a page in the life of

It's been a busy time in my world, but creativity abounds in spite of it! The problem with being busy is it leaves me little time for writing on my blog here. I use whatever "free" time I can scrounge up to do art. I've got some fun little things going on which I plan to share here next week. But, for now? All you get is this page from my notebook. I wrote an entry for my "general purpose" blog and these are my notes. I was in a mood for green that day. I hope you like it!

Rummaging in the garage ...

... and, found these boxes ...

They are filled with treasures, for sure, as we shall see.

Where's my camera?

Is Calvin Klein having a design crisis?

It's 9 AM and I have taken a stand with Calvin Klein.

I am sending back his euphoria perfume sample.

Have you ever smelled "euphoria?"
They describe it as 'top notes' of
pomegranate, persimmon, and lush green,
'mid notes' of lotus blossom,
champaca flower and black orchid,
and, then, 'base notes' of
liquid amber, black violet,
cream and mahogany.
That's what they say.
I just know it smells good.

It's empty, of course. Otherwise I wouldn't be sending it back.

I am returning this used sample handed out at Christmas when I was purchasing fragrances as gifts for my girls.

I'm sending it back because of the design of the bottle.  When I saw it, I could not picture it sitting on my dresser alongside Chanel No. 5 and my French lavender oil.

Sorry, Calvin, but's it's ugly. Really.

So much so, in fact, that I did not buy it. And, I wanted to. I went to Macy's at Galleria Mall for that purpose.

I like the fragrance.

I like the way I smell to me.

And, I like the way others respond to my scent.

Please? It's so difficult to find a fragrance that one likes. There are so many factors involved in choosing a personal fragrance, a signature smell. There's an emotional investment in the choice.

Can't you make a Calvin Klein design that's Calvin Klein? Something I can look at, that's beautiful?

Protesting anything is work. There are activities involved in this process, much of it "creative."

Design steps in crafting this process including selection of the note card, writing the note, photographing the note.

Wrapping the sample in bubble wrap to protect it.


And, photographing it.

After all, the little spray bottle is glass. There are a few drops left in it.

I want him to see that I used it.

I want him to realize that he is losing business with  this ugly design.

Truth is, I don't think he designed it at all. I'd really like to know how that whole thing works out. Does he "subcontract" design work out to young designers? Is that why this so doesn't look like anything Calvin Klein would ever do.

I'm sending it to the "corporate office."










Maybe the advertising folks will get it and go, "Hey, we should listen to our fans. They know good stuff when they see it!"

Yeah.

Right.

{Wink.Wink.}

It's 10:10 AM.

I'm done here.

Casual Friday ~ What I wore to work ...

I admit it. I have not been blogging about my creativity like I promised myself I would. My only excuse is that I've been busy being creative!!

Begin again.
After all, it is still January of a New Year!

So, this morning I was browsing my favorite artist blogs and found inspiration by Alisa Burke's entry for today, "fashion friday what I wore."  I love her blog AND her art and photography, so I visit her often and sometimes am inspired to attempt some of the techniques she employs.

That said, I did a pencil drawing in my notebook and painted with my Talens watercolors, which I am slowly beginning to get the hang of using. Controlling the amount of color in the brush seems to be a key component, especially when working on flimsy notebook paper.

So, here's my offering to the art gods for the New Year  ...

Haircut Reminder

I have short hair. Really short hair. Which requires frequent haircuts to keep from looking too shaggy and unkempt. I sometimes forget when was the last time I got a haircut, so I attached the Supercuts' receipt to a page in my notebook so I could look back and see how long it's been. Then, there I was yesterday morning, looking at that silly receipt pasted there and realized I'd never find it again if I didn't do something to make it memorable. With pen, rubber stamp and watercolors, here's what I did. {This may be my first ever self portrait.}

Just Be Happy

Artist Unknown ...

Lisa Bebi Art Blog

Art by Lisa Bebi

I'm just being happy today. Enjoy to art!

Inspiration for a blue Monday in May

Vintage photo saved for the shade of blue in the dress.

