How I Get Around New York City

It occurred to me that the one thing I know is how to get around New York City with two kids. I've got the subway down to a science.
So, here's a few tips from me to you.

Girl in the Tree

Girl with a Bird

I finished a painting of a girl recently.

I call this one, "Girl with a Bird" because she holds a bird in her hand. She holds the bird in her hand, in order to bring it home and heal it (the bird is hurt). 

She wears a beautiful purple dress, that symbolizes the power she holds inside of her. 

I am really inspired by what other artists have been doing with their work: they print their works teeny tiny, and them put them on jewelry pieces. 

Since I do so love to make jewelry, I'm thinking that I will be jumping on the bandwagon and doing the same thing. 

I'm not going to stick to just one piece that I've made, since that kinda gets boring; to me, it's a little boring to be seeing the same face in everything the artist does. Show a little variety, for christ's sake. 

No, I have small series of girls I'm currently working on, in addition to the ones I have now, and will be making some funky jewelry with them. 

So that's that. 

I'll be honest, I'm still really kind of hurt by what the person told me (see yesterday's post). Especially considering that when approached, they apologized but still continue to call my work "corny". You know what I have to say about that? This person is just jealous. You're jealous that I actually am doing something with my talent.

And who's to say who has more talent then whom? Does talent mean I can make the most intrigate artwork or is it that I use what I do have, and express a part of myself? I think the latter is what talent is. 

Talent doesn't mean I can do something amazingly; talent is that I use what I DO have to the best of MY ability. And if that is the case, I double and triple you. 

I may be a stay at home mom of two, but I make it work because I have to. If I don't make art (and knit & crochet)  will just about lose my mind. 

Tough Mama

This is a self portrait that I call "Tough Mama". I am, and always have been a bit of a "tough girl". I've had to be. 

All my life I delt with parents who's gift to me was the need to hide, defend myself, and learn to be tough, from a very young age. 

Bliss Blood

I just finished another painting.

This one is called Bliss Blood. She's got red hair, and is named after a friend of mine, who sings and plays the guitar.

Three little girls....

So, remember that sneak peak I gave you?
Well, they are all finished:

Bunny and Kitten

My daughter just asked me to make her a painting with a kitten and a bunny on it, and this is what I came up with:

Drop in on Some Art Journaling Workshops!

Tesla, the Mod Girl

Meet Tesla.

Color

I wrote this while listening to the song, "Shampoo" by Elvis Perkins. Thanks for the inspiration, Elvis. 

An Angel, at my Door

So here's a painting I made this morning. I drew her last night, and left it alone (to think about it, because that's what I like to do).
Anyway, this is another watercolor painting. No mixed media, because I don't like doing mixed media on paper. I prefer canvas or wood, as it is a lot harder and more fun to pile stuff on top of.
Anyway, this little girl along with a few others, are for sale in my shop! YES! Really. You can buy a print of my work now!
Cool, right?
So go to my shop HERE to purchase this or any others.

La Sirena

I wish you could see the awesomesauce that is this painting. For some reason, the picture didn't come out as splendidly as the painting. 

I finished her this morning, and started her last night. I realized something about my artistic process. I like to sketch out the artwork first, then sleep on it. THEN I paint it up. 

Anyway, as I started drawing this out, I asked myself what I would look like had I been given the parents my daughter has, and well...this is what came of it. 

So that's that. I think I like this style quite a bit. I'm going to teach a make up art journaling class today, then I'm going to Michael's. YES. I want to buy some wood to paint on. Oh, I said that already, didn't I? I also want to buy a quilting iron, so I can play around with beeswax on my paintings. 

Sneak Peak.....

Since I've been quite busy the past few days I thought I'd give you a sneak peak at something I'm working on at the moment.

I LOVE this. These are absolutely so fun to make! These are going to be a part of my new line of handmade art jewelry that I am coming up with in a few days.
If you notice, there is no blonde. That's because I never make them. On purpose. These girls (I call them dolls, really) that I paint are reflections of me, and I am not nor ever have been, a blonde.
Anyway, I'm making a run to the store to buy some wood, because I want to come up with a nice collection of artwork to sell, along with some hand painted jewelry.
Oh! And I'm making a little zine. I mean, I made one and didn't like it. so I'm starting over.

Art in Action

Wish you were here. 

If you do want to come out for a drop in art session at La Casa Azul Bookstore, you can contact me for more details. There's always room for art. 

Photos by Rosa Rios. 

Little Red Riding Hood

I'm experimenting with different eye types. You like it? This is little red riding hood. She's not perfect. I've got to fix her, I guess. My husband always encourages me saying, "Diana art is not supposed to be perfect." 

