happy holidays

Dear friends, we wish you and your loved ones,a very happy holiday, filled with love, joy, and good health!!

with all our love, Joanna and Daisy xoxo

Tis the season

This is the Christmas card I'll be sending out, this year and is also my MMM entry. Daisy is once again the star, but by the look of things.. stealing Christmas trees etc..  I doubt her stocking will be full!
Hope you are having a great holiday, my friend!

Sonny Rollins

The greatest living Jazz legend was here in Athens yesterday! He is celebrating his 80th birthday with a series of concerts!  I was really fortunate to attend this huge event. I couldn't get any of my friends to join me so...I went alone. Going places on my own is something I'm working on! lol!  I think it has to do with confidence and being comfortable with ones self.  and I had a fantastic time! This was way too easier, than painting in my journal alone, at the cafe last week!!  I kept putting off buying the ticket, just in case I could persuade my rocker friends, and it just happened that I bought the very last ticket! that "alone" was a sign to me!
What's next with my little "alone" exersices?  Dunno! Travel to India, alone? no, no not there just yet! lol
Have a very creative week, my friend!

twinkle, twinkle, little star

Just finished this painting and want to share it with you. It seems like my head is running in all sorts of directions lately! There is so much I want to do and so little time!!  I have all these ideas and inspirations that I want to bring to life and at times I can feel my heart racing!!   I want to grow as an artist and make my business grow as well, and most of the time I feel like I can accomplish everything I set my mind to and conquer the world lol!  that's where the pink cloud comes handy! It helps me dream big, gives me inner strength, persistence, confidence, and most of all inspiration.

Have to run now. Jazz master, Sonny Rollins, is in town and I'm going to see him!!  More on that, tomorrow.

Hope you are getting into the holiday spirit, my friend! Christmas is almost here!!

danielle

This is little cutie is Danielle. She stands 6'' tall and is waiting for me to create her new home. I will be making boxes to place the dollies in. Along with the dolls I am also making paintings and as soon as I have a good body of work, I will submit pics to a gallery I have in mind, here in Athens. Hopefully they will give me an exhibition..
Speaking of exhibitions, I've been  invited to participate in a group exhibition, next spring. The title is " Homo Sapiens in love" and plan to show my handwoven and embroidered capes. soooo exited about this!
Hope you're having a creative week, my friend!

new pendants

Creating these tiny glass pendants has been so much fun! They are available at the Benaki Museum, here in Athens and also in my etsy shop.

my heart belongs to you...

I carry my journal with me, everywhere I go, and yesterday I discovered this hip cafe in  Gazi, one of the most artsy places in Athens, and sat for coffee. It was early in the afternoon so I had the whole place to myself!! ohhh what joy! even the music was inspiring! Jazzzz! yes!  This cafe is also an art gallery! so I fit right in!  I have to say, its not like me to sit alone for coffee, but I'm working on it and I am finding myself  enjoying it immensely!!

Just finished this painting.

Mary ( Boxing clever MMM )

I am so exited to share my new project with you! I have fallen in love with my fairies and decided to make them into dolls!!  I used to make stuffed dolls many years ago, but this is the first time I tried making clay ones. 

Mary, is my first doll made out of paper clay. If you haven't tried paper clay..you are missing out!  I am obsessing over this stuff! It's so soft and when it dries its super light in weight.

Mary is sitting on a beaded heart with legs. lol... yes the heart has legs! the ant hanging from above is also made out of clay. The title for this box is  '' follow your heart..''   and it's also my entry for MMM.

Hope you like it.  I am planning on making more and hopefully exhibit these next year.

fairy power

.

This is the cover of my journal. I have many plans for my fairies, I am putting them on canvas and... have been working on a special project,  which I will show you tomorrow.

Be positive, my friend, good things are coming soon!

The pink cloud fairy

Hello my friend!! Sorry I've been away for so long..It's not that I haven't been thinking about you, but I didn't want to burden you with all the personal complications  in my life... but, here I am, with so much to tell you about my work and what I have been designing for the last two months!
As you know I have been working on the little girls for some time now and have been inspired by them. I tried many different styles for their faces and wanted to make them original, cute and a bit comic. So I came up with big heads and huge eyes!  I am anxious to hear your comments!!
I started painting in this tiny journal 4x7'' which I am enjoying immensely! I have been taking my tiny journal everywhere with me. Sunday mornings is my special journal day. Going out for coffee and journaling at the cafe, while the waiter discretely hovers over me to see what I'm painting. Anyway journaling is not common here in Greece. I must do something about that. teach journaling and show other artists how fullfilling it can be and most of all..healing..art therapy!!

some of my friends have been calling me fairy... I suppose it's because of my positive attitude or maybe because I live on a pink cloud.. don't know. lol but that's how this series started. I am calling it " the pink cloud fairy"  This fairy is me, the pink cloud fairy.. I have three more friends, Mary, Danielle and Alexandra. and of course...Daisy will be included as a fairy too!