Boat photo saved for the shade of blue of the boat, the sea and the sky.

Nature photo saved for the mix of colors (especially the blue) and the dandelions.

Photo or scan? Love the art! And, especially that shade of blue.

Well said.

Happy Creative New Year!

Here we are again! Another new year to be creative!

I visited Michael's Art Supply store here in Fort Lauderdale between Christmas and New Year's and splurged on a "real" set of watercolor paints. Talens Transparent Watercolours! They cost way more than the Crayola water colors I'd been using, but they are so worth it! The colors are wonderful! It also came with a tube of white which I assume is to mix with the colors. I guess it's clear I have a lot to learn! What fun!

I also purchased a sketch book.

It took me a few days to figure out what to do with it. I read some of my favorite art blogs and finally decided I just had to DO IT!

So, I had this old thing from my days as a typesetter. It's a Bill Cosby quote from the 1980s (when typesetters still existed) and it's on Kodak photopaper for typesetting. I had it tacked up on the wall near my desk for the longest time. Then it was relegated to one of my many notebooks where I stumbled upon it once again.

Here's the first page ... It's just stuck to the page with rubber cement.  I'll be adding something to the page, I just don't know yet what that will be. That's the "creative" part, right? 

A splash of pink on a gray, gloomy day ...

 It's been gloomy when it hasn't been raining for 4 days now.

 I've almost forgotten how sunshine feels.

 But, the meteorologists are promising beautiful blue skies tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I need a dose of pink.
I'm wearing a pink sweater
and craved pink images from the web.
Enjoy!

a little art

Saved this little art work from Bet Corsault from 2009. I do so like her stuff!
Today I added the type. And, this is what kind of day it is ...

Playing catch up ...

I spend better than an hour behind the wheel of my car traveling back and forth to work each day, and one of my favorite pastimes seems to be what I will write on my blog when I get a chance.  "When I get a chance." It seems I've been so busy being creative that I haven't had time to write about it. Until now.

I had the joy and pleasure of designing and curating an exhibit of fashion dolls for a little history museum in south Florida. Old Davie School, with its four classrooms of tall windows and Dade County pine floors, turned out to be a wonderful venue for exhibiting dolls. I'm prejudiced, I know, but, I really think we did a good job. My Barbie pal, Denise, contributed many of her wonderful dolls and we covered the gamut, from vintage to modern, including pop culture (think Munsters and Elvis!) and holiday dolls! And, of course, lots of fashions and accessories!

I created all the signage and collateral which can be viewed here. It's not often a person gets this kind of opportunity, so I enjoyed every aspect ... from the planning and execution to the graphic design and marketing! I was incredibly fortunate to get to work with Leslie, the executive director of the school, too! She had lots of wonderful ideas and I hope she's as happy with how things turned out as I am!

We couldn't resist! This is a huge alligator from the Everglades, on loan from Mr. Bergeron.
"Beach Rodeo" Momoko is riding on his snout! The kids loved it!

We hosted "Tea with Barbie" last Saturday afternoon and more than a hundred people showed up! It was utterly delightful (I've always wanted to use that phrase and really mean it) to see women of all ages dressed up for an afternoon tea. Some wore hats, some wore tiaras! Many of the younger guests brought along their Barbie dolls and it really WAS like a dream for me.

Each guest received a button as a little memento of the afternoon.
It says, "I had Tea with Barbie at Old Davie School." Cute, huh?

I caught two of the "live" Barbies and a Ken arriving at the school before the guests arrived!
Here is "Birthday Barbie," "Ballerina Barbie" and a Barbie Basics "Ken."
This was the executive director's idea, and what a wonderful idea it was!

The "live" Barbies were a big hit with guests! They're so beautiful, aren't they?

The littlest guests, in their tea attire, playing with ... who else? Barbie!

creativity without a computer ...

It's Tuesday. I'm working on my computer with the damaged disks and its 5 "critical" error messages, waiting for the computer guy to show up. I'm working in "safe mode with network connections." And, this is very limiting to the technical side of a person's creativity when so much of their creativity derives from using the technology. Unh!

