A NEW YEAR A NEW HOME

Gelli Plate printing, Gelli Arts gel plate, mono printing, collage, stampmaking, brushes, learning, and fun...these were some of the subjects covered in artdemos.com during 2013. But now... Welcome to the new home of ArtDemos.com If you are visiting this blog for the first time let me say welcome! Check the FREEBIES page for a special offer on access to the classroom pages.

I've enjoyed the last fourteen months that I spent teaching on artdemos, my Ning network. Due to the rising costs of maintaining that community (approximately $100 for maintenance fees & advertising) I made the difficult decision to go into the New Year without the worry of those monthly fees. However, I have and will continue to have a Vimeo-Pro site to host all of my videos. You will continue to have access to your classrooms on Vimeo using the passwords that were sent to you prior to artdemos closing.

As many of you already know my husband suffered a debilitating stroke in April, 2013. The man I had depended on for 42 years was replaced by someone who needed more of my time and help. His stroke was a blow to us emotionally and physically but helped me to re-evaluate my life choices. I thought I could still maintain a large group of people and meet their needs just as I've done on the web since 1998. Admitting I could no longer do that has been difficult for me. But by moving to this new format I think I will be able to keep both promises...to my family and to my students.

I still welcome new students despite the change of venue. If you are interested in learning new ways to work with your Gelli Plate there are two workshops available called Art of the Gelli 1 & 2. I also have a classroom for taking care of hopelessly paint encrusted paint brushes...yes, they can be saved! There are other classes available and if you are interested in any one of these please contact me at artdemosdotcom@optonline.net and I will forward a PayPal invoice and send the passwords for immediate access to the classrooms.

Those of you who have expressed concern over my artistic angst be assured, I still suffer from it, but I have also gone back to my first and greatest artistic love, Photography. I anticipate spending the next 50 or so years creating and selling fine photo artistry prints. You can see a few of them right now in my Etsy shoppe:Photo Artistry Cafe.

Thank you all for your support of ArtDemos.com during 2012-13. It was a dream that I made happen and I will never regret having had the experience. Happy New Year and blessings to you all!
~Cat

It's been awhile...

Three and a half months since I last blogged. I have excuses and some of them are even good ones! I had to move my studio because my DD returned with her hubs so that they could save money for a home of their own. The move took the last half of February and ALL of March. They moved in on April 1st and on April 14th my DH suffered a stroke. It was a clot on his brain stem and it caused some damage that may or may not resolve itself. He is still partially paralyzed on the right side (he's a righty) and unable to do a lot of things he would normally be doing on a daily basis. BUT...that does not mean that life is sad or even hopeless. I am grateful for each little victory that he has achieved and thankful that my DD and her beloved were with me the day it happened.

I am in the midst of re-discovering my painting style. Took a BIG detour via online classes with Mindy Lacefield, Juliette Crane, Jane Davenport, Carla Sonheim, Christy Tomlinson & Tamara LaPorte. But the detour finally took me full circle and showed me what I DID love to paint so as the saying goes...'it's all good'. I hope to get back into blogging on a weekly basis. And sharing some of the things that I learned during my artistic detour. The biggest one being how to use a Gelli Plate! Hope you'll stick around or join me if you haven't already because I plan to offer giveaways & links to online vids that you may find helpful.

Technique Tuesday on ArtDemos.com

If you haven't joined ArtDemos yet, you might want to today. Because TODAY is Technique Tuesday and today I'm sharing how to make your own stay-wet palette for your acrylic paints. I've bought 3 stay wets over the years and they've never worked as well as the one I'll show you how to make today.
Be sure to pop over and see it on ArtDemos

In the Beginning

In the Beginning by awildgypsy on polyvore.com

Turning Points

We all have those days when nostalgia rears up and hits us right between the eyes! Today it came to me while I was sorting through some old packing boxes that had been in my former studio. Back in the summer of 2004 I was diagnosed with breast cancer in early July. From mid-July until my mastectomy on August 23rd I spent the time packing up my studio and labeling the boxes. I was lucky enough to have the studio in my Dad's former childhood home so I just left them in storage on a back porch and walked away to deal with cancer and all of its ramifications.
The home/studio has been rented since by my youngest nephew, then my daughter and now my eldest nephew and the boxes shifted around, re-packed, etc. I realized it was finally time to confront all of the memories and junk they contained. It's been an evolutionary process.
I've found art supplies from as long ago as the mid-70's packed away with inspirational books, household supplies and your basic every day junk! I just unpacked the very last box and it contained nothing but books. Books I obviously have read over the years but never put to use in my every day life. I guess I thought that just by owning them, my life would somehow change. Here's the list of what was hiding in that last box...or at least the ones I intend to keep:

