This is a new project I have just finished. The necklace, not the bird. I'm excited about it. It's not up on etsy quite yet but keep your eyes peeled. It will be there soon!
My husband and I have come to an understanding over the past four years. I would love to say that this meant we have reached the point in our relationship where we know what to expect from each other, but twenty-six years has taught me that life is full of unexplored possibilities. Matt and I have been married a year. A wonderful year, in which developed this strange relationship of weird opposites. Matt is a quiet, shy boy with a good sense of humor only I really ever see. I am loud and raucous with a love of all things cute. My family was modeled after a Brady Bunch special and his was decidedly different. He is reserved, preferring his computer and I, my books. Despite our ventures in the intellectual, we still watch South Park and The Office.When we tease each other we are comfortable enough to say “Screw you” and take no offense, which strikes people as odd. Mostly we are a happy couple, and yes, we have it out every once in a while.
The point behind all this is a realization that Matt, being a very big part of my life, affects my art. I find that over the last four years he has affected not only me, but my art work. Mostly it is in little ways that I recognize his influence. A drawing of something he suggested or asking his opinion on a newly finished painting. When I am being my harshest critic, Matt finds a way to help me out of my art funk. When I am suffering from lack of color, he’ll hand me crayons and some paper. I never really noticed it until the other day.
Artists, I believe, live mostly in our minds. So when we think of something, it affects our work. Life often does that. Something as simple as a change in weather, or venue changes everything. Like a song that sounds sad when you are miserable and upbeat when you are happy. I like this art work I’m creating, which is good because I kind of like Matt…a lot!
Today I wanted to find something new and different, so why not read about a ton of people in one place. I found CraftySynergy.blogspot.com on my rambles through the proverbial art forest and I’m really impressed.
“Crafty Synergy is a collection of interviews with inspiring artists. My hope is that you find reading these as interesting as I do and that it will give some of you the inspiration to follow your dreams as well”
These are great interviews that have kind of helped me get back on track. I’ve been working on these new necklaces. Not really with anyone in mind, more of a creation for creations sake. It’s actually venturing off the beaten path for me. I’m working with non metal materials and varying natural elements. I hope to have photos soon.
I am more inspired to try new things and really work on this. I also am thinking of some drawings and new ideas for different pieces. It’s going to be an interesting Journey. In the meantime check out Craft Synergy!
Yesterday was one of those days. You know the ones where beating the whole world into submission seems genuinely brilliant. As a consequence, I spent most of the day irritated and out of sorts and trying to hide it from everyone, cause let’s be honest…no one cares If I’m in a pissy mood. They just want me to finish that spreadsheet…then I can be upset, which is really logical when you think about it. How often are we sucked into other people’s drama without realizing it? I caught myself caught in a whirlpool when I was at my local fair-trade coffee joint the other day, as the barista complained about her would be stalker boyfriend person. Honestly, why the heck did I care? At 8:46am I don’t even care what my husband tells me let alone some crazy person who is meant to serve me my daily dose of legal addictive stimulants. Honestly it’s probably because she was serving me the coffee that I didn’t pick up a plastic knife and end it all right there. I was tempted but it was only a nod and several “I know what you mean”s away.
I’m okay with that though. I try to keep my anger when it is not work related as much to myself as possible. No one need know that I’m irritated cause the cat has puked in my shoe. In the first place it really isn’t any of their business and in the second place I’m just not that sharing. Who knew?
It gets even funnier when you see people angry because of thing famous people are doing/did. I never really cared about Angelina Jolie adopting a billion babies…but my friend left 3 messages when she adopted her latest child. The fury in her voice didn’t ebb when I called her 6 hours later. Then there was the time I said The Real OC was just a TV show and one of my best friends slapped me…hard. Never, ever say that in her hearing. I’m pretty sure she’d slap the Pope if he was stupid enough to open his mouth about her favorite show.
So back to my day, which honestly could have gone better, after work I thought I would have some juice. Dropped it on my new cute shirt. Tried to shipped a package to my cousin, couldn’t cause my money was being held by the bank. Finally I tried to watch “Murder She Wrote” but the link wasn’t working. I figured at this point I would pack it in and head to bed but my husband had left a wet towel on my side of the bed. If there was ever a moment I wanted to just quit, that was it. There is a moment in a Bill Cosby special when he explains the whole “conniption” and that was me…skull splitting, fire hair, laser eye burning through your stomach mad. I sat down and pet the cat. Trying to save any hope of sanity I had left. (The cat loves these moments cause she gets the kind of petting that bugged eyed look and she thinks it’s FANTASTIC…what is that?) Finally I got up, walked to the kitchen, kissed my husband and left the house to get some tea. It all fell into place then. My world seemed calm through a haze of milky Earl Grey tea. And do you know what passed through my mind then? “The Brits were right! A cup of tea does solve all my problems!” I tip my hat to you my friends across the sea!
Here I am at the beginning again. I am starting with a recent photograph of me. It’s a little out of date since my hair is now mahogany with red streaks, but this is me. I’m a 26 year old Starving Art Student working, living and existing in Orange County, California – in an incorporated city named Irvine.My husband and I live in a 750 sq. ft one bedroom apartment with a guinea pig named Linus, and two cats, Sophie and Mae. Mae is the little tortoise shell one who only has one eye. The only reminder of her circumstances before we rescued her. Sophie is the Calico, who after all these years will still run into the bathroom with you to make sure you don’t fall in.
Somehow, living in Orange County has yet to be like any TV show I’ve ever watched. The only celebrity who came to my 26th birthday was my mother, who coincidentally wrote a dirty cookbook called Stud Muffins with her friends from her old work…a Catholic School.
Despite not living like a famous person, I’m perfectly happy with my friends and neighbors here. Some of whom are artists, but who are mostly down to earth people.Everyone is friendly and somewhere there is a clipping my mother sent me about Irvine being the safest city in America. My mother does things like that. She’ll call me mid-day to make sure I received the Michaels coupons or ask me if I’ve seen a sale at another random store, and then offer to buy me something that I “have to have”. When people ask me what my mother is like I always say she’s a card. No one ever bothers to ask which one.
My Father travels for a living. He’s a loud guy who makes friends with EVERYONE.The man could walk into a restaurant and within an hour knows the owner, bartender, and the chef. He will also tell you how they make those cute little side dishes with the radish on top. I spent a large portion of my childhood thinking that complimentary drinks, or a chat with the bookkeeper happened to every family. No one told me that my dad just liked to talk.
I have one sister, who until a couple weeks ago was living with me – had lived with me for nearly 5 years after I came home from college. I nicknamed her “squeeker” when I came home from college to find she squealed at various “cute” items, excited books…actually she just likes to squeek. She loves anime and will tell you everything about Japan…but she’s never been there. In fact, since she’s Hispanic I have no idea where she gets her information.
My husband lovingly puts up with me and my family. He is happy to watch TV here or at my parents’ house. (He probably likes it more at their house where there is cable.) He’s a genuinely funny person who, despite looking at computer sale ads like they are porn, really gets me as a person.
To know these people is to know me. These are the ones I love, and work for and fight for. We hope to have a baby someday soon. Which is surreal to say, but it’s true. There’s so much more about me you’ll learn, but for now this is me... It’s very nice to meet you!
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