LIFE IS LIKE ART!

PopArtDiva Painting Original Pop Art Divas - Original Art!

2009-10-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

After nearly a year and a half haitus I have started to paint "real life" paintings again. I have started a line of miniature ORIGINAL acrylic paintings called The Pop Art Divas - check them out on my new Pop Art Diva Blog just for them.

Since I retired from the art shows a year ago this last May I've been doing art solely on the computer. Around January of this year I followed an urge to start "doodling" again and stocked up on #2 pencils and sketch pads and started cartooning for my own artistic pleasure - you've seen many of those posted here and on my other blogs.

Just recently I found myself badly missing the feel of a brush in my hand and enjoying the sensual pleasure of applying paint to a blank canvas. When I found a stack of little canvas boards I got an inspiration - why shouldn't the PopArtDiva paint Pop Art Divas? I love painting faces and I love retro style sixties cartoon style pop art. These little canvas boards made me realize I could do little paintings and this allowed me to create the time for some painting and art for art's sake again!

I'll be doing these in my spare time (which isn't much) and posting them for sale on my new Etsy Site! So far I've gotten 8 sketches done and I'm really looking forward to the painting stage! To keep up with their progress visit the Pop Art Divas Blog.

I expect the prices for these little mini masterpieces to run from around $20 or $25 up to about $100 each, plus any shipping and/or sales taxes. They'll be for sale on my Etsy store but I will announce them as they're created and post photos and stories about them here.

I have some plans to create some original hand-painted martini glasses too - I just bought 20 martini glasses and some porcelain paint for those! I'll be letting you know when that project starts too, but in the meantime. . . .

Stop by and read my introduction post and check out the very first sketches for my new Pop Art Divas series of original art !

Follow me on Twitter
Friend me on Facebook
Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

---------------------------
LEARN HOW TO DO ART AND CRAFT SHOWS FOR PROFIT AND FUN STEP BY STEP
Click the links below to download my articles for a nominal fee of only $2.50 each:

What Kind of an Artist Will You Be? Define Your Product First.
Creating Your Booth - Making a Portable Gallery That Works
Preparing To Do An Art Show - Getting your art, your booth and yourself together
The Most Important Sales Techniques for Selling and Marketing Your Art

MAD MEN and MERRY GO ROUNDS

2009-08-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

I'm resting today since my back has been in and out all week but I discovered this funny bit from Saturday Night Life - it's "Don Draper's Guide to Picking Up Women" and it's a take off on the great show Mad Men - a wonderful retro show on the ad world in the 50s and 60s.

You might also want to check out my newest online store Carousel Corner - soon you'll see my entire carousel and mime, mask series that I created in the eighties as original colored pencil drawings for the art shows. Now you can get them on posters, tees, cups and other goodies too!

Enjoy and btw, Happy 40th Anniversary to fellow Woodstock attendees (read about my Woodstock experience here)!

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

---------------------------
LEARN HOW TO DO ART AND CRAFT SHOWS FOR PROFIT AND FUN STEP BY STEP
Click the links below to download my articles for a nominal fee of only $2.50 each:

Like Forrest Gump says: #@!% Happens - especially with kittens!

2009-08-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

I have neglected this blog for the last several weeks and I apologize. I just honestly couldn't face it. Sorry, but it seems as though my life is falling through the cracks a bit and I have a whale of a wonked back on top of it - or because of it!

But life and work go on so I toughed it out and got the redesign of my homepage on Pop Art Diva Dot Com finished - and with it I created a whole new look to my logo and masthead which I am in love with because it's so totally retro pop art looking! I love it so much I'm going to use the right side for a new design for the Pop Art Diva Gift Gallery later this week (oh, okay maybe next week when my back isn't humpty dumptied).

BTW, I'd love it if you would click the masthead and give me your opinion on the look of my homepage - I'm redesigning the whole website to integrate my stores and might use this look if ya'll like it!

I have also created six new online stores (which means new mastheads for all) and been designing new art and redesigning some of my existing art for them. Check them out to see the new mastheads and the new product art below:

The PopArtDiva™ Gift Gallery

The Martini Diva™ Boutique

The Brat in the Hat RANTORIUM EMPORIUM™

Cocktail Napkin Wit & Wisdom

The Normal Challenged Artist™ Shoppe

TweetleBirdie - Twitter Stuff

I am also working on a web design for another artist - it's really looking good and her work is just fantastic which helps.

And yes, there were quite a few new Martini Recipes and the graphic design for their recipe cards at The Martini Diva - I did 2 whole weeks of Think Pink (including a design for tees, aprons, cups for breast cancer awareness and that graphic was really cute:

And I did this really cute retro style pop art graphic for tees, aprons, cups and other gear for all the DIVAS out there:

So, I've been busy even if you haven't read about it here!

VISUALIZE VISUALIZE: Right now I'm visualizing 2 things: a heating pad and the bed and hoping to take the ache out of my back!

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: You never see all that's going on around you - even though I haven't been posting here it didn't mean I wasn't creating! - sometimes things are going on in the background that you're not even aware of! I think it is wise to always consider those hidden things when we make our life decisions. Just consider that wheels are turning even when you think they aren't!

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: Even though I'm in pain I'm grateful that it is something I'm familiar with (sadly too familiar with back pain), something that I know will go away if I take care of it. Not everyone who suffers pain is that lucky are they?

I'm also grateful (well, I think I am) for my new family member - Kitty Tink! This tiny ball of grey and white fur adopted me about a month ago and though her kitten schizophrenic behavior drives me batty it also serves as a wonderful source of laughter and entertainment - especially since I got a laser pointer to tease her with!

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER
-----------
Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

---------------------------
LEARN HOW TO DO ART AND CRAFT SHOWS FOR PROFIT AND FUN STEP BY STEP
Click the links below to download my articles for a nominal fee of only $2.50 each:

Ooops, My Bad - PopArtDiva works 24/7!

2009-08-04T14:29:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to apologize for my last bunch of posts - I had accidentally checked off this blog for automatic posts from my ping account and I didn't meant to!

So you were getting silly weird little posts meant for my Twitter account - so, my bad and I've turned them off!

And, yes, I will be back posting my new art and more creative inspiration but right now I'm so busy doing the art I can't blog about it, lol. Follow me on Twitter for my very latest day by day: @popartdiva - faster to tweet in under 140 characters than write a blog post and right now I have little time left for anything but resting between contracts!

ON THE UPSIDE: That of course means more money which I've been visualizing for ages now, lol. Okay, gotta run - sorry but I will be back. In the meantime check out:
The PopArtDiva Blog
The Martini Diva
The Diva of Tiny Foods
and my newest online store:
The PopArtDiva Gift Gallery

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

---------------------------
LEARN HOW TO DO ART AND CRAFT SHOWS FOR PROFIT AND FUN STEP BY STEP
Click the links below to download my articles for a nominal fee of only $2.50 each:

New Martini Art, Fun Twitter Tees & Gifts & Other Pop Art Goodies

2009-06-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

Instead of posting here the last few month of Sundays I've been doing other arty things like painting coffee tables, arranging my art collection and decorating my new home - but I have been getting things done graphics/art wise.

I did another illustrated martini diva nano story - recognize my favorite actor anywhere in here:
And I've been posting my Martini Recipe Cards - some classic cocktails, some martini smoothies and some fun herb infused martinis:

From The MARTINI DIVA

AND I've been in the process of reformatting (yet again) all my art for my new Zazzle stores because I'm moving them over from CafePress (who just changed their commission pay policies and cut a large chunk of my profit off!).
I just finished four designs for my new Zazzle store: TweetleBirdie - Fun Stuff for Twitter Fans and Other Social Media Lovers. I also have two other stores The PopArtDiva Gift Gallery and The Martini Diva Boutique - both of which I am currently adding designs to as I get them reformatted. Below is a my little "window display" for the store and you can shop right here for my tees, posters (in lots of sizes and framing available!), caps, aprons, great cup choices and even business cards!
TweetleBirdie

My little window display allows you to stop motion, zoom in on any product, make a comment about the product, rate my products and click to buy right here!

So, I just wanted to let you know I have not been idle even if my blog posts here have been!

VISUALIZE VISUALIZE: I've been visualizing new clients and new accounts. Several of my old accounts have fizzled out - either due to their own lack of business sense or the economy so I've drummed up new business to take up the slack. I also visualized finally getting my art collection and family heirlooms out of storage and back into my life and here they all sit - gloriously adorning my new home and bringing back many memories of my family and friends from years ago. I am also visualizing prosperity for this country! So many people I know are suffering and I want to see them and all of us get back on our feet and get back our feeling of security of hearth and home (please join me in this visualization - see your friends happy and smiling as they go off to new jobs, drive up to new homes and enjoy their families in a haven of safety and financial prosperity - and don't forget to see that for yourself too!)

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: I am making valiant efforts to maintain seeing the current financial struggles of today's world as a challenge in how to be creative in finding new work, new sources of income and creatively adjust my spending habits. One thing I noticed was that I could eat dinner for a buck if I was willing to eat junk food every night - but as much as I love Jack in the Box tacos I think I'd end up spending more money to buy a bigger car to fit my bigger butt in, lol. But I can buy on sale and I love pasta and potatoes so it harms me not to use less meat. Plus I planted my own herb garden - cheaper than buying them fresh at the store!

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: I continue to be grateful for my friends who helped me get my things out of storage and down here to my new home, who brought the rest of my things and even a huge TV out from Arizona, who continue to share my troubles and my joys as I share theirs. I am grateful to have my family photos again - to see and remember the good times with my Mom, Dad, Sister, Ken and my beloved pets. Though they are gone I am so grateful they were all in my life. I am grateful to still have a room over my head and food to eat. I am grateful for the work I get and I am grateful I still have my little Pixel to cuddle with on days like today when the thundershowers storm all around us.

Til the next time - Peace, Prosperity and Joy to you, may you find it in unexpected places!

---------------
Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

---------------------------
LEARN HOW TO DO ART AND CRAFT SHOWS FOR PROFIT AND FUN STEP BY STEP
Click the links below to download my articles for a nominal fee of only $2.50 each:

HOW CREATIVITY AND ART OVERCOME ECONOMIC BLUES

2009-04-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but all the negativity in the media regarding the economy almost brought me to a screeching halt - creatively and emotionally. It's very hard to keep a positive outlook while all around you are Wild Peeps screaming that the sky is falling!

Pop Art Wild Peeps done for my Wild Peep War Campaign

Though I rarely intentionally listen to the news because it is always so sensationalized and negative, I found myself being exposed to it without choice. Short teasers on TV before I could hit the mute button, headlines glaring at me from newsstands and internet pages, snips of conversations that drifted my way, ad naseum. It was seeping right into my unconscious and infecting me without me even being aware and hitting me right in my most vulnerable spot - my financial security!

Suddenly I found myself waking in the middle of the night worrying about it. I became aware of negative thoughts flitting through my mind and overtaking my creative energy. I was waking up tired and lacking my usual excitement of getting to work on my art and my writing. I wanted to sleep more and numb my brain with the boob tube. My usual sense of humor had dulled too, and my humor is one of my biggest defenses against the Negativity Monster! Yes, I was still working but my heart wasn't in it - how sad is that? This crap had to stop!

Illustrated Martini Nano Story done for Martini Diva post and as spot illustration for my martini book

I am, like everyone else, struggling with this economy, but I cannot let the negativity seep into my psyche and corrupt me - it is like an acid that can corrode creativity and industry. If you wallow in all the bad thoughts all your creative and emotional cogs get so damaged that your entire life mechanism freezes up! I had to put a stop to the downward spiral - for me that means doing something creative - even if it's just designing and building a little mini martini bar for my new home. So that's how I kick started my positivity again after a few weeks of passion deprivation. Sometimes just doodling or doing a little crafty project can stimulate your creative juices.

Working on something creative always keeps my mind focused on the positive and, at the end of the day, I've accomplished something which is always uplifting. Additionally, I tend to be whimsical and humorous in my creative endeavors and humor is always good for the soul. Even if you're the only one who thinks it's funny and you are cackling like a madman to yourself, the laughter is sparking all those good receptors in your brain and adding speed to your descent out of the black hole of negativity! So what if no one else gets the joke???

This doodle of a seventies platform boot inspired this Illustrated Nano Story for The PopArtDiva Blog and it made me giggle.

Then I was just in a good enough humor to get an idea for having some fun with Easter Marshmallow Peeps and started a whole fictional Wild Peep War! You can read the entire "campaign" at last Wild Peep update at The Brat in The Hat. Then, of course, I had to do a Wild Peep Nano story for the Martini Blog and a Wild Peep Martini for Easter!

I also uploaded some new Martini Art to The PopArtDiva Boutique. I try to get several designs done ahead of time and release one each week.

x

x

And, of course, new martini recipe cards for The Martini Diva:

So now I'm fully back in the "flow" and feeling my spirits and positivity lift on a daily basis - though I have to watch for those sneaky little Negativity Monsters, they like to creep up behind you and get you when you're not looking! Oh, and I'm faster with the mute button and I have imaginary blinders on to screen out the headlines!

VISUALIZE, VISUALIZE: I am using a new technique a friend taught me for visualization. I'm supposed to remember times when I was doing my best financially and bring that emotion into my visualizations for the present. It's like rewriting - you take a good memory and tweak it with current events but keep the positive emotions from the actual memory! Interesting that as a visual artist I find it easier to do this by writing the "story" instead of making a "movie" in my head.

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: First, you have to be aware, you have to be vigilant about your thoughts and where they are going! It's easy to slide back into old habits of negativity without knowing you're doing it. My first clue was my lack of energy and passion for my work. I had to stop, pay attention to how I was looking at my life and put the brakes on the old baggage of "what if" thinking. I had to look back and see that somehow I always found a way to keep afloat - even during the worst economic downturns! I had to see myself as a person able to use my creativity to create more work, more income and more good things! I had to get mad first, I don't like feeling down and for me getting mad always gets me fired up and energized. Then I had to do something about it - like seeing all the negativity as a challenge.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: I'm grateful for my passion for my art and writing, it's my anti-depressant of choice! I'm grateful for friends who listen when you're down and point out things you cannot see. I'm grateful that the Spring weather is sunny and the jasmine is blooming and making the air smell wonderful outside. I'm grateful for waking up to birds singing and Pixel's tail wagging and morning kisses.

