Clara's Closet

Christmas brings your art out

2011-12-04T16:39:00.000-08:00

I have been remiss in my postings. I have been off three times a week into New York City to attend school. I am getting certified as an ESL teacher. It isn't easy running for trains and getting home by midnight, but it will be worth it.

I took this Sunday off to return to one of my favorite places for photos, The Tomato Factory Antiques in Hopewell, NJ. Christmas is a wonderful time to see all the antique ornaments on display (and perhaps purchase a few.) Here's a lovely selection over by Donna Rago's jewelry. By the way, Donna gets the most wonderful pieces of jewelry. I had to pick up a little Christmas present for myself, because I have been so good this year.

Creepy crawlies

2011-08-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

Found this little critter on a walk on the trail in the Great Swamp Wildlife Refuge.

Mop Top Chicken

2011-07-31T19:13:00.001-07:00

Yes, there are a pair of eyes in there somewhere....

Dragonfly

2011-07-14T18:16:00.001-07:00

Butterflies fighting

2011-06-28T17:56:00.000-07:00

Caught these two Checkerspots duking it out for territory.

Butterfly models

2011-06-19T18:46:00.001-07:00

Word has gotten out and the butterflies are now posing for their photos.

Where's the butterfly?

2011-06-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

Can you find the butterfly in this photo?

Silver Spotted Skipper

2011-06-06T04:50:00.000-07:00

Hope, NJ

2011-05-31T18:15:00.000-07:00

One awesome party....

2011-05-16T18:06:00.001-07:00

Using a macro lens on my iPhone

2011-04-27T18:55:00.001-07:00

Spring has sprung

2011-04-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

And the Great Blue Heron is back. I didn't know until today that such a big bird could actually roost in a tree.

Little Furries Rescue

2011-04-02T15:54:00.001-07:00

As much as I enjoyed and loved my new little furry diva, Dani, I could not keep her. Ali Baba is in his sunset years and decided that he enjoyed her litter box as much as his own. I was fortunate enough to find Little Furries Rescue, a non-profit rescue for little "furry" pets. They spay & neuter and rehome rabbits. They also foster and rehome chinchillas, guinea pigs, and all the little furry creatures that people cannot take care of or afford any longer. Dani will be fostered with other little furries, and spayed. She will then find a forever home with someone who will not dump her in the woods because they cannot keep her.

If you are thinking of getting a small furry for your home, do some research first. If you decide that you can care for a rabbit or guinea pig or ferret, then look at rescue organizations who looking for homes. If you have some space, and enjoy interaction with pets, then consider fostering a rescue. Finally, these organizations rely on grants, charity and handouts. So if you have a few extra dollars or see a sale at the local pet store for hay or critter feed, consider buying and donating to your local rescue.

Bunny Zen Zone

2011-03-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

Waiting for some-bunny to love...

Maybe Daniel or Danielle

2011-03-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

My daughter found this poor domestic rabbit that either escaped or was abandoned. It took about five days to catch the bunny. We now are in the process of getting the rabbit a new home. We just do not have the space.

Another day another diner

2011-03-01T17:55:00.000-08:00

Having lunch with Dad at the "New York Kosher" diner. It has a wonderful pickle bar and the best homefries.

More Encaustic medium

2011-02-27T21:15:00.000-08:00

After the waxen disaster from the previous weekend, I had to buy another crock pot. Luckily, there are second hand stores around the area. I picked up a used one for $5.00. Then I had to head back down to Philadelphia for another trip to Dick Blick's art supply.

Al through the fish eye lens

2011-02-16T20:07:00.001-08:00

His nose looks huge.

Ice covered trees

2011-02-02T14:28:00.000-08:00

The quicker picker upper

2011-01-30T18:26:00.000-08:00

I don't know why I bother to get him toys when his favorite is a roll of paper towels. You would think he was holding onto a teddy bear.

One awesome boss

2011-01-22T18:36:00.000-08:00

We had another snowstorm and delayed opening on Friday. Not much but just a nuisance storm. My boss made homemade lasagna and another co-worker made her famous sherbet punch. Awesome.

White out

2011-01-12T14:23:00.000-08:00

After receiving 10 inches of snow and only a two hour delayed opening, I had to clear off my car and head to work. The winds were increasing and gusting up to 35 mph, creating white outs. I shot a photo of one just before a car disappeared into it.

My Photojojo Order

2011-01-11T18:21:00.000-08:00

I got some really cool lenses for my iPhone from Photojojo. I also got a freebie of a little dinosaur.

Sketchbook project page

2011-01-09T19:28:00.000-08:00

Still not quite sure where I am going with this. I guess it would be about opposites or negative space.

Day 7 - Snow in the morning

2011-01-07T18:08:00.001-08:00

With the sun just barely peeking through...

Day 5

2011-01-05T20:14:00.000-08:00

I spent most of the day setting up for more portraits of Ali Baba as various other artists. So the only complete art I was able to accomplish was a nice photo of Reeces

Day 3 - Ali Baba as Frida Kahlo

2011-01-03T19:36:00.000-08:00

Well, it's supposed to be Frida Kahlo. It looks more like Groucho Marx. I said I was going to produce art everyday. I didn't say I was going to be successful all the time.

Day 1 - Tomato Factory Antiques

2011-01-01T19:46:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite places for cabinet cards, tintypes, CDVs, jewelry and just odd stuff. However, it was closed to today. They have a nice selection of outdoors "object d'art" that are in the process of being weathered. I altered the photo with the Grunge Photo app on my iPhone.

New Year's Resolution

2010-12-31T16:34:00.000-08:00

I am about to embark on a 365 day project. That means I am committing to creating a piece of artwork everyday. For me, artwork means either something hand rendered for photographed. It is going to be tough...

Miss C's got a new 'do

2010-12-30T19:17:00.000-08:00

Decided to get a keratin treatment...

