Illustration Friday ~ Leap

Wedding vows...the ultimate LEAP of faith.

© Nancy Lefko

A Different Direction

I am ALWAYS inspired by the artists whom I visit daily on their wondeful blogs. This inspiration prompts me to challenge myself or ponder introducing new elements into my own artwork.

Many years ago (before children) drawing was among my creative outlets. But I found that after the children arrived, I no longer had the 'quiet' nor 'lack of interruption' I seemed to need to work on a drawing. So I gave it up and concentrated on building a home for my family. Now that I have found my way back into the art world, I have wondered if perhaps some element of drawing could mingle with my collage work. Shall I add a drawn element to a collaged background? This line of thinking prompted me to dig up my old sketch book. Two of the following works were drawn twenty or so years ago (ouch!) from photos in an Audubon or Sierra Club calendar.


Inspiration photo by Keith Szafranski


Inspiration photo by Derek Hanson


And finally, a drawing of an old church we saw on our honeymoon in Bermuda.



So maybe sometime in the near future, I'll dust off my pencils and open that sketch book once again...all I need is some uninterrupted quiet.

© Nancy Lefko

Thank You, Mere

A very special thank you to the wonderful artist Victorian Lady for bestowing on me a lovely art award. It comes at a particularly opportune time, as my ebay sales have been flat and that always translates into self-doubt. The comments that I receive here, and something like this sweet award, are the things that keep me going and I feel so very blessed to be part of a community of supportive artists.

So here is what the award is about:

"This prize has arisen from the daily visits that I dedicate to many blogs which nourish me and enrich me with creativity. In them I see dedication, creativity, care, camaraderie, but mainly, ART, much art. I want to share this prize with all those bloggers who entertain and enrich me every day. Doubtlessly, there are many and it will be hard to pick just a few. The people I will name today deserve this prize, as do the very long list of bloggers I also enjoy to read. I will name the first four and will leave the rest of the work to all the bloggers who visit other's blogs and are nourished by them."

kelly rae roberts

roberta baird

claudine hellmuth

candace trew camling

The rules of passing on this award are simple:

Post the award on your own blog and link to its origin

Link to those to whom you pass the award

Tag, You're It !

My dear friend Ginger Nielson has tagged me and although I am running out of interesting things to say about myself, in the spirit of fun, I will try my best to think of five.

1. I have recently found my way back to the art of knitting and find it incredibly calming. Anyone need a scarf?

2. I love the old black and white sit-coms..."I Love Lucy," "Leave it to Beaver," and "The Andy Griffith Show" to name a few.

3. I'd rather curl up in front of the fireplace than do ANYTHING outside in the winter.

4. I love to shop.

5. I could eat an entire can of black olives in one sitting. (Once at a restaurant as a child, I was eating so many black olives from the relish tray, that a man at a nearby table had the waitress bring me an entire BOWL of olives all for myself...mmmmmm.)

I tag the following fun folks to join in...

Diana Evans

Kelly B

Anastasia

Valerie Walsh

Lovingly, Vera

Last weekend I found some wonderful antique photos and postcards in a shop called 'Mindfull Books and Ephemera.' There was a basket with a sign reading 'collage fodder' and you can bet I had a field day digging through that! The collage pictured was made using one of the vintage photos I purchased. In this piece I have tried to present the opportunites that may have faced Vera when she graduated from high school in 1927. Did she travel the globe? Work at a small company entering numbers in a ledger? Pursue a career in music or theatre, or marry young and raise children whom she brought to the picture shows? This collage is my tribute to Vera and whatever path she chose.

© Nancy Lefko

Illustration Friday ~ Multiple

This little lady has made MULTIPLE purchases....well, of course! Everything is half price!

