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This post card was too charming to pass up! The text reads: May your joys be added, Your sorrows subtracted, Your cares be divided by multiplied success, So in casting up the sum, When twelve months have flown, May you find the total average a year of happiness! It's perfect for teachers, so I used it to make holiday cards for my work friends. The card is postmarked 1909 - nearly 100 years old - and in such great condition.
I mentioned the need to mess around and explore different ideas. This is my third sketch that's inspired by Klee's garden pieces. Now I've got more control over the watercolor application, so the colors are the value I want instead of super-dark and saturated.
I think I'll work toward translating this idea into oil pastels. I could achieve interesting, subtle textures in the blocks of color. I like the overall concept that is developing, so this is a good area for more experimenting and exploration.
My sketchbook is getting more use than ever: it includes samples like this, photos and my drawn interpretation, and general images that inspire me. The size is very appealing (6x9") so the pages aren't too large to "fill up", and it's convenient for carrying around. I wonder - what's your sketchbook preference? Do you use one? What's in it?
Thank you, Dear Readers, for stopping by and reading about my art journey. This has been a great year for me, and I hope you can say the same!
Here's my confession - I think this is the last season's greeting card I'll be stamping. I used to live and breathe rubber stamping - it kept me sane through some difficult times at work. Now, however, it feels like a chore.
I usually make all of my cards in the summer so I don't have to worry about them when I am grading final exams. This year it was tough. I feel like I should use the stamps I have since I spent money on them. At the same time, the passion is gone. I realize I'm changing, shifting priorities and heading in new directions. I hope my stamping friends will understand it's me, not them.
Meet the Wild Man, AKA Scooter. I have been posting pictures of cute Scooter, well-behaved Scooter, and shy Scooter. I thought you might want to see another side of the furry beast who lives with us.
This is his "What part of 'scratch my belly' do you not understand?" pose. He also has the "throw it" pose. I see that one several times a day when he appears in my office with his toy du jour. He's definitely still a puppy, which is good for us. We want him around for a long time.
In college I took fiber arts classes - a lot of them. One of my favorite aspects of fiber arts was felt making. It was so fun to create fabric out of wool and skip the tedious steps of spinning and knitting or weaving.
I have also always been drawn to quilt designs. In the days when photocopies were expensive, I would trace designs out of books. I had notebooks full of copied and my original designs. I never finished a quilt, but I started plenty of them. The repetition of shapes still appeals to me; this is one of the aspects of Klee's work that speaks to me as well.
I've been looking at quilting magazines (Quilting Arts) and books (such as Nancy Crow's work) for inspiration. I'm not going to fool myself into buying more fabric for another quilt that won't happen. The photos are purely for the joy of looking at all those lovely color combinations and repetitious shapes.
I've written almost 100 posts! At the beginning of 2008, I'll be hosting a give away. For now, let's pretend we're celebrating with our parasols at the beach.
My intent with this blog was to record how my artistic life progressed, to capture the successes, and to share my thoughts. Sometimes writing has been easy and fruitful. I've been able to articulate some ideas that were floating around my head and make them real. Other times writing has been more challenging. I've had to dig deep to find something meaningful to share. Writing has helped me push through some difficult spots. I've had to learn how to form words around concepts when I'm used to just making the art and letting it speak for itself.
Thank you for joining me!
When we first moved to Silverton, I was super busy. We were newlyweds in a new town and I was fervently working on finishing my doctorate. I noticed that Silverton had a quaint downtown comprised of many of the original, historic buildings (such as the Wolf Building, home of the Purl District). I also noticed there was a cooperative art gallery. I was amazed that a town of 7,000 people could support such an endeavor.
When I finished my graduate work, I took a short hiatus, and then decided I was up for a new challenge. I applied to become a member at Lunaria Gallery, almost three years ago. I quickly realized that this jewel of Silverton was nurtured and sustained by dedicated local artists such as Ann Altman, Teresa Burgett, and Theresa Sharrar. When I joined Lunaria, the gallery was celebrating its 10th anniversary. That's an amazing feat for a cooperative gallery, let alone one in a small town. I'm in awe of the community of Silverton artists who have done such a terrific job creating and sustaining a viable gallery.
Kudos to each of you (all artists) who dream your vision, dedicate yourself, and show us all that a lot of hard work really pays off.
Last summer I took a class in which some of the techniques and themes were inspired by Paul Klee's work. The images and ideas stuck.
I continue to think about the qualities of his work that bring me back. The paintings I'm currently focusing on are garden themes, such as Temple Gardens, Southern Gardens and Remembrance of a Garden. One intriguing facet of his perspective is his value of primitive characteristics of images. Another draw is his idea of integrating a variety of arts (e.g. music and writing) into visual art. I've got several Klee books on my birthday wish list to learn more.
In the mean time, I've started working out some Klee-inspired ideas in my sketch book. This one turned out ok - I missed the mark when I wanted to change the focal point from one spot to another. As a result, some areas just got muddy.
Another thing I learned is how fabulous Inktense watercolor pencils (by Derwent) are. Some of the image here is colored in Inktense and some in Lyra Aquacolor crayons. I much prefer the Inktense and decided to order more colors.
I love paper. One of my favorites is washi paper from Japan. Many of these designs are based on silk kimono patterns and are highlighted with touches of gold and silver ink. Like fabric, most washi paper can be viewed from any angle - the prints are non-directional.
This ume blossom (plum flower) design caught my eye in part because of the interesting color combination. I would not typically choose a bright orange to pair with a dusty pink and maroon. However, I do think the colors work together. Japanese design does that for me - I see new combinations and ways of viewing nature. As I considered the color combination, I remembered I had another piece of wahi with a similar pallette.
I wonder if this is a faddish combination or if I just never noticed it in the past.
