Heya!

Wow, time goes by so fast these days…can’t believe it’s been well over a month since I found some time to make an entry here.  I just can’t keep up anymore - the art world has been keeping me stuck in overdrive these days, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Currently I’m taking two workshops at the Altered Diva.com workshop on ning, learning  and having lots of fun doing it!  Here are my efforts from the Just Junque It! workshop that just finished

And here are my efforts so far from A Colorful Past workshop (btw, these are not finished yet)

 and then I’ve been busy working on my first art journal, titled Favorite Things

plus other things like atc’s and 4×4 chunky books and I just made a glass slide book that came out really nicely.  Paris and France always seem to inspire me to create.   Check out my Flickr site (there’s a shortcut in the sidebar) and you’ll see just how busy I’ve been!  I can’t wait until I retire in 10/09 - hopefully then I’ll have more time for making blog entries!!

So, other than that, things are as good as can be expected.  I’m still dealing with episodes of grief, and I really miss my mom so very much.  She’s been gone over 2 years now and I still have some small bits of lingering shock.  Is that normal?  Well, I guess her sudden, totally unexpected death will always have that impact on me. 

 In May I’ll be going down to Virginia for a 5 day art retreat, Art & Soul, in Hampton and I’m totally excited and anxious to go immerse myself in 5 whole days of art and meet so many like-minded people.  It’s going to be alot of fun!  I’m taking four classes with some very accomplished artists and I’m itching to learn some new ways to make art.  I’ll be working with acrylic glazes, creating handmade paper art books, making art assemblage pieces out of electrical outlets and Altoid tins and assorted metal findings and junque - gosh, how cool is that?!   My classes and room are paid for and I’m just counting the days now. 

After the retreat, I’ll be staying at an oceanfront hotel in Virginia Beach for another 6 days- and yes, I have a room that looks out at the ocean - it’s something I’ve always wanted to do so I figured what the heck and went for it.  While I’m there I’ll be scoping out real estate and getting a feel for the area, maybe even making a trip to norther N. Carolina to check out that area.  I’ve never been to these places, and they seem like nice areas to live in (I’ve been researching the mid-Atlantic states) when I retire.  I’m still strongly considering Cape Cod, but the winters up there are part of why I want to move.  If I did settle in Cape Cod, I’d also have to find a timeshare for the winter months down south.  No more cold winters for me! So, we’ll see.  I’m keeping my options open for now, and I won’t be buying the condo or townhouse immediately either.  I’ll be renting for a year or so to see how I like it first.  If I do, then I’ll buy and settle in permanently.  Moving is about 3 years away yet, so I have time to check out alot of areas. 

 But before I go on vacation, my annual foray into the trials and tribulations of NaPoWriMo 2008  at PFFA will be occupying me during April.  Well, maybe.  If I have enough time.  We’ll see.  And I have other things on the burner I can’t talk about yet, too. 

Oh, and I had the distinction of being asked to interview for the premiere issue of DIY City web mag, which went online a few days ago on Valentine’s Day.  Here’s the link http://diycitymag.com/  I’m a ways in, about 50pages or so, but it’s still quite an honor!  This is the second time DIY has featured my artwork - the first time was on their blog. 

 So, it’s getting late and I still have tons of stuff to get done.  Be well, and stay creative!  And go call your mom!

Digital Art, here I come!

 And so it begins….

For Christmas I got Adobe Creative Web Suite CS3 and I finally found a few hours to sit down and play with Photoshop Extended - took me about 2 hours to do this piece, and I’m really impressed by what you can do - and I’ve only just started to play.  Now my head is teeming with all sorts of ideas for digital art.  Included the in the software is Illustrator CS3 as well, and I just bought myself a Wacom Intuous 3 digital drawing tablet.  It’s time I started drawing again.  Now all I have to do is figure out how to connect the two and start drawing….  *sigh*  So much art to make, so little time!!!!

Happy New Year!

