Debbie Overton Designs

From Gloom to Blooms

Six days on the road with Steve started out last Friday with sunny skies and warm temps....Saturday was filled with the same....lots of stops here and there along the back roads from SE Georgia to the Carolina's over to Atlanta GA.  The rain moved in as we were making our little weekend road trip north then headed west.  It rained, it stormed, the wind blew, the rain came down harder with stronger winds until we were finally sitting in a hotel in the dark.  The power is back on after several hours, but not only had all this weather knocked the power out it hit the server and I had no Internet connection.  No one else did either, but I was there for 3 more days while Steve had meetings.  I love these road trips, while he is in meetings I usually catch up on the business side of running my business.  Then when I come home I can create without feeling guilty for not being on the computer.  Do you know how long 3 days are without the Internet....way too long!  I read all the magazines I had with me, finished a book, and did lots of journaling.  In the end all that gloom had actually bloomed, not just with that gorgeous pot of blooms I spotted while sitting at a red light, but I had reworked my goals, what I wanted and how I was going to accomplish them and tweaked my marketing plans for my art, as well as MMCA Marketplace and the MP Blog.   Although I don't recommend doing without your Internet, I do recommend taking a day or so here and there and see what happens when you pretend you don't have it.  The first 24 hrs are the hardest I promise!

 

Full Moon & Art News

As I turned off the highway onto our street I was looking directly into the most gorgeous full moon and you guessed...I grabbed my camera and started shooting.  This was my favorite out of 20 or so photos.  I can remember as a kid growing up out in the middle of nowhere on a huge farm we could not wait for the full moon.  We would invite friends over and we played outside as long as we could.  No night lights, no street lights, just the light from the moon shining so bright you could do almost anything you wanted.  Then I grew up moved away to city lights and street lights for years until I moved to Georgia almost out in the middle of nowhere again.  When the moon is full I can walk around in our home at night without turning on a single light with all the windows we have and as I look out into the yard I can picture a ton of kids coming over to our home to play by the light of the moon!

Art wise...it was a very good day!  Almost completed one of 4 mixed media collages I have been working on for several weeks.  When complete each piece has atleast 18+ layers of paints, gel mediums, papers, gesso, etc.  I am not one of those slap it on quickly and move on to the next piece.  Here's a snippet of one of the pieces I am working on now...6 layers and I have only just begun to build the background.

   

Remember I told you a day or so ago I had some exciting art news to share....well here is some of it.  I was told this past week of some news, but I was waiting on my official letter to arrive before I shared it here.  I have been juried to show my artwork at Glynn Art on St. Simons Island.  Several of the jurors said collage has become too crafty and they appreciated the pieces I submitted as they were original and exhibited my point of view - not crafty or just a scrapbook look.  I only told one person about submitting my 3 pieces to the gallery as I had been told, don't be disappointed if you don't get in.  They are very tough when it comes to accepting an artist and most try atleast 2 or 3 times before they are accepted, but each time you are given constructive criticism to help you grow and then reapply in six months.  Well I don't have to wait 6 months....I was accepted on my first try and I am thrilled to have GlynnArt Gallery represent me and my artwork.

And more art news that I have eluded to in a post several months ago as one of my art friends said is that I will be teaching some classes again starting soon.  I have not taught in almost 4 years, but they say it is like riding a bike, if you did it once you can do it again.  Trying to fit dates into an already hectic schedule with exhibits and art shows and other things in the works is proving to be a challenge, but I am always up for a good challenge as they make you a stronger person and if you sit back and wait on the perfect time, the opportunity may just pass you by and you won't even notice until it is too late.

Off to work on some homework for an online class I am taking...will share about it soon.

