L A S

Winter

2011-12-19T10:10:00.001-08:00

Here is a new painting I have been working on. It is not done yet, we will see where it goes next. As of now, the big white flower is gone, though I am liking it in the photo that Cynthia Shaffer took for me. She really is one of the most creative women I have met, spend time on her blog to see what I mean if you haven't already.

I have been having a great creative time painting in the new Crescendoh studio. Lovely ladies, great location, and time for art...that equals a wonderful time. I call it yoga for my mind.

Off to shop, still not done with Christmas presents yet!

The flu and learning to knit

2011-05-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

All week I was down with the flu/cold and too tired and cranky to do much. But I did watch the videos on how to knit from my class which opened this week. Now I am better, right in time for the weekend. Here are my first stitches.

I have finished a stitched house which will be turned into the cutest project, combining some free motion with a bit of paper love. Can't wait to get started!

Katie Kendrick in Malibu

2011-05-09T20:34:00.001-07:00

I had a lovely time in Katie Kendrick's class in Malibu this weekend. It really was a lovely and relaxing way to spend a weekend. I started with a large Starbucks, blasting tunes on my car radio, and rolling down the windows to enjoy a beautiful morning drive up the coast about 45 minutes away.

It was a cool and mostly sunny weekend, but early clouds are the norm at this time of year. I love the grey sky with the white peeking through, and of course the deep blue ocean, one of my favorite color schemes.

Malibu brings me back to my early 20s when I used to drive up the coast with my dog and a book to enjoy a quiet beach off the beaten path. I did a lot of growing up along this road. I can remember the feeling of being completely free as I enjoyed long days alone at a randomly chosen beach. We didn't have cell phones then and I remember how I loved feeling that I was running away for a day where no one knew where I was.

Malibu is beautiful. The drive is gorgeous, and this location that Gina is offering is a lovely little place to have an art adventure.

Here is our space as we are getting settled. There were about 15 of us I think. An intimate group of some lovely lovely women who come from all over because of this passion for creating.
And here is Katie. Man oh man did I totally fall for her! She has the warmest disposition. My favorite part of the class was watching as she created her characters. It was a chance to get a glance into her head as she worked. There is so much to be learned from watching her. She really is a master artist and teacher.

Look at that face that emerged from her collage. So incredible.
I realized that it is almost my two-year anniversary of painting for the first time. I am going to post a picture of my first painting of a face and one or two of the faces I painted over the weekend as a celebration of my journey. I hope you stay tuned to celebrate with me. I am excited to see the paintings side-by-side.

Until next time...

xxoo

Adventures in and around my hometown

2011-05-05T22:45:00.001-07:00

Lately I have been reflecting on taking time to enjoy life, the little things, the big things, the things that often go unnoticed. Sometimes I really have to stop myself from whizzing through life to appreciate where I am, where I have come from....where I am going.

For the sake of fun, here is where I have been over the last three weeks...

Dodger Stadium eating peanuts, doing the wave, and watching a great team play great baseball.

The Rose Garden in Los Angeles, smelling the roses...literally hundreds of times.

Sea World, feeling appreciated (teachers are free for the year!) and seriously appreciating some of the most amazing animals on the planet.

Looking up to notice this beautiful tree that has been with me every work day. And surely this beauty will be with me for many years to come. It reminds me to look up and find that beauty.

What adventures have you been enjoying lately?

Trying something new...

2011-04-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

Hi anyone who is still checking in...I have been quite absent here. Sorry!

I recently had such a fun experience learning how to do some free motion stitching. While taking Lisa's class I met the lovely Cynthia Shaffer who is queen of free motion as far as I am concerned. She offered to give me a little private lesson at her home and I took her up on this last week. She did warn me that I might become addicted. Ha! Just what I need, right? But she was right, it is one of those things where you find that there are so so so many possibilities. While I loved learning from her, my favorite thing was seeing all the lovely things that she has created around her (fabulous 1920s) home! It is such an amazing experience to get the up-close-and-personal peek into the lives of the artists we admire. So, thanks to Cynthia. And if you are just too envious here, you should sign up for her class on Creshendoh.com.

Next up for me? I am going to learn how to do a little knitting. I tried my hand at it once when my first child was born, but I got about a sleeve in and decided it was not for me. Well, and that by the time I finished my little sweater, my baby might have already moved on to kindergarten at the rate I was going! lol

Here is the information about the class I am taking. I admired the banner project when I was at Jenny Doh's house and am excited to learn how to make one of my own.

Beautiful block printing video

2011-04-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

I just signed up...anyone want to join me??

2011-04-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

I just signed up for a class with Katie Kendrick. It looks like a lovely venue in Malibu which is pretty close to my home so I won't need a hotel. Go here to see pictures and to check out the location.

Painting with Passion An Exploration in Paint, Collage, and Poetry 2 Day Workshop in Malibu, CA May 7-8 2011 ***************** Do you feel called to paint but you don’t know where to start? Do you feel a compelling desire to hear your unique voice and not just copy what everyone else is doing? Have you been painting for awhile but feel like your painting style has become stale or overworked? Do you want to learn to paint faces or to tell a story through paint and collage? If you answered yes to any of the above then this workshop is for you. I will be your guide as we spend 2 full days together, learning to recognize the voice of our creative muse more clearly, following the “what if...” path wherever it might take us. Simple poetry writing exercises will be sprinkled in painting exercises and techniques which include: How to paint a face my way Ways to layer and incorporate collage papers into your paintings, seamlessly connecting the two Background techniques Telling a story with paint, collage, and found poetry Learning to critique your work without being critical of yourself Participating in a collaborative painting

art with Lisa Engelbrecht and Jenny Doh

2011-03-17T06:35:00.001-07:00

I had such a wonderful time in this class that was taught by Lisa Engelbrecht and hosted by Jenny Doh.

Jenny welcoming us to her house.

Lisa showing us some of her work.

Davi and Ann were there!

Everyone hard at play.

Here is the beginnings of my art.

Here are some pieces that got almost finished.

I could have spent all day drooling over all the art in Jenny's house. Wait...I did do that. She was so kind and let us explore and admire...

Here is a little taste for you to get an idea of what Jenny has going on around her entire home. It was lovely and such an inspiration.

After class was over Lisa signed Jenny's wall...how cool is that?!

Have a great Thursday everyone.

xxoo

Lovley Andrea

2011-03-15T21:41:00.000-07:00

At Squam last September, I met the lovely Andrea. We had such a fun time sharing a house, enjoying the cozy fires, chatting into the night telling stories, and laughing those kinds of laughs that make your belly hurt. After I posted that I have moved into my own art room at my house, Andrea sent the sweetest package my way. A lovely piece of art that she made for me to decorate my new space. It could not be more perfect. I am not only thrilled to have an original piece of art from this talented artist, but I feel so special and so loved each time I look at it hanging right over me as I am creating.

Thanks Andrea...you rock...just sayin' ... ;)

yes yes yes

2011-03-12T09:40:00.000-08:00

1. Yes, I am neglecting my blog and my blog friends.

2. Yes, I have a BUNCH of photos to share of art, an art class I took at Jenny Doh's house!!

3. Yes, I am SOOOOO inspired by this new artist I discovered in this wonderful online world.

So, while you wait for me to get my act together here, go check him out. You will LOVE what you see, I promise!

Thomas Campbell I cannot wait to get back to my painting and my sewing after viewing this slide show!

xxoo

2011-03-03T20:56:00.000-08:00

A path that I have yet to explore at Artful Journey

Ok, I know I said that I was going to post pictures today. Or was that yesterday? My time is getting confused as I have lots and lots keeping me busy. In my home life the kids have been keeping me busy with iceskating, guitar, baseball, homework and more homework. And in my work life, (high school history teacher) I am moving classrooms (again!) and have to have everything packed and ready to go by tomorrow. Oh geez, and grades are due too so I am going to have to get to that!! So, my blog life is suffering. Sorry people! I hope to have some proper pictures taken of my art by tomorrow evening! And lots to tell after that because I am lucky to be going to an art class on Saturday at Jenny Doh's house!! More on that soon...

Bye for now...

Artful Journey- It's time for class

2011-03-01T16:46:00.000-08:00

Here we are in class. Stephanie Lee is awesome. I really struggled with deciding which class to take at AAJ this year. Stephanie's class ended up being a perfect choice for me. I love all the possibilities that I came home with. We started each morning watching her demo techniques. I love how we all got so excited when she whipped out the cardboard! We could barely contain ourselves!!

She then set us loose to play. It was so fun to see what everyone was doing. We all kind of just went in our own directions with creating.

That empty chair is my space, I spent many hours there pondering colors, shapes, texture. I was one of the few who came back to this room each night and continued into the wee hours. One of the great things about AAJ is that you can keep all your stuff set up and create any time you feel like it. (I felt like it all the time...)

Hi Lindy. Bless her soul. She made coffee for me every morning. (we are pretty picky when it comes to coffee)

Hello Louise. We were simultaneously falling in love. With plaster. Lovely lovely plaster. And Louise made the most lovely intentions tree.

Some of my work...

