A photographic obsession

I have been enamored with a few photogs over at Etsy for awile now, I slowly have begun purchasing them , but I honestly do not have much wall space and am short of room for them...but I do have a nice little collection growing and a growing list to purchase.

The first photo I have shown is from JaredKS and I have a bunch of his photos on my list, but this one is my favorite!


The sculpture is from Solana whos amazing architectural photography brings me back to the days when I was in awe of architecture instead of the weird bitterness that I now feel after a year of architecture school.


The last photo I just added two days ago, there is something so dreamy and lucid about this one from kellya.

Miracles do happen...

I have finally finished the Manic Trout update, well I did forget to add the new paintings...perhaps it was an intentional slip up...hmmmm. Anyway, I have redone a few little changes that took an amazing amount of behind the scenes work and I finally added all of the new jewelry I have been previewing. My personal favorites are the new Zsa Zsa Bling Rings, I have found a supply of huge vintage crystals and I have finally introduced the rings in COLOR! So go check it out now!

OK...I fold...Texas is out.

It was so hot out today, and compared to Texas it was not at all hot. So I have realized that I am not able to handle the heat enough to consider living in the South, or the South West for that matter. Its not even July in New York and I am already complaining about how hot it is...I would not survive the South. I think I have to admit I am a North East gal at heart and may not survive elsewhere.

Mondays can be good days

I actually really like Mondays; they have the promise of a fresh week spread out ahead of me, with plenty of time to get stuff done. I actually did not get much done today, but I did make some great progress with the web site update, and I spent some time with a great friend and even made it to my moms for a night of family bonding while BBQing and swimming. All in all a lovely, if not that productive of a day. Plus a sneak peak at one of the new pieces listed...

Oh for the love of procrastination!

Well, I have been refreshed to why I never put my potentially lucrative degree to work, for the past three days I have been at my computer catching up an a great deal of work, mainly in Photoshop and pretty much working as fast as I can without messing up. In turn my shoulders feel so tight that I am sure if I make any sudden movements I will end up unable to my head for a week. This happens when I am under deadlines at the computer too, which rules out doing cgr, bummer because I really loved doing it anyway...(was my sarcasm detectable there?) I still have a whole lot to do as well, even more if I decide to implement the new shopping cart program I have been thinking of doing, I will need to get it done this summer, but I think I'll wait a few weeks. So anyway, I still need to update the site, new items to go up, sold items to remove and some changes have to made to the site in general. So my shoulders will suffer.

The funny part is that, as always, when faced with a task I hate doing...paper work, finances, marketing, PR...when I finally sit down to do them I get such an urge to create things it’s astounding! I let myself make one idea I had yesterday, but that’s it! I can tell it’s bad when I have incredible urges to make tissue paper pom poms instead of sitting at my desk. Its like when I was in Architecture school all over again, after that first year...the only year I lasted because on day one the faculty explained that we were not allowed to be creative until the fifth year...well I basically began a strong distain for architecture right there and thankfully transferred to art school the next year...well after all of that suppressed creativity I did some incredibly involved projects...especially for my 3D class...I was thinking of the things I made in that class the other day, it basically was like playtime for me, I made some outrageous stuff!

So anyway, I am using this bog as a way to procrastinate at the moment, and I answered all of my emails form this morning already...hmmm maybe Faye wants to go out....no I have to stay at my desk...I have never been so glad that I have to go to the restaurant in the year that I have been there...and its Friday, so I go in at 3...Yay! Only one more hour at the computer...

Tissue Paper Obsession!

SO a few years ago I did a large series of paintings involving tissue paper, and although I loved doing those paintings, I am done with them. I of course use some for gift-wrapping and I am always in need of fuchsia tissue paper, but I have a lot of it left, so I am always looking for thing to make and do with it. I saw these huge and beautiful tissue paper pom poms the other day while going through my blog roll and I have decided that I have to make some!


I was also wanting to make tissue paper flowers, but I am starting with the pom poms, because they are awesome!

Egads...Its been so long!

I have been overwhelmed. I am trying to get a lot of the behind the scenes stuff done, and not enjoying it...much of it has to be finished before I can update Manic Trout and even longer before I get to paint...soooo off I go, just wanted to check in...

Bling Ring News

I know, I know...I have been out of the Zsa Zsa Bling Rings in I Don't Wanna Lift My Hand since mother's day. Well, the chandelier crystals I was using for those particular rings are incredibly hard to find, so hard that I cannot locate any. Well there is always a silver lining...Monday I will release 13 new Bling Rings! How can that possibly be you ask!?! Well, I stumbled across some very cool and very large vintage crystals this winter...and then I found a source to buy oodles of crystals this spring. The results are extra large bling rings in 5 colors and crystal clear, small bling rings in 4 colors and three sizes of a funky rounder cut crystals. So fret no longer, you can soon have bling rings for every day of the week!

