Debbie Overton Designs

Monkey See Monkey Do

Mixed Media Collage 10 x 20 Gallery Wrapped Canvas

This piece is on exhibit at Monkey Love.  I have had the images for several years and when I found out I would be exhibiting at Monkey Love I just couldn't resist!

Several years ago I offered Ephemera Paper Packages on my website, but when I did my re-do I didn't add them back.  Instead I redid the packages and added them to my Etsy shop I had had for over a year and was not using.  I decided to go back to what worked before and have added a couple packages to the ole Etsy shop and will add more later.  After I get the new venture up and going I may add the shopping cart back to my website and do away with Etsy.

Mine and KC's afternoon at the beach was cut short when she received a call from Steve...he was heading out of town for a few days and wanted to know if I wanted to go...I told him I just didn't have time...way too many things around here to get done...but KC volunteered to go...she thought it would be a mini vacation for her....sleep in, Jacuzzi, pool....and the executive suite at the hotel!

So here it is almost 2am and Seth and I are still up....he can stay up all night if he wants!  I need to finish up a commission I have been working on for several weeks and then get started on a few others and I need sleep in order to function tomorrow or I should say later this morning considering it is already very early morning!

Creatively,

Playing a Little Catch Up

My friend Sue at Artful Adventures asked to see some close ups of some of my new pieces on exhibit at Monkey Love....Here are two and I will share more later on.  The reception Friday night went well.  Two hours of chatting it up with old and new friends...laughter, music, wine, coffee, great food and lots of talk about my art.  What more could I have asked for?  Even Steve enjoyed this reception....although he would never admit some of the ones in the past have bored him to death....he had fun Friday night.  Thanks Britt for a great evening!

Someone recently emailed me asking for advice and in my reply to Ellen's email I included a few links to some of the resources I have used here on the Internet.  Of course you know I mentioned Alyson at Artbiz and the author of I'd rather be in the studio and I also told her about Luann Udell's blog....a wealth of business information.  I must give credit where it is due...Deb Trotter recommended both Alyson and Luann to me several years ago and I have referred to them many times.  Thanks Deb! 

Saturday and Sunday were spent working on the new business venture website and updating the MMCA website and forum.  Finally around 2:30am last night I called it a night, but couldn't sleep due to thinking of things I wanted to get done today....I watched the clock until Steve's alarm went off at 6.  Just as soon as he was out the door I jumped up, showered, dressed and started my day.   So far today has been very productive...follow up emails and phone calls are all made from my to do list and now I am ready to move on to finishing up a few pieces of art.

Creatively,

Wine & Cheese anyone?

Only a few more hours and then we are off to the Wine & Cheese Reception in my honor at Monkey Love Dessert Bar & Gallery!  The rain gods have descended upon southeast Georgia....the rain, thunder and lightening make you want to curl up with a blanket and take a nap.....but there will be time for that later.  Thanks for the many emails I have received today wishing me a great reception....wish all my friends could be there.  Between 7 & 9 tonight, grab a glass and share in the party wherever you are.  The camera, business cards, guest book are all ready to go....now I need to get ready!

This and That and What and Where

The past few days have just flown by....I have been working on my new business venture website and waiting on the last of the legal paperwork from the State of Georgia to arrive.  Why is it when you wanted it yesterday it seems to take forever to get here....I could have drove to and from by now....but I am patiently waiting....although I make a running dash to the mail box each time I see the mailman go by.  I shared some of the new plans with the MMCA girls and I know some of them are just as anxious as I am and evidently some of the info they were given has been shared among their friends as my visitors searching my blog have tripled since I made the announcement to the group.  It is amazing how fast some news can travel.  I can assure you once I have ALL the legals in place and the time is right I will make an announcement here on my blog.  So by all means keep checking back.

Playing with my new toy Adobe Dreamweaver has proven to be a great investment and a learning curve too.  Some things are so much easier with this design program while others have been a little challenging since I know what I want it to do I just don't know how to get to it.  I am still not sure why I decided to tackle this during a new venture...yes I do know...Steve gave it to me as a surprise because I have been wanting it for so long.  I have another surprise coming within the next few days....For Mother's Day he ordered me a new laptop....the one I have is great, but only allowed me to do certain things and according to him it will have everything I could possibly need or want to run my businesses, update my websites and more no matter where I am.  Now I will be sitting on the front porch waiting on UPS!

KC and I were out shopping a few days ago and she wanted to go by Monkey Love for a piece of Strawberry Cake and I had my camera with me so she took a few photos.  Here is just one of the exhibit walls...will share more later.

