Jeanette Janson-Mixed Media Artist

Recovery

Well, it's Monday night and the Memorial weekend is winding down.  No big trip to the beach or mountains here.  It was kind of quiet with just a cookout at a neighbor's house tonight.  Actually, I've been nursing my wounds most of the day from a running mishap yesterday.

It was one of those mornings, not really into the run, but I was doing it anyway.  Distracted by my music player and trying to adjust new headphones when I caught my foot on the cracked sidewalk and ended up falling on my face.  There was a lot of blood from a gash on my chin, but I made it back home and decided I was going to live.  Now, I've got a scraped up face, knees and hands, but they are already feeling so much better.  Mostly I am feeling embarrassed, but wondering why people don't really get hurt on America's Funniest Videos when they do these major wipe outs....

So, enough already.....time to move on.

I did some new listings at Vintage Supply this weekend.  Escutcheon plates with nice distressed finishes.  

A whole set of lovely black typewriter keys.  Think of the bracelets and the earrings and the artwork you could make with these!  Cleaned and flat on the back, ready to use.

A very cool old crucifix.   Religion is a very personal decision, but I think no matter what your preferences are, you can appreciate the timeless beauty in this piece.

I also have a few new assemblage birds listed in my etsy shop.  This "Nest" Bird is covered in a vintage wallpaper border.  Very retro colors.

Love bird....a good one for your sweetheart, perhaps.

We all feel like this sometimes with our busy lives.  The Cuckoo Bird.  I can relate most days!

Hope you have a good upcoming week!

Be Well.

 

 

New artwork for my collection

Oh, I've been so lucky, lately.  Within a weeks time, I have acquired 3 new pieces of artwork and I love them all!!

My sweet friend, Barbara, surprised me with a box in the mail the other day.  My hands were all aflutter as I opened it, since I couldn't imagine what she would be sending me.  It turned out to be one of her "Sassy Crows."

Now, how cute is that?  All hand stitched with the utmost attention to details.  I love the stripped feet and the polka-dot eyelid...and look at the real black feathers on the back. 

She makes it look so easy, but I know how much work went into it.  I think he will make a perfect studio muse, don't you?  Thank you, Barbara : )  I will give him a good home.

The second addition to my art collection is an assemblage made by Karen Leigh.

After chatting online for quite some time now, we actually got to meet each other in person at Random Arts in Saluda, NC.  I fell in love with this piece before I even knew it was hers; so I guess I was meant to have it.  Karen was gracious enough to work out a deal with me and now it's hanging on my studio wall.

I tucked some vintage photos into the pockets on the front.  I may need to rework that until I find just the right fit.

I spent a bit of time at Random Arts and felt very welcomed by the owner, Jane.

Then it was off to the art's festival.  After a bit of looking around and comparison shopping, I decided to head back to Holly Mitchell's booth and buy one of her adorable dolls.

I got this mermaid doll called "Collecting Memories."  She writes a little personal story about each doll she makes.  Her etsy shop is here if  you want to check out more of her work.

So, now I have shared with you my wonderful new pieces of artwork.  I couldn't be more thrilled with them all : )

 
It's a very good feeling to know people out there "get" your artwork.  For your art to be inspirational to others can be what keeps you creating day after day.  A while ago I was contacted by author Tracy Holczer about my birds.  She told me she found inspiration in them while writing her newest novel.  Of course I felt humbled and very touched that she responded to them in this way.  

Check out her website HERE.  She did a great job incorporating some of my birds into the design.

I feel so much like they are part of the book because they lived in my mind while I wrote it :) 

 

I guess that about wraps it up.  This upcoming week can't possibly be as exciting as the last has been, but sometimes that's a good thing.

Take Care~

Inspirational Art

I wanted to share with you my latest creations.

Bloom is HERE 

I used dried flowers out of an album I recently acquired that's dated in the late 1800's.  It's the coolest.  All the flowers were painstakingly dried and added to this book with descriptions, etc.  Unfortunately, time has not been its friend and more and more of it falls apart every time I flip through the pages.

Anyway, the spine of this doll is an old wrench and the center is a tin cover.  I bolted this one together because the parts are all so heavy.  It's nice and solid now.  (Thank  you, drill press, for making easy work of that!)

It took me a few days of trying this and that to get "FLY" just the way I wanted her.  There's a lot going on here and I didn't want it to look overloaded or out of balance.  I took my time, though, and I think I reached a happy medium.

She has a huge chunky piece of custom jewelry attached to her front.  I found this at a flea market not too long ago and thought it was a great statement piece.  

Her body is an escutcheon plate with just the right amount of rust and her head is a pocket watch bezel.  "FLY" is HERE if you are interested.

Besides creating art, I got a good shot of inspiration this past weekend at Artisphere, a local arts and cultural festival.  

I really loved this mixed media piece made by William Armstrong Jr.  He collaged old maps in the background and it really works with the travel concept.

Had to have my picture taken beside it.

