Artist Interview: Meet my creative and afrocentric Friend Toni!

Artist name: Toni Daley 

Website: www.tonidaley.com 

 Description of art:  A large majority of my work tends to be colorful  vivid portraits with a surreal feel 

Places we can buy your art:  My online shop and gallery can be accessed at www.tonidaley.com  I have some of my pieces for sale as well as prints available.   You can also contact me for custom requests. 

When did you first realize you wanted to do art: I’ve always loved to draw and paint as early as I can remember so I think it’s something I always wanted to do.  I was in my late teens/early 20’s when I realized I wanted to also share it with the world! 

 How long have you been doing art:  I graduated from drawing in my sketchpad to painting on canvas when I was 13 and have been hooked ever since.  I love manipulating the colors to bring the portrait to life. 

Were you formally trained:  No formal training, it just comes naturally 

What inspires you :  I draw inspiration from day to day life, it could be a song on the radio or a bright dress in a shop window.  Just something that captures my attention for a moment and really stands out to me usually ends up on canvas later that day. 

 Favorite artist:  There are so many....but to name a few, I love Justin Bua’s style , he creates such unique characters and backdrops .  I’m also really inspired by Kevin Williams (WAK). His imagery is stunning and his characters are beyond beautiful,on top of that he is the best selling artist in the print market of black art.

Art tool you can’t  live without:  My small round paint brush….i like to do a lot of detail in my portraits so I find myself using this brush all the time….i have a few…one of which I use for eyeshadow which also works great.

Art goals:  Eventually I’d love to be able to do my art full time 

Advice to other artists:  Find subject matter that you are passionate about  and you will never get tired of creating  

Art Feature on Website

Yay!!!! So happy to announce that my art work has been featured on Word xpress. 
Go and check it out! Its located in the left toolbar under Art Gallery

I'M BACCCKKK!!!!

Sorry it's been so long....for the last week I have been so busy trying to get caught up at work and getting the home life back in order.So, I told you that I was going to tell you guys what I experienced a few weeks ago well.......

It all started Wednesday April  27th ( doesn't that sound like the opening for a story book lol) it was nothing out of the ordinary? We have storms like this all the time. I was at work and some of my co-workers were talking about the storms, and how the news was stating that we it was  going to get really bad today. side note: I never watch the news but anyway, I was just thinking if it does get bad none of our patients will show up and then maybe we will get to go home early ( I know that's bad but that's what usually happens everyone starts getting nervous and nothing ever happens) The Dr told us that we  needed to just go ahead and cancel the afternoon schedule because there was talk that the schools were going to let out early. Then about 12:00 it really started to look scary. The sirens started going off and the sky got really dark ! So, that's when the office moved to the exam room! There with my coworkers and a few patients we sat and listen to the news trying to figure out if the storms were coming our way?

After about 45 mins. we got the OK that there was a break in the storm just long enough for us to get home safely. It was still pretty dark after I left and still raining pretty hard but I made it there safely. When I got home the sirens were still going off and my husband decided that he would go to the store just in case it got really bad. So, now I'm glued to the TV yes watching the news and all I see on the radar is red! The new anchor is constantly telling people to take cover there are tornado's on the ground and that's when I really started getting nervous! THEN...they said that the tornado was near us and we took cover in our bathroom my husband was on his way home and said that the whether was looking crazy and that all the lights were out and everything was dark and right before he walked in the lights went out!

So, that meant no phone, no Internet, no radio and the cel was on it's last bar!!! We tried to contact family and friends with our cel phone but no answer. There we sat with no power. In the middle of a tornado storm with no way of knowing if it was going to hit us or not?

Thankfully we got thur the night no damages to the neighborhood. Still no power so we had to resort to listening to the radio in the car along with using our car charger. I had finally talked to my mother the night before and she told me that they didn't have light either but at that point I really didn't think much of it. It was until mid morning that I learned that the whole town was without power and that they were uncertain when we were going to have power restored and the county was on curfew.

Now the whole town was in a uproar. Running for gas, food, candles, flashlight, charcoal,basically anything that they could get there hands on. The lines at the pumps and the stores were CRAZY!!! Keep in mind we still hadn't spoken to family or saw any of the damage that the storms had done to parts of Alabama. We made due with what we had. It wasn't so bad. I even got a little painting done during the daylight hours. Our neighbors were really kind and were willing to help if we needed them. My mother-in-law even let us borrow her hot plate to cook dinner with ( which reminds me I probably need to return that to her) Mostly everyone was driving to neighboring towns to stock up on gas and supplies or just to get away. We were without power for about a week and I have never missed hot water so much in my life that first hot bath felt so good!

