It is finished, and woven artwork

I LOVE to write! And, to be in my studio working on artwork has got to be something akin to what's it's going to be like in Heaven. Then there's the 'take a product, see what I can do with it, and then write a Review about it' adventure. Sometimes when I am finished doing one or the other, or both together, my brain feels like it's been through a triathalon (Spelling 101: this word is NOT in my Webster's 33,000 most used words book here so am not sure I spelled it right. Maybe it's not a 'much used' word???)

Anyways, my brain felt like that TOTALLY when I finished the "Motion Six-ness" piece currently hanging at the Tannery Row Artist Colony/Gallery in Historic Buford, Ga. What a ride that was, exhausting but exhilarating when it was over. I turned around and wanted to do it again like any self-respecting person would. LOL

I'm kind of there again at the moment. I've played and played with the Tim Holtz Grungepaper, designed a number of Art projects with it, have more ideas swimming in my head, written a Review and submitted it and the projects to the editor/owner of www.papercrafterscorner.com for publication. No monetary gain from this one, however, it pushed me once more Artistically, AND one never knows what might be around the next corner. So I do for now what I can do.

In the meantime, I was at http://myrnawacknov.blogspot.com/2010/04/start.html "Creativity Journey" last week reading one of Myrna's posts. She is a fabulous artist and I am inspired by her work and her ability and willingness to experiment outside the box on a regular basis. In one of her posts followed by comments from several of us, the issue came up about what to do with paintings you do and then hate. I mentioned a technique I learned from some of my Artist friends at Tannery Row Artist Colony. You simply cut it up into strips, then use those strips to weave a painting.

Today, since I can't show my grungepaper artwork until it's been published, I thought I would share a different piece of artwork. Upon completion I took it up to show my Artist friends, and they loved it. There was no "I hate this" canvas in the studio here to cut up, so I used a wallpaper border piece, along with other papers, and cut them all up. And being the "I wanna try something a little bit different" person that I am, the strips were cut in different patterns and widths. Of course then I found that made the weaving a bit more challenging, LOL yeah more like a LOT more challenging, but I ended up liking the result. The choice of the dark blue mat really punches out the sunflowers. This is in a white 12x12 frame and looks lovely on my dining room wall.

Until next time, go find something creative to do. Doing so brings an tranquil peace to your soul, and joy to your heart.

Lost and Found Leads to ART

OK, so this week I'm playing around with Tim Holtz's Grungepaper, putting it through various paces and designing with it in preparation for writing a Product Review for www.papercrafterscorner.com. I had this awesome idea for using it on a scrapbook layout and went to pull the TOOL out that I had in mind as part of the design.

I admit it, right here right now; PAPER is my nemesis! After 12+ years of scrapbook and card designing, there's tons in this little studio. And even though I've been actively giving more quality clean up/re-organizing time to change that, it still abounds. HOWEVER, when it comes to my tools, I'm very, very particular in obeying the rule my mother ingrained in us kids growing up; "a place for everything and everything in it's place". No Exceptions!

Imagine the horror then, when I went to pull out my set of these and they weren't where they were supposed to be!
Back in the day (late 1990s) when I first started scrapbooking, I bought and greatly used these Creative Memories decorative edge rulers. We didn't have all the "toys" with their bells and whistles that scrapbookers and paper artists have available today, and though I don't use these particular tools like I used to, when I want one of them, they need to be In Their Place! Fortunately I found them early yesterday afternoon, and the funny part was that they WERE where they were supposed to be. Rather than standing up in the storage case, they had fallen over and were laying in the bottom under other art making supplies. That discovery, made after hours of purging/re-organizing in here, made me want to sit back down to art making. So back to the Grungepaper.

