Pear Tree Studio

Back in the Studio Again!

2012-01-22T14:43:00.003-06:00

Yes! I am back in my studio again, and so delighted with how I can now create. I am designing some magnets for a few special people for Valentine's Day. And it amazes me how I am working differently now. There were some basic materials I was planning to use, but I am also finding embellishment options that I wouldn't have thought of before. For example, I realized I needed something silver to repeat the silver in the background, and as I scanned the room, my eyes came upon my stash of fibers. Hmmm, did I have something silver in there? Sure enough, I did, and I found it quickly. And what about those little wooden hearts I had? I knew exactly where they would be stored. I opened the bin, and they were smiling back at me. Ahhh, I am in a happy place.

Almost There

2012-01-20T09:43:00.002-06:00

I think I will be finished up today! All I have left to do is to glean pages of text from about 20 books I have been saving. And why do I need to save the whole book? I can't possibly use ALL these pages! Yes, they are pretty cool books; one is a math textbook with lots of diagrams and numbers and formulas, one is an old atlas, one is a very old child's book of poetry. But to save the entire book is a waste of space. So I intend to tear out a few pages and then recycle the books. If I can't bear to tear the book apart, then I will save the book, but keep it in my library. Now THAT makes sense.

This whole experience has taught me a lot. I had to make decisions about how to store things so they would make sense to me. For example, I had a lot of circle shapes in various sizes and of various materials. And they had been stored in 4 or 5 different places. Now I have a bin of "Circles and Circle Makers." How cool is that? If I want to add a circle, I can find one the perfect size, paper or metal or wood--OR I can use a template to make one OR I can use a circular shape dipped in paint to make a circle. All my choices in one place. (big sigh)

I also have an area dedicated to Works in Progress. It holds substrates and frames, but it also holds partially completed projects and altered books. Previously, these items were scattered in various places. Now I can instantly jump into a project if I'm in need of inspiration.

Which is the other thing I still need to finish--my inspiration board. I had a bulletin board, hidden behind the door, that held all kinds of stuff I never looked at. Now, after a coat of bright pink spray paint, it will be behind my chair, and will contain visuals and words to inspire a new project. Much more functional.

Speaking of bright pink, I was also intentional about what I used for storage. I realized that I need to SEE what's in it, OR it needs to be bright and attractive. And everything, absolutely everything, is labeled with either a sticker or a tag. Just seeing the visual label will remind me what I have. Yes, I found stuff that I had forgotten that I had. Really cool stuff! Now it will be readily seen and therefore used. If it wasn't really cool and I hadn't used it, it will get recycled.

As I sit in my fresh, new room, I feel a sense of order and calm. And peace.

Fresh Aqua = Fresh Studio

2012-01-17T12:47:00.000-06:00

I so wish I had a camera so I could publish the color of my studio. The painting is now done; finished the last wall today. The color is refreshing. That's the best word to describe it. The room now feels fresh and alive and happy. The color is called Teal Ice. But I would have named it Fresh Aqua. (not to be confused with the toothpaste!)

I still have much, much work to do in culling, sorting, re-organizing. But now that the background of the canvas is complete, so to speak, I feel motivated to make everything I put back, look inviting and clean. Amvets is coming Thursday, and I have a lot to donate. I also have a LOT of more artsy stuff, like paints & stamps, to donate to an art teacher. Hopefully, I'll find someone who wants it all.

One problem I've run across as I go through all this stuff, is the fact that I never use some of this stuff (like game pieces, for instance.) So the question is: Did I not use them because I forgot I had them? Or will I never really use them, so just toss them? So far, I'm going with the latter.

Getting There!

2012-01-15T14:15:00.001-06:00

Today I painted two of the walls! It's a pale aqua, and I love the color. It's enough to show that it's a color, but still light enough to be bright. Wow, what a difference it's going to make for the whole mood of the room. Previously, the walls were a dull khaki, and too dark for a studio.

When the walls are dry, I will spend the rest of the day vacuuming, dusting, and putting things back (most of which I've already cleaned out and re-organized). Then tomorrow, I'll move everything on the 3rd wall and paint that one. Unless I wake up tomorrow too sore!

It feels good to finally be making some progress. Believe me, it's disheartening to see all my materials scattered all over the place. But the only way to get to the good part is to get through the messy part. I feel like I'm finally starting to get to where I want to be: which is back in the studio, happily creating in a fresh, organized, and clean room.

slow and steady....

2012-01-12T17:50:00.006-06:00

Today I applied primer to some areas of the wall, scraped the border off one wall (with hubby's help), and cleaned out 3 bins of found objects. When I found some of these things, I thought for sure I would use them. But 3 years later, I had totally forgot them and would not likely use them now. So out they go. Doesn't seem like a lot of progress, but things are still moving forward.

I've decided on a pale aqua for the walls. I would have purchased the paint today, but I honestly did not want to go out in the snowstorm. That's one of the perks of being retired: I don't go out in weather like this unless I have to!

Organizers Revisited

2012-01-09T15:27:00.000-06:00

Today I discovered how cool a hanger that hangs several pairs of pants, can be for storing rolls of ribbon. Previously, I had been using a gun rack that I found many years ago at a garage sale; I put dowels where the rifle would go, and hung the ribbons from that. But the whole contraption took up a lot of wall space. Now I can hang them in the closet, out of the way, and they take up minimal space. The one by Closet Maid seems best; I saw some others where the dowels were bigger and may not fit the spools.

AND I found some tie racks that are now repurposed for hanging my collaged necklaces in my studio closet. Also found some small canvas bins at B B & B on clearance for $3 each. And a 3-tiered spice rack will help me see all my mediums better. Better visibility = more use.

And I picked up some paint samples in various shades of white. And there are a LOT of shades of white available, which was news to me. I have always avoided white on the wall, thinking it was too boring. But in this space, I think I want the walls to "disappear" and the supplies to stand out.

With all my running around today, I didn't get much work done in the room. But it's all part of the process, and it was fun.

Journey around the Studio continues

2012-01-08T11:25:00.000-06:00

All this wonderful sunshine has helped kick this nasty cold, and I'm feeling more energetic now. So BACK to the studio to continue my quest for a Clean, Organized, Functional Space. Just threw out a bunch of sticks--bamboo, dowels, etc. Yes, I may need a stick occasionally, but I highly doubt that I'll need 87 of them! Also sorted through my stash of buttons. Again, I find I use an occasional button here & there, but more the way I would use a charm. So I don't need 4 divided plastic containers of them. Now I have 4 divided plastic containers that I can use more functionally; perhaps to store my stash of single words cut from texts. I can now sort them by size or color, which makes them easier to use than sifting through a small bowl or baggie of them.

Still undecided about whether to paint the walls. I really do feel that a creamy white would make the space much brighter. Currently, it's a medium khaki color. But I will probably be able to do only one wall at a time. And there's a wallpaper border that needs to be removed. So I will continue to think about that as I make my little journey around the room, cleaning and organizing.

It feels very good to let go of so much Stuff.

More Time than Money

2011-12-28T09:06:00.000-06:00

Day 3 of my Reorganization Project: I have gone through about 35 issues of Cloth Paper Scissors and Somerset. That's a very heavy stack now ready for the recycling bin! And I have new folders of articles, with labels like Techniques, Christmas, Inspiration, Color Palettes. Yes, color palettes! I realized as I was looking at some of the art, I was responding to the combination of colors more than anything else. I do tend to always revert to my favs of aqua/lime green/black & white. So now I have a handy reference. Along with what I now know about color theory, I have new options.

Another tip I came across that resonated with me, was design prompts. When I am putting the finishing touches on something, I tend to do the same things--add dots or circles, or add text. By selecting a random design prompt (such as add a strong horizontal, or add something sheer), I will be expanding my bag of tricks.

And I've decided to add an Inspiration Board to my studio. After reading an article on it, and thinking about how that could help jumpstart my art, I am incorporating that into my new scheme. But for the time being, I have more time than money, so I will continue on the course I have set, adding a list of "things to get when I have some extra $."

Also, I now have 94 colorful, artsy envelopes, made from beautiful pages of these magazines.

This first step was time-consuming, but it has set the stage for the rest of this project, and I'm so glad I started there. Next step: Purging--making piles of Throw Out/Recycle/Give Away/Donate. I feel lighter already

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Nothing to Show

2011-12-27T10:12:00.002-06:00

My camera is broken, so I have no pics to show. But that kind of sums up my whole art life lately: nothing to show. Many reasons for this: spending time at the river this summer, things happening with my adult children,the holidays, my studio being a huge mess....So now that I have more time at home, I have been wanting to get back in there. But every time I would walk in, I had this sense of dread. (If you could see it, you would know why!)

And I have been wanting to reorganize, and maybe even paint the walls, for some time now. But it has always seemed OVERWHELMING. Where to even start? Yesterday I sat down at my work table and took a good look around. Hmmm, I don't think I'll ever use those dolls or doll parts again. There's stuff all over the floor--why? Some are "future projects," but most are remnants of past projects that I've never bothered to put away. And if I love to paint, why are my paints not beautifully displayed? Oh, and look at that jumble of mediums up on that shelf. So I started jotting down ideas as I sat there.

One of the ideas was to go through my old art magazines (some as old as 3 years), and glean what I wanted to keep; recycle the rest of it. So since yesterday, this is what I have been doing. And it's the perfect way to begin! It is forcing me to organize my ideas: here are products I want to try, here are some color palettes I like, here are some techniques I want to try, here are some ideas I like....

