Down and dirty with mixed media ...

"Leaves Are Tears", Mixed Media on canvas, 22" x 28"

As of this evening I have only three more classes to go with the acrylic painting class I'm teaching at the local college. We have finished the ornaments (craft acrylic) and the greetings cards (acrylic used like watercolor) and are now ready to embark on the technique I've been most looking forward to - mixed media, or "collage".

At the beginning of the classes I explained the different techniques we would be doing and had the students start thinking about their idea/theme. I told them to start gathering things they thought might be appropriate to creating their collage; IE: scrap-booking papers and cut-outs, magazine pictures, photos, ribbons, leaves, twigs, fabric, buttons, and all other such notions as might be representative of their idea and potential incorporation into their painting. Tonight is the night we get down and dirty and start working on them.

It will be interesting to see what they've come up with. Collage, as I explained to them, is usually very personal in it's creation. An artist typically begins with an idea. theme, emotion, memory, story, event or such that has meaning to them or their life. The above image is my own collage relating to the sadness I feel in Autumn. So, as I said, this evening I will get to see what my students have decided to do with their own painting ... should be very interesting.

I know one student, my neighbor Joyce, will be dedicating her collage to leaves. She loves budding of the leaves in Spring and the change of their colors in the Fall. She loves the shapes and textures of leaves, hearing them rustle in a breeze, seeing sunlight filter through them on a bright day. Not a bad thing to love, if I do say so myself! I know she has fabric with a leaf print on it from a quilted wall-hanging she made for a friend (she showed me the quilt the other day) and plans to use some of it in her collage. She's pretty crafty and I can imagine she'll come up with something nice.

Another student mentioned liking butterflies. In talking over her idea with her I mentioned how nowa'days you can find umpteen gazillion things with butterflies on them. Cards, wrapping paper, sew-on patches, scrap book stuff, coloring books, books about butterflies, etc., etc., etc. You could see the ideas churning around in her head while I was talking, her eyes lighting up with the possibilities of stuff to start collecting. Like Joyce's collage, I'm looking forward to seeing what she brings to class tonight.

In addition to the cut-and-paste part of the collage we will be doing textures and a sort of faux-finishing style technique with the acrylics. This is the part I really like about doing collage ... it's tactile and creative. It still amazes me that mushing some paint around in different ways can be so damn much fun. There's no limit to the possibilities, no right way and no wrong way. It's all about what appeals to the individual artist and simply enjoying the process. I think most of my students have also been looking forward to this part of the class, too. As a matter of fact, one student in particular, Lorrie, signed up just to do the collage. Can't say as I blame her one bit!

Part of the way I teach the class is to bring stuff I've done as "Show & Tell". Another part is live demonstration of the technique being done. We will be working with a relatively small canvas, only 11" x 14", so it won't be so overwhelming for them to start, nor will it be excessively time consuming. While I have the above image to use as my Show & Tell, I've been having to think about the creation of a collage as my demonstration. What would be my own "idea"?

For several weeks I've been kind of stumped. Then, this past weekend, I decided on an oriental theme. I love Chinese Kanji and I have a wonderful book about writing it. I also have some lovely oriental fabric and some carved beads I bought several years ago. I'm thinking a nice Buddha quote would be a good addition as well. Keep the whole thing very simplistic and Zen-like. I'll post the final image for y'all to see when it's done.

Speaking of that, I guess I'd better get myself back into the studio and collect all my stuff for class ...

Namaste y'all ...

Cat nap ...

My beautiful baby girl soaking up the sun.
This is her starlette photo for her homepage on
www.Catster.com.

It's that time of year again ...

I want to be in a far-away place that is quiet, no demands on my time, no worries, no obligations. I want to be in a place with neither telephone nor cellphone, no husband, no piles of dirty laundry, no business tax forms to deal with, no yard work to be done, no sleepless nights, no "List Of Things To Do", no groceries to buy, no classes to teach, no website needing updates, no reasons for me to be melancholy and complaining.

I want to be where I can hear the flow of water in a creek, where I can wallow on a big, soft bed with a snugly quilt, where I can let go and just forget about things for awhile. Am I asking for too much? I think not. We all deserve a break from reality once in awhile ... mine, unfortunately, will have to wait. I know of no such far-away place and I still have a lot to cross of my List Of Things To Do to be skipping off to Never-Never Land.

I told myself this Autumn would be different because things were different. There would be no cause for this bout of sadness and melancholia I have every year. Much to my chagrin it's apparently hit me anyway. Today, while talking to a friend, I had a rush of the most overwhelming sense of sadness and burst into tears for no justifiable reason. Chat, chat, chat - cry, cry, cry. As a rule, I don't cry. I felt foolish and yet I had an odd feeling of relief. What is it about this time that upsets me so?

