Your Dreams Are Missing You! I'm not Lion.

Last night I dreamt of lions they were stalking around the yard on the prowl. Then they were grabbing babies in their mouths and leaving with them. When I looked closer at the babies they were "bush babies" more like little lumps with big heads and no faces. So I stayed inside and pitched a tent in the kitchen built a fire and hoped all the doors were locked to keep the lions out.
Lion
Carl Jung said that all wild animals indicate latent affects (feelings and emotions that we do not readily deal with). They are also symbolic of dangers (hurtful and negative things) being "swallowed" by the unconscious. The lion is a symbol of social distinction and leadership. The interpretation depends on the circumstances and the interactions with the lion. Hummmm interesting veeeeery interesting..
My Zodiac sign is Leo the Lion which makes me very cool indeed.

One snowy day we all went to the Zoo the place was mostly empty so when no one was around I stepped over the cat inclosure and petted the female lion, the male didn't like it and moved between us. The links were small so he could not take my head off. I love lions I should paint a lion. I also love gorillas and they love me also.

$ I Love My Job Specially When I Make Money $

Today I met with my model at her place today just so I could get the body painted better. It's a little tricky because her face is only about 1/2" big but I managed with a tiny 00 brush to get a smile. Because it’s still wet there is a lot of shine and the ivy is the wrong color. I’m not finished with the painting yet but am getting closer.

While I was painting my cell rings and I grumble; it’s probably my husband or kids and this phone just being a short leash. But instead it was the Girdwood Gallery calling with a man at the gallery who wanted to take my painting home to show his wife, if she likes it he will call to activate his credit card if not return it tomorrow. Well it seemed like an odd request but I said sure why not test drive the art before you buy it. So unless his wife hates it I sold the Lorenzo De Medici, uh-huh-ya-uh-huh, uh-huh-ya-uh-huh.

Every Morning When I Wake Up I Experience an Exquisite Joy

Every Morning When I Wake Up I Experience an Exquisite Joy; The Joy of Being Salvador Dali."
Medium: Anthropomorphic Encaustic Wax tile
Dimensions: 6" X 6"
by Judy Vars
Salvador is one of my favorite narcissists and artists; this photo was taken with Salvador and seven nude women contorting as to make a skull. Oh how divine! And Mr. Dali was certainly exquisite with his pencil thin mustache and silver cane he was so refined, so brilliant and so elegant.
I keep this plaque in my bathroom next to my mirror it helps remind me that life is exquisite, in my joy, in my pain, in my sorrow and even when I’m sick, I awake with an exquisite joy the joy of being me.
In my family we like to tickle and torment each other and say “I’m going to give you exquisite pain.” It’s a family thing.

To be an artist you must have a high opinion of yourself, be eccentric, be flamboyant, be a master at your craft.

I believe that I am the savior of modern art, the only one who can sublimate, integrate, and rationalize, in an imperial manner and with beauty, all the revolutionary experiences of modern times.

-- Salvador Dalí

My Happy Place or Absinthe

Today I got up early and painted all day. It felt wonderful I just love getting lost in painting. I am working on this for a contest. I think I'll call it "My Happy Place" Still It's not quite finished but did you notice that I scrapped off the whole bottom and redid it so the perspective was consistent. I don't know what I was thinking?? I even made little flowers for the path out of the wax I scraped off. The lady and the room still needs to be finished. Then the next problem is how to photograph it to its best advantage.This photo sucks! The encaustic pieces are difficult to photograph anyway. My daughter suggested that I take quite a few pictures in all types of light indoors and outdoors and try to get an excellent picture. This is the before painting. I need my nude model Melanie to come back and pose as the photo I took is fuzzy.
I'm expermenting with a word to being folks to my blog. Absinthe or the green fairy is wormwood extract apparently Van Gough cut of his ear after imbibing way too much absinthe.

RAVEN STEALS THE LIGHT an Eskimo legend-encaustic book by Judy Vars

In the beginning the world was in total darkness. The raven who had existed from the beginning of time was tired of groping about and bumping into things in the dark.