I've decided not to make anymore excuses and be happy with life. 

To be honest, life has been tough. New York is a lonely place. I love it here, but I hate it here all at the same time. 

I realized something this morning: crafts in NYC are pretty much done with. I realized this, because the stores I taught at went out of business. There's only one craft store left in NYC that isn't associated with yarn or knitting, and they are racist and unprofessional people who I chose not to be associated with. 

There's nothing left in New York. Years ago, there were MANY craft groups on meetup. There were lots of little shops, too. Now, there are hardly any craft groups, as most of them have closed down (mine included). 

The craft thing was a passing fad that now has passed on to the rest of the world, and NYC is so over it.

To be honest, I'm fine with it. This is because of what happened to me with my old blog. 

I honestly feel burned by the whole craft industry. I blogged for five years, and sure, I didn't start out with very much to offer, but as time went on, I showcased some cool projects and how tos. I see crafters with half the talent as I have, with book deals and BS that I could do twice as good, in a heart beat. 

Also, the name thing really bothered me. I loved that my name was unique. At least, I thought it was. So when this person put my alias onto her blog name, I didn't think anything of it. Until she turned it into a competition, and won. 

It's true that people with real talent don't get the follows. The ones with very little talent and all the right connections are the ones that get the recognition.

Maybe I'm just being a negative nelly. If I am, I'm sorry. 

I'm not saying I'm Pablo Picasso. AT ALL. I know I'm not the most amazing or best artist in the world, but I try. 

I love where I'm at right now. 

Crafts are fun, but I'm focusing on my art right now. This is what's right for me, and what makes me happy.

The Red Headed Princess

This is the red headed princess. She has a blue jacket on, and a gold crown. 

I'm working on a little series, I hope you'll like. 

I'm really serious this time about really trying to add more items to my online shop. 

Right now, I'm working on an art doll. Well, two. I have one that is being embroidered, and another that is being sculpted and painted and all that. I'm really excited for the latter. A LOT! 

I realized when I made this girl that I really do enjoy watercolors a lot. This little girl is made using mixed layers of watercolors. I used crayons, pencils, and pastels (all watercolor/water soluble). 

A Mystery Box and More

Recently, I ordered a mystery box from The Crafty Chica. I did this, not because I need art supplies, but because I LOVE gettting stuff in the mail. I miss my swapping days, when I'd get cool stuff in the mail.
The truth is, I stopped because it was rare that I would get anything good at all. And it stopped becoming fun, as a lot of times, people would complain, and turn it into a high school like sport.

The other thing I got, was a box of goodies from her, from the company she works for, Duncan. I got a huge bag of fabric markers!

Oh, yes please. I LOVE it. Now, my art dolls will be able to have a bit more color! Squee!

Thanks Kathy for the artsy love.

A Yoga Mat Bag, On the Fly

So I'm going to a yoga/chakra healing session done by a friend of mine, and I realized I did not have a yoga mat bag. So I made one. Here's a few pics:

I made it with two straps: one big one to put on my back, and a small one, so I can hang it up in my hall way closet. 

Granted, this isn't perfect. I made it in between nursing my kid and taking care of my five year old. You haven't known multi tasking until you manage to sew a yoga mat bag, while nursing an infant. 

Anyway, sorry for the blurry pics. I had fun making this. I just need more fabric. 

Pretty Painted Beads

So, recently I made these beads, because I love jewelry a whole lot. If you want to know how to make them yourself, I'd love for you to check out my post on the Clearsnap Blog HERE to read more on how I made them. I'll be putting them together into jewelry soon. 

Meanwhile, I'm feeling really overwelmed these days. Motherhood is a lot, especially when you choose to nurse your child, because it sometimes means your infant doesn't want to be left with a babysitter. She just wants her mommy. And while this is lovely and amazing and great and good, it can be overwelming to not have time for yourself at all. 

Now that school is out, it is frankly worst. My husband often has to work double shifts at work which was fine when school was in session because my kids went to bed early, and I had alone time. Now, they go to bed super f-ing late, and I have no time at all for myself, let alone any "just me" time. So send me some positive vibes, will you? 

Also, I'm going to be selling my art in an artisan market this summer. I'm so excited! This means I have to really make some new paintings, and find alternate things to paint on. See, I talk about painting and already I feel better. Ah, the therapeutic effects of art. 