I had a piece of this heavy grungepaper already torn and laying on my workstation. I decided to work it into a card since a longtime friend's birthday is coming up and I wanted to do something special in designing his card. My artist mind started whirling, and excitedly I pulled out watercolor paper, a fine ink drawing pen, water color pencils, artist paint brush, and a couple Tim Holtz Distress Ink pads. The torn GP would be inked and act as the Foreground of my painting. This is what I came up with. After drawing the picture with ink I laid colors in with the watercolor pencils and a wet brush. I'm very excited about this little painting which is the base for the Birthday Card. Another friend from our growing up in South Miami days sent us this old pic weeks ago that we all had fun reminiscing about. It's the old Lighthouse off Biscayne Bay, Miami, Fl.
I want to do a big drawing/painting of it, but for now it helped in doing this little picture as it's been way too long since I saw our beloved palm trees on the beach up close and in person. I will post the link when the finished card, other grungepaper art, and the review article are published. I'm on my way back to the grungepaper scrapbook layout now, however, I just couldn't keep from sharing my latest painting, even though this one is small.

Remember, do something creative every day. For sure, it is food for the soul, and brings joy to your heart.
bj

Experimental Creativity

Does that title make sense????
Well, does or not, I've decided that, at least sometimes, the process of creating art is a lot like science lab experiments or space travel, exploring the universe. As artists, we have this idea pop into our head and it won't leave cause we start thinking about it, with these "what if" or "what would happen if I did..." questions. That's how New Techniques, New Processes come about, whether it's in Art, or another field. Or, for me, even when I walk into my kitchen (what I call my Culinary Studio) and start playing with ingredients for a new dish.

Back to the Art Studio though. For some good time I've been contemplating doing some batiking of fabric. I've held back though because of all the mess, vats of various color dyes, a pot of melted wax (which DOES have a cool smell, I think), ironing board and a hot dry iron, and three (3) kitties running around in this small house. My mind keeps seeing some kind of disaster fixin to happen, and I ask myself, "Self, do you REALLY wanna go there???"

So, as all this meandering has been continuously going on in my brain, the other day I had another "brainy idea". It was one of those "what if" moments. So I got out some Tim Holtz Distress Inks. Then found a piece of muslin and tore strips. Then started "playing". I could also say I was "experimenting", testing out some theories. Doesn't that sound so professional? What "mom voice" could really think it could scream "stop wasting time on that nonsense and get out here and make yourself useful", AND get away with it. Did anyone ever scream that to Louis Pastur or Thomas Edison or Booker T. Washington? And look what they contributed by Experimenting!

I'll stop ranting now :)
So, here's the first strips.
These 3 strips were done with Weathered Wood dye ink, very monochromatic.

Then I tried going with two colors
The bottom two strips I did with Spiced Marmalade and Brushed Corduroy dye inks. I want to do a bigger piece of this one. The top two pieces were worked with Weathered Wood and Brushed Corduroy, really grungy lookin'. I think Tim Holtz would be pleased!

This last set of three I did with the new T.H. Tumbled Glass dye ink and Faded Jeans dye ink. I really like the blue tones.

So, what do you think? I'd like some feedback, truly.
Creating and Experimenting is so much fun!!!
bj

Paper Beads, Classical Music, and a Blue Moon

a.k.a. "how I've spent my Sunday afternoon". How cute, that rhymes!!!
OK, seriously,
I'm dealing with some things. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was my studio trashed in a day. There's order/disorder in here after "stuff" piles up from doing one project, then another. So I have been spending quality time with my studio this month, working to create more order than disorder. This led to that, ie:
Bags of paper scraps!!! I FINALLY have all my paper scraps the way I want them - and no, not in the garbage! There's a big zip lok bag for each of these colors, blacks/greys,
brown/tans; pinks, purples, blues, greens, yellows, red/oranges. They are so cool. A good Paper Artist never throws away what can be used, and I hit my scraps whenever I need something small. Besides, I have some NEW IDEAS/PLANS for scraps.

