National Grammar Day

It's National Grammar Day!
Yes, that's right. Not a Hallmark card type of event, but none the less, an important one!
As a culture we have whittled down the beautiful English language to a mere texting acronym of sounds.
Adjectives- those exquisite words that flower and paint the human word have become lost to grunts, groans and single letter dialog.
Nouns, made familial by using just initials not our given names.
Are our lives so busy we cannot hit the shift key to use capital letters where appropriate?
Are we in that big a hurry?
Must we tweet nonsense in place of carefully chosen thoughts
behind the wheel of the car
in public
at a party
at a dinner table?
All inappropriate times.

Must we convey nothingness at every turn using words jumbled and transposed?
Must we have run on sentences with no room for pause and breath?
Must we be so activated in the moment that we try to convey it to others rather than breathe it in and enjoy it?
Must we lose the fundamentals of communication to be 'on call' all the time?

Turn off your cell phone at parties- guess what- unless you're a doctor on call- you're not that important that it can't wait till later.
Use the written word and punctuation to paint, convey and control your message.
Use the shift key to capitalize words DAMMIT!

Grow up.
Wake up.
Not all technology suits us well.
Not all things typed, phoned, or written need to be.
Edit your life before you hit 'send'.
Edit your life.
Edit life.
It goes by fast enough that
seeing it
smelling it
tasting it
loving it
growing in it
being in it
need to just
happen.
Not be documented
without pause
hesitation
and to the world.
Keep some things inside
for yourself.

Edit.
Punctuate.
Think to yourself!

Patricia

Small Squares Exhibit

The square.
A most basic of shapes.
One of the first we learn as a child.

The Small Squares Exhibit at The Orchard Gallery in Fort Wayne, IN. features just that
this month. From March 3-31 the theme is Small Squares. A variety of media and artists have lovingly taken this theme and run with it to explore the nature of the square!

My contribution are the two boxes shown here. They are the only two of their kind and available at the Orchard Gallery for this exhibit. The remainder of my work is on my etsy site. Please join my TattooDreams Facebook Fan Page where my show schedule will appear and work and travel documented.
The opening is March 5th.


Patricia

Franklin The Turtle Box

I created this little box for a wonderful repeat customer of mine. He liked my Bob the Fish Box, but needed a turtle. Not just any turtle, it was a special turtle named Franklin. In his quest for the most "Franklin-like" turtle, we discussed what I had and it was not 'Franklin-like', so he ordered just the right stamp and sent it to me. I used it and returned it with the completed box.

This sweet box now lives with his God-Daughter in France and graces her life. A reminder of love and care. There are many wonderful aspects that aligned in this brief transaction. Overall, it was a gift of love done for one person from another. It is the people who make the effort in our lives, who take the time, who go that extra mile that make all the difference.


Life is not about getting 'through' things. It is about the journey as we proceed.
What we learn along the way coupled with the the final arrival.

This takes time.
Love takes time.
This was a true gift of love - thank you for letting me be a part of it!

Patricia

Artist Creativity Box

Rubber stamped with lots of artsy images, this handmade cherry box is ideal for jewelry or nothing at all.It measures 5" wide x 5" deep x 7" high (12.7 cm x 12.7 cm x 15.87 cm ).Perfect for the artist in your life. Maybe that's you! Maybe an aspiring art student. A place to stow ideas, thoughts or record your artistic endeavors.

Adorned with a turquoise blue knob, blue fringe and black and yellow feet. The knob sits perched atop a yellow gold square stamped with black kanji symbols. Lined on the inside bottom with black velvet. Blue fringe adds a whimsical playfulness to this altered art box.

My boxes are hefty, handmade and I must say - beautifully handcrafted! Not flimsy ones from a craft store or imported. All boxes are sealed with a clear spray finish. Careful attention to detail resides in all the work from our studio. My husband builds the boxes and I adorn them. We're career artists and have been for 25 years!


My boxes are quietly making their way into esteemed collections around the world.
Will yours be one of them?

More boxes can be found on my etsy site:
http://tattoodreams.etsy.com

48.00
FREE domestic shipping

Valentines Boxes are Showing up at TattooDreams!

