Day 5 of 100 Faces in 100 days

This morning a friend called while I was in the middle of painting day 5's painting and asked if i wanted to go somewhere.. i thought .. o.......no .......i have to finish this. I could do it later. No .. got to get this done. Then I hear the pressure in my head that today's painting must be better better better ..than yesterdays. So it's interesting to notice these things. IT's not about being better.. it's about doing another one and getting into the routine of daily painting. Most day's I end up doing alot of other art as well .. so for me it's about Inertia. The definition of which is a resistance to any physical object to change it's state of motion or lack of motion. I want my state to be moving, continuing to paint, create, make. I notice the resistance .......i am enjoying however the process. Mostly having to notice what's in my head which is always processing and thinking. Now .. i'm going to head to the beach and .....walk and enjoy the sand and sun. This is today's painting .. Girl 5. for sale for $5. on rusted fabric about 7 x 10 inches. Thanks for stopping by .. could always use the encouragement. Thanks. :)

Day 3 of 100 faces in 100 days

Well i've been pleasantly surprised at the response to the faces. Hope it keeps up .. it's fun to do ..

I know that this will only be a good experiment because it will give me more experience and it will keep me busy.

Today has gone by too fast and it's a late hour to be adding day 3. I hope to do it sooner every day.

This one is still available. $3

Please share with your friends.

THanks for looking!!!

Day 2 of 100 Painted Faces in 100 days

So here I am on day two, I figure if i keep this up I will just increase my skill for faces. This one seems a bit flat but it's not about perfection for me .. it's an experiment and I think it's going to be a good challenge for me to stay motivated. For sale also .. $2. just message me if your interested.

It's all good. I'm excited just to do it.

Thanks for looking.

Spring and Life and Loss

 On the 18th of March I lost one of my very best friends. It was a very long hard day. I am doing my best to remember all the goodness she brought me. Her name was Misty. I loved her much more than I realized. She was very smart and always had great love and compassion. She played with her toys with great joy and I was always amazed at how carefully she played with her squeak toys never tearing them up or injuring them. They would last for years and years.  She stayed near me always by my feet. No matter where I was she wanted to be there. She was happiest sitting on the front porch as in the photo of her older. I miss her so much it hurts to even type this. I find it hard to imagine that it has been nearly a month. I look for her. I try to just let myself have my grief. She is buried in front yard so I talk to her sometimes. Mostly I still just cry at the thought of her. I do still have another dog Molly and I know that she has also been grieving. She has helped me tremendously and I have had to transition from loss to acceptance so that Molly will not be as sad as I am. Seems silly to say that but I have noticed this makes a big difference in how she is when I am less grieved. Amazing animals and how they teach us to love with our whole heart. She was 14 but I always told her that she never really showed her age. The photo below was taken last summer.


So .. finally spring has taken hold here and there is new growth. Rain has caused an eruption of life. I am enjoying seeing the buds and the flowers and blooming of leaves. I am grateful for the warmer weather and glad to turn off the heat. I don't like the cold. So I am hopeful to keep coming back and posting. Here are some photos that I've enjoyed of spring. I love love love the fuzzy leaves.

 I really love these leaves. They look like hairy leaves but the hairs are soft. They grow big as big as 12 -15 inches wide. They are amazing. You can click on any of the photos to seem them larger.

 I am still working on being artist creator believing that I can sustain my life doing what I most love. I seem to always enjoy the times when I sit down and stitch. I find the repetition of straight stitches to be very soothing and I never seem to run out of things to create with this process. Below are some photos of a few things I have made. One is a necklace and the other is a bracelet. The bracelet doesn't seem to show up as pretty as it is in person.

 Then there is always a pot of rust or walnuts brewing in the yard. I find that I am still very much addicted to rust and walnut and anything fiber. I may just have to explore this area much much more. And there I am in a bucket of walnuts with fabric bathing in the rich browness of them. I like the slow ways more and more.

 These last two photos are what I consider composted fabric. I have left some of my fabrics outside and there is something really appealing to seeing what happens to fabric as it breaks down. Sometimes it makes me go back to my original intent of starting this blog with photo of broken glass. There is some measure of beauty in things that age naturally .. as naturally as they can when they are left to the elements even when they are man made fabrics or materials a variety of materials. I find that worthy of exploring. Hope you've enjoyed the ride along with me today. Thanks for stopping over.

