Trove

This is a piece I did back in November but every time I have taken a picture of it...all you saw black. So I finally got it under some light.


Trove
4" x 6"
Mix Media

Art Goodies!

We went out town this past weekend and I came home with lots of presents! Michael's parents had a bunches of stuff for me...old games and old photographs. Everything is great! I love it all. Stuck in the bundle of photos were some old maps plus a high school diploma from 1923. So I just have so many wonderful things to inspire me and create!

Here is a picture of just a few of the photographs.....










close up of some of them....













Also while out of town Michael bought me a bunch of art goodies....metal, cloth, and paper bits that I am so excited to use.

One of my favorite stops while in Denver is the Dollar Tree and they had some dolls I plan on altering. One I think is going to be a political piece and the other I think an angel/spiritual type piece. I am going to pull their hair out, paint them and alter them so they are not even recognizable so that is why I need....

...the before pictures of the dolls...















And then....I had one more fantastic thing happen...I sent some friends some cookies and they sent me a thank you package filled with art goodies that was totally unexpected and unnecessary but very much appreciated.

Here is a picture of the wonderful art goodies they sent me....
















layers and layers of fun!

I am sure with all these wonderful things I am going to be creating...and get this artist block unblocked!

The Bull...

In the China Shop



Acrylic paint on cardboard
9" x 12"
June 2005

Getting Back in the Saddle....

I have read several articles recently about how artists experience a greater amount of depression then others. And lately I have wondered if it is true....as I have been going through a kind of down period. I just sit and stare at the paper/canvas/whatever is in front of me and I can't let anything out. I go through thoughts filled with fear of "ruining" it, self doubt and a million other little negative thoughts. The longer it goes on the harder it is to start it back up again. This week marked the first time I picked up a paint brush and was not so worried that I was paralyzed by all the fears that go through my mind. It has been a while since I have been able to do that but it was time to get back in the saddle - so to speak. I told myself I can paint right back over it if it doesn't work out. I need to get back into that practice of saying "so what" - if it doesn't turn out exactly as I have it in my head.

I miss creating and it spins into other areas of life when I am not able too. I get grumpy and snap at Michael more when I haven't had good quality art time. And that is not fair to him so I need to get back to having that daily time to create no matter what comes out.

Right now my mind has been filled with 102 ideas and of course they all want out. And there is no way I am going to get them all right now. I started an art (paper) journal where I just do a quick sketch and write out ideas surrounding the concept so that day when I do have a creative block hopefully these little notes will help feed the creative process.

(side note: icon is by Alex Grey. I enjoy his work.)

Website!

Michael bought me www.darbyart.com! Isn't he the best? It will probably take me a while before I get the site done though as I have several others to be working on right now but at least it has a coming soon page up.

Workspace

I am posting pictures of my workspace because all the cool people are posting pictures of their workspace.

Ignore the ugly wallpaper please!

work table --- there is a little cart with 3 drawers that can fit under the table when I don't use the top for more supplies...like it is being used now. You can see a bit of it...the baby wipes are sitting on it.


Close up of table...the flat round container and the round tin are...full of bits and pieces. The flat one has quite a few fortunes from fortune cookies, it has foreign coins and stamps, metal bits and pieces and such. The round tin has buttons, mini playing cards, tags and whatnot.


Paper and Ephemera....the file folder has folders for everything under the sun - medical, people, nature, maps, and so on. The lovely Sam's water box is actually a box that I need to sort and file. And then the boxes behind it - the purple stripe box has pretty handmade papers, paintchips, and other pretty paper. The yellow box sitting in it is scraps...little scraps and it is going to go into the box under the purple stripe box that is empty.

Directly behind me as I sit at my work table is a shelving unit that I have had since I was in college. That thing has been battered and banged up but still survives all my moves. It has 3 columns of shelves. It recently contained books, more books and more books. I transferred some books to another shelving unit and then others into storage. Now it contains supplies...fibers, more paint (most of my paint is on my table), beading supplies, books that I cut up or alter, a basket full of cds that I intend to alter, box full of ribbon, colored pencils, pastels, markers, crayons, coloring books and toys(important part of creating for me), a box that I call my junk box - it has so many odds and ends of ephemera it is an insane box to open the combinations you find in it. Plus just so much more. I have boxes and crates under the unit that have magazines and newspapers.

