art appreciation

It makes me feel so good when recipients of my art love it!  At the end of last year I painted mum a picture of her and dad (steve and viv) in my version of Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss.  This was them way back when they were first married – when dad still had hair and mum wore a long braid and seeing it framed like this made my week!  (And hers too I think :)

Commander Isis

The Warhammer Nerd Gene runs deep in this family.  My husband has it; my son has it; I have it…  And only a true carrier of the gene could make a Halloween costume this cool out of card board.  

Meet Commander Isis, Space Marine.  Bow before the Emperor, or prepare to die in a very bloody fashion…

i have a b.f.f.

(By Jasmine Bailey-Barfuss; starring Jasmine and David; Photos by my 9 yr old niece who we discovered really, really, really LIKE-likes my new b.f.f. – bless)

I have a BFF and his name is David. 

Yes that’s right, The David Woodward – you’ve heard of him?  The beautiful Tenor with a voice so warm he could melt the polar icecaps?  

Yep, that’s him.

The guy with high notes so dreamy he could bring even the coldest of hearts to tears?

Yuh-huh, that’s the guy.

With a smile so inviting it could stir the masses into spontaneously hugging each other and, ultimately, inspiring world peace?  (It is one of his many super powers.)

Yes sirree!  That’s David and yes, he is that powerful.  

And cute.

And wonderful.

And I am so in love. 

The Blissful Happy Gooey Kind of Love.  You know, the kind where you just can’t get enough of every little thing that comes out of that person’s mouth?  (Especially when they’re singing?)  The kind where they could have a big huge yellow pimple on their swollen chin and it wouldn’t even matter?  (Not that he of course would ever have a pimple on that beautiful face of his – but if he did, I swear I wouldn’t even notice!)

And whether he wants it or not, he is most certainly my new bestest-estest friend. 

Forever.  

I mean, how could I not want to be surrounded by his creative genius and cute eyelashes.  It was like love at first sight when I saw him standing there, waiting for his turn to sing at WACO rehearsals the other day (it was as if my sub conscious screamed, ‘this man will be fabulous for your self esteem Jasmine, you must meet him and claim him for yourself – now!’  But of course my conscious mind didn’t hear that, it just slowly gravitated towards him like an electron zips around the outer edges of an alluring atom) – as it was with my other two men-friends who preferred shopping with me, over making out with me.   

It’s quite strange actually, the magnetic pull that presents itself just a few times in a lifetime – the pull that drags you to a person even if you are kicking and screaming trying to run the other way.  The pull that dragged me to JB in the lunch-line in the cafeteria at Brigham Young University in 1995 – the second we found out that both South Africa and Australia have both vegemite and milo, we were fabulous friends for life; the pull that dragged me to the eccentric and passionate deep-thinker JC in 2000 – the second I heard his booming laugh, I new that I wanted his laughter in my life for the rest of my life; you know that pull that only happens a handful of times?  I can count on about six fingers the amount of times I have made an instant bff – the kind that just clicks perfectly like a missing piece to your puzzle, at very first contact – and I can recall vividly the moment each of them entered my life.

And changed it, for the better.

One thing I have recently rediscovered (and my parents knew from birth) is that my personality is the type that craves, well, umm, how do I say this… attention.  Maybe its just vanity, maybe I just like to be called ‘Pumpkin’, but I think that people who think that I am fabulous are, well, absolutely positively unbelievably fabulous too!!!

Sigh.

I like friends.  I miss friends.  Why am I living in America again?  She wonders quietly to herself.  I have so much a history here, so many more special friends than I ever truly realized.  And now I’m making special new ones and it feels so good!  Will I ever make friends in America?  Am I too confrontational, too independent and non-conformist??  Maybe it will just take more time…  maybe…  maybe I just need to get out more in America… maybe…

As my new friend and my niece took turns serenading us with their musical voices, I sighed a happy contented sigh and thought, life is good.

