Pearson StudiOCD; obsessive creative disorder

Only Human

2011-08-17T22:36:00.000-05:00

Only Human

Curated By: PatPearsonsSt...

ArtFire.com

Handmade Gifts

I want to share with you some of the talented watercolor artists on ArtFire.

Ancient Art of Bead Weaving

2011-08-17T04:01:00.001-05:00

Ancient Art of Beadweaving

Curated By: PatPearsonsSt...

ArtFire.com

Indie Design

The art of bead weaving is an ancient one with many examples ranging from ancient Egypt, Africa, Native American, and so many more in the world's museums. They have lasted the test of time. You can be assured these will too.

I belong to the Bead Weavers Guild, of ArtFire an e-commerce sight. I curated a collection sampling some of the work of our guild members. I do hope you enjoy the "Ancient Art of Bead Weaving"

Fine Art on ArtFire

2011-04-21T19:52:00.000-05:00

I feel so honored to be in this fabulous collection. One of our buyers on ArtFire has put together a beautiful collection. Check it out below. Click on the link to view the entire collection.

My artwork is the first on the top left and it is titled "Vinca". Vinca is another name for the flower periwinkle. In this piece I decided to do a close up of one of the flowers. This is from one of the plants I grew in the front flower border.

Please check out the other fine artists in this collection and leave a comment and rate it please.

Fine Art Drawings

Curated By: treasurehunter

ArtFire.com

Craft Tutorials

I'm Back with $100. of Love

2011-04-11T12:57:00.000-05:00

Sign up to receive the ArtFire Collections Daily Email.
We'll also send you a unique "shopper code," when your code matches the code in the Daily Collection email you can claim a $100 Gift Certificate to spend in any Pro studio on ArtFire!

I signed up and can't wait to win my $100.00 gift certificate. I know exactly where I will spend it too. I just had to let my friends in on this great opportunity.

Let it Snow

2010-12-02T02:41:00.001-06:00

Let it Snow

Curated By: PatPearsonsSt...

ArtFire.com

Handmade Soap

Let it Snow

I want to share my newest collection with you. This collection is all about the beautiful cold white stuff; snow. Though it may be cold outside and the snow may be coming down, it will not slow us down or keep us home bound. We shall make our snowmen and go sledding or skiing, or sit by a warm fire with our favorite warm drinks. Through the holidays we will visit friends and family and reminisce about our past celebrations.

This collection has many wonderful gifts and most offer free shipping. I hope you will take a break and visit the collection. You might find the perfect gift.

Toy Land

2010-11-29T13:35:00.001-06:00

Toyland

Curated By: PatPearsonsSt...

ArtFire.com

Fine Art Paintings

Handmade Gifts

Toys for Everyone!

Everyone enjoys toys whether they are for children or adults. They bring a lightheartedness to the holiday or everyday stress.

I am a 50 something artist and I still love to color with crayons and a coloring book. Sometimes I will create my own color book, but gotta have those old fashioned crayons.

I hope you enjoy my collection of toys and look us over at ArtFire.

Sorry the above is still in bold. My blogger dashboard is not working properly.

Just Checking In

2010-10-10T05:20:00.017-05:00

I just thought I would stop in for a few minutes and catch up on blogs that I am following and to let you know what I am up to.

Well, I actually have a headache tonight so there is not much work being done. I have revised the titles to my items on ArtFire, so hopefully I will have better SEO. I have copied some help guides from Google Analytics to add to my notebook, but I'm not finished. I am behind in my emails; I wonder if I will ever catch up. Most of the ones I have left are newsletters, so I am not too worried.

I've had a few items from my studio/shop on ArtFire hotlisted recently so I thought I would also share them here.

"Summer Daze"

This one is a beadwoven bracelet created with soft gold colored seed beads in RAW (right angle weave) and embellished with lovely fire polished beads for subtle sparkle. It has a beadwoven magnetic clasp.

"Oh That Black Magic"

This little beadwoven black bag has been added to three collections and hot listed several times. Say hello to "Oh That Black Magic". This bag is woven in RAW, embellished with multi-colored seed beads, and has a beaded bead closure. The bottom of the bag has a sueded leather insert to make this functional as well as beautiful. It has a 31 inch beaded chain.

"Woody"

"Ah Nuts"

These two watercolor paintings have been hotlisted several times. The one on top is a painting of an Acorn Woodpecker and the one on the bottom is of the same woodpecker and his neighbor the squirrel horning in on his acorn stash. Both paintings have surface texture for added interest and dimension, that isn't typically associated with watercolor paintings.

"Eden"

Another watercolor painting , but done on a canvas that I prepared myself to accept watercolor with some heavy texture for interest and dimension not typically seen in watercolor paintings.

This concludes my update, so I think I am going to go play on Second Life for awhile and visit some spooky Halloween sims.

Something in Red

2010-10-10T04:45:00.001-05:00

Im Looking for Something In Red, Take 2

Curated By: OSebastian

ArtFire.com

Fine Art Paintings

A lady in red. There isn't another color that makes me feel more a woman than red. It doesn't take a lot. A scarf, a little bag a little bling and I'm empowered.

Oh that beautiful color of red. The sugar maple stands out as autumn's masterpiece and red apples as autumn's harvest jewels. It is time for football games and pom poms, fairs and candy apples, walks in the park with the best red dressed pooch , receptions, recitals, and board meetings, bling, bags, silks, and shoes.

How about you? Looking for something red?

A Little Black Beaded Bag

2010-10-07T07:38:00.000-05:00

Artfire Beadweave...

Curated By: 3PeepsDesigns...

