"Getting By" A donation for Breast Cancer fundraiser

It is done.  Totally changed her hair and made her look almost like a mom from the fifties or sixties.  But really she represents all those who have suffered the pain, and anguish of breast cancer with quiet dignity.  To all of you...you are angels here on earth and I truly hope that all of your real friends are there for you...now and always.  Michelle...the title is Getting By.  I am a huge Beatles fan and hence the lyrics.  Actually...I have not heard this song in ages and then about 3 weeks ago, it was on the radio.  That was the inspiration for this work. The nuts and bolts of the work include acrylics, neocolors II, found papers, confetti, and oil pastels on an 8 by 10 inch canvas board. 

Next up, I have to reprint the labels/ tags for my gallery show, want to start  masonite board abstract, develop the first few exercises for my art journal class, develop a class called collage crate, and develop a class for earth day of next year (more to come later and will give proper credit again for the idea).
k

Gallery Show, Cafe Luna, Crystal Lake Illinois

This weekend was as usual, packed to the max with running around.  I did finally get to my gallery show and I snapped a few pictures.  I always get a thrill when I see my work hanging on a wall other than mine!  The curator, Lynn, did a wonderful job of hanging the show.  There will be a little artist reception in June.


So here are a few pictures from the show.  The lights were really interfering with my photography and I could not seem to correct my camera but at least I have some documentation.  I hope to get back to the show this weekend to shoot some better photos with my personal camera. 


In other news...my class last week at the Studio in McHenry went well. I will share pics soon.  I set some concrete dates for summer classes, and I signed up for an eclass with Kelly Rae Roberts.  I am soooo excited about her class.  I often feel like a little lost clown fish in a pool of sharks when trying to emerge fully as a mixed media and collage artist.  Her class, I hope, will help me answer questions that revolve around my art as a business.  After all, I do want my work hanging somewhere other than my wall.  I have found it really hard to price work and to establish an internet presence.  Her course will help me along those lines.   Although I do not see myself nor my art going in Kelly's direction of licensing etc...I think the info she imparts will be interesting.  So bring it on Kelly...I am ready and willing to learn!

This and That: 4-22-10

OK so after this 28 day challenge, I am feeling like I should be writing a little more.  My show is hung (will take some pics this weekend), I am in the process of teaching a mixed media and collage class (altering papers followed by a series of three 4 by 4 works), I finished the description for an art journaling class (hoping to start in May), I have to get back to that donation I am trying to finish, I have a little demo/open house thing to attend at Lucy's "Studio that I would love to finish another collage for (May 1st), and finally I really want to start ferreting out the details for my Paper Packets program (a green experiment in weather treated papers, I need to work on that description).  I am really excited about this.  The idea came from Laura Lein-Svencner, a fellow mixed media and collage artist extraordinaire.  Her project was called paper bundles and you can read about it on her blog (search for paper bundles, it is rather current)  http://lonecrowart.blogspot.com/.  Lucy and company are excited too and I think we will try to have a little gallery show after the project is done to coincide with Earth Day 2011.  Be watching for details (as soon as I get them worked out).

k

Day 28: 28 Day Challenge

Oh I am so mad at myself, yesterday was technically day 28 of the challenge and I completely forgot to post.  I am totally copping out here because I guess my mind is on overload.  I got done delivering my work and unpacking it, then staging it for the curator to hang and I never stopped running after that time till about 9:00 PM.  I passed out in my bed at that point!  No pictures still.  I just love this excuse...when I grabbed my digital camera to document my process , the battery was dead and 30 minutes was not enough time on the charger.  Consequently I left home without my camera.  I guess there was not much to document because Lynn hung the work after I left.  I hope this weekend I will get back to the Cafe Luna in Crystal Lake to take a peak and shoot some photos.  Yea me...I did it...  One of the hardest things about the challenge was the documentation (both written and visual).  But I think the habit of documenting is a good one.  So what is on my agenda next...I have to get back to my donation piece, I teach a 3 night workshop this week and have to prep for that, and I just finished a class description for Lucy's review.  I hope to guide an art journaling class session this summer.  I am really excited about this because it may take me back to the journal I never finished.  You know how that goes... 