Here is a sampling of things I made. I started a bird, some bowls, lots of pieces to paint...And not to be a tease, but I actually realized as I uploaded my pictures that I didn't even take pictures of some of the finished pieces I did. So, I will take some pictures and upload them here tomorrow...

See you here soon,

Lorrie

continuing the journey...

2011-02-28T20:36:00.001-08:00

Here is a little tour of the cottage I stayed in at An Artful Journey. We were in St. Anthony,that's the saint of miracles and lost people and things. Perfect.

Come on in...

Simple living, but comfortable with everything we might need. I have been lucky to stay in the cottages both years.

My windows opened to the beauty of the trees. It felt like a little tree house. At night we could hear the rain falling, very cozy.

How adorable is this kitchenette. I love it!

Here is a little visitor. He really liked Lindy's bed. I freaked everyone out a bit when I brought him to the art class to say hi. I couldn't help myself, he was pretty cuddly and sweet.

Ok, how about something about making art tomorrow??? Meet me here? I can't wait to talk about plaster. I had no idea what I was getting myself into and now I am so excited to share what I learned!

The Time is Now-An Artful Journey, year 2

2011-02-27T14:15:00.000-08:00

It has taken me a bit of time to get relaxed and ready to begin my story about my second year at An Artful Journey. Here it goes...

I began my journey at sunrise. Before I stepped into the airport, I turned to look over my shoulder and wave goodbye to my family and as that anxiety of leaving my babies and my man was sitting on my shoulders, I saw the first glimpse of the sun rising. A new day. A new journey. Another new beginning. Perfect. Just as this Artful Journey would be.

By the time I got on the plane (strangely from the tarmac, didn't know we still did that at LAX) a stunningly beautiful blue sky waved a sweet goodbye.

My dear friend Lindy met me at the airport where we started our chatting that really didn't stop until HOURS and HOURS later. Pretty blissful really. Our hearts opened and our minds were making connections, good good stuff.

Our first drinks enjoyed...so cozy on this rainy, cold day.

hot lattes

We cruised around town popping in and out of stores. And then we stopped to have lunch. And another beverage.

watermelon margaritas...THE BEST!

Once we arrived to the Presentation Center it was pretty wet, here is a (pretty lame) video to give you an idea. I am not sure what I was going for when taking this???? I panned to the left, just stopping short of showing the place where all the action is. And then I panned to the right, just stopping short of my cute little cottage. Well, at least the green and the rain is obvious. ;)

I will continue with this tomorrow...

xxoo

Lorrie

A Second Artful Journey

2011-02-16T22:12:00.000-08:00

I am off on my second Artful Journey. I will be back next week with all the details. (and pictures pictures pictures because I am actually remembering my camera this year!!) Can't wait to see old friends, make new friends, and get my hands dirty while messing around with plaster and paint with Stephanie Lee.

xxoo

Lorrie

I DO...

2011-02-08T17:20:00.000-08:00

Well, I actually did already...but I might again once this Anthro-inspired wedding store opens...OH MY!!! Tis the season to be thinking about all things love and this certainly brings a romantic mood to mind...(click on the image and you can see for yourself...)

I was watching Little House On the Prairie reruns and love when Charles said to Caroline, "My only regret in marrying you is that I don't get the joy of asking you to be my wife again." Now that melts my heart. What melts your heart?

Small Wonders

2011-01-31T22:27:00.000-08:00

I was inspired, not for the first time, by the lovely Louise Gale. She has started this wonderful community of celebration and I decided to join in. Go have a look for yourself, just click on the button above or in the side bar...Here are my celebrations for the month...Please leave me a comment or email me if you join I would love to celebrate you with YOU!!

What you are most proud of/what you accomplished this month

I am so proud that I created an art space just for me. It was a leap for me to "take" over a room in our small house and devote it to creating and art. It is one small way that I am acknowledging that I am an artist. And I know something is going to come from this besides just some tinkering, many ideas are being cooked up in there!!

I joined a couple of online classes this month and they have really been eye-opening in more ways that I thought they would be. (Soul Restoration and Misty Mawn's Stetching Within)

How you are going to acknowledge these moments and celebrate

I am celebrating my new space by allowing myself time to use the space each day. I have started to keep an

art journal, lots of these thoughts are being stored safe and sound in it along with some paint and collage.

I have started talking about some of my experiences in my classes with friends. And the biggest part is that I am

literally throwing away some of the unnecessary clutter in my life. It feels so freeing.

If you had a theme for January

I did not pick a theme for the month, but as many were talking about a word for the year "open" came to mind. As I was contemplating this, I opened my art journal that I started while at Squam (it was being neglected until recently) and I saw that right on the first page I had circled the word "OPEN"...I am taking it as my sign. Open is my word of the year!

Any challenges you recognized

That damn little voice in my head that defines art and artists is still making me a bit crazy. Can someone just

shoot it already?

Your intentions and focus for the next month

I have a beautiful month ahead, the month of love deserves no less! I will be attending AAJ and seeing old

and meeting new art friends. I cannot wait! I will be taking Stephanie Lee's plaster class. A whole new world

that I am looking forward to being introduced to. I intend to really focus on love with friends and family...and

most importantly, for myself.

Thanks for the inspiration Louise!

xxoo

Lorrie

redesigning...

2011-01-29T20:37:00.000-08:00

I am attempting a redesign here...so now that I have been attempting for the last week, I am putting this aside "as is" for now. Lesson learned from this: I am not interested in figuring out how to redesign my blog. ;)

xxoo

Lorrie

Daily drawing and a doodle...

2011-01-18T22:55:00.001-08:00

Here is a quick look at some of what I am up to right now in my new art room...

This is a drawing that I did in Misty Mawn's e course. I am supposed to do this EVERY day. I will try my hardest to do that...(huge commitment for me!!)

Here is mindless doodles. I have that face in my head now.

What are you creating?

xxoo

My New Art Room Pics

2011-01-17T20:50:00.001-08:00

Come on in...

We bought a new desk at Ikea, it is a long desk with plenty of space for a friend to join me. (come on over any time!)

I didn't take a good picture of the drawers under and to the left, but they are there. I will show you inside in a minute...(my daughter is trying to move in too, you can see her chair and some of the things she is bringing in under the table.)

Some painting already happening here. I am working on some "truth cards" for my Soul Restoration class.

Here is my new sewing table. It is great because it pulls out to make a larger table. Nice space-saver for my small area. (and you can see a peek of a large painting I am working on to the left there.)

This room used to be our TV/playroom. So, we still have the same entertainment unit. Just a little tweak needed to make it into a craft storage unit. (I still have three EMPTY cubbies...miracle!)

I love that my craft books are all in one place. Usually they are in my car, at work, on the patio, and all over the house...I still have to find some that are hiding from me.)

My material stash!(there is plenty more hidden away!!)

Paints and pencils organized in drawers! What a huge concept!

I share my space with these little guys...Pineapple and Cookie.

Here is my little alter on my desk. It is stuff that I picked up at Squam. It is a nice reminder of such a wonderful time, it reminds me to breathe and enjoy.

I will be making some chair covers and maybe curtains with this new material from Ikea.

Hope you enjoyed my tour. Now I have no excuse NOT to create! I love it!!

xxoo

Lorrie

Moving...

2011-01-17T10:01:00.001-08:00

To a new art space in my house! I am up to my eyeballs in craft crap right now...trying hard to pare it all down to reasonable amount. Before this tiny room that I am moving into I did all my art on top of our pool table in the room off of our garage...this is certainly an upgrade.

If all goes well I will try to post some pics tonight...

xxoo

Lorrie

OPEN during Restoration

2011-01-11T15:16:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to begin this class. I just started with my first assignments and I am not only impressed but inspired. This is looking to be exactly what I didn't realize I was looking for, you know what I mean? As many of my blog friends are picking focus words for the year 2011, the word "open" popped into my head. For me, this means being open to new experiences, new people, new ideas, and also the idea of opening up to the possibilities and influences that are all around me. So, with my open heart and mind...here I begin this first journey of the year.

xxoo

Lorrie

Looking for ways to start the New Year...

2011-01-06T08:28:00.000-08:00

The beginning of this year has already been full of activity. It is fun and inspiring to have a fresh and new year ahead, full of possibilities and potential. While I am not one to make "resolutions" for myself, I do like to use this time to reassess my routine and begin planning for the goals that I would like to achieve. Here are some of the happenings going on for me right now...

1. Zumba...with friends this is fun
2. Misty Mawn's class...loved to find so many of my AAJ friends in this!
3. Planning for another AAJ, taking Stephanie Lee's class.
4. Designing a new art space for myself.
5. Proactively making dates to hang out with friends. (already have the 14th calendared in!)
6. Taking a soap-making class at my favorite local craft center, this time going with my daughter.
7. Trying out yoga.
8. Signing up for Mondo Beyondo again.

How do you like to start the new year?

xxoo
Lorrie

Remember me???

2011-01-03T21:20:00.001-08:00

Whew! When I started this blog over a year and a half ago, I had made the decision to keep this all about my journey as a creative person, tracking my progress as I learned and practiced. But somewhere along the way, a bit more personal bits and pieces have appeared. I am still playing with that balance of what to put here and what to keep off. Since I have not quite figured that out yet, a bit of silence was in order as I have not created even one thing that I was excited enough to talk about.