I have to be honest. Valentines Day is my favorite holiday of the year! It arrives in the dark cold of winter. The stores have fragrant flowers blooming and the color combo of red and pink decorations dazzle the palette! It was a holiday, that, as a child, my Mom made special. She usually served as a 'Room Mother' for my brother or I and that meant cupcakes were made and brought to school. Usually a small token of her love for us meant a little gift wrapped in special paper. My Mom loved detail and making small things fun and us feel special. She never missed the opportunity to hug us and let us know we were a gift to her. Some things are hard to forget.
In these last few frozen days, I've taken to my studio to create some fun Valentines Day boxes. They're slowly being posted to my etsy site and available right away - and free shipping is my gift to you!
This handmade cherry box measures 8" wide and 3 3/4" deep and 7 high. The top opens by way of a wooden lift off lid with a red knob and co-ordinating red feet with sweeping pink fringe. The bottom is lined in sultry jet black velvet. It will hold anything you wish to tuck inside - or nothing at all!
Stamped with a wide array of all things Valentine from my vast collection of rubber stamps. All boxes are finished in a protective clear coat and the images will not fade.

Every piece a one of a kind! If you like it, buy it!

My boxes are quietly making their way into esteemed collections around the world. They are handmade by my husband Jon in our Bloomington Indiana studio and finely crafted. He builds, I stamp. These are not flimsy boxes purchased and decorated from a craft store.

Patricia

Walkin' In Memphis

Out of sequence here, but back in October of 2010 we did the River Arts Fest show in Memphis. Elvis still reigns supreme in this bayou town of music and nostalgia. The ever-present reminders of Martin Luther King, Civil Rights and the nearby Lorraine Motel become interwoven in this edgy city of history and strife.

Each time we do the show there, we spend Saturday night on Beale Street with friends. We take the trolley over from the show after we close our booths. On these trolley rides we've had the pleasure of meeting visitors from Australia and England as well as common folks who left footprints in our hearts and made our trip to this delightful city all the more enriching and memorable.

Last fall we met the Mayor of Beale Street, Rudy Williams. We ate dinner at The Kings Palace Cafe and took in some incredible jazz. The fried green tomatoes they served were the best!

The trip would not be complete without a meal at the famous Arcade Diner. It sits mixed in among the art fair booths that line Main Street. I do think they serve the best biscuits I have ever tasted. I'll have to return to verify this, but I'm pretty certain!
Some cities are magnets for interesting people - this is by far one of them. We look forward to a return and yet another wonderful encounter in the land of the Delta Blues.

Patricia

Why Would You Buy This?

Why would you buy this from me? I can tell you all kinds of facts about how it was made, who made it, the size, the color - buy why would you buy this? Why would you spend $55.00 for a box? $800.00 for a painting?

Financial/practical folks would say "Do you want it or do you need it?"
Of course you don't need it.
You buy art because you want it.

Will it improve your life? Debatable.
If smiling when you see this object counts, then 'yes'.
If feeling that you have helped contribute to the life of an independent artist to continue living their creative life makes you feel good, then 'yes'.
If surrounding oneself with unusual one of a kind treasures makes you feel
like you're creating a personalized pod to live in, then 'yes'.
If by owning this, you vicariously are living with a piece of this artists spirit in your home or office - then 'yes'.
Pretty compelling reasons I would have to say. Then again, I'm the artist who wants you to buy my work!

So - if this is the case.....think about these things the next time you hesitate. The next time you think,"should I buy that beautiful work of art that seems to be tugging at my soul".......just say 'yes'.

There is no right or wrong in buying art.
Buy what you love.
Buy what ignites your spirit.
Buy what makes you feel whole.
Buy what makes you miss a breath.
In becoming attuned to your inner voice, you come to count on it's intuitive input
when you need the push to say 'yes'!

As 2011 unfolds, make it point to buy at least ONE handmade piece of art each month.
At the end of the year, your collection will have grown,
your sense of collecting strengthened -
your passion expanded.
You will have grown too!
You may find yourself smiling more.
You may find yourself showing others your collection - having people into your home.
These are some of the wonderful aspects of art.
It is beauty and grace all wrapped in one!
--this is art!

Happy Collecting!

If you need any ideas - I ship for FREE on my etsy site!

Patricia