k

Day 27: 28 Day Challenge

Argggg.  I just spent the better part of an hour trying to update my brochure.  Publisher and I are always at odds.  I did manage to insert one of my newer paintings and add one more gallery show to the list of exhibitions.  I really need to spend more time on the darn thing because it is not current.  I also gathered the works that I want in the show and got all the labels made (still need to trim them).  I will spend the last day of the challenge (at least 2 hours) hanging my work (well at least helping).  So there you have it.  I need to get off this computer!  Until tomorrow.
k

Day 26: 28 Day Challenge.

Again, no pictures because I am prepping for the gallery show.  My creative time was spent: calling the "curator" at the Cafe where I will be exhibiting (needed some info on the labels I have to make), adding hooks and wires for hanging two  more works, updating my database info on the last four of my works, and beginning the design of the labels.  My database (done in Access) and I always have conversations whenever I set up my queries for reports.  I have to relearn how to do that each time I have a show (which shows you that I don't have many shows).  I hate this part because I really want to be doing art, not the business of art!  So two more days to go.  Can't believe the challenge is almost over.  I have to say I really got more accomplished than I ever would have dreamed and I have Linda to thank for that : 
http://rediscovering-art.blogspot.com/.  All in all, I never thought that I would stick with this challenge.  I am not a very disciplined person!  But I am so glad that I did.  I have tomorrow planned out (in between a family celebration of my twins birthdays, my husband's birthday and my FIL or Grandpa's birthday. It will be a busy afternoon but I know I can get in more computer time and then I will start packing.  On Monday we hang the show and for my last day of the challenge...well it could not be more poetic.  Thank you to all who have made so many comments (you know who you are).

k

Day 25: 28 Day challenge

A quick post to keep me honest...I wired 2  finished works today and that was about 20 minutes worth of creativity.  Does going to see the American Ballet Theater perform Swan Lake count?  Then that would be 2.5 hours!  Wow what a great evening we had.  The performance was visually overwhelming, full of beauty and pageantry.... Sigh.  Time for bed.

k

Day 24: 28 Day challenge

Here is "Water" all done!  I am pleased with this piece.  Today I will seal it (first coat of varnish).  I used Neocolors II for some highlights throughout this work.  Water completes my 4 Elements series.  Healing Woman (AKA Cheryl Dolby: http://healingwoman.blogspot.com/) asked about the wording in this piece.  The text, I should have explained, is from Seneca, in Latin, and I carried over the essay in each of the works.  The Greeks, Aristotle in the 4th century b.c.e, identified the 4 fundamental elements as being fire, water, earth, and air.  I thought that an essay from Seneca would be appropriate as one of the constant elements in this series.  I found some very old text (1915) of essays from Virgil, Seneca, and one other philosopher, whose name escapes me.  Anyway, there are two other papers that carried over into each work as well and those have no significant meaning other than I liked them and they help tie all the works together.  The concept for this series came about as a class I was going to teach at The Studio.  We were going to create an abstract based around ONE of the 4 elements.  I completed "Fire" first as an example.  Well the class did not go, being 2 days before spring break  imagine was at least part of the reason, and so I decided to complete the series before this gallery show on April 19th.  Its done!  I can now move onto more mundane things.  I really can't wait to get those things out of the way.  I really am itching to get back to the breast cancer donation I am working on and I have another abstract brewing in my brain, something that has been back there since New Years Eve!  OK so 4 more days in this challenge...until tomorrow.

k

Day 23: 28 Day challenge.

