ONE MORE TIME ...

I DID SAY I WASN'T GOING TO BE CREATING JEWELRY
ANYMORE BUT ...

CHOCOLATE HEAVEN

I dragged my hubby down to our storage unit to help me bring all my beads and tools back home.  I will be 'Artist of the Month' in July for Angel Gallery in Coeur d'Alene and I decided I want to have some pieces for that show.  So. here. I . am.   This is a front closing Piece.  I have a Turquoise Necklace, in this style, that was a gift to me many years ago.  I love it and always receive compliments on it.  I've since done several in this style (in different bead combinations) over the years and I decided for this show to do several more in this style.  Maybe I'll do them all in this style.  That could be a fun challenge ...  (this style really does look nice on most anyone) 

  A close-up of the Toggle/Focal

More information on this Piece can be found HERE

*****************************************************************

CLOUDS OF THE DAY ...

I see a Turtle!  He's letting out a Turtle roar!   (Do they roar?!)

This is another of the beautiful clouds from my trip up to Entree Gallery last week.  My friend said she is glad to find someone else to be in the 'Sisterhood of Clouds'.  :)

TRY TO BE LIKE THE TURTLE ~ AT EASE IN YOUR OWN SHELL.

~ Bill Copeland

Charleen

SURE YOU DID ...!

MORE FUN FROM THE FAMILY TREE SERIES ...

THE MARRIED COUPLE:  "I'M TELLIN' YA ... I TOLD THEM 6'OCLOCK."

6 x 8" Acrylic on Textured Wood Panel

  

YUYMA

Here is another Piece I did during my little siege getting ready for the Studio Tour.  This Piece is still available through my Website.

To see either of these Pieces Please click HERE

THE SECRET OF A HAPPY MARRIAGE REMAINS A SECRET

                  ~ Henny Youngman

Have a great day !  

Charleen

O.K. BUT IT WAS JUST A LITTLE FIB ...

Good intentions never seem to go exactly as you plan them.  My intention of not designing and making jewelry anymore didn't last very long.  I really had thought I was done.  Certain body parts weren't cooperating the way I wanted them to so I thought 'why push it?' My Artwork will be enough. Enough ... until I managed to over-extend myself with a committment to participate in the Coeur d'Alene Artists Studio Tour the weekend of Sept. 12th/13th ... the very same weekend as our Sons Wedding! :/  And, I had just finished doing a Gallery Show the weekend before which is where most all of my newest work went.

I really hadn't planned on participating but when they called and specifically asked me to be a part of the Tour (at a Coeur d'Alene location ~ my Studio is too far away) the ego stepped in and before I knew what was happening it said 'YES!".  I did have a few newer small, paintings but hardly enough to make any kind of statement.  So...  hubby went to our Storage unit and dug out all of my Jewelry supplies.  I worked 5 days straight on getting new work done and managed to come up with some nice new pieces.  It took me a little longer than I liked but I was very pleased with the results. My work was (is) at the Jacklin Art Center in Post Fall, Idaho. The Studio Tour itself was only 2 days but because this venue is an Arts and Cultural Center they asked the 4 Artists showing there if we would leave the work an extra 2 weeks.  (A reason, I'm sure, why my ego was so eager to jump in before thinking the whole thing through!)  Anyway, if you are in the area the work can still be seen at The Jacklin Art Center, 405 N. William Street, Post Falls, ID  208.457.8950 until October 2nd.

Here are a few of the Jewelry Pieces from the Show:

TIBETAN PRINCESS

MBARARA

PINK LADY

And, one of the small paintings that is in the Show.  This Piece is sold.

BREAKTHROUGH

Here are a couple of examples of how I set up my work for the Studio tour ....

HELL ISN'T MERELY PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS; IT'S WALLED AND ROOFED WITH THEM.  YES, AND FURNISHED TOO.

~ Aldous Huxley

Charleen

FROM THE STUDIO of CHARLEEN MARTIN

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR . . .

