Going Once, Going Twice, Going --

out of my mind!

Hello everybody.

Wow, what a week -- or two or three. Work has threatened -- and at times made good on said threat -- to bury me all but alive. But like the now-silvery end of February, golden daffodils spring up to say "how's it goin'?" to March which is all but upon us.

However, we have more serious weather threats here in the South -- of course. Isn't March the month that comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb? We'll see. It's supposed to SNOW this weekend? Ha, you say? Well, read 'em and weep. One of Georgia's worst snow/ice storms was in March on a Friday the 13th -- uh oh. Just like this year, eh? Well, let's cross our fingers.

A couple of faces I am working on -- still in pen and ink black and white form. Going into journals and probably on some cards. Mmm.... fuzzy, aren't they? It's time for more batteries, I bet.

This one promises "This Is Not Me, Wiggins 08". A couple of friends pointed out I did lots of self portraits, for good or for bad. Who cares? It's ART.

Just using an editor's red pencil one day...

This one is called Migraine The Braineater. Yep, that's how I feel and think I look after one of those headcrackers. Yep, those are utensils for earrings...

Don't Forget The March Hare Giveaway here at Eyecandy.

The drawing is Midnight March 1st. That's this Sunday... and then another work week. Oh yay.

I cringe at how My So-called Career slows my art and writing, not to mention my reading, down to a snail's pace.

Now, excuse me. I have to get it going on for Rendezvous (sorry, Jeanne, I promise to do better), and a doll workshop. Also Craftstravaganzaa is coming up soon... more on that later!

Take care, everyone. Life is sweet, however it is served.
Candace

Sign of the Fish and March Hare Giveaway

Yes, yes, if you go by the "old" calendar, My birthday ushers in Pisces (Feb 19). According to others, Pisces starts Feb 20. And in some really off the wall calendars, it does not change houses until Feb 21. Whatever...

Hello Everyone!
Here are some lovely renditions of this 12th house -- the last -- in the astrological wheel. I believe there are some other fishes out there as well. But whatever you are, have a good week and scroll down for the March Hare Giveaway.

Pisces III. Artist unknown. A woodcut, artist unknown.This Pisces is from a cardset by my friend and artist Lisa Iris.




March Hare season starts a week from today, Sunday, March 1. You know what that means! Another giveaway! No, no, I am not sending any of the little cottontails I have here in My neck of the woods. It will be a OOAK March Hare, believe me.

So pop those requests in no later than February 28th at midnight. The drawing will be Sunday March 1 at midnight and the little darling will hippity hoppity its way to you March 6, latest.

My Fish Wish for you all is to have a good and peaceful week whatever fishbowl you are in.
Do More of What You Love.
Candace

LOVE --

-- isn't for just one day in February!

Hello everyone!

Last weekend, I found a really truly true Art Store in Athens called The Loft. Had a wonderful time there. And below is one of the several skinner blends (polymer) which Kitten showed me how to get that same day ... on the pasta machine, of course.

I love that blue and brown together... that's Kitten holding the blend, hot off the (pasta machine) presses there. Before I shaped the blue and red (not posted here) a bit, Kitten called it "Shiva's Tongue". Which -- despite the gruesome sound of it -- gave me another idea... but more on that another time.

These blends are destined to be dresses on a series of little dolls, now lying in wait for their turn in the oven. I'm chomping at the bit to finish it all and post asap so I can get suggestions on how to do better! Alas, it will more than likely be the weekend before we can see those results. Work, work, work...

but till then, here are Me and Me Too -- the first dolls I ever made that I'd told you about on a previous post. Me is on the left, the girl, and Me Too, on the right, and the boy.

These little honeys were based on an actual set of six year old fraternal twins I knew, Jessie and Cody. They are grown now. And when I say grown, I don't mean they're big kids. I mean they are adults.

And before I forget! Let me share with you the mystery that is RENDEZVOUS, now going on which has plenty of Art Shenangans going on with it. This is what I found waiting in the mail today. Cool, eh? This came to me, courtesy of my pal femminismo.

Yes, indeedy, I am picking up that gauntlet and you can read about Rendezvous here.

Thanks, Jeanne!

It's just what's needed to pull me out of the last vestiges of winter doldrums. That and a tornado...! Yes, the weather here was pretty squirrelly all last night. Mother Nature flexing her muscles. Above the Mason Dixon line, there are blizzards. Here below that line, we have tornadoes and hail.

Speaking of squirrelly...

This is Frank and frankly (forgive the pun), he's fat as mud from all the corn he chows down. He doesn't share, either, the little bugger! Another sign of spring as well as a reminder to take care of the wildlife in the back.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

Do More of What You Love!

Candace

And It's Good for Pasta Too

Hello Everyone!
Look at the cover of FLAGPOLE this week! I guess everyone was tired of the cold gray bleh here last week. Therefore, June is busting out all over -- on the cover of this paper, anyway.

A lovely 74F in Athens yesterday, and still balmy enough today to sit outside while having coffee with friend Joe before going to see a movie with T. I would go into detail about what we saw but I know you'd lose all respect for me. Yep, it's got a really thoughtful love story at the basis of it. Think of "Wuthering Heights" with real teeth.

And before you think, "Mmm, she must have needed some mindless entertainment," trust me, I get plenty of that already.

I told Kitten I am buying some Super Sculpey as I have some things I'd like to do but am a little nervous as I've not done it in a while ... and she brings this

to turn the dense, uncooperative blocks of clay that are Sculpey into this.

