Namaste from Yogaville

Saturday, my friend Amber & I took a trip up to Yogaville to visit our friend Danielle who is enrolled in their 30 day LYT (Living Yoga Training) program.  Here are our happy, shiny faces -it was freakin' humid! - & I'm the one in the middle - Hi again!

Danielle, Candi & Amber - Yogaville

This is my third day trip up to Yogaville which is about 1:15 hours from where I live.  The pictures don't do it justice - in part, because it was a really overcast day &, in part, because it's one of those places that you have to see to really appreciate.

The building to the left behind us is the Lotus Temple &, yes, it really is in the shape of a lotus & it really is pink & blue.  Here's a bit better picture, but their website picture is the best.  Yogaville is located in Buckingham County, VA which is rural farms & woodland.  You really can't get more serene than this.  There are a lot of hiking trails around the property for you to enjoy it too.

This is a closer view of the arches in front of the Lotus Temple with Danielle & Amber striking Tree Pose - geez, can't take these guys anywhere! - and the beautiful mandala
                                                   that's there as well.

I'm a huge believer that people should be able to worship or believe in whatever they wish so I'm not going to go on about the nature of Yogaville - I just want to share the beauty - both natural & artistic - that's found there.  In the bottom half of the temple, there is a showcase for each of the major religions & in each case is sacred text & iconography, almost all - no matter the religion - focused on the need to be kind to one another.

This was taken upstairs in the meditation room. Isn't it beautiful? At the base, there are flames which are always lit. Around the room again, text from every religion.  The atmosphere & energy are so tranquil, peaceful & serene.  I think there's a daily 30 minute noon meditation there which I thought with my extreme monkey mind I'd find painful.  Instead, the time was up way quicker than I was ready.




These were taken at the shrine to Swami Satchidananda, the founder of Yogaville.  The picture on the left is of Shiva the Destroyer & the one of right is of the Swami who actually gave the opening address at the Woodstock Festival in 1969.  The picture on the Yogaville site of him giving the address is just amazing - how cool would it have been to have been there?  The picture gives me chills!

These last few pics are of some of the statuary around the grounds.  If you look in the foreground of the first picture with the Buddha, you'll notice a small shrine to Mother Mary.  I think the second picture is just your garden variety cherub & the last is of Quan Yin - one of my personal favorites.  I actually have a little statue of her in my office.

After three day trips, I think my next trip up is going to be a longer stay.  This is just someplace that for me feels right - I get there, everything melts off & I feel like I can finally just breath.  I hope everyone has a place of their own like this whatever that may look like.

If you have any questions about Yogaville, pop me a comment or give their site a look.  Hope you enjoyed the pics as much as I enjoyed my visit up there & taking them.  Namaste y'all!

Can You Hear Me Now? - Steampunk Style

I've had the same cell phone cover for a lot of months - it's pretty enough - red with a little bling, but I was ready for a change.  I don't have an iPhone (still bitter about all the trouble I had with itunes way back in the day &, yes, I am still carrying a grudge) so my choices are a bit limited, especially since I refuse to have anything to do with flowers, birds, stars, hearts, kittens or pastel colors - just not my style.  Kept looking & searching for the perfect cell phone cover, but no luck.  Then I had an epiphany - I have paint!  I have stencils!  I have glue!  I have gadgets!  Why am I looking for the perfect cell phone cover when I can make one exactly like I want it?

I started with this perfectly clear cell phone cover.  First step was to cover it completely in black gesso since nothing was going to stick to that slick plastic.



Next up was to paint it in, of course, Art Alchemy's Steampunk Copper.  The next layer was a piece of old sheet music that I stamped with more notes, set on fire for the burnt edges & adhered to the case with some soft gel gloss medium to be sure the edges wouldn't fray up.

Not a bad start, but no where near finished.  This is my first pass.  The placement was ok, but it was definitely lacking in color & needed more personality too.  This was definitely something I could fix & fix it I did.

I pulled out the paints, the stencils & the Gorilla Glue & spent the next few hours making the cell phone cover of my dreams - ok, that's an exaggeration, but it is one that suits me a whole lot better than anything else I had seen in my search.  See, no hearts, no stars, no flowers, no kittens & no pastels.

I think this is one of my favorite things to do - take something that's so dull & ordinary & transform it into something uniquely personal.  I'll be doing a lot more of these projects in the future so stayed tuned...  :-)

Oh, The Places I've Been - Barcelona!