Decorations and Dreams

Santa and Cookies

Gift Wrap and Cards

Parties and big Family Dinners

Anticipation and Sharing

and a shear craziness to the whole thing!

But ... as crazy as it all may get it still is a Wonderful time of the year.  We just have to remember to stop, take a deep breathe, and remember the importance of the Season.  No matter what our beliefs, there are a lot of extra Smiles out there at this time of the year so be sure to take advantage of them!  :)  (I write this as partly a reminder to myself ! :/ )

Besides continuing to work on our home (the move-in date keeps getting 'moved' farther and farther out)  :(  I'm trying to work on getting ready for an April deadline for a Gallery Opening.  That may seem a ways out but sometime around the end of January/beginning of February we will (hopefully) be moving and I know, once in, there will be massive amounts of work to be done in the house.  It's going to be an ongoing process for a while so it will be taking up a lot of my time.

Below is one of my pieces recently done.  It's part of my 'The Backside of Life' Series.

                        THE BACKSIDE OF LIFE:  

BUT. . .  IS SHE REALLY LISTENING?

12 X 16" Mixed Media Collage on Wood Panel

To see more about this Piece Please Click HERE

This one is Mixed Media also (Ink and Acrylic) but no Collage . . .

'BEHIND EVERY GREAT MAN . . .'

6 X 6" Acrylic and Ink on Wood Panel

  I've been wanting to do Cardinals for a while so this was a fun piece to do.  To see more about 'Behind Every Great Man ...'  Please Click HERE

And this one is only Acrylic on Canvas . . .

THE PATRIOT

6 x 6 x 1 1/2"Acrylic on Canvas

To see more about 'The Patriot'  Please Click HERE

And, one Necklace to add this time . . .

ABETZI

This is not a brand new Piece but I realized I had never put it online until recently.  :/  It's one that I particularly like because the color of the 'Yellow Turquoise' (which is actually more to the green side) is really striking.

To see more about this Piece Please Click HERE

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

til next time . . .

Charleen

'Anyone that believes that men are the equal to women has never seen a man trying to wrap a Christmas present.'  ~  Anonymous

A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT AND A FEW FALL LEAVES . . .

This is the City Park in Mullan where we are building our house (In Mullan.  Not the Park!  :).  All 1/2 block of it.  :)  Most of the Trees in the area are in the Pine family so we don't see a lot of color as the Season is changing.  That's one thing I do miss about living on the East Coast.  This time of year it's just a glorious splash of color.  Of course, in another month or so most of our trees will still be green and not dancing naked in the Falls winds . . .  :)

Things have been moving a lot faster this last month on our new home since the company that was building the outer shell of it has moved on.  That's a very good thing ~ their Time Management (or lack of) issues put us about 2 months behind where we should have been at this point.  It does mean though, that I have been spending a lot more time up at the property this month with some of our other Contractors.  Also needed to be there for some of our bigger deliveries ~ like the Refrigerator, Washer/Dryer, etc., etc. :)  These are currently sitting on our patio since we are so far behind on the inside.  The walls where they are to go are only studs at this point.  :/  So what that means, here and in the present, is that I have not gotten a lot of Studio time in the last few weeks ~ and that also means not a lot of new work to show you.  It's been difficult switching gears back and forth.  I constantly find myself, while in the Studio, thinking about what needs to be done at the house, and then while at the house, I'm thinking about the fact that I AM NOT IN THE STUDIO!  As the saying goes . . . You can't win for losing . . .  :)

Here is some of what I did manage to get done . . . 

