She Who Doodles

 January went fast.  Since we've had such a mild winter here in SW Washington I've been kind of thinking garden already.  Still have some clean up in the yard but nothing major.   Since the quarantine, eating out has been pretty limited, we do have some outdoor places open again here and getting to like it.  The pandemic is going to change our idea of outdoor eating.  One place where I met my daughters one evening had RR containers divided into two separate  eating areas with a table.  The containers surrounded an area with a big tent cover and picnic tables with table top propane fire pits.  Not a fine dinning place more pub like.  Thinking maybe I need a table top fire pit.  We've been meeting in the garage occasionally since I'm the only one that has room in my garage.  I do actually park my car in the garage.   I do have a few new art pieces, and just complete a commission doodle of a friends dog.  ...

Like most of the world right now we are home trying to stay busy, keeping our minds active and our bodies.  It's also a time for reflection.  I started doodling in early 2011,  because of an inner need to create.  I had been doing collage but with work, the commute and a partner that filled my weekends with going and doing I had no time for my art. So the idea came to me to start a drawing journal.  But my drawings turned to doodles and quickly escalated.  Here's where the obsessive part comes in.  I found very quickly I could doodle any time any where.  Lunch break, sitting in stopped commuter traffic, while watching TV, even at the beach with family.  So I carried several journals, by my chair, in the car and I always had one with me. I realized I got lost in doodling.  For me it was very intuitive, no plan, no direction.  But I also realized I was doing something that came easy for me, without much thought.  I began to f...

Real doodling again, pen and ink, black ink only.  It feels so good, it's been awhile.  It started by doing research for an art class for 9 to 12 year olds.  Now that I started I can't stop. here's a few examples. Now to put them on cards, and stuff. Thanks for visiting. Cyndee

Usually Spring is light showers, warming weather with glimpses of Summer.  Everything is green and blossoming.  But this year, everything is green and blossoming but from day to day we don't know if it's spring or still winter.  The rains have been downpours one day little breaks here and there but for the most part down right yucky. Enough already.  Today we have sun, by Saturday it's suppose to be in the 80's by Monday rain again.  They even got substantial snow in the mountains this week. But it does give me lots of time, did I say lots of time?  To play around with my art.  My first canvas collage with doodles came out of this winters weather and yesterday I was playing around with the idea for a poster. I know, I suppose in another month or two we'll be complaining about the heat.  That's the way it goes out west.    It is beautiful here, everything is lush and green.  This will give us a good head start on waterin...

My Grandson ask me recently what I do all day.  Now that I'm retired and not working, I feel I don't have to do anything if I choose.   But I realize my family worries about me.  Use it or loose it theory. I just want to do my art, create new things, recycle old. Take nature hikes with my pup, take photos, peruse thrift stores for treasures to doodle.  Enjoy nature, she has so much to share, smells, sounds,  colors its overwhelming at times and I am fortunate to live in the beautiful Northwest where greens are greenest.  We have the ocean a couple hours away,  and snow capped mountains in the other direction.   My daughters live in the area,  and my grandsons are only a couple of miles down the road.  So I get to see as many of their sporting events I can get to.  Football season is especially fun, all three boys play, with my oldest off to college in the fall to play football at EWU .  I get to tag along with my ol...

The winter doldrums seem to have subsided thanks to my friend Michelle of Buttons & Shanks and her husband Ralf of Display in Style .   They had arranged to display and sell their products in a shop on the Oregon coast and invited me to join them.  This was all I needed to get fired up to move forward.  Not only did I set up with them this last weekend at Rockaway Bearch Oregon's Beach Crafter's Mall on Hwy 101, but I booked four summer shows and got busy working again.    I just needed the right motivation.    Here's a photo of our space in the shop.  I also talked to the shop owner about setting a small table and doodling on site some weekend soon.    You will find my recycled candlestick birdhouses and picture frames.  Also cards, prints and my colorbooks .  We took the things we had on hand, as new things are made we will take them down to the shop.  I even took a couple of small framed o...

How do you get your ideas?  Sometimes for me it's just sitting down and going thru all the stuff I've collected.  Like these recycled items I have setting around my work space.  I pulled out the old weathered fence slat, then started playing around with the branches I had dried.   I recently picked up at a thrift store a bag of little birdhouses so I added one.  Moved the branches around, then set it aside for a few days, when I came back to it with the birdhouse which I had covered in paper, torn from a used brown paper bag.  I rearranged it a bit and decided it needed something more.  So I cut some leaves from paper scrapes and old book pages.  Slowly I can see it coming together.  Yesterday I thought of adding another birdhouse.  The birdhouse is going to get some doodles yet.  Still not sure if I'm ready to secure it all in place.  It helps to just let it sit a day or so and come back to it.   It's kinda...