About this time two years ago, I took a trip with my ‘rents to sunny Spain – home of Picasso, Miro, Gaudi, El Greco, Dali. So much beauty & art & not nearly enough time to see it! I thought I’d share a bit of what I was able to see though in Barcelona. This is me & I’ll be your guide for the day.

So, how European do I look? This was taken on the upper deck of one of those Hop On/Hop Off buses & I swear the recorded tour voice sounded just like Dame Judy Dench. Maybe that’s her side gig when she’s not busy collecting Oscars & being honored by the Queen - you know, just for a little pocket change.

The city itself is like an open art gallery. First, there’s the architecture of Gaudi. With all those curves & whimsical details, it looks like something that belongs in a Dr. Seuss book! I would love to have gone into one of the buildings to see what the room proportions looked like & if the inside details were as fanciful as the outside. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a decent shot of any of the buildings - either the angle was wrong, we were moving too fast or something was in the way. Google Gaudi though & you'll see what I mean.

I love modern, abstract art & it’s obvious this city does too. This is just one of the statues that are scattered about the city. I don’t know the history or the artist, but it reminded me of Picasso – one of my favorites.

I have to give it up for the street performers too. This guy was set up in one of the ancient alleys around the Barcelona Cathedral. He had his pan flute hooked up to a little amp & the acoustics among all that stone was just amazing.

Then there was this guy who had his Janis Joplin marionette singing & dancing to “Piece of My Heart” in one of the plazas. He had all the moves down – hilarious! Don't you just love the shorts, cap & tie combo he's rockin' too?

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The one thing we were cautioned about while in Barcelona was to be very careful while watching the performers because, unfortunately, Barcelona has the reputation of being the pick-pocketing capital of the world.

The most awe inspiring thing in all of Barcelona is the La Sagrada Familia Basilica – it is simply breathtaking. Gaudi became involved in the construction in 1883 & it still isn't completed. I got there about mid-morning on a sunny day & when I walked in just the light alone struck me speechless. It’s one of the very few places on earth that I’ve visited where I actually, truly felt peace & serenity. The pictures cannot possibly do justice but here are a few.





Despite the fact that there were tourists everywhere, the place still somehow managed to feel tranquil. I could have spent hours here absorbing the atmosphere & the art.

I only had a couple days in Barcelona so just barely hit the highlights there. With so many places in the world that I want to see, I rarely want to revisit a place, but Barcelona is someplace I'd definitely like to return to for a much longer stay. Aside from the art, I loved the city, the food, the energy of the place - it's one of the few places outside the U.S that I'd consider living. 

So, for when I return, anyone have any tips &/or suggestions as to what I shouldn't miss next time? I'll happily drink a sangria in your honor while I'm there if you do. :-)

FYI...Halloween Has Been Rescheduled...

I know...I know...weird, right?  Who moved Halloween?  Ok, maybe it wasn't moved - maybe it's just me & I decided to buy a bunch of weird things all at one time.  What can I say - they were on sale & I thought they were cool so I got 'em to use for something.  Don't exactly have a plan...but it'll come to me...just give me a little time...          
So, look at all the crazy stuff!


All this came from Retro Art Cafe.  I was looking for the perfect skull stencil, got sucked into their site &, well, this is what happened.  I found the stencil I was looking for & a whole lot more that I didn't know I wanted, but once I saw it decided that I couldn't live without it.  All the skulls!  All the skeletons!  All the dragons!  I mean, honestly, who buys just one of these?  That's just crazy!


I sat down & tried the stencils out immediately - big fan of instant gratification.  Check out the skull stencil - love it!

Bigger than I thought it would be, but looks exactly like I wanted.  The skull, rib cage & moth stencils are all made from oil board.  This is the first time I've bought oil board stencils - all my others are plastic or mylar.  I'm not too sure about how long these are going to last or hold up since I also use them with soft gel gloss to texturize.

 Here's the moth made with soft gel gloss & some Art Alchemy Micro Beads sprinkled on top just to see what it'd look like & what would happen with the stencil.

The gel wiped right off so I guess I'm ok there.  I'm still considering spraying them with a protective coating just to be on the safe side.

All the chipboard pieces that I ordered - the dragons, scroll work, antlers - came still attached to the chipboard it had been cut from which was great because, once I punched out the pieces I wanted, I had a new stencil!  These definitely need a protective coating or they aren't going to last too terribly long.  I love that fact that I got a 2 for 1 deal here.  Now I've got more dragons to play with & who wouldn't like that?!

My favorite thing that I got was the crow skull cameo.  It was just perfect for a little goth/steampunk crossover cuff bracelet - my new favorite piece of jewelry.  Whatcha think?