And after a couple of days of organizing my ideas, I will be ready to tackle the physical re-organization. And to make it even more fun, I'm creating an art journal of this experience. So stay tuned for the outcome. Just like art itself, it will be a process.

50th Anniversary Altered Book

2011-07-23T13:55:00.004-05:00

Here is the cover of the altered children's boardbook I made as an anniversary gift. The text says "So Many Years in One Yesterday." The cover is canvas that was texturized with gesso and then painted in a freeform flower shape.
This is my first commissioned book! The theme was to be peonies. I chose a softer color palette than my usual, and spent a lot of time "aging" materials.
I was told that on the day of her wedding, the bride rode on her bicycle down the road and picked peonies for her wedding bouquet. A simple story, and yet it seems so sweet and touching to me. In today's world, brides choose these elegant, expensive bouquets, months before the wedding. But I'm sure the bouquet of peonies was just as elegant and beautiful.
On the left are actual dried peony leaves from my peony bush (which has long since blossomed!)
A 50th wedding anniversary is an accomplishment, indeed. I'm sure there were many ups and downs in a relationship that endures that long. And compromises and growing and sharing.

I hope they enjoy their little book of well wishes. Congratulations Darrell and MaryJean!

whispers--finished piece

2011-05-18T15:40:00.002-05:00

Detail showing wood icing and collaged items.
Detail showing tar and a handmade cloth bead.
Detail showing handwritten text on cardboard.
Here are the finished pieces, a diptych titled "whispers." These were practice boards we used to learn various techniques. I am happy with how it turned out, although it was a challenge to unify the whole piece because of all the techniques.

Valley Ridge Inspiration

2011-05-16T11:46:00.002-05:00

It's been awhile since I posted. I have been doing art, but every once in a while, I just need to be recharged. This last weekend, I took a class at Valley Ridge Art Studio in Muscode, WI, with Mary Beth Shaw. And am I re-ignited! Learned so, so much, in such a marvelous environment. There is just nothing like an art class in a beautiful environment. Above, is a collograph I made in class (on left), and a print that it made (on right). I will be making many more of these!
Here's a side-ways view of the claybord diptych I am still working on. That black part is tar. Yes, tar. I will have a challenge, incorporating it into the piece, but there was a little chip on the edge, and I thought the tar would conceal that.
Here are two more boards where we practiced several new techniques. I have worked more on it since this photo, and it is just about finished.
And here are the same two boards, early on. Here, it's obvious I used grids. The challenge is to start out with them, to aid composition--then, to move out of them to make the work cohesive.

I had so much fun, and learned much more than I had even hoped.

Simple Pleasures

2011-03-19T13:50:00.001-05:00

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Sewn paper collages

2011-03-02T10:01:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I spent time at my friend's house, using one of her sewing machines. (I don't own one.) She quilted while I sewed papers and fabrics onto cardstock. I just loved it!
Many of the papers are hand-made, while some are photocopies of fabrics or of other artwork I've done. I really, really like the effect.
Not to mention the COLORS! I feel so color-deprived after this long winter. Anyway, it was great fun to play with her machine. I must get one of my own now.
This shows some of the stitching detail. I wasn't very precise in getting them straight, but I still like the effect. Not sure yet what I'll do with them. Ideas?

Wearable Collages

2011-02-20T14:56:00.002-06:00

I worked on these for a couple of days and ended up with over 20 necklaces. Many of the charms I had already made, but had not done anything with them; others, I just made yesterday. I used a lot of wood and metal on these.
Some of the wood are small cubes, while others are the backs of Scrabble tiles. I either collaged on them as is, or glued a small background on & collaged on that.
It feels good to use up some of my stash of goodies! I didn't realize how MUCH I had!!

Be-ing

2011-02-13T16:31:00.002-06:00

Just completed this piece today. I worked on it, off and on, over two months. I knew it needed something, I just couldn't figure out what. Then, as I was reading MaryBeth Shaw's new book, chapter by chapter, it hit me like a ton of bricks--VALUES!! I needed more contrast. So I did that, made a few more layers of color on the figure, and now it feels finished.

I wanted to convey the importance of having gratitude. To me, gratitude begets peace. It's where I must start from, when I am overwhelmed or feeling out-of-sorts. So in this piece, although the figure is surrounded by bumpy rocks (lots of texture), she/he is aglow within.

Valentine ATC's

2011-02-03T12:57:00.002-06:00

I made a batch of ATC's for Valentine's Day. This one is my fave. The background paper I used was from last year's Family Mixed Media Madness event. All my kids, significant others, and grandkids made papers. It was a lot of fun, and we all ended up with tons of papers.
Here's the bunch. I have always loved Valentine's Day. I suppose I'm a true romantic at heart. Or maybe I just like an excuse to use lots of pink and red. Regardless, my friends and family can usually count on some Valentines from me!

a serving of poetry

2011-01-27T15:06:00.002-06:00

Today, before throwing away a Better Homes & Gardens magazine, I decided to skim through and snip out words to which I was drawn. I placed them in a small bowl so I could carry them into my studio. I think it looks like a delicious serving of Words! I challenged myself to create a poem, using only these words. (I made sure I snipped the little words too--prepositions, "a" and "the", etc.)
Then I spread out all the words, and began formulating a bit of a poem....
and here is the final poem. (The word on the left that got cut off is "Tomorrow.") I pasted it into my art journal, and now I have a great little entry for a snowy wintry day!

stencils and masks and fun, oh my!

2011-01-09T11:51:00.003-06:00

It amazes me what things can inspire us. I've had a dry spell for awhile, with family situations and with our new cottage. But I've been aching to create lately, and stencils and masks have turned me back on! I needed to come up with an idea for our Creative Spirits group that meets soon, so I began leafing through Collage Lab, by Bee Shay, and spotted a section on masks and stencils. I've been curious about them since taking Michelle Ward's class last summer when we used them with spray paints. Then I began thinking about what could be used as a stencil/mask, and decided to leaf through some magazines in search of good silhouettes.

One of the magazines was the Fall issue of Vogue, which is jam packed with all kinds of artsy inspiration. I began cutting out figures of the models in various--sometimes comical--poses. I'm just beginning, but I will soon have a great stash of stencils/masks I can use in my art! Here's the first one I cut out.
I traced her onto a manilla file folder, then cut her out, using a craft knife. So I have both a stencil and a mask.
Here's a sample of using the stencil, with just some scrapbook papers I had handy. I added a few collage elements, and she's all done!
Here's another sample, again using scrapbook papers, this time using the silhouette as a stencil. I added a lacey skirt and some shading, and another quick fix for my creative need.
And another collage, cut out of some collaged paper I had made, glued onto an envelope I received from an artist friend at Christmas. And this is all, just using papers. Imagine what I can do with paint! Simple, yet effective. I think my dry spell has been healed!

Four Little Angels

2010-12-15T15:28:00.002-06:00

Just completed these mixed media angels. I saw something similar in Somerset Studios, by artist Lainie Taylor, and thought I'd try my hand. Details: faces from a cabinet card I collected, feet and hangers are beaded, ribbon tied in bow behind their wings, and a thiner ribbon for their waist, fabric for the "apron" , trims on hems of dresses, dresses made of hand-painted papers, and wings from wrapping papers or specialty papers.
It was a lot of fun collecting the materials for these ladies. I wanted bold, contrasting colors.
I sketched a pattern onto watercolor paper, and cut out sections for head, dress, arms, and wings. Then I glued various papers, fabrics, etc. onto the paper.
They're a little too heavy/big for the Christmas tree, but I have them hanging from a shelf.
This was my first one, and I hand beaded the hem here. These were so much fun! Like paper dolls times 100!

Today's Work: Hope 1 and Hope 2

2010-11-16T16:24:00.002-06:00

This is done on a clayboard. I masked off the area of the plant that I wanted to save, and then texturized the rest of the board, with wood icing and molding paste. When dry, I used 4 colors of color washes, using fluid acrylics and smooshed it into all the crevices. When that was dry, I brayered regular acrylics across the whole thing, using 3 colors. Then I peeled off the tape to reveal the plant underneath.

It says to me: amidst turmoil and uncertainty, hope is pure and relentless.

This piece I owe to 2 people: April, who showed us how to use regular Rit dye to "explode" color onto watercolor paper a while back. And to my nephew Ryan, who posted this Emily Dickinson quote on Facebook earlier today. It seems I was saving this paper just for this specific quote.

I've always been a fan of Emily Dickinson, and the sun seems to be emerging from the storm on this page.

It felt really good to work in the studio today; I had been away far too long.

Nature at Sister Bay

2010-10-21T08:17:00.000-05:00

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Queen Olivia, a crone of her own

2010-10-14T15:37:00.003-05:00

Just completed this styrofoam head today. I had no idea what her name was until just now when I looked at her. She looks like royalty, ready for her afternoon tea. Her woodland crown lets you know that she is down-to-earth, She seems quite sassy to me; a crone of her own.
The head was painted, and then I carved words and doodles into her neck and painted those with a wood stain; it looks like they are carved into wood. I made the flowers in her head from tissue paper. Her crown is a twig wreath, adorned with painted leaves, silver balls, and silver sequins.
I "made up" her face with actual makeup, to see how it would look; then I painted over with fluid acrylics so it would stay. The false eyelashes I picked up at an after Halloween sale last year for 10 cents. (I just knew they'd come in handy for SOMEthing!) I really enjoy creating these heads for some reason.

