My Announcements for my next show!!! If you could come that would be awesome!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOQfHjGKTpg

Elizabeth You Are So Loved

Elizabeth Burgess and Judy Vars 

I was convinced you must have been my father’s illegitimate daughter from El Paso, TX because you felt like a sister to me from the start. You are my true friend in every sense of the word. When I needed you to cheer me you did (to a point), you made fun of me and kept me humble, when I needed you to be my Maid of Honor at my wedding you did it for me!, when I needed to confide in you my secrets you kept them! Besides my own dear Mother you were the most honest person that I have ever met.

You never let me go from you without holding me and letting me know that you loved me a lot.

Remember when we had our first date at the Museum in Anchorage on the way home there was the most glorious purple/pink sunsets that Alaska has to offer. We shared a moment of awe together and knew we would always be friends.

But why oh why couldn’t I help you with your demons? To borrow a favorite quote from a movie; A River Runs Through It. Rev. Maclean: Each one of here today will at one time in our lives look upon a loved one who is in need and ask the same question: We are willing help, Lord, but what, if anything, is needed? For it is true we can seldom help those closest to us. Either we don't know what part of ourselves to give or, more often than not, the part we have to give is not wanted. And so it those we live with and should know who elude us. But we can still love them - we can love completely without complete understanding.

Guilt is nipping at my heals, like an uncomfortable reminder saying don’t forget to let the ones you love know that they are loved. Why didn’t I try harder to deliver you and Anna’s Christmas presents? Why didn’t I stop into the Arctic Bar to see you when I had the impulse? Why didn’t I call you every time it crossed my mind in the last couple of weeks? Now the time is gone and I cannot ever have it back.

I pray to God we can meet again in the spirit world
Until then.......... We will take good care of your girl Anna.

I know that you do not like mushy sentiment so I’ll just remind you what God said:

"Elizabeth you are so loved! "  

all the leaves are brown and the sky is gray I've been for a walk on a winters day I'd be safe and warm if I was in LA California Dreamin on such a winters day

We have been having the storm of the century up here in Alaska, Nome has run out of fuel and the fuel tanker from Russia is stuck on 4’ ice, in Cordova Alaska folks have been literally snowed into their houses and the National Guard are there helping them shovel out from under record snowfall.

All this snow and bad weather we’ve been having since New Year has given me the opportunity to focus inward and get things done. The first thing I accomplished was get myself a much needed new web site. The last one was built for me as a trade for art, not a bad deal except I could not upload my artwork just because it was way too complicated. So it stayed with the same old art for years and years. So in spite of appearances I was busy painting and creating all along. This contains newer images and some of my favorite works. Please go take a look and leave me a comment telling me if you love it, hate it or have any friendly suggestions. http://judyvars.com/

The second thing I accomplished was to get a show in West Hollywood at Candle Delirium, March 10th 2012. I am brimming with ideas for art work and 10,000 details involved with putting on a show. My awesome son Joel lives in San Diego and my other awesome son Porter is going with us! It will be a family reunion and the two brothers can see each other it’s been way to long. I would love for all of us to go to the famous San Diego Zoo.

The third thing is sticking to my strict protocol on the HCG diet. I ditched nearly 60 pounds in 2009 but gained back 25 of them. As of this morning I am 8 pounds lighter. Woo Hoo

I’ve learned that you have to be vigilant and not let those evil bad carbs back into my body and keep excercizing OH GOD. My beloved other Peter has been making him and Porter dinner, this helps me stick to the regime and gives me more time to blog, work in my office and paint! Having someone else do the cooking is the best.

So today all is well, I have no complaints, in fact I am serene yet motivated, grateful and happy.

It's going to be a three dog night or where is my knitting?

As the sun slowly sets and the horizon turns to a lovely pink, it happens for the second day in a row, the power goes off! Me? I was in the zone painting with hot beeswax which requires electricity. Drat! Now what!

This means; we can't flush the toilets or run the water (because the well pump is electrical), can't surf the internet, can't watch T.V., can't cook dinner, the heater won't work because it's electrical controlled so the house is quickly cooling off. Not to worry we also have a wood burning stove and two dogs to keep us warm. Peter suggested we just go out to dinner and wait until the crews can restore power. The power outage was just on our road no where else.