After spending some time enjoying blog posts that honor the previous year, I have decided to try the same here. It was fun looking back at my posts from the year. There has been quite a bit of growth in my artful journey from the beginning of 2010 to now. And some fun times with those that I love.

I started 2010 with what I didn't realize was about to be an ending. Prior to beginning this blog, I was mainly creative with paper crafts and scrapbooking. I am thankful to that hobby because it has given me unexpected help as I work more and more in multimedia art. I realized today that my last project in what I think of as scrapbooking was done exactly one year ago.
I sketched my first "realistic" face. I learned about shading and pencils and charcoal.
An Artful Journey changed my creative life and gave me an opportunity to be seriously blissed out with like-minded souls.
Painting my little heart out makes me happy and when looking back at those paintings I made...I seriously think I rock! (anyone who knows me here or in person knows that believing that is HUGE for me!) And just because that old critic still lives within, I just might take that back tomorrow. ;)
I learned that dreaming was about more than cleaning my garage. (which is still a disaster) I tentatively gave big dreaming a try and low and behold...my dream came true!
I met INCREDIBLE artists! Here are some: Flora Bowley, Kelly Rae Roberts, Mati Rose, Marisa Haedike, Sara Ahearn, Chistine Mason Miller, Suzi Blu ...what a list!!
I wrote my first poem.
Ten years of marriage...absolutely huge!! We took a wonderful short trip to Palm Springs to enjoy (even after ten years!) some alone time.
Enjoyed the launch party of Crescendoh, went out of my comfort zone and went alone. The art gods were on my side and I got to hang out with Davi. Oh, and there was no traffic, this is huge people...huge.
Celebrated the last one digit year (nine) with my son. Realized that he is half way to being a man...hard to swallow that one.
Let go of a job that was making me crazy and began to re-think what I am doing with my career.
Made more of an effort to meet up with friends.
Watched my cutie pie daughter learn such huge things like reading, adding, riding a bike, washing her own hair, performing in two musicals.
Taking an art class for college credit and thinking that it really sucked. ;)
Taking our sixth trip as a family to Yosemite.
Finding out what it feels like to live within a dream.
Teaching myself to sew.
Finding that new family traditions of our own are so so good for the soul.
Getting an iPhone...part of the reason for my absence here.
Skiing for the first time in 15 years and still having enough spunk to take a few jumps and to fly down the mountain with my poles straight out to the side.
Realizing that I painted or sketched something almost every month last year. Knowing that I will top that this year.

Here's to another great year ahead!

Ch cha cha changes...

2010-12-13T06:49:00.000-08:00

Hi all! Sorry I have been gone for so long here. I am making some tweaks, adjustments, changes in my life routine and blogging was at the end of the list. But I am working (slowly) to come to a place of better balance in my life...all for the better. I hope to keep you updated as I go.

I am going to start a session of reviews here and wondered if anyone has something that they would like me to look over and then to give my take on it here. So far I have some great art books, sewing books, online classes, and one or two artists. Send me an email with your information and what you would like me to check out. (lspotts@sbcglobal.net)

xxoo

Lorrie

thankful for quiet time

2010-11-29T06:41:00.001-08:00

My family took a little vacation to the snow for most of last week. There was no internet access, regular tv was limited, no telephone, and few people other than my family seen for much of the trip. We had a lovely time, lots of snow to enjoy and much time to read and talk and enjoy time together.

Some creative time has to be found though, I am out of sorts from being away from it for so long.

Finally done...

2010-11-14T11:38:00.000-08:00

How long have I been saying that I was going to show this?? It was not that hard to make, but I only had snippets of time to work with so....here it is finally!

2010-11-11T12:45:00.000-08:00

I have not had the greatest last twenty-four hours. I focused on the negative, well, to be honest, DWELLED on the negative. I let my heart get a little broken. Key there being "I let..."

And then I checked my email and my little (sort of) broken heart leaped...not once, but twice. I am just going to be open to possibilities. So, here I am, opened and trusting.

Have a great day everyone, that is what I am planning on doing myself....starting right now.

Don't put your nose where it shouldn't be

2010-11-10T06:57:00.001-08:00

Naughty doggie got into something she shouldn't have. We all do sometimes.

Stay tuned, my bag is one pocket away from being done!

Learning to sew

2010-11-05T06:56:00.001-07:00

I bought this sewing machine over a year ago, but only last summer really began putting it to use.

My six year old daughter wants to learn to sew too. We picked a simple project, a sock monkey.

I did the eyes and mouth, but she did everything else. (including adding some fashionable clothing and jewelry, which every monkey should have!)

Have a great weekend everyone. I ran out of my interfacing (stuff needed to complete my bag). I am off to the store this afternoon and hope to have a picture of my latest creation soon!

A little something started

2010-11-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

I have purchased the material to make my newest bag. I am hoping to make little zipper pouches with this first set.

This is going to be the lining I think...

Here is my biggest sewing challenge yet, a very detailed (for me) bag will be made using this...

I have the cutting almost done, then to the actual sewing. Hopefully this weekend will bring a bit of time for this. Stay tuned.

xxoo

Lorrie

A quick look...

2010-10-31T21:30:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of paintings I started. I am trying to practice what I learned in Flora's class. This is just the beginning of the painting and I am not sure where I will go next...

If you look carefully, next to the painting above you can see a face I started a while back but didn't love. I decided to just play with that too and covered up what I didn't love and am now going to just play until that turns into something too.

Here is my first painting that I finished in Flora's class. One of my art goals was simply to hang some of my art in my house. So, here is the painting in my room. Not perfect for the space, but I am not quite brave enough to go for a prominent living room spot yet. (my bed is not made, making it real here...and that is my blue laptop with the sea horse)

Gratitude

2010-10-29T22:54:00.001-07:00

I live in a really wonderful place on this planet. I am a few miles from beautiful beach. My family lives close by. The weather is always pretty darn perfect. My commute to work is five minutes. And places like this are a simple drive away...

Abbott Kinney in Venice, Calif. An eclectic mix of art, food, and small boutiques.

The Ten Women Studio where so many of my favorite artists began their careers.

I found this artist that I love .

I adored these textile pieces done by Anthea Brown.

I loved this gallery.

This store had stacks upon stacks of vintage cake stands.

These food trucks are quite trendy where we live. I love looking at them, but have yet to purchase food off of them.

Sometimes I find myself drooling over the lives of those who live on a big piece of land with room to roam and spread out. But really it is all in the perspective right? It is what we make of it. And I have a lot to work with here in LA.

xxoo

A new book...(well...five new books really...)

2010-10-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

So, I just had a little buying splurge on Amazon. The first of several books arrived today and I am so excited to get to looking that I will keep this extra short. If you want to check it out, it is "Creative Illustration Workshop for Mixed-Media Artists" by Katherine Dunn. Her folk style art is so wonderful, and now I am off to read all about it.

You can check out her work here. And her blog is sure to warm your heart, especially if you are an animal lover.

Date Night

2010-10-24T20:34:00.001-07:00

My husband and I went on a date this weekend that was extra fun. We started off in Venice just walking and window shopping (pictures of this will come later). We moved on to have some cocktails at this cool place, very LA of us I think.

It is this hip place on Venice Blvd. called Saints and Sinners. (I was a saint while there, of course)

It was done up for Halloween, complete with a streaming projection of scary movies from the 80s and with lots of loud music.

My drink is that green one, called Angel Dust. We moved on from the bar to Gus Harper's Studio.

This is Gus Harper's art in the front window.

And an entire wall of these paintings that made up a bigger painting was one of my favorite pieces.

Here's my husband reading Sabrina's journaling and poetry.

Sabrina Ward Harrison's art was just spectacular. She was so sweet as she greeted the guests and even took time to chat with us about her life. Very fun.

Here is some of Christine Mason Miller's work.

And here is Christine Mason Miller. She was lovely. And we had a fun moment to chat about dreaming and art...perfect.

And in the crowd...

Look who we found! Marisa Haedike! She is just the sweetest sweetest woman. As we talked she mentioned an idea that I am hoping she moves forward on because I LOVE it and would love to enjoy it...hint hint Marisa. ;)

There is more art to share, but since I am being lame with keeping up with my Blogtoberfest posts, I am saving that for another day...

xxoo

Lorrie

Anyone want to join...

2010-10-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

I am going to go to this art show next weekend with my husband. Anyone want to join us? We even have a babysitter (well, my parents...but still counts...) lined up for the night. I am sure I can take some pictures, so if you can only join me here, that will be just fine too. I am very excited to see Christine Mason Miller's work again. I did get to see some of her original work at the Squam art show. And I have a few of Sabrina Ward Harrison's books, so that will be exciting for sure.

I am starting to sew a new bag...the drizzle has kept me from painting (my art space in doors is too messy to enter...so sad!) so sewing it is! I hope to show it soon here, but there is a zipper involved. Me teaching myself is feeling like a bit of a stretch as I look at the directions for that. But challenges are good so I am going to take it on, slowly but surely. Right?

xxoo

Lorrie

Where in the world...

