the rain has stopped...come out and play!

If you're in the area, drop in and say hi to me at these groovy locations. I'll be doing book signings of "Mixed Emulsions" & "In This House"...I plan to bring some of the houses from "In This House" so you can see them up close and personal. I don't think there will be tea...but I hear they are serving champagne tomorrow...so come on by...
December 1, 2007 - Saturday - 11:00 - 2:00
SWEETPEAS & SNAPSHOTS
11726 West Pico Blvd Los Angeles, California
www.sweetpeasandsnapshots.com
*****
December 2, 2007 - Sunday - 3:00 PM
STAMP YOUR HEART OUT
141-C Harvard Blvd. Claremont, California 91711
www.stampyourheart.com

secrets from a kitty...

if you have a feline...you will relate...

art play

The Thanksgiving weekend is coming to a close, which means Christmas and various other winter holidays will be upon us before we know it. I have many things on my agenda to finish up before the year is through. It's also time to find those ornaments and decorations to deck the halls once again. There's something exciting about this time of year...the secret is not to let the holidays overwhelm you...I'll see if I can stick to that bit of advice as the 25th draws closer.

In the meantime I thought I would post some of my art that has appeared in some publications lately. In Somerset Gallery they printed a collaborative swap I was in, hosted by my pal Sarah Fishburn called the Funky Fold Alphabet Book. I was the letter 'M' for Music. It was a terrific swap, and I have it hanging in my studio.It says on the cover it is the Winter 08 Issue.


Click here to see the whole article

Also in this issue are some inked notecards I had given to them nearly 3 years ago. (Which goes to show, you never know if they will finally print something they have had in their possession for awhile.)

And in this brand new magazine called "Artist Cafe" they reprinted my article called "Pieced in Color" which was first published in the March/April Issue in 2005. Artist Cafe is a very cool magazine with what they consider the Best of Somerset Studios. There are some cool articles in it if you may have missed from the past. I was honored that my article was chosen to be in the premiere issue. It hits newstands December 1st 2007. Or you can order it here.
Also keep a checking back for when Pasticcio Issue 2 will be available. It won't be long now...and it's a super sized issue stuffed fatter than a holiday stocking!
It's not snowing here in LA like it is up north in Colorado...but it's cold right now. Think I'll go put some socks on...

the dance lesson...

we are grateful...

We are grateful we're not turkeys...

My Thanksgiving greeting was created with

a little photoshop magic...
The original artwork "September Song"

appears in the month of September
in the Timeless Creations 2008 Calender.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving...and remember the things you're grateful for...

I don't think of it as working for world peace, he said.
I think of it as just trying to get along in a really big strange family.
Brian Andreas

party on...

The Lomo Exhibit opens tomorrow night at A Studio Gallery. It's our last exhibit of 2007. It's a fine display of Lomographic photography from 12 photographers. The show runs through January 6, 2008. Come on by for a look. It's a great deal...8x10 framed lomo photographs on fiber paper for $100.00! The perfect gift for that photo lover in your family this holiday season. But first, tonight, there is an exhibit at the Mainstream Gallery, where 27 photographers are showing 1 photo each of their photography. I have a piece that will be showing here, and will be at the opening.

So come on by and kick of the holiday season!

where in the world is will and penny...

We're doing the radio show "Coast to Coast" with George Noory...reminiscing about "Lost In Space", bloops and Dr. Smith...

Gina, me, George & Bill

prism break...

This morning as I walked by the hallway, I watched the prisms playing on the floor...It's a piece of a rainbow...
right there at my feet...
Even Kachina and Payton had prisms in there eyes this morning...
Since the disappointing news that '24' will not be returning in January 2008...I have had to satisfy my adventurous craving with 'Prison Break' on FoxTV. If I can't have the '24' rush, I have found this show to be the next best thing...What will happen now that Michael Scofield is not behind prison walls anymore...? What will happen to Linc's son? Sarah... is she really dead? It's all too much sometimes...

A friend of my sisters is on a cruise and sent these along. The dining room walls on 'The Mariner of the Seas' cruise ship has a "Sound of Music' theme...amazing no?


Every day is an adventure....

puzzle me this...

Somerset Memories has a Call to Creativity Challenge based on my mini self portrait (above) that appeared in the August/September issue of the magazine.
Here's the challenge below...I hope you'll submit your self portraits and maybe get published!

Mini-Mosaic Self-Portrait Puzzles
In August/September 2007 issue Somerset Memories (page 44), artist Angela Cartwright
showed us that self portraits can be very revealing. Trying to express who you were and who you’ve become can be a fun and exposing challenge.

What can you come up with when you combine the “young you” and the“adult you?” Using a tiny canvas and photographs of yourself at different ages, along with your unique creativity, we invite you to show your own personal mini self-portrait puzzles.

To be considered for publication in Somerset Memories, clearly label your artwork and attach it to your artwork. and submit your mini self-portraits to:

Somerset Memories, Mini Self Portraits
22992 Mill Creek, Suite B
Laguna Hills, CA 92653

Include brief instructions, materials used and a few sentences about your inspiration, feelings or thoughts about your piece. Results will be published in the June/July 2008 issue.
Deadline for artwork to be received: January 11, 2008.

the unruly factor

This last Friday found me at Fox TV making an appearance on "American Icons" a segment of the "The O'Reilly Factor". The interview took place by satellite and will be in the last 10 minutes of his Friday show. I think it will air on either the 23rd or the 30th of this month.They will show lots of clips and I am looking forward to what they dig up from Danny Thomas, Sound of Music and Lost In Space.

Speaking of Lost In Space...Last week Kevin Burns threw a birthday remembrance with the Lost In Space group to celebrate the birthday of the late Gertrude Harris, Jonathan Harris' wife. A year before we had all celebrated her special day with a lovely dinner, and we decided to remember her on her actual birthday this year...same time, same place. I will miss her lovely, vibrant personality, she was a doll.