 

So, Happy New Year, y’all.  I do hope 2008 will be a banner year for all of us.  This year we have a leap year, elections and the year of the rat to look forward to.  But best of all, only another year of Dubya’s insanity - and for that reason alone I am more optimistic than I have been in a veeery loooong time. 

from In Memoriam
-by Lord Alfred Tennyson

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Bah Humbug!

So, while I have a few moments to breathe, let me take the time to wish you all a very joyous holiday season now while I can, even though I’m not feeling it.  Too much going on I suppose, but mainly I’m just feeling very sad and lonely these days and missing my Mom more  and more with each passing day.  I keep telling myself it’s going to get easier, but so far it hasn’t.  I’m still eye deep in grief but life goes on and so must I.  Let’s just say the holidays exact a hefty toll from me now.  The grief line, as I call it, runs like this, with each of these days significant for one reason or another:  October 15 - Nov 9 - Dec 5 - Dec 24 - Dec 25 - Jan 1.  So that’s just about 3 months of lows with a few rare highs sprinkled in.  No wonder I’m down in the mouth right now.  Well, it’s to be expected I guess.  I did buy myself Adobe Illustrator C3 for Christmas, though - and that makes me a little happy at least.  I’ve wanted it for years now, so I finally caved in when I found it online for $250 and bought it.  Bah humbug - screw the savings plan.  It’s Christmas and everyone deserves a bit of joy, even  me. 

Armor

It is new yet, still untarnished; virgin

to the thrust of a lance,

the plink and pierce of an arrow. 

It is strong and serves me well.

Why then do I still cry?

So I’ve just finished a workshop I took at Altered Diva’s site (http://adonlineworkshops.ning.com/) called Softly Spoken, and this is one of 6 pieces I made.  I’m really happy I took this workshop - I learned alot and made a few new art friends, and I really do like the way the pieces came out.  The technique involves putting down layers of color, collaging on top, adding a suitable quote and then finishing off.  If you want to see the other pieces, you can see them at my Flickr site (there’s a link on the right side).  I recommend this workshop to all you budding mixed media artists out there - it’s well worth the price, and the lessons (6 total, over 6 weeks) are presented so they’re very easy to understand and apply, and there are also vidoes!  I’ve also signed up for the next workshop (Just Junque-It) that starts in January ‘08 - it involves assemblage and making art out of things that are, well, junk!  heh, and I have plenty of that stuff clogging up my art drawers!  I’m feeling a little intimidated, but that’s good - it means I’m stretching beyond my comfort zone = and that’s where the real growth occurs. 

 Next on the agenda - I want to wish everyone in the US a very Happy Thanksgiving Day - may you all faint from abundance (in a good way, of course!)  This year, as usual, my blessings are far too many to list, but to name a few that immediately come to mind:

mom (even though she’s gone, I still feel the blessings she bestowed on me)

Lisa K - my art friend, hero and advocate, and inspiration

Debby G - my best friend, more a sister really (my true rock)

Baby - my pet conure who supplies me with limitless companionship, entertainment and joy

all of my artist and poet friends - for their unending inspiration and support

Cape Cod - for her sheer beauty

my camera

walks in the nearby arboretums, fall leaves

Starbucks coffee

and right now, most of all - turkey!!!  (I cannot wait to consume tomorrow!!!!)

Just a quick drop in to say hi, y’all!  Got some news, 3 more ATCs to be published in The Fairy Zine, Vol.3.  And I just made reservations for the Art and Soul Retreat in Hampton, VA from May 1-5,2008.  I’ve registered for 3 day-long classes with Michael DeMeng (Creative Outlets - assemblage art using an electrical outlet -what else!-as the base), Diana Traut (Acrylic Painting with Glazes - been wanting to learn this technique for ages now!) and Albie Smith (Bound Art - creating several handmade pages and then binding them in a handmade book).  I am way psyched!  Here’s a link to the website http://www.artandsoulretreat.com/VA2008.php 

