Feeling The Love

The whole day was a blur.

I was steady busy all day with people milling through at the Gallery I work in town. It has artwork from our locals and then antique shop in the back, interesting place actually. A museum is downstairs.

The heat snuck up on us again and the campers were coming into town for a stroll into A/C!
In the mist of all these gazers 2 people are interested in stained glass classes. TWO in one day! If the others on my list are still interested...we have a class.

Then, 2 people are interested in learning backgrounds and different applicable techniques for journals or cards...whatever...they arrive Monday at 11 am.
I cleaned my studio up some when I arrived home.

THEN, my son JR has a fused plaque on his deck outside. One of his buddies must really like it he phoned and ordered one for a wedding present.
This is pretty amazing to me, the young people these days do not put a whole lot of thought into a gift, or seem to even appreciate art, at least around here.

I am cruising my favorite blogs looking at their updates and thinking...how cool would it be when someone adds my blogspot to their "interesting" list....and there I WAS!
That is a thrill.
Especially since I haven't really been building an interesting site.
I was feeling the love though.
Great Day!

To Get Creative

I visit a LOT of blogs. I am astounded to see SO much creativity. A lot of inspiration seems to come from these different sites that challenge. So I am compiling a list.

My new goal and focus is to PARTICIPATE more in challenges. I often just run out of time. And periodically I actually get commissions, but we will see where I go with my new found inspired self.

I really enjoy reading every ones thoughts and daily trials their artistic endeavors...and in general I just feel like I had a visit with the individual. So, I want to try to be more reflective of me. How my day is or a thought. (I have them on occasion, generally forgetting it immediately). What I am experimenting with..so you, my visitor, might learn about me. Not just see a piece I fling up occasionally. This is my second personal challenge.

I will begin in the next entry...we don't want to get too carried away right off.
:-)

Bowl Update

Probably thinking I have given up on this project....NOT! I set the eye in the "hand" today. After a little struggle and a small amount of the paint scraped, it is sitting pretty. Almost all of the painting has been accomplished. The steps to come are to have the skeleton climbing over the side. His head fell off so he is in a neck brace right this moment reattaching his head. The curtains to hang on the four poster are sitting in stain, antiquing them a bit..then,...they go up. After I have made the skeletons bones more aged, I think I am done. Pictures will come soon.

Book

A new book arrived, "Living the Creative Life" Rice Freeman -Zachery. This book is good!. I think it should be in all the classrooms. Not about techniques, and I love those books too, more about getting your imagination going. Great examples to give students for projects to get their imaginations kick started. I can't put a picture like others do onto their blog but, I can direct you to www.amazon.com to go look at it for yourself. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Dachotah Prairie Museum Booked

I am very excited to announce, I have been invited to return to the Dachotah Prairie Museum in Aberdeen, SD to present my work.

This invitation will include all mediums, not just glass. She wants 4 new panels to represent the glass venue. No theme. We are keeping it eclectic, with maybe small themes within the display.

This is an honor for any artist.
Being invited to show at a museum is a thrill in itself.
Being invited back is a staggering accomplishment.

I am extremely honored to be presented with this gift of acknowledgment.

If anyone reading my blog does happen to travel through Aberdeen in August of 2008, please stop in and have a look.

Ingredients

In this bowl you can see the coffin has been set. Since this picture was taken I have begun building the platform around the base so eventually it will look as if the coffin has risen from the dirt. I added 4 rusty nails to each corner. It is a 4 poster coffin.

In this picture you can see the wooden caster wheels. They represent the gurney of a morgue. They became the feet of the bowl. They still spin and everything.

This picture shows the ingredients that will become the eye resting in the coffin. The little heads will be embedded in the "dirt" around the coffin and decorate other places, they are small. The tongs will hold the eye. The marble mushroom is the eye.

Paper Mache/Assemblage

I have been working up bowls recently using a revisited technique, Paper Mache. I am so glad I revisited this procedure. In addition to its low costs, the possibilities are endless for the creating process. Know this though, it is not a fast process. Each layer needs to dry completely. One bowl in particular we shall chat about. It is approximately 20 inches diameter. After the initial shape was formed of paper mache process, I used plaster to continue its layering to give it a stronger weight and what I felt a stronger presence for my plan. In the center of the bowl I set in a box (made of paper mache) to be referred to as the "coffin". Yesterday the sculpting gel finally arrived. I plan to use this to build the platform around the coffin so it looks like it is coming up from the 'ground'. I may have pillars, to lend to that 'resting' feeling, not sure yet. In the mix will be skeleton heads. I found an old set of ice tongs and a small mushroom made of marble. These items will become the hands holding an eye and rest within the coffin. Crawling over the sides will be a skeleton corpse, but he hasn't arrived yet, I expect him any day now. I found a set of really old wooden casters, to represent a rolling gurney, they are the feet of the bowl. Using cheesecloth, because of its gauzy texture, I layered the inside and out to help lend to a creepy eerie texture. mmmmmmmmuaaaaaaaaaawha stay tuned, pictures will be uploaded soon.

Storms

We have been having terrible storms lately. I haven't neglected my promise to myself for journaling. The last 2 days I have spent decorating pages for journal purposes. I have also made the coffin for the bowl I am working on. When that is completed I will post it. I ordered an Ann Baldwin CD, in hopes she might help me with my problems I am having finishing and correcting my mistakes on the Buffalo project.

Great Inspiration

I finished reading all the cards in Wide Open by Randi Feuerhelm-Watts ***** stars excellent!!!! She is very encouraging and inspirational...GET JOURNALING! I am going to make sure I journal everyday ...even if I just have a brief thought to put down. She is absolutely right ...why wait? WHAT are we waiting for? Is there A perfect moment to begin? How will people remember us if we give them nothing to remember? I do believe it will help to loosen me up so, here is to day 1 journal keeping. I will post pictures periodically...I think right now I need to focus on finishing up my projects but if my time allows for a art journal entry I shall enter that way...otherwise I am going to try and be diligent and enter in my bedside journal. We all need to give concentrated effort to journaling more. Pens and brushes...onward HO.

Collage

Photo Transfer comprises a great part of this project. Some images are from historic journals, and some of my artwork copied to the printer then used as a transfer. Transferring photos is tricky and patient work. Be prepared for the image not to do what you wanted. I am getting a lot of practice (which I wanted). I need as much practice in the photography department. This isn't completed. Some of the imagery tells the tale of the disappearance of the great Bison from the Plains. Indians used Buffalo's for food, clothing, and they made their teepee's from the hide...many other uses from the buffalo kept the Indians supplied. The train and railroad brought Easterners to the Plains and a great waste of a Prime commodity. This image doesn't show the details. For instance the "eyes" of the Buffalo show the bones of their over hunted carcass. And images of their uses are given.
The plan is to use rusty barb wire for the "trail". I am building a shadowbox frame. I didn't have any acrylics (but this has been remedied) so for this composition I used oils and they are slow to dry!

Done

Washes and Transfers

This piece has a LOT happening in it. Not just techniques but subject matter. It needs more, but I wanted to look at it from this perspective and see what comes to me. This is done on canvas. Ink washes a couple of transfers and painting with acrylics. I am after a ghostly effect. I might be able to add some plum instead of more black and maybe that will highlight just a bit more.

We shall see....

If you would like to contribute a suggestion....:-)

Image Transfers

Practicing image transfers. They can be tricky! Moon Bathing is 2 image transfers, inks, and sponging inks.