Eventually the Raven came upon the house of an old man who lived alone with his grandaughter. Through his slyness the Raven learned that the man had a great treasure. This was all the light in the universe concealed in a tiny box concealed within many boxes. At once the Raven vowed to steal the light.He thought and thought and finally came upon a plan. He waited until the old mans grandaughter came to the river to gather water. Then the Raven changed himself into a hemlock needle and dropped himself into the river. Just as the girl was dipping her water basket into the river.
As she drank from the basket she swallowed the needle. It slipped and slithered down into her warm belly, where the Raven transformed himself again, this time into a tiny human. After sleeping and growing there for a very long time, at last the Raven emerged into the world once more, this time a human infant.
Even though he had a rather strange apperance, the Raven grandfather loved him. But the old man promiced dire punishment if he ever touched the precious treasure box. Nonetheless the Raven child begged and begged to be allowed to hold the light just a moment. In time the old man yielded, and lifted from the box a warm golden sphere, which he threw to his grandson.
As the light was moving toward him the human child transformed himself into a gigantic shadowy bird form wings spread ready for flight, and beak open in anticipation. As the beautiful ball of light reached him the Raven captured it in his beak. Moving powerful wings, he burst through the smoke hole in the roof of the house, and escaped into the darkness with his stolen treasure

and this is how light came to the universe.

Gimme a Coffee Fix or Move Over Starbucks

We've got our share of coffee addicts in Alaska we have these little coffee stands all over the place, hundreds of them and not a Starbucks anywhere to be seen. I took these photos today when I was runnin around with a coffee buzz.
Enjoy a hot cuppa java on me mmmmmmmm espressooo.

All I can say is WoW

Yea baby it’s the first day of spring and my blog is one year old today. I don't know if anyone in cyberspace is actually interested in me, my art, my life in Alaska and reading about my inner thoughts. But I've been having fun swimming around in the blogger sphere. The journaling has been very good for me although there are many things that pass through my mind that I'd better not blog about. Why? She asks herself.

I am feeling better already from making the move to climb back from overwieghtness a to wellness. I am writing down every morsel of food that goes into my mouth 1,100 cal per day, walking, taking my vities, taking better care of my skin. By God I even went to an Alanon meeting today and the topic was self care. Well with my new improved attitude about my self care regime; I decided to visit my old friend Susan Powter. All I can say is WOW that’s one crazy chick and I mean crazy in a good way. She still has a mouth as big as all out-doors she can literally say anything she pleases and tell off anybody! her tirades are sprinkled with fuck yous and Jesus Christ. Check out her blog if you like Suzan Powter if you don't like her it will piss you off more. I personally love the broad her hair has gone from a butch haircut to these blond dreg locks and she has new tattoos and piles of black eye makeup. As out there as I want to be! Suzan I'd like to have one tenth of your balls.


This an encaustic I've been working on it needs more work, it’s for a contest at R&F Paints first place $1,000 dollars worth of encaustic paint. It needs to be postmarked by April 15th so got to get busy. My daughter Charmaine is coming from Charlotte, NC, April 24th and bringing my granddaughter Rhaya (Rhaya is just like her mom was so full of life and fun). I'm stressing over a sex toy party that I am having for Charmaine. My house needs a spring overhaul. I committed to do a show with Lindsay Shelly in June, assemblages, collages and encaustics. I've got to make some money. My taxes need to be filed.....
STOP THE INSANITY

New Moon Magick

It’s the new moon and the sky is clear and cold. Tonight I will go outside and gaze at the heavens. There are so many stars to see in Alaska when the moon is new. The only place where I saw more stars was as a child laying on the summer grass at my grandma Wash's old house in Weston, Idaho. We could see the whole Milky Way, trillions of stars. I became convinced that we could not possibly be the only ones in this vast universe. Oh the magical feeling of awe at Gods creation and my tiny presence inside of it. Another time when I was a younger my family drove across the Nevada desert there were falling stars that night we counted hundreds my mom and me.

My mothers birthday is coming up soon she passed away almost 9 years ago of Lou Gerick’s disease she was only 67. It's impossible to look at nature and not hear my mother telling me to look at this and that teaching me how to appreciate the beauty all around me. We had the best view of the Rocky Mountains from my mom’s front porch. Last time she visited me in Alaska there was one of those harvest moons the ones that look like you could lasso it. We danced around like children chanting and pointing "the moon, the moon, the moon." Anytime I see a gorgeous sunset, a meadow of wild flowers, or Mother Nature just showing off, I can thank my mother for showing me how to love and appreciate the transient beauty of nature. Times like this I wish she was here with me pointing out the beautiful and subtle things she sees and discussing it with me.