In typical KaliMaya fashion, I have analyzed it obsessively. While I can come up with no definitive explanation, I have realized the most prevailing feeling I experience at this time is the feeling of loss. I am grieving for something that is gone and may never come back to me in the way I once experienced it. What is that? What have I lost? It's quite simple really. I have "lost" someone I love. It's strange to say that, to even attempt to explain it, because he isn't really gone. He is still a part of my life and I know he will be as long as the Fates allow. But as life sometimes goes, we are married to other people and live lives completely independent and separate from each other. For the present, as well as an unforeseeable future, this is how things will remain indefinitely ... therein lies the rub.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am deeply and truly grateful for the life I have. I really am. Over the last few years I have done things I was once only able to dream of doing. I have a kind husband. I have beautiful, caring friends. I have a nice home, food in the cupboard, clothes to wear, yarn to knit, paintings to paint, a fledgling Reiki practice, a fat orange cat - lots and lots of things to be thankful for and happy with having. Every day is a new day to grow and learn and experience life. But I still miss him. And I do sometimes wish things could be different.

Three other seasons out of the year I don't dwell on "what could have been" or "what might some day be". I live my life, do my thing, and find a good measure of peace in just having him a part of my life at all. My rational, logical side is dominant. I understand the how and the why and I'm content with it. I don't analyze it. I let it be what it is and move along. Then comes Autumn and my emotional side jumps up and smacks me up-side the head. It stomps around on my heart. It brings out the overly sensitive, hopeless romantic side of me and leaves me knotted up with a useless longing for what can't be ... the ability to be together in a typical relationship. I can't reach out and hold his hand; I can't sleep with his arm around me; I can't listen to him talk about his day over dinner; we can't go for a walk in the woods on a Saturday morning; we can't do all of those simple, ordinary things that a "couple" can do.

Oh yes, I hear all of the "Wait a minute ... you're married!" exclamations in the background. Yeah, I am. But I'm not married to him. And, he is married to someone else, too. He lives in another state, and as I said, has a life that is totally and completely unrelated to me just as I have a life he has no part in either. I'm as happy for him and the life he has as I am for my own life. I want him to feel at peace and content with his life even if that life doesn't include me. How could I possibly feel otherwise? I do know he misses me sometimes, and I do know he cares about me, too.

So why should I feel the sadness and loss? That's a really good question and I have no clear answer or resolution. My logical side tells me there is a lesson I am supposed to be learning by all of this ... my emotional side is still in the "Huh?" stage and hasn't caught up and figured it out yet. It will, but it will take a little more time, maybe another season or two when the emotional side lies dormant and logic holds the reigns. *sigh* For the time being, I'll watch the leaves change colors and imagine a log cabin somewhere in the mountains with a quilt on the bed and the peaceful sound of flowing water.

Namaste, y'all ...

All the better to see you with, my dear ...

Some of you may or may not know that I am a Red Eyed Tree Frog fan. I think they are 'bout the cutest things in the world. They are not only beautiful, they are colorful, interesting, delicate, wondrous little creatures. I would really love to see one of these guys up close, but unless I take a trip to the rain forest, I probably will never see one in it's natural habitat. That's Okay 'cause I have the internet! I can find pictures and pictures and pictures to feed my need for frogs.



Check this sweetie-pie out! It's a baby!



How about this handsome fellow? He's lovely, isn't he?

And when I get really nuts, I visit The Frog Store.com. There I can spend some time checking out the latest (and not always greatest) stuff for frog devotee such as moi.



For the Hardcore Frog Aficionado we have a lovely Salt & Pepper set.

For the chocolate lover (me) there are yummy Kiss Me Frog Truffles!




For those brave, adventurous souls ... Frog Poop! Frog Poop? Yes, Frog Poop! It's toadally delicious! This neat little cannister is full of chocolate-covered sunflower seeds, with green candy coating.

And of course, to clean up after consuming such delectible treats as Frog Poop, you must have this fun little frog soap dispenser with a happy smile, and it comes filled with pale green hand soap. It's refillable, so you can use it again and again!

Dry your hands with this soft white terry velour hand towel featuring a smiling green frog prince and lily pad appliquéd at the bottom edge.

Which you would hang on your metal towel ring!




Planning to kiss a frog? Make sure your lips are ready, with this fine all-natural "Kiss Me" lip balm. It's SPF-30, so will also protect your lips from the sun. And it's not even too overloaded to bad with nasty chemicals - has some good stuff in it, too: Organic soybean oil, beeswax, virgin olive oil, organic hemp seed oil, Vitamin E, comfrey leaf, calendula officinalis flower, St. John's wort, Rosemary leaf extract.

If you're tired after all that eating and cleaning, jump into bed with some frogs to slip off to dreamland with! These soft flannel sheets are positively leaping with frogs of all colors.

Of course, you need to snuggle under this colorful pile of frogs blanket.




Wake up and get your Frog Bling going with this fabulous tank top featuring a brightly colored frog made up of tiny sparkly beads. Love me some sparkly beads!

Don't forget the earrings ...




Or the watch!



