An Interview and New Paintings

I am so excited!  The lovely Violette Clark did an interview with me for her blog!  I hope you will go over and read it!

I have also finished 3 new paintings this week.  Here they are:

 Some new pendants, as well.  I'm still working on the chains.

The Truth of the Worker Bee

I was just finishing up my day when a thought occurred to me.  I started work this morning at 7:30 and I stopped at 7:30 tonight.  Interesting.  Many, many people work a day like that.  Not that my day is hard...honestly, it's not.  I am blessed to be able to do what I love as a profession.  I'm not working in the hot sun, I'm not taking care of sick people, I'm not rescuing anyone....those are the amazing, hard working, heroic professionals.  I just work.  I realized today that I am a Worker Bee.  I am not a queen...I don't have underlings to bring me food and although I have certainly turned out my share of children, they don't serve me, either!  I just work.  I am so very thankful to my husband for supporting my art and for working in his own "Worker Bee" style to allow me to be able to do what I do.
If you don't have the current ability to be able to spend your time being creative, realize that it's not out of your reach.  I did work a "real" job for many years (and truthfully, I still have a job in our family business that takes a lot of my time, as well) but I always found time for my creativity.  It might be a half hour after the kids went to bed or a couple of weekend hours but I never felt guilty for taking time to do the things that pulled at my heart.  I have always felt that a happy mother/wife/friend/sister makes the people around her happier, too.  Eventually, I was able to spend a little more time and (hopefully) develop my skills and produce more art so that I could extend my art into a profession.  I am so thankful to all of you who read my posts, buy my art and support me emotionally.  Even though I have said in the past that I would still need to produce art even if no one was interested, the truth is that I make art for all of you even more than I make it for myself.  Thank you ALL for your kind words and support.
OK...so, I'll never be the Queen.....I'm okay with that.  Actually, I am PROUD of my status as a Worker Bee.  God has given me the ability to create and I hope to serve that role as long as I am allowed.  xoxo

Today's work:

Also, I finished 3 new Mermieees.  I am still working on their hand-quilted/beaded tails.  I will have them in the Etsy shop at 4 o'clock (Central) on Sunday, along with a couple of other pendants.  Here's a little preview of the others:

I will do a Facebook post with the new Mermieees before I put them in the shop for those of you who use FB.

I love, love you guys!!!  xoxo

Mermieees!

These Mermieee girls came to me in a dream early last week.  I immediately changed my day to accomodate them as they were insistant that they really wanted to exist!  Haha!  They are ceramic clay, glazed and fired 4 times.  Their tails are quilted and beaded by hand.  They are a little larger than my usual pendants, about 4" top to tail.  I am sending all 3 to Stampington to see if they are interested in my doing an article on them.  I do have 3 more in the kiln though that will be for sale when they are done.

These were so much fun to make but certainly not easy.  All those little beads and tangly thread!  I was very pleased with them though.  The little tails swing, which pleased me greatly!  Hahaha!
Happy day to you!!!

New Bags in the Shop

I know not all of you get on FaceBook so you may not realize that I have put some new bags into the Etsy shop.  Click over to the right to see them!

I'll do a post on new works in the next couple of days!  xoxo