Creative Spirits' Art Retreat

2010-10-05T09:29:00.002-05:00

Our Creative Spirits' Art Group met recently to work on styrofoam heads and/or masks. Here, in various stages of completion, is our work. This one is my head. I applied modeling paste to her neck, and then etched in words. I used some wood stain that Carolyn had brought, to color in the words, and then painted the whole head. The words look like wood burning--an unexpected joy! I'm still working on her crown, and will post another photo when she's finished.
Mary is painting a mask and is going to mount it inside this wood frame that is actually a drawer. She collaged text inside the drawer. I can't wait to see this completed--very dramatic!
And here is Carolyn's head--doesn't he have a lot of character? I think he's going to take her in a new direction.
And here is Gai's adorable woodland nymph. She was the only one to complete her project, as she had done some work ahead of time. She purposely left the face rather plain, to draw attention elsewhere. What a charming personality she has.

It was another fun day at The Center. I just love absorbing the creative energy that results when we're all creating together!

flying the nest

2010-09-14T09:11:00.004-05:00

I've been watching these 2 baby birds since they were eggs in this nest. They're in the forest preserve behind my house, where I walk with Shasta in the morning. They are goldfinches--I know because mama was scolding me this morning for getting too close with my camera!
They will soon be ready to fly the nest. I so admire how this nest was built. It's only in some large reed-like plants by the water. And yet the nest has endured storms and high winds; it's solidly supported in the vee of this plant.
When they are ready, all they need do is fly across the pond to our backyard for some tasty thistleseed in our feeders. I'm sure mama will teach them that!

Lil Childrun

2010-08-23T12:40:00.002-05:00

Here are my little paper doll children. I pieced these together from photographs, papers, and sight word cards. That was a lengthy process! Then I laminated them, and my hubby cut slits in wooden blocks to hold them for me.
They have such personalities! I'm really loving these, and am sure to make more now that they are finally completed. These will be in my art show Saturday.

Write it on your heart...

2010-08-18T09:08:00.003-05:00

Just finished this collage yesterday. It's titled: Very Best. All the collaged text is taken from a very old typing textbook. Now I recall using a similar textbook in high school, while taking typing I and II. Remember the timings?! I loved that class and loved to practice my typing at home on my little portable electric IBM Selectric. That was top-of-the-line technology!
Here's a close-up of the focal point. One of the typing exercises says: Write it on your heart that every day is the very best day in the year. I love that. I keep getting drawn to black and white in my art. Which amazes me, because I'm a color-holic. But it's interesting to see the shades of color in black and white, not to mention the wonderful contrast.

And I just realized that the B in the collage can stand for: baby, boy, balloon, black, best. And I just chose the letter randomly. Must have been using my intuition without realizing it.

countdown continues (to art show)

2010-08-04T15:55:00.003-05:00

Another background that I made that seems to stand on its own. This is called "Cascading Thoughts."
Detail of Cascading Thoughts. You can see the layers better in this detail.
"I Want to Play" is more whimsical. I love this vintage photo of the toddler and the dog.
They both look a bit mischievous, I think!

countdown continues

2010-08-04T15:47:00.002-05:00

Here's one I made many months ago; I just finally found a frame for it. It's difficult to find square frames! This is called "Again."
This piece is called "Songbird." As I'm looking at it here (why do they always look different to me in a photo?), it has a dreamlike quality. This graceful bird is flying to a new adventure.
Detail of Songbird. I'm lovin these colors together.

countdown continues

2010-08-04T15:34:00.002-05:00

This one is called "Reach." I took a background I had made, and incorporated this cabinet card of a lovely lady. I have so many of these, and this one seemed appropriate for the theme. The colors are a bit unusual for me, but I really like them, especially in this burgundy frame.
Detail of "reach." I love how they used to print the name of the person in the portrait, on the card. Her name is Madge.
This one is named after the lady in the portrait, Lillah. She looks so dreamy and thoughtful; I wonder what she was thinking about...
Detail of Lillah. I think she's so sweet and feminine. I just had to put a flower in her hair.

the countdown begins

2010-08-04T15:20:00.002-05:00

I am finishing up some odds and ends that have been hanging around, getting ready for my art show on Aug. 28. Lots to do! Here is a detail shot of the following piece, titled "Special." It started out as me just playing around, making a background, but it's so detailed I think it can stand on its own.
and here's the entire piece, framed. The colors and exuberance remind me of Hawaii, and I found this word in my stash. When we were in Hawaii, our hotel would hand out a Hawaiian "word of the day." It seems to fit.
Here's the detail of a piece titled "Light." It's a negative image of a photo I took of birds at the tippy top of a tree. I've always loved this photo.
And the frame is one that I recycled from Hobby Lobby's Clearance Aisle. I decoupaged over it with stained tissue paper that had been embellished. It has a real masculine feel to it, I think.

More to follow!!

Addison's Assemblage

2010-07-29T16:17:00.002-05:00

Here is a little assemblage, created by my 4-year-old granddaughter, Addison. I came across it, after she had left. These are some of her favorite things to play with when she comes here--stones and "jewels" and shells--never toys!! I love it. I may have to use this photo in my art; so simple and innocent, yet so perfect. (And she would SAY that! "Perfect, Grandma!"

My First Assemblage!

2010-07-23T09:32:00.002-05:00

Well, maybe not my first, but the first one that I feel is original and not "in a box." This is definitely Out of the Box! I've been perusing a new book by Annie Lockhart called "Objects of Reflection:A Soulful Journey through Assemblage." Her approach is one I can relate to, and I found that this piece sort of made itself, bit by bit. I did not begin with a theme in mind, but as it built itself, I could see that this was a story that has been wanting to be told for awhile.
I ran across this quote, and thought it perfectly represented what I was trying to convey. When I have a cup of tea, it's a little break, no matter how brief, from reality. It's often not even a conscious journey, but I can feel its calming effect nontheless.
This elegant lady reminds me how I feel related to all the women, past and future, who have a cup of tea in the afternoon. Her gauzy cloak evokes a dream-like quality to me.
The use of an actual teabag hopefully lends an aroma to the piece (I have no sense of smell, so I'm not sure). And the colorful paper erupting from the tea holder, and the spray of beads, add to the idea of the burst of flavor. (I do still have a bit of sense of taste.)
Although you can't see the whole spoon here, it is a beautiful gold spoon, which relates to the elegance of tea. The base of the banana holder is covered in metal that has been texturized, and it's all atop a metal valentine heart, evoking a sense of love. Atop the valentine is collaged postcards and writings, as I often have my tea while opening the mail. There is much more to this assemblage, but then that's the joy of it! Every time you look at it, you see something different.

Not sure what its title is yet. But it will come to me.

TRANSITIONS

2010-07-19T18:11:00.002-05:00

Here is a piece I finished today. It's the theme of my 2nd art show, coming up August 28. I feel that my art is in a transition period right now. I am exploring new substrates, new media, and different techniques, while adhering to my love of collage. This shows the cocoons on the left (fabric beads), text from the dictionary page that contains "transitions" and the emerging butterfly. It's difficult to see here, but the butterfly actually appears to be part of the canvas (because it is!).

The tape measure symbolizes the steps I've taken over the years. I'm pleased with the final result--after many layers, scratches, gessoing, and embellishing. My favorite parts are the window screen upon which the letters rest, and the charm in the upper right.

Hopefully tomorrow I can get to the printers to get postcards made.

NEW TOYS!

2010-07-13T13:18:00.002-05:00

Went to StampThyme today in Lockport. I go once or twice a year--and this is why! I spend way too much money. But you know, I just HAD to have these things. They will all add to my creative repetoire, right? Plus, I'm helping out the economy by spending money at an independently-owned store. OK, I've justified enough.

Here's what I got: A Compendium of Curiosities, book by Tim Holtz. It was just filled with great ideas and inspiration. Of course, it lends towards buying all his products, too. But I can use these ideas as trampolines to jump into other ideas. And a quick trip to the hardware store will suffice.

Also: Two 3-packs of minicanvases. At the store, they had a sample of a triptych of houses, hinged together. They were so so cool. And I'm still into this House Theme. I can think of a couple of ways to use them already.

Stamps: Two geometric-types that will be cool for all-over patterning or to add to a focal point. And a set of 8 birds plus 1 egg, that are very realistic. I love birds.

Tim Holtz's grungeboard alphabet set that has embossed stripes. They can also be used as stencils, masks, etc. AND Caludine Hellmuth's sticky-back canvas, just because I've read about it and I'm curious as to how I might use it in a collage.

Round metal circles in which I can place mini-collages. Tiny round irridescent stickers that I use for a variety of things (often on ATC's), and Tim Holtz's memo pins. You stick them into a base (or canvas, or whatever), and then you can put something within the split-ring circle, like the photo holders.

AND he wrapped my stamps in this lovely patterned tissue paper, which will also get used in a collage or two.

OK, I'm off to play!!!

