Blog: Blog

November Greetings

Posted on 11/12/202411/12/2024 by Sylvia

November Greetings!

October was a whirlwind of exciting activities for me. It started with my artist friend Nancy visiting me from Canada. She was here for two weeks and the time flew by too fast. We both created jabots made with upcycled fabric finds. In case you’re not familiar with what a jabot is, it’s a decorative clothing-accessory consisting of lace or other fabric falling from the throat, popular in the 19th century. My updated jabot is funky and to be worn either casual over a t-shirt or dressed up.

We were both fortunate to attend a 3 day mixed media workshop taught by an artist I have admired for over 25 years, Lynne Perrella http://www.lkperrella.com/ at Kat Kirby’s Studio https://www.katkirby.com/ in Prescott. I was beyond excited to be there; to hear her speak about her creative process, learn her techniques, and to get ‘one on one’ guidance was remarkable! I came home with a different perspective on collage placement and more confidence on working with larger sized pieces. I chose to do a Native American Ancestry theme. This one is titled WISDOM, it pays homage to the enlightment gained by our ancestral mother’s life’s experiences and passed down through generations of strong women. I plan on creating 2 more pieces in this series.

On October 27th, I experienced a milestone in my artistic goals by having my first art show. The event took place at a unique venue, a salon-art gallery, hosted by the dynamic duo, Kelly Marie and Michael Schwahn. Their warm hospitality and creative vision set the perfect backdrop for my work.

As attendees filtered in, I was filled with a mix of excitement and nerves, watching friends and family explore the pieces I had poured my heart into throughout the years, always in memory of Steve.

By the end of the evening, I felt a profound sense of connection with my guests. This experience reminded me of the power of art to bring people together, and I left the gallery feeling inspired and hopeful for future endeavors. My art will be on display through the end of 2024. Please stop by! https://schwahnsalon.com/events

Below is a sampling of the newer pieces which are shown at the gallery.

I want to thank everyone who came to my first show, it was a night I will always remember. Your support meant the world to me.

If you have any inquiries on any of these pieces please call Schwahn Salon at (602)705-3035

The morning after my show I was off to Disneyland to celebrate my cousin’s birthday, it’d been 15 years since I’d gone. I was ready for some fun, food, and thrilling rides. It has changed so much, everything is obviously more expensive and much more techy. None the less, it was a wonderful time!

One more thing….I am having a BEFORE BLACK FRIDAY Sale going on in my Etsy store from November 11 to November 25. Everything is 20% off. The art displayed in the gallery at this time is currently not in my Etsy store. https://www.etsy.com/shop/PsILoveSteve

Finally, I’d like to extend my Thanksgiving well wishes to everyone. It’s been a crazy intense month but we must always remember how blessed we are and to keep striving towards positivity and light.
Stay Positive * Work Hard * Make It Happen * Never Give Up

With love and affection,

Silver Moon

Ps I love Steve!

September Greetings!

Posted on 09/26/202410/01/2024 by Sylvia

Early this year I was invited to be the guest artist at Schwahn Salon in Mesa. Schwahn Salon is half salon and half art gallery owned by the kindest couple Michael and Kelly Marie whom I instantly connected with about 3 years ago. I agreed to do this for their October – December showing.

I have taught local classes and workshops out of state, sold at art vendor events, and have been published numerous times, my last remaining art goal has been to have my own solo art show. When opportunities have come up I have always defensively responded “I’m not ready.”

Time for Silver Moon to be transparent. I’ve always been quiet, one who tries not to complain or air my grievances. My entire life I’ve tried to be resilient, to remain strong, and not show my emotions. This deeply suppressed part of me which I was so good at hiding all came to a halt during quarantine 2020 when a lot of thinking became reality and then WOW! Was I floored to face my truth!

Fast forward to 2024. I have not only been creating but dusting off the cobwebs of some of my older art pieces, long time favorites of mine. As I’m holding these collages which teeter on being spooky to some, I can now honestly say there is PAIN in my art. There is blood indicating suffering, there are lips stitched shut representing my silent screams. And now I see eyes blacked out suggesting the sudden vision loss I have experienced this year. All this pain for years was disguised as a good quiet girl attending catholic school, who grew up listening to hard rock and loving scary movies. That was my belief.

