Hello fellow creators,

I am trying to grab every flower, petal, whatever I see that would work in my pictures, and drying it asap, as each type has a short lifespan. Peonies are gone, poppies have left, so many flowers, so little time.

I have been asked to teach a workshop, but can't see it happening because of lack of materals. I can't give away my precious seaweed and petals!

I am watching a rabbit nibble my mini pansies. Most of the flowers have been someone's lunch. What about all the clover in the lawn? I guess they heard about people eating flowers in salads. Just wait until my nasturtiums bloom. I Guess that's what all the wire fencing  in the shed I threw away was for!

I see some white flowers on my  Mock Orange tree, got to grab them.

Live in the light,

Lisabeth

Hey Painters,

Friday night's opening of the Hidden Gallery was, in my opinion, a bust. The only people who came were the artists and their friends, no one with enough $$$ to buy art. Three of my pieces weren't priced. I gave the woman who runs the gallery printed stickers with name, size, artist and price, but she said she wanted these cool clear labels. She got them, but wrote the info by hand, and not great handwriting.

She separated my seaweed into three places, including a tiny room off the bathroom with one wall of black and white photography, a statue of a gold bull on a tall pedistal, and a wall of my work.

Worse than that is she hung five seaweed pieces surrounded by irridescent fish and starfish and an octopus. When are people going to learn that seaweed is my medium, not my theme. I guess I must sound pretty angry, and I guess I am.

I will sit down with her and tell her that I want my work hung as a body of work, not scattered here and there, and it is not fish, octopus, crab themed, and doesn't belong with those ceramic wall hangings.

There were three sales, two suncatchers made of glass and shells, and a carved walrus for $125.

I may remove my work from the gallery and use it in online auctions, etc.

I always have such wild expectations, and sometimes they are met, like the opening of the Left Bank Gallery. I must learn to curb it, as every opening will not be the same.

I'm going to work on the portrait of my neighbor now.

Live in the light,

Lisabeth

Good evening, Art Folks,

Today, after my therapist told me she is coming to the gallery opening, Friday night, where I am showing 15 pieces, I was excited. So many of my friends are showing up.

These parties get me going, take off the daytime Crocs, husband's threadbare Brooks Brother's white shirt and cargo shorts, to get dressed up in gold, embroidery, patchwork silk, lots of jewelry, high heeled sandals, nighttime hair and make-up. Off I go to smile and see people I know, and always have a great time. Sort of like Cinderella.

Today we stopped for native strawberries at a large farm stand that has been in business ever since I can remember. Don't know how it started, but I was talking to the Son and owner who asked me if I could set up my art under a tent in front of his stand. I can get tons if exposure there, it is a very busy weekend corner. He has  giant white tent and I'll set up my easel, and start a picture.

Sounds like a busy Summer.

Live in the light,

Lisabeth

Hello one and  all Artistes,

Is anybody still working? Sometimes I find myself working at night because I used up all the time in the day for "other things." What are other things? Sometimes I wonder.

Paying the electric bill, Calling my husand's medical and food suppliers, to reorder. Getting together an order for Dick Blick. Exercise, shower, pull onwork clothes,water and weed garden, eat lunch, Do the laundry, and finally go to my studio and work on the portrait of my neighbor's husband . I had a photo shoot with his dog, Coco,today, wanting to include her in the picture and not really knowing what she looked like from all angles.

Next, the study time with Selling on Ebay for Dummies, my next big project.

It was nap time before I knew it , and off I went to the air onditioned bedroom.

That's a day? I guess it is .

Live in the light,

Lisabeth           & nbsp;           &nbs p;            & nbsp;           &nbs p;            & nbsp;           &nbs p;            & nbsp;           &nbs p;            & nbsp;           &nbs p;            & nbsp;           &nbs p;            & nbsp;           &nbs p;            & nbsp;           &nbs p;            & nbsp;           &nbs p;            & nbsp;           &nbs p;      

Dearest Artists,

Today at the ungodly hour of 7:30,AM, I jumped into the outdoor pool at the Guilford Racquet and Swim  Club for my second water aerobics classl

As a rule, I never get my hair wet when the when the sun isn't shining, so this was a big first for me! It was cold at first, raindrops falling on my Bailey Island Baseball cap.