ArtFire.com

Craft Tutorials

It is such an honor to have been included in this collection of talented artists. There are many pieces here that I would love to have in my jewelry box.

I do hope my dear friends that if you have some time please check out these studios/shops and remember beadweaving is done one bead at a time.

Casper is Afraid of the Dark!

2010-10-07T05:38:00.000-05:00

I just learned that Casper is afraid of the dark. He rang his bell (one that I hung on the back door and taught him to ring when he needed to go outside) indicating that he needed to go outside. It was dark outside and the porch light was burned out. He refused to go outside. My DH replaced the light bulb and Casper promptly went outside to do what he needed to do.

This short and sweet post is not my usual, but you may enjoy the brevity for a change. lol

"Things That Go Bump in The Night"

2010-09-26T21:59:00.003-05:00

Things That Go Bump In The Night

Curated By: GemsCrystalsA...

ArtFire.com

Handmade Gifts

Autumn is here. Farmers' markets are brimming over from recent harvests. The men sitting on hay bales are swapping stories, and their ladies are discussing which pumpkins will yield the best pumpkin pies, while juggling baskets of fresh produce. The children are running amok chasing each other in and out of the stalls where pumpkins are gathered for decorating the scariest jack-o-lantern. Later there will be a hay ride and a bonfire for roasting marshmallows. Sometime before Halloween there will county and state fairs and maybe a dance or two for dressing up. The children will be planning what costumes they will wear for harvest celebration or some for trick or treating; little pumpkin fairy princess, a miniature Mr. jack-o-lantern, all sorts of animals or perhaps, 'something that goes bump in the night'?

It is with a hearty thanks to GemsCrystalsAndWire for her wonderful collection to help us usher in this autumn 2010. Please click above on 'view this collection', for a better view, at ArtFire; while you are there please stop in to see GemsCrystalsAndWire's studio/shop and if it is not too late stop in and say hi at my studio/shop and we'll have a spiced pumpkin latte.

I especially want to thank her for including my black beaded bag, "Oh That Black Magic".

ArtFire Just Keeps Getting Better!!!

2010-09-17T05:06:00.000-05:00

I am still pinching myself. I couldn't believe my eyes when I read this. I was already loving my artfire basic studio and now look at this great big fat carrot dangling so close to me that I can smell it. (I love carrots by the way). I am going to post it here for you to read, but you will want to open your basic store too after you read this. Hurry, be one of the 20,000 to be included in this deal!!! Remember ArtFire never has any fees nor do they charge commission on your sales. The basic shop/studio is completely free. The pro shop has a limited once per month charge and no limits on product listings. ArtFire is so much more than this, but you will just have to see for yourself.ArtFire Group Deal: How does a $5.95 a month pro account sound?

Below this line is the blog of Caleb, Director of SEO of ArtFire:

We've been keeping a very special promotion tightly under wraps for the last week. Some of you may have been given a few hints or a heads up from the ArtFire Maven team, who we want to thank profusely for helping us ‘focus group’ many parts of this deal and who were on hand when we needed help testing. A big thanks to our Mavens, we couldn’t have pulled this off without you.

ArtFire will be exiting beta very shortly and to celebrate we’re offering, for a limited time only, the chance for up to 50,000 members to lock-in a Pro account for $5.95/month. The initial deal does have a few conditions; mainly that we need a minimum of 20,000 people to opt in at the $5.95 rate before we can give anyone this incredible rate. We want to be very clear, by opting in you are not getting a $5.95/month Pro account right away. Your information is securely stored and will not be charged unless the deal is on. If we don’t meet the minimum threshold, nobody gets a $5.95 account, your credit card isn’t charged, and your existing account and any associated subscriptions will not be affected.

You can read the terms and conditions of this deal, along with the frequently asked questions, by visiting this page.

To begin, we are opening the offer to existing ArtFire members only (doesn’t matter if your Pro, or Basic, or if you’ve ever switched between the two, or if you signed up ten minutes ago, everyone can lock in this rate). To take us up on our offer, visit this page. We will have a more "public friendly" page that explains the offer shortly. *edit* Here's a link to the page that explains some of the deal and also encourages members to opt in. http://www.artfire.com/groupdeal

We want to make sure all of our current members have a chance to get this deal before opening the deal up to the general public. If we get to 50,000 opt-ins before the deal goes public, it will never be offered publicly.

I’m sure there will be a mountain of questions about why we’re discounting our rate such as how we can afford the discount, and the reasoning behind the decision. I don’t want to make this a mile long announcement so I’ve laid out reasoning in the first reply to this post below.

This post was edited by ArtFireSEO On: Sep 14, 2010 at 4:42pm MST Caleb, Director of SEO

The ArtFire 45 Day Success Guide

The ArtFire Help Guide Index. Learn about SEO!

REPLY QUOTE THIS

ArtFireSEO

POSTS: 344

STUDIO
BIO
BLOG

Posted On: Sep 14, 2010 at 1:46pm MST

I’ve tried to include most of the questions we answered for the Mavens as well as a few questions we just want to make sure are answered.

Why are you discounting the rate so much, I though the rate was $15.95?

We know that the ArtFire account is WORTH $15.95/month but in our exit from beta we want to gain market traction and market share so we’re making an offer we don’t think anyone can refuse. We want more sellers and more items listed because the number of sellers and the number of items in a marketplace is the biggest attraction point for buyers (more people go to the mall than go to a country thrift store; similar principles are at work online). Our plans for our exit from beta include a large buyer marketing campaign (which this promotion will help fund); we want to send them to an ArtFire even larger and more full of items, diversity, and options than today. We’re willing to discount the price in order to make that happen.

