Freedom... Freedom... Freedom... Freedom...

Richie Havens sang about it at Woodstock in 1969... Freedom! It's something we have all the time... but yet so hard to grasp... that we may not actually take advantage of it. In these days of high stress jobs, mounting financial debt, and obligations out the wazoo... it seems like there is no time left to take advantage of our freedom. We have a moment to spare, but wait... we shouldn't be using it to spend it on ourselves. There's too much to do!

And so it is with our art sometimes. Freedom is also difficult to put into practice with our art. I have the time, but what do I do? I haven't had a moment to think about it! And now I'm just sitting here, watching the clock wind down and I'm stuck. The solution? For me it was something I have nicknamed Freeform Collages...

What I did was start with a single color scheme... working on a primed base of corrugated cardboard (the box bottoms from a case of water). I took all my favorite techniques, mediums, and layer-able items and typed them out on the computer: paint, stamp, draw, pattern, paper, dimensional objects, old photos, book pages, charcoal pencil, etc. I printed out the list (times 3), cut them up and put them in a bowl and drew one slip at a time... doing what it said.

I would randomly add these items wherever they looked visually pleasing... in the moment! Not worrying about where the collage was going... or what if I didn't like it... or what if I have something later that would have looked good in that spot? Too bad, I told myself! Just commit! And so I did. If I didn't like something, I covered it up, scraped it off, or scratched it out. It was fun!

Eventually a theme would evolve and I would go in that direction. And when I was done... I knew it. It was extremely freeing and fabulously relaxing. I had learned to let go. To make mistakes. And to fix them to my liking. Freedom! I highly recommend it!

If you are interested in purchasing any of these original pieces, visit the Creative Collage section of my Etsy shop. Or for stationery featuring my collage art, check out this colorful set of six cards. I'll also be vending this Saturday, May 7th at the Music & Arts Festival in Ocean Grove, NJ. Stop by if you're around!

Thoughtful Thursdays: The People I Meet...

Meet Grandpa Woodstock. I think the first time I saw him was in 2004, during a Woodstock Reunion Concert at Yasgur's Farm in Bethel, NY (where the original Woodstock festival took place). But over the years, I've seen him around both at Bethel and his permanent residence... Woodstock.

So, does Grandpa look like he's got some stories to tell or what? And that is something that inspires me very much... people and their stories. I love to travel the country and visit historical areas... eventually finding someone with stories to tell. Someone who's seen it... felt it... been there... done that. And Grandpa Woodstock is one of those icons.

But it's not just the stories. I'm absolutely smitten with his gentle personality, zest for life, and that fabulous hippie garb. I mean... how he can combine all those lovely flower prints and they still seem to go together. Those clothes have been chosen with heart and aged with love!

You know what he said to me? He said the important thing is to live for today. But he did mention that there was something good about tomorrows... Tomorrow you will be even more beautiful than you are right now. He didn't know me, but we parted with hugs and I hope to see him again some day in my travels.... and hear more stories.

Peace xoxox

We Interrupt This Regularly Scheduled Life For A Brief Vacation...

Get outta town! Yup, that's what I needed to do. The first vacation of the year and boy... was it time! But it was more of an adventure than anything. My plan was to meander on up the Hudson River in New York state... and make my way over to the Catskills... stopping at all kinds of places along the way...
Like George Washington's Headquarters on the river in Newburgh... I love to explore historical sites!
Then making my way up to the adorable little town of Rhinebeck... stopping at antique shops along the way. Had a nice dinner at the Coach House Tavern and caught a flick at the Upstate Films Theater...
Then on to my favorite place to stay... EVER! The Woodstock Inn On The Millstream! It's a retro motel, converted to a quaint little Inn. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and the millstream is just so relaxing to sit next to... I spent hours upon hours there!
I even took some down-time to make my own little piece of "rock" history... and left it by a tree...
When I wasn't relaxing... I was shopping! One of my most favorite vacation activities. In fact... in my regular life... I rarely go to the mall. I wait until I go away... because that's where you find unique stuff. I love rummaging through the antique stores... shopping for themed souvenirs... local artists creations... and perhaps a gift or two for a friend or family member.

While in Woodstock... I ran into Grandpa Woodstock! He's a local icon who I've seen around the area at concerts and gatherings since probably 1999. His mission is to spread Peace and Love. Not a bad job! He's really a sweet man. We had a nice little chat and parted ways with a big giant hug...
Then in was on to Bethel and the original Woodstock concert site. There is now a permanent multimedia exhibition there... in the Bethel Woods Museum... featuring tons and tons of images, ephemera, vintage vehicles and movies relating to the 60's and the original Woodstock Festival. I highly recommend it if you're ever in the area...

Peace!