A Shameless Bid for Attention

I'm sure you guys know that I rarely talk up my own wares, but I just thought I'd mention that I'm sort of taking part in Etsy's "Christmas in July" event.  After all, Christmas is approaching and what better time to think about a winter holiday than mid-July?

Anyway, I'm offering 25% off everything at Rhodyart (www.etsy.com/shop/rhodyart), and here are a few of the cool things you can find

First, here's a card I particularly love that salutes the late great Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, who died an untimely death from AIDS in 1991.  The woman in the card has a major crush on him as I'm sure many people did in his time (and may still do)

Find it here

Next we have a collage on canvas I'm very fond of and will hate to see go, whenever someone chooses it.  It pictures a seamstress enrapt in creating some lovely piece of needlework.  This is actually the second version of the piece.  The first was purchased two years ago when I had a solo show at a local government building. 

You can buy it here

One thing I love to make are mini collages that can be displayed on a small easel that I include when someone buys them.  Many of my favorites have been sold, but there are still some I just love, like this one.  In the building where I live there is a twice weekly bingo game that is taken very seriously by its players.  I happen to dislike bingo intensely, but it was easy for me to consider the possibility of pro bingo players.  Since ESPN already broadcasts poker tournaments (and why are they considered sports anyway), I can see a time when bingo games are broadcast on tv.

Get your bingo fix here

As you know, I love making magnets and it's fun for me to see people enjoy them.  One of my current favorite magnets is this one - a riff on the song "I love Paris" written by the great Cole Porter and sung by legions of great crooners.  I think I've mentioned before that music provides inspiration for many of my works, and this is no exception.

Avoid Paris and find this magnet here

I should note, of course, that there's plenty more in them thar hills, and all of the items in my shop make great gifts for your favorite people - including yourself.  And, again, everything's 25% off til July 20.

There you have it - my occasional shameless self-promotion blog post.  Hope you enjoyed it!

later,
lin

My Laziness This Week

I am trying to work on projects but it's really slow going.

I also haven't done a whole lot with the shop this week.  As usual I have lots of things that need to be added to the shop, and lots of photos to be edited.

Since I have to work at the gallery today, I was even thinking about taking more magnets to the gallery to photograph them.  I like to do it at the gallery because the lighting is pretty decent and better than my house.

(Note to self - investigate investing in a photography set up.)

Since I can't think of anything really interesting to talk about today, I want to bore you [B-} ] with a preview of coming attractions.  This are magnets that will be listed in the shop at some point, I promise.  If you are at all interested in any of them, contact me and we'll talk.  But I'm not really promoting them - really.  Just sharing.

There's this one - 

And this dog

A cat with a crown

A biker chick - I've been wanting to add a biker chick to the shop but haven't gotten around to it til now

And last but not least

This magnet is sort of inspired by Madonna's "Vogue" which opens with the line "What are you looking at?"  Those who are familiar with some of my work know that I am influenced by music and some of my creations directly point to particular songs or bands.

So there you have it - a preview of coming additions to the shop.  Hope you like them

later,
lin

I'm Dealing With It The Best Way I Know How

When I posted a link to my blog on a Facebook group that I belong to, several people picked up on my mention that I dealt with mental illness and wanted to know more.

While I don't want this blog to be solely about mental illness, I think a lot about it, obviously. 

It's hard not to, since I see a therapist once a week, a psychiatrist once a month, and take meds.

It's hard not to think about it when I am hearing noise in my head most of the time - not voices so much but noise.  Bits of music changing after a few bars, shushed conversations going on the background that I rarely can understand, even something that resembles the sound of the sea.

It's hard not to think about it when, without a moment's notice, I can sink into a profound depression that threatens to bring me down completely.

Understandably this affects my life.  Often times I won't realize someone's talking to me because I'm distracted what I'm hearing in my brain.  Other times I must have exterior noise surrounding me, as in TV, radio, or music in order to drown out what I hear.  I crave silence but it's impossible to attain, at least right now.

There's also the depression which has been deep enough for me to attempt the unthinkable.  

And there's the unreasonable demands I've placed on people in my life--which drove them away.  Last summer I so very nearly lost one of my dearest friends this way.  I am isolated in real life because of this.  And so my online life has become of major importance.

So how does this all relate to art?

Art has been one of the very few things that have kept me alive.  Literally.  And gotten me out of bed (aside from the furkids I've had).  It's given me a purpose, even an identity, since losing my job because of my mental illness four years ago on April 30.

And being able to create funny things like this piece below has kept my wit and humor active.

The Infamous Woman

I created this piece as a note card that I sent to my lovely sister-in-law Cathy O'Reilly Collette when she was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame for her work on political, women's, and labor issues.  She loved it.  I've since created a postcard of this piece which can be found by clicking here.  

The odd thing is that I have been really uncomfortable doing any work that directly relates to my daily struggles.  In 2010, I attempted to do a series of collages centered around words relating to mental illness, but I felt that it was a failure (although one person I showed them to liked the work). 

I think that might be changing - I hope it is.  And when I have something to show, you'll see it.

Later,
lin