Coming Abstractions

Making the Marks

2012-02-22T15:04:00.001-08:00

"Zooming"

Acrylic on canvas w/graphite & spray paints

40" x 30" on gallery-wrapped canvas

I've been on a painting frenzy these past couple of weeks (thanks Keith!!) and have edged my way into a whole, new series of works. They're non-representational abstracts, with acrylics, graphite, and spray paint. The spray paint is what I use to make the letters and numbers with (think stencils), and the lines and oval shapes are from a brayer and the lid of a deodorant stick.

Numbers, letters, equations and calligraphy have always fascinated me, and it's been a lot of fun incorporating them into my paintings. I call these new paintings my "Hidden Messages" -- even though they don't have any special or hidden meaning to me. Perhaps they will have meaning for someone else, but for now I'm happy with the way they complement the compositions of my work.

Here is another set that I did -- it's a triptych called "Playground" -- made with (3) 12" x 12" canvases.

I think this new series would look great in a lobby somewhere.....or a really cool loft with tall brick walls. Stay tuned for more photos -- I'm on a roll!

To Keith -- "A Burning Love"

2012-02-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

"A Burning Love"

36" x 12"

Acrylic on canvas

I've never been much of a "heart" person but recently picked up some new acrylic paint pens and just had to go a little crazy! Here's "A Burning Love" that I made late one evening/early morning a couple of weeks ago, when I couldn't sleep because of Keith Richards.

The Keith Richards in question is not a new man in my life, but instead a high-octane caffeine drink made by a local coffeehouse. A Keith Richards is 2 shots of espresso with Shasta cola, poured over ice. I generally save this treat for special occasions, or for when I have a long day ahead and know I'm going to need some extra fuel to make it through to the end. I usually get one of these beverages between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m., as I know I'll have an active, busy 12-hours ahead with a caffeine buzz. Unfortunately, on this particular day I chose to get one of these cups of liquid speed at approximately 11:00 a.m. and I will swear they must have added an extra shot of espresso!

Named after the talented though sometimes troubled Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, this drink is legal liquid speed. And thanks to Keith, I broke my "dry spell" and am painting again like a crazy artist! "A Burning Love" is my tribute to Keith, to Valentine's Day (aka Singles Awareness Day) and to hooking up again with my muses. Enjoy!

SOLD!

2012-02-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

"Kelp Garden"

"Moon over Miami"

I know the economy has been slow and unemployment rates in California are still through the roof.....but for this artist, 2012 is turning out to be an awesome year with art sales. I really have to sit back and count my blessings. On Friday, a friend stopped by the studio and purchased these metal/fused glass sculptures that I did last September with fellow metal artist, Ed Haag. (sorry about the sucky photos -- obviously I took them myself!) Last month, I sold two of my personal favorite paintings -- "Glimpse of Spring" and "Fires Down Below" to two wonderful collectors in addition to several small glass art pieces. I have also been collecting steady checks from the galleries that I've been showing my glass work in, which is another added bonus.

Amazingly enough, the majority of my bills are managing to get paid with the proceeds of my art sales, and I'm eternally grateful, humbled, and astounded that I had the nerve to walk away from a successful career to follow my dream and my passion.

I've got so many ideas and artistic money-making opportunities brewing.....there's the interview I did recently with a national magazine as well as the licensing contract with All My Walls. I've also got several galleries asking for more works geared towards Spring, plus the show I just hung at 58 Degrees Restaurant & Bar in addition to another "secret" idea I'm brewing with another extremely talented abstract artist friend. I need to be careful not to get too carried away with the business end of things and concentrate on making more art!!!

Over the past few months I've come to love a popular 4-letter words in the English language....SOLD. And I hope to be saying that word on a daily basis! A year ago I would never have dreamed that I'd be doing what I'm doing. My only regret is I didn't do it sooner.

New paintings in progress

2012-01-25T15:41:00.000-08:00

November and December, 2011 were extremely busy months for me, as I spent most of my waking hours submerged in my glass studio (freezing cold!) creating hand-made Christmas ornaments, wine stoppers, bowls, candle holders, and other assorted trinkets for the Holiday season. Besides making the items, I have to "cold-work" the finished pieces; sign them; price and inventory each individual item; and deliver them to the various galleries that I supply. I was also one of the featured artists in December at Arareity Jewelry & Glass and of course, kept regular hours at my own studio, Bell'Arte Studios which included two 2nd Saturday shows for the masses.

I love working with glass -- I've been working with it in various forms since 1999 and am drawn to this shiny and complicated medium like moths to a flame. Working with glass is physical. And challenging. And can be extremely frustrating....especially when you're working in the studio while the kiln is burning, and you hear a distinct "fffpprtttt", which generally means something has exploded during the firing. Yikes....you'd think after all these year's I'd get the annealing schedules down but it's complicated sometimes. And this complexity is what keeps me interested.

Now it's January and I've stayed away from the glass studio, gearing up for some future classes and attempting to paint again after a 2-month hiatus. The painting hasn't flowed like I had hoped it would but the past few days I finally hit a bit of momentum. Here are some of the works in progress (just click on the first painting to begin the slide show). These are rough shots but proof that I haven't been sitting on my lazy behind :-) I'll post final shots as I finish the paintings. Enjoy!

A New Year and an amazing gift

2012-01-22T14:17:00.000-08:00

"Beginnings"

by JJ Jacobs

I've been revving up the creative juices as I strive to come up with new glass designs for spring and paint some new abstract expressions for the licensing contract I recently signed with All My Walls (my designs are currently in production and should be available around 4/1/2012). It's been challenging to find balance between my personal time and my "work" time though, and I find that the day is over well before I have accomplished what I set out to do earlier that same day. Even with a "to-do" list, I feel as though I'm not doing everything I want or need to do, as I table the leftover tasks for the next day.

It's a rainy Sunday here in Sacramento, and as I was getting ready to do another "to-do" list and mentally flog myself with the proverbial wet noodle for not finishing everything from the previous lists, I stopped and re-read some amazingly profound words of wisdom from my dear friend, Anne Eversmann.

Beginning on Christmas last year, Anne sent me an email that simply said:
"On The First day of Christmas
A gift for you and me:
An inner serenity"

Every morning for the next 11 days, I received an email from Anne with another phrase (think 12 Days of Christmas song!). Here are the phrases from those 12 special days:

12 rambling thoughts
11 " hows " to pray
10 " whys " we are called to pray
9 dances for the spirit
8 heartfelt hugs
7 year end musings
6 highly receptive senses
5 reasons for change
4 ways to let go and be
3 insights to joy
2 priceless presents
AND A QUIET SERENITY

On January 6th, the last email from Anne came with the title "Epiphany." Here's what she wrote:

As we stand before the Light of All Creation let's say,
" We give YOU our best
not only today
but in the every NOW that we live."

Today as I re-read this wonderfully original and fantastic gift from Anne, I had a huge Epiphany of my own. I'm doing my best right here and right now, and I am doing it every day. Some days my best may seem more productive than others, but there are different types of productivity.....and my rambling thoughts are actually dances for my spirit, as I watch each and every day unfold into another opportunity.

Thank you Anne for this amazing and wonderful gift of wisdom, words and insight -- you are simply the best.

PA RUM PA PUM PUM

Rolling Stones.........

2012-01-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

"Stones #1"

Acrylic on canvas

16" x 20"

I recently did a series of five complementary color studies using some Lukas Cryl acrylic paints. Here's one of the first paintings completed in that study -- blues and oranges. These are high quality acrylics imported from Germany, and I prefer to use the more liquid ones that come in a squeeze bottle.

At last -- 2012 is here!

2011-12-31T18:38:00.000-08:00

It's been a good year for me in many ways. A year filled with endings and new beginnings, and I'm looking forward to starting the New Year.

I have a "ritual" I do every New Year's Eve, and I'm getting ready to do it again tonight. I start with 2 sheets of paper. On one sheet I make a list of the accomplishments I've done this past year that have made me happy or proud; on the other sheet I list the events or situations I'm not overly enthused about or that want to move past in addition to the names of people I need to forgive (or forget!).

I take the first sheet and read it out loud 3 times. After reading it aloud for the 3rd time, I burn it over my gas stove in a metal pan. I do the same for the second sheet. After the ashes quit glowing, I douse them with water, take the pan outside and toss the contents into the garden.

This is my version of turning these memories over to the Universe, and wiping my internal "slate" clean, to start fresh for the new year.

