Windmill City and Spring

Spring is here! We just got back from a spring break trip to visit my parents in my hometown in West Texas. It is always nice to regroup and spend some time in the country during spring time. Which is the only time West Texas is pretty in my opinion. It was nice seeing all my favorite plants in bloom and more fruit trees being planted. Jude absolutely loved being outside and he exhausted me and my mom with his obsessive need to slide on the big kids slide and swing set. I wish I’d taken pictures now but I was on a camera sabbatical. Parker had fun catching up with old friends, riding the gocart and catching up with old friends.

Now we are back home and trying to settle into some sort of routine. Easier said than done! So far studio time on Tuesdays and Thursdays is working well. Jude is still settling into preschool (i.e. still cries like crazy when I leave him) and I have managed to complete one commission job and start a few paintings. I also have a house full of furniture and other various non canvas items to paint and get creative with. So much so that I am toying with the idea of renting a booth in one of our local junk/antique shops to sell some of my custom painted furniture. Just toying with the idea mind you. I have a bit more than I can digest right now but it is on the back burner. I think Wenderflonia Studios has suchgreat potential and I am feeling a burst of creative spirit. Now to find the energy and organization it will take to keep things going. That is a tall order right now but it is one day at a time.

In other news. I am really looking forward to an upcoming girlfriend retreat. Two of my dear friends and I are running away from our kids and menfolk for a much needed weekend of relaxation and retreat. Can you say spa treatments!? Woo hoo! This will be exactly what I need to meditate and regroup.

Love and stuff,

Wenders.

February 7, 2011

Studio Sunday: A mess of goodness

Alright, technically it isn’t Sunday anymore but dammit it is the only time I have to blog.

It has really been good to get back into the studio this week! Despite being confined to the house due to ice and snow, I have really felt the inspiration to create. I guess it is that time of year where my need to paint reawakens. That need tends to go dormant during the holiday season until mid January then comes back with a fury… right about now. In order to define myself as an artist I have to accept that I am a victim to these creative and uncreative whims…..awe hell, I resist it all the time, whatever….

SO! What is on the table for today? …..

Chaos! Pure Chaos…. I am not sure I could work on a clean surface…..This was taken at 6:30am this Sunday. I actually got up at 5:30 because the tiny sleepless one decided he needed to be awake….notice the baby monitor in the right corner….he fell back asleep and it seemed logical to just enjoy the quiet while it lasted. Honestly, it is really hard to find time to work in this house. It is filled with life, love and chaos. What it is very rarely filled with are peaceful moments to escape into artful moments. Mind, I wouldn’t change my sweet world for anything else (despite my ocasional breakdowns!). But it is REALLY is hard to find times to escape into my paintings. However, I figure there will be plenty of time for that later. Right now, I really need to enjoy the babyness of my baby and the tenagerness of my teenager and support BFS in all the amazing things he gets up to. In the mean time I will paint when I can paint and dream about a studio in a remote location….

I have several paintings I wish I could reveal, but until all commissions are delivered I must keep them under wraps. I am experimenting with a few new techniques and have much to accomplish before mid-march when I launch a new face and storefront for Wenderflonia (and possibly another branch off that specifically emphasizes my photos). But enough of that, just know there are so many things whirling around in my head at the moment, and I will share in all due time but the mean time I am working, working, working. I feel I should also let you know I have been working to the inspiration of all the Armageddon movies we have in our dvd collection. So far I have watched: Zombieland, Independence Day, 12 Monkeys, Armageddon, Mama Mia (Not sure how that fits), and 2012. Not sure why, but I did. I also just realized that Bruce Willis and Woody Harrelson are in a lot of apocalyptically themed movies.

The one thing I do know for absolute certain is that there better be no more snow days! I love love love my boys but a week stuck in the house has left my floors in desperate need of mopping and no one will sit still long enough for me to do that. Also, Parker needs a more formal education than learning how to create a bobsled runway out of the driveway…..although he was really good at it.

Full of love and ready for an adventure,

Wenders

June 15, 2010June 15, 2010

Confiscated

What a week it has been hanging out at my parent’s house. The week really has flown by. However, I’ve managed to get a little work done. Funnily enough, the first painting I completed was confiscated. My mother is right though, this one really does look good on her mantle.

