Stamps

I didn't think it would take me this long to get the Block carved out,but hey it's me we're talking about and it took a week. I'll have some to show you hopefully tonight. I will tell you this, the first block are Angel Wings.

New Paint & Itty Bitty canvas

~I got new paints today~

 I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before,but the paints I have are old,old,old!  

Once upon a time I taught Tole Painting. I  had created my own line of patterns and I taught workshops at a friends Tole Shop. Wow, that was such a lifetime ago. Some of my paints are probably 14 years old. Sad huh?

  I have been wanting to try something new and exciting,but new paint is very expensive. Well,the ones I want to try are,especially on my budget of nothing. Tomorrow marks the 1 year anniversary of the last time I worked. I've been on medical leave since then and since there isn't a paycheck,my art budget is well,pretty much a big fat Zero! 

Honey is pretty good about picking things up for me and if I bat my baby browns and make promises of chocolate cake I can get what I want,but his job has been slow and I feel guilty sometimes asking for stuff.

  Today we were in  the area of Jerry's Artarama and I managed to persuade Honey to --"oh please can we stop?" I batted my eyelashes until he gave in. I wandered around the place like it was the Sistine Chapel. There were so many wants and a few needs. I wanted to see the prices of their paint and it's been a while since I've graced the aisles of a real art store. See along with the no job,and no check,my oldest uses my car for work so therefore there is no running the streets. We live far from civilization and by the time any of the guys get home,I'm too lazy to go out or it's already high traffic time. Gosh I sound whiney today don't I?

Wandering around the many paint aisles my son had pointed out some tubes that were reasonably inexpensive,but as I turned around the word URBAN caught my eye. Being a SO*CAL girl anything Urban sounds cool and SoHo Urban Artist sounded mondo cool to me. The colors were so bright and bold. It just reminded me of the Graf- art back home. I stood there staring at all the pretty colors like a deer in the headlights until I caught a glimpse of the sign with prices. 75ml for a mere $1.99! Since I had a hot $5 dollar bill burning a whole in my pocket I bought a Diox.Purple and a crazy orange. I also bought this itty bitty 2x4 baby canvas. I think once I paint that baby bad boy up I am going to give it away. Yippee my first give away. 

I can't wait.

Amor Eterno

Amor Eterno

Doesn't that sound so romantic in Spanish?

I was looking for something else,moving things around and I came across my little stash of unpainted boxes. Then I remembered I had one done and one base coated so I thought I'd share them with you. I'm all about feedback,so give me your opinion. I was thinking of creating the rest of them and pushing them out into the world. I've always wanted an ETSY store and maybe these would be a starting point. I try to add a blessing to my artwork,before sending it off or exhibiting it. Maybe these would bring love,dreams and wishes to someone.

Next on the list of creative endeavours is to create my own fabric. I don't mean the weaving part of it, I want to design the print of it. Last year I bought a bolt of muslin and now will be a good time to get started. It's been in the 100's here so it should cure pretty quick. Tomorrow I will hopefully get the rubber squares and start carving the stamps to block print my fabric. I'm excited! I have an idea that involves my Filter Girls so hopefully by the weekend I'll have something to show you and Oh my stars is it Wednesday already?

Isn't Dreaming wonderful?

"Amor Eterno" it sounds so romantic in Spanish doesn't it?

This is a before and after,granted, I completed the after about 2 years ago. They are trinket boxes (for lack of a better description) the finished one has a crackled paint look to it and under the glass lid is El Corazon from a Loteria card. I then affixed Milagros at each corner. One is a heart the other a praying Virgin Mary. The box opens and you can hide love and wishes inside.

I was looking for something else(isn't that how it usually is?) when I came across my little stash of these boxes. I know I've had them for a few years already. Maybe I'll get them all gussied up and open an "ARTFUL CHICA'S STUDIO" ETSY store. What do you think?

Next up on my creation agenda is fabric. I have some ideas for some fabric print,so God willing I'll get the rubber and start carving the stamps tomorrow and maybe by the weekend have the ACS fabric line. Isn't dreaming wonderful?