Here's Kevin Burns with Bill Mumy, his son Seth and his daughter Liliana.
And the lovely Marta Kristen (Judy on Lost In Space) with her husband Kevin Kane.

And here is Gertrude with Kevin Burns at her Birthday Party in 2006.
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I realized I had promised ages ago that I would blog my freshly painted dining room once it was finished.

So come on in...

I used Modern Masters 'Champagne' paint on the walls. This paint is infused with real minerals which reflects light in the most amazing way. During the day this room it's one color, but a mystical look takes over this room at night and by candlelight it is very flattering.




The floor is a multi colored slate, framed with tiles made from a series of photographs of flowers from my 'Picture Poetry' collection.




This large painting in my dining room is by artist Nila Barja...I just love the colors.
And for those of you who inquired...I found Coco Cellini hiding in my cupboard...

life in the unruly lane...

It's that time of year already...when people dress up and pumpkins are abundant. It hardly seems like fall in Los Angeles where our firemen have been battling fires in the heat and the weather has been anything but crisp. Even though the fires were not near our home, the repercussions of them are everywhere. Hosing off grimy patio furniture and breathing the unclean air. I want those fall days to arrive soon, so I can break out my socks and sweaters.

I found this picture above of my kids from a Halloween many years ago. I still cannot resist the fall colors. Even my daughter caught the All Hallows Eve spirit when she came to the house with a couple of pumpkins for us to carve. It's nice to know you are never too old to enjoy the things that hail in a new season and it brought back memories of when we were putting together the kids costumes for Halloween night and carving jack o lanterns for the doorstep. Becca's not wearing a costume this year, but she did paint her toe nails black.

I pulled out these scary ghouls when going through my Halloween Boxes...I don't know the name of the artist who made them but I have had them for many years. They have tons of personality and always make me smile. I need to make a new mask for the devil guy in red...over the years it's fallen apart and vanished. What could I make it out of? Polymar Clay? Papier Mache? Hmmm...any ideas anyone? I'll put that on my list of things to do...

THINGS HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY ON THE ART FRONT... I was thrilled to receive copies of my new book "Mixed Emulsions" in the mail. I know it is in the warehouse and they are ready to ship (if they haven't already.) I couldn't be happier with the colors that flood throughout the book...and the reproduction of my art. It's rewarding to see it all come together after hours and hours of writing and creating...I must admit, it's exciting!

More good news, Stampington & Company has produced The Unruly Girls Club Clearly Impressed rubber stamps...Having stamps made of my precocious group of ladies is fantastic. I hope everyone enjoys using them. Speaking of Stampington, the article I wrote on INCHIES is in the November/December issue of Somerset Studios magazine. I got seriously addicted to working in this one inch format. So much can be done in such a little space. Beware...you might find it hard to stop once you get started.
You can check out all four pages of the article by clicking here...I have been busy as can be laying out the newest edition of Pasticcio 2 in my publishing program. I love creating it, and this issue is super sized and jam packed. Sarah and I call it the super Holiday Issue and I can't wait for it to be done. Here's a sneak peek at the cover... I was the one when my kids were in grammer school that put the yearbook together on the computer... I would probably be a photographer/graphic designer if my life had gone differently...Anyway, cross your fingers for a November release of Issue 2 of Pasticcio Quartz (Quality Art Zine). By the way, Pasticcio Issue 1 is still available!
Where is Jesse? Why he's in Texas working on a movie there. He is having a great time, but he won't be home till December and I miss him...as does Peyton...
Now I'm not one of those dog owners who dresses up their dog and carries them in their purse or anything, but I could not resist putting this pumpkin outfit on Peyton just for a quick pic. Ok it's silly...but it made you smile didn't it?
And that is what we need to do more of...

Happy Halloween...be safe and spooky...

portals to portland...

Well, I am home again from Portland, Oregon and my teaching gig at Art & Soul. It was a jam packed, week full of artful classes, wonderful students, talented teachers, and classes of discovery that were fully enjoyable.

I was so proud to take a class from Ashley Sinclair and Ashley Toffelson - Pax Artistry. They hand make their masks and teach a fantastic class in painting them...it was a great class...but I have the distinction of photographing Ashley Sinclairs birth on MY birthday 24 years ago. I saw her arrive on this planet...and I have watched her grow up...and now she's teaching art...How cool is that...?

Art & Soul - Portland, Oregon 2007
Left to right 1st row: Ashley Sinclair, woman behind the mask ?, and Ashley Tollefson
2nd row: Ann Baldwin (artist extrodainaire), Lesley Riley (what she does with fabric is fantastic!) - check out her beautiful artistry in my book In This House...
3rd row: The lovely and talented Misty Mawn and Carla Sonheim (what a smile, love her spirit)
and there I am at the wild and crazy Vendor Night...I was exhausted after teaching all day...but it sure was fun.
I'll be teaching again in April of 2008 at Art & Soul By The Sea in Asilomar, California.

It was great to see my friends Debbie and Connie join me in Portland. I've known Debbie since I was 15 (she's Ashley's Mom) and is the CEO of her company Encore Ceramics and Connie was the manager of my business for 5 years...What amazing ladies they are. So we hit the town to celebrate. We had an amazing dinner at Piazza Italia on Johnson in the Pearl District of Portland...I could have sworn I was in Europe sipping wine in an Italian Cafe...it's a really cool place. And we scoured the fabulous Powells Book Store one evening...a not to be missed treasure chest of books new and used. Portland is really a fabulous town, that feels very European when you walk around.

Now I am busy unpacking and catching up...an endless chore.
More later when I get it all together....