http://www.happyart.com The Happy Art of Marti McGinnis Mon, 20 Feb 2012 13:44:55 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.happyart.com/behind-the-scenes/the-vision-vs-the-reality/ http://www.happyart.com/behind-the-scenes/the-vision-vs-the-reality/#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 13:44:55 +0000 Happyart http://www.happyart.com/?p=2407 Sometimes before I conjure something up, I sketch it out. Actually I do that a bunch – but in sort of an oblique way…what with the dream world making all the time, lol. This time it was fairly literal. I had in mind to make a hat and a dress/tunic combo. So [...]]]> http://www.happyart.com/behind-the-scenes/the-vision-vs-the-reality/feed/ 0 http://www.happyart.com/big-idea-10/big-idea-91-120-pencil-sketches/ http://www.happyart.com/big-idea-10/big-idea-91-120-pencil-sketches/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:42:58 +0000 Happyart http://www.happyart.com/?p=2401 It’s been a busy couple of weeks since the last Big Idea post. This time I’ve saved up 30 new images to add. It’s fun to see how the sketches reflect what I’m up to….from imagining hobbies for my my mini horse to sort of documenting a weekend away at [...]]]> http://www.happyart.com/big-idea-10/big-idea-91-120-pencil-sketches/feed/ 0 http://www.happyart.com/inspiration/love-what-you-do-your-personal-lifelong-valentine/ http://www.happyart.com/inspiration/love-what-you-do-your-personal-lifelong-valentine/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:51:09 +0000 Happyart http://www.happyart.com/?p=2385 Love What You Choose The key to creating a life well lived is to love what you choose. The secret to doing that is to realize just how much of what you experience is actually array of choices you make. Some of this is obvious, but not all. The things [...]]]> http://www.happyart.com/inspiration/love-what-you-do-your-personal-lifelong-valentine/feed/ 0 http://www.happyart.com/inspiration/my-spirit-other-or-animal-muse/ http://www.happyart.com/inspiration/my-spirit-other-or-animal-muse/#comments Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:32:52 +0000 Happyart http://www.happyart.com/?p=2375 In a recent post I mentioned that my new favorite book is “The Arrival” by the incredibly gifted Shaun Tan. Without words he tells the compelling tale of an immigrant who experiences a sort of culture shock in a new land. Among the characteristics of the new place he’s come to is [...]]]> http://www.happyart.com/inspiration/my-spirit-other-or-animal-muse/feed/ 0 http://www.happyart.com/inspiration/my-new-favorite-book/ http://www.happyart.com/inspiration/my-new-favorite-book/#comments Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:39:48 +0000 Happyart http://www.happyart.com/?p=2359 I read a whole lot. I’m also occasionally drawn to graphic novels (sorry about the pun). Not the pulpy stuff – but the gorgeously drawn, the full-bodied conceptual, the very most awesomest! I have had favorite novels and stories in the past – all selected for different reasons – but “The Arrival” [...]]]> http://www.happyart.com/inspiration/my-new-favorite-book/feed/ 0 http://www.happyart.com/adventures-in-art/creativity-in-a-serene-setting/ http://www.happyart.com/adventures-in-art/creativity-in-a-serene-setting/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:20:02 +0000 Happyart http://www.happyart.com/?p=2335 In Central Kentucky there is a beautiful Shaker village. It has dozens of authentically restored historic buildings, over 3000 rolling and wooded acres and oodles of gorgeousness. There’s a restuarant, a craft store and tons of interesting things to see and do. This past weekend I got to stay there [...]]]> http://www.happyart.com/adventures-in-art/creativity-in-a-serene-setting/feed/ 1 http://www.happyart.com/big-idea-10/deep-winter-big-idea/ http://www.happyart.com/big-idea-10/deep-winter-big-idea/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:33:53 +0000 Happyart http://www.happyart.com/?p=2330 Can I even call it “deep winter” when our January temps continue to linger in the realm of spring? I can’t complain about having cabin fever because I’ve managed to get outside a lot over the past several weeks. You’ll see I’ve gotten a bit involved in imagineering a concept [...]]]> http://www.happyart.com/big-idea-10/deep-winter-big-idea/feed/ 0 http://www.happyart.com/adventures-in-art/unicorn-lucky-tunic/ http://www.happyart.com/adventures-in-art/unicorn-lucky-tunic/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:57:32 +0000 Happyart http://www.happyart.com/?p=2319 I just finished hand sewing this tunic and I was so excited with how it turned out I thought I would share the results! Using my new drum carder to make various art batts in all the colors of the rainbow, I was able to create a very colorful base [...]]]> http://www.happyart.com/adventures-in-art/unicorn-lucky-tunic/feed/ 0 http://www.happyart.com/behind-the-scenes/fancy-kitty-drum-carder-fun/ http://www.happyart.com/behind-the-scenes/fancy-kitty-drum-carder-fun/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:08:25 +0000 Happyart http://www.happyart.com/?p=2297 I splurged and popped for a Fancy Kitty drum carder. For one thing, I couldn’t resist the name. For another, drum carders help turn gorgeous hand dyed fiber and silky odds and ends into what they call art batts. Art batts are some kind of most excellent gorgeous in my opinion! [...]]]> http://www.happyart.com/behind-the-scenes/fancy-kitty-drum-carder-fun/feed/ 0 http://www.happyart.com/behind-the-scenes/fundraising-auctions-and-the-artists-dilemma/ http://www.happyart.com/behind-the-scenes/fundraising-auctions-and-the-artists-dilemma/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:35:35 +0000 Happyart http://www.happyart.com/?p=2286 Please, Give ’til it Hurts Routinely I get requests from incredibly deserving, right-up-my-alley organizations for a piece of my art for a fundraising auction they’re holding. Almost without fail I love the organization, their mission and the person contacting me. Half the time we’re acquainted personally, friends, even. They know me, know [...]]]> http://www.happyart.com/behind-the-scenes/fundraising-auctions-and-the-artists-dilemma/feed/ 0