So let's just pretend that I haven't neglected this blog. How about I just tell you about today instead of trying to fill the gap? Trust me, you'd get bored and my fingers would be raw by the end of it.

Today. Today was a perfect fall day. The air was heavenly, the leaves are starting to turn and fall, all of the recent rains have made the plethora of roses in my new neighborhood bloom for what is probably one last time this year. The white one pictured is a beautiful monster that came into full bloom just today right outside my door.




Fall makes me want to cook. Right now I am waiting on brownies to cool so that they can be topped with chocolate icing and fresh rasberries. While the brownies baked I put together a big taboli salad to munch on throughout the week. But my proudest cooking accomplishment of the day was jerk chicken on a bed of roasted sweet potatoes and green onions. Mr. Martini gobbled it up and asked to take the leftovers, too.




I spent the afternoon making this paper dolly as a gift for a friend. Well, it is not exactly a paper dolly. The face is molded clay and the head is a metal container I picked up somewhere. Her name is Rose, of course. I can't figure out a good way to photograph these dolls, but I'll work on it.



Took a walk down to Sweetbay to check my e-mail and chat and then strolled through Creekmore park on my way back. If today was perfect, this evening was magic. October is by far my favorite month of the year.

Love, love, love! -Candy

Monthly Art Journal Workshop
@ the Gallery at Brunwick

Bring your journal or sketchbook and a kit of your favorite supplies as you join others in the making and sharing of meaningful art journal pages. Follow prompts and learn new techniques to add interest and impact to your work\. Basic materials provided (glue sticks, paper, scissors).

Workshop will be the second Saturday of every month from 2-4pm. NEXT CLASS: Saturday, September 12.

This month's theme is TIME. We will be doing a lot of fill-in-the-blank writing prompts, clock collage sheets will be provided, and a technique for creating a distressed paint look on paper will be demonstrated. (If you have any craft supplies or ephemera related to clocks and calendars, bring them!)

Class fee is $10. For questions, call Candy at 479-561-2224 or Collin at 479-651-5866 or e-mail eyecandystudio@rocketmail.com

The Gallery at Brunwick 120 N. 9th (Below Brunwick Wedding Chapel) Fort Smith, AR

Just ordered new business cards with 2010 calendars. This year is flying by.

I've been busy, but not much is going on. Work and men keep taking up my time. (Equal parts Mr. Martini and the Englishman.)

The Englishman has a birthday this weekend, so I am going to cook him an American, meat-and-potatoes meal--at his request. Kind of fun.

Mr. Martini is staying at my place while he works on his vehicle. It has been alternately comfortable and crazy making. It is really hard to share space with someone when you have so little of it.

I am excited about September. I've been gearing up for the workshops I will be teaching. Of them, I am most excited about the teen class. I think it is going to be a blast working with young people for the first time in quite awhile.

I'm also looking forward to a poetry writing and performing class I signed up for. I'd like to have enough good stuff to start reading more regularly. Maybe this will help.

The weather is so amazing for August in Arkansas. Never have I experienced such a mild summer in all the years I've lived here. Yesterday I went walking downtown just to enjoy it and I think I might do the same today.

This is the progress I've made on that little piece I started. "Le Madre" It looks much better in person... there is a lot of glazing in the background and it catches the light very nicely. Still need to shade and glaze the lower half, add a banner, paint the edges gold, and drill holes for hanging. This picture looks all blue-grey. Yech. Trust me about it looking much better in person.

I'm under the weather. Maybe a summer cold, maybe a result of my self imposed experiment with sleep deprivation. Either way, I feel like shite.

Stayed in last night, sleeping off and on and taking telephone calls. Have to work later today. Friday night I ended up going out with a very tall and witty Englishman. He is great at people-watching. Very snarky. Looking forward to hanging out again. I like when he tells me I am "filthy".

I've been reading a littl bit of mythology, concentrating on Medusa. I didn't know Athena gave her the ugly head as punishment for Medusa being raped by Poseidon in Athena's temple. Jan, Athena is a classic bitch, don't you think?!?! Maybe the original bitch, even.

I'm going to get back to feeling sick now.

waiting

Today has been wonderful. Productive and creative. Now I'm drinking coffee and painting. (And waiting on Mr. Martini to come see me.)

I loathe waiting for paint to dry!

Here is what I started tonight. It is on a found piece of wood that measures about 18" by 9". I'm using acrylic paint, spray paint, acrylic glazing medium, varnish... I think I am going to throw in some charcoal and oil pastels, as well.

Found this pic on my camera. I think my son took it. This is where I "work" on a lot of my stuff. I am apparently only working my jaw in this photo, though.

I know people have been reading this blog. See, I have that little thing on the lower right side that tells me where people are visiting from. I appreciate people taking the time to read about my silly little life. Maybe say hi or something?

What happens to men at the 35-40 point? Do they just decide, "Hey, I'm gonna grow a mustache and be a douche?"

Just wondering....

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I feel like I am entering a period of my life that is familiar. Strange, but familiar.

I like to think of most things that happen in my life as research. "Sorry, I can't tonight. I'm studying."

This somehow removes my responsibility for things that happen, and I realize that is a problem.

However, I don't foresee that I will stop my survey of the human experience anytime soon, barring that I get hit by a truck or some other dubious happening.

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The last few days have been nearly surreal. Yes, yes, I am taking my medication. It just seems that time is being punctuated by intense bursts of extreme perfection and total chaos. I guess this is what Mr. Martini has been trying to tell me when he talks about matter and anti-matter.

All my projects are at a comfortable lull right now, so I am really just trying to enjoy the problem of having too much time on my hands...without abusing it.

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Secret Agent Man suggested that I learn to bide my time, and he is absolutely right that I should. I'm terribly impatient. If I am not working on creating something, I feel like I am wasting my time. Which leads to guilt and self loathing and general anxiety.

I guess the rainy morning has me feeling exra introspective.

I am making it official right now: Summer is over.

The kids have gone back to school, Wit-Knee and I both got jobs, Mr. Martini and I seemed to have come to some conclusions and are seeing each other again, it is raining like it hasn't in months and I have that wonderful rush that comes at the end of a book. I feel like a new cycle is starting up.

I'm not the only one. Kevin and I have been giddy as school girls in his studio all morning.

I'm excited about this fall. I have a slew of classes lined up at the gallery, I'll be getting my own place, the new job will ease my aching pockets, we'll be working on the 12 x 12 x 20 show, I've got one of my best friends back, and I'm sure there will be more.

Be sure to check out the Horse/Horse blog.

Some of the junk on my dresser:

I'm 34. When are boys going to stop being confusing?

Orientation at the new job today. I've already been to the fall product meeting and I actually had fun. Hanging out with a bunch of chicks, trying on perfume and lotions? This is work? Okay.

It is amazing what a regular night of sleep can do. I think I should do it more often, for sure.

I'm totally not motivated in the art department this week, and I think it is in direct correlation to the messiness of my room. I suck at occupying small spaces.

My life is pretty uneventful at the moment, and I'm grateful for that.