A New Blog

Since this is a place for me to track my art journey and follow fellow artists, I won't be posting much more about our new house. We decided to start a new blog as a family. I hope that you will follow along and watch our green building adventure. Check it out! http://www.HouseofLews.blogspot.com/

Be Thankful

Sunday we took a walk through the new house and it occurred to me how very blessed we are. We are so excited about selling our home, the prospect of a new project and being debt free (at least until construction starts) that we forgot HOW we got this house... a foreclosure. Walking around looking at the big cracks in the wall, peeling linoleum and dirty carpet it occurred to me how sad it must be for the previous owners. They weren't able to keep it up or to pay their mortgage. I don't know way happened to them or where they are but quietly, while I was standing in the kitchen, I wished them well.

Our New Project

Look what we bought today... OUR NEW HOME! Well, it will be our new home in about 7-8 months. Right now it's our project. We hope to tear most of it down and build a 2400 square foot environmentally friendly house. We've been space planning for weeks and I think we've decided on a layout we both like. My husband Tony (an architect) will be drafting the plans and sending them to the Village of La Grange for approval. If all goes well we can start the tear down process in late February or early March. We've renovated a few old homes but this is the 3rd new home we've designed and built from the ground up. We love level floors and square corners! We work well together and in the end we will have a great house that reflects our personality and fits how we live. We are both so excited!

Congratulations Mary!

My sister Mary and her business partner Andera launched their new business last night with a party in Mary's home. Their company, Salon Delivered, offers in home salon service. I'm so proud of her. She's always wanted to be her own boss. She imagined the possibilities and now she's going to soar! I made two pieces, one for her and the other for Andrea. I hope they like them.

If you would like to know more about her new business, check out http://www.salondelivered.com/ to see what it's a about.

A Little Art Retreat of Our Own

Last weekend I took a much needed break from packing up my house to go with my 4 art sisters on a little retreat of our own. We went to my summer home and hid away to work on our journals for the Make Your Mark Journal Project. We worked on our covers and each others pages. I usually spend most of my time in the studio alone so it was so good to get creative with the ladies! Part of me can't wait to pass my book along and watch it evolve but part of me wants to hang on to it and keep it all for myself. Each page of these books are a treasure. Let me know if you want to add to mine. I would love to send it to you!

On Hold

Things may have to be on hold for a while because we sold our house... YEAH! We are looking for a rental to move into for a year while we find a house that need lots of work or a wreck that we can tear down and design/build a new one. The move part needs to happen by November 30th! It may end up putting my art on a shelve until after Christmas. I'm sad about that, but the creative energy will be put to good use working on a new house. This is something we really like to do and its part of our plan for LESS STUFF AND MORE LIFE. So, if you have any boxes you need to get rid of call me.

3rd Place

I won 3rd place at the Pink Ribbon Art contest held at La Grange Memorial Hospital. The hospital has decided to keep my piece and it will be hanging in the waiting room at their new imaging center. Cool!

Pink Ribbon Art Contest

Last week an email came from the La Grange Art League with an entry form for the Pink Ribbon Art Contest held at La Grange Hospital's Breast Cancer Awareness Lighting Ceremony on Thursday September 30th at 6pm. It's largely due to breast cancer that I decided to explore my creative side so I entered the contest and donated my piece. Boy, putting this together really pulled a lot out of me! I'm glad I did it. I'm not sure what will happen to it. It may be part of a silent auction or it may be hung in the hospital during the month of October. I guess I'll find out at the Lighting Ceremony. Either way, its for a good cause. It will benefit the hospital's breast cancer education and outreach fund.

Note to self: I really need to start scanning things before I frame them. It would make it so much easier to show.

Oh Grasshopper...

As most of you know I have a raw studio space in my basement. One day I'm hoping it gets finished but right now it has some walls, some electric, a concrete floor, bare bulb overhead lighting and too many spiderwebs. Most of the time I'm down in the cave by myself and while I love the peace and quite, it can get a little lonely. Especially if I work in the evening. Lately my daughter Evan has been hanging out with me. We watch TV, talk and work on our stuff. I love spending time with her... she rocks! I'm working on a piece that has magnetic paint under it. Evan thought that was a great idea and came up with her own magnetic piece made from scrap wood and aluminum foil. The picture doesn't do it justice. The magnetic flowers are really good! I'm not sure she's finished with it yet, but I thought I'd give you a sneak peak.

