"Partial Clearing" Mixed Media Collage

Partial Clearing
Mixed Media Collage on Canvas
8" x 8"

I've been busy listing this piece along with some of my other recent work in my Etsy Shop today. This is an original mixed media collage that I originally blogged about here. It is a very textural piece, due to the papers and modeling paste used to create texture under the painting. Thank you for your interest in my art! I'm happy to answer any questions. 

Growing Stronger, Updated

This is a piece I've been working for awhile. I started it in January and let it sit for awhile. To see what it looked like then, go here. The more I looked at her, the more I wanted to add more color. I love using the watercolor over gesso technique, but sometimes I want more color. I felt like I was putting her makeup on this morning as I dabbed some pan pastel color here and there! She may be done, or maybe not. I don't seem to be in a hurry with this one at all.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today. I always appreciate your comments.

I'm linking this with the 29 Faces Challenge . Check it out to see some fabulous work from artists all around the world.

Silence -- Art Journal Page

"Enter a place of stillness and simply be where you are: 

not moving forward or backward but simply being utterly present,

 suspended in the space between past and future."

                                                                  Ruth Barrett

Corrugated Cardboard Art: Christmas Garlands

I love making gifts at Christmas, if I can think of (or find) good ideas. This year's inspiration came from Jessica Sporn's fabulous Holiday Garland Tutorial. As soon as I watched her tutorial, I knew what I would make for gifts this year. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to order her lovely stencils and had to go ahead on the project without them.

I had so much fun making these garlands! They basically consist of a series of mixed media collages done on a corrugated cardboard substrate. The backgrounds are watercolor and/or fluid acrylic with stamping and other embellishments. I made my own very simple stencils and masks for the tree shapes this time, but would love to try out Jessica's beautiful stencils with some Christmas projects next year. Here are some photos of the individual collages as well as the finished garlands. I'm so excited with how they turned out. Thank you Jessica, for so generously sharing this great idea!

Hmmm... I did my own lettering on the first set of collages for my 'test garland' and decided not to do lettering on the rest. Plus, it gave me a good excuse to keep one of the garlands for myself! 

I ended up making four garlands (one for myself, of course) and one for each of my sisters. Making gifts like this is such a win-win situation. I get to do what I enjoy most while making something special and unique for the people I love. It sure beats rushing around in the stores, looking for gifts to buy. I hope you all had a chance to slow down and create during the busy holiday and that 2014 is a year full of time to paint and create!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today. I always appreciate your comments.

The Evolution of a Gel Print

This story begins here, with a few solid colors printed on a piece of watercolor paper.

There were so many things I liked about this original print. The colors are soothing and the overall composition is quite nice. I could have stopped here and been happy. In fact, it may be fair to say I should have stopped here, or at least been a bit more cautious as I proceeded. But as you can see, I forged madly ahead with handmade stencils and more passes on the plate until I ended up here:

Yikes! This definitely falls into the it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time category. Even so, I really love how the bottom half came out. As I looked more at this print, I decided it had a split personality and I wasn't sure what to do to make everything work together. So, I cropped my favorite parts, ending up with three smaller pieces.

The beauty of printing on watercolor paper, is that it's sturdy enough for collage. I ended up doing a lot of collage on this part of the print.

 

There was a lot I liked in this section, but I wasn't so happy with the red and gold, so again collage came to the rescue!

And finally, my favorite part of the original print:

For a very process-oriented artist, as I tend to be, this is such a satisfying and enjoyable way to work. 

I'm linking this to Carolyn Dube's Colorful Gelli Print Party and to Paint Party Friday. Check them both out to see all of the wonderfully creative things people are doing with paint! Thank you so much for visiting my blog!  I always appreciate your comments.

Face #14: Abstract Portrait

 Realistic faces are not easy to do well, nor are abstract faces for that matter! I really want to be able to do abstract faces. I'm not sure why. It's just what I want to do. So here is an attempt at an abstract face. I used a thick sharpie to outline shapes and then began painting, first with watercolor, then before I knew it, the acrylics were out again. I was keeping in mind the concept of suggesting dialog by having two figures in the painting as I learned in Diane Culhane's excellent between speech and silence class, hence the bird. I added a bit of collage again at the end, because I love collage, especially bits of text like this. I love languages, reading, poetry, and words, so I enjoy having bits of text in my pieces that give some interesting visual texture and hopefully create a bit of mystery as well.

White-faced woman -- mixed media portrait

I've been participating in Ayala Art's 29 Faces Challenge this month. At this point, I am quite sure I will not make it to 29 faces this month. This is face #11. I drew and painted, drew and painted, ending up with a rather crazy, or shall we say expressionist palette. I am still finding my way with acrylics, alternately loving then hating them, but hopefully getting better as I practice more. Today's painting session was very enjoyable. I opened up my container of little collage scraps and found some fun pieces to add for some additional interest and fun.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog! 