2010-10-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

I just learned about "stats" on this blog and am amazed at how people from all around the world take a moment to peek at this little blog. I thought I would post a pic of my homestead...a look at the space on this planet that I am residing...

Here is the side and a bit of the front of our house...and a look down the street where we have several palm trees...very So Cal of us.

This is a look down the other side of our house (our white fence), excuse our neighbor child, we always have one or more out front playing so hard to keep them out of the pictures. The lights in the distance are about 15 miles away and it is downtown Los Angles.

xxoo

Lorrie

Sweetest Angel

2010-10-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Jonatha Brooke performing at the evening Coffee House at SAW

As I was painting today I listened to my new Jonatha Brooke CD. It really brought me back to a moment when I was feeling complete contentment, joy, love, peace, and confidence. At one point my daughter came to cuddle on my lap as we listened to this song and as I whispered (since I can't sing) the words in her ear.

What are you listening to that inspires wonderful memories and wonderful moments?

xxoo

Lorrie

ps I finished the painting that I started in Flora Bowley's class. I will take a picture of it hanging in my room and post it here this week.

A favorite post by Anahata Katkin

2010-10-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am going to get my hands in my paint this weekend. I am determined. I just finished reading this post again. When I found that I loved to paint just over a year ago, I found Anahata Katkin's blog and read the entire thing like it was a book. I love her art, and I love her home decorating. Her travels are enough to make you drool. She posted about so many artists which eventually led me to Flora Bowley...and just in case you haven't heard (wink wink) that lead me to a great great dream.

Isn't life in 2010 so interesting? Just the simple act of following someone's blog can inspire so much.

Have a great day!

xxoo

Lorrie

Reflection

2010-10-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

Today I was thinking about work. Over a year ago now (wow! I have been blogging for over a year!!!???) I was struggling. It is not a surprise that this is the case. I have been teaching high school for 15 years now. That seems a crazy thing. I have been saying the entire time that as soon as I don't have the heart for it any more I would have to find something else. I felt pretty close to needing something else when I wrote that post a year ago.

But here is my update. This year is the first year without that extra responsibility that I have given up. It is the best professional decision that I have made. Strange because this responsibility was something akin to a promotion in the business world. I took the job feeling a sense of importance and also feeling proud that I was offered it. I think I let my ego accept a job that was not right for me.

Today I am enjoying work more than ever. While life is always a balancing act, I must say that the things I am balancing are good.

xxoo

Lorrie

rain rain come again...

2010-10-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

I love the rain. It rained all day yesterday in Los Angeles. We have had some of the weirdest weather patterns that I can remember here. Just a few days ago it was over 100 degrees, the hottest it has been all year, and then yesterday it rained and was somewhere in the 60s. Strange. I'll take the rain any day.

Inspired by...

2010-10-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

I have been fluctuating between wanting to paint and sew. Here is the material that I have sitting around that is tempting me lately...I can see a cute bag coming...

I found this great site with all the Japanese material that I love. If you are interested you can find it here.

xxoo

Lorrie

AAJ and Squam Art buddies

2010-10-05T06:02:00.000-07:00

Talk about happy.....

Lindy, Louise, Beth, Lorrie

Look at us. It has been so great to be reunited with these friends. And planning more reunions to come. We come from all over the place. Our lives look very different in our day-to-day routines. But here we with so much in common, never enough time to enjoy each other's company, and all loving with such passion this whole world of art.

xxoo

Lorrie

blogtober fest

2010-10-04T06:55:00.000-07:00

I decided to try my hand at a post a day for the month of October. Should be fun. Check out the link to the right if you are interested in joining in as well.

xxoo

Lorrie

(that counts as a post, right?)

Check out these fun blogtober fest friends...

253 entries so far... you're next!

Click here to enter

Seeing beauty everywhere...

2010-10-01T18:03:00.001-07:00

While at Squam I saw beauty everywhere. It was not very hard because this is a stunningly beautiful location.

It seemed that every turn I took, there was beauty to behold. And I stopped to appreciate it. (and click a picture)

I found myself looking for it, enjoying the simple pleasures of finding beauty in unexpected ways...

Here are a couple pictures taken looking into the clear water.

Sometimes the beauty was created by friends that visited before me. It was like finding a gift.

I began to set up my own little masterpieces. So simple, but so fun and heartwarming.

Now I am home and living my normal and real life. I am seeing beauty in more places than when I left. I am stopping to appreciate it. I am taking the time to think about re-creating this in my life every day. It feels good. It is beautiful.

xxoo

Lorrie

Sketchbook beginnings

2010-09-25T09:29:00.001-07:00

I have this habit of buying sketchbooks and journals...lots of them. (and lots more) I love the thought of a clean new book with the potential of fresh beginnings and new starts.

I also have a bad habit of working on a page or two and then closing that book and not returning.

Mostly this is because I think that my "fresh beginning" or my "new start" sucks. I had some time to think about this recently while I was taking Sarah Ahearn's Sketchbook class at Squam. I realize that I not only think that my physical page sucks, but that I am not so confident about what it represents. (sometimes that is drawing new things, trying new colors, or even beginning that new life challenge)

But Squam was the result of trying something new: Putting a dream out to the universe. And then while I was in New Hampshire, I tried so many new things. I opened my heart and took some chances that I needed to take. It made me feel uncomfortable at first. But then I felt cleansed. I like that feeling.

It was perfect that I brought one of the journals which had a page or two started. I planned on tearing them out. Instead I added to them.

I am trying to remind myself. "Remember that the start moves me into a WONDERFUL place..."

That I can try my hand at writing a poem, a story, a letter...anything I want. Just because. It can be messy and unfinished.

It can be a page of things I want to remember. Of places I have been.

Or it can be a page of random playing with a favorite pen.

I have started....now where will it take me?

xxoo

Lorrie

I have been had!!!

2010-09-23T18:32:00.000-07:00

So, while I was in Yosemite we were out in nature and did not use any electricity. On the last couple of nights of our stay we booked ourselves into a hotel and had much-needed showers, and we had a TV. Well, my kids were hooked on the cartoons as if they had never seen them before. My husband and I joined them for some tube time and saw a version of this:

We found this to be hilarious, and immediately looked online and saw what looked like a real ad. Now we have told a bunch of people about this product, and as lame as it is, it really seemed believable at the time. Today one of my students mentioned this and several others insisted it was a fake. And guess what...it is fake!! So, if I have mislead you, and if you now have so much more to purchase for the holidays, I apologize. ;)

Lesson is learned. No more believing everything I see on Nickelodeon.

xxoo

Lorrie

Lots more about Squam...(Part II)

2010-09-21T19:31:00.000-07:00

After arriving in New Hampshire and being picked up by the lovely Lindy (Can I just say now how I love this dear woman?) we were off to explore. We drove around the lake and I think we were lost just about the entire time without a care in the world. Such fun. The trees and houses were so beautiful.

After we arrived and registered, we had a fun time exploring our cottage. Unpacking, packing, unpacking, packing. (we were sort of lost in our own house too)

Guess which house mate we met first. Are you ready? FLORA BOWLEY!! What a surreal thing to be living my dream of taking a painting class with her and then to have her as a housemate for the whole experience as well!! I hope I did not freak her out too much with my excitement. I tried to act kind of cool about it, but she is way cooler than me so I am pretty certain she saw right through that act. I mean, realistically she must have noticed my dorky smiling the whole time. My face ached by the end of it so I was probably pretty obvious.

My housemates ended up all being incredible. I will speak more about them in a later post. They were so awesome that I have to process how I can do them justice here first.

On my first day of class I took Flora's class. It is amazing that she had not taught before. She was so organized and she articulated and demonstrated her techniques so well.

I was like a sponge, soaking up each piece that she offered. I loved working so big, it was so freeing and fun. Here is the beginning of one of the two paintings I worked on...

And here is where this ended up for me....(I might tweak it a bit now that I am home, we will see)

I am in love with it. I can't wait to keep working like this and to see what comes. I was so inspired by Flora that this is really so like her work, but now I am ready to spread my wings and play on my own.

Here is the entire class with our paintings...

The next class I took was with Marisa Haedike. She is such a sweet lady and so so encouraging. It almost felt like getting a private lesson with her as she gave each student individual attention throughout the class.

In this class I used a picture of a deer and also I found a color scheme to follow from a magazine. Since I am still fairly new at painting, this was so exciting for me. I began to understand how I could get inspiration from magazines and pictures to work into my painting. Such potential here too...(my deer is in there to the left)

Finally, on my last day of classes I found my way to this lovely location for a sketchbook class with Sarah Ahearn...

I did not take many pictures of what I did, but I learned so much here! I have an embarrassing number of sketchbooks and journals all over my house but I have never worked in them for more than a page or so. Sarah let us look through some of her beautiful sketchbooks which were really lots of everything. I admitted that I tend to start in my books and then I don't like what I am doing so I just give it up. What I learned here is that is what it is about, working through that sometimes yucky start to see where I end up. It was a revelation for me. I ended up completing three pages in one of my re-started sketchbooks. (I will share more of this in future posts)

Ok, this is much too long now. I will post more on the loveliness of this adventure after I get my head around it all. My heart is soooo open right now. (I know I already have said this...) It feels so great. I want to just hug everyone I see. But first I need to get back on Pacific time. Waking up at 4:30 am is just not cutting it.

