Backsplash and picture frame updates

This morning I started bright and early to install the latest panel of the backsplash. It went up with some difficulty - but it's up and looking good. My client is happy with it and excited to have it grouted tomorrow. I will get to my client's home tomorrow bright and early again - and get the three panels grouted. The fifth and last panel will get started in the next couple of weeks. I hope to get it mosaiced, installed and grouted by the end of August. I will post pictures of the backsplash when I get them.

The commissioned picture frame is mosaiced; I grouted it and painted the edges yesterday. I will repaint the edges later today and then get it to my client tomorrow or Friday. I will post a picture of it here sometime next week.

I had a vivid dream last night that I can't stop thinking about. I wrote it down, talked with my husband about it, and "worked" it a bit...came to some conclusions about what it's talking about. I have realized it's about the changes that are going on in our family (my daughter going to college in less than a month) and being
"called" to take on something that I keep on trying to "give away"...for me, it's about the "call" for me to do sculpture, which is something that I have done a little bit of, but I have avoided trying to create a piece of sculpture that I have been sketching and planning.

I will work this dream by writing about it, sketching it, painting it, and then sculpting it in some way. I'm not sure it'll be ceramic or cement with mosaic - or maybe both. Or maybe working this dream will propel me to finally create the antlered one extending a lotus flower to me. I hope it's that simple.

Dream art, kitchen backsplash, and birdbath

I began the "bones" of the dream totem pole - it's what I saw in a dream a few years ago. The pole should be a little over 6 feet tall. I have 4 faces formed that will be placed on the pole. I need more faces to create a mask on.

Yesterday I got a lot done on the kitchen backsplash - the rolling hills are full of greens and look great. I will finish this particular panel (with two hills) on Thursday of this week.

The birdbath is coming along - the base is done and I'm now working on the movement of water up with column - around the bubbles.

Today I will work on the piece of dream art that's supposed to be in the "Artists in Dreamland" exhibit this year.

Niki De Sainte Phalle listened to her dreams too

I forgot to add that I was talking with a delightful artist on our way to Niki's Queen Califia's Magical Circle...she said that Niki told her that her dreams guide her. I have since read that she dreamt of a garden that she was inspired to create in waking life. I was so excited to learn of this - as my passion is dream art!

SAMA conference and First Friday

The SAMA conference was wonderful - full of great presentations and mosaic artist who love the art of mosaic as much as I do. I bought four pounds of smalti and some milliefori - and a book by Sherri Warner Hunter. I could've bought more smalti but I was worried I didn't have any more room in my suitcase. I also took a tour of Nicki De Saine Phalle's Queen Califia's Magical Circle. It was amazing, wonderful, fabulous, inspiring, spiritual and moving. I don't think I can post any pictures I took of the maze or the totems because of copyright, but I will find the link to the Niki Foundation so you can see some images of the place. I can say that pictures don't do the space justice - go and see it, experience it yourself. Here's the URL - http://www.queencalifia.org. I just found another garden with her sculptures: http://nikidesaintphalle.org/press/20080107_missouri_botanical_garden. Her work is mythological, spiritual, and epic.

First Friday is coming up - I'll be demonstrating mosaicing again. I am not sure if I'll work on the birdbath or the dream piece that I need to get done for later in April.

Publicity and finding time to create art

This morning I got some publicity done for the "Artists in Dreamland" exhibit. The press releases will be in the Coloradoan, Scene Magazine, ReBeet e-newsletter, and the FCMOCA's e-newsletter. Postcards will be coming soon.

I finished the dream mask - I'll kiln it before I fly to San Diego on Friday .m. I think I'll carve the face a little more to accentuate the lines.

I had a dream with werewolves in the last couple of nights and I am inspired to create a fine silver piece to express the different characters in the dream. Dream theory tells us that every bit and part in the dream, including the characters, colors, floor, and sky, are symbolic parts of the dreams...so I have a "werewolves", men in black suits, and a man/woman parts of myself that I want to explore in this piece. Should be interesting.

