Saturday, April 20, 2013

Hanging Basket and the start of a Three Foot Giraffe!

 This is a little hanging basket...
 
 
 
 the fibers were so interesting to crochet and knit with...
there are coconut, bamboo, linen and silk fibers...
then i wove some strips of tea bags in between some layers...
the one that has a little green print you may be able to spy, is stamped with a friendship quote on it!
 
 
 
 when i couldn't find a gift for mother-in-law..
 
 
 
 i pulled this out of my stash, and thought, WHY NOT for HER...
this bag is so special to me and i KNOW she will love it too...
 
 
 
 she FAVORS raspberries, so i beaded on just a sprinkling of red for her to cherish, and will put a little love note inside for her to find and keep!
 
 
 
and this is a portion of my 1 ft. X 3 ft. giraffe that i started last week.
she is almost finished and i am so in love, i may have to do more!
 
 
HAPPY WEEKEND TO YOU ALL! XOHan

Sunday, April 7, 2013

SPRING and SPRUNG!

 i have trialed and errored for some time now...
 
 
 
 
 on plastering burlap as a substrate...
 
 
 
 
 then painting, and/or making transfers on to the plaster...
 
 
 
 
 and today it finally was actual fun and promise!
i have also been knitting with some strawlike fibers in previous post, wanting to incorporate the pieces into my mixed media..which i also did today, hoooo ray!
i am going to put some words on this canvas, special ones to help it SING!
AND then will glue the entire piece to another substrate as well and then a hanger.
GOOD teachers, stephanie lee and judy wise i THANK!
 
 
 
 
and one little tiny newborn baby bird that is living right at the front door, (bird brains) that i hope will survive either our surprise attacks or mama and dad's surprise attacks. 

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

FINISHING TOUCHES

 sooo...richard cut some more barrel staves up and they made perfect little stand up, block wood paintings!
 
 
 
 this one is for one of my sisters...
 
 
 
 i finished this piece yesterday...yay!
 
 
 
 it's title is OUR FAMILY EXCAVATION
 
 
 
 THERE are lots of hidden and not so hidden treasures within this painting...
 
 
 
 ...and i tried to get one shot, so that you can see, there is a little bit of gold gilding in the arms of the figures ;)
 
 
 
 knitting yesterday with straw-like fibers...thinking i may turn this into a basket with shells attached, or
 
 
 
someone on face book suggested a wall hanging...GOOD IDEA!
 
i hope that everyone is thinking up new and creative projects and then actually getting them finished!
:))))

Monday, March 25, 2013

THE SPICE OF LIFE: Diversity!

 i've been really happy busy, finishing many different art projects...
 
 
 
 

 

this in painted on another barrel stave.
her clothes are cloth and the bird is copper ;)
 
 
 
 
 this is one of the pocket hangers that i was making around Christmas time...
 
 
 
 
this is what she reads...
 
 
 
 
 
 flip side of the pocket hanger...i have started to put a few things on etsy,
my studio is over flowing with good things and i have to make more...
you know how that is!
 
 
 
and i've been making little test swatches of burlap, plaster and fabric to see how painted colors will show up? VERY FUN!
 
 
HAVE A GREAT PRODUCTIVE WEEK MY FRIENDS!
i know that spring has sprung around here and there aren't enough hours in a day to get all that you want accomplished...DIGGING in over here ;)

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Finally Finished!

Substrate: back of a book cover
 painted over it
i used photoshop to change the colors of my original painting...
 
 
 
 
 printed the painting photo onto silk
prepared the silk with clear gesso
painted and stitched when dried
 
 
 
 
 then added further fibers and fabric and bits of paint..
 
 
 
 
i have used this quote before, as it means so much to me.
a fellow artist told me today, "you could take that a lot of different ways, and it's so mysterious"
i liked her view!
 
my signature is hidden just below the quote, i didn't want to spoil any effects...
 
i hope you are enjoying your ARTting!
 
 


SECOND DAY OF SPRING

the wind threatens to blow this foggy day away...
even if it doesn't...it's OKAY

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

TUESDAYS...

 i've had so much fun with these last two paintings...
 
 
 
 
 there are 3 other paintings underneath this  one...
 
 
 
 there is cardboard, paper, paint, and...
 
 
 
 
and of course my hand dyed sparkly cheese cloth!
can't wait to dye some more this summer!
 
 
HAVE A GREAT WEEK FRIENDS! XOXO

Sunday, March 17, 2013

HEALING pink DAYS!

 i went with my daughter to see...
 
 
 
 
 Beauty and the Beast, LIVE, last night...
 
 
 
Thanking ALL of YOU...for the prayers, i am healing, i am!
and able to use my imagination, put down in paper, paint and fabric.
 
XOXO GRATEFUL HEART

Monday, March 11, 2013

a new SPRING!

 :) this started out as brown and white, then it was black and white, then i added off white paint, and thennnn.........
 