© Nancy Lefko

Girls' Weekend

This past weekend I did not set foot into my studio. I did, however, renew my spirit with a visit from my very best friend from college days. We only get to see each other two or three times a year and so our visits are very special to us. We spent part of the day poking around antique and gift shops and a wonderful vintage book/ephemera store. (The shopkeeper at the latter even commented that we hadn't stopped talking since we had entered the store...quite true, we rarely come up for air :)

I found some wonderful cabinet cards and vintage postcards, at that particular shop, that I hope to play with and collage. So you may be seeing something like that in the not too distant future. (That is when I locate them...I fear they may have traveled back to New York with her packages by mistake.)

It was a wonderful weekend and I am so grateful to have such a dear friend, who knows me SO well and with whom I can share ANYTHING. Here's hoping that you have someone equally as special in your life and that even if they live far away, you make time to spend together.

© Nancy Lefko

Love and Peace Meme

I have been tagged by Roberta Baird with the love and peace meme. If you choose to participate, you are to include a link to the origin of the meme and to take some time to contemplate peace and pray for the countries that are facing trouble. Personally, I would like to add that we pray for our men and women in uniform spending every day in harm's way.

I pass the love and peace meme on to:

Ginger Nielson

Diane Duda

Michelle Henninger

Diana Evans

Thank you and God Bless.

Illustration Friday ~ Theory

Here's one gal's theory...sounds good to me.

This is a piece from the 'archives' which I thought fit the topic today. I think I'll go have some of that rich coffee right about now. Cheers !!

© Nancy Lefko

Quiet Weekend

It was a quiet weekend, which allowed for some time to create in the studio...with the space heater on HIGH, as it was also a cold and snowy weekend. I now have four new collages listed on ebay. The one above makes me think of "vintage Hollywood." It must have been a wonderful place back in the 30's, 40's and 50's. There was a touch of class that seems so lacking now. I also think about what old New York must have been like, with the clubs that had floor shows and orchestras...the likes of Ricky Ricardo crooning at the Tropicana. The clubs in New York today? No, thanks.

Ahhhh.....I guess I'm just a vintage girl.

© Nancy Lefko

Illustration Friday ~ Choose

This piece was made for a cancer survivor and seems to fit the theme today. In this collage I wanted to send a message of strength and hope...a message to CHOOSE LIFE. It celebrates all those who fight with a vengeance and never give up.

© Nancy Lefko

How About That !

My thanks to the very talented Diana Evans for this sweet award. Just the thing I am needing on this very dreary winter day...with yet more snow and another delayed opening of school. If you haven't done so, you really must visit Diana's blog. She posts fabulous art every day and sometimes recipes to go along with her scrumptious illustrations. Mmmmmm...thanks Diana !!

I pass along this award to an artist whose work I adore and also to my very tired husband. (Thanks, Rich, for clearing the driveway yet again !!)

Candace Trew Camling

Rich Lefko

SEW Much Fun !!

A few months back I was making paper bag albums quite frequently...about once a week. But after a while I grew tired of the process and decided to focus solely on collage work. But this past weekend I thought I'd make another album just for fun. And it actually WAS fun and did not feel like "work" which, a few months back, it had started to feel. I had always had in mind the notion (pardon the pun) of making a sewing-themed album. I thought there might be someone out there who has a collection of sewing-related ephemera needing a home. So here is the result and if you would like to see the rest of the pages, it will be on Ebay by tomorrow.

© Nancy Lefko

Images: Enchanted Mercantile

A Different Kind of Painting

This week I didn't spend any time creating art in my studio and that is because it was being used for another kind of painting. My dear husband made this china cupboard for me a number of months ago. Our deal with any piece of furniture he makes for me is..."If you build it, I'll finish it." It took me a long time to get around to painting this cupboard and I finally decided to put all art aside until it was finished. Well, here it is holding Fiestaware in my dining room. Didn't he do a wonderful job ?? He builds from drawings I make or pictures from magazines and creates his own plans. Not bad. I guess I'll keep him.

Illustration Friday ~ Blanket

Can someone please get this gal a BLANKET ??

© Nancy Lefko