KINSWAYA

This is predominantly a blend of Gray Feldspar and Crazy Lace Agate.  You can find more information on this piece by Clicking on the Link below:

http://charleenmartinfineart.com/works/1580824/kinswaya

A LITTLE BARNYARD ATTITUDE

This is just a little guy ~ 4 x 4" and he comes with a Black Metal, Bamboo Style Stand for Display.  Those are the Kanji Symbols for Attitude up in the left.  I did this in a combination of Ink and Acrylic (used more like watercolor)  on a white wood panel.   I have a small set-up of Acrylics I can bring with me in our RV so I was experimenting up at the property while waiting for the electricians.  :)  For more information Please Click Below:

http://charleenmartinfineart.com/works/1580289/a-little-barn-yard-attitude-14071

MOROCCAN SKY

This is a blend of Brass and Batik-ed Bone Beads that are all from Africa.  It is complimented with Buri Nut Seeds (South America) and Patikan Wood  (Phillipines).  Fastens with an easy to open/close Toggle Clasp.

http://charleenmartinfineart.com/workszoom/1580888

'IF I HEAR THAT ONE MORE TIME . . .'

5 x 7"  Acrylic on Wood Panel.   Hmmm . . . talk about attitude!  :)  He comes framed and ready to hang.

For more information on this Piece, Please Click Here:

http://charleenmartinfineart.com/workszoom/1581165

That's it for tonight.  If interested you can go to the Blog I am writing about all the escapades happening during the construction of our house.  It's been quite a ride so far!  You can find us at  www.theadventuresatcampdunmovin.blogspot.com

'Today I'll be happier than a Bird . . . with a French fry.

'til next time . . .

Charleen

SEPTEMBER IS BREATHING DOWN HARD . . .

Fall is already in the air here.  The flowers have lost their 'perkiness' and the nights are just a bit cooler.  Now when I take my dog out for his last evening jaunt it is no longer light out (so the 'jaunt' is MUCH shorter!)  I'll be very happy when we are able, once again, to just open the door to our home and I can say 'go potty' and know he'll take care of business.  :)  Of course, the way the progress on the house building is going who knows when that might be!  If you aren't up to date on all the shenanigans at Camp Dunmovin just click  HERE  and you can get yourself up to date.  We keep hearing things like 'I'm so sorry you are going through all that with your house, but . . . it really is funny!"  :/ 

I did this little cartoon for my monthly Newsletter which just went out.  It's how I'm feeling! (The Crazy part!)

(If you are interested in reading the Newsletter you can Click HERE.  There is a short humorous story that goes with all this.  The link will take you right to it.)

Because we are in the midst of building (well, . . . on good days) I haven't spent as much time in the Studio as I would like so no big projects have been completed.   I did manage to get two new Necklaces done which are shown below:

   

SAND WHISPER                                               TRIBAL MIST

You can find more information about both of these pieces by Clicking  Here

This is a little fun 4 x 4" that I did.  It's called 'Moon over Caponata' because there is a great Eggplant Appetizer called Caponata.  Progresso used to make it years ago but I haven't seen it in the stores in ages.  I usually now make my own.  I thought I would include a Recipe just in case any of you are interested in trying it.  If you like Eggplant this is really very good.  It can be served either hot or cold ~ I usually serve it cold. :)

   

MOON OVER CAPONATA

Caponata Recipe

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, cubed
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 ~ 14.5 -ounce can diced tomatoes in juice with Italian seasoning
• 3 tblsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tblsp drained capers
• 1 tblsp dried basil
•  Dash Lemon Pepper

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add eggplant, onion, and garlic cloves. Sauté until eggplant is soft and turning brown, (about 15 minutes). Add diced tomatoes with juice, red wine vinegar and drained capers. Cover and simmer until eggplant and onion are very tender, stirring occasionally (about 12 minutes). Season Caponata to taste with salt and pepper, dash of Lemon pepper.  Mix in Basil. Transfer Caponata to bowl. Serve either warm, at room temperature, or cold. Caponata can be made 1 ~2 days ahead. Cover and chill.  Serve with toasted sliced baguette.

LOVERS AT NIGHT

6 X 6 Acrylic on Wood Panel.  Comes Framed.  For more information Please Click HERE

Don't be afraid to sit at the front row of your life . . .

                                                                                  ~  Unknown

til next time . . .

Charleen

SOMETIMES WISDOM PASSES SILENTLY ...

