~Long Week~

~Do I look tired?~I am, but~in a good way~
~there is a difference~This is not what I would call a "good"picture of me.~But, there is something I like about it~no make-up & all~~~~I am finding it hard to believe that I am posting this picture~but, I think it is a honest photo of what I look like, most of the time~this is what I look like today~~~~Never mind what I looked like yesterday~this who I am now~
~I am 481/2 (Sept.3 is my B-Day)
~I am the mom of 4 children ,ages 19,16,14 & 8 (Rowan,my 8 year old, was born 2 days
before my 40th B-Day)
~I am very much in love with my husband.
~I have very curly hair(that needs to be dyed, sorry, I am not ready to be gray yet)
~I am 4'10" tall~~I am going to be a VERY tiny, little old lady~~someday
~I have a very big laugh~thankfully, people enjoy hearing~William Wegman actually made a video of me, back in 1983, I was 22~ he loved my laugh~he was a guest artist(& instructor) at V.C.U.~Man Ray had just died& he didn't have his dog to photograph anymore~Now, I see him all the time on Sesame St.~with Fay & all his new doggy's teaching children the A.B.C.'s&1.2.3.'s~
~I can be very absent minded.:(
~I think about art~~~~ALL THE TIME~~~~
~I keep colors & images in my head~ & even when I am not physically making art~
~I am making it in my mind, I love that~I am learning to write them down~So~~~~when I am able to sit down & work~I know what I want to do~
~I am an imperfect - perfectionist
~I struggle ~ but, can still feel happiness while doing it~ Thank You God~
~I do stop & smell the roses~sometimes to a long
~As I get older, I understand my needs better~not that confusion has completely disappeared~
~And, I feel like things have finally come back around again for me~
~Because~ I truly have been feeling lost~art wise~

AND~ finally~I am not so sure how & why I started writing this~but, I did~& I am, so sure I could write more~
When I sat down here~ I was all ready to tell, all about me busy week~
~But~I wrote this instead~
~Part of me wants to delete it~
~But~ I am going with the part that says~ "let it stay"~

~have a lovely weekend~
~Amy~

~Eggstravaganza~

~Hi ~I hope you are all enjoying your weekend~
~Yesterday, I donated an egg to the Easter Seals "Eggstravaganza"~that takes place here in Richmond, every Easter.
~Artists create a piece of artwork with an "egg" theme~ it can be 2 or 3 dimensional~Then there is an "egg art show" displaying the donated egg art~ later, closer to Easter, there is a ball~ featuring a silent auction for the egg art.~Proceeds from the ball & the auction are donated to Easter Seals.
~Here is the egg that I made~it is about 9" tall~ I used a styro foam egg shape~ and covered it with paper clay~ & painted it ~ then put a water based clear coat on top.~
~I love paper clay~ it is wonderful to use~

~I am also showing you a pitcher that I made years ago with clay~glazed~ then fired~
~I really don't see a difference in the end result~ BUT, the paper clay is not water proof~
~I was still able to get the same texture with the paper clay, that I got with the real clay~
~Since PC air drys, I was able to complete my egg in just a couple of days~
~I really enjoyed this little project~
And might even find time to make a few more eggs & put them in my esty shop~

~Amy~

~Sweet Diana~

~Diana, our darling cat ,visits our fishes daily~ just to say ~"HI"~ and enjoy a sip of water~

:)
~Amy~

~HappY VaLenTines DaY~

~an etching of Gabriel~I did when he was a baby~I photo shopped the heart in for today~:)
~On this very day~19 years ago~ I had my first baby~ Gabriel Gethins Sullivan~9lb.5oz.~
~Never in my life had I ever felt such a feeling of overwhelming love~I can hardly believe that he is 19~& 6'3"~ when really it was just yesterday that I held him in my arms ~ so beautiful~ that I could not stop looking at him~
~I still feel that way when he walks into the room~He is such a wonderful young man~ I am so very blessed~ This is the 1st. birthday that Gabriel is away from home~ he & some of his friends are at an Annimae (?) Convention in Washington D.C.~this is about the 3rd. convention they have gone to in the past few years~ They plan it all out months ahead of time~ hotel rooms~everything~~~~~I am blown away be how organized they are~
~And~ at this convention there will be a Valentines Ball tonight~ So, Gabriel got out his tux, dress shoes & black tie. ~Although he did ask me to pre~tie his tie for him, before he lift~
~Thank Goodness~