It has been a particularly hard winter this year; in November it was minus -15 degrees farenheight for weeks, then the 100 mph Chinook winds came melting the snow and breaking trees and property leaving treacherous ice, and to put the frosting on the cake, it snows almost every night. The snow is so heavy on trees it is causing them to fall onto the power lines which interrupts our precious electricity.

Going without power if only for half a day and a night brings home the point of just how unprepared most of us are for disaster. If Alaska experienced another 9.2 earthquake like the one in Anchorage in 1964 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_Alaska_earthquake  (the largest quake in recorded history), we would all be depending each other and whatever supplies we have on hand. The stores would be empty in three days! and we would all be totally cut off from supplies coming into Alaska. We up here in the frozen North are dependant upon the goods and supplies shipped and trucked up here from everywhere else. Our biggest industry is oil and that is a tenuous relationship at best.

To drive home that point, early this morning a desperate looking man came knocking on my door carrying a gas can and asking me to give him some gas. He said he was a neighbor but I did not recognize him. I was a little nervous because I live on a remote dirt road and don't often get unannounced visitors. He lives in a cold trailer and my guess is he stayed in his car with the engine running to keep warm last night when the power was off.
 NO FOOD, NO MONEY, NO GAS, NO POWER, THEN WHAT!
Please forgive my pessimism,

I am a little freaked out because of the Myan 2012 prediction of the end of the world and all the bad I see on the History Channel.

Still we need to face the facts: Disasters are on the rise worldwide and the planet has reached a tipping point where we can no longer do what we have always done and expecting different results. 
We need to wake up!

Here is a nifty link to help us get prepared for the minimum of 72 hours.

http://72hours.org/

 

Winter Solstice, Yule or Hump Day

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/12/20/welcoming-the-winter-solstice-68662

The exact time of the Winter Solstice is 12:30 am EST on December 22.

People often ask me what winters are like in Alaska with darkness all day. First let me clarify that in my part of the state it is not dark all day, but the days are so short and the nights are sooooo long.

The sun rises around 11:00 am and looms low on the Southern horizon making a short low arc across the sky casting long twilight shadows and then in a blaze of glory it’s gone around 3:00 pm making way for the longest night of the year.

It dumped heavy wet snow last night and then the wind blew 100mph so naturally my power went out at around four in the morning, leaving the house cold and dark throughout the morning hours it was a little disconcerting. Over my lake was the biggest, brightest sickle moon hanging very low on the horizon. No lights or television and no Today Show with Ann and Matt giving me the bad news. My tradition in past years is to stay in my pajamas all day no matter what! Not this year! I went to Willow to see Rhonda to deliver her some Yule cheer and art. http://www.wytchwoodak.com/

This year has been especially difficult for me. SAD (Seasonal Affect Disorder) has gotten the best of me. I try very hard not to whine and not  let depression get the best of me. It's just like that scary skeleton that lives in the closet if you don’t talk about or open the door it then it can’t hurt you, plus I feel a stigmatized for admitting depression. I was asking myself why? Why? didn’t I didn’t start the Prozac in September when I’m supposed to. Why? because I was feeling manic and S.A.D. was the furthest thing from my mind. If you are bi-polar, Alaska is not the best place for you (unless you enjoy your highs and lows) like me. With the setting sun I know that “hump day”  is almost over and from this point on we will steadily gain daylight steadily until June 21st when the sun never really sets.

My tradition on the Summer Solstice is to stay up all night swim at midnight and howl like a wolf.

Today I wish the people of the world what Jesus said; "Love One Another."   Practice - Peace, Compassion, and Acceptance of our differences for the next 365 Days.

Word cloud made with WordItOut

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.

Purple, Purple, Purple I Love IT

. 

