Dancing Girl

I'm finishing some sculpts that I have had on my work table. They have been looking at me for a while begging for some attention. So here is a new little doll that I just finished. She doesn't sit well on her own but there are clever ways to have her sit. There is something rag doll-ish about her that I like. Hope you like her too. :o)

Laying down

Leaning against the speaker

Sitting on a plant bowl

I like how she dances.

Me? A Visiting Artist?

I was so very fortunate today to be a visiting artist in my cousin Phyllis's art class at Pawling Central School in New York State. She provided coffee and doughnuts for her students and I provided the witty conversation...lol NOT! We connected via Skype since I am in Pittsburgh. (It would have been nice if I actually cleaned my monitor before taking any pictures!)

Phyllis :o)

I have been using Skype for years since we live so far from our families but this is the first time I visited a classroom. Phyllis and I get our artistic skills from our grandparents. Our grandfather John was a painter and also did a lot of needlework and our grandmother Betty was also known for her needlework and crafting skills.

John and Betty Corrao

More photos of the kids in class...

 
The time flew by, the bell rang and our time was done. I am hoping that we can do a project together in the future. That was fun! Thanks Phyllis and everyone! :o)

Oh and my friends have been bugging me to post a photo of my two page spread in the New Art Review publication from my previous post. Only my photos were published. So here you go my friends.

Remember me?

It has been waaaaay too long since I have tended to my blog and for those few who still choose to read/follow my shtuff, I thank you! No excuses, just life...including but not limited to husband, children and home, etc.

What do you think of the new look? Or has it been so long that you don't even remember? he he

I was published recently in New Art Review and am pretty pleased with it since I got a two page spread! Yay! I'm humbled at the thought of being a part of a publication that "highlights the hottest new talent in visual art, poetry, mixed media, and literature." Phew! I actually have nothing more to say.

Patience My Friends

I'm cleaning house....setting up my studio and creating new stuff. Time for a new look. I will be back soon... Stay tuned. :o) Sorry for the ugly blog at the moment too.

My blog is 2 years old!

What?!?! My blog is two years old?!?! I can't believe that it has been that long already. Loads happens in two years doesn't it? I have found great followers, gotten tons of feedback on things (mostly kind...phew) and met some really awesome people. So thanks for following me. I hope to keep you with me for a long while. I swore I wouldn't say "blogiversary" but I just said it...ooops! ;o)

A lot happens in two years. Like my boys went from this:


to this:

So Happy Blogiversary to my blog! LOL

Moving on...

Recently I had a really fun commission of an old high school friend's son. We reconnected on facebook after 20 years...love it! This is her son, his favorite stuffed animal, his room with his bookcase and glow in the dark stars. My personal favorite, their dog who is nothing less than a princess. Here it is:


And she just sent me photos of it framed with her adorable son.


and one with the princess:


I have some interesting projects coming up that I will share with you soon. Until then thanks for reading and ta ta for now! :o)

I can finally break the silence

I had this very cool commission that I have been working on for the past couple months and I couldn't breath a word of it due to the fact that the person it was for reads my facebook page...whether she reads my blog, tweets or fan page I cannot say. ;o)

Anyway, Christmas is over, the sculpture was given and now I can show it to you. It still feels funny because it was a big secret but I am pleased to say that we got away with it. She was completely surprised!


This is a 'personalized sculpture'. By 'personalized' I mean that it has characteristics of the person: hair style, eye color, kayak, etc but not a replica of the person herself. This is how her kayak is (color and all) and color of her life jacket, etc.

Is there someone in your life that you would like forever in a sculpture? Send me an e-mail and we can talk about it. :o)

Blythburgh Church and the Devil Dog

As promised here is the story about Black Shuck...the Devil Dog of Suffolk. I was intrigued by this story as soon as my brother-in-law told me about it. It wasn't the idea that the story was scary but it was funny to me because it scared him - big time!

In Suffolk, England there is a beautiful medieval church called Blythburgh (pronounced blythburra). It is interestingly breathtaking with wonderful carved wood and amazing stonework and an incredible wooden painted ceiling full of angels. I just fell in love with the church and spent so much time walking around and soaking in the whole atmosphere.

This is a sculpture above the entrance to the church.

The ceilings are breathtaking with wooden carved angels. Here is one of my photos that you can find here in my etsy shop. The entire ceiling in the church is like this.


Rather than try to explain about the demon dog called "Black Shuck" pronounced 'shook' I am leaving it to the following quote..."One of the most notable reports of Black Shuck is of his appearance at the churches of Bungay and Blythburgh in Suffolk. On 4 August 1577, at Blythburgh, Black Shuck is said to have burst in through the church doors. He ran up the nave, past a large congregation, killing a man and boy and causing the church tower to collapse through the roof. As the dog left, he left scorch marks on the north door which can be seen at the church to this day."

Here is my photo of the scorch marks. They are said that they still smell. I didn't take a wiff... You can click on my photo to enlarge it and see the marks. They are the vertical ones above and below the top right hinge.

This is of a stained glass window located in the church. The inscription reads, "I trust in God".
You can also find this here in my etsy shop.

So I wonder...where is the grave of the man and son killed by Black Shuck?
I don't know but I will leave you with this one...

Some of my photos

Here are some of my photos that I took in England. Here is Buckingham Palace Road...a bit of a challenge to take since it is 1 story above street level but it just shows what persistence will get you.

This photo cracks me up because they are non-existent in the US and it just felt like I was in the 1950's or something. It is a cigarette snuffer that is still located on buses around England.

This is a photo of a Colchester knight, right outside Colchester Castle. Colchester is the oldest city in England. And did you know that to be classified as a city in England the location has to have a cathedral in it?

Here is my entrance to Parliament in London...


I love medieval stained glass. This is from a church in Suffolk called Blythburgh. There is an interesting story about a demon dog called Black Shuck but I will get into that another time.


You can currently find these prints in amyshort.etsy.com. I have a really cool project I am working on but I can't say anything about that at the moment because it is a surprise. :o) Off to work now. TTFN.