Witchy Woman #4

Raven hair and ruby lips
Sparks fly from her finger tips
Echoed voices in the night
Shes a restless spirit on an endless flight
Wooo hooo witchy woman, see how
High she flies
Woo hoo witchy woman she got
The moon in her eye
She held me spellbound in the night
Dancing shadows and firelight
Crazy laughter in another
Room and she drove herself to madness
With a silver spoon
Woo hoo witchy woman see how high she flies
Woo hoo witchy woman she got the moon in her eye
THE EAGLES

Title: Witchy Woman # 4
Medium: Encaustic Wax and Rhinestone eyes
Dimensions: 9 1/2" X 27"
Artist: Judy Vars
Date: May 2007

Mona, Leonardo and the Cosmic Joke

For along time I have wanted to paint the famous Mona Lisa. So finally I screwed up my courage, took out my oils and channelled Leonardo. Now my masterpiece is finished and she's cross eyed. Friends and fellow artists say you can fix that. But I say no, I want to leave her eyes crossed. Why? people ask with genuine disdain. My answer is; one it's funny. It is believed it took Leonardo four years to paint the Mona Lisa it took me four days. Two, Mona is an icon in perfection I am not... Three, it makes me laugh at myself and reminds me not take me so seriously.
I tried my best to recreate Leonardo's priceless masterpiece but the Leo played a cosmic joke on me and now Mona Lisa is cross eyed..

Mona Lisa has for five centuries been admired and adored so I can add myself to the list of people infatuated with Mona.
For some irreverent fun try The Interactive Mona Lisa. and for more funny stuff check out Mona.

I Waited All Day Long for Inspiration

"Inspiration is highly overrated," says photo realist artist Chuck Close. "If you sit around and wait for the clouds to part, it's not liable to ever happen." I share his assessment of the creative process. The paintings I've produced owe their existence largely to my hard work, which generated a burst on inspiration every now and then but mostly gets things done without much flash.
Still I was wishing if wait in hopeful anticipation that an epiphany would happen. But as always "just doing it" is the only way to make art. Ideas are not my problem they are free floating and come to me 20 times a day its the blood, sweat and tears that make art.

Today it was just nice to laze around and wait for inspiration.
We did take out our little flat bottom Pelican boat scrub the deck, and put it in the water. The motor batteries are charging and we should be ready to take it out tomorrow and fish. Expect some awesome photos of the loons, muskrat and swans this summer. This is a photograph of my little corner of the world, inspiration is always close at hand if I stay grateful, pay attention, stop whining and do the work.

Quoth the Raven, `Nevermore.'

Artist: Judy Vars
TITLE: Raven and Skeleton
Medium: Encaustic Wax Collage
Dimensions: 8" x 13"
Date: May 2007

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-
Only this, and nothing more." Edgar Allan Poe

Oh boy! Now it's really time for my bed! But with all this light I’m not tired. It's a type of insomnia that people new to Alaska sometimes get but it still affects me. Certain people like me are unable to sleep because of the light! Well I get a weird manic feeling under my skin and like to stay up all night painting. I have always fought sleep anyway, but I know that if I stayed awake for 24,48,72 hours that I could have a complete psychotic meltdown and that might not be very pretty.
The night is a twilight world that exists between darkness and daylight. The loons start their hauntingly beautiful calls and my imagination is working overtime.
I do not have any sleeping pills but a nice glass of warm milk sounds lovely and may help me relax. I hope, wish me luck.

La Primavera by Sandro Botticelli

Artist: Judy Vars
TITLE: La Primavera
Medium: Encaustic Wax Collage
Dimensions: 10" x 13"
Date: May 2007
So oft have I invoked thee for my Muse - Sonnet 78
William Shakespeare

"Out of the Box"

SECOND SATURDAY OPENING

BAGELS ALASKANext to the bus barn on the Palmer Wasilla Hwy.5-7 pm June 9th (second Saturday)Live Bluegrass MusicfeaturingThe RedheadsCome for the art and stay for the music

Credit for the flyer design art goes to Lindsey Shelley.

