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!

Llewellyn Gallery Invitation

Here is the invitation for the gallery opening.  You are all invited!

Some new vintage-inspired ornaments for Llewellyn Gallery

I just took a few photos of some of my new ornaments that will be displayed/on sale at the new Llewellyn Gallery.  The opening date is 12/12.  More information to follow!  I'll have some of my sculptures there as well.

This has been a great adventure and has felt like playing a fun game of gallery creation with Jamuna Llewellyn of Llewellyn Gallery.  Buying the lighting, organizing the space, creating pieces for my first gallery show and encouraging Jamuna have made it fun and quite the new experience for me.

I will be making some more ornaments and some fun holiday-themed sculptures for the opening.  Stay tuned for more photos and information!

A New Fine Art Gallery is Opening Soon! Llewellyn Gallery

My dear friend, Jamuna, is starting her own art gallery.  She is one of those evolved art gallery owners that want to advance the power of the artist.  She is committed to showcasing well-known artists and artists new to the scene.  This gallery is in Forestville, CA - just outside Santa Rosa, CA.

Opening day will be December 12, 2010.  

The address is: 6525-A  First Street, Forestville, CA 95436

There will be live music, beautiful art (including mine :) and nice things to nosh.

Jamuna shared her dream with me and I've been encouraging her the whole way.  She used to be a nude model for several artists and also worked in a fine art gallery.  She is surrounding herself with knowledgeable mentors and is on the verge of setting the art world on it's proverbial ear!

I am honored to be one of her first artists to be shown.  Sandra Oseguera will be the other artist. http://lithoart.net/

My Halloween Sale on Etsy

I've just placed several pieces of my Halloween group on Etsy.  Please feel free to browse and buy! :)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/dennisghaynes?ref=seller_info

These are all one-of-a-kind, hand-made by me.  I hope you enjoy!

Happy Halloween!!

I was worried that Halloween was already "over" for me due to the fact that I've been in major Halloween mode for about 6 months already and participated in Glitterfest. I see that Halloween is right on track.  It just took getting the decorations out of storage and putting our Halloween tree together.

This has been a great year of exploration, discovery and joy.  I met fantastic new people, networked like never before and saw my potential starting to be realized.  I have major plans for next year.  Expanding my abilities, knowledge, "fan" base (that's a new one!) and living life with integrity, grace and passionate self-expression.

I know this isn't the end of the year but it feels like it.  Like I'm on the edge of something really great and hella fun.  It feels like I'm starting my next chapter in a long life.  Creating what's next for me vs waiting to see what will happen, causing goals to become fulfilled, making a difference, having fun and laughing a lot are what my life is about.

Thanks for reading, I appreciate you more than you know. Stay tuned.  My  intention is to blow 2010 out of the water in 2011.

Glitterfest: Not Too Shabby for The First Show!

Well, Glitterfest is now done. Santa Ana was hot and humid and Glitterfest had no A/C. Still, with lots of hand fans waving to cool off, Glitterfest was a great start for me and Heather. I made some profit and made some fantastic connections. I'm looking forward to Glitterfest Spring 2011 now. Heather will expand her inventory as will I so we will have our own tables. We will also be competing for one of the 3 coveted "Best Booth" ribbons. We won one of them today! Our first show! With my crépe paper and Heather's Halloween tree, we must have done something right!

I had a couple of people tell me that they researched me online so they knew about my pieces and I met some more artists that I only knew of online. All in all, it was a good event for me and I'll do it again in the spring!

Halloween Queens - Queen for a Day Giveaway

What a totally fun giveaway. The Halloween Queens are doing a honkin' huge giveaway. Check out this link for details!



http://artisticthalloweenqueens.blogspot.com/2010/09/queen-for-day-giveaway.html

The Great Owl Challenge

Hi All,

I am challenging folks to create...who, whoo...wait for it... an owl(s). I would love to see the owl be a part of Halloween again on equal billing with all the other Halloween icons. And since there seems to be a graying between Fall holidays and Winter holidays (see how I cleverly worded that? ;), why not an owl for all seasons? How about a Christmas owl or a Thanksgiving owl or all of the above?

Due to my limited sculpting skills, creating an owl is an actual challenge. For you, maybe not so much!

Any medium is fair game or combination there of.

Let me know if you wanna play. Squeeze it into your schedule and challenge yourself to a duel of skills!

COME ON! (You can rest when you die!)

The Great Owl Challenge

New Business Page on Facebook

Due to some down time at work, I was speaking with some of my fellow rookies and they suggested that I had a business page for Runamuck Studio on Facebook.  Duh, I never considered it...actually, I never paid any attention to it.  So I got some tutoring and found the right page to start and now it is started.  I don't have any pictures here at work so that will be downloaded from home tonight.  Who knows, maybe it will be a useful tool.

Along the lines of selling my work, I might have an internet event right after Glitterfest for some of my pieces.  I will show a few teasers and see if I can generate any interest.  Probably will be on Etsy. More details to follow.

I've just joined Spooky Time Jingles "Hive" that allows me to be a part of STJ even when they are at capacity with their usual artists.  There is quite a lot of traffic there and when I get some time, I'll probably do some of the marketing tricks they have.  I never knew that I would have so many opportunities as an artist.  I love that people are inventive and not willing to take NO in life.  This is a folk art movement of epic proportions.  The amount of advertising, marketing and energy around furthering "fine folk art" is growing everyday and thanks to the internet, it seems to be an exponential phenomenon now.  http://creatingthehive.com/

Thanks to Facebook, I've met some of the sweetest and most talented people that I've ever known.  While I haven't met them face-to-face yet (which will change some what at Halloween and Vine), I share our common passion for our creations and that is a bonding agent like no other! 

Surrounding myself with creative people is a dream come true.  Finding so many people with the same passion is easy with groups that are local like the Iris Society or Gun club.  Finding a local art group that focuses on a specific genre is less likely.  I suppose being exposed to artists of different genre would expand my proverbial horizon and possibly expose me to new processes, mediums and styles so I will look into it and see if there are artists groups that I want to be a part of in the North Bay area.  Since there are tons of artists around here, there are bound to be a few groups around.  I'll ask my limited group of friends and see what's out there.

Finally, I am working now as I mentioned at the top of this post.  Working at a corporate event company in San Rafael.  We are getting ready to launch registration for a massive event in Las Vegas so my down time will be quickly diminished when they go live.  The folks are really nice and this would be a great place to work for a long while if they decide to hire me from the temp agency that got me the job.  We'll see....

Thanks for being patient with these posts.  I don't post that often because I don't have that much new news to report.  I'll be posting again after Glitterfest with photos, etc.

Until then, keep creating and take some time to run amuck, it'll do you good!