Every time I notice something beautiful in nature she is always with me in my heart, but at certain times like the anniversary of her birth and her death I really miss her most of all.
Love Ya MoM

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE FOR A NEW ATTITUDE

After a busy week I’m back home and back to blogging. My computer is up and running with extra memory. I spent 2 days in Girdwood at the GCVA Gallery and stayed at Mary Mc Coy’s house. She is such a generous and sweet person to everyone, I just love her. I got to see Nikki Navarette before she moves to Roswell, New Mexico. She is showing her art at Mamacita’s in Girdwood. I have collected her handmade books, cards and I am going to buy an original piece. Her art is sublime, complicated and spiritual all at once. I will always have a part of her. Coincidently Nikki AND I went to the same High School, Amador in Pleasanton, California. I went there 30 years before her.

Mary invited me to the

Alaska Watercolor Society

annual dinner/art scolarship fundraiser at O Malleys on the Green. Blaine’s Art store was there with factory reps to sell their products. So there were give aways, raffles and free stuff. I love free stuff.

A fellow artist and someone with whom I’ve taken two encaustic workshops with

Sheary Clough-Suiter

arrived fashionably late. She looked terrific, great attitude, cute hair cut, fit and trim figure and fun funky clothes. Well I'm human and I felt a small amount of envy or a better choice of words I felt inspired. So I told her so, I said I visit your web-site often and I am impressed with the layout and how she keeps it current and praised her for how hard she has been working hard and making it as a working artist. Love the encaustic work! She said thank you and she loves my art too! Something like a switch went off inside of me. All my life I have been on a rollercoaster ride with my weight issues. When I’m fat it’s hard to get over my feelings of defeat and self flagellation long enough to just-do-it and it’s all tied up with addiction and esteem issues. It’s very hard to just to turn it around and start a program. The circumstances have to be just right, all the planets have to line up, and something has to shift.
I got up yesterday and started keeping a food log and began doing deep knee bends.
YAY I'm going for it!
Thank you in advance for my new body and improved attitude.
Love Always
Judy

The #*%*#% Computer Crashed again and it's all about me doncha know.

So this morning I wake up and get on my computer and it crashes again I don't know how to get it started again in the DOS? Hopefully it's not serious. I did not get my files backed up because the driver wasn't operating. This is so damn frustrating the whole thing.:( I am so dependent on my computer, I am going to start jonesing if it doesn’t soon get fixed. Now I'm using my old laptop to keep me from totally freaking out and now feeling total withdraw. I will be off line for the next 4 days because
I will be womaning the Gallery in Girdwood immersed in art and staying at my friend Mary McCoys house. It is like a tiny holiday for me so I'm getting ready to go packing and deciding which art pieces to take.
Oh my God! They just flashed my art on the 5:00 news for the Iditarod Art Show at the Dorothy Page Museum. Carmen Sommerfield was talking about the event the art pieces etc. I have to give her a ring and tell her how good she looks and sounds on television.

This is definitely in keeping with my mantra:
The more people who see your work, the more people there are to love it, buy it, and collect it. The more people who see your work, the more people there are to love it, buy it, and collect it. The more people who see your work, the more people there are to love it, buy it, and collect it.

I will be showing my art again in June at the Bagel Deli with Lindsay Shelly the new president of the Valley Fine Arts Association it is collages and mixed media more to come about this later. I am having fun running around in my art circles, meeting great people, practicing every day to get better and better at my craft.:)

Saturday March 10th, set your clocks foreward tonight.

I stopped by Dawn Diaz show Energy Paintings it was great! By the time I got there everyone was in a party mood the energy was high and the food was yummy,hummus. Like a nut I left my camera there with pictures and everything. So I'll blog later when I can think of something to say.

Here is a link to the paintings on exhibit at the Dorthy Page Museum Iditarod Exhibit.

Iditarod Art Exhibit

Just For Today

The past 2 days have been lived in cocoon, spending 12 hours a day being a caregiver/hospice to a great old woman with alsimers. I attend to her needs, we watch the game show network, old westerns, reading, light housework, napping, and meditating. The time seems to slow down when I am there and what goes on outside is of little concern to me. The feral cats that she feeds and the magpies that steal the food is our main focus.

I am out of touch with my family, my friends, my house, my-to-do list, my blog, my dog. I will be doing this tomorrow, Sunday and 4 days next week so I’m in it for the long haul. Now I should go to sleep and get refreshed to go again tomorrow.

Just for Today….
I will give myself permission to slow down
I will be more present in the moment.
I will be both patient and compassionate.
I will listen with both ears.
I will do my work cheerfully and with competence.
So let it be……

I HAVE TEMPORALLY CLOSED MY E-BAY STORE

The other night I had a little hissy fit and closed my e-bay store.
After I revamp my store and rethink my e-bay strageties I will open again.

