Jewelry 4 Hope

Mary Brenner is a wonderful friend of mine and owner and creator of Jewelry 4 Hope. Mary is a breast cancer survivor of 5 years. While receiving chemotherapy treatments Mary started making jewelry with friends as a way of coping. The friendships and jewelry were a tremendous inspiration and source of strength for Mary during this critical time of her life. As a result, Jewelry 4 Hope was established. Mary designs and creates beautifully specialized pieces of jewelry and is committed to giving a portion of the profits to cancer research. Mary has over 5 years of experience crafting and selling jewelry. She loves designing and making jewelry to fit every women's unique character.

Please shop her website! She is having a great sale!!

word of the day

I thought it would be fun to subscribe to the 'word of the day' from dictionary.com. Ya know...to maybe expand my vocabulary and all those things and stuff.
Today's word is don - to put on or dress in. That got me to thinking....We are moving this week so I definitely need to don a positive attitude that will not put stress on those around me because I tend to get all caught up in the minute details especially when moving. In other words, I freak out!
Think of me this week as I don (embrace, acquire, seize, take up) a happy face and relaxed attitude as we move boxes into our new home.

Packaged and gallery ready

The prints are looking great with custom mats and packaged in clear envelopes. I have been invited to display work at Sanderwood Fine Arts Gallery! What an honor! I will be taking originals and prints tomorrow. Very exciting!
My head is spinning with ideas to paint when the studio is back up and running. One week until moving day....then Grandmother time, my daughter is having a baby in less than one month!!! So many wonderful happenings right now. Thank you for all the great comments on the new website!

my website....it's here!!

It's finally here!! Such a gigantic step......a leap.......hurdle!! My heart is bursting with excitement! Please visit my new website (designed by Cory) and let me know what you think!

www.barbaragerman.com

A great summer read

Needing a good book to finish out the summer? Beth Hoffman's "Saving CeeCee Honeycutt" is great. It is lol funny and touching at the same time. It's a great tale about the strength of relationships. You'll have to read the book to figure out how a black lace bra fits in but it's hilarious!

One particular phrase in the book has forever painted a picture in my mind and will one day end up on canvas. Page 85...
(I think)..."From a hook by one of the windows hung a gold birdcage with its door propped open.

'Do you have a pet bird?' I asked looking around the room.

'Oh, heavens, no. I'd never cage a bird. I can't imagine a worse fate, can you? I bought this cage at a market in Peru several years ago. I hung it here and wired the door open to remind myself how delicious freedom is---financial and otherwise."

Anyway, it's a great book with many little sayings like that throughout. Enjoy reading!!

Becoming more observant & soulful

While my art supplies are packed away until we move, I have noticed that I am looking at things differently, creatively. I am trying to not just look but "see". The lake house is such a healing, calming, relaxing place to be. There is something about the water I am drawn to. Today the water is particularly still and peaceful. As I stood on the deck looking out, the analogies were so apparent. The gates were open waiting for me to walk through on my next adventure, the path is laid out before me, the support is on either side cheering me on into the wide open waters of possibilities. There is power in observation.....waiting for our eyes to "see" and discover.

Besties

Everyone needs 'besties'! These are mine. Although, a few are missing in the picture because they have moved....A, K, J, and S. More of us are moving away now and the saying is so true..."Great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget."
Even though we are spreading out all across the globe, I still know that when there is good news or bad news to share we will be there for each other no matter where in the world we are. Nothing will ever change so much to the point where we're not all still friends.
I love my friends!!!

Show n' Tell

They're here! My ka.....uu.....te business cards!! They measure 2"x2". The front has the signature piece and the back my info.

I like the size and the fact that they are a little different than the 'normal' business cards.

Seeing the word artist under my name makes me smile! Happy Day!

One of my ecourse classmates invited me to put some of my work in her gallery!! Much more on this soon.................

Baseball, fireworks, and sculptures, oh my!

I love summertime! We love going to the ballpark right in the heart of the city. Someday maybe we will live there so we can just walk! It's such a great distraction to get out and about among the action and see things you wouldn't normally see on an everyday basis. We got there way e...a....r...l...y... because it was hat-give-away-night. But I'm glad because Rick looks great in his new hat!

The park keeps it's roof closed so it's nice and comfortable......

Later, they open the roof and have an awesome display of fireworks set to music!
This is one of the amazing sculptures downtown. Look at the little girl in the bottom right.....the sculpture is huge!