 This will be my first art retreat and I can’t wait to meet my peers!  I have no classes on one day so I plan to check out the area, and since Virginia is one of the places I’m considering relocating to when I retire, I’ve also booked another 4 nights at an oceanfront motel (and this time I went for the seaview and private balcony) in Virginia Beach.  I plan to check out real estate there and see the area.  Should be fun.  Lots of things to do in the area, too.  I had planned to go back to Cape Cod again in the spring to see how it is that time of year there, but then this opportunity came along so that will have to wait until later in 2008 or in the srping of 2009.   I’ve started to gather information on the areas I’m considering relocating to after I retire.  So far, I’m looking at Cape Cod, MA, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and northern North Carolina.  If anyone has anything they’d like to share pro/con on those states with me, please do!  I’d appreciate any input I can get on those states.  I’m looking to buy a condo/townhouse that’s at most a 1/2 hr drive to the ocean, and I’d like to live in a complex that has a clubhouse and pool, and an active community. 

Well, I have something wonderful to look forward to for the next 6 months now - and that’s a good thing!

Hello world!

Welcome to Cheesecloth Moon’s new home on WordPress.com!! 

It’s still kinda under construction - still have to figure out and try move things around after importing everything from blogger (which imported nicely but jumbled everything together)  But, and I say YAY!!, at least now I’ll be able to blog from home!  If I can’t figure a quick and easy way to get all the poetry onto the poetry page, and all the art onto the art page, etc, then all those posts previous to this will have to stay on the Home page.  Right now it looks time consuming to do, and time has become a rare commodity for me these days, so it will either take awhile or not get done at all.  heh.  seems to be the story of my life these days!!

 After looking back at some posts I realize there are many comments that I have not answered, from as far back as June (aiy, for shame on me!) and I must sincerely apologize for that.  I am hoping no one feels like they were snubbed!! I would hate for anyone to think that! Now that I can access my blog from home that should be a rare occurrence!!  So again, please accept my apologies if you left a comment and I did not respond. 

Hey guys, how goes it? I know I’ve been missing in action for some time now, and this has to be brief because I’m alreayd 10 min over my lunch break, but I wanted to let y’all know three more of my ATCs have been published in The Faerie Zone Vol 3, soon to be released AND (get ready!) I’ve been asked to submit 5 pieces of artwork for publication in an art book - how cool is that?!?! I’m planning to do 2 larger pieces (4×6 and 9×12 maybe), 2 art dolls and maybe an assemblage. The theme is to revolve around circus/faerie/whimsy/magical. I’ve also been busy with a circle journal (6 players, each makes 2-8×8 pages for the 5 other players and they make for you - we’re doing photo manipulation. The themes are landscapes, metal mania, our town, details and reflections.) I’m getting ready to put my third set together now. Lastly, I’ve been to Cape Cod, Massachusetts and back for vacation recently and I have scads of pictures to post. Stay tuned….

Ok, I admit it. I’ve been totally lazy with resolving the dns problems. So, I’ve been thinking, why not just migrate everything over to a new blog? So, that’s probably what I’m going to do. I think. Well, let’s just say I’m mulling it over.

In the meantime, things are status quo - no new publishings or otherwise exciting news. Been trying to write some new poems while at the beach, got a few very coarse nuggets so far. Now and then I tinker with some of my NaPo 2007 poems. I find the longer I let my poems rest, the easier it gets to revise them. Demand for my atc cards has been phenoomenal - seems I can’t make them fast enough sometimes! But I love making art even more than I love making poetry (yep, I do admit it!)

Been out with the camera off and on - finally got myself over to the arboretum during the summer on a heavily clouded, imminent thunder stormy type day - I have summer and fall shots of this one spot in the arboretum and I want to make a 4 season photo montage on canvas with them. Now all I need is winter. I will return back her to post the shots I do have so yuo can see them for yourself. And I got some great shots of the Piping Plover babies still full of down and maybe all of 2″ tall. Gosh, they are the cutest little things…

Well, gotta scoot. Lunch 1/2 hour is now lunch 40 mins. Be well, and stay cool (or warm, depending on where you are in the world!) and stay creative!