This afternoon I've been cutting Making Memories scrapbook paper scraps into specific shaped scraps. These fun scraps were left over from a project I did last summer (2009) and I love the colors on them. Somehow the other day (I have no idea/don't remember) Paper Beads came into my conscious mind. And, having organized all my scraps, I knew I had another great idea fixin to burst forth. I also knew I'd get bored making only one kind of paper bead so I did a little online research to find interesting shapes.

Knowledge is power, and also since I knew it was 5:00 somewhere, I popped open an ice cold Blue Moon Beer (my daughter turned me on to this very light wheat beer last year), "invited" this guy to entertain me via the CD player (what a GREAT album - Vladimir Horowitz playing Chopin, Clementi, Liszt, Scarlatti, and others on piano!!)and commenced to rolling papers. Oh wait a minute, commenced to making paper beads. Here's some I did this afternoon. Aren't they just so cool!!?
I want to build up a stash of them to use in various art projects. For now, this was an awesome afternoon. There is a sign on the inside bathroom door at Tannery Row Artist Colony/Historic Buford where I spend a large part of most Thursdays, and the sign says "Go to your studio and make stuff!"

This afternoon I have fought - and won - another battle. I have given my Artist Self permission to come into my studio and "make stuff". Even though I "heard" the angry words of my mother telling me to "stop wasting time on such nonsense and get out here and make yourself useful" (heard repeatedly growing up) I stayed here, making my paper beads. And I told myself that I AM doing something useful artistically, after having done a few useful things around the house, because I'm going to have the beads I want to use in future art pieces. So, not only have I had a fun, relaxing afternoon, I've had another step in my recovery, embracing the Artist Daddy God created me to be. Let's hear it for progress! YEA!

Do You Know This Guy????

OK, I realize that Christmas is 9 1/2 months away. And some will say, "Whoa, we just HAD Christmas a couple months ago".

Just chill a minute and work with me. "Hers" is having something of a crisis here. Here's why (a.k.a. Exhibit A) While she was out having a gay ol' time handing out candy canes and wishing Merry Christmas to the wee folk last December, THIS is what happened!! She met HIM!!!!! And I dare say, he looks right pleased in this picture!!!

And, he offered her a job no less, working with him this year! He even asked for her phone number, and, she gave it to him!!! Frankly, I think "The Big Guy" and "Hers" looked quite cute together. What do you think? A WHOLE LOT BETTER than this;
(a.k.a. Exhibit B) the (yeah, right!) "Santa" I met the year before at Stone Mountain!!! I mean, there's really NO comparison.

"Oh Santa. Santa. Santa can you hear me? Yo, beam me up, Santa!!"
Do I have to relocate to the North Pole or what?!?!?!?!
bj

The Day (plus 2) after Art Show Opening

OK, I'm here, after telling a few folks I would be doing this. It took a couple days to recover (there's true, legitimate reasons why I'm on SSDisability) from Saturday's excitement, and getting the put off chore of cleaning the bathrooms finally done today (because the kitties refuse to learn), I can sit and "tell" you Saturday's story.

So, did you see the Friday Gwinnett Daily Post "Weekend" section? I was so very delighted that the cover was a picture of "The Barn", an awesome piece done for the show by my friend and resident artist at Tannery Row Artist Colony Judith Surowiec. The article, written by Deanna Allen, was a great write-up of what was coming on Saturday. And though she made no reference to her interview with me (ya never know what's going to be, or not be, included in the report) she referenced five different pieces of art in the show at the beginning of her article, and one of mine was in that group (referred to "A six of hearts playing card").
I thought THAT was kind of cool!

This "The Joy of 6" art show has 85 pieces of art for viewing (and for sale, btw). I was only one of 45 artists (over 20 are resident artists at TRAC; the rest were Guest Artists like me) and we were each allowed to enter up to two pieces of art. The show comprises three categories: Two-Dimensional (flat paintings), Three-Dimensional (sculpture, etc), and Mixed Media (what I work in). And, there was not two, but FOUR JUDGES from the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. I heard, and had a couple of them tell me directly after the reception, they had a very hard time making their final decisions because there was/is so much great art in the show!

