Playing with the Queen of Hearts...........

I'm participating in a show next weekend on Sat., February 13th, called I heART . This art show takes place during that special time of year dedicated to love, the color pink, teddy bears, candy, and a chubby toddler with a weapon. This group art show - back for the second year - will explore all of those clichés and much more! Can you feel the love?

Well, since I had to come up with something "heart"-related, I just couldn't resist.

I'm a little mad here.................

Its a no-brainer that I'm all about seeing the new Alice in Wonderland movie coming out in March. I had been working on this fused glass piece for a while now and finally finished it and got it framed last week.

The movie trailers look oh-so-good, and of course Johnny Depp being one of my FAV actors, is just perfect for the Mad Hatter.















So, today I'm unloading my kiln and my eye went right to these fused glass (soon-to-be) pendants. Now, these were seriously not Alice in Wonderland intended, but none-the-less....... an uncanny resemblance???






.....OFF WITH HER HEAD!

New & Upcoming Artist

I always knew my nephew, Mike DiSalvo, was into art at a very early age. What I didn't know was the amazing talent that he has. I was simply BLOWN away with his drawings and paintings that I saw for the first time this year. Now, you may be thinking I am biased, him being my nephew and all...... well, take a look for yourself:










With his busy schedule, I was able to catch-up with 19-yr. old Mike DiSalvo for a brief interview (via facebook, of course!).

1. Describe a typical day in the life of Mike DiSalvo.
A typical day for me starts early, I never really sleep in. When I'm not working or in class, I like to watch movies and hangout with my friends.

2. When did you start painting?
I started painting in early September of this year. I have always enjoyed drawing and decided to try painting and now I love it.

3. What drew you to this medium versus any others?
Painting has always interested me, but what really pushed me into trying it was visiting the Art Institute of Chicago Museum. I was blown away by all the paintings from great artist like Bazille, Monet, and Van Gogh. Van Gogh's self portrait is the greatest piece of art I have ever seen.

4. What inspires you and who are your influences?
Music and movies inspire me the most. If I like a bands music I'll put their songs on a loop and listen to it for hours while I paint something involving the band. I love to draw and paint peoples faces the most. I'm not sure why, but I just enjoy creating all the details in the face.

5. What do you do in your spare time besides paint?
In my spare time I love watching movies. I also enjoying hanging out with my friends and keeping active by playing different sports with them.

6. What are your favorite movies, music and food?
I love all different types of movies, but some of my favorites are Casino Royale, Desperado, Die Hard, The Professional, and Lost in Translation. My favorite bands are Muse, Coldplay, Mute Math, and U2. I pretty much like every food and love trying new ones, but by far my favorite is spicy chinese stir fry.

7. What are your plans with your artwork and where do you think it will take you?
Right now I'm going to Columbus State Community College for Audio/Video Production. I am hoping to someday become a movie director. Painting is just a hobby for me, but I would love to continue painting forever.

8. If you could have lunch with & pick the brain of any artist, living or dead, who would you choose and why?
If I could have lunch with any artist ever it would have to be with Salvado Dali. His paintings are so different and out of this world. They are almost like dreams or nightmares. I would like to try and understand how he came up with such unique ideas.

pictures above:
1. Bono
2. Brad Pitt (Benjamin Button)
3. Heath Ledger (The Joker)
4. Daniel Craig
5. Muse
6. Jean Reno (Leon - The Professional) (Mike's first painting)



Biased???? I think not!

New Listings

So I've had a busy November and December with craft shows, custom orders and new listings in my etsy shop. Needless to say, I've neglected my blog. So...... without further ado, here are a few pics of what I've been working on:

My Little Goth Girl




























Snowmen and Gingerbread men





New Monster Magnets



























Ninja Love Earrings

Taking pet rocks to a whole new level!

So after my son made loads of pet rocks last month and all the great feedback everyone was giving him, I decided to search for pet rocks on etsy (just to see if anyone did this). Well...................... take a look - you won't believe your eyes! Make sure to click on the pictures and see these fabulous rocks up close and personal.

From RockArtiste's etsy shop:






















From CynthiaKayoDesigns' etsy shop:



















From MelanieKay's etsy shop:























From Gardenstones' etsy shop:



I especially liked how this artist used the cracks and crevices to compliment her designs! Very clever!

















Which NOW leads you to the rock I painted. My son found this rock over the summer and I kept saying how it looked like a converse shoe. After much shameless begging, he let me paint it. Not quite like the artists above, but, none the less, fun!

monster pins

My little monster pins that I made for my son's class Halloween party. We had a Monster Mash - good times!

Woo Hoo!!!

Click on any picture above for more info.......................

Hope to see you there!

Pet Rocks Galore

So, my son is gearing up with me for my upcoming art shows. We did this a couple years ago and he really had fun with it (and made a bit 'o money too, I might add!). For the last few months, he has been painting rocks and then I glue the "googly" eyes on them to make "pet rocks". He usually paints about 6-8 at a time before it gets old, so he has been working hard on these for a while now! He also makes up names that I print on little strips of paper, so that when someone buys a rock, they can pick a name for it too. The names are seriously the best - here are some (remember, HE came up with these!):

Obi One Baloney
Storm Pooper
R2 Poo Poo
Melon Head
Captain Underpants
Chowder
Fancy Pants
Brutus
Gizmo
Puppy Face
Little Miss Sunshine (I told him to have some girl names too!!)



btw- he has a name for almost every Star Wars character like the ones above. The last shows I took these to, they sold out and my son was starting to make more money than me!