CREATE Retreat

I had a great day today. Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine is hosting an art retreat in Rosemont this week. I signed up for a class with Alisa Burke called Larger Than Life. I've been following Alisa's blog for a while and I like the graffiti-styled art she creates. Her seminar was designed to help you work on a larger scale, something I have trouble with. Lately I feel like I'm sending money out the door faster than it's coming in so I really was starting to regret spending so much on a one day class, but was I glad I did! I love the way Alisa works. She just gets those creative juices going and it's fun to work in a room with other people eager to learn and to share. I worked on 3 canvas and even managed to finish one. It's a different style for me, but I'm happy with how it turned out. I'm feeling a little more confident about working on a larger scale. I plan to hit the studio tomorrow so I don't lose momentum. I borrowed a few pictures from Alisa's blog to show you what I did. Isn't it fun?

Rusty Paper

The other day I decided to make some paper. I tried a new technique... rust. I can't wait to work with this paper. Here's how I did it. I wrapped tissue paper from the dollar store around a piece of rusty metal (I found it in the street!) and then I poured white vinegar on it. I left it outside in the sun for the day. That's it! Isn't it cool? I can't wait to use it.

Kelly, Jane and Katie

Since I've been creatively blocked lately, I decided to read up on a famous artist who's work I love and interpret what I see into something of my own. A bit of an exercise meant to get the creative energy flowing again. I worked on a few things inspired by some of the "big guys" like Picasso, Chagall and Miro, but I'm still not coming up with anything of my own. Also, I've been reading a few different collage books. One in particular is called Taking Flight by Kelly Rae Roberts. It's all about inspiration. Kelly's art is whimsical and feminine. It's so different from my own work, yet I appreciate her use of color and incorporation of texture. I created a piece following some of her techniques outlined in the book and the piece is working for me, but I just can't seem to complete it. Well, my friend's daughter Katie is going to Cambridge England to study for the next 3 weeks. (Lucky girl!) One of the literature courses is a study of works by Jane Austin. A HA! I figured out just what it needs! I incorporated my favorite Jane quote onto the piece, "Where shall we see a better daughter or a kinder sister or a truer friend?" Yesterday I took it to Hobby Lobby to have a matt cut. The sales girl asked me if it was a print by Kelly Roberts and the another lady said I should give it to someone special. Well, I was thrilled to be confused with Ms. Roberts and proud of the gift I created for special young friend who's off on an exciting adventure. I was so excited about how it turned out and encouraged by the feedback from the ladies at the store that I rushed over to Katie's this morning and gave it to her. She loved it! With a book that inspired me, validation from strangers in the store, and one little excited tear from the daughter of a friend I'm happy to report my creative slump is over... THANK YOU KELLY, JANE and KATIE!

It's not happening today either.

I need to do something to get the creative juices flowing. I spent a few hours yesterday in my little studio and all I could manage to do was clean it up. This morning, the same thing. What's going on? Maybe it's time to get inspired. I think I'm going to spend a few hours this afternoon looking through art books with a glass of wine and my sketch book. I'm hoping that will do it. Wish me luck!

St. Charles was the happening place!

Yesterday I was having a bad day. I was just "off" with everything, or as my father used to say "I wasn't hitting on all cylinders". Oh how painfully true! However, my crummy day ended with a fun night. Tony and I went to St. Charles for dinner with my art friends followed by the opening reception for our first professional gallery show. I think the opening went well and all the art was just amazing! Thank you Melinda and Kersten for choosing Za Za's for dinner. The food was yummy! Sue and Greg, thank you for driving and for not killing me because I was so late. Turkan, Pam and Jim thank you for not throwing things at me for making EVERYONE late. I'm looking forward to the next get together to celebrate how creative we are!

