Materials for Exploration

It seems this emulsion digital transfer is a little more complicated than first imagined. I have been fortunate to borrow a carrier sheet and a bottle of Ink Aid from friend Deena. I have no plans to become an expert in the field of Digital art but I love new techniques and combinations of art materials so this should be fun. I also needed a break from my compass series so when I return, I'll have a fresh approach. I'm dedicating another week to digital emulsion transfers and still doing the 10 min. collage. I had a breakthrough with the collage concerning an ongoing question. The collage spoke back to me as to allow me to clarify what was really being planned and questioned...Nice! I'm on the sixth collage and not sure about doing all ten...I'll take each day at a time. I've also been on flickr and picasa creating new albums and slideshows for the sidebar. I have such difficulties understanding and following through with these so called simple instructions...I actually have brain pain!!

In the past few weeks, I'm had more time in the studio to putz and play around, easy dinners, good dvd rentals (The Reader), swimming and great lunches out with friends and relatives. Either I'm easy to please or this is a great summer for me! Enjoy your days and nights!

Deliverance 4

This piece measures 16"x16", collagraph, paper collage, oil pastel and acrylic. I stopped working on it yesterday so for now it's done. This time I added maps and one compass. The grid is a strong element in this one and I rather like it.

Right now I'm jazzed about exploring emulsion digital transfers and using my ink jet printer with traditional art materials. I know nothing on this subject (a small article in a book) which gives me challenge and play! Stones, rocks, pebbles and bricks will be my starting imagery and I believe fits into my oasis series. I'm liking shady cool rocks and moss covered old stones. .. rest, ancient meditations.

I'm also participating in a 10 day mini free workshop, a collage a day. Details and link at Art Propelled with Robyn. I have been inspired by her efforts and today I gave a quick 10min try at a collage (sidebar) Mine went together fast and strongly speaks of vacation...maybe a deeper meaning will show up with meditation. I did have some resistance to "Gets Something Right" but I glued it on anyway. It clearly describes the vacation I have been wanting for this fall for my birthday. I'm looking forward to doing this each day for 10 days...mining for personal gold!!

My palette colors and layout

I began in traditional oil painting and set up my palette years and years ago. Now with acrylics it's the same layout but with this Masterson system....a covered vinyl box with a thin wet sponge and a special palette paper. It allows me to keep my acrylics fresh for weeks. The way I layout my colors never seems to change, I mix from these colors adding very little black. Starting from the upper right is Quinacridone Crimson, Naphthol red light, cadmium orange, cadmium yellow medium. On the left at the bottom: Phthalo green (blue shade), Phthalo blue, (green shade, Ultramarine blue, Dioxazine purple, mars black and white in the top center. I mix in the middle and it's great when I want to grey down my colors, orange into blue, yellow over to purple and red to green. Right now the center needs a scraping and although stained, I can mix more colors.

I've been in the studio today....exploring new and old techniques. Seeing what feels good, looking through my stacks of papers and such....writing in my journal, an easy day.

Facing East

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"Facing East" measures 18"x18" on Rives BFK, collagraph collage, acrylic, stencil, oil pastel, paper collage. This is the third of the intended four in the Compass series. The compass will continue in new work but with new challenges, different techniques and materials. I'm working on the fourth now and thinking I might take a turn with yet another Oasis series. It helps to go back and forth for me, as a way of staying fresh . It's summer now, feeling warm and lazy and I have some stones and pebbles that might best express the barren landscape of a warm summer at a shady oasis.

Listening to Nina Simone and found this prayer I had written just before I came on as BlueSkyDreaming:

As I step out of my safe place in my safe chair behind my safe quiet screen I ask for assistance, blessings for my journey That I might walk and wander this desert planet (Internet) finding safety, pleasures, sustenance and joy I am not alone I am not alone and it isn't too late.

I had a wonderful father and I think of him often especially on Father's Day. I hope your family brunch, barbecue or dinners are full of fun with all the fathers.

Wednesday's Treasure

I have been looking forward to sharing this beautiful work that hangs on my wall. The title is "Come Hither" and measures 12"x51/2". Please click to enlarge so as to see the exquisite hand work. Patrice of Makingpeace is the artist and recently she said"I titled my work Come Hither, and it really was a song of love, an invitation for soul connection." The writing below the image is from E.E.Cummings poem called "Orientale". I have included the entire poem below. It is not in typical E.E.Cummings fashion but I couldn't get blogger to cooperate with the proper layout.

Orientale

i spoke to thee

with a smile and thou didst not

answer

thy mouth is as

a chord of crimson music

Come hither

O thou, is life not a smile?

i spoke to thee with

a song and thou

didst not listen

thine eyes are as a vase

of divine silence

Come hither

O thou, is life not a song?

i spoke

to thee with a soul and

thou didst not wonder

thy face is a dream locked

in white fragrance

Come hither

O thou, is life not love?

i speak to

thee with a sword

and thou art silent

thy breast is as a tomb

softer than flowers

Come hither

O thou, is love not death?

Patrice and I had a show together in 2002 and 2003 at a local gallery, Dancing Man Gallery! Thanks to Patrice's organizational and marketing skills, both shows were a roaring success! We had three flute players(students in white shirts) at the entrance welcoming guests, we were featured in the local newspaper, the wine, service, catering and flowers (on a budget)were mind blowing beautiful! The topper for the first show was a huge banner of our faces hung on the top portion of the building!! (sidebar -"Second Dreams") It was one of those perfect evenings...we both sold well and that was my moment to claim this piece...lucky me!