------------------------

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

DO YOU VALUE YOURSELF AS AN ARTIST AND A PERSON?

2009-04-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

Though I was redecorating these last few weeks, I actually did get eight new Martini Art pieces done - below are two of my newest Illustrated Martini Nano stories done for The Martini Diva (and as spot illustrations for the martini book) and two new recipe cards that use some of my newest martini art designs. I haven't uploaded the newest designs to my website or store yet so I'll post them here when I do!

Other than that I am doing some adjustments to one client's websites and starting to build another - yes, I know I don't like doing websites but these are favors (although paid favors!)

That statement brings me to my focus for today's post - growing to believe in your own value as a person both professionally and personally. I spent too many years thinking it was egotistical to say "I'm good at what I do and I deserve to be paid accordingly". The problem with that belief is this - it's misplaced humility and it damages your view of yourself and how others will see you, not to mention how it can damage your income!

It took me a few years, but one day I realized how good I am at what I do and I learned that it's okay to admit it, be proud of it and state the facts! A lot of that belief came from learning to love myself, be grateful for what I have and see what others have to offer. My efforts to be a better person, be happier and be positive also allowed me to finally see my value and my talents and accept and embrace them!

I believe wholeheartedly that my work and my time are highly valuable and I have no trouble pointing that out. Education, experience and talent are commodities that not everyone has and those who do deserve to be compensated for them. The concept of "perceived value" is something all professionals should keep in mind - because the still prevailing mindset of the monetary world is "you get what you pay for" - if people don't pay you they think your work/time has no value and treat you accordingly! You have value and so does your time!

I do not do any graphics work or consultations for free FOR ANYONE! I found out many years (make that decades!) ago that anything done for free is rarely appreciated and "pro bono" work is usually the biggest pain of all. I always charge a fee, if only a nominal one.

I believe that we must value ourselves if we want to be valued by others. That's not to say I don't believe in giving, I do and I have often donated pieces of my art to worthy causes. I also believe in giving my time - but I give my time in ways unrelated to my profession. Why? Because, first it keeps my personal time separate from my work time and second, it brings me into places and around people outside my normal work world allowing me to expand my horizons a bit.

I guess what I'm trying to say is you don't have to be a doormat in order to be a good person. To be a contributing member of society you have to have something to contribute and you have to believe in yourself and your abilities. If you don't believe in yourself it is a very hard road to help others! A little backbone is a good thing to have - it means you value yourself. If you value yourself then you value others! Then you're in a good position to help others.

VISUALIZE, VISUALIZE: I have seen my dream homes in my head many times over my lifetime. This image has changed as my life changed but the main dream was always for a space that suited my lifestyle and fit my personality. My current home is starting to come together in a way that has surprised me. Things I've had for years, collected or created are fitting into my home perfectly - almost like this was where they were intended for from the beginning. This has surprised me but it shouldn't - the thoughts behind all the "visuals" was always a place that suited me and, for the time, this home suits me quite well as well as imparts my personality!

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: I'm happier now that I have gained the honesty and courage to say I'm good at what I do! False humility is a path to resentment and to unhappiness with your work and life. What a big waste of time!

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: I'm grateful for my house shaping up into a great place. I'm grateful for the great Spring weather that makes me want to get out and enjoy the outdoors. I'm grateful for the people who have helped me the last few months. I'm grateful it's Sunday and now I get to go out and enjoy the day! Later!

----------------------

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

Illustrated Lemons, Raspberries, Easter Bunnies and Nano Fiction

2009-03-22T05:08:00.000-07:00

I'm into Spring colors this month thanks to the beautiful weather announcing the advent of budding flowers, fresh veggies and fruits from the garden and Easter coming up. These colors are working nicely with my new hand drawn style illustrations for my own product line of fine art giclees and products for my online store. (You can click either image above to buy that Martini Art on things like tees, aprons, coasters, cups and other fun products.)

This new sketchy, cartoon style illustration work also sparked another idea - illustrated fiction for my upcoming Martini book. I've been working on this idea for a while and somehow these new doodles brought it all together. I have several little micro stories I've written with a martini theme for the book and they were just waiting for these illustrations to happen. I did a quick black and white one for The Martini Diva but it's really more of a nano story - only 2 short sentences tell the tale. I'll keep the one page stories for the book but I like the idea of these nano stories for the martini website/blog. They'll also make great little spot illustrations for the book.

And, finally getting smart, I am now doing my martini recipe cards at the same time as I do the original art for my website and boutique. I wanted to come up with a new look for my recipe cards that worked in with the new sketchy style hand drawn art and thought why not use the same design? Duh, took me long enough to figure that out. So here's the new martini recipes for the last week. You can click each recipe card for that martini recipe and the full sized, free martini recipe card:

And with Easter coming up I had to do this kinda snarky humorous Easter design called Easter Schmeaster - it includes a recipe for rabbit stew! Yes, my humor does get a little dark at times, especially when I'm bombarded with so much fluffy cute like I am at Easter! If you're kinda snarky about Easter too - or just like a nice chardonnay with your rabbit - click the design to order some of my apparel, home decor or gifts.

I also finished and uploaded a website for a client and started work on another. I am not a web designer, I don't like it doing it - except when I'm doing my own sites and even that is more hard work than fun. But I do it if a client insists - I am good at optimizing for search engines and helping them get their content SEO friendly. I do like doing the graphics for websites - the logos, mastheads and images they need to use. That's more of a branding/image approach and that I enjoy. But the coding for web design and all the glitchy crap that happens trying to design for multiple platforms, screen sizes and resolutions and internet speeds drives me nuts. It's like math, ugh. It's too hard to really make any website aesthetically pleasing.

So, it's been a week of Spring and renewal for me - I'm redecorating my home too! This all has brought my mood up and away from all the fear that is floating around about the economy. I had to turn off the television and get that negative crap out of my head and this new line of spring-ish sketching and art has been a great way to do that. Plus it seems to have tied up several loose strings in my business plan goals! The martini book now has a very clear graphic direction, I'm designing one image that works for several design requirements and I'm hearing the birds starting to sing outside in the mornings. Spring has sprung for PopArtDiva, the Normal Challenged Artist!

VISUALIZE, VISUALIZE: Since I'm redecorating my main focus has been on seeing some cool, retro furniture and great textures and colors in my home. No surprise, I'm going with accents of turquoise and lavender with a bit of light magentas and a teeny dash of lime (spring colors - Break Out the Martinis will give you an idea of my color palette!).

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: I have been allowing the generalized fear about the economy to get me down. Last week I just got over it, I decided not to let that in and to focus my energies where I am happiest - on my art, writing and creative endeavors. Funny how the minute I did that my emotional level went up, huh? I am always at my best when I'm creating.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: I am grateful I got out that anger, fear and frustration that had seeped in (I use my Brat in the Hat blog to vent - it's my personal therapist!) and got my "good" back. I'm grateful for my sense of humor which somehow always restores my sense of balance as it did about all that banking/economy stuff. I'm grateful it's warm enough that I can have Pixel groomed for Spring. I'm grateful for coffee because without it I wouldn't have enough sense to be writing this blog at 6 a.m. on a Sunday!

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

ROBOTS,TWEETS, PLATITUDES, YOKO or HOOTENANNYS - It's All Art To Me!

2009-03-15T06:55:00.001-07:00

I spent this last week working to get ahead of the game. I'm going to be setting up a new internet connection on the first and just in case getting internet cable is like getting television cable, where you never know when they're going to show up, I wanted to have several posts queued up for automatic uploading.

Plus I've kept up my sketching, here's a beatnik cartoon below for my retro boomer blog's "Folk Music Retrospective HOOTENANNY."

I've also done some stream of consciousness doodling, like this one below "dam, another Broken Robot?". It started out as a doodle of a square box and ended up this way - and PLEASE don't ask me where this came from - I have no bloody idea, lol. I posted it on my Twit Wall - it seemed appropriate. I actually kind of like it - it's just silly enough to make me laugh.

I'm continuing my work on a series of new pieces for my Martini Art series. I also format these for products for my Martini Art Department at my online store, but I've also decided to use them for a new look for my free recipe cards at The Martini Diva. Below are two I've finished and uploaded to the store already:

THREE MARTINIS - Apparel, Home Decor & Gifts

LEMON AID - LEMON DROP MARTINI - Apparel, Home Decor & Gifts

I also did up a quick couple of photo montages for my Saturday Soapbox post on micro-blogging sites like Twitter - this one's Yoko but I also did one for Ringo - both of who are Twittering with the rest of us!

I'm really enjoying the new style of Martini Art I'm doing - it's utilizing my sketching as well as allowing me to doodle in one of my favorite graphics programs - Corel Painter. That is THE BEST painting program - you have use of all sorts of mediums from felt tip pens to crayons, pastels and oils and you can use them on the same canvas! In digital art you don't have the issue of chemical incompatibility that you do in real life art. Plus there's some great filters and layers that allow you to experiment with different approaches - layers are digital art's answer to tissue paper overlays, lol. I love doing abstracts and backgrounds in Corel Painter.

The new series for my Martini Art seems to have sparked a bunch of synchronicity - I decided to use them for my martini recipe cards as well as for my website and store, then I created a Garlic Martini so I could use the Three Martini art as a recipe card (the martini rocked but you have to love garlic and make your own garlic vodka.) Then I was asked to enter it into a contest (wish me luck!).

I noticed a lot of puzzle pieces falling into place this week - things I've been doing without really knowing why (doodling again) have suddenly become part of several different endeavors and projects. This is often the case for me, I'll be like this hive with all these little idea bees buzzing around and then - bzzzzt - all the little bees fly home to deliver the honey!

That's why I never toss out a sketch or an idea, sometimes the Universe knows what you're doing before you do, lol. This is a lesson I am finally learning after 5 decades - "Man plans, God laughs" - to me this means I really don't have any control and going with the flow is a healthier option than swimming upstream! Instead of trying to figure it all out and shove everything into a box, I'm finally getting the hang of "Let Go and Let God" and "it'll all come out in the wash". Think it took me long enough?

VISUALIZE VISUALIZE: I'm visualizing a whole bunch of puzzle pieces floating down to complete a beautiful picture of my life, my home and my work!

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: What used to drive me nuts before - the "not knowing" and the stubbornness of life to just ignore all your plans - is now something I see as adventure and happy surprises. It's funny how "in the moment" things that seem negative can turn out to be truly some of the best things that happen!

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: I'm glad I'm still able to learn new things. I'm glad this dog can be taught new tricks. I'm really grateful someone out there designed Corel Paint, graphite and sketch pads. And I'm grateful to be alive on a Sunday morning.

--------------------

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

ART IS NOT EASY!

2009-03-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

For some reason there is the belief out there that being an artist is easy. Sitting at an art show people would often say things like, "oh, it must be nice to make money for sitting and enjoying a nice day" or "what a great job to get paid to just paint"

Gotta tell ya, these statements irritated the hell out of me. Not only had I gotten up in the wee hours of the morning to get to that art show, I had spent up to four hours doing heavy labor setting up my booth and I was stuck there in good or bad weather - they could get in their car and go home. And just where did they think my paintings (the ones I had just painted) had come from? The art fairies?

I worked a minimum 80 hour week earning my living at the art shows. It was hard work but I won't go into the details here, if you're interested in the life of a traveling artist you can read an article I wrote originally for a Scottsdale newspaper "An Open Letter to All Art Show Patrons". After you read it you'll understand why I retired last Spring.

I still work that many hours. Art is not easy - it's work. It's work that I love but it's hard work. It takes not only talent and passion, it takes education and dedication - and lots of time. And every artist is their own worst critic - we strive for perfection and, of course, we fail. Not only do we give our time to our vocation we give our heart so when things don't work out right or we are having a bad day it affects our emotions and our attitudes.

I bring this up because yesterday was not one of my better days at the business of creating art. It started out great - I finished up two really fun new Martini Art sketches which you can check out at The Martini Diva and I really loved them. Then I started on the background for a third and things went south from there. I ended up with a headache and a back attempting to spasm into the screaming mimis thanks to a monitor in a bad position.

I sat there with a heating pad on my back and pondered - yet again - why I became a professional artist and why I remain one after 40 years. And I was sitting there with a sketch pad and pencil in my lap! My feelings towards what I do has not changed since I wrote my Artist's Statement so many years ago. I love being an artist.

But anyone who says art is easy isn't doing it right.

-------------------------------

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

Doing pencil sketches and doodles - Back to the Basics

2009-03-06T08:46:00.000-08:00

Last month I started doodling again. A few months back I had started to do pencil sketch cartoons for a couple of books I'm writing and found a great personal fulfillment in doing hand drawn art again. Then I decided I needed some art just for me - just drawing for drawing's sake - doodles to feed my soul.

I've spent most of my time doing digital art in the last few years (though I was still creating original art for the shows until last May), and most of my work has been produced for some commercial project of mine or a client. These doodles are mine and mine alone. Little zen moments of time with graphite, paper and imagination.

This one entitled "Hand Drawn" happened when I was looking at my own hand resting on the drawing pad while trying to think of what I wanted to doodle!

What do these have to do with positive creativity? They bring me back to what I loved about art in the first place, they are pure, they come from the unconscious and they are an expression of creativity in the most positive way. Don't forget to sketch, doodle and devote some of your art time to just you and your first love - art for art's sake.

VISUALIZE - VISUALIZE: Let the pencil, pen, brush and paper visualize for you. Let your ideas flow from the Universe and not your world centered mind. Visualize the joy of the flow, the excitement of the movement and the surprise at the end result.

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: What is one man's doodle is another man's great great art. I had to overcome my judgemental, critical mind to really get started on my doodling and enjoy it. Once I let go of the idea it had to be "great art" or "professional" I freed myself up and let the fun in.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: I'm grateful I found my way back to my "roots" so to speak. I'm grateful I am able to share some of my silliness and sketchy thoughts. I'm grateful I'm an artist.
---------------------

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

The Ultimate Art Question: WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS?

2009-03-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

I get asked all the time, "Where do you get your ideas?" Frankly, there's no easy answer to that question. I get ideas from everywhere, any time, all the time.