The Banishment of Boring Beige

For months, I kept looking over & seeing my beige filing cabinet in my studio.  Beige - is there any worse color than beige?  If black is the absence of  all color, then beige is the a absence of all personality.  My idea of hell is a world where everything is beige - well, one version of it anyway.  Can you tell I feel a little strongly on the subject?  So what was I doing with a beige filing cabinet in, of all places, my studio?  It was wrong...just so very wrong...

The first thing I did was spray paint it red.

The color came out brighter than I thought & wasn't exactly what I was looking for.  I also did a horrible job, partly because I didn't know what I was doing & partly because I didn't have the patience to figure out how to do the job right before I started.  That was ok though because I was pretty certain I wasn't going to be happy with just throwing a coat of paint on it.

Next, I pulled out my currently favorite stamp - the death's head moth.  This stamp is so cool - can you see the little skull?

 I got a whole squadron of moths going on, but I felt like it was still lacking.

Now, I'm not a big fan of subtly in my art - I like a lot of color & texture.  I also like the grungy look - lots of drips, drops, splatters, seemingly random marks  - so I got out more paint & more stamps, a stencil or two & a lot more color.  I spent the morning bringing some personality to my deadly dull filing cabinet & dancing around to some good, ole vintage rock 'n roll (which was not vintage when I first heard it) - AD/DC, Def Leppard, Aerosmith, Boston, Kansas, Cheap Trick, Foreigner.  Ahh, the classics!  Art & awesome music - sheer bliss & I was a very happy soul!





And this is where it ended - at least for now.  Much, much better & something that looks like it might actually belong in an artist's studio.

So, what do you think?  Vast improvement or something that makes your eyes cross when you look at it?

It's Christmas...In May!!!

Ok, not really, but it felt like it when I got home yesterday & my package had arrived from Scrapbooking Warehouse with the 4 jars of Art Alchemy Metallique acrylic paint, 1 jar of their Opal Magic acrylic paint, 2 jars of Micro Beads & 2 clock face trinkets I had ordered.  Nothing makes me happier than new art supplies...well, maybe a few things..but new art supplies are right up there. See all the pretty?  Aren't they gorgeous?

I already had a few jars of the Art Alchemy paint & absolutely love them.  They have a nice metallic sheen to them that reflects the light nicely, they truly are opaque & they spread easily - the weight & thickness are perfect.  The colors are awesome too.




Here's a chart of the colors I got this time. Ignore the one with the XX through it.  I still had blue paint on my finger so that didn't work.

I can't really decide what color the Blackberry is - a dark chocolately brown or a purple with a brown undertone.  Hard to decide. The Emerald Green looked more teal to me online & its another one that's hard to pin down.  It looks green, but as you can see, it pulls out blue.  I love it though & it's exactly what I wanted.  If I were into mermaids, this is the color I'd be using for sure.  The Brass Hardware is nice & bright & true.  Deep Waters is also true with no undertones that I can detect - very pretty.  The Violet Green Opal Magic paint, I'm on the fence about - on light paper, it barely shows green, but on the dark paper, I love the shimmery purple that shows up.


I tried out the Art Ingredients Micro Beads by running some soft gloss gel through a stencil, then pouring the beads onto it.  The beads are about the size of a poppy seed & very hard to corral.  I was able to get most of the excess back into the jar, but I think next time I'll mix them in with the gel before I use them - I think it'll be a lot easier, a lot less time consuming & less wasteful.

So, what did I do with all this awesomeness?  Take a look.


Keep in mind though that metallic paint is hard to photograph so you aren't getting a true picture of just how amazing these colors are.  I used the black Micro Beads for this, but decided that the painting was looking too dark, so spread some Brass Hardware on them.  The substrate is cardboard with black gesso.

If this has convinced you that you just can't go another minute without having the Art Alchemy paints & Micro Beads, I highly recommend ordering them from Scrapbooking Warehouse - I'm not shilling for them or being paid by them, but they've got great prices.  The paint was $3.88 a jar & Amazon wants $10.79 for most of the colors.  WTH???  If you do get some or, if you've been using them, let me know how you like them.

 And if you can tell me how to get metallic paint to show well in photos, you will be my hero & my new BFF.  :-)

Friday Night's Alright For...Art!

On Friday, a couple of friends & I went to Riverviews Artspace to check out the new exhibit by Lisa Tubach.  If you live in the Lynchburg, VA area, like art & haven’t checked out Riverviews Artspace, shame on you & you must rectify this immediately!  It’s a great space for artists & creatives to both work & show their art – those lovely brick walls, hardwood floors & the light!  Oh, the light!  <wipes drool from keyboard>  I highly recommend a trip to check it out & with a parking garage just one block up, you really have no excuse now. 

