Mood Ring TILES!

I don't usually post anything about tile, but this has my attention.  Moving Color manufactures several different temperature sensitive tiles for the bathroom (or any other tile application).  

Custom creations are not a problem. "Choose your texture, color and temperature range and we will give life to your project."  



They even make a touch sensitive tile!

I've never used these tiles and can't really endorse them but it's another interesting find out on the interwebs! ;)

I'm Gettin' Married in the Mornin'

Thanks to Washingtonians, I able to legally marry my partner of 17 years.  Tomorrow is the day!  I noticed that my brain still has a bit of a struggle with calling my partner my husband.  I grew up in a small town in Texas and grew never considering I would ever have this opportunity.  Never once did I ever wonder what my life would be like with a husband - A boyfriend/lover/life partner, yes, but not "husband".

Well, that is all about to change tomorrow.  We have our cake ordered along with food.  I'm making the corsages and we're getting married at our friends house on the lake.

This is Ames Lake during the early morning with the toolie [sic] fog floating just above the calm, mirror-like water.

I'm excited and moved that I will finally marry my life partner, Robert.  I couldn't be happier with my choice of husband to continue spending the rest of my life with.  Have a great weekend!

I'm finally in the studio with a zillion ideas running through my head.  Halloween & Vine is looming on the horizon. (9/28). Can't seem to simplify my sketches because these particular pieces will move.  One friend makes a suggestion ("What if some of your pieces moved?") and my mind sets to complicating my life.  Our brains are designed that way and I got a good dose of it.

I decided to start using up my 70 cigar boxes.  Don't think that I'm planning to use all of them up this year...or next year...or in 10 years.  There's a bunch of them.  I'll give some away when the opportunity presents itself, but until then I have a towering wall on one end of the studio.

Here are a few with the initial hole cut.  All the working parts will be inside except for the crank.  These are ear-marked for Dia de los Muertos and I finally figured out the "skin" on these.  I'm using several Mexican items for inspiration and needless-to-say, these are going to be bright, gaudy and fun!  In the back, you can see a Squasha scene.  She and her family are decorating for Halloween and laughing at the silly gourd dog's wacky hijinxs.  More to come soon as I gather supplies.  Keeping off the computer will be a boon to the Runamuck Studio production, but I promise to keep you informed.  See ya soon!

It's been a while since the last blog!  Whew, the time is flying and I'm finally bumping up my time organization a notch or two to manage all the things I need to.Halloween and Vine is a blast to work on.  Sure there are speed bumps (sometimes they feel much bigger, like brick walls), and we work them out and move on.

I'm playing in a big game and with that come big breakdowns.  Can't play a big game and not have those from time to time.  (I know...too bad! ;)

The next item on my agenda is getting in the studio and spending some quality time.  I have lots of sketches and the materials standing by patiently waiting for me to begin a new batch of creations and they're not going to create themselves.

With a finger on the left hand mending (broke a tendon), my allergic reaction rash finally fading away, 40-hour work week and our wedding coming up soon (4/21), organization is going to be key to getting it all done.

My first creation is an automata.  When you turn the crank on the side, the skulls eyes dart back and forth and a worm pops out of the head with a bit of the skull as its hat.  This was a bear to create but after 4 tries and 4 holey cigar boxes, Oli is done.

Now on to the next one!

Have a great rest of the week!

Halloween & Vine 2013

Keeping my eye on the prize (Halloween & Vine), I'm always on the lookout for supplies.  Cheap or free are preferred, of course.  One of our tenants at work is leaving his space.  They sold fine wine and cigars and the place reeks of smoked cigars...ugh.  Because the tenant is closing up shop, he was very generous with his cigar boxes (I got about 60 wood boxes), a lighted display (don't know where I'll put it) and a crusty "Fall" arrangement (I pulled 18 long pheasant tail feathers out of it and tossed the rest).

I know I won't use all the boxes, not sure what I'll do with the display case since it has no shelves and haven't a clue where I'll use all 18 feathers, but a free find is a free find!  (hang on, Hoarders Anonymous is calling....   Ok, I'm back.)

Many times, if I don't have any specific inspiration, I'll just look at my stuff (organized and labeled, btw) and let the supplies inspire me.  When my friend asked me to make something that moves for H&V, I thought of automata (http://www.mechanical-toys.com/ or http://www.keithnewsteadautomata.com/).  Then I ran across those great wood cigar boxes - Voila!  I have the perfect base for some creations.  Soon, the ideas started to flow and I now have sketches for 8 or so.  I have plans for other genres, too, but the automata will definitely be the challenge.