Intuitive Painter Dawn Diaz

http://youtu.be/hlMJk2gDTdA

Candle Delerium in West Hollywood

Candle Delerium
7980 W. Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90046
1-888-656-3903
http://www.candledelerium.com/

It makes a funny story one of those serendipitous coincidences that I love to share, so hang in there. Here is what happened. Anthony the owner of Candle Delirium he saw my Raven Skeleton Man piece on his friends smart phone screen saver. He likes skeletons, skulls and deviant art, so he asked where did that art come from? His friend said it came from the Internet. Anthony did some detective work and found my business “Cabin Fever In Alaska” so he called “Cabin Fever” http://cabinfeveralaska.com/ in Anchorage, that’s a nice gift store for tourists in downtown Anchorage, they did not know what he was talking about. Through some more cyber stalking he found me on Facebook and informed me my web-site was down and asked me about some of my dark art, I messaged him back on FB and told him they were at Wytchwood http://www.wytchwoodak.com/,  and forgot about it, until Rhonda the witch called me and told me that Anthony had bought every one of them! We were both so excited we screamed in each others ears and jumped up and down! Rhonda earned her commission taking and sending pictures she did a great job. Anthony commissioned me to recreate Raven Skeleton Man for his friend. We have had several conversations and transactions since then. Through the power of the Internet, social media (FB), positive thinking and keeping my blog, I have a collector and friend from Hollywood, my art is in his private collection featured in his store Candle Delirium.  I am planning a show there in the near future. It’s wonderful when the planets line up and everything goes my way. Like today 11.11.11

Charmaine

Charmaine in the Mist

Oil

17" x 21"

NFS

Today Is All Souls Day

Strange late last night I had a strong desire to light my jack-o-lantern even though Halloween is over!

Then I was motivated to gather pictures and momentos of my departed loved ones. Blanche and Geneva my grandmothers, Albert and Betty my mother and father, Marge and Ed my mother and father-in laws, Jim who was my neighbor, Douglas my younger brother, Bobbie his son, and last but not least Joy-E-Loy my loving dog who lived 15 years!

Today is All Souls Day on this day the Catholic Church prays for all the souls still is purgatory this is not to be confused with All Saints Day which commemorated the souls that are in Heaven.  Now who am I to assume that my dear departed loved ones are spending some of their eternity in purgatory? Still a little prayer couldn't hurt, right?

O Lord, who art ever merciful and bounteous with Thy gifts, look down upon the suffering souls in purgatory. Remember not their offenses and negligences, but be mindful of Thy loving mercy, which is from all eternity. Cleanse them of their sins and fulfill their ardent desires that they may be made worthy to behold Thee face to face in Thy glory. May they soon be united with Thee and hear those blessed words which will call them to their heavenly home: "Come, blessed of My Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

Amen

Cemetarys and Other Spooky Stuff

Shhhhhhhhh let me tell you a secret I love to visit graveyards.


The graves are like homes where we continue to visit our loved ones in death, just as we once visited their homes in life. Some cemeteries are so grand they truly deserve to be called a city of the dead - a necropolis. Wherever I go, I try to capture the voices suspended in marble, the dead remembered by stone, roses and tears. When I was a melancholy girl, I would make myself a picnic lunch and walk to the Weston, Idaho Cemetery almost everyday, there I would enjoy the peaceful atmosphere while munching my potted meat sandwitch..

My Grandmother Geneva taught me to be respectful and not to walk on the graves. She also taught me that graves always face East to greet the rising sun and the Resurrection.

Another time when I was a teenager my girlfriend Kim and I went to the Salt Lake City Cemetery to drink wine and horse around we were getting loud and disrespectful then something popped my big gulp cup from my hand and drenched me with wine and ice. Someones dissapproving Grandmother or Gramdfather I imagine. We both screamed and laughed hysterically while running as fast as we could go. Its rude and disrespectful to wake the dead with wild parties.

But I'm sure they will be expecting visitors on All Hallows Eve when the veil is the thinnest.

WooooOOOO00000 ARE YOU SCARED YET?!

