Alaska Dreamin On Such a Winters Day

It's been along time since I sold my 102 year old Victorian home in SLC packed up my paired down belongings, grabbed my boys Joel and Porter, took my Mercury Topaz and drove the Alcan Highway to my new home. People especially family and friends ask; why did you move so far away? Why? I often ask myself the same question and then I remember why, the decision was made because I began to feel this inexplicable pull to move to Alaska. I found myself longing for my Alaskan cabin, solitude, new beginnings, a chance to paint and create to my hearts content and I wanted a wonderful relationship (men in Alaska outnumber the women 10 to 1 or so they say).. Like my header said: As with all great notions it started with a daydream.Yet it was more like a pull in my soul, I couldn't explain it because it didn't make sense; sell everything, leave your job, leave your friends and family and move 3,000 miles north where you do not know anyone and start over at 40 + years old. Crazy! Yet the call of the wild was too strong to ignore, my pioneer spirit was excited unknown frontiers. So being true to myself I came to Alaska.

The reason for this story is a coincide-God, I noticed today while tidying up my studio. This is a painting/assemblage' that I created in 1994 in SLC. This work of art contains the seeds of my current artistic style.  My artistic skills has improved quite a bit, still I love this piece. It contains my mission statement I made: Through my passion, power, and beauty. I create a world where others recognize their unique spirits and all live in joy and a celebration of life.

The interesting coincidence is this painting exactly duplicates this scenic outlook of the Matanuska River in Palmer. Sharen and went out late, late one summer evening to sketch this scene. Sheren is my crazy doppelganger artist/friend http://sakharris.blogspot.com/ she also moved to Alaska from Massachusetts with a similar story.

The first one came totally from my imagination and the other one is the chalk sketch I make that night. They are the same! Is that weird or what! My dream existed in my imagination and was brought to a painting before it was a reality literally. My minds eye saw it first, this is my coinci-God.

Assemblage Class @ Two Sprits Gallery

My Assemblage Class is Saturday and Multi-tasking

I am not a multi-tasker in the past I knew how to multi-task but not anymore. Trying to do several things at once makes me feel crazy, I notice that I am trying to do multi things I start walking around in circles and talking to myself and not being productive. When I am on the computer please do not try to talk at me, I am not listening. When I am watching my stories don't interupt me with questions, when painting I'm in my happy place and don't like to be interupted... It's so funny to notice how easily distracted I am, example: While cooking dinner (Ok I'll admit it, I don't like to cook) and trying to blog or check my e-mails and talk on the telephone, dinner gets burned or it's sub-par. It's much nicer to have dear one cook my dinner.

Today am learning how to slow down stop and listen to people when they want my attention.
I make it an active meditation to focus on one thing at a time, do it and do it well.
My blog has not been getting my attention but everything is great, I am getting up earlier, Peter & I walking 5 miles, we are eating better and communicating better.

For the past week I have been concentrating on preparing for my assemblage class and not painting anything. http://twospiritsgallery.com/pages/art-classes
August it is my ta,ta,ta,taaaaa art show at the Madd Matters Gallery, I have 86 days until my show. I do not know what to call it yet. I drempt of myself in a purple dress. Any suggestions???

p.s. My Raven Triptych sold for all the dough!

The Art of Assemblage - click on picture for a larger view

When Kay Klose the Curator of two Spirits gallery bought my Frida Assemblage she asked me if I would be receptive to teaching assemblage art. Well it's just like me to jump in with both feet so I said great! I love to make assemblage art and I love to teach creative people what I know about my craft. I will be teaching the art of assemblage at the Two Spirits Gallery in Anchorage. This is an opportunity to do a little art therapy, one of the art fields I would love to learn more about. One of my biggest frustrations or should I say challenges is to create art that inspires me, or makes me think outside the box, or is beyond my comfort zone in some aspects (that way I learn) vs painting the things I think people will want to buy.

Assemblage art is a non-conventional art form using found objects. Based on the artists personal vision the objects are imbibed with new meanings and associations sometimes telling a story and sometimes unearthing feelings that need to see the light of day.

I enjoy workshops for that reason it's just a chance to play again ,mingle with creative people and make a piece of artwork that it uniquely one-of-a-kind.

To make it more affordable the class is $35.00.

Another Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood of Good and Evil

Theory of Hate
Medium: Encaustic Wax Collage
Size: 20" H x 20" W and 4" deep
Artist:Judy Vars
NFS
This is the piece I did for Bryan and Josh, they are my computer techies, and have a heavy metal band; Theory of Hate http://www.myspace.com/theoryofhate This macabe piece was way fun to create. Sometimes people wonder where these sick ideas come from and why?
I don't know. I do like to be scared; but by things like vampires, ghouls, ghosts, monsters, from lore and imagination. On the other hand I hate movies that are too frightening like; Silence of the Lambs, SAW, the kind of movies with henious things done to other human beings, bizarre psychological thrillers, plots like hunting people, eating people, dismembering and the like. I Hate those kind of movies, with the exception of Sweeny Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Jonny Depp is sooooo sexy and the movie is too cool. I'll pay when those images get stuck in my head and sub-conscious and occasionally unearth themselves popping up in a nightmare. To create this work of art, I just went to a dark place that i hate and let my dark muse Lilith take over.
Currently reading: Stiff - The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
excerpt page 47: Robert...took me for the first time to the dissecting room...at the sight of that terrible charnel-house-fragments of limbs, the grinning heads and gaping skulls, the bloody quagmire underfoot and the atrocious smell it gave off, the swarms of sparrows wrangling over scraps of ling, the rats in their corner gnawing the bleeding vertebrae-such a feeling of revulsion possessed me that I lept through the window of the dissecting room and fled for home as though Death and all his hideous train were at my heels.

Prayer Requests

Assemblage Art

After steady painting I need a break, assemblage is another creative outlet which I enjoy very much. An idea has been simmering in my subconscious for some time now. This summer I brought this rusty old typewriter home knowing it would become something again.Assemblage is an artistic process in which a three-dimensional artistic composition is made from putting together found objects.
To make an assemblage sometimes you must dis-assemble, here are sticker keys the holy grail of the typewriter, the piece I wanted. Now my nuckles are scraped and bleeding and I feel satisfied a sense of accomplishment. WD0-40 is my new best friend.

The raw ingredients have come together and my imagination is fired up, it is going to be a prayer machine/wailing wall of some kind. Check back with me this one is going to be flippin cool.