Unexpected color

2010-12-25T16:20:00.000-08:00

I was walking in the woods around my place of work last week, and saw a flash of blue. Then there were a lot of flashes of blue. Turned out it was a small flock of Eastern Bluebirds. I didn't expect them to be so far North where it was so cold. It was the first time I have ever seen an Eastern Bluebird. Luckily, I had my new Nikon Coolpix L110 Superzoom to catch the moment.

Happy Holidays

2010-12-19T18:06:00.000-08:00

Dreidel and Latkes

2010-12-04T20:43:00.000-08:00

Must be Hanukkah

Chaos

2010-12-01T14:22:00.000-08:00

This is what keeps me up at night...

The Path Not Taken

2010-11-29T18:28:00.001-08:00

More fun with Hipstamatic

Behind the wheel and stuck in traffic

2010-11-27T18:41:00.001-08:00

I spent 90 minutes today stuck on Route 1, Northbound, just south of Route 18.

The view from behind the wheel.

All this and punch too.

2010-11-23T18:26:00.000-08:00

I work with a people from all over the world. I am also lucky enough to have a supervisor that likes to celebrate. Not the usual stuff, though. She likes to celebrate National Waffle Day, Chinese Lunar New Year, Halloween, etc. Every year we organize a big feast to start off our Thanksgiving feasting just a little bit early. We get together and create the complete traditional Thanksgiving along with new dishes. This year, our feast included a Chinese spare rib cook-off and a Serbian Cheese Pie. Of course, there were plenty of desserts and a wonderful fruit punch with raspberry sherbet.

Round and around

2010-11-21T21:18:00.000-08:00

My clothes washer broke down this summer. It was a front loader that was only 7 years old. I was amazed that it fell apart in less than 10 years. I was even more amazed that it cost me $169 for someone to come out and tell me that it was going to cost $450 to get it fixed. Even he admitted that it was going be cheaper and easier to buy a new washer.

We have top-loading washers in my townhouse community for every one to use, but unlike landromats, they just aren't clean. There is no one to really maintain them on a regular basis. There is only a phone number to call if something is wrong. And top-loaders just really do not get the clothes clean, in my opinion.

So now I go to laundromats. The one I prefer is actually a 20 minute drive away, but they have front loading machines of every size. Even a couple of them are so big that they can wash two or three quilts. The machines are kept clean and are pretty efficient. My only complaint is that they don't spin well enough to get out all the water.

In some ways, going to a laundromat is annoying because I have to bring everything and drive and unload and wash and fold and reload and then drive back. But it is also social and I get everything done in two hours - everything. No doing load after load. And I can bring the big stuff too, like bedspreads to be washed. I also get fascinated by watching the clothing go around...

But now there's already new dirty laundry to wash. It is never really finished is it? I think the dirty laundry breeds while we sleep.

Channeling Your Inner Salvador

2010-11-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

Please vote for my photo entered on the Hipstamatic contest site. The winner will get their photo displayed in the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. The voting is only open for five days, so please do not wait.

A rose by any other name...

2010-11-17T19:34:00.001-08:00

Or altered digitally, would it not smell as sweet?

Reece's up close

2010-11-13T15:11:00.000-08:00

One of the few occasions she sat still long enough to let me photograph her.

Reece's gets bold

2010-11-11T18:47:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we give the cats a "treat" of Fancy Feast crunchies. It's one of the few treats that Reece's really loves. She actually got very bold today and pushed Al out of his bowl and ate from it. Even better - he didn't attack her for it. He seemed a bit bemused.

Outside and Inside

2010-11-10T18:38:00.001-08:00

Autumn is moving into winter and the cats are still being themselves...

Al at rest

2010-11-09T18:25:00.000-08:00

New shower curtain

2010-11-07T20:24:00.001-08:00

More cat pics

2010-11-07T11:14:00.001-08:00

These two are becoming my favorite models.

Having fun with iPhone

2010-10-31T21:24:00.000-07:00

I am having a lot of fun shooting photos of my cats with my new iPhone. I am having even more fun with applications I have found to create digital art with my iPhone. My two favorite applications are Hipstamatic and iM8tr. The first application creates raw, shot from the hip, photographs. The second one can turn anyone or anything into a zombie or frankenstein or any monster in between.

Life returns

2010-07-21T20:15:00.001-07:00

Since May, heatwave after heatwave, culminating in a long-term scorcher that dried up all the surplus water. Now we are on voluntary drought restrictions. The grass has gone brown. All the milkweed that was about to bloom just dried up. Things are starting to get a little better. While the heat is here, there have been periodic rainstorms. Enough so that the butterflies are slowly returning. Today I found these little guys - Monarch caterpillars. In another month, there will be Monarch Butterflies winging their way south.

A couple of Fiery Skippers

2010-05-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

With the weather being much more mellow, the butterflies have come out. I keep my camera with me now and shoot during my lunch hour. I found a couple of Fiery Skipper butterflies engaged in some kind of courtship or perhaps a territorial dispute. I never realized it before, but butterflies can be quite aggressive towards one another. I have actually seen larger species chase smaller ones out of their "space". I have also been checked out by butterflies to see if I was a threat to their turf.

It is really amazing to see what is around you if you look really close.

Faux Fossils

2010-04-28T18:30:00.001-07:00

My lastest creation using gesso board as substrate. Then I applied Golden's Crackle paste. Patience is a virtue with crackle paste because it can take about 3 to 5 days to cure but the effects are well worth it. So is the texture. I then used a patina solution to first put a iron coat of paint, then a rust patina over the painted surface. I then added the rubberstamped images (courtesy of Mad Rat Rubber Stamps) by stamping them on tissue paper and then pasting them on with acrylic medium. I then added a coat of medium all over the surface. The final coat was a good layer of self-leveling gel and a couple of more days to cure completely. Viola! Faux fossilized fish.

Why Is This Cat Laughing

2010-02-04T19:08:00.000-08:00

It's not an LOL cat or something taken off the web. It's Al...