I already have a Pro account and I pay more than $5.95/month what happens if I take this deal?

Opting into this deal does not immediately affect your account; you are agreeing to pay $5.95/month for a Pro level account IF WE REACH THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF MEMBERS REQUIRED. If the deal is not turned on, your credit card information will not be charged and your current subscription will remain active at your current rate. There is no risk to you.

I have a Basic account, what happens if I take this deal?

If you opt-in for this deal you are agreeing to pay $5.95/month for a Pro level account IF WE REACH THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF MEMBERS REQUIRED. Taking this deal does not immediately upgrade your account to Pro; your account will remain at the Basic level unless and until the deal is turned on. If the deal is turned on, your account will be upgraded to Pro and you will begin paying for a monthly subscription at the special $5.95/month rate.

I have more than one account that I’d like to upgrade to Pro, can I get this deal on each account?

Yes, yes you can. You will need to log on to each individual account and opt each account into the deal but there are no limits on the number of accounts you can have take this deal. Each account sign-up counts towards both the minimum threshold of accounts for the deal and the maximum account cap; however every single sign up will be treated as a commitment to paying at least the first month’s $5.95 cost no gaming or manipulation to achieve the minimum threshold will be allowed.

Why can’t I pay for this deal with PayPal, that’s how I currently pay for my Pro account?

One of the many reasons behind this deal and its pricing is to encourage as many members as possible to move to our new credit card processor. We will be working with BrainTreePaymentSolutions (BrainTree) which is a very well respected credit card processor that gives us more functionality and stability than PayPal. It will also allow us to let sellers manage their subscription payments from MyArtFire, something that paypal cannot provide. You are free to keep your PayPal subscription active at your current rate, however, the only way to get the $5.95 per month rate is by switching to our new processor.

If you don’t have an actual “Credit Card” you should still be able to get this deal with a bank debit card, PayPal depit card, or even a “gift card” (that you've properly registered) as long as it has a visa/mastercard (or other accepted card type) logo on the front and a normal looking credit card number, it should work.

Why are you doing this now?

We want to grow ArtFire and we need more resources to do so. If we reach 20,000 or even 50,000 members at the $5.95 rate, that will allow us to hire more developers and more customer service reps, and create a very real buyer-targeted marketing budget that we plan to have you, the community, tell us where you want it spent. We are doing this now so that we have those resources when we need them, the 4th quarter.

What else have you got planned?

Well, we’re exiting Beta and we don’t plan on being quiet about it. We’re going to make it rain cash, cameras, and contests. Seriously, you guys and gals have no idea.

Caleb, Director of SEO

The ArtFire 45 Day Success Guide

The ArtFire Help Guide Index. Learn about SEO!

Studio Makeover Update

2010-08-27T06:22:00.000-05:00

The following photos show how slowly I am progressing. I am almost finished with painting the walls. I do have a few touch ups along the base board and ceiling yet to do. I will paint both doors the same soft gray. I had to go ahead and install the shelves to hold everything that occupied space along the other walls in order to paint them. I will soon be ready to add trim and paint to the shelf boards, then let the nesting began. That's the fun part to me.

When I first started painting I was almost afraid that the color I chose was going to be depressing, but I have found that it is a very calming color and actually refreshing. I found some awesome curtains that will go perfectly with the soft gray color of the paint and they were on sale. I will wait until the room is finished before I reveal what the curtains look like. Well, it is back to work.

"Paint the Town Red Challenge"

2010-08-27T03:48:00.000-05:00

Let me introduce you to 'Sassy in Red'. She has found a new home in Kansas where I know she will be loved.
Sassy was made with Peyote stitch and seed beads. She has a silver plated slide closure.

I have entered a challenge "Paint the Town Red", by "Passion for Beads". I think Sassy fits the bill; don't you?

Now I need to figure out what the url is of this post and I'll be finished. This is always the most difficult part for me.

Studio Makeover Under Way

2010-08-11T04:06:00.000-05:00

I have taken a few pictures to show the work ahead of me. The brown walls have got to go! I am replacing the color with one called `Gentle Rain`. I have decided to cut down on the work and paint everything with the same paint, even the ceiling. The paint I chose has both paint and primer included in a satin finish.

The studio is a mess right now and will be for a few weeks. Prep work always seems to take the longest, but sure pays off in the long run. I dislike having to redo anything if I can avoid it.

I have washed the first wall and applied caulking around the window sill. I still must do some light sanding on the window sill. When I finish painting the first wall, my plan is to sand and paint the 1 x 12 in. boards, so that I may install them and move studio equipment and books to the shelves. This will give me the needed room to finish the other three walls.

I will be shopping for new wall outlets tomorrow as the old ones are just worn out.

I am following a wonderful blog called 2 Good Clay Mates and their studio redo. They have some wonderful suggestions for storage of equipment and supplies.

Without further ado here are the pictures. Oh yes, meet Casper, my studio mascot/foot warmer.

Men's Stuff

2010-07-30T00:47:00.000-05:00

Men's stuff. Yes, some men love jewelry too. This cuff is called "Key Way" using the Egyptian key motif. I created matching cuffs for my son and his girlfriend.

I am expanding my men's line with original sterling silver tie chains and cuff links. I hope to have some ready in time for Christmas gift giving. Perhaps you will find just the right gift for the man in your life.They will be available in my store on Artfire. I will post a link to my Artfire store soon.

I will keep you posted as to when my grand opening will be. Check back often, because there will be a very nice surprise for the 50th visitor to my store during the grand opening.