Twilight Smile -- mixed media portrait

Twilight Smile
mixed media on paper
9" x 12"

  

This is one of the faces I painted for the 29 faces challenge (Face 7).  My obsession in this painting was creating layers - layers of stenciling, collage, stamping, washes until I was ready to draw a face. I did use a reference as I drew this woman, but I didn't worry too much about getting an exact likeness. I've doodled faces for most of my life, but I find that sometimes looking at real faces when I draw really helps me with getting the details and expression right. This woman's crooked half smile really appealed to me!

I'm also sharing this with Paint Party Friday.  Check it out to see some wonderful art and join in the fun. Thanks so much for visiting!!!

Evolution of a Painting

Earlier in the summer, I took a wonderful online class from Diane Culhane, " Between Speech and Silence." I'm planning to blog more about that course in a separate post. In this post, I'm going to show how two of the paintings evolved during the creative process.

Our goal in the paintings was to suggest a story or dialog by including figures. The beauty of this concept is that story is open to interpretation by the viewer. I love creating mystery in my work and this is a fun new way to accomplish that goal. Here is an early version of one of my paintings.

After setting it aside for a few days, I decided that the face was OK, but too big and heavy for the rest of the painting. So instead of the face, I added another bird. It's much more balanced and whimsical to to me now. I wonder what these two birds are saying to each other, don't you? 

This is another painting from the course, again following the idea of creating dialog with figures.

The more I looked at this one, the less happy I felt about it. I decided I didn't like the girl so much, and I wanted to create more interest with the tree. It felt like a children's book illustration to me, which isn't a bad thing, but it wasn't what I really was aiming for. I added some more collage and replaced the girl with an image transfer.

It's so much different now! Overall, I am very happy with the tree, but still not so sure if the bird and face 'go together.' But it's been good to try out the idea of creating a story in my work -- definitely a new concept for me, but a fun way to push myself in a new direction.

Identity Crisis

We all know adults who who still don't know who they want to be when they grow up. In fact, I find myself in that category from time to time.  When it comes to my art, I seem to be the artist who doesn't know what she wants to do, or conversely, I'm an artist who wants to do it all! At some point, though, it's time to focus more, to settle down and choose my own style. Or is it? I've been painting a lot lately, which is great. But a quick look at what I've worked on over this past week shows that I am clearly all over the place with my art!!

This is a page from an altered board book I started last spring while taking Carla Sonheim's "Flower Crazy Class." The technique involves using collage, gesso, watercolor and pencil. I love doing flowers, watercolor, drawing and feel like I could just keep doing these crazy flowers for the rest of my life and never get bored! 

Then I decided to try out the same technique, but with a different subject, resulting in this whimsical piece.

I really love integrating collage with my drawing and painting skills, but I also still love doing 'pure' collage. Before I knew, it, I'd done this little collage.

And then, to further complicate things, I've been working on this abstract acrylic painting! 

So, as you can see, I really am not very focused in what I'm doing. Following my whims is certainly fun, but is it wise? Is it important to settle on one style?

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments are always appreciated.

Where the Wild Flowers Are

Where the Wild Flowers Are
mixed media on 8" x 8" panel

I can't seem to stop painting these crazy flowers. My family and I watched "Where the Wild Things Are" recently and I loved the monsters in the movie. I've always loved Maurice Sendak's illustrations in his beloved children's book. Somehow, my strange flowers here in muted colors remind me a little of those monsters, which is totally weird, I know. But these are not the dainty flowers that beckon you to smell them and cut them for flower arrangements. No, these flowers are different - a little scary, maybe, as if they were from a slightly scary flower nightmare, with a happy ending, of course. Or maybe they're on their way to an audition for "Where the Wild Flowers Are" not coming any time soon to a theater near you!

Trio
mixed media on 4" x 6" panel

I don't really know where these flowers are coming from, but they sure are fun to paint! For both of these paintings, I began by adding some collage before gesso and then continuing with watercolor and pencil. I love seeing glimpses of the collage underneath. As I've mentioned in other posts, I learned this technique from Carla Sonheim. It's helped me figure out a way to combine my new love of collage with my old love of drawing, and watercolor. I may have to stop doing these flowers at some point, but I'm sure I'll be exploring this technique for a long time. 

Spicing up a Drawing with Collage

I've been participating in the Sketchbook Challenge off and on over the past year as a way to stay motivated with my drawing and develop a more regular sketchbook habit. The May 2013 theme was bowl. I don't normally draw bowls, so it was fun to do something different. Here is one sketch I did over a previously painted background.

Yet, the more I looked at this bowl, the more I thought it needed just a little something to give it some pizazz So, I sat down and added a few bits of collage. 

Bowl with Collage
mixed media
4" x 6' on paper

Now, that's more like it! I often begin with collage, and then draw, but it's quite fun to do the reverse and see what happens.

