Artsy Stuff & Things By Me

picket fence and pond ky

apjo — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:27:01 GMT

picket fence and pond ky

This scene just captured my fancy .

ky

apjo — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:25:23 GMT

These jagged , layered icy edges were very compelling to me.

flying snowball feb 2008 ky

apjo — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:23:46 GMT

flying snowball feb 2008 ky

A snow day on my wonderful visit to ky in early feb.

Love how I caught the snow -ice ball flying right into the camera lens.

Halloween Birthday: It always comes back to haunt you !

apjo — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:16:10 GMT

Halloween Birthday: It always comes back to haunt you !

Hand cut collage , using magazines, old birthday cards, gel markers, copies of family snaps and a fallen leaf.

April the Wannabe Movie Star

apjo — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 22:54:16 GMT

April the Wannabe Movie Star

My latest alteration.

the triumvirate

apjo — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:53:05 GMT

the triumvirate

I am so pleased at the look that 's happening here.Not done yet, but getting there .

biggest planter

apjo — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:50:44 GMT

biggest planter

The impatiens look great inside there !

lizard planter

apjo — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:47:49 GMT

lizard planter

plant a gift from a new neighbor.

medium planter

apjo — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:46:31 GMT

medium planter

My lovely pink geraniums.They are still alive .Color me surprised.

My 20 year tin can collection as decoration

apjo — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 16:21:35 GMT

My 20 year tin can collection as decoration

In 1989 I got hold of some women's magazine that showed a woman who put her extensive decorated tin can collection up above her kitchen cabinets.

So I began to collect cans from all over the world on my trips.Not every kitchen had that space between the cabinet and ceiling, but the one in Texas did.

So here is the result of lots of international eating or thrift store shopping !

wacky gal logo

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 21:27:21 GMT

wacky gal logo

I don't own a business, but I love making the logos on the back of my cards.

This one is a fusion of my daughter's chibi of me , and some of my favorite obsessions during that time ( pink flamingos, rubber mallet and a mini creme brule torch).

I just called these fireblossoms

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 19:53:51 GMT

I just called these fireblossoms

These were in a neighbors yard.I don't know what they are.

The road before us

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 19:50:07 GMT

The road before us

This was also part of the same golf course walk.I adore this shot .The lighting , the line of trees that bend with the road make for a splendid composition to my mind.

pine branches grasp the moon

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 19:46:10 GMT

pine branches grasp the moon

I got this shot while on a breezy winter's night walk to the golf course in Texas.

Sunset through the queen palms

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 19:42:34 GMT

Sunset through the queen palms

July 2006 my Dad called us out to witness this beautiful sunset light streaming through our big trees at the head of the pool.There was a cactus plant under the trees, phildendrons and several solar lights , of course.

I took several shots with my fujipix camera at the time.I felt this was the best shot .

the front door

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 16:03:18 GMT

the front door

I had learned how to trim the small palms . I had rainbow rocks,shells and colored glass in the beds as well as solar lights, and small gnomes .

Backyard bird of paradise

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:59:31 GMT

Backyard bird of paradise

What a great plant.It had mice dangling off it one day.I wrote a poem about it !It also had a great green crackle solar light and a gnome at the bottom .

Mama gnome & babe

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:57:18 GMT

Mama gnome & babe

So sweet

All my gnomes had special jobs

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:55:34 GMT

All my gnomes had special jobs

I placed each guy or gal in a specific place.I crack myself up!

roses, honey suckle and a tangerine tree out by the back of the fence.

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:48:31 GMT

roses, honey suckle and a tangerine tree out by the back of the fence.

My daughter selected and planted these plants .I had come up with the black fence/rock idea .I also came up with the bamboo covering for the cedar fence. It was stapled on.It gave the backyard a real exclusive look .

my fish stepping stone

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:44:22 GMT

my fish stepping stone

one of my first mosaic projects.I couldn't take it with me.

Our little pond , Rhine maiden , fishing gnome , water solar lights spotlighted

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:41:18 GMT

Our little pond , Rhine maiden , fishing gnome , water solar lights spotlighted

We had this lovely lily pond solar set and the yard company broke it ( I always labeled and lifted whatever wires there were ) but that didn't always help.We had storm casualties, or lawn guys breakage was able to keep the yard solar for 2 years with a minimal of damage.

pseudo mosaic lanterns

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:35:44 GMT

pseudo mosaic lanterns

I snapped these up from Gardener's Supply catalog at the time , during the day they were colored( I had blue, white and amber) , at night they all glowed golden .

stepping stone

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:33:40 GMT

stepping stone

Texas backyard solar lights

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:30:10 GMT

Texas backyard solar lights

I became obsessed with solar lights back in 2004.I began to make a solarlight landscape around the edges of our pool & yard .I used the smaller palms to support hanging stars.I also had some other kinds out front as well.Gnomes, mosaic stepping stones ,small statues , a rainbow rock bed strewn with colored glass it all melded together to make a unique backyard .

Mermaid postcards ( by someone else )with hand painted matting & framing ( by me)

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:23:42 GMT

Mermaid postcards ( by someone else )with hand painted matting & framing ( by me)

In Kemah, this one shop had these cool embellished illustrated mermaid cards . I bought several.