My latest.............

A few buildings in downtown Columbus.................

Contest

I just happened to stop by one of my favorite bead stores, Pink Flamingo Beads, that I probably haven't been to in well over a year - had to get some wood beads for my son as we were making hemp bracelets. As I was checking out, the gal at the counter had told me about this contest they were having. They had a big basket full of plastic shapes, different sizes and colors. You had to incorporate one of the pieces into a design that could be worn. I was intrigued as I saw a two-color half-moon that I knew I had scrap glass at home of the same color. I made the fused glass pendant hanging from the half-moon plastic piece and viola:





So.....here's where my Columbus peeps can help me out. Starting this week, they will have all the entries displayed in their store. If by chance you are in the Powell area - stop in and vote for me - please! They are also having a 10-year anniversary event going on September 23rd where again, you can see all the entries. Here's a flyer of what's going on during their event: -click on the flyer for larger view-
:)



Now, these ladies at Pink Flamingo are serious beaders and my entry may very well be blown away by the beaders - but, it was fun and I don't think I've ever competed in a contest making jewelry! I'd love to hear your thoughts - leave a comment on my blog and when the contest is over (I think at the end of the month) I'll randomly pick someone to win this necklace! Just mention in the comment how much you love it and love me and that will score extra bonus points! Because really, a little boost to our ego (ass-kissing) is what we all want, right? LOL!

busy, busy, busy.......

Lots of things happening at once. Here's the lowdown:


My 2 latest listings in my etsy shop:

Yin Yang Guitar and Let It Breathe





I LOVE, love, love the way this turned out!































Gearing up for 2 shows.

Independents' Day and C-Note Art Show










And my biggest surprise of all............
STAY TUNED - I'll be posting it next week. HINTS: it involves summer, a picture, a painting, a contest and the fabulous artist Christy DeKoning

Ah-ha moment

So, my son is HUGE into playing with legos and the other day as I was building something with him, I just happened to think "I should make a little lego man out of my fused glass." My son was all excited and made up the lego man and I used that for my model. Of course after I made it, my son wanted it for himself, so I ended up making him a smaller version that was about 3 inches tall and not framed. He carries it around everywhere with him and actually fell asleep with it in his hand the other night. How funny is that?! What can I say...my son has great taste! :)

Urban Scrawl III

This past Saturday marked the 3rd year of Urban Scrawl in Columbus, OH.

Urban Scrawl = art, crafts, skateboarding, breakdancing, vegan hot dogs, Hip Hop, graffiti, and artists coming together with a common goal - to create a vibrant Franklinton.

Franklinton—long considered one of the most depressed areas of central Columbus—is beginning to show signs of life and color. And Urban Scrawl is a driving force behind that effort.

Murals and artwork from past Urban Scrawls have been hung on buildings around Franklinton, said Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski, Urban Scrawl founder and president of the Franklinton Arts District. The artwork creates an aesthetic counterpoint to the neighborhood’s blight, Rutkowski said.

“It adds color where there wasn’t any,” said Jim Sweeney, Executive Director of the Franklinton Development Association. “It’s amazing to see the changes. Hats off to Urban Scrawl.”

-Columbus Underground

The artists who participated in this were AMAZING. Here are just a few of the pieces that were being worked on throughout the day.

Yummy!

I'm proud to announce that I will have one of my fused glass art pieces hung at the the upcoming exhibition Yummy! an explosion of art & food from August 14th - September 13th.

Yummy! is an art exhibition which explores eating, drinking, cooking, dining, and everything related to food. Work created by over 35 artists from Columbus & beyond will be displayed.

The opening party for Yummy! is this Friday, August 14th, from 6pm to midnight at The Matchbox Gallery @ Junctionview Studios, 889 Williams Ave., Grandview Heights, OH. There will be refreshments, music and more. Junctionview Studios has teamed up with the folks at Pecha-Kucha Night Columbus to have Pecha-Kucha Night Volume 10 coincide with the opening of Yummy!

If you're unfamiliar with Pecha-Kucha, (Japanese for "the sound of conversation"), it's a forum for creative people to share information about the work they do. Each presenter is allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each - giving 6 minutes 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This keeps presentations concise, the interest level up, and gives more people the chance to show. Pecha-Kucha Nights happen all over the world, from Amsterdam to Hong Kong to LA to Chattanooga!


My submission - "Just Breathe":







If you can't make it to opening night, feel free to stop by the gallery during their regular hours:
Fri.: 1 - 5pm
Sat. & Sun.: 12 - 5pm

Etsy Inspired Challenge

I am BLOWN-AWAY from all the creativity of these gals who created cards that were inspired from one of my fused glass art pieces. Here are just a few:

From my Boots were made for walking....

Ashley created this:


















From my Cherries Jubilee pendant







De created this:








AND Ryann created this:


























From my Breakfast at Tiffany's piece




Jacquie created this:























From my Birds of a Feather piece









Lee created this:














And these are just a few of the great creations.














The winner of this challenge goes to Cathy, who was inspired by:
my Dichroic Fused Glass Puzzle Piece Pin and my Abstract Piano piece

Here is what she created:



Congratulations Cathy - a rockin' fused glass pendant is on the way! Also, thanks to EVERYONE who participated in this challenge. You are very talented women who inspire me!