Every time we go in there is always a few really cute guys sitting around drinking their coffee and on their laptops....Even though she loves the desserts I think it is the customers she is more interested in as she always can carry on a conversation with someone while there.  I am surprised she has not begged Britt to work there this summer for free!

If you are in the area this coming Friday evening, May 16th...please drop by Monkey Love and visit with us during the Wine & Cheese Reception in my honor from 7-9 pm. 

I need to get back to work on a few pieces to be delivered to another Studio/Gallery....Michelle called me a few weeks ago and I promised just as soon as I got the Monkey Love exhibit art finished I would have some things for The Painted Cat Studio and Gallery and I would really like to get some things to her this week but that can't happen with me on the computer.

So I am off to create, watch for the mailman and the UPS truck....hope you have a wonderful day!

Another snippet of one of the pieces on display at Monkey Love this month.  "They say we broke ALL the Rules....Maybe a Few!"  I had so many wonderful papers and other elements to work with thanks to two wonderful art friends Elaine and Patsy.   Elaine sent me a wonderful Secret Santa package this past Christmas and Patsy sent me an envelope filled with wonderful papers a few months ago.

Personally I like RULES!

Can you imagine the chaos we would have if there were no rules to follow?  Imagine coming to a major intersection and those with a Red light don't think the Red light rule STOP applies to them...you have one huge pile up of vehicles all because just one person thinks they don't have to abide by the rules. 

Just a little food for thought.....next time you decide not to play by the rules....Someone gets hurt and next time it may be you.

Have a Great day....we are off to the dentist for our 6 month cleanings!!! 

It All Begins At Home

HOME ~ Is where it all begins.....and for me since my last post it is where I have basically been with the exception of a few art store runs to pick up things I thought I might run out of in the middle of the night....a few more canvases....even though Dick Blick has delivered 3 times in the past month....more of my favorite Golden acrylics such as Green Gold, Turquois (Phthalo) and Transparent Pyrrole Orange.....and then there was the run for more Golden Soft Gel in Semi-Gloss when I couldn't find the one I ordered.  Found it last night as I was checking to see which pieces needed wire hangers added....it along with the empty jar were under a canvas lifting it up so the edges didn't touch anything!!!!  Two days until I deliver to Monkey Love for the Solo Exhibit which starts Thursday, May 1st....I keep repeating....I can do this!!!!  Most of the pieces are ready, a few need to be wired, those that needed a final coat of varnish got it first thing this morning, a couple pieces needed 3D items glued in place and that was done yesterday....Today I have 2 pieces I really want to finish to add to the grouping but promised myself if they are ready okay....it not no big deal.  Then there is the detailed inventory list and photos and scans of everything.

Here's another snippet of one that I finished last week....It All Begins At Home.....a 10"x20"x1.25" gallery wrapped mixed media collage.  As I worked on this piece I kept a running list each time I added a layer....and after 23 layers of gesso, mediums, papers, acrylics, and more it was signed and then sealed with one more layer....yes 24 layers in all! 

Speaking of Home.....Our baby that just turned 19 a couple weeks ago comes home this coming Friday for the summer....although it will be a short one for her....She was selected as the Sports Editor for the year book staff and SRS (Shorter Relations Society) a public relations representative for the College for this next year....both which require 3-4 day workshops in June and July and then early move in for Fall so the SRS members will be ready for Freshmen Orientation Week.  She's ready to come home and we are ready for her.  She also just found out she got into one of the new apartments on campus....no more dorm life for her....and she is beyond happy!

My break is almost over and I have all day to myself so I want to make the most of it.  Enjoy your week and I will be back with more snippets as time permits.

Almost forgot....Some Party Favors went out last week and more will go out this week most likely on Wednesday after I make my art delivery.  Remember it's not too late to leave a comment on one of my post and have a chance to have your name drawn for a party favor.

There went the timer.....back to creating.

ABC's of the Heart

Busy Busy Week.....and I like it like that!  Completed 3 new pieces for the upcoming exhibit.....if things go well today through the weekend should have atleast 3 more ready to hang.....four are in the works.....some are gessoed, some have collage, some have paints added......but they all have something in common....the canvases are much larger than I usually work on.....challenging and fun at the same time.