My ideal day...

As I never have days where I can do what I want, or days when I can avoid having to something I have to do I thought I would daydream a bit about my ideal day...

I would get up at my normal time of 11 and after taking Faye for a quick walk I would have brunch at the Millbrook diner, then I would do my morning computer tasks...email, sb's, blog etc...followed by an entire afternoon in my studio, interruption free. I would also have a stack of canvases ready to go and would not be waiting for a jewelry supply order to arrive, enabling me to be ready to make anything. I would of course be receiving emails about wholesaling, orders, and from magazines that want to feature Manic Trout. I would break for about an hour to walk Faye and work out, followed by a long shower. The evening would be a low key dinner out, nothing I have to get dressed up for and then back to my studio for a few hours. I would end the day with a movie in my very cozy den/library during which I would be reading magazines. I would read in bed for at least an hour and go to sleep at my ideal bedtime of 3:30.

Is it sad that my dream day centers around working? Is it better if I mentioned that I would include Tyler in all activities not studio related? Oh well, we can't change who we are...and I dream for one of those days.

Photo Procrastination

I love making things, I hate having to photograph them record their vital parts. I suppose I share this trait with most artists...because of this I will accumulate a large pile of work before I put it on line or even take a quality sot of it. Last night I finally shot paintings from fall/winter/spring. I was motivated by finishing the piece I blogged about yesterday, and by the awesome day light lamp I bought for my easel this winter that I realized makes photographing paintings a breeze.


I will admit that they are not on the website yet, as I have a bunch of technical changes in the works, so I might as well do it all at once, but I have been posting them on various art websites that I post my work on and received some nice feedback already, yay.

Yay, A new painting!

I finished the new painting I was working on, the one I said I would not reveal until it was finished and was something I have wanted to do for a long time...well, I have been wanting to embroider paintings for a few years now, the thought of actually attacking a painting of mine was a tough obstacle to get past, but I am glad I did.

The final push of inspiration was a combination of being really inspired by imagery in a book I was reading (ps...all of my paintings are named after the book I am reading while I paint, I read a lot) and by a recent longing to return to embroidery...so I did it.

I just finished this afternoon, and am unsure of how I feel about it...the cockroaches were very important to me, but they stand out a bit much, that’s the only negative feeling I have right now.

The Prettiest Earrings ever!!!!

I think I have finally found the pair of earrings I have been searching for...I have a pair of vintage flower screw on earrings that I have never worn because they are not pierced, and I have finally found a pair that rivals those!

The best part is that you too can buy these...check them out here at the lovely Jeweled Monkey Esty Shop.

The Littlest Sister

I have been so busy this week that I have not posted since Tuesday! Well Friday I was at my youngest sisters 8th grade graduation, so I had at least a valid reason for missing that day...



I gave Thea a necklace from a new line I am working on that is yet to be released, I knew it would match her dress too...and notice how happy she is to be wearing a Manic Trout necklace!

You can see a tad of my favorite dress in the entire world, which is enroute to the drycleaners as the private school she attended could not seem to spring for a tent to keep us cool under so my dress became the worlds prettiest sponge...any way, I adore this dress, it has the loveliest pattern I have ever seen.

Have Blogs replaced Sketch Books?

I was going through my blog roll last night and was very intrigued by what Abigail Percy had to say about how she has started to use her blog as her sketchbook and I have to say that I have begun to do the same. I have for years and years kept sketchbooks filled with more inspiration then sketches, over flowing with thoughts and musings and images that I had to have or inspired me in some way. Since I began blogging on a regular basis my sketchbook no longer travels with me and in fact has not been cracked open in at least a month. I have a pile of magazine images to add and just have not gotten around to it. Sad. Well I guess its good to embrace the new technology, but I didn't mean to replace anything with it.

Sneak Peak at New jewelry!

I have been working on new designs, previously noted that they are with Fall in mind, but they will be for sale very shortly on Manic Trout, I like to be prepared.

I am still on the brass kick, but the necklaces are getting bigger and bolder!

I am also beginning to incorporate more gemstones and colors that I have not used as much in the past.

I would love some feedback!

Leash and collar shopping...

I have started to become a woman obsessed with leashes and collars. Don't fret, they're for Faye...I cannot bring myself to put actual clothing on her, so I have been shopping for the safe version of doggie adornment and I had to share a fabulous store for such goods. Lodi and Lewi have the prettiest selection of doggie gear and excellent customer service...I highly recommend giving them a visit if you need some new summer duds for your favorite pooch.



I custom ordered a longer leash to match the collar I choose and was thrilled with the results...Faye was too, as you can see she is showing off her new adornments...