Gingersnap

In the midst of selling art at the first ever Handmade Dayton Festival at Peace On Fifth in the Oregon District. It was a lovely Friday morning- not too hot with a a slight modest chill in the air as I walked the twenty minute trek to the Oregon District, feeling confident in 2 1/2 inch heels and purple black heart tights. At Peace On Fifth, a unique retail shop/boutique selling goods, clothing, and accessories strictly from slave free parts of the world that has been in Dayton for nine months now,  London Coe, the lovely, vibrant shop owner has transformed her store into Handmade Dayton Festival. Five locally owned shops of art, jewelry, handmade soaps, and more, each vendor is separated by a leisure amount of space, not large enough that one feels divided, but enough so that we all could have conversations and get to know each other and our personal wares. I had a long wooden table and rolling rack, taking only a few moments to have art displayed and quickly got acquainted...

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, Who is the most intelligent, most enthralling woman of them all?” Coming Soon: Something Evil Is Watching.... “My jealous, vile queen it is not you, For there is another lady is brighter, charming and new. With skin as brown as chocolate silk, Softer than satin, smoother than milk. Innocent doe eyes darker than charcoal smoke,       Hair cropped and curled hidden under cloak. Red, full and plump are bow tipped lips Stealing smiles and making entire kingdom’s heart flips Matching perfectly carved, heart shaped face, Gently curved, selfless compassion, and lithe grace.           It is the divine princess Chocolate Black, And she has many fine qualities that of which you lack.” This is only a draft. With all of the live action Snow White movies coming out (even a Disney cancellation), an idea just popped into brain to create a version of t...

Not just in heart and spirit, Meano was to be forever immortalized in art. Yes, I've drawn and painted him several times over the years, but this was different. I was asked and approached to create a piece about a wonderful, good dog friend. With him being gone, I wanted to make it even more special, invoking every last aspect of love. I had been given free reign on size and medium. On black matboard, I began layering the oil pastels on thickly. (I only use my Holbein! Best pastels ever!) Yellows, oranges, browns, greens, reds, and blues built up a joyous, tongue dripping, rich butter faced dog. For hours, I worked in various places- bedroom floor, living room table, in my friend's classroom, and at Starbucks. Such an honor, hearing compliments by family, friends, and strangers as I progressed. I wanted the pastels to stand out, but couldn't leave the background black. Didn't want to think of him in a dark, miserable place lacking sunshine and positive energy. Doggy Hea...

Ever since I heard from resident artist Kevin Harris about five dollar Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Dayton Printmaking Coop, I have been super duper excited! It’s an amazing opportunity to use the facility and their materials for so low a price. It’s a great steal to take advantage of! Plus, it is an hour’s walk away. Yes! Woo hoo! Now for weeks, I kept wondering what would I make? What kinds of drawings are worth printing? Holiday cards are definitely on the way, but I wanted to make other artworks too. As most of my friends know, I’ve been secretly plotting to squeeze my way into the fashion industry. A few blog posts ago, I shared whimsical fashion dreams- rubber ducky style! Etsy, eBay, Google, JoAnn’s, thrift shops were the places I searched for rubber ducky centric fabrics. Weeks ago, I found this amazing number for only $1 at the Village! Yes, $1. And it was originally $2! Talk about dated and vintage. Tote bag? Skirt? A vest? Who knows what I’ll be making out of it? There’s ...

This was my dream last night. A clustered, metaphoric cloud of rubber duck inspiration came to me.... I suppose we all have our little maddening obsessions. These little things that make us overly happy time and time again. Mine are of course- chocolate, vintage clothes, art, writing, and rubber ducks! So combining art, rubber ducks, and fashion made for an exciting sketchbook venture! From previous posts, you could see that the owl designs being included into the wearable world got me thinking about finding a place for ducks. What if they could be emphasis for clothes and bags and not just towels, hand dispensers, and other bathroom items? Starring Prismacolor colored pencils and markers, let's see the five nifty items I've made so far. Was there ever a fancier tote? A lot of people will gawk and stare at the fashionista with envy when she walks around painting the town blue and yellow with this glam rubber duck patterned bag! I have a lot of fantasies swinging this round and ...