Creating has not been the only thing on my to do list this week thus far.....you may remember a few posts back I mentioned I was working on a new business venture.....that signature.....you know the one that was questioned......it is being used on legal papers this week in pulling some of the details together....phone calls with my advisor's....you know the ones that keep you legal (attorney).....the IRS happy(accountant).....and those that offer their guidance and wisdom (friends, family and other entrepreneurs).  All I can say is it is getting closer and closer to a reality and until everything is in place I am running on pure adrenaline!

I leave you with a peek of one of the collages I just finished.  The sun is coming through my windows in all its glory this morning and I am off to accomplish more for the upcoming events.  Thanks for visiting!

Anniversary Beach Shopping & Exhibits

So many great things have been going on I'm not even sure where I want to begin....March 13th was our anniversary and with it being Spring Break Steve and I decided we would just go out to eat and then do something special later.   Since we both had agreed we would not buy gifts for each other imagine both of our surprise when we each received something from the other one that we had wanted for a while.

January 1 through February you can comb the beaches of Jekyll Island to find beautiful, one-of-a-kind glass fishing floats.  Each day a select number of the floats are placed along the beaches just above the high tide line.  I spent many days walking and searching for one of the hidden treasures, but always came home empty handed.  Steve surprise me with this gorgeous white glass float created by artist Mark Ellinger.  Each one is individually crafted with the same techniques that have been used for 200 years to create glass art. All floats are engraved on the plug with Jekyll Island, Georgia's Jewel, the year, and the artists signature.

And I surprised him by paying attention one day while shopping on the island when he was intrigued with the Galileo Thermometers.  The glass spheres are calibrated and fitted with a metal temperature medallion.  The weight of each sphere varies slightly and as the actual room temperature fluctuates, the glass spheres will rise or fall.  As the room temperature decreases, the spheres rise and they fall as the temperature increases.  The lowest sphere with the group floating at the top of the thermometer indicates the correct temperature.  Needless to say ours usually has all but one at the top as we keep our home on the cool side....but it is fun to actually see them float up or down occasionally.

We had made reservations for Easter weekend at St. Augustine Beach a while back....Colby has good and bad days trying to adjust to all the meds, KC had just been home for 9 days and only back at school for 4 and didn't want to make the 14 hr drive for the weekend and Seth just is not a beach bum.....so Steve and I took advantage of the long weekend and celebrated our anniversary.  The weather was beautiful....the beaches were not crowded and the shopping was great! 

We left early Friday morning making our first stop within 30 minutes at Me and My Partner Antiques and Collectibles/Woodbine International Fire Museum.  I found some old school report cards from 1917 and Mr. Windy the owner pulled out a few other papers he had in a drawer to give me.  I just love the sign he has out front!  It certainly has gotten my attention a few times.  I would highly recommend a visit to Woodbine to this great antique shop and the Fire Museum is awesome...fill with tons of history.  We continued heading south making several stops along the way. 

Sunrise Saturday!  This is the view we had from our balcony!

North Country Antiques located in the Lightner Museum Antique Mall in historic St. Augustine is filled with Ephemera, Old Books, Magazines, Postcards, Stamps, Records, Advertising, Prints, and more.  Lightner Antique Mall is located inside the famous Lightner Museum. Built on top of the old Hotel Alcazar's swimming pool (The largest swimming pool in the world in 1888) and features many antique stores and a café under one roof.

When on San Marco Ave a must stop is Claire's Collectibles Fun Rubber Stamps.  If you can't find it here you most likely don't need it.  I made two stops there and came home with tons of stamps, inks, elements and magazines.

Upcoming Exhibits

For those that come to Waycross GA for Swampfest April 4-6, I will be exhibiting with a group of artists from the Okefenokee Heritage Center in the Phoenix Hotel located downtown.

I have been asked to do a solo exhibit for the month of May at Monkey Love Dessert Bar & Gallery.  Monkey Love's mission is to serve the community and their customers with the honor and respect they deserve while contributing to children's organizations to help stop child abuse. 

When you walk into Monkey Love you feel at home and the aroma is to die for....sinful desserts and pastries and coffees.....and since I am not a coffee drinker I had to have a Banana Milk Shake.....let me just say Heaven.....and then there was the slice of Coconut Lemon Layered Cake I got to go for Seth....I have looked at it all afternoon and finally just couldn't resist any longer.....I took a bite and then I took another....then I set it in the cabinet out of sight! 

I will share more about Monkey Love and the Wine and Cheese Reception at a later date.

I have lots of art to work on over the next several weeks, but I am refreshed from my trip and ready to move forward.

Thanks for stopping by!