I was so very, very blessed to have Jessica there with me, and here we are doing our Vanna White impersonations by "a six of hearts playing card", actually entitled "1x6= Love Multiplied". A number of other special people came up to support me. Thank You - Bill, Joni, and Aleah, Linda and Anna, Beth, Tim and Lollie, Maria, and two of Jessica's friends (so very sorry I can't remember names). I can't say enough on how much it meant to have ya'll there!!!

A LOT of people attended this Opening/Reception! I'm reading a book by Anna Deavere Smith called "Letters to A Young Artist" (written actually for artists of any age in all the various art forms) and in one letter she talks about how an Art Show (or a play, music concert, etc) creates a community out of people who do not know each other, but are there to experience something together. And that is what we had last Saturday evening. The place was packed with lots of people, some known by various artists, others no one knew, but all there to experience together viewing this incredible art show (and all the food we made and served, LOL). I will tell you now, a new Chicken Hors d'oeuvre recipe I created for this show disappeared so fast, with the artists giving me thumbs up on it, it blew my mind.

So it's time to go fix dinner. More details and up close pics tomorrow. For now I'll leave you with another little peek of part of "Motion Sixness". In the meantime,
add doing something creative to your day (I'm fixin to go make Boneless Pork Loin Marsala over Jasmine Rice) because it truly blesses your soul, and gives joy to your heart! ;)

T Minus 48 Hrs before My First Art Show

How am I feeling going into my first ever Art Gallery Show????
Well, the artwork is all completed. I delivered the pieces to the gallery on the appointed day, Tuesday, Feb. 16. The process was started today, hanging all the artwork thoughout the gallery. I'll find out this Saturday evening where my pieces have been hung.

A very unexpected but cool (I thought) thing happened during the process of delivering my art to the gallery. I was interviewed by a Reporter there to do a piece about this special Art Show!!!!! After having been introduced to her, including a bit about my "credentials", she asked permission to "ask you a few questions". Well, I didn't see any reason to say "No", so I said "OK'. Thus began an intensive interview, where I was asked also about my artwork, the process for creating my pieces, and I don't remember what all. I remember a fleeting thought of "wow, this is how the athelets must feel when they get interviewed just before or after a big game!". I don't think I stumbled over my words, but foretunately no cameras were on me. LOL

Anyways, Check out the Friday edition of the Gwinnett Daily Post; Front Page of the Weekender section for the story about this Saturday's opening of the art show "THE JOY OF 6 - Celebrating 6 Years of Artistry" at the Tannery Row Artist Colony in Historic Buford, Ga.

As promised earlier in the week, here's a couple "sneak peaks" of my works.
This first one is a "sneak peak" of "1x6=Love Mulitiplied a.k.a. Diverse City".
There is a LOT of sympolism in this piece.
For all of the work involved, I had a LOT of fun putting this mixed media project together. I'll have to wait until Sunday to show you more of this 16" x 20" piece. But if you attend the reception on Saturday evening I can show you "up front and in person" the whole thing.
Each artist was allowed to create up to two pieces for this show, and each piece has to somehow reflect the number 6 (in celebration of the 6th anniversary of TRAC/gallery). My second piece involves six canvases painted individually almost to completion, then pulled together, identifying the juxtaposition of the whole and completing the project from there. This project was alot harder and really stretched me artistically. I am extremely pleased with the whole. Here's a "sneak peak" of one little section. I have to thank my dear friends Bill and Joni Morrill who helped me create the frame for this piece. Bill's handy "Table Saw" work cut the special shape/size needed for the finished piece. I love you guys!!

More later. I gotta go eat dinner and watch the Men's Long Program Iceskating/Olympics.

BTW - if you feel like making a comment anytime (and they are extremely welcome) all you have to do is click the comment place at the end of one of my posts, and you can do that. Cool, huh???