Found Art Tuesday: Twist 1-29-08

The weather has been so strange in my neck of the woods. It certainly does not help my cold. I have been down and out with this cold for about 10 days now. It just won't let go of me. Today it was 46 degrees! And in outside of 25 minutes, it was 19. I hate this weather!

My art as of these last 10 days has been dismal. I just have not felt like painting. And so when Rosa returned to the net with a new theme, I did not feel too inspired. I worked a little on my Goodwill virtues in rhyme collage. But I soon grew tired from coughing. I really was going to by pass this weeks found art when I had an A HA moment. And here you have it. I altered a purple pen and twisted fibers and wire around the barrel. There are beads on it too. So that is my contribution this week. Maybe the sunflower will brighten some one's dreary winter day :)

k

A Place To Bark needs your dollars well, only 10 of them!

I have been meaning to donate to this cause for some time now. I finally got through... Bernie Berlin's shelter is quickly becoming nationally known. And that is such a good thing. Anything we can do to bring attention the basic needs of our animal companions and friends is so vital. You have all heard the figures....the horror stories of abandoned and tortured pets. So many are euthanized each year, too many are killed at the hands of their owners..all innocents. If I had any wits about me..I would have donated a mixed media piece to be raffled. But alas..I am really a "nobody." I am just a someone who loves animals and wants to help, even if it is only 10 dollars.

If you can spare the 10, you will be helping to build a new shelter...And the cries of joy by our furry friends will be heard around the country. Please help... click on the badge at the right to find out more. Bernie has till the 31st of this month to earn a matching grant, a big one. Every one's ten dollars helps.

When you go to Bernie's site you will find a list of very well known artists who have donated original works etc for raffles. That is just such a nice gesture by the art community. Having rescued three greyhounds, which are my passion, I can completely relate to this noble effort. God Bless you earth angel Bernie. There are so many fur kids who will never forget you!

k

Back in the Studio 1-14-08

It has been a very long break. After December hit, I barely had time to catch my breath. I did try to take some time to reflect on the true Christmas. Prayer time often eludes me...I always am too tired...but each Christmas I try to speak to my Maker and thank Him for my blessings. I also try to remember my own Christmas pasts. The wonder I felt the first time I saw a large creche. The joy I felt singing Christmas carols to the Christ Child... The excitement of taking a trip to State Street in downtown Chicago to see the windows at Marshall Field's, the smells of Christmas, cookies, candy canes, and the wait...the wait for Jesus to arrive in his manger, the wait for Santa... So much joy....

The tree is down, the creche put away, the cookies gone, and now I am ready to get back to it. I finished this work at the end of November but just this past week, sealed it and framed it. This is the second in the "Virtue in Rhyme" series called "Hope in her soul." It is a mixed media and collage work on illustration board. The framed size is 8 by 10. The next work is in progress and will be called "Goodwill doth impart." The 4th and last in the series is in my head :)

I also just completed a canvas entitled "Legacy Lost." The theme is very different for me but this was something that was inside of me for a long while. There is a lot of anger in the piece. Oh and I tried a new tool recommended by Rosa:http://rosamurillo.squarespace.com/rosa-murillo-journal/2008/1/4/and-the-instrument-of-the-week-is.html#comments.

I am still getting use to this thing but I can see where I will really use it! I was so tired of gel pens clogging every 5 seconds as I tried to write on my acrylic surface. I will try to post a scan of the work later.

K

Happy New Years

With Nutcracker and Christmas behind me, I am preparing for our smallish New Years Eve party. Each year it seems that the holiday season just flies by. Our Christmas was idyllic. I cleaned and cooked, then the feast arrived. We ate, drank and were merry, just like Charles Dickens Christmas Carol. I so enjoyed watching the children open their gifts. We remembered waiting for good ol Santa and we even tracked him on NORAD! Kaitie still does not get how that is done! We dreamed about next years Nutcracker and who would get what part. Colin managed to get a part in the musical Hello Dolly. Mrs Svalander is doing the choreography for a local high school and Colin tried out. We found out right before Christmas Eve. Gosh I am so proud of my children!

