December 3rd, Monday, 11:11am

A little over another month gone by! I have been focused on an art project which was mailed off to its destination a few weeks ago. Unfortunately I cannot speak of it cause it will be published, but I did want it on the record that I have been creating!

The big exciting news I have for everyone is that Art Pub Studios which I belong to, has converted from a simplified website to a MUCH NICER and EXCITING INTERACTIVE WEBSITE.

This is definitely an innovative new way to share! Art Pub Studios was founded by Kathy Wasilewski and co-moderated by Deb Trotter and Lelainia Lloyd . Each artist who belongs to Art Pub Studios has their own blog link to keep you posted on their own individual art journeys... you can read about ...Angela Cartwright (she is the featured Artist of the Month!); Crystal Neubauer; Deryn Mentock; Kathy Wasilewski; Lelainia Lloyd; Lou McCulloch; Mary Beth Shaw; Pilar Pollock; Sally Turlington; Sarah Fishburn; Tiffini Electra X, Deb Trotter, and myself... Sylvia Luna!

We're quite the eclectic gathering of art souls with one common ground... we have a passion for creating and promoting art! Don't forget that there will be cool giveaways, art tips, occasional contests, free images, marketing advice, and all kinds of other surprises.

If you go to my Art Pub Studios blog , you can sign up for a big giveaway. I will be gifting TMT's (Things to Make Things with). All you have to do is respond to my blog with "Art Pub Rules" to get you into the drawing.

Enjoy the season!
xoxo
La Luna

October 5th, Friday, 4:13 PM

WOW, these few days I had intended to update you on turned out to be another month! Hey! I'm still around! Please don't ever forget me, I sound like Frieda Kahlo, don't I?

These crazy days of summer are almost gone! Temps will still be in the 90's next week but the mornings and nights are simply gorgeous. So who the hell wants to keep talking about the weather? Not meeeeeeeeee!

Seems like yesterday I was home waiting for that man to come home, to come home in silence like a shadow. What was I thinking? How did days turn into years? People ask me if I'll ever go back to my previous life, well... absolutely not. I am embracing what life is offering me at this moment, and I'm loving it. No, it does not have to do with art yet. I am focusing on my new friends, and I'm having a great time. I'm working on losing some weight I have accumulated in the years of silence. The weather is now great, I've been walking outdoors as well as going to the gym. I am finding a new zest for all things that were lost. I cannot wait to incorporate those feelings onto paper, of course I will always be me, with my 'dark cloudy grunge look' but who knows how it will evolve, should be interesting.

These past few months, I have spent some fabulous times with Paula and Daniel Martin Diaz, Nancy and David Donaldson from Canada, Pilar Pollock from Laguna Hills, Doris Arndt from Washington, Deb Trotter of Wyoming, Mary Haldeman of Los Angeles and all my local friends like Sophia Sanchez, Lisa Albinger, Deanna B., and Maija Lepore. Gawd, I feel like such a name dropper! If you look at my links page, you will find links to most of these artist friends. Mean Girl says do it yourself! Tomorrow I will be meeting with Olivia Thomas and Lynda Stone to see a few local art exhibits.

My five dogs keep me busy, as does the house. But I'm managing, that what does not kill me only makes me stronger. I find a lot of strength in life's challenges, 'unasked for' challenges. Those are the kind that we can't  allow ourselves to dwell on it's negativity but turn it into life's lessons and move forward. Someone just told me yesterday that it wouldn't be good for me to have an unwanted 'visitor' rent space in my head when i have no vacancy for him. I assured that person that if my "no vacancy' sign is up, that is how I play. That is something we can all apply in our lives, isn't it?

What else? I want to thank Cindy Iverson of The Paper Studio in Tempe for hosting The Gorey DeTales art exhibit. The exhibit is opening this evening at The Artist's Nook in Fort Collins, CO  thanks to the gracious Gorey invitation from Christine Webb.

This will be great timing with Halloween only a few weeks away. In case you are wondering what the Gorey DeTales are, you can read my interview as well as see some of the artists' artworks in the current issue of Somerset Studios Sept/Oct 2007,  pages 50-54.

I have to mention that I am so loving this one cd called CoCo by Colbie Caillat. Listen to Bubbly, I seem to replay that song over and over these days! Other songs I am into at the moment are: Young Folks by Peter Bjorn and John, Staring at the Sun by U2, Big Wheel by Tori Amos, and Jenny Don't Be Hasty by Paolo Nutini. Does anyone want to post their current song obsessions? If you do, let me know and I will post your list link on my blog. Email me at Artmedo@aol.com

I also wanted to mention that on my website, please do not email me through the 'guest book'. That link has never worked, therefore I don't receive your requests there. I prefer that you send all correspondence to me at my 'Artmedo@aol.com' e-mail addy.

