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I haven't made any clocks for a while, but I decided to make two for the February group show at Lunaria. This is a bit of a new style for me, working larger and drawing my design.
I used India ink to make the black lines and then painted in liquid acrylic. The background has a lot of texture. I wanted the face to be darker so the clock hands would show up against the background.
This one is called Garden of Love.
My office is starting to be overwhelmed with stuff. When I first got back into art, I was rubber stamping, and I accrued a large collection of stamps and supplies. Some of those things are still useful since I made many of my own background papers to stamp on.
Then I started collaging (and buying cool paper items from ebay). I have great unused soda pop labels, maps, old books, vintage postage stamps and fabric labels. That led to some 3-D work, and collecting buttons, kitchen items, and game pieces.
To make great backgrounds for these things, I started using acrylic paint (and all the mediums: "medium", soft gel, heavy gel, tar, etc.). Then I moved to painting on canvas, which led to oil pastels and soft pastels.
It's easy to see how each of these approaches led to the accumulation of stuff. I can definitely see parting with some of it in order to keep some order and make me feel like I have enough room to change my mind in here. On the other hand, I still like all of this stuff! Maybe I'll just take over another room. Or get therapy.
In the late fall, I was going to the Let's Paint class, taught by Ann Altman. One of my goals was to experiment with oil pastels, a medium that Ann has mastered. This is one of the pieces that emerged from the class that will be shown at Lunaria Gallery in March.
Our March show, called Moon and Stars, will include guest artists: each Lunaria member has invited one guest to participate in the show, which means we'll have 50 artist showing! This concept has generated a lot of interest, and I'm excited to be a part of it. To make a long story short, I got to invite two artists, and am happy to have Amy Wagner and Margaret Mallatt join me.
Here's an action photo with Scooter furiously chewing a new Pork Chomp bone. He loves these!
Last month was a little challenging since we had to leave him with a sitter when we were on vacation. I missed him terribly, but he was busy on his own vacation with a little girl (and her family) who spoiled him rotten.
We've been working on a new trick with two flower pots and a treat. I put the flower pots upside down on the floor with a treat under one of them. I call him over and say, "Find the treat." He puts his little paw on top of the flower pot and tips it over to get his treat. At this point, he finds the treat about 75% of the time.
I've also been trying to associate commands with certain parts of playing. Such as "bite", "give," and "get it." I also hope to teach him names for his different toys (ball, cat, rope, etc.) so he can bring a toy on command.
My goal is not some robotic creature who solely operates on command; I just want to avoid boredom.
The work I've been posting recently is small, approximately 6" square, and is based on the techniques I learned last June in a workshop by Rebecca Wild that I wrote about. I've been playing around with the composition and layout since I think my original pieces lacked a clear focal point.
Inspiration for the newer pieces have come from some of my Zentangle-type doodles and from looking more closely at Paul Klee's work. I've also been working on building some drawing skills so I can create interesting focal points.
These pieces are made on paper, which is embossed with a stylus tool. The embossed areas are colored first with chalk pastels and then highlights are added with colored pencils. I have enjoyed this process and have ideas for several more pieces.
I decided to take a basic design art class this quarter. Since I work at a college, it should be convenient and fit into my schedule. But, I'll admit I was ambivalent - college classes take a lot of time. And, I didn't want to be in a class with any students I knew. That would just be weird.
It turns out that I do know a student in class, and it's not as uncomfortable as I thought it might be. I also see how this experience will benefit my work outside of class. Also, since I teach in a program that prepares students for college, it's good to have recent experience being a student.
Our first assignment is an interesting approach: we're taking elements of two artists' work and making our own design with them. I picked some basic shapes and am working on sketches. (This class requires a sketchbook, and that will reinforce my desire to build a habit of working in a sketchbook.) I'll post work that's fit for consumption.
Did you notice I was gone for a couple of weeks? Maybe not! I figured out how to post and have them publish on certain days. I felt very clever about that : )
We went to Hawaii over Christmastime. I do enjoy a change of scenery and love the tropical flora. I took 175 pictures, mostly of flowers, leaves and trees. When I was taking this picture of a bird of paradise-type flower, my sweetheart husband pointed out the gecko. I was so focused on getting a good image of the flower that I missed the little guy at first.
This is a common occurrence: Michael sees things that I miss all the time. I really appreciate his talents for finding natural wonders and sharing them with me!
I promised a giveaway to celebrate my 100th post at the beginning of the year, and here we are. I very much appreciate those of you who visit my blog! Add a comment on this post or any other post on my blog by January 16, 2008 and I'll draw two names.
One winner will receive a set of six note cards (two of each design). The dragonfly design is here, and the other card designs can be seen at my ETSY shop.
One winner will receive a print of her/his choice- either Aqua Orbs, Blue Gestures or Purple Enclosure.
Thanks in advance for celebrating with me!
As I've been reading in the blogosphere, many people are posting their resolutions/goals/themes for the year. Honestly, it makes me a little anxious.
I do have, as I always have, a list of goals. However, they are not magically born at the beginning of the year; they are not focused just on the calendar year; they evolve. My anxiousness may be a reaction to too much emphasis on renewal because the calendar changed.
I very much like Christina Kane (and others') idea of choosing a focus. The question is why now? Why not on my birthday or at the beginning of the academic year or at the religious new year? (We're Jewish.) The idea of choosing a focus now seems arbitrary and I'm resisting. I have learned that when I resist, there's something deeper there. If I sort that out, I'll let you know.
Color! Intense and vibrant color is what you get with the Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils. My original set of 12 wasn't enough, and I decided to supplement it by purchasing additional single pencils. The image here is most of the colors I have. Most of the drawn pencil lines dissolve with water pretty effectively. I like how they can fade out easily, too.
I've been using a Ninji Waterbrush to paint out the pencil marks into watercolor, and it works super well. When switching from one color to another, all I do is dab the brush on a tissue, and it's clean.
These will be great to play with on vacation and to work out ideas in my sketchbook.
