My interview with talented friend Elaine Bromka of TEA FOR THREE  off Broadway production.  I recommend you train to NYC with me to see the show! :)

~ Elaine, do you remember how we met?

~ I was at a convention to pitch my show to high schools.  As the day went on, I realized that almost all the teachers there were from elementary schools...I thought, "ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,boy...what am I doing here?"  The hours began to drag... and finally, I took off for five minutes and started walking around to see the other booths.  Suddenly,  there was this radiant person, playing with that white sculpy dough and seeming to have not a care in the world.  I wanted to play with that dough more than anything!  She introduced herself and gave me my own little sculpy packet.  I was over the moon.  I went back to my own booth, rolled the dough into little flowers the reset of the afternoon, and saw the day in a whole new way.  A very zen experience.

~ I remember this differently. It was a boring event, and I walked around looking at the other artists' tables when I came across Elaine's table. We started talking and I had that familiar feeling when you meet someone and you instantly know they are wonderful. I instantly knew.

~ Did you write the script for Tea for Three?

~ I co-wrote it with Eric H. Weinberger, a wonderful playwright who has become one of my closest friends.

 ~ As a one-woman show, I was amazed at how you transform yourself from one character to the next. What do you love about this? What challenges have you faced?

~ I just plop on the wig and off I go!  Actually, I spent months at the Museum of Television and Radio, studying their vocal patterns and body movements.  I learned a tremendous amount by studying where they held tension in their bodies.  Those energy patterns told me secrets.

When did you first know you wanted to be an actor? 

In kindergarten.  I wanted to sing, "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning." I fantasized that everyone would be terribly moved.  Well, a few weeks later, I was  asked in class to sing three lines of "A Farmer in the Dell" as we all took turns,  and I nearly passed out. Nothing came out of my mouth.

Do you know how incredible you are?

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh!  Do you know how wildly creative YOU are?

This Off-Broadway venue is fabulous!  Every artist, writer and I assume actor has the challenge of finding their inner marketing person. What were the challenges in promoting yourself/your show? How did you find your way through those struggles?I'm just stubborn. What it came down to was that I had a story I simply wanted to tell -- so I had to find a way to do just that.

 

 

  Is there anything you would like people to know?

 The show is 80 minutes long,  both funny and moving -- and ultimately, the kind of show that lifts you up.  I'm a big believer in radiant theater.  We all need to feel lifted up by art, in my book.

What advice to you give young aspiring actors? 

Just do it for yourself.   The wonderful actress Lee Grant said that to me decades ago-- and it's taken me all this time to realize what she meant.

Do you have a dream project/part that you want next? 

YES!  Take a vacation!!

Will this show travel anywhere else in the country? 

I plan to continue to take the show all over.  I love meeting people from entirely new  towns -- and sensing what life is like there.

And most importantly... what is your favorite color, favorite flower, favorite food? 

Favorite color?  Depends upon the time of day!  I love any color that gets hit perfectly by the light... a saffron color by morning light, periwinkle just as the sun is getting low... the magic happens between the sun and the color for me.

 

Favorite flower -- no wayyyyyyyyyyyy could I pick one.  I  tend a willllllllllllllddddddd perennial garden.  New things explode upward every 2 weeks.  I just have to walk through the beds to feel stress drop away.

 

Favorite food-- I have a terrible sweet tooth for dark chocolate.  And I went 20 years without touching a potato chip -- then they were put into my line of sight.  Oh nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...once I start, I'm a goner.

Link for TICKETS:              http://www.teaforthree.com/tickets.html

Tea For Three

Are you there? I am pretty sure Elaine is going to say YES to an interview! I got to see this show and I was absolutely blown away by it! Elaine transforms herself and gives us amazing insight into these three first ladies! 

Check back for an interview and plan a trip to New York! 

You must see this show and then you can come back here and thank me for recommending it! 

The Theatre at 30^th Street

259 West 30th St. between 7th and 8th Avenues

May 30- June 29  

For ticket details and a video clip, go to:  TeaforThree.com

 

My first VIDEO REVIEW!! oy oy oy!

