Another New Beginning

Today is the last day of the year 2011. And with the new year comes new beginnings.

TBS has been airing "Julie and Julia" a lot lately. I adore this movie. I love how both women, who are extraordinary, feel they could do more and actually get off their bottoms and do it! They both challenge themselves and move forward. They twist and squirm with struggles and overcome them with laughter and tears. They may have moments of self loathing and doubt, but they somehow manage to succeed. They are a blessed example of how to get it done.

I want this experience. I want to set a goal of growth and fight my way through it to the glorious end. I am not necessarily looking forward to the disappointments and crying spells, but I know it will be worth it in the end!

So here goes. I am going to post a tiny, insignificant blog everyday. This little blip on the radar will be something I have created that day. Yup! An art a day. I may slip up a time or two, I have to be realistic with myself, but I am going to give this my all! Along with my daily job of painting, cleaning, washing, tin working, glass gluing, child rearing, dog walking, cooking, bill paying/organizing, emailing, advertising, husband loving, and everything else, I am going to create something, perfect or not, and post it here for the world to see!

Repurposed Toolbox

I bought this rusted old toolbox for $1.00 at an estate sale the other day. I could not pass it up! It was all metal and had the removable shelf on the inside too. The top opened and closed great. There was one little ding but I knew I could pound that out with a mallet.

I brought my prize home and grabbed some steal wool, soap and water and mallet. I scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed. Then I used the mallet and pounded the ding back flat.

 Once things were clean, I sprayed the entire box down with a nice cream RustOleum paint.

 I taped off the edges and sprayed the inside a pretty blue RustOleum paint.

Once the RustOleum paint was in place, I brought the toolbox inside to add my artistic flavor.

I DID IT!

As stated in a previous post, I am a HUGE procrastinator! I have tons of wonderful ideas. I make sure to announce my idea and run right out and buy all the supplies needed to make it. I do this public and financial commitment in hopes that since I said the idea out loud to the world and actually spent money on it, I would get off my butt and do it. However, the idea usually ends up filed away in the 'later gator' folder in my brain and craft/art room(s).

This has been my pattern for as long as I have known myself. Many who love me and support me have tried to nudge me along when needed. And from that nudge I probably hop a step or two forward, but never all the way to the end. Then my husband comes along... He does not nudge. He slaps the facts down and stares me right in the eyes and thrust me forward. He may be rough about it, but it works...as long as I have my mother balancing things out by nudging me kindly. Don't get me wrong, James is not cruel or abusive. He is just strong and has a good way of explaining things to me.

So with him pushing me firmly and my mother loving me all the way, I have accomplished one of my dreams! I was scared to death, but I moved forward! I took my feeling of not being worthy and shoved it in the dirt! I am now selling my artwork to a boutique in New Orleans!!! They bought several pieces and placed orders for more! My artwork is worthy! People other than my family and friends really like it! WOOOWHOOOO!! Go ME! Now for the next boutique...

Mosaic Crab

Mosaic RedFish

Mosaic Crawfish

My dreams are coming true! I am going to work hard and keep the ball rolling.

Cookie Story

Last September, my step-son and I brought home a baby puppy. We named him Cookie. ...this could not have been a more perfect name for the personality that came from this pup.

Baby Cookie Pup ( he started out WAY smaller than this)

Cookie Pup and his old shoe...which he eventually chewed to oblivion

He started out small and kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger! He still has not stopped growing! Unfortunately, Cookie still thinks he is little and has yet to realize that he can not fit under certain things anymore... tv trays, my recliner, our bed, etc. James especially hates when he tries to get under the tv tray and ends up wearing it like a horse saddle...there goes dinner.

James and I decided the fuzzies need a day out at the land. I loaded Chester and Cookie up and off we went. We were there quite a while, so I decided to let Cookie be Cookie...

 

Now you know our lovely baby fuzzy's personality...

So here is the story...

I have been busy painting several mosaic paintings for the outside artwork. I had just finished the mosaic alligator, had it propped up under the kitchen table, and was busy painting the mosaic crawfish. Cookie was in his usual spot, asleep right beside me. All the windows were open, because it was a beautiful Spring day and I decided to air the house out. You could hear all kinds of noises, like cars passing, people riding bikes down the road, etc. 

Cookie jumped up and started blowing and making sharp muffled growls. I assumed he heard something outside and was doing his best to scare whatever away. I looked up and saw...

LOL....

dear, sweet, silly Cookie with all his hair standing straight up, prowling all around the mosaic alligator painting! Yes, he was quite scared and was doing his best to seem brave and run the gator off.

Atleast I now know my painting looks as realistic as a mosaic critter can.

Thanks, Cookie, for the compliment

My Art for Outside!

I make and sell art that can go outside. The tin canvas paintings are an example of this. They hang perfectly on a porch or shed or pool house, etc. Everyone who sees the finished product is always amazed when I tap it and prove to them that it is made of tin, not canvas.

So, to help those of you who can not actually see one of these creations in person, here is a quick 'How I Made That'...

First, I build the frame out of treated wood and then I measure out the tin.