Yesterday, when the problem began, I was able to (Thank You, God!) transfer all of my files and photos to an external drive. Whew!  (Comment: I just happened to have a 2 terabyte external drive handy. Do you realize how much 2 terabytes is? It is MASSIVE! And, for us hobbyist photographers, storage of those digital images is everything, right? The drive is about the size of a Kindle and very easy to use.) So, anyway ... while the transfer was in process, I had to keep my hands busy. I rubber cemented restaurant business cards onto a notebook page and made notes about when we were there, with who, and how the food and service was.  I painted a tag with pale pink acrylic paint and set it to dry. I cut papers from The Breathe Paper Collection and glued them to other tags. The tags are leftovers from my husband's VanHeusen polo shirt purchases. They're nice thick cardboard about the size of a business card with a hole punched, ready to be remade into something else. I'll take pictures and try to remember to upload them later, WHEN I have a computer with programs to work from!

I have no programs. No software applications! No Microsoft anything. No Acrobat. No Photoshop. No QuarkXPress. No FrontPage or Expressions. Limited web access. This is torture. I have so many things to do that require this technology, and NOT having that access causes anxiety.  Then, there's the added pressure of analysis of what happened and what the best next step is. Is it time to replace the computer and move into Windows 7 with Microsoft Office 2010? 

Things change at warp speed. Adapt.
Good thing I have stuff stored on line at Picasa and Flickr!
At least I have some images available to me ...

Okay. Fine.
I've got to go wash a paint brush.
And, see where the computer guy is ...

Playing Catch Up!

I haven't been here in a while, but I've been being creative all over the place! In February and March, I organized, promoted and hosted two, count 'em! 2! art socials at a little park in my neighborhood. The artists are so wonderful and they delivered a lovely evening of art and food and friends! Maybe, with a little luck and a lot of help from neighbors, we'll do it again next year!

In April, it was the children's art exhibit, "Everglades Eyes." I started this as an annual event in celebration of Earth Day back in 2006 and it's definitely taken on a life of its own! My boss was amazed that this year was the "fifth annual" and he was impressed with the amount and quality of the art submissions! 105 students from five area schools produced some amazing images! Like, this one ...

In May, working with my Soroptimist club, we presented the "Live Your Dream" Luncheon. I posted all the collateral I worked on at my Veer page, here, if you want to see. And, now, I'm working on a Barbie doll exhibition at the Old Davie School! (http://www.olddavieschool.org/)

I'm a huge fan of Kelly Kilmer, a mixed media artist and instructor, and, while my pages look nothing like hers, she inspired me take pictures of what I've created and share it here, on my blog. So, here you are!

The left page above is my first draft of my "doll list" for the upcoming exhibit at Old Davie School. I know the school's four rooms really well, so my goal has been to link the dolls to the exhibits (however thin that link might be!) and create an experience that is entertaining AND educational.

The page on the right is my notes from a meeting on a capital project that I attended for my day job. The flower doodles didn't get colored until after the meeting, during a phone conversation that involved a good deal of time "on hold."

These pages are what's happening right now. My "to do" lists, a new vocabulary word (and, what a word it is!) and paperdolls I cut out during a brainstorming session. I think it's clear what's on my mind! Dolls and their fashions!

So, there's my creativity contribution for today! I've got to design a "tee shirt" for the special Barbie event in July, so I'm off to do that now. I'm so glad it's Friday, aren't you?

Valentine's Day 2011

Before I put all the Valentine goodies away, I took a few pictures. Here's my mantle shrine to St. Valentine!

"Home Sweet Home" was a find at Joanne's Fabrics. While the tag said "Made in China," the sentiment was "Made in America!"

I've had this crocheted hearts garland for an eternity, and it is undoubtedly my favorite for Valentine's Day!

A simple Valentine greeting at the front door lets the world know we believe in LOVE!

My neighbor enthusiastically decorates for all the holidays, and I think he does a terrific job! At night, the twinkle lights really showcase his garden of hearts!

New beginnings ...