Did you ever think later 'Why didn't I understand that at the time?'  Because, sometimes that little bit of Wisdom passes right by us without us even realizing it until later.  At least I know that has happened to me . . . Sometimes the lessons take a little time to arrive!  These figures are part of my WiseWalker series which is all about age and wisdom.

The WiseWalkers:  Sometimes Wisdom Passes Silently

18 x 24" Mixed Media on Wood 

For more information Please Click HERE

Two new Necklaces recently finished are below . . .

Black Magic Woman

More information can be found here on my Website

The Cats Meow

More information on this Piece can be found Here

If you remember, the last Blog I mentioned a great little Restaurant and Wine Bar in Wallace called the Fainting Goat (scroll down to read about it) and I included some photos.  I said the only one I didn't get was the Bathroom.  Well, I've been back since and did get a photo of the sink I mentioned ~ the one made out of an old wine barrel.  Photo is below.  :)

I decided I was going to start a Blog about our new adventure of building our home in Mullan.  I have it set up and titled but nothing posted yet.  I get a lot of questions about 'how's it going?'  so I thought this would be a good way to answer the question and at the same time keep a chronology about the ins and outs, the ups and downs, and what I sense is going to be a comedy of errors!  So, when I get it together I'll post a link on here and if you are interested you can Click on over.  :)

til next time . . .

Charleen

I'VE BEEN BUSY ON THE JEWELRY SIDE OF MY STUDIO . . .

Entree Gallery up in Nordman, Idaho opens for the Season this weekend.  As I think I mentioned last time they will be carrying my work again this year. :)  I brought all my Paintings up about 2 weeks ago but didn't realize they also wanted to carry my Jewelry  : /  so I've been busy working on that since I got back from our Washington 'home' (the RV :) on Monday.  I was able to get the Jewelry mailed off yesterday afternoon so it should arrive today, in time for the opening in 2 days.  I had several new Pieces done for my Show in Wenatchee (which wound up being cancelled at the last minute) but needed more.  Also, some Pieces needed to be different for Entree.  I don't know whether I over think things too much (well, actually, I know I do ~ really bad habit most of the time!) but depending on how the Jewelry is going to be displayed, makes a difference on what I like to send.  I feel Presentation really makes a difference in the sale of the work.  Some pieces just really need that Black Velvet Bust (like I use in most of my photos) to make the work stand out and some Pieces are fine and look great draped across a piece of Driftwood or a Glass Block.  I had too many of one kind . . .  :)  

Here are some of the new Pieces I did for Entree Gallery.  I'll put the link to each ones spot on my Website below it if you would like further information.  

                     Shima  (True Intentions)                                                 Adisa

                    Shima:  http://charleenmartinfineart.com/workszoom/1460962 

                    Adisa:   http://charleenmartinfineart.com/workszoom/1462136

       

                         The Angels Trumpet   (Sold!)                    Just Call me Fun!

            Just Call me Fun!:  http://charleenmartinfineart.com/workszoom/1455319

There are several more which should make it to my Website over the next few days.

On the highway between Wallace and Mullan, Idaho there is a bright Yellow Fountain sitting all by itself in seemingly the middle of nowhere.  It was designed and built out of old Mining equipment by a gentleman whose name was Elmer Almquist.  It is therefore called 'Elmers Fountain'  :) The Fountain runs continuously all year round ~ even in the middle of Winter when it turns itself into the most marvelous ice Sculpture.  We seem to be always hurrying past so unfortunately I didn't think to stop and take any photographs until most of the ice was gone.  Usually it's frozen all the way to the top and you don't see any of the Fountain itself, just this magnificent ice creature standing by the side of the road.  (You'll have to use your imagination!) Below is one of the photos I took about 3 weeks ago.  The History of it is somewhat interesting so if you'd like to read more about it you can click on the link HERE.

Elmers Fountain

That's it for my Geography/History lesson for today.  Maybe it will inspire you to build your own Fountain or . . . then again, maybe not!  :)

Charleen