I cut the tin....HAND CUT. I now have STRONG hands/arms.

I line everything up and get ready to staple it all in place.

This is the finished tin canvas ready for painting.

I put 3-4 layers of a primer on the tin canvas.

(first layer of primer)

I create my painting and then seal everything. It is now ready to hang outside!

I have been making and selling these pieces of outdoor art for a little over two years now. They hold up fantastically to mother nature. The only time I would suggest bringing them indoors is during a tremendously windy storm/hurricane because they are much like a car in the fact that they will scratch.

I Struggle

I am an artist, a struggling artist. When someone says they are a ‘struggling artist’, most people automatically imagine this messy dressed person with messy/crazy hair living in this somewhat huge industrial loft with only a mattress for sleeping and an easel for painting, who survive mainly on peanut butter sandwiches, ramen noodles, and coffee. I don’t always dress messy, just when I am working on the land or something that might get me dirty and I do not want to ruin my good clothes. I occasionally have crazy hair, but have learned how to use a curling iron or ponytail holder. I do not live in a wonderful old loft (even though I would like to have one in downtown New Orleans); I live in a cute small cottage with a secret garden. I have furniture that may be old and ratty due to the fact that my dog and cat have destroyed them…but still, I have more than a mattress and an easel. I eat WAY more than just peanut butter sandwiches and coffee, and I hate ramen noodles! So if you are thinking of my struggle in that sense of the term, switch channels and think differently. I am a struggling artist, just not that kind. I struggle with myself, but not in a ‘poor pity me’ kind of way or an ‘I have something profound to say and you must listen’ kind of way either. I struggle with actually making myself accomplish my goals, with actually getting up and creating all of these wonderful things that I see in my head. I am a procrastinator! There, I said it… now maybe it will go away.

I have many goals I want to accomplish this year. One is to blog at least 3 times a week.  I want to become a good Etsy shopkeeper and make lots of sales on that website.  I want to keep my 10x10 rented space in June Bug’s Checkered Cupboard Antique/Gift shop full and thriving and making money! I want to start my own children’s lines with these cool ideas I have. I want to make a killing selling my creations at festivals, art shows, and farmers markets. I want my goodies to be sold in other retail shops locally and eventually nationally… I want my dreams to come true.

Unfortunately, the struggling artist cock blocks all those fantastic dreams. But, I am slowly learning to slap him in the face and push him down out of my way.  So far this year, I have redesigned my logo and blog page and posted one good blog… and here is my second.  I have started creating my tin art more and I actually attended my first farmers market (Mandeville Trailhead Community Market in Mandeville, Louisiana) this past Saturday. I am re-attending that market this coming up Saturday.  Today I plan to go to June Bug’s shop and re-arrange my 'corner' and get busy keeping it cute and stocked full of items to sell. I am painting repurposed furniture that will help fill that 'corner' along with my paintings, garden stakes, wall hangings, sewn goodies, jewelry and more! I have yet to post anything for sell on my Etsy page, but I am going to start taking photos of some items this week….hopefully.

So, now that you kind of get where I am at, you will understand my ramblings a bit better…I think.

Here are some photos of the farmers market my Mom and I attended this past weekend…

Mandeville Trailhead Community Market

Hand cut, hand painted, tin garden stakes

Hand built/painted tin art for outside and my Mom's silk floral wreaths

Glass totem poles for the garden

I'm keeping it!

My husband and I…that still sounds weird saying ‘my husband’, even though we have been married nearly a year now. But I swear he-is-my-husband, I have papers to prove it! Anyway, back to the subject…
My husband and I are cleaning up our land that we bought nearly 2 years ago.  We bought it from a dear relative of mine who farmed it his entire life along with his wife.  They did nearly everything on that land…except chickens; she would not let him have chickens.  They grew crops, they had cows and I believe hogs, too. He had huge greenhouses that he raised plants in and sold. Like I said they did it all here.

So, as you would suspect, after years of working this land doing all sorts of things, they had lots of old equipment lying around and tons of ‘treasures’ hidden about.  This is what James and I are cleaning up.  We are hauling scrap metal to the scrap yard in order to get some extra cash in our pockets. We will then use that money to put up a fence and maybe help the road.

Now if you don’t know this about me, I am a collector.  I see the beauty in old and rust and yuck that many others cannot.  So, during these adventures of cleaning, I tend to sneak pieces of old metal, scrap, etc and hide them in our antique, falling down dairy barn.  My husband, I know sees me out of the corners of his eyes, but he smiles and says nothing, until....
The other day he pulled the truck and trailer up to the old barn, hanging out of his window singing… bum bum BA dum, bum bum BA DA da da dum… for those who do not understand my singing language, that is the tune to Sanford and Son.  Yes he did. And now my official name according to James is Sanford.

I’ll take it. Call me what you like, I am keeping these goodies. I have plans for them!

 

There are 2 of these beauties! They are going to go by the door way to our future

shed with tons of bright flowers around them. What a grand entrance

that will be!

 A future candlestick holder...

 

A future bird feeder...

  

I just can't get enough of old glass or ceramics!