For the New Year, I resolve to do more art...to be a better Mom, and to forgive. I will leave you with a few more Nutcracker pictures.

k

Nutcracker Season

Suspended animation...that is what the month of December is for me...no art, no reading, just the Nutcracker. This is our seventh Nutcracker. Right now I am pretty much exhausted...I can't even begin to imagine how tired my three children are. Last week, every night except Monday, was filled with rehearsals from after school at 4 till almost 10. That mad rush from school to the Woodstock Opera House is absolutely crazy. Dogs have to be taken out, home work done and maybe we can sneak in some sleep. Then this past weekend the performances began. Friday, Saturday and Sunday for a total of 5 performances. The kids managed to survive but grades suffered. IT was worth it though. I watched 4 of the 5 performances. And I just never get tired. I was so proud of them. My son had a little solo and I think I cried every time I saw it. These are just a few pictures that my oldest daughter snapped back stage. Kaitie has three roles this year, all requiring three different hair styles! She was on top of it though! I hope I can get a few more of my twins....

We have another weekend of this and then I guess I will have to clean the house and figure out what I will serve on Christmas!

k

Virtues in Rhyme Series: With Peace in Her Heart.

I have started a little series of 4 paintings, mixed media and collage, which when finished, will read as a little poem. Each title will stand on its own but when the four are placed on the wall together, the four titles will complete a poem. I have titled the series, Virtues in Rhyme.

I have been a big fan of Matthew Kelly for years. After finishing his book, Perfectly Yourself, 9 Lesson for Enduring Happiness, I decided to pick some of my favorite virtues and create works around them. The poem idea just sort of happened.
http://www.amazon.com/Perfectly-Yourself-Lessons-Enduring-Happiness/dp/0345494407/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196363260&sr=1-3

The work is 8 by 10 finished size and the drawing was done on top of the collaged papers. Usually I will draw my work on altered papers and then collage them to a painted background so this is a little different. The title is "With Peace in Her Heart." And the second one in this series is almost completed. I just have to varnish it. The title for that piece will be "Hope in her Soul." These works are for the Raue Center show next May.

K

Found Art Tuesday: 11/27/07- Woman

My Thanksgiving holiday was filled with familiar smells, relaxation, and being with my family. It was wonderful to have this precious time...the children did not have much homework nor did they have any dance. We just hung out.

On Saturday I had a once in a lifetime experience. My family and I went to see an art exhibit at the Milwaukee Museum of Art http://mam.org/ The feature exhibition was the work of Martin Ramirez http://www.mam.org/ramirez/. As an artist, I must say next to seeing Picasso's Guernica in Spain, this was the best exhibit I had been to in years. I was so incredibly moved by his work. His history is so sad, but the art he made brought a sort of sanity to his existence. Martin's home was Mexico where he had a wife and 4 children.. He came to America in the 1920s in search of work. For a time he worked on the railroad and then in the fields. Then in 1931 for reasons unknown, he became confused and despondent and was found on a roadside.. He was unable or unwilling to communicate in English so he was committed to a mental hospital. And there he remained for 30 years. Can you imagine, 30 years! To keep patients occupied, nurses and doctors would allow them to color and scribble. While I bet many did not take advantage of that, Martin did. He drew and he drew and he drew with anything he could get his hands on. His substrates included the papers that they used on hospital tables/bed, napkins, paper bags, etc.. His collage work was done using a homemade glue from his saliva and potatoes. He used graphite, crayons, watercolors, pastels to create his drawings. And if you look closely at his work, I swear the guy never erased anything! Tragically, many of his works were lost because the orderlies would throw them out at the end of the day (clutter you know). But many of his works did survive thanks to the psychiatrist that worked with him.

