For A Good Cause

There are a lot of things I hate about social media, but the one thing I do love is that outlets like FB, Twitter, and blogs sometime allow us the ability to stick together, or reach out and help someone we've never even met.  We see that time and time again in the blog world, where we bolster one another in times of joy, sorrow, and especially need.  So it was no surprise when I visited Cindy at Fat Cow Studio and saw a post about one of her FB friends who is in need.

Now I don't know Cindy's friend Amy from Junk Love & Co., but I really don't need to.  The important thing is that Amy's father in law and son were in a terrible accident and her son is in a PICU (pediatric intensive care unit) in Vegas.  Scary times as you can imagine for any parent.  And as you can also imagine, the bills will be mounting.

Being the clever and industrious community that we are through our blogs and FB, another friend of Amy and her family jumped in to action and has organized an online FB auction to try and raise funds to help this family out in their time of need.

Her name is Barbara, and she is known as the Shabby Cowgirl .  Through her efforts, she has gathered a whole host of great auction items that will be up for grabs today between 12 pm PST until 7 pm PST.

I've donated a 12 x 12 wrapped canvas to the auction.  You can pick the artwork, one of the ones you see featured in this post, one from my last post, or anything from my website HERE. 

The choice is yours, but no matter what you pick, the money will be for a good cause and that always makes buying something even more fun.  And please spread the word, the more we can get this out there the more money we can raise for this family!

My thoughts go out to Amy and her family, and I wish both her father in law and her sweet son a very speedy recovery from their accident!

To preview the items and place your bids, click HERE.   Remember the auction is today only starting at 12:00 noon PST until 7:00 pm PST...so don't wait!   

           

Change

It was great hearing from so many of you that I'm not the only one who is tearing apart my house and going through change.  In fact painting and closet cleaning are not the only changes that have been going on around here.

When I went to purchase the domain name "Bay Studios" a few days ago, I realized it was already spoken for, so that meant that Mary Beth and I needed to come up with a new name.  After sending a few ideas her way, we both agreed on Ebb Tide Studios.

I like it, and since both she and I live on the water, it seemed fitting to have a water related name.  So from here on out we will be known as Ebb Tide Studios.  For now we won't have our own website, but we're hoping that will change sometime in the next year.  We would love to offer up different goods with our artwork on them, like guest towels, dishes, and fabric, but that's a ways down the road.

We are super excited though, and we've been plugging away on some artwork for autumn.  Both of these images will be for sale as wrapped canvases very soon so we would love to have your feedback on them.  

We wanted to capture the essence of Fall, and with this second one we were really going for a vintage feel.  I wanted to create something that had an old oilcloth feel, so I even added the golden checkerboard background reminiscent of tablecloths from the 40s and 50s.

Along with the new artwork, we've made some good progress on the house stuff.  The guest room closet is now neat as a pin...well as neat as it will every be, and the black cabinet in the living room has a brand new look that I'll share with you very soon.

We have bags of stuff to drop off at the donation shop tomorrow, and one of my dear friends is taking a black and cream toile bedding set off of my hands, so we are moving in the right direction.

And I would like to give a special shout out to my friend Papa Jim.  You may recall that he had surgery awhile ago and has had a very long road back to recovery.  Today is his birthday, and I know both he and his family are happy to have him home and to be celebrating his special day together.  

Change can be a very good thing sometimes!  I hope you are each having a lovely weekend and that whatever changes you have on the horizon are for the better!

If you would be interested in either of the images above as a wrapped 12 x 12 wrapped canvas (other sizes are also available), you can email me at kgwhouse@gmail.com for pricing and more info!

The Dream You Never Knew You Had

Last June I wrote a post about how I would soon be selling my artwork online.  I thought by the end of June that would be a reality, but the reality is that these things take time.

The truth is that what I've been doing since over a year ago has finally brought me to the place where I'm supposed to be.  The road I've traveled has been bumpy, winding, and sometimes downright depressing, but in the end I have learned something at each turn.  I won't bore you with the long winded version, but what I thought would be a dream come true back in January turned out not to be.  And although I was horribly disappointed at the time, it turns out that everything really does happen for a reason.