 
 
 
 i changed my mind completely...now it's these colors...
i still don't know where it's headed for sure...except for hidden in a closet to bring out later, using fresh eyes, ha, and then we'll see...
 
 
 
 
 
 
something new and fresh needed to happen over here on this stagnet blog of mine...so since i haven't been painting (except with my afterschool kids) i have been making left over yarn afghans and loving them to the point of not having any more left over yarn. (i do have some beautiful stuff to spin, so better get to that soon)
 
 
 
 
 
 
i've been tearing up old pretty fabrics to use in these as well. i am making them all for gifts. "2" have gone out so far and they are so full of color and delight, they just smile at me it seems. and my hoping that's what it brings to the receiver.
 
 
 
i was going to write a personal note to you Cheryl and Claire...but decided to put it right here. i love you both and thank you for your in put about shingles. your thoughts, cheryl, were just what i was after...HELPING others to decide about the the vaccine.
i shall add here too, that i have now spoken with others that did not have it as severely or that did. so i know it's a dilema for decisions, but pray this has all helped. and now i truly promise not to mention this again :)
 
Claire and Cheryl you poked up little tears in my eyes at your endearing thoughts. my love to you both! xoxo

Sunday, March 3, 2013

HERE......GOES!

 i played with photoshop the other day and changed part of a painted profile to this...i just love this and many things are rolling around in my mind on what to do further. one is: i printed this on some fabric and plan to attack this project when i am able. i also thought it would be fab to paint it again, just like this, or similar :)
 
 
 
 
 
 this shows the blue profile at the top, the one i altered. this was a painting that went into a book, with other participants, for misty mawn (made by Galia Helena) as a thank you FOR her wondrous teachings...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 richard found this little teeny nest...he knows how to excite me!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 it had fallen from one of our oak trees and looks to be the size that hummingbirds weave :)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
right HERE is where i took a little nap yesterday...that is a flowering plum tree behind our deck, it is magnificent this year, esp. while all around us is sooo green.
 
 
i WAS not going to say WHY i've been gone or hardly ever here, let alone visiting my favorite blogs...but i am going to say why in the hope that this will help everyone possible that hears this, and/or to pass it on and prevent it...
i contracted a bad case of SHINGLES a little before Christmas. it was on the right side of my body which included my neck just up to my chin, chest, arm and shoulder, then up into my hair on the right also. i thank GOD, it was not on my face (that one brings on a host of hideous happenings, no exaggeration).
 so i hit the dr's office after gradually finding little red patches popping up. well, i went a round or two of lots of medicines and the hope of not having permanent or semi permanent nerve damage, leaving me with therpetic neuralgia. (not sure of the spelling, but, it's on the internet), well it did. this can go away tomorrow, this can go away a year from now, this can go away 2 years from now or NEVER. it is just the same as having shingles, depending on how your body reacts. pain and itching like you cannot believe. the horrific part of some pain has left my body and i of course, hope the rest will some day. i became allergic to some of the medicine i was taking which has caused a long lasting welty rash on my chest with scars already. it itches and burns just like the shingles rash and i will spare you all, all the rest of how bad this can be.
HONESTLY, this has been an learning experience on pain management and what that can mean when no magic pill relieves one. and i know now that there are so many people on this earth walking around with a smile on their face, even when they don't feel like it. Truly, i have had my share of pain throughout my lifetime, but this, that goes on and on is not a blessed way to walk this earth.
 
MORE good thoughts. Art does save lives. my artwork and even the thought of it has kept me from going completely mad. and the vaccine for this malady is no garantee that you won't contract it, but it CAN POSSIBLY alleviate the duration and permanent nerve, muscle and skin damage. i had no idea! i still look in the mirror to see if there is a new rash where my skin is burning or itching or causing horrid pain.
 
NOT ONE OF YOU has to feel sorry for me. there are so many people that suffer far worse than this and as i said, i SO want to help prevent this if it can be done for you or yours.
i shall not mention this on my blog again...that's just not what it's intended for, and besides, i say with a smile on my face...here is where i can FORGET about the dang thing!
 
XOXO 

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

WONDERFUL WHIMSIES FOR YOU!

i started out with an end of a wooden box, screws intact...
 
 
 
 
 i taped a paint brush on the end of long stick (got the idea from robert burridge) and painted with my eyes closed with paynes grey (i did peek to get the wood covered :)
 
 
 
 
 started filling in the spaces till something showed itself...even the little bird in the right bottom corner! i carry my childhood days of imagination every where i go...right in the middle of my heart!
 
 
 
 
 This is a top of the hanger for the surprise coming up...
 
 
 
 this is a close up of their wardrobe...oh how i love to get them dressed up!
 
 
 
 
A large cardboard hanger, that reads romantically...
"KISSES, THEY HAVE A WAY OF LINGERING"
measuring 9" X 18" including the beads.
 
 
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY tomorrow MY FRIENDS!
 
XOXO