Now that brings me to my found art for this week. The topic was woman and I had planned on something very different. After seeing this exhibit I decided to do something in Martin's style. This is a blatant copy and blend of two of his drawings. There is no originality what so ever, but hopefully I can remedy that. I did a small note card and plan to include a brief explanation of Martin's work and maybe a little about him. I did the drawing in marker and used oil pastels to color. I really can't even begin to say I feel his style. As a native to Mexico, his work drew from his experiences and memories of his homeland, none of which I share. The style of his work is so foreign to me.... Anyway I call this Ode to M.R. and one day I hope to do something a little larger scale that has a little more of me in it. Please take a look at the link above...his work is so worth a look see.

k

Found Art Tuesday 11-13-07 : Voice

I worked into this piece through a back door. My mind works all the time and it seems, sometimes, that I am wired way different than many of my friends! I am working on a 11 by 14 stretched canvas. And I came across an alcohol reduction method in the current issue of Cloth Paper Scissors. The technique has certainly been around for some time, or at least versions of it. And I have happily been using rubbing alcohol with my acrylics for at least two years. So what makes this method a little different from what I am doing is that the author of the article (Patricia Eggebruch) paints her entire gessoboard with 7 to 10 layers of acrylic paints ,different colors, and then rubs areas of her board with rubbing alcohol to reveal rich colors beneath the top most layers. I thought her work was way cool so I really wanted to try it with my canvas. The canvas piece is in a painful stage right now. I am stuck from a composition view point. And I am nervous about covering up everything. So as I fretted about all this I thought that I should try out this technique on a scrap of Illustration board.

Switch to the found art topic of Voice. I could not get the phrase out of my mind.."And a voice cried out in the dark." Don't know where I heard that or if I read it, or made it up..but that darn phase would not get out of my head. I pictured darkness with words being voiced. So in between waiting for collaged items on my canvas to dry, I picked up a scrap of illustration board and went at it. I now understand why gessoboard or ampersand board is used. You have to have a firm surface to be able to work through the multiple layers of paint. I am still going to try this with my canvas but I am still a little leery because the stretched canvas is flimsy. Oh well at least I am not going into it blind. So my piece is called "Help Me," and it is my "voice" in the dark. Weird huh? The image is about 3 3/4 inches by 6 inches. Acrylics, inks and words from a book were used.

k

Found Art Tuesday 11-6-07: Book

Better late than never...that is my motto for today. My Found Art this week has to do with a "Book." I settled on a bookmark with a reading theme. The background has torn pages from a variety of books that I keep for art purposes. The art was done on watercolor paper and is mixed media and collage.

For these little projects, I like to start on Tuesday and finish up on Tuesday. When I am doing collage work, I try to let my layers air dry. So this will usually take 3-4 hours to complete even the simplest collage for found art work. I had thought about making a book or altering a small kids board book but unfortunately, I tend to take a long time doing those sorts of projects. It would be hard for me to part with an altered book.

Another Tuesday...come and gone..November marches on...

k

Fairy of the Woodland Glade 11-6-07

I final signed sealed and mounted my third fairy in my fairies of the ballet series. She is the third having to do with Sleeping Beauty. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, my children danced in this ballet two years and running. I become so immersed in their performances and would often find myself composing works in my head as I am watching the ballet. Several of the fairies, performed by beautiful young dancers from the Svalander School of Ballet in Crystal Lake, IL, were just waiting for my imagination and some watercolor paper.

This is a mixed media collage work on watercolor paper. Portions of the ballet program were included as they were for my previous two fairies from this ballet. My fairy is a transfer of a clip art image and her dress is a transfer from a photograph. She will take her place next to the other fairies in a gallery show next spring.

K

Happy Halloween and Found Art Tues 10-30-07

Well today is spook day! Our family loves this holiday. I am letting my three children skip their dance classes tonight after school to do the candy thing. My 14 year old still so gets into it. And of course my 12 year old twins are right there with her. Our fall colors are at their peak right now and the weather is just warm enough for the children to be comfortable.