Next comes the Vision Board (or collage or Treasure Map). This is the fun part......I cut pictures and words from magazines and start arranging them on a piece of heavy paper. I sometimes add photos of people I know, and once I'm happy with the arrangement, I glue everything down onto the paper base. After everything is glued, I trim the edges; turn the board over to start writing down my intentions and accomplishments I want to achieve in the coming year.

I got a head start on this last part of my ritual yesterday when I made a Vision Board at my friend's house. Unfortunately some of the content is cropped off on the right hand side......but basically I want to achieve several things in 2012: start traveling again; regain my confidence in myself and my business that I feel I lost over these past few years; find an emotionally healthy man to have a romantic relationship with; sell lots of paintings and make lots of money; start meditating and practicing yoga again and get a furry friend (the 4-legged kind).

Here's a photo of the Vision Board I made:

HAPPY NEW YEARS

and I hope each and every one of you has a

safe, healthy, fun and prosperous 2012!!

A Glimpse of Spring

2011-12-25T15:57:00.000-08:00

"Glimpse of Spring"

20" x 16" acrylic on canvas

There is ice on the neighboring rooftops, clear blue skies above, scarlet red berries on the Heavenly Bamboo shrubs and a handful of bright red leaves still clinging to the Japanese Cherry tree in my backyard. I'm enjoying a steaming hot mug of tea as I finish wrapping a few small gifts that I'll be giving my niece and nephews at my Mom's house early this afternoon. On the way to Mom's I'll be stopping by the cemetary to deliver a small hand-picked bouquet of flowers, Lavendar, Rosemary and red berries for my Dad's grave, and to say a prayer of thanks for this special day.

In the midst of this cold Winter morning, I find that I'm already longing for the warmth of our next season. I stop and consciously remind myself of Eckart Tolle's powerful and wise words -- "live in the now."

Today is Christmas and I hope each and every one of you has an awesome time celebrating with your friends and family!!

Happy Holidays to All!!

2011-12-22T20:03:00.000-08:00

"City Celebration"

60" x 48"

I'm absolutely amazed that the Holidays are upon us already and Christmas is just a few short days away. My Jewish friends are celebrating Hanukkah, and millions more will begin celebrating Kwanzaa next week.

No matter what religion or spiritual belief a person has, it is our time of year to give thanks for our many blessings and to spend time with loved ones, making memories and celebrating traditions. For me, it's a time of reflection, family, and preparation for the coming year. It is my time to reflect on what worked for my life this past year; and what didn't; and fervid anticipation of what I want to manifest for the coming year.

Happy Holidays, my friends, and may you all have a wonderful time celebrating this special time of year with your friends and loved ones.

Slideshow of paintings for you!

2011-12-12T21:57:00.000-08:00

About Passion.....

2011-12-03T10:40:00.000-08:00

It's been a month since I've left the "day job" and concentrated on following my passion, which is being an artist. Well -- a month and 2 days, to be exact, since my 1st day off the job was 11-1-11, and today is 12-3-11. I've accomplished a lot during this past month, and in a nutshell here's what has transpired:

My glass ornaments and glass art are now in 7 stores: Arareity Jewelers, The Flower Farm Inn, both outlets of Fire & Rain Galleries, Trezhers Gifts, Krazy Mary's Boutique, and Christmas & Company. I will be licensing my paintings to be put on metal art for All My Walls, and was interviewed for an upcoming article about women who leave a successful career to follow their passion by MORE Magazine. I also updated my website and decided to give my ETSY shop another try.

Busy month, busy girl. Yet I'm feeling it's not enough. Inside of me is this little child that is saying "I want it now" which essentially means do more, more, more. And the adult side of me is saying "Be patient -- some things take time." Thus ensues the inner battle which probably sheds a little insight as to why I'm prone to burn out, and why I need to take conscious steps to ensure it doesn't happen again.

While working in my glass studio the other day, I was listening to a fascinating program on Hay House Radio about burn out by Joan Borysenko, PhD. During the show, she mentioned that people burn out because they are passionate about what they do, and when they don't feel appreciated or validated by their efforts by their self and/or others, burn out happens.

So -- my goal this month is to stop the negative mind chatter and focus on taking care of the new accounts I've gotten. Get ready for our upcoming Holiday Boutique & 2nd Saturday Sale at Bell'Arte Studios as well as the show "Glowing" at Arareity, and enjoy the heck out of my family during the Holidays.

2012 is going to be a kickass year for me, and I hope for each and every one of you too.

Many Thanks for Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T20:15:00.000-08:00

I truly have so much to be thankful for in my life at this time.....I'm doing what I love for a living; enjoying good health, friends and family; and getting back in touch with my long-neglected Inner Child who had been nearly buried with my oh-so-adult-like-serious approach to life. Since my "freedom" date of 11-1-11, I've been bouncing out of bed around 6:00 a.m., ready to take on the new day with a happy vengeance. I'm going to bed around 10:00 p.m., enjoying a few moments of reading before falling into a peaceful sleep. My patience level has gone from a negative number to nearly a 10.....and the month of November isn't even over yet! Money-making opportunities have been falling into my lap, and as of this writing I am officially showing my art in 6 galleries. I'm getting my property management business back on line and am looking into going to Philadelphia in February for a conference about the art business.

I've exceeded my modest expectations and am basking in the knowledge that "I did it!" I really, truly did it.....after all this talk of leaving my comfortable day job, I have jumped off the comfort cliff to do what I know I was meant to do, and it's all working out gloriously. I'm eternally grateful to each and every one of you for your support and friendship. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy the time you spend with your friends and family.

They're back!!

2011-11-16T08:17:00.000-08:00

Every year since I began fusing glass (1999) I have designed a Christmas Ornament. In 1999 I began with a Santa on clear glass then did a Rudolph ornament in 2000. The Christmas Tree on clear came out in 2001 and the Snowman appeared in 2002. To be honest I've lost track of which ornament happened in what year afterwards, but I'm happy to announce that the 2011 ornament is an adorable happy little penguin! Special thanks go to dear Rachel Stark for her wonderful suggestion :-)

I'm also thrilled to announce that I've been super busy since I "quit the day job" and became a full-time working artist! My ornaments have been instrumental in getting my work into 4 new venues since 11-1-11: Christmas & Company in Old Sacramento, CA; The Flower Farm Inn & Nursery in Loomis, CA; and both the Folsom & El Dorado Hills stores of Fire & Rain Galleries!

I am looking for more stores to carry my ornaments as well as other fused glass items; lampworked bead jewelry and paintings, so if you know of any galleries or gift shops that might be a good fit for my work, I would love to know about it!! Just shoot me an email at jjjacobs@comingabstractions.com or comment below. If my work gets accepted into your suggested store, you'll get your pick of 3 ornaments signed by me!!

It's Happening!!!

2011-11-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

Today is 11-1-11 and this morning I awoke, basking in the knowledge that it was officially the first day of my being a full-time artist! Wanting to hit the ground running, I filled a bag with a bunch of my fused glass Christmas ornaments, garden people, jewelry, and other JJ-designed items and headed out to meet with Patty, the owner of The Flower Farm in Loomis, CA. Patty loved my items and will now be carrying them in her fabulous gift shop :-) Not a bad way to start my first morning of self-employment!

Feeling excited and inspired, I decided to hit another uber-cool gallery called Fire and Rain Gallery in El Dorado Hills. As luck would have it, the owner Judy was there. I asked if I could show her my glass Christmas ornaments and she agreed -- after she saw them, she asked what other types of items I made? So I went back to my car and brought out the items I had shown earlier that morning. I'm happy to announce I'm going to be in both the El Dorado Hills Fire and Rain Gallery AND her newest store in Folsom!!

It is amazing how easily these opportunities have come to me recently......last Wednesday, my office took me to lunch to celebrate my new adventures. Afterwards, we visited Christmas & Company in Old Sacramento, which happen to be tenants in one of the buildings my former company developed and built last year. I showed some of my ornaments to them and they want to sell them too!

I truly believe these opportunities are the Universe's way of telling me I did the right thing, leaving my "secure" job and following my passion. I honestly can't wait to see what happens next.

Stay tuned......

Moving On

2011-10-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

"We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life."

"I want to put a ding in the universe. "

"… You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

"Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become."

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."

All of these quotes are from one of the greatest minds of our time, Steve Jobs -- a brilliant, insightful and successful genius who passed yesterday, way too soon. His tenancity and innovation will be missed by all.