Ideas are like trees, they start as a seed, grow fruit and give more seeds! They also have lots of branches to explore! What may seem like a random thought or a case of your mind wandering is sometimes the creative process brewing. Sometimes that little seed might not seem like much but it could grow into a mighty forest. Hey, Microsoft was just a seed in the mind of Bill Gates decades ago!

It's a natural ability in the human thought process to explore and to expand. Before you toss out a random thought stop and examine it - it might be the kernel of a brilliant idea! Of course, it might be just a brain fart, but if you immediately blow it off you'll never know where it could have led you. Make a practice of examining your thoughts before you ignore them, let them ease on down the road map of your head and see where they end up. If it's a dead end all you've lost is a bit of daydream time but it could fork off down a new path of creativity and even commerce.

Ideas are always popping up in my head. Ideas for new art, new products, a book, a business and the occasional brain fart which leads nowhere, BUT, I always make a note in my phone of each idea, no matter how silly or trivial. I add all these thoughts to my “think tank” file for future reference. If I find myself uninspired I go through this file to see if something there sparks another idea. I am surprised at how many times some of these stray "brain farts" fit in nicely with a current project I'm working on.

Ideas and inspiration can come from anywhere at anytime which is why I always have a way to record them. I use my phone since it's always at hand and has both a voice recorder and a sticky notes feature, but you might want to keep a notepad, sticky notes or even a mini digital voice recorder at hand. Ideas are fleeting and ethereal, they can disappear like a whiff of smoke. Capture that smoke, bottle that lightening because it might be the start of an explosion of greatness!

Keep in mind that you don't have to jump on each idea as it occurs to you. You can set it on a back burner and let it simmer a bit, come back to it when the time is right. To everything there is a season. Timing is a big part of successful ideas. That idea might not be ready to germinate in the now but there is a reason it came to you. Be aware that time is fluid when it comes to ideas! Maybe your future brain is sending back that idea as a bit of fertilizer - don't mistake it for b.s. - it might just be nourishment for the soil of your thought garden!

--------------------

Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

ART, BOOMER POWER, LIFE & HOT DOGS

2009-02-22T07:24:00.000-08:00

I've been busy this week designing graphics for another new project I started called The Boomer Power Crusade. Yeah, I know, another project? But I got all excited after a Growing Bolder Twitter chat at AgeOp on the problems facing Boomers in today's world and the best way for me to make any statement is with art!

The top design is the first one and was sort of my template for the series called "DOWN WITH AGEISM" - a retro styled graphic with the main element being a protest sign and an empowering message bordering the sign's statement. This design allows me to change the background graphic and the sign's message to create new crusade goals. I did up a few more (below) and have since been jotting down slogans for the rest of the series of Boomer Protest Art.

I have to be honest with you - this is a fun group of graphics and illustrations for me. I get to do the kind of graphic art that I like and I get to be a little smart ass at the same time. Happy, happy, joy, joy! I love tongue in cheek, in your face humor - as long as it's tasteful and not too raunchy!

ART ART

I also created another design for The Feisty Side of Fifty's soon to be launched Cafe Press boutique - Sixty, Sassy & Sensational (below) and I'm working on 3 more for Eileen which will be included in the next blog post. If my designs have a similar theme as Eileen's it's because Eileen, Joyce Mason (Hot Flashbacks, Cool Insights) and I are going to be putting together another little project where we are all involved as a group (more on that later!)

Plus I'm working on a web design and web graphics for an ad client of mine. I don't really look for web design jobs, in fact I kind of avoid it nowadays, but if a client asks I'll do one for them. Frankly, I think doing web design as a profession is going to be extinct very soon - there are many online platforms that 90% of would be web owners can use themselves, including blogging platforms. (I myself will probably be testing out a new online web platform called Square Space for my next major website.)

BUT, that being said, there is still a huge market for a web graphics designer - because no matter how easy it is to put content on a website - making the graphics and art content requires more than a graphics software program. It requires a trained graphic designer. It doesn't hurt if that designer is also experienced in marketing and advertising! Yes, that would be me - d'oh!

While I've been busy creating, Pixel (my Yorkipoo) has been busy pretending to be a mother. She's in her bi-annual nesting mode and is hormonal as all get out. And I emphasize the "moan" part - she's whining almost non-stop. And she insists on carrying around her "baby" - a little hot dog squeeky toy that has seen better days. She will not drop it, she frets if it comes up missing and she won't even let go of it long enough to eat a cookie! Poor baby - the doggy estrogen is rampaging, thank heaven this only lasts a week or so! I'm forced to work with headphones on to block out the whimpering!

So, all my thoughts this last week have been centered around agesim, baby boomer art and motherless yorkies - all in a positive frame, of course!

VISUALIZE - VISUALIZE: I'm seeing lots of web traffic and moolah from all my new age oriented designs. I've already seen a huge increase in hits on my main 3 blogs and website from my new targeting campaign. I'm also visualizing the end of dental work and I'm ignoring the steps in between.

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: Age is something that happens to all of us. We can let the gray hairs and the added wrinkles depress us so much that we give up. That is the fastest path to senility! I prefer to see my aging process as a natural part of life, treat it with humor and attempt to turn it into a whole new passage in my life. I'm not getting older - I'm becoming a classic and classics are worth more!

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: Yup, already said it - I'm very grateful this Pixel-Mama phrase only lasts a week or so. I'm really grateful for headsets - OMG, am I grateful. I'm grateful for the inspiration from Growing Bolder for this whole new series of graphics - they are a great bunch of people over there and they actually pay attention to their members!

Now, you boomers out there, click on the images above - grab a tee or something for your home and Join the Boomer Power Crusade!
-------------
Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

WHERE'S THE ART TOOTH FAIRY WHEN YOU NEED HER?

2009-02-15T11:55:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks have been difficult for me. I'm going through the process of getting some serious dental work done and the pain has been a pain, sorry for the bad pun! I don't know about you but tooth pain is the worst for me. I've had bleeding ulcers, I've had my ankle ripped open to the bone in a motorcycle accident and I've dealt with a seriously tweaked back for 20 years but they never got me down. But one darn bad tooth and I'm whining like a baby! And I have more than one bad tooth!

I actually have had to take a few days and not work - OMG, I must be sick, lol.

Even with some serious dental issues going on in the last few weeks I've managed to complete 3 new designs for my friend Eileen for her new Feisty Side of Fifty products (coming soon to a CafePress store near you!)

Eileen's blog is baby boomer themed and aimed at boomer women - and since Eileen herself identifies so strongly with the sixties decade, we're going with a sixties/hippie feel updated to today's over 50 women.

(The following 3 designs are copyrighted 2009 by Feisty Side of Fifty.com and All Rights are Reserved. No permission is given to share, distribute, copy, post, or reproduce without written permission from Feisty Side of Fifty.)
I can't wait to see these on some tees and cups and other fun stuff - hint, hint, Eileen, Spring is coming and I could use a few nice new tee shirts, lol!!

And, btw, if you want to sell products and need some great graphics and/or slogan help - feel free to contact me at NeedGraphics@popartdiva.com! I'll be happy to give you a quote.

--------------------

And I also designed a couple of recipe cards for The Martini Diva and The Diva of Tiny Foods this week - the Academy Awards are this coming Sunday, Feb 22nd. I'm a big Oscar fan and love to treat the night as a party and figure others might want to do the same so it's Oscar Fans week at both sites all week.

-------------------

And I've posted a piece of martini greeting card art on my Easy Greeting Cards site, The Cosmopolitan Martini Recipe and will be posting another later today!

------------------

Plus I'm going to add another feature here occasionally - a revisit to some of my existing art! Today I'm revisiting THE MONA LISA MEETS MODERN CONSUMERISM:

From The PopArtDiva Boutique

------------------

VISUALIZE VISUALIZE: Mostly I've been visualizing new teeth. But I have also been visualizing the kinds of food I'm going to get to eat again with them! Sore teeth and crunchy foods don't mix and I love crunchy!

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: Though I dislike having pain and having to take pain pills it has allowed me to catch up on some more reading and watch some movies I've been wanting to see. I haven't produced the amount of work that I usually do and I was beating myself up over it a bit (especially after taking some "me" days earlier this month!), but I think the universe might have a reason for this little dip in productivity so I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt, at least for the time being.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE:

I'm grateful I'm finally getting the teeth issue resolved. No, I'm not looking forward to the actual work but I'm casting my visions forward to when it's all done and over and I'm crunching on nuts and a nice juicy steak again!
I'm grateful I have to time to be able to baby myself and my sore teeth right now. My usual work schedule is not one that allows for any amount of pampering or whining. Hey, it's okay to whine occasionally - just don't make a habit of it!
I'm grateful it's something that can be taken care of. There are many people out there who suffer from illnesses that never go away. My issues are temporary. This is a blessing.
I'm grateful for the fun designs that I got to do for Eileen at Feisty Side of Fifty - they're kinda cool if I do say so myself!
I'm grateful for my little Pixel who comes up to me and gives me "boo boo kisses" when I'm hurting - how cute is it that my little dog is trying to kiss away the pain? Awww.
From Pixel's MySpace

------------------
Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, ART, ART, ART - Back in the Saddle Again!

2009-02-02T13:29:00.005-08:00

I'm not even sure where to start I've been so busy doing new art! Okay, I'll just dive in.

First, I did these really fun drawings above for my Post Card Party Invitations for my newest site Easy Greeting Cards - each photo links to it's particular blog page.

Then I redesigned those images to be put on party products at my online store The PopArtDiva Boutique's Fun Department:

I'm also in the middle of doing a series of pop art, Peter Max style designs for a line of products for Feisty Side of Fifty. The first one is below:

And I did up some new Valentine's Day Theme recipe cards for all my Valentine recipes at The Martini Diva and The Diva of Tiny Foods:

Not to mention testing out all those recipes - oh my, the martini recipes were SO difficult to try out, lol!! I did four dessert recipes for this holiday - all chocolate, that was tough to handle too -NOT!

I also did a couple of other recipe card designs for The Martini Diva, in fact I usually do 3 new ones each week, but this one I thought you'd get a kick out of:

I've also been doing ad work and a power point presentation for some clients - nothing exciting so I won't bother posting an image here, but this is the kind of work that pays the bills so I can't complain about it!

VISUALIZE VISUZLIZE: So, what have I been working on in my personal and artistic growth area? Well, to be honest, not so much. My recent move has upset my normal life flow and I'm just now getting back into the swing of things. I haven't been consciously visualizing much of anything - except maybe dinner!

It happens, folks. We can't always be on top of everything in our life all the time and maybe that's a good focus for my positive thinking post today. GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK! Quit beating yourself up all the time for not being perfect! Maybe it's okay to visualize a day off!!

Actually I did visualize - I visualized a day off! I was so busy working that I needed a "me" day so I actually saw myself sitting out in the back, soaking in the sun, reading a book, and I saw myself primping and relaxing and watching tv! I planned some downtime. And guess what? That's what I did all day yesterday!!! It was freakin' great! I didn't touch my computers except to check my e-mail and then I SHUT THEM OFF! I even read a bit of Joy Luck Club again!

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: Sometimes working is not the best thing you can do. Sometimes not working is the best thing you can do. A fresh mind, a rested body and some downtime can do wonders for your attitude! I am much more aligned with myself after yesterday.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: I am grateful I allowed myself not to do something! I am grateful it was warm and sunny so I could soak up Vitamin D for a while. I'm grateful for good books and good drama on television that shuts off my overworking little noggin. I'm grateful I got to watch Pixel snoozing in the sun. I'm grateful for DVD recorder technology that allowed me something else to watch besides the Super Bowl. I'm grateful for Sundays.

-------------------
Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

EXCITEMENT CAN SOMETIMES THROW YOU OFF BALANCE

2009-01-11T10:12:00.014-08:00

Two weeks ago I got a brilliant idea! I decided to turn some of my art into greeting or note cards that were print on demand - cards with my designs where people could download a file, print it out on their own computer and in a few easy steps have an original and fun greeting card to mail out - all for only $2! No running to the store for an emergency card, no five dollar run of the mill cards anymore - only Easy Greeting Cards by PopArtDiva! Cool idea, huh?

I got so excited that I spent almost every waking hour (and a few unwaking hours!) working on this new project and business! This, of course, threw me off balance - it took away hours from other projects and most of my own personal down time too. But I don't think about this when I'm chomping at the bit to launch new projects - it only hits me when my physical body begins to complain at the lack of balance and personal pampering time.

So today I want to talk a little about balance because my friend Eileen, fr om Feisty Side of Fifty, wrote a wonderful post about that exact subject that inspired me to reinspect the balance in my life - again.

Now, one of my largest problems in balancing my life is the fact that I love my work! This would seem to be a good thing - and it is - but it is also sometimes the factor in unbalancing your personal and business sides! As you can see from my experience with launching E asy Greeting Cards, I tend to lean towards working 24/7. This is a habit that tends to tilt my life a little heavy on the business side - making my personal side a little light in the final analysis. (Example: Below are other new designs I thought of and created and uploaded to The PopArtDiva Boutique during my Easy Greeting Card Marathon!)Why the Elvis image? Because January 8th was Elvis Birthday and I did a week long Elvis Tribute at The PopArtDiva Baby Boomer Blog!

Now, when I retired from the art shows I got an extra little gift called Weekends - for nearly 30 years a weekend for me was just a set of 18 hour days of extra work setting up a portable store and selling from dawn to dusk. Then suddenly I got Weekends back - my God, I didn't know what to do with all those extra hours! I was so excited that I took the first few weekends and enjoyed them! I did mani-pedis, I read the newspaper and books, I fixed some things - I puttered! Holy blooming cow, I puttered - little old type Triple-A, workaholic me diddled around doing nothing of value!

Guess what, I felt rested, happy and more energized for working!? Duh-oh - boink - slap me on the forehead. . . . getting rest is good for you??? So I decided right then and there that Saturdays were going to be, at least partly, time for catching up on my personal things and not all work.

Sundays - Well, Sundays were going to be sacrosanct! Sundays were going to be for me and only little ole me. My newly painted toes, my book reading, my boob tube watching, my lazing in the bed until 9 am, me, myself and I. And it was my day to post to this blog because this blog is about my art and creating a better life for myself through that art and (guess what?) - Balance!