• Wishcraft~How to Get What you REALLY Want by Barbara Sher
  
• Anatomy of the Spirit~The Seven Stages of Power and Healing by Caroline Myss
  
• In My Wildest Dreams~Living the Life You Long For by Gail Blanke
  
• The Well of Creativity~Julia Cameron, et al
  
• The Power of Your Other Hand~A course in channeling the inner wisdom of the right brain by Lucia Capacchione
  
• Pricing & Promotion~A Guide for Craftspeople by Patrick McGuire
  and last but not least
  
• Flatter your Figure~Transform your figure with the next garment you wear! by Jan Larkey
  

There were also a bunch of inspirational paperbacks with Wayne Dyer in the lead for the most popular author. And it suddenly struck me...I am no farther ahead, no closer to my goal, no happier, no richer, no thinner, no more knowledgeable than when I first bought those books.
I guess the old saying is true: If you always do what you've always done; then you'll always get what you've always gotten!
So with this posting I am turning a corner. I'm making a promise to myself and to you, my followers, that in the future these blog posts will be about helping YOU and not about trying to change myself. I am what I am and it's just going to have to be good enough for all of us! Kelly Rae's e-course is responsible for opening my eyes on that one!
So I'd like to hear suggestions from the peanut gallery on how I can help you. What would you like me to share information about? Is there anything that I've said that you'd like more information about (excluding my kids and husband :)? I'd like to be here for those of you who may have questions about getting started on your artistic career because the one thing I have never tried to change is my desire to grow as an artist. I have 40 years worth of knowledge on all types of media and experience with gallery and juried art shows. I'm a resource that is willing to be tapped so let the tap show begin.
With much love I remain your ever faithful, Carolyn, a Jersey Girl.

An Inauthentic Life

I recently started an ecourse with Kelly Rae Roberts. Her suggestion was to journal about our fears as a way of removing the blocks to our authentic creative self. Before I even had a chance to read her inspiring words I journaled this post while on vacation in PA.
5.30.2010
At 61, the whispers I've heard my whole life have turned to screams. All through life I've ignored their message because I've been in pursuit of money. Whatever I had to do to earn the dime, the quarter, the dollar, the hundreds of dollars at craft fairs, auctions, home shows, and yard sales. The money, always and in all ways it's been about the money.
First I had a father who wouldn't give me a dime that wasn't earned in some way. Then it was the husband who dragged me from one dream to another always depending on me to fill the gaps and stem the flow of cancellations, shut-offs and shortfalls with whatever art form I was involved with at the time. At no time could I afford to listen to those quiet whispers that told me to express myself creatively whether or not it brought in the money.
That's not to say that I haven't lived a creative life. I have most definitely been creative. For over 40 years I have found inspiration in many places and expressed it in a myriad of ways, all of which have brought me moderate fame and some money. BUT...all of the creativity that I have expressed has been 'borrowed' from someone else. At no time has it been authentic.
At no time has that little voice said "Oh yes, Carolyn, yes! This is what you were meant to do!" But wait...that little voice just whispered that's untrue. One time, oh yes, one time it was all about me. My authentic self was given free rein that summer of my 14th year when it was all about my love of sewing. I think of it as the summer of the Singer, the Barbie and Jake's Fabrics. Then, oh, then it was truly me being expressed through needle, thread and fiber. After that intense three months I continued on through high school with sewing and designing my own clothes. I've often wondered what might have happened when I told my parents I wanted to attend F.I.T. in NYC. What if they had said yes instead of an emphatic, NO! Would those whispers have become my authentic voice. Would I really have become the designer I longed to become? And now, 43 years later does it really matter?
I've done everything that others only dream of doing but it has always been me mimicking some other artist's work because it sold well and brought in the much needed money. But now when I listen closely the whispers still persist. Louder now because time is no longer a luxury. And they are saying ..."hurry, hurry...take the time to find your voice before it is silenced forever."