Mix Media Mosaic

This is named after the people I made it for....it is a mosaic that all the pieces remind me of them. It is a mix media on canvas - 8" x 10"

Under the Red Moon

I did this piece back in November....but just had not got around to posting pictures of it. I did a few others pieces too but the photographs I took of them turned out horrible. So only this one...for now.

Under the Red Moon
November 2005
Mix Media on Canvas
4" x 6"

Book Markers

Just a few of the book markers I made for presents....

Magnets

Just a few magnets I made for Christmas presents...I used matboard as the base and then cut strips of magnet for the backing. Then decorated.

Card Sets....

Now that Christmas is over I can post some of the presents I made for people...card sets for my Grandmother's, my Mom and then I made Michael's parents a set too but I don't think I ever got a picture of them.

Calendar - January through April

I made a Calendar for some friends for Christmas....

Here is several pictures of it....click on images to see a bigger view....

Dreamer of Dreams

I made this for Michael for his birthday. I am not happy with how it turned out but he loves it. I tried to incorporate too much. Left bottom side is my hand...I did a print of it then painted layers over it. The heart in the middle is how it came out when I pressed my hand into the canvas...had the natural heart shape there. I included a piece of music. Some of the lyrics on it fit us. And then I wrote out also a piece from the Willy Wonka movie that we both like..."We are the music makers. We are the dreamer of dreams." I have the word dream on the piece a few times. I have a English to French dictionary piece that is translating the word journey. It is an important word for us. There is a king and queen playing card that painted over and then did a moon and heart over each one. Clock, starts, patterns...all parts of this piece too.

Pears

Pears
4x6
Mixed Media Collage on Canvas
November 2005

(click on image to see a bigger size of it)

Dream 58

Dream 58
6 x 8
Mix Media Collage on Paper
November 2005


(click on picture to see a bigger view of it)

2 Older Collages

Time

Collage

July 2005

This base was crumpled and then soaked in tea. I uncrumpled it and then let is dry and then rubbed brown sienna acrylic paint on to it. Applied various collage elements.

Crazy Quilt
Collage
April 2005

This is on a carboard base using many different types of paper.

Pieces of Life

Pieces of Her

Pieces of Her

Collage

3 1/2" x 2 1/2"

October 2005

Collage

In the Flesh - 3
2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
October 2005
Collage on cardstock

click on the image to see larger version

Yume (Dream)

Yume (Dream)
5" x 7"
October 2005
Mixed Media

Click on the picture to see a larger view.

Reality is Meager

So this summer I have had a lot of bad things happen. And then with hurricane katrina there just seemed like so much sadness and destruction in this world. I guess I needed to get it out.

Not something I think is artistically very good. But it is emotional, chaotic, intense....all the things that the world is going through right now....

Reality is Meager
Mixed Media
September 2005
8" x 10"

close up of the words in the piece...reality is meager

Warrior Woman

One more old one....

Imprint

Sharing an older piece....it is a handprint...each pieces was cut out and then the dark paper was put onto white paper so that it shows through the cutouts. It took a long time and gave me cramps in my hand! And of course the orginal's don't have that orange date on it. I was still learning to use the digital camera when I took these.






















Close up....

Birthday Present

This I made for one of my best friend's birthday...she was turning the big 30! And she liked it! I am so glad. Click on the picture to see a bigger version.

Deconstruct Big Picture

2 pieces

Lost
This is a lost wish to me...it looks lost, worn, tired, hopeless... if you look real closely you can see how the wish was under the lost but then I cover it up...the wish lost.


Wish
And this is where the wish found inside...her mind and in her heart. She is bright, hopeful, fresh and awake

Flight

Clicking on image will take you to a bigger view of it. It is a 5 x 7 - bristol paper painted with black and then orange and brown. Collage elements from various ephemera...cancelled stamp, mulburry paper, flight cut from dictionary, paint chip paper, butterflies cut from stationary, scrap paper, map and bead.

Series of 3

Here is a series of 3 I made recently. I think framing into one horizontal piece would look good. They are a little darker pieces but I like them. These will be hard to give up.

Into the Sun

This ATC is for a themed trade. I hadn't done a themed trade in a while and I have to say right now it was hard. I didn't feel like I could just create. It felt stiff and forced. But I am sure I should keep trying them as I think it is good practice for me to think and use maybe skills that are umm dusty!



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