Jobs was a man who had a dream and followed it throughout his life. He never waivered or compromised -- he pursued his passion; created a legacy and built an empire. To me, he was a true inspiration and example of can happen when you do what you know you were put on this earth to do.

Yesterday afternoon (and prior to hearing the news of Job's death that evening) I gave notice to my partners at work to let them know I am finished working there and will be out by 10-31-11. I physically and mentally cannot continue to do something I am not passionate about, simply to pay the bills and receive health insurance benefits. I just can't do it.

Amazingly enough, I have not had one ounce of anxiety since I made the announcement. None. No anxiety after I met with my partners; none last night; and not even a tiny bit when I woke up this morning. I don't know if I'm in shock or if my angels are saying "Hallelujiah -- she finally did it!" and are rejoicing in my decision to quit. My guess is the latter :-)

All I know is deep inside my gut I know I've made the right decision. Little things confirmed that decision.....yesterday afternoon my studio mate Dianne sold several of my fused glass items to someone who walked into the gallery. Last night I slept soundly through the night for the first time in months. Today, I woke up feeling relaxed and energized. And right now I'm HAPPY -- yes, content; relaxed and happy.

Yesterday a brilliant genius departed from this earth and it is my hope that my inner muse can connect with this man's muse to guide me in my forthcoming journey and meet with an equal success. Tall order? Perhaps....but I'm putting it out there.

As Steve Jobs would say -- "....have the courage to follow your heart and intuition...."

Now I'm off to put my own "...ding in the Universe."

Soup Time is here!!

2011-09-16T22:24:00.000-07:00

This year's Bead Soup exchange was a challenge for me.....a definite challenge. Let's face it -- I'm NOT a jewelry maker. I prefer to to get my creative jollies by personally torching the beads and components that others can utilize in their fabulous creations and leave the jewelry making to the experts. So it's fair to say I had to stretch my imagination a bit to incorporate the gorgeous blown glass Orchid focal bead that my talented partner Karen Tremblay sent along with some exquisite free-form pearls, blue & gold crystal beads and some lovely, delicate seed pearls. Throw in a double-strand gold clasp and I fell off my safety platform altogether.

I played around with several necklace designs and tried (I mean I really REALLY tried!) to do the beautiful focal justice and I failed. Miserably. Horribly. Embarrassingly failed.

So when Lori sent the post giving us permission to make something other than jewelry with the beads, I went for it.

The beautiful glass orchid focal became the dangling charm of a mixed-media winged, wooded heart with the hand-made enameled crow centerpiece called "Create Beauty."

Some of the seed pearls and crystals were added to more crystal beads to use the double-stranded clasp Karen sent. The I wanted to make a pendant using something gold so made a fused glass "Goddess" that is precariously hanging from the strands.

Last came a simple set of earrings using the free-form pearls, blue and amber crystal beads.

So here's what I did -- one of these days I'll learn how to take better photos!

There are over 360 participants in this year's Bead Soup Exchange. Click here for a complete list of all of the participants and please feel free to leave comments!!

Fab "ingredients" for Bead Soup 2011!

2011-08-27T23:01:00.000-07:00

Check out these fabulous pearls, beads and cool focal glass bead that I received from my Bead Soup partner, Karen Tremblay !! Pearls are my absolute favorite (they're my birthstone) and the free-form beads in this collection are out of this world. I can't wait to start designing some new jewelry for JJ :-)

I sent a collection of some of my lampworked beads along with some spacer beads and an assortment of contrasting beads and am excited to see what Karen makes from them. We're not supposed to show our offerings until the big unveiling day so here's what I sent with major editing, thanks to http://www.picnik.com/ -- a fantastic and FREE photo editing program that I just learned about. Enjoy!

The Bead Soup Party is Saturday, September 17th -- click here to see a full list of all the participants.

Bead Soup is Back!!!

2011-08-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited -- it's Bead Soup time again and Lori Anderson will once again use her tremendous project management skills and creative juices to launch yet another Beaded Jewelry exchange extravaganza! Last year I was teamed up with the uber-talented Karen Williams of Seattle, WA who really challenged me and my beadmaking skills with her beautiful earth-toned seed beads and beaded centerpiece. I still get compliments each and every time I wear my beautiful necklace and earrings!

The whole concept of the Bead Soup exchange is to push the envelope of each participants comfort zone and make us use materials/styles/colors/concepts we don't normally use. We each send out a package containing our bead/design offerings to another Bead Souper and they send us their own personalized offering in return. Honestly -- the anticipation is like waiting for Santa to arrive so you can open your presents :-)

Guess I'd better get busy in the studio and start torching some awesome beads for my partner -- in the meantime feel free to check out some of the previous Bead Soup "Recipes" ! Lori will be coming out with a book in October, 2012 and I hope one of my humble designs or beads might just make the cut.

Our Journey Through Time

2011-07-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

I was recently commissioned to create a triptych for a lovely couple who were celebrating their 30th anniversary. They have a beautiful home in Midtown Sacramento and wanted the painting to be the focal point of their large dining room which had a fabulous eggplant colored wall and a dining room table & chairs with dark wood and lime-green seats.

I incorporated lots of texture by using some letters and numbers that were important to the client (initials of their names and their children's names; anniversary & birthdates). You can see some of these letters in the painting but not all of them......my clients were thrilled with the finished piece and so was I.

Here is "Our Journey through Time" -- Three 36" x 24" canvases with lots of color.

Early Morning Light -- SOLD!

2011-07-19T23:37:00.000-07:00

"Early Morning Light"

30" x 30"

Acrylic on canvas

- SOLD -

"Living the Dream"

2011-07-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

"Living the Dream"

8" x 10"

Mixed media on canvas

Good Neighbors -- another offering from the Tiny House Show!

2011-07-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

"Good Neighbors"

Mixed media on canvas

8" x 10"

"Sky Watch" -- another abstract painting from JJ!

2011-07-08T07:04:00.000-07:00

"Sky Watch"

24" x 24"

Acrylic on canvas

Tiny House Show at Bell'Arte Studios -- "Child's Play"

2011-07-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

"Child's Play"

Acrylic/Mixed Media on Canvas

8" x 10"
-- SOLD --

"Bay Breeze" -- exactly what we need today in Sacramento!

2011-07-05T06:39:00.000-07:00

"Bay Breeze"

36" x 24"

Acrylic on canvas

Wild Child -- an autobiographical painting?

2011-07-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

"Wild Child"

24" x 36"

Acrylic on canvas

Gypsy Wind -- new painting on Daily Painters Abstract Blog

2011-07-02T21:52:00.001-07:00

"Gypsy Wind"

30" x 24"

Acrylic on canvas

I Don't Know How.......But I Did It!!!!!!!!!!

2011-06-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

This past week has been insane. Crazy, wild, freaky busy.....and as of this moment I can sit back and shake my head in amazement that I DID IT!!!!!!! What exactly is "it?"

1. Completed 6 new paintings and delivered 39 original works (including the 6 new ones) yesterday afternoon to the Civic Center at the City of Roseville for a 2-month show. If you are in the area, please check it out! The address is 311 Vernon Street, and they're open Monday through Friday 8-6.

2. Played hostess to my Seattle friend Lynn and her daughter Katie for 2 nights

3. Was interviewed for an Australian coaching & business blog called Art Shine -- here's the interview!
JJ's interview with Art Shine

4. Taught my little Seattle friend Katie how to make lampworked beads in my glass studio.

5. Came up with 4 concepts and submitted a proposal this afternoon to an art consultant for a fused glass donor wall for a new medical building in Sacramento.

Tomorrow I start working on my new show called "Tiny Houses" -- a tribute to my fascination with the small living/downsizing trend. July's 2nd Saturday is around the corner and my walls are bare in the gallery so I need to start painting and fast. Dianne , Ed and I just ordered the invitations for our upcoming open house for the neighborhood on Thursday, July 7th and our open house for friends and family on Friday, July 15th.

No wonder I'm exhausted!!!!!!!!!

Tonight I sleep.

Earring Exchange on Lampwork, Etc.

2011-06-15T09:16:00.000-07:00

Here are my humble offerings for my first ever earring exchange on Lampwork, Etc. The deadline was today and being the procrastinating slug that I am, they are being sent out this morning (even though they have been bagged and tagged for weeks now!!!)

