JJ/Tipani The black horse with a big heart

I recently shared an update with the wonderful people at CHS, about my newest and last addition to my horse posse. Enjoy.

Update:
  When "JJ" arrived, he was quarantined in our segregated pen for about six weeks, to ensure his good health and that his arrival would be better accepted by the (very-established) herd.
  I spent lots of time just being with him and trying to get acquainted, allowing him to let me in, when he was ready. It didn't take long for him to ask to be rubbed on, nor did it take long for me to realize that he and I had communication issues (undoubtedly stemming from his history and my own learning curve). He spoke a horsey language that I've never seen before, and we burned as many bridges as we built.
   Once this realization set in, I began slowly acclimating the herd (5 mustangs, 1 QH) to him; introductions between fences, etc.. Everything seemed to go blase'. Finally, he was let out into the herd.
This was a very troubling time, for me, because he was immediately ostracized and treated seemingly brutal by all of the other horses, who had never behaved that way before. I wanted to protect him and kept an eye on his physical and emotional state.     The very next day, a severe winter storm set in and I was very worried that he would be in trouble- the others wouldn't allow him anywhere near the barn and he stood facing a large stand of trees on the opposite side of the pasture.
  It took a couple of us to try and get him back in the segregation pen, but he simply refused and made it impossible. Instead, we kept a watchful eye and were relieved when everyone finally let him, at least, near the barn and he was able to stay warm and dry.
  It has taken a while to get him in a position, with the herd, that he is allowed to eat with them and share the barn (we were feeding him separately). The payoff is that he is bottom, very bottom, of the totem pole and is learning horse language. Also, he has begun to be more interested in me, undoubtedly from the swarming I receive from the others.
  His winter will be one of learning, but with the other horses. I'm so anxious to work with him and establish the bond that I have with my mustangs, but it is detrimental that he learn what only the other horses can teach him. Their language and hierarchy is the only one I truly trust and it is up to him to find his place and learn what they have to offer.
  Although he 'joined up' with me, while he was segregated, I believe it will be much more meaningful, to him, when Spring comes around and we begin anew.
  We've gone through many names; I put a lot of consideration into that, keeping true to my taking myself too seriously, lol, but I think that Tipani is his. He seemed to roll his eyes at me when I asked him what he thought of 'Griffin', LOL.
 I love the movie Avatar and ran into this statement, which we humorously and immediately chimed was," 'JJ', all the way," LOL.  "The Tipani are a very spiritual tribe, yet also cunning and highly dangerous warriors. They are reluctant to engage in diplomacy with humans, and yet they have embraced the study of Earth languages."
  Goofy, I know, but what a beautiful name and it helps incorporate his past as well as his future.
  We all love Tipani and although there were times we worried that he wouldn't fit in, he is part of the family now and we'll do whatever we can to ensure his life here is happy.

In interim; It amazes me, everyday, and especially when I'm working with horses that have been abused, at how much they put up from humans. Tipani is no exception and it amazes me that he has been through so much human ignorance and abuse and still has a heart of gold and is willing to try with me. I cannot wait to see this caterpillar bloom into the butterfly.
I hope you'll arrange a visit to stop by and enjoy my horses with me.

Just painting, creating dolls, drawing, learning abstract, finding time.....

I'm so excited about art, that I'm exhausting myself on a daily basis! I'm learning, as best I can, to free my creative spirit and not only find the time to do the art I want, but to allow myself to create art that was fo-pah (sp?) in the past.
 Right now, I have two painting projects on the easels.... The first is an impressionistic scene of horses (I know, big surprise, right? lol) in a farm setting, and the other is a commissioned piece that merges more into the abstract.
There is a doll on my workbench who is made and awaiting clothing, which I don't think is fun to make so it will probably be there a while, and a dozen new bottles of acrylic inks that are truly screaming at me to play with them.
The Citra-Solv project papers (let me know if you want a DIY on these fantabulous art blanks!) are sitting in a rather daunting pile, next to my workbench, awaiting their final transformations.
I have several clay tutorials on how to make BJD or sculpted dolls, and a desire to find good clay to make them with.
A soldering gun is still in the packaging after several 40+ mile trips to return a junky one and search for a well made and usable one.
A handful of library books deliberate on the kitchen island, which I frequently thumb through to gain insight or inspiration.
Did I mention that I'm seeking a class in abstract art?
Enjoy your own inspiration, let no one say you didn't do what you wanted. Peace out.

