Feminist Friday: She's 13

I wanted to share a mixed media painting I finished a little bit ago entitled "She's 13". I created this piece for Oklahomans Against The Trafficking of Humans to help raise awareness of the growing problem of human trafficking and modern slavery. Sadly, the average age a girl is recruited into commercial sexual exploitation here in the U. S. is 12 to 13. At twelve and thirteen, I was still playing with Barbies, exploring the outdoors, and reading Laura Ingalls Wilder. What were you doing at that age?



I really enjoyed the process with this piece, and I'd like to do more mixed media paintings in the future. It took me quite a while to decide how to tackle such an awful subject, artistically, but in the end I decided to lean toward the symbolic. Here is how I described the piece:

"The trappings of a normal, happy pre-adolescent girl’s life lie torn and ruined under layers of darkness and filth. What should be a time of carefree innocence before the onslaught of normal teenage pressures and changes has instead become a nightmare of sexual exploitation and bondage. Thirteen pairs of young girls’ legs wearing women’s high heels symbolize child victims of sexual slavery being forced into adult situations far beyond their years. These girls have become disconnected body parts, bought and sold for the pleasure and profit of adults. A tarnished gold “Dearest Daughter” seal meant for a funeral spray reminds the viewer that each of these girls is someone’s daughter and serves as a metaphor for the death of their innocence and childhood. This piece aims to impress upon the viewer how very young 13 is."

So Fresh, So Clean

Hello, 2013, and a Happy New Year to all! This time of year is one of my favorites. Besides the start of another year on the calendar, the first week of January is when I turn another year older, so it especially feels like a fresh, clean slate in my hands, the most perfect, hopeful time for a planner and list maker such as myself. This year I'm looking at my goals with a fresh perspective thanks to a book I've just finished reading.



While I do value personal growth, I've never been much for any books that could be comfortably shelved in the "Self-Help" section of the bookstore. Maybe it stems from the working class notion that life is hard and you just deal with it, or maybe it was just a bias of youth, but those kinds of books have always seemed so New Age-y and self-absorbed to me. But several weeks ago, and I don't even remember where or how, I stumbled upon a reference to Refuse to Choose! by Barbara Sher. One look at those customer reviews and an excerpt from the book, and I knew I had found my people. I love books, but I rarely buy them for myself. It seems so extravagant a luxury when money is so tight and the library is free, but I ordered this one without hesitation. It sounds dramatic, but I just knew this book was going to change my life. And it has, if in no other way than finally identifying myself as a "Scanner" has assured me that I'm not alone and re-colored my view of myself. I'm not a sidetracked loser, hopeless dabbler or a Jack-of-all-trades because I have so many interests, passions, and talents. The trail of diverse (and often unfinished) projects and accomplishments in my wake is not evidence of failure or a lack of discipline, but instead the work of a creative mind not content to follow just one path--a Renaissance person. I can't tell you the number of times that I've bemoaned my lack of one singular, passionate focus in life. "But, I love art! And music! And embroidery and sewing and making things with my hands! And self-sufficiency! And cooking and baking! And vintage stuff! And history! And writing! And blogging! And graphic design! And hair and beauty! And feminism and women's issues! And homeschooling my children! And camping! And foraging for wild foods! And taking photos!" I could go on, but you get the idea. I'm just so damn excited about and interested in so many things. And because I'm pulled in so many directions, I end up feeling overwhelmed, disorganized, and unfocused. It has affected my self-esteem, and it has certainly affected my blogging (or lack thereof). All the blogging advice out there tells you that you must have a theme, or at least a somewhat narrowed focus, but that has been next to impossible for me. What is the underlying theme of all of my interests and passions? I know creativity is huge for me and underlies nearly everything I do, as well as appreciation for and love of the past. But how do I weave all of these varied and sometimes disparate interests into one blog package that anyone but my mom wants to read? And how do I focus on one or two things long enough to actually accomplish anything? I still don't have those answers, but I am on track to figuring out who I am, and it's only taken me (nearly) 33 years to get here!