My offering this week is a card that I made about two years ago. I cheated a little on this one because of time constraints. Anyway I submitted this little card for a contest and won a prize. Naturally I saved it. But now it will be left for someone to find. The skeleton is actually stamped into candle soot. That definitely sets the mood. And the rest of the background is just a variety of inks and stamps. Enjoy your tick or treat day!

K

Don't Drink 10-26-07

My daughter Kaitlyn, a freshman in high school, had an assignment to desgin a T shirt with a message revolving around not using drugs, alcohol, or tobacco. So we thought abut doing a collage and gathering some text/letters from magazines, using alcohol as the main focus. My Kaitie is somehow always behind the eight ball. She gets so much homework plus she dances 4 nights a week and weekends. It was no big surprise that I wound up doing the magazine search and the art. Kaitie helped me position the pieces for collage. She does not get much enjoyment from doing art, which is a shame. I hope some day she appreciates her Mom's style.

I did a larger monoprint this time around and the method I used was described in the Collage Techniques book by Leland and Williams (see entry below). I hope she gets an A on this :)))))

k

Found Art Tuesday: Line 10-23-07

I just purchased another technique book called Collage Techniques. You would think that I had them all by now..Ha not quite! This one is by Nita Leland and Virginia Williams, http://www.amazon.ca/Creative-Collage-Techniques-Nita-Leland/dp/digital-features/1581800983. It has been around for a while, published in I believe 1994. I can't believe I did not have this one in my library! I have been playing with the acrylics book (Acrylic Revolution) purchased just recently and I decided to combine some techniques from this book with what I already have been doing.

This work was an experiment in monoprinting. I used both watercolor paints and acrylics to make the background print. And added cut out forms for mountains. All else is hand drawn using oil pastels markers and acrylics. The piece is called TIMBERLINE. OK so I could not think of anything more profound. I used 140 lb watercolor paper as the substrate. Now I can get a bit more ambitious with the next little project. I plan on monoprinting a background for a project my daughter has at school. This one has to be done by Friday so I will have another example up of monoprinting. I think I will use acrylics this time around.. There will be no need to "fix" the background so it won't smear when I ad polymer medium for collage items.

K

Found Art Tuesday: 10-16-07 SEED

I am finally back in the saddle. This past week two really wonderful events happened, Rosa returned to her blog with a new found art theme: seed. And I will be have a gallery show at the Raue Center for the Performing Arts http://www.rauecenter.org/ in May of 2008.

I simply can't believe that my work was accepted. I found myself reflecting on the fact that I am no different than many of you...I have self doubts...Am I good enough, why would anyone like my art, oh sure, it does give me pleasure and that is what counts right? And then I went to the Raue on this past Saturday and saw the work of two local artists. The work blew me away. Check out the websites of Nancy Reid http://www.nancyreid.com/ and Johanna Gullick http://www.johannagullick.com/. How can I even hang my work in the same gallery? These are award winning artists, professional artists. Then I found myself questioning the Raue's criteria for selection. I just keep shaking my head... I know my husband is very proud of me.... I guess I should be thrilled. At least I am back in the studio. So I have some work to do, goals to make, and dreams to achieve. This is a big one for me. The Raus is one of the few fine galleries in McHenry County. I am still in shock!

Now for the found art theme. I created a little abstract design and collage focused around the seed of life. Hence the title.."Seed of Life." Life is so precious...we are all stars. To make the decision to have children should not be taken lightly, it is a privilege. This work is done on one of my favorite substrates- a drink coaster, this one from a Chili's restaurant. I used tissues, acrylics, inks, and some doodling by yours truly.

I am so happy to resume my cyber space friendship with Rosa..although I may not participate as much as I like in the project, I know it is there for me when I need a quick release. Rosa...thank God for you!