Of course, being the little creative workazoid that I am - I got excited over some new art project and I violated my own rules - working on both Saturdays and Sundays ALL DAY - several times! It's so easy to slide back into old patterns, isn't it?

But two steps forward and one step back is still one step forward! And I'm getting right back on my Sacred Sunday Bandwagon today!! See - I am posting to this blog again and later I'm painting my little toes and watching a bunch of really pointless DVDs! Thank you, Eileen, for reminding me to keep my balance!

VISUALIZE VISUALIZE: I see myself out in the beautiful California weather, having a luxurious lunch by the seaside - martini in hand, umbrella shading me from freckles and a lovely sea breeze ruffling my spiky coiffure - on Sunday!
I see myself taking a work day off to go to Disneyland for my birthday this coming week!
I see myself driving to the beach, lunch basket and Pixel on the seat, and great Beach Boy tunes playing to get me in the mood for Newport Beach, sun, sand and the sounds of the ocean
I see myself living a more balanced life as I pay more respect to my personal needs.

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: Here's the funny thing about taking a little time for yourself and giving your personal life a little respect - it's the one thing that recharges you to work and give to others. A little well balanced selfishness is a very good thing! Mom, sorry, but you're guilt has lost it's flavor - I believe in good selfishness because I believe in me!

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: I am so grateful for Weekends. I am grateful for Eileen reminding me to have Weekends and bring balance back into my life.
I am also grateful for the wonderful California weather and being able to sit outside and soak up a bit of sun when I take a break from work.
I am grateful for a happy Pixel who loves this weather too.
I am grateful for friends who give my life meaning.
I am grateful for you, my reader, for giving my blogs a reason to be written!

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

A NOSTALGIC CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR YOU - Peter Pan with Mary Martin

2008-12-24T09:21:00.002-08:00

As A Special Holiday Treat for all you Baby Boomers
and Children Who Will Never Grow Up

I am presenting:
THE ENTIRE BROADCAST OF
PETER PAN
Starring MARY MARTIN
at The PopArtDiva Retro Baby Boomer Blog

YESTERDAY: PARTS ONE THROUGH SEVEN
TODAY: PARTS EIGHT TO END
SPECIAL SONGS from Peter Pan

ENJOY THE NOSTALGIA AND
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE
from POP ART DIVA!

NEW HOME, NEW ART & NEW BEGINNINGS

2008-12-21T13:10:00.012-08:00

Though I've been a little remiss in posting here the last few months because of my big move home to California, I have not been sitting idle! If you remember from my last post at the end of October I was notified I would have to move by the first of December.

This created a lot of work finding a new place to live, packing and uprooting my life but it also gave me my opportunity to move back home to California. On top of moving I still had to maintain my sites, create holiday art for my online store, The PopArtDiva Boutique, and continue to write and create art and content for my blogs, as well as finish up a large ad campaign. So, I have been busy creating even while I was boxing up 13 years of my life!

Below are some of the designs I've done for holiday products (Christmas and Halloween art and designs are always fun), plus a really funny parody on Starbucks Coffee inspired by one of their mugs I got as a gift from a friend, as well as a sketch for the baby boomer comic book novel I'm working on. I also did about 50 ads for that big campaign but won't bore you with posting those!

Needless to say November was a very busy and very stressful month for me. I asked the Universe/God for a new home in California and I got it! Now, I didn't get exactly what I wanted. . . because I didn't ask for exactly what I wanted. And that is a big thing I learned recently, you really do have to "be careful what you ask for" - and you have to be specific!

I asked to be living in California and I am. I even did sketches of my kitchen, bedroom and my bathroom and if you scroll down to my previous post you'll see the sketches I created to help with my visualization of my new home. I have all these wonderful things and I love them, but I forgot to put them just a little closer to the ocean in my drawings and my thoughts! So I am living in California inland from the beach a few hours! See, you have to get those details in!!!

But, never fear! This is a temporary home for the time being, a respite and an oasis in my migration West while I wait for my beach home to manifest! Yes, it is coming and all that is required on my part is a little patience! (Oh, that word - patience - not my strongest suit! But that is a life lesson for another day - today I am focusing on visualizations and how to fine tune them!)

So, as I head into the New Year I am happily living back in California where the sun is gentle upon my face, Pixel has a huge house and yard to play in and there is a Trader Joe's down the street. That's because I asked for and saw those wonderful things in my future and brought them into existance. Now I need to add an ocean breeze and some sand under my toes to the picture!

AND I'm going to Disneyland for my Birthday next month! Why? Because when I saw that ad on TV I "saw" myself there for my 58th Birthday! I wanted it and I visualized it, complete with all my friends! I might be missing a little bit of sand for a while but I'll be happily getting my picture taken with Mickey Mouse and all my BFFs in three weeks!

VISUALIZE VISUALIZE:
I am going to be drawing up some pictures that have beach umbrellas, footprints in the sand and some flip flops nearby to bring my beach home closer and closer. I will also be visualizing myself working long hours at the computer designing ads and laying out my books. I will also be visualizing sun screen for Pixel - she's a blond and you know how they burn!

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT:
Though this is a wonderful house and it's in a beautiful area with rolling hills and civilization it's not exactly where I want to be forever. But it's fine for now and I'm seeing this as sort of an extended vacation in a beautiful country inn - something like a place I would rent to work on a book and have some solitude! I feel like I'm living in the French country side temporarily but when my book is finished I'll be heading back to my beach house!

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE:

I am extremely grateful for my country house sabatical
I am grateful for the California sun and even the little Winter Wonderland that came in and surprised me this last week with 4 inches of snow and snowflakes the size of a half dollar!
I am really grateful for Trader Joes, movie theaters closeby, beautiful sunsets, martinis with friends and some great dinners!
I am grateful I will be spending Christmas with good friends and I got to buy and wrap Christmas presents again.
I am grateful for my Christmas Tree with Pixel by my side and Holiday Martinis by the fire
I am grateful for new beginnings

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

MOVING DAY: Freak Out or Just Draw Up Your Dream Home

2008-10-19T16:37:00.007-07:00

This last week was stressful. What can I say? I'm busy posting to my blogs, drawing and writing for my Pop Culture Blog and Retro Graphic Novel, creating Halloween Martini Recipes and Halloween Finger Foods and the recipe cards for both those blogs, as well as working on the same big ad campaign when I get notified I have to move by the first of December! (BTW, you can see some of my latest novel sketches and Halloween art at those links above and you can buy my Halloween designs on apparel, home items and gifts at my Halloween Section of The PopArtDiva Boutique.)

Crap! Moving is a pain at the best of times, at the worst of times it is hell - sorry, but that is the only word for it! It's time consuming, back breaking and costly! So, what did I do? Spent the first part of the week being a good little artist during the day and doing my work then spending my nights tossing and turning as I fretted over being "put out on the street" with no idea of where I'll go. And then my kitchen faucet sprang a leak - like I needed something else!

Then I got some great encouragement from my fellow baby boomer Diva, Joyce, not only from her personally but from her great insights on her blog. She gave me a great affirmation: "I am being led to the perfect home for Pixel and me with everything we need to meet all our needs plus some pleasant- surprise extras!" which made me realize I could use this development to change my life for the better and move into a better home!

Thanks to Joyce, instead of griping and complaining and stressing over the move, I am now manifesting a better home for myself and Pixel! I have started sketching the home I want - the kitchen, the bathroom, the bedroom, a patio with great big private walls - making sure I put myself and/or Pixel in the picture somewhere!

It also helped me enjoy celebrating Pixel's ninth birthday on Friday too! She got a new "bed", some special "cookies" and a horribly annoying toy that she adores because it's motion activated, noisy and wiggles when she whacks it on the floor! Thank the Universe it's cover is velcroed on and I can give it a wash and replace the batteries! Happy Birthday 2 Pixel! Noisy Days 4 Pixel's Mom!

VISUALIZE VISUALIZE:
I am visualizing what I want in pictures and drawings! A picture is worth a thousand words, so they say, so these sketches should have some great manifesting power and magic! I'm leaving where the home is to the Universe though I am picturing perfect weather and a lot of martinis outside on my patio in the evenings and coffee in the mornings!

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT:
It's better to see this as an adventure and an opportunity for change for the better. Not only does this reset my emotional vibration but it's really helped me to get a decent night's sleep and eased that knot in my stomach! Not to mention I have renewed my creative energy!! You can see that from the Pop Art Pet Portrait I finished for Traveling Bob!

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE:

I am extremely grateful that Joyce is my friend!!
I am grateful for all the birthdays I've had with Pixel and all the birthdays I will have with Pixel in the future!
I am grateful for the ad campaign which creates work for me.
I am grateful I have the ability to draw my visions and create my world with a pencil and color.
I am grateful I have a friend who's coming over to fix my broken kitchen sink faucet too!
I am grateful it's almost Halloween - one of my favorite Holidays and my favorite subject matter to draw at this time of year too - I just love the combination of oranges, greens, purples and blacks.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

One Little Idea, Two New Books, Hundreds of Sketches and a few Halloween Martinis!

2008-09-28T19:33:00.006-07:00

Creativity leads to more creativity - Ideas feed on possibilities!

Have you ever noticed that when you open your mind to possibilities your mind opens up to you? I've always known that my artistic creativity fed on itself and the more I involved myself in being creative the more creative I became.

I've discovered in the last couple of months that this creatvity flows over into the "non-artistic" parts of my life if I pay attention.

Case in point, I am working on a Martini Recipe book. I am either at or very close to the 100 recipe mark at TheMartiniDiva and I promised myself that was the magic number for a book. I knew I was going to do art for the book - hey, I don't do anything without art - but an interesting thing happened along the road to the book's concept.

Here is the scenario. I write a Retro Pop Culture blog and relate a lot of my posts to my life growing up in the fifties, sixties and seventies. It would have been wonderful to post old photographs of my life and my family, but I do not have any of my photos with me, they're all in storage in California. So, I did a quick little pencil sketch for one post which evolved into a cartoon of me in the eighties.
I took one look at the sketch and realized it would be a wonderful chapter illustration for a book I was thinking of writing about growing up a baby boomer and my illustrated "comic, retro graphic novel" began!

Then I realized that this could be a great way to bring art into my Martini Book as well and did a quick sketch of a martini glass. But the really cool thing was this sketch inspired a little one page story and all of a sudden my Martini Recipe book evolved into something much larger.

So, I am in the middle of writing and illustrating two books and it all came from the fact that I didn't have a photograph to post to the PopArtDiva Retro Pop Culture blog.

Of course, this all comes at the same time as a big ad campaign that I'm designing for so my work load has increased on an exponential level! But the busier I get, the more organized I get and the more I get done. Amazing what can be done when it has to be done and when you let the possibilities in!

Not only that but I am gearing up for the holidays. Today I designed this year's Halloween Martini Recipe Card and completed the last 9 of my 14 Halloween recipes for posting in October. Next weekend I'll start my holiday designs for The PopArtDiva Boutique!

VISUALIZE VISUALIZE:
I am already checking out format options at Lulu.com for publishing my books. I can actually see the finished books in my mind! That's powerful visualization. I'm really excited and this encourages me to continue the sketches and the stories.

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT:
I didn't plan to get back into a lot of advertising design when I "retired" from the art shows, but it seems I'm in demand and I've always enjoyed the challenge of turning crappy input into decent graphic design. And you get a lot of crappy input sometimes. But instead of doing my usual complaining about how no one understands what it takes to turn crap into art, I've decided to treat each project as a challenge to develop a visually appealing layout no matter what kind of input comes in or how disorganized it is. I'm getting paid by the hour so if they want to pay me graphic design rates for basic office work, fine by me!

This new view of "crappy input" as "input challenge" has eased my stress and detoured me away from my usual path to bleeding ulcers!

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE:

I am grateful for the graphic design work because it means income.
I am grateful that I didn't have easy access to my old photos because the sketch I did turned into something that is going to be a joyful project and, possibly, a profitable pair of books.
I am grateful that I was able learn a new attitude towards an old irritation.
I am always grateful for Pixel and her daily playtime needs because she makes me laugh and teaches me to always spend a little time every day to play!

Happy October - I love Halloween and it's coming up - oh, just think of all the purples, greens and oranges I get to color this month and all the monsters and goblins I get to draw!
Halloween Designs coming soon to The PopArtDiva Boutique!

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

DO YOU HAVE TO ASK?

2008-09-13T16:31:00.006-07:00

This image is entitled "Why Me, God?" and is available as a free download for personal use only as a 5"x7" card image at PopArtDiva.com.
Post images Copyright 2008 by PopArtDiva.com. All rights reserved. No permission is given to copy, distribute or reproduce without written permission from PopArtDiva.com.
**********
Hey, You Big Chicken! ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE!

You'll have noticed I've been absent the last couple of weeks. Not really out of choice but out of a case of what I call "the blues". I won't give it that other word that starts with a "D" - it's like if you name something you give it life so I refrain from that as much as possible!

I've been experiencing a block to my creativity or rather a block to the enjoyment of my creativity - something that almost never happens to me! My creativity and my art have been my most reliable saviors. Through the loss of family members, bad economies, broken relationships and all the other "hard knocks" of life I have always been able to use some form of creative outlet to chase away "the blues" or keep them at bay until I could deal with them.

The past two weeks has been difficult for me because, though I worked, I was not enjoying it! To make matters worse I could not, for the life of me, figure out what brought this on. For a control freak like me that's just adding fuel to the fire! Not only was I "blue" I was beginning to get pissed off about it, lol!

So, I ASKED for some prayers and good thoughts from friends. They came through in spades and within 24 hours something absolutely amazing happened! Not only did I realize what it was that was creating this block to my muse, I discovered it was something that had been blocking my way to much of what I have wanted over the course of my life!

What was this block? Simple. It was "ASKING". I have never been able to ASK for anything easily. I had a hard time ASKING for the good thoughts I mentioned above! It was like pulling teeth for me to ASK for just the good thoughts! I spent 2 hours trying to decide if I would ASK. Give me a break!

Whether it is ego (won't admit the need for help) or lack of ego (don't believe the help is deserved) doesn't really matter to me at this point. I could not ASK and if you don't ASK you don't RECEIVE!