All that denial has given me major anxiety to this day. Of course it is all more complex than that. As a result, I’ve sadly allowed this anxiety to limit my choices.

So I have taken this first brave step to show my art, fighting my insecurities. Being open to the grief I denied myself of feeling, hoping to touch someone who needs to know that you are never alone. I humbly ask the universe to protect me and give me strength while I send off the highest gratitude, for this opportunity.

Here are a few of the older collages I have come across.

LET’S PLAY (After Steve. Those joyful days no longer existed.)

SAVE ME (After Steve. How could I go on without him?)

A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM (After Steve. He was a guitar player. I missed the little performances he would give me. I’d watch his facial expressions, feeling the music then looking up to smile at me.)

ETERNAL LOVE (After Divorce. I never imagined another sudden loss)

SHE KNEW NOT (After Divorce. My once safe world had become a tumultuous tsunami of survival. I could no longer create at the pace I had once therapeutically embraced. I took an approximate 13 year hiatus. During this chaos, a few pieces were reluctantly created, made from the pressure of guilt rather than the spark of inspiration.)

In my journey, I have learned that progressing through life, even at a slow pace, is still a form of moving forward. There have been times when the weight of setbacks have threatened to sink me in deep despair, yet I found comfort in the belief that every step, no matter how small, is part of a greater journey. We are never alone. (11:11) I hope to give solace to those who may be navigating their own struggles through my art, providing a glimmer of hope and a reminder that even in the darkest of times we must NEVER GIVE UP.

https://schwahnsalon.com/

Stay Positive * Work Hard * Make It Happen * Never Give Up

With love and affection,

Silver Moon

Ps I love Steve!

June Greetings

Posted on 06/11/202406/11/2024 by Sylvia

Wow, I cannot believe it’s been almost a year since I’ve posted. Time to catch up….

So far this has been a year of adventure and discovery. I believe that along with the good, comes the not so good, reminders to never forget and appreciate our good moments.

2024 began with a wonderful trip to Puerto Rico. I happened to be there during their annual festival of San Sebastian which party-wise is as wild as Mardi Gras. It is a 4 day festival, I went twice. The first day I went was on a Thursday, it was great to walk around Old San Juan and see all the lovely old buildings, the vegetation, and of course the ocean. The second time I went was on Sunday, the last day of the festival and YES, it was crazy. I went back determined to see the Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazziz Cemetery and the Castillo San Felipe del Morro. To make a long story short, the crowds were intense and I wasn’t prepared for such a long walk. I had comfortable shoes on but had no water. Literally walking shoulder to shoulder amongst the crowd of partying locals, I ended up in La Perla district, which is their infamous neighborhood of shanty buildings first built to house the ones not allowed to live within the walls of San Juan in the 19 th century. I did not know where I was until I got back to my hotel room and read about it. La Perla is a place where its residents are proud and do not like photos being taken of their homes by outsiders. Tourists are discouraged from entering as they only allow their own residents in. In fact several Americans were murdered there in 2021 and 2023 after being told to not photograph the area by the locals. WOW! And there I was amidst the crowd taking photos. It must’ve been serendipitous for me to end up in Puerto Rico during the festival, and having probably my only opportunity to walk amongst the locals in their own streets. It felt like a gift given to me from the universe. I felt very humbled.
https://rove.me/to/puerto-rico/san-sebastian-street-festival
https://sanjuanpuertorico.com/la-perla/

Here are a few pics from that trip.

A few weeks later I was next headed to go see the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, CA. I’ve always wanted to see it since I caught a glimpse of it while driving by many years ago. It was pretty amazing. The grounds around the mansion and the stained glass windows inside are worth the price of admission. If you do not know the history of the Winchester Mystery House, here is a link to read about it. https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/timeline/

While there I also discovered the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, which I’d never heard of. This was one of the most beautiful churches I’ve seen, I compare it to a mini version of the Vatican. The art and the workmanship is breathtaking. https://catholicshrinebasilica.com/cathedral-basilica-of-st-joseph-san- jose-california-united-states/ While there, an older man approached us and asked if we’d like a tour of the cathedral. It was so special as there were other visitors but we were the only ones asked. We learned so much history and left feeling honored and blessed.