[I'm still on the hunt for sources for all things creative.  If you have a favorite website that you think is stellar, let me know.  I'll post some of these every month, just in case anyone is looking for something and can't quite find it!]

I'd love to know where you find your inspiration for the things you create.  Feel free to comment!

Visit to Texas

Every Christmas my partner, Robert, and I go to Texas to visit my family for 10 days or so.  Every year I notice the Texan in me come back out and I notice the pride and culture that is quirky Texas. The first photo down at the bottom reads, "From Texans For Texans" with a Texas flag in the shape of Texas.  This was in a local grocery store.

This item, along with other animal prints was available at the local Hobby Lobby.  It's fur garland for the Christmas tree or wrapping presents!  UGH.  I haven't been to the Hobby Lobby here in the Seattle area so I don't know if this is a local thing or company wide.  But it sure made me laugh.  (No, I didn't buy any of this!)

In Texas, another name for a laundromat is "washateria".  In Baytown, there is this new combination of beer drinking and clothes washing...Washabeeria!  Texans and their beer!

And last but not least: the famous lone star.  You will always know you are in Texas by the highway system decor. Here is a Lone Star for every post.  As common as the name "Bubba"!  We love our star!

As much as I make good fun of Texas, I still am proud to be from there.  Seeing these things reminds me of where I'm from, of what I grew up with and the culture therein.  I didn't grow up with oil wells in my back yard but they were all around.  We never had long horns growing up but now there are 3-4 herds grazing on empty land in town.  (Makes me smile!)

I'm happy I got to spend the time in Tejas this December and catch up with family and friends.  Next year, I'll figure out some kind of party so I can catch up with more friends in one swoop...maybe a hoe-down!  (Just kidding!)

  

Managing a Busy Year

I'm running two time lines simultaneously: Winterville Christmas Barn and Halloween & Vine.  For Winterville, I'm looking for great artists and craftspeople to stock my barn at the Adobe Pumpkin Farm in Petaluma for the weekends during October. www.adobepumpkinfarm.com

For Halloween & Vine, I'm the show assistant as well as an artist for the first time in the show.  It is September 29.  www.halloweenandvine.com

Both of these venues happen/start on the same weekend!  I'm glad I've already started on getting both complete.  I've created a time line for each.  I looked at the weekend of 9/29 and wrote down everything that had to be accomplished by that day, then worked my way back to April, breaking up everything into little milestones/goals along the way.  This is the only way I know to get so much done without going to the dreaded space of "overwhelm".  Like I told my good friend Lesley, the only way to eat a whale is one bite at a time. (you can insert elephant, moose, manatee, T-rex, etc.)

If you are working on a project, I invite you to try the timeline approach.  Create realistic milestones so that you can get everything done in time and not have to pull your hair out or run around like a big ole, nasty, headless chicken doing it last minute.

I'm also embarking on an endeavor to be a resource for art supplies, for obscure things that sometimes people need, but can't readily find.  Each week (or more) I will post links to awesome websites that I find in my search for supplies.  This is something that I love to do and giving the info away is even more fun. I mean, we need to help each other out, right!?  If you find a great source, let me know and I'll post it.

This weekend I'm going to finish at least one of my H&V pieces (Dia de los Muertos Squasha)

And I'm going to Harvest Barn Estate Sale AND I'm going to try out a nursery that I just learned about in town.  Gotta mix it up or I wouldn't be me!

Have a great one, talk to you soon!
~D

Winterville Christmas Barn in Petaluma, CA

Today I set up a Facebook page for the all-new Winterville Christmas Barn at the Adobe Pumpkin Farm in Petaluma, CA.  My friend Lesley Papola runs the Farmer's Wife Barntique there and enlisted me to run the Christmas shop in it's own barn.  Well,since I love barns, Christmas and Halloween/Fall, it was a no-brainer!

As you can see, the barn is good sized and very cool.  I will be setting up an entire Christmas store stocked mostly with local artist's work.  A whole range of mediums will be represented from chabby chic, to fine folk art.  I'll have displays and lights and hot apple cider and music...plenty of Christmas music!

The Adobe Pumpkin Farm is such a destination spot in the "North Bay".  It's only about a 45 minute drive north from San Francisco sitting on 30 acres and there is something for just about everyone. A petting zoo, tractor rides, a corn maze, pony rides, the best selection of pumpkins and gourds, cut flowers and games for children.  There is also a coffee spot and a haunted house.