I was planning on using some to frame for my vanity area and some for decoupaging my chest of drawers.

mosaic frame

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:16:47 GMT

mosaic frame

A piece came off of this during our move, I had to glue it back on.

So there is a small piece of grout missing now.

It was made to frame a specific old make-up/magazine advertisement I had bought at an antique store.

Mosaic initials 2

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:14:28 GMT

Mosaic initials 2

I was lucky enough to find lots of fun tiles at her workshop that I'd never used before.

Mosaic initials

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:12:36 GMT

Mosaic initials

I had to make very small shards of tiles to make this work. The initials are painted metal underneath.

Found Art Mosaic

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:08:20 GMT

Found Art Mosaic

This has a wooden back , my daughter's illustrations are at the center that I had made into tiles by Cafe Press.I then added some metal jewelry I wasn't wearing .I went to a mosaic instructor for about 3 years , and this is one of the many projects I made there.

Mom's Day sign

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:04:08 GMT

Mom's Day sign

I loved those hands, I think this is print shop or print artist.

Pantry Sign

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:02:04 GMT

Pantry Sign

My father had a habit of buying groceries without realizing what was already in the pantry.

I directed him to this sign whenever possible.The list would change depending on what the pantry held.

I love combining my daughter's art work within my own creations.

back end of Texas Xmas 05

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 14:59:29 GMT

back end of Texas Xmas 05

I love hand cropping elements and placing them together. I can do this for hours.It has to be just so.I have to be completely satisfied.

middle doxieparade05.jpg

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 14:57:33 GMT

middle doxieparade05.jpg

My dachshund parade, Santa belly bopping contest and lawn ornaments games was inspired by my unique sense of whimsy and the absurd.

Texas xmas 05

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 14:55:23 GMT

Texas xmas 05

My friends and acquaintances never quite know what will show up in their mail boxes come the holidays!

Back of partycard 2001

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 14:53:50 GMT

Back of partycard 2001

I always enjoy coming up with creative production names/logos.

center 2 partycard 2001

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 14:52:15 GMT

center 2 partycard 2001

The expression on my daughter's face here really worked to my advantage !

center side 1 2001 party card

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 14:50:51 GMT

center side 1 2001 party card

I love putting all those elements together.

2001 party card

apjo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 14:49:06 GMT

2001 party card

I don't even remember what program I used, might have been business Adobe .

gnomevalley.jpg

apjo — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:59:57 GMT

gnomevalley.jpg

The first time I ever played with my pictures.

Vacation in Bavaria Germany 2004.

This is the Werdenfelser castle ruins ( dating back 600 years, they use to burn witches there during the inquisition), and that 's Garmisch-Partenkirchen below.

biggest paintedrim.JPG

apjo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:32:41 GMT

biggest paintedrim.JPG

Biggest shelf with painted rim.This mosaic piece fell off recently and I reglued it .

paintedrim2.JPG

apjo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:31:11 GMT

paintedrim2.JPG

smallest shelf painted rim .

painted rim.JPG

apjo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:30:18 GMT

painted rim.JPG

medium rim painted.

Fooddrinknono.jpg

apjo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:13:08 GMT

Fooddrinknono.jpg

The study sign ....

mosaic shelf.jpg

apjo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:09:29 GMT

mosaic shelf.jpg

This was a labor of love , $$$ and time.Stored it and now it's waiting to be put in my flower bed in front here .

mompoet.jpg

apjo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:04:07 GMT

mompoet.jpg

Me getting ready for a poetry reading of some of my stuff at our local Barnes & Noble in Clear Lake ,Texas in 2005.

statementleftside.jpg

apjo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:01:53 GMT

statementleftside.jpg

My "Gotta Be" gal was made from stuff I had around the house ( oddly enough I had styro wig heads about the place), a lazy susan,magazines, eye lashes for halloween ,eighties jewelry & markers .

gotta be gal fullfrontalstatement.jpg

apjo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 03:27:48 GMT

gotta be gal fullfrontalstatement.jpg

She's a commentary on how we gals gotta be everything :

Youthful, sassy, hot, great cook, great Mom ,stylish, smart ...

I had a lot of fun making it , and submitted it into a local art center to be judged.

It didn't qualify to be displayed.

Now it sits over the telephone in my study...

gottabegalstatementside.jpg

apjo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 03:25:58 GMT

gottabegalstatementside.jpg

the side of my gottabe gal.

gottabe gal back

apjo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 03:23:04 GMT

gottabe gal back

My found art item from 2005.The "gotta be" gal.

Kiss The Barista.jpg

apjo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 03:14:53 GMT

Kiss The Barista.jpg

Just having some fun with my own java shop !

Waiting for Santa

apjo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 03:11:44 GMT

Waiting for Santa

Texas Xmas postcard 2003.

Altered reality.

We don't actually own this couch .Our dog did not model for this .

It is put together from 2 other snaps of her , and all the elements are from other programs.

backendgnomecard.jpg

apjo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 03:09:22 GMT

backendgnomecard.jpg

The back of My Texas Xmas card 2004.

My daughter did the chibi of me on it.

retroaprildadday.jpg

apjo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 03:06:00 GMT

retroaprildadday.jpg

My Dad's 2007 Father's Day graphic design sign