Tuesday, December 29, 2015

collage in altered book



she felt familiar, like we've met 

or I painted her before. 

i was going to alter her 

then realized 

she needed to stay 

as is. 



the new year is approaching.

as is the tradition of the japanese,

i am cleaning and clearing.  since reading

the life changing art of tidying, i have ask myself

whether an object sparks joy, 

a powerful question than can

have reverberations throughout one's life.

if it does not, i let it go, grateful for the place

it had in my life.



Friday, December 18, 2015




it started as an act challenge to

use cardboard in any way.

i also added a personal challenge of 

using a minimal amount of supplies 

that i already have and to make it 

with a simple design.   i like the results.

little trees.  perfect for the holidays!



something on my mind....

i recently read several long time bloggers

discussing the state of blogging today.  with all

of the recent and easy social media like instagram,

twitter, etc.  and the decrease in the number of responses on blogs,

 the question posed was whether blogging and even Facebook

are on their way out?  i certainly have wondered myself.  after

discovering and falling in love with instagram, i all but abandoned

this blog and Facebook.  it was unintentional but i fell down the rabbit hole of

visual stimulation, easy posting and simple clicking to heart a post.

i met new folks who shared similar interests and even ran into some

in person at workshops.  but, it was pointed out that on these new sites

you do not get the deeper relationships available with longer responses

and answers.  nor can you as a blogger write more fully on a subject.

in this wide wide world there is something for everyone.

some people who read my blog never visit and comment on Facebook or

instagram and visa versa.  all social media takes time and effort.  weighing

what is important with how much time and value one gets from the investment

is a personal decision.  after reading the discussion on the state of blogging

today i recommitted to this blog and am so glad that i have!

i would love to hear your response.  



sending best wishes to you during the season

of giving and gratefulness.  thank you for visiting today.

hello to weekly  paint party friday

friends and to kristen and eva, our hostesses




Tuesday, December 15, 2015


practicing faces whenever i can



i go through my hours,

my belongings, my things

evaluate and reevaluate

what i love

what i need

what brings me joy

touching my memories

tetting them go 

with love and fondness

a part of myself

hidden in corners

brought out to the light of day

ever grateful for 

the fullness of this life

october 2014

Saturday, December 12, 2015



i am continuing to play with the shaving cream 

technique i described yesterday.  i wanted to try 

my hand at my dear friend and her ailing violet.

i think it will look good in a square gold frame.

what do you think?



i am posting today for the first time with
show your face hosted by kim fellow.




ps  i am loving this technique.

thanks for stopping by and 

have a lovely weekend!

Friday, December 11, 2015




somerset studio magazine had a technique  by lisa bebi that 

i wanted to try.  it marries photography and painting

using shaving cream of all mediums.  






 he acrylic paint is mixed into shaving cream and 

applied with a palate knife like cake frosting and brush. 

once you add the 

acrylic the shaving cream tuns to  yummy pastel colors.






the first layer is a azure gold.  after it dries more colors are added.

i experimented with drying the first layer with a craft dryer,

scraping half dried medium off, rubbing it in with my fingers,

starting with a thin first layer, more saturated paint mix.  






i am not comfortable with it but don't expect to be

after only one sitting.  i have been thinking of 

my sweet and beautiful mother so tried the 

technique on a painting of her.  i am happy with this.

there are more photos with layer one air drying naturally.

i will work with on another day and report back.




from an anthropologie catalog


i am happy.


X  O  X  O  X




today is friday and i am posting with paint party friday hosted
weekly by eva and kristen and express your creativity 
hosted by kate robertson studio











Friday, December 4, 2015




i am normally a grab it as i go kind of artist.

i don't plant ahead.  i have all of possibilities 

in front of me and choose after the current color is 

down on the canvas.  i like the openhandedness of this

approach.   the other day i actually planned ahead.  i pre decided

on my color palate, set up all the paints that i thought i might use

along with the brushes.  it was, to my surprise quite enjoyable

to think about the painting and anticipate the colors together.

now i have two approaches.  have you noticed a particular way

that you approach your art?  are you intuitive, spontaneous, planned,

organized, methodical, quick, thoughtful?






i found this mixed media piece while putting my studio back

together after a plumbing leak.  it is collage and painted

in a wonderful  found book from the library sale.  the pages are

nice and  thick.




this week i am excited to announce that i have this sketch









before a trip i always sketch the clothes i take.

i am a visual person and this makes it easier for me to

eliminate the excess and take a minimum in my carry on bag.

one of the editor of cloth paper scissors happen to spy

a tiny sketch on my blog and contacted  me for their book.

i am over the moon about it!










it's friday and i am posting along with other creatives 
at paint party friday.  if you get a moment during 
this busy time of year, grab a cup of tea and 
see what others have created this week.
thanks to kristen and eva for hosting.