Good Morning

Good Morning!

I just wanted to pop in and wish everyone a wonderful morning. I think this morning is the only thing good about this day. The lovely weather girl this morning was smiling so beautifully when she said it was going to be between 100 and 104' stinkin' degrees today. Is my post dripping sarcasm? We were also advised to stay indoors as to the air quality being horrible as well. 

I don't have a picture for this post and I feel like I'm cheating you. It's like watching a silent film only in reverse. Here you have the text and nothing to look at. Part of my guilt lies in laziness. I use 2 computers. 1 is a Mac the other an HP. If you've ever used a Mac you know there are certain things that don't translate well. I upload my pictures to the HP because it has a card reader which makes it so easy uploading pictures. Oh and where does the laziness come in? My Mac is in my room because I was watching a movie and so I'm typing from bed.

This weekend I spent back home in California and it was wonderful. I packed up the Filter Girls to show them to my Grandma and 1 of them were adopted,well 2 of them got adopted,but the first Adoptee suprised me. "Quiet Solitude" was the first to go. I had not planned on giving them away,only because they hadn't evolved into anything beyond the filters they were. So when my Uncle (yes,Uncle) quietly looked through them a couple times he pulled her out and asked if he could have her. I was floored. I was even more surprised when he hung her up on the wall in his bedroom. She is the first thing you see when you walk in. The funny thing about that one is,I put them on my facebook page that I use to keep in touch with my family. My cousin Van said that "Quiet Solitude" was her favorite. It's the one her Dad picked out. 

"My Heart Needs No Words" was adopted by my Tia (aunt in Spanish) She was so cute about it.  My Tia and I are 10 years apart and we share the same birthday. I was the best gift she ever got! At least, that's my opinion. =)  I think the Girls went to very good homes. I am always honored when somebody wants my Art,but having my Uncle ask for one was,well beyond honored. Now I have to go post up facebook and tell Van her girl is gone. 

Have a WONDERFUL morning wherever you are!

Happy Birthday Baby & Happy Anniversary too!

It's funny isn't it, how life sometimes turns out?

Today is Honey's 45Th Birthday. So I tried to bake him a beautiful cake,you know, the kind that you see in pictures. Tall and stately with fluffy frosting and mouth watering goodness. So, I went out and bought 2 round cakes pans. When I was mixing the batter I did it by hand and gently poured the batter into the well seasoned pans. Placed the pans carefully in the oven and tip toed around for 28 minutes.

When the timer went off I carefully pulled the cakes out and lovingly placed them on the cooling rack. I got the plate ready and stirred up the frosting and then..... when I flipped the first layer over,the darn thing stuck but just a little and I was able to patch it up. I frosted the top and sides and then went to flip over the top layer and wouldn't you know it a whole chunk stuck! Grrr I was so bummed.

The cake was lopsided and after loading on all those candles it slide even more. It took 2 boxes minus 3 candles to light up his night.

This June will mark 30 years that I've known him. I was a mere lass of 13 the first time I laid eyes on him. Tomorrow is our 2nd Wedding Anniversary. We married each other twice. First time was at the Santa Ana Courthouse and 5 years ago we did the Church thing which turned out a total disaster,but I'll save that for another post.

Growing up there were 2 things I was adamant about. One was I NEVER wanted to get married and second I never wanted kids. I wanted to travel to Ireland,Paris and Scotland. I wanted the glamorous life of a Journalist.

It's now 18 years and 3 kids later and my life has been far from glamorous. The only Paris I've been to is Lake Perris. I'm pretty grateful though for how my life has turned out.
Had my life been left to continue the way it was going back then I'd probably be dead.
Funny isn't it,how life turns out.

Communing with Spirit

Here's the latest addition to my Girls. She is "Communing with Spirit".
That means different things to different people. I know she doesn't look finished,but I felt she was ready to be posted.