It's a pill to take and to give

2009-12-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

Giving Recee the prozac hasn't gotten any easier. There are just good days and bad days. However, she's not licking herself as much and the hair is starting to grow back. Because of all the spit out and lost pills I had to get a refill at the vets.

She actually let me rub her belly today which she hasn't let me do in a couple of months.

Al is healing nicely and headed for the vet on Saturday for a long overdue distemper shot. In the meantime, he is putting up with my antics and building up quite a wardrobe. He does strike back from time to time. His latest act of revenge was to vomit up everything he just ate all over my bedspread (which had just been washed the day before...)

Pets on Prozac

2009-12-01T22:04:00.000-08:00

The prozac is starting to kick in on little Recee. She is a much calmer kitty and has stopped gnawing on herself. Her hair is starting to grow back but she still looks pretty bad. She still scratches herself like she has fleas. I have only a week's worth of medication left, even though I picked up a month's supply. There must be a week's worth of spit out pills somewhere around the house, but since is half of a 5mg pill, it is pretty difficult to find. We're talking about something that is one quarter of the size of a pencil's eraser.

In the meantime, Ali Baba got into a bad fight with the evil cat, who has shown back up again. I do not know who owns this cat, but apparently it has been neutered because it has stopped marking everyone's doors and walls. However, like Al, it doesn't stop him from being aggressive. In fact, he is so aggressive that he purposely comes into my patio area, and rubs himself all over everything. This sends Al into major hissy fits. What the other cat is doing is the feline equivalent of someone coming into your home and rearranging the furniture, or painting the walls a different color, or using your bathroom to shower. It's invasive and upsetting but this cat purposely provokes Al into a rage.

So Al got bitten on the head and sometimes, if I can intervene early enough with treating the wounds, I can prevent them from getting infected. Like most puncture wounds, this bite healed on the top layer, but was not healed completely through so it developed into a absess. Sometimes the absess ruptures on it's own and I am able to clean out the area. This time it didn't. So I had to take him to the vet, crying all the way, 19 yowels to the mile. The vet actually had to lance the absess and drain it. It was not the best thing to see first thing in the morning. Then he had to get yet another rabies shot (required by law if any animal is bitten by another animal.) So that makes his third rabies shot this year. Then the antibiotic. Luckily, giving him pills is fairly easy, just put it in a soft cat treat and feed it to him. No fuss, no muss.

The wound is drained and healed nicely, but it looks like he'll have yet anther scar.

When I came home tonight, Al wanted to go out for a bit. I forgot he was outside and went to my father's for dinner. When I came home, I could see that Al was heading to the other side of the complex, no doubt to pursue his nemisis. Luckily, I stopped him but it looks like he was in another scrap with the evil cat again.

A new Olympic Sport

2009-11-21T17:03:00.000-08:00

After much struggling, I finally succeeded in getting the cat to swallow the pill. It is not so much as getting it in her mouth anymore, it is just making sure she swallows it.

She is like a toddler who won't eat or a child who was forced to eat a brussel sprout. She won't open her mouth and then when the pill gets in she won't swallow. When she finally swallows the pill, she makes gagging sounds and acts like I brutalized her.

But she is slowly calming down.

I think that "pilling" a cat should be an Olympic Sport.

I hope she can't read...

No rest for the wicked

2009-11-19T19:23:00.001-08:00

Hollowing out a treat did not work today. Neither did tempting her with cat tuna fish (which is just a lower grade of regular tuna fish - and it was all tuna, no fillers.) Giving her some new, completely gluten-free dry cat food didn't work. (Although Al just LOVED it. It was $11 for a 10 oz bag!) So after two spat out pills, and a dropped pill later. I finally cornered her and shoved the pill down her throat.

Recee then proceeded to act like a 3 year old forced to swallow a brussel sprout. The gagging, the choking, the spitting, THE DRAMA! I just hope this pill calms her down enough to get some more pills down her throat. I am exhausted.

The struggles of "Pilling the Cat"

2009-11-18T20:19:00.001-08:00

I have a sweet little kitty named "Recee's". She is the little black and white kitty in the photo. Very dainty, barely 10lbs, and neurotic as anything. She was adopted from a local no-kill shelter. Actually, she adopted us. The person working the front desk showed us a kitty who was scrunched in the corner of her cage, looking frightened. Recee decided that it was time to jump onto my daughter's shoulders and purr. That was it - she got a forever home. (The other cat was adopted by someone else.)

Poor Recee has issues with strangers in the house and even runs when we come home. During the autumn, when the heat first comes on, she sometimes will get upset about the static electricity and lick herself bald in some spots. But this year was much different.

The past several months, our housing community has been undergoing some much needed renovations. The electric and fire alarms have been brought up to code. There have been air conditioning sleeves installed. Vents are cut for the dryer. And through it all, men in big clunky workboots have been in the house. This has been more than poor little skittish Recee could bear.

She started compulsively licking herself. She was pulling out her hair in mouthfuls. She was licking the baldspots bare. She was scratching around her neck like she had some itching collar on. And she was loosing half her body hair. In the space of a week, she looked like she had the mange.

I brough her to the vet who said that she has OCD - Obessive Compulsive Disorder because she is under so much stress. I guess the jackhammering outside the apartment for hours on end wasn't helping her stress levels. He said he could give her some medication, but wanted me to try an over the counter treatment that works for most animals. It was pretty easy to administer, since it was a liquid, I just put it in the cat's water. Well, the other cat got pretty mellow - but not Recee. So I decided to put a drop on separate treats for her, which she ate, and it still didn't work. In fact, things were getting worse.

I finally went back to the vet and got the animal form of Prozac. Like SSRIs in humans, it takes about 2 weeks to work completely. Seeing once before, when she had a urinary infection, that she did not like liquid medicine put down her throat, I opted for the pills. They are very small, and she only gets half of one every 24 hours. Didn't look like there was going to be a problem.