I had better get back to work. Thanks for stopping by.

Gone Too Long!

2010-07-27T00:29:00.000-05:00

Gee, I've been gone way too long from my blog, but I do have excuses and lots of them.

I'm only going to relate a couple of them. I really and truly have been busy creating lots of fun stuff for you to feast your eyes upon.

Spending some time with my fiber arts. I am designing my own line of cold can cozies, hot mug cozies, and water glass/water bottle cozies, colorful and ultra soft bath mats, and market bags. Some of these are also embellished with beads.

Also designing some beaded wonders! This little number is "Oh That Black Magic" a little beaded black bag I whipped up using RAW (for you non-beaders that is right angle weave) and embellished with various seed beads I had on hand. The `v` shaped bottom has suede leather insert, so the bag is functional as well as beautiful. It has a beaded chain so it may be worn around the neck.

This darling "Tailor Made" is made of seed beads and square beads. I'm not sure what to call the weave, as I created it on the fly, so to speak. It could be ladder stitch or square stitch. This one sold shortly after I created it. The closure is a beaded button and a button hole.

Don't you just love sunsets? "Sunset Serenade" RAW cuff embellished with seed beads. Sunset has a silver plated slide closure.

Ok, just one more. I don't want you to go into visual overload.

Say hello to "Grace" This bracelet cuff is one of my favorites. Grace is a RAW cuff embellished with Amazonite beads and seed beads with a silver plated slide closure.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE:

Coming soon (this autumn) is my website featuring my obsessive creations in all their glory.

My url: http://pearsonstudiocd.com

You may start checking around September 1st. This is the deadline I'm shooting for.

I am also opening an online store (still under construction) at artfire.com where you may purchase one of my pretties for yourself. These four pictures are just a teaser of what you may find in my store and on my website. I will also offer handcrafted one of a kind journals. Visit my flickr photo stream to see everything.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14234478@N08/

See, I have been busy. Until next time my dear friends, hugs to all.

Pat

My Watercolor Journey

2010-06-13T05:07:00.002-05:00

This was the last work in progress before my health took a nose dive so to speak. My art has taken a detour since I started this series. I find that though I have put this one on the back burner, it is never far from my thoughts. I seem to be constantly working on it in my mind.
This is the first of my Bird of Prey series which will feature one eye of a bird of prey of Oklahoma. This eye is from the Great Horned owl. I have always had a facination with eyes. I love drawing eyes and the challenge to depict them as 3d.

Oops! This is an old post and when editing it for font color and reposting it the date has changed. It should be reading some month in 2008.

Love Affair with Turquoise

2010-06-13T02:45:00.003-05:00

I absolutely love Turquoise, especially the Sleeping Beauty Turquoise from Arizona. I found this article about Turquoise at Magpie Gemstones that I think will help anyone shopping for Turquoise. I hope you will take the time to visit her website http://www.magpiegemstones.com/home.html to see her gemstones. I am sure you will find just what you are looking for; I know I did; I found my beloved Sleeping Beauty Turquoise.

I love this article and I hope you find it useful too.

Learn About Turquoise
Where do I learn about Turquoise?

I will start with North American Turquoise.
It is the most expensive turquoise available and usually sells by the carat if it is medium to high grade material.If I see a strand of beads being sold as North American turquoise and the price is under a couple hundred dollars, I become very suspect of the true origin of the turquoise. There is turquoise mined in China that is similar in color to some of the North American mines that some vendors attempt to pass off as turquoise from the US.
When a stone is made into a bead, there is a lot of loss shaping the bead, so normally, the better quality material is not made into beads. The medium to low grade turquoise is stabilized and usually color shot too. This is the turquoise they threw away back in the 1960's and early 70's. Only about 5% of all turquoise mined is considered gem grade material, that is is both hard enough to work into cabochons and the color is good too. The rest is medium to low grade material.

The way turquoise is graded in the states is like this.
Natural turquoise: untreated, high grade gem quality used mainly in cabochons, and very upscale jewelry design.
Stabilized turquoise: medium grade turquoise that has resin added, usually under pressure, to make the material hard enough to work into beads.
Stabilized and color shot: medium to low grade turquoise that is both stabilized and color shot to enhance the color.
Reconstituted: the powder is swept up, mixed with resin and formed into beads.
Block: material that has been stabilized, color shot and pressed into blocks to make into beads.
That is the basics of turquoise in a very general way.

For the past few years, there is all kinds of dyed blue, white, pink, orange, red, etc., stone coming out of China that is labelled as stabilized turquoise. Some of it has copper or black colored lines (fake matrix) on the surface of it. Most of this product is dyed magnesite or something of that sort. Not turquoise at all. There was a big problem in Tucson at the gem and mineral show around this stuff 2 years ago as many Chinese vendors were passing that stuff off as turquoise. It was tested and this year many vendors were required to fully disclose the product.
Another thing they are doing from China is calling turquoise that has been clear stabilized as natural turquoise. According to the standards in this country, it is not natural turquoise, but clear stabilized. It is nice turquoise and affordable, yet it is not natural. The Ma'anshan AB nuggets in the stores are from China. Szarka has been dealing with this vendor for the past 10 years. This is low grade mine run that is color shot and stabilized. It is very affordable and she's sold literally a ton of it. The larger oval nuggets are mainly Hubei from China, most being clear stabilized. Nice for the price.
Magpie does sell some faux turquoise in white, or sometimes in blue too, and it is identified as dyed magnesite , or wannabe turquoise. If you google turquoise mines, American turquoise, turquoise treatments, etc., you will come up with more info than you can imagine. The information is out there. I hope this helps a bit.

