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Steady as she goes

Progress. I’ve been making it, albeit in a total tortoise slow and steady wins the race fashion. I’ve been facing the fears inherent in this new “big project”* and taking small manageable steps towards completion. ha! That’s sounds so grown up. I’ve taken the photographs (still need a couple more) and the universe has generously provided me with the means to print them as large cyanotypes in the form of the amazing Judy being in my Alt Process class! She has a kick ass alt process studio set up in her home that we can print at and she has a contact frame large enough for 20×24” paper. Ask and ye shall receive right? So, that part of the project is moving forward. The sculptures? ugh. Still haven’t figured that out yet. Not even sure if that’s what I should be calling them. First material test was a bust. Need to try some thicker paper. Plastic? Mat board?? I’m still a bit stuck there. But I’ll figure it out. I have no deadline for this, so am not stressing things. Just trying to keep the momentum going and not get bogged down in self-doubt. I think my woodcut is close to completion which means…

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The Artist’s Way

One tube of white paint at a time. Today’s easel view. I will be forever entertained that the gun print in the background always seems to be pointing at someone’s head! We have been in our new house for over a year now and I can’t even express how much I love my studio space without resorting to lots of little hearts and glitter. And I don’t roll that way. much. I love sitting at my desk and being able to turn and mad dog whatever is on my easel. Today we have two acrylic paintings that I have been working on in fits and starts for a couple months. Actually the bottom panel was an old unfinished painting from last year. So many layers. And I’ve spent the past two days just adding white paint over white paint. I have no idea where it will go from here, but it’s at an interesting place right now. And then there is all the stuff churning around in my brain. I was hit with a wave of ideas for art pieces last week while flying down the freeway blasting some permutation of Jack White on the stereo. And it wasn’t just…

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Going with the flow… or not!

Someone long ago had painted “ONLY DEAD FISH GO WITH THE FLOW” on a sidewalk at the University of Michigan. I don’t know if it was something I walked over once or everyday while I was there, but it was forever etched into my memory. Struggle against the flow. Go with the flow. Fight. Surrender. I don’t have the answers. Some days it’s one. Some days the other.  Making art is a struggle. Sometime you find that flow and go with it. The painting comes easy. Some days not. But I understand the game. “Don’t fall in love with the background!” The “ugly teenager” phase. It’s temporary! The “click” when it starts to come together. And  I know the materials. I feel competent that I can make them do my bidding. No big surprises. And then I started painting with encaustics, and the unknown is as vast as an ocean. I am a beginner here. Any sense of control that I may feel is false. With heat the wax becomes fluid and unpredictable. The lines move. Too much heat and you melt through to the wood panel underneath all those layers. You blow a hole into the painting. And you have…

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Ok April, let’s do this thing!

As long as “this thing” continues to be good news  like I received in today’s mail. I just found out that one of my prints was selected for the Crocker Museum’s annual Art Auction! I will have a piece of art hanging in a museum. That is all kinds of kick ass! And I needed that. Now we just need to get our house sold so that life can be all kinds of wonderful again! Cause March was kind of exhausting. On so many levels. The unplanned and accepted offer we put on a bigger house here in town, putting our house on the market, my friend Lisa passing away, the constant packing and cleaning and showing of house. ugh. All of which means I have not been able to make any art except when at class. Thank god for my printmaking class. Keeping me on the right side of sane. So, let’s hope this one piece of good news rolls into more good news: revised offers and our house under contract. No more Open Houses. No more always being ready for realtors to come through. Then I can get my desk out of storage and get back to work!

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Lucky 7

Wow. I had been managing a post a month so far this year – even 2 in February! And then I missed June. On so many levels. June was all about the volleyball. In fact, I was at a volleyball tournament in Reno (Jr Nationals – boy got a Silver Medal!!) when June became July! So now it is July 11th and the club volleyball season is over. I’ve managed to sleep in my bed 3 nights in a row and I’ve been to the grocery store. Life is slowing getting back to normal. Too damn hot, but that’s normal too. I didn’t gamble while in Reno, but maybe I should have. 7 is my lucky number. And July is again turning out to be a great month for art! I have 2 pieces in the State Fair Fine Art Exhibit – and my photography entry won an Award of Excellence!! I have a one of my new photos up at Viewpoint Gallery for the annual Member’s Show. Then last weekend, while recovering from Reno in Santa Cruz, I was invited to be participate in the 7×7: Seven Pieces by Seven Female Artists show at BodyTribe this month! So I…

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True Free Rebel Spirit

Last summer I took an on-line drawing class to keep busy between school semesters. I  think I started to tell you about it here, but got a bit side tracked. ahem. Anyways, the on-line class was great! I loved the daily assignments (without a grade or anyone even caring if you did it or not! HolyFreedomIOnlyAnswerToMyselfJoy!!) and learning new techniques and using art supplies that I don’t usually employ. It was fun and I rediscovered the joy of sketching. A thin-tipped pen for scratching lines is my favorite and my best! You can see all my drawings and doodles in this flickr set here. fun! I knew at some point I would take another on-line class and that time is now. A year long class with a new project each month. sweet. The artist/instructor is Mindy Lacefield, whose style I have admired since seeing her artwork at Lisa’s house last year. And yes, this is me moving even further out of what is “normal” for me. I actually bought… <whisper>glitter paints</whisper>. GASP! I know, I don’t even know me anymore. Anyways, we have our first project up and it is a True Free Spirit girl – an example of which…

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