~HAPPY BIRTHDAY~ my handsome boy!!!~

~ God Bless you & may your Guardian Angels watch after you~
and
~I Love You !~

~Children's Letters to God~

~All right~ so here is the set for "Children's Letters to God"~
~It opened on Saturday Night~ I have not gone to see it yet~ But, it has already gotten wonderful reviews~ It is a musical starring 5 amazingly talented children~ And~ they are asking their questions to God in song~ in the second photo you see the director~ Chase~ he is a super talented young man~
~So, the ideal here, in the set, is this beautiful sky~I used a Wagner Sprayer~ and the floor was painted as if it had been colored in Crayons by children~during the show~ childrens drawings are projected onto the sky~ and with lighting ~that sky is a wonderful backdrop~that can be changed to fit the mood of the song being sung~
~I am going to see it on Thursday night~and am looking forward to it~very much~

~Thank you~ to everyone who responded to my "cry" in my last post~ Cry~ is a good description~
~Now, I feel like a big baby~anyway, I think I do feel a little better, after my, boohoo, poor me~
shout out~ I will just keep doing what I do and hopefully "all will be revealed"~:)
~One thing is for sure~ A girls gotta work~ and I am grateful that I am able to work in the arts~
~And~ in this day~ no job can be turned down~


~FUN & BEAUTIFUL~

~Here is a give-away hosted by Patrick of The Cre8or's Touch that you REALLY do not want to miss.~He's celebrating his 100th post by giving away this beautiful bunny doll~!~

~Amy~
:0)

~I am here~

~I am here~ I haven't been away~ I have just been painting a set~And, when I paint sets, well~
they wear me out.~ I love painting them, but they are a very physical form of art.~You are going up & down ladders, over & over. You move a lot. You paint standing up. You are picking up buckets of paint.You are rolling out paint.You are on your knees, then you are standing up.You are bending over, mixing large amounts of paint.Climbing the ladder again & again.You are measuring on a scale ruler~making little ones into big ones~1 inch = 1 foot~You are using the sprayer(not always, but for this show~yes).~What else~ oh~you are standing back & looking at a BIG picture~(what the audience sees)~then caring about the little details~that make all the difference, ~(even if it is only for your own gratification).Oh & I can't forget, that you are working to please the~ a.designer(person who designed the set) and~ b. the director~You are the person who is making their vision, ideals,thoughts,hopes,drawings,notes & so on...A physical reality. It can be pretty darn nutty.~It is ~Theatre~ and magic does happen. It all has to be DONE,Complete,to the Best you can make it~ at a certain point~TECH WEEK~when things should be as done, as can be~for the actors, the lighting guys, the director~they need to know how everything looks because ~ Hey, that is why you do this, it is for the director,actors & designer ~it really IS all about them~ it is showcasing the director & actors~ and I think they deserve the best~ CUZ, I sure could't stand in front of an audience & do what they do.~I am most definitely a behind the scenes kinda girl and "The Show Must Go On !!"~


~So, that is where I have been. I will post pictures soon. It really was a very cool set. The show is
Children's Letters to God~ Big sky~I sprayed that with a Wagner Sprayer~very pretty~.
Anyway~ I am not sure if any of you have painted sets before, but, I can tell you~ it really is allot of hard work, but wonderful in the end.

~O.K.~ I have posted above~ my most popular print in my etsy shop~in fact I have sold 6 prints ~2 times~the buyer choose the ~Curly Girl print & it's true mate~Truffles or Gold~
~All the angel prints that I have available~ were originally sold on ebay, as originals~ not one was ever left unsold.~Only one has sold as a print.~

Anyway~I as an artist have been having a terrible time identifying myself.~
~Here I have been telling of being a set painter~scenic~
~then I am selling prints~
~then I am getting portrait commissions~
~then I love doing little ornaments~
~then I design pillows~you haven't seen those yet~yet, you will~
~Then I am painting my angels~I have more I haven't posted yet~
~then I am doing murals~
~then I love crafting~knitting, needlepoint,crochet~(my personal pleasure)

~So, right now, ~I am going nuts, trying to figure out, who I am as an artist!~

~I look at all my friends in my bloggy world & they have their beautiful style & focus.
I feel that I am to hard to identify~I am all over the place~
~But, I can say~ that when you look at all my work, as a group~there is~thankfully~a common touch, my hand, I believe, a mark that I make that is uniquely mine.~
~But, I am so troubled these days~
~because, I spread myself around so much~to the point that I don't know what I love doing the best.~I most definitely need to make money~being an artist~is my job~
~Oh Pooh~I feel confused~ and it makes me tired~
~if any of my friends have gone thru this, comment or offer me any advice~

p.s.
~I know the~" do what you love~the rest will follow"~
~problem~I love all the forms of art I do~am I nuts ?~

~have a lovely weekend~
~Amy~