High Drama on "B" Lake

Doing the Tourist Thing and When Freinds Leave

Saturday Star and I did the tourist thing we went to the Musk Ox Farm in Palmer and stopped at every garage and yard sale between there and Meadow Lakes. Star is leaving Alaska. People come from every state to Alaska statistically stay seven years and then go back to the lower 48. There are the granola types here for the fruity pebbles and bluegrass, the money lover types for the big bucks working in the oil industry, the outcast types hoping to hide from the world,the I wanna be a big fish in a little pond types and the adventurous types.
Star met a man and came here to be with him. Alas that relationship did not work out. Now it's time to return to a family that loves and misses her. Star is a medicine woman, Rikki master, and a massage therapist. I had carte blanche for massages and treatments any time. I am going to miss her. When we got home we repacked her car and then she was off looking optimistic and hopeful. I was crying its hard to see friends go when it's likely we will never see each other again.
Happy Trails STAR!

Ghosty Girl #2

Artist: Judy Vars
Title: Ghost Girl #2
Medium: encaustic Wax
Dimensions: 7" X 12"
Date: May 2007

"In the life of a man, his time is but a moment...his sense, a dim rushlight. All that is body is as coursing waters...all that is of the soul, as dreams, and vapors."
-- Marcus Aurelius

If you would like any information about any of the paintings you see please feel free to e-mail me.

Requiem for the Honeybee

The massive dying of bee colonies is very disturbing to me! I heard a rumor its cell phones. DUH (obviously I am not a scientist) But what happens when bees try to pollinate a flower grown from a sterile seed created by evil-greedy-Monsanto? How does that work?

CATASTROPHIC BEE COLONY COLLAPSE IS NOT AFFECTING ORGANIC HIVES As previously reported in Organic Bytes (Issue #104), beekeepers in 24 states are experiencing record losses of honeybees. Some states have reported up to 70% disappearances of commercial bee populations. Researchers are struggling to find the causes of this mysterious collapse. A crucial element of this story, missing from reports in the mainstream media, is the fact that organic beekeepers across North America are not experiencing colony collapses. The millions of dying bees are hyper-bred varieties whose hives are regularly fumigated with toxic pesticides by conventional beekeepers attempting to ward off mites. In contrast, organic beekeepers avoid pesticides and toxic chemicals and strive to use techniques that closely emulate the ecology of bees in the wild. Researchers are beginning to link the mass deaths of non-organic bees to pesticide exposure, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and the common practice of moving conventional bee hives over long distances.
Organic Consumer Association

Up here in Alaska, I've talked to beekeepers they order a colony from the lower 48 and when the season is over they just let them freeze and die. I also talked to a beekeeper who keeps his bees in a warm place for the winter. He grows apple trees for his bees. It sounds so simple. I love bees, I love honey that the bees make, I use the beeswax in my art because it's organic and smells wonderful. I don't want to see bees go away because we use poisons and genetically modify our food. I am determined to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. For my part I am switching to Organic Produce there is a farm in Oregon that drops ships boxes of produce to my herb and beeswax supplier. I am going to start A compost heap build that bat house I always wanted.
For a good book on the subject of our food supply in North America read: The Food Revolution by John Robbins.

PLEASE HELP SAVE THE BEES

Andy Warhol, Me, and My 15 Minutes of Fame

This black and white photograph was taken of me, I was 29 years old. The image is very sultry and mysterious. Yes? I played with photo shop to mimic Andy Warhol's work.
Like Mr Warhol said "everyone is going to get their 15 minutes of fame" and I want mine!
Just give me a Louis Vuitton purse full of money, a limo and turn me lose in So Ho.
kissis darling
Judy

Sandra Fongemie

I finally got to meet this lady, I have heard wonderful things about her from my great friend Michelle Mathison. She has two large Eskimo paintings by this woman. She used to say I own two original Sandra Fongemies and two original Judy Vars'. She was so good for my ego. Michelle moved to Hurricane, Utah several years ago but she had the Antique Barn at the Alaska State Fair and Sandra F. has a honey booth. They know each other very well so it was fun to bring up Michelles name to her, we had some laughs and as we reminised about our fun old friend Michelle. Sandra Fongemie displays a couple of pieces every year at her booth but this was her first show ever and it looks brillant. She is waving to you Michelle!You can tell from this photo what a wonderful special lady Sandra is. I hope she won't mind me mentioning that now she had M.S. so she now uses acrylics rather than oil and has to paints them on the floor. Her paintings are even more awesome in my opinion her style is likened to Gauguin and her colors happy are inspirational.
Sampson the Strongest Dog in Alaska.
Sampson won the dog pull on Tudor Road for Ididarod Days one past year.