Water

So here is the work from yesterday. I did a little transfer late last nigh  and today I finished another transfer.  Actually, the work is finished for all practical purposes!  I just need to tack some areas down with the iron that look like they are not lying flat and seal the piece.  Will post once I have the piece sealed (scheduled for tomorrow).  So with 5 days left on the challenge, I have no choice but to prep for the gallery show.  Activities will include getting the cradled maisonite works ready for hanging (there are about 6 of those that have to be wired), printing out the little descriptions of each work, printing out more brochures, packing, etc...  I probably won't get to the piece that I am working on for a donation until mid next week and then I will work on it diligently.  I do have a mixed media and collage exploration class that I have to teach next week too.  There is simply never enough time!

Day 22: 28 Day Challenge

No picture because my "Water" piece is drying again.  I did one little image transfer tonight and then glazed .  Tomorrow I will do the second transfer and then maybe another glaze.  Hopefully this will be done by Thursday!  Will post the finished piece for sure but not sure if I will have time to scan what I did tonight.  I am beat!
k

Day 21: 28 Day Challenge

Here is the beginning of my "water" piece.  This was as far as I had gotten on it as of yesterday.  Today I finished tacking down the rest of the papers!  Yea.  It is drying now so I will post tomorrow.  I would like like to accomplish one of the transfers tomorrow along with a couple of glazes.  Perhaps I will get further, it depends upon drying times.  So not much further to go on this final element.  I am doing the happy dance.  If I finish by Thursday, then I will spend Friday getting four or 5 of my works reading to hang.  I probably won't return to the piece that I was working on for a donation until next week.  Too much to do before the show.
k

Day 20: 28 Day Challenge

First I need to publicly thank my friends both here and on face book for their suggestions, comments, and critiques on the piece I am working on for a donation.  I can't tell you how much they mean to mean.  Laura...we think alike..I have shelved my piece for a day or two and will come back to her.  There is a lot I have to work through in my head first.  So today I went back to my "Water" piece.  And yea, I had just shy of two hours to in my little studio and made some real progress.  I will have to scan my beginning on this piece tomorrow as it has a coat of polymer medium on it right now.  Coating papers, selecting papers and ripping and tearing are all part of the process and so I would say 3/4 of my time in the studio was spent doing that.  I still am not sure of the images that I wish to transfer but at least I have a "small" idea of where the piece will go.  I am hoping to get more than 3/4 of the way done tomorrow.  I actually might get this finished before the show! 

k

Update, Day 19 - 28 Day Challenge

Here is my "work" from yesterday evening.  Boy I am not liking this after I got a good night sleep.  She is at the double ugly stage!  Not sure If I want the bird white, not sure if I like the background, and she needs a ton of work with artist crayons, Neocolors II.  Not sure if I like her hair.  Oh well, I have been doing these portraits long enough to know that if you stick with it through these ugly stages, you usually get a swan (from ugly duckling to swan is what I mean).  So today I am hoping to work a little on water.  That won't be until late at night again! 

k

Day 19: 28 Day Challenge

Just a quick post to say that I was running all day long.  I headed into my studio about 9 PM CST and lasted about 1.5 hours.  Working on my donation piece made me feel happy that she is well underway.  I will post a picture first thing in the AM.  She is still wet.  No progress on the 4th in my elements series and that is the one that has to get finished first.  Argggggg.

k

Day 18: 28 Day Challenge.

Zipping right along, I thought today that I was going to "fall of the wagon."  I came home with a colossal headache and tummy ache.  From about 1-3:30 PM I laid on the sofa.  I just hate when I get these headaches because all productivity flies out the window.  Regardless of the headache, I went down to my studio at about 3:30 and was able to work about hour.  I managed to finished sealing/varnishing "Air," so officially it is finished.  I moved onto the "Water" piece and laid down the dress pattern tissue and coated with polymer medium.  I also coated a few more papers for this piece.  Now I just have to decide what images I want to transfer and how many.  By deciding this I will then have a feeling for a basic layout of papers.  In between coating of materials, I then worked on my breast cancer donation.  Here she is so far and indeed in the ugly stage.  Geesh, as I finish this post, I still have a headache but realize that there are only 10 days left to this challenge and how perfect is that because on the 19th, my gallery show opens!  Time has flown and there is still much to do!  I would love to finish this breast cancer donation so that I could help Michelle's Pink Ribbon Angels sell raffle tickets for it!