I am grateful for good friends.  (Especially the kind with big muscles that carry my heavy shopping bags whilst Christmas shopping in the city yesterday.)

Grin.

Love Jaz

xox

Our Talented Photographer, my niece:

Steve and Viv: Memories of a Kiss…

I finally finished that picture for mum – the one of her and dad in their early years of marriage, ‘kissing.’  She loves that painting of Gustav Klimt’s – I think is reminds her of dad.  Dad died more than six years ago now.  Where did that time go…  Our lives have completely changed without him in it…

Here you are mum, I hope this painting brings you joy :)

xox

Glooart Design Giveaway! (Leave a comment to win!)

Hi girlies!  My cool dreaded friend Emily is hosting a giveaway of my glooart designs on her blog!  To enter to win your favorite design, all you need to do is visit my etsy shop and leave a comment on Emilies Blog (and mine!) about which one you love the best!  The winner will be revealed Friday morning!  AND FOR AN EXTRA CHANCE TO WIN, LEAVE A COMMENT HERE TOO!!  And check back on Friday!!  

My shop is only open until Friday morning (Dec 4th), so get that Christmas shopping done now!  ;D  After Friday, I am on the road and need to close my shop for the duration of my travels.  Happy shopping peoples and good luck!! xox

ONLY THREE DAYS LEFT UNTIL MY SHOP CLOSES!!

Three more days until my etsy shop closes.  There are more than 100 pieces of jewelry and original mixed media artwork for sale for Christmas!

www.glooart.etsy.com

Love Jaz

xox

New to my etsy shop – for 5 days only!

Hi everyone!  I am closing my etsy shop in 5 days – Thursday December 3rd – for three months while I travel.  I have just put my latest goodies up for Christmas shoppers – a lot of antique-looking jewelry and some original artwork that I created for Shriners Hospitals for Children.  This is the first time I have posted original artwork and remember these items will only be listed for five days, then I’m on the road.  Take a look and please share with your friends!  :D

Come visit my online etsy shop with around 122 different items for sale at www.glooart.etsy.com

I have a lot of antique brass and copper jewelry that I am in love with.  IN LOVE I TELL YOU!!  Lots of high quality crystal and gemstones, particularly amethyst.  I am so infatuated with amethyst at the moment (yummo!)  SHOP HERE.

And some original artworks I created for Shriners Hospital for Children.  This is the first time I have listed original art for sale.  Remember these items will only be listed for five days, then I’m on the road.  SHOP HERE.

Original handmade jewelry and artwork made by me :D  Please share this with your friends!!

SHOP HERE.

SHOP HERE for funky original jewelry made by me and a small selection of original mixed media artwork.

Remember these items will only be listed for five days, then I’m on the road.  I love you guys.  Thank you so much for supporting me and my children xoxox

Love Jaz

xox

JASMINE’S GLOOART ETSY SHOP IS HERE

PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS!!!  Thank you so much!!

due to popular demand…

Due to c-RAZY popular demand (that being one comment a couple of posts ago by one of the only people that ever leaves comments on my humble blog) – BEHOLD!  My little Warhammer dudes!!  As per your request Ti-Pea.  And when I say ‘little’, I mean ‘itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny’.  Check it out:

This is what my husband and I used to do for fun in the good old days.  When we were first married.  We would paint for hours and hours, days and days, entire miniature armies, to perfection (or close to – Nick sometimes liked to hurry which is not really something you can do when painting miniatures and I took a while to figure out how exactly to paint something so tiny.)  It was fun.  A bonding activity.  Nerdy :D

I was SO excited the day my husband won his first ‘Best Painted’ trophy in an Outpost 6030 Warhammer tournament.  It was like winning it myself!  We spent so much of our time on these babies and it meant a lot to me that other people thought they were awesome too.

Nick thought for the longest time that I won a painting competition too, but no, I just entered.  I don’t think I even placed, but nerd-fever had struck me and like everything else creative in my life, I HAD to figure out how to do this well and couldn’t rest until I was relatively satisfied!  