Fence Art

2010-07-11T11:38:00.002-05:00

I just finished these long pieces and wasn't sure what to do with them. What are they, you might ask? Well, when we installed new faux wood blinds in our bedroom, there were extra slats. I, of course, couldn't bear to throw them away, even though I had no idea what I might use them for. A few weeks ago, I decided to gesso them, front and back, and then they sat on my studio floor for a few more weeks. Then I had some leftover paints on my palette from a project, so I started playing around on the slats.
Before I knew it, I had a strong geometric thing going, so I continued with that vein. I ended up with 8 strongly-designed slats, resembling flag motifs. Still, I wasn't sure what I might do with them, but the flag idea got me thinking about outdoor possibilities. So I walked outside with them, and they told me they wanted to become part of the fence in my butterfly garden.
And so here is their new home. They really add a lot of color and interest. And of course, now I want to buy MORE blinds so I can make more of these for other sections of the fence! hmm....we could use new blinds in the bathroom, the laundry room......

Companion Pieces

2010-06-29T13:55:00.002-05:00

Here are two pieces I just completed. I bought these intact frames at HomeGoods, and they had an inexpensive plastic background with a photo of a leaf on them. They were on sale, and I liked the frames, as the center piece stands out from the matted background. So I disassembled them, took the center pieces out, and gessoed them after taping around the border to prevent damage to the matte.

While the gesso was still wet, I etched into it with a wooden skewer, which exposed the black background. Great effect! I then used Quin Gold, Quin Magenta, and Cobalt Teal in fluid acrylics, and just played around with them. The heart is collaged papers that I had on hand, also stained with Quin Magenta and other colors.

I'm happy with the results--cheery looking, I think. And I love that I have recycled something and given it new life. They are now hanging in my bathroom. Odd place for them, but they seem to belong there!

Postcard for National Collage Society

2010-06-09T13:44:00.002-05:00

I finally finished my postcard for the National Collage Society exhibition in July. The deadline is in 2 days! It's a commentary on the Gulf oil spill. The map is an antique map of the New Orleans area (thanks Nancy!). The background is gessoed tissue paper, painted with acrylics, and I think it resembles an oil spill. The white heron (one of my favorite birds) is a bit wrinkly, but then that sort of goes with the whole idea anyway. And on the cancelled stamp, one of the words that had been stamped on the cancellation is "hurts." It all just seemed to flow together.

But I realized AFTER coming back from the post office, that I forgot to put postage on the return Priority Mail envelope! So I won't be getting it back. There are just so many RULES when you enter any of these exhibits--and I am not one for rules when it comes to my art. Maybe I'm just not used to it, but it's hard for me to follow every little detailed instruction. I hope this doesn't put a damper on my exhibiting my work. That's why I joined the NCS in the first place. I guess I just have to learn my lessons, one by one.

Welcome to the Neighborhood!

2010-05-31T17:08:00.004-05:00

Here are three new houses to add to my growing collection! I started them all yesterday during our Creative Spirits group meeting, and then finished them today. They are so much fun, and I really enjoy making the roofs most of all.
This roof is made of some metal poetry tags I've had for many years. I think they look a bit like shingles. I was going to nail them, but the gel medium seemed to hold them well, so I just glued them. The wooden structure has lots of nice texture to it naturally. (See next post to view the rest of them.)

Individual Houses

2010-05-31T16:55:00.002-05:00

This little house reminds me of a fairy house, with its arched door. The door is copper, with a button doorknob. I used an insulated staple (whatever THAT is!) to attach a paper charm. When I painted it, I wrote words into it.
This is my favorite roof so far, with the dangly charms hanging off the texturized copper.
The door is a mini canvas, with a nail doorknob and a charm hanging from it. The window is a piece of acetate that had various alcohol inks sprayed on. I decoupaged the wood structure with actual house plans.
The roof on this one is an antique ruler, cut in half. The "doorknob" is a drawer pull that didn't work out for its original purpose.

When I painted this, I etched in words. I made the book before, and it has a Home theme to it. The heart is cut out of felt, which is a new texture for me, and I love it.

I've really enjoyed working on these houses, but I think it's time to return to some canvases or boards now.

Inside Book

2010-05-27T08:35:00.004-05:00

Here's the mini book. I have a ton of these little gems. I got them several years ago at a garage sale; they were all in a box, and each book was devoted to a letter of the alphabet, or a number. So they're cute, made out of that thick boardbook stuff, small, and only a few pages.
This one's a little out of focus, but I used clipart from ArtChix that has birdies on it, and glued each to a textured background, and then glued that in the book. The pages were gessoed and then I used a variety of fluid acrylics with small dabs of texture (from the gesso).
Now that I know a little more about color theory, I'm a bit bolder with contrasting colors.
I'm in love with this color: it's Golden Fluid Acrylic Vat Orange (which is really bold and bright), mixed with white. The result is this creamy coral color. Mmmmmm. Next to a little hot pink, it's delicious.
And here's the last page, with my holes punched out, ready for the charms. I was actually able to use a scrapbooking punch tool (by Making Memories) to punch these holes. It took 3-4 punches for each hole, but it worked! I've had that tool for a long time, and never really used it before. Now I have all kinds of ideas for it.

Completed Project: Peace/Hope/Love

2010-05-27T08:28:00.003-05:00

The bookhouse is now complete (I THINK!). I'm trying to decide whether to paint the wood blocks or not.....feedback? I kinda like the rough look. But does it integrate with the whole piece? Anyway, here are the dangly charms hanging from the last page of the book: peace, hope, love. That's what it's all about.

The mini book is so little, I couldn't put much in it. Maybe that's a good thing. I'll follow up with photos of the book itself. I'm very happy with this piece. It's kind of like exploring assemblage, which I've always been interested in, and combining it with my love of books.

Book House

2010-05-26T14:22:00.002-05:00

Here's my latest project. We are going to be working on these house shapes this Sunday in our Creative Spirits group. I had my hubby cut two more of these shapes for me so I could play before then. Here I've used MaryBeth's stencil to give some stone-like texture to the front, and painted with a wash that I mixed from Hansa Yellow Medium and Black.
As I was rummaging around my studio, looking for ideas for the roof, I rediscovered some cloth beads I had made years ago. They looked very neat as a roof, but I didn't have enough left for the entire roof. So guess who was making fabric beads at 9:30 last night?!
I finished the beads this morning with beads, wire, and/or fibers, then glued them on.
I love how much they add to the structure: color, contrast, texture, and whimsy.

And here's my mini-book that will attach to the house. I decided to attach some charms (as a result of the fabric beads' success), to the bottom of the last page, to dangle. So then I decided to elevate the book so the dangles would be more noticeable. So again, hubby helped me out by attaching these wood blocks for me. He just smiles and takes my art into the garage, and then emerges with my idea!

Will publish finished product when it's complete. One thing leads to another is my motto.

a happy day in the studio

2010-05-18T15:27:00.004-05:00

Spent the major part of the day in the studio--YES! And completed 4 pieces. This one is a remake of a canvas that hadn't turned out well color-wise (that was BEFORE I took the color theory class). It had some great texture, so I gessoed over it and repainted with a new color palette. I like it much better now.
I don't know WHY Blogger insists on turning my photos! Lean your head to the left, and you'll see this the way it was intended. This is on a canvas board I had on hand, 6 X 8. I used one of MaryBeth Shaw's stencils and her wood icing. I used the same color palette for all these.
This one took on a life of its own. The texture in the corner is from a stencil. I dripped raw umber across it to mimic tree roots. And then I found this photo I had taken years ago that just seemed to fit. When life doesn't seem to be going well, we must trust that our roots are deeper than the current problem, and our lives will regain the needed balance.
Again, turn your head to the left. Another stencil used here with wood icing. For this board, I collaged all over the entire surface before painting. I've never done that before. And I very much liked doing it that way. When all done, I went back and brought back in some of the collage elements by sanding, tracing over, and outlining.

It was a very satisfying day. AND it was wonderful to work in my newly-cleaned studio!

Door County Trip to deliver my art

2010-05-04T16:21:00.001-05:00

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Door County, Installment 8!

2010-04-27T17:20:00.003-05:00

All of these "installments" are the work I'm taking to Gallery Ten in Door County. Some people had wanted to see what I'm taking, so I'm posting all of it.

And THIS is the final altered book. It's a door, attached to the cover of a book, attached to a board shaped like a house, with a picture frame corner for the roof.
And the door opens to reveal a greeting. This one took a lot of planning and time, but I love the effect.

Door County, Installment 7

2010-04-27T17:13:00.003-05:00

First page of House of Art book.
"nesting with abandon" spread. Don't ask me what that means; it was a phrase that just happened!
Backyard spread.
"home is where the heart is" spread
"window of opportunity" spread

Door County Art, Installment 6

2010-04-27T16:52:00.002-05:00

This is a regular book that I altered; it's titled "OPEN" and all the pages refer to how the word OPEN can be used. I'm very much into linguistics, and the usage of words intrigues me.
Here are all the pages! A lot of work.
One of the spreads, referring to Open Season.
The last page contains this monstrous antique key, which is very cool. It does cause the last few pages of the book to warp, but it makes for a dramatic ending.

Door County Art, Installment 5

2010-04-27T16:46:00.003-05:00

This is the cover of a book you may not have seen yet. It's titled "Fresh Start."
One of the interior pages of Fresh Start.
I love this quote--it says it all.
Seeds representing Hope. This one was a children's board book, altered.

Door County Art, Installment 4

2010-04-27T16:37:00.003-05:00

This is the first page of my Birdies book. Whenever I see it, I'm reminded of my granddaughter Katelyn, when she was around 4, running through the backyard after a bird, merrily yelling, "My birdie! My birdie!"
Cover of the Birdies book.

