Home

Friday, July 31, 2015

Summer Strutting

Summer Strut
It is HOT in the Pacific NW.  Today is another 90 degree day.  So finding a cool way to spend the day is in order.  I am not sure I strutted when I was younger but wearing as little as possible seems to be in order in this weather.  Eye candy is everywhere trying to cool off.  I say KEEP ON STRUTTING!

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Dust Bowl Memories

Dust Bowl Memories
For some reason I feel that this spread represents peacefulness.  The colors are calming as is the composition.  What is more peaceful than a cow standing in a field?  When you think of the title, Dust Bowl Memories, however, there is a lot of uncomfortable feelings that surface.  I can't imagine the loss that so many people endured when dust storms ruled and caused such havoc.  One wonders what climate change will do and is doing to us.  Are we repeating?  Sure think so.

The green represents hope.  The barn loss.  The cycle of life is represented by the cows and, of course, the woman.  Can you tell I rather enjoyed doing this spread?

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Hulk 0971

Hulk 0971
Brian Kasstle challenged me to complete a spread using several prompts.  Hulk 0971 is my result.  I kept going and going until I felt that the spread was complete.  Thanks Brian, this was fun to do.

Monday, July 27, 2015

Strut

Strut
I am really into this dream kick.  I am seeing a bit of Chagall's style in my work.  My backgrounds are much busier though.  Strut, as have the other dream pieces, came together in one setting, not over a period of days like most of my spreads.  It really does not matter if I finish in one day or many.  I am noticing that bugs, roosters, the white bird, and now a horse are appearing more regularly.

Not Interested

Not Interested
Three days ago I was sewing on some of the Joomchi works that I created the previous weekend on Whidbey Island.  I was concentrating on stitching around some circles when all of a sudden I had the most intense pain.  I had sewed through my middle finger on my left hand!  Yikes did that hurt!  So I have not been able to do much writing.  Hunt and peck is not fun!

I have been able to paint and collage, however, and Not Interested is a result.  I usually do not glove my hands but I have to be careful not to get paint on the offended finger.  I kind of like painting with my hands and so perhaps I will do more glove work in the future.

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Dream Tonight

Dream Tonight
I created a signature out of an old atlas that belonged to my father.  I sewed random ephemera onto the individual spreads to prep the pages for whatever came next.  Using a credit card and my glove covered hand I painted and added more ephemera.  The layers were built.  Finally I added some focal points to finish off the piece.  It looks dream like to me hence the name.

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Unintentional Klepto

Unintentional Klepto
Oh my brain is working overtime!  Unintentional Klepto represents something that happened to me recently that I rather enjoyed watching unveil.  I won't be able to tell this story here, but just know that even the klepto stole the T out of Klepto.  Knowing that someone is an unintentional klepto rather endears the heart of this person to me.

Can you imagine lifting the represented items and not know you actually had sticky fingers?   :-)

Friday, July 24, 2015

Double Accordion

Double Accordion (Open top)


Double Accordion (open front)
Double Accordion Cover (front)

Double Accordion Cover (back)

Double Accordion (front side)

Double Accordion (back side)
I started this journal awhile back and finished it pretty much yesterday morning.  I may add something more to the front cover but at this time I am not sure what.  Thanks Terry Garrett for providing me with the ephemera for the journal while I was visiting you last month.  It is fun to work with found ephemera from someone else's stash. :-)

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Treasure Hunt

Today is Seth Apter's Treasure Hunt Day.  I have gone back into the works I have made in 2015 and have selected a few of my favorites.  Other "hunters" are doing the same.  You can find a list of the "Hunters" on Seth's blog.  I know it is worth checking out.  There are also links to past years' treasure hunts.  Enjoy!    http://thealteredpage.blogspot.com/

New Price

Mah Jongg Queen

The Beekeeper

Just One Swig

The Dressmaker's Bird

The Dressmaker's Bird

Simple, simple, simple versus complicated.  Who knows why I go in one direction or the other. Once I get going on a piece it more or less dictates to me what it will be as if it takes on a life of its own. The Dressmaker's Bird definitely is minimal for me.  Time will tell if minimal is the road I will take in the future.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Cowboy

Cowboy
Not much to say other than I am still on a Joomchi High.  I worked on two pieces today that needed to be completed from the weekend class.  Soon I will post photos of my Joomchi results.

Monday, July 20, 2015

The Paleontologist

The Paleontologist
This was a total happy accident that I think turned out pretty well.  Again I love minimalist even though you would not know it from most of my work! :-)  I am in the most exciting workshop the past three days, today is day four, Joomchi.  Look it up on Pinterest.

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Sunday Morning Out the Back Window

Sunday Morning Out the Back Window
A make-believe world is wonderful to live in at times.  Creating pieces of art is like creating make-believe worlds.  They can be worlds based on reality such as this one.  However, this scene only exists in my imagination played out on paper.  It could be an illustration for a book.  It could be a spread in an art journal.  It could be almost anything you can think of as a finished piece of art.  It is a postcard.