For those shoppers interested in a feast for the eyes, there is the Halloween barn filled with fun Halloween decorations, the Farmer's Wife Barntique showing antiques, shabby chic items, jewelry and fine Halloween folk art by local artists.

And, of course, "Winterville Christmas Barn" opens it's barn doors officially this year.  I took this on as a challenge to grow myself as an entreprenuer and to have fun.  I'll have antiques as the "bones" of the boutique to display all the Christmas decor and fine folk art.  Again, we will be striving for a high percentage of locally-made items and I'm interested to see what kind of interest I get.

I figure I'll see what's being offered and pick a little of everything as long as it's well-made and goes with the season.  It's a Christmas-in-October experience, but once you leave the pumpkins behind and walk through the door, it's going to be all Christmas!

Feel free to "like" my Facebook page (the link is above) and I hope to see you one of those weekends in October!

It's the first week of Spring.  I suppose it's a cliché to say, "Where did the time go?" so I won't say it... Many exciting things are around the bend toward the end of this year and I'm in full-swing getting ready for them.  I've already completed a batch of 40 or so Day of the Dead glass ornaments and have another 12 ideas started, each in some stage of construction.

My grand wishes for my art "path" are starting to show fruition.  Many of the milestones that I created will be completed this year and I can only imagine what I'll create next.

impatient- adjective:  not willing to wait or delay 

I've found that I'm extrordinarily patient (read: procroastinate) when it comes to many facets of my life and then there are areas where I'm impatient.  There was an article on the internet (which I can't find anymore) regarding "impatience".  Since impatience is usually viewed as a bad trait, I thought it refreshing to read this article.  This article was actually extolling the virtues of being impatient.  Many breakthrough inventions, new technologies and rocket-like success were due to being impatient.

Being impatient regarding my art path is energizing for me. I've heard from some of my favorite artists how long it took them to "pay their dues" and I've never been happy to hear it.  Too bad for me, right?!  I don't always subscribe to all the rules especially when they don't provide what I want, when I want. Anyone can probably picture a pouty-lipped, 4 year old child in the aisle of a grocery store stomping his foot while holding a plastic water gun that he just plucked off the shelf that he can't live without. Sometimes, that would be me.

I follow most of the rules that make life work but just because someone takes a certain path doesn't mean I have to follow it right?  Even if it ends up where I want to be...right?  I have been intent on causing a breakthrough in my art "expression" for some time and thanks to the internet, I've made some strides.  I know fantastic artists who work in many mediums who inspire me to spend more time, do better work and have more fun!

As I've gotten more involved in the community of folk artists, I've added to my list of milestones.  Being part of a national art show - either as an artist or an event coordinator is one of them.  Then I think, "Why can't I do both?", or, "Why can't I do my own event?", or, "How fast can I get this accomplished?".  My imagination runs away into fantasy-land-I-want-it-now. I then take those thoughts and look at what actual tasks/milestones need to be accomplished by a certain date to fulfill the fantasy and then push myself because I am impatient.  It's more of a designed impatience - I know I'm doing it (most of the time) - and I 'generate' it when I realize I'm coasting and another milestone is on the horizon.  I use intentionality to actually complete all the little milestones to provide measurable results.

I am officially taking on assisting the new partners of Halloween and Vine, a national folk art show in Petaluma in September (details soon) and I am also completely accountable for the Winterville Christmas Barn at the Adobe Pumpkin Farm during the month of October.  This is definitely a capacity-building, awe-inspiring, bit-off-a-lot-to-chew year for me and I'm so excited to get started.  I'll be blogging as I accomplish big milestones so those of you can see my progress and see my mistakes (I'm sure there won't be any of those!)

I'm planning on having impatience and intentionality to drive me to the next level(s) this year.  I intend to empower the H&V partners and be gracious, generous and passionate in these endeavors.   I intend to cause a breakthrough in my self-expression such that the art community in Petaluma knows who I am, friendships are formed and folks are empowered around me and causing miracles in the things they are up to. Most of all, I intend to have fun...that's the best part!

It's December, and in some places (not San Francisco where I live) there is snow and snow people.   Here is a tutorial making a fun snowman ("Mr. Blizzard").  The main ingredient is Creative Paperclay ®.