This one is one is my sister Mary!
More to come tomorrow!!

U2 concert

This is where I was on Friday!!  U2 were here in Athens!!   

80.000 people came to see them at the Olympic stadium!!
Hope you are enjoying the long weekend! Of course it doesn't apply here in Greece but it brings back memories... school starts soon and so does....Fall!! yay and yay again!
xoxoxo
I also want to tell you that I have been working on a secret project these last few weeks and will reveal to you hopefully by the end of the month ;)

cool it down!!

This is my entry for MMM. Hope everyone is having a cool end of summer!! Our heat wave continues here at 102 degrees..and I'm seriously thinking of moving to Alaska!! lol.

Red

This has been the hottest summer I can remember! For twenty days now the temps have been over 100 degrees! Today was the coolest so far...90! lol  ok enough with summer already! I know I was eager for it to arrive but....please... I can't think in this kind of heat, let alone paint!  I want to share this painting with you, that I created last year. It's my entry for MMM.  Red...the colour of passion!!

the school boy...

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

The School Boy

I love to rise in a summer morn,


When the birds sing on every tree;

The distant huntsman winds his horn,

And the sky-lark sings with me.

O! what sweet company.



But to go to school in a summer morn,

O! it drives all joy away;

Under a cruel eye outworn.

The little ones spend the day,

In sighing and dismay.



Ah! then at times I drooping sit,

And spend many an anxious hour,

Nor in my book can I take delight,

Nor sit in learnings bower,

Worn thro' with the dreary shower.



How can the bird that is born for joy,

Sit in a cage and sing.

How can a child when fears annoy.

But droop his tender wing.

And forget his youthful spring.



O! father & mother. if buds are nip'd,

And blossoms blown away,

And if the tender plants are strip'd

Of their joy in the springing day,

By sorrow and care's dismay.



How shall the summer arise in joy.

Or the summer fruits appear.

Or how shall we gather what griefs destroy

Or bless the mellowing year.

When the blasts of winter appear.

William Blake

The poet William Blake was very uncomfortable and unexcited with going to school when he wrote this poem. My school boy on the other hand...was too eager to attend!  He knew that every morning his sweetheart would save a seat next to her.

This is my entry  for MMM .

The verdict is in!!

While I was out...someone was having a garbage party !!!  
Miss Daisy will NOT be appearing in the next five paintings!! and  she is on parole! No amount of begging will save you this time Missy!

Past loves...

Past loves...it sounds a little sad, doesn't it?  Looking back, reminiscing.. Well, as an artist, textiles, is one of my past loves. Even though I don't work with fibers anymore, they do pop up from time to time. I get into these moods where I obsess over felting, shibori and embroidery.

I was experimenting with stamps and painting on fabric, when I started my mixed media paintings. About four years ago, I was preparing to teach a class on surface painting and stamping on fabric, and was too lazy to get up and cut fabric from the bolt,  so I just stamped on some scrap paper on my desk,...and fell in love..( see, laziness pays off too, sometimes) hehe.

This is one of my new paintings from the circle theme. I'm still in the very begining stages. The large circles are shibori. This painting is called " It always takes two to tango". Hope u like.

But...because, laughter cures everything and we need more humor in life!! I had to make this second painting too!!  I must tell you, the first ting that came to mind, with this MMM " Past loves" challenge was... boyfriends! lol and of course I couldn't help myself!!

Now you tell me.. Does she or doesn't she have an attitude?  She doesn't even remember how many they were! Romeo of course was the love of her life (so far) ! lol

I have to share this with you too..I wanna be your dog hahahahha

Have a great week my friend and laugh, laugh, laugh. Life is too short!

xoxo

My favorite things

The  MMM  theme for this week is "my favorite things"  and since I have been working on little girl paintings I made this one using various stamps, gel transfers and papers  for the background. Daisy has been having a real bad attitude this week and for her punishment I replaced her with this little kitty!!!
xoxo

new inspiration

I love going back to my old journals and looking at the progress I've made. I've noticed that in all my journals the last pages are always different in style and design than from when I began. It's like telling me to move on to something new. I have always wanted to draw little girls and keep experimenting on different styles and faces and can never decide which ones I like the most.. I think this is a Pisces trait..can't make up my mind, plus I get bored easily doing the same stuff. Anyway, I found this one page I really liked back then and when I saw it again this weekend it inspired me to paint a little goth girl on a t-shirt.