Summer has finally ended, Fall is here.  Most of the leaves are down, but still haven't had frost on the pumpkin. I decided not to do any holiday sales this year, finished my last sale early in October.  I just don't do that well this time of year with all the holiday sales and bazaars.  So after loading everything back into the house and trying to find a place for some things I just hated to pack away I finally hung some of my original work.   I have a few older work on my walls but hadn't hung a lot of the newer work.  I had a lot of my earlier mixed media work on my walls but none of my recycled art or original doodles.  A pretty diverse mix of work.  I do get bored doing the same thing all the time.  Always like trying something new.  At least now everything isn't packed away in bins for Spring sales.  I really hate packing my framed originals around with me, so this is nice to find a place for them.  Update fro...

It's football season again and the three grandsons are all playing.  Two in high school and the third in a local lead, he is in middle school this year.  This last game on Friday was especially exciting, not only did their team win but both boys were on the field at the same time.  One on the line the other receiving.  A first for this proud family.  My grandsons with their mom, my daughter.  Mom and dad were really excited to see them both on the field, and both made plays that got them recognized.   Dad is a defensive coach and the younger grandson is usually on the sidelines as ball boy.   The rest of us are in the bleachers cheering them on.        Me, I'm still doodling.  Only one show left this year, you can see the info on my Events Page .   I've been a little discouraged, sales have not been good this year and I can't decide which way to go next.  Hauling all my art around to...

Was so greatful to be the featured artist on Folt Bolt June 18th.  It is always exciting to be recognized for your talent. If you haven't seen their blog post you can see it here: http://www.foltbolt.com/#!Cyndee-Starr/cy7d/557f6f7e0cf201107e2bf4bc    One week left before the Vancouver Recycled Arts Fair and keeping busy finishing up some pieces.  I'm trying to include as much of my doodles as possible, which isn't really very hard since I doodle on almost everything these days.  One of my projects has been to coordinate a recycled picture frame with one of my doodles for framing. Another project, not yet complete is a small bench a friend gave me.  It's been great to have friends on the look out for items I might be able to use.  This bench came from my friend Michelle Lund of Buttons and Shanks . She also found me a coffee table and small round end table recently.    If you are in the Northwest and can come by I'd love...

Hope you all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.  My daughter is cooking today but I'm bringing my Orange Cranberry Sauce and Sweet Potato Biscuits .  And I couldn't resist the yummy Pumpkin Orange Cake Rolls that Costco was sampling the other day when I was shopping.  She has a bacon themed dinner planned, not sure what the means but will be happy to find out.  Even drinks made with bacon flavored vodka (?).  Thought I would take this opportunity to post some of my newest work.  I've been playing around with some of the flower photos I took this summer.   Here's some samples and one finished and framed piece looking for a wall to adorn.  Thanks for visiting. Hugs Cyndee

If you are on Facebook then you have probably seen the post about the wife who doodled on her husbands car .   Well I have been challenged by a friend to do the same.  But before I start I think I need a little more info.  Not sure about the finish.  It rains in the Northwest.  I know I can doodle on anything.  I started with a note pad, which grew to a larger journal, then I tried other objects just to see if I could do it.  I purchased used picture frames and covered with torn paper then finished with a doodle.  Wow, these turned out pretty cool and people bought them.  So lets see what else I can find to recycle.  I progressed to a large wood clock, some old cobbler shoe forms, a serving tray and little boxes.  I've done shirts, and even some small furniture pieces.  I recently finished a large 3 panel canvas combining the mixed media and doodles.  So what's a car, just a little bigger canvas for doodling....

It's always sad when the last postcard arrives.  I got all 10 rather quickly this year.  I wanted to share them all with you. It always amazes me how different they all are.  The cards on the right are from Jenny Pesavento in Colorado Springs,Liven Geelmuyden in Norway, Kit Wojcik in Long Lake Minnesota, Jeane Sliney from Duluth Minnesota and Charlotte in Sweden. One thing you can't see in the photo is the back of Jenny's card.  It has a little pouch with a secret message.  Such a cute idea.  Charlotte  put two cards in a large envelope.  Double surprise. Nancy actually painted 4 cards then cut them apart into smaller cards.  Jeane used a piece of corrugated cardboard for hers.  All very original.  On the left, postcards from Linda Hartzig in Gastonia North Carolina, Eleaca Young in Cantwell Alaska and sally-Ann Garret on the Isle of Wight in the UK. I must apologize to Eleaca for not sending a thank you.  You didn't...

