January 28, 2015 Facebook Art Challenge DAY ONE

I am now part of the  Facebookartchallenge. I was nominated by my awesome Aussie friend Shells, for this challenge to share three pieces of my art a day for five days and nominate another artist. I nominated my hairdresser and friend who also does some over-the top photography.  Today I'm sharing two oldies and a brand spankin new one.

An Art journal entry from way last year.

A print that auctioned for a food bank.

  And the newbie - Woodstock the Goat for the Year Of The Goat 2015.

Stay tuned!

Sunday January 25, 2015

Sunday Greetings!

Its snowing outside my window this morning, but the coffee is hot and the house is clean, thanks to having company last night for dinner and camaraderie.  So, I feel a pull toward the art room, (like THAT never happens!) maybe while the laundry is going today... yeah, that will satisfy my inner voice to be creative and also responsible. ;)

Once upon a time, many months ago, I attended an industrial garage sale.  They had artwork in frames, and although the artwork was YUKKY industrial stuff, (not pretty) the frames were ok, and a buck a piece.  When I got them home I realized that said frames were NOT a usual size.  So anything I wanted to put in them would have to be custom matted.  THEN, I realized that said artwork were backed with fiber board and were meant to be in said frames!  HEY! I said.  Why not paint that! Cover it up, maybe try some of that collagey, texturized, cool background art that I see in so many peoples art these days and need heavier board to put it on! Great idea!

So, as my story goes, I did just that.  Every time I have had extra paint on the pallet, I swiped it over said nasty artwork.  It might be the art journal groups, but I just can't throw anything away anymore, so I covered that paint with the little pages that you get with Christmas lights with all the warnings on them in different languages. (lol.. why clog up a landfill with them!) Then slapped more paint, and paper scraps, some pretty gelli's (thanks to friend, Shells!), and put some imprints from bubble wrap, and just had fun with it.

Then it sat.  What to do now?

I liked what I had going, but what subject would be ok to paint on there?  I was going through some pics I have for "someday" painting and ran across one of a sleeping white flamingo that I found ages ago, but would be PERFECT! (I wonder, sometimes, if my artistic angel whispers to me sometimes and says, "save that, you will need it someday"?)

So here is my first attempt at collage painting....

I like it!  I have one more board and might even try paper collage where they 'paint' with scraps of paper.  The frames are just silver metal, and as soon as the weather warms I want to spray paint those but not sure what color yet, just not silver.  Feel free to chime in.  (First I thought salmon, then dark green, or black.)

So, that is next to the end of my story.  When the frame is done, then it will be the end.

Moral of the story:  Be creative,  don't be scared to take a chance.  Its only paint and can be painted over, right?  Take it to the END of the painting- there are many times it doesn't look like its going to turn out right in the middle of the project.  DON'T decide to paint it over until you are completely finished!  Just GO with it.

So, I am going wid it!  Stay tuned..

Sunday January 18, 2015

Ok, here is the painting of Hubs' friends backyard, minus a trailer and some brush.  I am thinking it needs something on the left side, but I know my strengths and it isn't doing horse-like animals, like deer. But it could be something like a white birch tree.  Decisions, decisions....

This week has been fun, artsy-wise.  We went to an Ultimate Painting event.  Artists get 20 minutes to paint a 16x20 canvas.  They get voted on and then auctioned, with the winners of the competition going to a larger competition later this year.  It was lots of fun.  I went as a spectator, but next time I am wearing paint clothes and taking my brushes!

Then, yesterday I went to a local seminar on how to market your art.  This was the first of three.  We heard the information about co-op vs. gallery vs. shows.  Who pays taxes?  What forms to fill out with the state and federal governments.  All the do's and don'ts of how to apply to a gallery etc.  Although I learned that none of the artists wanted to mess with the business side of art, (we just want to do the art!) it was a necessary evil and some people have been able to make it a full time business and quit their jobs!

The second of the classes is on presentation.  The third is getting good photos of your work.  Both will require us to bring our work to be worked on.