All earrings have sterling wires and the lampworked beads were torched by me with the exception of the square Borosilicate beads, which I received at a bead show in Oakland. I made 7 pairs of earrings and will be getting 7 pairs back -- I can't wait to see the little beauties when they get here and will post photos of them when they arrive.

Special thanks to Hayley Tsang for putting this fun exchange together -- click on Hayley's name to check out her exquisite work!!

Marketing Genius!!!

2011-06-03T20:17:00.000-07:00

Greeting card artist and art-licensing guru Kate Harper recently posted this lovely design and sentiment on her blog then invited everyone to freely "spread the word" -- there was no fear of someone stealing her artwork or her words....just a generous, no-strings-attached, put-it-out-there-and-enjoy type of offer.

I just love this!!! Kate gives out so many tips and suggestionson her blog and does so freely without worrying about someone trying to steal the big secrets. If you've ever wanted to be a greeting card designer, then just subscribe to her blog and do what she tells you to do. Kate shares so much free information and never asks for anything in return -- she doesn't push her books but you know they're there. And they're affordably priced -- such a deal!

Many artists would never invite people to take one of their paintings and use it as they saw fit....in fact I'm still in awe about this and Tweeted it on Twitter and now I'm blogging about it. Partly because I love, love, LOVE the sentiment and partly because she sneakily taught me a huge lesson about sharing freely and letting the Universe spread the word about her business.

What pure marketing genius AND an excellent way to build up those Karma points! Life is way too short to think someone is going to go out and steal your art.

Way to go, Kate :-)

"Reflections" show of fused glass at Arareity Jewelers

2011-05-21T22:08:00.000-07:00

Here are the fused glass pieces I submitted for the "Reflections" show last week at Arareity Jewelers located at 1021 R Street in Sacramento, CA. Carol, Lily, and Jan are so wonderful to work with.....and their custom made jewelry is absolutely amazing!!

Awhile back I brought in several old pieces of jewelry and Carol came up with some beautiful new designs for me......I am definitely going to miss working upstairs from these fabulous ladies but I imagine I'm going to save a little $$$ by not having them so close by!

Bell'Arte is born!

2011-04-28T23:31:00.000-07:00

Well -- I'm officially out of the "old studio" and into the new one in East Sacramento with my friend and wonderfully talented photographer, Dianne Poinski -- here are a couple of her beautiful photos to give you an idea of the exquisite work she does!

We've been moving our things to the new place for over 2 weeks now and are nearly ready to officially open the doors for business. We'll definitely be open for 2nd Saturday on May 14th so please come visit us at 4755 J Street!! We're across from the Post Office, Rite-Aid and the popular bar, Club 2-Me.

Leaving the Foundry Building was a difficult choice to make but I know it was the right one. As I mentioned in a previous post, the building is in escrow to be sold and the current owners are struggling with how to keep the ADA issues at bay.....here is the sign and chain that was installed at the foot of the stairs leading to our studios upstairs.
Change is scary -- but exciting at the same time. I'm looking forward to the new opportunities ahead including some volunteering at the St. John's Women Shelter and a show in the Civic Center in Roseville, CA along with being one of the featured artists next month at Arareity Jewelers . Busy times ahead!!

I'm now featured on www.abstractartistgallery.org

2011-04-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

Exciting news -- my art is now featured on this relatively new but infinitely exciting and discerning website that's strictly for abstract artists!! Here's the link where you'll find my work and some other amazing artists:
http://www.abstractartistgallery.org/

The painting of mine that is featured on the front page (first one on the left underneath the title "Abstract Artist Gallery") sold a couple of months ago and is still being featured at the Crocker Art Museum in their slide show of artists (look at the wall next to the gift shop).

The painting is called "Neutral Ground" and is hanging in one of my collector's homes in Winters, CA. I'm really excited about this opportunity and look forward to adding more works to their growing collection. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Bracelet Blog Hop -- The Global Genes Project

2011-04-15T23:41:00.000-07:00

Here's my bracelet submittal for The Global Genes Project -- I've combined my free-form "sea glass beads" with some non-etched beads to create a blue ocean themed bracelet for the 7000 Bracelet project. This is such a wonderful cause -- I hope the recipient likes it!!

Click here see more bracelet creations that were donated for this excellent cause!

Changes on the Horizon

2011-04-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

Tax day is looming and I called my accountant to file an extension. It's just not going to happen on time this year and the big reason why is some upcoming changes going on with my work and art life. As some of you know I went part-time with my employer a couple years ago to get some relief from burnout and to concentrate on my passion which has always been art. I opened a studio in midtown Sacramento with the incredible Spiritual artist Brenda Boles to gain exposure in the local art scene and to sell my abstract paintings; fused glass and lampworked beads. It's been a very successful journey and I'm so happy I was able to to it and to have such a wonderful artist to share that experience with.

At first I was happy to spend a couple days at the office and the rest of the time at the studio painting away and greeting customers (my first "retail" experience ever where I wasn't the shopper!!). Then I wanted to spend more time doing things with family and friends. Shortly afterwards the big project I'd been working on went viral and I was in charge of seeing it through to completion. The only days I managed to get to my studio was for 2nd Saturday Artwalk and to meet an occasional client for a sale.

The building my studio is now officially in escrow. It's a beautiful old structure that has so much character -- but also has some major ADA (American Disabilities Act) upgrades that need to be made which will mean major construction ahead. Add a dose of "next month they're going to close our parking to make infrastructure improvements for the entire block"and I decided it was time to make a move.

So -- in May I'm moving my studio closer to my home and I'll be sharing space with another wonderfully talented photographer/artist Dianne Poinski I'm really excited about the location and am looking forward to being able to do some "double-duty" as I telecommute for work (there's a phone line and internet plus room for a desk!) and create some new art while being available for walk-in art lovers. I'm also excited to get back to my marketing efforts which were starting to pay off nicely.

While all of the above was being decided my office was advertising for a tenant to sublease some available suites in our space. Last week we found a group of attorneys who wanted the space -- but they need my beautiful and spacious office to complete the move. With my blessing we made the deal and they want to move in next week which means I'm going to have a move at work in addition to my studio.

More to come as things unfold -- but for now it's a time of organization/packing/reorganizing/moving and truthfully a bit of stress as I figure out how things are going to look in the new spaces.

Breathe............just breathe.

Blue Beads for Bracelet!

2011-04-09T10:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of some of the blue beads I torched last week -- I'll be using some of these for the bracelet I'm making for the Global Genes Project's "7000 Bracelets for Hope" -- an organization for rare diseases awareness.

The deadline is next week so I've got to get busy and get the bracelet done -- there's clearly enough beads to make a couple of bracelets so I might just make two for the cause!!

Best intentions.....

2011-04-07T15:32:00.000-07:00

I promised to post photos of the beads I torched for my bracelent but couldn't find my camera. Finally found it this morning and the batteries are dead (it is my understanding that Mercury is retrograde which explains why nearly everything I touch falls apart lately!). The beads are annealed and cleaned and will be photographed so you can see what I'm going to choose from to make my bracelet for the 7000 Bracelets of Hope campaign.

Here's a link that explains more about the project -- I'm really excited to participate in this uber-worthy cause!

http://www.crdnetwork.org/blog/7000-bracelets-for-hope%E2%84%A2-campaign-raises-awareness-for-over-7000-rare-diseases/

Bracelets for Hope

2011-04-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

The wonderfully talented and energetic Lori Anderson who spearheaded the Bead Soup Project awhile back contacted me to make a bracelet to send to the Global Genes Project which you can read more about here: http://www.globalgenesproject.org/

This is an awareness program for people suffering from rare diseases. Lori herself suffers from a very rare disease called Pseudotumor Cerebri aka IH and is indeed the model for the ad on the National IH Awareness poster!

The bracelets will be sent to The Global Genes Project, an advocacy group who launched "7000 Bracelets for Hope", a children's rare disease campaign. The bracelets are given to one of 7000 families having children with rare diseases to show them love and support.

So off I go to my glass studio to torch away the afternoon and create some cool new beads for the bracelet I'll be donating to the cause. The deadline is only 2 weeks away so I'd better get busy! I'll post a photo of the beads from today's torching session so you can see what I'll be using for my bracelet donation.

New Fused Glass Installation

2011-03-25T18:57:00.000-07:00

I just finished hanging this 3-piece fused glass panel commission for the lobby of a water insurance group in Roseville, CA. They recently moved into a newly renovated building that was designed with various nature themes for their various departments (ie ocean, wetlands, forest, woodlands, etc.). This piece incorporated their colors along with a wave that reflects their logo as well as their affiliation with water. Each panel is 21" x 15" and is mounted with stand-off hardware that lets the light shine through the back of the panels. The client is happy and I'm excited about starting my next fused glass project!

