Wear it well

2012! Already!!

Thank you for visiting. Trying to keep up with so many online platforms it became very clear an enormous simplification needed to be made. A single site seemed to be the best answer. Most of my work can be found on Facebook. There you will also find the links of others featuring my work and perspective. copy & paste https://www.facebook.com/colettegeorge

Digital takes a holiday

After much consideration I've decided to take a digital holiday. Supporting so many digital platforms has led me to this decision. This blog has been taking a hit for quite some time as I've multiplied efforts to enhance and evolve Cathedral of Dreams's online presence on many other sites and platforms. I'm happy we've been able to create connections thru these other sites but I'm also super excited to have time mapped out to create like in the old days- without technology. (Ok, I can't stop using email, or texting with clients and friends- it's just not feasible, and frankly, without it I might just wither away.) At the end of this v short video is my email address. If you'd like my cell number for texting just email me. (New friends... sorry you're walking straight into this.) Can I just say the thought of this version of a digi fast is both terrifying and incredibly liberating. I encourage anyone dealing with increasing tech angst and frustration with ever changing rules of engagement for various sites and platforms, babysitting continual privacy breaches etc. to do the same.

Adored

Currently working on...

Cathedral of Dreams is now on Flickr as well as YouTube. Actually, we've got two accounts and are now in the process of bringing new content and previously featured designs and photos together. Colette George is the previous account and is still up. There are lots of pictures there that haven't made their way to this blog so I encourage you to come over and take a look.
CODreams has also joined the group The Everyday Studio - please be encouraged to join us. New pictures are posting often, along with YouTube videos, so stay tuned.
Happy weekend to all.
Colette and CODreams


Manifested

Cathedral of Dreams youtube channel

Please to enjoy: Holiday decorating and other instructional craft design and decorating videos are being uploaded to our new youtube channel. Will let you know when other videos that have been promised become available on other sites as well. click on the above post title
"Cathedral of Dreams youtube channel" and it will take you right there.

or copy and paste in your browser bar:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ColetteGeorge?feature=mhum

Coming Home for Christmas

Van Morrison - Carrying A Torch

Thankfulness

After these several months of quietude it's time I begin blogging again. Only this morning did I feel the actual surge to begin sharing. I've thought of many blog posts, subjects and bits and pieces of my life to share but so many seemed so inconsequential in light of what's been happening in the lives of my son and his son's life, that to share seemed a waste of time to write and to read. It just didn't seem right somehow. I've been conflicted about my silence but also holding the knowledge of my circumstances as validation. Many know that my son has been involved in a custody suit. Our grandson's well-being has been the cause of deliverate focus and attention. There are things yet to be determined but we are excited and confident a reasonable outcome is in the offing. The final custody court date, unless settled beforehand, falls on the date of my fathers birthday. In January. A paternallly good sign. I'm in a state of thankfulness after being in warrior mode, ever vigilant in these last several momnths watching and waiting. Being a grandmother under these circumstances has not been easy but many many others face very very hard situations as well. I will be more transparent about the struggle offering things I've learned thru this process to those that may be encountering similar circumstances in the future. Still, there are things to concern myself with in regard to our grandson's care so I know I will be posting with infrequent regularity. But, I am thankful. Yes, so thankful. I can tell you this. Hold on. Hold on, God loves you and is faithful to his promises. Stand on them. All will be well.

Bed to Bloom

Cathedral of Dreams: Crackle baby!

Cathedral of Dreams: Crackle baby!

Cathedral of Dreams Cortona with Lisa Bebi

LEARN DEEP FISSURE CRACKLING IN ESCONDIDO this Sat May 22. I can't help but think of cathedrals when I think of Italy and Europe. Their crumbling and aged walls are inspiration for much of my work today.
Icon interior paintings are created by Lisa Bebi in her notorious paintover method. She will teach you how to transform pages from magazines to create painterly art, how cool is that!!