But you know what? I freaking DID IT! I girded my loins, looked at the big, ugly block of fear that had barricaded my way to so much of what I wanted in life and I took a flying leap over that ugly Mother of broken dreams! When I looked back I was surprised at how small that road block was! Why it was just a little bit of silliness wrapped up to look like the "Demon of Failure and Rejection"!

You see, what could it do to me? If you ASK, what do you have to lose really? Nothing in the big scheme of things - just the fear of rejection and what is that? Nothing. Fear is nothing. Rejection is nothing. It's only a temporary bruise to the ego and the ego ain't paying your bills or making you happy! Sometimes it's doing exactly the opposite!

ASK! ASK because all people can do is say no and no is just a word! No won't bite you! No can't hurt you if you don't let it. No is nothing. Not if you really want something bad enough! You'll take a No a million times if you have a Yes coming down the pipe!

ABUNDANCE COMETH:
So, how does this relate to abundance? Well, I have a really good idea for a product - I mean a really good idea. But this product would require large amounts of money and some business expertise I don't have.

Dear Me! I would have to ASK for something. I would have to ASK for help! Oh, my ego was having a hissy fit, it was drumming in my head, "No, No, I can't let you do that - you'll embarrass me. You don't have the right to ASK for something. I'm going to make you so sad you won't be able to ASK for anything!"

Something clicked in my head and I screamed back, "Shut up, Ego! Go to your room, you've been a bad Ego for decades and I've had enough of you! You are grounded and I don't want to see you again until you've learned your lesson!" And I sat down and wrote a letter and ASKED.

Whether or not this letter gets me what I desire remains to be seen. But in the simple act of ASKING I have opened up possibilities, possibilities that would not exist had I been to fearful to ASK. And possibilities are the pathway to abundance! Possibilities give you detours around road blocks, possibilities give you hope and hope gives you abundance! All you have to do is ASK!

I kind of like this ASKING. I think I'll do more of it in the future!

VISUALIZE VISUALIZE:
I am going to be visualizing my letter winging it's way into the "right" hands. I am going to visualize millions of bills floating gently down upon my product(s) from the sky. I am going to visualize some food too because right now I'm hungry. ASKING requires calories, lol!

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT:
I don't like being "blue". But if I had not had this bout of temporary "blueness" right now, at this moment in time I might never have seen that silly roadblock for what it was - just a bump and not a mountain.
For the first time in my life I see how the words "bad" and "good" are only concepts we apply to situations. What may be bad now might be a good thing for the future. Bad blues, Good blues? - Yup, it's all in how you look at it.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE:
I am deeply grateful that the thoughts and prayers that I ASKED for were sent my way.
I am grateful that I am, once again, free of the "blues" and happily regurgitating more ideas and doodling away.
I am grateful that I finally saw my fear of ASKING for the silly boogyman that it really was.
I am grateful for spaghetti - especially spaghetti with Italian Sausage!

Bye and go forth and ASK!

PopArtDiva.com - Where Retro Meets The New Millennium!
Retro Inspired Art, Comfort Food Recipes, Martini Madness and Trivia

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

YUP, REDESIGNED POP ART DIVA DOT COM'S HOMEPAGE AGAIN

2008-08-31T15:37:00.004-07:00

I redesigned my website a few months ago and I've been bugged by the busy look to the home page since I did it but I wasn't inspired until just this last Friday morning!

Suddenly the lightbulb went on over my head! I needed to use retro iconic images that fit with each division of my business or section of my website! Wow, a vintage lunch box for my pop culture art, a retro pop bottle for about the POP! And it would give me a cleaner look AND graphics for navigation!

Nowadays, you have to KISS - keep it simple stupid - and put up pictures so people know where to click. You've seen the cash registers now at fast food joints? They don't have numbers they have pictures! Want a hamburger - the clerk pushes the button with a hamburger on it, duh-oh!

I'm tickled pink because not only is this way more fun and in keeping with my "quest" but it's animated - I even have a rocket blasting off! So, take a second (you folks with dial-up might have to take a minute), click over and take a look - WAIT FOR IT! The animation takes about a minute or two to get to the rocket blast off - PopArtDiva be a retro happening cartoon station now!

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

REALIZATIONS = CREATIVITY = HAPPINESS: The Secret To Being A Happy Artist

2008-08-14T13:38:00.013-07:00

ABUNDANCE COMETH:
I finished this commission for a pop art sixties style portrait for Eileen William's Boomer Blog, The Feisty Side of Fifty which she will be using on her masthead there soon.
This turned out so wonderful and Eileen was really pleased and excited as it will work for all her media needs as well as for her new book. I loved this pop portrait because it was right up my pop culture art alley! This will definitely bring in more portrait commissions and I loved doing it! See, follow your passion and success will follow that!

Though I have been stressing over money (who doesn't these days?) I am holding fast to my belief that the Universe/God will provide. But that worry creeps in, doesn't it? Though the Universe/God did bring me another graphics job, plus I finished a logo so that check is coming, and another graphics job check is due any day, my past worry patterns insist on sticking little worry thorns in my side. "But what about tomorrow???" used to be my motto! This from someone who did art shows for a living and relied on the fickle art buying public?!

I was talking about this stressing behavior with my friend, Audrey, and she said I was "blocked". I understand that - I do have some serious brick walls to hurdle in my journey to trust. But, as we drank a couple of my Orange Julius Martinis from The Martini Diva.com, Audrey showed me an exercise to unblock myself (an EFT from the Boundless Living Challenge) - it's a simple mantra that you speak as you tap your pressure points. I thought - hey, it can't hurt and started to practice the exercise that evening.

The very next morning I got an e-mail about possibly getting a celebrity guest on my retro pop culture talk show. That is so huge for a show that's only been on for a month!

Plus it's not just one comedian - it's a flock of them I might get to interview - fun and business all rolled into one - I love it!

(BTW, here is the image/brand/logo I created for my show "Trippin' Down Memory Lane" - it's kind of my own pop art logo for my show and I really like the retro microphone, radio and player juxtaposed with the contemporary pop image of myself.)

Next thing? I sailed over my block about my creating how to videos on making various designer martinis and did my first video HOW TO MAKE A KEY LIME PIE MARTINI!

I've been wanting to do these videos for ages and just never "got to it" though it was a simple matter of making a video while I made martinis - something I do quite often!

This will not only create more buzz for TheMartiniDiva.com but they're fun to make and I get to drink the martini afterwards to celebrate! Love your work and it will love you back!

VISUALIZE VISUALIZE:
I have wanted my own home for ages - since I sold my house in California some time back. I miss having a real studio where my work does not overflow into my "life" constantly. As an artist I need to get away from my art occasionally! But I have been finding it hard to visualize where I want to live because ....... I kept putting conditions on why I couldn't go where I wanted (I can't afford that area!). You know what I realized this week? I realized that how I get my home I want where I want my home is not my worry! I have limited myself and God/The Universe by putting real life conditions on my dreams! You bet I know where I want to live and I don't have to worry about how I get to live there! I just have to visualize it and give power to my dream! That realization gave me back my dream of my perfect home and studio. Why do we let our dreams go? They are so important to our quality of life!

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT:
I couldn't get into the dog groomer and decided to clip Pixel myself. That's about as stupid as cutting your own hair, lol! I spent all day Sunday shearing off her coat - she wiggled, I slipped, each time she wiggled a little more fuzz came off until I had a naked dog! I mean all the way down to nothing! I have a Yorkipoo that looks like an overgrown chihuahua now! It's not the best look for Pixel. I am not an artist with dog clippers, mea culpa, my bad, poor Pixel. But her beautiful fuzzy look will be back in weeks, it's hot and she seems to like the Paris Hilton look for summer, lol! She's cute no matter how much or how little fuzzy she's got going on - I, on the other hand, am not and thankfully I was smart enough to pay a professional to give me my punk spike look!

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE:
I am grateful I was smart enough not to take the dog clippers to my own hair (as I have been known to do!) I am grateful Pixel is cute enough to survive a bad haircut! I am grateful I was able to twist my body enough to do a French manicure on my toes and that, as an artist I am able to do it without guides. My toes are really cute now - for an old broad.

I am grateful that I decided I needed a Key Lime Pie Martini and said "oh, heck, let's just set up the video and go for it" - I am now started on my video series for The Martini Diva - and it's really fun! Next one is being done over at Audrey's - funny costumes and a few martinis make for great laughter and bring the energy level very high!

I am truly grateful for the realizations and breakthroughs I've had this week - they dragged me out of my money-stress-slump and brought me to a great level of business acumen this week!

I am grateful I woke up today, I am grateful for the friends I have, I am grateful for the family I had and I am grateful to be living in a world where I have a chance to change myself into a better person and a better artist.

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

Post images Copyright 2008 by PopArtDiva.com. All rights reserved. No permission is given to copy, distribute or reproduce without written permission from PopArtDiva.com.

THE CREATIVE USE OF ROCKS AND BATHROOM VISITS

2008-08-03T15:13:00.010-07:00

TODAY'S PRACTICE OF UNIVERSAL LAW and POSITIVE THOUGHT as it relates to my life as an artist:

ABUNDANCE COMETH:
I did a new Martini Recipe Art (for products on the PopArtDiva Boutique) - Jackass, The Martini - it's a joke martini that was inspired by my dislike of the sophomoric film Jackass, The Movie - see even things you dislike can spark your creativity! My humor at work again.

I also wrote several post drafts my Retro Pop Culture Blog, and created the recipe cards for The Martini Diva™ and The DIVA of TINY FOODS™ - I'm finding my positive thought practices also seem to be giving me greater focus on all the creative aspects of my work - my writing as well as my art, interesting! I wonder - does a more positive mindset clear the cobwebs and let the universal muse through easier??

VISUALIZE VISUALIZE:
I need to have a lot of dental work done. I don't have dental insurance and, frankly, don't have tens of thousands of dollars for the proper work. I have - in the past! - gone in to the bathroom, looked at my teeth and despaired. The other day I was doing just that and realized I could use this time for visualizing a beautiful mouth full of sparkling, shiny teeth instead! This is a giant step forward for me because it means that my mind is beginning to train itself to think on a positive track! Plus what a great use of the time spent oogling myself in a mirror, lol! I think I'll photoshop a great set of choppers onto a photo of my mouth, size it to my actual mouth and paste it on the mirror where my new smile will be!

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT:
As a digital artist I spend a huge amount of time editing large files in graphics programs. No matter how large a hard drive, how fast a CPU, how much RAM, there is still a great amount of time wasted in waiting for filters to process and files to save - especially at the size files I work on. Friday I was sitting there swearing at my computer "hurry up you bloody box - I haven't got all day!" - my usual rant at the time wasted. For some reason I looked over at the area where my mouse and Wacom tablet were and there sat my "Faith" rock. How it got there is beyond me, I keep it by my bed! But there it was and then I realized that I could use that "wasted" time by grabbing my rock and practicing some belief and faith exercises as well as a few gratitudes while my computer slugged away instead of grumbling and strumming my fingers in agitation! Another breakthrough in my thought patterns!

I also did a quick little graphic for the masthead for my Boundless Living Profile - I've joined the 45 day challenge there with some specific goals in mind. Interestingly enough, I was invited to it about the same time as I decided to take a left turn on this blog by adding my universal law practices to it - hmmmmm.
ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE:
Speaking of rocks, I also have a "gratitude" rock I use in helping me focus my mind during the time I practice being grateful for what I have. For some reason this rock helps me focus. I do not allow myself to think of anything but gratitude while I hold it or stroke it. If I find my mind wandering I put the rock down until I can refocus! (I sort of don't want any energy there except gratitude energy - yeah, hippy-dippy but, hey, energy is energy!) This particular rock is actually a piece of amethyst crystal cut into a very odd shape by a friend of mine who has since left this plane of existence., so I also feel a closeness to him at the same time. A double whammy of good stuff!

So today I am really, really grateful for my sense of humor, my creatively warped brain and the synchronicity of the mechanisms of the Universe/God. I am also grateful for the fact it is raining and cooling down, I am grateful for my friend Audrey and her invitation to the Boundless challenge, I am grateful I am not sitting at an art show during a monsoon and I'm grateful for my pretty rocks that serve a higher purpose for me.

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

Post images Copyright 2008 by PopArtDiva.com. All rights reserved. No permission is given to copy, distribute or reproduce without written permission from PopArtDiva.com.

I FEEL LIKE A GAZILLION BUCKS!

2008-07-31T11:52:00.009-07:00

I'm a day late posting this new Make Yourself Some Money art. I fiddled with it longer than I expected and didn't finish in time to post yesterday.

But here it is - I made myself into money - pop art money! And I made it a big denomination - hey, why mess around with chump change?

It is one way I can do pop art portraits of people and even pets. I can change all the copy to suit whoever orders the portrait and the back side (for actually printing out their own play money!) can have their pet or whatever they want on it.

I plan to offer the front of the bill as fine art giclees at 10" x 24" on a 2" gallery wrap canvas for $500.00 which includes shipping within the continental US and sales tax (prices subject to change). Heck, if you want the back of the bill too you can get another!
Contact me at: makememoney@popartdiva.com to order!

Now how cool would it be to have your own face on your own money hanging on your wall? It's a nice little way to focus your prosperity visualization! Which leads me to. . . . . . . .

TODAY'S PRACTICE OF UNIVERSAL LAW and POSITIVE THOUGHT as it relates to my life as an artist:

ABUNDANCE COMETH: I finished not only this Personalized Money Pop Art, but 4 new Martini Art Designs for my Pop Art Diva Boutique and my website, I've already sold four items with the new designs. I love martinis and this love inspires a whole series of Martini Art works. Yes, the universe/God will bring you what you ask for but I don't think it/He expects you to be lolly gagging around eating bon bons and waiting for it to drop in your lap. I think you have to do your part. That's called work, people. You got to do your part!
VISUALIZE VISUALIZE: I'm posting my own Money up where I can see it to aid in my visualization of more prosperity. I'm also trying to get more specific on my new home. I'm attempting to ask for what I want and not say what I don't want! So, I've added a porch all around - I love porches that go all around a house! Oh, and I added a waterfall to my pool! I think I might add a martini bar in the middle of the pool!
IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: I had a little fender bender yesterday. You can read more about it on my rant blog, The Brat in the Hat. Not the best thing to have happen, but it could have been worse and Petunia, my car, still works just fine. I got all my "upset" out on the rant blog. How I look at it now? I'm not big about cars anyway. To me they are simply a mode of transportation and not a symbol of my success or my abilities. I will have to tell my chauffeur I'm getting in the future to watch out for badly placed light poles, lol!
ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: Today I am grateful that I didn't hit another car or a person instead of that pole. I am grateful for BlogTalkRadio where I get to host my own Retro Inspired Pop Culture Talk Show and I'm really grateful to my friends who called in this morning so I didn't have to talk to myself for an hour! I am always grateful for Pixel who keeps me company and makes me happy to come home to see her little wiggling butt and happy doggy face!