Overwhelming response -- many thanks!

2011-03-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

The bidding stops tomorrow at midnight for my newest (and most emotional) painting "The Darkest Hour." I've had bids from 3 states in the U.S. and at this posting the bid is now officially up to $300.00 for this painting. Since I said I'd donate the proceeds to The American Red Cross in the amount of 150% of the bidded price, that means right now I'll be sending a check to them for $450.00!!! In the grand scheme of things it is a mere pittance to what Japan needs for this heinous tragic event but I feel it will help at least a little.

If you are interested in placing a bid for "The Darkest Hour" please email me at jjjacobs@comingabstractions.com before midnight tomorrow!!

150% of the sales price of "The Darkest Hour" goes to Japan Earthquake efforts

2011-03-12T08:39:00.000-08:00

The horror of the quake and tsunami in Japan continues to wrench my heart as I watch and learn more details of the destruction of this nation. Last night as I was watching the news I picked up my paintbrush and proceeded to paint. While I feverishly squirted paint onto the canvas and swished the colors around with my largest brush, my anxiety and grief was somewhat appeased by the mere physicality of the motions, but I know that I need to do more. So hoping others feel the same as I do, I am offering this painting for sale to the highest bidder with 150% of the purchase price going to the Red Cross for their disaster efforts for this devastated nation.

It's called "The Darkest Hour" and is 24" x 48" x 1.5" painting made with quality acrylics and coated with a final UV protective matte varnish. Ready to hang -- the minimum bid is $100. I will ship anywhere in the world and those charges will be added to the purchase price.

If you are interested in purchasing this painting please send me an email with your highest offer to: jjjacobs@comingabstractions.com and put "The Darkest Hour" in your subject line.

The bidding starts now and goes until midnight, March 16, 2011. Let's all get together and help out however we can -- and get a original JJ painting for your efforts!!!

Soup's Ready -- Come See What I Made!!!

2011-02-26T09:28:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the 3rd Bead Soup Blog Party!

What is a Bead Soup Blog Party?

Each beader was paired up with another jewelry designer and tasked with sending the following:

~ A focal
~ A special clasp (not just a lobster claw)
~ Some coordinating spacers or beads

Using the focal and the clasp was mandatory, but we could use anything from our own stash to round out the rest, and choose to use the coordinating beads or not.

Here's what I started with -- a fabulous beaded focal plus some natural beads including red hematite; apple jaspar and leopard jaspar in addition to some lovely amber, black and brown crystal beads and some seed beads too! My partner Karen Williams is THE Bomb :-)

And Here's what I made!

My partner was Karen Williams from http://www.baublicious.blogspot.com/ who really sent me the challenge of a lifetime! I'm not used to working with earthy neutral tones or small beads but after receiving my first of two generous packages I have to admit I'm a convert.

I wish the photos did the finished pieces justice but at least you can see the beautiful seed-bead focal Karen slaved over and the wonderful clasp that has "Life is Good" iimprinted on it. Making jewelry is a challenge for me period but when you have beautiful components such as the ones I was given to use it certainly inspires me to push myself and make something fabulous!! So here's my humble offering and below you can see what everyone else made......be sure to check out Karen's link to see what she made from the beads I sent her!!

1. Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

2. Kitty Durmaj, Perles and Life

3. Michelle Heim, Life In the Bead Lane

4. Lisa Petrillo, Lucid Moon Studio

5. Anitra Gordy, Leelu Creations

6. Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs

7. Marianna Boylan, Pretty Shiny Things

8. Cheryl Roe, BeadRoe

9. Heidi Post, Ex Post Facto

10. Cindy Wimmer, Sweet Bead Studio

11. Terri Gauthier, Blooming Ideas

12. Rachel Walsh, Balanced Crafts

13. Marian Hertzog, M's Place

14. Mary McGraw, MK's Musings

15. Sarabeth Burke, Chronicles of Sarita

16. Deci Worland, Gem Trails

17. Erin Prais-Hintz, Treasures Found

18. Laura Zeiner, Stick Lizard Designs

19. Kristin Latimer, MJM Jewelry Designs

20. Cathryn Brooks-Williams, Chile Cats

21. Holly Westfall, Silver Rose Designs

22. Janna Harttgen, Palima-Lim

23. Libby Leuchtman, Libby Leu

24. Rebecca Anderson, Songbeads

25. Deb Hunter, Living On Air

26. Diana Ptaszynski, Suburban Girl Studio

27. Jennifer VanBenschoten, VanBeads

28. Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter

29. Cyndi Lavin, Beading Arts

30. Courtney Breul, Beads by Breul

31. Stefanie Teufel, Stefanie's Sammelsurium

32. Patricia Gasparino, My Life Under the Bus

33. Tari Khars, Pearl and Pebble

34. Kristi Bowman-Gruel, Kristi Bowman Design

35. Jayne Capps, Mama's Got to Doodle

36. Becky Fairclough, Chameleons Designs

37. Evie and Beth McCord, EB Bead & Metal Works

38. Lynne Bowland, Islandgirl's Insights

39. Barbara Lewis, Painting With Fire

40. Lorelei Eurto, Inside the Studio

41. Stacy Hartis, Sissy & Jack's

42. Jennifer Cameron, Glass Addictions

43. Marcie Abney, La Bella Joya

44. Johanna Rhodes, Fire Phoenix Creations

45. Nan Emmett, Spirit Rattles

46. Melissa Mesara, One Eared Pig

47. Amanda Davie, Articulations

48. Cherin Poovey, Lanyard Lady

49. Virginia Joste, ViviBijoux

50. Andrew Thornton, The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
51. Lori Dorrington, Lori's Glassworks

52. Melanie Brooks, Earthenwood Studio Chronicles

53. Kate Gardenghi, Tropical Blonde

54. Serena Trent, PinkIce Jewel's Blog

55. Malin de Koning, Beading by Malin de Koning

56. Shai Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

57. Francy Inman, 8 Second Studio

58. Amy Freeland, Copper Diem

59. Lisa Liddy, Joolz By Lisa

60. Sandi Lee James, Do Be Do Bead Do

61. Mary Harding, Mary Harding Bead Blog

62. Stacey Curry, Star Hitched Wagon

63. Leslie Gidden, Mad Maggie Designs

64. Elisabeth Auld, Beads For Busy Gals

65. Niky Sayers, Silver Nik Nats

66. Linda Djokic, Lutka and Co.

67. Tracy Bell, Copper, Glass, and Recycled Trash

68. Laurel Steven, Rue's Daftique

69. Ingrid McCue, Wrapped In Silver

70. Birgitta Lejonklou, Create With Spirit

71. Diana Hawkey, Diana Hawkey

72. Norma Turvey, Moonlit Fantaseas

73. Jeanette Ryan, Jeanette Blix

74. Jackie Ryan, Silver Lodge Gems

75. Jean Yates, Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Be Done!

76. Debbie Goering, Prairie Emporium

77. Valerie Norton, Hot Art

78. Jana Trupovniece, Stories of the Secret Garden

79. Amy Severino, Amy Beads

80. Emma Thomas, Fred Beans Nook

81. Karen Zanco, Everyday Gypsy

82. Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Beadphoria

83. Janet McDonald, Singing Woods

84. Dana James, Dana's Jewelry Designs

85. Kristina Johansson, Wild Roses and Blackberries

86. CJ Bauschka, CJ Bauschka

87. Angela Barribea, Re: Angela Rae

88. Marcy Lamberson, Studio Marcy

89. Tanya Floyd, Glass Migrations

90. Lisa Kavanaugh, Beading Bliss

91. Sue Hodgkinson, Hello Gorgeous

92. Jenni Connolly, Jenni's Bead

93. Nally Parfyonova, Nally's Creations

94. Karyn White, Releases By Rufydoof

95. Emanda Johnson, Artemisia Studio

96. Sandy Richardson, Sandy's Coloring Box

97. Cindy Dolezal, Cindy Dolezal Designs

98. Stacie Stamper, Park Avenue

99. Mallory Hoffman, For the Love of Beads

100. Linda Landig, Linda's Bead Blog and Meanderings

101. Nicole Valentine-Rimmer, N. Valentine Studio

102. Jacinta Meyers, Jamberrysong's Creations

103. Charlene Gary, Gray Girl Studios

104. Rubiee Hayes, Glitter and Keys Galore

105. Marge Beebe, Rock Creek Creations

106. Elizabeth Freeman, Turquoise Sky

107. Shelby Foxwell, Sundown Bead Designs Rhetoric

108. Lynda Moseley, Diva Designs

109. Grace Danel, Grace Beading

110. Lois Moon, Que Onda Quitman

111. Agnes Shapiro, Beader Bubbe

112. Terry Carter, Tapping Flamingo

113. Judy Glende, Judith B. Designs

114. Mary Ellen Parker, Bee Tree By Me

115. Barbara Bechtel, Second Surf

116. Charlene Sevier, The Bead Dreamer

117. Alice Craddick, Alice's Beads and Baubles

118. Cory Celaya, Art With Moxie

119. Ronda Adams, The Ravished Heart

120. Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe Designs

121. Anna Lear, The Laughing Raven

122. Susie Hibdon, Vintagesusie & Wings

123. Amanda Austin, Sea Shore Glass

124. Jennifer Velasquez, Jen Judd Rocks

125. Hazel Ward, All Those Things

126. Brenda Salzano, Salzanos

127. Dee Gordon, Runako Designs by Dee

128. Anna Denisova, Anita-M

129. Margaret Saari, Mags-Jewelry

130. Genea Crivello-Knable, Genea Beads

131. Penny Neville, Copper Penny

132. Angela Blasingame, Hopemore

133. Helena Fritz, Beadwork by H's Blog

134. Stephanie LaRose, Confessions of a Bead Hoarder

135. Stephanie Haussler, PixyBug Designs

136. Diane Cook, Rosa & Josies

137. Maryse Thillens, Glass Bead Art

138. Jennifer Pride, Jewelry by J.P.

139. Shannon Chomanczuk, For My Sweet Daughter

140. Lisa Godfrey, Bead Happy

141. Heather Pyle, Welcome to My Muse

142. Regina Santerre, Regina's Writings

143. Liz DeLuca, Creative Arty Facts

144. Sig Wynne-Evans, Beaded Bear's Nonsense

145. Loretta Carstensen, Loretta's Boutique

146. Raida Disbrow, Havana Beads

147. Amber Dawn, Inventive Soul

148. Shelly Graves, Stars Dance With Me

149. Jess Italia Lincoln, Vintaj Blog

150. JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions You Are Here

151. Carrie Tahquechi, Carrie T

152. Staci Smith, Staci Louise Originals

153. Katarzyna Kwiatkowska, Quiet Area

154. Ema Kilroy, Ema K Designs

155. Magdalena Sikora, Poranna Gazeta

156. Nicole Keller, Nicki's Reef

157. Ann Rishell, My Critical Eye

158. Noemi Baena, Fire, Metal, and Color

159. Christa Murphy, Adventures of One Beady Woman

160. Barbara Blaszczyk, Labotorium Flory

161. Collette Collins, Firefly Myst

162. Carola Greiser, Polymer Clay Shed

163. Joanna Kopijczuk, Bizuteria z Filcu

164. LeAnn Weih, Summers Studio

165. Cassandra Watsham, Design by Cassandra

166. Anna Motz, Stunning

167. Shea Zukowski, Gr8findings

168. Susan Kennedy, Sue Beads

169. Lisa Boucher, Lisa's Clay Happenings

170. Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope

171. Alison Crenshaw, Beads by Earth Tones

172. Dorcas Midkiff, Wondrous Strange Designs

173. Melissa Rediger, Sea of Glass

174. Marina Dobrynina, Savon Feutre

175. Julie Nordine, Julie Nordine | Credit River Art Glass

176. Menka Gupta, Menka's Blog

177. Patsy Evins, Patsy Evins Studio

178. Cherrie Fick, En La Lumie're

179. Suzette Bentley, Ellie's Bijoux

180. Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me

181. Lyn Foley, Lyn Foley Wearable Art

182. Tara Plote, The Newbie Beader's Blog

183. Natalie Schuetz, Natalie S Perlen

184. Kim Hutchinson, Running on Ink

185. Haley Frank, Wide Eyed Smilin

186. Grace Caputo, Suddenly Last Summer

187. Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp, Skye Jewels

188. Erin Siegel, Erin Siegel Jewelry

189. Janea McDonald, Organized Chaos

190. Kristi Evenson, Colie Bug & Co.

191. Linda Inhelder, Must Haves Jewelry

192. Hilary Frye, FryeStyle

193. Whitney Lassini, Whitney Lassini

194. Nancy Schindler, The Rabbit Muse

195. Pam Brisse, The Blue Between

196. Beth Bricker, Vintage Sweets

197. Ruthie Stickney, Rose Works Jewelry and Gifts

198. Rose Noble, Lady Noble Designs

199. Karen Williams, Baublicious

200. Claire Maunsell, The Next Bend

201. Christine Damm, Stories They Tell

202. Kerry Bogert, Kab's Creative Concepts

203. Wendy Blum, Sand & Sea Designs

204. Juli Cannon, Julsbeads

205. Jenny Robledo, La Dona Boutique

206. Krista French, French Elegant Jewelry

207. Pam Krinski, Ewa Beads

208. Melissa Meman, Melissa Meman, Art, Life, Love

209. Dana Jones, Dana's Jewelry

210. Shirley Moore, Beads and Bread

The next parties sign ups begin August 1-3, 2011. Don't miss it!

For more information, visit Pretty Things.

"New Dimensions" -- from The Artist Hines workshop

2011-02-26T07:38:00.000-08:00

Here's one of the paintings I finished in my abstract painting workshop last weekend in San Rafael with http://www.theartisthines.com/ I enjoyed his class and while I found his style of painting to be similar to mine I just couldn't quite "stop" when he told me to as I felt I needed to add my own finishing touch/extra pop to the piece before I could call it mine. I admire his restraint and his ability to continually put out beautiful works using just 6 colors of paint! Maybe that's my issue with "stopping" -- I need to drag in one of my dozens of colors that I so love......

This is "New Dimensions" -- it's 24" x 18" x 3/4" and is made with acrylics and varnished with a matte finish.

Hart's Desire Winery show

2011-02-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

Here's a shot of the show I hung at Hart's Desire Winery last month. The winery is located in Healdsburg, CA and is owned by John and Desire Hart. Their wines have won many awards and is located in a historical part of town near the riverfront, which is home to many little boutique wineries. The building they are in has 13 different tasting rooms and a vast assortment of wines. http://www.hartsdesirewines.com/

A New Day -- new painting for 1-28-2011

2011-01-28T09:06:00.000-08:00

"A New Day"

16" x 16" x 2"

Acrylic and mixed media on masonite

More soup, please -- and THANK YOU!

2011-01-27T15:15:00.000-08:00

Another little surprise came this morning from my Bead Soup Exchange partner, Karen Williams of http://www.baublicious.blogspot.com/ -- check it out! I'm really excited about creating in these wonderfully, earthy tones.....the deadline is in 4 weeks but I'm going to get started early. My generous partner has given me lots of beads, findings and cords to play with and I'm looking forward to using all of them!

Into the Wind -- New painting on Daily Painter Abstract Blog

2011-01-26T11:08:00.000-08:00

"Into the Wind"

30" x 30"

Acrylic on Canvas

The Soup is officially On!!

2011-01-24T10:36:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning I awoke to find a tiny little package on my front porch that Santa's elves (aka Joseph the mailman) had left for me. Christmas had found its way to my doorstep and the above is what Santa (ie Karen Williams of Seattle, WA) sent me!! The large center bead was hand-beaded by Karen and the compenent beads are fabulous. She even included the beautiful hand-dyed papers that these little goodies are set upon (future mixed media painting material). So -- the challenge begins as I allow the beauty of these tiny wonders start to magically morph into an enticing jewelry design in my mind. So many beads......so many possibilities. I can't wait to start playing :-)

The Soup is beginning to boil......

2011-01-20T07:40:00.000-08:00

So the "Soup" is now officially on and I've been paired to exchange "Bead Soup Recipes" with uber-talented Seattle artist Karen Williams. I'm more than a little intimidated though -- Karen has written THE book on Freeform Peyote Beading and original wearable art jewelry. Since the purpose of this challenge is to do something you're not really used to doing I'm a bit scared yet excited to see what she sends to me. Check out Karen's blog called www.baublicious.blogspot.com/ and you'll see what I mean.....her work is exquisite.

