Tribal Message

Tribal Message

11” x 14”

acrylic on canvas

Sometimes on a weekend, I find I can either make art or blog about art. Since I didn’t post yesterday, guess what I did?

I’m working on some experimental books. Since my last book sewing class is this week, I’d like to try something and show it around and get feedback. What’s unusual is that I’m making the pages ahead of time and then will sew them to the cover binding (leather? fabric? canvas?). There are so many options, I’m not sure I’ll finish in time!

So, here’s a painting from a few weeks ago. It might be done. It might want more.

Small Art

Wondering

4" x 6"

acrylic, toner transfer on paper

Any time is good time for Small Art, don't you think?

I’ve sent a challenge to art friends around the country to make some Small Art. Using envelopes from last year’s wall calendar, I encouraged five others to create small pieces and send the creativity on. Pieces could range from an Artist Trading Card (ATC) size to 9" x12" and involve any substrate with any media.

Since the New Year, I’ve been working in my studio, cleaning, clearing, sorting, tossing, and organizing. I’ve had a bad habit of tossing finished acrylic paintings, whether they worked or not, into a large box sharing space with gelatin prints and handmade papers. It was quite a mess and mish-mash! So, I separated pieces that could fit into two binders--letter-size or 12” x 12”—and placed two pieces each into plastic sleeves. Now, I can see what I have and cull pieces ready for recycling into collage or book pages or Small Art.

Some of these pieces were created by cutting down larger works on watercolor paper. Using some of my photos, I tried toner transfers or altered them with Microsoft Word.

Cardinal in Tree
4" x 6"
altered photo on watercolor postcard

Growth

4" x 6"

acrylic, fabric on paper

Celebrating 50 Years

In Another Corner of the Universe...
9" x 12"
acrylic on paper

No big party, no fuss, but the calendar says it’s official—I’m 50 years old today. When we were very young, that seemed like such an ancient age, didn't it? Was it perhaps because people that age were always dressed in suits and dresses with oh-so-old-fashioned attitudes?

Leading up to this half-century mark, I had a very productive week playing with paint. Whether it was because I switched to hot-press watercolor paper or sobered by my approaching ancientness, I noticed mystical and soulful images emerging from my brayer.

Star Nursery

9" x 12"

acrylic on paper

Curious to see if techniques I discovered would translate from paper to stretched canvas, I tried duplicating this piece below.

Exploding Universe
9" x 12"
acrylic on paper

As you can see below, I could not get the same results, at least on my first try. Paper has such versatile qualities canvas cannot duplicate. If only it wasn’t such a pain to cut mats, mount, and frame…hmmm…maybe I’ll start mounting paper works on wood panels or canvases.

Exploding Universe 2
8" x 10"
acrylic on canvas

Thinking about the next 50 years (if I'm so lucky!), I am planning to open an Etsy site. Since January, I've been cleaning my studio, getting organized, culling works to sell, setting aside others for collage, and thinking about what kind of art to sell and materials to order. So far, I'm considering offering paintings on paper (with or without a pre-cut mat and bag), cards and calendars of my paintings, Dream Boxes (see: http://mymindisinablog.blogspot.com/2008/05/dream-boxes.html), and original gelatin prints. If you have any ideas or have an Etsy account yourself, I would love hearing your advice or comments.

Mountain Mirages

9" x 12"

acrylic on paper