Ingredients for fun:
Creative Paperclay ® Modeling Material
3 sizes of foam ball
bamboo skewer
glue
wire hangers
hand-dyed bottle brush tree
mini garland
acrylic paint
glitter
wood base
floral tape
3" screws
decorations and trinkets that you already have


First I cut a smidge off the bottom of the largest foam ball so it would sit well. Then I skewered the balls together with glue between them.

Next, I opened the wire hangers up, straightened them and stuck 5 through holes I made in the middle foam ball with another skewer. (I had to then use a chopstick to make the hole big enough for the wires.)

I wrapped the wires with floral tape all the way to the ends and around the fingers to bind the wires together and finish the fingers. Bend the arms and position the fingers as you would like. Paint and seal the arms with browns to resemble branches.


I used a pasta machine to roll the modeling material and used a paint brush to paint glue on the balls right before adding the Creative Paperclay ®.  Keep water nearby (I use an old butter tub) to wet your fingers and tools when blending.  


Cover the entire body with modeling material making eyes, mouth or any other details you want.  I pushed a rubber heart stamp into the wet material to add a nice touch.  Let dry.


[Note: if you get any cracks as the material dries, simply paint some glue into the crack and  add some more paperclay.


When dry, sand and paint (gesso first if you like).  I added a bit of wire hanger pushed into the nose to support the large carrot (also made of Creative Paperclay ®).

I painted 2 coats of white acrylic paint.  I sprinkled glitter in the second coat of wet paint.  I painted the eyes and sealed with a matte finish coat on the arms and eyes.  I used some cut up skewer bits for the coal mouth.


I painted and sealed a wood base like a holly leaf. I pre-drilled 3 holes in the base and put 3 long screws about 3" long each from the bottom into the body of the snowman (with glue)  to secure it to the base.


Now comes the fun of "accessorizing".  I created a wreath from the mini garland, decorated the bottle brush tree and top hat. A piece of an old silk tie is his scarf.

This one took some time and we're keeping him! Hope you enjoyed this tutorial.  You can make just about anything with Creative Paperclay ®.

Getting Ready for Christmas Lollies

Lollipops are great for every season but Christmas is the perfect setting for hand-made ones.  I decided to make these as ornaments but they can be used as the "garnish" for wrapping presents, or if made thin enough, you might use them in scrapbooking.

Supplies:

Creative Paperclay Modeling Material ® 

Popsicle sticks

Acrylic paint

Glue

Latex or PVC gloves

Wire

Glitter nail polish

24 gauge wire

First, I take a chunk off the block of modeling clay and put some dark red acrylic paint in the middle of it.  Knead the paint into the clay until it is thoroughly mixed.  You can keep adding paint to get to the color you want.  I wanted the color to be between red and pink.

It will look something like this.  The rubber gloves keep your hands from becoming a mess.

Next, you'll roll out a bit of the red and plain clay to make two ropes of equal length.

Put a light line of glue on the top of both ropes and roll to the side so the back rope is glued to the front rope and the front rope is ready to adhere to the coil you're about to make.

Start coiling the two ropes.  If they start sticking to your work surface, add a little water.  Keep coiling until you get to the end.  I've cut a slight angle on the red here so it will fold in easier.

Next, I used a wet Exacto blade to make the starting slit for the popsicle stick.  Place a little glue on the top of the stick to allow for firm attachment.  Then I took a wet paint brush and smoothed down any rough parts in the clay and also spread out any extra glue.

I tried different combinations like coiling the ropes first and then coiling again OR you can put the two ropes together and roll them together into a single rope, twist, then coil...  Let dry on aluminum foil or wax paper.  

After they were dry, I spiced them up with clear nail polish with glitter.

I made some small loops with 24 gauge wire and pushed them into the top of the lollipops with more glue so I can hang them.

You can experiment and find out which style is the most appealing to you.  Whatever you do, though, make sure you have fun!

The Creative Paperclay® Design Team is On the Move!

 

I just wanted to you know that I was chosen to be part of the Creative Paperclay ® Design Team!  Once a month, each of us on the team will be posting a "how to" project that uses this fantastic modeling material.  For the next six months, I'll be feverishly trying to come up with something new and exciting that will have folks want to try their hand at creating.  This is going to be fun and exciting and a really great challenge.  You're all invited to go to the Creative Paperclay® page on Facebook to see all the new and exciting projects!

For more information on Creative Paperclay®, please click HERE and you can visit their blog by clicking HERE.

