quirkydame

Due to a large number of commissioned paintings I am working on, I am unable to participate in swaps at this time. However, I am still receiving messages, so if you need to contact me, please do and I will respond as soon as possible!

Be aware that I do post pictures of swaps and swaps-in-progress on my flickr and blog. So if I'm your partner and you want to be surprised, please don't look!

Hi, my name is Julie (nickname is Jewels) and I live in Alaska. While I despise the winters, the summers are fantastic and the constant daylight is a joy. After a long, dark, cold winter, the summer just seems to bring you back to life again. It's a beautiful thing!

I love the arts and am concentrating on incorporating them more into my life. Life is gray and miserable without it. I have finally started creating on a regular basis, whether I'm working on a painting, drawing in my sketchboook or experimenting with new materials. There are so many fascinating paths to explore.

I've been a bookworm my entire life and usually have at least 3 or more books going at once. I love hearing what others are reading and sharing what I've read with them. Same with music.

I enjoy a wide range of music and always keep an open mind... well, except for something like death metal or polka! Here's just a smidgen of a sampling of what I enjoy... Jem, Ayiesha Woods, She & Him, tobyMac, Nuttin But Stringz, Feist, Ani DiFranco, Etta James, Diana Krall, Bond, Tara Leigh Cobble, Sara Groves, India.Arie, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patsy Cline, Ella Fitzgerald, Enya, George Winston, Goldfrapp, Idina Menzel, Imogen Heap, Jack Johnson, Moby, Sarah McLachlan, Alison Krauss, Shakira, Madonna, U2, Fleetwood Mac, Kelly Clarkson, Newsboys, Gwen Stefani, Norah Jones, and so much more! Right now, my theme song is "I'm Alive" by Deitrick Haddon. It's the only song of his I know, but it's awesome!

Wonderfalls, House, Six Feet Under, Eureka, Twin Peaks, Gilmore Girls, Sex and The City, Scrubs, Dead Like Me, Pushing Daisies, Miss Guided, X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, CSI: Las Vegas, NCIS, Ugly Betty, Cold Case, Torchwood, and Arrested Development.

I love too many books - couldn't even begin to give a complete list... here's a sampling: Juliet Marillier, Like Water for Chocolate, Terry Goodkind, Captivating, David Levithan, Lisa Wingate, Laurie Notaro, Jennifer Crusie, Janet Evanovich, Harry Potter, The Lady's Not For Burning, Welcome To My Planet, Tam Lin by Pamela Dean, Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier, JD Robb, Jane Austen, Dean Koontz. I'm discovering magical realism and I love it.

Amelie (My absolute favorite!), Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Garden State, Mirrormask, Saved!, Wizard of Oz, Sixteen Candles, Galaxy Quest, Better Off Dead,Rat Race, X-Men movies, Office Space, Grosse Point Blank, Goonies, Camp, Harry Potter movies, Lilo and Stitch, The Princess Bride, The Ref, A Christmas Story, Lord of the Rings trilogy, Love Actually, Beauty Shop, Pirates of the Caribbean, Beetlejuice, The Love Letter, Bridget Jones's Diary, 10 Things I Hate About You, Chocolat.

I love painting, photography, atc's, baking, and drawing, and collages. I'm interested in mixed media and collages and have a painting planned involving them both. I've done some beading, but it's only an occasional thing for me. I love to create and to learn new crafts and techniques. I just started doing paper dolls and I'm having a blast with it!

• Anne Taintor, Laini’s Ladies, Natural Life merchandise
• Art – (Some examples are: Frida Kahlo, Rob Gonsalves, Klimt, Linda Infante Lyons, pulp fiction art, Mucha, Edward Gorey, Amy Crehore, Takenya Rosetta, Barbara Lavallee, Duke Russell, Ferdinand Botero, Sarah Joncas, Diego Rivera, etc.)
• laughter... nothing better!
• flip flops
• art supplies - lots and lots of wonderful art supplies!
• Café Vanilla Frapuccinos from Starbucks!
• Cameras – I love cameras of all types and collect vintage ones. I almost always have my digital camera with me.
• candles
• Colors – deep, rich, vibrant, bright… I love ‘em all... okay, so pastels aren't my favorite. :-)
• cooking
• Diet 7Up
• Dia De Los Muertos/Day of the Dead
• drawing
• fruity scents (prefer them over floral scents)
• Flying pigs (other animals, too, but especially pigs.)
• Anything Frida Kahlo. Love her!
• Frida Kahlo portraits – I collect these. I love seeing how various artists interpret and paint her image. I plan on doing at least one oil portrait of her myself and hope to use her image in other projects, too! There’s just something about Frida…
• I’m fascinated by Mexican food, art and culture.
• I am also intrigued by art and imagery from Latin America, India, Middle East and Eastern Europe, etc. Anything from these places - objects, art, images, anything - will thrill me to death!
• Religious art and imagery
• I love little bits and pieces, odds and ends, little objects and papers, etc. that I can use in my art, especially if these items come from countries other than the US and Canada.
• hula monkeys
• bracelets and necklace pendants
• keychains, magnets, postcards, etc.
• mermaids
• my 80 gb video iPod
• office supplies
• oil painting
• pens – all shapes, sizes, colors, etc.
• pirates
• post-it notes
• recipes
• self-portraits - photographs, paintings, drawings, whatever!
• Silver
• Sketchbooks!
• Strawberry Pocky... Mmmmm!
• swirly, curly, whirly, curvy lines and designs - I prefer curves over sharp angles
• the ocean
• Tote bags – love ‘em! Bags of any kind.
• traveling and items from other countries
• ugly dolls and other funky little stuffed animals, both store bought and handmade
• vintage photos