Turn your head to the right, and this is one page of the book from the assemblage.

Door County Art, Installment 3

2010-04-27T16:24:00.002-05:00

This is a book/panel/canvas assemblage. The panel comes off the canvas, and the book comes off the panel. (Look in the next installment for a peek inside the book.)
This is one page from my Specimens book, below. It's made of paperbags and was from a class taught by Mary Warner. This is still one of my favorites, and every time I see it I think "I want to make more paper bag books!"
The book is held together with a twig and rubber bands! But it's sturdy, and oh so fun.
This is one of the pages from my Pockets book. I found these denim "coasters" on clearance at Hobby Lobby, and immediately thought: BOOK!
This one is full of "tinsel and doodads" as my husband calls my embellishments.

Door County Art, Installment 2

2010-04-27T15:36:00.003-05:00

Although I had not mentioned the tiled mirrors when I talked with her, I think I'll bring along a couple and see if she wants them. If she doesn't, no big deal cuz I'm rather fond of them. This black and white one is my favorite.
This blue/green one is another one I like a lot.
oops--this one should have been turned. This is one of the collages I did in Laura's class. I like the large format.
And here's another one from Laura's class. It was an experiment in black and white and I like how it turned out.
And yet another one from that class. I really like the frame; it enhances the collage. The owner asked for 3 collages, so these are the 3 I chose.

Door County Art, Installment 1

2010-04-27T15:17:00.002-05:00

Some people had asked that I post photos of what I'm taking to Door County, so this and a few more installments will show that. It will be a good record for me too. Here is the miniature purse I altered and has an accordian book inside.
And here is my self-portrait, an altered styrofoam head with beaded hair. If the gallery owner really likes this one, I had better get started on another one, cuz those beads took FOREVER!

Valley Ridge Studio/MaryBethShaw/Day 1

2010-04-26T20:49:00.002-05:00

Took TWO classes at Valley Ridge in Wisconsin last week. They were both by the same instructor. I had taken her class last year, and learned so much and had a great time, so I decided to go again this year.

This first class was all about color theory. I had no idea how much I didn't know about color! We made color charts like these for various triads of colors. It amazed me how one can get all these colors out of just 3 colors plus black or white! It has totally changed how I paint and how I choose colors now. I had looked at color wheels before, but didn't understand how they could be used. But by making your OWN using the paints that you actually USE, it makes so much more sense.
And here's our marvelous teacher, MaryBeth Shaw, with her painted, gloved hands. Yes, she paints with her hands! I didn't quite get into it, but I may try it again in the future. Very freeing.

Valley Ridge Studio/MaryBethShaw/Day 2

2010-04-26T20:39:00.002-05:00

On this day we made covers for our books of color charts. The texture is from a stencil (MaryBeth's) and wood icing. The palette is Quin Magenta, Phthalo Blue (green shade), and hanso yellow light. I used mostly shades (those colors mixed with black) of the palette. I like the deep rich colors it gives. And I LOVE that I know what that all means now!!

If you look closely at the textured circles, you can see that within each circle is also texture; that's the beauty of this wood icing!
And this is the back cover, but upside down. I like the contrast of the linear drips with the round, raised circles.

Valley Ridge/MaryBethShaw/Day 3

2010-04-26T20:08:00.003-05:00

This is on a pastelboard. I used pastels first, then painted over it. I felt it needed some texture, so I added some with the Wood Icing and a piece of drywall tape as a stencil. I really like this effect--delicate, yet raised. The color palette is one of my favorites from this class: gamboge, Quin Crimson and Cerulean Deep.
This is another pastelboard. The three dots at the bottom didn't turn out well; for some reason, the paint cracked. The board itself is dark, and this piece seems a little dark to me overall.
Here's the same palette on a gessoboard. Seems a bit brighter to me. I like it better than the pastelboards, which didn't take the paint very well at first.

And here's the same palette on clayboard. I like being able to carve into it AND put texture on top of it. It adds another dimension. If you look closely at the bottom right corner, you can see that I also wrote something into the paint (with a colored pencil), and it adds yet another layer and lends some mystery to the piece. The claybord was my favorite surface of the 3.

Valley Ridge Studios/MaryBethShaw/Day 4

2010-04-26T11:21:00.003-05:00

Here are the four boards we did on the last day at Valley Ridge in Wisconsin. This one is a masonite multi-media board. The texture in the corner is from one of MaryBeth's stencils and Wood Icing. I like the wood icing a lot. It holds its shape and looks awesome. You put it on with a trowel, remove stencil, and let it dry for about an hour. I actually worked on the rest of the board WHILE the wood icing was drying!
Not sure what this board is, but it's similar to the masonite and needed to be gessoed before working on it. I really like the composition and mood of this one. The "rocks" turned out so cool, but it was purely accidental and I am not really sure how to get this look again! Just another art surprise!
This is a DaVinci Board, made of mdf. You can buy big sheets of mdf and cut them into smaller sizes for really cheap. The heart is cut out of felt which adds another whole texture.

And this one is"Yes" brand canvas panel. Of all four, I think my favorite was the mdf, even though you have to gesso it first. It takes a lot of "abuse" . We worked on all four of our boards at the same time, which I totally love. The colors are basically Cobalt Teal and Ochre Yellow. I really feel so much more confident with color now that I understand it better. Thanks MaryBeth!

The Pear Tree in Pear Tree Studio

2010-04-06T13:45:00.002-05:00

Seems like Spring has arrived early this year. The pear tree in the back yard looks ready to burst open in blossoms any day. Usually it doesn't bloom until closer to May. This is the tree I gaze upon from the window in my studio; hence the name Pear Tree Studio. Just like me, it has its seasons, each one amazing in its own right. But the white Spring blossoms are my favorite. Last year, towards the end of its bloom, the grandkids laid under the tree on a windy day and let the flowers "snow" on them as they giggled and rolled around. Sweet memory.

Black & White tiled mirror

2010-03-31T10:52:00.002-05:00

Here's my latest in my tiled mirror series. This one is actually my favorite. Can't explain why, as I am so in love with color. I suppose it's the graphic elements that I admire. This will be my last of these for awhile, as I must now get down to business in making a few more altered books for Gallery Ten. And also come up with a resume and artist statement. That will be much more difficult than producing the artwork!

2010-03-29T20:57:00.000-05:00

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Book in a Handbag

2010-03-21T15:58:00.004-05:00

This is a miniature purse--no larger than 4 inches long, I guess. It's adorable all by itself.
So you open it--oh! There's something inside. Wonder what it is?
I pull it out, and it's a strip of paper, folded accordian-style. And it says something.
It says: "It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are." e e cummings. Hmmm--one of my favorite quotes.
But there's more! On the flip side is a pictorial of a little girl (yes, me), who grows up and ponders life's mysteries, and finally metamorphoses into a butterfly--and then she gets her wings and flies--and now she's a Queen--and one last burst of energy, and she's all that she was meant to be.
This is my Book in a Handbag--just finished it today. It will be one of my pieces I show at Gallery Ten in Door County. Hope someone relates to its story and buys it.

WooHoooo!!!

2010-03-06T13:19:00.002-06:00

I'm going to have my art in a gallery in Door County!!

Last Spring when Phil & I went to Door County, we visited several art galleries. One of them, Charlene's Gallery Ten, in Gills Rock, was especially interesting because the art was quite funky. This is a photo of the exterior of the building, with a large canvas sign attached. In talking with the gallery owner about the art there, I mentioned my love affair with books and that I altered books. She took my card (I had just recently had cards made up for my first art show), and said she'd contact me this year. I was pretty excited about it, but then over the winter I figured it was just a nice gesture on her part, and I probably wouldn't hear anything--that old inner critic taking over.

Well, last week I received a letter and contract from her, asking to send or deliver my art! I am feeling honored, excited, scared, affirmed, cautious, and amazed. So now I'm wondering if I should send my art in the mail or deliver it myself. Any advice on that? I will have to go up there and retrieve any unsold art in November. But perhaps it would be worth doing two trips; not sure. Especially since this is my "first time."

Again, my inner critic is at it: I won't sell anything; she'll change her mind after she sees it; blah, blah, blah. But I'm doin it anyway. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. At the very least, it will be something to put on a resume. Oh--that's something else I have to send her: a resume! What do you put in an artist's resume?! I have no idea. Guess I need to research that.

Photos of Key West

2010-03-03T09:13:00.002-06:00

Here are some of the more artsy photos I took while in Key West last week. Talk about inspiration! So many art galleries--I even talked with an artist while he was painting a wine bottle, and he gave me some ideas to try--and the scenery, and just the whole "free" mood of the Keys. My art cup is brimming over..
The water is always an inspiration for me. It is just so elemental, and basic, yet so awe-inspiring. Just to look out at the ocean and breathe in the freshness is so good for my soul.
I was also very much into the trees, and not just the palm trees. Some of the old trees down there are just magnificent. This one, at Blue Heaven Restaurant, reaches up and spreads out so beautifully, and yet some of its base trunk is wound around an antique oven that has been there forever. Such strength.
This door, too, was at Blue Heaven (loved that place--cats and chickens just walkin around, while a lady in a panama hat strums the guitar and you sip on tropical drinks at the outdoor bar while waiting for your outdoor table under the trees.) This door and its color just epitomizes Key West: old, funky, so much character.
These were along the roof line of a patio area where they have music (still Blue Heaven). Love the contrast of green and blue, the glassy color, the pattern and rhythm of the bottles. I have no doubt that all this visual stimuli will be showing up in my art!