Creative Paperclay Halloween Ornament

I love Paperclay! I decided to create a Halloween ornament...well, a bunch of ornaments.  I love Halloween and below is the step-by-step on how I made this Jack-o-lantern ornament.

 Supplies:
Creative Paperclay
Aluminum foil
Wire
Wire clippers
sculpting tools (you can use anything available)
Acrylic paint and sealer
Pasta Machine (if you have one)
or rolling pin
Gesso
Fine grit sandpaper
Bamboo skewer
Water
Soft Paint brush

To Get Started:

Take a piece of aluminum foil (or you can use a styrofoam or paper maché shape) and make a basic ball shape.  Take a bamboo skewer or ice pick and gently pierce the shape so you can run the wire through the ball.  Make a small hook at the end of the wire (this will be on the bottom of your shape) and glue it to the bottom of the shape.

Break off a little less than 1/6th of an 8oz brick of Paperclay and roll out (or thickest setting on the pasta machine) so that it is around 1/8th inch thick or so.  This will give you plenty of room to mold your face and the sections of the pumpkin.   Apply glue to the shape to help hold the Paperclay.

Wrap the Paperclay around the object.  If you have air bubbles, you may use a toothpick to poke a little hole in the Paperclay and gently press out the air.  (Keep in mind that Paperclay will start drying as soon as it is exposed to air.  Keep all unused Paperclay in a sealed container.  I used a ziploc bag.)

Wet your fingers slightly and use enough water to smooth all the seams together and start making your final shape without it being soggy.

Add features like the face and segments with your sculpting tools.  I used a dowel end to make the eyes and a cap to make the crooked smile.

Use a wet, soft paint brush to smooth out any tight places that are hard to smooth with your fingers.

Next, let your piece dry for a few days to make sure it's completely dry.  (Note: some artists will bake their pieces in the oven at a low temp to speed up the drying process.  Please make sure that the material you use inside your piece can go in the oven.  Aluminum foil is good....plastic/styrofoam is bad. :)

Once dry, sand your piece and wipe all the dust off.  You may want to put a coat of Gesso on first to give your paint a less-absorbent surface.  I like to tint my gesso with a little acrylic paint.  This makes the final coat go on quite nicely.

Let it dry completely and then paint your piece with the final colors you've chosen.  When dry, you can use a paint-on sealer or a spray sealer.  Let the sealer dry and then you're ready to hang your new ornament on your Halloween tree or package it up for a gift!

For more information on Creative Paperclay, please click HERE and you can visit their blog by clicking HERE.

I love Paperclay!  I even joined the crowds of people demanding from Michael's that they change their minds about removing Creative Paperclay from their shelves.  (I created this project from Paperclay recently purchased from Micheal's...maybe our campaign worked!)

I decided to create a Halloween ornament...well, a bunch of ornaments.  I love Halloween and below is the step-by-step on how I made this Jack-o-lantern ornament.

For more information on Creative Paperclay, please click HERE and you can visit their blog by clicking HERE.

 Supplies:
Creative

Much Ado About Art Shows

After much ado, one of my art shows is complete.  I noticed that many of the little details (like a free crepe button with purchase, black cat-stamped tissue paper and logo sticker on my bags) seemed to go unnoticed.  I also notice that I enjoyed making everything so much that I don't really care!

The venue was a tightly-packed room - 3' to share with the neighbors table to my back - and well-lit.  There were lots of art supply vendors and some finished-piece artists.  All-in-all, it was a good first run at the Trunk Show - mine and theirs.  I made a smidge of profit and have a much better idea of what is selling this season. Smaller stuff seemed to be favored over bigger, harder-to-store items.  I noticed at Halloween & Vine that the largest items seemed to sit and sit, some never leaving their tables.

Robert and I had a little get-together with some of the artists from Halloween & Vine and it was such a great time meeting FB friends and having everyone get to know each other.  I was so present to comfort and excitement being with such like-minded folks.  They are all sweet, talented, clever and warm people!

I think we will plan for another get-together next year - maybe a pot luck in our club room so there is plenty of room for mingling.  We'll see....

Now it's time to get all my Glitterfest buttons made, some more ornaments done, retool some things and...oh yeah....find a new job.  I have 3 weeks to get ready for Glitterfest and a lot less time to find that "perfect" job.  Course, a temp job will suffice until I find "The One".