There was a problem. Recee does not like pills put down her throat. She is worse than a toddler. First time was okay. The next day, she clamped her jaw shut, and we got into a wresting match. Three attempts later, I got it down by coating the pill with butter and sticking it to the roof of her mouth and then putting a little butter on her nose to lick off. The next day, I used some kitty hairball remedy (why not kills two problems with one stone) and stuck it my finger. That took only a few tries and a pill that was spit out somewhere in my bedroom. Yesterday, I got some expensive catfood - wholesome, grain-free, just for cats, cat food and she wouldn't eat it. I let the pill soak in the gravy for a bit and after chasing her around the house was finally able to stick the mushy pill in her mouth. She spent 10 minutes salivating and spitting all over my floor.

It should be easy to smash the pill and hide in food, except Recee only eats hard kibble. She won't eat canned food. And she doesn't like treats. Only one brand of crunchy treats. So today, I took one of these treats, and my awl that I use for bookbinding, and hollowed out a hole and stuck the pill in. And then I prayed.

I presented the treat along with two others, and left the room so that she would not get suspicious. She ate one treat - but not the spiked one. RATS! Looked like another wrestling match was in my future. But then I present the treats to her again, and she ate another one - THE SPIKED TREAT! HOORAY!!!

Now my only thought: will it work again tomorrow?

Thought Cloud Factory News

2009-11-10T18:59:00.000-08:00

If you really want to see some funky, imaginative artwork, check out Theo Ellsworth's blog, Thought Cloud Factory News. Theo's artwork defies all description but it is truly unique. As an artist, I can almost picture the meditative state from which his artwork derives. He is capable of tapping into that Zen moment of "being unstuck in time" and actually put it to paper! You can find his graphic novels in comic book stores and independent bookstores. Creative and clever work for all those who enjoy peeking into the craziness that goes on inside someone else's head.

Beyond Breast Cancer: “Awareness” Must Extend to Other Women’s Cancers | RHRealityCheck.org

2009-11-04T19:51:00.005-08:00

Beyond Breast Cancer: “Awareness” Must Extend to Other Women’s Cancers | RHRealityCheck.org

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The Frost is Coming

2009-11-03T21:46:00.000-08:00

I love flowers, especially roses. One thing I really hate is when the first frost comes and kills whatever happens to linger in the last days of autumn. I miss the colors and he smells. Even feeble attempts with cabbage roses and mums just cannot take the place of the riot of colors in the spring that last until the first frost. I will be missing the flowers.

We all have a double somwhere

2009-10-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

Notes From the Voodoo Cafe: In Which I Interview “Ricë” About Her New Book
It looks like Rice was able to find her double in - of all places - a bookstore on Halloween. Just like Rice, she also wrote a book. Rice had the chance to interview her.

Found in Clara's Closet

2009-10-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

Miss Clara is wishing you all a safe and Happy Halloween

A New Blog to Check out

2009-10-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

I am lucky enough to meet sympatico minds on Facebook from time to time, and one of them is Pen. She the proud owner of several beautiful felines but by far the most unique one is Cha-Cha. Cha-Cha has a strange habit of bringing back odd things and placing in the "proud spot" that most cats have to show their owners how much they love them. While my Russian Blue, Ali Baba, will give me everything from half-eaten bunnies to voles to live frogs, Cha-Cha just brings back the most eclectic mix I have ever seen. Pen originally posted some of her odder finds on her Facebook page, but I encouraged her to post a continuing blog of whatever her curious kitty brings back. Cha-Cha does not descriminate in what she gives as gifts. Pieces of plastic wrappers, napkins, bubble gum wrappers, sticks, hunks of bark are all presented to Pen in the same "proud spot." The organic and the inorganic are all subject to Cha-Cha's gifting. What attracts her initially to a particular item is a mystery.

To further add to the wonderful photographs of kitty curiosities are Pen's musings over what Cha-Cha means by presenting her with such odd presents. An empty bubblegum wrapper - did Cha-Cha eat the gum? A hunk of bark - what is the meaning of it? An empty cigarette pack - has Cha-Cha taken to smoking in secret?

Cha-Cha's gifts and Pen's comments make a wonderful narrative in an ever continuing story. So for all of us who love our furry friends, be they canines, felines, reptile or rodent, who periodically present us with oddities that defy explanation, I present the new blog, Cha-Cha's Gifts.

Books and blogs to check out

2009-10-18T20:53:00.001-07:00

The art experiments haven't been too successful lately. I figure I'd opine on some of the blog links and some of my favorite books instead. I am currently reading a wonderful book authored by Rice Freeman-Zachary titled "Creative Time and Space: Making Room for Art." If you are like me and have been trying to make room in your head and your living space for your creativity, then this is the book for you. Trying to be an artist, parent, homemaker, etc., is difficult enough in this world. There are no instructions on how to juggle all of your life's interests and pursuits. But this book comes really close to giving you actual instructions on how to accomplish it! In fact, if there are two must have books in your library, this book and Rice's other book, "Living the Creative Life" are the ones you should purchase.

In case you want more information about Rice Freeman-Zarchary books, art, life and a look at the awesome woman herself, check out her blog, Notes from The Voodoo Cafe. This is a woman who lives life out loud and creatively. You should also check out her interviews of other artists in the magazine, Somerset Studio. They are insightful and constructive.

Love those macro shots

2009-10-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Autumn

2009-10-11T18:25:00.001-07:00

The 3 R's

2009-10-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

Do you believe in the three R's? No, not reading, writing and 'rithmatic. The real important three Rs are Rescue, Rehabilitate, and Rehome. That's imporant when it comes to pets. My mother's dog, Pickles, is one who went through the three Rs. She was found wandering the streets because someone no longer wanted her. She's an active dog, who loves to play ball. But she does get skittish sometimes. She just loves to be told what a good dog she is. It makes her tail wag.

