Illustration Friday - Mirror

telescoping mirror with miniature eye painting

Mirror is the new prompt from IllustrationFriday.com this week.  Another inspiring one! 

I'm disappointed that I haven't had time to make anything the last few weeks... and this one looks no better. So, I'm cheating & sharing this old mixed media altered mirror.

The mini eye is painted with acrylics, ink and metallic paint. It is secured to a telescoping mirror. These were a lot of fun to make (& play with). Pretty sure I have another unaltered one around here - I'll have to keep an eye out while sorting through the scary mess of my art room.

Well, time to run. Hope you have a wonderful weekend & if you are inspired by "mirror", be sure to  share your creation with everyone over at Illustration Friday.

You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul. - George Bernard Shaw

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By the way, have you entered the latest random drawing for 100 custom printed postcards from PrintRunner? Leave a comment before 10/18 to enter (US residents only, sorry international folks). Click here for details

Pinterest is a small world after all....

untitled photo by Deb Schwedhelm

Spotted this fun (but unattributed) photo on Pinterest. Love the pic but one of my pet peeves is sharing visual images without proper credit*.... so I went digging. 

Luckily the image was linked to the photographer's, (Deb S) flickr account. Poking around there led me to the evocative images on her website http://www.debsphotographs.com/. The "about" page had a picture of this talented artist, Deb Schwedhelm. Here's the small world part - her son used to talk Lego with mine at the walkers pick up spot after school. It really is a small world!

* Now, I will admit that I have gotten sloppy regarding re-pin attribution too. ( & apologize for this). But I try to give credit when I can. While http://images.google.com/ used to be my go to place for identifying original sources, nowadays so many leads link to uncredited pinterest or tumblr pages that it has become a challenge to give credit where it is due. Questions for you:Do you use pinterest, polyvore, tumblr, etc? How do you deal with the uncredited artist problem? Do you have a favorite source search? 

An Embarrassment of Riches

my closed door- don't say I didn't warn you

I've been griping for years about how my "studio" - a bedroom converted into a craft room - has become an uninhabitable boxroom. Too many years of Don't know where to put it? Chuck it in and shut the door. The time has come to put on my big girl panties and dig in.

peeking in...Beware. Here Be Dragons....

I'm sharing these embarrassing photos to give myself a final (shameful) kick in the keister.  Hey, they'll make great "before" pictures eventually. (You know, that unfinished blue painting has been sitting there since 2008 or so - sigh. I have my work cut out for me.)

Can you spy the remains of the last foolish brave visitor?

To help keep me on track, I've signed on for a fresh round of Beth Dargis' Declutter Club. (Psst... You can get her free Declutter Calendar here). My task this time around is to turn this soul-sucking  disaster into a creative space. 

my desk is under there... somewhere

The extra accountability & support really do help; with ideas and encouragement from Beth's group, I have purged a unbelievable amount of excess from the rest of our house and office in the last 6 months.

boxes from failed attempts to get organized

However, my space now reminds me of the infamous Dorian Gray's portrait (via Hoarders)... as the rest of our space grew beautiful, my room became more hideous and corrupted. 

closet - perhaps I can wish it bigger??

To be fair - this is totally my fault. So, taking a deep breath and wading in. Wish me luck. If you don't hear from me in 6 months, send for backup.

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Before you run screaming from my torture chamber, leave a comment to entered my Oct 18th random drawing for 100 custom printed postcards from PrintRunner.com. Click here for giveaway details

Win 100 postcards of your design - ends 10/18

PrintRunner.com - Quality Printing For Less

Feeling Lucky?

I sure am! Today I get to host a new Thursday Giveaway for the fabulous folks over at PrintRunner.com.  On 10/18 one lucky winner will be randomly selected to take home 100 free custom printed postcards! Readers who leave a comment on my ArtSnark blog before the 18th will be automatically entered in the drawing. (Please note - giveaway is only open to US residents, ages 18yrs and older.)

Looking for Details?

Prize details
Postcard Size: Postcards 5x7
Quantity: 100
Colors: 4/0 Front Only Printing
Paper: 14 PT. UV Coating on Front
Rounded Corners: Yes
Proof: None
Ready to Ship In: 4 Business Days 

Entry details
Giveaway is open to US Residents only, ages 18 years old and above. To get in on the action simply leave a comment on this blog before 1 a.m. (EST) on October 18th. The random winner will be announced later that day.

Please be sure to leave an email address if it isn't in your blog profile. I need a way to contact you if you win.


Disclaimer

Many thanks to PrintRunner for sponsoring this random drawing. I will also be receiving a set of 100 custom postcards for hosting this giveaway.

Last spring I had the pleasure of working with this online printing company.  It was easy to upload my design to their website, turn around time was fast, and my cards came out great. They have received many compliments; I especially love the rounded corners.

The winner of last March's postcard drawing was mixed media artist Elena Mary Siff. She emailed me with a glowing report and sent along a picture of her custom cards once they arrived. Elena's design features her piece, The Vast And Endless Sea:

The Vast And Endless Sea by Elena Mary Siff

Postcards are useful in so many ways. Yes, they are perfect for business and promotion. But you can use them for all sorts of things: Print your custom party invitations, Family announcements, even Holiday greetings. What will you do with your 100 postcards if you win?

Looking for more info about Print Runner?

Website: http://www.printrunner.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/printrunner

Twitter: https://twitter.com/printrunner

Curious about artist Elena Mary Siff?

Website: http://www.elenamarysiff.com/

Blog: http://elenamarysiff.blogspot.com/

Online Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/elenamary

Thanks for popping by today. Don't forget to leave a comment and put your name into the hat!

The Magic of a Moment

The Magic Momentary Man of Moments 

The Dude (formerly known as Little Dude) asked me to share his latest mixed media creation here. This is his vibrant interpretation of "the magic of a moment" challenge (hosted by the local PTA). It measures 18" x 16", much larger than his usual format. The figure is a magician standing beside a giant magic hat with things shooting out the top. In the bottom margin there is the text: Yay Woohoo Wow How does he do that!? 

The Dude also had to come up with his first artist statement. On the aside, am I the only person who hates writing these? He wrote:

I chose to make this artwork because I always loved magicians since I was a baby so when I heard the theme was the magic of a moment I totally got excited, so I decided to make a moment magician.

And here is the artist enjoying his own magical moment this past summer.

Music Monday - Innocent Watermelon

XmasDolly's new theme is the year your kid was born. For kicks I googled the top 100 of 2003 & (wow) do I feel out of the loop. In '03 I was fat as a pig & just waiting to get my kicking kiddo OUT! (TMI, I know - sorry)

But ... here was what I was listening to:

& 

Sorry if the Boxer Rebellion made you spill your coffee. It is a good tune after the initial squelching....

If you're looking for more Monday Music, pop over to Xmas Dolly's joint for a fresh cuppa & lots-o-links. If you're feeling retro post & share your tunes over at her hop.

Tampa Upcycle named Best Independent Craft Store!

Congrats to Morgan Abdallah & Tampa Upcycle for taking home the Best Independent Craft Store award from Creative Loafing Tampa Bay!

Looking to destash your overflowing art/craft supplies closet? This my go-to place! Here's a link to the post about August's donation.

Looking for creative supplies but on a budget? This is definitely the place for you. Visit the Tampa Upcycle website for hours and more info on their "pay-as-you-wish" system.

They also want to know what tools/machines you'd like to see for rent in this Ybor shop/studio space. Share your thoughts on their facebook page survey: https://www.facebook.com/tampaupcycle.