On Squam...(Part I)

2010-09-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

I am back! Wow wow wow wow! What an incredible adventure I just had living within my dream. Look at how beautiful this place is...

I know everyone must have taken so many pictures of these docks, they were just so charming and fun that we can't help but click away once we are there.

Look at those clouds reflecting in the water. Just what dreams look like, don't you think?

Each day, and it seemed each hour, the sky seemed to change which gave such a different view.

I love how people moved the rocking chairs to their docks. A rock in the chair? A ride in the boat? What great choices to contemplate.

I can't wait to fill in all the details. Tomorrow I will post a bit more. Until then, I must say that this dream was even better than I could have imagined. Whew! My heart feels so huge right now. My soul feels so open. My mind is pondering the potential.

xxoo

Lorrie

Summer Sewing

2010-09-11T12:59:00.000-07:00

I decided to learn to sew this summer. While I have sewn some blankets and a few journals, I really only knew how to sew straight lines. But the times have changed! I am having so much fun that I put all painting aside for the entire month of August as I sewed my heart out!

For the first time ever I followed a pattern. It was pretty challenging for me as I didn't know what things like "top stitch", "interfacing" and "basting" meant. (Patterns assume you know lots of things going in...) But I just googled everything and figured it out as I went.

Here's my first (really my second) bag. It is reversable, but I love this material so can't imagine turning it. (I don't have a picture of my first one, but it is the same only different material)

I felt so encouraged after making my first bags from a pattern that I figured I could move on to something harder. I picked a pattern from "Amy Butler's Style Stitches" and went to town making this...
Much much harder, and the button popped off right before I took the picture, but you can get the idea. I love this one. And I loved that feeling of being challenged as I made it. It has many pockets inside and is so sturdy. And a love those birds. I wanted this to take with me on my trip to Squam. It is so roomy and will carry lots and lots of things. I have been using it as my work bag during this last week. So far so good. (well, aside from the part about that button that I have yet to replace)

Here is a little peek at what I have been obsessed over. Cute little wristlets, but the details will come after I give them to their recipients. Can't wait to show you!

I am off to Squam this week, so I will be back here with the details of my trip and pictures next week!

xxoo

Lorrie

Time to enjoy

2010-09-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

After I read the comments to my last post, (thank you thank you for your wise words that helped me so much!) things seemed to fall into place and I started to fall out of that stressful/guilty mode that I had put myself into.

My dog has nothing to do with this post. But she is so cute so I am adding her in.

These two are clearly happy kids. They are going to be fine while I am away.

I had such a pleasant surprise yesterday. I got a nice package with some goodies, my favorite is this great painting from my dear TinnieGir l! What wonderful timing. Such a nice reminder of the goodness that comes from taking risks, opening your heart, and being open to adventure. Thank you my friend. I will cherish this!

Here is my hubby reminding me tonight that I don't have to do everything. And after he cooked this meal he reassured me (again) that I have no reason to be anxious about my trip. He and the kids will be fine. I knew the first time his elbow accidentally bumped mine that I would marry him. Good thing because I can't imagine a better match for me.

First Day of School Picture

Stay tuned for some pictures of some of my summer sewing...

xxoo

Lorrie

The jitters

2010-09-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

I know my posts have been scarce this month. I have been enjoying the last lazy days of summer. Trying my best to relax and refresh before the busy busy days of school and work begin again.

Lately there has been this nagging anxiety sneaking up on me late at night. It wakes me up and then keeps me up by listing all the "to-dos" that are not done, all the "how will I's?", and "what- the- heck- was -I- thinking" self doubts that seem to hide in the back of my head.

Squam is coming up so fast and I am finding myself stressing instead of looking forward. I realized that it is guilt that is doing this to me. I am feeling terrible about leaving all the responsibility of our busy life on my busy husband. I am feeling guilty about the money that we could have used for a variety of other things. I am feeling guilty that I will be finding peace and doing something I love while my family is not.

Today I am going to check a few things off of my to-do list. This is usually something that helps me gain perspective. I will take some time to be with a good friend and try talking about this, sometimes that helps too. And I will take a some quiet time tonight to tell my husband how much it means to me that he is so supportive. Hopefully this will keep the jitters at bay.

What keeps you up at night? And how do you find ways to put aside your anxiety?

Camping

2010-08-23T22:25:00.001-07:00

Our yearly trip to Yosemite.

Home away from home...

Our gourmet kitchen...

It has a wonderful view...

We always start the day with one of these...

We like to take public transportation, rides are friendly and free...

Meeting new friends is always fun...

I related to other mothers...

Always having to keep an eye on our babies can be stressful in the wild...

but the babies are getting old enough to entertain themselves safely...

They find new games to enjoy...

If only I could be better about appreciating ALL the creatures...

If you remember this post, you will remember I LOVE a good hotel, so I will post a bit about the hotel part of our stay later this week.

family vacation

2010-08-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

We are off for our yearly family get-away to Yosemite. I cannot wait to smell the trees and feel the cool Merced River on my toes. We will be counting the stars each night. We will ride our bikes in the silence of the morning and stop to say hello to the many creatures we see. I will take pictures of the same trees, the same mountains of granite, the same shady path that I love to ride along. The familiar, the sameness, the unchanged beauty is so comforting to me.

I will be back here in about a week or so...

Art Retreats

2010-08-10T22:49:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to write a post for a while now about some dreaming I did a while back. But I have found that the dreaming part of dreams does not translate into a blog post for me. So, instead of getting all mushy and dreamy with you, here's the deal in bullet points, my comfort zone is bullet points, just as I do when I prepare for a lecture for my students:

DREAMING

Mondo Beyondo
Insert personal history of being practical to the core here...
STRETCHED myself to make a dream list
Dreaming included fluffy wonderful happy things that were hidden away on a list in an envelope, in a book, in a box, under bed
Some dreams cost a lot of money...Practical Me is screaming at Dreaming Me to stop stop stop being so silly and....well...so impractical
Within days of hiding away dreams, $2,500 came out of no where, no work, favors, or grief involved to earn it, completely unexpected, it literally appeared and told Practical Me to SHUT THE HECK UP!! (insert smile and laugh here)
Dreaming Me is now going to Squam in September and to An Artful Journey in Feb. 2011
Sigh. Happy happy happy
Dreaming dreaming and more dreaming continues regularly
Practical Me pouts now and then but has stopped all the yelling at Dreaming Me

That pretty much sums it up everyone. And I am beyond excited that Beth, Louise , Lindy , and many other art friends will be joining me in my dreams...

Art for a grade

2010-08-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

I am happy to have received my grade in my recent art class. Interestingly it made me ponder the idea of a grade for art. As I compare my art or hide my art for fear of not being good enough, I felt a similar series of emotions as I turned in my art to be graded. This then brought me to ponder where this all comes from, and I started thinking about how we are graded for our personal work beginning at such an early age. I can remember my children doing art in preschool and then seeing the teachers "touching up" the details so that everything eventually looked the same. I also know how much children like to fit in rather than stand out at young ages. Remember this picture of my daughter's Blue Dog?

Well, there was a painful moment after she made her dog's head bigger than all the other students. She cried and cried about having made a mistake and wanting to start over so that she could make hers how she thought it was supposed to look. In the end, her dog was the only dog that stood out in its doggie crowd of blue dogs. This made it so much better to me. Once we brought her dog home we framed it and it has been hanging proudly since. I can tell she feels good each time a guest makes a comment about it.

And it is a nice daily reminder of how great it is when we are unique even if that means our heads are big.

"Art for Life"

2010-07-29T22:45:00.001-07:00

FREE FREE FREE mini class with Mystele! If you don't know her yet, you will find her to be lovely I am sure. (she is the one who inspired the painting that I use as my blog header) Hope to see you all over at her site soon!

Art that you have to do...

2010-07-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

I mentioned that I was taking an art class for credit, this specific class was one that I did to learn more about teaching kids art. I thought it would be fun to show some of the things I made. The format of the class was to put myself in the role of the student (which I would guess would be a kid aged 4 to 10) So, here are some samples of my classwork that I did as an adult child....

I did not really LOVE doing all 21 of the projects that were assigned, but some made me remember the importance of play, which as I have been learning, is so important to the art I enjoy creating. My favorite piece was the last picture with the whale. We had to put an animal in its habitat, so my happy whale is swimming under the sea, and at the last minute I added the BP oil. My favorite part of this was that we had to mix the paint to make the colors, I have very little experience with mixing paints.

Now that my class is over, I can get to creating what I would like for me, not for a class!!!!

xxoo

Lorrie

summer activities

2010-07-21T16:01:00.001-07:00

We are having a great summer so far. I am taking an art class for credit and will post some of the activities I had to complete hopefully tomorrow. I decided to start thinking of ways I might begin to make a bit of money from art and figure that teaching is right up my alley. Who knows where this will lead, but the class is geared to teaching kids art. Once this idea came into my head I have met several people who are somehow connected to teaching art, I love that the answers to my questions can be that easy to find sometimes!