Before I leave, I want to give a 'shout out' to my new Thursday night friends. I hope somewhere here you will find hope, courage, and smiles from me to you. You all have such healing powers within you, live and love.

xoxo

P.S. Also... my dear friend Christy Garcia who has MS is accepting donations during the annual MS drive. Hope you can help her out. She was helping me and my Junk Yard Queen partner at our vendor booth during Art Unraveled; she was our 'princess in waiting' and did a fantasticly royal job helping us out.

August 27, Monday, 10:31 PM

Today is here, yesterday is gone. It was difficult to let go but I have done so, and am feeling a new sense of freedom which I haven't experienced since my days of youth. I went through the phase of feeling really old and tired, when I've always felt young and confident. I am now feeling a new rejuvenation, a joyous sense of wonder, and an effervescent sensation of excitement. Things are looking up and I feel confident, desired, and very fortunate.
 
I've been blessed with a wonderful family and so many friends who've been with me every step of the way through the chapters of my life: 'Before Steve', 'After Steve', and introducing my 3rd chapter... 'ME'! I want to thank everyone for the positive energy you have sent me, for your tokens of love, for the new people entering my life, and for my five loyal dogs who never stop loving me.
 
I am finishing up some loose ends of paperwork, and then will be ready to welcome the muses back, I've missed them and am looking forward to embracing them. Let my new freedom bells ring OUT LOUD!!! I'm baaaaaaaaaack and I've missed you so!!!
 
ps: David Caspar's  Eye Candy Shrine Workshop in Phoenix was awesome! I made this piece and took it beyond the limits by going outside the usual rectangular perimeters. This piece is entitled Visionary Man in honor of little David, who sees me as I truly am and where I deserve to be in my future.

more catch up news in days to come!
 
xoxo

July 1st, Sunday 10:00 AM

TAKE ANOTHER PICTURE, IT'S A DIFFERENT DONKEY!

June 18th, Monday 6:09 PM

I have a few items to post today, the first is that my cyber friend Debi Lynn Mattingly keeps herself very busy in her Houston studio. She is currently focusing on two of her mixed media art lines which are called “Objet Trouve” and "Grammie's Attic". I think it best you check her site out as she is very talented and sells out quickly!

Debi just recently began her own blog Artfully Inspired, and will be hosting a weekly feature titled "A Woman's Life" highlighting strong women and their stories. I read the first one on Dorothea Petrie and found some wonderful inspirational tips I could relate to in my own life, especially her outlook on preserverence. Way to go, Debi! I love this direction in blogging!
 
Next on my blog list, is that I've been tagged by another friend, Gypsy! So, here are my own 7 random facts...
 
1. When I get served my plate at a restaurant, I always have to turn the plate 180 degrees.

2. I am a rainy day, dark cloud person rather than a sunshine person. When it's dark and stormy outside. I hate being indoors, so I get in my car and drive. That kind of weather rejuvinates me, which isn't too often living here in Arizona!

3. In this AZ heat I wish there were saline stations (like gas stations) where I could go and pump some saline through my veins to stop the constant dehydration I face over the summer months. I'm sure the saline injections would be cheaper than the price of gas for my car. I'd of course ask for the super premium.

4. When I was about 6 years old, I told a murderer who lived down the street from us to go eat sh*t , after being roused from the naughty neighborhood friends. When I did tell him with no qualms, they all scattered and I was left running for my life trying to escape him as he chased me home in a rage. My mother was shocked at the evil glare his eyes held, ready to kill me. He had supposedly murdered his wife, done his time in prison, and lived at home with his blind mother. At the time he looked to be in his late 40's or early 50's. Truly a Norman Bates type of guy.

5. I can now write a book entitled: "Remodeling for Dummies", with a chapter entitled To Divorce or Not To Divorce, and another one called, I Need Another Closet Just For My Skinny Pants That I'm Hoping Will Fit Me Again Someday! It's been thaaaaaat bad. I think I could have a bestseller here!

6. If you ever see me wearing a red dress and a purple hat in future years, please whack me on the side of my head. I'd rather wear a black dress and a spiderweb tiara! 

7. I just noticed that my Venetian Moon Mask hanging on the wall has turned 90 degrees and it is creeping me out! I will leave it that way, as I wouldn't have thought to hang it that way myself! Too cool!

