Miss Ruby

"Miss Ruby" enhanced digital photo

I had to act quickly to find a new vehicle; after all, the insurance company of the guy who hit me wasn't going to let me drive that rental car forever. I have to admit, though, that the rental company was a little surprised when I returned it as I'd had it for three weeks. In their business that almost IS forever!

If I had had the luxury to truly research a new car and to visit umpteen dealerships and test drive a couple dozen cars, that would have been one thing. But I didn't have that luxury. So based on a few extenuating circumstances, I settled pretty quickly on a Ford Focus. Before I test drove one, I had decided the color I wanted was ruby red. I was tired of silver. All of my cars have been either white or silver, with the exception of one blue Mercury which I always hated so it doesn't count. When I look out my apartment window at the parking lot, all I see is silver, silver, silver. So, ruby red was a must. 

I had had some previous experience with the Ford Focus via my son and was already impressed with the car, but when I test drove it, I was a little dubious about the shudder it makes in first gear. I looked at the salesman (who hails from Bulgaria) and said, I'd like this in a stick shift. Does it come that way? He looked at me dubiously (dubiousness reigns in this scenario) and he said of course, but I was the first woman who ever asked him that.

He was able to locate a ruby red, hatchback stick shift at a dealership less than 500 miles away, but he must have asked me 10 times if I was sure I wanted a stick shift. Oh, little man, don't trifle with me.

The day the car arrived, he got into the passenger seat while I drove us around the neighborhood. He was remarkably impressed. I love it when that happens.

Of course I had to name her Miss Ruby. It's more than just her color, though. One of the things I loved about my ex was his sense of play. Once, while vacationing in Bermuda with another couple, he decided we all needed redneck names and we should go around speaking in hillbilly accents. (I know that this is not politically correct, but suspend yourself for a bit, if you will.) The game was easy to play because all the guys were named Earl. Somehow, the wife of the other couple became Nadine and I was Ruby. That name stuck with me throughout all future redneck role playing scenarios. (I guess you had to be there.) For that reason, I have always related to that name. Well, always being since the year 2000.

Although Ruby and I will never make it to Bermuda (there's a moratorium on cars there) I know that we will have many adventures together.

Playing With Photos

I am currently enjoying Thanksgiving weekend in a wonderful little cottage on Tybee Island. Everything about the cottage inspires me and I've digitally enhanced some photos that I've taken while here. I'm having a hard time deciding which of these two versions I like better. Maybe you can help me decide. 

Reflections

"Reflections" - Enhanced Digital Photo

Welcome Home

"Welcome Home" - Enhanced Digital Photo

The original photo was captured in German Village (in Columbus, Ohio) just two summers ago. I thought it just begged for enhancement. :D The blue door, orange bricks and red flowers just spoke to me.

New Red Shoes

"Red Sandals" - enhanced digital photo

I'm not sure when my obsession began with red shoes. Like most of my obsessions (right, like I have so many) the idea crept upon me slowly and was just a suggestion in the back of my mind, incubating in my subconscious. And then, one day, it just sprung on me! Although I talk about red shoes a lot, this pair of sandals is only the third pair of crimson footwear to make it to my collection. But... you can be sure there will be others! ;-)

Pity Party

"Tea Time" - Enhanced Digital Collage

I'm tired. I have a touch of tonsillitis and my asthma is acting up. Therefore, I'm feeling sorry for myself and I'm indulging in self-pampering and self-pitying today. "They" say that it's wrong. I'm tired of worrying about "they." I'm going to finish this blog post and my lovely cup of tea with lemon and honey and I'm going to go back to bed. So there! :P

More Flip Flops

I call this design wheels for obvious reasons. Once again, I've selected a default color for the straps and soles, but you have four options to choose from. It's cool to have cool flip flops for the summer!

Wheels Flip Flops from shop crabulous!

Fancy Shoes

"Fancy Shoes" - Digital Collage

This image actually came about while working on the "secret project." It didn't work for the project and I almost forgot about it until the recent rage of brightly multicolored shoes started appearing on the market recently. I can't claim any credit since this image has been hiding on my computer.

Red Flower Design

This particular Tangy Zoodle, which I've come to call "Red Flower" is one of my all time favorites so I was inspired to use it on a few items in shop crabulous!

Below are the results.

This wooden coffee tray comes in two sizes.

"Red Flower" license plate for those who live in states that only require one state issued plate.

"Red Flower" license plate holder.

"Red Flower" throw pillow.

Poppy Heart T-Shirt

Short sleeved Poppy Heart T

I just love this cute little design which I created from my Poppy Fields mixed media collage. Who doesn't like poppies and who doesn't like hearts? OK, don't answer that. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who don't, but my experience on Cafe Press via shop crabulous! is that there are a lot of people out there who do.

Something else I've discovered. The great maternity T-shirt design that Cafe Press is now using. Instead of the big tent design, it is now sleeker fitting with ruching along the sides. It doesn't just look great on expectant mothers, but also on women of a certain age with thicker waistlines, i.e. me! And the length of them makes them perfect with leggings. The maternity T's come in short sleeve, tank top and long sleeve versions and in a variety of colors. So, check it out!  Poppy Heart T's

Poppy Heart short sleeved maternity T

Another Peek At The Calendar

I have finished the images for the 2014 calendar, I just need to upload them to Cafe Press to make the calendar publishable. I probably won't be able to get to that until tomorrow, so I'm offering you another sneak peek. This time it's February.

