For many years I've enjoyed re-working salvaged furniture. I hate throwing away anything that is made of real wood. Here is a piece I found down my street on the night before garbage pick up. I didn't take any before pictures but believe me...it was hideous.

Check out this link to see find some neat ideas on reusing salvaged furniture to decorate/use:

http://www.designspongeonline.com/

6x6x2011 Community Art Project

Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery began this fund raising initiative about 4 years ago.

Check out the link on this awesome art idea which began with the Rochester Community but has spread global.

http://www.roco6x6.org/

Here's my contribution this year. Plus I'm forcing myself to go to an art therapy collective gathering this weekend to create some more submissions. I think this will be a good opportunity for me to create and socialize with other art therapist. I struggled at first with making the commitment to go since I had already completed a piece, but then someone mentioned having mimosa's present! YUMMY!

#3 in a series of 3

#2 in a series of 3

#1 in a series of 3

Back to the Basics

It's been a stressful work year. Lots of changes, transitions and adjustments- get the drift.

Even though I'm an art therapist, finding time to create has always been a struggle. Instead of feeling the urge to create like some therapist do after a long day of listening to others, I'm just lucky to get some exercising in, clean up after dinner, shower, and relax reading a good book or watching the entire 5 seasons of Angel. You could say my motivation to create artwork has been stilted by a total lack of energy and creative juices, yet I know that if I forced myself to create I'd really enjoy myself and feel rejuvenated.

Over spring recess and inspired my friend and fellow art therapist who get's together 1x a week with another art therapist to simply test out new art materials and create, I embarked on an adventure to create. I'm also making it my mission to put forth the effort even when I don't feel like it to create.

I will post my creation outcomes in order of creations. I will state from the beginning that I don't consider myself as an artist at all. For me my relationship with art as moved beyond technical to learning to simply enjoy just experimenting and creating- therefore Back to the Basics.

So what do you do when you are tired of a car that has been a lemon, you have spring fever, works been a struggle and you finally have money in your savings?

You randomly choose to sell "lemon" car and spend your savings on a hot new yet used car. or at least that's what I did. And all in one week. Pretty impressive!

Check out my 2008 Toyota Yaris. please, please let it be a good car not a money pit. fingers crossed.