New Collages with Old Spanish Papers

I recently decided to push myself to open a shop on Etsy. As I am one to take baby steps and let the process of selling my art gradually unfold, I am not expecting overnight success there! I'm sure I have a lot to learn about what will sell, and how to sell it. There's a good reason I didn't study marketing or business in college. Anyway, I'm really enjoying surfing the shops there and discovering all of the wonderful items for sale. I do have to limit that activity, though, because it is easy to be tempted. I did buy some interesting 'vintage' papers from Spain there that I'm having a lot of fun with in my collages.

"Especial"
mixed media collage
4" x 6" on paper

"I Will Touch a Hundred Flowers"
mixed media collage
4" x 6" on paper

Many years ago, I spent some time in Spain, teaching English. It's fun for me to bring a little Spanish into my collages in this way. An old pink receipt brings in a beautiful splash of color, and the lovely words are from Edna St. Vincent Millay,

I will be the gladdest thing under the sun!
I will touch a hundred flowers
And not pick one.

Draw Your Own Sun: Art Journal Page

I was out at the coast over the weekend for two gloriously relaxing days. I love being there any time of year in any kind of weather. It's always breathtaking, even (and maybe especially) on the blustery days. One cloudy morning, I got out my sketchbook and did some doodling.

I only had a few basic supplies with me but I had already collaged and painted a background on the pages to use up extra scraps and paint from another project. After doodling and dabbling with my pencils and paints for awhile, the words came to me.

On a cloudy day, draw your own sun.

And while you're at it, relax!

It was fun just giving myself time to play around. In this second page, I really like the way the caran d'ache works together with the collage elements and acrylic background. I just used what I could find -- items cut from the newspaper and a tea bag (do you see it?). If you've never tried tea bags in your collages, I highly recommend it. They're stained in delicate earth tones and are beautifully transparent. They also add a subtle texture that absorbs paint very nicely. 

Thank you for visiting my blog! I always appreciate your comments so much.

WIP Mixed Media Collage (with 29 faces #7)

I was sketching from a magazine photo and decided to create a collage with it. Her downcast pose really appealed to me. I'm a little afraid of ruining the face, but I know I need to paint it to integrate it with the other elements. Stay tuned!

Reeling, Through Endless Summer Days

Is it really September already? Where has the summer gone? August flew by in a blur and now, the kids are back in school, which means some peace and quiet and time to paint!

This piece is a combination of collage, image transfer (the sunflowers) and acrylic. The pattern in the lower part of the painting comes from a gel printed piece of sewing pattern tissue that originally looked like this:

The beautiful pattern in the print is from a crocheted doily. It was fun, and challenging to try and get the abstract and representational elements to work together in this composition. While I painted, I focused on layers of glazing to add depth and texture and I actually ended up painting over the flowers quite a bit to enhance the color.

 I started this piece, I'd been thinking about these words from Emily Dickinson's poem "A Liquor Never Brewed":

 Inebriate of air am I, 
And debauchee of dew, 
 Reeling, through endless summer days, 
 From inns of molten blue. 


 Lovely, don't you think?

I'd also like to remember my grandmother who passed away at the end of August, at the age of 102, quite an amazing woman! One of my fondest childhood memories is of her taking us to see the wild crocuses blooming in the spring. We lived pretty far north, so often the crocuses would be poking up through the snow! For her 101st birthday last summer, I made her this mixed media collage (blogged about here) to thank her for the beautiful memory.

I miss her, but I'm so glad she had such a long and healthy life, and that I could have her in my life for so many years.

Thanks for stopping by! Your comments are always very much appreciated.

Colors of the Coast: Collage Seascapes

Yesterday, I returned home after a glorious week of exploring the Oregon coast with my husband. Nature never fails to amaze and refresh the soul, and this week was certainly no exception. I was excited to do some art after my time away, so I got out my collage supplies as soon as the unpacking was (mostly) finished, ahem.

I tried to be more deliberate about background, middle ground, and foreground than I usually am in my collages, though I'm not sure I was entirely successful. I don't tend to be that methodical as I work, but in collage it can be helpful as a way to create interesting layers, depth and clearer focal points in the work.

I like the colors I used here. They are more muted than I often use and seem to be reflecting my time spent at the ocean. Sometimes memories and states of mind are not always expressed in words. I hope I can look at my collages and remember to breathe, relax and enjoy the moment.

Going in Circles: Exploring a Theme

This month I've been having a lot of fun exploring the theme of circles with the Sketchbook Challenge group. I've been doodling and using circles to create abstract compositions. In some, I've incorporated collage elements.

You can see more of my circle explorations here

"Take time to just sit within the circles of time, space and matter. I'm willing to bet you will be met with some expansive understanding in the process."

From Circle Symbol Meaning www.whats-your-sign.com/circle-symbol-meaning.html