Hello all, again, and happy, happy spring.  I love these little spring blossoms because they are tiny hearts.  There are few things better than hearts, love and springtime.

I have a new website--Marywertz.com.  There you will find links to portfolios, Etsy sales, an more.

Here, on my blog, I will talk about lot of things--new ary, other people's art, DIY projects,gardening, and all things art and design.

You can also like my facebook page--Mary Wertz Designs, and critique new ideas and images, add your own, and continue the dialogue.

So share my art and heart, and follow my blog!

On a recent rip to New york city, I went, for the first time, to Coney Island.  It is crazier and more fun than one can imagine.  There are thousands of people everywhere, on the rides, on the beach, at the cafes.  There are people of all kinds, scary rides, and the ever present smell of hot dogs.

Many people might find such a place, well, difficult.  Too crowded, too noisy, too tacky.  But I thought it was very beautiful.  The people watching was outstanding, the rides were scary, and the energy was fantastic.

So how can a sticky, sweaty place be so wonderful?  It all depends on how open i am to the world.  when reality seems boring, or scary, or grey, there is little beauty, no matter where i am.  But when i love the sensual side of life, in all of its intensity, EVERYTHING seems great.  So, beauty is not in the eye of the beholder, but in the heart.

Are there crazy places you find beautiful, despite all evidence to the contrary?

Back from a great weekend in New york City!  I spent time in places I rarely linger, or even go.  I walked all of chinatown, strolled Coney Island and enjoyed a great Flea Market in Brooklyn.  wow.  fun, and very photogenic.

Most tourists see Chinatown as the area where knock off purses, costume jewelry and souvenirs are hawked from tiny crowded stores.  But walk east and you will find a more interesting cultural treasure.  Neat Mott Street Most people are Asian, most stores are geared to Asian-American customers, not tourists.  It smells great.  There are so many colors and patterns it is wonderful.  I tried to capture it in photos, and I only think i was partially successful.  In one moment of international understanding, i hd a little conversation with a French woman who was also trying to capture the craziness and the color in her camera, and we agreed it was beautiful and very hard to capture--all in a few shared words in English, french and Italian.  In China town!  What a wonderful world.

Meet Muzzy.  Muzzy is one of my alter egos.  She appeared one day on a long train ride .  She is going to help me post on my blog from time to time.  She loves art and is the proprietor of Muzzy's Gallerie d"Art. (I guess she is French).  From time to time Mussy will feature my work or the work of others.  would you like your work included in the gallery?  Just respond here, posting your art with some little comment.

When enough pieces are collected, Muzzy may publish a catalog, for print or ipad.  She would like to include short prose or poetry pieces from time to time.  So send it on in.  If there are classic pieces of art you love or art of others you wish to include, just send in the name of the artist and some contact information.

So, Welcome to Muzzy's!  The champagne is always cold and the conversation always witty.

Todays theme is BLUE as in Blueberries.  My sister has a u-pick berry farm in Wisconsin where we spent the day.  Quite a different place than the city where I live, there is a large quantity of silence and peace, with soft rustling of trees, birds chirping and beautiful views.

Blue is not my favorite color, and I rarely feature it in m art, but I am going to make an exception this week as I work with the photos I took today and on other trips to the farm.

So, if you are anywhere near Minneapolis, go to www.rushriverproduce.com and get the skinny on a great country experience.  If not, get out your favorite blue crayon and make believe.

More soon!

So todays theme is CELEBRATE!

This week it is my son's birthday, my daughters AND my husbands.

So there is a lot of cake around here, as you can imagine.  When my kids were little we started planning their birthday parties fight after school let out.  It was the biggest deal of the whole year.

As adults we often forget to celebrate, or we don't think that many things deserve the BIFG DEAL label.  Truth is, many more things are worth celebrating than you would ever expect.  Finish that to do list?  Make someone's day?  Finally learn all the words to you favorite poem.

Celebration is not about big things, it is about an attitude of success.  It reinforces our efforts, and reminds us we are capable, successful and special.  Who does not need that?  So today, celebrate my sweet  husband's birthday (a big one that ends in an 0), or celebrate whatever went well today.  You will never look back and say "Ooo--too many good moments--too many celebrations."

Happy happy birthday, or half birthday, or three quarters--whenever your special day may be.

Who doesn't love a baby.  And, they are great to celebrate with  tiny tennis shoes, soft rattles, and that great baby smell.

I love to give art for nurseries as baby gifts.  Of these, my favorites are my personalized nameplates.  They have blue or pink backgrounds for girls and boys, and have the whole name spelled out in celebration of the new little one.  These work great for moms and dads, and grandparents too.

I have a whole set of baby art, some personalized and some not.  Here are some examples--

So, what are your favorite gifts to send to celebrate new babies?