K

Day 17: 28 Day Challenge

It was a good day today.  Kaitie, my 17 year old, was riding high on the first 24 hours of having her drivers license!  And I found myself OK with it...imagine that.  I had an efficient 1 1/2 hours in my studio doing the following:  putting the first coat of varnish on "air,"  priming the maisonite surface for "Water," coating  some papers with polymer medium for "water," and working more on the background for the breast cancer donation piece.  I also found a little blurb in our local newspaper announcing my gallery show..oh yea I am on a roll :))))  Here is where I am at on the breast cancer piece.  It is in the beginning of the really ugly stage.  I am sure it will get worse before better!

k

Day 16: 28 day challenge.

patchwork background

Here are the two works from yesterday that I promised.  The patchwork background is in the vein of Kelly Rae Roberts.  I love this method of creating a quick and easy backdrop for the focal image soon to be drawn in.  Today I will add some paint to the background of this and do a quick and dirty sketch for the placement of my drawing.  The second work is my "Air" piece with the three transfers.  The windmill was a perfect symbol, at least to me, for air.  After all, air is something that the eye usually does not or can't visualize unless it is a very windy day and things are flying or windmills are turning :)  I am not finished...just need to cogitate on this piece for awhile.  So I am heading into my studio now and will work on the patchwork background.  If I get a chance and all is dry, I will scan later but life has be scheduled up the wazoo today....Taking Kaitie for her drivers license (if it does not pour), transporting kids to dance, sewing pain in the ass pointe shoes, and making dinner...

k

Day 15: 28 Day Challenge

OMG, I am more than half way through this challenge.  Never believing I could stick to it, I am so glad I decided to hop on board.  I have moved further ahead on my to do list than I ever dreamed!  Again, no pictures, but I promise I will have some tomorrow.  I was in the studio for about 2 hours today (not continuous) and accomplished a good deal.  I finished the secont coat of varnish on the landscape below and now all I have to do is sign it.  It is officially done.  I work more on third in my elements series, Air.  I managed to "fix" that third transfer to my liking and I put one or two more glazes on it along with some artist crayon work.  It is drying and so I did not want to risk scanning it just yet.  I think the work is through that "ugly" stage but I want to let it sit for a day.  I am thinking I want to actually take away some paint to brighten it in a few areas.  Moving right along, I put down a patch work background on a 8 by 10 inch canvas board.  This is in preparation for the sketch I completed the other day.  For tomorrow I am hoping to start the process of making/altering some papers for my final piece in the element series, Water.  The show is looming ever closer and pretty soon I will have to totally do the paper work to ready the labels /tags that describe the work with the title/cost/medium/etc... 

Pulling my hair out here in Illinois

k

Day 14: 28 Day Challenge

Kaitie, Colin, Claire

Last day of Spring break and we spent it at a beautiful outdoor shopping mall in Oak Brook Illinois.  My teens had never been there and my husband and I used to hang there many years ago.  It was a great day, in the 7o's, and bulbs were just showing their blooms.  We hit all of Claire's favorite stores and some new ones too.  Colin was happy because he spent it with Marc at the bookstore and then he got to go to his mecca, Best Buy.  We hit a sushi bar for dinner and arrived home not too long ago.  For my creative work today, I had about 15 minutes and I sealed the landscape that is below so no real pictures for today.  But I will leave you with my three children on Easter!

Day 13: 28 Day Challenge.

