Tangie's Blog

An Ancient Spirit

I'm so dang proud of my girl, and feel so blessed to be her mom. Recently while at Art Unraveled Samantha took a class from a wonderful teacher who told Sam she wanted to meet me. So after the class was over she came and found me and dragged me down to her classroom--when I walked in the teacher just hugged me and burst into a magical wave of praise for Samantha and what an amazing "spirit" she had. It was an amazing expierence to hear someone else, who had just met her, say all the things I keep so close to my heart about my sweet girl. I know she is an ancient, magnificent spirit and it is a privelage that she came to Dave and I, we feel like such a blessed family. If I only get one of these spirits to raise in this lifetime, I'm so glad it was her. Love you my girl!

 

 

Lefty or Righty

Lately I've been fascinated with "Left and Right" brain topics, it has helped a tremendously in how I feel about my art and sometimes the "anxiety" I have about it. I had a teacher at Art Unraveled who really got off on an interesting tangent about it and I've been thinking about it ever since! I would love to curl up with some good books on the subject and really dive into it, but with all that is going on and so many projects to finish up that will have to wait for another "season" of life. (<-------OI! that sentence right there is EXACTLY my point)

This one was for the August Adventure Quest for the Art Journal Caravan 2012 -- combining spheres/globes/maps with the color wheel, I REALLY enjoyed the process of this one and reflected on some important things I want to focus more on in my life

 

 

 

1,826 Days Ago...

My amazing dad left this world so unexpectantly and so young. It's interesting to look back and think how you wondered how you were going to get through one day much less accepting the fact that you would wake up five years later and the world would still be turning. But turn it does-- and life goes on. The hardest part for me, and truly the saddest part of it. is that there is nothing new to say, no new memories to share and it gets harder and harder to remember the little tiny details of the ones I do treasure. I truly loved my dad with all my heart--he was my mentor, best friend and biggest cheerleader. It took three years for me to cry again after my dad passed away, nothing could make me cry, nothing hurt as bad, nothing could ever compare to that black day. All of that being said, I have great faith and a knowledge that I WILL see him again, that families are a forever blessing and promise. I know that he watches over me, guides me, loves me even from behind the veil. I have felt his influence in my life every single one of those 1,826 days that he has been gone. I am proud to be David McMeen's daughter, and I am so THANKFUL for all he taught me. He inspired us to be independant thinkers, to be better each and every day than we were the day before, to work hard, to believe that we could achieve our dreams and most importantly he taught us about unconditional love. My sisters and I could not have been more blessed and we will celebrate his amazing life today! I've said it before but it is and was amazing to live in a family where we had no regrets, nothing was left unsaid, we KNEW he loved us and he KNEW we loved him. I am so GRATEFUL for that.

Dad, I love you so much and I miss you so much. We have so much "hoch" to catch up on!

 

New Mad Hatter Session of the Wonderland Workshop!

I added another weekend session of the Wonderland Workshop this fall! I'm so excited about this workshop I can hardly stand it--I've been buying up all kinds of Alice inspired treasures (the goodies are going to be Alice inspired, but you definitely don't have to do an actual Alice journal! It will be great for so many themes!) I should post some pictures soon of all the goodies I've been snatching up!

This session will be held OCTOBER 19th & 20th.

If you have any questions please email me! My studio is in my home, so there are extremely limited seats available– it will sell out fast.Workshop fee is non-refundable* but is transferable upon written request! (*If for some reason the workshop has to be rescheduled because of acts of God or war, or if  I have to cancel the workshop due to any other unforeseen emergency a new date will be scheduled or a coupon of equal value will be issued to my digital or Etsy stores).

Local Information (there are other hotels nearby, you can always email me for more info):

Sky Harbor Airport http://skyharbor.com/

Hyatt at Riverview Mesa (Bass Pro Shop Center) http://phoenixmesa.place.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/place/index.jsp

Hampton Inn on Gilbert Road & the US 60 http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml;jsessionid=5TG24D2ME2N14CSGBIW222Q?ctyhocn=PHXGBHX  Ready to sign up for your Adventures in Wonderland?

Pay $75 now and $75 by August 15th:

Surely I did something...

the last 7 months? On a daily basis I think I have nothing to "blog" about but surely I did something interesting since November 2011? I'm not sure anyone even reads blogs anymore what with Facebook and Twitter training us that 200 characters or less is plenty of room to say something about our life (I totally disagree, but then I don't say anything at all so my opinion hardly counts!). Oi, I sound like a broken record, I always post some nonsense about why I don't blog--share why I hope to be better about it but then let it go again. It's an amazing analogy for so many things if I think about it, but that is getting a bit deep for me this early in the morning! What I need is a blogging project, perhaps I should ponder that one. In the meantime if nothing else it's a place to share my journal pages.

 

 

Miss you dad!

I couldn't let the day pass by without sharing a few of my thoughts about my dad. I miss him SO MUCH, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't wish I could talk to him and ask for his advice, and tell him about everything I'm doing--and all my dreams for the future. He was truly an amazing person, the world has been a tad dimmer since his light left it. If he was here today, I would make sure to take the time to tell him how much I loved him and give him a great big hug! Tell him thanks for the way he raised us girls, and how much I admire all the good things he did. Luckily for me (and our family) we had no regrets when my dad died, those kinds of things never went unsaid, we KNEW our dad loved us, and he KNEW we loved him. He was my hero. I live with that great blessing, knowing that there was nothing left undone. I still remember the last time I saw him--talking real estate in the Thatcher RE/MAX office--doing his THANG! I walked out the back door of the office to go home that day feeling happy and grateful I had the privelage to work with my dad. Fifty-eight was much too young for so great a person to leave us, so Dad...where ever you are...I miss YOU and I LOVE YOU! Thank you! Hugs and kisses from your biggest fan!

