Recycled folk art

Back in the 80s and early 90s I was into making wooden folk art, and had a lively business going from home. I sold retail at shows and also wholesale at stores in Murphys, Sutter Creek, Carmel Valley, etc. While clearing out a big cupboard in the garage to make it into a pantry for my son's family - we came across a big basket full of wood cutouts. I decided to collage over one of the pieces to update it. Here it is. If I cut out another one and hinged them together it could be a book cover. Hmmmmm......

Book Talk

Next week Sally, Pat and I will be giving a presentation on Altered Books and Book Arts at the Lodi Art Center. Sally has done more with constructions than I have and is also an eye candy kind of artist. She uses all the bells and whistles with interactive things, doors, windows, flaps, envelopes, etc. Pat does many colaborative decos with online groups, and will show some of those. She is also doing some constructions as well. And I'll lead off with altered books and introductions. We'll be taking questions throughout the talks, and encourage people to come up and handle our books at the end of the talks. Some of the Stockton ladies that I paint with are going to come up and I love the support and opportunity to share what we are doing. I also work in the gallery on Tuesday morning, have art play date with Bobbi and friends on Monday, and Thursday will be the first meeting of a new mixed media group I am trying to start in Lodi. It will be a hectic week, but one full of fun things.

I'm thinking about starting a new altered book on Phobias. I'm not the first person to like this topic and a couple people have published art books on the subject. But, I can guarantee this one will be far different than anything that has been done before. There are web sites that list phobias, and some of them are very intersting. I'll probably use the more bizarre phobias just to make it more fun. Earlier, I bought the book "Altered States". That might be the one to use for the phobia book. Hmmmmm....... I love to start new books, and I have had a lag period of lots of paintings and collages, but not much activity bookwise. I think it's time to do another one.
I'll post as it progresses.

More new works

This time of year, when I can spend very little time out in the garden, I spend more time painting. The Senior Center art groups are fun to paint with. And we actually all accomplish something. It seems that just carving out a block of time to paint and having the supplies on hand makes it do-able. Here are a couple new ones. I apologize for focus.

A shadow's bliss

"Some there be that shadows kiss; Such have but a shadow's bliss." That's a little Shakespeare quote I found on a scrap of paper when I was tearing up the background texts for this collage/painting. This winter has been very grey and gloomy, if it isn't foggy, it's raining. I was thinking of sunshine on my shoulders and how I'm longing for the feel of it - so thought I'd paint a picture of sunshine. I used the main image from a photo I had taken last year of my dogs and I walking on the crest of a hill, just where the sun caught us and extended our shadows down the road. Luckily I had my camera in my pocket, so I could get a quick pic. I saw Roberta had done a really nice painting of herself and her husband with a photo she had taken of their shadows. So, the idea came from her January 7th blog. She said she didn't mind my using her idea. You should go there and see her painting too. I thought I was all done with this and set it up to dry, when the figure in the background seemed to emerge from the random colors I had applied there. When I saw it, I grabbed a pencil to capture it, and then went back with more paints to define it - without letting it take over the piece. What a lucky fluke that was. My friend Jean has those moments all the time with watercolors. She walks away and comes back to see what developed since she left it. Makes it very interesting, as things just seem to happen. This is done with fluid acrylics and gesso over torn papers glued to watercolor paper.

Another work in progress

This tourist is enjoying European architecture as he walks about in awe. Done with fluid acrylics, watercolor crayons and gel medium over collaged background on watercolor paper.

Two new pieces to post

I finished the piece done for an art show "Springtime Obsession", it doesn't have a title yet. I was inspired by a bit of archaic poetry by John Milton. "Now the bright morning star, day's harbinger, comes dancing from the East, and leads with her the flow'ry May, who from her green lap throws the yellow cowslip, and the pale primrose. Hail bounteous May, that doth inspire Mirth and youth and warm desire!" I may just name it Mirth, youth and warm desire. That ought to have the judges scratching their heads.

I used pages from an old book for the mat and flowers pressed by my friend Pat. S. who was kind enough to send them to me. This fits into a black frame, but I can't seem to get a good photo of it framed. So, I am not going to enter it in the Ironstone show. They require a CD with good photos of the work.

The second piece was a practice piece using watercolor pencil and fluid gel medium. Then glazed over with fluid acrylic titan buff paint. My practice book was out in the car when I started this and it was drippy wet cold and foggy, so I did this on watercolor paper instead.

A new piece of art - winter theme

The title of this piece is February 19th. Why? One of the scraps used in the background has that date on it, and since the requirement was to do a winter theme - and Feb. 19th is still winter - that would work for a title. The Lodi Art Center has a membership show this month and the theme is winter. The problem was, I only decided to do it the day before it was due. I was very rushed, to say the least. Here it is. The story behind it is that I often feel like burrowing down a rabbit hole in winter and wait for the sunny days to return to come out. I couldn't find a little girl in a position I wanted to use, but found this ca. 1890s illustration of the little boy. The text with him says "I believe I'd like so much to play". This was another piece that kind of came from my playing around with the practice book.