Fish are flying once again ~~~

Walks on the beach finding driftwood ... sorting the piles of treasures and knocking off the sand ... drying them thoroughly for the longest time while my imagination runs wild... THIS is the stuff of summer! I made (and sold) so many crazy, wacky, wild fish characters in the years before and up to 2008 ~ look at this funny guy... purple polka dots and such a grin!

As many of you know the last couple or so years have been plenty rough with so many funerals (three in my own family), hospitals, surgeries, and oh-so-many changes... and as a result my art slipped behind the curtain a tiny little bit as I focused on commissions and small-format projects. If there is one thing that remains constant throughout my life it is that I am adaptable; I shift into whatever zone I need to and go forward where I am at. Right now I am rather alert and a bit stunned after all that has transpired. I might even look that way ~~ deer-eyes in headlights ~~ but I am happily standing still for this moment because there have been no major traumas or necessary adjustments needed in the last few months or so. It feels a little strange after the long journey of the last few years... kind of like being thrown from the back of a farm truck after getting used to being in said farm truck. I can't yell "I'm back!" because I was never gone. I was just occupied with several other callings some of which are complete. I guess I'll yell "I'm done!" since several of those callings are retired, and "I'm ready!" as new ones rush in to give me more to adapt to... thrive in...    

I struggled briefly ~~ a tiny bit ~~ getting back into making larger, long-term art messes and looking too far ahead (or so I thought). That didn't last long though and when my son went looking for something in the attic just last week he unearthed my last great beach combing box of super-dried driftwood from the summer of 2008. I immediately recognized fish bodies and potential signs --- all my previous intentions and ideas came flooding back like there had been no loss, or cancer, or death, or hospitals. Here are some pieces of driftwood that will become FISH (and a sign [sold] tossed in at the same time - by special request for an ETSY customer).

Here I have added wood FINS and TAILS ~~ you can see them GETTING THEIR WHIMSY ON already!

Next I added the wacky SMILES and place the EYES...

I will be "playing" with them all week - making them seriously FUN... painted details will cover them as the shapes and textures direct...
The largest ones in this group are over THREE FEET long!

... and when they are finished there are more waiting to be born ...



It is already shaping up to be a fabulous summer!

My Art - check it out at
http://www.blueyeduckstudios.etsy.com/

XOXOXOXOX
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remembering my Dad here: Waitin' on a woman ...
and here: Sam

Exceptional Extravagance

Puttin on The Ritz - Fred Astair

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

GLORIOUS EXPECTATIONS

Puttin' on my Ritz

Nothing makes me quite so inspired as the publications that Somerset puts out (Somerset Studio magazine, Belle Amoire, Gallery, and more)... visit STAMPINGTON & CO too be inspired!

I have watched friends and fellow eBay & ETSY artists be featured (which always makes my heart go pitter pat)...

Somerset (and more specifically certain artist-friends) often makes me long to do more, be more, create more... but often I am paralyzed by not feeling my things are pretty, inventive, or wonderfully different "enough" (whatever THAT is!).

CAPTIVE HEART

YET the pull to TRY ANYWAY triumphs :) - !
I have been collecting old jewelry, new jewelry, this and that, whatnots, and junque for many years for the purpose of assemblage...collage... sculpture.

She has wings when she wears her

LITTLE BLACK DRESS

I have sold such items at Live Art Festivals - but more recently offering them online now is a first... because I have finally stepped out of the shadow (I have been hiding in) to feature my own assemblage creations - little art dolls, brooches (pins), pendants, and ornaments...on ETSY!
I am absolutely in love with them all and I have so many more inside me longing to be created.

I hope you enjoy each and every one of these.

HER LOVE HAS WINGS

may they bless your eyes,
~katey

See all my EXCEPTIONAL EXTRAVAGANCE wearable art in my shop!

Look at my WEARABLE ART as well!

I also have DOMINO JEWELRY!

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

New Category - CUPCAKES

~.~.~.~.~

...it's true... I am endeavoring to recategorize the arty items in my ETSY shop and I will be adding "CUPCAKES" (or some such similar subject)

as a unique category. The thing is - I am also dreaming of cakes and candies and ice cream cones as well - so many sweet items will soon be appearing on

eco-bags, notecards, and in original

paintings (it isn't JUST a cupcake thing anymore... I am expanding my culinarty horizons). Ha ha - culinarty... good new word... I crack me up. In fact - THAT wil be the new category: CULiNARTY (look for it soonish)

CuPCakey GooDNeSs - click HERE

ALL ARoUND ArTY GooDNeSs - click HERE

DoN'T ForGeT (as if you would!) to become a FAN of my FACEBOOK ART PAGE - there are often "free shipping specials" just for FANS!