The Sky tells it ALL

We were headed over to St. Simons Island Thursday evening to celebrate some news I had gotten earlier when all of a sudden I grabbed my camera and Steve hit the brakes going approximately 70-75 as I snapped photos through the front windshield of this almost magical view.  He is finally catching on if the camera comes out be ready to slow down, pull over, stop or turnaround sometimes!  The glow of the sun was setting in the west behind us, the rainbow with the moon rising in the east in its pathway, clouds forming to the north, and even darker thunderstorms looming to the south and bright blue Sky in between.

September 11th has always been a date that is filled with memories for me, some good, some bittersweet, some of not knowing what would come next and then what we all know now as 9/11....this photo captured all of it for me!

Lots of exciting news to share soon!

Weekend Finds

My little road trip had me laboring over antiques and vintage finds that I couldn't resist!  Here's just a few things I picked up....Children's World Books with some great images, another dictionary as you can't have too many of these to use, old keys, labels, a couple Victorian calling cards in mint condition, a few bits and bobs of sewing items, an old tote, vintage paper shelf trim, a glass vase which I filled with a few ribbons I came across plus some I already had once I was home, 3 cabinet cards and I swear the middle one looks just like Al Gore and a 1899 ledger book filled with page after page of wonderful penmanship.   

To me my best find this trip was the three race cars made of cast iron to add to my antique toy collection.  They roll great on my hardwood floors and make great marks on white baseboards!  Seth tested one out and I heard OOPS and the car being set back on the table! One thing for sure is they don't make toys like this any more.

Found time to enjoy the beach some too and eat at one of our favorite places on St. Simons Island....Brogen's at the Pier in the Village!  They serve good ol' southern food with a wonderful view.

Finally got the yard cleaned up and the flowers that were up-rooted from Fay replanted and now we are waiting on Hanna to decide what she is going to do.

As for the art....lots of great things going on....some new....some with a new twist....some old....but all have to wait until another time to be shared.

   

From Fay to plein air painter

A friend called this past weekend and wanted to know if we had much rain from Tropical Storm Fay. Well it depends if you call 12+ inches a lot or not. The only good thing about this photo was the rain was not going horizontal and the winds had calmed somewhat unlike it had been for days.

And since the rain was not enough to keep us home we decided to drive over to St. Simons Island for the afternoon on Friday. At the time they were reporting winds of 45-50+ with gusts 60+. Since the Sidney Lanier Bridge was closed due to the wind we took another route. The rain had let up just as we went to top this bridge. Normally you would not see all this water even at high tide.

It took a few days but we had an absolutely gorgeous day Tuesday and it was my day to volunteer at Goodyear Cottage over on Jekyll Island and this is just one of the views I enjoyed all afternoon, the Intra-coastal Waterway.  There was a light breeze blowing the old moss hanging from those gorgeous trees and the water was gently flowing.

It was a rather slow day with only 18 visitors but all of them were from out of state except one couple and they were from north Georgia.  Most of the vacationers have returned home to their normal everyday lives while the island is waiting on the snow bunnies to descend from the north for the winter. 

This month on exhibit are woodcarver, Jim Branham and oils and pastels painter, Denise Champion.  Sorry no camera allowed in the gallery even thought I did take advantage of using mine to snap a few shots through the windows.  I would have loved to have shown you the wonderful turtle box or woodpecker or the many other wonderful carving on display as well as the breathtaking paintings so elegantly framed.  You can find Denise online here.  I strolled the gallery enjoying the view inside and out for 4 hours while visiting with the cottage guests.

At the end of the day I came here to make a post, but found myself drawn to my own canvas and paints....so I took advantage of it and the post was put on hold until this morning.

Still trying to get my shop filled at the MMCA Marketplace.  I have completed several new pieces, but those pieces have been delivered to local galleries and shops.  Several of the girls keep asking when my shop will be ready and my response is when I have time.  My first priority is to the members of the marketplace, then I will take care of my own shop.  MEHC subscriptions will be hitting mailboxes soon and I hope to have my own shop filled too.  So I better sign off and get back to playing with the paints and papers!

Fay...will she or will she not?