So now you can do something for a rescue like Pickles. You can vote for her. Pickles has been entered into the Cutest Dog Competition. If you look through the gallery, you will see photos of puppies, people who have dressed up their dogs, and people who have named their dogs something to curry votes, such as Steven Colbert. But Pickles is just a WYSIWYG dog (What You See Is What You Get.) She is just happy to be around people.

Plus, it will make my Mom happy.

So click this link - Pickles in Cutest Dog Competition - and vote everyday.

Okay, so it doesn't always work out

2009-10-06T18:37:00.000-07:00

The gelatin pour film transfer experiment did not work out like I planned. First of all, the film still is not dry. Second, I did not leave the transfer on long enough (it should have been three minutes - no one) so the colors were not dark enough. Third, I HAD to play with the film and try to remove it off the substrate before it was dry, so it tore and all the polymer medium is now sitting like a thin film on the tempered glass that I used.

Does this mean I will give up? HELL, NO!

I am just one of those people who has to keep throwing themselves at the wall until I see that it is, indeed, truly a wall. So I need to take my mistakes and learn from them. The first thing will be to set up a fan so the film will dry quicker. I also need to bump up the color on the transfer sheet, and then leave the film on for at least three minutes (like it was recommended. I will switch the substrate to a piece of polyethelyne-line wood. It will be easy enough to ge a piece of 1/4 plywood from a lumber yard, have it cut down into 12x12 inches, and then stretch and staple some polyethelyne sheeting over it. It doesn't need to be thick sheeting, it just needs to be taut. I do know how to stretch a canvas.

And finally, I should not touch the darn thing until it is thoroughly dry.

Today's shoot

2009-10-04T14:20:00.003-07:00

I got up early enough to get to a friend's yard sale. I purchased some children's books there. All the better for future collage projects.

I then went to Bowman's Tower Wildflower preserve. They have preserved and named local species of wildflowers and native plants. There are easily accessed trails that meander through meadows, woods, and streams. A great place to shoot some nature pics. Unfortunately, the birds were not cooperating and the butterflies were being elusive. All the rain this summer has made it pretty difficult for butterflies.

Luckily I did manage to capture one butterfly who was willing to pose.

Clara's Birthday

2009-09-22T20:41:00.000-07:00

Every year for Clara's Birthday, her grandfather makes her a handmade card. In fact, all of us get handmade cards for birthdays and holidays. My father was originally apprenticed to his father, and learned to engrave jewelry. He learned calligraphy from the Old English fonts that were popular for jewelry engraving. He also taught himself the art of Illuminating Letters, something that is rapidly dissappearing in today's digital world. (Jewelry engraving by hand is for cameos is no longer done, it is all lasers now.) My daughter has inherited his keen illustration abilities. Unfortunately, it skips a generation. My father has tried numerous times to teach me calligraphy and illustration, but despite my best efforts and my honest desire to learn, I have been unable to master the skill.

What is posted here is a scan of the envelope with Clara's name on it. The letters are made up of cats and there are the 3 Blind Mice in the lower right hand corner.

Getting ready to submit

2009-09-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I am going to bite the bullet and submit to a local gallery. I went on a shoot with some friends this weekend and while my camera batteries died, I was able to get some shots off that were rather productive. I also finished the final effects that I was working on a photo collage called "Watering Hole". It was fun to reteach myself some of the wonderful Photoshop effects.

Now I just have to create a biography and artistic resume. Then burn a disc, add the small fee, and pop it off in the mail. Then comes the hard part - waiting. Ugh. I don't know if I can stand that part.

Colors of 9/11

2009-09-11T20:44:00.000-07:00

The things I remember about that day: the sky was a cerulean blue; the fire was a bright orange; the smoke was black; the papers falling down were white; the ash was taupe and ecru mixed together and it crawled and covered everything; and then everything was gone.

Got New Goodies

2009-09-05T16:59:00.000-07:00

I ran to Dick Blick's Art Supply to get some more stuff to experiment with. I bought some Digital Ground for Non-Porous materials, some thin metal sheeting, and some Lazertran water slide decals for ink jet printers. I can hardly wait to get home and play!

The Reality About Getting Sick...

2009-09-03T16:58:00.000-07:00

I know that I should be blogging about art but there are social issues that are near and dear to me. One of the most important is health insurance. Twenty years ago, all that I needed was a "bare bones" policy that insured me in the event of an emergency. That meant if I walked into an emergency room, everything after the deductible (which was something low, like $50) would be taken care of by the insurance company. No bills, no percentage, no "reasonable and fair costs" - 100% hospitalization. As time went on, and health costs increased, I was insured by the traditional 80/20 plan. At that time, HMOs and managed care were pretty lousy. The cost of seeing the doctor was only $50, and the dentist took whatever the insurance paid. Eventually, in the early 90's, health costs increased and I opted for a managed care plan. I was lucky enough to be living in a town with a medical school, and two very large hospitals within a few miles of me. I was also lucky enough to get a doctor that was just finishing her PhD, having finished her MD years before in Germany. I still have that doctor. She provides very good medical care. When I first went to her office, they had Saturday hours, Urgent care appointments, and students who accompanied the supervising physician during the school year. They even had people training as Nurse Practitioners and Physicians Assistants on rounds. My insurance premium was paid for by my employer - 100% of it. I only had a $50 lifetime deductible for dental. I had to pay a nominal amount for long-term disability insurance.

By 1999, I was paying $256 per month for a PPO insurance for my family. That was because the managed care plan my new employer offered was obscure and one of the few plans that my doctor did not accept. But at least the employer offered three different types of medical insurance (80/20; managed care; PPO) and I had an option. Several years later, when I was laid off, I found out the insurance cost over $500 per month. This included deductibles that had gone from $100 to $300 per person.