Mirror #2

2010-02-17T09:53:00.002-06:00

The papers I used for these tiles were from our family craft day mixed media madness for Valentine's Day; hence, the pinks. Since I knew what I was doing this time, it went much quicker than the first one. I love that a little bit of all our family is in this.
I also added a few charms and collage elements to some of the tiles this time. It seemed to need something extra. Am liking these "tiles" and may branch out to another substrate.

Tiled Mirror

2010-02-16T08:51:00.003-06:00

The IKEA tiled mirror is complete! Finished it last night. Because the tiles aren't 100% uniform, and the spacing is tricky, it's not perfectly aligned. But I like the look. It looks modern, without being standardized.
I did have to go back and paint the edges of the foamboard black--that was tedious. And then also needed to tack up a few of the corners; that shiny tagboard surface doesn't take the gel medium real well. It would have been easier to go buy black tiles ready-made, but what's the wonder of that?

Stay tuned for the next mirror adventure. I DID buy 8 of them!

IKEA Mirror Mosaic--Day One

2010-02-13T15:03:00.003-06:00

Here's the IKEA mirror, in black. I bought 8 of these yesterday--my first trip to IKEA. What an experience THAT was! Now that I have experience with the "maze," I plan to return and look around a little more.
And here are the 32 "tiles" I cut out of foamboard. Someone had told me that they measured 1 1/2 inches square, so that's how I originally cut them. I measured, drew lines, and scored with my craft knife. And then I went back and evened out some of the edges, since some looked different after I turned them over....After painstakingly cutting them, I laid them out on the mirror and discovered--oh no!--too large. So then I guessed at 1 1/4 inches--and yes, that's the correct amount. So I trimmed every single tile (all 36 that I had originally cut). Actually went kinda fast though--I was so mad at having to redo each tile that my cuts were swift and hard!
So here's how the blank tiles look laid out on the mirror. A little sloppy, but hopefully the finished piece will look a bit more precise in spacing. But this seems to be the correct layout--6 across, 2 on each side. The spacing isn't exact between them all, even when neatly laid out.
THEN--on to deciding my color scheme. I've been into turquoise and lime green for months now, so I decided to go with that, adding various shades of blues and citrons and greens. Went through my stash of "play" papers and auditioned them for the mirror. I had more than enough! No surprise there....

So these are some of those papers, cut down a bit. Now I need to decide whether to cut and then glue, or glue and then cut. I favor the latter, since I'm not real precise in my measurements. Will probably use gel medium. I'll also need to decide how to handle the edges of the "tiles." All this can wait til tomorrow--or perhaps Monday.

The Garden Isle

2010-02-11T12:51:00.004-06:00

Here is one of 4 collages I completed today. They are each 4 X 6, and fit in a frame together. It's called Garden Isle because it reminds me of the colors and textures and feel of Kauai.
The strips of fabric on each collage are from material I bought while in Hawaii. I didn't know how I would use the fabric when I bought it; I just knew that it made me happy to look at it.
The collages were done using the Jonathon Talbot method I learned from Laura in her class last Fall, using polymer medium and a tack iron. I have a love/hate relationship with this method. I hate the process (coating papers) but love the final effect.
You really need to click on each photo to see the elements and the detail. This one just reminds me of the water and lava rocks and sunny skies.
Here's what it looks like in the frame. Difficult to see with the glare, I know, but the total effect is so cool. Especially when you realize I bought this frame from HomeGoods for only $8! I took out the tacky prints that were in it, and replaced with my collages.
And here's the piece with the mat but without the glare from the glass in the frame. Using the Hawaiian fabrics was an inspiration that came to me while mindlessly walking on my treadmill this morning. Sometimes we never know when inspiration will hit us!

today's ATC's

2010-02-04T14:22:00.003-06:00

Here are the Valentine ATC's I made today. Some of these don't look much like Valentines; they're more subtle. Used the same background for all--it was the Artist Sheet in the latest Somerset Studios. I usually tear those out and then never use them, but I really liked the colors and patterns in this one. Make sure you click on the photos to enlarge.
The unifying theme in all of these ATC's was the Paris "postmark" stamp. While I was at it, I cut up a lot more blanks for ATC's so I'll have them ready when the mood strikes (tomorrow?!). I also have an ATC stamp for the back that includes name, date, etc., so they're all stamped and ready for future fun. I just love Valentine's Day--any day that celebrates love is great in my book. And it doesn't have to be romantic love, either. Love is the most powerful force in this Universe. And I do celebrate it.

completed ATC's

2010-02-03T17:28:00.003-06:00

Here are the Valentine ATC's I finished today. These were a lot of fun. I used only things I had on hand. I made 16 altogether.
It was fun to use the paint sample words, as a challenge, on each piece. I tried to choose words that were descriptive of the person or of the card in general. The large black hearts are cut out of a velvety paper--great tactile experience.
I have lots of "romantic" embellishments on hand, so it was fairly easy to complete these in a little over an hour.
The one on the bottom right is my favorite. The word says "delicate," and I thought the clipart and the feather further enhanced the feeling of delicacy. Tomorrow I will mail some off.

ATC's--Day One

2010-02-02T17:29:00.002-06:00

Today I decided to make some ATC's for Valentine's Day. I've been wanting to make some ATC's for awhile now, and I'm happy to be beginning them. I will mail them out to some of my artist friends. Here are the cards with various backgrounds; nearly all of these are my own papers. Some are painted tissue papers, some are copies of collages, some are baby wipes that have soaked up fluid acrylics.
And here is my personal challenge--to incorporate one of these words from a booklet of red paint samples. Some are names and numbers of paint colors. I always like to give myself a little challenge like this. It adds a fun element and it also gives some continuity to the cards. Tomorrow I will finish them up!

Papers from Women's Retreat

2010-01-31T19:05:00.002-06:00

On Saturday, there was a one-day Women's Retreat held at our church. Twenty-six women, all ages, spent the day playing and celebrating God's love. As part of the day, I led this mixed media project.
There were seven tables, covered in white paper, and I let the ladies loose with acrylic craft paints. It was so cool to see how everyone played with the paints. Some went crazy, covering every bit of paper with color (like my table).
Others painted little designs and happy symbols all over, using lots of colors.
Then we texturized and let everything dry. Later we came back and embellished with stamping and images and written words.
It looks all crazy, but everyone had fun, even the ones who were leery at first. It was great to see these women let go and play with the colors. The energy in the room was wonderful.
And everyone went home with some papers to use as wrapping paper or cards (or for me, background papers to use for other art). Communal art--FUN.

AND

2010-01-20T20:39:00.004-06:00

Remember those rainbow sherbet claybords I was working on before? Well, I worked and reworked, til I got a little better contrast. They're better than they were before, but I still like the smaller ones I did better. These became almost muddy.
I added darks and lights and more darks and more lights. Even a little gold mica flakes here and there. The ampersand tells the name: AND
Which is appropriate, now that I think about it! I added this AND that AND more AND more....
Don't know why this one turned sideways on me, but you get the idea.
AND here are the four pieces, together. The added collage elements--tapes and the word, and the 3 small discs--helped pull it all together. AND now I'm on to my characters......................

character creations

2010-01-20T09:53:00.002-06:00

I've been thinking for awhile about creating some human characters. I went through my stash of people, and came up with around 20 little kids' faces. Took them to Staples and resized them so they're all close to the same size, and made several copies of each. I didn't realize until I was at Staples that most of them have some kind of hat or other covering on their heads. Isn't that interesting?
So last night I cut out the heads, and a few legs, and started playing around with what I might do. After experimenting with several shapes--circles, stars, rectangles, etc., I finally settled on the triangular shape. It just seems to fit these kids better. Then I took a pencil and began some experimenting with arms. I like the "real legs" effect. I think I may need to find some more legs in my stash.

Last night I woke up around 3, as I sometimes do. I have random thoughts, ideas, song lyrics, etc., swim through my mind. I try to dismiss them, but my mind has a mind of its own sometimes. Anyway, one of those random thoughts was to add a word to each character. So that's what I shall work on today.

Still not quite sure what I'll DO with these characters, but enjoying the process as it evolves.

color fanatic

2010-01-15T11:42:00.002-06:00

Yes, I admit it. I'm addicted to color. Especially in the winter. One of my favorite January/February pastimes is to get paint swatches, just to soak up the color. I was so excited to find these at Home Depot! Cute little leaf shapes, with pre-cut holes and they even give you the ring to put them on! I was there to get paint for the kitchen. My husband doesn't understand it much, but I had to paint the kitchen green. Now keep in mind, that it's already green. And the new shade is similar to the old one. But to my eye, it's totally different--lighter and brighter, and goes much better with our other new paint colors. Big sigh....just had to.

So if anyone else out there is starving for color, go to Home Depot and snatch up some of these great flavors!

one set finished

2010-01-13T09:50:00.002-06:00

I now have one set of claybords done. These are the ones I started Sunday with the Creative Spirits group. I like how they flow together, and yet each one could stand on its own. I just now came up with a title: CYBERSPACE. It's the combination of letters and pseudo writing and outer-space feel. Make sure you enlarge the photo to see the details.