The studio awaits me once again. I have a work in progress that I should post soon. It is about half done. It is a fairy from my Sleeping Beauty series (now of 3 paintings). She is one of the many faeries from the ballet Sleeping Beauty. Although she is not wearing a tutu nor pointe shoes, she is very real to me. I promise to share her soon.

k

Found Art 9-11-07- Small

I am glad to be working on this found art piece today. It has taken my mind off this grim anniversary. I remember being at the computer on this day in 2001 when I saw a "news" flash on AOL. I went down to my TV set and watched in horror...live footage of the second plane hitting the second tower. My brain became numb and then I received a call from from my husband saying that they were told to go home. My husband, at that time, worked in the Sears Tower. It was thought to be a target as well. There was mass hysteria in the city. I did not relax until Marc walked in the back door. That was a very long and sad day......

My piece is entitled "Autumn Herald." It is a reminder how one "small" leaf begins this season each year in northern Illinois. Our leaves are just beginning to turn. And soon the environment here will be awash with color and swirling leaves. I love Autumn..the crisp air, the harvest moons, the clear skies, the colors, the apples to pick.... I love it all.

So let me explain this mixed media piece. I have this book, "Acrylic Revolution." I decided that since I am not very artistically motivated right now that I would use the found art themes to practice a few of the basic techniques in the book (found here http://www.amazon.com/Acrylic-Revolution-Techniques-Working-Versatile/dp/1581808046 .) My found art pieces are generally pretty small and I like the idea of experimenting in this venue, much less threatening. This work was done on a piece of gesso prepared cardboard. I used a dry brush to create the background effect. I laid down some interesting stamped images which barely peek through the brush strokes and then collaged a single small leaf. The swirls were drawn with a Stabilo white pencil. I really liked the way the color and movement in the background really gave the work its "feel." Fun... I use dry brush painting now and again but never thought of doing an entire background from the "technique." Can't wait to try something else.

k

Found art Tuesday: 9-4-07 Changes

Last week I did not feel like doing much of anything. I was plagued again by cluster headaches. On and off all week I just need to shut my eyes. I think the strain of getting back into the school year combined with the headaches and the labor day holiday did me in. I am also waiting to hear from the Raue Center in Crystal Lake IL.
http://www.rauecenter.org/,
hoping that I will have a gallery show this year with them. I submitted the application in mid August. Strangely though, I just have not been motivated to do art....

This weeks offering is a piece I call "inevitable." Our theme was Changes. I did a quick acrylic painting of trees to illustrate the seasons. As I though about this piece I realized that I am in the Autumn of my life and it will be inevitable that I will one day soon be in the Winter. Sigh..... Anyway this is a mixed media piece using acrylics and inks on water color paper.

I guess I never mentioned the show that I had in late July...Gallery in the Garden. That was a rough day with no sales. I watched as my worked slowly began to "warp" under glass. The humidity in the garden was incredible. There was a canopy of trees and ferns and all sorts of foliage, much like a rain forest! All the moisture from the previous days rain was held in that garden. At any rate, nothing sold. Items that were selling were jewelry and smaller hand made crafts. Not to many paintings sold. I guess I was pretty OK with that. But I probably will not enter again. The day was so stressful because of the high humidity, and the running around I did to see my children perform in their summer recital. Live and Learn. I can't do it all.

k

Found Art Tuesday: Favorite 8-21-07

This is the week before school begins at our home. We are running around, finding that perfect back pack, note books, getting hair done, dentist appointments...well those of you with school age children know the routine. There is something soothing and comforting about this annual activity. My children are so excited to start back, mostly because of their friends. While summer has been refreshing, the new school year heralds in Autumn. Which brings me to this weeks topic...Favorite. Autumn is my favorite season and I included a little drawing in this weeks offering.

