Joy and a Happy Muse

Wishing everyone Joy and a Happy Muse

in 2014

8x10 Mixed Media on Cotton Canvas, digital manipulation

The Journey

This piece is entitled "The Journey".  Sometimes the journey is a smooth ride.  Sometimes the journey is a bumpy road.  Sometimes the journey takes an unexpected turn.  Sometimes the journey slows to a stop....I consider this time a moment to regroup and reflect as has been my process lately. 

After not having enough time to paint for three months due to a hectic work schedule,  I was finally able to pick up my brushes again.  I have missed and longed to create in my art journal with acrylics, oils and inks.  As with many others, art is an outlet.  Art is my therapy.  Art allows me to express feelings and thoughts....good or bad.  I truly love to paint, put it through photoshop then run it through pixlr for different effects as is the case with the above piece. 

I created the above piece with acrylics, oils, inks and spray paint.  This piece took many different turns with many, many layers.  She ended up with wonky eyes which I am coming to embrace.  The tear was not intended, it came about when I used ink on the eyes then turned it up to get a look at the progress.  The tear just emerged.  

Today I am truly thankful to have the time to create again.

The Journey continues.

Is it Christmas yet??

A litlle Christmas photoshop for a friend, Lisa Burton.  This is her granddaughter, Presley

Naughty

The light

Light's all around

From dawn to dusk

From twilight to sunshine again

A ray of hope, A beam of life

Amusing every soul.

Eyes that dare to dream..

                                 - Sudarkodi Nagarethin

Once upon a time....

......there was a little girl.

Moments in time

Deviant Scrap Hotel Hell Collab

The shadows

Deviant Scrap Hotel Hell Collab

ill fated

No time to break out the paints, but seriously wanted to create tonight....so....turned to the next best thing....digital.   Deviant Scrap has some awesome Halloween kits/elements:
 Pinkloty
 ItKuPilli
 Hotel Hell

No trespassing

Anyway, no drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society.  If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power.  P.J. O'Rourke

8x10" oil/mixed media

Ashley's Alice

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!!!!!

YouTube video of the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland

  The above was painted with love for my daughter Ashley which requested something from Alice in Wonderland.   I so love Alice in Wonderland so this piece was SOOOO much fun to paint!

  The piece is an acrylic/mixed media on a 14" x 22" cradled birch board.   My favorite part of the piece is the addition of Lumiere Metallic Acrylic Pearlescent White which was used to highlight all of the white.  When the light hits the white from a certain angle the piece looks so magical!!  I wish I could show this in the pic but there is no way to show without a huge flash on the piece.  

Anyway, I think my child is going to love this!

Inspiration:
http://klimtbalan.blogspot.com/2011/03/wayne-anderson.html
http://www.dominicmurphyart.com/index.htm
http://www.filmofilia.com/new-and-hi-res-%E2%80%9Calice-in-wonderland%E2%80%9D-images-9689/#oogleto:http://www.filmofilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/aliceinwonderland_4.jpg

No poptarts today

No poptarts today.  
Acrylic/mixed media on three each 6"x6"x 1.5" stretched canvas.
Inspiration  Land of Lost Luggage  "Act Natural" online acrylic class.

"Act Natural" abstract

Anyone who follows my blog knows how I love to take online art courses.  This week I stumbled upon thelandoflostluggage with Julie Prichard.  The site was exactly what I had been looking for!

Just getting back into art recently there is so much that I want to explore/learn and have taken some awesome online courses.  This particular course  "Act Natural"  explores the art of making "grunge" which can be used for backgrounds or stand as contemporary abstracts on their own.  

Julie has a ton of courses that I wanted to take but this one for some reason just stood out.  I am sooooo impressed with her class!  Julie is very knowledgeable and very organized.....I love that.  From the time I paid for the class, to the time I clicked on the first video the whole process was completely spelled out.  Being very familiar with online courses I didnt need an intro but decided to watch the intro video anyway.  Anyone not familiar with taking online courses would easily be able to find their way around with this intro video.  Just the whole process was very impressive.  

Not only does Julie give you a fabulous class showing you in detail the techniques, paints and brushes she uses to get awesome effects, each lesson also has a printable PDF.  The PDF's  have instructions, paints, brushes and supplies with the dickblick reference number attached.  

Check out her site The Land of lost luggage for some awesome online courses. Julie also has courses with Chris Cozen which  look awesome!!!!  So many to choose from it will be a tough decision deciding which to take next, but I definately know....there will be a next.

The above pieces are my first lessons with Julie in my art journal.  Will probably go back and play with this piece more tonight but just had to post about this exciting class!!

Little Red Riding Hood

Finally I finished this piece.   Have been "piecing" it together for what seems like forever.  