I LOVE http://smartcreativewomen.com/ and you should too!

Monica Lee is amazing! Her video interviews are so much fun and super informative.

I took her course: http://smartcreativewomen.com/crash-course/

Videos and downloads that really help you look at what you are working on and how you work with more clarity! (next is the CLARITY COACHING CLASS!! she has that too!)

One of the interviews that Monica did was with Lilla Rogers of Lilla Rogers Studio.

I was so touched by Lilla's honesty, creativity, and the support and pride she has in her artists that I could not wait for her book to come out! 

YES, you read that right! LILLA WROTE A BEAUTIFUL BOOK!!!

Here it is....................

And since I wanted to show it to you, I did a video review too!

After listening to Monica's interviews I decided that in 2013 I am going to follow my heart and make efforts to step out of my comfort zone and believe me seeing and hearing myself on video--EEK!

Then there was the learning curve of how to flip it (photo-booth had the book image reversed!).

But now it is flipped and you can see it here (above) or on youtube if that upload isn't working.... it's 12:30 am and I am too tired to fix it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al6-AuXIRc4

So check out Monica's website SMARTCREATIVEWOMEN and 

the book I JUST LIKE TO MAKE THINGS by Lilla Rogers

I think you will love them!

Good Bye 2012! and Welcome 2013!

Goodbye 2012!

Part of me wants to say 2012 was a bad year. 

Goals were not met.

Scary health issues came to life.

Dangerous people caused harm.

One son moved two time zones away.

Another son joined the army national guard (which is scary for a mom).

But, I see it like this....

It's true, there are work goals I didn't meet, but I took important steps toward them. Steps I didn't know about so I couldn't have made them my goals. But now I know. And I am proud of those steps.

The scary health issues, we have good doctors, we do our best to stay informed and pro-active. We know more about preventing future problems and together we handle it. Together, thankful for that.

The dangerous people did cause harm. Some harm we could see, other harm we could not see. Those people through legal action and karma will be learning a lesson. Together are taking care of each other ~ together, thankful for that.

One son moved away. He may or may not stay there. My sister and her family is there and that is a great safety net and support for him as he finds a new job and enjoys the new surroundings. And what we really want for our children, what everyone really wants, is for them to find their own way and to be happy.

and, the army national guard. He loves it. He loves the physical and mental challenge and he has found a path that he really likes. I am very proud of the man he has become, and I have full faith that he will continue to bring goodness to the world.

2012, was challenging. But I don't blame you, 2012. You made us stronger in way too many ways. You, 2012 tested us. And not all the challenges end today, some we carry forward, but we also carry forward the knowledge that we are pretty resilient, together. 

WELCOME 2013!

New New New-ness

So, since the last post and discovering clarity ~~ I have added new designs to 

SilverFreckles.com

The first is the circle, it can contain 18 characters, seen below with children's names!

I love the circle and I think inspiration - encouraging words would be great as well.

What if you have more to say than 18 characters?

Oh the lovely tags! The long tag is 1" and the smaller one is about 3/4" these

are charming alone or with a little group. 

The tags are also great for the growing (we may have more babies!) family.

How can you commit to a circle if you are adding to the brood?!!

Here is the circle on the small jewelry stand (with the 18" chain).

And here is the tags on the jewelry stand with the 18" chain!

If you are considering a custom piece for the holidays ~ don't delay!

Happy Awesome Holidays!

I make stuff.

I don't always know if what I do makes sense together. Other people (darn those 'others') seem to know exactly what their style is. The others know exactly what they are doing and how it will blend seamlessly. Others find their way, they know which road to choose, they march confidently toward their goals. The others are hard to keep up with!

I feel like I do the backstroke. I don't know where I am going, can't see the edge of the pool, but I keep going. Sometimes, a lot of times, I may be swimming in circles. 
I follow my muse.