To be worn with my personal fav .... Y'all know I LOVE warm, fuzzy socks! With frogs! Froggie Heaven!!!

Don't forget to impress your friends with this colorful froggy cell phone cover!




And finally, after a hard day at the office you need your own reserved parking space sign.

Namaste, y'all ...

New Fall fashion accessories ...

Besides painting there are a couple of things I love to do: 1) Sew stuff and 2) Knit stuff.

I've been sewing for years. I indirectly learned from my Mother, who was an impressive seamstress, making clothes and household items for herself and us kids. I remember being small, barely able to see over the edge of the table, watching her cut out Vogue or Butterick patterns or standing beside her sewing machine watching her sew. I was fascinated by the fabrics, by the patterns, by the sewing machine, and most importantly, by the mysterious ability to create something like curtains or dresses from tissue paper, scissors and a long strip of cloth.

I was a terror about it, too. I would raid her fabric stash in the closet and snip off pieces of cloth to make Barbie clothes and bedspreads, etc.. Several times Mother pulled out her fabric to make something only to discover I'd whacked out a big chunk of it in a not so good place to whack a chunk from. Oh, she fussed, but I never got into serious trouble because I think maybe she kind of liked that I had such an interest in something she did, ya' know, the ol' "imitation is the most sincere form of flattery thing." She never encouraged me, but she didn't stop me either.

My older sister never got into the sewing thing. She had other interests and other pursuits. Yet somewhere along the line she took notice of my interest in sewing and gifted me (I think I was about 8 yrs. old) with my very own little-girl sized sewing machine and a yard or two of fabric. I was overjoyed. I don't think she ever realized how much getting that sewing machine meant to me. Sadly though, no one would show me how to use it. I tried but it was a little scary because it was a real electric sewing machine, just kid-sized. I think I only ever managed to make one shirt ... and it didn't fit 'cause I didn't have a pattern, just imagination.

Well, being all grown up with a grown up sewing machine, last Tuesday I whipped up a new pocketbook (with no pattern, I might add) for the Fall season. I got an amazing number of compliments on the last one I made for the summer (with pattern) but I wanted a different shape this time around. Summer bag was half-moon shaped and this one is triangular. I love it.

New Autumn bag ...

Inside new bag ...
(my pocketbooks must have lots of pockets - ya' know - after all, it's a pocketbook)

Come Winter, I'll make another in a different shape, different fabric. For now, this one is just lovely.

I was also overcome with knit fever after seeing Crazy Aunt Purl's Halloweenie Beanie. I'll confess, as much as I've come to love knitting, I haven't ventured past the scarf and dishcloth stage. Squares and rectangles are fairly easy and I can do them in a relatively short amount of time. Truth be told, I was a 'fraidy-cat, intimidated by the stuff like "increase" and "decrease" and "knitting with double-pointed (DPN's) needles" and "Circular needles". I'm well aware of the fact that to make the Dream Sweater I will have to master these knit tricks but I hadn't found a pattern that made them seem easy to do.

Then ol' Purl slaps up her pumpkin hat pattern on her blog and I knew I had to have one of my very own. I'm not exactly a hat girl, but for that hat, I'll make an exception. It was a "MUST HAVE HAT OR I WILL DIE" scenario. Only way to have the hat was to knit it.

Unfortunately, I live in the middle of nowhere when it comes to stores and readily available varieties of yarn. Short of driving an hour across the mountain to Asheville, or waiting days for yarn to be delivered from an internet order, my choices were limited to what I could get at Wal-Mart. I needed instant gratification, so Wal-Mart it was. I bought a couple of skeins of some horrible acrylic knitting yarn in orange and a couple of tiny skeins of green craft yarn. I already had the circular needles and DPN's in preparation for the Dream Sweater. I had stitch markers and a gauge. I printed off the pattern and read it over a half-dozen times. With all implements at the ready I started knitting on Saturday. By Sunday evening I had this .........

Pumkin Hat, or the Halloweenie Beanie

With super cute curlicue stem! - which doesn't show well in this photo ...

I tried to take a photo of me wearing the hat - it was a dismal failure so you will just have to imagine me sporting this cute creation. I had planned on wearing it today but it was in the upper 80's and my thick hair is already like wearing a wool hat ... topping it off with a darling layer of orange acrylic would have me sprawled out in the middle of a parking lot somewhere, wheezing and gasping from a heat stroke. Will have to wait for cooler, hat friendly weather.

But y'all, I've got to say I'm just thrilled with this accomplishment. I used circular needles, made decreases, made increases, used the dreaded DPN's, got gauge, and I made a hat! My very first hat! Yes, I did mess up one stitch, which I didn't catch until I was almost finished with the thing. And it did take me four attempts to get the curlicue to be a curlicue ... but I have triumphed! I am knitter - hear me roar! Well, okay, more like cackling with glee, but ya' get the picture.

Dream Sweater, I'm a'heading your way ...

Namaste y'all ...