Art-wise, I have been busy creating for my first art show scheduled for later this year. I will be posting more information soon!

In the middle of my creativity burst, I woke up one Saturday morning in late April with a vicious headache. I was immediately alarmed when opening my eyes, I could only see darkness and shadows out of my right eye. I ended up in the ER for 8 hours. I was taken to a bed immediately, everyone was afraid I was having a stroke…with the excruciating pain I was confused and couldn’t remember what month it was or who our president was. Yikes! It turned out I have Narrow Angle Glaucoma. It’s very serious and was told had I not come in, I would’ve gone blind. Sorry Etta James, but I prefer not to go blind. Luckily the pressure eventually went down enough for me to come home and follow up with a specialist. A few days later I had an emergency Iridectomy to remove a small portion of the iris. Although the surgery was successful, I am not out of the woods yet. I am in the 1% of patients who need further corrective surgery. So in July I will be having lens replacement surgery on both eyes.

This scare has prompted me to get more medical issues addressed. I have lived in avoidance because I have major fear and anxiety over ANYTHING medical or dental. My ‘inner voice’ tells me, “Sylvia, you have lived without any major issues for years, it’s now time to become a team player and have a turn!” I have to agree with that thought!!!

Amidst this chaos, I have managed to create 9 new collage art pieces for my show. Here is a small preview of some of them in a digital collection.

Stay Positive * Work Hard * Make It Happen * Never Give Up

With love and affection,
Silver Moon

Ps I love Steve!

August Greetings!

Posted on 08/07/202310/01/2024 by Sylvia

Woah there! Is it EVER calienté here in Arizona! So, how do I manage to stay cool? This “Zonie” goes out only if necessary. I go pick up groceries which I order online and pick up anything I can through a drive thru window either early in the morning or late evening. This is the first year in which I got in the pool and I felt like a meatball boiling in a scorching pot of boiling soup! I couldn’t believe it! With temps reaching near 120 and the lows at night in the 100’s, the pool water had no chance of cooling off. But no complaints because I am content staying indoors to create.

Collage, paying homage to Catherine of Aragon.

Mixed Media, Upcycled Frame

Assemblages, Upcyled Box Frame

Assemblages, Upcycled Box Frame

The assemblages will be available in my Etsy store by August 9.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/PsILoveSteve

Stay Positive * Work Hard * Make It Happen * Never Give Up

With love and affection,
Silver Moon
Ps I love Steve!

July Greetings!

Posted on 07/13/202310/01/2024 by Sylvia

July Greetings!

Backtracking a bit since I last wrote, I did go to Salem, Ma and had a really nice time! I stayed at The Hawthorne Hotel in the infamous Room 325. I am very in tuned into feelings and vibes (an INFJ curse!) and I didn’t feel anything paranormal. That was okay because I love staying at historical hotels, there is so much inspiration in every nook and cranny.
Here are a few photos from my trip.

One of my fave moments was climbing the secret narrow, steep, and claustrophobic stairway into the attic at The House of Seven Gables. Please google it to see! So much history there. I really wish I’d had more time to explore! Field Trip anyone?

After my return, I took a Dinah Wakley class at Scraps of Love in Peoria. Such a wonderful time taking the class with my two artsy friends. Dinah is very generous with her techniques, ideas, and humor! YES! She had us all chuckling which of course made EVERYTHING fun!

Mini Tin Shrines has been my current art projects. They are all spiritual in nature with a message within each which says “Never Give Up.” My hope is that this will reach someone at just the right time.

Lastly is ‘Guitar Maria’ a wooden 5” x 7” shrine, embellished with an eclectic array of adornments from wood, fabric, and metal, to crystals and glitter!

The shrines will be for sale in my Etsy store,

https://www.etsy.com/shop/PsILoveSteve

Each will come with a stand and a special postcard I had printed especially for this project.

Stay cool as best you can in this scorching heat!

With love and affection,
Silver Moon
Ps I love Steve!

May Greetings to all!

Posted on 05/16/202310/01/2024 by Sylvia

May Greetings to all!

I hope everyone is enjoying not only indoor art life but the beauty of outdoors as well.

