Obamapalooza!

Or should that be Obama Mia!? Thank you, Craig Ferguson, you wild Scot, for the bon mot.

Hello everyone! It's hard to work at such a historic time in our lives, in our nation and in our world. I admit it, I have watched everything more or less so far, still managing to keep earning my daily bread and get work done at a reasonable or responsible rate.

Am I blue? Why yes, but in a different way, and throw in some red and white, for good measure, please!

More later, my computer is acting goofy again. Must be "BAM bop a loo bop O ba ma Boom!"

(Thank you, APReuters, for one of many images.)

Am I Blue?

Are you blue?
Hello everyone! I do love that song no matter who sings it.
And weatherwise, yes, we feel it here in the (allegedly) Sunny South, too. 12F at 6AM Tuesday. This crackin' cold jolt should finish sweeping out the old and bustle in the new as our new Prez takes charge like a no-nonsense parent cleaning up after an irresponsible babysitter...

Fortunately this fantastically warm, soft and deeply gorgeous scarf by Femminismo which I won (fair and square!) keeps me going on bone- numbing walks with or without the Girls here and there. Thanks for working such splendiferous wonders with those yarns, Jeanne. Truly you could set up shop and thrive anywhere, no matter the economy.

Not a self-portrait as much as the feeling here with this Blue Portrait entitled appropriately enough "Blue". Misty Mawn has certainly inspired me with her January suggestions, hints, tips and nudges on her blog. One day, she gave us blue. And then, there was self and self-portraiture on her blog. And I simply closed my eyes and dove in, and this is what happened next for me.

This is rendered on 140 rough, cold press with coloured pencils and crayon. My drugs of choice...

When I was younger... okay, okay, when I was actually young... Joni Mitchell's songs were like personal anthems to me on many occasions. Blue, her 1971 iconic album, kept me going through college, fraught with so many dangers (midterms, boys, finding one's own voice while realizing 'whoa, that can get me in trouble' and doing it anyway!).

Blue is also a favourite colour, as it contains so many varieties of itself. And its very essence fits into our vernacular. As I'm a wordsmith, that's important to me. When we are sad, we have the blues; we sing the blues. "My Blue Heaven" is a song (and a movie) which comes from a term that means a relationship or a situation that can feel like the greatest thing in the world but still makes you miserable. There's a multitude of pop culture and iconoclastic views regarding this word, this colour, this feeling.
This blue.

I made a tough decision today. It's not a happy decision but it's the right decision and most times, right trumps happily ever after in my house of cards. Needless to say -- you guessed it, it's made me blue. It left me a little down, a little bit cold.

I won't make ArtFest '09 after all. But everything will be all right, I'm sure. There's next year, hopefully; and there's a couple other fun things closer in I will manage to attend.

Funny how one door shuts and another opens. So I will sit tight during this cold season and about the time everything heats up, brightens up, the flowers blooming and birds on the wing, something close will show.

There's Craftstravaganzaa, you know. Don't forget I almost entered it last year. This very well could be the year I pop off and do something crazy like enter my work in a very public place.

And, as usual, here's that old orange cat (blue's complement on the colour wheel, by the way), still waiting for you-know-who to settle down beside him on a cold winter's night in Dixie.

Faithful to the end. Don't cry for me, Orangeatina.




Take care.
Candace

And The Award Goes To --

Hello Everyone! Squeezing this post in before the Golden Globes tonight.

I hope everyone is doing well out there in Blogovia. Today, I'm sharing a few images from a few of the cards I sent out during the holidays. Not all are here, as there just isn't enough room.

All these were New Year's greetings, btw. I like to put something "extry" as my grandmother would say, such as trying to put in desert flora and fauna for RJ (Velvet Ginger of Somewhere Over The Rainbow) who lives in Arizona, and a tip of the hat for the others as well.

One Day At A Time's Femminismo has it bad for roses, so of course, there were roses on her card. And stars on her skirt as well as RJ's... both ladies strike me as reaching for the stars, being surrounded by whimsy and fun.

And Christmas, for some, means summertime, as Bless This Mess's Denise Mayson will be happy to tell you.

Speaking of weather, it's been aggravating here as it's been a lot like a "strawberry spring" recently, which happens when the temps are so mild and inviting, things start blooming. And then WHAP! Old Man Winter shows up again as of today, and nips everything and everybody in the bud with his 32F self ... with the exception of course, of the mosquitoes and bugs, which are the size of Buicks in My neighborhood by the time summer shows up.





Can you find the hawk's nest here? And it's as crisply cold and forlorn here at 235 as it looks in this photo, trust me!

Before I sign off, Black Eyed Suzie here has a fun website I recommend and she also wants to know how to 'make' that little raincoat in the previous post. I'm sending those to you, cross my heart. If you like dolls and sculpting, and a twisted, wicked sense of humor, in general, give her blog a shout out. You won't be sorry.

I found Black Eyed Suzie through Circles of Rain's Sarah Wallis who just sent me a fun Starbucks cup ornament ('a late Christmas or very early Christmas gift', as she says. Oh, why not both? lol.) and THIS totally magical girl... thank you, Sarah!