This pasta machine is yours for only $12 (twelve dollars) after you turn in the 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby. (At Michaels, it's $24.95.) Cool, huh? Guess who is grabbing one up for her very own this week? Mmmm... and it's good for making actual pasta, too. That's what T says the second pasta machine will be used for... Yum!

Here's this little darling that I am working on. Now if I can find some tee-tiny thin ribbons to loop through the joints... I'm set. And although pink does nothing for me, really, I'm certain Art Shenanigans will tell me which colour is best for this particular piece.

Finding my hand puppets this past week and then shored up by Judy Wise's lovely dolls on her blog inspired me to give it another go. I'll keep you posted as more show up.

Do More of What You Love and take care.

Candace

Far and Away

This is where I wish we could go today.

Wasn't that great? Did you click on it? It's magic if you do...

Hello everyone. This post will be a bit of this and a bit of that today. The weather has been gruesomely cold and windy and gray with bits of blue in the sky here in the Classic City. 16F at night. VERY cold for these here parts. What to do?

And it's a brutal 111F in Oz, per the Weather Channel and Ro Bruhn. So, not fun there either -- unless you count Ro's Blog. Now that is a treat! And, work has been almost stupifyingly busy. I do love my job but 60 hours before Friday is pushing it a bit.
So. Nothing to be done but dream of floating through the Celestial Kingdom of Far and Away.

THEN AGAIN, Art Shenanigans pops in when you least expect it!

Some pages to share with you today from My copy of "Wreck This Journal" by the whimsical Keri Smith.





While many of her "assignments" in this book seem easy or even elementary, My Dear Watson, let's see you "Draw A Self Portrait With Your Left Hand" -- or your right hand if you're a southpaw. That's actually the title of the page.


Fun, eh? Not too bad, even for my own self.


C'mon, I dare you! I triple dog dare you (yes, a breach of etiquette here, going for the throat, as Schwartz did in "A Christmas Story".)! It really was fun and on the other page, I wrote my name and the date with my left hand. Better executed than with the pen in the mouth as another exercise had me doing!

So, yes, it might be considered silly and kid stuff but once in a while, one needs to forget about being or looking silly and just do some seemingly daft things to break down walls that might have been built by your Subconscious Mind even as your Conscious Self says, "Oh I am an artist and I will try anything."

Another page has us all popping in stamps.

I have stamps from South Africa, Oregon, Hawaii, Arizona, here in GA, and if you look, you will see the very proper Royal Mail post stamp from London (courtesy of Circles of Rain -- hello, Sarah!).

In a couple of recent issues of mags, articles about letter writing and handwriting have piqued my interest. I was/am a letter writer.

The 'Net is great, I love the 'Net. But there's nothing like holding a card or letter in one's hands at any time when you need to feel another's presence or conjure a memory.

One test page reads -- "For pens, paints, markers or art supplies". Don't you like the word "or"? Gee, all of those are my art supplies!! However, I used that page to test out some new metallic oil pastels. LOTS of joy in Mudville, believe me (even when they leave a slight residue on one's fingertips).

Out and about, I picked up a copy of The Flagpole -- our weekly downtown, all around paper of and about art, culture, theatre, music, etc. Fun stuff. And while all art is not going to appeal to all people, they typically run GREAT covers!

I am even now experimenting with mosaics. And not any ol' mosaics either. You guessed it -- paper. TaDaaa! (I did a paper mosaic portrait of John Lennon when I was -- cough -- in high school. He was still very much alive and well and on top of his game.)

Whenever I would go into an art store and see the mosaics, I would remember doing that paper mosaic so long ago, and would consider taking up the cause again. This cover simply strengthened my resolve.


Using these here very pencils (I collect colour pencils the way some folks collect stamps), I have begun a series of circles as inspired by Misty Mawn's January pages on her blog.

I love celestial imagery and used to collect images of the sun. Some of you might remember the post last year where I showed off the sun/moon circle hanging beside my front door.

Here He Is. Hail His Majesty the Sun, but February Sun is pretty white cold right now as opposed to white hot.

I think of August when I see this robust golden hue. Hey and what is up with that lipstick? Obviously, he is taking this Court of the Sun King photo op a little TOO serious.






Signing off now with a photo of Yours Truly as she contemplates a very long winter's nap, Far and Away, and whether or not you are all getting more of what you love We are as always,





Live From Athens,
Candace

Come On Down!

Who hasn't seen or doesn't remember "The Price is Right"? Some lucky person's name would get a shout out as they were commanded to "come on down". It was thrilling to a certain little girl in rural SC, believe me.

And with that as the windup, here's the pitch... T did the honours and picked the name out of a bowl as it nestled alongside 13 others. Fair and square, that's T. "I'm impartial, let me do it." What the...???

Congrats to Misty! After Ms. Mawn lets Me know she has indeed received her Heartzilla, I will post a big old photo of it. Don't get excited now. And while it might not be so very grand, as always, I exhort all of you out there to come on down and --

Get More Of What You Love!

Candace

Thank you, Bill Murray

Yep, it's now officially Groundhog Day here, being just after Midnight in Georgia and by all meterological predictions, this little beast will indeed see his shadow here and we will have six more weeks of winter. Someone needs to give that little sucker some sunglasses.

Hello Everyone!

Just a short post tonight, no tour. The deadline for Heartzilla has come and gone. Tomorrow, after our weather-laden existence is forecast by General Beauregard Lee of Georgia, I will be holding the February Art Drawing at midnight. And maybe, just maybe, I will put up a photo of the goodies, too.

What did I learn this weekend from Kitten? Making a book using one sheet of paper. Fun!

Take care, no matter what the weather,

Candace

(photo: 2007 Daniel Cadieu)