To catch you up on what’s new with me…. I currently have my Etsy store PsILoveSteve on a temporary hiatus. At first I was on ‘vacation mode’ to attend a “Girls Weekend” up north in the mountains, but that ended up turning into Covid for 5 of us. It was concerning for me due to age and asthma. The fatique and difficulty breathing was difficult but thankfully I got some medication right away to prevent me from being hospitalized. So, as I’ve been recuperating I have continued to work on a few art projects.

The ATC exchanges continue with themes of;

Back To Basics: Just Paper, No Scissors, No Embellishments!

And

Zentangles and Doodles

What is a ‘Girls Weekend’ without going junk jaunting? We had a blast discovering new places and scoring some fantastic buys! I was elated to score on my latest obsession… ROLODEXES!!!! I couldn’t believe it!

I began arting on the ROLO type…the spinner kind. I love the look of them when they’re filled up. I am working on both sides of those cards. I have found a 2 hole file punch that is perfect for punching through the holes I collaged over! Cards are 4” x 2.25”

Then I found the flat type which allows me to go a little taller than the spinner kind. On those I am simply dating the backs and writing a little blurb about my collage. Cards are 5” x 3”

And then last but not least, while treasure hunting I found an unusual wood primitive piece. It looked like an open box with a centered medal rod towards the back. The lid was hinged to open and close. I immediately ‘saw’ a primitive filing system! I took it to the register and the shop owner asked me if I had seen the cards which belong to it? I had not. He went to look for them and found them someplace else (well hidden!) The cards had smoke and fire damage, they were warped, and looked like something nobody would even want….except for ME!!! On the backside of the box the remnant of an old label “The Simple Accountant”, made by Fremont Account File Co. in the early 1900’s. Although rare, they can still be found to purchase on the internet. I have approximately 3” of space to fill it up with new cards, made to look old. This one has a single hole punch. Cards are 9” x 4”.

Next week I will be traveling to Salem, MA. staying at the historic Hawthorne Hotel. In case you are wondering, in Room 325. This has been on my bucket list, I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

https://www.hauntedrooms.com/massachusetts/salem/haunted-places/haunted-hotels/hawthorne-hotel

https://frightfind.com/hawthorne-hotel/

My Etsy store will reopen once I return.

Until the next time…

Stay Positive

Work Hard

Make it Happen!

Silver Moon

Ps I love Steve!

March Greetings and a Happy Spring to all!

Posted on 03/13/202310/01/2024 by Sylvia

Spring is here and a busy month is always welcomed! I’m very happy to have my priority bucket list of home improvements, finally completed. There is always something next to do but the major ones are taken care of. This month has brought on some physical therapy along with participating in a yard sale, going on a ghost tour of my hometown (it was more of a history lesson for me), and ‘working’ aka ‘found art hunting’.

I recently hosted a sleepover with my ATC gals. I love all paper projects but I wanted to do something out of my own comfort zone. So, we made Origami dresses and had so much fun folding and embellishing but unfortunately had to stop early to get some sleep since we had morning plans. We began by making small paper dresses to learn, and then went onto using large papers! We used decorative art paper on one and on the other an original topographic map. I actually just completed the topographic designer dress last night.

The first one is a festive party dress, measuring approximately 15″ x 12″.

Next is my sophisticated designer dress approximately 19” x 10”

With love and affection,

Silver Moon

Ps I love Steve!

February Greetings!

Posted on 02/13/202310/01/2024 by Sylvia

This month I’ve been focused on checking things off on my home’s ‘to-do’ list. The exterior is getting painted, with a color change! The rod iron fencing got restored with new gates built. Today the house got a major termite treatment, they had to drill the entire perimeter. My pool pump and motor had to get replaced, and the spa will get a tile restoration before the month is up. Goodness!

To deal with all that’s going on I have found solace in the studio. I have been ‘stickering’ non-stop. I started a sticker journal in late 2022 . After purchasing several on Etsy amongst other sites, I decided to purchase a Phomemo Thermal Printer, which has been a whole lot of fun to use! I did a lot of research on it and am really pleased with it. The paper choices have been wonderful, some of the papers have a 20 year life span which I didn’t even know existed with thermal prints. I also began using my Canon Ivy 2 which prints rectangular and round stickers. The print quality on Zink paper is outstanding. It’s such a bonus to not have to purchase ink for those two printers.