Bead Soup?

2011-01-09T20:42:00.000-08:00

Besides painting and fusing glass one of my other art addictions is making lampworked beads. Tonight I joined a fun challenge called "Bead Soup" where lampworkers from all over the world put together a set of their lampworked glass beads paired with other findings and ship them to another participant. Once you receive your set of "Bead Soup" goodies you use the beads and other items included in the package to create a unique piece of jewelry or ??? Everyone posts the finished masterpiece on their blogs and share the experience in a central blog. Sound like fun?? I'm excited and am now inspired to go out and fix the broken element in my kiln so I can make some beads!!

This will be the first time I've ever felt confident enough to submit my beads into one of these lampworking exchanges. Truth be told there are some amazingly talented bead artists out there and I feel my beads are just barely adequate enough to be included.

I'll post the set that I'm going to ship out once it's made and will then post the set I receive when I receive it. Shortly afterwards there will be yet another posting of the finished product. Wish me luck!!

Ending 2010

2010-12-29T11:05:00.000-08:00

It's been a LONG year for me and to be honest I'm glad it's nearly over. A lot of wonderful things have happened and some not-so-wonderful things too....but I guess that's what life's all about.

So while November may be my favorite month of the year -- New Year's is my favorite holiday of the year. It's a time of reflection and a time for setting goals for the upcoming months. New Year's Eve is when I write my list of things I want to do or achieve for the next year and also list the things I want to forget or file away in my "never-ever-ever-do-this-again" drawer in my mind. Believe me I think this year I'll be writing a book on the latter part of that previous sentence!

I'm excited about 2011 and am hopeful for many positive changes both in my life and the world around me. In January I'm treating myself to a long-overdue retreat to Esalen for a drawing class and am looking forward to spending 6 wonderful days walking the beautiful beaches of Big Sur, CA.

While I'm on my way down to Esalen I'm stopping by Hart's Desire Winery in Healdsburg, CA to install a show of my larger paintings and some of my glass art. Here's a link to their website: http://www.hartsdesirewines.com/WordPress/ Check out their award-winning wines and their wonderful tasting room!!

I hope each and every one of you have a safe and wonderful New Year -- here's to a fabulous 2011 for one and all!!!

A lot to be thankful for

2010-11-30T23:07:00.000-08:00

November is probably my favorite month of the entire year. For me, it marks the true beginning of the Fall season; is the month my niece Kim and nephew Richard were born; and is host to the fabulous holiday, Thanksgiving. November is the time I tuck away the cool cotton sheets and go for the comfy flannel ones. It's when I can wear my soft leather boots with the fuzzy fur inside. I get to pull out the knitted caps; leather jackets and gloves; and brightly knitted scarves and wear layers of old t-shirts. This month is also my time to slow my usual frenzied pace long enough to settle down with a hot cup of tea and a good book or magazine and exercise another area of my brain a bit......the part of my brain that sort of goes dormant when I'm off in Painterland.

As I look back over this past year I am filled with gratitude to all of my readers and collectors. Without each and every one of you I wouldn't be able to continue pursuing my dream of being an abstract painter. Knowing I have my "peeps" anticipating new work and blog posts makes me accountable and forces me to get outside of my head for awhile to recognize and appreciate the world around me right here and now.

Pursuing the artist's career is a lot of hard work and full of challenges -- especially during these difficult economic times. When I first began turning this lifelong dream into a reality I mistakenly thought I'd be happily painting every single day and night and collectors would line up on my doorstep vying for the opportunity of owning a "JJ" original. What I didn't anticipate was the extraordinary amount of time required to market my work properly in order to get people to see my art in the first place! This marketing includes photographing the art; properly finishing the piece (final touches; multiple coats of protective varnish; signing and inventorying the work; creating Certificates of Authenticity; listing the works on numerous internet sites including ETSY, EBay, FineArtAmerica, Daily Painters for Abstract Artists; my blog, etc.); answering emails and meeting with other artists/designers/gallery owners and networking like crazy. Sometimes it feels as though I'm spending more time marketing then I am painting -- and then there's the nagging little doubts that start to pop up in my mind....."are my compositions strong enough" "did I overdo something" "do these colors work OK or should I try adding...?" "does my art suck?"

At times these questions and more seem to scream in my mind and block out any semblance of reason. I feel like I'm spending more time in front of the computer than I am in behind the paintbrush and anxiety sets in. Lots of doubt follows quickly then a couple of self-inflicted blows to my ego show up to say "I told you so! What are you thinking leaving your day job to be an artist? You don't have enough training....you need to go back to school.....without an art degree you can't be successful....."

I know I sound like I'm whining and feeling sorry for myself but truth be told I knew it wouldn't be easy. I knew lots of hard work and sacrifice would be involved if I had any chance of being successful. I also knew it would take time to start building an art business and that if I could sell anything during these crazy times then I'm way ahead of the game. I discovered I needed to make some difficult choices -- should I spend more time at the studio painting and waiting for customers to find my studio/gallery? Or should I concentrate on trying to build more virtual galleries and create a stronger internet presence?

November 2010 answered these questions for me and more. In the past week and a half I have sold paintings on EBay, ETSY and FineArtAmerica. I just shipped my art to residences in Arizona, Ohio, Maryland and Canada. I was contacted by a local nightclub to hang my art for two months. I was featured in at least 5 Treasuries on ETSY and got some awesome feedback on new works from fellow artists whose work I admire greatly. Four of my paintings are going to be shown in the Art Foundry Gallery for December and January and I'm one of two featured glass artists for a show next month at Arareity Jewelers. Lastly tonight I was notified that this blog was named one of the top Abstract Painting blogs in America by "Online Graphic Arts School."

I don't know what December will bring for me but without each and every one of my readers, collectors and art friends I wouldn't be dancing this happy dance or giving oodles of thanks to the Universe for granting me this tremendous opportunity I've been given.

Many, many thanks and blessings to you all.
JJ

All That Jazz -- New painting for November 21, 2010

2010-11-21T10:57:00.001-08:00

"All That Jazz"

Acrylic on canvas

24" x 36"

I've been interviewed by Whopple!!!

2010-10-22T07:09:00.000-07:00

Anne Marie Smith writes a fabulous blog about artists from all over the world and I was recently selected to be among these wonderfully talented people. I've been a follower of her blog for months and really enjoy learning more about what traits we all seem to have in common....for example: many artists start out by telling the reader that they've been an artist all of their life. I know that's how I began--maybe even before I could hold a crayon.....somehow I'm willing to bet I drew pictures inside my mother's womb!

Here's the link to my interview -- http://www.whopple.com/artist-interview-with-jj-jacobs.html

If you're an artist who wants to be interviewed too just let me know or shoot an email to Anne Marie with your portfolio information. She's a wonderful person and an excellent marketer for artists who highlights all different types of 2-D art including abstract; contemporary; mixed media; photography; collage; realistic; expressionistic and a varieity of other styles.

Crossroads - Daily Painting for October 10, 2010

2010-10-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

"Crossroads"

30" x 30"

Acrylic on canvas

Coastal Dreams -- Daily Painting for October 7, 2010

2010-10-08T17:54:00.001-07:00

Coastal Dreams

24" x 24"

Acrylic on canvas

Passing Through -- Daily Painting for September 28, 2010

2010-09-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

"Passing Through"

Acrylic on masonite panel

20" x 6.5"

Daily Painting for September 27, 2010

2010-09-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

"Whispering Shadows"

Acrylic on Masonite Board

20" x 6.5"

The Journey Home -- Daily Painting for September 26, 2010

2010-09-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

"The Journey Home"

12" x 12"

Acrylic on canvas

Far Horizons -- Daily Painting for September 21, 2010

2010-09-21T07:15:00.001-07:00

"Far Horizons"

36" x 24"

Acrylic on canvas

Paradise Beach -- Daily Painting for September 20, 2010

2010-09-20T11:46:00.001-07:00

"Paradise Beach"

Acrylic on Masonite Panel

19.25" x 10.25"

"Dancing Towards the Light" -- Daily Painting for September 17, 2010

2010-09-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

"Dancing Towards the Light"

Acrylic on Canvas

36" x 24"

"Blazing Heat" -- Daily Painting for September 15, 2010

2010-09-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

"Blazing Heat"

Acrylic on paper

10" x 10"

Yesterday's Morning -- Daily Painting for September 10, 2010

2010-09-10T12:13:00.000-07:00

"Yesterday's Morning"

Acrylic on paper

10" x 10"

Busy weekend ahead!