Back then I was flying solo, talking to big name stores, and within a hair's width of selling in some of them.  After a deal with Home Goods fell apart due to the fact that I couldn't compete with the low cost of imported merchandise and I couldn't find a good framer here in the US that wanted me to also make some money on the deal, I was completely bummed!  But thanks to one amazing Home Goods buyer, the one who believed in my stuff from the very get go, I was motivated to keep going.  She and I even agreed when the deal fell through that we were sure that our paths would one day cross again, and I truly hope they do.  She had a dream to design jewelry, and I hope that she is doing just that....following her dream the same way I am!

All the while, my good friend Mary Beth was also on a path of her own...and often feeling the same sense of frustration I was.  We both knew we had good saleable artwork...or at least we hoped like heck we did, but how could we get it out there, find a way to sell it?!

After traveling parallel paths for over a year, it finally dawned on us that what we both needed was each other.  She felt like some of her artwork, created using traditional painting methods, was lacking something, and I felt like my images and graphics needed something to make them more well rounded too.  So on a lark we decided to see what we could create together.  She would paint certain elements, and I would add my touches to create artwork we felt was lacking in the marketplace.

So far we've come up with some wonderful collections...several of which may be licensed by companies for things like wall decor, dishware, and who knows what else.  That's all in the very beginning stages though, so we are taking it day by day and learning to not sweat the small stuff.

Did I mention how stinking talented Mary Beth is!!!  I swear, all I have to do is ask her to paint something, like the butterflies above, and poof, she creates something beyond my expectations!

So once we had decided to start working together, we needed to settle on a name...and Bay Studios was born.  Add to the mix an amazing online art company I had found while searching around, and we were off and running...so to speak!  Well if running at a snail's pace can be considered running.

The company we have teamed up with has been in business for years, so their guidance has proved invaluable in so many ways!  It's because of them that we've been taking our time, making sure we get this right and that we are offering customers artwork they can't get any place else, and hopefully filling a niche that hasn't been filled before.

Very soon, we will be offering some of our artwork for sale, and I have my fingers crossed that you all will love it as much as we have loved creating it for you!  It truly has been a labor of love for the two of us!

In addition to the Bay Studios pieces, I will also have some of my own images for sale on the site, like the floral above.  Because the paint is not dry on the walls so to speak, I won't put a link to the website quite yet.

But I did want to share with you why it's taken so long to get from point A to point B...or maybe point Z in this case!  And in the not too distant future I will be letting you know about some artwork you can pre-order and I will give you a coupon code as well.  It's a gift from Mary Beth, the gallery, and me, to say thank you for your patience and for your support, even when it seemed like the dream might never become a reality!

I think the biggest lesson I've learned is that even when you think you are following your dream, sometimes it is the dream that has to find you.  And when that happens, it's bigger than any dream you could have ever imagined!  Now get going and start your dream so that it can find you too!

I would like to give a special shout out to Kim, Kate, Michelle, Connie, and Linda for keeping me going when I was ready to throw in the towel.  Your friendship, support, and great taste has all been invaluable...thank you!!!

                                                             

Busy as a Bee

The days are clicking by and I've been busy as a bee working on new artwork.  I've been burning the midnight oil because I have some very exciting news coming that I hope to share with you all by the end of the month.

I will be back soon to share some images from a wonderful local shop with you that I photographed last weekend.  Until then, here's a little sneak peek at some of the pretties in this gorgeous shop.  And if you're in the area, don't forget it's a Vintage Source Weekend! 

I hope all is well in your world!

Landmarks

Thank you everyone for your wonderful comments about my last post!  I read each and every one of them (thank you Droid!) while Mr. Tide and I were away helping our daughter who ended up taking a trip to the emergency room last Thursday in the wee hours of the morning.  Unfortunately for her, she has inherited some of my reproductive issues, and suffered a ruptured ovarian cyst...ouch!  She is feeling much better now, and thankfully she has a wonderful roommate who took very good care of her until we could get there the following day!