BJD Dolls

The continual hunt for all things artistic has sparked a new flame inside; I have been infatuated with the foreign dolls, otherwise known as Ball Jointed Dolls.
I ran across only a small collection of pictures, and didn't find any links to other sites or requests for permission, so just know this is an example photo..

 Isn't this one lifelike? Amazing.
It seems that, at least in the Southern Colorado area, these creations are nearly impossible to learn or even see. I've found a few of them, for sale, on Ebay and other similar sites, but they are not as unique as some of the photos online, or those on Etsy that sell them for much more than I can justify.
  My Etsy pals have sent me some information, most of which include making BJD dolls, but nothing in the way of these beauties.
  I'll try to keep you informed, but hope that you will let me know if you have a class, supplies, or ideas on how to go about this.
  The dolls in my portfolio are very primitive, in comparison, and this would be an epic achievement. For now, my search and practice move forward.

There's more to Etsy than just Etsy!

A site, is a site, is a site... Right? I disagree. My experience with Etsy started out a bit skeptical, but it has turned into a full blown fascination.
  It was a really cool store in Boulder, Colorado, that first mentioned the site to me. At first, I thought the name was goobery and how in the heck could it be worth navigating to? But, with her promise of success and recommendation to get my work seen, I visited the site.
  Time didn't seem to matter, so I took tons of it before I opened my account and started loading art stuffs on my selling page. Much to my surprise, I found that my items were being showcased in favorite lists, on Etsy's showcase pages, and they were being sold!
  It would be great to have more time to dedicate to the art and getting it on Etsy, because I would enjoy a full time job of that sort.
  In the beginning, I found the sparse number of items, on each page, to be a bummer; but when I realized that Etsy truly does care about their seller's and buyer's experience and how to maximize the impact of each item, my opinion quickly changed.
  Many of my inspirations and art know-how on projects has come from their tutorials and newsletters.
Do you Etsy? If you liked Ebay, love art, enjoy a well-thought out platform, I hope you'll find that Etsy is a good one to bookmark.


Here is a shameless link to my Etsy page, but I really do hope you'll nav through the site.
www.etsy.com/shop/FOSSILZ

How to Make An Easy & Cool Organizer (that looks like art)

  I love, love, love, finding new organizational thingamajiggies at flea markets or second hand stores. Last month, I found myself overwhelmed by all of the little art supply goodies, and the time it takes to find them. So, I created this fun and very cool organizer that was fun to make and is also quite handy...
My studio space is very limited and doubles as an office, so having everything organized is essential.
As you can see, there are so many options for this kind of thing. You could use it in your bathroom, your living space as art, or just about anywhere you need to throw some creative organizing/art!
  Due to the glare of the clear tops, on the storage containers, getting my camera to photograph it was a bit of a challenge. :)

  So... Here is your supply list:
1 old (or new, but I prefer the found goods) stereo, game console, or other metal box.
1-2 sets of small storage containers (I found these at Hobby Lobby, it was $9.99 regular price, $5.99 with their weekly coupon, for a 12 pc. set).
1 magnet for each container (use the round heavy magnets, they're strong enough for anything you put in the containers).
Hot Glue or Super Glue
Triple Thick Clear Spray or other clear coating (optional)
Screws and wall anchors for mounting (optional).

First, clean your metal box and dry it. I used an old game console box, which has nifty holes and metal tabs that make it interesting.
Spray a nice even coat of the Triple Thick on any sides you wish, but definitely the back of the box; so that your wall is protected from any metal or rust residue.

Next, take the storage containers out and lay them top down. Gluing them can be a bit tedious, and you'll want to be quick, especially if using a hot glue gun.
Hot Glue Directions: Glue one magnet, centered, on the bottom of each container. I found that if you press the magnet firmly into a nice fat nickel sized bead, until it cools, they stay nicely.
If you mess up, no worries, the glue can be peeled off. If you pressed firmly, it will just take a touch of 'oomph'.
Super Glue Directions: Apply a swirly, about the size of your magnet, adhere the magnet and press for about a minute. Careful! We don't need you walking around with magnets stuck to your fingers, lol. Once you're sure that the glue is steadfast, allow to dry for about 1/2-1 hour.

Mount the box to the wall.
Once all your little containers are filled (or not) with stuff, have fun creating interesting forms by attaching them to the box! You can also use the top & bottom of the box as a shelf, handy dandy.
They are so fun to make, easy, and even the empty ones look like they belong.
If you like metal, steampunk, tech stuff, abstract or installation art, you'll dig this project.
I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial and your new storage art!