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

TAKING THIS BLOG AND MY LIFE DOWN A NEW ROAD OF POSITIVE CREATIVITY AND A HIGHER USE OF MY TALENTS

2008-07-29T08:51:00.008-07:00

This blog is about my life as an artist and my journey through the universe as a creatively driven person. Since I have also been working to create a more positive and more abundant life in all ways - creatively, financially, emotionally, spiritually and physically - I have decided to add a more personal dimension to this online journal.

I recently retired from doing art shows for a living to concentrate on my online businesses that include my website, my online boutique, my online radio shows, and other web enterprises. I did art shows for nearly 30 years professionally and, frankly, I was getting burned out with the physical demands, the unpredictable income, the weather issues, the greedy promoters and the fickleness of the buying public. I had plans to retire and concentrate on my web enterprises. Though this "retirement" had been planned for some time, it came about much earlier than anticipated as a result of the economic upheavals of these times.

At first I was thrown into a downward spiral as I watched my main income source dwindle to practically nothing in a matter of weeks - but then I realized that maybe, just maybe, this was the Universe/God telling me that it's time to move on to my new life - both the creative one and the personal one.

I made the decision to take that big leap into the unknown and turn all my energies towards what I truly want my life to be as I head towards my next 50 years. I have committed myself to doing what is necessary to make that life happen. Part of that commitment is to be more diligent with my thoughts, more grateful for my talents and blessings received, more goal oriented and more adaptable to how my revenue is generated! This new blog direction is going to help me organize and work on those commitments.

Lately I have discovered that the Universe/God will provide in unusual ways. With that in mind, I shall practice thinking more carefully about what I want for my life, work towards it with all my creative energies, devote my time and my talents towards my end goals, be open and adaptable to how life can twist and turn, then let the Universe/God take care of the rest. That's all any of us can do!

Each of my posts will now have

Abundance Cometh - my latest art and creative endeavors (like my new talk show, a new website, a new artistic outlet)
Visualize, Visualize - my goals for the moment - the progress and challenges
It's All In How You Look At It - my attempts to turn negative mindset into positive energy
Attitude of Gratitude - listing a few things I'm grateful for in the moment

We all have bad days or experiences and I'll post about those moments on my rant blog, The Brat in the Hat. I highly recommend everyone have a rant blog - it allows for venting, gets the issue out and lets you move on with your life. And it's cheaper than therapy! Let's be honest - we all deal with negative situations on a day to day basis and old, grumpy habits die hard - you can stuff it down and deal with it later or you can air it out and let the Universe/God deal with it! I just do it in print. Maybe, someday down the road, I won't need a rant blog anymore because . . .

This journal is me climbing out of the hole of old thinking patterns and the battered baggage of old habits. At least it should be an interesting study, at best an inspiration for others.

SO, FOR TODAY, THE FIRST POST IN MY JOURNEY:

ABUNDANCE COMETH: my newest art created for the humor section of the PopArtDiva Boutique is here.
VISUALIZE VISUALIZE: I want to become more financially secure so I've created my own money, I'll post the finished "currency" tomorrow here and on PopArtDiva.com - and I can make custom money for you too!
IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: Like I said, what I saw as a bad thing - losing my way to earn my main income, may actually be the gateway to the life I really wanted! It took a little lightening bolt from the Universe/God to strike this concept into my mind. During a moment of "poor me-itis" while I bemoaned my situation a thought passed through my head that I was "bitch slapped by God" - this immediately cracked me up and awakened my funny bone, my biggest savior in life. The Universe/God has a wicked and twisted sense of humor when it comes to my life.
ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: Today I am especially grateful for my creativity, the talents I have been blessed with and my slightly warped sense of humor. These have always been my salvation and now they may be my key to success.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, Terri has left the building. The next act is PopArtDiva!

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

A NEW ART TRIBUTE TO THE LEGENDARY GENE SIMMONS AND KISS

2008-07-22T10:12:00.005-07:00

I have always loved the drama and stage costumes of the band, KISS. What fun to walk around in cool leather costumes and a mask of face paint. It appealed to my artistic mindset.

I also always kind of secretly admired punkers for their dress code and the courage to look like wild post-apocalyptic denizens of the dark. I want spiked hair in purple and magenta!

I had a little fun with this pop art of Gene Simmons, a man I have grown to admire for his manipulation of marketing and for his intelligence as well. This is a man who knows how to market his brand and promote himself. Rock on, Gene!

I wanna rock all night and party every day!

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

Stop By and Listen to My RETRO POP CULTURE TALK SHOW

2008-07-16T06:44:00.006-07:00

TRIPPIN' DOWN MEMORY LANE

A Pop Culture Talk Show that will
Blast you to the Past

Take a nostalgic journey back to in time
with your host
POP ART DIVA

WHEN: July 17th
10:00 a.m. (MST)
1 p.m. (EST)

WHERE:
www.blogtalkradio.com/popartdiva

Call in to share your memories
(347) 326-9293

or simply log on to listen and enjoy the nostalgia: www.blogtalkradio.com/popartdiva

Chat available - Online talk available

Be there or Be Square!

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

FREE SHIPPING AT MY LIFE IS LIKE ART SHOP!

2008-07-09T19:50:00.006-07:00

Just in case you've been wanting something from my store. . . there's FREE shipping on all CafePress orders over $65 from today, July 8th through July 20th to any order shipped within the United States.

Use the coupon code FREESUMMER.

So stop by the Pop Art Diva BOUTIQUE where you can get all my pop culture art on gifts and apparel or my Life is Like Art Shop below.

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop - Free Shipping within the U.S. until July 20th!

I'M DOING ART - IT'S CALLED WEB DESIGN

2008-07-04T11:28:00.004-07:00

It's summer and I don't do a lot of work for art shows in the summer - and frankly I think I'm retired from art shows altogether!! I've been planning to stop because I'm getting older and the physical demands are getting too much for a baby boomer with a damaged back.

The economy may just have sped up my retirement plans - high gas prices tends to make art shows a low priority destination! Thank God I got my web businesses started a few years ago!

I've planned to go entirely into my web enterprises within a short time anyway. I just finished creating all my online stores and have linked all my blogs to them (you'll see a link to my free CafePress store for this blog at the bottom of the post). I've spent the last month revamping PopArtDiva.com to help promote my art, my online stores and my other sites as well and I'm almost finished with that revamp - probably the end of next week!

This image above is a screen shot off one of my new product pages that I took while checking the code live - I've streamlined the shopping card and shipping information and created an image based navigation system in addition to the top nav bar - people love to click on icons and pictures! Every piece of art has several links to the online store page where that art is on cups, tees, cards, aprons, coasters and more merchandise, as well as posters for $25!

In this economy it's good to have your art on merchandise in a wide price range instead of just giclees on gallery wrap canvases that start at nearly $200!

I may also add a graphic design page - I've had so many requests from my online friends and business associates to do mastheads and graphics like the ones I've done for my sites and blogs that I've decided to add that service. I'm working on the fee schedule right now but it looks like I'll have fees starting as low as $250 for an animated masthead of a company logo up to $500 for a simple logo design. I've already started on 3 projects for my Baby Boomer Diva sisters.

So that's where I've been - just in case you've wondered if I fell off the face of the earth - I did, I fell into cyberspace and just came up for some fresh air before I dive back in later today!

Now go buy a tee shirt, cup or poster at my store and help support the arts by supporting an artist - ME!

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

YES, ART IS WORK. NO, IT'S NOT ALWAYS FUN

2008-06-21T07:36:00.005-07:00

People think that artists don't work. They think we sleep 'til noon, have a few lattes, throw some paint at a canvas and call it a day. They think we doodle for a few hours and then party into the wee hours of the morning.

I'd love to have them follow me around for a week or two. Right now I am in the middle of revamping PopArtDiva.com. I do love doing my websites but there is more drudge work involved than pure creativity. I just spent the last two weeks resizing and organizing all my images for the new pages. Bah. Total drudgery. Not fun at all.

I do not sleep until noon, I work about 16 hours a day sitting at a computer screen. My coffee is slurped in between keystrokes. I haven't done a fun, creative thing since I started to lay out the templates, resize the art and burn files to DVDs. I'm saving my party for when I upload my shiny new website look.

Prior to the web revamp I was building my online store at CafePress. More work and long hours. Next I will start the designs for the three new domains I just bought. In between I will allow myself the luxury of designing some new pieces for my stores and websites and posting to my blogs. Oh, and I might sleep a little and catch up on all the Top Chef episodes waiting for me in my DVR!

Oh, btw, the design above is one of my abstracts I did when I actually was having fun as an artist! I call it Robin Williams Shirt because it was inspired by comic Robin Williams shirt!

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

ART CAN DARN NEAR KILL YOU!

2008-06-12T08:32:00.002-07:00

I came across this article in Yahoo news about Mexican artist Filemon Trevino who wanted to create a drawing that would get him in the Guinness Book of World Records. Trevino created a drawing that is over a quarter of a mile long on the human heart and circulatory system .

He says that his attempt to break the existing world record became an obsession that led him to neglect his health. He spent over 6000 hours and used over 800 pencils in the course of his masterpiece, was hospitalized seven times for dehydration - he became so obsessed he forgot to drink water!

Now that is true passion for one's art! I admit that I can become so involved with my work at times that I will not stop even when my body is demanding rest, nutrition and a break from the tension and hunching over that is a habit with me when I work, but I've never been hospitalized as a result!

Don't ever let anyone tell you that art is not work or that it's easy! Just tell them about this truly dedicated - though slightly over obsessed - artist, Filemon Trevino!

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

ART IS ART IS ART - If you make it pretty they will come?

2008-06-03T19:26:00.005-07:00

I haven't been in the studio for a few weeks but I have been making art! I've been creating some images for my navigation icons on my new shop - the PopArtDiva Boutique and for the redesign of PopArtDiva.com.

Summer is generally the time I work mostly on my web spots and online enterprises because I have fewer art shows. This is especially nice when you live in Arizona - you get to work at home, inside, awash in air conditioning! It gets so hot here that it's not even fun to go out to the movies because you end up soaked in sweat just walking to the car! So I'm happy with my keyboard and my Wacom tablet and a cold Pepsi!

The image here is the icon you click to enter my Pop Art Section! I took several of my pop art images that are featured in the store and combined them and added the type for navigation. I plan to use the same icons on my website's homepage - I love to be able to use one image for more than one purpose! Check out the store to see some of the other icons I designed.

When you have a large site you have to break it down into sections and the best way to point people where you want them to go is by an image, or icon if you want to use computer vernacular. Images are really critical on a web page - they keep people's interest and they can create focus on important areas. You have to known how to keep them small and still get your message across. A picture really is worth a thousand words on the web so you want a relevant image or combination of images that are clean and viewable at a smaller size.

When I created the icons I used art from the sections that was going to reduce well, have a dynamic impact and give the best impression of what images were available in that section of my store. These are things you want to think about when you're creating composite images or icons for your sites.

So, a little lesson in designing web images and a little update about my artistic activities! If you want an update on my personal life and my other obsessions stop by The Martini Diva and The Diva of Tiny Foods!!!

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

AN INTERVIEW ON GROWING BOLDER RADIO and SOME INSPIRATION FOR YOU

2008-05-29T10:20:00.006-07:00

I'm a little tired today and not feeling real inspired. I need a little of my own inspiration so I've posted this DREAM TILE from my PopArtDiva Boutique - it's from my Inspirations Collection of Pop Culture art at the boutique!

If you're feeling a little bedraggled in the inspiration department, stop by and buy some inspiration for yourself!

I was interviewed by Growing Bolder Radio on my Baby Boomer inspired web enterprises recently! Stop by and read the profile and listen to the interview!

Have a great day and get inspired!

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

Free audio teleseminar on "How to Sell Art"

2008-05-27T07:29:00.004-07:00

I've just uploaded my third free teleseminar on "How to Do Art and Craft Shows for Profit and Fun" at my artists resource blog, The NORMAL CHALLENGED ARTIST™.

Click here to listen to this free audio file is Part Two on "Sales Techniques for Selling Your Art", which you can also download for free.

Enjoy! Hope you all had a great Memorial Day. I was, as usual, doing an art show in the Sedona area. We had some freak weather on Saturday and it was raining and cold - it even snowed up in the higher elevations! The rest of the weekend was perfect - about 70 degrees and sunny with just a few wind gusts so I didn't suffer too badly, lol.

I am back to completing my new store, the The PopArtDiva Boutique , where I am offering my pop culture art on products like cups, tees, aprons, tiles, cards and more. Stop by and pick up something for yourself.

(BTW, Father's Day is just around the corner and I have some really fun guy-type images on great merchandise for those men in your life that love beer, sports and remote controls that would be perfect for Father's Days Gifts, but you'll have to order soon to get your purchase shipped in time for Father's Day!)

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

IMAGINE

2008-05-23T09:17:00.004-07:00

Imagine the world if it was filled only with artists.

Everything that was functional would also be beautiful, designed to complement and harmonize with it's surroundings. Color would be everywhere and form would not only fill a function but would become a feast for the eyes as well.

The joy and passion that drives the artistic soul would vibrate through everything and everyone. Maybe the positive energy that resulted could bring about the happiness that we all seek.

The creative impulse that drives the artist's imagination could be applied to all aspects of life and perhaps we might fight answers to some of the problems that face our planet.

Maybe then we could find a way to peace. Just Imagine.

Buy Great Art Inspired Products at The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop!