Friday was the opening of Ode to Eleuthera by Lisa Tubach.  I am all about abstract so this, of course, appealed to me - I’m really not much on reality…realism..I mean realism.

In her statement, Tubach explains that her work reflects her environmental concerns.  What I liked about this particular piece was the sense of movement I got.  The piece reminded me of the bottom of the ocean with the fronds gently swaying in the current.

Now this piece, I loved for all the drips & splatters it has going on.  I love a lot of texture & this does it for me.

Totally different & very interesting artist here.  His name is Jurgen Zeisman, he’s a biology professor, the collection is called "Tiny Treasures" & his paintings are based on what he sees through his microscope.  Who says science is boring?  His work appears so whimsical with little houses, villages, beings, a different world going on.  I really found his work intriguing, especially given its scientific basis.

Unfortunately, I can’t credit this last artist.  I took this at the Toolry which is the co-share work space located on the 1^st floor of Riverviews Artspace, but can’t make out the name & I didn’t take notes.  They don’t have any information on any of the art they had displayed Friday night so I’m out of luck there.  If I remember correctly, these aren’t paintings, but are mixed media paper art.  I really liked them, especially the message.

So, that was my Friday night.  Anyone else been to any good art exhibits lately?

Adventures in Vintage

So, a lot of what I do in my art involves "repurposing" items - you know, using things in ways they were never intended.  I've always got my eye out & am picking things up off the street if something looks interesting & has good texture.  Yeah, I know, ick - that's why we have soap & water, people.  I know I look like a crazy person doing it, but, hey, check the blog title.

Today I did not pick anything up off the street (only because I didn't see anything worth picking up), but I did go to a local vintage market & came home with some awesome items.  The moment I laid eyes on these chairs, I heard them screaming "TAKE US HOME!!!" (again, blog title).

 Now, I'm not touching these chairs - they are absolutely perfect in every way & have found their forever home in my kitchen.  Aren't they gorgeous?

 I immediately knew what I wanted to do with the wings. You'll be seeing them again, but in a whole new way. I promise it won't be in the way you imagined either.  :-)


This clock is in bad repair, but I think it's still really cool.

Inside it's stamped "J.L. Cobb & Company Clock Manufacturers, 18 Maiden Lane, New York."  I haven't been able to find any information on it yet, but I am curious.  I'd like to know a little more about it before I go taking it apart so if you have any information, I'd love to hear from you.  I have no intention of trying to have it repaired, but I just know that it must have all sorts of gears that will delight my little steampunk heart - it's going to be like Christmas in May when I open this baby up!

I don't have any clear idea what I'm going to do with the rest of my bootie - all I can tell you is that it will have absolutely nothing to do with what it was intended for...

Testing...testing...is this thing on?

I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m finding starting a blog to be scary, intimidating, frustrating & about half a dozen other emotions I can’t, as yet, identify.  So, I’m gonna keep it simple – this is an art blog or a blog about art or mostly about art because I could find something utterly enthralling that I just have to share that’s not art related & throw it in here because, well, it is MY blog.  But for a start, it’s a blog about art – let’s go with that for the moment.

Getting this blog & my website up & running (coming soon!) has taken a huge chunk out of non-work time, but I’m still sneaking in time just about every day to work on my own art which is always mixed media.  I love mixed media because there are no rules (REALLY not a big fan of rules) & I can use whatever I want to create.  If I don’t have paint & glue on my hands most days of the week, I am not a happy camper.  Weird the things that make you happy, right?  Keep your expensive French perfumes, give me the smell of paint! 

My absolute favorite paints are the metallics & they’re just about the only ones I’ve been using over the last few months.

I love the depth & glimmer they add to my pieces.  I include in this category the powdered mica flakes which I generally mix with soft gloss gel & use as paint.  Just gorgeous!  Here’s a little brass owl I bought at a second-hand market – I added a nice patina to him & then rubbed in some copper mica flakes while the paint was still damp. 

Much better now!  I was going to send him to my best friend who lives too far away, but when I showed him to my mother, she liked him so much, I gave him to her instead.  Sorry Deb!

I'm always interested in what other people use in their art & how they use it, so, please, drop me a line in the comments below.  Or tell me how you felt getting your blog up & running or designing your own website - tell me I'm not the only one who feels like she's floundering around here (lie to me - it's ok - I won't mind, this time).