PS. My "Do Not Bend" stickers and mailing envelopes came in!!! Yippee! But where are those ka...uu..te business cards???

The Waiting Place

We have been rushing around driving between towns for so long that it's a little hard to relax and just wait! Everything is done for the purchase of our new home.....just waiting for the closing date. So I decided to refer back to my theme book for the moment "Oh the Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss. Isn't it funny how no matter what is going on in our lives, we are always waiting on something?!

Let me 'read' the pages to you...

"The Waiting Place

.....for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting."

So....for now.....we are waiting for the Places We Will Go.

A splash of color

My sister, Mary, can add a splash of color anywhere with her beautiful pottery. It's such a rainy day here today and I can look out and see these vivid colors sprinkled around outside.

These are tree dangles. Fun and whimsical. Visit her here at her Etsy shop and add color to your flower pots and gardens.

This is a garden globe connected to copper tubing to "plant" in pots or a garden.

This is my sweet sister, Mary. She is the absolute best! I am so blessed to have a sister and even more blessed to have a sister like her!!

Some things you might not know about me....

"Blue Flowers" 11x16 sold

My interests
family
teaching
painting
nutrition
piano
learning new things
travel
social
organizing
planning
laughing
reading

My epiphany
I realized that while I was teaching art that it was ME that wanted to be the artist, not the teacher. Although I loved being the teacher.....now it's my turn to create. I can work on a creative business from wherever I am.

My mission
To evoke a feeling, trigger a memory, start a conversation....create a meaning behind each original piece of art.

My product
Acrylic and mixed media collage paintings

My bucket list
1. Make a difference
2. Be a successful artist
3. Live in a loft
4. Attend the Tournament of Roses Parade
5. See the Price is Right in person...preferably from the stage

My favorite verse
Proverbs 3:5-6

My favorite movie
Sound of Music

My must haves
purel
gum/mints
lipstick

It takes a village....

Oh....my....gosh......it......worked! If it weren't for my own personal tech guy, Cory, coming to the rescue I would be in a heap! While I am still learning photoshop, he is able to keep me going. Have you heard of Dropbox? It is a free software program you download onto your computer that can link another computer to yours. I scanned "Embrace Change" into my computer, put it in my Dropbox, Cory picked it up from his computer in the Dropbox file, pieced it together in Photoshop, placed it back in the Dropbox for me to pick up and print. Uh.....maze.......ing. The prints are exceptional!
It takes a village to get this going....Thank you from the very deep down bottom of my heart for the family and friends, and new friends in far reaching parts of the globe that are helping me through encouraging comments both in person and email, fb, and blog. Encouragement, interest, and advice are sooooo welcome. And, thank you, Cory, for sharing your time/skills, and expert knowledge with me so I can keep moving ahead. And, thank you, Rick, for keeping me going emotionally!! He is seeing up close and personal the way ups and the way downs of the emotional roller coaster of "Is this going to work?" He is as steady as a rock......and makes me laugh. xxoo
My mom said "Embracing Change" should be my signature piece and I think she's right. It expresses everything I am doing all wrapped up into a neat little powerful 12x12 square.
Over that speedbump.....on to the next please.

Not so Independence day

What a frustrating day....
I know this is not brain surgery, but trying to figure out photoshop layers is frying my brain. I am impressed with the quality of this great scanner but puzzling the pieces back together in photoshop layers is not working as easily as I thought it would. This is where I would get bogged down if my determination to be successful at this were not so strong. I know I can eventually learn to do my job. This is only a speedbump but I am so not getting it! Selling only originals is definitely an option but I will be working myself silly. Offering prints seems like the perfect way to start on Etsy and I am going to see that through. I think I can.....I think I can.....I think I can....

Independence Day

"The Hope Catcher" 12x12

Happy Independence Day! I am grateful for our country and our freedom. And, this year, I am grateful for my new found personal independence. Today, I have completed my ecourse 'Flying Lessons' by Kelly Rae Roberts and it has truly given me the confidence to fly with new wings. With the practical knowledge she shared from her experiences as a creative business owner I feel fully equipped to leave the nest and fly toward goals I thought impossible. I am "The Hope Catcher" and I am on the search to finding my hopes and dreams. Celebrate our country's Independence Day this weekend and celebrate your own independence to dream, create, and hope for things you thought unreachable!

enjoying studio time

"She Keeps Discovering Who She Is" 12x12

Finally got to play in the studio last night. I didn't have a plan except truly just play. This is what came from it.