MY NEW ARTIST SHOPS OPEN

2008-05-15T11:00:00.008-07:00

I just opened two shops at CafePress for artists:

The LIFE IS LIKE ART Shop

The NORMAL CHALLENGED ARTIST Shop

These two shops feature these fun designs for artists on products like Tees, Caps, Mugs, Aprons, Pillows, Cards, Tiles, Magnets and more!

If you're an artist or know an artist that you need a gift for, stop by and purchase a completely unique gift that can only be found at my personal stores and shops!

Just click the links above to go to the stores OR CLICK THE ICON OF THE IMAGE YOU LIKE!

The Mayonnaise Jar and Two Cups of Coffee - oh, and My New LIFE IS LIKE ART SHOP is Open!!

2008-05-10T14:07:00.017-07:00

GET THIS FUN DESIGN ON MUGS, TEES, APRONS, PILLOWS, POSTERS, CARDS & MORE AT MY NEW LIFE IS LIKE ART SHOP!

************************
Now, back to my regularly scheduled programming. . . . . . . .

Here's a great parable on life, which is why I'm posting it here because LIFE IS LIKE ART, IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT. Borrowed (with permission!) from my Diva bud Eileen Williams - thank you , Eileen, it's a great life lesson!

**THE MAYONNAISE JAR AND TWO CUPS OF COFFEE**

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee…

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “yes.” The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions. If everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and hobbies. The sand is everything else—the small stuff. “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there’s no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.”

The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you’ll never have room for the things that are important to you. So… pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness:

· Enjoy your children and grandchildren

· Make special time to celebrate with your partner

· Play every day.

· Be grateful for your blessings.

“Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked.” It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

TAKING A BREAK IS AN ART TOO

2008-05-06T14:01:00.005-07:00

It's stormy here today and I have decided it's a good day to take a break from work. I won't turn my graphics computer on during a thunderstorm and the light isn't good for painting in the studio so I'm caught between a power surge and a dark place.

This makes it a good day to practice the art of kicking back and doing nothing. You heard me right, doing nothing. It's a hard thing to do when you're a driven type-A personality with more work to do than time on your hands to do it with, but it's healthy for the soul.

I had planned to write my PopArtDiva Newsletter and start editing my video interview of fellow artists, Rudolf Cavalier and Darlene Ryer for posting to The NORMAL CHALLENGED ARTIST™ on Friday but I never fire up my graphics computer in an electrical storm. Even with a battery back-up/surge protector I'm not taking any chances of damage from a power surge or a lightening strike! The newsletter and video editing will just have to wait until the storm blows through.

Fortunately, I a big believer in learning to take a breather and refreshing yourself with some quite time of having a nice latte, reading a book and taking a break from work. A stormy day is a perfect time to practice the art of doing nothing. The sound of the rain is a gentle soothing rhythm that can relax your mind and body, the cool winds give you an excuse to cuddle up with a cozy blanket and the thunder is a great sound effect while reading a Stephen King novel.

So, after I post this I am grabbing my book and my blankie, tucking Pixel in with me and cozying up to an afternoon of horror, lattes, Oreos and doing nothing that comes close to work. Today I am practicing the art of taking a break.

JAVA ADDICTIONS is available as archival prints and giclees on canvas in various sizes at PopArtDiva.com. Copyright 2008 by PopArtDiva.com. All rights reserved. No permission is given to copy, distribute or reproduce without written permission from PopArtDiva.com.

It's Hard to Paint and Create Art When You're Sick

2008-05-01T09:00:00.006-07:00

I sorta feel like this abstract art I did - BIODEGRADABLE ALIEN GOO

I've been "under the weather" this week, probably from all the stress of trying to do art shows, run a website, 8 blogs and write articles for my How to Do Art Shows for Fun and Profit" series of teleseminars.

So I didn't get much studio time. It's kind of tough to struggle with guy type tools like nail guns and such when you're scrunched over and moaning "whoa is me, I be icky".

But I did manage to get the important stuff done like broadcast my second free teleseminar "Techniques for Selling and Marketing Your Art at an Art Show".

And I took some time to visit one of my favorite artist sites, Empty Easel to peruse their plethora of artist goodies! I love that site - and not just because they published one of my articles - really, it's just packed with great stuff for artists of all kinds. I wanna be like them when I grow up!

The rest of the time I'm resting up and trying to get back to my Normal Challenged™ self in order to be in tip top shape for yet another art show in Sedona this weekend!

After all, "icky" is not the best attitude for selling art!

BIODEGRADABLE ALIEN GOO is available as archival prints and giclees on canvas in various sizes at PopArtDiva.com. Copyright 2008 by PopArtDiva.com. All rights reserved. No permission is given to copy, distribute or reproduce without written permission from PopArtDiva.com.

New Southwestern Art - Petroglyph Panels featuring Dragonflies and Shamen

2008-04-25T13:24:00.006-07:00

Though I was pooped from last week's marathon studio session and my art show in Sedona, I did manage to get a few more pieces completed this week. Aren't you proud of me?

This piece is a 20" x 20" Shaman Panel which will hang square or diagonally. Yes, that is real copper you see accenting the piece. There is real copper on all my fusions.

This piece is an original sculpture with an original acrylic painting and it floats off the wall about 1 to 2 inches for even more dimensional effect. The price is $375.00* and you can order it or one like it by e-mailing me at popartdiva@yahoo.com or calling me at (602) 570-8505.

I also finished a couple more Southwestern style art Petroglyph panels below - one is a Southwestern Petroglyph Panel featuring Shaman figures known as Basketmakers and the second one is a Dragonfly Petroglyph Panel. Both of these sell for $625.00* each. And don't forget I take Visa and Mastercard as well as checks and money orders and I ship! (*Shipping and applicable sales taxes extra - no sales tax on orders shipped outside Arizona)
I am now going to go and paint my toes and have a martini - I just posted a great recipe for a Berry Martini and I'm thinking that sounds good right about now! BTW, if you like Marilyn Monroe - check out my latest post about her on my The Road to Diva Blog!

NEW ART - ABSTRACT PAINTED SCULPTURE FUSIONS

2008-04-18T15:07:00.008-07:00

I worked my behind off this week and finished 13 new pieces of art for my show this weekend in Sedona.

The textures you see are actually sculpted in but that's hard to really appreciate on the web so if you are driving through Northern Arizona this weekend stop by the art show at the Tequa Marketplace, by the Hilton Resort on 179 in Sedona. (Here's the ad (which I designed for the show) with the directions!)

Most of the work was already in the sculpture stage, some needed the second sculpting step, some needed the paintings but it was still a lot of work.

The top image is a 20" x 20" Rainbow Abstract Mirror which will sell for $425.00*. (Yes, that's a photoshopped fake mirror, I had to photo the art before I put the mirror in.) The mirror will hang in any direction square or diagonally.

I used to do mirrors ages ago and for some reason I quit. Now I'm doing them again - people like mirrors because they're practical so it gives them an excuse to buy art!

I'm not one to waste anything so the middle part of the mirror was used to make some mini fusions! I rarely do anything smaller than 10"x30" but I've been asked for smaller pieces so, voila, little 10"x10" fusions.

I did six of these, 4 Rainbow abstracts and 2 Southwest - the SW one pictured here has dragonflies on it.

I'm going to take a nice fresh sharpie and if anyone wants I will add an inspirational saying to the rainbow abstracts.

These little buggers are kind of cute - I like them! And they all will hang in any direction square or diagonally too.
These mini fusions will sell for $125.00*

That's it for art this week - these pretty much took up all my waking hours and some of my sleeping hours too! I have the rest of the afternoon today before my show so I'm posting to a few of my blogs, painting my toenails (more painting!) and I'm going to have a martini from The Martini Diva and a nice steak and then collapse!

*Plus any applicable sales taxes and shipping costs where applicable

MY ART ARTICLE WAS POSTED AT EMPTY EASEL and I'M DOING AN ART SHOW THIS WEEKEND

2008-04-11T11:20:00.008-07:00

Sometime ago I wrote an article for my NORMAL CHALLENGED ARTIST blog entitled "If Your Art Gets Stolen" and Empty Easel.com has posted it in their General Art Advice section entitled "My Art Was Stolen! What Do I Do?"

Empty Easel is a great site for artists so be sure to check it out and bookmark it - there's ton's of useful information for artists of all kinds.

I will be doing an art show at the Bell Rock Plaza in the Village of Oak Creek/Sedona on Highway 179 this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. The show hours are from 10 - 5, though I sometimes cut out early (hey, I'm old so cut me some slack, lol).

I have been busy but mostly doing some ads and other stuff so no new pictures today. Next week I should have a bunch of new pieces to post.

Be sure to stop by The NORMAL CHALLENGED ARTIST today for information on my teleseminar series on HOW TO DO ART SHOWS. The first teleseminar is "How to Prepare for an Art Show" and will be this coming Monday at 3 p.m. EST and it's FREE!

I'M CAUGHT UP IN THONGS AND RUBBER DUCKYS!

2008-04-07T20:37:00.008-07:00

I've been a busy little bee this week - or a busy little ducky with a thong issue, whatever the case, I've created two - count them - two new pop arts inspired by posts on some of my other blogs! And I created the ad in the post below and have 3 new sculpture fusions done!

Plus I am preparing to be interviewed for a teleseminar on Preparing for An Art Show!

Anyway, back to ducks and thongs - I was a little bugged by a few anal retentive busy bodies who try to get me to "keep my ducks in a row" so I kvetched about it on BRAT in the HAT. I needed some art to go with the rant so I powered up my graphics computer, photographed the rubber ducks and made some fun little pixs for the post. Then I decided they would make a great pop art for a kid's room or for anyone who is an odd duck and had to do the pop art Rubber Duckys - Ducks of a Different Color.

The day before I was blogging about thongs/flip-flops on my pop culture blog and needed a graphic for the post so away I went on a thong pop art mission and "Flip Flops Aren't Thongs?" was born!

See, artists really do work! And you thought we slept 'til noon and ate bon bons in bed all day, didn't you?

GRAPHIC DESIGN - AD DESIGN FOR FINE ART SHOW IN SEDONA

2008-04-05T23:17:00.005-07:00

I just finished this ad proof for a Fine Art Show Promoter, Sedona Fine Art Productions. It turned out pretty nice - if I do say so myself.

Considering the photos I had to work with I managed to clean them up, take out messy backgrounds and pump up the colors for good contract and to highlight the art as best I could. This image is a little less than half the final print size - the final ad will be 5" x 5.55" in full color and run in the Kudos Magazine which is distributed throughout the Verde Valley, Sedona, Flagstaff and Prescott areas.

Yes, that is one of my Original Painted Sculpture Fusions in the top left hand corner - one advantage of doing the show and being the ad designer! Plus my art is quite colorful and it grabs attention.

I did this kind of design for several decades - won a few nice little awards - can you say Clio? Had my little moment in the sun and enjoyed the accolades and perks, but I'm more into my fine art these days. But I do still love design work.

BTW, if you happen to be coming to Sedona or the Northern Arizona area next weekend stop by and say Hi - you can't miss my booth - I'll have the brightest art there - or just keep an eye out for Pixel - she's my boon companion, has become the art show mascot and is always with me ready to receive a cookie or two!

YES, I DO ALL MY OWN GRAPHICS AND ANIMATIONS

2008-04-03T07:54:00.007-07:00

Someone asked me if I did all my own graphics the other day. Yes, I do - especially since I spent twenty years as a graphic designer and illustrator for my own graphics firm. I was an award winning graphic designer with a huge client list and the ulcers that came with that list.

I still do graphic design - though it's no longer my main source of revenue. I gave up the rat race of advertising over 20 years ago and now I only do graphic design for a very select number of clients and for myself.

I really love graphic design and with my website and a number of blogs I get to do a lot of fun graphics and animations for them. I'm my own favorite client!

This graphic - There Are No Bad Martinis - was created as a tee shirt design for my Martini Blog and I used design elements from my masthead/logo in the design for brand continuity . I wanted to have something to give away in promotional campaigns and created this yesterday. (Then I decided to set it up for other products for a CafePress store too - which means today I will spend the day setting up another CafePress page!)

I will occasionally take on a new client if I find their project interesting, they have the budget for my fees and if I feel I can work with them. It's nice to have a choice - and a healthy stomach lining!

This is what my tee shirt looks like after an hour or two of painting!

2008-03-29T19:53:00.006-07:00

I am a messy painter. I get in such a hurry when I'm painting that I don't want to take the time to find a rag to wipe my brush on. Both my hands are usually filled with loaded brushes so I can switch quickly back and forth and I don't have extra fingers for a paint rag! I've even been known to stick a brush in my mouth and behind my ear! I'm a little crazed when I paint.

I've gotten into the bad habit of wiping my brush on my shirts and pants. Fortunately these are older clothes that I no longer plan to wear in public due to a coffee stain or such. But it is still a bad habit because I have been known to walk into my studio to do something and then found myself looking at my current work in progress, grabbing a brush "just to fix this little spot here" and ended up working in my good clothes - which then end up with paint on them!

I actually like what happens to some of these shirts. This one from last week's painting session I really ended up liking - it has a wonderful flavor of abstract insanity! I'm going to wear it to my art show tomorrow just for the fun of it! I'm not called The NORMAL CHALLENGED ARTIST for nothing!

3 More Original Wall Sculptures - RAINBOW DRAGONFLIES

2008-03-27T20:41:00.008-07:00

Since I sold the first Rainbow Dragonfly I did last weekend I decided to do a few more - I had two people who wanted the 20" x 20" piece and could have made another sale if I'd had more!

This one is a 10" x 30" Rainbow Dragonfly and will hang in any direction. It floats off the wall about 1-1/2"(via some struts on the back which also allow for the hanging wire to be threaded all around).

This piece is priced at $425.00, plus any sales tax/shipping that might be required. You can purchase it by contacting me by phone (602) 570-8505 or e-mail: popartdiva@yahoo.com. If you call, please leave a message and I will call you back a.s.a.p.

I also did two more 20" x 20" Rainbow Dragonflies which are below. I wanted to do a 20"x40" but just couldn't get the sculpture dry in time to finish the painting. Two 20x20's can be combined as a diptych as a substitute for a 20x40. I do a lot of pieces that can be combined into diptychs an triptychs for a large area. It's easier than carrying around huge pieces! The organic edge makes grouped pieces look like one large piece broken into sections - very cool and unusual wall treatments!

