Wednesday:) What Ya Been Up To, Miss Toni?

“Make something special for the ones you love. That Amazon box at the door just can’t say, ‘Look what I made for you!’ ”

~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis

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I stayed up late last night to paint the letters for the new baby’s room. Everyone was up to bed, so the perfect time to watch the Hallmark Channel and paint pink roses. I finally finished around 1 a.m. They turned out pretty nice. They will go up in the baby’s room when Daddy has a minute to put them up. That might be in June. They have their hands full.

Here’s how they turned out. They should look nice on the pink walls. I’m glad that I had time to make something special for Sophie.

Friday:) Friends Who Paint Together

“Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.” ― Pablo Picasso

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I go to Towne Creek the first Friday of the month, but because I was at Crescent Moon Lodge last week, I went over there today. This morning,m I walked two miles, went to the store to pick up snacks, cake, ice cream, and root beer, made a dozen little sandwiches, packed up painting supplies for our class, then raced off to volunteer for my painting class. 

I brought all the supplies to paint vases today. I did a quick demo on varagating color from blue to pale blue to white. When I looked at the color, I thought…hmmm…it looks like the sky and the sea, so I decided to make a landscape. I painted in a few clouds and trees, and voila!

We had a young high school student visiting us today. Alex has been visiting and volunteering all summer, painting cute scenes in the laundry room, and a big logo at the entrance. I later found out that she helped clean up and organize the crazy crammed art closet after a leak and flood burst through the closet ceiling. It was very clean. Wow!

Miss Nelma and Alex.

Miss Kathy. Her vase kinda looked like her blouse.
While our vases were drying, we had our feast of ham sandwiches, Fritos, root beer floats, then chocolate cake and ice cream.

It’s a tough life…the artist life. But we manage.

Saturday:) Somemore Painting and Silly Friends

“Silly is always good, but silly  with friends is mandatory.”

~ Toni Armenta Andrukaitis

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“It’s okay to be absurd, ridiculous, and downright irrational at times; silliness is sweet syrup that helps us swallow the bitter pills of life.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich

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Yesterday, I painted with my senior artist friends, and today, I taught a wine glass painting glass at Lone Star Wine Cellars on the Square. It was a group of nine girlfriends, out for the day and evening. They came in rowdy and giggling, and they just louder and sillier as the evening progressed. At one point, I had to use my loud school teacher whistle to get their attention. It was a fun night, and the energy was contagious. 

   
   
The ladies had a good time. The noise level was off the charts. At one point they asked if they were the loudest group that I ever had. I told them that they were not the loudest, but they were the “funnest.” They had dinner reservations at 6:30, so they left their glasses so they could finish drying and came back later to pick them up. 

   
 
  

Saturday: Sit Back and Do Something Special

“I think people who are creative are the luckiest people on earth. I know that there are no shortcuts, but you must keep your faith in something Greater than You, and keep doing what you love. Do what you love, and you will find the way to get it out to the world.”

Judy Collins
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Another whirlwind of a day. I got up early and walked about three miles, then went to Saturday Zumba at 9:30-10:30. I didn’t have my usual writing group, so Zumba was a special treat. Then, scramble home, shower, straighten the house for a showing, and get out the door by 11 am. Can you say, “Run around like a mad woman?”

I decided to hang out on the Square, have my yummy yogurt parfait at Snug, visit Dana and Judy at Art on the Veranda, and then paint champagne flutes at Sweet Spot and visit with my buddies there.

Painting glassware is one of my favorite creative pastimes. It is so gratifying to take a plain ol’ glass item and turn it into a work of art. I haven’t painted in so long, mostly because I don’t want to make a mess in the house, but really, I just haven’t been motivated. I’ve been wanting to work on a project for a special gift, and I knew that I could grab my paints and go over to Sweet Spot Bakery, and just hang out and paint. (It’s great to have friends everywhere.)

I sat by the front window, painted champagne flutes, chatted with friends, and watched people walk by.

A few hours later, here is the beautiful finished product. Now, do you see why this is so much fun? I’ve painted hundreds, if not thousands of items. I’ve taught many, many people how to paint wine glasses, vases, ornaments, etc., when they thought they couldn’t. (I’m just a darn good teacher.)