On a fun summer note, my kids are enjoying Southern California as most kids do. They are spending time at the beach and skateboarding at skateboard camp. (Dude!) Here is a fun little clip that the local news did on the camp... HERE. Not a huge surprise that my daughter was interviewed as she wears a pink dress EVERY day at camp. My kids make me laugh every single day. How much better can life get than that?

xxoo

Lorrie

Found Inspiration Thursday...

2010-07-15T10:38:00.001-07:00

No. I did not pick a date to stick with for this. I cannot commit to a schedule for finding inspiration, at least that is my excuse, and I can stick to that! Ok, here is my find....go get this book, it is so lovely...

I found this and purchased it on a whim. I cannot put it down! I love the telling of Vera Neumann's story, totally inspirational! My favorite part so far is how Vera couldn't get material for her textiles during WWII and while in an army surplus store, she spotted parachutes, and the idea of scarves came to her. (and this became her signature piece) Her art is playful and simple. She used what was around her for inspiration. There are hundreds of pictures of Vera's work in this book. I found her starting sketches to be so inspirational that I grabbed an old magazine, flipped through to something that attracted me (some shells), and just tried sketching for fun.

If you see this book, let me know what you think I am itching to discuss it with someone who can appreciate it with me!!

ps...I bought it at Anthropology and admit it was a wee bit more than my 38 cents. ;)

pps...on the topic of inspiration...go check out Juiliette Crane's blog! (she is in the side bar too)

xxoo

Lorrie

Thank you!

2010-07-13T09:07:00.001-07:00

Thanks for the birthday wishes!

I had a fun day with lots of food. I also received some fun presents which included a pre-owned beaded friendship bracelet from my son, 38 cents elaborately wrapped from my daughter (haha I so appreciate these heartfelt gifts from the kiddos!), a beautiful heart necklace from my husband, and a free motion presser foot from my parents. I pretty much scored!

And on the note of scoring...we had a fun spur of the moment trip to Lucky Strike, a hip and cool bowling alley. I am not a great bowler and can easily be beat by my kids. But I think luck was on my side and I beat not only my kids but my husband as well. Go me! (bowled a 125...decent I think??)

Today I am off to spend my 38 cents at Anthropologie. (wink wink) Stay tuned for my newest inspiration, I will post some of her work tomorrow.

xxoo

Lorrie

Summer Birthdays

2010-07-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

Everyone in our family has a summer birthday...

(Sam, always a ham for the camera at 9.)

(Jessica, so excited to be 6.)

Me tomorrow. I have no plans, lots of requests for what I want, but no answers. Then a dear friend came by today to deliver a little something and I opened the most lovely card. Heartfelt thoughts about our friendship end up being exactly what I wanted.

xxoo

Lorrie

Stitched Postcard Swap

2010-07-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

Look what was in my mailbox! It is so fun to receive anything that is not a bill in the mail. Here is the lovely stitched postcard I received from Renee Ward from Australia. (our theme was "Time" and it was fun to see what different interpretations came from it)

And here is the one I sent off to my trade partner...

xxoo

Lorrie

Me and Suzi Blu...

2010-07-07T00:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend my family spent the 4th of July holiday in San Diego. I snuck away for a few hours to take a class with Suzi Blu. (but didn't take my camera!) It was a great class, as always Suzi comes prepared with supplies and patience. I didn't think I was in the mood for making an angel, but ends up an angel is just what I needed to get myself out of this long stretch of "I-can't-paint-I-don't-know-what-I-am-doing-I-think-I-am-wasting-my-time-who-do-I-think-I-am-anyway" mood. Do you know that mood? Ha!

Here she is so far. I am still working it, especially the hands and dress. I am going to add words too. Oh, and she is next to my little girl's "Blue Dog" which I think is adorable.

xxoo

Lorrie

Found Inspiration

2010-07-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

Remember back when I was doing this regularly? Ok, here I go again. Maybe I should get into a routine of doing this on a specific day. It is pretty fun to try to find something that inspires me.

Today I was going through the work of Brad Huck for the bazillionth time. I love his stuff. (I did not ask for permission to show a pic here so go get to clicking so you can see what I am talking about!)

My found inspiration today is a video which shows his process. It is about a half hour so get comfortable first. This video is on the Maui Art Scene website. You must look at "Artist to Artist #1". Just scroll down and you will see it near the bottom of the page.

Have a great 4th of July and weekend! I will be out of town, enjoying San Diego for the long weekend.

xxoo

Lorrie

Dream Lab Fun

2010-06-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

Today I cancelled something I really didn't want to do. My dog and I enjoyed a few hours together instead.

Is there anything you can cancel that would help you enjoy your day to the fullest today?

xxoo

Lorrie

The Urban Craft Center

2010-06-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

I recently took a trip to the Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica, California. It was just what I needed. Lots of inspiration. The smell of creating. The chatter of ideas. The potential and possibilities at every turn. Come take a little tour with me...

I can remember coming to this street back when I was a little girl, I loved the murals on the street walls. My favorite is a carousel just up the street. (I didn't take a pic as I was the driver on this car ride.)

Here is Main Street. It used to be a place where lots of poor people, often homeless hung out. (they are still there, but a bit more hidden among the trends) The shops were beach shops for surfers and skaters. And then there were the bars and clubs. I might have danced on a few bar tops there in my day...back before picture proof and YouTube became popular, thank goodness!

Here we are at this lovely place. The Urban Craft Center. I am so in love with this store. I love the concept of a craft center being in one of the hippest and coolest places in the world. The people that come here knit, sew, paint, you name it, it is done here! (two extra perks...the ice cream shop AND coffee shop right next door)

Sigh. There was even a sale while I was there! What could be better???

Here is a cozy spot for relaxing and creating.

Cool decorations.

Handmade goodness everywhere you look.

Everything you could possibly need to create something fabulous.

An entire wall of books about art and creating. All for your reading pleasure. Free to be read and enjoyed while you spend time in the center. (of course on that couch!)

And then there is the studio.

These lovely ladies were making things that smelled divine. I am pretty sure it was spa products.

Here is a little peek of what I made with the material that I purchased...a full picture as soon as the recipient receives it.

OH! And by the way, it is good to be back on the blog. I have a great Mondo Beyondo story that I can't wait to blog about soon.

xxoo

Lorrie

stopped in my tracks...

2010-06-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

Today I took some time to read some of my favorite blogs and was stopped in my tracks with this post by Louise Gale. (My Artful Journey roomie and friend) She asks what we do to rest and unwind and I realize that I cannot answer that. Seriously. I cannot answer that.

It is true that I am within one of my busiest times of the year, but still....

I am grateful that I have identified this today. As I stopped to think about this, I realized how many areas are affected by me not being able to answer this. I am ready to find some ways to rest and some ways to unwind regularly, busy or not busy.

xxoo
Lorrie

Some music for the soul while you wait....

2010-06-12T22:29:00.001-07:00

Yikes!

2010-06-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

I am up to my ears in work....this is always my life in June. Lots of papers to grade, last minute lectures to give (can't leave out Reagan...right?), and it is my son's birthday this weekend. So, that said, give me a week or so to get back on track with my creative life. It just has to take a backseat for a bit....

It's a Stitch Swap!

2010-06-02T06:50:00.000-07:00

Beth has started such a fun swap that I hope you will join. It has about 50 participants so far and all from around the world. If you are interested in joining, get on over today (the last day) and sign yourself up. The theme is "Time" and the goal is to make a stitched postcard to drop in the mailbox for someone like you, someone who loves to create this world into a better place!

Have a great Wednesday!

xxoo

Lorrie

Vision Board

2010-06-01T06:57:00.000-07:00

Hi All! Hope you enjoyed a nice Memorial Day or at least a peaceful and relaxing weekend. (my craft space organization is still going on here, I will possibly post an "after" picture soon...)

I found this article in Oprah magazine by Martha Beck. (be sure to get to at least the second page, that's where Mondo Beyondo fans will start to see light bulbs!) It is very interesting, and so closely related to what I learned in Mondo Beyondo. If you have a chance, take a look. I have not made a vision board, but am thinking it would be a fun project for this summer. Have you ever made a vision board?

xxoo

Lorrie

Not brave enough...

2010-05-30T13:35:00.001-07:00

Happy Memorial Day friends! As an American History teacher, this holiday is very meaningful for me. I am so appreciative of all the soldiers who have fought for their countries. If anyone would like to see my favorite film about the Vietnam War, see if you can find a copy of "Dear America." It is real footage, real letters, and music from that era. It will touch your heart in a big way.

Ok, so if you are wondering what I am not brave enough for, that would be letting you see a photo of my ridiculous craft space. We have a small game room off of our garage that opens to our patio. It is bright, and has the added bonus of a great big table...well a pool table really. I have been using this space for the last year or so to paint and sew and create. But it has become overrun with STUFF! I can barely see the top of the pool table these days. (If I showed a picture, you might even be tempted to call one of those hoarding shows for me!)