Sound of Music...Rain Drops on Roses.. was all I could hear in my mind when Rosa posted the theme. I was not sure how to depict that song because I have a lot of favorites. So I took a subset of favorites to include in the work. I had this scrap piece of canvas and used that as the base for the piece. I used collage elements as well as my own drawing. There are a few stamped images as well. Mixed media would be a good way to classify the work. So I have my two favorite years, my favorite season, and my favorite holiday. The canvas was washed with gesso and then tissue paper (dress pattern) was adhered on top. Colored washed were use to achieve the look.

Now I am off to a high school orientation. Kaitie is a freshman. Where has the time gone?

k

Found Art Tuesday: 8-14-07 Portable

Portable...Rosa had me on this one. The only thing that I could dream up was my hair dryer. I tried, I really did. Rosa did such a fantastic drawing last week that I decided to give drawing a try again. I sort of illustrated my hair dryer I guess. This is a pencil and pen drawing. I also used a little white acrylic paint and a touch of oil pastel on the lips of the figure. Obviously not my best but I have not done a pen and pencil drawing in years. Probably 30 years to be more precise. It was fun and different. I am going to get this drawing thing down if it kills me! If I can use more of my drawings as transfers or direct in collages, I might not have to worry as much about that nasty old copyright issue, something I really do my best to respect! And so another week has past and more found art is left in the world.

DId you see the Granola poets tagged response? It is a good one, I promise!

k

Found Art Tuesday: 8/7/07-Candy

This is just a silly piece for me. My immediate thought when Rosa posted the topic of candy was Eye Candy... So I decided to list some current favorite eye candy sites...ones that I really enjoy each week, if not day. The rest just sort of fell into place. The work is acrylics and oil pastels on water color paper and the candy is really good! The title is none other than Eye Candy.

The sites I listed, one of which is mine, are really like a shot in the arm for me. I enjoy reading other artists thought processes. One site , Misty Mawn's- http://www.mistymawn.typepad.com/, always gives so much to reflect upon. She is just a wonderful artist and an incredible writer. . I will find myself smiling or saddened, happy or nodding in agreement with her reflections on moments from her life. I hope you will visit her blog. It inspires me to be a better artist and person.

Rosa's site offers a look into her thought processes as she creates a piece. When she was completing a piece called Maria, I felt I was peering into her studio weekly, to see the progress on the work. I love that sort of intimacy and Rosa does that really well. Her link is on my side bar as is Claudine Hellmuth's.

Claudine has been a favorite collage artist of mine like for the past 5 years. I have learned so many techniques from her books and DVD's. She is an excellent teacher and has a wonderful sense of humor. Her style is really unique and has a signature that many mixed media artists just can't miss.

I included Pacha's blog as a found artist. Her work is really fun and I enjoy reading her many comments on each work http://pacha-foundart.blogspot.com/index.html.

Laura Lein-Svencnver http://lauralein-svencner.com/ is an excellent collage artist with many awards to her name. Her work flows, direct and to the point. Her style is a little reminiscent of J. Talbot and Kurt Schwitters, both of whom I adore as artists. I love to look through her work often...it opens up feelings and emotions from deep within me. She is also the former president of the Midwest Collage Society, of which I am a member. I wish I loved just a little closer to where the meetings take place. I would love to experience her joy of collage.

I mentioned my own site mainly because it is my therapy and my record of who I was and am.

k

PS- This scan did not work really well because the candy is "popped-up" from the actual work with foam double sided tape. So it is really hard to read the websites. That is why I listed them in my text.

Burl has found his Forever Home

We are thrilled to welcome Burl to our pack. After much discussion, my husband and I decided on which monthly expenses we could cut back on. Look into those eyes, the eyes of an earth angel for sure. Now we just have to cross the T's and dot the I's, pay a fee and it will be official. Burl has settled in and even with his healing leg, he is doing stairs like a champ. To see his mug shot on Greyhounds only click here: http://greyhoundsonly.com/frameset.html. Scroll down till you find his picture.

K