It's that time of year again for ihannas postcard swap .   It's such fun to make the cards and mail them all over the world.  Then the best part is waiting to see what comes back to you from 10 other artisans also from around the world.  Last year I even got a surprise from an old friend I hadn't seen for years.  What a surprise, we have since reconnected over lunch and facebook. Well mine are ready for the addresses then to the mail box.  Each one original. Which one will be yours? Curious?  You can see the work of many other participating artist at:  https://www.flickr.com/groups/postcards2010/pool Thanks for visiting today. Hugs Cyndee

I've been wanting to doodle a shoji screen but thought maybe I better start with a smaller one first.  So I bought three 8 x 24 inch wrapped canvas and connected them with fabric so they would bend. My next step was to cover the canvas in layers of torn paper.  I chose light, natural colors because my plan is to doodle on top of the paper.  I added a few pieces do corrugated card board, tulle, fabric strips and some cool handmade papers with lots of fiber mixed in. Next step, the doodle.  This is as far as I got today.  I think the size is a little intimidating, so don't want to rush it. A friend gave me some 6 inch square tiles to experiment with.  Here's the first on, again I started with a couple pieces of handmade paper then doodled.  Since the tiles were all pre drilled to add a hanger I will either use ribbon or maybe some copper wire.  I'll post a finished picture when it's finished. Another project in the works is the small tea tr...

I've been busy building up stock for summer festivals.  Thought I'd share a few photos of my latest projects.   The large collaged, recycled picture frame with matted doodle is going to Galley 360 this week for an open Mixing It Up Show for May.   I've been buying frames at the Thrift Stores to recycle with doodles, collage and lots of vintage buttons.  The bird houses are also recycled thrifty store items.   Now that I'm retired and have the time I've been experimenting with combining my mixed media with my doodles.  I'm really enjoying the combinations of handmade papers with doodles.  And there's my faithful companion that never leaves my side.  I love my Fritzy. Happy Easter to everyone, hope you are spending some time with family and friends.  Thanks for visiting. Hugs, Cyndee

Finally got a bee in my bonnet today as to the direction I want to go with my art sales.  I've learned that I can doodle on just about anything so why not try everything.  There are more and more Recycled Art Fairs and I already use some recycled materials. So I decided I was going to find more treasures to recycle/up-cycle.  I made a trip today to a couple of thrift stores and came home with this stash.   One of the stores in moving to a new location so everything was 50% off, awesome.  If you live in the area you might want to check into the Paws & Claws Thrift Store, it's operated by the SW Washington Humane Society .  Now I am anxious to get started.  The clock needs a new pendulum a new finish and some doodles. The small word box has never been finished.  The coasters just need cleaning up and a doodle added.  Everything will get doodled.  We just got a new addition to our family, we found a little 2 1/2 year old Min...

I always enjoy iHanna's postcard swaps.  Not only the fun of sending postcards with my designs all over the world but watching the mail box for cards to arrive.   Hanna calls herself the Creative Instigator, an appropriate title.  You can check out her Blog and all the other participants at http://www.ihanna.nu/.  My cards are all doodled with a little humor added.  I just dropped them all in the mail so now the waiting begins. Colored cards this year.  All hand doodled by me.  This is what I do in the evening while watching TV.   The doodling obsession is out of hand so I need a swap every now and then to make room for more. I will be anxiously awaiting the arrival of postcards mailed to me.  I'll post them as they arrive.  Keep watching, they are all so very different.  If you have never done one of these swaps you should follow ihanna's blog , she usually does two of these a year.   Thanks for visiting...

This summer has been such a great learning experience.  Knowing I was retiring at the end of summer I schedule a lot of weekend outdoor Art Sales.  Although at times I felt a little defeated I gained so much experience. I tried sales I had never done before,  some a hit and some a miss.  A couple of Portland Street Fairs, a couple with a local group I recently joined, a Friday Art Walk and a winery I enjoy just for the venue.  Each has been a learning experience. My booth at the Belmont Street Fair yesterday. Not that I wouldn't do any of them again but I would definitely sell differently.  The best sales for me have been the juried art shows.  But on the other hand by finding some smaller items at lower prices I hit a market I hadn't reached before. I added my Zen Rocks this summer and always sell at least a dozen at each sale.  They appeal to the kids and so many of the outdoor markets are family oriented, especially the neighborhoo...

I am so excited, I'm published.  Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine has printed an article with some of my drawings in the new issue for Sept/Oct 2013.  I got my copy in the mail yesterday, it's a full 2 page spread, page 94, I even got paid for it.  So exciting.  Here's a peek. The article shows two really good shots of my doodles.  As soon as the original artwork is returned to me I will have prints available on Etsy. Everything I read says to just keep submitting your work, don't wait for answers.  This has been a year in the works.  Although they did drop me a note that my work had been accepted within about 2 months but indefinite as to which issue. Today is my last day at my day job, what an exciting way to start my retirement. Thanks for visiting. Hugs Cyndee