And last of all, I am in a scurry hurry to get my house ready for my annual summer visit from David Caspar. Poor guy doesn't know I need some strong guy's helping hands here; he's gonna want to book a flight straight home to Germany when he sees my piles of junk. I had just gotten my art studio semi-decent when I hit more piles in my bedroom today. They are now all in the studio, and again I can't see my table. At least his room looks good.
 
xoxo

June 15th, Friday 7:43 PM

What an exhausting and overwhelming time this has been. I didn't even come close to my Mother's Day deadline of having my home finished. I have a few rooms which look finished as long as people don't go opening drawers or doors it will more than likely avalanche big time and cause some major injury! I hope to get that part organized later on, for now it's just a matter of making my house feel like a home again. Here is a peek at what I've been up to.

I will try to post more photos soon, I don't want to overwhelm my web mastressa too badly all at once. ;) 
 
Back to work, no rest for the wicked!
xoxo
 

May 2, Wednesday, 11:58AM

I'm full of chit chat today, the granite is finally here and they will be installing it today, tomorrow, and the next day.
 
By Friday I will be out of here hanging out with my friends, Pip, Kelly, Maija, and Mary and some new art friends I will soon meet in LA to celebrate the Cinco de Mayo (excuses, excuses). As of now I have not made the charms I'm supposed to take with me, I have to make 15 of them. I explained to the girls that with my 'everything in here' seeming to slip into another dimension never to be found again, I will do the best I can with what I see around me, that's a lot of stuff I see, but not in things to make charms with.  Ay Caramba!

Here are pics of the stuff surrounding my existence.

As you can see by all the photos of scattered messes throughout the place, not only does it affect us but our 5 dogs also. Here is 3M praying hard that all will be over soon. You can see those dark circles under her eyes, she's just plain sick of it all. We all are.

I have been checking out the guitar auction on eBay which my art friend Daniel Martin Diaz has contributed to. What an honor to be asked! The Six-String Masterpieces Art Guitar Auction. The auction is a tribute to the late Dimebag Darrell Abbott, who was best known for being the founder and guitarist of Pantera. He was killed on stage at the Alrosa Villa nightclub along with three others when a gunman jumped on stage and began firing.

There are 60+ guitars to bid on all done by the biggest names in rock & roll, tattooing, and modern art. The proceeds will all go to support Little Kids Rock. For myself without music, there'd be no art. Although I can't bid on a guitar, I will surely donate to this charity. The guitars are all helluva great, but IF I could get my 12 wish guitars, they'd be:
  
Bob Tyrell #4
David Stoupakis #8
Sas Christian #9
Daniel Martin Diaz #10
Ron English #16
Zakk Wylde #28
Paul Booth #30
Mark Ryden #31
Guy Aitchison #33
Munky of Korn #35
Aron Cane #42
Shawn Barber #54
Dave Navarro #22 (Bakers Dozen!)

What else? My JYQ's 23 year old son Danny Baranowsky just got his first award for his musical score in a short film entitled Consumed; Danny boy will be going far with his talent, his 'tia' knows... Also please pray for their entire family, his sister Christy Garcia is going through some vigorous testing, all tests are pointing to Multiple Sclerosis. This is devastating news as she just got married two months ago.

Gonna go try to work on some charms.

Later!

March 22, Thursday, 7:55AM

There is beautiful artwork to bid on right now at Bernie Berlin's A Place to Bark...
and meow eBay Art Auction.

Please bid for a wonderful cause.

March 20, Tuesday, 2:12AM

Okay, here is the link to Deanna's and my new business, it is www.JunkYardQueens.com . We sent a vendor application to Art Unraveled, I hope we get in!  This is all so sudden, but that's how I usually work, very spontaneous. If I stop and think too much "should I or shouldn't I?" I convince myself why I can't, so instead I just do it. What's crazy is the timing with the house remodeling. Oh well, life is too short to worry. Remember this worn out phrase, 'Why worry? Be happy!' Old but it still holds true.
 
Anyways, what our goal as the Junk Yard Queens is to find all kinds of cool and rad items for you to recycle into your art projects. If we have it at the convention, that doesn't mean we will have it next time. I am looking for unique things that I envision using for art at a reasonable price. Please save room in your suitcase!

And don't forget that if you run out of room or your suitcase is way too heavy, Stampotique, the new on-site store, will have a Fed-Ex shipping service available, which will be very convenient. I've always wished for one at the conventions I have previously attended.
 
Back to work.
 
xoxo

March 16th, Friday, 9:00PM

The time is right to announce several NEWS FLASHES!
 