The house pictured above is what we call the Mama Bear, Papa Bear, Baby Bear House.  For those of you who live in southern Maryland, it is a sort of landmark.  I'm not quite sure where it got its name, or who owns it, but I think most people who know of its existence have always called it by that name.  

I actually took the picture at the request of a friend of mine who has always loved this little unassuming house.  I think it resonates with her, and with me, because it is so simple, yet so charming.  When my kids were little they had a joke that I only liked run down houses.  It's true, I do love a fixer upper that has tales to tell and wears her years with pride.  I think you can just feel the love and happiness that once filled their rooms and even the yard when you look at them.  Can't you just hear those screen doors slamming as children darted in and out, chasing lightning bugs in the summer or going to fetch wood to feed the stove during the winter?

Anyway, it's a present for my friend, whose birthday is coming up.  She doesn't read my blog every day, so I think I am safe to post it.

I guess landmarks are what help us to find our way.  Long before GPS' showed up on everything from our car's dashboard to our smart phones, these were the coordinates that let us know where we were and how to make our way back home.  Mr. Tide still laughs when I give directions based on where things "used" to be.  You know, you turn right where the Ford Dealership used to be, next to Mr. So and So's house that was torn down years ago, the one with the big front porch, and then you go down the hill by where we used to buy our penny candy, and over the old railroad tracks that no longer exist?!  Seems simple enough...right?

A sense of place, I think that's why we use directions that link us to our past, and why we would want a picture of the Mama Bear, Papa Bear, Baby Bear house...before they tear it down and put in a doggone Wawa or self storage place!

When One Door Closes

Just like the old saying goes...when one door closes...even if it is a beautiful door, and one you didn't really want to close...

You have to be ready for the one that opens.  Because the door that opens may take you to places you never imagined, and lead to opportunities you never knew existed.

A place where you can spread your wings and fly, or simply sit and rest awhile.

You may have noticed that I have not one, but 2 of my galleries now set up on my sidebar with flash.  Mr. Tide decided that it was time I spread my wings to fly and after lots of discussions where I said things like, "but that seems pushy, and in your face," I think I am finally ready to close the door on being afraid to put my photography out there, and instead, to embrace this new venture fully by promoting myself.

I am also thrilled to now be represented by a wonderful gallery, and extremely supportive man named John Zaccheo!  John is an internationally acclaimed artist and has become a wonderful mentor for my fine art photography.  Thanks to my dear friend Mary Beth, who introduced me to John, I am now shutting one door and leaving behind the comforts of the "known" world, and stepping through another door in search of new and exciting adventures.

Sometimes it is scary to put yourself out there in the world, but if you don't then you will never know how high you can fly. 

When one door closes, do you bang on it and hope that it will reopen?  Or do you go in search of the next door, hoping and knowing that what lies beyond it may be far better than you ever though possible?  I dare you to swing that next door wide open and walk inside.  You may be the only one who knows you stepped inside, but do it anyway, do it for you!!!

Scattered and Striving

First of all, thank you to everyone who sent me healing thoughts for my recent kidney stone attack.  I'm still not 100%, but trust me, I am feeling much, much better!  And I'm so sorry to hear that so many of you have experienced this kind of pain firsthand, it's no picnic that's for sure!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm always finding new things to interest me, and always taking on new challenges.  Sometimes it's a wonderful thing, but sometimes I think I drive the people around me crazy!  I do complete things that need to get done, but I'm always searching and looking for new creative outlets and opportunities.

 

Recently, while visiting the beautiful blog Brabourne Farm, I was confronted with some beautiful floral imagery, by talented artist Kathrin Longhurst, that immediately jumped out at me and made me want to try and re-create the look with photography.  The photo above is my interpretation of Kathrin's work only with a photograph.

If you visit Kathrin's site, you'll see that I fell WAY short, but it's not so much the "getting it" as it is in the study and stretching yourself to try new things.

The same thing is true for the photo above.  After visiting Delores at Vignette Design and reading her wonderful post on still life photography (check out her personal examples, they are gorgeous!), I was off in a different direction.

The concept of still life photography has always intrigued me.  I absolutely love photo realistic images, but if you've been visiting my blog for any length of time, or have checked out my fine art website, then you know that I also love to create images that make you wonder if they are a photo or a painting.