Friday Frigid Fragments

Well .. finally I have decided to post when I can and not be so upset with myself for not doing this every day .. I think I will try to work up to it. I have been stuck inside here all week due to weather .. yep snowed in. I've been ok with that because I've been painting alot. I did make up two rolls of composted fabrics but .. I'll talk about those later. I really do prefer the warmer weather for dying and such things but I did manage to extract some nearly rotten walnuts from my back yard before the snow hit. When we had one day of nearly 60 degree temps .. i thought it was practically spring. This week .. we've had 6 -8 inches of snow and cold cold cold .. So I did boil up my walnuts for a bit of walnut ink which I used in some tree paintings.

I'm hoping to get out of here tonight for a little bit. I'm just a tad lonely from no human contact for about 6-7 days. Above is the street that I live on .  Below is one painting that I did several months ago .. I'm not sure if it's done yet .. but it was stimulated by all the fiber artists that I see in blogs .. love all of the influence they have had on my creativity. I also find that I am really attracted to all things fiber and eco dyed.

 I think I enjoy the details of this painting more then the whole painting.

I really enjoyed painting this .. and I have noticed how much I enjoy the varying shades of white over different colors. I guess I will keep with this style of painting until I'm done with them.

There is one other work that I did a few weeks back ... when every one of the fiber artists that I follow were weaving fabrics .. I've been saving something I generate every day .. and that is coffee filters. So what is below here is cut up coffee filters that were woven and glued to a walnut dyed record album .. haha. Using what I have. and then embellished with the wonderful colors from Prismacolored pencils.

Ok .. better go before its too late. I'll post my snow day paintings tomorrow.



 

Saturday Sayings, Stitches and Sketches

 Ok here is my attempt at slow stitches. Here are a variety of fabric pieces. An embroidered napkin that was dyed with blue dye and folded so that the edges would be on one side and both seen so it wasn't folded evenly on purpose and then there is two pieces of discharged black fabric, I like these because the discharged images remind me of fire. So I'm kind of thinking this has an earth, wind and fire feeling to it. The center is a scrap of blue denim that is discharged and behind that is a wool sweater that had pearls stitched to it and behind that is a piece of beige that was dyed in walnut ink. To the right of the beige is a weave of threads that took a while but I enjoyed the way that it worked. I just had to try it. Then there are some eyes below that that I just tried so .. not sure it works but it is what it is. There are also a few beads I stitched in also. Kind of feels like my life today for I am feeling a slight bit busy but thats just in my head not reality. I have a mood of sadness today and find that I am not doing the things I need to do for myself. The cold is all around me just as the blue surrounds the black in these stitches. I think some days that I have what it takes to just get by and make art. I have a belief that if I just go after the things that I dream then all that I need will find me but that seems like a dreamer mentality and then doubts creep in and the reality of no way to pay the bills just seems rather overwhelming. So .. I then just become less movable. I feel stuck in my misery and all I can do that is consistent is paint pictures of trees and stitch here and there and look for more ways to just put the feelings into drawings and paintings. Then I want to find bigger paper to paint bigger ideas ... and i don't want to leave but I'm freezing. I hate the cold. I hate that I don't have the basic necessities of life during the winter. So I just want time to pass ... or I chide myself for trying to stay doing what I want instead of what I need. Which is more important? Its just a cycle of emotion weaving my brain and thoughts into knots. And thank God I have the trees to paint and then to see .. and i write words that I think the world needs to know. Love yourself .. love you and you will have love to give, love others and you will have more love. Maybe I need to love others more. Maybe that's a piece I'm missing. Hard to love others in a room typing or making art in isolation. Who knows. ? Just a saturday of sadness and ranting..