2010-09-08T21:44:00.000-07:00

It's Open Studio Tours again for the Capitol Artists this weekend and my studio is included!! In addition to the tour (which is taking place 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday) we are also participating in Preview Thursday; a special Archive Sale for our collectors, fans and friends on Friday; and 2nd Saturday. WHEW! I'm getting exhausted just writing about it :-)

This month also marks the one-year anniversary for my studio at the Foundry Upstairs Artists Gallery. It really doesn't seem like a year has already passed but it has and I'm excited about the year ahead. Because of work commitments and a large project I'm involved in I haven't been able to post as many pieces as I'd like but rest assured I've been busy painting away in my spare time. I've also been torching beads in my home glass studio and experimenting with some new techniques with my glass fusing.

I couldn't have done what I've done this year without the help and support of my readers; collectors; friends and fans. It's hard to believe that 7 years ago I had a panic attack at one of my own shows in a downtown gallery and now I've got a workiing studio gallery of my own and look forward to 2nd Saturdays!! I'm still not a huge fan of crowds but I guess it's different when they're art afficianados.

Many thanks to all,
JJ

Before and After

2010-09-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

Here are the before and after shots of my painting "Sensations" which was recently purchased by my talented photographer friend, Wes Schultz. "Sensations" was an 8" x 8" acrylic painting with deckled edges on a sheet of 300-lb. watercolor paper painted earlier this year. I had floated the painting on a off-white piece of mat board and framed it in an inexpensive frame from Michael's. Wes saw the painting at my house and purchased it right off the wall! Then he had the painting reframed and voila -- here's the finished piece.
What a difference -- I love it!! In fact -- I want it back.

Just kidding :-)

"Maybe Tomorrow" - Daily Painting for August 19, 2010

2010-08-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

"Maybe Tomorrow"

Acrylic on wood panel

19.5" x 10.25"

- SOLD -

New show at my gallery

2010-08-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased a couple cases of larger canvases to paint on (30" x 30" and 36" x 24") and have been on a bit of a painting frenzy. I've always been hesitant to "paint large" since my previous experiences with the process didn't fare very well but I've recently changed my mind..... I just love the freedom of throwing a big blog of paint on the canvas and swishing it around into a desirable shape or design!!! I just let my emotions fall all over the canvas and move them around in the paint. I've posted a few of the more recent large works on my blog and on http://www.fineartamerica.com/ and http://www.dailypaintersabstract.blogspot.com/ but wanted to show you how they look in my gallery. Last Saturday I completely cleared the walls of my studio and rehung the new works intermixed with a few of the older ones. Here's the result:

Red Alert -- daily painting for August 16, 2010

2010-08-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

"Red Alert"

Acrylic on Canvas

12" x 12"

Five O'Clock Shadow -- Daily Painting for August 14, 2010

2010-08-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

"Five O'Clock Shadow"

12" x 12"

Acrylic on canvas

Thinly Veiled Disguise -- (Alzheimer's Disease) - Daily Painting for August 13, 2010

2010-08-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

"Thinly Veiled Disguise"

36" x 24"

Acrylic on canvas

- SOLD -

"Calypso" -- Daily Painting for August 10, 2010

2010-08-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

"Calypso"

48" x 20"

Acrylic on 3 canvases

The Endless Journey -- Daily Painting for August 4, 2010

2010-08-04T07:49:00.000-07:00

"The Endless Journey"

24" x 18"

Acrylic on canvas

-- SOLD --

This painting was sold to an interior designer for a client's home. There is a lot of texture and scribblings on the canvas but they don't show up very well in the photograph. Believe me -- the finished piece looks a LOT better than the photo!!

"Stepping into the Twilight Zone" -- Daily Painting for August 2, 2010

2010-08-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

"Stepping into the Twilight Zone"

24" x 36"

Acrylic on Canvas

"Frankie's Pear Trees" - Daily Painting for July 3, 2010

2010-07-03T21:01:00.001-07:00

"Frankie's Pear Trees"

30" x 30"

Acrylic on canvas

-- SOLD --

Eve of Destruction -- Daily Painting for June 29, 2010

2010-06-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

"Eve of Destruction"

Diptych

30" x 39"

A Burning Desire -- Daily Painting for June 22, 2010

2010-06-22T08:13:00.001-07:00

"A Burning Desire"

48" x 24"

Acrylic on canvas

Ebb & Flow -- Daily Painting for June 20, 2010

2010-06-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

"Ebb & Flow"

19.5" x 10.5"

Acrylic on masonite panel

Shadow Dancing - Daily painting for June 19, 2010

2010-06-19T16:48:00.001-07:00

"Shadow Dancing"

12" x 12"

Acrylic on canvas

- SOLD -

Sun Drops -- Daily Painting for June 18, 2010

2010-06-18T14:04:00.000-07:00

"Sun Drops"

36" x 48" x 1.5"

Acrylic on canvas

- SOLD -

This painting was commissioned and purchased by the Sun City Lane LLC to hang

in the lobby of their building in Lincoln Del Webb, Lincoln, CA

"Just Words" - Daily Painting for June 16, 2010

2010-06-16T20:34:00.001-07:00

"Just Words"

30" x 30" x 1.5"

Acrylic on Canvas

$500

Dervish -- Daily painting for June 11, 2010

2010-06-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

"Dervish"

8" x 6"

Acrylic on canvas panel

$45

Red Tide -- Daily Painting for June 8, 2010

2010-06-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

"Red Tide"

24" x 18"

Acrylic on canvas

$350

Field of Poppies -- Daily Painting for June 7, 2010

2010-06-07T21:04:00.001-07:00

"Field of Poppies"

10" x 8"

Acrylic on Canvas Panel

- SOLD -

Day at the Beach -- Daily Painting for June 7, 2010

2010-06-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

"Day at the Beach"

14" x 14"

Acrylic on Canvas

$175

Jolt of Jazz -- Daily Painting for June 6, 2010

2010-06-06T06:37:00.001-07:00

"Jolt of Jazz"

12" x 12"

Acrylic on canvas

$125

Swinging Over Rooftops - Daily Painting for May 30, 2010

2010-05-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

"Swinging Over Rooftops"

10" x 8"

Mixed media on canvas

- SOLD -

When Lightning Strikes -- Daily Painting for May 28, 2010

2010-05-28T08:01:00.000-07:00

"When Lightning Strikes"

Acrylic and Pastels on canvas

12" x 12"

SOLD

Neutral Ground -- Daily Painting for May 27, 2010

2010-05-26T23:31:00.000-07:00

"Neutral Ground"

24" x 18"

Acrylic on canvas

$300

Crow Talk -- Daily painting for May 26, 2010

2010-05-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

"Crow Talk"

8" x 10"

Mixed media on canvas

- SOLD -

Fault Line -- Daily painting for May 25, 2010

2010-05-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

"Fault Line"

10" x 8"

Mixed media on canvas

$75

Serendipity - Daily Painting for May 24, 2010

2010-05-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

"Serendipity"

8" x 10"

Mixed media on canvas

$75

The Edge -- Daily Painting for May 23, 2010

2010-05-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

"The Edge"

16" x 8"

Acrylic on canvas

- SOLD -

Purple Mist -- Daily painting for May 22, 2010

2010-05-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

"Purple Mist"

10" x 10"

Acrylic on canvas

- SOLD -

Nature's Palette -- Daily Painting for May 21, 2010

2010-05-21T00:27:00.000-07:00

"Nature's Palette"

10" x 10"

Acrylic on canvas

- SOLD -

Back to Life -- Daily Painting for May 20, 2010

2010-05-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

"Back to Life"

12" x 9"

Acrylic on canvas

SOLD

Levee Break -- Daily Painting for May 19, 2010

2010-05-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

"Levee Break"

12" x 12"

Acrylic on canvas

$125

Stormy Beach -- Daily Painting for May 18, 2010

2010-05-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

"Stormy Beach"

10" x 10"

Acrylic on paper

$60

Yesterday Morning -- Daily Painting for May 17, 2010

2010-05-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

"Yesterday Morning"

10" x 10"

Acrylic on paper

$60

End Point -- Daily Painting for May 16, 2010

2010-05-15T22:21:00.000-07:00

"End Point"

7.5" x 7.75"

Acrylic on paper

$45