Home Is.....

home is
the smell of carnitas from my downstairs neighbors
home is
the smell of her hair
the sound of her laughter
home is
the fact that I can now tell you who is speaking russian
and who speaks polish, home
is the kosher aisle next to the goya section
home is
the mockingbirds that sound like
car alarms and the
ravens outside my window
home is
toys on the floor
baby crawling
daughter laughing
home is
my postal worker that now knows my previous blog alias
home is
the rare sound of his laughter
the fireworks on fridays
my
Coney Island babies
home is
my paints
my inks
my brushes
my pen
home is
love
laughter
life
and yes
this too
shall pass

On letting go

I wish more New Yorkers would apply this to their lives. Recently, I let go of a group that I had been organizing for quite some time. I'm still teaching, of course. I could NEVER let that go. But I had been organzing this group for so many years and still struggled with the turn out. Now that I have two kids, I really don't have time for that crap anymore. So I let it go, since the people that DID show up were people who are already on my FB page anyway.
So now, I will be turning ALL my attention to my art and poems. I have a few ideas, but to be honest, I struggle with my moods and when I don't get enough people interested, I lose heart, and get down about it.
But this time, I'm going to do it.
Like this quote says, I'm not going to let life get to me, or the surroundings of my world get to me. I'm down but not out.
And besides, when the time comes to start selling my art, prints, and kits, you all will support me, right?

Poetry Ridden Artist Trading Cards

So this is a project I made for a swap a long time ago, but never explained how I made it.
I thought I would take the time to do that today.
Okay, so this is a mixed media set of ATCs.
I used yarn, acrylic paints, and watercolor paper, cut up into ATC size.
The technique is simple.
I wrote a poem and printed it out, then cut up the phrases. Yarn is added, tied and glued onto the ATC paper; then, add the poem. After that it is then is painted over, with watered down acrylic paints (if you're using folk art paint though, you probably don't have to water it down all that much, as those "craft" paints tend to be on the watery side anyway).
You can choose to paint the yarn or not. I chose to paint it. I can't remember what fiber it is that I used, but I'm sure it was probably cotton or wool as those are my favorite fiber choices for a project such as this.
Anyway, that is that. You can add more to a project like this if you like.
I won't post the whole poem because it's rather personal. Sorry.
But I hope you like this little project, and if you make something like this for yourself, please post a link and show me your work!

Also, I should mention that this is an attempt to join a DT. It's for the wonderful Arnold Grummer products. Wish me luck!
They have a blog HERE.

Geronimo

this is a poem about my invisible friend. I had a few of them as a kid, but this one was one that I had forgotten about, until for some reason I remembered while reading a wikipedia on Geronimo. So I named this poem after him. 

a tale of my Geronimo

he descended from the heavens to save me

he

watched over and protected me

when I was just a girl

a tale of my Geronimo

he was not god nor man

my geronimo was a tall dark man

Proud

a native of the land in which I reside

a tale of my Geronimo

when I cried he heard it

when I laughed he laughed

a tale of my Geronimo

tall, dark native man

watching over me

he stood over me tall and proud

so quiet I could barely remember 

seeing him

listening to him

whenever life brought me tears

almost like a papa

like he cared about me

this is the tale of my geronimo

and to him

I give my thanks.

Sunflower Girl

I just made this drawing. It's a sunflower. Do you like it? I plan on making this in embroidery, as an art doll. I REALLY like this drawing. I made this using water soluble oil pastels, which are my new love. 

Also, I think I really want to make 3 dimensional dolls. I'm not sure if this means making them out of paper mache, or clay. I'm not certain. But I do want to make them. I tried making them in paper mache but I did not like the results AT ALL. I suppose I shall try, try again. 

You know who's good at paper mache? My husband is. I'll ask him.

In the meantime, I'll just embroider this little flower girl. I'm thinking of a nature series at the moment. That'd be nice, right? Maybe I'll make a dandelion or a cactus next! Won't that be pretty in embroidery?

Don't

Don't

Don't talk

to me

please.

really.

I do NOT want to hear

your voice on the phone, your

attitude that erks me 

the 

belittling of my god, your

way of saying

"my god is bigger than yours" 

Don't

don't talk to me, your

voice conjurs memories of 

tears and sadness of 

names and labels unwanted

of belts used

and wooden spoons broken

and running from you 

and holding the door closed with my body weight 

in fear of you

so please

don't talk to me.

unlike others with whom I share my DNA, I

choose to not have 

selective memory, I 

remember it all very much.

so please.

don't talk to me.

and don't get it twisted:

I forgave you 

a long time ago

but no fictional god in heaven 

nor the Buddha in my heart

could erase the memories

of a childhood jaded. 

of a broken spirit

of a life

that you tried to steal from me

so don't

don't talk to me.

A Suprise Doll for Dakota

I just finished making this art doll for my five year old. The pattern is of my own design, from a drawing I made. I embroidered this lovely doll using DMC Threads, and some soft muslin fabric. I used fabric markers for her eyes and lips. 