I've gotten so many compliments on my t-shirt, I think I'll be making more in the future :)

play things

Hope you are  having a great summer!! After my two trips, I'm back to the canvas again, this time working on two different bodies of work. One will be a new series of paintings inspired by..circles.. Don't know how that happened yet, but I'm sure it will click and reveal its self along the way.. The other,  is a series of little girl paintings, for my new account the the cherry on the cake.  

The first thing that came to mind for my  MMM entry is a a little girl on swing.. remember those days?...carefree, not a worry in the world..

Have a creative week my friend!

Blue

When I think of the colour blue, the first thing that comes to my mind is the Greek sky and the Aegean sea...and since I was vacationing in Paros recently, my painting is inspired by that. It is also my entry for MMM.

Frankfurt

This has to be one of the most exiting week ever! First the Greek island Paros and now Frankfurt! Two completely different places to visit. Paros with the whitewashed houses and laid back almost primitive island and then Frankfurt with the most incredible architecture!
It was surreal meeting up with my friend there. We both live in Athens, and she was visiting NYC for the first time and on her way back to Europe stopping in Frankfurt and me meeting her there!!

This is the amazing view from our hotel room. Overlooking the Main river.

On the day we arrived,  Germany won against England at the world cup soccer series. I was so lucky to watch the game with the German people and join in the celebration that went in all evening! Thousands of cars were honking and church bells were ringing  non stop!!  We watched the game by the river with more than one hundred people, where they were selling bratwurst and beer! it was so festive!!

This is Romer square, it was within walking distance from the hotel and had the cutest cafes and stores. My dad used to bring me dolls like these from his trips..

Romer square.

When we used to live in New York City we owned a restaurant called "Oscar's Salt of the sea" so I got exited when I saw this bistro...

I took this pic, because I love strawberries :)

And this one.....the best picture of all!!hahahaha now is that luck or what!!

The icing on the cake

One of the reasons I went to Paros was to visit  "The icicng on the cake".  It's the most amazing children's store that now carries my work. Maria Kavvadia, the owner, has two stores, one here in Athens and her flagship store in Paros. Most items in the store are handmade and organic, that she picks out on her trips from  all over the world!  I was walking by her Athens store one day, and  I was mesmerized by the storybook design. It reminded me of  a gallery for kids!!  I'm so glad I went inside!

 Ok, now I have to unpack my suitcase and get ready for my next adventure. Frankfurt..see you on Sunday!!

Paros

I had the most creative morning today! I discovered this cute cafe bar called "Pebbles" and spent a few hours painting in my journal. It was early in the day and I was the only customer there. Just me, my journal and jazz music playing on the radio!! Sheer heaven!

Isn't this the most beautiful church?!

All you need..

Yay!!!  I'm so exited to be posting from the beautiful Greek island Paros!! After that horrend heat wave in Athens, here I am, sitting in a cafe by the bluest water and feeling the breeze on my face.. just wonderful to be able to get away. It's a whole different world here on the island!  It's like a fairy tale! The houses are whitewashed with narrow cobblestone streets. So romantic..
My painting is inspired by a very old church here in Paros. I made a photo tranfer of it and was quite pleased with it. Hope you like it! It's also my entry for MMM.
Next week I'll posting from....Frankfurt!!  Can't believe my luck! Two beautiful trips in one week! My bestest friend is going to pick up an award for her company and make a speach and I'll be tagging along for..moral support,hehehe.  Thanks Myrto :)) I'm thrilled about this trip, since I've never been to Germany before!  And since all good things come in threes...please, please God let the next one be Milan or Paris!!
I send you my love, dear friend.

Paros

I'm so glad I was able to capture this picture with the donkey! The old man sells vegetables and fruits with a little help from his friend, mr.donkey!! 

I love all these old churches!!

That's me wearing one of my shibori outfits. So perfect for the islands!

What I love most here in Paros,  are the narrow cobblestone streets. Everything looks like it's from a fairy tale and very romantic..