2012 was not a particularly bad year for me, but it ended on a bit of a rough note with some new challenges and a health scare. For 48 hours, I was faced with the very real worry that my body was failing me. And besides the gut-wrenching fear that I might not get to raise my babies or spend a lifetime with my soul mate, do you know what pained me the most? Not that I wouldn't get to travel, to see amazing technological advances, or finally learn to fold a fitted sheet properly, but that I wouldn't get to make all the art that lives inside my head and heart. Over the last few years, I have been slowly growing more comfortable with the idea of identifying myself as an artist. I am more sure than ever that I want and really need to make art and live an even more creative life. So that is high on my list of priorities for this year. I have purchased a large sketchbook which will double as a sketchbook (duh!) and my "Scanner's Daybook" as suggested by Sher in Refuse To Choose!. Basically, the daybook is a place to record each and every idea we Scanners have throughout the course of a day or week or month. No matter how crazy an idea or how unlikely we are to ever follow through with it, getting all of these ideas out of our heads and on paper for safe keeping means we can return to them someday, or at the very least have a really great time letting our imaginations run wild for a little while. Most importantly, and this is what really resonated with me, it teaches us to value our ideas and the way our multifaceted brains work. I have discarded so many ideas with the excuse that it's not realistic, not possible, I don't have enough time, I already have a million unfinished projects, that would be cool to try if I had another lifetime, and on and on. Valuing all my crazy ideas means valuing myself and the particular way that I'm wired instead of beating myself up for my lack of focus and discipline. I'm also vowing to be better at sharing all these things I love and do with the world, rather than trying to edit myself down to less than a full picture of me. In no particular order, here is my list of my priorities for 2013:

making art of all kinds
keeping a sketchbook of ideas
focus on The Beauty Saloon and other print on demand business goals
more homeschooling projects
more reading with my girls
taking better care of myself
blogging more frequently

Anything else I accomplish is just gravy. So, that is where my head is on this second day of a new year. I hope 2013 is full of wonderful things for all of us. Have you made any resolutions or set any goals for this year?

Beauty is Art

Hello, chickadees! Here is my latest creation for The Beauty Saloon, a print featuring a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. I'm not sure ol' Ralph was necessarily thinking of beauty operators when he said it, but he should have been!

Beauty is Art Retro Quote Stylist Salon Print by TheBeautySaloon
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And here is a print that has proven to be quite popular, both as a print/canvas, and on mugs and T-shirts, too. Curl up and dye, y'all.

Curl Up and Dye Vintage Graphic Print by TheBeautySaloon
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Hair stylist art! Yee haw!

Gearing Up

How's my Dollfaces? Tonight finds me cleaning and straightening my little art cave, trying to calm and center myself before the storm of the next several weeks. I am happy to announce that I've been accepted to both Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar and Alliday on the 10th and 17th of December, respectively. Along with the excitement of participating in these amazing, 100% handmade shows comes the sobering realization that holy bajeezus, I've got to produce enough inventory for two shows plus ye olde internete shoppe, on top of all the family and holiday related business and happy times that this time of year brings. I have so many ideas and plans for new offerings, new show displays, new things and projects I want to share with you, and such precious little time. I am trying to learn to not let myself be overwhelmed by the big picture, and to just focus on one task at a time until I reach my goal, or, as my mother would say, to "eat the elephant one bite at a time". I feel like I'm looking for some magic organizational tool or method that will help me feel less overwhelmed and keep me on track. My attempts at scheduling each hour of my day haven't worked, especially with two little girls. I'm good at making lists, and I do work better with one, but I still feel scattered sometimes. So much of the time I feel like I'm running on a treadmill, just barely staying on top of the day to day needs of my little business and my family, with no time to get ahead or reach the really big goals. I hope (and I think) I'm not alone here.



In other news, we celebrated our Sugar Pea's fifth birthday with funnel cakes (birthday girl's request), and I just shipped a big ol' box of Sweetheartville saint candles to a brand new store opening the first of November in Rogers, AR called Heirloom Food and Gifts! I cannot wait to shop there the next time we visit family in the Ozarks. Sweetheartville goods can now be found at retail stores in two different states, with more to come, hopefully. These are exciting times. So much work to be done! Do you have any tips for staying on track while juggling a business and a family? What sort of calendar, planner, or other organizational tools have helped you?

Saint Irene

Hello, friends! I've had my crafty nose to the grindstone getting ready for Indie Emporium. If you're near Tulsa, I hope you'll stop by and say hello.


I've got a couple new things up my sleeve for the show, including the newest Sweetheartville Saint, Saint Irene, Patron Saint of Crafting.


The DIY canon is full of needleworkers, but I felt that a general, all purpose crafty lady was in order, so Saint Irene is surrounded by all sorts of craftastic flowers that she has whipped up from tissue paper, feathers, and sea shells. Look closely and you'll also see some glittery bobbles, pipe cleaner curls, a pair of pine cone elves, and a pretty little beaded bird lighting on her shoulder. This lady definitely knows how to wield a hot glue gun!