My muse is immature, she runs, she hides, she pouts, and she mopes around kicking dirt. She tells salty jokes, she leads me down dead ends and laughs when I trip and fall. She also shows me the stars, and the sea. She shows me the beauty in nature and art and then I can suddenly see a peek of beauty here, in my work. She is quite clever at that.  I see connections I didn't see, I see myself in my work, oh..

This weekend, a friend and I went to a small-business event, which seemed like a good idea to buy from multiple small businesses at once.  Wrong.
This is what we found...
~1.   a woman who sells a wrap to reduce cellulite by inches, all I have to do is wrap myself in magic cloth and drink half my weight in water.. HALF MY WEIGHT IN WATER! Yeah, the cellulite will bloat nice and smooth!
~2.   a woman who sells creams for aging skin, tea for youthful energy and all other kinds of herbs to make middle age women young and soft and newborn like.
~3.   a woman who sells cleansing juices to promote, you guessed it - youthfulness, wellness and energy.
~ 4.  I could book a booth for a spray tan (because you know I am not the right color-who is?)
~5.   Then there was a mother-daughter massage cream team, they were selling creams that could help with yep, low energy, stress, AGING! She put some on my hand, it had a strong scent, I didn't feel more energetic, but as I kept smelling it- lemony, familiar, it SMELLED EXACTLY LIKE LEMON PLEDGE!  I energetically wanted to find a rest room to wash my hands!

Apparently, the vendors were told~ "tired, wrinkly, stressed out, middle aged woman are coming and their colons need cleansing-stat!" Women selling women stuff to fix themselves.

Oh, there was a few tables of jewelry, and tote bags, and handmade jackets, but mostly the message was "Happy Holidays, You aren't good enough!"

Ahha!
I see why I was there!!!

I see my mission, I see my common thread....
~~From the bathroom, (don't judge me) I put quotes, words of wisdom up for inspiration in the picture over the toilet so that my sons & their friends saw those wise words when they were standing there ;) (hey, my bathroom-wisdom was photographed by teens and used in year books! :) 
~~ my whole-school visits, with the message-- everyone is an artist, I hear you, I see your work, it means something! We are a community of creative thinkers!!
~~my middle grade novel about a girl in a large family of boys = belonging, being heard.
~~my picture book art I am creating in a more kid-accessible style.

and now.... my Silver Jewelry, custom made, with text! 
Because I want women to wear their message of WRITE, CREATE, BELIEVE, FAITH, LOVE, Leap and the net will appear, whimsy, serendipity, Imagination is everything. I want women no matter what the outside package, to FEEL worthy, to remember their worth, to remind the other women in their tribe that we are all pretty amazing.   Smart, wise, loving silver worn and gifted to others. Positive messages of growth and acceptance. 

It is a gift to see connections.
I received a great gift.
Clarity for my mission.
YOU ARE PERFECT! YOU ARE SMART! YOU ARE IMPORTANT!  and you can keep every little cellulite and wrinkle, and you are still fine with me! Feel joyful! 
Happy Creative Holidays!

(You can see my jewelry at www.SilverFreckles.com and maybe a peek in the scroll there on the right column of this page, if I did that right! ; )
ps... cyber monday 20% off with the coupon code: awesome  (because you are! :)

Print- print-printing...

My first job (besides babysitting) was typing town records on this machine:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Linotype-vorne-deutsches-museum-annotated.jpg

No, I am not old... town halls are old! All town records were typed on metal in case the town hall burned down! Pretty sure they updated this process by now ; )

 When I left that job they gave me a certificate for 

DOG LICENSE TECHNICIAN with a the town seal : )

My next job was working at JCP in the fabric department. I didn't know how to sew, and I learned so much about patterns, designing, and color.  It opened up a whole world of project possibilities for me. 

I designed baby crib sets, wall art, and stuffed teddy bears. 

Then they promoted me to management, which came with the cool job of staying late after work and printing the rack signs... which looked like this:

I printed the signs on all the racks that said SALE 20% OFF 

Now, I find myself printing on silver jewelry! This is my newest design - I made a silver key modeled after one of my keys in my antique keys collection.

