other things.....

I thought you might be interested in some of the other work I mess around with besides painting. One of my passions is mixing everything up - taking mediums I love working with and combining them - much of this work never goes to the public, it's a way for me to push myself and keep the work fresh......I had some raw canvas pieces (not primed), a block of pure beeswax and the need to take a break from painting for a few days - I also have a ton of wax sheets that I lift color off with when I'm painting - I save these for collage - so, I melted my wax in my crock pot, heated up my iron and started working.......none of this is technically correct, but that has never bothered me - I pretty much do what interests me.......

the piece below is oil, beeswax, wax paper on raw canvas - I heat the raw canvas up with the iron, dip the wax paper with the oil I lifted from a painting into my crock pot and adhere it to the canvas with my iron - then I'm off - more painting, maybe more dipping, scraping, just whatever....

here is another one..........


and another one........

who knows where these will end up - sewn onto other elements, mounted as individual pieces, or just stacked up in another stack - it's just fun and a good way for me to stretch - sometimes I come back and peel all the wax off and the canvas is pretty amazing underneath - options, lots and lots of options.......a new week is looming - make art everyone!

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settling.....

It's taken years, but I finally feel like I'm settling - finding a comfortable rhythm, but not too comfortable - feeling like I've got the hang of keeping the work in MY zone - comfort but still pushing the edges - keeping my aesthetic honest without trying to do what I saw and fell in love with yesterday, last week, two months, etc. - I've tried on alot of 'art styles' and finally feel like I'm home. This is not to say that I won't evolve, but I now have a very strong base to work from - I am messing with textiles, building assemblage, and experimenting with bees wax - I love it all, but it now carries my stamp! When I line all my work up together there is a cohesiveness - it feels like the same family, but with the usual number of individuals represented. The two paintings below are a continuation of my 10x10 works - these are a real challenge for me - the small area has really stretched my ideas on space and structure. They have been hard for me - I would rather travel a much larger surface, but am finding a way to work that I wouldn't have found if I hadn't challenged myself.

this is 10x10 oil on board - 'She Buried It Deep'


this is mixed media on board 10x10 - 'She Felt It Peel Away'

The weekend is on it's way - hope you all have a fabulous one!

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grounded......

I'm not surprised - it's just reaffirmation - my color palette - I spent the winter months experimenting with colors I usually don't gravitate to - reds, greens, blues - I liked them, but..... - I'm back in a rhythm now that the weather has turned a wee bit warmer - not thinking, just doing - without intent, thought, plan, etc. - and here they are again - my colors - raw umbers, burnt umbers, whites, blacks, yellows - and of course gray! can't live here in the Pacific NW without gray being a a major player - this palette really grounds me - I never get bored with it - I've already covered over some of the paintings that I did this winter - these colors are like my favorite old jeans, the scarf that I've had for over ten years, the old goodwill sweater that is getting it's first holes - I just love the used up and worn out things - they live the loudest...........


This is a painting I just finished this afternoon (I think) - my palette in it's earthy tones -



Tomorrow of course is the first day of spring - so happy Spring everyone! and I hope some of you get to see the 'big moon' tonight! I'm hoping to see it coming up behind our trees in the back.

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a quick followup.......

It's Monday and the week ahead is fully loaded so I thought I would start it off with a little followup to the post I did on how I start a painting. Remember this board that I had cleaned my brushes on for awhile?




well the photo below shows where it ended up a couple of days ago - you can still see some of the bones I laid down and perhaps a bit how developed.....




this is oil on board, 10x10, 'She Sought The Moon'.......

and just a little side note - I've been in blogland for about four years now - I started as a rabid blogger and immersed myself in blogland - I made friends, received encouragement, inspiration, gave and received awards, and watched the evolution of 'blogging' - anyone who has followed this tiny spot in cyberspace you have seen it evolve and then settle into what it is today - I am ever so thankful for all that I have received from all the people who have commented, followed and inspired me over the years - and also as you know, I have retreated somewhat in the past few months - it's a time management thing - but I have received another reward - now when I venture out to see what my friends are up to, I spend time catching up on their worlds and find I'm enjoying this so much - I'm not missing anything, I'm just cruising cyberspace in a different mode - very satisfying - thank you all who comment and follow this blog - you enrich my life xo

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challenging...

That's what it has been like most of the winter - challenging - the work yes, but the biggest challenge was working in a freezing studio!! Finally, yesterday we got a whisper of Spring - the sun was out and I actually turned my little heater off while I was working - the first time in months - it was just such a pleasure to not have to run into the house to warm up - I just sat and worked (yes, I sit most of the time, bad knee you know) my smile really was genuine - I was relaxed instead of the 'shoulder hunched up' position - just a warm sunny space where paint actually moved - ahhhhhhh - feeling much more centered - the little piece below is one I finished about two weeks ago in the 'hunched up' position - it's a mixed media on board 10x10

'She Wanted to Live There'

next weekend daylight savings time begins and my art practice will kick into high gear!

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Local?

If you are local, a wonderful new show just opened at Northwind Arts Center in Port Townsend titled 'Into The Woods' - David Sessions was the juror and I'm thrilled to have three of my pieces selected as part of the show. The three paintings below will be up until the end of March.








Jim and I just back from a much needed little getaway and I'm anxious to get back to work. I've started a new project for the spring that I will show you in a few weeks. It's barely underway and I have a couple of paintings that I need to get to the finish line. Hope you are all anticipating spring which is just about here. Have a great weekend.

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