JuNk DrAwer FriDAy! No.12

BE PREPARED TO BE AMAZED, TO GAWK IN WONDER, TO SCRATCH YOUR HEAD IN CONFUSION, OVER WHAT YOU WILL FIND HERE.....:))

Let the Randomness Begin:

Happy Feet:
Take one pair of cushy Sanuk flips.
Add two really cute butterflies.
Yields: 10 Happy Toes;)  

You never know what you'll discover at a workshop!

Thanks to Noreen Coup, one of the great artists at the California workshop, for gifting me with these colorful clips.  

You can check 'em out by clicking here:))

Just Name It:

And you think my name is unusual---I'm feeling positively Jane Doe after watching this.  Love British humor!!

If video doesn't appear, just  click here:))

Just Charge It:

This nifty little charger saved my buns more than once while trailing the back roads of Italy using the phone as a navigation tool.  It's a portable mobile charger for the iPhone.  It's feather light and will keep your phone running those extra minutes just when you need it most.   

To read more, just click here:))

Sign Me Up:
Signing a wet painting can be tricky unless you have a cool tool like this one:)  The Kemper Wipe Out Tool has a wooden body with a pointed rubber tip that carves into a wet painting easy as pie!

It's parked in my Amazon Art Supply Store, just click here to check it out:))  

Impressionist Art:
There's Monet, Renoir and Degas.  
And Jim Meskimen.  
Shakespeare never sounded so good;))

If video does not appear, click here:))

So there you have it, earrings for your shoes, how to get wiped out, charging without using a card, a group of impressionist(s), and using hooked on phonics for those "unusual" names.  I know--it's quite an impressive line-up that should keep you busy for oh, at least, a......hmmm.....

Well, maybe one more thing---how 'bout a song to use when you order your Kemper signing tool??

It is, after all, the Kemper WIPE OUT tool.  

Have a super week-end! (Click here to view video)

P.S.  The ole newsletter hits the stands bright and early Saturday morning---be sure and look for it in your inbox:))  If you haven't subscribed yet, now would be the perfect time..just click below:)!!

P.S.S. Be sure and tune in next week for Italian leftovers--answers to all kinds of questions that came up during the recent trip to Italy:))

To Subscribe to Dreama's Art , Click Here:))

Art, Humor and Inspiration--In Your Inbox!

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"3 Ways to Add Sunflowers to Your Day"

"All Aglow"

Fine Art Giclee Print

Click for Details

3 Ways to Add Sunflowers to Your Day

1.  You can purchase a beautiful picture of a Sunflower to add sunshine and JOY to your life

OR

2.  You can paint a life size horse in Sunflowers and make him some sunglasses to boot.

OR

3.  You can  embed Sunflowers in your hair for an unforgettable photo shoot.

Clearly,

....some ideas are better than others.

P.S.  If you pick No.3, you better share the photos with me;)) 

P.S.S.  To see helpful tips on ordering my prints, click here:))  The above image, "All Aglow", is available for less than $44 for a 16 x 16" print:)) (not including S & H).

To Subscribe to Dreama's Art , Click Here:))

Art, Humor and Inspiration--In Your Inbox!

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"JuNk DrAwer FriDAy!" No.9

BE PREPARED TO BE AMAZED, TO GAWK IN WONDER, TO SCRATCH YOUR HEAD IN CONFUSION, OVER WHAT YOU WILL FIND HERE.....:))

Let the Randomness Begin:

Your Wake Up Call:

In case you can’t get to your caffeine fix soon enough of the morning (not that I know anyone who fixes coffee the night before and puts it on timer to be ready before their feet hit the floor in the A.M.)--thanks to Bath Buzz-- you can now lather it on;) 

Yep, you heard right, Caffeine Soap for your get up and go;))
'Cause you can never make the good stuff up:))

Music to My Ears:
The wonders of  music, of passion for life itself poured out in lyrics, guitars and voices--I am always humbled by the beauty and diversity and sheer magic of music. 


This week-end, take some time to treat yourself to the discovery or re-discovery of the JOY that music adds to the everyday moments of your life:)).  And please do share in the comment section--I'd love to know who inspires you:)!
My man John Mayer...keepin' me where the light is!

If video does not appear, click here:)

Slumpitis:

Occasionally, I get a question thrown at me like the one below:

“Have you ever hit a slump where everything you paint turns out wrong? I'm there and am very frustrated!”

Eddie Demonstrates a Severe Case of Slumpitis..

It happens, sooner or later, to anyone trying to do anything creative:)   Many times it seems to correlate itself to a break through in your work.  The equation being something like  this:
  

The Amount of Building Frustration = The Amount of Breakthrough Pending:))

What becomes the challenge is to not get so discouraged that you quit for long periods.  