Friday, July 17, 2015

No..140

No. 140
I have used these exerciser images before because I love how the red of their exercise clothing makes everything pop.  I had 13 postcards to make and finally finished them all after two weeks.  I actually would like to see if the mail carrier looks at them when she picks them up out of the postbox.  I wonder the same thing when snail mail arrives.  Maybe she is not into art or maybe she does not have time.  I think I would look if I was a mail carrier.  I would feel like snail mail art livens my day.  I may be projecting my own thoughts here since that is exactly what happens when I see the mail.  So thanks to everyone who sends me mail art.  I love it!

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Faces from the Past

Faces from the Past
My latest journal is rapidly coming to the final spreads as there are three remaining.  I work in so many journals that most of them are waiting for more work.  I am bound and determined to finish this one by the end of July.  I have many projects to work on right now and I seem to be in a creative bent.  I say capture the moment and go with it!

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

New Price

New Price
Sometimes I spend days and days even weeks and weeks on a spread.  Then there are days when it just flows in about an hour.  New Price came about in just that, 60 minutes.  Funny how that is!  The more work I seem to do the more I am in touch with knowing when it is time to stop.  That is a gift of experience.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

My Rousseau

My Rousseau
I love Henri Rousseau's work and this piece is influenced by his stormy jungle piece that includes a tiger.  There are many, many layers, too many to remember.  I started this piece with gelli papers that I created.  My Rousseau is foreboding, but I hope the animal in the background is safe.  I may put a lightning bolt in the spread later on.

Monday, July 13, 2015

Bob

Bob
This one speaks for itself.  Breaking stereotypes.....what are they anyway?  Manufactured that is what!

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Lifeline

Lifeline
Not too much to say here other than this is one of the most minimalist postcards I have ever made. Basically there were only five steps to this card.  I prepped the card and then adhered the strips of paper I purchased when we were in Vancouver, B.C.   I did the palm transfer and then the branches transfer.  Finally I adhered the man and stamped my chop mark.

Coming up with titles for pieces is usually not difficult for me.  I can only think of one time recently when I had to ask for help on a title.  I am loving the palm transfer.  It was quick and easy and bold.

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Summer of '42

Summer of '42
Somewhere east on Long Island a woman meets a young man.  It is the summer of '42.  Romance. Money.  Possible abandon!  You have to hold this piece up to a mirror to read the secret message!

Friday, July 10, 2015

Soldier Boy

Soldier Boy
I had fun finding what I wanted to say on this spread.  All of the terms are 1940's slang.  Hi sugar, are you rationed? means "Are you going steady?"  Khaki wacky means "boy crazy".  Motorized freckles refers to insects on the windshield.  And Ducky shincracker means "good dancer."

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Different Strokes

Different Strokes
In the aftermath of the SOCTUS rulling on marriage equality there has been a lot of negative rhetoric concerning just what will happen to our country because of the decision.  Those who are condemning the decision are spouting irrational verbiage which only tends to incite.  We only need to look north to Canada to see that the world did not end.  There have not been earthquakes or grasshopper infestation that have devastated crops.  There have not been hurricanes or sand storms that the right can blame on the decision.  Mostly there has been acceptance.  Thank goodness!

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Moire

Moire
Moire is French meaning a pattern.  I really like how the bones of the skeleton and the curved striations of the background balance each other.

Sunday, July 5, 2015

The Confidant

The Confidant
When holding this postcard I almost have the feeling that it is a vintage piece of art.  Not only do the figures feel old, as expected, but the background with the figures feels old.  Tell your own story about why these two women are perhaps in a garden telling each other secrets or possibly something embarrassing.

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Does a Rooster Dream in Color?

Does a Rooster Dream in Color? 
There are just some questions that may never be answered.  Does a rooster dream in color? might just be one of those.  Recently I watched the Roxanne Coble technique videos on 21 Secrets.  I just love Roxanne's work which was recently published in the Art Journaling magazine.  I wanted to know how she approaches her journaling experience.  What a treat!

This spread, Does a Rooster Dream in Color?  was a practice spread trying out what I learned from Roxanne's videos.  This morning I decided to add my touch to the piece, hence the rooster!  Don't you think the colors in the rooster go amazingly well with the the "dream" in the background.

Roxanne Coble and Brian Kasstle will be teaching a workshop together in January 2016.  Watch for the announcement later this month.

Friday, July 3, 2015

Every Tuesday!

Every Tuesday!
What would I do with a narrative?  Poor woman!  It is not fun to be that scared!

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Man with Bag

Man with  Bag
It seems that either I create a piece that is jam packed with ephemera and mixed-media techniques or I go the minimal route.  I rather like simplicity.  There is always a story to go with a piece, I love it when the viewer tells his or her own story.  To me there is a bit of loneliness in this piece. Having just one photograph with this particular subject sitting on a bench, perhaps waiting for whatever unfolds captures a moment in time, but also shows reflection on perhaps what is more in his life.