Today my family took off to enjoy the beach and a bbq and I decided to stay in as I am a bit under the weather. But I have adult-onset ADD (is there such a thing, because I am certain that as my responsibilities increase, I have gotten this!). Anyway, I am not able to just lay around and rest, instead I have taken on my craft space. I am not sure what I have gotten myself into!

Wish me well. And if you don't hear from me in a while, maybe you should call someone. I might just be lost in the piles of crap!!

xxoo

Lorrie

Lucky number

2010-05-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

So....drum roll please......

The winner of the Crescendoh goodies and a necklace made there is

Diane said...

I am so envious--no question--my favorite part would have been the speakers, and I would have introduced myself to Jenny whether she liked it or not :) She's my hero!

My daughter had fun picking number 3 which also happens to be my lucky number! Diane, please send me your address so that I can send off your goodies.

xxoo

Lorrie

Crescendoh Launch Party and a Give-away

2010-05-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

On Friday night I joined in on the celebration of the opening of Jenny Doh's Crescendoh. The freeway gods were on my side as I did not hit even a little bit of traffic, and in Los Angeles this is quite a miracle. What a nice start to this night. (I admit I wanted to take a picture as it was so unusual...)

After being offered a fabulous glass of wine, I walked through the hallway where these two adorable hostesses welcomed me. (look at how cute that dress is with the "Art Saves" logo...love it!)

I received a name tag, of course it had to be cute! I cannot imagine how much time it took to make these! It was such a nice touch.

I love this art quilt that was hanging for people to sign. Another great touch to the night.

The ambiance was very hip and cool, lots of these paper trees, fun music, delicious food (Greek salad, humus, falafel, baklava...YUM!), artists everywhere, discussions of art everywhere, and even a little art project for all to enjoy.

And guess who I ran into first?? So fun!!!!........

DAVI!!!! It was so fun getting to chat with her and to hear about the artistic plans she has up her sleeve. She is such a sweetie and it was so great to get to spend time with her on this night.

There were three speakers, Jenny Doh spoke of how she got to this place in her life. Suzi Blu told of her story of how art and journaling saved her and continues to save her. And then Melody Ross read a poem that she actually wrote on the plane on the way over. Amazingly talented women!!!! Such an inspiration to everyone.
Even little Gigi got dolled up for the party.

This cupcake was an amazing piece made with mosaic glass pieces.

As we left we received "goody bags". You can get a peek of them here. I thought it would be fun to share this night with you by doing my first ever give-away! In the comments below, tell me what part of the party you would have enjoyed the most and I will pick a winner to receive the fun goody bag along with the art necklace that I made. (it is a surprise!)

I will pick a winner in a few days. Good luck!

Oh! And I was too shy to introduce myself to Jenny Doh on this night (kind of regret that). But I am so thankful to her for putting together such a fun event, and I am excited to continue enjoying all that Crescendoh has to offer!

xxoo

Lorrie

RSVPed...

2010-05-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

to the Crescendoh kick off party! I am very excited to go and see some artists and friends I already know, some I have admired from afar, and still many more to meet. My husband is joining me and it should be fun to see what he thinks of "Art Saves" and the conversations that that might lead to for us.

I will take my camera and snap as many pictures as I am able to share with you here. So, stay tuned!

Oh, and if you have not had a chance to see this slide show by Jenny Doh, check it out and maybe you will see some of your friends, or even yourself!!

xxoo

Lorrie

Take me out to the ball game AND a Mondo Beyondo!

2010-05-14T07:06:00.001-07:00

We have season passes to the Dodgers, great seats, great players. BUT those games pale in comparison to these games.

My son (he is 8) loves to play and seems to have a natural ability. He just hit his first home run, second of his career. What a fun day this was! He is batting at 750 right now. I am not at all sure what that means but my boys (hubby and son) tell me it is real good!

xxoo

Lorrie

PS I just purchased THIS!! I am so excited. It was one of my Mondo Beyondo's to own an original Flora Bowley. If you are interested, she is having a sale of minis today and also a 15% off sale on her glicees. (only today)

One of THOSE days...

2010-05-05T20:40:00.000-07:00

Today was a hectic day. It ended with this one eating our dinner. I rarely yell, but I yelled.

Loudly.

Sigh.

It made one of my kids cry.

That makes the guilt monster sit heavily on my shoulders.

Three slow, deep breaths.

One big giant hug for each of my kids.

Getting on my most comfortable pjs.

The dog is darn cute though.

And tomorrow is a new day.

xxoo

Lorrie

Rose Meditation Results...

2010-05-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

I love sketching these faces and then doing layer after layer after layer to build up the colors. I was not sure where I was going with this background. I like it at the moment but I need to live with it a bit and decide if I will change it or not.

"Surrounded by Possibilities"

And I love this crackle stuff by Ranger. This pale pink is so perfect for that aged look. Anyone else playing with this?

This painting has kept me up at night. I had lots of inspiration that has sat in my head and I needed to get it out I suppose. After I finished, I remembered this picture... I remember loving the colors so much, I seem to have recreated them without realizing what I was doing.

Warm Fuzzies

2010-04-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

Part II of my Rose Meditation will hopefully come this weekend as I have not had time to work on much during these busy week days at work.

But I did want to show a quick glimpse of some baby blankets I made for my dear teacher friend from work. She is having a baby boy soon and we threw a little shower for her. One side is that fuzzy fuzzy material that just makes you want to cuddle. Hopefully lots of that will be happening in these blankets very soon!

xxoo

Lorrie

Rose Meditation Part 1

2010-04-25T21:21:00.001-07:00

I have a workbook by Shiloh Sophia McCloud called "Her Evolution". I have not put it to good use until recently and am just beginning to understand and enjoy the process of transforming life with art.

One of the exercises is a rose meditation. As I started this it took on a life of its own. (which I am sure is the purpose) I will describe my process, and then encourage you to check out the book for yourself for Shiloh's guided version.

First I set myself up in a comfortable spot with my journal, some hot coffee, and a few inspirational things that I love. Next I began my reflection. There are five focuses, but "identity" stuck for me today. I found myself going down that negative path. "I am not good enough", "I don't even know where to start", "what is the purpose of this for me". As I was thinking this, I began to draw the rose. A swirl to start, petals moving outward. Once I moved off the page, I began to write in all those negative thoughts right in the petals. I pushed myself to think of all of them, it got a bit ugly there for a bit.

I then began to paint. I picked colors that inspired me today and began to cover up those ugly thoughts. I continued layering until I couldn't see any of them anymore. (probably about four or five layers) Finally I added some outlining and then the piece that is the most meaningful, I turned my negative thoughts into positive self-affirmations and wrote them into the petals. This process took about a half hour.

I know my pictures are terrible, I took them at night. But you can get the idea. And now stay tuned because the purpose of this for me was to open me up to make a painting. I have almost finished something, a few more finishing touches. I kept my rose propped up while I painted to remind me that I am indeed an artist. I can see how this rose meditation can be done over and over, it is quick and a great way to unblock those artsy strokes that sometimes won't come.

I hope that you try this if you feel a bit uninspired, or blocked, or you just want to try something a little different.

xxoo

Lorrie

Triple Grande Please...

2010-04-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

I love these! My husband and I are no longer wine drinkers, but we are coffee drinkers. And admit to being a bit snobby about it. (like if we go to breakfast at a restaurant with "bad" coffee, we bring in our own! Yikes!) So, I am off to enjoy an extra hot one now and will be back later with my newly painted rose and a bit about my new rose meditation.

Stay tuned...

xxoo

Lorrie

Some more inspiration

2010-04-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

Here is some lovely art to enjoy as we move into the weekend and as we all hopefully have time to create something beautiful... if you would like to see more check out the lovely Shiloh Sophia Mccloud.

I have some books by this visionary artist and think she is quite wonderful. If you have any need for that extra inspiration boost, or to move towards being that authentic self, she has wonderful handbooks and poetry. And then, of course, her art is stunning.

xxoo
Lorrie

Visual Vegetarian

2010-04-16T21:22:00.001-07:00

Look at this one. Cute eh? She loves animals.

Especially these. (They hop around freely at a local college campus)

So when I served these ...

She just couldn't eat it. She wanted to. She got it to her mouth at least twice. But she couldn't make herself take a bite. She just couldn't.

I am quite talented with the pancakes now, so I got to making the egg-shaped pancakes instead and she was happy to eat those. Of course, the other one had no problem eating the extra bunny pancake. (excuse his hands, and the fact that neither of them wear clothes to breakfast)

The Easter Bunny had to be extra careful not to bring chocolate bunnies, no chick shaped Peeps, and for school lunches, no fish crackers, no animal cookies. Gummy bears are out. Can't fault the girl for loving all things cute.

My little visual vegetarian.

xxoo

Lorrie

Oh the sorrow...

2010-04-11T22:18:00.001-07:00

After spending lots of time on this web page filling up my pretend shopping cart, (this is the decorator of my new favorite hotel) and then going to this web page and seriously considering where I could hang one of these, (cause my new favorite hotel had a beautiful one on the patio) I finally am admitting that I have to get off my rear end and brush my teeth and then get to bed so I can wake up for a long long day at work tomorrow. I am a lucky employee who rarely has a day when I don't want to go to work. But right now, I really really really don't want to go to work.