Compass Monoprint

I'm not sure if this is done but it's been awhile since I've posted my compass paintings and this one for now is done...pretty close to done! Measures 18"x18" on RVK paper. Two monoprints collaged, assorted paper collages, oil pastel, compass stamp, acrylic and plaster. I used my free paint. ...sienna and crimson which created a strong maroon. As I was painting I kept thinking how this color looked like something important in my life...maybe a favorite dress?... finally, I remembered we had maroon tile in our kitchen up until I was 12years old. I loved it as trim with white tile...the problem was that when it chipped my mother repaired it by using nail polish and the shade was always wrong. It made me crazy...I guess I was always into color.

My parents remodeled the kitchen and everything was beige...I missed the maroon!

Dona was here and we began our lunch at 12 and toddled away from our table around 5!! It was outdoor seating at a nearby resort with a fabulous view of the beach but it was Thursday and just a few busy tables. We drank, ate and talked and after lunch we stopped at a local bakery and Dona picked up some favorites for her family. Just before leaving for the long ride home, she purchased my Oasis II (sidebar). How exciting!! I have sold three pieces this month...I am grateful beyond words.

Have a great weekend!

Flag Day Honored

I created this a couple of years ago and it hangs in the corner of a small wall. It is a photo transfer and measures 3" x 31/2". I created this to honor my first husband and my son's father. He was drafted in the 60's and we met when he was still in uniform. The title is in numbers, the numbers from his "dog tags" minus the last one. It didn't seem okay to reveal all the numbers. Flag Day is on the fourteenth and this is my favorite little flag. My niece was born on Flag Day so the day holds memories and sweetness for me. I really like our American flag ... this was an easy creation.

I've worked all day in the studio. My love affair with the compass has been strained! ha I'm actually dancing my dance with the imagery....sometimes I am in control and sometimes I have a breakthrough and then the REAL dancing begins. I can't tell you how many times I have washed my hands. I've stopped for now, had a snack and popped the champagne for a refreshing glass....a transition between studio and now preparing dinner and looking into the real world for awhile...via TV.

I Love My Shed!

If it weren't for this shed I would have no place to store my "other weather" clothes or all the art and stuff I'm not ready to part with. I like a neat home but I don't mind closets and drawers stuffed as long as the doors close and everything is out of sight. As I clean house, I shuffle things off to the shed. Sometimes, I'll go out there and poke around, and usually wind up hauling something back in...a vase, a frame or basket. I wonder if this reflects anything about my personality?!! ha On the left wall, I made the tiles and painted the scene long ,long time ago and the ceramic bird above was a purchase. click to enlarge.

Thursday my best friend, Dona is driving over from central California for a summer lunch. We'll dine somewhere with outdoor seating and preferably near the water. We will talk nonstop for several hours, laugh, eat, drink as if we saw one another yesterday. Actually the last time I saw Dona I was in the hospital so this reunion will be all the sweeter. We have known one another since the beginning of the eighties and we have enormous history together. Recently she was a signing witness on our marriage license.

Working hard in the studio...compass still the subject!

Decisions and Indecisions

The mood in the studio has at times been intense. I'm connected to the compass and working away on two pieces now, both measure, 18" x 18" on BFK paper. I'm still combining paint, (my free Golden sienna and alizran) prints and various media. A touch of plaster, a hand cut block used as a stamp. Little decisions developing into bigger ones and then there is the time factor. Real life having it's pull on me...dinner, shopping, banking and sleeping etc...? Pablo emailed this excerpt to me knowing I liked it so much and that it seemed to fit with my mood.

Excerpts from T.S. Eliot's popular poem," The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock".

And indeed there will be time

For the yellow smoke that slides along the street

Rubbing its back upon the window panes;

There will be time, there will be time

To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;

There will be time to murder and create,

And time for all the works and days of hands

That lift and drop a question on your plate;

Time for you and time for me,

And yet for a hundred indecisions,

Before a taking of a toast and tea.

Do I dare

Disturb the universe?

In a minute there is time

For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.

This weekend looks good, a few obligations this Saturday and then free and open time. We are in a drought and our neighborhood is allowed yard watering only on Tuesdays and Saturdays before 10am and after 5pm. I've been forgetting and the yard looks so dry. I'll get out my watering can tomorrow...have a great June weekend!

My Wednesday Wall Show

Back to my question: What is on your walls?

As an artist, I simply love art and I buy art when I can because I so like living with it on my walls. This mask is a favorite of mine, measures 6" x 8" and is hand carved wood and hand painted. I bought it in San Francisco at a small shop specializing in hand made crafts from Mexico and Central America. I like the boldness of her pink face and expression...the simple cuts and paint handling. Right now she is hung between other art pieces and masks above my tub. I am always drawn to her and never get tired of her lines.

My work is going slowly. I attended a free mini monotype workshop at a local art supply store. It was offered by Golden acrylics and their representative (also an artist) gave a demonstration on monotypes but mainly introduced a product called "Open" by Golden. It is a paint (all the same colors) that is a longer lasting paint, good for monotypes and any other work that needs more time before it dries. It has a nice creamy consistency and we received two sample 1 oz. jars...one burnt sienna and one alizran crimson. We also got to make our own monotypes and all in all it was a couple of hours....fun! I have several 4oz jars of this Open and I'll most likely buy more.

Tonight is meditation....Pablo and I try to go every Tuesday evening. It begins with a walking meditation, chanting meditation and then a longer (36min.) silent meditation. It's a good practice for us...I always feel "quieted". There are about 6-8 of us regulars and then occasional drop-ins. I get such a busy head and this is as I said quieting.