holiday show ideas...

Last week my car was totalled when someone ran a stop sign and t-boned me, the furnace stopped working (after-hours on Friday night) and all week I had been dreading the surgery that I had this week (which really was a piece of cake, the dreading it was the hard part) and now it's Friday and the dust has settled. I am thrilled to be getting back to painting and art-related business again. So, while last week didn't result in much artmaking, it was pretty good for perculating ideas for the two holiday shows I'm doing in December.

I already have a good collection of watercolors and mixed media paintings to offer, and I'm working to finish up a few smaller pieces as well. I also have some really lovely art cards made from original paintings, but I want to add some more small items to tempt the buyer who isn't shopping for paintings this holiday season (weird I know, but there are a few folks out there in this category - and you know who you are) but who still enjoy original art.

I took out my pile of "banned" paintings that have beautiful parts, but don't really work as a whole. I usually save them to use in collages and mixed media paintings. I have decided to use some beautiful snipets to make holiday ornaments, covers for journals and bookmarks. I will add paint, ink and other bits to them, maybe even add a poem to the bookmarks, and see where the spirit takes me on this project. I'll post a photo of the finished project later. If you are looking for a few small items to add to your own booth this holiday season, maybe you have some paintings that can be recycled, too. Do you have any ideas to share?

loving November...

Despite the trees dropping their leaves, having to wear multiple layers of clothing to keep warm, and the shrinking hours of daylight, I really like November. November can be a pretty gray month here in the Berkshires, but on a day like today with the sun shining and leaves swirling about, it's pretty fantastic. I'm more tuned into hearth and home thinking about holidays, family and friends and long walks in the woods. Plus it's a time to really focus on gratitude with Thanksgiving around the corner. It's a good time to compile or revise one's list of things to be grateful for. I am blessed and want to bring an attitude of gratitude to my days in a more focused way. It's easy to get caught up in life's problems and concerns. I've certainly done my share of that lately, but focusing on gratitude will only make life more joy-filled!

I'm adding to my long list of things I'm grateful for the recent shipment I've just received of new paints and watercolor paper. I just love opening a new tube of paint! Today I'm working on some winter landscapes to be hung at the Inn at Stockbridge, but it's definitely a day to make time for a walk among the dancing leaves this afternoon.

What are you grateful for?