Let the Spring Craft Show Season Begin!

My crazy Spring season has been finalized! Please come to any shows that you can and say hi! Last night was the NAEA artisan fling...3 hours of amazing art teachers embarking on the jennyjen booth with tons of smiles and complements! Thanks art teacher peeps! 3 hours of "Cuteness" and a nice chuck of change to start off my spring season. We have a roof to fix here people! Thanks so Much! So here it is.....my insane spring schedule:
Spring Bada Bing in Richmond VA, Sun. Apr18
Squidfire's Art Mart in BAltimore, MD, Sat. May 8
Art Star in Philly's Penns Landing, May 15-16
Handmade Mart in Silver Spring, MD Sun. May 23
Pile of Craft, in Baltimore, Sat. June 26

Art Star in Philly!

In May, I'll be joining my BEST buddy Jen Menkhaus in a booth at Art Star. They've been posting the other vendors. I'm hoping we'll have the same beautiful weather we had last year. Plan on coming to Philly for the art festval. At Penns Landing, May 15-16.

New Products Coming Soon!

Just finished a new flab bag that perfect for your camera, phone, keys and wallet...and perhaps a couple of other items Its really all I need when I don't feel like lugging around a bunch of stuff. This one is mine! Just in time to go back to NYC this Friday on a day trip with 46 kiddies! That;s enough stuff to lug around. Also, new coasters with tiny felt applique birdy birds on each corner!

Spring Bada Bing!

The spring season is beginning and I've been working like a maniac. First show is at the NAEA conference. I'm participating in the artisan fair. The second show is in Richmond.VA: Spring Bada Bing: Sunday, April 18. Check out the vendors who will be joining me here . I'll be posting new products soon!

new addition to the sweatshop

I've been living in my sweat shop these days and cutting my daily budget as low as I can. So I have my only tv set connected to cable and the dvd/vhs player in the sweatshop. It was getting a bit hard on my back as I was working on the floor and watching tv so I got enough money from taxes to invest on my new piece of furniture. Here it is, my sofa bed from IKEA...the beddinge. Elected to forgo the slip cover for a prettier bed spread from urban adventure that I got years ago. I'm also gonna see how long I can last this summer without AC, so this will also work nicely for my summer bed since this is the only room with a ceiling fan too.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter ...had to post this photo of my sister and I back in 1966 in our Easter outfits that my mom made. I'm hoping we're going back to these days of handmade...home made outfits and simple traditions of the old photograph on the front steps of the house. Anyone else have a similar pics? Lets share.

before and after school renovations from design sponge

A good friend of mine is in the process of buying a house with not a lot of money. Got me searching and being amazing of how many houses are for sale in the B-more area under $100,000. Course you can also imagine the state that they are in. So in search of before and after renovations, I have to applaud angela tullier and her husband adam in their very hip renovation of a home that hadn't been changed since 1958, except for the vacancy prior to their purchase of four years. Check out the entire post here on design sponge...I'm really loving the colors of the bathroom as well as that kitchen!

William Kentridge: FIve Themes

WOW am I lacking on the blog posting. Spring break is here and I just got back from New York's lower west side that I absolutely loved. My friend and I embarked on an adventure of "do we plan" or not and made some tracks around town that were new and eye opening. Did first make it to the William Kentridge's Five Theme show at MOMA and found some meaning for my own new work. There is something about these discarded posts and structures that keep popping up in my work. You have until May 17 to get up there to see it. I think its the most complete show I've seen of Kentridge's work. Didn't see the whole show because I'm taking 45 Students up next Friday to see it

New Flap BAgs in the SHop!

Fresh for the spring season...new tri-color canvas flap bags. Perfect for your sketchbook!More stitched designs less felt....that means a bit more durable, no more pilley felt!!! More eco felt made of recyclable plastic bottles. New this season is tri-color...the body is made of two colors with another complementary color flap! Interior still have the party in the inside feel with two contrasting fabric, two interior pockets: one zipper one convenient accessory pocket. Machine washable! So start your spring shopping here

Daniel Pink Ted Talk

I saw Daniel Pink last week speak at the Park School on his new book titled "Drive"...If you haven't hear of this guy....just watch and see if this gets you hooked. His new book is on what motivates us...and there are some very insightful findings!

THis is my office that I call the cage..

I call it my cage, because it is exactly that...a cage..i'm hoping this helps to explain why I go crazy some days when I am in here for hours on end on my "B" days...

"and don't you know that God is Pooh bear?"

Hooping Rain , Shine or Snow!

Last Saturday, Feb. 13, we were all still pretty snowed in and a little stir crazy. My man, Spilly, was out in the snow, on one of the highest snow piles, introducing his new spring line of hula hoops. What's not to love about this spirit of dedication and revolutionary love! Every Saturday morning he is out there on his medium stoop selling his hoops and his message of building community through the idea of shared moments of fun ! The Baltimore Messenger caught him in action and capture this great photo of him. Join Spilly on Saturdays in front of the Waverly market or for family free hoop sessions at Studio thirty 4 at 623 W. 34th St. Suite 105 Baltimore, MD 21211, every Sunday from 10:30 AM to noon! Also look for his new spring line of speciality hoops in his new etsy shop here.

I made it onto a very tree-y treasury today!

What has happened to today's girl scout

I was looking over at the Good magazine blog and a Thursday series on girl scouts has begin. I'm too happy with the flakiness of this article that doesn't mention anything really about today's girl scout or about the design sense of today's teen girl between the ages of 13 and 15. I'll admit it. I was one of those girl scouts in my teen age years. Course that also where I learned cool girl habits like smoking cigarettes and that funny stuff too! Read the article here and see what you think. IN the mean time I went on to etsy to find some good girl scout paraphernalia to enjoy!

Michael Johansson.

Looking on the grain edit blog and found these amazing cool found object installations by Swedish artist Michael Johansson. I've been more and more thinking installation and sculpture than painting lately and these are beautiful in their structure and color schemes. These would put my first painting teacher ( love you Joyce Stillman Myers) to shame with her definition of sculpture being "something you back into while looking at a painting"

Reflections on Painting continues...2002-2004

mother may I?

jill

king pooh

Mural for Mulberry Street

jack

and then there was pooh

nose pickers

I had just came back from a week at SAIC in the summer of 2001, where I received a grant to participate in a teacher institute and paint the model . I was welcomed home by a huge piece of linen that was used in some movie set. My tool box was full of figure drawings and paintings as well as a full 12' by 8' wall covered with linen. My largest piece to date began in 2002 and was completed, or stopped being work on in 2003. IN this pivotal year, I created a mural for Mulberry street of abut the same size as well as King Pooh, which is 8' by 4'. I absolutely loved working this big. But the size becomes way too big when it has to be taken down and rolled up and stored away to hopefully one day be shown again. I tried to hang my Jill painting in my new house, but there isn't a wall large enough to hold it. The theme of jack and jill and fairly tales as well as pooh exclaimed greatly in my work during this period. This was also the last works of art created during my first marriage. The tales that gave me the insight to move on in life.

This morning's walk...another trip through the great divide

This photo documentary is my morning's walk around 9AM. from Oakenshawe to Northwood. It was windy but not as bad as the day progressed. I think I caught the calm before the storm. About 10 " new this morning. We've all been called into our homes for the rest of the day. Rest up tonight and pray that our power lines hang in there. Tomorrow begins yet another day of the big dig out!