 I love the purple and blue of these trees and there is something that makes me want to keep looking. The above tree is walnut ink and gesso on a page of book text and glued to a book cover. Something satisfying about it. Alone it stands .. kind of lonely feeling. Maybe thats why I'm so drawn to the naked trees because I identify with the feeling of being so exposed. Sometimes my writing makes me feel exposed. I have been thinking about listing the trees on my etsy shop just as they are and see what happens. I guess if I don't try I'll never know.
Too much thinking for now .. I will eat and see if I can think clearer. Anyway .. .. I hope you enjoy the peek into my insanity. haha. and maybe the trees.

Tuesday Rainy Day Stories

Ok lets see .. sometimes I see stories on other blogs and it makes me think of my own. I was looking over at Jude Hills blog and her beast cloths and recent post about a raccoon named rocky. One morning long ago when I was taking care of some rental property for my parents there was a phone call from the tenant rather frantic that he had a raccoon problem. When we inquired he mentioned that he'd noticed that the sofa in his living room was often found leaving a trail of stuffing coming from it. He thought perhaps there were rats in the house but he could never see or know how that could be. It was something of a mystery and then that morning he took his dog out for a walk and came into the kitchen to get a dog treat from the cupboard over the refrigerator and was quite alarmed to find a fat sassy raccoon enjoying the dog treats. They both sort of froze and then the man quickly closed the cupboard and found a broom to put between the handles so the raccoon couldn't get into the house, this is why we received his call. Needless to say the raccoon needed a new home haha. After a safe trapping he was relocated to a less desirable place and way to find a daily meal. Oh and the sofa didn't lose anymore stuffing after that.

Steamy Trees (above photo) This afternoon when I was taking my two faithful pets outdoors while the rain seemed to have subsided, I was amazed at the temperature outside. They said there is a burst of warm air proceeding the cold front that is on it's way here. It was alarmingly warm actually. I wondered why all the windows were fogged up but that explains it.. It's actually now colder inside than it is outside. Thats right .. because of not having adequate heat most of my house was less than 40 degree inside and now it's like 60 degrees outside. Strange phenomena. None the less I am headed out .. guess I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for tornadoes. I did manage to create some new works. Started some coffee staining on some cotton pieces and a piece of silk. Now I'm just waiting to see how they turn out.. I'm going to give it a day or two. Here are some recent works that I haven't posted. The image below is on a record album cover that I thrifted and added a center tree on a book page and then all painted over with delectable walnut ink.

The image on the left is a discharged tshirt that I did and it has such a photographic feel to it that I may just have to use in another way other than wearing. It's such a eerie kind of branch scene. But I was excited with this result.

Then below is a purse that I painted on. It's difficult to tell but there is one strip of hair there that has silver leaf on it ... I have tried selling some similar purses on my etsy site but I haven't had any luck selling one yet. Although I did do a commissioned purse for someone. I was grateful for the sale. I am always just trying to think outside the box and do something different. The image
on the
right is a
piece of
aluminum
foil tape
that I did
a drawing
on with an
embossing
tool and then went back and filled in with red paint and then the spaces in between are painted in white acrylic. This photo doesn't do it justice. I like the way the white paint looks in the negative spaces. Well I'm off to go to town .. and hopefully won't have to dodge any tornadoes.

Monday Matins

Like the branches of a naked tree my soul feels so exposed.
Just love me.

Work in process

I like M words and so this morning to look for a new M word I looked in one of several dictionaries that I repurpose and immediately found the word above... Matins. This old dictionary give the definition as; Morning Prayers, prayers for the morning, said at midnight. Interesting no? Either way Monday mornings are always kind of difficult for me .. I guess it's because I think of it as a beginning which is a good thing but also that another whole week is gone. I want to work for me now ..(I make this my morning prayer) but I keep dragging my feet on posting everything that I could possibly sell because I need too. Sometimes I just feel like I waste my talent. I wonder sometimes just about giving away the art. Maybe there is someone that would get some great pleasure at having my work. I do give alot away to friends. I remember seeing somewhere .. where people were making some small piece of art and then leaving it in places where someone would find it and then there would be a note attached that said .. something like I"m so glad you found me .. I hope you enjoy this piece of art. I would love to see what that would be like.... I imagine myself finding something like that and it makes me happy. Maybe because I have written it here I will just post my art on my etsy shop .. yes I have one but I haven't ever really posted the link here in an official way because I'm embarassed that I haven't improved it or added things to it. .. and it's strictly for handbags. well i do have shirts there too. I have done so many discharged tshirts its crazy. I must have something like 70 or 80 .. I even have a dress form that I made myself on my own body that was made with duct tape and then I took it a bit further and stuck a lamp pole in it and then used old book pages and decoupaged or paper mache'd it. Then one day when I was out at a thrift store I found a plaster outdoor umbrella base that was broken on the top. The hole that was in the 

Walnut stained napkin, photo taken indoor at night.