While watching Fay decide what she will do I decided to run out between rain showers to snap a few blooms before the forecasted rain and winds move in.  My Blue Plumbago's are the prettiest they have been in the two years since I planted them.  As you can see tiny droplets of rain was starting to fall while I was out.

Even though the Gardenia's are still blooming all around the house and I love the blooms I am highly allergic to the smell.  So this zoom in was done quickly so that I could move out away from the bushes themselves.

And here is a gorgeous rather large butterfly taking advantage of my Hibiscus!  I tried to get him with his wings spread but he would not cooperate.

Just as the butterfly above was flying in circles, one direction then the other so is Tropical Storm Fay.  Before another band of rain showers and gust of wind came up I stepped out on my front porch and shot this....the looming clouds of Fay to the south of me.

 

So will she or will she not is still the question we are asking here on the southeast coast of Georgia.  As of now we are under a Tropical Storm and Hurricane watch and Tropical Storm and Hurricane Wind watch!  Now does that not sound like something to look forward to!!  Needless to say I am going to get some rain.  How much is still to be determined!  Wind yes there will be some wind, right now it feels great outside with the gusts coming in.  Ask me later Thursday and see if I still feel the same way!

Fay which was also my late grandmother's name have a lot in common.  A mind of their own.  Not sure what they will do next or when they will do it.  My Mema was one especially in her last years that would say and do just as she pleased and you never knew what or when it was going to happen.  So we are sitting here going about our everyday business wondering and watching....will she or will she not?

 

Island Time

Wednesday was my day to volunteer as a member of the Jekyll Island Arts Association at Goodyear Cottage.  The Gallery is located in the Historic District of the island and the drive into it is gorgeous.  But the view above and below are just two of the views I enjoyed while spending my day visiting with guests in the Gallery.

Despite the seasonal thunderstorms popping up here and there the day was quiet delightful.  I met some of the most wonderful visitors to the island from all over....New York, Wisconsin, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Virginia and Canada.  We talked about the island, where they were from, the exhibit for July and the many artists and crafters represented in the Gallery Gift Shop.  They wanted to know if I too was a artist and then I got the opportunity to talk about my art and was happy to be able to show them a few pieces I have in the gallery.

Every chance I had I walked the gallery to admire the exhibits on display for the month of July.  On display are the Creator of driftwood critters, Philip "The Fish Man" Simmons of Greenville, SC and painter Bob Fisher of Brunswick, GA. 

Mr. Simmons is a former advertising executive who has combined 35+ years of graphic design skills with his love of nature and devotion of recycling to create unique driftwood creatures.  His work begins by gathering driftwood mostly from the coast of North Carolina.  After drying his finds he begins a transformation process by deciding what should be added to inspire people to see the fish, birds, whales, turtles and other creatures he sees in the piece of wood.  He attaches hammered copper, old barn tin, leather, scrap material and found objects to serve as fins, wings or other features.  The final step is to add painted glass eyes and a "critter" is born.  Most of the driftwood is left as found and not altered by carving.  He does not try to improve on Nature's designs...he gives them personalities.  Visit here to see some of the wonderful "critters".

Mr. Fisher took a watercolor class in 1997 as a result of years of enjoying his visits to Washington, DC galleries and museums during his lunch-hours.  He finds the flow of paint on wet paper to be both captivating and liberating.  His background in science, engineering and eduction has contributed to his art.  Mr. Fisher's watercolors feature brilliant linear and aerial perspective.  Visit here to see some of his work and learn more.

After a great day at the Gallery, I came home to find the seasonal afternoon showers had left signs of their presence on some of my own beauties.

This post actually was started on Thursday and when the afternoon thunderstorms moved through....I saved as a draft and forgot to come back and publish it.  So now here it is Sunday and I am finally finding time to catch up on a few things.