The evolution of an Artist

I can't believe I'm actually blogging again. July 1st the darn computer black screened and refused to be awakened from the dead. Two weeks later I'm back with only minor loss of information. I knew I did a good thing when I sent my son off to college to learn all about electronic film, animation and COMPUTERS. He was able to save my 'soul' (my hard drive) but everything else was fried.

The Lord does work in amazing ways, however. Just that week I had been wondering if I'd made the right decision to go back to photography and hang up my brushes. Two weeks later I can honestly say I never picked up a brush to paint and didn't miss it for a moment but I longed for my Adobe Photoshop and the thousands of photos that were locked in my hard drive. Now I'm POSITIVE that I'm heading in the right direction at last. I thought it might be interesting to share some of the work I've done along the way and so my next posting will be glimpses of the 'art' I've produced during the last 30 years.

Sabbatical-Week One

It's been a week since I turned off the computer and turned back to my art. I have had a roller coaster ride of a week with everything from excitement to terror! More about all of that in a moment.
I've also started journaling...something I haven't done in a dozen years...at least on a semi-regular basis. When I was doing the Artist's Way I was a devout writer but after 9 months it was painful because the OA kicked up in my right wrist the more I journaled.
So here I am with a mini report of my week. I'll only hit the highlights because as important as this sabbatical is to me, I know you have better things to do than read the minutia of my every day life.
5.18.09-I have heard whispers from my true artistic self for years. Now when I need her to shout out loud she seems to have gone off line. At 3 pm, emotionally and physically drained I decided to do something I never allow myself to do except in times of illness...I took a nap!
5.19.09-Lots of ideas spilling out of my head as I awoke this morning. Took notes for future reference and then called up my sister and said...I've got money and a 50% off coupon...let's go to ACmoore. When I got back after noon I dove into the work and about 3/4 of the way in I could feel an artistic tingle. An excitement for what was starting to "BE".
5.20.09-The sky is bright as a blue robin's egg today. I'm sitting in the shade of some mis-grown trees, birds squawking for having their feeding time interrupted. I see a jet gleaming in the sun overhead as it propels its passengers to places unknown. Always, always the sight of a shining silver jet overhead brings me pleasure...I feel the excitement of places I can only dream about.
5.22.09-I have never done art to express my inner feelings and fears. Every piece was done with an eye toward how much money it would bring. After 40 years and limited success I see each failure for what it was. A loss of interest because I was not painting to express my inner feelings.
5.23.09-My daughter asked if I would paint a piece for her home. Make it something that would express what I am always 'preaching' at her. I have never had a family member EVER ask me to paint a piece for them. But my daughter...She gets it!

Sunday night, dinner finished but dishes waiting until I blog the FIRST piece of art for ME.

Fear Kept Her Grounded

Week ahead includes a stress test for DH. But mostly it brings a test of my patience. DD has a roommate moving in and the cats had to move out. One sweet little cupcake, Willie, and one feisty, scratchy brat named Bella have joined my four cats and one Chihuahua. Bella got in a couple of good scratches and has yet to appear from out of my craft closet but Willie has settled in. What's not to love about this little cupcake!

Willie
Wishing you all a creative week. Until next Sunday...Blessings from Carolyn, a Jersey Girl

A Penny a Piece

Took some time off but now back to listing my Flower Fairy House ACEOs. I scheduled three five-day listings tonight. You can go there directly by clicking on the image below. Hope you'll take a peek because they all start at JUST ONE PENNY!

Spring FUN!

I got my weekly mailing from PCcrafter.com. This week's was all about Spring and I must say that after the recent blizzard here in Jersey it was as welcome as the first crocus bloom.
I used to subscribe and purchase their digital downloads until it occurred to me that I might be overly influenced by the artwork of their featured artists. After all I am an artist myself and although I LOVE being inspired I don't want to cross over into the copyright infringement arena. Now every week I visit the site and just enjoy the truly beautiful artwork of hundreds of talented woman like myself. Perhaps someday I might even aspire to sell my work to commercial site like PC's but for now I enjoy my sales on eBay and Etsy and every day find the pleasure that comes from being given the gift of creativity.
You can get a taste of Spring for yourself. I've linked the title of the blog post directly to their site so surf on over and enjoy the warmer weather they're showing.

