New Year, New Ideas...

Happy New Year!

Here's to a fun and prolific 2009. Here are some things that I worked on over the last few days.

Tea and Stamps

I keep adding things to this kettle painting. It takes awhile for this oil painting to dry. I feel a class coming on to learn how to work with this stuff to get the realistic look that I am looking for. I found this guy's blog...he's got some cool oil paintings.... http://michaelnaples.blogspot.com/

Color Explosion

This painting is about 3 1/2 ft x 2ft...This was someone else's old canvas that I gessoed and painted over. I didn't like that painting, so I gessoed and painted over it again. I''ll let this stay awhile, but who knows I might start again with this one too.

Good Year, Good Fortune

This is my New Year's Journal Entry. My friend invited me to attend a New Year's Watch service at her church. I used to bulletin I got from the church and a fortune from the cookie we ate at the Chinese restaurant for this collage.

Oil And Water : A First Attempt

Underpainting: Burnt Sienna, Paynes Gray, Titanium White

Add a Little Color

So I have finally picked up the water soluable oils that I bought right before Christmas. Here is my first painting. As excited as I was to have them, I have to admit that I procrastinated a bit picking them up and testing them out. Intimidation perhaps. Maybe I was afraid it wouldn't turn out to be all I hoped for.

I decided to paint this old teapot that's been in my kitchen. It has developed this beautiful turquoise patina over time. Orginally, it is copper. Here is the first underpainting and then a second shot once I decided to add some more color. I am about halfway through. The next step is to add the detail of the patina and the hardware of the box that the tea kettle is sitting on.

Christmas Collage

Memories in November

Peaches in 1929

These are two of the collages that my father and I made during our "Art Party" over the Christmas Holiday.

Journals, Journals, Journals

Journals, Journals and More Journals

"Spritual Inquiry"

"Red Bowl"

"Live Your Best Life"




"Bengali's Dream"

I've been on a crazy journal kick lately. Here are four that I did this past week. I hope in the next week to switch over to doing some oil paintings. I bought a bunch of water soluable oil paints on Friday. I know, I know...oil and water don't mix. My father says the concept sounds like to much of an oxymoron. I understand, but I love the way oil paints look and give such a rich, vibrant, realistic feel on canvas but I just can't get down with all that turpentine. The vapors and threat of respiratory illness later in life from using all that stuff really does kill the joy of painting for me, plus getting that stuff off your hands is murder. Anyway, I am going to try these out and see what happens. Of course, I'll give you an update.

Travel Memories

Journal Entry

It's been a minute. I just got back from New Orleans. Here is a journal entry I did about a week ago before I left. I used a picture I took while I was in China back in 2001. I will be posting some of the interesting pictures I took while I was down in Lousisiana. I have plans to make a mixed media painting inspired by my travels. More on that later.

Another Fun-day Sunday

"Just another Manic Monday...wish it were Sunday, 'cause that's my fun day...an I don't have to run day." Here is my Sunday journal collage fest.

Gratitude

My favorite things

When I was a little girl, I used to love to paint. I would scribble, draw, doodle, fingerpaint...you name it. I remember when I was in the first grade, my teacher Ms. Hill gave my drawing of a girl's face not one but two gold stars. I admired those stars the whole week as my painting hung up on the blackboard. But quickly things changed and the desire to "fit in and be normal" kicks in. It wasn't long before I wanted to trade in my Pink Converse with the crazy striped socks for Nikes, because that's what the "cool" kids wore. Artists were eccentric, crazy and "weird" and all I wanted to do was fit in.

Time marched on and I did my best to do the mainstream thing. But it just never felt right. Why? Because I was eccentric...slightly crazy... and most times "weird". Who was I fooling, I am an artist at heart.

On this Thanksgiving day, I am thankful that the Universe had the good sense to deliver me to a father who shares my passion for creating. I remember once when I was about 8 years old, he had me pose in front a giant sheet of paper taped to his studio wall admist hot lights so that he could trace the contours of my profile. He was eccentric...slightly crazy and sometimes weird. Thank God. So when the time came for me to break out my Gesso, acrylics and raggedy paint brushes again, I received full support. I was born to him for a reason, it is clear. Where this road I am going down leads is anybody's guess. But I love what I am doing right now...that is for sure.

Before I go have some turkey (gobble, gobble), I would like to share this YouTube video of the beginning of a documentary about the 1000 Journals Project. I haven't seent the film yet, but you know I'll give a review when I do! I think this opening is particularly cool. Check it out over there on the right hand side of this screen.

Happy Thanksgiving!