Normally, I just pull these saint lady names out of thin air, but this one is near and dear to my heart. She is named for my Grandma, one of the craftiest people I've ever known. From crocheting to painting to plastic canvas work to Barbie doll hats made from melted styrofoam cups, she did it all, and I learned so much at her knee. I'm lucky to have been named after her, myself. This little collage is a wink to her memory. I think she would have gotten quite a kick out of it.

Native Son

Hello, sweethearts! I've been working very hard to prepare for Indie Emporium, which will be here in less than two weeks. Besides readying my wares for the show, I've also finished a new collage. I've had this idea in my mind and my sketchbook for months now, and I guess our recent trip to the Will Rogers Museum gave me the kick in the pants I needed to make it reality. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out!



Our most famous and most beloved Okie is on an Oklahoma Flag Blue background surrounded by the emblems of our state--Indian blanket flowers, rose rocks, mistletoe, redbud branches, and scissortailed-flycatchers. The banner shows our state motto, "Labor Omnia Vincit", or "Labor conquers all things." I chose to use a slightly less well known photograph of Will. This is something that's not talked about nearly enough: young Will Rogers was a total hottie. But then, I kinda have a thing for Cherokee boys.

Look for an Okie Pride candle very soon, and maybe a print, too!

Prints!

I'm so excited! As of today 8" x 10" prints of my work are available for purchase in ye olde shoppe, including all of the Saints of the Domestic Arts as well as "Feminine Phrenology" and "Use It Up". Yippee!

Homemade Equals Healthy, Right?

Seriously, where are these days going? I looked up from my busyness, and realized it's been over two weeks since my last post. We're still hiding from the record-shattering heat. Turns out that July was not only the hottest July ever on record for Oklahoma, but the hottest one ever recorded for any state. Ever. In history. Since time began. Did I convey to you that it's been sweltering here? Anyway, I've been trying to keep the oven off to keep the house cooler, but my sweet tooth just wouldn't let me rest until I'd whipped up a batch of these homemade oreos. Only, I used butter for the filling instead of shortening. They ended up huge, and also delicious, but next time I think I'd cut back a bit on the sugar because, hot damn!, these things made your teeth ache they were so sweet. Also, because it's hotter than Beelzebub's buttcheeks here, they were kind of melty and too oozy until we put them in the fridge for a few hours.

In other news, there are so many little babies being birthed around here this summer, the latest being Beth's little girly pie this afternoon. My own little chunk is already weighing in at over 14 pounds, and we haven't even reached the three month mark! I think I must make heavy cream instead of milk.



I'm trying some new and exciting (non digital) things with my art this week, which I will share here if they aren't complete flops.

Feminine Phrenology

Well, it's still a million degrees here in Oklahoma with no end in sight. What's a girl to do? Apparently, experiment with hand drawn type and Photoshop in the air conditioning.



Looking at some antique phrenology head diagrams, I got the idea to put my own spin on the subject. Bouffants and nonsensical ramblings anyone? Ephemera + ink + watercolor, with a little nod to Ray Fenwick, whose work I admire.

Use It Up

I've been wanting to incorporate some hand drawn type into a piece for a while, so last weekend I spent some time with my sketch book and scanner and this was the result:



"Use it up, wear it out. Make it do, or do without." I've always loved the slogan, and it's just as relevant (if not more so) now than it was 70 years ago. But lately it's taken on a deeper meaning for me. It serves as a reminder to make the most out of the hand we've drawn and the life we've been given. I want to wring every last drop of beauty and love and passion out of my time on this big, flawed, gorgeous rock. So many people waste their whole lives wallowing in self pity and misery because they feel stuck in their circumstances, desperately wanting to lay the blame for their unhappiness and struggles anywhere but at their own feet. Meanwhile, life passes them by until it's too late. I don't want to leave any room for regret on my deathbed. This life is the only one I'll get, and I'm going to use it up and wear it out.

St. Margaret, Patron Saint of Baking

Introducing the newest DIY saint in the Sweetheartville canon, Saint Margaret, Patron Saint of Baking.



Ain't she sweet? This was my most favorite saint to dream up yet. If it's possible to gain weight via Photoshoppery, I must have gained twelve pounds today. Fun times! I'm having such a blast designing these pretend saints I don't ever want to quit.

So tell me, what DIY pursuit or career would YOU most like to see a patron saint of? I have a few ideas in the pipeline, but I'd love your feedback. I'm all ears!

I'd also like to thank everyone who offered encouragement and votes of confidence after my last post. It means so much to me to have so many wonderful, creative, kindhearted people in my life cheering me on. I feel like big, exciting things are just around the corner for my art, Sweetheartville, the Welcome Little Stranger project, and of course, my sweet little family. I'm full up to burstin' with ideas and plans, and I can't wait to see what each new day brings.