January 27, 2010January 27, 2010

Blackbirds on my fence

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Black bird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see all your life

you were only waiting for this moment to be free

Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

(Blackbird – Beatles)

Blackbirds have always been one of my favorite birds. They are so mysterious and sometimes look menacing. I always felt it was more like they “knew things” rather than being minions of darkness. Most see them as pest and scavengers, but to me they seem wise, knowing, and kind of cute.

I can see myself evolving as an artist as far as style and technique but these new Blackbird paintings threw me for a loop. I even Wow’ed myself. I loved the freeness of the paint and silhouette of the birds and tree. At first glance one might feel the darkness of the panting, but in reality there is more of a sense of protection and watchfulness. That’s what I see anyway.

By the way – These Blackbirds are available for purchase. Just go to my shop link and send me a message….. or click here.

January 21, 2010

It is a new year, a new decade and so many things are going on. I really didn’t bother with making resolutions this year. It is definitely hard keeping up with all the new things falling into place, but everything is falling so well. I didn’t want to muck it up with a lot of empty promises made to myself. I will worry about getting into shape at the end of the year after I recover from the birth (always my standard resolution), and I will continue to concentrate on building a business out of my art. Slowly, but surely, I am winning this race. Now, if I could just manage to post more and still get the dishes and laundry done. I blame it totally on nesting. Jude is due February 19th, and for weeks now I have been obsessed with cleaning baseboards and closets. I have been wiped out and tired. I’m painting, but not as much as I like and am finding getting into a set schedule very difficult. I only anticipate it getting more hectic. That’s OK though, it is so exciting how much our lives are going to change this year, so I say bring it on.

Things that have been happening of late:

~Playing with ink. I love it! It adds a texture and dimension to my art that makes me sing. I really love Tim Holtz’s line of alcohol based ink.

I love the texture and depth it adds to my pieces. Trying to develop a consistent style is difficult when I have all these fun materials to play with.

~I’m also trying out a new venue for selling my art at etsy.com. If you click the shop link on the home page it will take you to my store. or follow this link http://www.etsy.com/shop/wenderflonia.

~BFS and I have been super busy gettign ready for or little Aquarian arrival. It is less than 4 weeks now (Not panicking AT ALL!!!!). We have been aranging and rearanging and preping and cleaning and painting.

Isn’t this fabulous!? Super talented BFS painted this for our sweet baby boy. It will hang in the nursery……. err That is, once we get around to actually get the nursery decorated and set up. Hopefully, I will be able to post a companion piece soon with an elephant and sun soon.

As hectic as things will be in the next few months, I hope to stay on track and post more. Fingers crossed. Now I think I will take my turtle self to bed and see if I can get a few hours of sleep in.

October 15, 2009October 15, 2009

Sneak Peak

One of the most joyous and challenging activities as an artist is to create a work of art for a specific person. I’m currently working on a commissioned piece for a dear friend whom I have known my whole life. These photos are but a mere sneak peek at the first, but definitely not the last, layer of her painting. The main purpose of this post is to driver her mad with curiosity and to explain a little about my technique. Being a multilayered gal, I like my paintings to have much meaning and depth. There might even be 10 layers before I am completely satisfied. I have decided that mixed media is the thing for me as I hate to be limited. I typically use tons of gesso as a binding agent and tons of paper, pencils, acrylic , markers, sharpies, photos, pastel, ribbon, stickers,….. I think the purpose of painting for me is to get as messy as possible and be amazed that something can come out of it. I typically walk away as much a work of art as the canvas itself (it’s to irresistible to paint my feet if they are near….or the dog). In the end, I hope to produce something that is entirely meaningful and almost unintentional. I don’t plan any of my paintings. OK, correction, I try to plan my paintings but they NEVER go the same direction I was thinking. I typically let my emotions and intuition guide me in what I am doing. These photos are a few details of Stacy’s massive piece.

Anyone contemplating a Wender’s original (commissioned or otherwise) for Christmas feel free to contact me, superlady@wenderflonia.com. Orders must be placed before the end of October to ensure completion (space is limited).

September 22, 2009July 15, 2010

It’s Not The Critic Who Counts

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

Theodore Roosevelt

Who really counts is the fabulous and inspiring person who paid you to do it! Thank you Courtney.

Courtney stands by her new painting.

I fretted and worried all night and for the entire ride to meet her that she would hate it. Which she didn’t! We had a fabulous day celebrating her birthday by soaking in culture at the Kimball Museum, doing a little gratuitous shopping and tons of eating. I toasted the occasion with a Raspberry Martini and we had lots of cake!

