August Blues.....

I was never too fond of August; especially when I was teaching school. It was the last month before the major push to go back to the school teaching job......the job I grew to dislike as the years went on. The job changed: kids were not so respectful, parents weren't either; lack of support from any administration. But I'm done with this august problem and in the next phase of living my life. I have one creative show coming up this month at the 1000 Islands Arts Center in Clayton, NY. The dates are August 24 and 25th, 2013. Clayton is a lovely town! It's on the St. Lawrence River....quiet, beautiful...and refreshing to this soul.

I'm taking items that I usually take: handmade jewelry, artsy pin cushions, and artist handbags. I decided I better check for any inventory today, so I'd have a bit of time to create new stuff! My "Creative Room" is a mess; I'm in the throes of cleaning out and moving stuff around....taking inventory of what props, fabrics, etc., that I have for my various projects......checking to see what I can let go of by selling on my Etsy.com sites. (At my age, I'm afraid I'll never get to use it all)!
So, I have nothing new yet to show, but please "bear" with me; there will be more new stuff to come.

If you visit these pages and enjoy them, please become a "follower". Otherwise, this exercise in writing is just another journalling attempt.

Thanks! Maggie Newman

June "Is Bustin' Out All Over!"

I sit here at the computer and see rhododendron blossoms, iris flowering, and soon to be peonies. Love the new green that comes this time of year. Early in the morning, all the many birds are singing...geese are honking....I do so love the country! We had a lovely show at the Philadelphia Art Doll and Art Bear show in May. A busy month, May was. I hope to get time this month to do a photo shoot of projects completed, and books to sell on Etsy.com. The Crawl Space in Little York, NY is now open with some new handbags and Maggie-jewelry available there. Here's the artist bear project that I completed for Philadelphia. It is a vintage potato chip can, with an opening cut out for displaying many dolls and bears. I used small items from my own collection, and many bear/doll artists are represented. There are lights on the inside of the tin lid to illuminate the critters. Mohair head, arms and legs were jointed onto the tin top and sides to create an illusion of a large bear "hugging" the contents. I LOVE doing multi-faceted projects like this; I feel that I am "stretching" my creativity.

Not sure what I'm up to next....I do have some new ideas for "Ladies With a Past" or "Vintage Vixens" combining vintage VASES with upper body dolls and unique faces. We'll see how these work out!

STILL Snowing!! Sigh....

Typical weather for Central New York....cold, too. But I finished my "Looking at the World Through Rose Colored Glasses" piece for the May show in PA. I want to document it here...a sweet and happy piece.

Hmmm....smaller pictures here, I see, but here it s for all to see.
Enjoy your life!! Especially if you do look at the world through rose colored glasses. Maggie....

The Ides of March!!

March is going on forever here! Snow most everyday and bone-chilling-cold. BUT, I have managed to make pretty good use of this weather by being in the Creative Room most everyday. The red biker bear has sold through the Artisans Guild, 148 Main Street, Oneonta, NY; I am putting a couple more bears in the shop when I go down to work there this week.  I have been working on "junque" projects for the artist doll and bear show convention in Philadelphia, PA the first full weekend in May. Here's a couple of my "outsider"(assemblage) art pieces.

This is "A BearMaker's Sampler"....a showcase of possible bear creations offered by the teddy bear artist.

This next piece is titled "Shoo, Shoe, Baby" a take-off of the musical theme from 1942 by the Andrews' Sisters. Music does inspire many imaginative meanderings of my mind, and it does keep me peaceful during long winters. HAH!

Many vintage /antique items are found in this piece: an old tin doll head with "roving" eyes, a shoe box with sandbag, old metal shoe measurer from a shoe shop, multi-trims, metal buckles, shoe spacers with wired beads, metal netted trims, music paper, vintage black sued-ed shoe, vintage red roses floral pins.....


The next piece to be shown is the "art doll created by the teddy bear artist" titled "Looking At The World Through Rose Colored Glasses." I have not sculpted in years now, since I've discovered this "assemblage/outsider" art form. I've just had SO MUCH FUN creating some of these things.

A January Thaw???

The newest creations from the Creative Room! Trying to get ready for the Philadelphia ArtDoll and Artist Teddy Bear Convention. This show is a wonderful show, full of "eye candy" for any figurative sculpture artist. I have other new ideas in the works and will try to show these in the months to come!
Right now, I'm trying to bead and create myself through the winter months that seem so long in Central New York State.

November's Chill

A definite Winter-like chill in the air; I'm still alive after the election earlier this week. I am in mourning though to see our beloved country changing major philosophies involving HONOR and INTEGRITY to those lacking in such. But then again, I'm "old" at 68 and resistant to change. And I knew that eventually this would happen when the "world views" would collide. So now, I prepare for the next stage of living this one out.

I am glad the election process is over so that I might focus on my Creative Needs and Psychological Projects.....most "creative" people use this creative mechanism for psychological benefit.....One forgets one's troubles, whether real or imagined. And there ARE just some things that are beyond each person's ability to control!!

Let's see what's new to show here.....

A vintage item pincushion to be found at www.etsy.com/shop/maggieglitz

A bracelet cuff with antique/vintage buttons to be found at the Artisans Guild, Oneonta, NY

A neck collar to be found at the above shop.....

And, still another neck collar available at the Artisans Guild, Oneonta, NY

So we keep on creatin' and keep our hands busy and our minds full of fantastical ideas for new goodies! Enjoy your life!! Maggie Newman

October's Brilliance....

The weather guy stated that the trees would not be so glorious this year in CNY due to the "drought"...lack of normal rainfall and heat. Well, as I sit here wasting my time, waiting for a creative explosion to occur in my mind, I look outside the window at a wonderful splash of color....oranges, red, yellows, and even a bit of green. A lovely fall day....a bit cool....but the summer is definitely leaving us. I think I better get my stuff together for another photo shoot so that I have something to offer the wandering blog reader. According to the stats, I do have a few who read this.

This year's birthday of October 5th was somewhat of a bummer. A cherished family member died on my watch and I was left to call the others and let them know their father died. So...the vintage collector is now 68. Some days when the back and the knee kick in to let me know that they are truly a part of my body, I feel my "age"; but otherwise I'm still a young chick! (Of course, the chiropractor helps).

I have laid out and cut some beautiful teddies and rabbits for the artist doll/artist bear show in Philadelphia, PA. I so look forward to this show....it seems to be established now....for its "eye candy" and myriad of ideas I find upon studying other artists' work.

This is "Leather and Lace" using antique and vintage items and a more traditional bear pattern. The brooch is amethyst; the head embellishment is is an antique shoe decoration with tulle. The bear's head is shaved mink; the body is imported mohair; the leg limbs are faux leather. A One-Of-A-Kind piece. (I forgot what I priced her).....under $200.00.

Have a blessed Fall!