Silver statue lady....I guess you would call her a mime.  She was cool and I definitely dropped a few dollars into her hat; she deserved it.  She would stand perfectly still for a few minutes and then play a little beat on her drum before turning into a statue again.

Amazing work by Daryl Thetford

They had a great turnout.  I should have gotten there earlier in the day.  Sometimes it's hard to look if there's too many people around.  

These amazing little dolls were made by Paper Mache artist Tiffany Ownbey.  

I fell in love with her little creatures, but alas, I went away empty handed.  This show is very selective and only the very best artists are invited to enter.  Most of the artwork was out of my price range, but it was still fun to look.

That's all for now, hope you have a good week!

 

At last...new assemblage dolls

I've been working on some new assemblage dolls off and on for the past few weeks and finally felt ready to put them up for sale.

123 Assemblage Doll is HERE.

I've been having fun making them and was reluctant to get all "business like" and put them on etsy.  To be honest, I was just enjoying having them around and looking at them everyday.   

Domestic Goddess is HERE

I've really put a lot of thought into these dolls and incorporated the things I love most.....rhinestones, old watch parts, vintage keys, hardware.  No big surprise there, but it is a break through of sorts for me because it has been so long since I sat down and created anything like this.  

I'll be honest and say I don't know if anyone even wants my art anymore after so much time has gone by, but I think that's mostly my insecurities talking.

Lost & Found doll is HERE

Some days I feel really lost, but I usually find myself before too much time has passed.  

Junk Yard Muse is HERE

I like this guy best.  He's the first doll I made and I named him "Junk Yard Muse."  He has been looking over his shoulder at me while I put together these dolls, one by one.  I have a collection of vintage bow pins displayed on a small fabric mannequin.  This pin had a broken clasp on the back and was just waiting to be used on a doll.  

So that's it for now.  I have a few more in the works and should be listing those sometime next week.  Comments are always welcome.

One more thing; have a great Mother's Day all you moms out there.

 A funny story....I got a card from my son today, it was addressed to "MOM" in huge letters with my address in a tiny box below it.  

He's in his mid 20's, but still has a great sense of humor!  He's lucky it made it to my house.  That was my chuckle for the day : )

 

Vintage Supply

I have some great new things listed at Vintage Supply Co. and wanted to share a few pictures with you.

I really love these metal number tags.  I was told they were taken off vintage lockers.  I can see using these in assemblages or jewelry making.  They have a nice sold feel and weight to them.

This watch movement has some beautiful detail.  I almost can't stand to part with it!  The front has a porcelain face, maybe there's a way to take it apart so you could use both pieces.

Vintage rhinestone brooches.  I have ones like this all over my home.  I pin them to mannequins, curtains, pillows, scarves....the sky's the limit!

These bottles are a lovely shade of violet.....and they all have some kind of writing on  the fronts.

Wooden rulers can be used in artwork or shaped like a star and hung on the wall.  This is an item that I have never had a problem finding at flea markets, but it seems lately all the vendors want full out retail for them.  I'll just have to hunt a little harder.

Biltmore pocket watch.  Non-working, but it has a nice bold graphic design.  It's ready for your next project.

Clock hands....less than $1 each.  It a good time to stock up!  I have several sets of these available.

A love this unusual shaped rhinestone brooch.  It would certainly be a conversation piece. 

That's all for now, hope you are having a good weekend!

 

Recycled Doll

Before I left on vacation, I started an assemblage doll that I'll be giving as a gift this weekend.  My son's girlfriend will be graduating from USC and I wanted to make her something special because I think a lot of her.

I just finished it today.  Close call, but I think everything on it should be secure and dry by Saturday.  The body started out as a needle from an antique phonograph.  I opened it up, cleaned everything inside and attached a watch face.  I screwed all the pieces back in place, added some glue and glitter to cover the rubber rings inside and now it's much more interesting looking.  If you're wondering, the actual needle screws into the top, and it's obviously not there.  I think they call this whole unit the needle.

I may be wrong, but that's what makes working with recycled items interesting.

Her head was made from a rhinestone pin and she has tart tin wings.  A few beads and baubles and I think I'm done fiddling with it now. 

For inspiration, I wanted to share a few pictures with you of a very cool shop I visited in Spokane, Wa.

It's called Pink....

...and it's full of vintage salvage goods.

It was one of my favorite stops and the owner, Celeste, made me feel so welcome.

Loved this Mad Hatter Hat!  It was metal mesh with a distressed patina.

I love the way they attached these books to the wall.  Pages, yes, but I never would have thought about putting the whole book on the wall.

Love Santos figures.  I want one of the real antique ones....maybe one day if I win the lottery.

Old trophy cups.  Looking great grouped together!

If you are anywhere near Spokane, you will want to check it out.  I'm sure their inventory changes constantly.  It's a gem and definitely worth the trip!