McDonald's Dollar Value Meal

I think the penny sales on my eBay account are better than the dollar menu at McDonald's! Where else could you possibly snag an ORIGINAL Sadowski mini folk art painting for under a dollar. It has happened! Recently the final prices have risen a bit so I'm happy that I'm at least making slave wages for my pieces now.

Before I wasn't making money once you took out the 15 cent listing fee, the 8+% final valuation fee plus the 30 cent Paypal fee +their 3.25% processing fee. Now it seems that buyers are willing to snag them at prices that have topped $6.00 Woot, woot! Before these same original ACEOs brought up to $15 at the low point and up to $35 at the best of economic times. However, since I plan on making my fortune in very short order I'm happy to ply my buyers insatiable need for ORIGINAL FAIRY art. See for yourself, just click the icon above and get in on the fun of possibly snagging an original piece for $.01! Best of Luck~!

LOLLISHOP TIME

In a little over ten days Primsy*Whimsy will be the guest weekend artist on LolliShops. That means I gotta hustle my bustle and get things up on line. I'm starting today.
I'll be posting as the days go on toward our grand opening on Jan. 9th!

GALLERY WALL

It's been almost a week and I haven't gotten around to posting my pics from last Friday's gallery bash. It was a blast and very profitable for me. Unfortunately not everyone made sales but I was one of the lucky ones. Here's what I was showing:


I met three wonderful artists who I so enjoyed spending time with. I will be sending them all emails this weekend. Didn't want to appear 'needy' so I didn't write to them immediately...lol :) Anyway, the show was great, the company was terrific and this happy artist is planning to do it again in the spring.


Next time I'll have more of my large art pieces. Most of what I had to show were pieces I sold on eBay and Etsy which were all small due to shipping costs and the challenge of packaging them for shipment! Hugs to all my followers and thanks to everyone who supported me this week during my daughter inspired 'crisis'. :)

NEW JERSEY you're INVITED!

Tonight is the one night Gallery Bash at Surf Taco, Main Street in Belmar, NJ. The art is amazing and the company will be outstanding as a group of very talented artists come together to show their work. I'm one of those lucky artists and here's a tiny taste of what I'll be showing along with some larger canvasses and framed work.



TicTacToe


Happy Happy


Celebrate

I'll try and post some of the larger pieces later today but I'm running behind myself and have a LOT of last minute art to get matted. Hugs, y'all
Caar

Coincidence or Fate?

I've been battling with my authentic self for weeks, nay months! on what my artist voice should be singing. I have gone back and forth looking at the various online sites to see what was selling; could I do that and did I want to?

Yesterday through a series of coincidences, I now believe in a Universal plan that I had misplaced somewhere along the way to making my art be profitable. I've tried various styles, mediums, surfaces...anything that was selling that I thought I could do as well if not better than the person who was selling it. I got confused and lost and my voice became a squeak in a depth of the blackest night. I was well and truly lost. And being confused is not the way to a healthy mental or physical lifestyle. Especially when one has already been through cancer and needs to keep healthy and stress-free.

It came to a head when I accepted a spot in a one night all out gallery bash in my old home town. I agreed instantly because I was sure it would finally help me decide on what I was 'supposed' to be painting. After 7 weeks of going back and forth and looking at my work I could not find a single thing that was consistent between the pieces other than I had created them with the same paintbrushes and paints. They were a mishmosh of every artist I have ever admired! Holy Cow! Now I knew I was in trouble because gallery night was four nights away and OMG what was I going to do.

Walking about my house and its hidey holes of supplies and such I came across a box of pieces I'd done back in 1996. 1996 was a definitive year for me for a lot of reasons. Not the least of which was I found myself in a position that Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Edwards have occupied. And as surely as Mrs. Edwards would have sworn on her husband's faithfulness I swore on mine. You know the old saying about the wife being the last to know. It isn't a saying, it is a truth.