Some may look at the Coffee Filter Girls and think "she calls this art?" I can't say they are my best works and they are by far the worst. I spent a year not creating due to some events in my life that I felt robbed me of my gift. These Girls have been more like therapy for me,bringing me back to some of the things I love most. It's been a long and sometimes heartbreaking process for me but just the fact that I've picked up brush or pen has been a great achievement for me.

I can honestly say I've spent a lot of time communing with the Spirit within me and slowly I'm regaining the creativity that once dwelled within. So to those of you that have left words of encouragement and inspiration, Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Now does this mean the end of the Girls? I doubt it,as long as Honey has coffee every morning,I'll have a fresh surface to play with.

Blog

*Warning this post may be long, but this is the "SHARING" I eluded to in my first Welcome post.*

For the 3rd time this week it appears that sleep will escape me. I don't know what else it could be,besides full moons,creative energy spurts,and secondhand java absorbtion from the filters, but I am just not sleeping. Tonight I have spent who knows how many hours re-working and tweaking my Blog.

For years I have had my priorities backwards and for a very silly reason.

First, let me just say I am my WORST critic. I have given away artwork just because I thought I wasn't good enough. My Aunt (and the recipient of alot of it) would tell me "make sure you sign it,so when you become famous it will be worth alot!" It became a joke to me.

I have very good creative friends that on a regular basis tell me that I needed to create and get my work out there,of course my response would be an excited "yea I have so many ideas to share with the world" and then I'd do nothing. When I get an idea,I have to run out and buy everything I need to create it and once it's home and in my studio the rush is gone. Needless to say if i had a reciept for everything I've bought and returned it,I'd probably be able to make the house and car payment! I defend my "needs" because ,well because one day I'm going to follow through with whatever hairbrained idea that propelled those purchases in the first place.

So what is this mysterious reason I speak of?

My Blog. Yep, my silly little blog. I felt that I couldn't create my art because my blog sucked. Crazy? Delusional? Yea, I know what a dumb reason to hold back the fury. I have 2 other blogs not counting the one's I created then deleted because they didn't feel right.


Then something changed.


First Artful Chica's Studio crawled into my head. I have another name that I had been using on my other blog and Myspace and I was pretty sure that it was the "one," again ACS had other plans for me. So I looked around to see if anyone else was using it,and no one was. Originally it was just Artful Chica,then it evolved into Artful Chica's Studio. It sounded more complete to me. I threw down my flag in the blogoshpere and struck my claim.

Then wheels started turning

Before I ever posted on this fresh fertile soil I made notes. Then the notes lead to lists with bulletpoints and outlines. I knew what I didn't want this blog to become,I just couldn't pinpoint what I did want. So I did some mock ups for my banner,but nothing really jived. I did the plain black & white on for the sake of getting things rolling.

and I started getting nervous

is this what it feels like when you're on the right path? That intuitive knowing,that Hey! maybe I got it right this time. So again I put up the header and wrote my Welcome that was more like a mission statement to myself.

The coffee filters came up when I was rearranging my paper cabinet. I had been saving them for a few months. I took a few of them out and layed them on my work table. They stayed there for a few weeks collecting dirt (when you live on a dirt road everything collects dirt instead of dust). I had gone back to California and while I was there I had bought new paint. As is my M.O. I came back and placed them on a shelf and walked away. The filters and Paint must have been conspiring together,because one day I was just scribbling some ideas and Quiet Solitude came up. I thougth nothing of it,but it was persistent. So I sketched her on a filter,pulled out the paint and she was created. The other 3 were created in one night and the latest one was conceived during Thursdays sleepless night. I looked at my blog before writing this post and I was amazed at how far I've come and you know what? for the first time in my life I know, I just know I'm going to create it and I'm going to make it.

When Heaven and Nature Sing

She was neither Sprite,nor Fairy but an Angel. Meet When Heaven and Nature Sing. I was right about her having a rather unusual hat. It is a nest filled with a melodic family.She looks so serene and peaceful. I could use some of that right now.I hope you enjoy her as well as the others.

If you are wondering why almost everyone has the same colors,it's because I am challenging myself to use the tube acrylics I went out and bought as opposed to the 1,000 bottles (ok maybe it's not a 1,000) of paint I already have. Some of which has been around longer than my last born.