All of this is good information.  But I have to work a full time job.  I do art for me.  If someone likes it and wants it, cool.  But its discouraging to hear all of this when I am just getting to the point of  'maybe I need to lighten up and get rid of some of the stuff piled in my artroom.'   Since the point of making art is not money with me, I think it reinforced the fact that I will probably not do shows anytime soon.  My head and life are just not there.  If I have extra time, I like to spend it enjoying painting, not half a painting and half keeping records for taxes. (one lady admitted to half her time is recordkeeping and bookwork from her art sales.)  I think I will let my kids deal with it after I am gone.  (I smile at this point envisioning a storage unit filled with canvasses and art stuff. )

Anyways...
Something else I did this week... started these a lonnng time ago and just decided to finish them. 

These are small 3x3 canvasses.  I think I will make more since I bought a dozen of these.  I made one for a friend whose word of the year is blessed.

Well, stay tuned...

PS: My horoscope today:  "Playing makes you feel lighter.  Being overwhelmed with too much work and pressure makes you feel heavier.  Knowing this, what can you throw over the edge of the boat  to keep yourself buoyant?"  Does that mean LIGHTER?  ;)   And  it also means, not to take another business on.  Besides, I have things to do for OTHERS coming up.  Yes, stay tuned.

Sunday OneEleven, 2015

Happy Sunday! 

A fellow firefighter that The Hubs knows, posted some pics of his back yard. (He lives up north now) It was heavily laden with snow.  He has a small shed that is dwarfed by the trees, and the sky was blue with heavy white snow clouds.  Hubs asked him if he would mind if his wife painted it, pretty much before he even asked me!  (He had showed them to me and said, "you could paint that!")  So, I guess I am!

Its a work in progress.  As I write I am waiting for paint to dry so that I can layer on the next.   I am excited!  Its a big canvas, and if I am geeked about doing it, there is no intimidation of a big blank canvas.  Its about half done.  :)

This week though, I have painted an 8x10 painting, that I THOUGHT I was done with, but I might just make an addition.  Once I decide, I will post.  I just need to make a decision.  And I hate to posts WIP's (Work In Progress) pieces because then you get duplicates, and it takes the surprise out of it.  For you as well as me. 


So, todays blog is a teaser, with promised art to follow.  Let me leave you with this, then...

Stay tuned!

Sunday January 4, 2015

Been working around the house, but took a break to work on this, and I think, its done!  I like leaving the few white ones for contrast. 

On to the next project!  Another pen and ink, I think!  Stay tuned...

Saturday January 3, 2015

It's rainy, turning to ice outside, which just keeps me on task around the house.

I'm taking down the Christmas stuff and packing it all away.  I am running across stuff I didn't take the time to put up this year, as I just wasn't in the mood when I was decorating to do it all, so I did the minimum.   As I am packing away, I am seeing stuff in the boxes yet, that I didn't remember and saying "awww... didn't see this this year" and actually missed it.  Writing this in here to teach me that in eleven months I need to do more than the minimum, although this years putting-away job is much easier, I have enough decorations to rotate some out and in every year.
I was perusing some art facebook pages and someone suggested that for their one word this year they would find a 'symbol' about their one word and incorporate that symbol into each and every art piece this year.   What a neat idea!   Since my word is LIGHTEN, perhaps a lightbulb or a sunshine...  hmmmm.... what do you think?  It would also be a neat way of knowing how long ago you did the piece.  'Oh, there's the lightbulb, hidden right there!  Must have done this piece back in 2015!"

I saw a painting from Salvidor Dali the other day that was very different from the ones that I always recognized as his.  You know; the melting clocks and the surrealism.  Although this is surreal, it is definitely not over-the-top surreal that Dali is known for.  I would have never guessed it was his but it is probably my new favorite.

 On a funny note, you know that sinus thing I have going?  Yeah, its been a great time for it!  If you have to have an upside to being sick, I found it!  My hubby used my car and said that something must have died in my heat vent because it smelled awful!  Ha!  Didn't even notice!   Then, he also said that the farmer a couple of fields back, spread manure on his field.  This is to the west of us, and its been pretty breezy.   Didn't have a clue!   I am looking on the bright side.  I told him he had until my sinuses cleared to figure out what that dead thing was.   XP

Well, I am almost done with this packing away Christmas job, so should get back to it and get'er dun!
Stay tuned!

Happy 2015!

On this first day of the New Year, I wish for anyone reading this a joyous New Year.  

Feeling better today, just in time to go back to work tomorrow, wouldn't you know?  I really don't know where the last nine days went! 

Here is a work in progress:

I still need to fill in the rest of the rocks.

And there is another, but that is even more unfinished than this one.

Stay tuned!