Hopefully I will get some more of the birdbath done today too. I need to get some pictures posted here!

Entries to Artists in Dreamland juried and backsplash partially intalled

We juried the entries to Artists in Dreamland on Friday last week. A list of accepted pieces can be found at http:www.Dreamartshow.com - click on the image of the card and it'll take you to the list.

Yesterday I installed my client's backsplash - it's where her sink and phone are. Today's inspection - looks good and she's happy.

I'm still working on the mosaic "Blobs chasing me" and waiting for more PMC to add to the mask. I had a really bizarre dream last night and if I have enough time I may try to create a piece to express that dream

DreamMosaics Studio updates

I finished a panel of the kitchen backsplash today - and finished a mosaic mirror yesterday. I hope to complete some more pieces that have been "work in progress" for quite some time. I have one mosaic wall piece, a fine silver box, and some jewelry pieces to finish. I also have the fine silver mask and a mosaic wall piece to finish up for the dream art exhibit.

I received four more entries for Artists in Dreamland today. The jury meets tomorrow to review the artwork and the dreams that inspired the work. I'm not sure I've counted right, but I think we now have 38 entries to take a look at tomorrow. I will post the results on http://www.Dreamartshow.com and http://www.DreamMosaics.com on Friday night. Then I'll contact each artist with the results over the weekend.

Studios news

I'm kilning my newest PMC pieces today - some will be tile for mosaics, some will be barrettes, some will be who-knows-what.

I have two mirrors started with fused glass pieces as focal points - now need to finish them.

I have the bubbles done for the birdbath pedestal. Tomorrow I will thinset them on and then start the movement of mosaic pieces up the pedestal.

The kitchen backsplash is coming along - need to install it and see where we are on the wall.

I'm stuck on the concrete dream-inspired sculpture - it's more about lack of time and energy to do it. So maybe it'll be ready for the dream art exhibit next year, as the altered book I started.

The deadline for entries for the Artists in Dreamland art show is Tuesday March 10th - I'll be at Poudre River Arts Center from 10 to 4 or so. If you need an extension, please let me know - the jury meets on Friday so we have a couple more days if you need it. I will post the accepted pieces on http://www.Dreamartshow.com and http://www.DreamMosaics.com - probably will email the artists too.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I love the new year - I think about and plan what do I want to do and learn this year - new art media to try. I feel more energy and to expand and learn I think.

I'm scheduled for a couple of art classes - one is next Tuesday and one is scheduled for that weekend, the 17th and 18th. The first is a Klimt-style painting class, which I'm really excited about. The second class is the Level I PMC Certification class. The talented Peggy Houchin will be teaching the class. Her website is: http://www.bellabeadsandwax.com

FYI mosaic enthusiasts - my mosaic office coasters, magnets, crosses and inspiration cubes will be at the Bellevue Store this weekend, starting Friday night. Bev always puts on a nice art opening party on Friday night complete with wine, cheese, and other goodies - I hope you can make it!

Dream art lovers - the Dream Art Exhibit will be April 19 to May 16 2009 at the Poudre River Arts Center in Fort Collins again! This year the dream narrative will accompany the piece of art in the exhibit. This will give our visitors a unique opportunity to experience the dream as well as the art piece that was created as a result.

I have invited a number of artists who create dream art to participate in the exhibit. So far Dee Dee Hampton and Karen Endres have agreed to have some of their pieces in the exhibit, which is exciting.

I am still looking for more artists who interpret their dreams through the creation of art. All media! Email me at dreammosaics@comcast.net if you are interested in having your dream art portfolio reviewed.

Mosaic on!
Kat

DreamMosaics studio news

I'm done with my holiday craft and art fairs for the year. So this is the time of year that I do a lot of exploring and experimenting with other art mediums and other ways to improve my mosaic art. I've been creating some fine silver pieces to add to my mosaic art - and in January I will take my first Level One class to become certified. I will chronicle what I learn and figure out about PMC (precious metal clay). I'm also experimenting with soldering some pieces that will have some of my favorite quotes and images. The next media I'm going to play with is enameling and fusing glass and metals. Who knows what will be next?