 

Vacation pics

I'm finally home and able to share a few photos with you from the past week.  Computer problems are frustrating enough on their own, but when you are away from home and trying to work on an unfamiliar laptop, sometimes it's not worth the aggravation.

This is little Evan, our new grandson.  

Isn't he sweet?  He has the best temperament.  Such a good baby.

We also met Ethan and Dylan for the 1st time.  These little boys have recently become our grand kids and we are so happy to welcome them to the family.

They were such little troopers as we headed down to Pike Place Market to shop.  Lots and lots of people, we discovered it wasn't really the ideal place to bring kids.

Tulips galore.

Amazing fresh seafood.

A visit to the Space Needle.

A ride through the Cascade Mountain Range.  We actually saw snow, which was kind of cool, especially this time of year.

Checking out the Spokane Falls.  Powerful and scary at the same time.

It's amazing that this waterfall runs through the downtown.  There's a big shopping mall about a block away.

Dinner at The Davenport.  It was beyond our budget to stay there, but dinner was amazing at this jewel of a hotel.

Back to the airport in Seattle the following day.

Couldn't resist a few more pictures on the way out!  I would never get tired of looking at these mountains!

 

Washington vacation

So, what are your plans for the weekend? I'm on the tail end of a trip to the great state of Washington. We started in the Seattle area, headed to the mountains mid week and then drove to Spokane for a few days. After 5 hours on the road yesterday, we are once again in the Seattle-Tacoma area. For me, a picture tells the story, especially on blogs, so I apologize for not posting any. I've taken tons, but for some reason this computer...or connection is not allowing me to upload any. Facebook seems to be working fine, so hop on over there if you want to view some. We've been visiting our new grandson here, just 4 months old now. He's like a little doll.....starting to respond and laugh when you make a face at him. It's amazing what silly things adults will do to get a reaction out of a baby! I just wish the family were closer....SC is a long way off. They are Air Force, though, so we are hoping for a transfer soon to a closer base. So, other than visiting family, we've been sight seeing and enjoying this magnificent state. The mountains have been incredibly beautiful going through the snowy passes, how do they deal with the snow so many months out of the year? Bob grew up in Spokane, so it was a treat to go back there and get a grand tour. Of course, it had all changed so much over the years, but we still found his grandmother's house and the pond where he fed ducks as a boy. I scouted out some fun shops while I was there and did a little shopping. Sticker shock hit in most of the malls and touristy locations. "Cute pair of casual shoes"......$185, not today. Anyway, just wanted to pop in and let you know I am not MIA. Some great ideas have been forming in my head this past week for future projects. I started on new assemblage dolls right before leaving on vacation and can't wait to get back to creating. I've also picked up some unique things to list on Vintage Supply when get back. If you ordered anything there, I promise to get it shipped out at the beginning of the week. Thank you for your patience. I thought about putting the shop on vacation while I was gone, but decided against it. Hope you enjoy your weekend. Can't wait to share pictures with you soon!

Strawberry pickin'

Oh, I love this time of year when the strawberries are ripening and the fresh produce is hitting the farmer's market.

Yesterday, we headed over to the local strawberry patch and picked 6 buckets of these sweet beauties.

The day was gorgeous and my son and his girlfriend came along to give us a hand.

By that night, my fingers were stained red from the berry juice.  Most of them ended up going into the freezer, but I kept out a big bowl for cereal and oatmeal.

Today, I felt like I had to catch up on packing and listings, so I headed over to the loft for the afternoon.

I'm running a special on these bottle caps. Buy 1 package of (50) for $10 and get another 50 free!  It's a good opportunity to stock up for future use.  I've seen people make jewelry and use them in art projects.  Some of the graphics on the old ones are really cool.

I love these cast iron hands.  They look great sitting on a shelf with jewelry wrapped around them.

You will feel like a kid in a candy store going through this vintage tin.

This sweet cast metal bird would look great in your garden or in your studio!

I absolutely adore this eagle emblem. 

Kay Adams made a necklace from a similar one.  

Check out her shop here. I think she just did a stunning job on it!  What a gorgeous statement piece.

There's lots more to see in the shop, so stop by when you have a chance!  A good way to know when new things are listed is to become a fan on facebook.  You can find the "like" icon on this page or at Vintage Supply on etsy.

 

Revamped baby buggy

This is a picture of my latest project....a revamped baby buggy turned into a planter.  A few years ago, I found this great old white wicker buggy at a yard sale.

I cleaned it up and filled it with ferns.

It looked really sweet, but it was in bad shape when I got it and the elements have slowly been taking their toll.  So, it was time for another recycling project.  I took the wicker basket part off and got to work with some left over wood fencing.

Ta-da....a new planter.  It was natural wood, so I painted it white.  That was just a bit too clean and new looking, so I got out some wood stain.

Painted it all over and then wiped off the excess.

Much better!

I added some flowers, an ornamental piece that I picked up at the salvage yard and parked it in the azalea patch.  It will look even prettier as the months go on and the flowers start to fill in.  

Hope you have a good weekend