Saturday, November 28, 2015


no black friday shopping for me ....

instead, i repainted this piece






the colors were all of similar value

and she did not stand out as a focal image.






a little collaged village, new hair,

paint layers and  some whimsical flowers 

were added.  




Thursday, November 26, 2015






colored pencil, pastel pencil, markers


have you joined the coloring book craze?

i was given a coloring book.   i did not think

that i would enjoy it as much as i do.  

i do not find it mindless as many others do.

it allows options such as selecting a color palate, 

whether to stay within the lines or whether to color or not

... and quiets the mental chatter.

i like it a lot.



i have been trying my hand at pastels. 

here are my attempts.  gulp.  there is definitely 

a steep learning curve!  one thing i discovered

after asking around is that it is possible to 'erase'

using a stiff bristle brush.  







lastly,

i would like to share a few photos for your

enjoyment from the  spectacular 

collection and architecture 

of the new broad museum, 

downtown los angeles








while i do not pretend to understand much of 

contemporary art, i do appreciate the artistic and 

creative expression of the artist.  



originality doesn't mean making something
that's completely new; 
nothing is completely new.
originality means bending and shaping
what's come before until it belongs 
to you
~robert hunt



i am especially thankful for your visit
today during this busy holiday season



posting with paint party friday
visit the various artists who regularly 
post their work on friday thanks to
 hostesses eva and kristen









Wednesday, November 25, 2015

witness



on my easel.  

not sure where it goes from here

but loving the colors.

it's the process that counts





Monday, November 23, 2015

flowerhead



a simple warm up collage using pattern paper

and various other ephemeral.

pure fun

Friday, November 20, 2015




often you do not realize you have a particular style,

a unique way of inhabiting this world, a manner

of applying paint until you attend a class or workshop

where the instructor has a different way of 

approaching things.  that is what happened when

i took katie kendrick's layers of movement class at

studio creshendoh.   


katie does not approach a canvas with a

subject matter.  she might use a reference image as a starting 

point but other that using a few lines from that image will abandon

it altogether and take her next que from the paint itself.  she works

in small sections applying paint, looking at the transitions between the

colors and lines and then moves to another small section.  at a point she

will stand back a distance to see what is forming, still unaware of a direction 

for the whole piece.   i feel katie has an innate trust in the process.  she stays 

with it until she feels it is complete.  


i found that while i often start a piece without a  subject in mind, 

i work on the canvas as a whole, not in small sections.  i didn't

know this about myself until this workshop.  i thoroughly enjoyed

experimenting with this and found it freeing and allowed me to focus intensely

in the section i worked.  normally, i freely apply paint and focus at the end

when an image or subject appears.   


i am grateful and admire art instructors 

who have the ability to teach what they do.


do you attend art workshops?  do you find them of value?  how do you

stretch your skills?


i am posting today with my creative friends 





Thursday, November 19, 2015


delia



sketching faces is a humbling practice.  hands even more so.

still, i keep trying.  i have been reading 'what the lady wants' 

about marshall field, the founder of marshall field and company 

in chicago.  his long time love was delia spencer.  i like the 

old fashioned name.   but did she give me a hard time.  

i finally decided to stop for now. 




torrance art museum



Tuesday, November 17, 2015

pastel sketch



i am not experienced in working with 

pastels. while taking misty mawn's face to face 

online workshop, i attempted a portrait with pastels 

on pastel paper. here is the results.  no matter how much pastel

i added, it just blew off of the paper.  i was stumped as to 

how to get a more intense color from  the pastel paper which 

textured in such a way that the pastel does not sink into the 

recessed grooves.  i asked what to do on the online class forum.  

i was told to add pastels more heavily and rub with my fingers.

aha!  i will let you know how that turns out in a future post.









Thursday, November 5, 2015

pencil sketch


sketch, sketch, sketch






from time to time i remember 



sketching from tv



how important it is to practice sketching




micron pen



so in a flurry, i sketch for a while.

until i forget again.




how about you?  do you sketch or draw on

a regular basis?  



in my world recently

































hello to paint party friday friends
and other visitors today.  just a note~~
i will be attending a weekend workshop 
and reply to your comments on monday.
thank you for stopping by today!


...may a flock of colors,
indigo, red, green 
and azure blule
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight...
john o'donohue
beannacht