This redhaired miss fits just so into my hand. She is quite small and the detail is very lovely... the little fern across her frock is silvery glittery fun! And her arms and legs move, as well. Do you see her tiny, artsy brads?

Take care and Do More of What You Love.
Candace

"Dream Along With Me..."

Hello Everyone!
Are you on your way to a star?

I do love this Fifties song by Perry Como. Hearing it today, I thought how dreamlike it can be here in Blogovia among other artists and craftspersons with all the beauty, hopes and dreams we freely share with one another. I recently "discovered" a great new blog you might enjoy here.

"bloggedy blog blog" comes to us, courtesy of a fun Canadian creative who goes by "Saucy". I caught up with her most recent adventures and thought you would enjoy a visit there with her. I sure did.















Meanwhile, back at the Ranch... leave it to T and Kitten to get me caught up -- however inadvertently -- in another artistic adventure. Origami! T's new 365 origami a day calendar is to blame, as well.

When I saw the raincoat, I was done for. I'll have to make another to put on one of my paper dolls. It's just too good and too easy not to do it! (Ahem... sorry for the glare. I found out these origami papers have quite the reflective sheen to them.)

Maybe I will combine these origami works with my usual to the theme for ArtFest '09. Yep, and not a moment too soon to start working on them, as ArtFest is held April 1 - 5. Yikes! Just four months, a scant 16 weeks, from now and I will be jetting to a part of this country that I've never been before. Can't wait.

On an even happier note, Yours Truly won the art giveaway at One Day At A Time. Thanks for the contest and the opportunity, Femminismo. T accused me of rigging that contest! "You never won anything before!" Well, that's true. Since I started living part time in Blogsville and showing off my artworks, I have won two giveaways. Besides the gorgeous scarf from Femminismo, I won an artbook through a giveaway at Suzi Blu a few weeks ago. Incredible!

Do More of What You Love!
Candace

And The Winner Is --

But first....

Hello everyone! Up to 60 or so today with springlike rains all day. What the...?

Back to work after a nice long stretch. And while it is also one of the slowest times, I find Art Shenanigans is becoming more and more demanding of my time. Believe me, I would rather deal with Art than all the editing, reading, writing, editing, reading, proofing, -- etc.

Before witnesses -- T, Don and Kitten -- I reached into the stack of contestants' names and the winner of the Brown Paper Bag Art Journal is: Denise Mayson. A bit fitting as Denise completely loves (working with) paper; oh yes, she does! The Journal goes out this week to Denise -- and hopefully, the Post Awful will have it to her before the weather changes again! Congratulations, Denise.

Above is a glimpse of one of the Brown Paper Bag's guides. Heavenly Harriet. May she treat you well, Denise.

One of my goals this year is hosting giveaways on the first day of each month throughout this new, wonderfully pristine 2009. So if you didn't get hold of the brass ring this time around, come back Feb. 1st (at least!) and go for it again.

Before I pitch my tents under the night sky to get some sleep, let me remind you all to take care and

Do More of What You Love.

Candace

Get Away From that Cornbread

Uh-uh. Oh, no you don't. Get away from my cornbread...

LOL. It looks like it's smiling, doesn't it? A big goofy cartoony smile at that. Cornbread is part of the "traditional" Deep South New Year's Day fixin's, along with black-eyed peas, collard greens and a hambone (or not) for seasoning. Thanks to T for such a good hearty meal on a very chilly day. The leftovers are even better! I think this type meal is to get us accustomed to our usual vittles as opposed to the fancy schmancy holiday buffets, et cetera.


Don't forget, the Art Journal Giveaway is so easy to ask for and about. It's interactive (sort of) as well. Just leave a comment on this here blog by Midnight, Saturday, January 3, and you will be entered into the drawing. Also, leave your addy at canwiggins@gmail.com.

This latest artivity will go out within the week of the drawing.

What is it, really? Well, it is indeed really a brown paper bag art journal. From brown paper bags I have cut, dampened, dried and ironed and then set those pages out into a journal for some fun. I've whipped it up, gussied it up, stained it up, coloured it up and sewn it up... and I think you will enjoy working with it. It's a little of "my" Art Journal, sure; but it's going to be mostly somebody else's Art Journal.


Here is another photo from My most recent line drawings. This may not be in the Art Journal Giveaway ... but, then again, you never know! She already has a full body and a gorgeous background I will show in the next post. She is "resting" right now. And soon I will be, too.

Have fun this weekend, everyone. Catch you later!


Do More of What You Love,
Candace

Happy New Art

-- did I type that right? I'm sure you know what I mean! More new everything in the new year, including Art Shenanigans!

Hello everyone! Femminismo has a fantastic giveaway here but hurry! The deadline is Jan 5 -- that's right. Twelfth Night, like the play... That's when the tree at 235 goes away. I sure have enjoyed it too.

An art giveaway every month is one of My themes for 2009. This starts today. Just leave a comment (and send your addy to canwiggins@gmail.com if I don't have it or you just want to say 'hi') and you are automatically eligible! No matter where you are from... the drawing will be Midnight, Saturday, January 3rd. So go for it!

The first giveaway is a simple art journal I've made in the style of the Brown Paper Bag School of Art. LOL.

No tour today, Kids. Just a visual which is self-explanatory.

Take care and Do More Of What You Love.

Candace