They still need to be varnished, which will bring out the depth more. Love working with the claybord. Thank you MaryBeth Shaw!!

Claybords Set 3

2010-01-11T09:10:00.003-06:00

Here are the 4 claybord pieces I worked on yesterday at the Creative Spirits all-day art workshop. I like the flow and swirlies, but I noticed this morning that it needs more red. I think I will gesso over that X and paint it with a contrasting red. I'm also toying with the idea of adding a small 1-inch square of claybord in that left bottom corner to add some dimension and texture.

It was a wonderful day--always great to create in community. The energy is amazing. Later today I plan to work on both sets of claybords, and hopefully finish at least one. Off to my monthly massage now....

more progress today

2010-01-09T15:34:00.002-06:00

Here's where my claybords are now. Layer upon layer of colors. I think it's time to stop and re-evaluate on another day. First thing I notice here on this photo is that I need more contrasting values. It all looks like rainbow sherbet. Isn't that interesting how I can "see" it better in a photo? Somehow it makes it more objective or something. Not sure I understand how that works, but I'm glad it does. I'm planning on adding some chipboard letters that I've painted in bright colors, to the final boards.
Here's a close-up of one of the panels. That's balled up tissue paper around the word. It just felt like it needed a word--since I have the letters and language thing going on here. So I rummaged through my stash of single words, some of which are old word cards used to make sentences, from my teaching days. This word seemed perfect, since I already have the ampersand carved into the other panel. Perhaps I need to darken that ampersand a bit? Anyway, AND seems symbolic to me--there's always more. In this time of advancing technology, we text, email, tweet, facebook, blog, etc. There's always more to say. Speaking of words, how do you like my psuedo language? It says nothing--just the hint. Love it.

Day Three Progress

2010-01-09T11:43:00.003-06:00

OK, here's my progress on the 4 8 X 8 claybords. I added some texture with tissue, gel medium, and cheesecloth, then today I started layering with pastels and fluid acrylics. Pardon the shadows on the corners. I can see in this photo that I have a blobby reddish spot in the middle of the two right ones, but it will gradually fade and blend in as I continue to layer. Havin fun!!

2010-01-08T08:03:00.003-06:00

Finally am playing around with all the claybord I bought after my class with MaryBeth Shaw last Fall. I have a set of 4 ready for our art retreat Sunday, but I also began on these 8 X 8's so I could keep going with the process. I spray painted stenciled letters on them last night. I wanted to do white, but had no white spray paint on hand, so I settled for what I had--lime green.

Oh, and I also traced an ampersand into one of them, and carved around the outline for depth. Hmmm, I just realized--the claybord's brand name is Ampersand.....curious....

I have no idea where this set is going, but it will be interesting to see if and how the spray paint takes any other color over it. I am going to work on it right now, adding texture. Will post later when I've done a bit more to it. Later, alligator....

2010-01-07T11:02:00.002-06:00

I bought tulips yesterday on an impulse. I went to the grocery store to get ingredients for soup today, and these caught my eye. I'm so glad I did. They certainly make this day more hopeful. They are sitting in the middle of my table, where I tend to spend a lot of time on days like this, watching the birdies (and squirrels) at the feeder, and watching the snow fall. I am grateful that I have the choice to sit there, instead of being out driving in it.
I like the contrasts in this photo. Winter/Spring. White & Black/Pink & Green. Rough/Smooth. Calm & Quiet/Bright & Exuberant. Blah Snow & Cold/Cheerful & Hopeful!
I actually captured the snow falling in this one! Love the lines and contrasts. Today I'm spending in my studio, playing with claybord and getting ready for our art retreat Sunday. Oh, and making chicken tortilla soup. mmmm.

2009-12-31T09:53:00.002-06:00

Here are 4 5 X 7's that I completed yesterday. I went downstairs to clean up the basement, as I have some friends coming over today to do some art, and I rediscovered my gazillions of papers that I made in Laura's class last fall. They were calling to me, so I got to work. Everything was all ready; all I had to do was tear, rip, collage, and iron. This one is my favorite.
This one uses a photo I took of some recycled letters I made for my daughter's bulletin board; she teaches 8th grade science. I think they work nicely here--you have to look at the piece for awhile before you discover the word, which is intended.
This piece is more purply, which is a color I don't often use in my art. The pieces that have the white textured circles are from a photo I took at the Chicago Garden show several years back. It adds a lot to this abstract piece, which has a mystical quality to it, I think.
And this one reminds me of a couple of days ago, when my granddaughter Addison, age 3, and I blew bubbles on the back porch. It was a sunny day, and the sound of her giggles plus the sun (which has been missing for weeks) just made for a memorable moment. These "bubbles" are a photo of a planter, which is one the porch, and is filled with small glass ornaments to resemble bubbles. I varnished all these pieces with high-gloss, which added to the depth quite a bit.
Feels so good to get back into the creativity mode.

Stories

2009-12-28T18:18:00.003-06:00

Here's what I created today! I've had this collection of wine corks for years, always thinking I'd do something with them, and never knowing what. I wanted to make ART, not a corkboard or trivet or whatever. I had bought this printer's drawer last Spring when we were in Door County, and today when I went into my studio, it called to me. I decided to try an assemblage of some sort, and when I went searching through my stash I ran across a few random corks and thought they might work as part of the assemblage.
Then after rummaging through my corks, I fell in love with them all over again. Each one has its own unique pattern and markings and holes. Each one came from a bottle that was used in a celebratory way--even if it was just a TGIF. So each cork has its own story. I decided to use only corks at that point.
And of course, I couldn't just leave them naked; I played with a few fibers first, and then ran across some beads on a thin wire, and decided to use a few charms also. They attached easily with a straight pin, curled on the end so the charm remains in place. My husband says it's an extravaganza of texture.
I can't decide if I like it better horizontally or vertically. Either way seems to work. I'm very pleased with my day's work. And it felt great to be back in the creativity groove.

2009-12-28T10:31:00.002-06:00

Why do I always feel I need a visual with my blog? Guess that's the artist side of me. But today I need to just write, so am not taking the time to use a photo. The big Duff Christmas party is now over, and I feel the need to create. Seems that my studio has taken a back seat to holiday preparations, and it really wants to be in the driver's seat today. So I am headed there for sure. Don't even know what I'm going to do, but I trust that once I enter, I will know.

I also sense that I need to return to my morning pages. They keep my day in balance, and I know they are essential to me. Why do I avoid them? hmmmm--a subject for my morning pages, for sure!

And now, on to a day of creativity--with a few breaks for cleaning up after yesterday's party. See--I WAS planning the opposite (breaks for creativity). NOW I see it needs to be reversed.

Winter's Early Arrival

2009-12-11T09:53:00.002-06:00

Someone forgot to inform Winter that she wasn't due for another couple of weeks! Here's a photo I took yesterday of our back porch door. The chickadee stickers are all over the windows; they help keep the birdies from flying into them.

I'm finally getting over my cold and feeling more energy. Just in time for holiday preparations. How I long to just spend a day in my studio--even cleaning and organizing would be fine, as long as I can be in there! But I'm afraid that will have to wait until next year. I just have to remember that I'm still being creative--planning, decorating, cooking requires creativity also.

Perhaps between Christmas and New Year's, I'll give myself the gift of studio time.

completed Claybord pieces

2009-12-02T09:50:00.002-06:00

I finally was able to complete my claybord pieces from MaryBeth Shaw's class this fall. I added the collage elements and varnished them. It's an abstract landscape of the Valley Ridge farm. These two are 8 X 10's.
This detail photo went sideways on me, but you get the idea. The colorscheme is more monochromatic, and therefore quite different for me, who likes lots of vivid colors. This was a challenge to use texture more than color.
Another sideways detail. We carved into the claybord, and then I added more texture on top of that to the "ground" area. I learned so much in this class! MaryBeth is teaching again there next year, one class of color theory and another with painting on various hard surfaces. Looking forward to taking both these classes.
And these are the original 4 claybord pieces I did, 4 X 6's. I love the look and feel of these. They are hanging on my wall. I plan to do more "claybording" after the holidays.

Cocoa Beach Sunrise

2009-11-28T10:27:00.002-06:00

Have been away from here for awhile! First Hawaii, then Cocoa Beach, then Thanksgiving....it has all been quite wonderful, but I am longing to return to my art this next week. Here is a photo of a fabulous sunrise I witnessed while in Florida. It is one of about 40!!

What stays with me from Cocoa Beach: the tastes of great seafood, finding lots of seashells, witnessing the Atlantis Shuttle launch, the sound of the ocean, the feel of sand beneath my feet, the hilarious sandpipers who run back and forth with the water, and lots of laughter.

My studio is a big mess, and I'm debating whether to ignore it and just dive in, or take the time to organize and tidy up. I'm thinkin my art hunger will compel me to do the first!

Reflections on Kauai #4

2009-11-07T12:38:00.001-06:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Reflections on Kauai #3

2009-11-06T07:50:00.002-06:00

Here's a photo of a fisherman casting his net. I saw this from the balcony of our room; he was right below us. I was so surprised to see that the fishermen use the "old ways" of fishing. I thought about how this little island has such a rich heritage and how hard they try to maintain that heritage.

Even the hula dancers surprised me. I suppose I was under the stereotyped impression of what their dancing would be like, and I was fortunately wrong. The hula is so graceful! It reminded me of ballet in its movements. And although I didn't know what each movement meant, I did know that there WAS meaning behind each one. I learned from one dancer that it takes many many years to become a master, or teacher. She had been dancing since age 7, and at about age 30, she still was not qualified to be a teacher. Again, that rich heritage.