I am in a monthly ATC exchange with a few local friends which has me dusting the cobwebs off my mixed media supplies. Our goal is to just take it easy and enjoy. Our latest theme is “Just One Book” which means all imagery can come from only ONE book. Oh my! I have a difficult time with art rules but the challenges have been good. Here are a few samples of my ATC’s.

As of yesterday I just completed a 12” x 12” mixed media canvas. It began as a puddle of walnut ink on the surface and sat as such for about a week. Then I began to see something, from there it transformed to what you now see. Something incredible happened upon completion, as I photographed it on my phone. I was trying to copy the image to share with my friend. In doing so, a light within the image kept circling a portion of the painting, over and over. I’d never seen anything like that before! I watched in disbelief until I was finally able to copy it onto a text message. This is what copied over, not the entire painting. I was in awe but MORE so when I learned (within seconds) that an aunt of mine had passed suddenly and recently, unbeknownst to anyone. She was my grandmother’s youngest sister and passed away on my grandmother’s recent birthday. I now had a name for my painting. Ethereal Beings.

Wishing everyone love and affection on Valentine’s Day and every day.

Sylvia Luna / Silver Moon

Ps I love Steve!

January Greetings!

Posted on 01/25/202310/01/2024 by Sylvia

I hope everyone is doing great in this New Year 2023!

I have enjoyed spending more time in my studio this past year with my focus being my Etsy store, PSILOVESTEVE.

My Etsy store opened in 2022. I sell a variety of vintage mixed media supplies as well as greeting cards; either die cut or original art. My passion has always been paper arts. I love altering vintage ephemera into new life which may tug at someone’s heart strings, be it for the present or past moments in their lives.

Setting up my store brought challenges in the beginning along with a few lessons learned along the way. Lessons on photographing, descriptions, and shipping. The joy it brings to hear my phone do the ‘jingling change’ sound (that means I just made a sale!) is not only satisfying but an affirmation of my commitment.

My newest listings will be all about Love and Valentines and Sparkles. Here is a sneak peak of my Love Pockets. Of course these are the perfect little tokens of love and appreciation to gift throughout the year.

LOVE POCKETS

STAY POSITIVE WORK HARD MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Sylvia Luna / Silver Moon
Ps I love Steve!

2021: My Year of Change

Posted on 04/14/202104/15/2021 by Sylvia

Greetings my friends in art.

I am still reveling in my solitude at Silver Moon Studios. I believe 2020 was a visionary year for many people. Speaking for myself, a Covid quarantine had to transpire in order to ground myself and reflect on where I am headed not only in art, but in life. Which brings me to this year 2021, my year of change. Before Covid, I lived only for the moment with no direction. Complete randomness and at times chaos followed. It was a wild good time, but not wise in the long run. I am changing. I am focusing on good health, losing weight, embracing my age and looking forward to a healthy future of mind, body, and spirit. My new path involves self improvement, art workshops, art challenges and goals.

I have been taking a Kate Thompson online workshop. Although I admire her style, I find it to be very intimidating and scary. I am not comfortable sketching. My prior work has all been collage, cut and paste. It’s my comfort zone. So I find myself procrastinating to get started and once I begin, I am off on a gazillion tangents. Here are a few practice sketches of what I’ve been doing.

Part of the workshop involves mark making and watercolor florals.

This led to my tangent of loose abstract watercolor florals onto original antique postcards. It’s amazing that the addresses are minimal compared to what we have now. The backsides, like the fronts have either been written from an ink well, pencil, or a typed order confirmation. Date ranges 1898-1911

Here’s a shared lesson for anyone. Don’t freak out if you mess something up. Look at it as an alternative means to a different creation. You’re the only one who will know! Here’s an example of a postcard in which I had painted the entire surface with watercolor and acrylics, and was loving it. Until I added my own handwriting…my pen skipped and made an awful mess! I tried to fix it, but only made it worse. Of course I was disappointed, I had liked it before the writing, but ceased the opportunity for a transformation.

I covered up the writing with chalk paints.

Reworked the spot with watercolors

Added another flower and finished detailing the card.

Remember this, if it happens…it was SUPPOSED to!

Always remember to live, love, and laugh in COLOR!!!

With love and affection,

Sylvia Luna / Silver Moon

Ps. I love Steve!