I made Riding Hoods face out of paper clay after taking JoAnnA Pierotti's online tutorial  Creating faces.  Once I decided I wanted to make Little Red Riding Hood with her, I added more paper clay for the hair and the hood then painted with acrylics.  Background was created on 11"x12"x1 1/2" birch with stain, oils, acrylics and spraypaint.  I did make the Big Bad Wolf out of paper clay but he turned out looking more like Rudolph so he didnt make the cut....

Dreams

"Its the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting."

-Paulo Coelho, Alchemist

Acrylic, graphite in art journal. 

True Free Spirit inspired.

You go ahead, I'll wait right here

Art journal - mixed media

Free at Last

 My dearest and oldest friend Ed died a couple of weeks ago.  My journal is full of journaling and drawings lately in his honor.

 Ed was an old school kinda guy that has taken care of his mother for 10 years.  Taking care of his mother for 10 years was a double edged sword for Ed.  Although he enjoyed the final 10 years of her life, it took a tremendous toll on him.  Ed's mother died one month ago at 90 yrs old.  Ed of course was mourning her death, but was finally planning his decent to Florida.  Life for Ed was finally just beginning....he would be free to hang out by the pool all day and travel to all the places he had longed to visit and experience.    In the last month the "old Ed" I first met, a happy go lucky, fun, stress free kinda guy emerged again.  This was FINALLY  Ed's time to live....truly live. 

Exactly one month after Ed's mother died,  Ed died in his sleep.

I miss my friend horribly.  I miss his dry wit and huge heart.  I miss his old school ways.  I miss his laughter. I miss being called "angel".   I just miss Ed.

If you are a caregiver, please remember to take time for yourself.  Respite care is not a privilege, it is mandatory.

You are free at last now Ed.

Serenity

God, grant me the Serenity

to accept the things I cannot change...

Courage to change the things I can

and Wisdom to 

know the difference.....

They say art reflects our life.  Without going into detail, this stands true with me.

9x12" oil and acrylic on stretched canvas.

Wicked

'Its's just life, so keep dancing through."
-Wicked

  

This piece was inspired by Wicked the musical, the witch offering Snow White the poisoned apple in Snow White and the seven dwarfs.......and life experiences.

Acrylic, distress ink, spraypaint and panpastels on a 16x20"  birch cradled panel. 

Lindsey

This little piece was made as a graduation present for a dear girl named Lindsey.  Tomorow it will be printed and placed on mixed media craddled birch.
Imagery from ItKuPulli, Pinklotti and TumbleFish, all on deviantscrap.
Young lady and cat from Lindsey.

WIP Izannah Walker inspired dolls

Recently I have grown to love Izannah Walker dolls so I purchased this awesome PDF book by Dixie Redmond  HERE.  Dixie Redmond has put together this beautifully detailed book of how to make your own Izannah Walker inspired doll (emphasizing "inspired" for me).   She takes the doll step-by-step and even includes patterns!  

This is my first attempt at actually making my own doll and let me tell you....this is alot of work but very gratifying.  Because I do not sew....at all....I am improvising...alot.  The head is made of paperclay.  She is not perfect, but I think she is almost ready to cover with cotton stockinette/material. Before I cover her, I will make a mold of her face and bust therefore speeding up the process considerably.

Have a good one!!

Alma

Alma from Rodrigo Blaas on Vimeo.

The beat of her drum

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.  Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away."

                                                                                                     -Henry David Thoreau

9x13" framed canvas.  Mixed media including acrylic, empherma, various markers and paper clay. Inspiration Tims Sally Free Spirit.

WIP - playing with paper clay

WIP

Have been playing with paper clay this week.   Of course the little girl on the bottom is inspired by the Tims Sally class I am taking.  Wanted to take the girl a step further and make her out of paperclay.  Now to finish painting the background for these guys and assemble.

Dance Me//The Civil Wars

To thine own self be true

This has always been one of my favorite sayings and come good or bad I  stand by it. 

This is an 8"x10" oil on canvas with encaustic wax added for a dreamy effect.  In reading posts this morning, I ran across these awesome textured overlays http://www.flickr.com/photos/texturetime/8525649012/in/photostream/

and added a few for a textured/dimensional effect.

  

Have an awesome weekend and beautiful Easter!



Eccentric

ec·cen·tric:  adjective  \ik-ˈsen-trik, ek-\  deviating from conventional or accepted usage or conduct especially in odd or whimsical ways.



http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eccentric
9"x12" canvas mixed media

Cheaper than therapy

I use art of relieve the stress.  I was at the art supply store the other day and the girl at the counter said "Its cheaper than therapy".  She didnt know how true this was for me.    Its acrylic, etc. (mixed media) on 9"x12" Canson 185 lb paper.  




Silence

“In Silence there is eloquence.”

― Rumi

This is my original 8"x10" oil on canvas.  The eyes are alittle wonky, and its definately not perfect, but it is progress today not perfection. 



Then I used Pixlr to get these effects.





Then used Photoshop to add this frame montage by Eenas Creations PS I Love U from Deviant Scrap.