I have also decided to create and carry an earth friendly line, something that will help use up my many beer bottle caps. I haven't been able to throw them away and now I have figured out what to do with them - make magnets with them! I can make them really affordable and they're fun to make.

I also have decided to take the plunge to start selling on the internet on two different sites. One is on www.Artellaland.com and the other is www.artfire.com. My earth friendly magnets will be there. So will some of my mosaic crosses. I think I will sell some fine silver pieces on the sites as well. The universe of my art is constantly expanding so who knows what else will come from this time of year!

I recently made arrangements with the Route 66 Gallery in New Mexico to carry some of my mosaic crosses. I will be sending them to the gallery in the next couple of weeks.

I am late again this year, in getting my MOCA mask done for the FCMOCA fundraiser that will be next spring. I got my mask late - that's my only excuse. I asked for a dream to inspire the creation of the mask and got an answer and the design is set - now I need to get it done. Unfortunately my mask won't make it into the brochure unless I get it done in the next couple of days.

opening reception a huge success - and changes coming!

The Mystery art show opening reception was a huge success - we have a diverse collection of art dealing with whatever we see as Halloween, Mystery - and as I see it, Shadow (Carl Jung's Shadow is the unseen, disowned self which is translated into our fears etc). My shrine to the Shadow was completed for the opening - with the two quotes from Carl Jung and Edgar Allen Poe. I'm pretty pleased with it.

I took down David Richman's mosaic exhibit yesterday, leaving space for my next endeavor at my studio. In talking to an art coach recently, I have come up with a new set of goals that I want to pursue with my mosaic art. I want to start focusing on dream art exclusively (other than holiday gifts of course). My goal is to devote 24 hours a week to finishing "hypnogogia" and creating some other dream art pieces. Some will be wall pieces, some will be sculpture. The pieces will incorporate my fused glass pieces, reclamed glass, and of course some of my favorite glass tile SICIS. The other part of my plan is to start chronicling the creation of the dream art here in my blog. I will be posting pictures of the creation process. Once my shrine (Ode to Shadow) is taken down I will post pictures of it here.

my submission for the Halloween themed art show at Poudre River Arts Center

My submission is almost done - I have mosaiced a cube with a river running along the outside and mirrored glass on the inside. The inner part is what I'm still working on. So far it looks like it'll be a mosaic of soldered pieces with these quotes, maybe more, dealing with our fear of the Shadow, the unknown of the inner and outer world...

Deep into that darkness peering,
long I stood there, wondering,
fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams
no mortal ever dared to dream before.
~Edgar Allan Poe

At first we cannot see beyond the
path that leads downward to dark
and hateful things - but no light or
beauty will ever come from the man
who cannot bear this sight. Light
is always born of darkness, and the
sun never yet stood still in heaven
to satisfy man’s longing or to still
his fears.
~C.G. Jung

Now to get a picture of it up here!!

David Richman's World of Mosaics exhibit extended for one more week!

David and I have decided to extend his mosaic art exhibit for one more week. The exhibit wall is full of David's rich and wonderful wall mosaics. There is a country church, which has been a favorite of many. Actually I'm surprised that it hasn't sold yet. There is "Bird of Paradise", another favorite of our visitors.

This exhibit runs concurrently with the "MIDNIGHT – THE ART OF MYSTERY, MAGIC AND MAYHEM” exhibit in the main gallery. It is also Poudre River Arts Center's second anniversary event - so we'll have live music and refreshments - and I think even costumes! While you are looking at the exhibit in the main gallery, be sure to check out all of the artist studios upstairs. Watch them as they work, askthem questions, and experience the art process in their habitat.

Poudre River Arts Center is a bit challenging to find - but worth the effort to find it. It's on the corner of Willow and College Avenue. The old Taco John's building is kitty-corner from our building. The address is 406 North College Avenue. DreamMosaics Studio is adjacent to the main gallery - so it's easy to find when you enter. Hope to see you there!