 2 friends named Dawn F) picked for me. I thought it was so sweet and unexpected, I had to sketch it to preserve it forever.

Photo Friday: Surreal

This sky reminds me of a Salvador Dali painting. Taken in Siesta Key, FL

Sketchbook Saturday: cranes, calla lilly and moon

Yes, it's somewhat old, but I like it because of the technique I used, ink and dots. I love drawing with pens. My first design job was for an Ad Agency while I was still in High School as in in-house artist and all I did was sit at a drafting table all day and drew everything imaginable in pen and ink. I have literally hundreds of images I created, and even drew lettering by hand. Having that job definitely honed my drawing skills and helped me to draw quickly.

Stained Glass Project - almost finished!

Today I finished soldering my very first stained glass piece, and was able to photograph it with light shining through, very exciting! The only thing now to do is wait until my class Thursday to patina the piece, and frame it. It was hard work, but well worth it. Now I'm going to stain glass everything in my house!

New crafty stuff - lapis lazuli and cloisenee beads with lotus pendant

I love semi-precious stones. I have a whole giant collection of jewelry supplies, and finished pieces and I only wear a fraction of what I've made. I plan to set up a profile on Etsy and sell the unworn pieces some day, along with other items I make in various mediums.

I haven't been making jewelry lately since I've been focusing on illustrations, but the above piece was inspired by a recent gift I received and I just finished making this one tonight.
I was given Buddhist prayer beads made of lapis lazuli to represent medicine Buddha by a friend and Buddhist Monk named Drimé (dream-ay). NO, the above piece is NOT made of the prayer beads, and they will absolutely never be un-strung. I had purchased the beads above online at Fire Mountain Gems. It was a very special unexpected gift to me, a gift to give me hope as I have recently lost my Father to lung cancer, and my Mother is battling lung cancer as well. Going through this has changed my life, and my beliefs, especially being with my father when he passed. I started taking meditation classes with my friend Dawn on Tuesdays, heald by Drimé, and it has helped me with my grief tremendously, as well as staying focused on what is important. Wearing these lapis beads with the lotus will remind me of that.