I've just been reading through blogs this afternoon, trying to catch up on all my favorites. There seems to be a theme of "new beginnings" running through many of the artists' blogs. And, comments about trying to "get focused." 

That's so me. It seems like I spend too many days trying to get focused.
Maybe this year will be different. It's for sure I'm going to keep on trying.

So, here's today's offering to the creativity gods and goddesses ...

You see, I have way too many pink sweaters. I know I do, yet I keep buying pink sweaters. I have a drawer full of pink tee shirts, too. I seem to have a real thing for pink clothes. The thing is ... there really is no one shade of pink that's better than any other. It's a mood thing. You choose your pink by how you're feeling at a particular moment, don't you?   I do.

The Pantone Matching System (PMS) recently announced that "THE" color of 2011 is "Honeysuckle Pink."

Okay.

So, what, exactly, is honeysuckle pink?

Beats me. But, I'll take a stab at it with these images from my "PINK" folder ...

A blue Tuesday afternoon ...

Do you ever just see something and realize how random art can happen?
I do.
Like with this car, parked next to a handicap spot at the local Searstown.
All that blue drew my attention and I just had to take a picture.

Happy New Year!

I caught a bee buzzing around the gaillardia growing along the southern side of Lake Okeechobee.

Then, I caught my brother looking quite dapper in his Harris Tweed jacket, also along the southern side of Lake Okeechobee. The photo is un-retouched, and, once again, I'm impressed with my camera.

The Thriller-ettes, Run Amok!

I haven't written much here lately, but I have been busy, creatively speaking! And, the women who have been being creative with me? They have all run amok!

It began in August 2009 when I invited my Jazzercise classmates to join me in learning how to do the dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller."  A handful of women said they'd like to learn with me, so we spent September and October learning the steps. On Saturday, October 31, 2009 --- Halloween --- we performed it for the class and we recorded it. (Love the technology!) We had so much fun, which is evident from the film and I thought, "Well, that is that!"

In spring of this year, I suggested we might want to practice so we don't forget everything we learned and that we might want to video record it again. They were in agreement, so off we went every Thursday evening, a half hour before Jazzercise class, into a small room with the ipod, practicing the steps.

It was along about May that we began to discuss costumes. We didn't really do costumes last year, so we thought it would be fun to put something together that had a bit more style and then, the creativity kicked in. All of us would wear dresses, gloves and hats, as though we had climbed out of our coffins just to dance!(Much as any good zombie would do!)

Then came the question, 'Could we dance in a cemetery? Which cemetery?'

What a great idea! More creativity, running amok!

After looking around, I identified the Evergreen Cemetery off 17th Street Causeway in Fort Lauderdale, that had lots of the right kinds of headstones and grave markers and was really old ... established in 1910 ... so after repeated phone calls and e-mails and a meeting during an early morning thunderstorm, I obtained permission from Julius to use the Evergreen Cemetery as our "set."

Since all of us work outside the home, finding a time when we could all meet at the cemetery proved to be a bit challenging, but finally we did identify a Tuesday in early October that would work, so meet, we did! We performed it twice for the camcorder (Thanks to my darling husband who was the camera and sound guy!) and drew a small audience from the street. (Is this how movie stars feel when they're shooting "on location?")

Having never uploaded anything to YouTube, it took my dh and I a little time to figure it all out, but a few days ago we were finally successful in posting it to YouTube.

Thriller Dance in Evergreen Cemetery

Many of our friends have viewed it and the feedback has been positive ... we're funny ... it was fun ... we're fearless ... AND, we can dance! I find it to be so joyful when people enjoy what we've done and I think my fellow zombies agree.

So, there you have it.

It takes a good bit of creative energy to put together something like this, so that's why I haven't been writing on my blog so much lately. But, I have definitely been creative and I've found others, like me, who share the spirit and have enjoyed running amok with me!

We'll be performing for the final time this year at 7:30 PM on Saturday, October 30, 2010 at the Wicked Manors Halloween Street Party in Wilton Manors. If you're in the neighborhood, come by and watch us, live! Talk about "Creativity Run Amok!"