One of my discharged shirts on my dress form

center was larger then it should be due to breaking. So I figured for the $5 dollars that they were charging for it I could make it work. I put the dress form stand into this new stand and put things around that would hold it upright and then took a can of Great Stuff (that stuff is great!! ) haha .. and almost filled the base. I knew that it would expand as it dried and that it would be very stiff yet light weight once it dried and I was right!!! I love it. I was going to cover the hole but haven't done that yet. I'm thinking maybe I can take some gauze material and cover the hole. I guess I could post some photos of it. I think it turned out pretty nice. Here is a blog that has recently inspired me to post more because she is quite talented and productive. I know she can't leave a comment here so Arlee, thanks for stopping by to see what I'm up too!!  Check out her great work here: http://albedoarlee.wordpress.com/. I'm thinking I won't wait to have a comment before I post more work. I'm thinking its good for me to be able to see what I'm doing, how I'm doing, and mostly that I AM doing the things that give me the most happiness every single day. Maybe I just have to prove it to myself? Who knows. 

Thursday Bluesday

I haven't posted in a while. I did have fun writing the story and many nice comments were made. Since that time I have had lots going on and as with all things there are ebbs and flows of creativity of emotions, and some days it's like riding a sea of ideas, waves of creativity come crashing into my brain and other days I am overwhelmed by the reality of my life living in a shack in the woods. As with anything life has its ups and downs. I suppose I can just come here and post that. None the less, I have been creating inspite of myself. There are so many things pulling at me sometimes I just become stationary and unmovable. So here is my attempt at creating a forward moving enertia. The top photo here is a painting I did of my grandmother on a square of fabric. I am such a thrift store junky and its always a surprise what will capture my attention. I found this square and about 2-300 more of them with these wonderful swirls and i have thought of just sewing them together to make a quilt but that just seemed to easy. Not that quilting is easy at all .. it's quite amazing. But I have been doing a series of paintings from some old photos of my grandmother. This one is one from about five that I have done. Below that are some soft pastel drawings that I did with color. For some reason I had a color infusion into my trees. I have been really taken by trees lately and it will just get more interesting because all the trees here are losing their leaves with the fall and coming winter. The backgrounds were done with watercolor pencils and walnut dye. I love the mutedness that the walnut ink gives to the color and then there is a wonderful contrast to the straight pastel colors. I love the bright green and blueness of some of the trees. and the strokes are indicating the breeze or wind blowing around the trees that we can't see but we know that it's there. And again there is a little character.. i love them for some reason.

I have taken the photos on top of one of my walnut tree paintings. Below (bottom photo) you will see another tree painting with no color just walnut dye. This one I painted for my best friend and it is about 24 x 36 and will oddly enough be cut in half and put on either side of her fireplace in her beautiful living room. I also sold two of my other walnut tree paintings to another friend. It's nice to have friends that wish and have the means to support my artistic endeavors. All the color trees are small about 8 x 10 and smaller. I have just torn the paper.. i always love the torn edges. Kind of like enjoying the edges of fabrics that are stringy.

The last thing I have added here is a little bag that I had sitting around the house and it just seemed to call out to me to paint on it. So one morning I actually sat in bed and painted it before doing anything else.. haha. Funny how I do those things. I enjoyed so much the way that the paint sort of was sucked in by the fabric and left this kind of glow around each stroke .. so it has a very moody feel to me. I love it. The bag is about 4 x 5 inches. So cute!!  Not sure I'll be able to part with this one. Isn't it always the way ... ? I'll have to work on that.
Ok hope you've enjoyed having a peek into my creative week. and moody madness haha.. There will be more to come hopefully sooner rather than alot later.