Betsy Youngquist

I have many favorite bead artists, but one really stands out.  Her name is Betsy Youngquist.  There are no words to describe her exquisite pieces of art.  She can turn an ordinary object into the most beautiful creations you will ever see.

 Betsy is from Rockford, Illinois and she is  internationally known for her mixed media bead work.  She weaves together the human aspect along with the animal spirit to create a surreal sight.

The surfaces of her pieces are often covered with beads and found objects done in a Mosaic process.  I had the pleasure of seeing her beautiful work at the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee this year.  She taught some classes and if you are able, I would highly recommend them.

You can check out her work on the gallery page on her website.

http://byart.com

Betsy also sells her pieces on etsy.  She likes to incorporate doll heads and eye balls into her artwork. 

 Right up my alley!

words for the day....

I may not be perfect but parts of me are pretty awesome.

Where, oh where have I been?

Where does the time go??

When I started this blog, I swore I would post once a week.  Well, so it's been a couple weeks...like maybe four... A girl gets busy, you know.  Especially in summer.  I've had a few great adventures since then.  One of the most memorable milestones involved my travel buddy.  His name is Floyd.  Pink Floyd.  He had the softest pink fuzzy fur when I got him in a little antique shop in Milwaukee.

I got him many years ago, when I had 10,265 miles on Betty, my blueberry colored Volkswagen. We just reached this milestone I was talking about.  Floyd has been sitting on my dash board, through rain and snow, hail and hot sun and he just hit his 100,000's mile! His fuzzy fur is gone, he's all faded, his head is all cracked and he's missing half of his dog biscuit. But boy, He had one hell of a ride!

It may be time to retire him to the top of my studio lockers,with a great view of everything.   But for now, he's not complaining so I guess he will ride for a few more miles.

The next thing I was busy with was my annual Girl Friends Weekend at the lake. 

We always have a great time and this year was no exception.

Food, drinks, cards, food, drinks, food...drinks, etc.

Then, came the Fourth of July.  Brooke and I went to an Amish auction in Wautoma in the morning, which was very interesting. Our 92 and 95 year old mothers came to the lake along with my five sisters and husbands, and Dave's brother and sister in law.  Our mom's loved the pontoon ride.

Again with the food, drinks, food, drinks...

There's starting to be a pattern here.

Bring on July 13, my birthday.  Pattern still going strong.... drinking, eating, eating, drinking. I got a fabulous new camera that lets me zoom in so close, I can see bugs on the backs of the birds.  And a water balloon launcher.  Neighbors beware...

 

Last week was "Girls Rock" Art Camp.  We had a great group of girls who journaled and made hats.  We made polymer beads and painted some amazing canvases using old paper and photos.  It was a fun week but it made me realize, teachers need to get paid more.  No alcohol involved in this event.  My liver is resting.
Tomorrow we head to Sheboygan for the John Michael Kohler Summer Art Fair. Should be a great show.  So glad the forecast is for cooler weather!

words for the day...

I'm always disappointed when a liar's pants don't actually catch on fire.