MCS show in St. Charles

The Midwest Collage Society will exhibit 113 original collage, mixed media and assemblage works, by 33 artists, at the Dellora A. Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles. It is running until July 30th. The theme of the show, Paper, Process and Perception, encompasses each individual artists' perception of the world through paper, wood, fabrics and other canvases. I have two small pieces in the show. If you're in the St. Charles area the evening of Friday June 9th, 7:30 to 9pm, stop in and see this impressive show. I'll be there around 8pm. I'd love to see you!

The Dellora A. Norris Cultural Arts Center
1040 Dunham Road
St. Charles, IL
(630) 584-7200
www.norrisculturalarts.com

If your looking for a good summer read...

I just finished a good summer book. You know, the kind that makes you laugh and tells an interesting story. It's no ground breaker or literary masterpiece, just enjoyable. Breakfast with Buddha is a fast easy read but in the end makes you pause. I like this type of book. It resonates with me. Here's the story as it's described on the back cover, "When his sister tricks him into taking her guru, a crimson-robed monk, on a trip to their childhood home, Otto Ringling, a confirmed skeptic, is not amused. Six days on the road with an enigmatic holy man who answers every question with a riddle is not what he'd planned. But in an effort to westernize his passenger-amuse himself-he decides to show the monk some "American fun" along the way. From a chocolate factory in Hershey to a bowling alley in South Bend, from a Cubs game at Wrigley field to his farm in North Dakota, Otto is given a remarkable opportunity to see his world-and more important, his life-through someone else's eyes." OK, so why is this on my arty blog, you ask? It inspired me and who doesn't love that?! I've been in my studio for the past two days working on a piece. I'm pushing it a little by trying new things. I'm hoping to learn a little something along the way and maybe "see things differently". Stay tuned and I'll let you know how it works out.

Thought Process

I received a call from Judy at the La Grange Art League. They are looking for artists to display in the La Grange Public Library. It's a recycled theme... what better medium than collage! However, before my work could be considered I must pass the LGAL jury/review committee in order to exhibit in the Gallery or at any LGAL sanctioned event, such as the library. For some this isn't a big deal; a formality really. Not for me! I been putting it off because what if no one likes my work? (Really, how insecure is that?) I felt so much better when Judy said, "Laura said your ready". Well ok. Laura has been one of my instructors for the past 2 years. She's great, extremely talented and a very successful artist! Her classes have really pushed me and they stir up all kinds of creative energy. The next day I got the call that I'd been accepted. I'm thrilled! So, this is the piece I'm going to hang in the library. I'm excited to have something of mine hanging in my home town. For me, it's a big deal. THANK YOU LAURA!

Rain Barrel Vote

Today I discovered you can vote for your favorite rain barrel. Click on the link to the right and you'll go right there. You can view them all on line then make your selection. If you get a minute vote for ours, #50. Thanks!

Work of Art: The Next Great Artist

I'm a fan of Project Runway for two reasons: 1) I watch it with my daughter and she loves fashion. She critiques, discusses and voices her opinion about each designer and outfit with such a sophisticated eye that I can't help but watch her and marvel. She just twinkles! 2) It's just fun. The designers are quirky and creative. You just never know what their going to come up with.

Bravo TV has come out with a new show on Wednesdays called Work of Art: The Next Great Artist done in the same format as Project Runway. It premiered yesterday. I love it! Each artist has their own style and it's going to be fun to see what (and how) they come up with things each week. I hope I can learn a little bit along the way. The judges seem to spot on with their critiques and there is just enough attitude and arrogance to make it all interesting.

Check it out on Wednesdays!
http://www.bravotv.com/work-of-art

Rain Barrel

It was fun to see the rain barrel created with my artist friend Pam Peterson sitting on La Grange Road. Pam's been painting various things for the LGBA over the years and mentioned how it's a bit boring to have to paint it by herself. Of course I said "I'll do it with you!" and she was glad to have me. We had fun putting together and then running around in the rain to get it photographed and delivered. Pam is a talented faux finish artist who has recently decided to take her art in a different direction. She creates beautiful things and I'm inspired by her creativity and talent. (And we like to giggle!) Pam, thanks for sharing your barrel with me!

In the beginning...

I'm going to start a blog. Someplace to show my work and document my creative journey... or at least give it a try!