Just to give you an idea of how tiny these little dudes really are:

I have to say that Orcs are definitely my favorite to paint – all that yummy green flesh and big expressive faces.  These days I don’t find myself painting Warhammer dudes much anymore.  It requires a large time committment that I don’t have to give at the moment.  Perhaps if my husband were still competing in tournaments I would be tempted to sit down with him at the table and paint…  Maybe.  I know that when my son gets a year or two older he will want to paint his own army (he’s already tried with old parts, bless his cotton socks.)  And I will definitely be there with him, painting these little amazing works of sculptured art once again.

Jaz xox

November is the month for grasping long forgotten dreams

It has been almost a lifetime since I set and reached a specific goal creatively.  It has been so long that the feeling of elation that comes from reaching a goal feels so foreign and shiny and new to me.  I am in love with that feeling.  In fact, I cannot even remember the last time I felt so satisfied personally.  Probably because I am the queen of procrastination and distractions, like many of you I am sure, and I end up berating myself more than praising for not finishing so many of the things that I begin.

This month I have been participating in the Nanowrimo Thirty Day Writing Challenge.  The idea is that you have the whole month of November to spit out sheer volumes of literary prose – 50,000 words or more.  The focus is on the volume rather than the quality – that can be sorted out later.  It is an excellent way for groups of friends to band together in creative expression egging each other on towards the final reachable goal.

My head and my heart are floating with the clouds right now because yesterday I reached 51,000 words on a story that I-LOVE.  I have distacted myself for far too long in life with all sorts of artistic endeavors or marital dramas or couch-potatoeness – none of which were my deep, deep dream.  Which meant for years I wandered around feeling a little lost and adrift because my dreams kept getting swept under the carpet.

I’ve always wanted to be a story-teller.  And boy does it feel good to be telling a story finally :)  It is amazing the feeling that comes from doing something you love; something you’ve thought about and dreamed about forever.  

When I was young I loved to tell stories through acting; being up there on the stage.  As I grew older I gravitated more towards film-making and writing my own words and images.  See, I discovered at the late age of eighteen (when I read my first Mills and Boons novel care of my sister haha) that words have this amazing power to inspire and change hearts.  To uplift and motivate.  To captivate and move.  To mold ideologies.  (It’s how I fell in love with my husband after all – through his love letters.)  Words have power and I love that.

And the thing I love the most about this month so far is that I have written so much AND spent more time than ever with the children AND painted several pictures AND kept on top of the washing AND cut my toenails AND painted them AND sorted through my massive makeup kit and put it in a gorgeous new box AND I’ve been able to speak civilly with my separated-husband!!!  What in the world!!  I mean, when does that ever happen?!  Someone must have waved their magic wand in my direction and I thank you!  Whoever the magic fairy is – thank you!!!  I love this new feeling of getting stuff done, being efficient and filling my life with the things that I love.

Then yesterday, my brother and his family visited.

WAH.

And now they’re gone :(  Back to the land down unda.  I didn’t realize how much I missed their companionship and support particularly during hard times.  I even missed my brothers teasing (but don’t tell him that or he’ll never stop.)

(And I particularly enjoyed teasing my sisters new boyfriend – I know, I should really not do that.  But I love him, he is awesome.  Go Candy!)

And have I mentioned lately how much my children crack me up?  They make me laugh so much.  I am grateful for them in my life, big-time.  They have been one of my only sources of pure joy over the past year, without them I think I would have forgotten how to smile and how to love.  

Phoenix’s latest cute thing is how she thinks that smiling means to show all of your teeth at once hahaha.  And I just LOVE how she gets into my makeup and explores her girlyness and her creativity and loves-every-second-of-it (no matter how she looks at the end – she ALWAYS looks like a princess!)

Cheeky monkey.

