Jun 19, 2009

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!

16 comments:

roc said...

well it was a brilliant day for you! don't you just love days that everything is aligned in our universe? it couldn't happen to anyone nicer! congratulations on being published. i'm so very proud of you! your work is awesome!

Nettie Edwards said...

OMG!!! What a feast this blog post is! Hardly know where to begin. First of all, CONGRATS on another issue of Somerset Studios. It eill be some time before I get my copy, so thanks for posting your pages. Your digital explorations are going great. Love the drama of that page. You'll be fine because you are so brilliant at collage and you know exactly what you're aiming for. Anyway, got to go now, i'll be back for another, proper look later when i have more time x

Marit said...

Oh my - you were having a PAHRTEYYY!!! I found your blog via NancyB - and love your art! Thanks for the inspiration!

*jean* said...

oo your new piece is delightful! i'm glad that you had such an outstanding day, i think you've earned it!!

congratulations on your somerset page!!

jean

yoborobo said...

Hi Marsha! It must feel like it's your birthday! Look at all that yummy artwork! :) And Whisper is gorgeous, per usual. Good to know the muse is rested and now wants to play. xox Pam

Terri Kahrs said...

Oh, Marsha! I'm soooo happy that you had a spectacular day and am relieved thrilled to know that your package arrived with all of the goodies intact! Holy Smokes! I can't believe that it arrived open and wet but with everything safe - that's some powerful magic indeed!!!!! Thank you for this beautiful post! Enjoy, My Friend!!!! Hugs, Terri xoxo

Kim Mailhot said...

wow wow wow ! That is a whole lotta good and happy ! How wonderful that you got a day like that after all the hard stuff you have been through lately ! Life is good !

I love Whisper...espacially her hair - I want crazy wild red hair sometimes.

And big congrats on Somerset ! I can't wait to get my copy and show the hubby - "This is my friend Marsha's yummy stuff !"

May the good flow keep going a long time....Welcome home, Marsha.
Love KIm

Leslie said...

Congratulations on yet another issue of Somerset Studios. I'm so pleased you're getting the recognition you deserve!

aliceinparis said...

Ha, finally! I've been too busy to pop in and visit! Love your new piece , good for you on digitally altering, I would love to learn more about that stuff, really it opens a whole new world of possibilities!!

Congrats on the Somerset Publication my very talented friend:)

Lots of good mail too, what fun it must be to visit your mailbox.

Hope you are having a great weekend, Cheers from damp Nova Scotia!
Shelagh

Janny said...

Congrats with everything;o) Being published, your award and beatiful things from great friends.
You are a rich girl;o) Have a nice weekend!

lilylovekin said...

When it rains it pours! What a full day you had. I love the face on the new piece you did, the color in the cheeks is great. Congratulations on Somerset, it feels good to see your work in print. And I see why you still like the pieces you submitted for publication. And then all the goodies you got in the mail, it was like Christmas! You had a wonderful well deserved day.

Unknown said...

And it is days like these that make those rainy blue lonely days worth the time you took to worry about them!

Fabulous what a wonderful day and to one so deserving.
XXXOOO
Becky

Tace said...

Ohhh boy oh boy I love days like those. So much awesomeness jam packed into one day that I bet it started making reality strain at the seams. :)
SUPER CONGRATS on being published...AGAIN! wooohooooo, that is so awesome. I shall do a happy dance for you! Are you framing your magazines and making a wall of fame somewhere in your house? I'd totally wall paper a room with your publish-ness if I were you. :)
Also digitally altering faces is a VERY handy skill. Seriously, nothing more satisfying than making relatives smile in photos when they weren't in real life, muahh ahhh ahhh. ;)

Linda M. Cain said...

WOW! WOW! and WOW! What a great day! Congrats on the publication and I must say, I love the things you do with the black and white accent strips. I've always liked that combination. So, of course, I know how you feel, they keep things soooooooo long before they're published and you feel like you've moved on. BUT, THESE ARE WONDERFUL!

Be proud, be very, very proud!

And humble....a good combination, that I know you already have.

Your Friend in ART,

Linda

thekathrynwheel said...

LOVE the art. Congrats on being in Somerset Studio again, how fab. We're a bit behind on getting the mag over here but I'll be looking forward to it. Well done :-)))

Gaby Bee said...

What a fabulous day, Marsha! Congrats on being published! I bet you are thrilled. I'm really proud of you :-)
Your new piece is absolutely stunning...as usual...
Love especially her red hair.
Gaby xo