Making a Self Portrait

Let me make this clear this painting is not finished! It is very definitely a work in progress. The painting you see took just a few hours but the completed portrait may take awhile. All great artists have painted themselves Van Gough, Rembrandt, Frida Kahlo, etc. In my case I wanted to paint a beautiful witch for Halloween. I did not have a georgeous, sexy, real live model to work with. So I decided to use myself, the idea was to light my face from underneath which is not a very flattering light, although it is dramatic and witchy,

I wanted my face to look like it was bathed in candle light. The original idea was to have her wearing a witches hat and costume and standing in a graveyard, haunted mansion, or with runes on the wall, something spooky and intriguing. Since I was using myself as the model I was less willing to depict me as to witchy, weird or wicked. This marks the first time I have ever painted myself. What stopped me was telling myself things like I’m not beautiful enough, too old, or it's self centered and narcissistic. Of course at my age I could use a mini facelift but painting me and accepting me  and the way I am today; wrinkles, eye bags, grey hair, lumps etc. is a great way to practice compassion, acceptance and love for the person I am most critical of (me). Painting a self portrait is also a great meditation for really looking at oneself  objectively. Noticing all my flaws and assets and acknowledging exactly where I am in time. It all fits together like a puzzle, gray hair, frown lines, happy lines, green eyes, bags and bumps, separate and alone under my scrutiny my flaws are obvious, but as part of the whole my portrait is complete and perfect and still a work in progress. Here is my favorite affirmation...

I am at peace with my age for me it is always now.
I came to this planet to experience every age.
I am at peace with where I am at in time.
My future is Glorious.

Call me a Diva, I Want A Staff

I need a personal assistant like Picasso, or a whole gaggle of groupies like Andy Warhol ready to do anything I tell them to do.

I've got the "do it myself syndrome" but honestly, I can't do-it-all!! Even though I try, I really try.  I've spent all day today organizing my art business and setting up a data base to track everything, getting togrther photos of my work, CRAZY. But I am so right brained that it's hard to focus on one thing at a time, besides I hate paperwork. I want all my ideas put into motion and
I WANT IT NOW..

If I had a staff of helpers my mansion would be impeccable no one would ever have just one sock, dinner would be delicious and healthy every night no frozen pizzas ever again, my personal trainer would keep me in perfect shape, my assistant would organize everything including my social life and remind me of important engagements, bring me some herbal tea, shelter me from the slings and arrows of my critics. I would retire to my studio every day requesting that I not be disturbed until lunch and paint priceless masterpieces while watching the ocean.

Really this is my favorite fantasy next to being a sexy torch singer or winning the biggest lottery ever.

So Just for today know that I can do only one thing at a time and bite by bite I can eat the whole elephant. I can't believe I ate the whole elephant. BCWYAF (be careful what you ask for)..........

               A Walk In The Woods

by

Judy Vars

@

Firefly Gallery

419 L. Street

Anchorage, Alaska

(907) 334-9979

First Friday, October 7th 2011 - Opening Reception 5:30 to 7:30

Its autumn the  golden leaves are falling like rain. The end of Summer is bittersweet, it's so fresh and beautiful outside Mother Nature is putting on her Autumn attire, the perfect days are numbered and soon, all to soon it will be Winter again. Peter and I took a boat ride yesterday right our own back yard, we saw the baby loon, he is not so young anymore and his feathers a dark slate blue  it was sooo pretty. 
The winters here last from October till April or May so each nice sunshiney day is precious.
I have been busy gathering inspiration from Mother Nature all Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. Working on a series of woodland paintings for my October art show. My paintings are getting their finishing touches there are: lilly pads, magic mushrooms, birch trees, winter trees and more birch trees. I hope to see you there! 

"American artists, performers and thinkers, representing our ideals, can inspire both at home and all over the world." Barack Obama

Witches In Willow Wytchwood on Mile Marker 85.5 Parks Hwy. Alaska

     Here is the classy new Wytch Wood sign. I painted the sexy witch to resemble Rhonda.
It was sooo much fun to do I even had some interesting dreams about it.

     Where is Wytch Wood? As the Raven flies North along the Parks Highway looking for tasty road kill, Wytchwood is at mile-marker 85.5. Just off the highway is a quaint historical cabin which houses Wytch Wood a unique Herbal Shoppe and Art Emporium. This is the real deal! This little Shoppe reminds me of Salem but it is here in Alaska. So if you are a fradiy cat or have strong black and white views, are closed minded, or have an irrational fear of witches then just drive on past. On the other hand if you are open minded, adventurous, curious and in need of some love potion then definitely stop in for a visit.