Quick sketch for donation

 

 

Happy Easter to all!  I had no intention of doing anything creative today,  however, last night I went to be with a "vision" in my head.  This is the time of year when I usually donate a piece of art to a good friend's breast cancer walking team.  Michelle likes my women, which are mainly in the fantasy realm.  I have been doing more abstracts as of late so I knew I had to get cracking.  Before I fell off to sleep, I was trying to figure out what I would do for this years mixed media and collage piece (I always donate the original).  I usually have birds in these works because they are a sign of hope, so I knew there would have to be a least one bird.  Then the Beatle lyrics "I get by with a little help from my friends" popped into my head and I was seeing a flock of birds!  And that is when I fell asleep. So today, between Mass and leaving for a family gathering, I had about an hour.  Sitting in front of the tele, I sketched out this rough idea for the work.  Mind you, it is very rough but this is the concept.  Now when I am actually going to do start the original is anyone's guess.  I still have to seal the landscape, finish "Air," and start and finish "Water," not to mention the paper work for the gallery show.... The donated piece must be done by the last week in April.  I guess I can now say, I  have started, sort of. 

So I plan on enlarging this image and then transferring it to an 8 by 10 canvas board using graphite paper.  From there I will modify the main image, maybe new hair, maybe not, maybe even larger eyes, maybe wings...you get the picture.  Not sure when I will get to her though...I usually get excited with new works so I am hoping I can move the other stuff along! 

k

Day 12: 28 Day Challenge

Two precious hours is what I had today in my studio... We basically kicked back and realxed today after running all week long.  I finished this landscape that I started in my March Mixed Media and collage class.  Using the artist crayons (Neocolors II), I added just a few more refinements and decided enough.  All I have to do now is seal it with the polymer varnish.  I also had some time to work on AIR.  I added two more transfers making it a total of three and now I am hating the work.  I am not sure how to fix the darn thing and basically I feel like chucking it in the garbage.  I should have used only one transferred image, I think...  So now I have a challenge in front of me, what do I do with it?  Right now it is drying.  If I get time tomorrow I will take a critical look at it.  However, I highly doubt I will have the time.  Easter Sunday in our house hold is about Mass, celebration, and spending time with our family (my children's Aunts, Uncles, Grandpa)... Of course, it is also about the food :)

May you all have a blessed Easter.

k

Day 11: 28 Day Challenge

No pictures for today...  I spent most of the day running my teens around.  It was prom dress shopping with m y 17 year old first.  We found the dress, shoes, and a garter.  Oh and I forgot, the "perfect" earrings too.  Then if was off to the movies to see "Clash of the Titans" which was OK.   I love Greek mythology but somehow the special effects in this movie were not up to today's standards, rather shoddy actually.  Then I had to take my 17 year old and my son (almost 15) to dress rehearsal for the passion play at our church.  I attended.  The affair started at 5:30 PM and I just now got home (:35 PM).  My kids and another wonderful young lady performed interpretive dance to "The Passion of the Christ."  Very moving and draining....

OK so what was creative for me today...well I did start to pull together the art data out of my database to make tags up for my show.  And I coated some images for transfers with polymer medium.  After several coats they will be ready to transfer onto the current work in progress "Air."  And that was it for today.  Sometimes I wish there were 30 hours to the day without the need for sleep!  Right now I am pretty drained emotionally.  The passion always does that to me.

k

Day 10- 28 Day Challenge

So here is where I am at on "Air."  I still have a way to go.  I wanted to lay down a transfer image, check, that is done.  I have two more images that I wish to transfer and then I think I need to change the glaze colors.  This is a similar palette to the Earth piece that I did in terms of glazing.  I don't think I will have a chance to get to this piece today because it is day 4 of Spring break and we are headed to "Chi Town," (Chicago).  Claire needs a new brand of pointe shoes and that requires trying on multiple styles/brand.  Her feet and arches are so strong now that the Current Bloch (Sonatas) are going in just a weeks time.  At $60.00 dollars a pop, well we need a shoe with a stronger shank!  We are going to Mr. Begley's store, Motion Unlimited.  Even my son wants to tag along because it is so seldom that we get to a good, really good, dance apparel store.  Here is the link if you want to peek: http://www.motionunlimiteddancewear.com/index.html. I also have a collage hanging in Mr. "B's" store so it will be nice to see the original again.  So as far as my creative time for today...it will be on the train.  I plan on continuing my write up for my Art Journaling class.  I really have to get that done.  Summer is to fast approaching!  I hope this counts!

k