What I would suggest is doing the simplest of things in your studio that make you happy.  From organizing, selecting photos to paint from, setting up still lifes, looking through art books, etc---just let the muse lead you.  And here's the kicker...when you paint, just paint for the joy of it.  No attachment, no expectation.  Think of it as a jam session like musicians do.  No one is recording.  Keep the focus and the joy on the pleasure of doing it---not a finished product.  Having the joy in the doing is what it is all about anyway.  

A finished painting is merely a by product of having a good time:)) 

Rearrange your thinking and love everything you do.  It is all a part of the journey:)


Leftovers:
My Paris Studio Makeover (Part I and II) stirred up a few questions:

• What kind of studio lighting are you using? I have basic track lighting with "cans" that hold a mix of cool (flurouscent) and warm (halogen) lights mounted to my sloped ceiling.  The lights face away from my easel and bounce the light onto my work surface.  What I consider in any indoor space I have painted is to work with the lighting until whatever painted using them appears pretty much the same wherever else you view it.
• I've got so much extra stuff like canvases, travel gear, etc--where/how are you storing yours?  My studio room has a bonus area under the eaves that was finished out for storage.  All the "guts" of my studio reside there---things that I need to be handy, but not necessarily in the same room.  Thinking of a secondary storage area for your art stuff may help free up your actual working space.
• What do you like about having your easel in the middle of the room?  Less chance I will walk into my sloped ceiling and leave a mark on my forehead;)  Seriously, it was just the most practical spot considering my options.  And it works.  When I need to back up to get the long view, I just turn my easel to view it from the adjoining room (my office)
• Why the bamboo flooring? What about spills and is it cushioned enough?  I like it.  I am a fairly "clean" painter (put that down to years of working in watercolor) so I keep a small rug to stand on to protect the floor a bit, but for most part,  I don't worry about it.  It is a studio, so if some paint does appear, NBD (no big deal;)  And I find it to be a comfortable surface for long bouts of standing.
• In case you missed the posts on my studio makeover, just click here for Part I and here for Part II.

And there you have it.  How to hide an addiction and get clean at the same time, songs to sing in the shower, loose ends in the studio and pulling out of a nose dive.  If that's not enough to keep you out of trouble, then remember my newsletter hits the stands Saturday morning.  That's all I can do.  If you're gonna drink AND shower, there's nothing left for me to say....

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"Junk Drawer Fridays!" No.4

BE PREPARED TO BE AMAZED, TO GAWK IN WONDER, TO SCRATCH YOUR HEAD IN CONFUSION, OVER WHAT YOU WILL FIND HERE.....:))

Let the Randomness Begin:

I'd Like a To-Go Box Please:

I am always looking for ways to streamline traveling with my paints.  I use about 15 colors (give or take an impulse color or two:) and the little box shown below turns out to be the perfect fit.  I pack up my colors in a bit of bubble wrap, stick 'em in the bin, pop them into a medium USPS box--and then ship them to wherever I am headed to paint.

Once there, I stand them upright for ease of use during my painting sessions:))

How cute is that??

And at less than $15 bucks, it's a cheap thrill:))  You can have a look at it in Dreama's Art Supply Store.
Click Here
(and yes, Amazon and I are affiliates-- which means, if you happen to make a purchase,  I will make a few cents:))


Scoping Things Out:
Somehow, I randomly ended up on the Home Goods site this week doing a style scope of all things.  It's just the kind of randomness that caused this Friday thing to happen.   It's a test and it's free and fast.  Two things we like around here.
And I actually learned something.
Amazing, I know:))))

Now it's your turn to have fun learning about one of my favorite people
....YOU!  Just click here.


The Half Empty/Half Full Debate:
I think the answer is clear....we have obviously missed the point--it's not about whether it's half empty or half full....it's what you do with it that matters:))


If video does not appear, click here


Please, Shea It Isn't So:
100% organic Shea Butter.  I never knew such a thing existed 'til about a month ago.

My friend Mary gave me some to try.  After letting it "melt" on my fingertips and then smoothing it on my skin....I was hooked:))  The moisturizing ability of the organic pure stuff is amazing, let alone all the other things it can do for the skin.  To read about it's benefits, click here.
You can get the organic kind like I have by clicking here to contact Mary.  I warned Mary I was going to spread the word to my buddies:)))


Don't Jump:


If video does not appear, click here

And there you have it on this holiday week-end.....what to do with 5 extra hours on a cold February day, the final end to the long debate,  butter that you wear instead of eat, carry-out for your colors and
a test.   Have an awesome week-end you gorgeous thing:))))!


Please Note:  If you think someone else would enjoy this type of ridiculous activity, please feel free to share this post:))

If you'd like to check out available workshops for 2013, click here.
If you missed my newsletter that just came out, click to read it here.

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