I appreciate all of the kinds words, the generosity of tips and techniques and the "industry" as a whole.  I know there are plenty of collectors/investors out there for all of us and look forward to a continued camaraderie where we all support each other.  ( I know, sounds like we're going to hold hands a sing "Kumbaya", but you get the picture.)

The Art Shows are Nigh!!!!!

The final stretch is underway to get ready for my two shows.  The Art Trunk Show (Art is...You) http://www.art-is-you.com/mysitecaddy/site3/arttrunkwestcoast.htm  is this weekend.  It's on the same day as Halloween and Vine but is in the evening from 6pm - 9pm.  I need to finish up some pieces but mostly everything is ready.  I even mocked up my booth in my studio yesterday.

I'm excited to be assisting Iva Wilcox during Halloween and Vine during the morning rush!  That will be such a blast watching the doors open and seeing the serious collectors running to their favorite artist's booth.  So exciting!  This will also be an opportunity to meet some of my Facebook friends for the first time.  Great fun!

The next show is Glitterfest in Santa Ana, CA.  It's about 7 hours drive south but we'll stop at Hobby Lobby (the only one in CA) on the way down.  Robert and I will be staying at a dear friend, Heather's house and we can't wait!

Heather will be joining us for this weekend.  She is flying up, picking me up from work on Friday in a limousine and after some shopping, we'll luxuriate our way to Petaluma to get ready for a little get-together at our house on Friday night.

I've been contemplating leaving my booth mock up intact for my friends to see but I could just pack it all up and not have to rush on Saturday after H&V.  I think I'll just see how it goes....

Maybe next year I'll be able to participate in Halloween and Vine as an artist.  That would be a dream fulfilled.  Until that happens, I'll be working hard and creating away!

Reality and What's Real

I just read a blog post about comparisons.  An artist making a point that comparing yourself to others has the potential to make you feel better than someone or less than someone.  It is that very comparison that we cannot avoid.  We do it on so many levels of our everyday existence:

1. "Will I ever be able to sew doll clothes without gluing on the hard parts? That other artist doesn't seem to have to glue anything..."

2. "Why can't my butt/abs/arms/eyes/hair (insert any body part here) look like that!"

3. "Duh, you should already know all the uses for crépe streamers!"

4. "How can some people be so dang calm/create so many pieces/be such a genius?"

5. "I wish I could afford a California Closet studio!"

6. [your comparisons here]

 I'm usually left dis-empowered or feeling like a jerk for thinking I'm better.  Sometimes (read "most times") I know I'm right about this or that.  I can see all the reasons I'm right OR if I'm wrong, I can see all the evidence proving how right I am about how wrong I am.  Being human is so wonky!

Comparisons when regarding art are a foregone conclusion.  The brain can't help compare one artist to another (your stuff looks like that artist) or mediums (this is REAL art; that is just craft.) or any other myriad ways to compare.

Since comparisons are part of our animal history (The ewe chooses the best of the rams after they butt heads, the pea hen chooses the best/biggest-showing peacock.....), we cannot help compare this to that, me to that, that event to this event, his to mine, hers to his, theirs to ours.  I even wonder if this blog post will be as well-received as some other blogger that is SUCH a great writer/artist/model/son/gardener/forensic pathologist/ice cream maker/immaculate-studio artist.

This is just a reminder for me to keep all these comparisons in perspective. My self-esteem is designed to depend on others' opinions, assessments, judgements and MY comparisons, opinions, assessments, judgements only because of the culture in which I've been raised.  Luckily, I'm not stuck with this hand. My point of this is to keep some objective perspective.  Just because you or someone has an opinion doesn't mean it's "real".  While it definitely is an opinion, it isn't necessarily factual or scientifically measurable.  Comparisons as a whole are like this, too.  I need to be reminded every day (more like every hour) that I am the way I am.  I'm not him, her, it, them.  I'm only me.

Comparing is like worrying - it's a misuse of the imagination.  It's a waste of energy in all ways, always. But since comparisons are here to stay, I may as well use them. I can be inspired, challenged, encouraged and adventurous because of comparisons as long as I use them for that and not for "evil" [see above].

I see this posted all the time on blogs and noticed the same thought came up for myself,"I haven't blogged in a while because I didn't have anything really good to post and you don't want to hear my daily life - yawn..." (3 comparisons in one sentence!) and now I write a new post waxing philosophical!  Feel free to compare.

