Joined group: Artists of the Round Table

my intro

1. What is your name and what do you like to be called? Anita

2. What is your email addie? anitajj@...

3. Where do you reside or call home? Florida in the winter and the state of Washington in summer.

4. Who shares your life - people and pets? My sweet boyfriend and my sweet pooch, Daisy, who recently became a certified therapy dog ... we visit hospice patients.

5. What arts and crafts do you have skills in? I love so many things ... too many ... plus photography, sewing and writing. My weak point is "FOCUS'ing"

6. Which one(s are) is your current obsession? Collage (including "SoulCollage/ Wisdom cards), "plain" (textual) journaling extending timidly into art journaling, and too much lookyloo'ing at all the gorgeous work on the net.

7. What colors are your "Fun Colors?" I LOVE art but have a love/hate relationship with teachers. As a beginner watercolor student, my teacher looked at my work and said "There's something wrong with your palette". I thought she meant the plastic thing holding my paints. She never did clarify in any helpful way what specifically was wrong, so I never learned how I might improve my so-called "palette".

8. How did you "fall in love," with art? Playing around on my own, mostly. My proudest moment in first grade was when I'd made a snow scene with flour paste on a board, with a little mirror skating rink tucked in the hilly terrain. Sister Samuella sent me off to display it to every classroom. When I got to the third grade room, my brother slid all the way under his desk, mortally embarrassed to see his dopey little sister show show up in his class.

9. Did you have a mentor or someone who inspired you to begin your artistic
adventures? " Official" art teachers have been roadblocks. I loved art in high school, but shrunk from the classes cuz the teachers were so unpredictable in their grading. Since I valued good grades, I prefer'd math where you could be assured of a correct answer. One teacher said "You'll find that your own worst enemy is yourself". Half-hour later she looks at the apple I painted and groaned "OMG. That's the apple from hell!" But ... here's the GREAT, AWESOME news. Recently, I've rediscovered art on the internet and all the incredibly friendly, supportive, talented, creative people I've met through groups.

10. What do you hope to glean from the A.R.T. community? A sense of an art community, friendship, butt-kicking so I produce instead of continual oogling. And to have some fun!!!