Red Doors From The Savannah Series

A recent walk through the "luxury" squares of Savannah has inspired these two new creations.

"Red Door #3" - 6x6 - Mixed Media Collage

"Red Door #11" - 6x6 - Mixed Media Collage

Two More Crabs

I finished Crab In Blue and Crab in Gold to go with Crab In Red. I love their jewel tones. And although I'm willing to sell them individually, I think they'd go great together as in my example below.

"Crab In Blue" - 6x6 - Mixed Media Collage

"Crab In Gold" - 6x6 - Mixed Media Collage

Lol!

"Big Green Kitty" - 8x10 - Mixed Media Collage
Can Be Purchased On Etsy

This is installment #2 in the masking tape series and my first foray into cat art. I know the cat lovers out there are all saying, "Make her stop! Make her stop!" Because of my severe allergies to cats I'm unable to get very close to them (they do come in green, don't they) but I love watching their antics from afar.

Our old dog, Spencer, used to have a stuffed, squeaky cat called Big Mean Kitty, so calling this one Big Green Kitty was really not a stretch.

Below are some of the steps in the creation of this piece. The lace paper is ukigumo, or crazy. Probably fitting in this case.

All A Flutter

"All A Flutter" - 4x12 - Mixed Media Collage

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

I took a new canvas and impulsively painted it red and then wondered what to do with it next. For some reason I decided to create these absolutely outlandish butterflies.

More Scrap Collages

You know very well that I love making abstract collages from my paper scraps. They come in handy in so many ways later on. They're good for backgrounds, they're good for subject matter, they're just fun! And making them is akin to therapy. I just let my mind wander and subconsciously focus on color. I've made these two this week to use in two different art pieces which are currently under construction.

Banners

I've learned that creating a banner for an exhibit tent is very different from creating a banner for a blog or a website. I thought I could just take images of my artwork and stretch them to fit. Hah! By the time you take an average painting and make it fit a 10" x 60" space it is quite pixilated and no amount of adjustments in Photoshop will make it any better.

So, I just created a banner from scratch, making the original size 10x60. I think I like it. Of course, it's 2:00 a.m., too, so right now I'm not in a position to make any long lasting judgments. I'll look at it again once I've slept on it.

The Paisley Bathtub

"The Paisley Bathtub" - 5x7 - Mixed Media Collage

I think this has to be my favorite "bathing beauty" to date. If I could have a paisley claw foot tub, don't you know, I absolutely would! And most definitely a head wrap to match.

Retrospective Part 3

Landscapes

"Cool Roots" - Pastel - 11x14 - 2003

I really enjoyed doing landscapes, both en plein air as well as from photos. Where I lived in Maryland was a hugely picturesque area. There was one stretch of country road that particularly intrigued me, but it was all privately owned land and there was no safe place to pull over the car to stop. So one beautiful autumn afternoon in 2002, I had my son drop me off at one end of the road on his way to run errands somewhere and told him I'd call him when I had walked to the other end (about two miles) and he could pick me up then. It is one of the most memorable afternoons of my life. Driving by an area is nothing like walking through it and looking at it through the lens of a camera. I was shooting 35mm at the time and I may have gone through as many as four rolls of film on that walk. I don't even remember how many paintings I was able to create from my photographs, but "Cool Roots" was one of them. I'm glad it didn't sell to anyone outside the family because every time I see it at my mother's I'm always reminded of that magical afternoon.

"Hazy Morning" - Pastel - 11x14 - 2002

"Hazy Morning" was created on site, sitting in my driveway. I just looked across the road one morning and painted. Like I said, we lived in such a beautiful area. I painted numerous landscapes, en plein air, just from my own yard. We had great vistas in all directions.

"Cold Winter Sky" - Pastel - 10x17 - 2000

"Cold Winter Sky" was actually painted from a hastily drawn black and white sketch. I had been driving along Route 50 on my way to see my mother-in-law one evening when the twilight sky caught my breath. I pulled my car over to the side of the road. Since this was before I started carrying a camera with me 24/7 all I could do was sketch the scene and make careful reference notes concerning color. I then presented the finished painting to my dad as a present because I knew his affinity for the moon and stars; the same as mine.

(Sorry for the poor quality of this photo. Very difficult to shoot behind glass. I may have a 35mm photo of this somewhere; taken before it was framed. One day I'll replace the image with a better one if I can.)

February, 2nd Month

"February, 2nd Month" - 6x6 - Mixed Media Collage - $90 + $10 shipping

Available on Etsy 

Just in time for Valentine's Day! I was inspired. For some reason I had painted the canvas red without really thinking about it. Then, when I was shuffling through my papers for the right pieces, I found this page from the Farmer's Almanac that had already been treated with melted crayons and wouldn't you now, it was from the month of February. I'm not sure which year this was. I know, though, that it was from the first or second decade of the 20th century. 

Please be mine! <3