Meet My New Website, and it’s Builder!

Today I am super excited to introduce the new look and function of my website!  It has many more features… like an events calendar where you can check out upcoming workshops, find out where I will be the featured artist, and any other upcoming events.  There is a way to contact me directly, and many other features.  I am excited about all the possibilities for this site.  It feels like a big step toward accomplishing some of my goals.  New and exciting things are happening!

But I want to spend the rest of this post bragging a bit on the gal who built my new web home.  I met Tayla when we were both doing the craft show circuit and would often have a booth at the same show.  I was always impressed with her energy, creativity, and professionalism. She keeps her hand dipped in many creative pots, and whatever she does, she does well. So when I heard she built web sites as well, I jumped on the opportunity!

I asked Tayla to tell us a bit about her creative journey and here is what she had to say..

“Wrapping up my artsy story is a difficult task!  But if you start with education, I attended The Art Institutes for Web Design and shortly after acquired a job in marketing…  That did not work out well (the job that is)!  Craving a more hands-on, free approach to my career, I decided to start selling my handmade jewelry through WildFire Studio.

Over the next four years,  I ran WildFire and continuously tried to shape it into a business I could continue experimenting with.  But it never quite got to where I wanted it to and I started to burn out around the beginning of 2016. 

Not knowing what direction I wanted to take next, I got a part-time position at my favorite, local coffee shop, found out it was for sale, and snatched it up by that July!  I now strive to bring that same creative energy into my doors that I did with WildFire.

All along, I’ve used my education to build WordPress websites and strengthen branding for all of my businesses (yes, “all…” I’m kind of a serial entrepreneur…) and for other creative makers.  I love the problem solving aspect and hope to continue working on new projects in the future!”

Tayla was so great to work with through the design process, and very patient with this non-tech savvy client!  If you are interested in having her build you a website, contact her at taylamace16@gmail.com or on Instagram @taylamakes

You also need to stop by her coffee shop, The White Peacock whenever you find yourself in Lindsborg… one of my favorite arty little towns!

Possibilities

“When you have exhausted all the possibilities, remember this:  you haven’t.”

Thomas Edison

Junk Journal Spread 41

This was a fun little doodly spread in my junk journal based on the existing needlecraft pattern page that had been bound into the journal, plus Jane Davenport’s face stamps.  Made for a quick and easy page. I had great fun doodling in the hair, a technique I think I will try again!

Before…

Thanks for stopping by!

Home on the Plains

Still enthralled with buffaloes!  With this one I was thinking about how everyone thinks of the plains of Kansas as a bit drab, when actually it is teaming with all kinds of beautiful life. As a child I remember being in a field of huge sunflowers that towered high over my head and became the inspiration for the giant sunflowers in this piece.

“Home on the Plains” is on a 16 x 20 inch cradled wood panel.

 

Of Journals and Faces…

Still working in my junk journal this week, though I have been making a lot of art as well for some upcoming shows.  Above is Spread #45 in my little junk journal – after.  Below is how the bound journal looked before I started on it.

On the right side is a page section from one of the fabulous books by Sabrina Ward Harrison. I left the face, but did a bit of altering.  The most striking change is the mismatch eyes which are washi tape by Jane Davenport.  Sure give this gal a wonky look… and I like wonky!  Seems so much more true to life and appealing to me than perfection.

The feathers are from a hand carved stamp.  I have been pulling out my stamps, and carving more to get all brushed up for a stamp carving workshop I am teaching at Tessera Gallery in March.

I have been continuing with my faces as well… this week was faces #44-50! Not an especially great batch, but I did lots of experimenting and got some ideas that I may incorporate into some artwork.

My favorite this week is this guy…

I also got a little mini oil painting lesson this week with Lisa Graham, and now am excited to start dabbling a bit in oils.

Another excitement this week was getting the March/April issue of Somerset Studio in the mail with my Paying Tribute article inside!  Still thrills me to see my name in print!

I will be teaching a workshop on this faux encaustic technique at Tessera Fine Art Gallery in April.

That is pretty much my week… How was yours?

 

How Now Brown Cow?

The latest in my Home on the Range series celebrating Kansas.  Of course it has to be titled “How Now Brown Cow”!  This particular piece is a tribute to the Kansas farm.

On a 12 x 12 stretched canvas with 1 1/2 inch deep sides. Created with Citra Solv altered National Geographic pages and acrylic paint.

Paper Love

I had few paper themed workshops last week at Tessera Gallery.  The first was painting with paper, where we created a piece of artwork using only paper in the place of brush strokes.

 

I think the results were lovely!

Next up was a mosaics workshop where again we used only paper, but this time to create mosaic style works with spaces in between the papers.

Again, I was impressed with the results, even though most did not get their piece quite finished….

And finally, we finished the trio with a Story Collage workshop.

Again, everyone did a great job with some creative ideas!

A big thanks to these talented and fun ladies!

Comfortable in Your Own Skin

While it seems terribly important to most of us to be “normal” (a figment of our imaginations) that can really put a wet blanket on creativity!  Accepting who you are, quirks and all, is an important part of being artistic.  So put your art on!

This is the before photo of this page out of my little hand bound junk journal.

Hope you have a wonderfully blessed and creative day!

Happy Valentine’sDay

Sharing with you some of my easy heart themed digital downloads for your last minute Valentine project!  And stick with me to the end because a free gift waits for you there!

Buy this sheet of digital download heart art HERE. Or the one below HERE.

To help you celebrate the day, enjoy this FREE download of my mixed media hearts, either as a jpeg or pdf file.

Mixed Media Hearts

Hope you have a lovely day!

Who Me?

“Who Me? seems to be the expression on this chickadee collage made entirely from Citra Solv papers as an example for a two part Citra Solv workshop at Dillon Nature Center the last couple of weeks.

First the class made Citra Solv altered papers, then used them to create a bird collage of their own. I think they all did a fabulous job… we had roosters, sparrows, owls, robins, cardinals, and crows!  Quite a flock of artwork!