Beware the Ides of March

I helped my friend

Dawn Diaz

hang her show "ENERGY PAINTINGS" and we took my show down from the Espresso Cafe (it hung for an extra month). We postponed the job for a week because of the high winds. The wind was still blowing yesterday gusts of up to 75 mph and it was soooooo bloody cold with the wind chill. She pulled her wagon right up to the door still the large canvas’ were like a sail, we almost flew away hoisting them in. The wind snatched my sunglasses off my face and I had to chase them and just holding my car door open was miserable.
I kept thinking "beware the ides of March" why? It turns out the ides mark the full moon or according to the Greek calendar March 15Th it was the soothsayers warning to Julius Caesar in Shakespeares play that made it ominous.
This is how Vincent painted the wind.
PAINTING FOR THE WIND
Cut a hole in a bag filled with seeds of any kind and place the bag where there is wind. Yoko Ono

The Good Wifes Guide or the Diary of a Bad Housewife

Today my mother-in-law from my first husband sent me an article in Housekeeping Monthly dated May 13, 1955, a list of things to do to be a good wife so we could all laugh.
Some of the suggestions were:
1. Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his real need to be at home and relax.
2. Don't complain if he's late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.
3. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
4. Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
5. Great him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him
6. A good wife always knows her place.
WHAT A PILE OF SHIT!
To think that not so many years ago I believed that pile-o-crap!
When I was a young woman 17 or 18, Vilate (my mother in law) gave me a book called Fascinating Womanhood. I did not have a clue how to be a wife and mother. So I followed the book to the letter. My also young husband Russ really liked me acting like that perfect wife. In fact he ate it up with a spoon. Problem was I was playing a role and was not being myself. I got so angry at him and at me that I would swear, smoke, drink and run around with my girlfriends being wild and rebellious behind his back. The book came to symbolize the loss of me, my dreams, desires and my freedom. Like I say, I was very young and impressionable. Later, I burned by bra, got divorced, worked a mans job and got a mans pay check and learned how to be a bitch. Like I said I was very very young and naive. 30 some odd years later we can laugh at the people we once were. It was not so funny at the time. But to tell you the truth if given the opportunity, I would set the timer back and do it all over again every precious excruciating second.

I-DID-A-DOG

Today I went to the official start of the Ididarod, I just wanted a few pictures and to do my most favorite thing people watch. The only problem was the hat, gloves and coat that I wore were not sufficient for the temperature(ROOKIE)the good news is my feet did not get cold. We walked from the parking to the community center to warm up then onto the frozen lake to see the start. I watched two teams take off then it was time to go home. I really did not want to freeze my ears off.
I spotted this cute little red headed girl, she was in the wearable art show last night. She came on the runway with an entourage of boys then she droped her fur coat and shoes the boys picked them up for her and waited until she finished working the runway and then helped her on with her things, her performance was totally cool.

"Truth or Dare" Palmer Arts Council First Annual Wearable Art Show

We had so much fun tonight at the PAC very first wearable art show. Everything went off great. I tricked Nicole my daughter into modeling for me at first she had a small attitude at first narrowing her eyes at me etc, but then she started to have some fun. This was my costume Golden Angel yards and yards of netting pearls gold leaf the spirit of Mardi Gras is still alive. They played zideco music and Nicole worked the runway dancing like she was in the parade in New Orleans throwing beads into the audience. On the way home she told me what a good time she had, she actually said that it didn't suck afterall and called me a nerd. Well wait until next year I've got some ideas.


Some of the models were so cute I couldn't pass up taking this photo. Isn't she the cuttest and hottest.



This girl has a profile like a mast head a beautiful greek nose and wild blowing in the wind hair.


I've got a video clip of the fashion show in progress but I don't know how to download it. I'll figure it out tomorrow so check back. The Palmer Arts Council pulled of a superb fashion show. There were some very artistic entries like Tongass National Forest Coat and some very cute retro clothes 60s and 80s, the music, lighting, announcer, champagne and fancy deserts with a flair very campy. The whole evening was TOP DRAWER. Hooray for Palmer!

Iditarod Open House at the Dorthy Page Museum in Wasilla, Alaska

This very valuable original painting by beloved Palmer, Alaskan artist

Fred Machentanz

was on loan for the show.

Peter and Carmen

Geri McAnn curator of the Palmer Museum and Carmen Sommerfield