Both of these pieces are also priced at $425.00, plus any sales tax/shipping that might be required. They can also hang in any direction - square or diagonally! You can purchase them by contacting me by phone (602) 570-8505 or e-mail: popartdiva@yahoo.com. If you call, please leave a message and I will call you back a.s.a.p.

BTW - I take Visa, MC, checks, cashier's checks, money orders and cash! If you buy more than one piece you get a 10% discount! Now, see? You can get original art for less than a chi chi meal at a snooty bistro!!!!

RAINBOW DRAGONFLIES - A New Original Acrylic Painted Sculpture Fusion

2008-03-20T18:18:00.005-07:00

My newest painted sculpture fusion is a 20" x 20" Contemporary acrylic painting on one of my original wall sculptures. This piece is priced at $425 plus shipping/tax if required - BTW, I take VISA, MC, Checks, Cash, Travelers Checks and Money Orders - hint, hint. My e-mail is over to the right . . . .

I have a close friend, Audrey, who has been bugging me to put my dragonfly petroglyphs on one of my contemporary fusions so I finally caved! And I like it! I'll have to do more.

You win, Audrey! You were right. There I said it in black and white!

I also finished a bunch of graphics for my newest blog The The BRAT in the HAT which is the blog where I get to release my pet peeves into cyberspace. I did a really cool animated masthead and a really fun video poem for that blog and it was a kick. I love doing graphics on the computer!

I also did a really nice pop art of a vintage 1940s telephone when I was inspired by a post I was writing about getting too many phone calls and if you click here you can see that new piece of digital art.

Pop Art of Mickey Mantle

2008-03-16T18:27:00.004-07:00

This is a new digital image that I did for a post about Mickey Mantle and the Yankees.

I like to do pop art images as Tributes and Dedications to those people who meant a lot to me or influenced my life. Theses images are not for sale but they serve as samples of my pop art and portrait illustration styles. It's easier to show the quality of your work when people can see a famous face they recognize.

Unlike many of the sites that sell pop art portraits I don't run a photo through a couple of filters and drop a square of color over it. I spend a lot of time matching the background and the theme of the piece to the subject matter.

Since Mickey Mantle, aka "The Mick" was my very favorite baseball player of all time this was a fun one for me - especially since, as an adult, I got to meet Mickey - the thrill of a lifetime for me.

Though he has gone from this world, Mickey has never left the hearts of those of us who bleed Yankee Blue. Mick, hope you're hitting them out of the clouds in that big ballpark in the sky!

Post images Copyright 2008 by PopArtDiva.com. All rights reserved. No permission is given to copy, distribute or reproduce without written permission from PopArtDiva.com.

SIR PAUL - A Pop Art Tribute to the "Cute Beatle"

2008-03-12T10:00:00.010-07:00

This is my latest digital art, it's a Pop Art Tribute to Paul McCartney I did it the other day for a post on my Pop Culture Blog.

I'm really happy with the end result. I tried a couple of new ways to color the face and I love how the background turned out. I took the original pop art faces, enlarged it to fit the background, layered white over it and then erased around the faces with a spongy eraser tool, then lowered the opacity of the background layer.

I used the same eraser brush settings as a painting brush and popped a little white border around the 4 pop art images of McCartney. Turned out pretty cool.

Paul was always my favorite Beatle and this is not the first portrait I've done of him. The very first time I painted Paul McCartney I was thirteen years old and I did my very first oil painting using Paul as my subject. I still have that canvas board to this day. It wasn't bad for a kid! It's in storage or I'd post it here for fun.

If you're interested in getting your own pop art portrait like this one I did of Paul, feel free to contact me by e-mail at popartdiva@yahoo.com for a quote.

The grand old painter died last night
His paintings on the wall
Before he went he bade us well
And said goodnight to us all
-lyrics from Picasso's Last Words by Wings

Pop Art Pet Portrait - The Duke!

2008-03-07T22:11:00.004-08:00

I just finished this Pop Art Pet Portrait Commission for a client and it turned out really nice. The client is so happy she's ordered t-shirts, cards and stationary as well as the 10x24 Canvas Giclee. Should I tell her I can get her coffee cups too?

Unlike some of those pop art portrait sites that take your photo and simply do a high contrast posterized image in black and white and then drop a few cubes of background colors behind them, I take a good amount of time to get the right contrast as well as the details that are individual to each subject. Here I added some extra whiskers for movement, dropped in some dog tags that would float outside the box, included some of "Duke's" own toys and his favorite sports teams, as well as his namesake in the section backgrounds and a couple of cookies - embossed with his name!

Additionally, there were quite a few really great photos of him that I decided to use in the background as the design element and I toned the over all colors to blend in with the home decor.

The final art is a 10" x 24" Giclee on a 2" Gallery Wrap Canvas and I provided the pastel rainbow background large enough so the colors wrap around the entire canvas, sides included, the final cost for the original art and the 10x24 giclee was $425.00, shipping included. Not bad for an original work of art of your favorite pet.

If you're interested in getting your own pop art portrait - be it of your little fuzzy family member or one not quite as hairy - feel free to contact me by e-mail at popartdiva@yahoo.com for a quote.

REPURPOSE YOUR ART - A new approach to your past creations

2008-02-29T04:54:00.002-08:00

COSMIC COOL - A new pop art of a previous original painting. Available as archival prints and giclees on canvas in various sizes at PopArtDiva.Com. Copyright 2008 by PopArtDiva.com, all rights reserved. No permission given to save, distribute, copy or print without permission from PopArtDiva.com

Cosmic Cool is a redesign of an original acrylic painting I created on a hand turned wooden bowl nearly 20 years ago. I spent about 5 years in the early '90s doing original paintings on wood bowls, plates, platters and boxes and I loved doing them.

Recently I realized this were extremely pop art in nature and since I was now into pop art and pop culture art these were viable designs for my pop art series on my web gallery. I decided that I wanted to use these designs again but using the extremely versatile medium of computer art.

You can see the influences of my favorite artists in these pieces. There is a definite Peter Maxx approach with a touch of Disney whimsy, and it's based on one of my favorite subject matters - the cosmos. I love stars, moons, planets and anything celestial.

I am also fond of masks, having collected them for years from all over the world. Cosmic Cool is one in a series of mask inspired paintings I did during this time and it's one of the first I have redone as a digital work. I have a photo of the original bowl tucked away on a cd and when I find it I'll repost this and insert it for comparison.

It's kind of fun to revisit some of your past work and approach it from a different mind set and a few decades apart - especially in a totally different medium! Try it out sometime - it's fun and it's recycling!

American Gothic - Diva Style

2008-02-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

American Diva Gothic is my latest digital work for my Mad Masterpieces Series of Pop Culture Art.

I love taking the old masterpieces and doing parodies of them for our modern times. I have a slightly warped sense of humor - after all, I am the Normal Challenged Artist™.

This particular piece by Grant Wood is ripe for parody. What's interesting is that originally it was something of a parody in itself - some critics called it a "comic valentine"!

Whatever the inspiration, these two dour mid-western salt of the earth types have always begged me to have a little fun with them. Since I've been following my Road to Diva I ended up turning this into a bit of a woman's rights statement - sometimes I'm not even sure what the end result of my parodies will be.

Hope it gives you a giggle - I was giggling a lot when I created it.

NEW ART - ABSTRACT PAINTED SCULPTURE FUSIONS

2008-02-14T17:03:00.001-08:00

I just finished several new original painted sculpture fusions in preparation for my show this weekend. These are my abstract acrylic paintings on an original abstract sculpture.

It's hard to really appreciate the sculpture and the textures in a two dimensional format - especially at these photo sizes.

This piece, entitled "Fill the Palette of Your Life with Color" is approximately 24" x 30" and can be hung either vertically or horizontally.

Generally these are done without the writing - this time I just had to do it. I have always liked the idea of putting in prose or statement in my fine art, but have shied away from it. There is always the chance that the words will change how a person views the art itself. But I kept feeling the pull to add the little sayings and I went ahead and did it.

I kept the wording small and discreet for the most part. It's something you have to be up close to see and that was my intent, a little surprise that sneaks up on you. I signed this work on the front - something I rarely do, my work is usually signed and dated on the back. My work is totally unique to me - no one else has anything quite like it - so the art itself serves as my signature. I'm not fond of garish, ego signatures that fight the art for attention. My opinion is the art should be the focus, not the artist.

What is hard to show here is the really interesting organic textures I have created in the sculpture itself. You get some idea of the texture by the close-up photo, but you can't really appreciate the depth of the texturizing and the fine details that cover the piece. Below is a photo of the sculpture before any painting is done - it should give you some idea of the sculpture textures and depth. The pieces are designed to "float" off the wall - they have struts on the back that lift the piece about 1-3/4 inches from the wall.
I have several proprietary mediums and techniques I use to create this work. One is the sculpting medium itself and others include how I get those really cool organic textures that look like snake and lizard skin and other natural elements. The sculptures take from 2 to 5 days to complete, the paintings take from 2 to 10 days depending on the size of the work and the complexity of the painting.

I cannot plan the paintings as they are stimulated by what happens in the sculpting stage. I can't really plan the sculptures either - trying to force the sculpture into something you want will kill the spontaneous textures that are at the heart of this work. Those textures and the flow of the sculpture are what make these exciting for me to paint. As a result each piece is a surprise for me and a challenge. This is what keeps this series fresh and exciting. If I'm not challenged I get bored easily and the quality of my work would suffer.

Though these pieces look heavy they are not. The largest piece pictured (30"x40") weighs considerably less than a framed and glassed print of the same size. You don't need any special hanging apparatus other than a molly bolt or one of these new s-hooks available. And they're washable and durable. I've shipped them all over the world with nary a break or a chip - ever.

I also finished a 30" x 40" (below), a 10" x 40" (not pictured) and a 12" x 30" (below) which is inspired by the petroglyphs here in the Southwest. Several people have asked for my colors in a Southwest theme so here's my attempt. I have a 20"x20" that I plan to do some dragonflies on, but I was tired and wanted to get into a hot shower and some clean clothes! I have a long day tomorrow before the show and rest is high on my agenda tonight!
Theses pieces range in price from about $300 to around $5,000 (plus shipping and packing costs) if you get them from me. If you buy them from one of my galleries the prices range from double to quadruple that, depending on the gallery. I do commissions, if you're looking for certain colors and sizes so feel free to contact me.
No, I do not consign my work, so don't ask. Pony up the cash and they're yours. I take Visa, Master Card, checks, money orders, and cash.

VALENTINE'S DAY - New Art Inspired by Modern Love?

2008-02-10T09:37:00.000-08:00

If you really LOVE ME you'll bring me a MARTINI and drop something sparkly in it!

This is definitely a Fabulous Fifties Female piece, but it also fits into my new category of Martini Art and my Just 4 Divas Series. It's available in various sizes as fine art prints and as giclees on canvas at PopArtDiva.com.

Valentine's Day bugs me. How did we turn the birthday of a saint into a marketing tactic? Oh well, you can read more about my Valentine Day Rant here.

The best thing about art is how the things that bug you or inspire you can both be used as "muse fodder" for your visual art!

Not only did I decide to create a Valentine Martini, I created art inspired by love - or what passes for it in the minds of some, lol!

Please note the Tiffany blue background, the little blue gift box - there's no package design out there quite as famous as the "Little Blue Box" from Tiffany & Co. in New York! Every woman should get at least one in her lifetime and it should have a diamond in it!!! Be sure to take a close peek at the martini - this is one of those lucky ladies!

Happy Valentine's Day!

NEW ART - Portrait of a Soiled Dove

2008-02-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

PORTRAIT OF A SOILED DOVE

This is both a Mad Masterpiece, a Just 4 Divas and a Martini Art piece all in one! Killing three birds with one stone - it is a parody, of course. I'm kind of into humor lately.

You never know what will inspire you. This piece was a result of a conversation with a friend about archaic terms for "women of ill repute".

That inspired a post on my ROAD to DIVA blog about the words and that inspired this piece.

Those archaic terms for a shady lady are so verbally rich - my imagination went right into feather boas and masterpieces of nudes.

I had great fun with this piece - I usually do with my parodies - but I got to kick some social commentary butt with this one, both artistically and poetically! (Is poetically a word???) The olive as a replacement for the fig leaf is my idea of a visual pun.

In my Diva pieces I usually have some form of a woman's fashionable shoe, and the martini is always present in a Just 4 Diva piece too. And I love to put in some totally unassociated items somewhere in my digital work - the olive is my oddball here - though it does fit with the martini.

This piece is available as an archival print and a giclee on canvas at my website and it will soon be available on a number of other products like tees, cups, aprons, cards and more at the PopArtDiva Boutique which will open fully in March.

Technorati Profile

NEW ART! 'Martinis Should Be Tax Free" - "Duchess of Diva" -

2008-02-02T20:55:00.000-08:00

THE NEWEST POP CULTURE IMAGES AT POPARTDIVA.COM!

MARTINIS SHOULD BE TAX FREE!

I have a martini blog - The Martini Diva, where I post my own recipes and my favorite recipes for designer martinis. I do the art for the recipe cards, but I was inspired to create some new Martini themed art for my Pop Culture Art at my online gallery, PopArtDiva.com.

This is the first in a series of Martini Art with a retro inspired theme called, "Martinis should be Tax Free!". I guess the upcoming tax season was my muse here? Ack, I'd rather do art than taxes and I'd always rather drink a martini than do taxes!

THE DUCHESS OF DIVA

I'm networking with a group of women web entrepreneurs called Baby Boomer Divas and this has given me some new inspiration for my "Just 4 Divas" Fabulous Fifties Females Series. Again, a retro look and feel is integrated as well as martinis, so this one fits into both series as is often the case with my art. I have a lot of cross-over contamination in my idea factory! I'm working on two more - both of those were inspired by posts on my ROAD to DIVA blog!

My writing and my art now seem to be working together to stimulate my creative juices. Between the Pop Culture Blog, The Martini Diva Blog, and the Road to Diva Blog I've got ideas just lining up for new art! Then the art inspires another blog post and so on and so forth. Lack of inspiration is not my problem - lack of time is!

Additionally, this next week I have to get back into the studio to finish up some new Original Painted Sculpture Fusions for my show in Sedona in the middle of this month.