I wanted to change mediums and become like a pro artist and use those tube paints. My plan was to donate the old bottled paint to the Gallery where I was lucky enough to teach last month. They have a wonderful Arts program called Vision Kidz. In my thinking,by donating all the paint I had I would create an empty space to fill it with the new (more expensive) paint I wanted to try. Until this happens the girls will have to share their color. Please let me know what you think of my new girl.

Coaxing out the Divine

I can't believe how late it is, I thought it was around 11 and to my amazement it's already 2:40 a.m. I guess I'll be seeing Honey off to work again this week. This is the second time this week that I've pulled an all-nighter. Full moons and the excitement of creativity are to blame. There is another Filter Girl who has peeked her little head out to see the glorious star-filled sky. I believe she said her name was "When Heaven and Nature Sing". I couldn't tell you for sure because she popped back in faster than she had popped her little head out. I'm excited to meet her,I could swear she had a nest of eggs on her head. Most curious indeed! Tommorrow I may tempt her out with a wonderful Spring day. Maybe she's a Sprite or Fairy and I can coax out the divine lady with a bit of milk and sweet bread. Oh, I hope this works. I will definitely keep everyone abreast of the situation.
Good Night and may you be blessed with the sweetest of dreams.

The Filter Girls from Coffee Basket

This is the story of

The Coffee Filter Girls

They come from a far away village known only as

The Coffee Basket.

It's a very small place,not much bigger

than the palm of your hand.

Most mornings the weather is hot

and very,very humid.

The evenings are cold and damp.
They live a humble, happy and quiet life in

the Coffee Basket.

They are like us in most ways

with one odd exception,

they do not have a mouth

they have learned to speak to each other

without the use of words.

How can that be you ask?
You see,in this small village they do not need a mouth to communicate.
They use the gifts they were born with.

Their GOD given talents
Speaking through their Love,through their Art,through Sisterhood and
through the quiet solitude

of morning meditation and reflection.

They are able to communicate

and speak their truths.

"there are many ways to speak without words"

they tell me

"you just need to learn how"

"Please, will you teach me?"

I ask,almost pleading with them.

"Listen to your heart

and you will find your way"

I am not sure as to how many Filter Girls live in the village
but I do hope you enjoy them as much as I do,
and maybe,just maybe they will inspire you to learn
how to speak without words.
"Just use the gifts you were born with."

Meet The Coffee Filter Girls

"Quiet Solitude"

She was the first of the

Coffee Filter Girls to voyage beyond

the small village of the Coffee basket.

She finds reflecting on her

nightly flights in dreamland

to be a peaceful start to her morning.

Every sip of the Coffee Baskets finest

Java sends her deeper into a quiet solitude.

"My Heart Needs No Words"

She speaks through Love and the

feelings she holds dear to her Heart.

She knows that the Love in her heart is far

more powerful than words.

The beautiful "Soul Sisters"

They know nothing of race

they only know the joy they feel in their hearts

when they are together as one

and the sadness

when one of them has gone away.

They are of one heart and one love.

Their motto is;

Love each other

as, you would want to be loved.

"Art is Sacred"

is the latest

of the Filter Girl's

to make her appearance.

She communicates through her Art

and is a firm believer that all

art is born in

your Soul

thereby making it Sacred.

Welcome to Artful Chica's Studio

After much time and many lists, I am finally creating my first post in my new Blog home. It hasn't been an easy task for me in creating Artful Chica's Studio. I have other blogs,but they didn't feel quite right. No matter how much re-modeling I did to them they just aren't where I want to lay my brush or pen at the end of the day.

I want to be able to share my inspiration,bare my Soul,open my heart and not ever have to worry whether or not anyone out there likes it. I read somewhere that if you are true to yourself your people will find you. So here I am waving to all "my people" out there in Bloglandia come and find Me. I'm waiting.

This will be a place for art, a place for storytelling,a place for sharing. Most of all it will be a place to simply be the Artful Chica I was born to be.