An hour later, when class was over, I felt wonderful, so, unless there's a tornado, I'll be there.

It is wonderful to find something that's good for you and takes you to a happy place. Kind of like making pictures.

Live in the light,

Lisabeth

Hello all you wonderful Arties,

I am in love with water aerobics! I was very hesitant to get wet in an outside pool at 7:30AM in a swimsuit that was so small I had to wear a black t-shirt over it. The day was perfect! Warmed up nicely. We in the pool did all kinds of walks, runs, jumps. traveling up and down and across the pool.

At one point, we used noodles and I have to admit, mine got away from me, but the nice person next to me grabbed it and we got me in position. I was smiling the entire time! I felt so good inside, all of my life's heaviness disappeared for an hour.

I was home watering and weeding by 9:00.

The energy is still with me, as I press the yellow insides of peonies for my lady's  blonde hair.

Working on the commissioned portrait of my neighbor's husband. Decided to somehow include his dog, Coco. It came to me as I was drying the black hair from inside poppies. Perfect Coco fur.

Back to it.

Live in the light,

Lisabeth

And so,  my fellow creators, who picked up a brush today?

I think if you thought about a picture, took a photo to use as reference, played with colors, whatever, it was a day well spent.

I had lunch with a fellow artist and we talked about galleries vs online auctions, vs online sights like this one, etc.

Tomorrow morning at 7:30 for the first time in my life, I will be in an outside pool, hair in a pony tail, pulled through my favorite Maine baseball cap, sunglasses hiding my still asleep eyes, bathing suit covered by a black t-shirt, doing what is called water aerobics. I know it is good for one, everyone says it is, so I let myself be talked into it by another artist friend. If you never hear from me again, you know what happened. (but I doubt it!)

Live in the Light,

Lisabeth

Hello fellow color freaks,

Today was what I call a "day of beauty." I went to the Madison Avenue Salon, in Guilford, CT. It's a great place, run by a Father and Son team of tattooed motorcycle freaks. They are so funny and sweet. They look like trouble, but are hairdressers. 

The son Mark Jr. did my hair. We always talk about writing a TV sitcom about the salon. Every time I see him, he has new ideas to add. 

After Mark,I went fto Jackie for a bikini wax and pedicure. The pedicure chairs are massaging ones, and I relaxed into that.

Back to reality, I finished my lady, who needed new lips, and am preparing to start the commission for our neighbor. She is hiking in Switzerland with a group of 80 year olds, including her husband's father. Kind of difficult to ask her what color background she would like.  Guess I'll just wing it!

I bought my husband a Kindle (electronic book) for our anniversary and it arrived today. Of course he opened it, and has been pouring over it for hours. He loves to read, and all transferred books are $9.99 on Amazon.

I see kayakers and want to join them. I want to do so many things. Does anyone wonder where the hours go, or is it just me? I think there is an hour snatcher lurking about.

Live in the light,

Lisabeth

Hello creative ones,

Today, temperature in CT 102 degrees, seemed to me like the perfect day to pick flowers before they are past peak.

I am fortunate to have neighbors on both sides with beautiful gardens planted with love years ago. On one side, the woman has alzheimers and is in a home. I talk to her daughter every week when they come to mow the grass. She noticed that I have been weeding and feeding the flowers on the fence we share and told me I was welcome to any of the flowers I want. We have three vases filled with peonys!

My neighbor on the other side is a friend and client who bought Curly Grass at my gallery opening and has commissioned me to do a portrait of her husband in flower petals. She also told me to help myself anytime to any flowers I want.

I have a large vase of poppies, red and pink, dipping and straight, a sight to behold.

I cut many other flowers from her garden, Japanese Iris, purple and white, some blue droopy flowers, some giant see-through balls, two giant purple clematis.

As I said, I'm in flower heaven. Now the more difficult and time comsuming job of pressing each one, each petal on the poppies and peonys.

When the pressing is done, each flower type is put into a separate celophane envelope, and placed in a drawer. I try to organize by color.

It's all part of a process, with the end result being a beautiful picture. I feel lucky that I am able to create.

Live in the light,

Lisabeth