*smile*

And how Isis is so scared to wobble his teeth.   He lives in passionate denial that he will lose any more and is quite determined to keep the ones he has left.  His front teeth seem to agree as they are not planning on growing-in anytime soon.  I just love his gummy smile, his long ‘cool’ hair and the way he thinks it’s hilarious to hide his sisters walker from her, leaving her stranded.  (He thinks it’s so funny and nearly wets himself in quiet laughter each time he does it - where does that evilness come from!!) 

Cracks-me-up.

Jaz xox

Free Digital ScrapArt Downloads to Help Muscular Dystrophy Research

Recently, a beautiful French woman by the name of Pati (you’ve got to check out her amazing blog) approached me with a desire to help our financial situation due to high cost of healthcare in America. Having two children with Muscular Dystrophy means they need to access that healthcare system on a daily basis.  She wanted to offer her artistic talents to help raise funds for our frighteningly large medical bills.  Her offer literally brought tears to my eyes – she completely blew me away.  I was so touched by her kindness and generosity.  Since I have spend a good part of the last twelve+ months finding ways to take care of these huge bills in a way that wouldn’t involve bankruptsy, I felt that we were actually in an ok place right now regarding those bills (sortof) and that the place where additional funding could most benefit our children at this point was The Muscular Dystrophy Association of Western Australia.  The NeuroSciences lab there is at the forefront of cutting edge research in muscular dystrophy.  Even though the clinical trials happening there right now are for the more common Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy, I believe the science behind the trials (exon skipping) the most likely to have an impact on our children at some point down the road.

Look how amazing she is!  Pati put together two digital scrap kits:  The Love Kit and Merry Christmas Kit just for us.  She is amazing.  You can download these for free with the hope that you may give a donation – large or small – to the Muscular Dystrophy Association of WA in return.  Many thanks to Pati and many thanks to you for supporting a cause so precious to me.

xox

Donate to The MDA Today!

Download Free Digital Scrapart Today!

(These took me about 15 minutes each to whip up from some of Pati’s designs – thanks Pati!!)

(And look what pretties Pati made!)

PTA Reflections Art Competition – this years theme: Beauty Is…

“Beauty is a beautiful superhero protecting our world.”

- Isis Barfuss, 8 yrs old

——-

Bless his cotton little socks.  Sure, I may have hinted that if superman was holding an American flag, the American mummy PTA judges may think him even more beautiful, but look at this gorgeous picture!  We’re talking dramatic composition, lighting, sunset, wind blown cape – MUSCLES!!!  I just love it!!  I love it so much!  My little eight year old is so big and grown up and so clever; brings a tear…

Thought I would share :D

Jaz xox

52Q guest artist on Emily Falconbridge’s yummy blog

mmMMMmmm I’m so lucky.  I am a guest artist on Emilies ‘Life is Beautiful’ Blog this week.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her blog and so does everyone who visits.  She is a magic mumma and so inspiring to me creatively.  Emily has just had another bub (a gorgeous ten pounder who I can’t wait to photograph when I go home for Christmas) and has a few guest artists filling in for her 52Q Challenge while she gets settled.  This is a creative weekly challenge and in many ways, it is also a spiritual challenge – you should join in and post your link!  We would love to see your beautiful creative expressions :)

This weeks question is:

What brings me joy?

There are a handful of things that bring me true and deep joy in my life, and I treasure those things and hold them very close to me.

I know Emily from back when we were in our late teens.  We rocked the stage together in Arsenic and Old Lace and some other fun things happening in Perth at the time.  And guess what?  I just found the pictures!!  Go on, have a snort and a giggle and a smile – I sure did!!  I still laugh so hard looking at these memories, even twelve years later.  I LOVE Emily’s bright red gorgeous lips (she is one of the only people I know that can do red like that!  So saucy!) and the tea towels padding my bum!  And the thing that makes me laugh the hardest, even now, is remembering how we had to try so hard not to laugh on stage when Aaron started to have an impromptu evil fit.  Notice Leia and I hiding behind our hankies?  It was such a great show. (I am laughing out loud so bad right now just thinking about it - these memories are bringing me joy for sure.  There is nothing quite like a good belly laugh over a great memory :)

Fun times.  Funny memories.  (REALLY funny memories!)

xox

happiness indeed

Look what little treasure I found drawn onto an old shopping list of mine from a few years ago.  I kept it at the time because it was so precious me – and actually, I keep almost all of Isis’ drawings because they are all so precious to me (especially the more recent ones of clone troopers with no heads and blood splatters – bless his cotton socks.)  He is an amazing and talented little guy.  