Again, my still life fell flat, and if you look at this website by photographer Paulette Tavormina, you'll totally get what I mean when I say I say that I wasn't even close to creating what I was after.  But sometimes that frustration of not getting it right is what keeps me going, what motivates me to try and try again.

When I started getting serious about photography, I thought, like with my blog, that I needed to pick a technique and stick with it, perfecting it as I went along.  The truth is that with EVERY photo you gain experience.  You learn about light, composition, color, and what draws the eye in.  

For me, photography is like walking into the most beautiful market in the world and taking in all of the sights and smells.  You would never visit the most beautiful market in the world and only visit the flower stall, or the spice merchant.  No, you would go from stall to stall and drink it all in...that my friends is my theory on photography.  Try it all, succeed at some of it, but keep striving to see the beauty in everything!

The List

Last week, when we were finishing up the final details before my parent's house went on the market, I made a list of all the things that still needed to be done.

The list went something like this...

1.  Wipe down kitchen counters.

2.  Clean out shed.

3.  Mow grass.

and so on...

My siblings (all except my sister "K" who was in the hospital) were there working, and each time a task was done I would go to my list and put a big line through it.

My brother and sister thought this was very funny, how I got such a sense of accomplishment from crossing something off of the list.  But that is how I roll, at least on some things anyway!

Don't ever ask me to go on a "guided" tour of another city or country where you have to be up at the crack of dawn and then follow someone else's itinerary which is supposed to make sure you see every possible site the place has to offer...oh no, I'm a fly by the seat of your pants traveler and always have been.

We were the family after all that showed up in France without a clue where we would be staying in Paris and it was Easter!  We weren't worried, and it turned out perfectly since we ended up staying in the most beautiful Paris apartment where we could throw open the french doors and look out at the Eiffel Tower.  So see, for some things I don't make a list, or even check it twice.

But when it comes to my work, or things I have going on each week, you can bet your bottom dollar there is a list somewhere around here.  My brain can be like swiss cheese sometimes, and if I don't write something down, well it's lost and gone forever folks!  Usually it's a bunch of cryptic scribbles in my day planner, and often times things get moved from day to day, and week to week, when I don't get around to following my own list. 

So maybe that is why I get so excited when I actually DO accomplish something!  Yesterday I got to cross a few things off of "The List" and boy did it feel good!

First, I hosted my local garden club, where my good friend Doug did an amazing demonstration on "green" floral arrangements...more about that in an upcoming post...so stay tuned!  The beautiful flower photos in this post were all courtesy of Doug, you see I got to bring home the leftovers!  Thank you Doug for a wonderful presentation AND the flowers!

Second, I finally got my website up and running!!!  I love how it looks, and even though it needs a little tweaking, I did go ahead and cross it off my list...woohoo!

You can visit my website by clicking HERE.

And last but not least on my list, I made the final arrangements for my upcoming art show this weekend.  Now all I have to do is show up and enjoy the weekend!  If you are in Maryland and want to see some of the best decoy carvers and local artisans in the area, you can get the info from the flyer below or visit the show's website for more details by clicking HERE.

You could have knocked me over with a feather when the local paper, which serves all 3 counties here in Southern Maryland, emailed me last week and wanted to use an osprey photo for a story they were doing on this wonderful show!

Now I'm off to finish up a few more things so that I can...well you know!  May your lists be short and your accomplishments many!!!  ;-)

For Sale

I recently began selling some of my Kat W. Designs artwork at a few local stores, including Lola Belle Co. in Leonardtown,  Cecil's Country Store in Great Mills, and at The Vintage Source, also located in Leonardtown but only open once a month.

Because I love and shop at all of these wonderful stores, and because I consider the wonderful women who run these stores to be friends, I made sure that each shop had at least one item and sometimes more that was exclusive to their shop alone.  Each of my fine art prints are printed on high quality archival paper and framed in shabby chic inspired beautiful handmade wooden frames.

