I went on an art buying spree....

which, I have to say I do more times than I should.  I bought 6 pieces. Three will go out for sale (one has already sold actually) one I might keep, and two I will be keeping..... so here we go...

These first two are by Mervin Jules.

The above print is a proof, it's  "Child blowing dandelion" 

This one is Boy playing flute. Both are signed. They are wonderful, I love the top one, the bottom one I am undecided on. It might go well with the yellow sofa.... 

The yellow woodblock print is from 1969. It's signed and named, but the print has slipped so I can't read it. It needs to be re matted so that's going to happen soon. I love this and it is going to go up in my house when it's straightened. 

This is a Saul Rabino print called "refugee" There are colored versions of this, and uncolored. It's signed in pencil too.... I do not like this, and it will go out for sale. 

In addition I purchased two Wallace Nutting  original hand colored photograph prints - I sold one this past weekend, and the other is going out so I don't have a photo of it at this point. 

I have decided that at this point I have so much art- so much of it actually worth some money, that I need to catalog it- so more pictures might end up here at some point. I can't stop buying it, even if I have little to no wall space and the storage room is filled . Oh well, at least it's better than being knee deep is crap I bought from HSN or QVC.....right? 

Beating the odds, one day at a time....

Today is the start of year 12 of my marriage. It's been a good run all in all so far. We're looking forward to many more years (hopefully as good or better than the last 11)! 

We ate out, went to the beach, and some small town festivals. We ate fish and baked goods created by elderly church ladies.  We had a FANTASTIC pizza one night......and we even gambled at a casino- and won!  All in all a success all the way around.  

So first, here is some of what we looked at... 

our view from lunch..... 

pretty cool huh? We're so lucky that we live by some of the nicest beaches in the state..... 

We also went to see Murals made by WPA workers 

and then we saw a big yellow dino wandering around.... 

BUT 

it wasn't all fun and games. We did do a bit of pickin along the way..... 

I got a wonderful Turkish rug

a very scary evil oil painting, 

a concert poster from Widespread Panic 

a cool vintage typewriter

a VERY busted up Selig chair from Denmark (for free) that will be my newest project chair

and a rustic wood folding table with some rug beaters and other assorted metal things.... 

(ignore the saw and stuff, we're building a new porch) 

All in all, a very fun, successful weekend !! 

oh- I forgot- two vintage Steelcase end tables too.... 

sorry that's a crappy picture! 

Just like I promised....art

My art, like my writing and decor, has evolved over time. What I do has changed. How I do it has changed. Mainly I suppose, because my life has changed. Here is one of the latest projects I did. It was for my Mother for her birthday. She loves old cutting board pigs. I like skulls. I married the two...here is the progression of the painting....

It's sitting in front of a painting my brother did years ago... that's his "the wages of sin is death" painting. It goes well with the pig though.

And yes, she loved it.  

My favorite art-runner up edition....Lichtenstein and Culver and more...

my fake Lichtenstein.... it's a copy of some sort of "we Rose up Slowly" without the words...

It's huge and I do love it.

a Charles Culver watercolor from the 50's....

This came from an art professor at the university....

this is a print that my Mr. gave me for my new office......

My favorite 3 pieces of art

If you are lucky enough to have art in your own home, then you probably have your favorite piece. I have three, and they are all my favorites but for different reasons...

This one is a piece that was painted by my brother Grego. This is actually a personal piece of his about his divorce. I do not love it because of that reason. I love it because it helped him work out and get through a rough patch in his life. When he "didn't need it anymore" he gave it to me.  (sorry about the monitor corner.. this is above my computer desk)

This next piece I love simply because someone must have spent a long time on this. It's a chalk of a very dead pheasant. It is VERY, VERY old. When we bought it (for less than 2 bucks) it was just loose in a cruddy frame.  We had it re matted and framed in an antique frame that I already owned and loved. I think it came out wonderfully and I have it up in our living room now...

This last piece is something I picked up in an antique store in Austin about 10 years ago. It's a fishing village, maybe Haitian. It's signed Louisius. I had it by my bedside for about 8 years, now it's in the entry way. I love to be able to see it when going out the door- especially in the winter. It gives me hope that summer is coming soon....

Tomorrow I'll post my runner ups....

my new little corner of the world....

in my living room, that is. The picture is a very old chalk that we got for about 2 bucks at a garage sale. We had it professionally framed- the frame though is another very old piece I've had with me for years. Together I think they look spectacular. Less modern that my usual taste, but in keeping with the rustic look our house is acquiring.

The curtains are also new, 3.51 on super clearance from Lowes. Yes, that's 3.51 per panel. They are Waverly and very heavy. I love them, and think the orange color goes well with the green/tan paint. I always put up different curtains in the winter (and then again in the summer). It's a family tradition- and the heavier weight curtains help with the cold windy winters we get up in the great white north.

For those of you who don't want a deer head on the wall...

From Z gallerie.... 199.95 plus a 20 dollar handling fee...... but it's cool.....

Boys room

The boy really wanted one of my fabric pieces for his room.... fabric that I stretch on a large frame and hang like artwork. His room is so small I didn't think I could do one,  so a while ago I did a tiny King Tut for him. That just "wasn't enough" for him, so I started looking for fabric....
I found some fantastic fabric at Ikea (of course) and we had plenty of scrap wood in the garage. It was maple though, and I wouldn't normally recommend using such a hard wood because it's nearly impossible to staple the fabric into the wood. Use pine if you diy this yourself...

This is the frame up against my very dirty dining room table (we just had come back from vacation) It's a simple butt jointed square with a single support in the center. Screw it together. Use some glue in the joints.  You can make this whatever size you need for the fabric.

Then stretch your fabric on the frame. I do the center first. One staple on the top and one on the bottom to stablize the fabric and make it easier to deal with. Then I staple the top, then flip it, pull taut, and staple the bottom. Pick a side, pull and staple, and then the other. Don't pull so tight that the frame shifts or the fabric pulls, put it should be tight.

I attached two d rings to the frame at the top corners and hung with picture hooks that each can handle 40 lbs. A little overkill I'm sure, but it won't be falling down. Also, this way it can swing up and away from what is behind this dog, which is a window. It's never really opened due to it's location so It's okay being covered for now. I think it's too big for the space, but the boy loves it and so it stays.

The whole thing cost me 3.99. The wood was free and the staples were free. When the boy tires of it and wants it gone- I have no issues since it was just so darn cheap!

outdoor wire statues

These are are from Animals in Wire, from the UK

and I LOVE them!

I can see the chickens in my back yard planting beds and the dog in the planting bed behind my deck...

art for your home....

Assorted outsider and folk type art

Dark botanicals from MSL

Love the modern art and more traditional furniture and decor

My dining room

Graffiti art in an apartment in Brazil