As much as things change, sometimes it feels a bit like they stay the same.

You can see all my silver jewelry designs at SilverFreckles.com

etsy ~ etsy ~ etsy : )

etsy ~ etsy ~ etsy!!!!

I have been busy uploading pictures of my creations from these past few months to etsy!

www.SilverFreckles.com

I am so happy for the opportunity that etsy provides to get my work out of the studio and into the world. 

I really enjoyed creating each and every piece whether it is jewelry or paintings.

I will have more uploaded, after I take more photos and measure more paintings.

Also working on updating my illustration portfolio and I will be selling some of the pen and ink work from my new children's illustration portfolio.

Thanks for taking the time to see my work and I would love if you

could share my sight with your friends!

www.SilverFreckles.com

Thanks!

Silver Key!

I had hoped to have Silver Freckles full of treasures by October.  But I had a few ideas that I wanted to work on for the holiday season and to spice things up! I created a cute key with my silver! I love it!
I made two and I have been test-driving one for a few days. I love it.
The back is smooth and shiny and the front has a key-word stamped into it. This little beauty is LOVE because isn't that the key to everything!

So if you are interested, I will create some custom keys and will place these newly made keys up on

SILVERFRECKLES.com!

 For the next few days I am uploading photos onto www.SilverFreckles.com : )
Today I uploaded finished pieces of silver, tomorrow I am uploading some of the custom order choices.
Then, the paintings......
I am going to keep the shop open through January. Then closing it until spring!

I hope you take time to check it out!  www.SilverFreckles.com : )

Time sure flies ~~~

The last month was not filled with blogging, but it was filled with a lot of everything else.

I had a wonderful time at the Eric Carle Museum with Jeannine (Peter for a little while) and Ellen.  ~ Jeannine and Ellen ooze talent!  Then we worked at the cafe, and I revised a picture book that I think will be fun to illustrate. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book art had some of Eric Carle's non-book art, and I LOVED the exhibit of the art of Ezra Jack Keats which was just fabulous!

I couldn't go to a retreat in Maine that I absolutely adore because of absolutely annoying asthma. But, I saw that a workshop was being given very nearby (like 3 miles from my studio!) and miracle of miracles they had a cancellation! Meant to be!
So I went to a wonderfully informative Master Class on Plot by Cheryl Klein (who is a genius btw).  Not only did I learn how/what I needed to fix in my middle grade story, but I can see how I can map out the scenes and make it a much stronger manuscript. And surprise surprise I found a few things that I actually did quite right!

Also, finished off all the started pieces of jewelry. I am thrilled with how they came out and I am going to upload and discount my stock.  I also created an order form for custom pieces that I think will streamline that process. Fingers crossed!
Will let you know when SilverFreckles.com is all ready to go!

I had finished a story board for my Z picture book. But now, it is back in revision, so that will need a bit of tweaking before it can become a dummy. Writing AND illustrating means I write, draw, then rewrite and redraw.... hopefully almost finished with that cycle now!

A few months ago I made a list of creative work ideas, and what my goals are, and the Pros and Cons for each thing.  Yesterday, I sat with that list and realized that the Cons were really issues I needed to solve more than actual cons that could not be overcome.
Some of those issues require--- HELP from others--- Imagine that, asking help when I need it.
An Ahha moment!

Time to RETREAT!

Today there is a lot of regular life stuff and work stuff to do, but there is also GETTING READY TO GO stuff to do!  Tomorrow I drive to Maine, with art and writing in hand to share.

To share, to learn, to reflect.

    I can't sing enough praises of getting away and focusing on your work, your art, your dreams. The long drive clears the cobwebs away and I know I will arrive a little more tired and a lot more ready to just BE.

October Re-launch!

Getting ready to relaunch SILVERFRECKLES.COM in October!!

NEW Pendants

NEW Bracelets and look at that cute new packaging!

That's not polka dots.... those are silver freckles! : )

painting, painting, writing, painting

I realized I am working on 12 paintings at the same time! 

