I’ve been totally blocked for a while. Life has just crowded in and taken away all my creative impulses. This week I’m feeling back to normal. I am working on a piece that is making me ecstatically happy. Here’s a peek at a digital piece I did this week.

Dapper
Originally uploaded by Iconolatrie.

I am creating stuff again. Life has just gotten in the way – and I’ve been totally blocked. Just started getting in the groove again this week. Today I made a wooden frame out of old fencing wood and I sawed an antler for a piece I’m working on. Ahhhhh – things are finally getting back to normal!

Note to self: Don’t apply beeswax to glossy inket prints – BAD things happen (and I’m really lucky I didn’t get burned)

Since getting back from Artfest I have had no time to make art. And soooo many ideas are swimming around in my head!! Aaaaagh!! My husband had knee surgery the Wednesday after I got back. Since then I’ve spent my time being a nursemaid (he’s a good non-whiny patient), single parent (he can’t even pickup the baby), and constant nag (he keeps “forgetting” to use his crutches and do his physical therapy). By this time next week we should be more or less back to normal but right now I am jonesing to do some art!

I have had some time to do stuff in Photoshop and am working on a very cool series. Here’s a peek. I call her “Communion”

trades
Originally uploaded by Iconolatrie.

I have a ton of trades leftover from Artfest – my shyness gets in the way of trading. Anyone up for trading – or just receiving? I love these tags soooo much and would love them to go to good homes!

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trades, originally uploaded by Iconolatrie.

These are the trades I made for Artfest. I still have a bunch left (my shyness stymied my trading ability). If anyone out there is interested in doing some trading let me know! Just post a comment!

katie
Originally uploaded by Iconolatrie.

a couple of weeks ago – she has more hair now.

Katie’s learned how to clap!  And she loves to do it!  Today I turned on the TV and “Dancing with the Stars” was on and she started clapping with the audience.  Too cute.

I’ve been back from Artfest for almost a week – and it seems like a distant dream already. Life has crowded in around me and I haven’t even had a chance to process much. Pics starting at the top and going down – work my housemates and I made the first day, a wall from the 8 x 8 gallery – such awesome art!, me- resting in the bathtub after a long day of artmaking, the house we stayed at, and last but not least me (I’m the brown one) & Tara!

First – I learned sooooo much I had fabulous teachers!! Patricia Seggebruch, Susan Lenart Kazmer, and Stephanie Lee.

Day One with Patricia I learned all about the amazing medium of encaustics – painting with pigmented hot wax. I have used beeswax in collage before – but this is a whole new bag of tricks. I really feel like this might be the direction I want to push myself in. I had soooo much fun and immediately felt comfortable with this medium. It really suits the abstract and textural direction I have been going in.

Day Two with Susan was just as fabulous and just as educational. I have never really made jewelry before and I learned so much! And Susan is such a gifted teacher and has such energy!!! I want to be her when I grow up!

Day Three with Stephanie I was a little fried – and didn’t feel like I took in as much as I could have if I’d had the class on Day One. But I did learn some great info on working with plaster and my fave thing of the day was learning how to make molds using Sculpey and then casting things in plaster using the molds. This is something I plan on doing more of in the future!!

Second – I had so much fun with my lovely housemates – Paula, Leau, and Regina. We were all newbies to Artfest – and this was our first time traveling together and we had such a great time. It was like summer camp. We raided the bead store in Port Townsend, took many many pictures, went to the beach, and laughed A LOT!!

You can see more pics on my photoblog