Glitterfest Fall 2011

 
I'll be participating in Glitterfest this Fall in Santa Ana, CA.  Last year was my first show and first Glitterfest and it was a fairly good first show for me!  The Trunk Show in Petaluma will be 9/25 and Glitterfest is 10/15 so there is a nice gap between the two.  I'll be bringing some steampunk items as well as my usual creations.  I'm excited to get to work on the extra things like getting price tags made, business cards printed, booth decor and displays finished...oh, and making some more creations!  For the first time, I'll also have some supplies.  I will have bottle brush trees - 5 sizes - in all colors.  I sold quite a few last fall and so I'll have more - lots more.


If you can come out to either, I would love to see you or meet you if I haven't already.  I'm looking forward to this fun time of the year!

Petaluma Art is You: Art Trunk Show

I'm so excited to be part of Petaluma's "Art is You" Art Trunk Show this fall (9/24/11).  It is held the evening after Halloween and Vine.  I've never been to this one before and it is exciting to be a part of it, nonetheless! Another great fact is that it is less than a 3-minute drive from our apartment.  So, I'll not have to travel like I did for Glitterfest (7.5 hour drive).  

I plan to have an exciting booth filled with some new characters and the return of some old.  I will have a varied inventory so that I have something in all price points and something for everyone.  (That's a task in and of itself...)

I'll have greeting cards, sculptures, Day of the Dead items...maybe a few feather trees - all of which I'm making by hand.  Now I just have to get to work. 

Hope those of you in the area can come out and say hi.  I'll be sending a reminder out as we get closer to the date.

Available Now: Just Trying to Get a Head

I just got this piece back from Llewellyn Gallery as they are changing out their theme. He is available for purchase now. This is one of my favorite pieces - the heads are interchangeable!  "Just Trying to Get a Head" is signed and dated by me.  Thank you for taking a look!

Just let me know if you'd like to purchase him. I accept Paypal. dennis@runamuckstudio.com

Letting My Mind Wander

By taking myself off the one-track-minded approach to my creations, I've been playing.  I'm creating a bunch of jewelry out of large abalone shells (yes, I'm being careful of the toxic dust) and millinery pursuits as well.  Halloween creations will be quite varied this year as I'm playing with ornaments, hats, assemblage and whatever else catches my eye.

It's been nice to not have the "have to's" that have colored my artistic experience as of late.  I have to be known, I have to get in Halloween & Vine, I have to get more people interested in my work, I have to sell more.....on and on the list goes.  I've given up my attachments to each of these and couldn't be happier.  While it would be nice to have these come to fruition, I no longer have to have these.  My life will move right along without any of them.

Now that is not to say that I'm not working toward most of these, but I'm going to have it be more creative, intuitive, organic.  This is an exploration in crafts (yes, I said the "c" word) and art.  An exploration that can be ADD and mercurial and me.  "Runamuck" wasn't chosen lightly!

There should be some new additions to my Etsy store soon and more posts on this blog as well.  Stay tuned and we'll see what shows up, what connections I make, what fun I have and what difference I make.

Easter Creations

Please take a look at my Etsy store and buy, buy, buy!  I have a great time making these and hope they bring a smile to you. http://www.etsy.com/shop/dennisghaynes?ref=si_shop

Etsy Sale for some fun Halloween items

I'm having a sale at my Etsy shop.  Stop on by and check out my Halloween items and fun blingy party hats!

Dennis Haynes Etsy Shop

Easter Creations 2011

 I didn't spend a lot of time on Easter this year.  Just got finished moving and setting up my studio.  Now I'm embarking on an exploration the rest of the year.  I'm going to try bunches of different things - jewelry, assemblage art, different kinds of ornaments, dolls, puppets, mosaics...who knows.

Recently, I realized that I was headed down a path as an artist that would have me do just one thing.  After much thinking, I'm clear that I will never be happy doing that.  I am most happy trying new things.  I am most happy exploring the unknown, challenging myself to take on something that looks daunting and if I have the thought, "How did they do that?", then I have to try it.

Now, it's not going to be anything and everything goes, just the things that light me up, intrigue me or move me.

For me, my life is too short to focus on one thing.  Be it ADD or being a Gemini or just wanting to taste lots of life (I don't really know or care), I'm gonna have me some fun and make some great things at the same time.

Networked Blogs - Experimenting with Networking

I've seen "NetworkedBlogs" showing up and decided to try this myself.  It's linked to Face Book.  I'll give it a go and see how it works/looks.  Let me know what you think.....  :)

Las Vegas is Actually Kind of Fun!