I was lucky enough to be employed and covered under a NJ State plan that offered several options, and was 100% paid for by the employer. This was 2002 and the cost for just having health insurance for myself was over $7000 per year. I didn't even run up that much in doctor bills. I did have appendix removed in 2002 and it cost over $25,000. My insurance took care of everything, my bills were paid, I only paid the $25 emergency room fee. Again, when I was laid off, the health insurance - for just myself - was costing $550 per month. The co-pays were nominal but instead of insuring a family, I was the only one insured.

Now I am employed full-time. Since 2005, my employer has gone from 100% hospitalization coverage to 90%. I still pay a percentage of the premiums, I have a high deductible, and I am in a managed care plan that fewer and fewer doctors are accepting because of the difficulty with the insurance company. My doctor only works 2 days a week seeing patients, the associates she works with are on call, but they are "appointment only". If I have an urgent care visit, I see a medical student who is being monitored by closed-circuit camera by the supervising physician at a desk, like a security guard who watches monitors. In fact, I even received a bill from a doctor who I never saw, who never saw me, for an additional co-pay because the "he" was a specialist. My co-pays are high, my deductible even higher, and I live with the knowledge that if there is a serious problem, that requires hospitalization, I will probably go bankrupt or rely on charity care. My local hospital is not even within the Provider Network of my insurance company.

In the meantime, my mother probably had $250,000 worth of surgery and medical treatments and will probably not pay more than $250 for all of it. She is retired, on Medicare and has additional medical insurance because she worked in the public sector.

I shudder to think what would happen if she did not have Medicare and additional health insurance to pay for everything. She would lose everything that she worked hard for, just so she could stay alive but under much more stressful and unhappier circumstances.

So the question remains, what do we do about this? I do not have a choice in my current medical coverage, so if the government chooses for me, I lose nothing. If there is no option for small businesses, does that mean big businesses are the only ones who can offer any medical coverage? Is a public option better, since most of our veterans and armed forces do not receive adequate health care? If we settle for less, we will only get less.

Life in the Sandwich Generation

2009-09-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

My mother recently underwent heart bypass surgery. Luckily, she only suffered a very minor heart attack, and they caught two blockages in her heart before there could be damage. Her timing was a bit unfortunate as my younger brother starts teaching school this week. In fact last week and this week are the two weeks that most of my family is either getting ready to teach school or go back to school. So everyone is taking last minute vacations or preparing for the onslaught in the "hallowed halls of education." School this year starts after Labor Day for Clara and since Labor Day weekend is rather late, we were able to take the week off. Which means I am taking care of both my mother and daughter at the same time.

Clara is now old enough to entertain herself and Mom's is not a bad place to be entertained. The only thing missing is the dog, Pickles, who is a bit too jumpy. Since my mother is recovering from surgery she really doesn't need 40lbs of dog trying to cuddle with her. The 10lbs of cat is walking over her before sleeping is bad enough.

My mother did make an attempt at trying to recover in a nursing home facility. But knowing my Mom, I would have put money down that she wouldn't be able to take more than 24 hours in the place. I would have won that bet because my mother is just not the nursing home type. There has to be some ability to surrender to your illness and limitations in order to make some adjustment. However, staying in a place where there are "old and sick people" has not, and will not ever be my mother's style. Perhaps it stems from being left on her own as a child, or maybe being a parent of six early in life, or maybe because she saw her own capable, grandmother put in a nursing home when she was 88 (after breaking a hip) and is convinced it contributed to her deterioration and demise three years later.

Well, there's one decision we will never have to make - whether or not to put Mom in a nursing home. Because unless she's in a coma, she won't go.

Yet another transfer ...

2009-08-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

This transfer was made using the same technique as before but I used Arches 88 silkscreen paper. This is a much thinner paper than watercolor paper but it is designed to soak up water from silk screen ink. It dries fast and has a smooth finish. You could use hot-press watercolor paper but you would need more hand santizer to make the transfers.

As you can see the texture of the paper comes through, while the color of the transfer does bleed or dull.

More experiments

2009-08-29T21:16:00.000-07:00

Art Experiment (I don't have numbers for these, it's whatever I feel like doing at the time.)

I am trying to make transfers of my photos onto different substrates (papers mainly) using DASS transparency film. DASS transparency film is a special manufactured transparency that is designed to be fed through an inkjet printer. The film is coated with a very thin layer of gelatin. The film was created by the Digital Artists Artieler and is available for purchase at Digital Art Studios Seminar. The medium used to transfer the printed image off the plastic transparency and onto the paper was Purell gel hand santizer, although any alcohol based hand santizer will do, but just plain gel hand santizer. You cannot use the hand santizer with emolients and moisturizers added. It will gum up the process.

The first one is a transfer onto Lokta paper using this technique. Lotka paper is a handmade paper from Nepal, that is made from a tree that grows in the Himalyas. It is very light, fiberous and durable, similar to Mulberry paper and other rice papers.

Working on skins...

2009-08-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

What is a skin? A skin is dried acrylic paint peeled off a surface such as glass or plastic. One of the great things about acrylic paint is its ability to leave a coating very similar to latex on a surface. If you get acrylic paint on your hands, instead of just washing off, like watercolor, it peels off. That is because acrylics are pigments mixed in a polymer plastic base. The base prevents the pigments from fading and enables the colors to stay true. But you can also get acrylic mediums, with no pigment, just to add texture and volume. If you take plain medium and put it on a non-porous surface, leave it to dry, you can peel off. Then, you can use medium to add it to a collage. I am using Yupo paper, which is not really a paper at all but high density plastic that is used for labels, banners, etc. It is printable and waterproof. It takes a little time to peel the skin off, and the skin has to be pretty thick, but I got one off. With another, I am putting a couple of coats of clear digital ground on it and see what it produces when I run it through the printer.

