Hiding

ahhhh mixed media.

Isn't it lovely?

I just love going through my bins of ephemera and collected objects in hopes of finding the perfect combination of items to create a piece of art.

In this case, I am creating a piece of art to swap with a student in one of the clubs that I sponsor at school. The club is a Manga club, and while I'm not passionate about Manga, the girls in the club are very funky and love making art in their own sketchbooks.

One of the girls shared her latest works with me, and I asked if she'd like to swap art with me. I explained to her about how each artist has their own style that makes their art unique, and that to swap art with another artist would mean bringing something different into her realm. 

(I also didn't want her to think that I was going to create a Manga character for her!)

With this student in mind, I created this piece.

 I thought a lot about how it must feel to be a unique entity,
an artist in a school over almost 2000 other teenagers who tend to dress alike, do their hair in the same style, and speak the same way. 

Sometimes hiding is a much better deal. 

I used two canvasses for this piece. The small one has been glued to the large one, beside which sits a small square glass mirror. These two layers, the puzzle piece, the mirror, and the paper-doll dress (without the doll) are all very symbolic of the feelings that I sense from some of the teens in my classes.

I think that teens are much worse off today than when I was in high school with the constant stimulation of technology and more-abundant-than-ever presence of enticing and influential advertising. I could go into more detail, but I think I'll save these thoughts for another day.

In the meantime, what do you think of this piece?

Your comments are loved and deeply valued. Thanks for taking the time to look at my art. 

Textured Backgrounds - Part Two

In yesterday's blog post, I showed you the first of a pair of paintings that I finished this week.

After experimenting with other techniques for a few weeks, it feels good to come back to what I know and love. These paintings are very indicative of my own style.

Don't forget to scroll down to yesterday's post to see the other picture in this pair. Both are now available in my etsy shop.

And look to the very bottom of this post - I'm looking for some guidance from you, my friends, on whether or not to share these techniques with you.

This piece is inspired by a child's yearning to explore and learn.
Manifesting at its best, since we're planning to have kids in the near future.

This photo shows the texture of the piece, sides and all. 

I have a vintage typewriter that I used for the letters.
I love the way that the ink goes onto the page (the messy  letter "e" for instance.)

So after showing you these two pictures, my question to you is, are you interested in learning how to make these textured backgrounds in your own work? Leave me a comment or send me an email. If there is some interest, I'll put together a video to show you how I build pieces like these.

Your comments are always so greatly loved and appreciated.

Textured Backgrounds - Part One

I've been working on some small pieces, playing around with textured backgrounds.

Lately I've been experimenting with different styles and techniques of art, but I always come back to my roots.

These types of textured backgrounds are where I started with art. I love their depths, and with a coat of glossy spray varnish, they are gallery-worthy in my mind.


I've made a set of two pieces. Today I'll show you one; tomorrow will showcase the second one.

It's now available in my etsy shop.

This is the first time that I've used ink as paint (for the tree branches).
"Plant a seed and grow roots" refers to my monkey's and my desire to have a baby.  

A little blurry, but you can see the edges of the work in this photo and a lot of the texture.  

I used a spray ink to get this effect over my textured background. 

This shot is my favourite. I feel that it really shows the textures and the quality of the piece. 

WIWO Wednesday - It's What I'm Working On

Today happen to be not about what I'm working on, but who my helper is.

This is the window in my art studio.

I always have help when I'm making art.

Sometimes she needs to walk in my fresh paint to help decorate my table.

Other times she bites the end of my paint brush (while I'm using it) to help my brush strokes become more random.

What a great helper. :)

She deserves a new kitty toy.

Fake it 'Til You Make It

Today I am digging right in to Jill K. Berry's "Personal Geographies."

I would definitely recommend this book for, well, pretty much anyone who is into art. It's a collection of great photos, step-by-step tutorials, and "easily-relate-able" stories from the author herself.

This past weekend I got into the Head Map activity.

I decided to do it a bit differently than how Jill described it, but the end effect was quite intense for me so I'm happy with the result. Art is, after all, an exploration of self at the deepest levels, is it not?

First I traced Jill's head outline and filled it with thoughts that have been filling my head lately.
Hopefully you can read my writing. 

The second head that I did is what I would like to be in my head, relating to the same issues in the first image. I included some affirmation-style thoughts as well as ideal thoughts that would make my life so much easier.

I've heard time and time again things like "fake it 'til you make it," "act as if," and other sayings that help to manifest ideas.

I think that through this activity of drawing your current thoughts and then transferring those thoughts to more positive and optimistic hopes and thoughts, the act of manifesting has begun.

And can't we all use a bit of hope?

Book Love

One book in particular, actually.

I've had my heart set on this book since I saw it last week at our Art Club meeting. It's a book all about different ways of visual journeys, maps, geographies, goals, plans - anything, really!

The title is Personal Geographies - Explorations in Mixed Media Mapmaking

The author is Jill K. Berry - aka my new idol.

The artwork in the book is truly fantastic and I've just this weekend received a copy of my own to pour over and dig into.

I took a quick shot of the book when it was passed around at the meeting.
I sense a full book review in the coming weeks since I was unable to stop myself from ordering it on Amazon!

One page in particular caught my interest.
My good friend Violette loooooooves crows, and she would definitely fall in love with this art exercise...

Current Barnes & Noble coupons might be available for Personal Geographies - Explorations in Mixed Media Mapmaking.

"Framing" Complete!

On this week's WIWO Wednesday, I showed you two postcards that I've received. I've been trying to figure out how to display them in my home. Since they are textiles, I want to be able to touch them, so putting them behind glass was not an option.

I decieded to flip over a couple of canvasses that I had one hand and paint the BACKS of them black.

I then put a block into the recess in the middle and put on a few dabs of glue (glue gun glue is fairly easy to remove in case I change my mind)

The result is a 3D "frame" which sets off the pieces, allows me (and visitors!) to touch them, and cost me nothing since I had the canvasses and paint on hand!

I LOVE how they turned out!