AND SO WE HAD CAKE!

September 15, 2009September 21, 2009

Winds of Change

The Present…

Today, I should have been investing my time and energy in day- job searching and finishing a painting. I, instead, spent the day feeling no-so-bueno with a killer sinus headache thing, and obsessively musing over blog face lifting and gratuitous art supply shopping. A gallery page has been added to the site, if you haven’t noticed, but I haven’t managed to get to the “add stuff” phase. Sweet BFS is so super busy with his own work and artistic endeavors but still takes the time to build and work on my site. I hate to bother him to0 much but he’s my number one technical go-to hunny (errr my ONLY go-to hunny). He is really an amazing person, and I cant wait to see how he cooks it all together to make a fantastically brilliant site.

The Dream…

I have also been doing a heck of allot of thinking and planning. Great things are coming for Wenders and Wenderflonia. I have been truly inspired by my great friend Courtney, who has commissioned the brilliant piece of work I have been musing about lately. She has forced me (pretty sure I was kicking and screaming ;-)) into opening myself up to new possibilities. I have seriously been exploring the feeling that I am on the brink of something; a vibration of hope, possibly a nervous breakdown, who knows. I just feel a wind of change has been coming and is seriously overdue. My passion has always been in artistic endeavors, I’ve never fit into the traditional work environment, and so many people are baffled as to why I haven’t decided to do this sooner. But I want to be an artist….actually I want to be a paid artist.

The Reality…

The current job search has been getting me so down lately. I have fretted so long about not being able to just jump into a well paying job right away. I’m educated, smart and make sure I smell good at interviews, so why is it so hard to find a job? Possibly, it is because I’m being whispered to about taking a different approach to life and need to listen to what it’s telling me. I fully believe my true talent lies withing the creative arts and I need to pursue it. That isn’t to say NOT to look for an outside source of income. The day job search is still on, but ultimately the goal is to become a totally self sufficient working artist. The first step is to start creating, making myself available for commission work and promote pieces to sell. The hardest part, however, will be to allow myself to be vulnerable….exposed….aaahhhhhh (paper bag! Quick!) to the criticism and scrutiny of others. This is going to be so hard since I am such a private person and my art is so meaningful to me. I will not shatter…I will not shatter…..(where is that paper bag!)

The Future…

The goal for the next two weeks is:

1) To keep the job search up..have to eat…have to eat….

2) Finish Paintings in progress and post in gallery, deliver to proper homes.

3) Get website cleaned up, nipped and tucked.

4) Allow the spirit of change to keep directing me in new directions and to not be limited by my vulnerabilities.

YIKES!!!

September 11, 2009September 11, 2009

Notes About Keeping Perspective

Another day full of creative endeavors lead me down paths I haven’t been in some time. As a young art student, I found myself under the constant scrutiny of my art professors. Most of the time it tore me down rather than build me up, as I tended to be insecure about my talents. One of their major critiques was my lack of respect to proportion. The ultra rebellious girl in me took that advice for what it was worth, changed my major to a less judgmental study (psychology– hahaha), and thus started my long measurement free, straight edgeless, rebellious road to ill proportion. I can’t even remember when the last time I picked up a ruler or straight edge to use for it’s intended purpose.

Alas, today I have come full circle. Much to the enjoyment of my wonderfully precise and practical BFS (whom I met in those aforementioned art classes), I bravely asked to borrow a ruler, level, angle thingy and even an eraser for my new project. We shall have to wait and see if the lines continue to walk the strait path to perspective.

Wish the ruler good luck that I don’t abuse it too much.

September 10, 2009July 15, 2010

Deflowered

Finally got down to business and deflowered the canvas. Nothing to write home about just yet but it was still fun to dip into a big tub of paint and apply a lovely undercoating.

It really is hard to think about a real job, sitting in an office, and doing something entirely too productive when I’d rather look like this:

Even Magners got into the spirit. And by getting into the spirit, I mean he came entirely to close to me and a loaded paint brush. Nobody is safe. Muahaha. But seriously, Mags looks good with eyebrows!

By far the best part of my evening was enjoying the creative spirit with BFS who has his own secret project going on.

Now it is on to finish some preliminary design work and be off to bed. Wish me luck that I do find a real job soon. Unless all y’all with excellent taste out there want to commission a Wenders original masterpiece. Peace and Love