I had just a few more Valentine's I wanted to share, some new and some from Valentine's Days past.
Starting on the left, the male pantin doll is wearing a quilted & filled Valentine paper doll by Linda Warlyn. The cage doll in the middle is wearing a Love Letter Dress Valentine by Nancy Gene Armstrong, and just below find another one of Nancy Gene's innovative dolls which are articulated but none of the hardware is visible, and the dolls are detachable from their cards. The tall angelic mannquin on the far left is wearing a natural history Valentine by Elizabeth Shea, and the Valentine Garland is also by Elizabeth Shea. In the foreground, is a folder style Valentine by Jackie Peters.
This Valentine, inspired by the movies Julia & Julie, as well as It's Complicated, is entitled The Village Bakery, and was created by Steffanie Gee. The bakery is constructed inside a bakery box. My apologies to Steffanie, this was difficult to photograph and my photography does not really do it justice. But if you click on the photos, you can zoom in to get a closer look at all the breath-taking details! In fact, my apologies to all the artists, and please take a minute to zoom in to appreciate all their fine detailed work too.
I also want to say that I just received the latest issue of Somerset Studio, March/April 2010. Linda Warlyn's Artist Portfolio is on page 45 through 53 and it is s-u-m-p-t-u-o-u-s. You are going to want to keep this issue in your private libraries. Linda's intricately layered collages and mixed media art work are thoughtful and introspective, with roots in the figure and nature. Don't miss an opportunity to take in some really uniquely beautiful work by a talented artist and friend. (I'd share a little peek but Linda hasn't seen it yet and I don't want to spoil it for her by posting here.)
I have a little something to share as well. The itinerary for Bonjour Madame, my Fall 2011 Paris Workshop & Retreat, is still underway. I have a waiting list in place until I can actually complete my itinerary, so please be patient with me as I carefully research the options. I want you to know exactly what you are signing on for! I also found a pocket of time to continue developing journal pages. Everything is still in transition (no actual collage medium yet), but I am liking the feel of it so far.
I tried to obliterate the funky green mat on my work table but ended up photoshopping out some of my background, so here is the unedited version. It's actually not easy for me to work in black, white and neutrals (have a color palette that keeps trying to inject itself), but I am staying true to my vision and I am liking it so far. I have tons of ideas I need to act on, but need another 14 hours each day to get it all done. I saw that Barbara Smith posted that same sentiment on Jackie Peter's blog, and I am so there. Barbara and I are off to Antiques Extravaganza in Mt. Dora this weekend to do a little treasure hunting. I will return with some photos to share. Until then, thank you for stopping by and au revoir.