She is imperfect, but perfectly so. I am thinking of making another one, a larger one this time with pony tails, and reddish hair. 

The whole time I was making this, my daughter had no idea I was making it for her. I didn't tell her. You want to know why? Because then she will say, "But mommy, I want her hair this color. And I want her eyes this color. And I don't like this." So, to avoid the typical five year old behavior, I just plain didn't tell her. I'd rather not. This way, I gave it to her and she was so happy and suprised to have a new stuffy. 

It is another cranky day for me, as once again my infant woke up in the middle of the night, ready for action. So, the mister and I were up until around 3 am, just trying to get her to sleep. So yeah, I'm on my second cup of coffee, and am quite cranky at the moment. 

Meanwhile, have you heard of Biscoff spread? OMG I want some right now. A facebook buddy of mine told me they have an imitation version in Trader Joe's but I'm hoping that the european markets in Little Odessa will have them. 

Inspired by Frida

So I'm not sure how many of you know this, but I love making soap.  A lot. So, since I've gone back my earthy ways and started making soap again. 
I've made the first batch for sale, called "my feet have wings" and it is inspired by Friday Kahlo.
Each scent I make is featured by art and poetry.
Go to: WWW.arteypoemas.bigcartel.com to buy some!
Also I featureed a video blog on my Facebook page. Click on the link on the right to get to my Facebook like page.

Mono Printed Twinchie Books

Remember the mono printing I did a little while ago? Well I finally got around to making something with the papers I printed.

I love that the pages are printed on already. I know the book is upside down, sorry about that. 

I made these twinchies in the style of a journal so that the owner could get some use out of it, rather than just have a book that does nothing but take up space. I do love to make useful things. 

Oh, and if you're not busy, head over to my facebook like page, and check out a fun little video blog I filmed yesterday. 

My kid last night, couldn't sleep, so she was up at 3 am, until 6:30 when my husband has to leave to go to work. Of course, this meant that I had to actually dialogue so early in the morning, when I normally am used to having the morning to myself. 

Right.  So, I am very grouchy. I'm on my second cup of coffee and even that doesn't seem like enough. I love my kids, but arg. It's days like this that you've to have that extra coffee. 

So yeah, these are going to be on their way out to their future owners, as this was made for a swap. 

Old Journals and The Healing Process

This is an old journal that I painted. It's not really done yet, because I want to make the heart embossed with red embossing powder, and maybe paint over the letters. Maybe spray a bit of smooch.
Some of you who follow me from my old blog may know that I had a pretty rough childhood.
If you didn't, you know now.
I did.
Being a writer since I even knew how to write, I have a lot of old journals, in which I wrote lots of bad poetry about my suffering, and old boyfriends.
I decided I wanted to NOT leave all that negative energy for my daughters to read one day. I just....don't want that.
So, I figured that I would gesso over the poems and sad journal entries, and make art over them. It's sort of a healing thing for me, I guess.
I just want to leave beauty in the world.
I don't want to leave negative energy behind, no matter what. One day, when my daughters are old enough, I will tell them my story.
For now, I'll just make art.

Questions My Daughter Asks Me

Questions

questions my daughter asks me:

what makes me you a  woman

why are you "mommy"

and I tell her:

daughter I was born a woman

with

curves and hips and 

long dark hair that curls 

(all thanks to my abuela que en paz descanse)

and with the power

to create 

to 

carry life inside me

questions my daughter asks me:

why do you make art

why do you write

how do you know how to sing

like a bird?

And I tell her:

I make art to escape the world

I write poems to become a part of the world

and I sing

because I can.

questions my daughter asks me:

she asks me

why is Tio Johnny in the grass

why is your abuela in the grass

and I tell her:

a long time ago, the universe took my brother Johnny 

away from me

my hero

my big brother

the one who smiled and the room lit up

and one day

before I formed a life on my own

my grandmother

my abuela

the only REAL mother I had

she left me

while I sang to her, her favorite pentecostal hymns

while she, surrounded by light

surrounded by her offspring

she breathed her last breath

questions my daughter asks me:

mommy why did I grow in your belly?

why did you push me out?

how was I born?

and I tell her:

you grew in my belly from the greatest love in the world that I had

and I pushed you out

into a room filled with superstitious red candles and

old jazz music

your sister came to me

like a butterfly 

no greater love did I think I had

until she flitted

into my belly 

into my life 

and I pushed her out 

in my home

whilst listening

to Fats Waller

and my children both alive and gone, were birthed 

from the greatest love within me

children are born from love

from the greatest primal source between two people

and they come into the earth

to teach us what it is

to truly love another