brain power

Numbers! They keep appearing in my art over and over again. I started adding them in my paintings as visual interest along with the text, but then decided to have a little fun with them... using them as old phone numbers and dates, floating in the air... to add a little humor in this soooo serious world!!  I want my audience to smile when they see my work :)

The thing is....I really hate numbers!! lol . They make me dizzy!! and I believe it all started when I was in school. I would panic during math period!! I remember the long hours my dad would spend with me trying to help..poor guy and poor me!  he would go over a math problem over and over again and I still wouldn't get it!! all I could see was a purple haze and my brain would go blank!!..... I have math dyslexia syndrome. Just kidding, I made that up! but I sure will use it if I have to!!

This my entry for MMM.

pink clouds and pink hair

This is the first of a series of paintings I will be working on, this summer. I decided to just make cute stuff, right now,  with Daisy as the star! I was thinking yesterday when I started painting this...wouldn't it be so cool if I could make a product line based on my cute poodle?!  I could make stationary, prints, pendants, shampoos,perfume, all sorts of stuff for little girls. The more I was thinking about this idea, the more exited I got!!
I like saying  this... " the possibilities are endless"  I use that phrase a lot!  it has mystery to it!! one thing brings the next.... yes!!
If your looking to see the yellow submarine...it ain't there!! That ship sailed a long time ago!! lol  


I received a lovely  email last night from my new friend Mandy. ( she's got the cutest pink hair) She wanted me to tell her everything about my life in Greece, what is it that makes it so special here...
Well, Mandy, I have to tell you, that I didn't even want to move here in the first place. I felt "safe" in my big house in the suburbs of Wash. D.C.  participating in various art shows, going to the mall, shopping, accumulating stuff, going to the mall again..work and mall. Too much work and no play. I had gotten into this robot mode, where the more money one makes the better life is. I wasn't actually at the mall all the time, but that was the entertainment for me, and millions of other Americans.  That was my life. Basically it was "please shoot me, I am so bored with my life". Please don't take me wrong, and I don't want to offend anyone, but there's got to be more in life than the stupid mall. Yes, the suburbs have a lot to do with this, and we all do what we have to do,  making sacrifices....and I did...up to the point of falling in a deep depression. I won't even go there..this is supposed to be a happy post. I am a happy person, a so positive person, my friends say that I really don't belong here on earth. lol!  That's ok, I feel good on my pink little cloud!
Anyway to answer the question. I'm not really sure what exactly it is about living in Greece that I love. Maybe it's ,that the sky here is bluer, the sun is brighter, the air.. I'm not sure.  All I know is that I feel reborn!! I'm a different person, more alive, more positive, happy, I smile a lot, I enjoy everything more, even the stupid stuff. I try to make positve out of negative thoughts. I even look prettier! lol. don't laugh! it's how I really feel. maybe it's all in my head.!! but it's the truth!
I feel a kind of freedom that I didn't feel back home. Like I can conquer the world! Let me just say at this point, that I'm really a shy person, and a very private one at that, so telling you all this is the new Joanna !!
I'm not saying that life in Greece is easy! on the contrary... life here is harder, but I will take any bad story and make it happy. I will find some way to turn it around and find the good in it. No matter what the story is.
That's my survival :) Sure I get down,  I allow myself maybe a day or two and then pick myself up and transport me to my little cloud of happiness!
Life is too short and beautiful!   We have to enjoy every moment!!  Yeah, and Mandy... forget Turkey, move here!! the weather is better!! xoxo

Marie, Marie let down your hair....

My painting is inspired by a little incident I had last Sunday morning....it's kinda funny!!  I had gotten up early to go get the Sunday paper and on my way back home I got stuck... in the elevator!!. It stopped just a few inches from my floor which is on the very top of the building, so there was light coming inside the elevator and I didn't panic. In situations like this we all know that we need to push the alarm button right? and I did. No one came to my rescue!! I kept ringing and ringing and banging on the stupid door!! The real  annoying part was, that there were  people on the ground floor banging as well, annoyed that I was taking such a long time and "occupying" the elevator!!! hahhaha
Thank God I had my cell phone with me and called the fire department. They arrived within 10 minutes!! I must share with you that for a minute there, when they opened the door I felt like I was in a Sex and the city episode...the three guys who came to "rescue" me were really hot!! lol
Well my three hot guys thought the whole incident was kinda cute...especially when they saw little Miss Daisy
sitting behind me waiting patiently to go home...
This is my entry for MMM
Hope you have a great week and always carry your lipstick and cellphone with you, in that order ;0

Listen to your mom!

Good morning :))) hope you had beautiful dreams last night!! I was dreaming and obsessing about food the whole night!! cookies, cakes and cheeseburgers!!  Yes I do have sleep issues and ever since I was little I had a hard time falling asleep. The sheep counting thing doesn't work for me at all! I tried to change that story and had myself counting how many laps I could swim. I don't like swimming that much, so how I came up with that story, beats me!! The thing is I was lap swimming in the ocean! Does that make sense?!
Maybe that's why I feel tired in the morning. Too much exercising! See! I knew exercising is bad for you!!
We'll have no more of that!

Well, I was supposed to wake up my sister this morning and instead got in bed with her like a zombie and fell asleep next to her and Daisy decided to join us and there we were all three of us on her bed in deep sleep!  My sister gets up an hour later and starts laughing " real good one sis!" lol  

When I lived in the U.S I would exhibit my work at least six times a year. I am a pro at this, but always, and with no exception after each show I would feel this letdown, a very strange feeling almost like a depression. A very weird  and scary feeling... Thank God it doesn't last long and I now know it's temporary so I don't panic anymore.

