Treasure Hunting along the shores...................

I was on the hunt for some drift wood for a craft project I want to make.....so  we decided to take a ride down to the waterfront in our  town called Lawrence Harbor.  It was the perfect day, the sun was shinning the weather was warm with a nice cool breeze...you couldn't ask for a prettier day!

there was a lot of debris on the beach and was nice to see so many crews helping out cleaning up the water front today.

it's nice to know that my town of Old Bridge New Jersey has a water front.... 

there was so much to look at............the sand, shells, driftwood, stones, board walk, fishing piers, jetties....

what a nice surprise to find this rose bush filled with gorgeous color, flowers and so many buds....

we spotted a  lot of the horseshoe crabs......which makes us think that the waters are getting cleaner.....or at least we are praying they are........

I always admired theses old wood pilings...

  

they remind me of a city.... along the water......

I hope you get a chance to get out today and Enjoy mother Nature......

Art for St Judes..............

I heard a call for art from a art friend of mine named Kecia...she was asking if anyone would like to donate fabric or art for an idea she had to make banners to hang in St Jude's Children Hospital to help cheer the patients........so I thought what a great idea if I could get my 8th grade art students involved......

and to my surprise they were thrilled to create 4"x4" squares to be used by some creative woman at an art retreat next month called  Art is you in Dixie.  Woman will be sewing our squares along with many many more created by so many people willing to send healing thoughts and LOVE, into  banners for the children who need it the most.......  

so I cut some canvas into 4"x4" squares and set out the paint

and asked my students to paint things that would make kids happy.....

I said if you want to add words go ahead...

anything that would  help lift the children's spirit is what I would love for you to do....

I was so happy and amazed that we got to create 60 little pieces of art to help in what ever little way we could.....

can't wait to see the final results and see the colorful loving banners flying high in the hospital...

thanks Kecia for letting us help in your vision to help others......

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY FROM ME TO YOU!

wishing you and yours

a Happy Valentines Day

filled with love!

Journal Play

I have been obsessed with painting in my journals, any spare moment I have I feel the need to paint and doodle in them...............................

I take them everywhere I go.hoping for a chance to sit and get busy creating some  new patterns.....

I paint many pages or journals at a time then pack them up to take with me......

to school, on my lunch break, on car rides, waiting at the doctors office,

can't seem to  stop thinking of the next pattern or object I want to paint....

I am finding it very relaxing and can't think of a day that I am not painting and doodling in my journal or on my i-pad...

created on paper 53 my i-pad obsession......

the colors and the marks you can make are amazing...........

now onto some items to paint in this technique, I found several blank leather cuffs,  

 

and some wooden bangles....... well better get painting I have a lot of shows coming up this year.....

Hope you are doing something creative today!!!!

 

Zentangling in the new year!....

Had to share  some of the creative art work my art students are working on.....tomorrow is our last day together this year....I have my students for a very short time...only 18 days and in those days I am trying to teach them as much as possible.....

I find it very difficult to share all the things I love in that brief time.....

my 7th graders are finishing up on their ZENTANGLE items...

They were asked to bring in an item to doodle on and was hoping for some interesting items..

I think they came up with some awesome selections.....

hoping she can finish tomorrow, she said she was going to display it in her bedroom.....

she will have the best ballet shoes around......

there is going to be one happy hamster.........

and how about this adorable little piggy bank......nice job Val!!!!

I don't usually like when kids make these smiley faces......but to find this at the bottom of the guitar was kind of cute.....

this was the tiniest little bank I ever saw.....hoping he can finish....

and this is a lamp shade.....how cool is that going to look lit up!!!!!

nice job Fred...........

this boy couldn't wait to start his sneakers....every day he asked are we starting today?????he was so thrilled when I finally said YES today is the day!!!!

I had no idea what this was????????can you guess...looks like a book to me..well

it's a Karate board!!!!!and very difficult to crack.....

and one last item...the game controller.....

I was so HAPPY that the students picked awesome items to ZENTANGLE, and they learned a fun skill that they can use for years to come......

What creative item would you ZENTANGLE?

If you have never ZENTANGLED before check it out..I am sure you will be hooked....

I will be teaching a class on ZENTANGLING this summer, I will post the summer schedule soon as the dates are finalized...

Would LOVE to see you come up with.....

Well HAPPY NEW YEAR a little late.......

It's been a crazy winter here on the East Coast..snow snow and more snow...and the coldest weather we have seen in many years........Haven't posted anything in a while so thought I would let you take a peek at what I am working on...................
I have been very busy coming up with new classes for me to teach in my favorite summer beach town of Ocean Grove N.J.  Once everything is finalize I will post the summer classes  right here....can you imagine talking about summer art classes in the garden of Centennial Cottage.....

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cold..............

really cold............and that's not with the wind chill......

lots of the white stuff this year......

we are in the middle of this crazy Polar BLAST!!!!!

well I have been very busy painting and doodling in my art journals....and having a great time doing so.....I love to paint and just painting whatever comes to mind...its always something to do with BRIGHT colors that make me smile......can't get enough of these yummie colors......

here is a peek at my art journals..........

I took an online class with Mary Ann Moss and loved learning how to paint papers and then use them like fabric...

so you use the papers like fabric and sew sew sew...along with all your painting..it was so relaxing and calming......

I made a bunch of journals and carry them with me where ever I go......If I am bored which is most of the time I take out my journal and doodle......................

I do the painting at home in my studio, not always sure what I am going to paint.......just let it happen.......then I carry my markers with me and my journal and then doodle doodle doodle, and add details.....

this one was inspired by Magaly Ohika ......I took her online  class and had a ball too!!!!! checkout her blog here.

I think you should try painting and letting go and just see what happens.......

making marks and patterns really calms a hectic day......can't go anywhere with out my journals.....

this was a show entry that was not excepted......the  show was titled "Plastic" and I love this...a plastic cupie doll, plastic frame, plastic beads, and plastic bubble wrap......

Well hope you are getting creative in this New Year!!!

and if you  live on the EAST coast hope you are keeping warm......

thanks for stopping by......