(Close up)
Yes, I think creative people are the luckiest people on earth. I’m going to keep doing what I love and find a way to get it out to the world. Art on the Veranda has dozens of my painted glassware items for sale in their shop. They display work of many local artists, and offer many fun jewelry, painting, and creative classes, including my wine glass painting workshop. Somewhere down the line, after I get my act together, I’d like to offer some in-home painting parties. I think it would be fun to have a bunch of girlfriends over, drink wine, eat snacks, and learn to paint your very own wine glasses. . “I’d like to teach the world to paint, in perfect harmony…” You knew there’d be a song in there somewhere, didn’t ya?

Wednesday Words of Wisdom

“Everything you can imagine is real.”
― Pablo Picasso
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“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”
― Edgar Degas
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I was talking to my friend, Lin, this evening, (yes Lin, I am going to blog about you.), and I was telling her that I have to think of something to write about today. I told her how much comfort I get from blogging every day, because it makes me aware of what is going on around me. I can focus on the positive things in life and the wonderful people who have become a part of my crazy mixed up world.

Right before I called Lin, I was doing laundry, folding the towels and removing the dryer lint. I have a confession. I make art and take art photos of my dryer lint. It’s a curse, it’s a blessing…ok, it’s a curse. I don’t see things like most people do. The nice thing about this technique is, it’s disposable art. (I used to save my dryer lint for making homemade paper and crafts, but not anymore.)

So, I know you won’t be looking at dryer lint in the same light anymore, and I bet some of you are going to see what fantastic artwork you can create. Be sure to share and keep me posted on your lint art. Really! I’d love to see it.

THE VIRGINIA GAZETTE
(April 6, 2011)
“Dryer Lint as Art, Believe it or Not”

by Steve Vaughan

Sometimes art can help overcome life’s difficulties.

That’s the case with Heidi Hooper, 52, an artist from Pennsylvania whose work created from dryer lint will debut at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! on Richmond Road.

Trained as a sculptor at VCU, she made a name for herself with jewelry and costumes created from metal. She also made dolls.

“I was a master costumer. My jewelry was showing in galleries all over, and I was making a pretty good living at that,” she said. “Then I got cancer.”

She’s right-handed and had to have much of the muscle in her right arm removed, leaving the hand too weak to work with metal.

She found her new medium by accident. “When I was very sick with cancer, my mother-in-law was staying with us to take care of me. A lot of people had sent me these multi-colored chenille throws to cheer me up,” she said.

One day the dryer broke down.

“When I went to look there was this Peter Max-colored lump of lint about the size of a puppy on top of the dryer,” Hooper recalled. “Need­less to say, the chenille throws weren’t chenille anymore. They were burlap rags. I saved the lint because people had given me these things as gifts and they’d been ruined.”

Later, she was looking for a way to continue her artwork.

“When you’re an artist, you have this monster inside that needs to get out somehow. Then my husband, Michael, reminded me of these pieces I’d done in college out of handmade paper. I tried that, then remembered why I hated handmade paper. Then I thought of the lint.”

That was around 2001.

“The first couple of years, they were horrible,” she laughed. “I was just relying on my own dryer.” Now she gets dryer lint in the mail from all over the country.

“I run a contest on Facebook every year where the person who sends me the best lint and the second-best get pieces of art in the mail. I?guess it’s part of the recycling that’s becoming so popular.”

Although her work looks to the eye like painting, it’s actually a kind of sculpture since the lint is placed by hand. “I’ve never really thought of it like that, but it is sculpture,” she said. Just in a softer material.

Want to go? Heidi Hooper will be at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum 3-5 p.m. Thursday, April 7. She usually donates a quarter of the profits to a local “no-kill’ animal shelter.

Friday Fire and Brimstone

“There may be a great fire in our soul, yet no one ever comes to warm himself at it, and the passers-by see only a wisp of smoke.”
― Vincent van Gogh
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I’m not sure what brimstone is, but if it is anything as spectacular as the fabulous raku pottery that was being fired this evening at SPARC (St. Peter’s Artist Run Community), then you can see that “there may be a great fire in our soul.”

SPARC celebrated their grand opening this evening with guest potters, including Kym Owens from Sunset Canyon Pottery, Steve Macias, Laura Canfield, and other local potters.

Steve, with the help of other potters, demonstrated outdoor raku firing all evening, while inside, beautiful pottery was on display, and potters were on hand to share their creative expertise.

It was a warm McKinney night, the kiln was crazy hot, the company warm and friendly, but the artists, potters and friends enjoyed a wonderful evening of creativity.