One of Magpies' customer,s emailed her these questions that I think will interest the reader along with Magpies' answers. I have left off the customers name, because she does not give a website or a link of any kind to link back to.

"There is one area that continues to interest me........... Are the different colours of sky blue, green blue and very green just that...........various colours , some of which are preferred by individuals, or are there quality differences based on colour?"
Ok, lets approach this one answer at a time.
Yes, the various colors are preferred by individuals and within this there are quality preferences based on color. Turquoise is one of the gemstones that seems to attach itself emotionally to a person (or the other way around) so the individual preferences vary from all the blues to all the greens.

Some areas of the world do have regional preferences. The Southwestern United States seems to lean towards a popping blue with black matrix as turquoise that was very popular in the past was blue with black webbing, or matrix. There isn't that much of this turquoise around these days so black rouge or even black shoe polish is sometimes used to make the turquoise appear to have black webbing. Persians I do believe prefer the clearest of the blues, and China values the clear blue over others.
Also, within the same mining operation, sometimes within the same vein, both greens and blues will be found. The blue is the copper, and greens are molecules of zinc or iron..

"Same query as it relates to matrix.......is the black veining preferred, or is the 'pure' or non-marred versions considered more valuable?"I touched on this above with Southwestern preferences. Persians used to value clear over webbed, as well as China.

The most expensive turquoise I know of is Old Lander which sells for hundreds of dollars per carat. The rarity of Old Lander (less than 100 pounds mined) and its beauty make it a valuable collectable turquoise and has webbing or matrix. The pictures that I have seen of it does anyway. I have not held Old Lander in my hand.

"And lastly, is there ever a genuine white turquoise, or is it always some other 'massaged' gem? The other colours purported to be turquoise....red, orange, etc., are these genuine, or does turquoise always stay in the blue green family?"I have personally never seen white turquoise. I have seen something reputed to be white turquoise offered for sale a few years ago. I did research and the majority says no such thing yet there are a few folks out there who say there is.There is much debate in the turquoise world whether some specimens are turquoise or something else. A lab analysis of the questionable material would identify the stone properly.

As far as the pinks, purples, reds, mosaics, and oranges go, I know of no turquoise coming out of the earth in those colors. I do know of one North American processor that does stabilize and dye load grade mine run in various colors. I also know these are more than a few bucks a strand too!
Almost everything I have seen is dyed magnesite and sometimes howlite.
There is a turquoise from China that is yellow/brown.

To sum this up, turquoise is emotional and every individual will have their personal tastes. I like all turquoise, from the eye popping green of Orvil Jack to the whispey purple smoke of some Lavender Bisbee to electric blue or webbed from China, or sky blue from Persia.

I hope dear reader that you found this article as useful as I did. Please go visit Magpie Gemstones you'll be glad you did.

OUCH!!!

2010-03-18T00:54:00.000-05:00

Today started to be a very good day. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. I was accomplishing lots of my `have tos` on my list of things to do. Puppy and I were taking a play break, where we played tag, by taking turns chasing each other, through the kitchen and dining room. The third time for me to chase him I felt and heard a loud pop. It happened just below my calf muscle. I screamed from the pain and was frozen where I stopped. I couldn't move. My first thought was "I don't need this, I have to be able to walk and drive." Second thought was "oh no, my DH has plans for all evening, I just can't ruin his plans." My third thought was "oh, I wanted to go to the bead shop and craft store for the yarn for my next project."

It amazes me how things can change in the blink of an eye. Wow, how we must adjust and adapt. It seems that for weeks everything is the same from day to day and then bam your down and your routine has come to a halt.

It serves as a reminder how truly trivial my routine really is in the grand scheme of God's plans. It has made me look at my daily life to find where am I praising God and sharing His love. It should be in everything I do, say, and think. Am I seeking first the kingdom of heaven and believing that He will provide everything else?

I am looking for ways to share His love through my arts, craftmanship, and social networking. I want to share the skills God has given me with anyone wanting to learn. I believe that in this way I can share God with others through my teaching. I want to sow the seeds of love through my art.

Well, I will be laid up for awhile with nothing to do except communing with God and working on my arts and crafts. That doesn't sound too bad does it.

New Jewelry Set

2009-11-11T04:42:00.001-06:00

I have a wonderful aunt named Gerry Hannah, she and my Uncle Dean live in Cove, Arkansas on 30 acres of Arkansas forest. My hubby and I recently spent a couple of days visiting them, which was a much needed break from the city for us.

I created this jewelry set for my aunt. We both share the love of blue as well as journal keeping.

I hope she enjoys this as much as I enjoyed creating it for her.

Playing Catch-Up

2009-07-15T11:12:00.001-05:00

I am behind in my blog posts. I have lots of journals to share and the making of art journals. I have also been busy creating jewelry through the techniques of off loom bead weaving and wirewrapping. I made my first sterling silver ring today and I'm fairly pleased with the results. The pics will have to come later. It seems to take so long to take the pic and do the adjustments and then upload them to my blog, that I tend to do several at once. I am enjoying making my own jewelry and especially creating my own designs.

I will be adding some new favorite websites as well, so look for them later too.
Today I am waiting on the AC service repairman to call so we can set up an appointment to have our ac repaired. Yes, it quit doing it's job.
I have heard that many ac's are on strike, because we have had too many 3 digit days of heat. The service repairmen may follow soon with a strike of their own. Hotels and motels are love'n it though, being filled to capacity. I have a cool room to go to tonight, so I will have sweet dreams for sure.