Anyway, I found the work I had shown that year. The last year I had a gallery show, the last year I was my true and authentic self. Holding those pieces in my hands I rediscovered myself. How refreshing and how peaceful it is to finally look into that artistic mirror and see your true self looking back at you.

So I have put aside all of those pieces I have painted over the last weeks and months and pulled out of storage the true and authentic artist I knew was hiding somewhere behind the curtains of my doubt and uncertainty. The pieces may or may not sell come Friday night. But the crowds will be friendly, the wine will be great and the work will finally be...authentic!

GALLERY WALL

Found out this evening that I need to have some kind of structure to hang all of my pieces for Friday's Gallery Bash in Belmar, NJ. Fortunately DH has a solution for me so I'm not as distraught as I was about four hours ago!

I'm getting really excited about this LolliShops beta opening on Saturday. It's also the Sugar & Spice bazaar at church so I'll have the gallery show Fri., Bazaar table Sat and the cyber opening of my wild gypsy shop on Sat. as well. Full creative week ahead so I've got to hit the sheets so I'll have the energy to do mega creating! If you're any kind of crafty be sure to click on the LolliShops banner to the right and pre-register. And be sure to tell 'em I sent you 'cause we get credit for recruiting our crafty friends!

Night all...big king sized bed and heating blanket are calling my name. Til tomorrow y'all, keep creative...it just might save your life!
Caar

BLESSINGS and Pink Ribbons!!!

I recently added someone new to my life. A buyer of my art who shared her dream of one day being able to paint herself. When I responded to her I said in part... "I've learned since breast cancer that tomorrow is never a promise and today is the day to make dreams come true...so go for it and enjoy"!

She has read my blog and my about me page and my world pages on eBay. By reading them she said that she could see how even through adversity one can find happiness. And she's going to start painting! And that my friends is the greatest blessing of all. Being a light in the darkness of someone's life and giving hope when one is feeling hopeless.

Perhaps this month I'll share my story of breast cancer. Since October is the official Pink Ribbons month it may be time to do just that. For now I'm off to bed with a prayer that tonight I'll get the sleep I've been longing for. God Bless!

Counting my blessings instead of sheep

Just about time to get off the computer and get myself ready to sleep. I'm hoping for a good night's rest but if not I'll count my blessings tonight instead. I got a lot accomplished today from my to do list and one thing that didn't appear on it. I sent a box of crafting goodies to Sarah Huckman down in MS. You can see her list of needs on her blog. I've posted it to the right of this.

I'm still creatively stuck but tomorrow I'm hoping that I may break through the inertia that's gripped me for many days. I am pulled between needing to create art and needing to make money. Every time I think I've gotten myself to a place where I can balance the two I fall off the fence and bruise my creative spirit. But isn't this what makes an artist so interesting...angst and nothing but? I'd like for one day to be a homemaker who turns out a great coffee cake and her world is complete! Does Mrs. Cleaver still exist?

Countdown crunch!

Spent the day getting some more supplies packed for my sabbatical. Tomorrow I get to organize all of my eBay oddz and endz that I'll have to auction off when I get home in the fall. I've got a 7:30 am appt. on Tuesday for my six month CAT and bone scans and hopefully they'll be 'clean' so that I'll then be starting my fourth year of remission. Wednesday I've got to go food shopping for the first couple of weeks I'll be away and then Thursday morning it's sayonara NJ, hello PA. I'm hoping the trailer make it through the winter with no new leaks so I won't have to spend any time doing work related things. I've been cleaning house for a month and a half. That should let you know just how much sh*t I've collected over the last 21 years of residence in this house. If you wanna be one of my 'sabbatical sistas' send an email so I can put you on the list for semi-daily updates of my life by the lake.
Just my cat, my Chi and me...sounds like heaven 'cause I won't have to pick up a mop or a dustrag unless I want to...YAY!

ArtandCraftAuctions.com ~ AND~ Another MONDAY!

My computer is having a nervous breakdown and I can't get any email out to friends. I've sold three pieces of art at artandcraftauctions and can't even let friends know that I'm sending their pieces out tomorrow. Should anyone see this posting, let everyone know that AACA is THE PLACE to sell your artwork!!! I've made more money in the last month there than on eBay in the last two months.