~joy in the journey,

Katey D

(please feel free to post a comment here - I love to know people are visiting beyond what the counter tells me!)

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Valentine, "When I fall in love" ...

(´*•.¸♥¸.•*´)¸.•*´♥•.*LoVe*.•♥¸.•*´(¸.•*´♥´*•.¸)

(Press PLAY to listen as you visit here)

Join my FaceBook FAN PAGE for special surprises & offers!

HAPPY

VALENTINE'S

DAY

Please Visit my ETSY store for these VALENTINE DARLINGS (and more)...

BLUEYEDUCKSTUDIOS

Be sure to check out the many categories in my shop located on the right side of the page !

XO- Katey

Mother Nature's Son

~.~

Earthy warm colors (especially in winter) are so comforting.

I have selected several pieces from my ETSY shop that are rich, textural, and "earthy" ...

"Sit beside a mountain stream--see her waters rise. Listen to the pretty sound of music as she flies."

BEATLES - Mother Nature's Son -- Listen as you browse

"Find me in my field of grass--Mother Nature's son. Swaying daises sing a lazy song beneath the sun. Mother Nature's son."


SEE THEM HERE
(look under wearable art & jewelry)

Altered Dominoes * Wool & Wire Earrings * Microscope Slide Glass Pendants * Assemblage Art Doll Necklaces * Hand Painted Bamboo Tiles

"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in." ~George Washington Carver

FAiRY TaLeS revisited

Look at the Fairy Tales ... brought back to life on these very old book pages...where their stories have been locked away behind a cover for too long. Look at the original paintings I created directly onto pages from an antique storybook ~ there is new life in these old familiar stories as you look at my interpretations of these charming characters.

King of the Fairies - PRESS PLAY WHILE YOU VISIT

Also available: hand embellished (colored pencil & ink) prints of many of the same works and others...

www.blueyeduckstudios.etsy.com

joyfully,

~ katey D

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

www.blueyeduckstudios.etsy.com

Carly Simon

¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•. ¸¸.•

I was a consultant on a reclamation project in Willoughby, Ohio several years back - where a pathetic old building was being given new life and now serves as a Bed and Breakfast. A few of the walls had to be moved/removed and I was able to reclaim some original 1884 framing lumber. Remember when 2x4 actually meant 2” x 4” ? (me neither ha ha) - At one time dimensional lumber was actually the dimension it was referred to! I have taken a few actual 2x4 boards that were unable to be used any other way in the lengths at hand - and I salvaged them into chubby chunks to paint on. Some of them still reveal ghosts of where the plaster and lathe attached to them.They are rough, have nail holes, scars, and fabulous character. Check them out in my ETSY shop!

¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•. ¸¸.•

~katey

Be sure to visit my previous blog post for a chance to win ...

Killer Queen - domino pendant GIVE AWAY

breast cancer SURVIVORS ... Celebration

October is

Breast Cancer Awareness

Month

Title: Pink Tears

"Memories" ~ Within Temptation

(Press PLAY while you visit here today)


Together in all these memories,
I see your smile.
All of the memories I hold dear.
Darling you know I'll love you,
Till the end of time.
All of my memories keep you near
In silent moments,
Imagining you here.
All of my memories keep you near,
In silent whispers, silent tears.

Title: Pink Confetti - a celebration of recoveryAvailable in my etsy shop here

Memories of growing up along the shore of Lake Erie ... my memories... perhaps you have some too. Vacations, times of solitude, picnics, simple play along the water's edge...For me it was and is always a hunt... the perfect piece of driftwood... smooth rocks to paint... and that elusive treasure called "beachglass". Early last fall while my Dad was still with us I found several pieces of glass I have since turned into pendants... Look around my shop for the various ways I have presented them. I hope you enjoy each and every one. May they bless your eyes and all who behold you,

xo~katey

Title: Rejoice

¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•. ¸¸.•

MY MOM IS A SURVIVOR!!!

For more inforamtion about early detection - visit

nationalbreastcancerawarenessmonth

WiLD and WaCKy

I know I promised lots of "work in process" photos, but I haven't stopped painting long enough to post here - but that is about to change!

The large "BiG HeADs" project is complete (scroll down to previous posts to read all about those)and they are in place - as well as the 14 smaller 25-inch portraits. I will be back soon to update you all on the outcome (so far so good - very positive feedback)...



In the meantime I have switched gears to some arty projects that are less room-consuming: arty doll jewelry assemblages which I will be posting soon as well! They are DELICIOUS!



joy in the journey,
katey~D

www.blueyeduckstudios.etsy.com