Well, it is back to work for now. Stay cool dear friends.

New Works in Progress

2007-05-17T22:15:00.001-05:00

Here are two images of works in progress. The two black and white pictures are of the same image only one is a detail shot. I am enjoying working on these, but it is slow going. I have to rest my hand frequently, so that I don't aggravate the carpal tunnel in my wrist. The black and white measures 12 x 15 inches. The one in color is also an ink stipple, but with watercolor washes. It measures 20 1/2 x 13 1/14 inches. I will post an update on these two in about one week. My photography is not very good on the colored one. Maybe I'll do better next time.

PhotoJournalism: How to prepare and submit a press release to media

2007-04-30T17:33:00.001-05:00

Artists are having a very busy spring in our art community. I have already organized two art exhibitions and have another in June. Sometimes as artists we get so busy with last minute framing, sending out post cards, readying contracts, etc. that we forget our most important task and that is to have our press releases ready in advance. What good is an exhibition if the public doesn't know about it. You need to send those press releases with enough lead time for the journalists to write your story. Don't forget the community calendars that local television stations post online.

You are probably saying Ok, I write press releases, but they never get published. Have you ever thought that maybe it is your writing. I just read, and suggest that you do too, a wonderful blog called PhotoJournalism: How to prepare and submit a press release to the media. Here is the link: PhotoJournalism: How to prepare and submit a press release to media
If you really want to further your career and get into print, be serious about writing effective press releases. I really like the advice, that I already use, about calling the papers or other media and finding out to whom and where you should send those press releases. There is nothing like speaking directly with your contact. It is a start in establishing a relationship. The more you call the more you will be remembered. Please, be courteous in respect, with the journalists time, which is very limited. Know what you are going to say before you call and keep your phone calls very short and to the point. I would advise that you find out when their deadline is and submit those releases well in advance and somewhere at the top of the release include the publish date you are writing your press release for. If it is for immediate release say so.

You might consider keeping a notebook for press deadlines, the person you talked to , email addresses, size and format of the submitted photos they prefer. Always ask if there are any restrictions concerning press releases. Your willingness to be cooperative will be looked on favorably and anything that makes the journalists job easier will be in your favor. I also suggest that you keep copies of the press releases you send. You might be able to use them as templates or guides to help you write future press releases.

Keep writing; the more you write the easier it is and the better writer you become. I continue to learn with each press release I write, so that someday I will truly write effective press releases.

"Rejects" Not Rejected

2006-10-04T17:05:00.001-05:00

"Rejects"
20" x 16'' framed
watercolor on Windsor and Newton Artistico paper.

I am so honored to be accepted into the Thirty Second National Watercolor Oklahoma Juried Exhibition. 64 entries were accepted from a total of 312 entries and only 6 Oklahoma entries were accepted.

`Rejects`, initially, was to be a depiction of childhood toys, but it seemed to have a path of its own. The painting evolved into a surreal work of discarded, broken, and rusting objects. It seems to ask us, to think beyond what happens to our material castoffs, and to think about people, especially our children. What happens when they are cast aside, overlooked, or taken for granted? The beauty and versatility of transparent watercolor enables me to communicate more eloquently; moods, memories, dreams, and questions."

The exhibition runs from October 31st to November 30th. The reception and awards presentation will be November 2nd from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the Edmond Historical Society and Museum. The public is invited.

New Finished Work

2006-09-19T01:53:00.001-05:00

This is "Moon Walk" my latest work created this month. This work was one, that left me physically and emotionally exhausted. This one took me almost a month to complete.

I will be having prints made of this one along with several others.

Instead of diving into another work I decided to take a break. I am working in the journal that I made and bound. I am doing a study of my colors, exploring color mixtures and their properties. I don't have a picture of it yet, since

I left my camera in Pauls Valley. Okla. at a family gathering.

When I finish a rather complicated piece I tend to delve back into study instead of starting another painting. I have several studies that are ongoing at the moment. I am learning the software programs Access, Powerpoint, and my new Photoshop Elements 4.0. I am also constantly learning new marketing and business management skills.

I will study a little longer then get a good nights sleep and start again.

Last 3 Journal Pages

2006-09-19T01:32:00.001-05:00

This page depicts my dream garden. I have used it to help me plan my garden which will be accomplished in baby steps. Visualizing motivates me to carry on with my plan.

This is just one of the ways I decorate my pages to add interest to a lot of writing and encourages me to write more. Sometimes I paint the pages after I have written. The words seem to influence what I paint.

Here is my journal in its entireity. I hope I have encouraged someone else to start their own decorated journal.

NWO Entries

2006-09-19T01:12:00.001-05:00

These are the three works that I submitted to the

32nd National Watercolor Oklahoma Juried Art

Exhibition that will be held on October 31, 2006.

The opening reception will be at the Edmond Historical Society on November 2, 2006.

I am really getting nervous, because the notifications of acceptance will start this Wednesday, September 20th. Getting accepted into this show is a Big Deal. It will be quite an honor if one of my works is accepted.

My next post will contain a picture of my lastest work.

More Journal Pages

2006-09-18T01:56:00.001-05:00

Sitting on my Mother and Father in-laws patio I spotted a Mourning Dove and several bright orange butterflies. In their front yard they have a beautiful Bougainvilla bush in full bloom. It was a magical morning to record.

I had a horrible headache this day and chose to record it in color.
You see, anything can be depicted in a journal.

Oh, what a beautiful morning.This is what I saw from my studio desk looking out into the back yard.

In a few days I will add the last three pages I chose to share with the world.