I just keep going from one to the other as I let each layer dry~

This is the first palette I ever bought about twenty years ago! 

Ten years ago if that sounds like I am younger! - yeah, let's say 10.

I don't wash the palette off anymore. I love the layers of paint, and I love that the palette changes and morphs with new colors.

Step one, step two, layering paint

I softened up the palette. This palette is more summery, more sherbet, more peonies- pink roses.

Here is step one

and here is step two

It's fun changing the palette. The next layer is deeper pinks, raspberry, greens and teal. 

I would be great if I could visualize writing a novel, the way I can see the layers of a painting.

The novel revising is on hold while I paint. But it is in the back of my mind and I know that the next revision will be worth it.

Hey! Are you still there? We interrupt this blogging-art creating stuff for a baby time out!

Introducing our new niece!

Kayla Diane

Of course she is super adorable!

~ shall be back with art- soon! : )

ON THE EASEL : )

 Let's call this series, "On the Easel"!

First I painted this Lilac painting. I love this palette. Love the purples, blues and greens. I have loved this palette since I was little. 

Do you know I remember these colors on a sofa slipcover when I was a little girl. I remember noticing it and loving it. I was probably only FIVE!

I am going to submit this to a juried art show. Since they accept two submissions, I had to come up with something else too.

After the Lilacs lose their blooms, I look forward to the purple and blues of the summer hydrangea!

So, that seemed a perfect companion! 

Before I could even think of a painting, I had to do some warm-ups!

A talented artist Amy Guglielmo (Amy is so talented: http://www.touchtheart.com/) painted lady sap buckets and gave me a few buckets, so these were the warm-ups!

How cute are these?















 I love these Summer Ladies!

oh, and there was this little warm up project also..... I just had to paint this tote!

If you want to see it BEFORE, you will have to go to FLYING PIG BOOKSTORE facebook page 

(I forgot to take a before pic ; )

Oh and I painted this GARDEN! Which I also love!  Wheww, It has been a busy 4 days!  

Oh, and for the non-artists reader-folk. One painting took.... 18 different brushes! No one tells you that! And while I paint, I admit, each brush I pick up I say to myself, "oh this is my favorite brush." Which cracked me up when I realized I have 18 favorites! : )

I am going to finish the work on the easel tomorrow (Wednesday) and then get the cupboard I painted out of the garage and into the house! I will take a picture when it is all settled in : )

What have you been up to?

Saturday projects ~~~

Gorgeous day today, perfect weather for .... PAINTING!!

Here is the Craigslist cupboard BEFORE:

... and this is right now, the DURING..

stay tuned for the AFTER!

: )

edited to add:

almost there ~~~~~~~~

Double Launch

Fall is going to be super awesomely busy!

I feel incredibly blessed to be a full time artist. It is not always easy, always messy, and worth all the struggle. Oh yes..... Even the struggle parts.

SO MANY STRUGGLE PARTS!! Not just financial, but on an intuitive level, trusting my instincts, silencing my inner critic and following my heart.

Keep moving is a good way to silence any inner critic!

Planning for an art show! Here is a peeK ~~~~

Planning is almost complete, dates are being chosen, for..............

CREATIVE EXPRESSIONS, 

2 day studio workshops on trusting your intuition! 

More info to follow if you are in the area.

Of course SCHOOL VISITS! are be planned and ready to roll!

and 

CREATIVE INTERIORS an inside RE-INVENTION 

updating interior spaces by adapting your own meaningful furnishings to something new and fresh! 

Illustration portfolio is being updated with YuMmY NeW Art!

Whew!! No wonder I need naps!

Please, share in the comments what you are planning for the Fall!

My advice to the creative you, the momma you, the papa you,  the hard-working you is to find a place that gives your soul a view. Recharge, Refresh. Laugh. Write. Draw.

I finished this revision of my middle grade novel! **insert happy dancing**

I am going to put it aside for a few weeks, then reread it.

After a few tweaks, this is the version that is going to be submitted!!

**more dancing**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~