I'm coming out of the closet.....I'm a Fanilow.  My Aunt Mary and I just went to see Barry Manilow in concert here in Las Vegas!  What a riot!  He sounded really good and the show was great!  I'm going to a jewelry show on Tues morning and seeing Blue Man group on Tues night.  This has been quite a trip...and I thought I was only going to be working here.

I used to dislike Vegas.  I don't gamble, smoke or act like a fool (most of the time).  I visited once and thought some of the "architecture" was cool (i.e. the 1/8 scale Eiffel Tower) and everything was tongue-in- cheek.

My company sent me to Las Vegas for the 2nd time to work on hotel registration for a big event here and that is what I'm doing.  I'm a temp employee at the company and anytime over 8 hours is time & a half, which would get billed to the client.  Consequently, I only am allowed to work 8 hours a day.  My coworkers that are full time, work 10-12 hour days.  That has left me with free time to spend with my Uncle Bill, Aunt Mary and cousin Kate who live in Vegas.  I've spent more time with my aunt and uncle in the past 3 days than in the past 40 years combined!  I'm spending more time with them this coming week as well and it's been so much fun!

Last night, Bill and Mary took me to dinner and then we went to the Bellagio.  The Bellagio is decorated for Chinese new year and it was a site to behold.  In their giant "solarium", there is a 15' Chinese god and a full size "junk" boat in the pond. I will post pics when I get back and can get the pics off my camera. Then we went across the street (while the Bellagio fountains where waving to and fro) to the Cosmopolitan, which is swanky and draped with ropes of crystal. When I got back to my hotel, I walked around the square just outside the Venetian (where I'm staying) and just admired the Italian architecture sample that is the Venetian.  I know it's fake but it's as close as I've been to Italy at this point.

There are so many things that are "un-seemly" but Las Vegas has a sweet charm. I have had an incredible time so far.  By day, I'm a data entry robot, but by night I'm absorbing this crazy city with child-like wonder. 

Well We're Moving on Up!

Well, we're almost completely packed.  The studio has now been divided up into dozens of boxes and are patiently waiting to be moved to a larger space!  We are moving to the coveted Petaluma, CA (home of Halloween & Vine and a very active art scene) on Feb. 12 into a 3-level town home apartment and I'm so stoked!  One of the amazing things is that this complex is 95% smoke-free!  I didn't even know those things existed.  I'll have a one-car garage to spread out and get efficient and organized.

I know, hard to believe for an artist, but I'm ready to create a bitchin' space that might even be cool enough to be in a magazine.  (It's YOUR fault, Dani :)

This also means that creating anything is on hold....not that I've created very much since I got my office job.  But thanks to getting a real calendar book and a commitment to 2011 being a raucous, good art year, I think I'll be upping my output (read: quality and output) and increasing my skill level.

Still going to be exploring different media and styles.  I get bored easily with doing the same thing over and over again.  Must be the Gemini in me or the fact that I've been labeled ADD or hyper my whole life.  Whatever!  I just like trying out new things.  Life is too short to live in the same place my whole life or do the same thing over and over and over.....   It works stunningly for a lot of people, just not me.

My intention is that you see some fun, exciting, edgy (and improved skill) and darling things come out of Runamuck Studio.  This is a growth year....time to catch up with all the folks that awe me!! ;)

Jewelry by Marty Haynes

This is jewelry created by my mom, Marty.  She is a beading goddess and loves jewelry.

Her own blog will be live soon with LOTS more necklaces.  To purchase, you can contact her at martysbeads@gmail.com.

Llewellyn Gallery Opening Night!

Tonight was the Grand Opening of Llewellyn Gallery in Forestville, CA.  It was packed with great people, there was fantastic food and the art was varied and beautiful. This was a journey, or quest, that took many players and lots of intentionality.  I sold 4 pieces and gave out lots of business cards.  I'm interested to see if I get some new friends from this.  The gallery looked beautiful and was done on a shoe string budget for the most part.  The alarm system and insurance weren't that inexpensive, but it had to be included in this adventure.

We also learned a lot.  It would have been advantageous if we had name tags for the owner and the artists.  When it was packed with people, it was hard to know which end was up!  Also, I should have put a sign on the Christmas tree that said the ornaments were for sale.  Our new phrase for the month is "LAL" - Live and Learn!  All in all, it was one of the nicest experiences I've had in a while.  I'm looking forward to being part of more things like this!