A Good Reason Not to Live in Alaska

Ok so yesterday after a stressful week and a crappy day,I was sure that I was going to have a migraine and all I wanted was a hot bubble bath. I bought myself a magazine and some bath salts on the way home and was planning to take a long stress relieving soak in my big tubby with the jets, candles and the heat turned up to mother OH YA. Well when I walk into the kitchen my husband is sitting there with a mad expression on his face saying "honey we got a real problem, we've got no water." I think to myself what kind of Cruel Karma has beset me.

So here's the story. Peter and our neighbor Jim went to the well head and down to the basement checking out the compassitor, jimmy jongas, and flux compassators. After much debate they determined that the pump itself must be the problem it is probably 30 years old. So we call GIELAROWSKI Pump and Well service. Now since our area is on methane gas beds and most of the water around here contains methane gas. No I am not kidding our well goes down 225 feet. So Bobbie the woman owner of this outfit lifts out all the pipe until we reach the pump and replace it. Eureka! water! NOT! After further checking a little switch whatsamagig is broken and the pump is not getting enough volts to run the pump. Ok, WE DIDN'T NEED A NEW PUMP she is sorry, after all Bobbie was going on the information the two geniuses Peter and Jim gave her. Now there is a new pump in the well and about six hours labor. One thousand bucks later the water is coming out of the tap brown and full of silt. Now to make it clear we have never drank this water but what is this evil gelatinous substance that was on the deeper pipes? OMG I don't even want a bath anymore. WTF

Later I went dirty to the Loon Attic's bird show and juried exhibition fundraiser for the injured birds. Took some pictures of the crow with a broken wing chatted a little bit and then went to Sandra Fongemes exhibit at Fireflower Gallery what a lovely gracious woman her art looks just like Gauguin simply georgeous.
I'll post some pretty pictures later it's 12:22 and I've been up since 3:30 I will take a shower and get some z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z zs
GOOD NIGHT! update the pump was boken!!!!

Mini Art Show

THIS BLOG HAS BEEN DELEATED

MINI ART SHOW IN BEAUTIFUN GIRDWOOD, AK

Girdwood Center for the Visual Arts
(In Girdwood next to the Bake Shop)
783-3209
Hours 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (closed Mondays)
MINI ART SHOW
(two weeks only)
From May 7th to May 20th
(in the mini room)
Featuring
Judy Vars"Resplendent Resurrection”
An anthropomorphic encaustic painting By Judy Vars

I've Been Tagged

yes, the idea is to give seven interesting facts about myself and tag 7 other bloggers. YIKES

1. I am addicted to Pringles and Peeps but try to abstain.
2. I have erotic dreams featuring President Clinton (I dreamt of him just last night).
3. I watch just one soap opera "All My Children" since 1969. When no one is looking I buy the Enquirer or the Sun.
4. I changed my middle name from Judith Ann to Judith Abagail after my great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother Judith Abagail Fricke 1402 Middlesex, England.
5. I love Star Trek especially "Q" before I got married I slept with a "Q" doll. Does that fall under the heading T.M.I.(too much information)?
6. Barbara Streisand is my idol I have a photograph of her and her autograph made out to me it says best wishes Judy Barbara Streisand.
7. I have great instincts and am a little psychic.

I tag - Elise, Dabs, Annie, Wendy, FNP, Dotty and Charmaine.

Life Keeps on Life-ing quote: by Judy Vars

My Happy Place encaustic painting by Judy Vars

Yes I finally finished it and framed it. I think it looks terrific. Don't you think?
Once when I was in a group of people I said "life just keeps on life-ing" and everyone said; where did you get that? and I said I just made it up.

This morning when I was having my first cuppa coffee a big female eagle flew past, the pretty malard ducks were sitting in the water by the shore, the swans are hanging out next door, the muskrat is making his daily rounds, the squirrel is jumping from branch to branch and chattering loudly, the chickadees are pigging out on the seeds and a blue jay stopped by. My back yard by the lake is so incredible it's "My Happy Place."

Ten years ago I had a day dream of moving to Alaska living on a lake with the natural world all around me, a wonderful man to share it with, and time to follow my bliss. Some one said I quote: Most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a day but underestimate what the can accomplish in ten years. I just woke up one morning ten years later and realized that the dreams I dreamt ten years ago are here and now. I've been single minded with my goals in spite of my tendencies to give myself an ass kikkin every other day. I've manage to keep a fairly positive attitude and keep focused on my goals. Still I am not 100% percent satisfied. I suspect I am not unique, I still have more places to see, more paintings to create, more people to meet and more love to give. But this morning all was perfect in my little bit of paradise. Life just keeps on life-ing.