   See art by local artisans, herbal remedies, incense, stock up on your altar items and much much more......... Get to know Rhonda the original Witch of Willow she is straight foreward and makes no excuses for her beliefs or her purple hair! Rhonda Gruber is an educated herbalist she carries the best quality herbs, tinctures, and remedies in the whole area and of course she now carries the art of Judy Vars. Here is the link to her web site for your adult needs opps I mean altar needs. http://www.wytchwoodak.com/

          I ignored the urge to go to Wytchwood for quite awhile but finally quit procrastinating and got a job out of the deal. I took her some of my darker art pieces which goes in her Art Emporium/Herbal Shoppe perfectly. I brought her Ghosty Girl, Babba Yagga, Witchy Woman, Pandora's Box, Silver Moon and a jewel box I made from cut glass in Costa Rica.
I am feeling a little witchey myself and Halloween is still 2 months away! It's a good excuse to dress slutty. LOL

Judy Vars and Rhonda Gruber

20 Things You Don't Know About Bees by Liza Lentini

Beehive Drawer

26" x 18"

Encaustic Painting/Mixed Media

395.00

See it at the Firefly Gallery

419 L. Street

Anchorage, Alaska

1.There are 16,000 species. Most are solitary insects; only about 5 percent are social bees, the most common being the honeybee. As many as 80,000 of them colonize a single hive.

2.Drones – the male honeybees – live only for mating with the queen. If there is a shortage of food in the hive, the workers kick their lazy, gigolo asses out.
3.To die for: When drones mate, they die afterwards from a ruptured abdomen. Sex detaches their endophallus, which gets stuck inside the queen.

4.She continues to mate – the drones aren’t terribly smart, apparently – until she collects more than 70 million sperm from multiple males.

5.The queen was known as the king until the late 1660s, when Dutch scientist Jan Swammerdam dissected the hive’s big bee and discovered ovaries.

6.Someone call Homeland Security! Australian researchers discovered that honeybees can distinguish human faces. The insects were shown black-and-white pictures and given treats for right answers.

7.Oh, someone did call Homeland Security. In the Stealthy Insect Sensor Project, Los Alamos scientists have trained bees to recognize explosives.

8.The term “honeymoon” is derived from an old northern European custom in which newlyweds would consume a daily cup of mead, made with fermented honey, for a month.

9.The term “bee’s knees” was coined by American cartoonist Tad Dorgan, who was also responsible for “the cat’s pajamas,” “the fleas eyebrows,” “the canary’s tusks,” and (apropos of nothing) “Yes, we have no bananas.”

10.During World War I, honey was used to treat the wounds of soldiers because it attracts and absorbs moisture, making it a valuable healing agent.

11.Honey never spoils. Ever.

12.Bumblebees can estimate time intervals. Researchers have found that the insects extend their tongues in tandem with the rhythm of a sweet reward. This aids in the hunt for nectar, whose availability waxes and wanes.

13.Melittosphex burmensis, recently found preserved in amber in a mine in northern Myanmar, is the oldest bee known. It lived 100 million years ago.

14.After he had pioneered the laws of genetics with pea plants, Austrian monk Gregor Mendel bred a strain of hybrid bees. Unfortunately, they were so vicious he had to kill them.

15.The buzz that you hear when a bee approaches is the sound of its four wings moving at 11,400 strokes per minute. Bees fly and average of 15 miles per hour.

16.A newly hatched queen immediately kills all other hatched and unhatched queens in the hive.

17.The Honeybee Boogie: In 1943 Austrian zoologist Karl von Frisch published his study on the dances bees perform to alert fellow workers. A round dance indicates that food is close by; a waggle dance means it is distant.

18.Worker bees have strictly regimented roles, including that of undertakers who drag their dead siblings from the hive.

19.On the April 1984 ChallengetI flight, 3,300 bees, housed in a special but confining box, adapted perfectly to zero gravity and built a nearly normal comb. But they didn’t go to the toilet. Since bees excrete only outside the hive, they held it in for seven days. A NASA spokesperson said the space hive was “just as clean as a pin”.

20.According to an old wives’ tale, a bee entering your house means a visitor is on his way, and if you kill the bee, the visitor won’t be a pleasant one. Suffice to say, invite that unexpected honeybee guest to sit down to tea.