Trying another substrate

2009-08-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

The new store in town, the Paper Source, has become a wonderful source for some new materials. Of course, I blow my budget for art materials when I go in there, but who can resist. There are 10 different colors of Lotka paper, 8 different colors of silk papers, all sorts of hand prints, wrapping papers, ribbons, stamps, punches and a back room for classes. I purchased some white silk tissue paper recently, and painted some Golden's white digital ground on it. Then I ran it through the printer on a carrier shetet of card stock. I printed an old photo on it. While it didn't come out the way I had hoped the results were interesting. The print will have to be spray with workable fixative before I add it as a layer to some future piece down the line. I might try doing the same thing again but using a clear ground to see how much of the texture of the paper shows through.

Too Hot for Art

2009-08-10T19:16:00.000-07:00

When the days are too humid, it is difficult to get paint or gesso to dry. What about when the days are too hot? It is too hot today for me to think much. I don't have air conditioning. I live in woods and most times, my place is pretty cool in the summer. But today, it is 98 degrees with high humidity. So even if I tried to put some paint or gesso or ink down, it wouldn't dry anytime soon. But everything is taking an effort today. Plus, I have one of those headaches you get from the heat.

A while ago, a friend found some Spanish flash cards that her school was throwing out. She took a stack and gave some to me. I pulled out number 872 to keep by my computer - sonar (minus the ~ over the n) - to dream. I want to sleep and to dream of cool weather.

The Big WHAT IF

2009-08-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

I've managed to add to two more shelves on the wall. I've recently purchased a big oak dining room table and put a huge cutting board on it. I also purchased a real decent paper guillotine for cutting 8.5 x 11" pieces of paper in one slice. A new paper store has opened in town, so I can get specialty papers without having to drive to Philadelphia or New York. I've actually managed to start creating again.

Now if I could just clap my hands and get the rest of the stuff in place. I keep "What Iffing" myself. If I get rid of all this stuff, what if later, I need it for something else? If I get rid of these shoes - what if later I need a pair this color later? (Never mind that burgundy is no longer the fashion statement it used to be.) If I get of all the polymer clay - what if I want to play with polymer clay later? If I get rid of some of these art books/magazines - what if there's a technique I need to review later?

I What Iffed myself into closets and containers full of stuff. I remember when all my stuff in the world could be packed in a single car and moved. I could pack in an afternoon. Now what? I haven't even gotten to my daughter's stuff....

Me on a HOG!

2009-07-05T16:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is me on the back of a bike. I had an opportunity to ride on the back of a big Harley and go to Peddler's Village. After a month of crappy, rainy weather, the Gods of Glorious Holiday weekend relented and gave us a couple of beautiful days.

Need Vintage Images

2009-06-22T18:24:00.000-07:00

As of June 26, 2009, my favorite place to get vintage images will no longer exist. Tallulah's will be going out of business. However, my good friend is going to be starting up a more accessible website: E-Vint. If you like to add vintage images into your art work, this is THE place. Here you can purchase downloadable, hi-resolution scans that are copyright free! No worries, no waiting, no hassles. Make sure you bookmark it.

Lost without a bed

2009-05-30T15:59:00.000-07:00

I am getting a new bed, which means the futon with the divot is becoming a couch in the living room. The old couch, which managed to barely survive one child and two cats, is being put out in the trash. It is beyond all hope of redemption. In the meantime, Al spent most of the day very distraught because his cat bed is now in the wrong place. There is nothing to replace it. He spent a good portion of the day wandering in and out of the house, meowing, and generally being a pest. He finally settled down - on my clean clothes.

Loot

2009-05-27T18:10:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite places to scrounge for old books and prints is the Phoenix Bookstore in Lambertville, NJ. I am fortunate that it is own by friends of the family. I can count on finding used and antique books for my artwork. They are consistently high quality finds. Some used books stores just purchase books without discriminating about them. Because of the limited space, the owners can afford to be picky and come up with real finds. I was lucky enough to find this wonderful book on Phrenology - the study of lumps and bumps on the head, facial characteristics, and head shapes to determine quality of character. It was the precursor to modern day sociology, criminology and psychology.

New shelves

2009-05-25T14:23:00.000-07:00

I actually completed a project today - installing some shelves into the closet that holds a lot of my art supplies. I did it all by myself. I managed to actually install level shelves. It took a lot longer than someone with more experience would probably take, but it's done! And they're level! Now I can actually reclaim some of the living room. I have some more that need installing and if I am feeling ambitious tomorrow, I will probably start them. Which means I'll have to purchase a stud finder. It's one thing to install walls blindly in a closet, but quite another to go drilling into walls that might hold electrical equipment.

The $800 Cat Bed

2009-05-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

There's a reason there's a big divot in the middle of my futon. His name is Ali Baba. Al for short. I purchased this high-end futon bed 5 years ago 6 months after I moved in. Prior to that, I was sleeping on an air mattress because I decided my previous futon bed was too uncomfortable. An air mattress can be more uncomfortable. I had purchase this wonderful, hand made futon bed at a local shop. The mattress is about 12 inches thick. I expected it to flatten down over time and need periodic flipping, as futons need. But I didn't anticipate how heavy the futon was. I also didn't anticipate what the weight of 20lbs in the same spot would do after a few years. There's a nice size divot in the bed, now, perfect for Al. He's managed with time and patience to create for himself a wonderful cat bed. In the process, I lost a comfortable place to sleep. Luckily, I have recently purchased a new bed which should be delivered soon. And then the cat can have his $800 cat bed all to himself downstairs in the living room. Of course, I purchased a mattress and box spring set with a 10 year warrantee. It better be cat proof.

Art Creations Friday - Challenge 27

2009-05-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

Art Creations Friday's Challenge 27 had a photo of little girl. It reminded me of photos of immigrants. I happened to purchase off of eBay recently some old letters written in Russian. They look like letters to a family member or girlfriend who had immigrated to New York. The letters remind me of stories told by my family about ancestors who immigrated from Russia. Life for people back then was very harsh. Family members would immigrate to the United States, and through community contacts, sponsor other family members to come to the U.S. Sometimes whole villages would be emptied, one person at a time. But there were still members who were either unable to afford the fee or who were unable to immigrate because of war. People eagerly awaited the postal carrier to receive word from their loved ones back home, in the Old Country. The letters I purchased reminded me of this. I scanned them and worked them into this piece of digital art.