I applied the beautiful frame by CRenee/PhotoMontage Grandeur3 from Deviant Scrap to produce this.  Love painting these little girls and then working with them in Photoshop and Pixlr for different effects.  Two more on the way, waiting for them to dry.



13 min of true inspiration

 

 

 

Jane DesRosier/Gritty Jane posted this video on her site http://thetroddenpath.ning.com/ and I just had to repost.  13 minutes of true inspiration.

Nun

Here is the my original, 8"x10" oil on canvas.

Manipulated 8"x10" oil on canvas using http://pixlr.com/express/. Love this program for adding cool effects and adjusting color. Too much fun!





TrueFreeSpiritII

8"x10" mixed media journal page

Second painting with Mindy Lacefields True Free Spirit Class.
http://timssally.ning.com/group/true-free-spirit





Frida

In my quest to find my perfect medium, finally I tried oils.  I think I am in love, love, LOVE!  Oils are so much easier for me to blend and shade than acrylics.  I love the fact that they stay wet for so much longer enabling me to change things if not satisfied.....even the next day.  Yeah! I have two more portraits to post when dry.
8"x10" oil on canvas

True Free Spirit 1

So happy to be taking Mindy Lacefields class "True Free Spirit".  This is January's project (I just joined).  Just love her work!!!!

For details on her class, just click on "True Free Spirit" to the right.

Mixed media on board.

An artist vocation

An artist vocation is to send light into the human heart.

George Sand

First drawing with a Wacom.  Love the simplicity.

Credit: heart http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/

Tread softly please.

What we call the beginning is often the end

And to make an end is to make a beginning.

The end is where we start from.

T. S. Eliot

Three panels 5 1/2"x18"x2"

Acrylic/Mixed Media on wood



Sweet revenge

Mixed media and encaustic

18"x5 1/2"x1" wood

Ode to Valentines Day. 

Credits:
http://xxmortanixx.deviantart.com/art/Poisoned-ink-brushes-91693034
 http://brittany-xss.deviantart.com/art/Brushes-01-Handwritten-Revenge-101846679

http://henda-stock.deviantart.com/art/Barbed-Brushes-34951894
http://coffinkittie.deviantart.com/art/Photoshop-Brushes-Dead-Trees-112534468
http://red--roses.deviantart.com/art/Stick-Men-Brushes-124546302
http://xxmortanixx.deviantart.com/art/Poisoned-ink-brushes-91693034
http://invisiblesnow.deviantart.com/gallery/11858576#/doqh19

Blustery Day

 

 

Blustery Day

 

 

Encaustic and mixed media on 12"x12"x2" wood.

Finished my first encaustic today.  When I started this last week it was very cold here, thus "Blustery day".  This piece was done with encaustic medium and pigments of Raw Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Raw and Burnt Umber.  Accents of black and white were also added.

 

 



 

 

I am so amazed by the way the wax blends and moves when heated. The process is much slower than painting but far more gratifying for me.  Truly love this process and the results it produces.

 

 

 



Imagine

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one"........

After taking Jane DesRosier's awesome class "The Red Scarf" at thetroddenpath.ning.com,  I managed to finally finish my first portrait.   It is a mixed media and acrylic on a 16"x20" birch cradled panel.  I really loved her online course and loved making this. 

The first painting was the female with a hat, but I didnt like it so I painted over the top portion.  Couldnt decide what kind of hair she was going to have, so I sat on it awhile.  Finally a couple of nights ago, I was watching videos on YouTube and stumbled across "Imagine" by John Lennon.  The rest is history. 



Thanks John Lennon for the inspiration!

Imagine

John Lennon



Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace
You, you may say
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world

You, you may say
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will live as one


......by the way, I got all my encaustic supplies in today and have started playing with it.  Love the look and feel of this medium.  Hopefully will finish my first piece soon and can post pictures.

New beginnings with Encaustic

 

 

Tomorrow I start a new venture.  It will be my birthday and I am celebrating with a new experience with my art.  I have wanted to try encaustics for some time now.  Last week  after watching many videos and  reviewing MANY blog posts, I decided I wanted to start working with encaustics.  I have ordered all my materials, they should be arriving tomorrow for my birthday.  What better way to start my birth year but with new beginnings.  In the past year I have been searching for my artistic "niche", I am come close to finding it but something is still missing.   I am so excited about encaustics and the possibilities.  I love the simplist yet deep look that can be achieved with this technique.  The above video is my encaustic muse.....her work is beyond fabulous!

Jenn's girls

 

 

 

Jenn's girls

 

These pieces were made for Jennifer for Christmas.  They are acrylic mixed media on wood.  When deciding on what to make Jennifer for Christmas, these two girls kept coming up for some reason.  Jennifer has no children, when I gave them to her I said "I see girls in your future Jennifer".  Jennifer then told me she had just found out she was pregnant.   Everything happens for a reason.