Here are just a few examples of saints representing our alter ego sainted selves.

St. Rita- "She believes the best in others" "St. Lucia brings light to the darkness"

Crackle baby!

In ESCONDIDO May 22 I'll be showing crackling and lots of other aging effects using advanced formulas. this Sat. May 22 from 12- 3:00 as here is a project from the Italian workshop with Lisa Bebi and myself in Sept. Check out the fissures- Love em! In Escondido I'll be showing crackling and lots of other aging effects using advanced formulas.
This is a rarely held workshop and will benefit those who want to take their artwork and collage to the next level. Before unseen techniques will be taught.

Design Techniques and Applications: Escondido Class

SEE ABOVE for crackling effects added to Escondido class.
For Escondido students here is more information regarding the upcoming class at the Escondido Art Gallery (EAP/EMG) May 22nd, 12-3:00pm. 262 E. Grand Ave. 760-480-4101 Below are just a few pictures of the many techniques we'll be convering. Come prepared to learn lots of very cool and brand new techniques.

For Escondido I've added one additional and a very special technique: my much requested "DEEP FISSURE CRACKLING!" tech. You won't want to miss this one- worth the class alone. This Escondido class will be a preliminary preview of my special technique to be taught in Italy with Lisa Bebi in Sept 2010.

Below are a few pictures showing just a few of the other techniques to be shared in Escondido. (I simply have to get better about getting pictures!)

Most techniques are from my published designs. Often I'm asked to teach these and I'm happy that my schedule is now allowing me to do so. I'd like to say a big Thank You to Lisa Bebi for introducing me to Renee Richetts of Escondido Arts. I'm honored to meet and share with the talented artists in Escondido.

Here are the techniques to be shared: "PEELING FISSURE CRACKLING!"(ADDED for Escondido)"Packing Tape Transfers", "Paper towel & Wet Copy Transfer" "Magazine Solution Transfers" "Aging Photo Techniques Transfers", "Edging & Rubs", "Easy webbing", "Texturizing with dimensional mediums", "2nd, Generation Transfers, Linen fx" "Gel medium as use glue &", "Aged Mrror Effect on Glass","Paint Speckling". Other techniques and aging recipe will be shared if there is time. Students will take home a finished project showcasing techniques learned.

BELOW Packaging Tape Transfer Bird on Paint Speckled background.




PIctured above is Paper Towel Transfer done by Carolyn Ireland.

In this class the ladies decided to make something even though it was a "techniques" class. This piece is using two of the many techniques shown. Packaging tape transfer is one, (the bird) the other two shown are a Paper Towel transfers and "Wet Copy transfer"


Pictured below is Pam Landel's work. A fun "Make and Take" using a few of the techniques in class. She liked this class so much she took it twice and wound up with two make and takes. This is one of them.

Click here for link to Escondido Arts Gallery and more about my class

Are you going to be in San Diego in May? I'll be teaching at the Escondido Arts Gallery on the 22nd. It would be great fun to meet you there! Loads of texturing, crackling effects for canvas, various photo transfer methods, exciting Italian workshop effects, and techniques/tips from some of my published works will be shared. You will learn so much. Classes are such fun and we can really get on a roll telling jokes as we work along- might be my most favorite part!
Click on the post title to vist the Escondido Arts Gallery site to read more about this mixed media techniques class.


I love San Diego, there is such a great spirit to the place. I think much of it has to do with the naval base being there. Ted and I have decided it's an all time favorite place to be. People there just seem to be unusually kind, respectful and honorable. I love that! http://www.escondidoarts.org/

Here's To Your Health Baby!

I'm blown away with things I'm seeing in the world today. Never before have I seen such a universal approach to well-being practised with conscious intention. It truly is a new day. There are so many new possibilities. We simply can not estimate the limit of the imagination as a source of healing and hopefulness.