Debbie

JIAA Arts Festival and More

Several of you emailed me over the weekend wandering how the Jekyll Island Arts Festival went.  I am very happy to say one of my pieces entered in the exhibit placed 3rd in the Advanced Collage and Mixed Media category!  AND I didn't even know it even though the judging was Thursday and the Festival was open Friday.  We had nasty weather and I just couldn't make myself get out in it.  I would have been very happy to receive one of the many Honorable Mentions and was thrilled when after working my Saturday morning shift to find all three of my pieces right in the middle of the main gallery and tried very hard to contain myself when I spotted the ribbon. 

Saturday was bright and sunny with lots of wind and I do mean wind.  Most of the outside activities had to be canceled, so the gallery was filled to capacity all day.  Gorgeous collage & mixed media oil watercolor acrylics pastel charcoal and more filled all the walls and free standing walls of the first floor of the gallery with more artwork filling the stair wall and landing to the second floor where you found photography fiber arts pottery and more.  I met lots of wonderful artists and enjoyed interacting with all the visitors from all over.....Canada New York Ohio Pennsylvania Michigan Maryland Virginia, North and South Carolina Florida and many others were there.

There was an older gentleman, Mr. Malcolm Hanson inside Goodyear Cottage playing the piano and I had the privilege of working the table next to him.  He had a wonderful Irish accent and so funny and could carry on a conversation with anyone that stopped by while never missing a beat.  I could have listened to him all day....play and talk.

Sunday morning Steve Seth KC and I headed back over to the Island stopping at our favorite IHOP for breakfast....after a delicious breakfast and lots of talking we headed to the Festival....the day was beautiful and lots of people out milling around.  We stopped in some of the other historic district shops just browsing around before making our "can't go to the island without stopping at the beach for a few minutes" stop.  When we left the house at 10 we didn't expect to be gone all day....but we were and we had a really good day together.

Kids are home for Spring Break so my time here will be limited to their time with friends....come to think of it.....I may have lots of time to myself.....especially with KC....either her phone or the house phone has been ringing non-stop wanting her to do something. 

For those that have posted here, emailed us or called about Colby....we all thank you for your thoughts and prayers.  He had a good day Saturday....even went with friends out to dinner and a movie that night.  Then he pays for it the next day....he has to learn to pace himself....I have tried telling him this....but this coming from me....that goes 24/7 does not really mean much to him right now.  He will learn and he will adjust.  Again thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers.

After seeing so much wonderful inspiration this weekend I am just itching to start a few new pieces and finish up some sitting in the corner.

Debbie

Just by Hand

It has been a few days.....trying to find a balance with everything I have going on.  Making progress in some areas....some still need to find there place in my schedule.  All I can say is I am glad last week is over....my kids are better.....the weekend was gorgeous and I have my to do list made for the week.  Yesterday was in the upper 70's and Steve asked to go over to Jekyll Island....you know me anything to get me over to the beach. 

We parked in the historic district and took a leisurely walk around....going in and out of shops....last week I took some of my Paper Books over to one of the shops....he knew this as I told him about it....as we made our way through shop and after....I wanted to say something.....but I thought no.....he is going to have to remember and find them.  Just when I thought he was going to say are you ready to head over to the beach for a while....he surprised me....he wanted to know if we were going to visit Just by Hand....YES, he was listening the night I told him!  His next test was to actually go into the shop with rooms filled with wonderful hand crafted items and lots of shoppers.  It took a few minutes but he circled around and said your books like nice! 

Thought I better throw in a little artwork as someone recently asked me why I never posted my artwork on my blog.....well I do....I just don't post everything I do....so here's a 6x12 canvas I did while experimenting with different paints and techniques.  This piece has several coats of black gesso, antique sheet music snippets and lots of Golden Acrylics under and over the snippets.  The reason for so many coats of black gesso....I would use a color and didn't like it....so I would cover it with the gesso and go at it again.

This week is going to be busy....Tuesday I deliver the pieces I will be exhibiting in the Jekyll Island Arts Association Art Festival this coming weekend.  Wed or Thurs I need to take a few pieces over I will have in the Festival Shop for sale and Friday I go to Savannah to meet Colby's plane.  He is flying in to spend a few days with us.  Steve and I are excited...all three kids will be here....home from college.....Colby will fly back Tuesday afternoon and KC will leave the following Sunday.  Seth is already complaining about the other two coming home for so many days....he likes being home with just us....and it is just Seth and I usually for several days at a time....now the middle child will have to share us with someone else!

Thanks for stopping by!

Debbie