The rains have moved on out to sea this morning and the sun is shinning bright and beautiful.  It is going to be a great day.  It is amazing what a little "Island Time" can do for the soul....be it an art exhibit, volunteering at the gallery or walking along the oceans edge and then sitting with your feet buried in sand!

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!

Happy Mother's Day

My friend  Sue at Artful Adventures posted some gorgeous necklaces on her blog again yesterday as well as some pictures her husband had taken.....then she challenged us to go outside and find some beauty in something that you've never paid close attention to before and share with our blog friends....so Sue here you go....a few photos of some of the flowers I have had since we moved in and a few from yesterday's plantings....I have always thought they were pretty...but when you really zoom in on the blooms the details are stunning.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's and mom's to be.  When I think of Mother's Day I always think of flowers....growing up my daddy always bought my mom a gorgeous fresh orchid corsage as well as sweetheart roses for my sister and I to wear to church on Mother's Day....and to this day my mom still receives one.  Now that us girls have grown and gone in different directions we don't get our sweetheart roses from daddy, but we get flowers from our own children.   

Right now I am enjoying my morning....overcast, windy and you can hear thunder in the distance....Steve got called into work due to a little storm that passed through last night...I hope he's not too long as his big breakfast sure would be good about now.....We may have to have it for dinner which is always a favorite here. 

I received a call from one of the shops over on Jekyll Island and she needed more journals, so after delivering her order we headed to the beach for a few hours.  Then Steve and I went flower shopping and came home with a truck bed full of flowers....wish I had thought to snap a picture before we unloaded all of them....but after spending time on the beach and then meandering through rows and rows of flowers in 92 degrees taking a picture was the last thing on my mind.

Seth and KC are still sleeping....I think I wore them out yesterday afternoon....we dug up plants, planted the new ones, replanted some of the old ones and at dusk we were all tired, dirty and thinking....why didn't we just call Lee our wonderful landscaper and let him come by one afternoon and do all this!  The kids were even willing to pitch in their share of the cost after about an hour in the 90+ temps.   In the end it was worth it and I know once all the blooms start opening I know it will be worth it to me.

I have tried to finish this post for the past 30 minutes....remember above I mentioned overcast, windy and distant thunder....well that changed to hard rain and high winds and I have lost power twice for a few minute's each time....I just hope the hail they are calling for misses us......guess I better go check the weather since we have been under a tornado watch most of the morning.

I hope each of you have a wonderful day planned....I am off to enjoy mine.

The "D" List and More......

I made the "D" list....the "D" list you ask......

As I do most mornings I was reviewing my blog and website stats reports....there seemed to be tons of referrals from one blog in particular....so I had to check it out.  Sharon B's In a Minute Ago is a wonderful blog I found because she listed me in her "D" list today.  She is releasing a letter every couple weeks of some of her favorite blogs.  In a Minute Ago is a blog of online resources which relate to contemporary and historical textiles, embroidery and needlework, quilting and crazy quilting, fiber arts, paper, book arts and visual journals....and so much more.  I am looking forward to seeing more of what Sharon has to offer.

Steve and I decided to head out mid-morning for bunch and run a few errands....a stop at Artisans for a few Golden paints and supplies that I was running low on.....then before heading home we made a stop at Monkey Love....I know...I have mentioned Monkey Love many time....I just love the name....and it is such a fun place to visit.  Britt and I finalized the details for the exhibit and reception and we both left with a Banana Pudding Shake!  I wanted to go on over to the beach but I kept looking at that bag of paints and the paints won out....I think Steve was glad....he was ready to head home.....he said he thought he heard the sofa calling his name!  So I gave in after a promise that tomorrow no matter what we will spend a few hours enjoying the sun and sand.

I can not even begin to thank all of you that have taken time to leave a comment in the Let the Party Begin post.....it is filled with Birthday wishes, but most of all it is filled with words of gratitude.  We all have so many things to be thankful for and I am enjoying reading your comments and hope others will take time to read them too.

I leave you with Signs of Spring here in Southeast Georgia......