Speckled hen

My recent series of hens is so bright and colorful, I decided to paint a black and white speckled

hen.  Here she is.

Coast watercolor

From a photo taken by my friend Roberta Schmidt.

Once and for all

The reaching hand has metamorphed into a different kind of collage.  After two years of transformations and failures, and setting it aside...I think it is done. 

I left three of the butterflies a few orbs and the hand.   But it has a new life now with the addition of collage papers, more paint and a better color palette.     I need to sign it and let it go.  

A chorus of carrots

Ok. I admit this is an odd subject, but in my defense, and only artists will get it, I had some really pretty orange papers in my collage pile.  It was an aha moment.  When I tossed them on this painting the colors sang to me.   So i tore the papers into carrot shapes and lined them up.   In my stash of hand carved stamps which I created a few years ago, i had a set of faces. By stamping on orange scraps and gluing them down, it created the chorus.

I had such fun making this piece and enjoying the colors, i may just do a follow up some time.  But for now. It can stand on its own.

The photo of carrots is from a magazine. I had planned to use it in a collage someday but certainly did not have this in mind at the time.

By the way this is painted over the unicorn painting.  See ? Hes still there lower left side.

I've had some interesting feedback as this progressed. Two people think I should put arms on them and connect them like a chorus line.  One thinks they need two legs.    So they can be in dance poses.    Lol.  Maybe the next one.  Right now it feels finished.   I hope you enjoy it.  It's going to live in my laundry room.

Fishing in mixed media pool

This was our project for mixed media group last week.   It was so much fun, I did it again with a friend who had missed the meeting.  Now I have fish hanging all around in my studio, attached to curtain valence with safety pins.    Fish were purchased from Amazon. We used mostly dylusion spray inks, and stencils.    

Back yet again.

I have been using my other blog recently since I was not able to get into this one.    Please check it out.  I think thats where I will be posting for awhile.  Here is the link.  http://bookartsandalteredbooks.blogspot.com

Valentines

Instead of making paper valentines this year I got out my sewing machine and on rainy days I sat and sewed little hearts out of various Fabrics that I had.    When guests and visitors came they could select one out of this little basket. Oddly enough the blue ones were the first ones to be selected so I think maybe next year I should make more blue hearts. 

The deep red ones were made out of a boiled wool vest that my best friend Cat had given me to cut up for an art project. It had black embroidery on it, and by careful cutting I could use the embroidery on the fronts and also the black covered buttons that were attached I was able to leave as part of the design.    They were my personal favorites, but visitors liked the duponi silks and velvets best.   

The large heart

This is something I couldn't resist from favorite local nursery. ,

Pot 1

This is the pot. The last Mosaic flower pot I did was sometime in the 1970s. Making mosaics has been on my bucket list for years.  I love the colorful pots that can contain my succulent collection which is growing thanks to Trader Joe's nursery department and the wonderful little local Nursery here that I support.

This pot has not been grouted yet and I haven't decided what color grout use. I did this inside my studio. The grouting I will do outside when the weather is warmer. By then maybe I'll have another one or two pots done ready for a big grouting day.

February catch up

A month just whizzed by.   We had a warm streak so I could paint in the studio again.  It felt so good to pick up my brush and palette knife .    This piece has changed since morning. One of the many changes it has been through. 

I started it with a blue background a whole bunch of butterflies, and it just looked too dark. So I added paper Mosaic squares at the bottom over the blue so the blue looks like grout showing through.  I liked it fairly well during the day, but in the evening or when the light was bad it just looked gloomy. 

I had added in collage elements mostly from text or from paper napkins. It looked too busy. So I painted over all of that with another coat of blue. It didn't work. It was interesting because all the layers were showing through going way back to the bottom but I just didn't like it. Then I added a quick coat of white paint gesso and yellow ochre. That's pretty much where I left it when I took this picture I'll probably try to take another one tomorrow and post again as it's looking better , but not there yet.

This month was taken over by the sudden spring-like weather we experienced.  We had some rain, some fog, some sun, some windy days, and some nights with very cold snaps. 

I had the front yard dug up entirely and rocks and gravel brought in. Now I'm sculpting a a shape with the Rock's to give it kind of a beachy duney feel. I also had some large bushes taken out of the area beside my driveway they were encroaching my driveway. 

My son brought over a load of pea gravel which is my favorite gravel I like the sound of it. I'd like the color. And I like how nicely it packs down to give me a firmer footing so I won't trip and fall. He and I worked out front one day and made it much more visitor-friendly. Now visitors will be able to get out of their cars and step onto the gravel - they don't have to step over the concrete scalloped edging that had been there. My granddaughter and son came together one day and brought over a load of those nice big round River Rocks from the other house. 

My old garden there is now the living space of some very active larger dogs. They do not respect my old pathways that I had put in and planting areas. So those rocks were available to me. I'm very happy to have them here as I was going to have to order a truckload brought in. And it's much more fun working with my son and my granddaughter in the yard then random workmen coming and going.

I have lots more plans for what I'm doing in the garden but now we've had a cold snap and more rain so I need to put it off. With freezing night temperatures I've had to move my potted succulents around to where I can cover them at night.

I finished my taxes today so that's behind me now and I'll just sit and wait for my refund.   

As my studio was available again I started working on broken china Mosaic over a fairly good-sized flower pot I will post a picture of that next. That's all for today I've got other things to do but I hope to get back to blogging again soon.

Is it done yet?

Over a year since this was started.   It's warm in the studio again. I know its only January - but for a few days we have been without fog following some rainy days.   Sun is blazing . Temp outside in 60s. No wind.   It feels so good to have sunshine.   It inspired me to clean up the studio and to get back to painting.  

Hoosier christmas

Back in boxes.

Bob remembered

Looks like some photos can be used. Hmmmm....

Revival of old blog

I am excited to tell you I found a way to use my other blog so will be posting there again. Its the one with tutorials on altered books and mail art and more.  Type address in your browser. Bookartsandalteredbooks@blogspot.com

Oct 12 breakfast sketch

I started this early then went grocery shopping.    Bulky stuff like detergent, dishwaser soap, toilet paper.   I'm glad to have that out of the way so while dishes are washing I can come back to finish this little bird.   Its based on a very subtle image on page 123 in Drawing Birds.     It was so subtle I could barely see the bird.    Here he is with more contrast and enlarged..  

Birds on wires.

Another exercise from Drawing birds. P 53

Good morning bird.

This red headed bunting is my morning sketch today from Drawing Birds. P 71.

Speckles

This is the floor next to my work table.   When I flick watercolors on my little paintings I move the clipboard w painting onto my lap and flick away.    This a years worth of flicks.   I do not mop this floor. I like the speckles.

Gull model

On page 104 in Drawing Birds by John Busby, he suggests using a little model such as this to help with bird action sketches.    After making one and holding it this way and that - i can see how it can be useful.   Particularly from above or banking turns in flight.   It will help position the wings.   I'm glad he included this exercise in his book.

Oct 5 bird

My breakfast painting .