Pages From My Sketch Journal

2006-09-16T01:29:00.001-05:00

I thought I would share some pages of my sketch journal and some other explorations.I do hope I inspire someone to try a sketch journal. I decorated my journal pages with pen and ink sketches and watercolor washes, gluing petals and leaves of plants and bark of trees. I often found that just writing in a journal became boring and I would eventually stop writing altogether. Being a visual artist I need more stimuli to keep me interested in journaling.When a friend showed me a book on decorated journals and papers I was hooked. I combined the decorating and sketching with my journal writing.Most of the following pages are from my vacation to Arizona. Other pages were ideas I wished to
develope or events in my life.
I hope you enjoy the pages.

This was the first day of our vacation and I got the date wrong. Story of my life.

This page is of the Nativo Hotel where we stayed in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

These two pages are my way of recording the night my Mother in-law, my son, and I played the computer games Zuma and Bejeweled. It's your fault Mom. I'm hooked now.
I will share three more pages in my next post.
I also learned how to make a book, so now I can make my own journals. I will have a picture of it in my next post as well.
My artist salon will be starting next month with five artists. We hope to learn how better to promote ourselves as artists. Alyson Stanfield provides all of the tools for the salon free of charge. Check out her website http://www.artbizcoach.com . I will record some of the things I learn, through this process, here in my blog.

Good night cyber space.

It's My Birthday!

2006-05-29T12:16:00.001-05:00

Today is my Birthday and I am celebrating it in Peoria, Arizona with my wonderful in-laws. We decided to drive this year. I am glad we did, even though it means we have to cut short our visit to allow for travel.
I packed my studio into a bag so I could keep up with my work. I do this for a few hours after everyone has gone to bed. I might as well put my insomnia to good use instead of fretting about it. I bought a small journal with handmade paper to record daily sights, thoughts, and the usual trip logs. This is my first journal and since my husband prefers to do all of the driving, I am free to paint all day.
I believe I am hooked on journaling now for the rest of my life. A couple of years ago my dear husband bought me a beautiful leather bound watercolor journal, but I have been afraid to paint in it. I just knew that I would really mess it up. Now, I know that I should and will use it. It will be my most treasured posession and constant companion.
I have been calling it a journal, but I suppose it is more like a sketch diary. My paintings are really rough and sometimes whimsical. I use pen with watercolor washes across two pages for each day.
I would like to encourage anyone reading this to try a sketch diary. You can use colored markers or colored pencils if watercolor is not your forte. You won't realize the benefits until you experience it. I can't even put into words what it has done for me.
Well, I am going to get back to my wonderful family. We will return home on Friday, June 1st.

First Plein Aire Painting Completed in Studio

2006-05-17T03:45:00.001-05:00

I finally finished it. I cropped my reference photo to compose my painting and took artistic license as you will probably notice. I did this to try to convey a romanticism of this particular place. The little boy was actually there and fishing off of the spillway. He inspired me to paint this scene. I didn't want the boy to be the main focus, but an arrow to lead the viewer to my point of interest which is the spill way. I hope that I have acheived this.

ARTS FUNDING FEDERAL VOTE MAY 18th

2006-05-17T03:16:00.001-05:00

I just received this email tonight. I hope this is not too late for others to consider.
This is important for all artists nation wide. Please consider this.

From: Chelsea, SuzieSent: Tue 5/16/2006 7:48 AMTo: director@ovac-ok.orgCc: dmarsailles@cox.netSubject: ARTS FUNDING FEDERALVOTE MAY 18th

Dear Art Advocates,
I found this important issue at Oklahoma Arts Council website this morning. THIS THURSDAY is the vote to add arts funding for fiscal year 2007. I hope you'll drop everything to communicate your desires on this issue to your representatives.

Thanks for your active and immediate support.

Suzie Chelseaartedsu@cox.net
artsue4u@cox.net
2001 N. Perkins Road, K112
Stillwater, OK 74075
405.614.0558
member of SAG, TAG, OAG, Bartlesville Art Association, National Arts Education Association and Friends of the Library

Arts Council link here:
http://www.state.ok.us/~arts/resources/advocacy.html

Part of their advocacy report here:

HOUSE SET TO ACT ON ARTS APPROPRIATION:

CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES TO SUPPORT AMENDMENT TO INCREASE NEA FUNDING (Link to yours is below.)

The House Appropriations Committee on May 10 approved the Fiscal Year 2007 Interior Appropriations Bill setting funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) at $124.4 million, level funding as proposed in the Administration’s budget request. The Committee also adopted the Administration’s allocations for the arts endowment money, with a cut of $3.462 million from Challenge America to increase funds for administrative expenses by $1.843 million, for direct program grants by $1.117 million, and for State and Regional Partnerships by $508,000. The bill also sets level funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) at $141 million.
When the bill goes to the House floor for votes on Thursday, May 18, the bipartisan leadership of the Congressional Arts Caucus is expected to offer an amendment adding $5 million to $7.5 million each for the NEA and NEH. The additional funds for the NEA would restore money to Challenge America and add funds to direct program grants.

Please contact your state’s Representatives in Congress to urge their support for the Congressional Arts Caucus amendment to add funding for the NEA when the bill comes to the House floor on May 18.

Find your legislators and senators here: NOW please!http://www.state.ok.us/~arts/resources/advocacy.html

cc:director@ovac-ok.org OVACanniezplace@sbcglobal.net OAG
dmarseilles@cox.net TAG
velma@countryside-studio.com SAGhttp://webmail.central.cox.net/do/mail/message/mailto?to=rgenn%40saraphina.com Robert Genn of Twice Weekly Letter
National Arts Education Association

New Portraits, Plein Air Painting, & New Summer Open Studio

2006-04-26T23:32:00.001-05:00

When I am not blogging I am busy with creating art. I am posting three recently finished portraits.

