Paint me happy!

What a great day! It started off with us going to the 6th grade culmination of our much loved Matt, a very good friend of the family. It was such a great event and very moving. I cried. I stood in ovation. I laughed. I cheered. It was wonderful. Congratulations Matt!

But before that happened, I had a muse knocking on my noggin' this morning. Finally! I was actually able to start this piece, walk away from it for a few hours, and come back and finish it. Breakthrough! It flowed, not a lot of struggle. Yay! I am most excited about this piece because I, for the first time, digitally altered the face before I printed, trimmed, and colored it. I learned some new tricks today!

Whisper


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 6/19/09
This is an original 5 x 7 collage using a face from flickr's chicks57, that was digitally altered before printing, a body from lisasaltered.etsy.com, hair, legs, boots, and megaphone from various places in print and taken out of their original context. All were printed, trimmed with scissors, and hand colored with ink and/or pastel. These pieces were attached to a background made from layers from flickr's *Playingwithbrushes* and Theresa Thompson and combined with a checked layer made by me.

Here is the face I started out with, from flickr's chicks57.



After returning from culmination and starting back to work this afternoon, the barn door flew open! Holy moly, what a great afternoon! First, Circus Fairy sold from my Etsy and broke the jinx that has stalemated me there for the last week since reopening. Within minutes of that exciting event, I received some very wonderful regular mail.

First, I opened an envelope that contained the new Somerset Studio, with my work in it! Woohoo! And, I'm not sick over what got published, I actually still like the pieces . . . sort of . . . a little bit. (page 112)



If you've followed me here or followed my flickr, you've seen these before, but here is what got published. (and you know I ussually hate what got published!)



Next, I opened an envelope from a recent trade I participated in and got some pieces from some of my most favorite artists: Roc of What's Up with Roc, Corrie of Fat Cat Studio , Renee Stein whose flickr lives here , and Danny of Fido Art. (not in order, though. clockwise from upper left: Fido Art, Fat Cat Studio, Renee Stein, What's Up Roc)



Well, that wasn't all! Even more treasures arrived, quite miraculously actually. My friend Terri Kahrs of Pringle Hill Studio sent me some beautiful artwork. Terri had posted a Pay It Forward giveaway and I won one of the pieces she committed to sending out this year. Oh, it is so beautiful! And she took the time to research what things I especially like and centered her work around that - magic. Well, she cast a magic spell on this mailing because the envelope arrived wet, stained and completely opened but not empty. I think everything she intended for me to receive actually arrived unharmed because she put it all in cellophane envelopes and the art was dry and GORGEOUS!






The backs of these pieces are as pretty as the fronts! Oh my gosh! I wish you could see them, feel them, look them over in person. I have never seen such a professional finished quality to everything I received. Even the postcards are just amazing! But her post, her blog post about this, moved me to tears. And then later when I was explaining to my family, I cried again. Terri brings out my mushy side. I am so honored, flattered, grateful. Terri, you are one very classy, talented, generous lady!

And last but not least today, early this morning, I got a blog award from my buddy Nancy at Crowabout. What a sweet and dynamic person, that Nancy! I sent you to her blog yesterday but it's worth another trip. And, don't forget about her flickr groups, Collage Play with Crowabout and Pointy Hats and Wings group.



I need another day or two to figure out who and how to bestow this very special award. I'll do my homework and get back to you! Thank you, Nancy!

Hope you all have a great weekend!