(Beware, I am about to name drop…)

So I had the afternoon to myself today and spent it watching my old pal Michael Rosenbaum playing Lex Luther in the TV series ‘Smallville’ and bringing my sons ’superman-esque’  picture to life (quite fitting don’t you think?)  I love coloring my sons pictures – they have such a unique and wonderful feeling about them and have a life to them that only a child can give.  I think he was about five when he drew this one.

And you know what?  I think I am going to really enjoy this series of Superman as a teen and I am so happy to see Michael has been keeping busy since last we met (busy is an actors dream and doesn’t happen for many of them, so I am stoked to see Michael doing what he loves and totally rocking at it).  I know Michael from when I was Key Makeup and Hair on the film Pool Hall Junkies a few years back and although I knew he was in Smallville, I hadn’t seen the show until today.   And, erm, gee, umm…. that Clark Kent fellow is rather… errrm… asthetically pleasing isn’t he?   I thought a few months ago that I may be part lesbian (my lesbian friend said, “oh yeah?  Which part – your little toe?”), but Clark Kent is sure swinging me back the other way.

*grin*

And  Lex is alright too…

*wink*

xox

#3 – my best mirror picture

Here is my second answer to the photo interview for September - 

Q: Your best mirror shot.

A:  I know this is kind of cheating, but when I think of my best ever mirror shot, I don’t think of the vain shots I take in order to feel better about myself, to help me pretend I weigh 30kg’s less than I really do by using a wide angle lens on it’s side from a high angle….  (I don’t want to take one of those pictures for this – they are dishonest and vain, and I am sick of dishonesty and vanity.)

I think of this picture.  

It keeps jumping back into my mind, over and over, as I think about my ‘best mirror picture’.  So, this is the right answer for me, even though it’s not something I took specifically for this challenge.  It is an old photograph, and unfortunately long lost.  Mum searched her albums for me last night, but it’s little space in the album was empty (noooooo!)  Then I searched and searched here – thinking that I must have stole it at some point (which I probably did) and could find no trace of it here either (nooooooo!)  Luckily, it is seared into my memory forever.  

So I drew it.  

I-LOVE-THIS-PICTURE.  It is the happiest, funniest picture of my life.  This was back when I was cute and loving and adorable – before I changed into a jealous little snot that rubbed everyone the wrong way.  It was taken back before I turned one – maybe six months old?  It was when dad was going to BYU and we were living in a trailer park in Springville Utah (cool hey!)  Mum, dad, nathan and glenn jumped on a boat for an american adventure in 1976ish, and conceived me along the way (on the love boat, as we joke in our family – probably at Christmas hee hee)… (ew)

But anyways…

I love my dad sooooo much, I always have.  He is one of the best dad’s that ever lived and he played such a huge role in my life as father, a friend and a guidance councilor.  I have felt adrift and lost without him many times over the last six years, since the day he died of motor neuron disease.  

I wish I had more pictures of you dad.  He was like me, always behind the lens…

This image is a beautiful memory I hold dear.  Even though I don’t have actual memories from that age, I do, because of photos like these.  I love it because we are both completely cracking up at ourselves in the mirror – you know, a real crack up with real joy attached.  And I also love it because my bum is sooooooo squishy and dimply!!!  (I actually don’t think my sketch did it justice)

I love you dad.

I miss you times infinity and beyond.

Love Jasmine

xox