Today the site, Craft For Health, is sharing a story I wrote for them when I was sick with pneumonia. Kathy, nor I knew I had pneumonia when she asked me to write. After seeing my Art Saves story on CRESCENDOh Kathy felt compelled to request a story. I guess the relevant content associated with Art Saves does lend itself nicely to Crafting for Health. I would like to share with you this link. See how I, as a creative, coped with this unexpected debilitating illness. click on the sidebar or above, the this post title itself (in pink)(Here's to your Health Baby) for story.

I will write more on this subject later. There were tremendous imagination insights that came with it.

Walk a mile in her shoes

Men dressed in red high heels walking for a mile? Quite a sight, I assure you. A few days ago in honor of battered persons everywhere, there was a rally and (well, lets loosely call it) a "march" depicting the plight of women enduring abuse. Seeing the first few men arrive, then others approach in high heels was so comical. They'd teeter and sink into the grass as they hobbled along. All the while smiling and being great sports and feeling embarrassed but resolved. All of us bystanders enjoyed seeing these men trying to stablize themselves as they made the incremental stilted movements toward the courthouse steps to kick off the rally. Every woman knows the pain of walking in high high heels and it did us good to see men trying to navigate their paths. These shoes were already on too long, though incredibly, not near long enough. There was a mile to go yet.



One by one they gathered. One by one they made their way to the steps. Rows of men, in high heels is quite a sight. quite a sight indeed. These were brothers, fathers, friends, and, yes, spouses. I delicately add "spouses" knowing you can imagine the lovely spouse of one who has been abused in her past and has had to suffer right along with her through the grief and healing process. In my vewing, I began to see the real picture. I began to see the hidden pain. I began to see the message in it's fullest realization. Men imploring, imploring. "Please, please, not my daughter, not my sister, not my mother, not my friend. I will do anything to prevent this. I will make myself look silly, I will allow myself this humiliation, my effort to support, comfort, uplift, console, to endorse, and generate awareness for her plight."

What beauty. I have never seen more beautiful legs in my entire life.

Walk a mile in her shoes, they did. And they've got the bandages to prove it.

Destination Spring

Spring! The colors, the vibrant and energetic possibilities renew the mind and enlarge my imagination yet again. Gray matter infused with color, doesn't that seem perfect?


Do you ever wonder just how little we use our imaginations compared to the innate, resident possibilities?

Here's what I'm saying. Let love be the driver.

Broken Wag

The other night I awakened to the sound of our dog Pearl whimpering. Soon it became apparent her tail was droopy and she was in some pain. Driving that late hour on the Internet highway revealed she has what's called "Broken Wag" I found there are several contributing factors creating this condition, one of which is overwagging! It seems to happen to labs mostly, and other sporting dogs. A buffeted aspirin was the easy remedy and it seems to behelping quite a bit. She's getting better.

Double entendre isn't lost on me however. My pneumonia is going away but some days it really doesn't seem to have changed since before beginning my round of antibiotics. Other days, I feel entirely normal making it perplexing when I relapse. I AM grateful for the knowledge I've gained thru it. My biggest lesson is: sometimes doing for others holds them back, while also causing injury to ourselves. God bless the broken wag.




-- Post From My iPhone

Lamp Shade

Often as we go along a darkness will settle that we just didn't see coming. Ageing brings with it it's own set of issues but coupling that with the dynamic of caring for aged parents life can get really difficult and stay that way for longer than we can guess. During these times finding time for self care is the last thing we feel we can actualize. Some years ago my mother was diagnosed with a very serious terminal disease. It wasn't easy meeting my own needs during the time when my mother needed me so very much. I stole time away for myself when I simply couldn't go another step. In retrospect both of our lives would have been more peaceful had we asked for more attendant help sooner.

When we did get care, we both began to feel better, calmly, and immeasurably better. The ship of ourselves, after being whipped around and floundering on the sea of change and concern, found itself calming and righting itself. It's ok to ask for help when you're feeling overwhelmed. In light of love, I highly encourage it.