Over the next few weeks, I will be taking you to each shop and showing you not only my artwork, but all of the wonderful things these three shops have for sale this spring, but today I'll be taking you around The Vintage Source since this weekend they will be open for business on Saturday and Sunday!

Those of you who have been visiting my blog for awhile know how much I love The Vintage Source and their wonderful array of reasonably priced furniture and vintage accessories.

And it's always a treat to see how they have everything displayed in the shop.  Today when I was there, the girls were all frantically arranging, painting, and getting everything ready for their big weekend.

Some of these scenes will look beautifully pulled together and ready for customers, who line up early in the morning in anticipation of their doors opening, but others will show you how crazy the shop can be right before a sale.

As the VS girls rushed around moving large pieces of furniture, fluffing, and organizing as I snapped away today, they reminded me how much still needed to be done before they were ready to greet their customers on Saturday.  But they indulged me none the less and let me capture some of the chaos that comes before the beauty that we as clamoring buyers get to see after all of their hard behind the scenes work is done.

It's always a treat to see what new treasures they have found from month to month, like the beautiful transferware bowls pictured above.

And the way they create such a homey and inviting atmosphere with their appealing mix of vintage, antique, and funky accessories.

The picture above is a great example of what a massive undertaking these sales are each month.  Not only do they find the furniture they sell, but they also refinish, repaint, and even reupholster much of it.  In the final days before each sale, they are busy prettying up the place.  But before everything is made beautiful, there is a whole lot of rearranging, moving, and jumble going on.  Then, like clockwork, it's all magically done by the time they open.

I say magically, but I was just tired from being there for a short while today watching them scurry around painting, and hauling heavy furniture from one place to another until it looked just the way they wanted it to.  Imagine moving and redecorating your house every single month...yeah it's kind of like that!  I told the girls today that I'm WAY too lazy to own a shop like this, but I'm really glad they aren't!

Because they are so full of energy, lazy people like me get to come in and buy the fruits of their labor, like this beautiful piece.

Or this one...look at the beautiful detailing on the legs and the side!  And trust me when I tell you that it won't last long.  These sales have people lined up around the block and you better get there early if you see something you love on their New Arrivals page!

You never know what you'll find, like a beautiful botanical print in a gorgeous frame...

Or a to die for cupboard that would look oh so good in my house if only I had a little spare room!

There are vintage dishes, glassware, and wonderful serving pieces.

Something for nearly everyone.  Wouldn't these vintage purses be perfect for a wedding or the prom?!

And here is a find I spotted today.  It's a wonderful piece of artwork by the famed American folk artist Nancy Thomas.  Nancy Thomas' artwork is prized by collectors around the world and her artwork has appeared in numerous magazines, movies, and museums.  Her artwork has even found it's way into the White House!

The one above is a large metal piece from her original calendar series and is no longer in production in this large size.  When it was available in this large format it sold for almost $300.00, but today I saw it priced at The Vintage Source for only $150.00!!  Someone will be very lucky to get their hands on one of her wonderful pieces for such a low price, and I'm sure the collectors will be fighting for this one!

 That's what the girls at The Vintage Source do, they find great deals and then pass them along to you!

They also just find cool stuff, like this little guy above...

And if I had my new patio already, this set of 4 metal lawn chairs would have been mine!

 

Let me tell you, it was hard to stay focused today while I was there, with all of the great things they have for sale it's easy to want to walk out with everything they have.  But then I settled myself down and remembered what I was there for...to drop off some of my cards and artwork for them to sell.

Sorry for the lousy picture above, I was so busy looking around and jabbering that I waited until the light was low and didn't have my tripod with me so the picture of my artwork isn't the best.  But that's ok, it just means you'll have to visit The Vintage Source this weekend yourself to see my artwork and the other wonderful things they have for sale this month.  The iris piece above is exclusive to The Vintage Source, and I have a few other pieces there as well.  To see more of what's available for this sale, click HERE!

If you are in the area, and even if you aren't, you won't want to miss this sale...happy shopping!  And a special thanks to Sheryl for letting me sell my artwork through The Vintage Source!

And Happy Birthday to my handsome boy, he's 3 years old today!  Love you Quinnie!