The first, "Sweet Dreams Billy", is the finished work of the previously posted wip of my son when he was but a wee lad.

The second portrait is of my brother "A Study of Pete in Blue".

The third is "Self Portrait of the Artist" my first self portrait.

I am a member of PAPCO, Plein Air Painters of Central Oklahoma, and we went to Red Rock Canyon at Hinton, Ok. last Saturday April 22nd. It was windy and warm, but very productive for everyone. I think I will even have a finished painting from this trip.

I am hooked, now probably for life. There is nothing like it and it is impossible to describe. It is something that has to be experienced to be understood.

There are some good trips planned for this year. We are a loosely organized group and anyone can join us. We meet the second Tuesday and fourth Saturday of each month during the spring, until it gets too hot ,then again in the fall, until it gets too cold.

This next picture is what caught my eye for my first plein air painting. I took many photos for referrences to finish my painting.

I am looking forward to our next plein air trip to Hafer Park in Edmond, Okla. It will be May 9th at 9:30am. if anyone is interested in joining us bring your sack lunch, camera and don't forget your sunscreen/block.
Something new for this summer is an open studio at the Midwest City Library's lobby on Wednesdays and Fridays from 2:00- 4:00pm. (Reservations are not needed) This is open to any artist working in any medium. The only restriction will be that the subject matter of the art contain no nudity. This will start May 10th and May12th.
Well, it looks like I have made up for lost time, so to speak. It has been awhile since I have posted anything. Now that I am taking more pictures maybe I'll be tempted to share them here with the cyber world. My family has been asleep for a couple of hours now, maybe I should call it a night too.

A Work In Progress

2006-03-21T00:16:00.001-06:00

Here is my first atempt at a watercolor portrait. It is a portrait of my son when he was small. He will be 18 next month.

Hangn' Round Town

2006-03-06T05:13:00.001-06:00

Hangn' Round Town Please click on this link to access the TAG May 06,Colonies Art Exhibit prospectus. Only members of the member organizations may apply.

If you are interested in being a member you may do this in two ways.
First if you are already a member of some art organization, but your org. is not a member of TAG, they may join if they wish too. You may contact me, to schedule a time for me to address your membership about TAG.
Second, you may choose to join one of TAG's member organizations.

TAG - The Art Groups

2006-02-23T06:39:00.001-06:00

TAG - The Art Groups Here is the link to follow the updates for TAG-The Art Groups.

Meet "Woody" Watercolor My Latest Work

2006-02-11T02:18:00.001-06:00

This is my watercolor painting of an acorn woodpecker. I loved the challenge of creating the soft textures of feathers and contrasting them with the rough texture of the tree bark. Woody looks a bit surprised doesn't he. I think that is what endeared me to this image. I have another painting in progress of Woody, but his neighbor is gathering up his acorns. The title of that painting will be "Ah Nuts!"

P.A. Pearson's Artistic Journey and My Shameless Self Promoting!

2006-01-24T01:03:00.000-06:00

One of My Favorite Art Biz Marketing Newsletters

I am finished with writing and answering my emails for the night and had a little time to read one of my favorite newsletters.

I subscribe to Alyson Standfield's art marketing newsletter. The url is http://artbizcoach.com. She has quite a bit of info and resources for artists on her site. It is worth your time to look at her site.

She is offering free marketing tools for anyone willing to conduct a marketing salon. It is a nine week committment for all involved in the salon. I am seriously considering the offer of starting a marketing salon for no more than three other people and myself. I will start a campaign to recruit the three in the next few weeks. I have some planning to do before I start. It really sounds like a good way to learn some valuable self marketing for my career. I just have to be sure that the people I recruit are as serious and committed as I am or it won't work.

WELCOME TO MY STUDIO

2006-01-21T20:41:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my studio. I spend an average of 8 hrs. a day here.

2006-01-21T19:40:00.001-06:00

I ran into Sue Clancy ,Norman artist, at Borders Bookstore in Norman last night. We had a wonderful visit, of course about art and self marketing. She is a world of knowledge. If you ever get the chance to hear one of her lectures, do so. You won't be sorry. In our discussion I learned that "Shamless Self Promotion" is a book title. It is suppose to be a good book for artists that want to promote themselves and their work. I will have to read it and then will report here about it. To shorten the story, I felt that I had to change the title of my blog , so I added the "My".

Sue will be one of the panelist of the ASK workshop, "Creative Marketing" Defining your Style". It will be Saturday, February 18,2006, at the Ponca City Artspace, 319 W. Grand Ave, Ponca City. All workshops are $20.00 ($15. for OVAC members), $5. discount for early registration. Scholarships available. Register online assistant@ovac-ok.org or 405.232.6991.

Sue is also in a group exhibit titled, "The Smile Show". The artists are Stuart Asprey, Ruth Ann Borum, Sue Clancy, Joe Slack, Rob Smith, and Clint Stone. The exhibit is at Northern Oklahoma College. It started Jan. 17th and will continue through Feb. 28th. The opening reception is Thursday, Jan. 26, 2006, 5:30-7:30pm.

My closing note is a tip I received from Sue. Include galleries and museums in your mailing list. Send them an invitation to all your exhibits, follow up with your marketing postcard featuring your art and contact information, then when they are soliciting for portfolios you submit yours. When they get to yours, your name is somewhere in their memory.