I do know one thing with all my heart....the going from this world will be a little easier knowing you are on the other side waiting for me.

 

 

Art Unraveled 2011 in a Few Words!

Wow! We just got back from Art Unraveled yesterday and it sure was amazing! I wish we could have stayed until Tuesday---but maybe next year ;)! We took some very incredible classes, I was so impressed with most of them! I met some new and wonderful friends and just had an all around great time. Dave loved his classes too, and I'm SO excited to see what he creates with his new mad skills!

I took:

• Visual Ammunition for the Art Addict with Davide Modler & Eric Scott
• Dooles Unleashed with Traci Bautista (with my sister, mom and friend Cami)
• Altered Imagery with Karen Michel (with my mom!)
• With one Pallette with Pam Carriker
• Everything about Pens with Kelly Kilmer (with my mom and Samantha!)

Dave took:

• Strange Angels with Michael deMeng
• Window Sampler by Daniel Essig
• Through the Looking Glass with Michael deMeng
• Closure Sampler by Daniel Essig
• Tree Book by Daniel Essig

The on Saturday they have the most OUTSTANDING, AMAZING shopping you've ever seen! If you've never been you must go next year! (You can go to the shopping day without attending the rest of of the retreat, but really you should do both ;))

Here is just a quickie snapshot of the class projects we came home with...you never finish in class so now we have all this stuff to work on ;) maybe we'll have a family night based around them so we can get them done!

I came home with 4 started journals and 3 started altered imagery paintings!

You can look through the "looking glass" on this box Dave made and it's lit from the inside with flickering led candles and their is a scene in there! It's SO COOL! I'm going to have him make me some Halloween ones!

Here is a different view of his "strange angel" (it's not finished yet!) it goes on a really cool faux painted wood board that is still packed so I didn't get a picture of it!

And a little tidbit of the shopping we did! It's a good thing I took our budget in cash---that way we knew we were done when it was gone--I could have spent a thousand bucks if I had had it!!!!  LOL

I need to find Samantha's journal too, when she gets home today I'll have her get it for me so I can take some pictures of the cute little journal she made in our pens class. I LOVE to see her art journaling it makes my heart go all a pitter!

xoxox ~tangie

I'm teaching a workshop this fall! Now Registering! :)

If you have any questions please email me!
My studio is in my home, only 12 spots will be sold including to local friends and family--so it will sell out fast.
Workshop fee is non-refundable* but is transferable upon written request!
(*If for some reason the workshop has to be rescheduled because of acts of God or war, or if  I have to cancel the workshop a new date will be scheduled or full refund will be given to you)

Delusions of Grandeur

Some art journal pages I finished last night.

You can see full credits in my gallery {here}.

My Fifteen Minutes of Fame...

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this before, but it really truly is a goal of mine to start blogging more (why, is it so hard?). I was recently featured in Somerset Digital Magazine! Wow! It was such an honor and a privilege....and to top it off I honestly and truly think this has been the best edition of Somerset Digital Studios yet! Stampington sure knows how to put on a class act. The cover is DIVINELY gorgeous.

Here is my feature article, it's four pages! Still can't believe it!

and to top it all off this is the magazine I chose to put a full color page ad if for the Art Journal Caravan (the fact that they were in the same magazine was totally a coincidence)

I hope you have a great rest of the weekend, I'm off to work on my art journal today. I FINALLY managed to get the studio put back together after the trip to Las Vegas, and I can't wait to go play in there!

xoxo

 

I really got a good chuckle out of this...

Comic Sans...almost as bad as Papyrus. *chuckle chuckle*

In my own little world...

Journaling away...

Today was quiet for the most part, poor Samantha is really sick and so I stayed home from church with her, we had everyone over for Sunday dinner later in the afternoon--played in the backyard for a little while, what  a blessing to not only have such a yard but that the weather has been so nice. I hope you all had a great Sunday as well.

Our hearts and prayers, as I'm sure yours are too, are with the families in Japan and all over the world who are suffering from war and natural disaster.

 

A Renaissance of Wonder

My newest art journal page ;) so glad I had some time to scrap yesterday! We went and saw Rango with all the kids (my nieces, nephew, Sam & her BFF) then we took the kids home and went and saw Limitless and went to CPK! It was a fun day with the family!

 

The Painting on the Wall.

A few weeks back I got a crazy bug to do a hugeamondous-largeness painting for my entry way. It's just about the craziest mixed-media project I've ever tried to accomplish, but I had a BLAST doing it and just allowed myself to enjoy the process and not worry about the result, which I think true art should be like. It's no Picasso but hey, Picasso doesn't live here.

Epic Fail...Again.

Okay so on a complete whim my sister Molly and my mom and I went to the movies last night at 10 PM! We went to see Red Riding Hood (we weren't going to, but we overheard some people talking about how fantastic it was). Ummmm Catherine Hardwick has got to be the all around worst director of all time. LOL I give the movie 1 star out 5 which is a real shame because it was a really cool idea! Seriously, it was hilariously terrible! I think she was trying to make sure she could show everyone that she could do a "werewolf" movie...the only thing she proved was that she couldn't.....thank heaven's Summit found new a director for the Twiglight saga after she completely missed the mark on Twiglight.