All of our families and friends were OK. So, I was very, very,  thankful. But when I got back to work Tues. (yes I had to come back to work you know It's hard trying to get dress in the dark.) I learned that our Dear Friend Kim our mail lady lost her home. Our office tried to help her as much as we could and she was so thankful. She is so grateful everyday she come in she still smiles and still jokes with us. She is such a strong woman she says that she is so thankful to have her family and right now she staying with a friend. It's funny how some people were complaining about not having power but think of all those families that didn't have homes or lost loved one. I continue to pray for my friend Kim and her family and ask that you guys keep her in your prayers as well along with all the other families that lost not only homes but loved ones during these storms.

Alabama Tornados Storms

Due to the storms in Alabama I have been without power. I will try to update my blog as soon as possible to tell you guys about what we have experienced in the 5 days....

ARTIST INTERVIEW: MEET MY WONDERFUL FRIEND JENNY !!!

Artist Name: 

Jenny Lee Wentworth
 

Blog/Website: 

http://www.jennyleewentworth.blogspot.com/
 
Desrciption of your art:
That's a tough one.I never really thought of how I would

describe my art.I can tell you that when I'm making art

is when I'm the happiest.I hope when people see my work

that happiness if reflected. 
 
Places we can buy your Art: 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Wentwortharts
 
When did you first realize that you wanted to do art?  
In early 2009 I was feeling incomplete.I had a wonderful

husband and two beautifulkids but I was so wrapped up in

doing everything for my family that I kind of forgot who

I was.I read a book that year by Katherine Center titled

Everyone is Beautiful and really identified with the main

character.She was a mom who found her way back to herself

through photography and in doing so was able to appreciate

all the blessings in her life.I started following Katherine

Center's blog and through that connection discovered Kelly

Rae Roberts and I just knew I needed to draw and paint.It

wasn't long after that that my kitchen table was covered 

in art supplies.  
 
How long have you been doing art? 

Only two years.I used to dabble in art and

poetry as akid but I didn't think was very

good.  
 
Were you formally trained?  
No, I wish. :) I've taken online classes 

with Suzi Blu and Misty Mawn and was lucky

to take a class at Art & Soul last October

with Judy Wise.You tube has been a great 

resource too.  
 
What inspires you?  
I always find inspiration in classic novels,poetry,music...

just about anything really.If I see something in a magazine

that I like, I'll cut it out and save it for inspiration.

I also try to have a pen and paper with me if I have an idea

so I can write it down.I will 

completely forget if I don't.   
 
Your favorite artist? 
Wow, there's so many amazing

artists it's hard to choose.

One of my veryfavorite artists

is my friendJudy Wise.I think

she can do just about anything

and she is so kind.She has taught

me toalways keep trying new things

and follow your intuition. 
 
Arts tool you cant live without? 
Do I really only get to have one? Hmmm,I can't get along

without a good pencil.There's something so soothing about

putting pencil to paper.
 
Your Art goals?  

I've been thinking about trying to get some of my work

into a local gallery and submit something for publication

in an art magazine.Fear sometimes holds me back from trying. 

A long term goal would be to be able to leave my day job 

behind to paint full time, that would truly be a dream 

come true.I may dabble in other mediums too, like clay. 

It looks like so much fun.
 
 
Advice for other Artists: 
If you've found something you love to do then do it. 

Do it for the rest of your life.Surround yourself with

loving friends who will encourage and inspire you. 

Believe that what you are doing matters.You never know

the impact for good you may have to those around you.
 

My Munster!

Meet Joey my munster!!! Isn't he cute! He enjoys hiding under beds, finding missing socks and hanging out in dark scary corners. Unlike most scary monsters he's there to protect. A nice guy. Got a pesky kid sister that wont leave you alone? Call Joey he'll make sure she never come in your room again! Don't want to eat those peas mom made for dinner Call Joey He'll take care of it !!! Call 1-800-nice-guys they will find a Munster for you !! Call today !

Joey was painted on a small canvas. Just something I came up with. I was trying to come up with a signature animal or sidekick. Kelly Rea and Mindy have birds, and Juliette has her owls. I needed something and this is what I came up with. Don't think that he will be my sidekick but I think he's cute.
What you about you guys what do you think ?

Chicken Parmesan

Looks good huh!! Well, you guys know that I'm always looking for a really good recipes. I found this one on the Food Network Website. It was actually listed under one of Barefoot Contessa recipes seen on TV. Its a twist on the Classic Chicken Parmesan. I love the way she has it plated up!! I actually saw this recipe on 30 Minutes Meal with Rachel Ray a few weeks ago. She made the same thing but paired her dish with pasta. Maybe I'll do that?? Oh, and some really good garlic bread! The plan is to make it sometimes this week so I'll let you guys know how it turns out k !