First, I have the information now available on my website for The Gorey DeTales™. I hope you will be able to attend this amazing Gorey madness, which you've gotta see to believe! 

26 amazing artists joined me in creating this vision. We've had quite an enjoyeable time being ghastly, grim, demented, and wicked in our art. I hope you will plan on attending this exhibit in Tempe, AZ. The opening reception will be held at The Paper Studio on August 4th. If you plan on coming to Art Unraveled Mixed Media Art Retreat, please plan on attending this event as well. The exhibit will run through September 15th.
 
From Tempe The Gorey DeTales™ will then travel to The Artists' Nook in Fort Collins, CO. If you are unable to be in the Valley of the Sun for the art retreat, perhaps Fort Collins would be easier to attend? Here the exhibit dates will run from October 2nd until November 17th. The opening reception will be held on October 5th, and the closing reception on November 16th.  
 
If you are interested in having The Gorey DeTales™ exhibit travel to your city, please email me privately Sylvia Luna .

Secondly, my dear friend Deanna Baranowsky will be my partner in a new business venture... we will be known as the Junk Yard Queens. We have been scouting for a wide array of unusual raw found objects to be used in your art from scrapbooking, collage, to assemblage. There will also be useful finds for teachers. Please spread the word. We will soon be announcing convention dates and local sale dates. We are both
VERY excited about this!
 
Have a great weekend!

March 15th, Thursday, 11:45PM

This week has gone by really fast, nothing new in the way of the house except for a few of my treasures being broken along the way of moving things around, and it wasn't by me! (KILL-STAB!)
 
The good news is that I am finally able to work on a little bit of art. I finished a shrine piece as my 'good bye/thank you' gift to Ink It! The unfinished wood shrine was purchased at their store closing sale, along with the silver leafed rock which has the word DREAM etched onto it.

Since not much is happening construction wise, I have escaped with my friend to those addictive thrift stores and have gone to see a few movies; Zodiac, Wild Hogs, and 300.
 
Congratulations to my friend Pilar who became a first time aunt today to a precious little niece by the name of Tessa Lee. Yes, I am jealous. Give her kisses from me Pip! and don't forget a hug for Ms. Kona Babes.
 
xoxo

March 1st, Thursday, 11:39PM

Melancholy Pandemonium is what I have felt since I read via email that my homestead Ink It!  will be closing its doors soon. It took me several days to have the courage to go in and shop their clearance. 
 
An era of art, friendships, and comfort will soon be history. I will always hold fond memories of Mary Ellen and Stevie. These two ladies gave me the confidence not only to teach at their store, but to go out and embrace what I love.
 
They have plans to open an art gallery in their current downtown Gilbert space. I have the utmost faith that with what Mary Ellen and Stevie were able to accomplish for the entire Phoenix valley in the short span of seven and a half years, they will soon soar to new heights with their gallery endeavor. They are trailblazers of our community! The city of Gilbert is fortunate to have these two women anchoring their future in the arts.
 
Thank you Mary Ellen and Stevie.
 

February 26th, Monday, 12:40PM

I have finally taken some photos of the remodeling being done around here. With 5 dogs, it is not feasible for us to up and leave so, the house is being remodeled in phases. Right now I have 2 upstairs bedrooms almost complete, enough for me to begin shifting the other rooms into those, in preparation of having them tiled and painted soon.
 
This entire project began with us wanting to get rid of the carpet due to the dogs. So, we chose tile. Then we decided to update the bathrooms and kitchen. With all that being done, we HAD to paint of course, so we are switching from all white rooms to color! My interior color palette is 2 shades of caramel, merlot red, and dark brown sugar. Tasty, huh? 
 
When I previously had houseguests, I'd be moving some tri-folding screens back and forth to keep the dogs out of their space. This was so much trouble, and in moving them I was also damaging paint on the walls. My answer to this was to design and have iron gates made at cerain entry points which would keep the dogs out, if need be. A glimpse of these gates can be seen in some of the photos, as you can see they are very much me, Moonster Style! 
 
Also one of the photos shows my lab, Molly Moo Moo (or 3M) who is lying in the bedroom making sure all new tile was laid in a straight pattern.  
 
This week I will be scheduling the plumbing, more tile, and some of the window shutters. I will soon post photos of the exterior... still also in progress.
 
Today I have tons of organizing in my art room and then later dinner with the school girls (from first grade)! I really look forward to the future when I can sit at my desk and create art. Till then... I'm going to bed for awhile and bury my head under the sheets again.