Hippy Hippy Hooray!

I'm back in Blogland!

http://hippyhippyhooray.blogspot.com/

Flickr!

I've been uploading photos to Flickr for your viewing enjoyment! :)

More to come soon...

Constant Craving

I have been CRAVING creativity!!!!!
Working in an office 40 hours a week has been an adjustment for me when it comes to my creativity. My creative impulses usually arrived at 2:00AM...now by 10:00PM my head just wants to hit the pillow.
Although there are seventeen million things I should be doing on the weekends (like organizing our new town-home) I find that I have to make time for ART.

On this lazy Sunday I had a craving to carve a rubber stamp.
I decided to make a Dia de los Muertos skull to use on my guitar.

(ABOVE: close up of carved stamp)

(ABOVE: rubber stamp image on guitar)

After working a little on my guitar project I started a new page in my Art Journal.
The image of the Mexican woman is a photocopy transfer using gel medium. The background is acrylics and water soluble crayons and stamped images in the background to help create depth.
This is only the beginning of this page...not sure where it will lead...

OMG! I Am Blogging!

Hell will surely FREEZE!

So, uh...yeah...it's been a while.
OKAY! IT'S BEEN A HELLUVA LONG TIME.
But alas, I am here - at least for the moment :)

I would have blogged - but my free time has been spent in Doctor's offices, blood labs, and exercising!

About five weeks ago I ended up in ER with scary-high blood pressure. I am talking 288/117...uh huh....HIGH. Stress is wonderful isn't it?

My health insurance kicked in at work and I found a Doctor I actually like!
He put me on blood pressure meds and found out I have a thyroid problem as well ....bless his soul...because now I am finally losing weight (two pounds a week) AND my blood pressure is MUCH better!
I am not dieting...I have made life-style changes...being informed, reading labels, making smart choices and walking about twenty miles a week.

During all of this I noticed that when I took my blood pressure after MAKING ART my blood pressure dropped....so...it is TRUE....
ART is good for the HEART!!!

One project I am currently working on is altering my old guitar. I had tossed it in the trash when we were moving out of the cottage - but my Granddaughter rescued it telling me "Don't throw this away, you will regret it!"
As usual - she was right ....and since it is no longer playable I am turning it into ART that will hang on the wall!

As you will see in the photos I am doing it in a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) theme to go along with the Mexican style of decorating we love so much.

I will take photos again once it is complete and hanging in the living room...but for now here is my work in progress!
It's good to be back! :)

It's Just So....MOVING....

Breaking News from Morning Canyon Road...
We moved!
Soon the blog title will change as we no longer live in the Blue Cottage!
We are still in Corona del Mar, a block off of Pacific Coast Highway - with Little Corona and the vast Pacific Ocean across the highway...
Rent is much more affordable in this two-story town-home...and we love the neighborhood and the neighbors...
I am tired of living out of and stepping over boxes...once things are organized I will be back to making art and blogging!

I Haven't Sailed Away...

Photo of the Lynx in Newport Harbor taken by me...I added the stone angels on the sails using Photoshop brushes :)

I haven't been posting much. But I am still here!
I began a new full time job in Huntington Beach working with GREAT people a couple of months ago and I've had less time for art and blogging obviously!
We are also searching for a more affordable rental in the area if possible...still wanting to stay in walking distance to the beach if we can ;-)
Once things are settled I will get back to my creative side more - and try to sneak in a few minutes here and there when possible!

Thanks for continuing to stop by...I will try to have a little something for you to look at whenever I can!
PEACE!

I'm Not Brushing You Off...

I just haven't had a lot to write about lately.

Back to working a forty-hour week I've had little time to MAKE ART NOW! To relax I've been learning and experimenting with Photoshop. My latest obsession: BRUSHES. As if you could not tell!

On this one below I created a BRUSH from one of my original design backgrounds. After applying it in black I faded the background and then used the custom BRUSH of the vintage car I found while searching custom brushes on the Internet. I only have Photoshop 6.0 so my BRUSHES are limited :( Do you feel sorry for me? Does anyone have a newer version of Photoshop they want to loan me to install? Perhaps a barter -- I make you a Chopstick Journal and you loan me your Photoshop CD?

This one below is another manipulated photo that I took at Disneyland this past winter.
I put a cross on top of the castle to make it more Gothic :) I then made a custom BRUSH of a vintage VW...oh how I wish I had THAT Bug :)

I think I will become even more obsessed working with vintage photos in my collection!
This one below is of me in Santa Barbara more than a few years ago :)