I had talked to my mom about it when it first happened and as we all know "mom knows best" and she said that it was all the preparation I was making for my shows and all the attention I would get from the public. Because lets face it, as artists that's what we're looking for. Attention.Approval.  Being isolated in the studio, for weeks at a time, trying my very best to bring  my visions to life, well that's draining in the end. Then to present my work to the public and getting all that attention at once... Too much and it lasts only for a few days. My mom said " oh honey, do you feel like a movie star?" lol!  My mom is funny in that way!  "Yes, mom! I do feel like a star!! Everybody coming up to me and telling me how they love my work and how happy it makes them feel but then... I have to go back to my studio and be isolated again!! LOL

Don't take me wrong, I love my work and being here alone in my little world is my happiness, I just want you to know that it's normal to feel this way after an exhibition, pro or no pro. 

Hey!! Where's my Oscar?!!!

work in progress

I've been working on these cuties this week and it's going to be hard to part with them! My favorites pendants, are the ones with Daisy wearing sun glasses!! well, she kinda needs them. The sun is pretty bright here in Athens :)) and speaking of sun...beach weather is here!! some folks have already started going swimming!!  well, they're not seeing me any time soon!

I begin by drawing these on one inch square heavy card stock with a micron 005 pen! I actually have to wear glasses to see all the details! (and no! that has nothing to do with age! ok? because I'm always gonna be 36!)

I always let the ink dry for 24 hrs just to make sure it doesn't smudge and then  paint the background with Twinkling H20s. These water colours are the coolest paints ever!! they sparkle!

To seal them, I use a glaze that looks like glass when it dries and then attach the bails. I prefer to hang them on a tiny chain, but I will offer coloured ribbon as well. I will be selling them on the Greek islands and in my etsy store.

she hates when i do that!! lol

I love Greece :)

Over the hills and far away....

Inspiration....what a beautiful word! it has a certain melody to it.
i n s p i r a t i o n.  Well....some times it "don't"  happen! but when it does... nothing can stop it. My heart starts racing, blood rushes through my veins, my eyes sparkle! I can't sleep or eat.  It's like a dream coming to life, such magic! such energy! I feel like I can conquer the world!  I know what you're thinking...it's just a painting..but to me,  it's everything!  It's what I breathe for.

I have to admit that most of my days are filled with day dreaming, just looking out the window dreaming, listening to music, thinking, what's the next project going to be. I used to feel guilty just sitting around being spaced out like that, but as the years passed I finally realized, that this my way of being an artist. For me , it's the inspiration that counts the most.The execution of the art piece is the technical part. Usually it goes quicker than the thinking process, at least for me.

Will I get inspired? and when a couple of days pass and there's nothing there...I panic. Big time!!  I guess it's like writer's block.

So I start playing all these silly games in my head.

 If I were an animal, what would I be?

 If I were a famous person who would I be?

 If  I won the lottery what would I do etc etc..

 If I could travel where would I go? how? air, sea or car..

 So yesterday I started the same silly game again, pairing up my paintings with songs. I made this painting a few months ago for a children's E-book here in Greece. In the web site it's paired up with a poem, but when I looked at again I decided  Led Zeppelin's "Over the hills and far away" fits better for me!!

Now, if I could just get in my car, blast my music and just drive...far far away! explore new places, new people, gain new experiences and then come back like a good little girl and start painting again.

This is also my entry for MMM.

Have a great week my friend and remember....dreams DO come true if you believe!!

" let's fall in love "

love love love....

This was the last painting I made for my show and I truly had so much inspiration and fun with it I could hardly eat or sleep!!  I just couldn't  wait to finish it!  Hope you like it!  It's also my entry for MMM.
Have a great week my friend!

" let's fall in love " part four

 Look into my eyes, you will see what you mean to me

search into your heart, search your soul

and when you find me there, you'll search no more...

I love you and  want to be with you everywhere...

" let's fall in love " part three

Good Morning my friend! What a beautiful day it is for flying!! The sun is shining and the sky is blue, not a cloud in sight,  not even a pink one!! The floating letters are slowly turning into hearts and everything is almost in place for the final scene.

 Someone wants to make a big announcement, but you will have to wait until tomorrow...

The song I chose for this frame is "Everywhere" by Fleetwood mac.

" let's fall in love " part two

Ohhhhhh  my numbers are turning into....letters!!

I have to say that I was pretty anxious to post today! I can't wait to share the whole painting with you!!

The song on the parachute is " You are the sunshine of my life " by Stevie Wonder and the one on the clouds is " I want to know what love is " by Foreigner

" let's fall in love " part one

Love is in the air....

.

This has to be one of my most favorite paintings! Living life without being loved or loving someone is like living an empty life... love is everything!!  and so is.....music... so I have combined both in this special piece.

For me, music is everything too!

 I envy those talented people who can write music and lyrics.

Many times I have thought to myself, if I were to be stranded on a deserted island what would I take with me other than my lipstick?! .......I would have to say right away, without thinking twice...my music!!!

Yes I am an artist, this is who I am!  but I know I would be able to create my art with found objects on my island, but music??.....

come back tomorrow my friend, for part two. i love you..

" A girl and her journal " Opening Reception

Good morning my friend!! Here is a little peak from last night's opening. All my hard work and anticipation paid off! It was such an incredible night for me I've hardly slept! The public loved my work!! They gave me great feedback, loved my bright colours and my imagination!!

The piece that got the most attention was my assemblage piece and the "let's fall in love" painting, which I will share with you in my next post.

Here I am with Mrs. Antonia the gallery owner.She did an incredible job displaying my work.

" the kitchen concept"

This the back.

That's my mom!! who's visiting from California and is thinking about moving here to Greece!! and the other beauty is Alex!