SPARC is located at 405 N. Sherman Street, McKinney, TX 75069 and can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sparc405. There offer weekly hand-building, private wheel and pottery classes, workshops, parties, date nights and girls night out.

Steve Macias is an amazing potter.

Local artists display their work.

Swinging Saturday on Square

In life you are going to make mistakes, you’re going to fall down, but it’s the getting up that counts. Just like in baseball: you’ll get a few hits, but most likely, you’ll strike out more than you’ll get on base. But don’t quit. Find your focus, relax, take a deep breath and give it a good swing.
Dave Pelzer
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An early morning walk, a quick shower and off to the McKinney Square, my favorite place to hang out. A social-slash-writing meet up at Sweet Spot with Mandy. Then, across the street to paint and chat with Judy at Art on the Veranda.

You never know when friends will pop in. Hi Miss Erma and Miss Connie.

Ok, by now I was pretty hungry, so I ran (literally) over to Snug to get my favorite yummy yogurt parfait and a big hug from my buddy Daniel. The Square was hoppin’ with several weddings coming and going. When my painting/visiting ended, I scooted back over to Sweet Spot to people watch and wait for the Second Saturday jam session. Great people watching. “Here comes the bride.”

Now, coming to you live from the jam session. Folks just stopping by to play instruments, sing and share good music and friendship.

Wednesday Words of Wisdom

In good times, your friends get to know who you are. In bad times, you get to know who your friends are.
Xuan Ta
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It’s always wonderful to get together with friends, and I happen to be blessed with soooo many fantastic, fun, creative, and caring friends. Today, a few of us got together for lunch and then went back to Lynne’s house to do some glass painting. Creating and painting beautiful things is very therapeutic. Well, I’ll let the pictures tell the story.

Sherry and Lynne had fun playing with glass paint.

Sherry’s masterpieces.

Lynne’s cute classic daisies.

Everything’s coming up roses when I paint. Very fun afternoon, lunch with Karen, Terry, Sherry and Lynne, then painting with Sherry and Lynne.Thanks girls. You turned a tough day into a great day.

Tuesday Tea Time, Tips and Other Stuff

“I like the pace of my world. It’s busy, but for me, the less I do the lazier I get.”
― Hoda Kotb, Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee
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Wow! Today was a busy day, and I’m not even halfway done yet. I woke up at the crack of dawn to make a batch of brownies before Zumba.

Too early to be creative and dress up my brownie mix face. Tip-always play with your food.

Then off to Zumba to wiggle, giggle and dance away any troubles or stress. Chatted with Karen a bit, home to shower and pack up supplies for art project at Sweet Spot bakery Tuesday Tea Time.

The gals concentrating on their project. Oh yes, today is Liz’s birthday. Happy, happy birthday, Lizzie.

Tip- celebrate your birthday with goofy friends.

Sherri and Margie always create something beautiful. Tip- always have a wonderful instructor. (That would be me. Ha!)

Heather and Ginger hiding behind their work. Camera shy?

It was a good day, but, now off to McKinney Creative Community with my brownies. Always great to visit with creative souls.

Tuesday: Tea, Tips and Time With Oscar

“The day is an empty canvas, the shapes and colors are yours to choose.” ~Alex Noble
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We had our Tuesday Tea Time at Sweet Spot today. It was a leisurely laid-back day, enjoying visiting with friends and great food and sweet treats.

Miss Ann created a cool cross card.(notice the alliteration.)

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Miss Ginger created a hip heart card.

So, for my tip for today. I like to find interesting ideas on Pinterest. I saw this neat little mini birthday cake made from a brownie. Now, you know I need more ideas to be creative with my brownies. NOT!!! I’ll have to try this.

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After Sweet Spot teat time, my friend Zelda and I had dinner at Mellow Mushroom on the Square. We had pizza and salad. Very yummy. Our server, Maura, said, “Miss Toni, it’s me Maura, from Spoons.” I bump into old friends everywhere.

Then, we walked around the Square a while to walk off a little pizza. We popped into The Grand Hotel to visit with Oscar, who mans the front desk. He is such a sweetie pie. I’ve known him for years. He asked if we’d like a tour of one of the hotel rooms, as we were looking around and checking out all the neat paintings, sculptures and decor. It’s a lovely old hotel with a rich history.

There’s always something interesting to do in McKinney.
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