Ok, enough of that. But since I have made this a complaining post, I will just add that my poor cat Leo has to stay at the vet for a MONTH!!!!!!!! Have you ever heard of such a thing? We are a bit torn about it. My cat loves to be outside more than anything else in the world. He scratched his way through many carpets, padding and floor boards before his paws even knew what real dirt was just to get a chance at outside. As soon as we bought a house we let him out for the first time and that was it. He never came back in. He loves to greet us on the porch, or on the wall, sometimes from our roof top. He rolls over for belly rubs just about every day. But when we try to entice him inside, he runs the opposite direction. One time the kids really wanted him to come inside. We enticed him in and then closed the door. Leo proceeded to jump up on my son's bunk bed and .....poop! The nerve. But lesson learned and we just let him stay happily outside.

Arghh. Enough procrastination. I must go to sleep so I can be up by 5:30 to get ready for work and get the kids ready for school. Sigh.

xxoo

Lorrie

ten...

2010-04-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

I am experiencing a bit of bliss at the moment. My husband whisked me away for a wonderful get-a-way to celebrate our ten years of marriage. Our anniversary was yesterday and right at this moment a decade ago we were flying to Tahiti for a glorious and relaxing honeymoon.

Mr. Spotts has a talent for picking hotels that I will love. (I LOVE LOVE LOVE hotels) My favorite up until now has been the Roosevelt in Hollywood. But I have a new love now. Check it out here. Complete with spa, pool, hammock on the patio, ultra cool decor, men wearing my favorite pink, and the topping on this yummy cake??? ART EVERYWHERE!!! They have old art books strewn everywhere, beautiful art hanging on the walls, sculptures and furniture that just kicks ass! I am so excited!!

Ok, off to get a massage....

xxoo

Lorrie

edit...I am not in Tahiti, we went to Palm Springs. I can see the confusion here, but please forgive me as I was in my new favorite hotel as I wrote my post. I had relaxation of the brain going on! Not the best writing.

Cats and Birds and Flowers Oh My!

2010-04-07T13:44:00.001-07:00

I decided that I liked my Found Inspiration posts and will probably try to incorporate more on a semi-regular basis...

In the meantime....

I will start with the pitiful first. We have a bit of a menagerie of pets. Our oldest are the two cats, Josie and Leo. They were once married and even had cute babies together. (They were tragically given to other homes...how dare us!?) It is no surprise that the couple is now divorced yet they are forced to live with each other. Leo rebels by staying only outdoors and getting into many many many fights. Here he is after one such fight. His ear was bitten, almost off. And his leg was injured. He is very unhappily residing in the play room within the house, not playing but plotting to get out and get revenge. Poor Leo. We don't want to let him know that he is way too old for this behavior. Who wants age rubbed in their face? Right? (he looks good for 60 though doesn't he? 11 in human years)

On a sunnier topic, two of our other pets offered a bit of art inspiration. Meet Cookie (blue) and Pineapple...or Coconut. (yellow) Cute daughter liked both names...so two names it is!

We had a beautiful spring day and so I brought the birds outside to enjoy the weather and blue skies. (and the Good Year Blimp)

And the flowers that miraculously grow even though I am a terrible at caring for them.

All of this inspired me to set up outside too...

With the inspiration around me, I started these...

Which turned into these a few hours later...

What have you been inspired by lately?

xxoo

Lorrie

Day 3 of found inspiration...

2010-04-01T20:48:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone, thanks for playing along with me so far. Yesterday I got stuck when I tried to pick one painting from an artist that I love. So, today I decided to use that as my theme. Let's pick ONE painting from three. (all from the same artist) And we do not have to worry about offending anyone since this artist died long ago. Just a fact, not being mean or anything. So, here is the task for the day. I am going to show you three paintings. You pick one and tell me why you picked it over the others. I will do this myself to start things off.

The artist I have decided to focus on is Kees van Dongen. He lived from 1877 to 1968. (91 years was really really good for this time period!) He was born in Holland (where my father grew up too!) and studied art there. He fell in love with Paris and became a French citizen later in his life. He hung out with famous painters like Matisse and Picasso. His style is neo impressionism and later, expressionist fauvism. (just click if you feel like learning more about them.) I love that he was part of a group that was called "les fauves" ("the wild beasts"). They were named this because of their love and extreme use of color, and it was not meant to be a compliment, but I think you might disagree with that criticism once you see the art. (Matisse was part of the group too) van Dongen was inspired by the places he went, other painters, and the times he was living within. (the Roaring 20s and some big time partying can be seen in lots of his art...and he liked prostitutes who are often his subjects, but so is the circus, so he was well-rounded at least.)

Ok already! Here are the pieces I picked:

Number 1

Le Coquelicot

1919

Number 2

“The Manila Shawl,” about 1907-1909

Number 3

L'Ouled Naïl

1910

There are so many things about each that I love but my task today is to pick ONE. So, here it goes.

I am picking L'Ouled Nail, 1910. (number 3) There are so many things that I love about the other two, and oddly I found myself trying not to pick number 3. It is the more unusual painting to me. The woman is standing and looking pensive. Her arms are draped at her sides and she does not look to be happy. But her dress is such a contrast with its elaborate gold and the fancy jewelry. And then I wonder about the white hair. Why is it white? And if it wasn't white, what color would have worked? That midnight background adds to the mystery and allure for me. So, I picked this painting because it was the one that made me keep going back to look, to wonder, to appreciate.

How about you? Which would you pick and why?

xxoo

Lorrie

Inspiration from....

2010-03-31T08:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a painting from one of my favorite artists:

This is art from the lovely Flora Bowley. Many of my friends already know I am a huge fan. I couldn't leave her out of my "week of inspiration" since she is such a huge inspiration to me. I am so in love with everything she does. When I browse through her gallery, which I probably do at least once a week, I play this little game with myself where I pretend I have to pick JUST ONE. I have yet to be able to do that! But today I did, with a little cheating. I made my five year old daughter help me. (her favorite colors are pink and purple so she can quickly narrow her choices) When you have a chance, go to check out Flora's paintings and you will not be disappointed.

Here is my list of inspiration from this painting:

I love how the blue looks like sky peeking in behind the painting
Purple and pink....my 5 year old knows good colors!
The birds that are hidden in the beautiful colors
The branches
Circles and dots
That one heart which is probably my most favorite part of this painting

What is standing out for you today?

Spring Inspiration Week

2010-03-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

Hello Spring! Today was such a beautiful day here in sunny California. I tried a painting with oil sticks and was not as successful as I had hoped. I began down that "I suck blah blah blah" road and decided to scoot myself right out of that mood by moving forward on a blog idea I have had for a while.

After taking Mystele's Gut Art class, (which starts up again tomorrow, if you are interested) I really began to identify what I like artistically. Then I read this post by my Artful Journey friend and started thinking about this again. As a new artist, I can see how hard it is to start getting my own vision and style, yet I want that so badly. But I am finding that the more I find things that inspire me, the closer I feel to getting my own style.

So, here is my idea, I hope you will play along with me:

I am going to post art and music, and possibly writing that inspires me. I will then give a list of elements that stand out for me. Then I will challenge you to tell me what you find from my "found inspiration" that inspires you. I think it will be fun to compare our notes on this. Are you ready to play with me?

Click here to see and hear my first "Inspiration Post".

Here is what inspired me from this:

pink and purple
circles
filtered light
branches and leaves
"Listen"
blue and purple
Silhouettes and shadows
sultry, sexy, dreamy music

So. What inspired you from this?

Some days...

2010-03-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

Some days I just feel like this:

I Am

I am here and I am ready
I wonder what I can really do if I stretch my wings
I hear the constant voices of practicality, of reason, of routine, of life
I see beauty in my children
I want to feel and feel and feel
I am here and I am ready

I pretend to know what I am doing
I feel bigger and stronger when I dream
I touch that soft skin and wet cropped hair
I worry that my babies will not share their fears with me
I cry without tears my hopes and wishes are hidden
I am here and I am ready

I understand the power of dreaming
I say I can and I will and I can't and I won't
I dream that I am flying to soulful places
I try to show myself and prove myself and make someone hear
I hope that I do
I am here and I am ready

Try writing your own "I Am" poem by going here.

Girls' weekend

2010-03-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

The boys are away this weekend so we had an entire weekend dedicated to girl stuff.

Margarita time with a good friend (sans Jessica)

High School Musical practice for Jess (sans Mommy)

Soup and crackers and High School Musical 3 DVD in pjs

Build-a-Bear workshop with Jess and my mom and I

This lovely store which is down the road from me...heaven

Pizza in bed, Snow White DVD in pjs

Started and finished "The Bright Side of Disaster" last night, fun read

Long bath first me, then Jess

Tea at the American Girl Store

NO CLEANING WHATSOEVER!!

Shopping for fancy Easter dresses and purple shoes

And the best part, the cuddles all day and all night. (though the no cleaning part has been fabulous too!)

xxoo

Lorrie