My Peony Finally Bloomed

2009-05-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

In April 2002, Clara and I moved into our current space. In back, there was a patio with a small garden plot, that is mostly in the shade. There were three scattered hyacinths blooming and a scraggly plant coming up through the mud. I thought it was some sort of tree that was starting to grow. But it was a peony bush that someone had planted. It was only knee-high and never blossomed. The next year it came back but didn't blossom because there was too much shade. Each year, it would return, trying to grow faster than the trees that were cutting off the sunlight. Two years ago, the property owners paid a landscaper to come and remove dead branches from trees. Some sunlight finally started hitting the little garden plot and the peony looked like it would actually bloom. But the blossoms died before the sunlight could hit them. Over the winter and through the early spring of this year, enough branches were taken off and some sunlight has finally hit the the little peony plant. Then came rain - a lot of it. It rained pretty steady in mid-April for nine straight days. The peony was literally growing before my eyes. I saw the bud develop and finally, today two large blooms were open. They were so full and heavy that I had to tie a few branches of the plant to support it. I cut off the blooms and put them in water. Another bloom will be opening tomorrow. The fragrance is heavenly. What a determined plant!

Art Creations Friday - Challenge 24

2009-05-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

This week's image was a little more difficult to work with. It was an older photo, with dirt on it. The photo had become monochromatic. I changed some of the color options while still keeping the faded look. I then added elements of fun and color.

Art Creations Friday - Challenge 22

2009-04-20T20:42:00.001-07:00

This week's Art Creation's Friday challenge was to alter a painting. I decided to make her look like a worn postcard that someone had used as a coaster at one point for their coffee. I removed the background and replaced it with one that looked more tattered. I then used a series of stylized brushes to imitate coffee stains. Then I added a series of overlays and flattened the painting down.

These alterations were all rendered digitally. A lot less messy but a lot more complicated.

Crazy Amigo Challenge - Tim Holtz

2009-04-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

For those of you not familiar with Tim Holtz is geniuses who "invents" for Ranger Inks. He also has a line of stamps for Stampers Anonymous. He is one of the lucky people in the world who actually enjoys his job, and when he is not out demonstrating the latest product line, he is home doing the exact same thing! What a life! His studio was recently featured in Cloth, Papers, Scissors "Studios" magazine.

I love his stuff! I own every color Distress Ink Pad. I have quite a few bottles of Alcohol Inks. I have a lot of his rubber stamps (especially the sets that come with their own reusable cushion). I have even watched a few of his demonstrations on-line.

About a year ago I attended a rubber stamp/scrapbook show and was able to add to my collection of rubber stamps and ink pads. I was also able to see a first hand demonstration of how some of the Distress Inks can be used. So I went home and tried some of the techniques myself on some tags. I kept the results hanging around on my desk.

Now a chance to show them because this week's Crazy Amigo Challenge is "anything" Tim Holtz.

Easter Greetings

2009-04-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

I found an old postcard in one of my boxes of ephemera. I thought it would be nice to touch it up and display it for the holidays.

Art Creation Friday

2009-04-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

I am back on line, ready to "go do art." Here's the first after a long hiatus. I was just playing around with Photoshop Elements and new brushes. I put the little bear in a bit of a nightmare/time travel background.

I am back on line

2009-03-21T08:47:00.001-07:00

Look for more artwork - more posts

JUST LOOK for MORE!!!

Going back online

2009-03-15T10:27:00.001-07:00

I should be getting my new computer (an iMac) shipped within a week. So I will be back, up and running within the next 10 days. Look for more artwork.

On hiatus

2009-02-15T12:13:00.000-08:00

I am currently on hiatus while awaiting the purchase of a new computer. My old one is just no longer capable of handling the new technology. Gotta give credit to Apple computers for building a machine that can last beyond the technology applications it was built for. Of course, I am getting a new Apple but it won't be until April. I should be up and running afterwards.

Favorite places to Scrounge for Loot

2008-11-22T13:08:00.000-08:00

Here is a couple of pictures of one my favorite places to rummage for found objects, Hope Junction Antiques in the very pretty town of Hope, NJ. Inside you will find the lovely owner and hostess, Linda. There is always something yummy to eat, some hot coffee and browsing is encouraged. I hate antique stores where I feel I have someone looking over my shoulder. This is not one of those places. So stop on in and say "Hi" to Linda.

I am still here

2008-10-11T13:02:00.001-07:00

My artwork has been taking on a more serious note and therefore has been being posted on my more "adult content" website, Syanne Bleu. I originally created this blog as a follow-up for the tutorials I gave to some middle schoolers regarding Artist Trading Cards. But the times have change tremendously and so has this blog. I realize I need to change the banner a bit more to look like my daughter's closet, which is so full of stuff that it is about to burst. That's more in line of where my head is these days. I've been experimenting with textures, getting my fingers into the paint, becoming more tactile. I am adding some more content oriented sites to the side of causes that I feel are important. I will update the artist links at a later date.

Some more updates

2008-09-21T11:35:00.001-07:00

If you noticed, I've added a list of blogs to check out on my blog. There are people creating art all over the world and now you it all one mouse click away. In addition, I will be adding other blogs you should check out not because they are necessary "art blogs" but because they contain important issues - at least to me.

Think Monday, Think ATC - Handwriting

2008-09-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

I used a vintage bill that I purchased on ebay a year ago. There was someone selling a bunch of old attorney's files that were over 100 years old. The handwriting was pretty cool - as were the notes. Most of it seems to be with debt repayment.

I used some Distress Inks, Tattered Angels Mist Spray and some Pearlescent Blue Pigment ink to give the background it's odd color. I got the picture of the little boy from Lisa's Altered Arts and the crown is from Victorian Scrapworks.