And the music! I just fell in love with the unique rhythms of Hawaiian music. I bought 2 CD's while there. On the label of one, which is a compilation of the best throughout history, it talks about how Hawaiians need to celebrate their music because of its uniqueness. There is no music that is uniquely Connecticut's or uniquely Tennessee's. But Hawaii does have its own music. And that fact should be a source of pride.

So what does all this pride in heritage teach me? I guess it's that I need to be more aware of the rest of the world. Technology has brought us here, on the mainland, many advantages. And we are so quick to grasp for more, forgetting where we've come from. And forgetting that not everyone in the world lives as we do. Or has the same values that we do. It sounds trite, but now that I've experienced it, it has more meaning for me. It's opened my eyes so to speak. Sure, we see on TV and in movies about how others live around the world. But to be immersed in another culture and another environment is an awakening.

It awakes our spirits in recognizing that we are all connected, even though different. We truly are one, whether we recognize it or not. Whether we like it or not. Whether we embrace it or not.

Reflections on Kauai #2

2009-11-04T13:42:00.002-06:00

(Written 10/21/09): Wednesday Sunrise

I am sitting on the balcony of our oceanfront room. The bird songs called me from my bed....a hint of mango color in the morning sky and a blurry mist out on the water....the ocean provokes feelings of POWER and MAJESTY....of vastness and humility.....the sounds churn up my being as though my body is responding to the energy that crashes on shore. My soul recognizes something here. Something central and basic to us all.

(Written today): What is that central and basic thing? A connection to the water? If so, it is a connection that is physical. The waves, mimicking my breath--in and out. The rushing sound, as though it has something important to impart. I could sit and stare and listen for long periods of time, just soaking it in. It is peace. It is contentment. It is a feeling that, no matter what, I can connect with God and experience this peace. It requires solitude. It requires need. But the promise is ever present.

Reflections on Kauai #1

2009-11-03T20:23:00.002-06:00

Just returned last week from our 8 days in Hawaii, on the Garden Isle of Kauai. We were there to attend a wedding, but had plenty of time to explore the island. My head is still swimming with images of this beautiful isle, and the beautiful Hawaiian music that I fell in love with. Here's one such image that intrigues me. It was taken in Princeville, which is on the northern coast of the island. We ate at a restaurant there, where I saw this palm tree with an orchid growing out of it! I don't know if this is common, but the concept stays with me.

It seems like a bit of delicate beauty, surviving on the rough tree trunk. Such a complete contrast of color, texture, and weight. And yet it also seems to be a parasitic relationship. Does the tree benefit from this plant? It doesn't seem likely, unless it simply enjoys the companionship. And then you have the mountains in the distance, acting as a frame for the entire composition. Again, a huge contrast in size and color. I saw so many beautiful colors in the tropical flowers there. Immersed in colors, textures, and sounds, was I.

There is definitely something about this experience that is going to show itself in my art. I'm not sure how, but I do know that here--in this blog--is the place to explore it. So I will continue to reflect on these images, and see where it takes me.

Study in Black and White

2009-10-12T08:07:00.002-05:00

Here's a scan of my latest challenge: to make a collage of black and white. It seemed easy at first; the contrast of values is built right into the contrast of colors. But then I realized that form and composition also become a major factor. There's not much else to keep the eye interested. I'm very happy with how this turned out; a challenge that I gave myself after taking Laura's class.

The birds photos are done in B & W, with one negative image. The tree roots also done in B & W--a photo from the river. The bluish circular photors are ones I took with my toilet paper tube experiment. And the cupcake photo is a B & W copy of a collage I did just for fun.

I think I want to title it Life Cycle.

Class at Naperville Art League

2009-10-09T10:27:00.000-05:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

Creative Spirits Retreat September 2009

2009-10-06T17:10:00.004-05:00

I was finally able to download photos from my camera! Here is Sandy's gorgeous creation from our awesome retreat day.
And here is Gai's "sideways" book, rich with color and texture.

Here is part of April's book and canvas. This is her granddaughter's portrait of her grandmother. I think it fits her perfectly! The colors are so autumn-like.

LOVE those BLUES!! Could this one be MaryAnn's?
Gai, working diligently on her masterpiece.
Here's Nancy working on her Altered Board Book on Canvas. We all followed directions of Shona Cole, who had this project in a Somerset Studio Workshop that we received from Nadine.
MaryAnn, painting her board book. Everyone's project turned out beautiful and oh so unique.
Sandy and Harriet, scheming together. The project called for LOTS of gesso.
Carolyn and April seem to be enjoying themselves. It was a gorgeous day, and we even were fortunate to see a couple of weddings at the nearby chapel.
Mary is quite focused. Loved her blue paint there. Thanks for letting me borrow it Mary!

Most were able to finish or nearly finish their projects, which was a big relief to me! I realized after I made the sample, that it was a little more involved than the directions might lead you to believe. But, we all took our own artistic license, and they all turned out great.

art from my current class

2009-09-30T12:06:00.003-05:00

Here are 5 of my 6 collages that I completed today. I've been taking a class from Laura Lein Svencner. She uses the Jonathon Talbot method of collaging, which I had been introduced to before, but had not used since. I don't think I was really ready for it before, artistically. This one went together rather easily.This is the first one I started in class yesterday. The focal point are tree roots, from a photo I took years ago while boating on the Illinois River. It's ok, but my word (these) didn't come out as well as I had hoped, even with darkening it after the transfer. This one is my favorite. I did it totally differently from the rest. I used the text as the basic background, then layered tissue papers on top, so you can still see some of the text. After transferring the bird, I went back in with yellow acrylic and filled in the white areas. Simple, yet effective. I like the tissue papers for their transparency. I already had a stash of stained tissue papers that I did after viewing Carrie Ann Brown's video, so I got those out and coated some of them with polymer to have more tissue paper that I can use with this method.
This one is a bit whimsical. I didn't even realize it until after I scanned these that the candles appear to be coming out of his head! Just part of his imagination, I guess. By now, you can tell which papers are my favorites, cuz I've used them over and over.
And this one has no border; Laura calls it organic. Again, the word is a bit hidden, but once you discover it, it's interesting.

Once you get going with this method, it's hard to stop! But it's a beautiful sunny day, and I am going to take Shasta for a walk and then try to stay away from the papers and the tack iron!

Claybord Art Pieces

2009-09-23T17:07:00.002-05:00

Here are my smaller claybord pieces from my workshop at Valley Ridge. Just finished with the 3rd coat of glossy varnish on them. I think they have a feel of "outer space" to them. The workshop was certainly out of this world!
It's difficult to tell from these photos, but each board was carved into, texturized, and sanded before receiving generous amounts of color: pastels, acrylics, & inks.
The squiggly lines have no message; they are simply pseudo-writing. Love that effect.
These first four were done together, which is why they are similar. They are all small; 5 X 7.
This last one stands by itself. It was an experiment late Saturday night, just playing around. I really had fun with all the techniques we used and do plan on doing more of these. I also have a pair of larger ones, which are an abstract landscape. I need to do some more work on them before they are finished.

Mary Beth Shaw's Workshop

2009-09-15T17:02:00.000-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Valley Ridge Experience:WOW!

2009-09-15T17:01:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Our Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-07T17:30:00.000-05:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Artful Recycled Letters

2009-08-29T18:29:00.002-05:00

Oh boy, this is hilarious. I just knew it would turn out this way--why does Blogger insist on posting your photos in the opposite order that you downloaded them?! Oh well, so this is backwards. Just figure it out....Here's the story:
My oldest daughter, Jennifer, is an 8th grade science teacher, and getting her classroom ready for the new school year. She wanted to use recycled materials for the letters, and asked for my help in figuring them out and cutting them out. So here are the completed letters for her bulletin board.
Some of these materials were hers and some were mine. I even dug into the garbage to retrieve the popcorn bag! Come on, you would have done it too--look at the cool effect for the letter E! So it says, Imagine the Possibilities... The 3 dots at the end are the centers of old CD's. That's my favorite. Hope she likes it.

THINGS SO CREATED

2009-08-26T09:31:00.004-05:00

Here is my completed boardbook canvas. I did this as an example for our Creative Spirits Group that will meet in September for a day-long art retreat. It's based on a project by Shona Coles that was published in Somerset Studios Workshop. It's actually 3 pieces: the boardbook, the canvas board that hangs, and the background canvas. It's titled THINGS SO CREATED.
This is the background canvas. The photo is a glossy photo, altered, as per Shona Cole's technique. All of the photos in the boardbook, and this one, are from previous Chicago Garden Shows. You can't see it here, but the edge of the canvas has strips of old text glued on.
This is the canvas board, without the book. Those black things are the velcro, which attaches the book to it. The beaded wire is how it hangs (on a nail) on the larger canvas.
And here's a glimpse inside the boardbook. Lots of gesso in here! After sanding and gessoing the book, it's painted, then gessoed again. Then you stamp in the book and gesso a THIRD time. I do like the effect. Very different for me, because I'm into BRIGHT colors.
A close-up of the corner of the canvas. Altering the photo was pretty easy to do with hot water and sandpaper and fluid acrylics. The color scheme just kind of happened. It was a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to doing another one at our retreat.